#also i reached over 10 followers :D

[deli0191]

Scratches head

I was sick :-(

[causenessus]

for your event, can I request suna with ⭐️ and 🍳? :D

Almond Butter. | Suna Rintarou

suna x f!reader

written in 2nd pov and it tore me to shreds

prompts from 1k followers event -> ⭐ -> insomnia & 🍳 -> cooking

"you've adored me before, oh my good looking boy." from good looking (stripped) by suki waterhouse

word count: 1.1k words

notes: fluff <333 i can't help talking about how hot and sexy this man is everytime i write for him i am so in love with him i am barking from him HHHHH— suna being a good boyfriend and brother!!! i love this man to bits and pieces <3 1K WRITING EVENT IS BACK IN SESSION!!! AND SO AM I!! NESS!! FOR A SINGLE DAY!! WITH CRAPPY WRITING!! i'm obsessed with him and him only using petnames and also i see this as a scenario being quite early into your relationship with him <3 and basically this being the first time he says "i love you" to you (without realizing it) and you realizing you love him (and being too sleepy to say it)(this makes more sense once you read the drabble)

mango anon, if you see this <3 this is us <3 this is me making u almond butter toast <3

cw: food, talk about food chemistry and how your brain converts food to melatonin using carbs yay science! work is not exactly proofread

you’ve been waiting in your living room for the past 10 minutes.

well, actually, you’ve been waiting for the past two hours to go to sleep but your brain won't let you, no matter how tired you feel.

finally giving up any chance of falling asleep soon in your bed, you let the screen of your phone blind you as you shoot a quick text to your boyfriend:

y/n : taro are you awake? i can’t sleep :( insomnia’s kicking my ass again

you collapse back onto your pillow, throwing your phone haphazardly to your side with a groan. almost immediately, your head pops back up again at the sound of a buzz, and you blindly reach for your phone, looking at its screen.

rin <3 : yeah i am

rin <3 : give me 10 min

you weren’t entirely sure what he had meant by that; if he was busy, and would reply again in 10 minutes or if he was coming over.

you hoped it was the latter, but you'd find out soon enough. in the meantime, you moved to your living room, curled up on your couch under a heavy blanket, dimly lit by the warm light of a nearby lamp as you watched the seconds go by on your phone.

you always slept better with him, whether he was holding you in his arms or he was just simply in the room with you, it felt nice to be in his presence. just the thought of him was slowly making your eyes start to droop before the sound of the door unlocking made you perk up.

there he was, gently swinging your door open, a white plastic bag in hand. his yellow eyes fell on you as you looked him up and down, obviously judging his poor taste in clothing (sweats and a t-shirt) despite it being the middle of winter.

“hi baby,” he whispers, kicking off his shoes before immediately making a beeline towards you. you were peeking out from over the arm of your couch, and he knelt on the floor at the side of the couch, chin propped against the arm of it where you were, leaning in towards your face. there was a smile on his own as he spoke, “don’t fall asleep now, i just got here.”

you can only sigh quietly in response, happy to finally see him. “can’t help it,” you mumble, “‘was thinking of you.”

his smile only grows at your words, and he presses a chaste kiss to your forehead, letting a hand run down the side of your face, caressing it carefully. “you’re cute when you’re tired, doll,” he teases as you lean into his touch, too tired to even respond. “at least let me take care of you before you fall asleep though, yeah? i went to the store for you after all.”

“you didn’t have to buy me anything,” you whisper, reaching an arm out to him, trying to get him to join you on the couch.

he grabs your hand, rubbing a thumb lovingly over the back of it, but doesn’t let you pull him down, “of course i’ll buy you things, y/n. i love you. can i make you something to eat?”

you hum in thought, thinking about if you really want to allow him to move you, but when he tugs gently at your arm, you get up (begrudgingly) bringing your blanket with you to the kitchen.

you rest your arms on the counter you’re sitting at, lazily watching his figure move through your kitchen, pulling items out of his bag. “what’re you doing?” you eventually question, eyeing his selection of groceries with confusion. the jug of milk you can understand, but not the jar of what you assume to be jam and a nut butter.

“‘making you toast,” he answers, rummaging through your drawers for a knife, “my sister used to have trouble sleeping sometimes too, and she’d always wake me up instead of our mom so i had to figure out what helped.”

“and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are supposed to help you fall asleep?” you ask, sitting up to rest your head on your hand as you watch him pull a plate from your cupboard.

the bread he dropped into your toaster pops back up as he corrects you, “almond butter. my sister hates peanut butter, and rightfully so. almonds are better.” he continues talking as he places the toasted bread on the plate he grabbed, “i had to google what kind of foods you should eat when you can’t sleep and it’s the first suggestion i saw. the almonds have something in them that gets converted to melatonin using the carbs from the bread and jam, or something like that.”

you nod along like you really care about whatever science he’s rambling about when really, all you can pay attention to is how nice his voice is. ever since he entered your apartment, you’ve realized how much he was all you needed to sleep. you’re slowly getting more attached to him and the longer you date him, the more sure you are that you love him, too.

he slips into the seat next to you, sliding the plate of toast over to you. you mumble a small thanks, biting into the sandwich before opting to lean against him, your head resting on his shoulder while the rest of your body is wrapped in the heavy blanket you brought from your couch.

you hum in satisfaction, deciding that maybe rintarou was right about whatever science is behind the contents of this sandwich, or maybe he just needs to research the effect he has on you. you’re sure just being in his presence is sending melatonin straight to your brain–or however he said that works. “rin,” you hum, eyes closed as you remain leaning against him.

“what is it, sweetheart?” he asks. one of his arms has moved to wrap around your back, holding you close while one of his fingers grazes the skin of your arm, drawing lazy circles onto it.

“will you stay the night, too?” you ask, taking another bite of the sandwich.

he can’t help but smile, watching you snuggle up against him, scooting your chair and plate closer to him, closing the gap between you two. “of course, love, if that’s what you want,” he whispers, pressing a kiss into your hair.

you nod in response to the statement, holding up your sandwich to his mouth for him to take a bite of. “you're good at making sandwiches, but i think all i need is you to fall asleep,” you mumble tiredly and he chuckles.

“if you fall asleep here, i’ll have to carry you to your bed, you know,” he warns, but you're already drifting in and out of sleep, the plate on the table in front of you both now empty, besides a few crumbs of bread.

“that’s okay,” you try to say, fighting a losing battle against the sleep that's slowly overtaking you. “you can do it,” your last words of encouragement make his heart twist before your head lolls slightly, and he knows you’ve knocked out.

taglist: @akaakeis @wyrcan @daisy-room @eggyrocks @cheriisae @alexithemiyatic @kameyyy @iiwaijime @chaotic-neutral-ig @bakery-anon @kakeru-eem

[love-anddeepression]

Movie Posters- Miguel O’Hara x teen!spider!reader

The awaited Father’s Day fic :D love all of you, and I hope you like this<3333

“Lyla?”

“Yeah?”

“What the hell is this?”

“It’s a cake, dumbass.”

“Yeah I know, dipshit. Why is it on my desk?”

“How should I know?” The AI shrugs, “maybe check the icing? Dumbass.”

The perpetually tired old spider rolls his eyes and opens the box to reveal a red and blue cake with his logo iced onto it. There’s a chocolate piece with writing on it.

“Get an empanada at exactly 11:26 am today for your next hint.” Miguel reads out, “I mean- sure I guess?”

From somewhere above, another spider in a purple suit smiles and disappears.

——

At exactly 11:26 am, Miguel is at taking the empanada from the spider behind the counter who also hands him a small box.Nodding in thanks, he looks at the post it on the plate.

“Good job, open the box after eating the food.”

He doesn’t waste time in scarfing the food down before opening the box.

A battery. And another note.

“Good job, at exactly 1:30 pm, go to Jessica’s quarters.”

“What?” He says out loud, attracting the attention of some of the other spiders, “nothing to see here.” He snarls and they all go back to eating in silence.

He internally groans, because he knows you’re behind this.

—

At one thirty, he glares as Jess smirks and hands him a paper bag filled with confetti.

Amongst the confetti, he finds another box.

Another battery, another note.

‘Almost done, now at five, go to the main hall of spider society to find the last part of your gift.’

“I’m going to kill that kid.” He swears as he carefully folds the paper and holds it as if it made of glass

“You’d kill yourself before letting anything harm her.” Jessica replies.

He doesn’t answer, only clenching his jaw in response to his colleague’s words.

Because nothing has ever been truer.

———

At five sharp, he opens the doors to the main hall to find a single spotlight shining onto a table with the last box on it.

He rips the ribbon wrapped around it and opens it to find a remote with a single bright red button and another note.

‘Two batteries and one remote. You know what to do, wiseguy.

Also, happy Father’s Day ;)’

He has never assembled something faster, as he quickly puts the batteries in the remote. And hesitantly presses the button.

The spotlight switches off and the momentary darkness in the hall is then replaced by a single hologram of a butterfly flying around him.

It rests on his nose and flies around him, as if wanting him to follow it. In front of him, a portal opens and the butterfly flies through it, expecting him to follow.

On the other side is what is supposed to be a media room. Complete with wooden panelling and a projector and speakers. He sees posters of what used to be his favourite movies and songs. Photos of his favourite soccer players. His hand moves to over his mouth at the photo of him and Gabriella.

“Don’t be mad.” Your voice reaches his ears and he whirls to see you look at him nervously, “i wanted to make this special.”

He clenched his jaw and scoffs, looking around the room once more, he eyes the empanadas and the movie, his favourite, ready to be watched.

He then looks you in the eye, and for the first time in entire time you’ve known him, you feel nervous.

He stalks towards you and after a few seconds of painful silence, he wraps his arms around you and hugs you.

“Oh honey, why would I be mad?” He whisper into your hair.

You let out a sigh of relief, “i know how much she meant to you, she needed to be here today. I..know I’m not your real daughter or anything, but you’re my dad.” You hug him tighter, hiding your face in the crook of his neck, and he gingerly picks you up.

“You’re my kid. Understand?” His voice is shaky.

You nod and he puts you down, a small smile on his face.

You giggle, “wanna watch the movie?”

His smile turns into a smirk, “come on what are we waiting for?”

Your smile disappears, “wait, shit! I forgot my glasses!”

“I thought spiders had 10/10 vision?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Sorry that your spider is a blind bat.” You snark.

“You’re hilarious.” He munches on the popcorn you’d made for him.

“Yeah I know.” You grin and open a portal to get your glasses.

A few minutes nts later, you emerge, a frown on your face. You go to stand in front of him and he looks up at you, “What?”

“They were on my head the whole time.”

“Oh were they?” He hums, “must’ve missed em. I have horrible eyesight.”

“Asshole.” You roll your eyes and adjust your glasses as you plop down next to him and start the movie.

He throws popcorn into your open mouth, “don’t talk to your father that way.”

“Shut up.”

[incorrectbatfam]

Types of obnoxious batfam stans

Written by an obnoxious batfam stan

Not really a rant but something I've noticed over the years interacting in different spaces and I've decided to make your problem now.

Please note that I'm not saying there's any "right" way to be a fan because we all suck by virtue of being comic nerds, but there are certain kinds of batfamily fans that stick out to be in particular.

Anywho, here are 12 kinds of annoying batfam stans that you've probably run into and you better get a laugh out of it *points gun to your head*.

1) The Newbies Who Never Heard of Google

There's no shame in being new to something. It's a phase that we're all guaranteed to go through, whether we're 11 or 101. However, in this day and age, so many things can be easily googled that you don't need to shout every question you have into the VVorld VVide VVoid. If you need comic recs or a reading list, google it. If you wanna know a character's origin story, google it. If you need to know the color of Batman's underpants in a particular issue in 1965... well that's probably too specific for Google but Reddit will definitely have an answer.

2) The Middle School Authors

Before the 13-year-olds get up in my notes, I'm not saying everyone that age writes like this. Middle school is a state of mind. These fanfic writers usually stand out in a few ways.

They're oftentimes first-person POV or reader-insert. Give Y/N a break, she's tired.

The grammar is stunningly atrocious. I get if you're inexperienced or if you're writing in a second language, but we are in the prime era of autocorrect. If you need help, it's right there. Also, fuck c*nsoring b*d w*rds and fuck "unalive."

The characters do things that are out-of-character because the author is projecting their own personality. Bruce Wayne is a lot of things but he does not listen to the fucking Mountain Goats.

There's a lack of experience or research when it comes to certain topics. That's not how physics works. He can't walk that injury off. And that's definitely NOT how you do the horizontal hokey pokey.

3) The Neckbeards

Unfortunately, these basement-dwelling mouth-breathers tainted the image of what a comic fan is, though that's been changing recently. Still, we've all seen them. They gatekeep via pop quizzes, 'cause obviously you're not a real fan unless you know what page 10 of Batman #138 smells like. They give unsolicited commentary on people's cosplays, nitpicking the guys and being gross toward women. And heaven forbid the comics add a little diversity.

4) The Moviegoers

Nothing inherently wrong with getting into the fandom via the movies, nor is there anything wrong with sticking to that. I just feel like we're two different species of Galapagos finches, you know?

5) The Christopher Nolans

Separate from casual fans of the Nolan movies. I'm calling them the Christopher Nolans because these people have a tendency to reach for the grimdarkest thing possible. It's like they cannot fathom Batman having any other emotions besides punching and gargoyle brooding.

6) The Canon Purists

Wanna share a fun headcanon? NO, because Stephanie Brown never used cherry lip balm in the comics so therefore that must be the absolute truth. These people are a stickler for comic accuracy to the point where it's like... why bother interacting with the fandom in the first place? The worst part is when they're adamant on following a single continuity and refuse to consider anything else. This is comics we're talking about. Everything either has been or will be canon at some point.

7) The Fanon Worshippers

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the people who base their entire perception of the characters on something either they pulled out of their ass or that their mutual with 16 followers came up with, despite evidence directly contradicting it. I love WFA, but I feel like that's partially responsible for further perpetuating certain popular myths. Also, these fans tend to focus solely on the batfam/their ships. It's one thing to have some people in the foreground vs. background, but put some respect to Bart Allen's name you goddamn cheesecakes.

8) The Golden Age Dads

These guys aren't really obnoxious. I actually find it kind of cute how they think Jason Todd is still dead.

9) The Chronically Online

I have a rule of thumb when it comes to discourse: if it's not something I'd hear about at a bar, it's not worth my mental energy. Some people haven't gotten the memo, though.

These are either the well-intentioned but misinformed teenagers or grown-ass adults beefing with children because they don't have a life. They have takes that are oversimplified, rage-inducing, TikTok algorithm attention-grabbers that no one cares about in real life.

Don't get me wrong, we've got a bunch of issues in comics and fandom that are worth discussing. However, there comes a point where you're splitting hairs and need to go the fuck outside. I'm not gonna link the post 'cause I don't wanna call them and their 7 notes out, but the other week I saw someone saying Stephcass was a racist ship because something something colonialism parallel. You gotta be Elastigirl to have that kind of reach.

10) The Corporate Simps

I love comics. I appreciate the writers and artists. However, you will find my carcass in a ditch before you catch me licking the boots of DC/Warner Bros. Basically, these fans, fewer as they are, can't seem to fathom that their favorite franchise can (and does) put out some steaming motherfucking garbage.

11) The Hot Cosplayers

Not actually annoyed, I'm just a little jealous. Stop being hotter than me, please and thank you.

12) The One With A Punchline For Everything

Wait–

[hurtspideyparker]

Peter meets baby Morgan

Tony meets him in the hospital lobby.

"Hey kid, nice to see you," he greets him with a quick hug, Peter barely having time to raise his arms around the older before it was over.

"Uh, hi. How are you guys?"

Tony's eyes are unsteady with heavy bags underneath, his hair falling from its usual quiff down onto his forehead in soft waves. His Black Sabbath long sleeve is rumpled with sweat stains, and he has the biggest, most persisting grin splitting his face.

"Great, perfect, amazing, beautiful. Here, sanitize."

Peter nearly drops the bag in his hand as he fumbles to put his palms out as Tony squirts hand sanitizer on them.

"Follow me!" Tony twirls around and Peter is quick to catch up.

Peter's stomach does leaps and whirls, nerves and excitement creating a nauseating combination in his stomach. Tony leads him down white-tiled hallways to a large postpartum suite.

"Knock knock, we're back," Tony taps on the door.

Peter follows him in shyly, peaking around the large room. There aren't any windows, there's a TV attached to the wall, and a little tub beside the hospital bed on wheels. It reminds Peter of incubating chicks. He doesn't see the baby yet, only Pepper laying in the hospital bed under piles of pastel blankets.

"H-hi Mrs. Potts. I hope you're feeling well."

She smiles at him, warm and motherly. He wonders if he always thought that of her, or if it's only started since her pregnancy.

"Hi Peter. I'm doing much better now, thank you. All went well."

He smiles back, then remembers the bag he brought when he fidgets with it in his hands. He walks closer to her so he can show the contents.

"Oh, I uh, brought you some food. May says the hospital food is terrible, and you guys would probably be hungry. I wasn't sure what you were feeling so I brought spring rolls, Cuban sandwiches, and pepperoni pizza, also some chocolate bars and a bag of skittles. Oh and an orange, for like... health, but I can always go and get something else-"

"Peter?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"I'd like you to meet Morgan Stark."

She shuffles the blanket on top of her and Peter realizes that her newborn baby is resting on her chest, cuddled under the baby blanket and resting her tiny head on Pepper's freckled skin.

Peter's breath catches.

"Oh."

He's frozen, staring at the small creature. Tony pushes his back gently, encouraging him to get closer.

His steps are slow and gentle, as if the quiet echoes of sneakers on linoleum would be enough to wake the baby. He bends down awkwardly, watching the way her eyes scrunch but remain closed.

"Oh wow, she's. She's so small," he speaks in a hushed tone.

Pepper grumbles good naturedly at the comment, "she didn't feel small at the time."

"7 pounds 10 ounces," Tony says with pride.

Peter isn't sure what that means in terms of babies, but he can't help but feel proud too.

Her face is bright red and speckled, her skin looking impossibly soft. Her fingers are so tiny, like a genuine doll, and she wears a yellow hat. Peter reaches for her instinctually before dropping the movement.

"It's okay," Pepper says and grabs his hand, bringing it up towards Morgan.

Peter decides to run his finger against the back of her hand. Her skin is so soft that the boy gasps at the feeling. Morgan's fingers curl against her mother's skin before stretching out again, and Peter stops moving, stops breathing, until she settles.

"I've never met a baby this small before. I mean sometimes toddlers, or moms holding their baby that want Spider-Man to take a picture with them. But this, this is so different. She's like an adorable alien. I think I'd die for her."

Pepper and Tony share a giggle.

"Me too kid. Us and every other Avenger. Even Happy cracked a few tears when he saw her."

Peter smiles at that. Happy is really just a big softie. They all know it, they just aren't allowed to say it out loud.

"Would you like to hold her?" Pepper asks.

Peter looks up at her in surprise. She's giving him an encouraging smile, sitting up in the bed.

"Oh I don't know if, I don't know how to do... that."

Tony steps up to the bed. He grabs the sky blue blanket that was resting on top of the newborn's naked body and starts to swaddle her in it so she doesn't get cold away from her mother's body heat. Once she is wrapped snugly he picks her up and turns to Peter.

"It's like a football, Pete. Just make sure to support her head, here," panicked, Peter drops the bag and quickly mimicks the way Tony's arms fold around the child as Morgan is placed in them, making sure his hand cradles her head.

She fits perfectly in his arms. All the movement makes her fussy, wiggling slightly, and Peter pulls her closer to his chest to protect her. Her eyebrows scrunch and her mouth bobs opens and closed like a fish.

Unable to resist, Peter lifts a gentle hand to brush against her face with the pad of his thumb. He goes down the bridge of her nose, pausing for a moment on the tip in awe of the sweet button shape. Then he brushes against her cheeks, red and bumpy with acne but so extremely delicate under his feather-light touches.

Morgan settles in his arms, wiggling stopping as she falls back asleep.

"I can't believe she's real. She's so adorable I wanna eat her," he mumbles, unable to wipe the smile off his lips.

"Please don't, we were kind of planning on keeping her for a while," Pepper chimes.

Peter glances up to share his joy with the parents only to find Tony has tears in his eyes, unable to look away from the sight of the pair.

"Mr. Stark! Are you crying?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm obviously allergic to babies. She must have inside-mom pollen on her still, Pep they didn't clean all your goo off her."

"You're totally crying! That's so sweet of you sir."

Tony quickly wipes the stray tear from his eye, "fine, I admit it. I've been such a good father and husband that all your," he waves a hand in Pepper's direction, "hormones rubbed off on me. I'd never express my emotions so openly otherwise."

Despite his dismissive tone Peter shares a genuine smile with the man, his love for the pair of kids so revering it bathes the room in warmth.

Pepper rolls her eyes but soaks in the warmth just as much.

The teen looks back down at the baby in his arms with his brown eyes shining in awe.

Tony's hand finds Pepper's on the hospital bed, interlacing their fingers and bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.

"God I have so much energy in my heart. I need to punch a wall or cause an explosion," Tony says, squeezing Pepper's hand with a gentle touch.

"How's it feel to be a big brother Peter?" Pepper asks.

He looks up at her in shock, "big brother? Really?" but not without hope.

"Of course."

Peter laughs in disbelief, looking between Tony, Pepper, and Morgan.

"I- this. I'm, yeah. I'll be the best brother ever. I promise. I'll buy her the annoying toys you won't, and take her for ice cream, and I'll babysit whenever you want!"

Tony cradles the back of Peter's neck with a sweet softness, "don't worry about it Pete. This is enough."

Peter relaxes under his touch, and stares down at the unbelievable life that warms his arms and chest and entire being.

Yeah, this is enough.

[milksnake-tea]

hello my favorite star rail writer i am back bc i saw you reached 1k followers (CONGRATS BTW I DIDNT SEE EARLIER BC I STARTED CLASSES) and im a sucker for mutual pining its sickening to see two ppl so in love and blade, so blade + fluff prompt 10 would be amazing :D

extra points if mc isnt a fellow stellaron hunter, like in my head reader is sighing dreamily while march 7th is all "thats a wanted criminal"

❀ ˎˊ- prompts: You two have been pining over each other for God knows how long, and your friends are sick of it. ❀ ˎˊ- 1k followers event ❀ ˎˊ- character: blade ❀ ˎˊ- warnings: none! just fluff :D ❀ ˎˊ- a/n: IM SORRY THE LAST PART MADE ME LAUGH SO BAD GOODBYE I LOVE THAT !!! also..... IT GOT KINDA CRACK IM SORRY GOODBYE IT'S LESS PINING MORE DAN HENG BEING DISAPPOINTED IN YOU

It wasn't often that Blade strayed outside the mission.

Just as the sword he wielded, Blade cut through his missions with precise cuts, following Elio's script like law. While Kafka and Silver Wolf would take liberties with their scripts, going off to shop or to fight, Blade stayed at his designated spot, staring blankly at the clock until he was called upon once more. He never did more, never did less.

So to see him gazing off into the distance, a hint of a smile on his face, was definitely out of the ordinary.

"What's on your mind, Bladie?" Kafka asked, her pupil-less eyes peering at her partner from behind her drink. "It's rare to see you so... restless. Has the mara been bothering you?"

Blade shook his head, a disgruntled sigh escaping him. His gaze reached past Kafka, focusing on the silhouette of your person as you chatted away with Dan Heng.

Kafka hummed, tilting her head as she played with her straw, mindlessly stirring her beverage. "Hm... Then is it them?"

Blade's fingers stilled. Kafka smiled, knowing she had hit the spot.

"So it is," she mused, stifling a giggle as Blade shot her an annoyed look.

"They're talking to him," Blade muttered, laying his hand flat against the table. Surprisingly, the mara did not strike, nor did Blade become irritated. His voice was gentle, soft like the breeze.

"Indeed they are," Kafka took a sip, licking her lips at the burn of alcohol. "Do you wish that was you, Bladie?"

Her teasing wasn't lost on the man, but he didn't bother with a reply.

"No," Blade murmured, resting his head in the palm of his hand. The artificial sunlight of the Xianzhou bathed you in a heavenly glow, your carefree laughter a sweet symphony. "I wouldn't dare disturb such beauty."

And yet, it seemed as though fate had glanced his way, just as you had. Your eyes met with his, and you smiled, waving at him. Blade's heart thudded in his chest, and for a moment, life returned to him.

His hand twitched, wanting to return your greetings, but the rough drag of his bandages stopped him. Blade averted his gaze, hiding his slowly flushing skin behind his palm.

Kafka snickered at his predicament, quickly snapping a photo of his flustered state and sending it to the other Stellaron Hunters. Instantaneously, Silver Wolf sent back a vomiting emoji, while Sam excitedly congratulated Blade on his newfound emotions. Elio didn't reply, he never does.

"Aren't you adorable," she cooed, turning her phone off and tucking it away. "You know, I doubt they'll mind if you just walked up to them."

Yes, you certainly wouldn't mind. However, your very disturbed friends would.

"What are you doing?" Dan Heng hissed as you waved to the Hunter, grabbing your wrist and snatching it down. "You know how dangerous that man is."

"But isn't he so cute?" you chuckled, the tips of your ears flushed. "Besides, he hasn't done anything to hurt me yet."

"Yet being the operative word," Dan Heng sighed in exasperation. "I hope you didn't forget how he threw a sword through me."

"I try not to think about it." You stretched back your arms. "Don't get your tail in a twist, Dan Heng. I'm just being friendly."

"That's not what your face says," Dan Heng commented, poking your cheek. "I can still see you mooning over him."

"I am not- mooning over him!" you objected, swatting his finger away. "I was just... thinking."

"Of course you are. Thinking of the man who stabbed me, that is."

"And he looked good doing it- Dan Heng!" you yelped as Dan Heng elbowed you. Your friend only crossed his arms, raising a brow at you as you glared at him. "Alright, alright, fine. I just- I know I shouldn't like him, but..."

"There's a but in this?"

"His arms are really toned, okay? Have you seen his muscles?"

Dan Heng gagged, pretending to throw up over the railing. "Far closer than I'd like to admit- Point being, he's a wanted criminal."

You stared blankly at him. "So?"

Dan Heng stared back. "What do you mean, 'so'?"

"I can fix him."

The only words you could use to describe Dan Heng's face was pure disappointment. Swiftly, he turned on his heel, and promptly walked away from you, quickening his steps as you chased after him.

"Hey! Where're you going so quickly-"

Dan Heng stopped for only a moment, his expression unreadable as he glanced back at you. "I don't talk to people who kiss wanted criminals."

You held up a finger. "To be fair, I haven't kissed him yet-"

"I'm leaving."

reblogs w comments are appreciated !!

[flamingpudding]

Part 10 of Ghost Kid in Gotham

>>Masterpost >> AO3

<<1 Previous Next

A/N: A little side information on why this part is so late.... this was originally entirely different. I planned something else but wanted to adjusted that to what I would learn from AGIT but my copy of the book did not arrive yet... soooo this ended up as Part 10 and the original part 10 will be 11 now I guess, we will see :D

A/N(2): Oh btw AO3 link is now out! So far 3 Parts were edited and posted there! I also recently learned that editing a post does not generate a notice. So I will start leaving a comment on the Masterpost whenever a new Part is up. That should hopefully notify anyone subscribed to the Masterpost!

No work at the dinner table

It was supposed to be a normal dinner. His siblings were supposed to just meet his twin brother. Get to meet him and help him enable a somewhat normal childhood with the second chance Damian was getting with Danyal. Yet here he was hugging, no clutching his brother closer to him as he stared at their father at the head of the table furthest away from the twins.

Danyal's entire attention was on the man. There was no adverse reaction like the last time but he knew by his brother's body language that he was entirely focused on their father. The moment the man had spoken their mothers name Damian had felt how Danyals entire demeanor had changed. It was obviously the league training. The way the boy sat up straighter and his shoulders tensed.

The dinner had started relatively well all things considered. Drake had set up a powerpoint with ground rules for how their siblings were supposed to approach and not crowd Danyal. Of course they barely listened once they got to see the boy and Brown was the first one to nearly get bitten by the young boy attempting to pinch his cheeks. Damian had scowled.

But he had also watched on with fondness as he reluctantly had let go of his brother. He knew he was developing an unhealthy clinginess. But could they blame him? He had believed his brother to be dead for eight year and now finally got im back. Damian believed that a little protectiveness was well in his rights.

Brown had no business in teasing him about his brotherly display. Though he did drone when his siblings started discussing who of the two was the 'evil' twin. Did they not know that both Danyal and him were known as Demon Twins in the league? Questioning who of the two was 'evil' was rather foolish and when he voiced these thoughts he had to hide more of his puzzlement as they laughed.

He felt his vindictiveness calm when Danyal bit Brown soon after and despite him not wanting his brother to literally bite them. At least he could trust that Brown would not cause his brother sickness if bitten, he did not believe the same in regards to his elder brothers.

All it all the dinner was shaping up to be quite fine that was until their father stormed in with Richard closely following him. Damian wasn't sure how to categorize the expressions they were making but he let his instincts take over as he scooped up Danyal in his arms and chose the seat furthest away from their father. But if he had to he would at least call the face Richard was making pensive.

He did notice from the corner of his eyes how Todd choose a seat close to them and radiated a rather protective aura while glaring at their father. The next words the man spoke was enough to calm down even the last bit of excitement their siblings had for meeting Danyal as they all soberly waited for what their father had to say.

"I have been able to reach Talia."

Which brought him to the current situation. He felt how the air tensed. His mother had always been a difficult topic for all of them and he could not blame them. She had a rather strange way of showing love especially with the strong influence grandfather used to have on her.

"Danyal is not supposed to be eight years old." Damian's eyes narrowed as his hold once more tightened on his brother. What did father mean by that? Of course Danyal was supposed to be the same age as Damian, but he had died and only gotten revived recently.

"Bruce, maybe we should…" Richard was interrupted by their father laying out a stack of papers. The man's eyes were hard, clearly unhappy with whatever his mother had done and Damian couldn't blame him for that. He himself still felt conflicted whenever he thought about his mother reviving his dead twin after eight years.

The youngest Wayne looked down at the twin in his arms. Noting how his brother's eyes flickered between blue and green as they were trained on their father.

"Danyal al Ghul died at the age of eight. Talia revived him shortly after he had died." His head snapped up. What?

"According to what Talia was willing to share. Danyal did not come back the same, unable to handle Danyal she had then placed him in an adoption Center in Chicago hiding any traces she could of his revival."

"What?" The whisper was out before he could stop it. Todd was glaring even more intensely at their father. Unspoken works of Danyal having gone through the same Pit Madness that Todd had were clearly there. Richard had moved to stand by Damian and Todd, a grounding hand placed on each of their shoulders as the information ran through all of their minds.

His twin hadn't been revived recently but eight years ago?

"With that information I traced it back as far as I was able to. A family with the name of Fenton adopted him and he lived with them for eight years until he was declared dead about a month ago by a governmental institution."

Their father finally took a seat looking right at him and his twin.

"When did you find Danyal?"

"Danny. He likes to be called Danny." Damian said more or less out of reflex, he would recognise if shock set it wouldn't he? He was trained that way. Richard was squeezing his shoulder and his brother was squirming in his arms.

"About four days ago. Kid appeared in my apartment out of nowhere. Thought Dickie was playing a prank on me."

Their father hned and Todd's words. "That still leaves a good three weeks of no information between Dan-ny's revival and his foster parents declaring him dead."

"A governmental institution declared him dead?" Drake questioned further. "Not the police? Was there even a search?"

"They searched for him for a week before he was declared dead." Richard was the one speaking up this time. At the imploring looks of their siblings the elder brother shrugged. "I looked through the reports Bruce had laying all over his office when I…. talked with him."

Clearly there was more to the 'talk' than his eldest brother was willing to say but Damian would question that later more. Right now his focus was his twin. "So something must have happened during that time that not only deaged my brother but also brought him to us. Mother did not have a hand in this this time?"

Their father shook his head no. "If I can believe her words. She left him alone knowing that once Danny regained his mind he would not seek out the league to keep you safe. Talia denies having anything to do with his relocating or dealing. But she did admit to having had someone occasionally check in on the boy but refused to say anything more on that matter."

Damian's hold tightened once more and his brother was obviously squirming in his hold now, wiggling to find a more comfortable position. He heard a chirp and his eyes looked down at the blue eyes of his brother staring up at him.

Something has happened to his brother to leave him in this state. For now he could ignore that his mother had withheld the information that his brother had been alive all these years. He could ignore the hurt he felt over it and he could ignore the fact that Danyal had not attempted to connect with him to protect Damian once more. He would focus on finding out what had been done to his brother and to ensure that he would be safe now.

His siblings were discussing something around him but he was not really listening as his focus was on his brother in his arms. This time he would get to be the one to protect him.

"Ahbak, Danny." He whispered to the boy looking at him with big blue eyes and he could feel Richard squeezing his shoulder once more as he buried his face in his twin's hair.

"Ahbak, Dami!" The child in his hands told him and Damian once more swore, he would find out what happened to his brother and he would protect him. Everything else he would deal with once he ensured his brother's safety.

"By the way, I have one burning question!" Brown suddenly piped up interrupting whatever discussions were going on and stared at the child and the teen that were supposed to be twins of the same age. Their serious discussion was forgotten as she broke the tension that had built up with her next words.

"Who is the older twin?"

The short silence spoke volumes as Danmian raised an eyebrow at his siblings and Danyal made another chirping noise.

"It's obviously Damian."

"But from what Damian told us I would think it's Danny."

"Did you see how feral he is? He is the youngest."

"But Damian said Danny was protective! That is the mark of an older sibling!"

"You shitting me? He's the younger."

"Older."

"Guys this sounds awfully a lot like the evil twin discussion from earlier…"

"Yea the little shit is the evil younger twin."

"No, the stabby one is the evil younger twin."

"You're biased, because he tried to kill you before."

"And you're biased because you're the favorite chewtoy."

All his siblings were imbeciles, even his twin brother with his recent habit of biting anyone that came too close was better behaved than them. He clicked his tongue, though he smiled fondly as down at his brother who suddenly had started to hiss at Brown for trying to pinch the boy's cheek to prove something. "<tt> Danyal was… is the older one between the two of us."

Also Damian could feel Pennyworth staring at them all from the passage door to the kitchen with high disapproval as he was ready to serve dinner but apparently refused to do so until father put away the stacks of reports in regards to his twin, that obviously broke the butlers no work at the table rule.

[sulumuns-dootah]

31. 10. Piercings - Beelzebub + Bael

    ༺☆༻

⟡ Masterlist ⟡ 

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽Helltober '24☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

A/N: We did it freaks! :D It's the last day of October and what a ride it was! ^^ Thanks for all the support on this event! ♥ I had a lot of fun writing it and coming up with the prompts, so I hope you enjoyed it too!^^

    ༺☆༻

“Y/N, are you comfortable? If you want, you can move a bit.”

“Aw, no... They're being so good right now and it would be a shame if this little buddy came out crooked.” Beelzebub chuckles in response to Bael's soothing words, trying to make you feel more at ease as the king of gluttony carefully marks out the spots on your nipple that he'll soon pierce.

“Easy for you to say, asshole... But I'm the one who's about to lose it with how tightly they're squeezing me.” the fake king growls and smooths his hands down your hips as they sit so prettily on his cock like it's the throne of Abyssos.

When Beel appeared in his country all of a sudden on one fall evening, all Bael had for him was a giant pile of paperwork and a very long list of complaints. Instead of humoring him for at least a few minutes, however, the lord of flies strutted right by him without sparing a glance and deeper into the castle to find you, of all the demons.

“Y/N~! I have a surprise for youu~ huhu!” he sings as he follows the sweet smell of your sweat and perfume.

So that's how you find yourself, currently cockwarming Bael as the king himself officially turns you into a rightful citizen of his country. Out of the many choices you'd been able to pick from, you've chosen a nipple piercing since it's a fun secret to have, but it's also easy to hide from all the other, jealous kings if need be.

“Hmm... Here comes the flysting, you better prepare!” he now chuckles as he finally reaches for the piercing needle and lines it up with the first marked out dot.

“You mean a beesting, shi-mmh!” Bael is about to throw another still-angry remark, but is cut off due to your walls clenching onto him for dear life at the small bit of pain as the sharp needle slides through your flesh.

You've never seen Beel act so gently before as right now that he's carefully sliding your new metal jewellery through the new opening. It only hurts a bit now, but you're already prepared for any pain that will come with healing.

A small trickle of blood travels over your chest down, but the king is quick to lick up the trail and planting multiple playful bites far enough from your nipple to not irritate it any further until it's fully healed. You can't help, but feel your walls flutter at every bite and in turn making the fake king grunt in impatience.

“Huhu, you can move now~! Just be careful to not bounce too hard.” Beel teases with a wink and falls to his knees, fully revelling in the smell of your arousal.

“Hah, fuck, about time now..!” Bael scoffs and immediately starts to pick up a rather rushed pace as much as he's able to in the position you're in. The almost sudden change of state from sitting to being knocked upwards by the sheer force of his thrusts makes every sound escape from your lips.

You're so focused on the noble destroying your hole, that you don't even notice the king moving to fully dive between your legs to lick and suck like a starved man. Once you realise what's going on, you let out the loudest moan, you're sure everyone in the palace knows by now.

All the stimulation blurs your vision and your hands seek anything to ground you so you don't loose your mind, although there are worst ways to achieve that for sure. Going to the source of all the intense pressure, your fingers brush against something slippery and hard. Beelzebub's horn.

To return and also feel more connected to reality, your hand wraps around the slick spike and allows the power of Bael's thrusts to guide your hands movement. Beel thanks you for the action with continuous string of moans, vibrating against you, to match your own. And if you were to look down, you'd see his gorgeous green and golden eyes rolling back.

The only seemingly quiet one in the room is Bael, but that's only because your and the king's moans together cover the sound of the fake king's low growls and grunts.

The whole moment is so heated, with the two demons not giving you much free space between them and all the energy put into your actions, that you body can only deal with it by sweating. The smell of it not going amiss by the two Abyssos kings, helping to bring their release closer and closer.

You're not that far off either. At some point Bael leant backwards slightly, bringing you with him, which only causes him to hit deeper inside you and allowing the starved king better access to wetly slurp at your heated flesh.

Beelzebub can sense your release and can't help but chuckle, sending more vibrations to your sensitive parts. The sole action finally allowing you to reach the most intensive orgasm you've ever felt. In the bliss state your body convulses, making your hand and walls tighten around the two best friends.

Soon enough you can feel the king below you coat your hand with his horn cum and his advisor your walls with his dick cum.

As you're all coming down from your highs and catching your breaths, Bael sharply points at his king, not even having pulled out yet, “Don't think you're off the hook... There's still a mountain of papers you've gotta sign!”

    ༺☆༻

Shhh... Don't worry, I didn't forget about Amodeus and the prompt Shower(as chosen by the vote)! Asmo's will come out a bit later today ^^

[redrose10]

Could you do 5 and 10 with yoongi

We finally got our power back and are getting things put back together. So I’ll be getting through the rest of the requests that I have!

I originally had this one written differently but given recent events I decided to scrap that one and write a new one instead. I hope this is okay!

#5 Why are you helping me?

#10 Come here

Warnings: Just some angst, swearing

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

For probably the hundredth time you went over the list in your head making sure you had everything completed. You’d spent all day cooking and baking all of Yoongi’s favorites. You knew he was having a hard time lately both mentally and physically and was under a lot of stress so you wanted to do something nice for him. You had a super hot bath ready with his favorite vanilla scented bubble bath. His favorite tshirt and sweats already set out on the bed. The tv was programmed to record the nba game he’d been talking about just incase he missed it. You were excited and ready to show him some love.

So when you heard the front door open you excitedly ran to him jumping up and wrapping your arms around his neck peppering his cheeks with kisses. You expected him to melt into your touch like he normally would but this time he tensed up. His body stiffened and he made no move to reciprocate your affection. Instead he cursed under his breath before pushing past you to the kitchen.

“I made you all of your favorites.”, you said trying to stay calm as you followed after him.

While you were reaching for a plate you accidentally bumped into him making him stumble a little and spill some of the water he was sipping on down his shirt.

Annoyed he slammed his hands down on the counter. “Y/N, do you realize how annoying you are? I just want ten minute of peace without you constantly hanging on me. Can you please just not act like a clingy spoiled child for once in your life and leave me the fuck alone?”, he spat while shoving you away from him. You stood off to the side as you watched him sulk back to the bedroom.

After taking a few minutes to compose yourself you walked back to find him undressed in the bedroom. “I ran you a bath. And I put out some clothes for you already.”, you said cheerily still trying to lighten the mood.

Yoongi ignored you and instead grabbed some clothes out of the dresser before storming out of the room and to his home studio slamming the door behind him. You sighed as you took a seat on the bed next to his untouched clothes wondering where’d you both go from here.

Over the next few days the two of you barely spoke to each other unless necessary. It wasn’t completely unlike Yoongi to turn cold towards you whenever he was going through something. He did it to everyone. You knew that when he was ready he’d come to you to apologize and talk it over. You didn’t exactly like the way he handled things, but you also knew he was working on it so you continued to do your best to support him.

Which is why you were standing in the bedroom watching him struggle to get his tie right for some big meeting he had to attend. He shook his head and sighed before he undid it for the eighth time making you chuckle.

“Come here.”, you said reaching out for him. When he chose to just stand there and pout instead of walking over you playfully rolled your eyes and went to him yourself.

After you were done getting his tie on properly you started helping him with his earrings making sure everything was on and clasped.

When you pulled away you were surprised to see tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Oh my god what’s wrong?”

He shook his head and sniffled but remained silent.

“Yoongi what happened to make you so upset?”, you asked pulling him down onto the bed next to you.

“Why are you helping me?”, he whispered.

You chuckled, “What do you mean? I just helped you with your tie.”

“Not just that. You make me food every day. Make sure I have a hot bath and comfy clothes. You’re so patient and kind to me. I don’t deserve you or your help. I was awful to you all week. Even after I was so horrible you’re still here and taking care of me.”

“Yoongi, I love you. I know you’re going through something and I just want to be here for you. Whether it’s making dinner or setting out your clothes or simply putting your tie on. I just want to help you any way I can and make it even just a tiny bit easier for you. And when you’re ready to talk I’m also here to listen.”

He reached over taking your hand in his, “I’m sorry Y/N. I’m going to work on being able to voice my emotions instead of just pushing you away. But thank you for always being there for me anyways. I love you.”

You knew he was still a little in his head so you helped him into his suit jacket before giving him a kiss and a fresh cup of coffee to remind him you still loved him and were there for him and you sent him on his way feeling a little better than before.

[daughter-lilith]

❅In Every Life❅

Halsin x Fem!Reader | Modern AU, Parallel Universes Part 1

Summary: Another day on modern Earth as you finally wind down for the late night in your quiet home. All is as it should be. All is normal as you prepare for bed. That is, until a tall, hulking man with pointed ears shows up at your doorstep claiming to be your lost love from another time and realm. But he’s a stranger. A stranger who forever changes everything you thought you knew about your life.

Explicit 18+ (In future Parts)

CW (For whole story): Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Tension, Oral, P in V, Shifting, Pain, Love, Halsin is Emotional!

Word Count: 5.1k

A/N: After 10...11-ish years, BG3 has finally ended my fanfic hiatus. After years of focusing on original novels, I’m honestly so excited to get back into this genre!

For anyone who prefers to read on ao3, you can click here. And for those who prefer third-person POV (what I write most), I have an alternate upload also on ao3.

Lastly, this is technically a 1–2-chapter novella that I'm breaking into about 4-5 parts so it's easier on the eyes. So, apologies in advance if there are any awkward breaks between parts.

You patted the lightweight cream over your face, gently massaging it across your cheeks and up to your forehead until it was evenly spread. Smiling at yourself, you took in your appearance one last time for the night, comfortably dressed in nothing but a fitted tank top and black underwear. You had just finished some extra late-night gaming with friends, and you sighed, remembering that you probably should’ve used that time to write instead. Maybe you should’ve used any free time to write, rather than getting lost in other simple pleasures. The third book of your romantasy series wasn’t going to finish itself, and the deadline was fast approaching. Soon, your publishers will be expecting an update.

Turning off the bathroom light and exiting, you put those thoughts aside for now. Right now, you needed sleep, not to fill your head with worry. ‘I’ll get back on track tomorrow’, you thought to yourself. Your townhome was quiet, save for the distant churning sounds of the dishwasher downstairs. Your bedroom emitted a low light from the TV, though the volume was muted. You walked barefoot across the plush carpet, toward your phone that was placed on the small table next to your bed. 3:03 a.m.: the bright numbers flashed at you. You plugged it into its charger, then laid on your queen-sized mattress.

Grabbing the remote, you shut the TV off, which left your room almost fully dark were it not for the soft, orange glow emanating from the salt lamp near the TV. Snuggling under the covers, you exhaled a breath, closed your eyes, and gradually awaited the sweet lull of sleep. A few minutes had passed maybe, you weren’t sure, your consciousness was dangling on the edge of dreams yet still linked to your waking reality. A sound filled your ears, a familiar rumble that shook you out of your near-slumber, eyes fluttering open.

Your eyes landed on the light emitting from your phone, the screen completely illuminated. You usually left your phone on vibrate just in case of anything, but it wasn’t typically a disturbance. And you didn’t normally get messages at this time, except for the occasional random notification from someone who likely lived in a later time zone. Still, as the screen darkened once again, you closed your eyes, not worrying about it. You were a decent sleeper, and once you had fully slipped under, the chance of a quick notification waking you was quite slim. But not even a minute later, another vibration of the same pattern. Your eyes flicked open again, followed by an annoyed sigh as you relented and reached for your phone.

You squinted as the brightness already felt overwhelming despite not having fallen asleep yet. 3:12 a.m. You looked over the screen, noting the blue icon of your security camera followed by the text: ‘a person detected in your front yard’. Then another notification directly beneath it: ‘a person detected at your front door’. You lifted a brow in curiosity. It wasn’t unusual for random things to trigger your camera; a neighbor walking about, even at this hour, or perhaps your neighbor’s cat who strolled the streets at the most random hours. Maybe even someone driving off. Either way, you decided you were going to snooze the alerts but not before checking first.

Unlocking your phone with the print of your thumb, you tapped the first notification. Immediately, your stomach twisted and a heaviness filled your chest. The beat of your heart rapidly accelerated, and you could hear it echoing in your head, a panicked thumping. It wasn’t your neighbor’s cat, or someone walking by, or even movement from a car… Through the camera’s night vision, a man stood directly in front of your door, his head angled down so you couldn’t see his face. He had one arm- one huge, muscular arm- leaning against the doorframe like he was dealing with an internal battle to remain standing. Or as though he had the weight of the world on his rather broad shoulders and looked to your door for comfort. His other arm rested uneasily near his side, it looked like his fingers were tapping against his leg, unable to keep still.

Those expansive shoulders flexed in his position, tensed. And he was tall, almost filling up the entire field of view were it not for the height the camera was set up at. Dark hair, maybe a dark brown, you couldn’t quite tell in this light, was half tied up in a bun, the rest of it pooling at his collarbones. But despite his massive frame, what stood out the most to you were his ears. They seemed a normal size for his head, but the top of them curved into a tall upward point. ‘Elf ears?’ you silently questioned, confusion merging with your heightening anxiety. Surely, they had to be a prosthetic or molding, they had to be, and yet they blended with the bottom part of his ears so well.

You were sitting straight up now, the uneasiness in your belly increasing. What do you do? It was rational to call the cops, you knew this, but how soon would they get there? Do you try and scare him off? Threaten him? You lived alone, but he didn’t know that.

A new wave of panic surged as you tried to remember if you had locked your door. Of course you did, you always did. But what if- what if this was the one stupid night that it slipped your mind? What if— your thoughts were halted when you noticed the stranger lifting his head.

You gasped as he stared at the door for a single moment before his eyes roved up towards the camera. He started tilting his head as he looked intently at the camera, studying it, until his head paused, almost like he knew he was being watched.

You were frozen as you took in his gaze, so intense, so focused. The front door light was on, and paired with the night vision, you could tell he had bright eyes. And those eyes seemed to steal your breath, pulling you in even through the camera. There was so much depth behind his eyes: strength, power, kindness even. But another emotion burned brighter than the rest, a sense of…desperation- if you could call it that. A hopeful desperation, maybe. But for what?

As he looked at you, or so it felt like, you found yourself completely captured by him. The mere sight of him seemed to slow the nervous hammering of your heart, and you took this strange moment to take in more of his features. Apart from his ever-enthralling stare, he also seemed tired, like it had been days since he last rested, like he was too stressed to even get the chance. Four, very precise scars swiped across the right side of his face, from his forehead, cutting across his brow. Whatever injured him, it luckily missed his eye, only continuing to the bottom part of his lip and chin. And on the left side, a curving pattern of tattoos swirled along his face, from the top of his forehead to his chin, and maybe even to his neck but it was difficult to tell from this angle. You couldn’t make out the color, but it was clearly darker than his complexion, dark enough to notice.

A new realization simmered in your mind as your eyes were fixed on him, despite the scarring on his face and the tired look in and around his eyes, he seemed…handsome. He was handsome. More than that even, and perhaps that’s what made it more difficult to look away. You shook your head rapidly. No, his looks didn’t matter. They couldn’t matter. He was a stranger outside of your house at three o’clock in the gotdamn morning. ‘Get it together,’ you thought to yourself.

But the movement of his lips pulled you out of your analysis and self-reprimanding, and your heart battered once again as a new wave of anxiety passed through you. He was saying something. You didn’t hear him, as the sound was muted on your end. Your finger hovered over the volume symbol, trembling. Pressing it wouldn’t give your voice sound, but it would allow you to hear his. Before you could talk yourself out of it, your thumb turned on the volume. Instantly, the distant sound of the soft wind passed through the phone. Your heart beating in your chest, you watched the stranger and waited. And it wasn’t long before his lips moved once again.

“Can you hear me?” the stranger inquired, his voice low and gentle through your phone. When he spoke, a cloud of air flowed from his mouth, a reminder of the brisk night. The sound made your stomach tickle, a new sense of nerves but not of fear.

A brief, grave sigh followed his inquiry, and it only confirmed the emotions behind his eyes. He was definitely desperate for something, perhaps even afraid?

You didn’t dare turn on the speaker to respond, your voice suddenly feeling dry as you tried to swallow any bits of saliva you could.

“Please. I mean you no harm,” the stranger spoke again. His brows curved inward, and his mouth slightly turned down. So much suffering in his warm, kind eyes; so much heaviness in his large arms and shoulders.

Your mouth parted slightly, and you found yourself standing now, rocking side-to-side on your heels. Somehow, deep in your core, as his plea rumbled through your phone, you felt the sincerity in his voice. Your intuition was always quite strong, and at this moment, all sense of fear and suspicion began to wane. The logical next step would be getting the police on the phone while keeping an eye on the stranger from one of the upstairs windows. Instead, your thumb found itself hovering over the speaker. Swallowing, you exhaled an unsteady breath and clicked the button, permitting sound from your end now.

“What do you want?” You tried to sound intimidating, but your voice came out softer than you intended, and you clenched your jaw at how vulnerable you sounded.

The stranger’s eyes widened, and his pointed ears seemed to perk up, a surprising hope filling his gaze. A quick mist of air escaped his lips as you heard him release a quick breath. He stepped back from the doorframe, standing taller, and when he spoke again, you could’ve sworn you died right then and there if you weren’t so very clearly still standing. He had spoken your name- well, almost. He used the shortened version, a nickname only your closest friends and family sometimes referred to you as. There was no way he’d know that name.

With a new resolve, you spoke again, this time your voice came out louder, more confident. “How do you know that name? Who the hell are you?”

He said your name game, softer, desperate, his brows once again curving inward. “You’re here, you’re truly here. Please, may I come in? I will explain all.”

Come in? There was no way that was happening… right? The rational part of your brain was like a blaring siren, shouting at you to do the smart thing. But you often moved through life with your heart first, your emotions, leaving your mind to sigh in relief when everything worked out. Or, scrambling to pick up the pieces of your mistakes. You couldn’t let him in, you shouldn’t.

“I will not harm you. Never,” the stranger affirmed, closing off his promise with your name. Another feeling simmered in your heart when he said your name once again, so naturally, like it had left his lips a thousand times before.

“And I should just trust you?” you retorted, your voice a harsh whisper. But your curiosity was developing by the second as you glanced at your robe lying haphazardly in the middle of your bed.

You heard him sigh, his shoulders lowering, a heavy sense of defeat fueling such a simple action. But he didn’t seem irritated or impatient. And the more he peered into the camera, at you, a pool of dread and grief burned into the wells of his bright eyes. An uncomfortable jolt shot across your stomach at the sight. You knew nothing of this man and had never seen him before, but you couldn’t swallow the sorrow that arose in your chest, nearly causing you to forget to breathe. You were always quite empathetic, but this was…unique. Bizarre.

“What does your heart tell you?” you heard him ask, the words so gentle and pure from such an incredible stature of a man.

You blinked rapidly at the question, your voice suddenly caught in your throat. Quickly, you tapped the speaker on your phone to silence yourself. A shaky exhale escaped your throat, and you could hear your heart thumping again.

You stared at the man, whose eyes seemed to glow due to the greyscale night vision. You quickly pondered his question…your heart often told you many things, some right some not so much… And yet, as you stared at this man, who stood outside your door in the middle of the night, quick trails of air consistently leaving his lips, your heart answered. Without another thought, you took two steps towards your bed and picked up your robe, swiftly throwing it over you, your arms sliding in with ease. You wrapped it snuggly around your frame, feeling warm except for the skin below your knees that was left exposed.

And now, your heart was guiding you towards the stairs, down the steps, until you were sneaking down the short corridor to your front door. Your phone was still gripped tightly in your hand, and the stranger once again muttered a gentle plea. The sound of his voice caused a prickle across your arms, a new bundle of nerves as you got closer to your door.

Your house was almost completely pitch-black, except for a few flickering lights from alarms, the thermostat, the Wi-Fi modem, and cable boxes. The steady swishing sounds from the dishwasher were the only audible company, but even it wasn’t loud enough to drown out the drumming of your heart.

Coldness hit the bottom of your feet as you left the softness of the carpet and stepped into the entryway. You stopped in front of the tall, burgundy door, the wooden frame the only thing keeping you separated from the stranger. Thankfully, you had indeed locked it, top and bottom, but even that didn’t seem like it would be enough if he chose to get in with force. Glancing at your phone screen, you noticed he diverted his attention from the camera, angling down to stare at your door. You were holding your breath again, unbeknownst to you, and swallowed harshly.

“You’re right there…” he murmured, reaching to place a hand on the door. “Please.”

Your stomach fluttered at his voice; the baritone was much clearer now that you were hearing him from not just your phone but directly outside the door. You closed your eyes, whispering a silent prayer to anyone who was listening. If any guardian angels are listening, now would be a great time to have my back.

You opened your eyes and glanced at your phone. “Just…take a few steps back.”

Immediately, he removed his hand from the door. “Of course.” The large man retreated some, walking backward down two steps.

Satisfied, as much as you could be anyway, you placed your phone down on a small stand near the door, then reached to unlock the door.

One click.

A quick exhale.

A thumping heart.

Another click.

You reached for the light switch next, flicking on the warm-white glow above your head. You began turning the handle, your mind a wild array of thoughts and images of what could happen. But it was your heart in the end that silenced the panicked voices, your heart that gave you the courage to proceed.

Pulling the door back a few inches, cold air instantly prickled your cheeks, causing a shudder to shoot down your back. You leaned your head in between the small opening, instantly locking eyes with the man just a few feet from you.

Your breath hitched. Even standing two steps down did little to lessen the intimidation of his height. His eyes widened as they met with yours, a flash of relief and hope reflecting in his… what looked like hazel eyes. A gleam of silver or blue seemed to glow in the specks of his irises, perhaps from the lighting, but it was otherwise mesmerizing. You could better make out the swirling tattoo on his face, a deep red that only seemed to bring more attention to his eyes. Subconsciously, you ended up pulling the door back more, your body now half exposed to the outside.

The strange man breathed a quick sigh, much more joyful than the ones from earlier. “It’s you. It’s truly you.” A smile spread on his face, deepening the laugh lines on his cheeks. His large arms extended toward you and he took a single step forward.

Instinctively, you recoiled, and he froze, a wave of regret painting his expression.

“Forgive me,” he rushed his words, his muscled arms now hovering in surrender. “I am stricken with disbelief. But I meant what I said, that I would never harm you.”

Without the echo and semi-clarity of speaking through your phone, you could feel the sincerity in his words far more than before. The way his gaze pored into you, the shame that seemed to hover at the idea that he just frightened you, your fear began to wane. Yes, he did startle you just now, but then instantly soothed your anxiety on his words alone. You eyed him up and down, slow, taking in more of his appearance than what could be seen through the camera.

He was even larger. Bulging muscles looked like they wanted to flex in his arms, held back by a strap or belt across his biceps. Green leaves padded his shoulders, decorating the intricate garb he wore. You slightly narrowed your brow in question. He definitely looked like he could’ve just left some sort of Renaissance faire or some comic convention, but at this time of night? Maybe if it was Halloween that would explain things, except it was a few weeks into winter.

Brown armbands covered what you could only assume were thick forearms beneath, and he was wearing pants that were partially concealed by a flowing white skirt- or at least what used to be white. It looked stained, like he had once fallen in mud and he was only partially able to wash away all the evidence. Still, as your eyes returned to him, you certainly couldn’t deny the sculpted ruggedness in his face, his jawline. He wasn’t just handsome, but beautiful even, strange attire and all. And his age, you couldn’t quite measure it. When he smiled, he looked like he could’ve been late thirties. But he appeared a bit older when he frowned, maybe early forties.

“Who are you?” you questioned, feeling slightly more comfortable. You opened the door further, feeling your legs tingle, reacting to the cool air.

But he didn’t answer right away, seemingly lost as his gaze similarly roved over you. But it was slower, more deliberate, and you crossed your arms around yourself, almost self-conscious under his analyzing eye. And even though your robe covered you almost completely, you still remembered you were practically naked underneath. Could he tell that you were?

Clearing your throat, he startled, the leaves shaking over his shoulders, and locked eyes with you again.

“I am Halsin,” he said, confidence oozing in his timbre. A hearty smile followed his introduction, and your caution continued to fade and drift away.

Halsin, you thought. You shifted your mouth to the side, pondering. It didn’t ring a single bell. You had a few lovers in your past, some casual to serious. But there was no way you would’ve ever forgotten such an unfamiliar name, especially if it was attached to the absolute tower of a man before you. You looked at him once more, noting a flicker of hope in his eyes. Hope that maybe you would know something.

“Where did you come from…Halsin?” He frowned at your inquiry, visibly dispirited that his name did not connect with you. ���You’re not exactly dressed for this weather,” you continued. His arms were completely exposed, and his clothing certainly did not seem well-suited for the winter. While it wasn’t below freezing, there was an evident chill in the air, a reminder that spring was still well off. You suspected that he had to be at least a little uncomfortable.

Halsin smiled at your observation, a gentle chuckle leaving his throat. “You are correct. I did not think to prepare for which season would greet me. As for where I came from… it is a realm quite far from here.” He glanced away, off to the side as he paused. When he looked back at you, there was a sense of uncertainty in his eyes. “A place called Faerûn.”

“Faerûn…” you murmured, narrowing your brows as your eyes searched his face. “I’ve never-- is that a country? An island?”

His smile remained, though laced with a touch of gloom. “A continent.”

A continent? Not one you’ve ever heard of before. A name like that wouldn’t have been hard to forget, especially if it was one of the continents of Earth. You released a soft breath, trying -and failing- to mask your budding confusion.

You heard Halsin speak, his smooth baritone drawing your attention back up his tall frame. “He warned me you may not remember…but I was hoping…” His words drifted off into the cold air. When he spoke, he wasn’t looking at you, like it was meant to be a side thought.

“Who warned you?” Your breath came out harsh as an involuntary gasp escaped you.

He bowed his head slightly, bringing one arm across his chest. “Silvanus.”

Another name unfamiliar to you. You stared at Halsin, quizzically, and it was clear to him that he understood the gnawing confusion that rattled you.

“Perhaps I can come inside to talk? I am fine with this brisk air, and I do not mind explaining all out here but…” he sighed, concern etching at the corners of his eyes, “you are trembling. And I don’t think it’s from fear, not entirely.”

As he said this, a shudder dashed up your back. You weren’t aware how long you’d been shivering, too baffled by the large man before you. Too distracted by this entire interaction. But a sudden passing wind supported Halsin’s observation of you, and you curled your toes inward, trying to shield them from the cold. The air prickled your lower legs, traveling up your thighs and your back. The robe that clutched your frame was as warm as it could be, but not warm enough to soothe you against the winter’s air.

After a light sniffle, you steeled yourself and stared at him directly. “I’ll let you in, but you have to do something for me first.”

“Anything,” he quickly responded.

“Tell me something about me that only those who know me would know. Just one thing that involves me.”

Halsin rocked back on his right foot a bit, shoulders squaring a pinch as he tilted his chin slightly. He turned his head to the side, his expression deeply focused, thinking. Meanwhile, your heart was amping up again, a fleet of nerves crackling in your gut as you awaited his answer. This was it. This was the moment that would solidify if you could completely throw even more caution to the wind and allow this strange man to enter your sanctuary, in the middle of a winter’s night, alone. Finally, Halsin’s voice filled the night air once more, a soft timbre.

“Your back,” he started, still looking away. “There is a mark there- a small streak- it begins near your lower spine, tracing further down, only stopping at,” he paused, a small smile tugging at his lips. He cleared his throat before continuing. “It’s lighter than your overall complexion, the only such mark on your body.”

You froze, your voice stunned into silence. Your lips parted, but only the warmness of your breath trailed away, forming a small, fading cloud. Halsin finally looked at you again, uneasily pressing his lips together.

A beating heart thumped loudly. Yours or his? Of course it had to be yours. But the way he was staring at you, the slight tremble in his lips, a brief rock on his heels, he was nervous. Uncertain. Perhaps desperately hoping he was right. Visibly, he did not appear to be an easily nervous man, that he could ever seem to lack any confidence, and yet you felt his nerves even more than you saw it. And he was right- the birthmark that trailed down the end of your spine. Only a few would know of it: your parents from when you were a child, your closest friends who helped zip your outfits up on occasion, and some ex-lovers who were lucky enough to have you in a position of giving them such a view.

It wasn’t something you hid per se, but you didn’t really flaunt it either. In most, if not all pictures of you, you were either clothed or facing forward. Maybe some passerby caught a view of it at beaches or pools, but one had to be really paying attention.

“How…” you breathed, searching his eyes. “How did you know that?”

A brightness washed over his face, and his shoulder evened, standing taller. “Because I know you. And I could never forget you… my heart.”

His… heart? A flush of warmth filled your cheeks. Something in the way he said those words, the way his unwavering eyes focused on you, meant something to you. You meant something to him.

Sure, you could mark him off as some weirdo stalker, that had to be it. It was the only thing that made sense. But an unpleasant tickle poked your gut at the idea, like the very thought of him being such a thing was an insult. And looking at this mountain of a man; who dressed like he came from another time, with large, perfectly pointed ears and a large scar that didn’t seem to be fake… No, he wasn’t just some stalker.

“May I?” He gestured towards the space between you and the door.

You bit the side of your bottom lip, heart thumping. Another rush of wind passed over your feet sending a more vicious chill up your legs. So, you leaned fully to the side, pulling the door back as far as it could go. Halsin seemed to release a breath of relief, before stepping up and towards you. You nearly gulped as he did, almost forgetting just how much taller he was since he was initially standing a few steps down.

He kept his gaze on you as the distance closed, and his large frame nearly filled the entire entryway. You watched him intently, neck angled up the closer he came. Instantly, the scent of pine and sandalwood filled your nose, amplified by the warmth radiating from him. How was that possible? He had been standing in the cold for some time and yet it was like the setting sun in the middle of summer had just entered your home. You almost smiled, overtaken by a sudden sense of peace and tranquility. Of strength and protection. Of the wild and the power that came with it.

Halsin continued to peer down at you, a nearly-there smile on his smooth-appearing lips. You weren’t the shortest person in the world, but you’ve never felt as dwarfed as you do now. Halsin moved by you, careful not to invade too much of your personal space, which was almost impossible in the small entryway. Finally, you broke contact with him and turned to close the door, one final breeze blowing inside as you did. You closed your eyes briefly, shooting another quick prayer before turning around and hustling past the hulking man.

You moved towards the kitchen, feeling the weight of his steps calmly following. You almost turned the main light on but hesitated; the idea of the bright light illuminating the whole room suddenly made you nervous. It was much brighter than the one by your door. This would mean facing him fully, without the presence of faint shadows to help mask any emotions. That and, you were still very much in your robe with just a tank top and your underwear beneath. Your hair wasn’t a mess per se, but not exactly presentable for a guest. Or for whatever he was. So instead, you turned the rotating switch, activating the spherical ceiling lights. A warm, dim glow gradually filled the space as you turned it halfway and stopped. Just enough light.

“Most intriguing,” you heard him say. You didn’t understand what he meant but decided not to question it. There were already too many questions, and you wanted to get to the most important ones first.

Stepping toward the island at the center, you finally turned to face Halsin again as you stopped at the side of the counter. Your kitchen was decently sized and typically didn’t have an issue with a couple of people being in it at once. But Halsin absolutely dominated this space. You noticed his eyes searching behind you, at a very particular area with a quizzical expression. Looking over your shoulder, nothing but more counter space, the sink, and the dishwasher. Was that what he was looking at?

“Oh, I can turn it off if it helps,” you said casually. Maybe it was distracting him. You leaned towards it and hit the pause button instead of canceling it entirely. Instantly, a new silence filled the room, and you were already missing the steady, rhythmic whooshing sounds of the washer. At least it drowned out the sound of your heart which now all too familiarly thumped in your ears.

Turning back to Halsin, who was already looking at you, made you fiddle with your fingers, trying not to cower beneath his gaze. This was your space he was in, your home. So you steeled yourself as best as possible, steadying your breaths, and held his gaze, waiting.

But Halsin continued to watch you, once again trapping you under the powerful pressure of his stare. You licked your lips, tense, and you could’ve sworn you heard his breath hitch.

“Halsin?”

He blinked. “Forgive me, I am just…” he exhaled, smiling, “taking you in.”

Part 2 here! Hope you enjoyed! Would you have opened the door?👀👀 & Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in the final part either as a comment or in tags if you reblogged, that way you can binge it or just simply be notified when it's complete!

[bonelessghoul]

The Lion and the Snake

Summary:  “Hi! i’d like to request a Tom Riddle x Gryffindor reader please :) she’s also a pureblood but Tom and his posse loves teasing & taunting her because she’s from their rival house but nonetheless she also happens to be the only girl that doesn’t follow Tom around like a lovefool while most girls in Hogwarts do yet she it’s as if she’s immune to his good looks & charm and this annoyed the hell out of Tom, she’s also really smart and always in a competitive match to see who gets the top of the class–  Sorry ran out of wordcount, what if one day Gellert Grindelwald manages to broke into Hogwarts and he suddenly looks for her in the great hall like “Is someone with the name of y/n Peverell here?” (yes that’s the twist, she’s a Peverell descendant) and Tom is shock to find out how significant her standing actually is in the wizarding community & her 3 ancestors are rumored to be the inspiration of tale of the 3 brothers, making her the heir to deathly hallows. Thank you!”

Note: Once upon a time on a blog that was hacked but I still have access to, this little short was written. I had that blog for like 10 years so I kinda scroll through it and read through my old stuff sometimes and this was one I wanted to bring back! hope it picks up among you all as it did long ago. This was requested by @ queenofmankind so I don’t wanna blow up their @ til they reach back out to me bc idek if they remember this request :D 

Part Two

December 1943, Hogwarts 

A mahogany red scarf with evenly placed golden stripes and the hint of crimson in your long robe was enough to set you from the crowd like a lion in a room of snakes. Not only do they not belong together, but one boldly and obnoxiously stands out more than the others. Well, perhaps it depends on what one would fear the most.

That was how YN felt in her sixth year Potions class.

Sitting straight in your seat, you ignored the pesky glares of the Slytherin boys that surrounded you, murmuring about you and a few other Ravenclaws nearby.  There was one particular look you were concerned about though and it was right next you on the face of the very famous Tom Riddle.

This was not for lust but instead, a strongly embedded competition between the two of you since you stepped foot in Hogwarts. 

Both of you were among the smartest in the school, every other month replacing each other at the top when it came to who brought in the most house points with their immaculate reports. But there was nothing more to your relationship with him than mere academic rivalry. 

Riddle revolted you, unlike the rest of the girls in the school who fell at his feet. Even the boys and the professors did.

Tom was ghastly, but undeniably sat tall with a strong face that was dare you even say chiseled in the slightest. Every movement he made was so sleek like it had been rehearsed or perhaps he was an animagus as a black cat. Either way, it was suspicious. Even the way his hair curled at the top subtly falling over his forehead seemed way too perfect.

What unnerved you the most was his little following.

Upon return for your sixth year you could not help but notice the little band of misfits seeming all the more exclusive this year. They were the same loud and rambunctious boys you grew up fighting (well, it was more so being bullied and tormented by Malfoy and Rosier) but there were more whispers than laughs in the past few months.

“Today, we will review the Draught of Living Death. I like to give this as testament to what you all have learned before the winter holidays.” announced Professor Slughorn.

“Sounds a lot like you.” you whispered towards Tom, grinning smugly to yourself.

Tom inhaled through his nose. “Watch your tongue or I’ll put it in your wretched orange juice at breakfast.”

“What is your problem with orange juice?”

That was how most classes went. Occasionally, the two of you would laugh at the others wit and that’s how the other knew they had won for the moment before the next battle struck again. You would have taken it as friendly banter when you two were alone, however, Malfoy and others followed him like leeches and they were more harsh.

Professor Slughorn rambled on. 

Of course, the two of you already studied excessively for this the night before.

“I don’t have a problem with it, I just don’t understand how you don’t get sick of it every morning.” Tom muttered, rolling his eyes. “Regardless, I do hope you enjoy finishing after me.”

“That’s assuming you could even brew it in the first place considering your failure with the love potion two weeks ago.” you scoffed.

But there were times of pure frustration in the heat of a race of who could get theirs done first that made you want to hex him to death. Within not even ten minutes, the two of you had your sleeves rolled up, eyes strained on the task before you, moving like mirror images as you sped through the lesson and already far ahead of everyone else. But there was a draw. With the two of you side by side and the other Slytherin boys around your table, you all struggled with the Sopophorous bean.

Most people had either given up or nearly blew their faces off at this rate.

“Bloody hell, YN, if that comes near me one more time I’m dumping your head in this damn cauldron!” Abraxas seethed, dodging the bean that had flung from under her blade.

She winced slightly as she reached for another one.

“Aw don’t threaten her mate, she’ll cry again until we lose house points.” said Dolohov from beside him.

You glared, now suddenly positioning the bean and your knife so that when you pressed down it went directly into his direction. Tom watched idly with amusement as the boys around her erupted into laughter. 

Except, it went in the completely wrong direction and hit Tom in the face.

“Oh, shit…”you quipped, suddenly holding your breath as you tensed up to the equivalent of a stone wall, trying to stifle a laugh while his friends nearly fell from their seats.

The laughter ceased and when he abruptly turned towards you with a grimace, your entire body flinched away like it knew he were a monster ready to pounce. But you were left staring while your blood pulsed, watching as his face ran through several emotions before you calmed.

“You’ll regret that later, Peverell.” Tom snapped, throwing the stupid little bean back at her without even looking.

With ease, you caught it. Being a Quidditch player gave you some qualities you were glad to have.

You didn’t say a word after that.

It seems that class would end in a draw today.

~

Later that evening, a Hogsmeade trip was taking place.

It was the last one of the year so you and your friends gathered quickly for it.

Tom and the boys, the Knights of Walpurgis in particular you overhead one day, idly stood by at one of the corners as all the holiday hustle and bustle rampantly took over the cobblestone streets. Music played in the distance, lights were strung everywhere you looked, and occasionally a highly decorated Christmas tree larger than life filled where there was space for it.

But aside all the obstructive scenery, Tom’s eyes lingered on YN.

YN lived for the evenings out where she could dress in a nice skirt and sweater, running around with her friends to grab all the sweet holiday treats. They were looking for dresses in particular this evening for the Winter Ball the Headmaster allowed despite this war ravaging times. It was taking its toll on everyone, but it was a nice celebration considering most people were staying at the school.

Adis and Margot, your two best friend stood by you as you tried on several different dresses. Adis was in Ravenclaw and Margot was in your own house. 

But house differences aside, all of you were clearly growing frustrated with the stress of shopping and you believed nothing feeling right on you. To make it worse, the moment you found one you were pulled away from the allure of it when several boys knocked on the shop window and began shouting insults your way.

Of course, it was them.

As much as your blood boiled, your heart seemed to tighten as well at how personal this attack felt.

They really knew how to poke and prod the right places.

“Don’t listen to them, YN.” Margot said, giving them the finger as she shut the curtains.

Tears stung your eyes as you looked at your reflection. You had no idea what made you so stressed lately. Normally, you were always so composed when it came to them. But after going through a dozen dresses on an empty stomach, you were bound for frustration.

“Yeah, they’re just jealous you’re prettier than the other pigs of Slytherin.”

Snickering, you then sniffled and rubbed your eyes, rubbing away some sleepiness as well.

“Tom was probably behind it. They follow everything he does.”

The girls glanced at each other and back at you as you finally regained yourself from that stressful moment, taking a seat upon the velvet cushions by the dressing rooms.

“No way. Tom adores you more than any of the girls that fall to their knees for him.” Margot chuckled.

Leaning back, you nearly laughed with disgust. The mere thought of it made you wriggle in your own skin like you had touched something slimy. 

“I’m sure if he did it was merely a tactic of his to distract me or use me in some way. I’m his only competition here. There is nothing but twisted motives behind whatever he does. Plus, I hardly noticed anyway.”

“Suit yourself.” The girls said at the same time, shrugging as you shook your head at them.

When the time came to pick a dress that you gratefully found, there was only enough time to grab some food before returning back to Hogwarts. Knowing your father loved some of the treats from the candy shop, you told the others you would catch up with them while you ran in.

New rules had been put in place with Grindelwald reigning terror on your world. It was a miracle this place was even open. After picking up a bag of sweets from, you walked out to catch up with the girls.

But to no avail, you managed to walk straight into the back of someone else while your eyes searched for the girls.

“Oh, I’m sorry—oh, it’s just you.” You frowned, watching as Tom Riddle turned around to meet your eyes.

That brief moment you two met each other’s eyes, there was a split second of adoration that nearly pulled you in. They were strikingly green. Everything about his face struck you deep in your chest where knots were forming as you spoke. You were especially flustered when you remembered the conversation with Adis and Margot earlier. 

But taking a deep breath, you hurried around him.

“Wait!” he said urgently, catching your elbow.

Grinning without an ounce of humor, you spun back and threateningly looked up at the boy.

“Let go of my elbow or I’ll scream.”

Tom’s face mirrored yours and his eyes didn’t leave you as he released his hand, that touch alone leaving a cold space.

“What do you want? Still mad about earlier?” you scowled, walking ahead of him when you noticed the crowd of students were far ahead of you two. “It is quite a concern of mine that we’re about to take the trail back through the forest while all the students are out of earshot.”

The forest was filled with a strong chill enough to silence the air around you, only able to hear the sound of Tom’s footsteps catching up with yours. You knew it would snow soon, piling another layer upon the blanket of white that covered the ground around you. With the sun setting, mere remnants of pinks and orange guided your way, lighting the shimmering snow as the night was coming on the other side and here you were, walking in the middle of it with Tom Riddle.

“Why did you flinch earlier?” he asked.

Your face scrunched up. “I don’t know? Perhaps because we used to fight in our first year and I was half expecting you to hit my head with a book? I wouldn’t have put it against you not to.”

When you looked over at him, his eyes were straight ahead. He never failed to keep his chin up and you rolled your eyes, wondering how he could hold himself to such a standard even when it was just the two of you. It’s not that you felt comfortable with him but there was a weird common ground that was shared with your rival.

“You were scared?” he asked again, more pressing this time.

“As if.” you scoffed.

“I was just a bit surprised, thinking you had done it on purpose.”

Raising your brows, you looked at him. “Why would I want to bother you on purpose? Well, I do that every day. But not to that extent.”

Tom grinned. “Well like any other girl at this awful place, they think taunting me is the best way to get my attention and I merely assumed you were following their tactics.”

Even you had to laugh out loud when those words came from his mouth.

 “Please, spare me! I never thought you could make me laugh but you are absolutely a joke. You think I’d ever think of you that way? The person I literally hate the most?”

Tom shrugged, seeming all too confident for someone who just completely shattered the expectations he had for your response. Inside, he was writhing. Your laughter had once been a mere nuisance, one you could tolerate and sometimes even be relieved to hear but now, it had made his blood boil. You two continued in silence for a moment.

But he couldn’t believe you were being a hundred percent honest. Tom had no idea where the question came from, but his mind worked too fast for him to catch up on, and now he regretted it, knowing it was a foolish question anyway.

“I refuse to ever adore you, let alone the ground you walk on like everyone else here does, Riddle. I had my moments where I thought we could be friends. It amazes me how I can see right through this little façade you put up. You are the loneliest person I know for someone who has the whole school chasing after you.”

“Lonely?” he chuckled darkly, narrowing his eyes at her. “You think you know me because you’re not blinded by some infatuation?”

Shrugging, your mind wandered to your earlier years when you had almost been caught up like everyone else. But you knew your drive to be better than him would always win.

“That’s exactly what I think.”

The school was nearing up ahead. It pained you to think you would miss this conversation. This only happened once or twice a semester with you two outside the classroom banter.

“Then why bother fighting me, YN? If not for a silly crush, then for what?”

Tom was angry and he didn’t know why. He should have never opened his mouth and pretended like he could care less of your presence. But the way you flinched at him today left him reeling, wanting to know more about why your mind worked the way it did. How could you have been so briefly terrified by him and not even know what he has done in the past year? What made her so pesky and defensive all the time if she had no clue what he has been building for himself?

“Believe it or not, Tom, I don’t have to have feelings for you to enjoy the never ending competition we have.”

Ah, so you were as clueless as he presumed.

A pureblood with no interest him or his horcruxes or pursuit of the dark arts. Just a pawn. Barely even that.

“Why did you even have to ask that tonight? I thought you’d send your boys to laugh at me as I picked a dress in the shop and be done?”

Tom’s head whipped towards her. “They what?”

You chuckled grimly, shaking your head at him. “Never mind.”

To your relief, the school’s warmth was already touching the tip of your nose. You were feeling suffocated by his questions. Conflicted at your own stirring chest, you quickened your pace.

“Let’s pretend we never had this conversation, Tom. If you were trying to drive me away and dim down whatever friendship we had to some stupid crush so you could painfully reject me, you failed miserably.”

Once you were inside, Tom was left standing there, lips slightly parted open as he stared in your direction. Even after you walked away, the coldness consumed him, numbing whatever thoughts he had tonight and wishing to forget them. He was hoping it could be something pathetic so he could discard you, getting you off his mind for good. But Tom realized that was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

YN was never going to be ridded of his thoughts.

~

One Week Later

The Gryffindor common room could be heard from your chambers where you remain alone in the strong candlelight, staring at yourself in the mirror.

For the Winter Ball, most girls would wear dresses the represented their houses colors. It was tradition. But when your eyes fell on this dress in Hogsmeade last week, you knew you would escape your stiff mind with the message it would send for it was no color at all. The white, sleeveless gown fell to your feet, sticking close to your body while a lighter piece of fabric of the same design bellowed out behind you from your shoulders. It was hardly white, more ash, with little intricate designs of vines and branches all tangled in one with shimmering little details in between.

The very idea of sticking out with your attire at such a highly anticipated night made you sick to your stomach and you hadn’t stopped fidgeting all day, ready to start dry heaving over the sinks. 

“YN, are you almost—!” Margot shouted, rushing into the room with another friend of yours, Ada.

Your eyes met theirs through the reflection, and the girls jaws nearly hit the floor.

“That is beautiful.” Adis gasped.

Once more, you began poking at your hair which was tucked back in a bun with stray pieces falling in front of your face and they rushed over to swat at your hands. The makeup on your face suddenly felt heavy. 

“I don’t think I want to go anymore.” You groaned, turning to face them now.

The two girls wore dresses of the same deep crimson color, nearly matching in style as well. It was often the three of you that would attempt at matching but it was clear this night was not the case and it made you feel uncomfortable in your own skin.

“Why? Afraid the school is going to see you shine in something other than a school or Quidditch uniform?” Ada chuckled, still ogling at you in the mirror.

Smiling, you shook your head, looking down at the sheer fabric that covered your arms and the silver décor it sported. At first, you truly had never felt more beautiful. But the more you thought of it the more your mind wandered to all the possibilities of what could go wrong. Every nerve in your body tensed at the idea of walking down the steps towards the Great Hall alone.

“I promise you, YN, you will turn heads for all the good reasons.” Margot said, taking your arm, followed by Ada who linked yours with hers.

“And we won’t let you fall!”

Laughing your stomach knots away, you allowed your friends to drag you through the common room. Already you were receiving appraisal from the people in your house and when you had your larger group of friends walking with you, it made you ease up instantly. The humor and charisma of the Gryffindor house was unmatched and you were extremely relieved to have it.

You had a great support of friends in this house, especially because of how involved you were, and to say the least, everyone was astonished at your gown. 

But a wall came crashing down when you reached the grand staircase leading down to the open floor just before the Great Hall’s entrance. Every voice became clear and every mingling face did too as they glanced up at the Gryffindor crowd as they descended the stairs.

In a sea of red, your cheeks were beginning to match it as you strolled down behind the group of friends in your ashy white gown. Falling behind was a mistake, and now, you just kept your eyes on the next step in front of you.

“Just breathe, YN.” You heard one of your friends say through the ringing of your ears.

Instead of doing that, your hand slid down the stone railing while the other lifted the front of your dress a few inches. Breathing became impossible when you made eye contact with the shadow in the corner of the room that was Tom Riddle.

You cursed under your breath, hating that he was the first one your eyes fell upon.

The boy had ben standing there among his loyal followers and their dates, knowing this night was a small celebration for themselves as well as the entire school. 

Having made a horcrux already and on the quest for another, Tom was willing to allow himself to pause one night. The endless nights reading and searching for more could be at ease. That didn’t mean his thoughts weren’t racing constantly with all that came with his aspirations.

He thought it would be impossible to let them cease until the group before him started murmuring and turning their heads towards the stairs.

Tom, his face void of any interest, had followed their gazes and immediately spotted YN.

The moment he hesitated, the very moment his chest tightened he realized he was unwell, and just as he caught his lips turning upward, Tom had reeled himself back into a painful reality, quickly turning his head away. It nearly took the breath out of him and he was heated to allow it to happen in the first place.

When you saw his head immediately turn away, your heart sunk, The day you felt disappointed from Tom Riddle not looking your way, you were sure hell would freeze over. But here you were, forced to walk into the Great Hall like nothing had even happened.

At least the sight of it was enough to take your mind off of your troubled emotions. It was a winter wonderland in its purest form with snowflakes trickling down from the cloudy ceiling. Three Christmas trees that were as tall as the gaping windows stood at the front of the room, frosted and covered in ornaments the size of your head. All of the floor and walls were covered in an icy white color, making it feel like you weren’t even in Hogwarts anymore.

The feast arrived and once you had something in your stomach, you could ignore the fleeting glances you and Tom had shared since you walked in.

They were keeping your cheeks flushed at least.

Headmaster Dippet made his short and sweet introduction before all the students and professors mingled on the dance floor. Live music played and your friends dragged you to dance even if your dress had taken up too much space. But the more you did so, the more lighthearted you became in your movements and quite literally undid the stiff person you felt you were.

Of course, the Quidditch captain Daniel and other boys from the team snuck in flasks of firewhisky so it surely helped ease your nerves.

Other students from different houses and even some of your teachers complimented you to your surprise.

But when the music slowed, you watched all of your friends pair up to your dismay, immediately sinking your shoulders. Adis, Margot, and Ana were nowhere to be found as your head turned like a swivel.

“Hurry, join in!” Margot chuckled, waving you to step in with her and her date from the Quidditch team.

You opened your mouth to protest, ready to rest your feet and take a seat at the table, but a finger had tapped your bare shoulder, causing you to spin back around, facing the last person you would think to see in this moment.

“Need a partner?” Tom Riddle asked.

The words were caught in your throat, foolishly standing there with your lips slightly parted as you tried to comprehend his offer.

“Unless you would like to sit down?”

“N-no. I would love to dance.” You stammered, watching his lips curve.

Your heart began hammering against your chest when you stepped closer to the boy, a knight clad in his black and shining armor that enamored you once you were too close to it. There was no stepping back when his hand grabbed yours and the other rested on the small of your back. The ability to breathe slipped through your mind as you stared up at him, looking down at you like he had won.

“Of all the girls in this room that probably want to murder me now, you choose to dance with me?”

Tom shrugged slightly, seemingly guiding you with ease while you nearly stumbled.

“Afraid to dance with me, YN?”

While your nerves were shot, you couldn’t help but mirror the subtle grin on his lips.

“I’m not afraid of anything, Tom Riddle. Part of me believes you’re dancing with me so that, in fact, these girls could murder me.”

Something turned his grin wider and you rolled your eyes.

“Maybe the only person to ever to be my academic match just may be the only suitable dance partner as well.”

With the last conversation you two had, you didn’t expect this to go so easy with him now. You didn’t dare bring it up and ruin this brief moment of common ground you two stood on. When you looked up at him there was only him and not even the stares burning into the back of your head mattered.

“And shortly when we return from the holidays, we will be back to the competition just like that.” You mused.

“Just like that.”

A million questions wandered through your mind. If only you could know what was going on in his.

For the first time it seemed, you wore a genuine smile on your face when you looked up at him. Even Tom, who had too been alone, wondered what it was about tonight that made him act so out of character. He would have gladly hung in the corner of the room, but the moment he saw her alone, something rash had unleashed inside him.

It seemed his thoughts were visible to you, because while you tried to look anywhere else as his gentle touch paralyzed you, you couldn’t help but notice his quizzical face.

“I hope you’re not having second thoughts, Riddle.” you chuckled, one misstep away from his toes and one away from letting the firewhisky talk.

“I was thinking about when I trip you and make a run for it.” he mused, his eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

“That’s nicer than what I imagined.”

The numbing comfort it brought was fading, and your skin begin to feel every inch of fabric to an annoying degree. You constantly chastised yourself for your sheer awkwardness and you knew that this dance was only making it worse despite how much you secretly enjoyed it.

“So, are you staying here for the winter holidays? I know Professor Dumbledore made an announcement the other day saying students were welcome to stay. I considered it.” you rambled on.

Something in his demeanor changed at the mention of the holidays though.

“Yes, I will be staying here.” he had said briskly, the sudden change making you sink internally.

“I’m sure it’ll be a thrill to stay here without the worry of studying for a couple weeks. I know I’m relieved.” you tried to tease. 

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You’re not going home?” 

You shrugged, pondering the decision still with a few days left to make it. 

“My family probably won’t be home to be quite honest. I still have a few days to make up my mind. I would simply like to get through tonight first.”

“Oh, something bothering you, Peverell?” Tom asking mockingly.

Suddenly, he had leaned back to twirl you under his arm and the breath had simply left your lungs as he pulled you back in, an unwavering and almost goofy smile on your lips. You laughed at him, knowing very well he knew the right buttons to poke.

But the second you opened your mouth to speak, the sound of glass shattering from all angles had filled the room and there was a split moment of silence before the sound of startled screams filled in for the music that abruptly stopped. Instantly, you ducked ever so slightly, watching as the room dimmed and glass flew with the cold air that rushed in. 

As if you weren’t frazzled enough, something kicked in when you looked at Tom.

“What is going on?” you asked to yourself, scanning the room for your friends.

But everyone was whizzing by and you backed into Tom as your head began spinning. With the chandeliers extinguished of their light, you had squeezed his hand as the moving crowd had pulled you two into the same direction.

One of the professors had called out a spell, lighting the chandeliers once more and someone was trying to order everyone to an exit.

Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall opened faster than you’ve ever seen them move in years and not a single soul moved. Standing on your heels, you tried to peak your head over the crowd of students that started backing away and worriedly looked up at Tom whose eyes were slightly widened now. Glancing back, you finally caught sight of a white haired man and your blood immediately ran cold.

Gellert Grindelwald entered the room and as did two aids of his all dressed darkly, wands pointed at the crowd of students even as the Professors all came to their defense at the front.

You wanted to be with your friends. You wanted to hold them knowing very well this might be the last time you see them and yet, that fear could not be felt now as you had gone entirely numb. The only thing you had was Tom’s hand still gripped in yours.

“How lovely!” Grindelwald boasted. “A welcoming party just for me?”

“You are not welcomed here, Grindelwald.” You heard a voice boom back.

Was that Professor Dumbledore?

The professor stepped forward, just yards away from Grindelwald. 

People around you whispered the horrific things about him. His rise to power was almost insurmountable with his pure blood motivated agendas.

“I was only visiting. I don’t wish to harm the little brainwashed minions you have called your students. Hogwarts has done that enough, brainwashing them to believe they are safe from the world around them.” He chuckled darkly, immediately straightening his face only a second after.

Tilting your head, you couldn’t help but be curious to see the most dangerous man in the world standing before you with his quirky character. He seemed more like a jester than a monster. It didn’t seem real.

“What business do you have here?” the Headmaster demanded.

“Is there someone of the name YN Peverell here?”

Nothing could have prepared you for the moment Gellert Grindelwald called out your name. Your knees nearly buckled beneath you when heads started turning towards you. The room had gone so silent that in the midst of it all, your heart was like a drum. The few people who met your eyes you wanted to burn, not wanting to be seen or heard, shaking your head as tears swelled in your eyes.

But it was your fault the moment you shuffled back, colliding with Tom Riddle who was frozen like a wall.

“Oh, that wasn’t so difficult.” said Grindelwald.

Before you knew it, your body was not your own and you yelped as you were pulled forward by an invisible force. The students you had surrounded yourself with were no longer around you, leaving you cold and exposed as your unmoving body was now just a few feet away from the Gellert Grindelwald.

“Leave her be, Gellert!” shouted Dumbledore. 

The tears you had no control over streamed down your cheek. You were terrified, staring into the piercing blue eyes of a monster who was looking at you like prey.

“Are those your friends?” he asked, tilting his head, then looking at them. “I hardly think they are given how quick they were to give your identity away.”

Shutting your eyes was the only thing you could do. Before you knew it though, a force had pried them open and you let out a soft whimper.

“You see, I do not wish to harm her for she is more valuable than even you know, Albus.” Gellert said, walking around you now. “I have been quite interested in her family for some time, but they weren’t the easiest people to find so I figured their youngest daughter would be a place to start.”

No matter how much you tried to move, you didn’t budge. More tears streamed down your face and the only thing you could control was your breathing. If your lessons had taught you one thing, it was to keep a clear mind and steady breath. If all else had failed, listen to yourself.

But how could you? What did he want with your family, let alone you?

“Gellert, you let her go. Now.” Dumbledore said, his voice unwaveringly terrifying.

“The name Peverell has been a name I thought did not exist anymore, but here we are.” He announced, throwing his hands in the air. “She is the sole connection to the Deathly Hallows, therefore, I cannot simply just let her go. Surely you understand?”

Your brows furrowed.

That stupid children’s book? Your mind raced back and forth, wondering how that was even possible. With how old that story was, it would be impossible to even figure out how your last name somehow matched the that of the three brothers.

But your memories betrayed you when you thought of all the times your parents read it to you as a child.

There was something there, something that you knew was important but couldn’t quite remember just yet. It was hard to think past your body being paralyzed and your heart in a frenzy.

“She’s just a child, she has nothing to do with such a thing!” one of the female professors pleaded.

“On the contrary, she does.”

“Well I’m afraid there is no time to figure it out.” Dumbledore threatened, withdrawing his wand.

Grindewald glanced back for a brief moment, and with the wave of his hand, your body was free to move but you were tossed aside in the air, holding your breath and squeezing your eyes shut as you tumbled to the glass covered ground. As you rolled, your body was scratched but your blood rushed so quickly you couldn’t be bothered by the stinging. You tried to gather yourself, watching as a powerful rush of lights passed between the Professors and Grindelwald’s gang.

With the tables just behind you, you glanced at your friends who were all being ushered away in your direction yet they were not close enough to you. Looking at the fight that ensued before your eyes, filling in for the lights that had previously disappeared, you started inching back towards the tables for cover.

“Ah ah ah!” Grindelwald cynically laughed, waving his finger at you. “You’re not going anywhere, Peverell.”

For some reason, you thought you could escape and the second you jumped to your feet to make a run for it, you heard the words, “Crucio!”

A synchronous gasp came from everyone around him when Grindelwald shouted those words though and Tom nearly sprung forward towards you. But like everyone else, he stood there in shock.

It didn’t register. There was no time to even think as your entire body was consumed by a white hot pain that ripped through every little vein in your body. You dropped as quickly as you stood, so submerged in pain you could not breathe let alone scream as you began trembling, writhing away as if you could escape the unsurmountable burning that tore through you. But when you finally released your breath, a scream so bone chilling escaped your lips and you didn’t even hear it as your ears rung from the feeling itself.

Tom Riddle had never been so caught off guard in his life. He had never felt so moved by anything until he heard your scream. He had tried to push forward, but the professors were pushing back, getting everyone to safety.

A synchronous gasp came from everyone around him when Grindelwald shouted those words though and Tom nearly sprung forward towards you. But like everyone else, he stood there in shock.

“Cease your fire and I will let the girl go. But be warned, she will not be safe from me.” The white haired devil announced.

Every professor ceased their movement and Grindelwald released his hold on you.

Even when he did though, just that short minute of time your body experienced such trauma, you were sobbing as you still felt it streaming in your blood. Your vision went blurry as you rolled over, feeling your stomach churn as you stared at Grindelwald in the moonlight. As your ability to think returned, you wondered when you would be dead already.

Instead, he disappeared and you could finally breathe again but instead, you quickly fell to the exhaustion.

Grindelwald left, apparating through the windows into the night, leaving an eerie silence in the Great Hall.

Everyone rushed over to you but Tom Riddle stood by still reeling from the scene that unfolded before him. Abraxas remained at his side, looking quite horrified actually.

“YN bloody Peverell.” Malfoy said in awe. “I thought that whole lineage stuff was a myth.”

Tom’s eyes could not be broken from your sight. He was compelled to follow, but he stood his ground, knowing his impulses were getting the best of him too much already tonight. Another student picked your body up and he narrowed his eyes, watching as you were carried away.

“It seems we are among probably the most important Pureblood in the world now.” Tom observed. “And Grindelwald won’t stop til he has her.” 

In a moment where possibilities should be surging through his mind now though, all Riddle could think of was finding you because there was something about you no longer being in his sight anymore that made his chest tighten. That alone made him want to destroy the entire room.

[piracytheorist]

Spy x Family Code: White thoughts!

Alright, time to write down my thoughts about the film! I liked it a lot, and for this anime only it was a HUGE satisfactory dose after not having had anything new since December 🥲 there were a few parts that I found meh, and I will mention them here too, but overall I got a very positive view of it!

Related to this, my mom was in the next room where I was sitting watching the film, and when I finished and passed by to get some water, she asked me what film I watched that made me laugh so much. So I think that speaks for itself 😂

Anyway, on to the film!

Having seen the trailer where Twilight rips off the disguise of a woman with long, curly blonde hair, as soon as I saw her here I was like is that her? But then that guy appeared and I recognized his voice and, dare I say I was confused XD

Damn, isn't that past their rating? XD

And then the music started! STRIX theme with a new twist for the film!

I think by this point we've already shrugged away Twilight's ability to make disguises. It gets even crazier near the end, so it should be of no surprise that he just disguised himself as that woman. Lucky she happened to wear a choker, too, good cover for his Adam's apple.

The way they showed the woman wrapped in a blanket underneath the desk, though 😳 that's the kind of visual you'd use to show a character died. What am I supposed to infer from this, guys?!

Then we cut to Yor!

There's a review on letterboxd saying how easy the film is to watch and follow for someone who hasn't watched the original, and I'm happy to hear that because as someone who already knows these characters and their dynamics, it didn't feel like it dragged on too much on that.

Yor, ever being the sweetheart, will call a guy a traitorous scumbag yes but she will be kind as ever when she kills him 🥰

The way she dodged the bullets! Queen! And also a set up to later show her dodge all the ammunition thrown from the shooters and Type F!

This. Was. Amazing. I actually gasped out loud. The animators understood the assignment, 10/10.

Right after that, we see Loid reach his door, and for the first time we see him go to use keys. A few other times I remember anyone opening the door they just... opened it. You'd think an apartment where a spy and an assassin live would have better security! XD

I love how they kinda showed it like Yor was going to attack Loid, and then Loid just turned and went like "Oh hey beautiful wife, welcome home! :D" It must have looked funny for anyone who hasn't seen the anime/manga before XD

Yor wants to cook! Everybody hide!

That... is a horror of an omelet. Yor's cooking is always for the "congrats lil buddy that’s the worst anyone’s ever done it" meme. She does try, though, bless her heart.

Anya evades the horror. And Loid wants to make... peanut butter pizza???? Is that even a thing??? WITH MEAT ON TOP???

What does it say about this film that this isn't the weirdest thing to happen in it

TITLE CARD WITH THE THEME ENDING AND THE ORCHESTRA GOING WILD <3333

Damian, shut the fuck up

... I mean, with a mother like that... I'll give this to him XD

Did Anya call him an asshole? Serves him right, tbh XD

Knowing that the story can't veer a lot far from the anime/manga canon, I already knew Anya wouldn't earn a Stella in that competition. But it was a good set-up for the rest of the film to move on from.

Twilight read Henderson's lips through a window and through the latter's thick moustache, and lip reading is already hard to do accurately, if not nearly impossible. Boy's nuts. But I think it only prepared us for a fucking falcon to fly above him and throw him the message from WISE. Show-offs XD

A rare view of Berlint!

DAAAAMN the higher animation budget is really doing those characters such good favour 🥰

Bro actually read a book by flipping through it. Get outta town.

The idea of having another guy take over Operation Strix from Twilight feels a little shallow. It's already a very delicate and long-term operation, it feels that it wouldn't make sense to replace their best agent with just a dude just because said dude has connections.

Twilight meets with Nightfall outside, and Yor sees them across all those streets (I mean, she is an assassin with a deadly aim) and... she doesn't recognize Nightfall? Is this supposed to take place before Nightfall visits the Forger household?

I mean, at the current time in the anime, Yor is supposed to be over her fear of getting replaced, but I get why they retreated back a little, so they could explain the later scene of Loid taking her hand and reminding her of his vows.

Very conveniently, Yor's coworkers are chatting about cheating men, and Yor, being inexperienced with relationships, immediately believes everything, her suspicions even taking root with what she just saw.

Back home, Twilight thinks about how, since he's dismissed from Operation Strix, he'll have to move out, and the camera shows their happy family picture 🥺 he's not ready to admit his feelings to himself but the narrative is.

Making the dessert that's the favourite of the judge and in particular the one he grew up with feels kinda cheating, no? XD

Come on, Loid. A child filling her bag with toys does not deserve that murder glare 😂

That train looked a little too modern for the supposed 60s/70s aesthetic. I know Germany has some top trains (as does Japan) but like, still XD it's very different from the train we see on the very first episode when Twilight boards one for Berlint.

Lovely visuals, though!

I wonder if there's any system as to how Bond's powers work. He has the vision of Anya finding the suitcase and opening it... but that's creating a sort of paradox because without the vision coming to him and without Anya seeing it, it wouldn't have been made true. I mean, I get why it was put there, but still.

Again, the story needed a little backtracking in order for Yor's doubts to make sense. I'm not sure how much they contributed to the whole story, but at least there it was funny. The small awkward laugh she throws at the end before she exits their booth to go look for Anya was hilarious XD

Gremlin Anya is best Anya <3

LMAO at least she enjoyed the chocolate XD

The following part was intense! I found myself saying "Run Anya run!" even though I knew from trailers that they'd eventually catch her anyway.

So the microfilm hides intelligence about a research lab in Westalis. Hmm.

I think it was at this point I noticed that they had Anya react to people's thoughts way too little. I get that it can get repetitive but with her curiosity she would have tried to look for more information through the guys' thoughts.

"Chocolate thieves" is actually perfect to describe those two. They were conveniently - and hilariously - incompetent.

But it did get intense. It's always like that when a bad guy threatens to hurt, let alone kill, a child.

I love how Yor asked Anya to close her eyes while she was beating up the guys but then told her she can open them when they were down and fully expected her to believe her lie that they just passed out XD

Also, her snowman jgvllublftlulbj

Chekhov's military airplane! I didn't expect it would actually work by the end, though XD

I love the music in the restaurant. Poor Bond being left alone outside where it's snowing, though 🥲 at least they brought him food!

Yor notices that it's rare for Loid to wear turtlenecks, and that's actually true. Too bad, though, they fit him so nicely :)

I actually laughed out loud at the guys jumping on Yuri to stop him. They were prepared. They knew who they were dealing with XD

"Rubble and Bonds"... the chef is very wholesome but he literally named his restaurant after his trauma and like... dude. Therapy exists. And then he starts laying out his trauma thick while Twilight is sitting there like yup this doesn't affect me at all

I don't think he was prepared for that when he asked about the restaurant's name. I was kinda disappointed they showed the exact same footage of him as a kid from the first episode. I think they could have afforded making a few seconds of new footage of the same imagery. But maybe that's just my anime-only ass who has been waiting for a certain manga arc to be animated for nearly two years now 😶

Snidel appears! And he has the absolute nerve to just... steal the meremere plate from someone else's table. Perfect way to make us hate him.

And... I'm sorry. I have to say it. When Snidel challenges Loid to a game and the camera focuses on Loid... that zoom-in and fade to black was SO CRINGEY. Sorry XD

The music there was nice, though. I think I notice a tiny bit of James Bond music influence.

Fucking Snidel shifting the goalposts with the amounts of sugar. That's not being detailed, that's not explaining the rules of the game properly. They really wanted us to hate the guy.

Twilight looks really stricken by the fact that he lost. And we know it's not because of despair - since he immediately says they can have meremere the next day - and it's not because his pride was hurt... so you can't take it out of my mind that it was because he was disgusted by how a grown-ass man practically stole a piece of cake from a little child, and Twilight was unable to stop him.

But then XD Loid has the absolute gall to ask a chef for his recipe, and then reprimand Anya for calling him stingy. Like mah dude it was already a far-fetched request to have the guy give you the recipe XD

Twilight being totally not suspicious and bolting through the market to buy all the ingredients. Cause that's what normal people do.

The way Twilight tries to cheer Yor up and he only manages to make her feel worse never disappoints XD

Right, I forgot this film was released in December in Japan. It feels weird for it to have a winter-y, almost Christmas-y feeling while I have my A/C on XD

I like how Twilight actually cared enough to expose the guy at the shooting gallery, and advise him to run an honest business. You'd think this would be low on his priorities... but having a child will expand your sensitivities. It feels similar to how he encouraged Carroll Campbell into playing tennis more fairly and to depend on his own strengths.

And then he wonders why a little child has fun on a train ride XD

I... am not sure how I feel about Yor's outburst there. It feels directly inspired by the Disastrous Date, if not a copy of it, and I'm not sure it helps Yor's character develop in any way. I mean, again, I get that the film can't allow the characters to develop a lot since it can't veer from canon, but still, it felt a little forced just to give Yor more screentime and to have a very subtle twiyor tease.

Anya finding out about divorce through Becky's soap-opera filter, though XD

They feel too confident leaving Anya all alone (even if she's with Bond) in a strange town. I know they can keep an eye on her from the ferris wheel cabin, but still.

Now that's a character development moment you can have without veering from canon: having Yor feel guilty for allowing Anya to notice her dark mood, and then feeling happy that Anya pushed her and Loid to having a moment together to talk things out.

Also, beautiful visuals!

Twilight, best™ spy™ of Westalis™, being unable to read the room whenever his wife is involved.

MAH DUDE. THERE'S ONE THING TO DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THAT'S BEING TOO DIRECT

That's a phrase you don't wanna hear from your little kid, especially when you're fake married XD

Handler: Go and help Twilight. Nightfall: Yes ma'am! Handler: Not you. Nightfall: SENPAI WILL NOTICE ME SENPAI WILL NOTICE ME Handler: jfc

It was really sweet seeing Anya and Bond play, and then Yor joining in. That makes it more plausible that the film is set earlier on in the story, since it looks like Yor isn't used to playing with Anya.

No, really, what did that woman who was at Franky's kiosk want to ask him when she would come by with her friend??? 😳

One day the way Twilight abuses Franky's services will come bite him in the ass, I'm calling it now.

Yet another scene where character/relationship dynamic can happen without veering from canon: Loid comes back to the hotel and says he'll go out again, Anya says she wants to come too, and Loid tells her she has to stay in the hotel. Anya goes back to the bedroom dejected, but Yor reminds him it's a family trip and they're supposed to spend this time together, connecting that to her memories of Yuri being happy whenever he spent time with her.

And I think that speaks to another level of distance Twilight has kept from his emotions; he denies himself that he loves his family, but that also leads him to forget that his family won't like missing out on quality time with him.

I especially noticed his surprised reaction at Yor saying that being away from loved ones can make one feel lonely. I don't think Twilight has allowed himself to grasp just how lonely he's felt all these years, it was just the norm for him to have no-one. He's forgotten what it's like to have loved ones and to miss them when you don't get to spend enough time with them, and he's also forgotten that for most people, this is how everyday life is like. We love people, we like spending time with them, we miss them when we haven't seen them in a while. A master of disguises he may be, but this role forces him to face the thing he understands the least: human relationships.

And so, he realizes that Anya's motivation here wasn't petulance or restlessness. It was her need to have fun with him. He considered it easier to sneak around to find the liqueur if they weren't with him, but he failed to consider that casting them aside would actually impact them. Give yourself some credit, dude 🥺

Nightfall: I will surprise Twilight with my effectiveness!

Twilight when he sees her unexpectedly:

I did love however how he looked so sternly at her when they were outside. Like lady, first, bad timing, second, this is why Handler didn't want you to be the one to help Twilight XD

Once again, Bond's power works in a form of paradox. He saw the shop where the liqueur was, and Anya went there because she saw it. If she hadn't seen it, she wouldn't have gone, and Bond wouldn't have had the vision.

I love how the military guys get a rough sketch of Anya and go like "Nah no-one can actually look like this" XD

Anya must have swiped some dalcs as she ran off. That liqueur wasn't gonna be cheap!

Poor Bond!

Endo has surrounded Anya with two physically exceptional parents and a big strong dog to protect her, so it's hard to make a case of her getting kidnapped believable. Realistically, I think Bond would have fought harder to keep her safe, but to achieve the kidnapping the bad guys would have had to get more violent with him. That would make for a sadder scene and also take away from the humor of those guys' incompetence, so the most violence against an animal they could resort to was a conveniently falling beer can.

And thus, the "Anya Has to Poop" side plot starts! With the amount of fear she went through in those scenes, I'm surprised she didn't just... accidentally let go 😶

I just realized when Loid was checking the plane's radio they were also refuelling it. Again, kind of a surprise the whole system worked XD They were a little too chill about the fact that Anya was with the military, though? Maybe I got the wrong vibe off of their acting, lol.

The way that Yor decides at the last moment to join Loid and just... runs and jumps into a plane that's right on takeoff. Madwoman. I love her.

Meanwhile, at least Nightfall is funny XD

They really went on and made an entire sequence in a different animation style for a poop joke. Respect where it's due 👏

Someone: So how did you save world peace this time? Anya: I refused to take a shit.

The incompetent duo have a bedpan that's shaped like a duck and, funny thing... in Greek the word for "bedpan" can also be called, colloquially, with the same word that we use for "duck". So. There's that random connection I found funny XD

Twilight tries to ask for permission to land on the airship and they immediately turn their guns on him and damn, that must be terrifying.

And damn, again, that's a huge risk he took just to get Anya back. My man was prepared to do anything. And he walked out of the plane crashing into the airship without a single scratch like GET OUT OF HERE. I wanted my whump and I only got a single drip of blood near the end 😞 when will I have my whump.

And then Yor just... ran on the top of the airship, fully exposed to the freezing weather of not only outside but also a few hundred (thousand?) feet off the ground. My girl runs on hot steam. AND THEN SHE ALSO FUCKING TOOK HER COAT OFF.

Meanwhile, Anya finally finds a private moment to take a shit. And that marks the end of the wackiest plotline in this movie XD

Okay now, look. I can maybe imagine Twilight quickly making up a mask of Snidel's face from earlier in the day (though he wasn't shown to have any time to do that), and he somehow had it ready when the time came for their duel. But making a mask of that random military guy? Yeah, my suspension of disbelief is stronger for that than for freaking time travel XD

Yor also has her moment of going like "Excuse me, may I ask a question" and immediately getting guns aimed at her.

Damn. What the actual fuck is Type F even. At first I thought it was a full-on robot, but apparently it's a modified human? The fuck. Also. Just how many fucking bullets does he have???!

For real, though, Snidel isn't fucking around. He not only is fine with murdering a kid in cold blood, he also finds it entertaining to make her terrified as well. Like, even that guy from the Doggy Crisis arc said "Nothing personal, kid," when Keith commanded him to kill her.

And then Twilight overhears the incompetent dudes mention Anya... and mighty spy Twilight's emotions get the best of him and he beats up those guys for no other reason than getting back at them? More likely than you think.

Fuck, that scared me. That bullet was literally millimeters from piercing his brain. Cool visual, though, with his real hair popping from beneath the mask.

Anya worrying about her papa :(

Okay, I don't care about the logistics. This was fucking awesome.

AND THEN THIS???

10/10. They understood the assignment.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING???

QUEEN SHIT.

No, but really, their fight was going in circles because Type F has a shit ton of bullets and Yor has great stamina and ability to dodge bullets. She can't win with her strength, so she has to use her brain and her environment. AND SHE SLAYS 👏👏👏

My dude why are you still surprised 😭😭 what did you expect your kidnapped daughter to do once she saw you came to her rescue 😭 HUG YOUR DAUGHTER BACK I BEG 😭

Nah, I know he can't yet, this guy's got the emotional type of constipation. He'll get there.

So we'll never know what he thought about her sneaking out to get him the liqueur, and why that made her smile, eh? Okay 🥲

I love how Yor and Loid just both buy each other's lies. Oh yeah I just decided to jump on your plane while you were taking off, no biggie! Yeah this military ship was totally run by chocolate thieves! And also, I was flying part-time as a student :D

(I also love how high his voice went there. It's full-on "nice sweet Dr. Forger" voice XD)

And then :)

My crops are watered :)

With the action part over, I gotta say that they handled it all of it awesomely! I felt that the whole film was a little slow at first, but I didn't really mind. The climax was great, I got my whump, I got my fake family working together with all of them pretending that oh it was just chocolate thieves and not an actual threat of war breaking out.

My question is... didn't Anya just gulp the chocolate down?

... how did the microfilm get stuck in her teeth?

... you know what, never mind XD

Aw, Twilight got Handler a bottle of wine! And she actually looked thankful for it!

... was she the one who went in disguise to trap Depple into cheating on his wife??

*squealing*

Yor offering to help with the dessert and everyone going "Naaaaah you don't have to 😁"

Damian, shut the fuck up.

It is funny, however, how Anya can say one (1) thing and unintentionally leave him a blubbering mess. Girl is not even trying for that, lmao.

And then, another trip! Buddy who has the time and money--

Oh, wait. Yeah they're going on vacation on WISE budget lmao XD

It's kinda funny to see this with me having the Cruise arc as the "last" I saw of them, as an anime only, cause it was "trip to the ocean!" then "trip to the north!" and now it's "trip to the beach!"

Aw!

Meanwhile, after the credits...

Hang in there buddy. Your time will come to get Twilight back XD

Overall, definitely recommended, it did have its weak parts and its parts that you had to happily kick your logic out the window, but it was great fun, with awesome action, character depth, and even angsty parts that I adored. This will keep my anime-only ass satisfied for a little while, hopefully we also get news about Season 3 soon!

[possum-quesadilla]

Chapter 10 of Lonely Remnants, “Wildfires have been eating you inside my head, Trying to smoke you out or burn you alive in it”, is here! Strap in, folks. I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this one with you all.

PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS ATTACHED TO THIS CHAPTER AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION. THIS CHAPTER IS PARTICULARLY ROUGH. I KNOW I SAW THAT A LOT, BUT IT IS VERY TRUE HERE.

Extras! :)

- The lyrics for this chapter’s title are from “Please Just Stay Dead” by Nichole Dollanganger! They are meant to reflect how Lydia’s image of her bold, strong brother is being irreparably altered, maybe even ruined.

- “Like a doomed man trudging towards the gallows, sure but unsteady. Like a dead girl walking.” - Heheh, foreshadowing.

- “The trail led into the road. It ended on the other side, next to the memorial. Not before it was… smeared on the road. Splattered all about, like the cause of it had been… impacted. Her fears were confirmed when she found one of those strange paw / feet among the large, dark smudge of blood and goop in the road.” - Yep, they got hit by a car! Karma, I guess.

- “It was… feasting on some festering roadkill with a terribly feral and manic fervor.” - That was Lawrence’s last ditch effort to try and regain control and heal their body.

- “The side of his face the ear had fallen off of seemed to be following suit. It was starting to turn to the goop and slough off, part of the flesh hanging limply off the cheek and exposing his blackened, cracked jawbone.” - While the whole rejection idea is based on the ending of “Bride of Re-Animator”, this particularly horrific mental image is based on an effect from “Smile 2” that really stuck with me!

- “His dad and twin loved him, but it… it weren’t enough to counter the hatred of his mother.” - Lawrence’s accent fades away as the Shoggoth talks more and gains more control as he gets weaker.

- “Lousy bum’s been drinkin’ since he were ten years old.” - Not by choice! But the Shoggoth is being really judgy regardless.

- “Joined a band, saw the country, got his wrist broken by a boyfriend.” - Band mention! There’s a whole bunch of fun lore surrounding them that lives in my head. Also, the rotten boyfriend who broke his wrist was Cyrus! Can’t escape that fella.

- “It suddenly reached up, placing a hand over the left side of it’s face, covering up the exposed bone and one of it’s eyes.” - This was it trying to stop it’s face from falling apart more. It didn’t work.

- “Mrs. D helped him fix himself. Clean up all the broken pieces ‘n make somethin’ outta them.” - A reference to “Dead Mom”!

- “Of all of the moments in his long drive, of all of the cars he passed, he had to hit the one containing two of the people he loved most.” - This bit was inspired by a similar moment in the movie “Signs”.

- “She remained still as the grave.” - heheh, more foreshadowing.

- “No, Scarecrow. You died too.” - Woof. There’s been hints throughout. Hell, even in the start of the first chapter! - “She was the lucky one. By some miracle, she made it out with only some minor head trauma and the loss of a substantial amount of her hearing.” - I even put “Living Dead Girl” on the Lonely Remnants playlist for this purpose, lol.

- “ “I haven’t been very truthful at all.” It’s fingers brushed over the scales dotting it’s nose.” - Every time it lied, it gained a snake scale, since snakes represent deceit.

- “We are… human suffering, given form. Anguish and agony, writhing deep below the earth. I am of Lawrence’s. Of all the pain and hurt he felt.” - Yeah sorry it was a metaphor for trauma and self repression this whole time. Mostly. Also, this is what Otho meant when he said “… always were the most… potent out of all of us, little brother.”

- “No more watchin’, no more peepin’, and…” - This is a reference to “Bigtop Burger”. I couldn’t help myself. Cesare was my main inspiration for the Shoggoth.

- “… I could always feel him, faintly, in the back of my mind. Breathing in the dark.” - GOTCHA WITH ANOTHER “Asteroid City” REFERENCE!

- “I… I am just a beast of the stony soil.” - This is inspired by a famous line from “Pet Sematary”, which inspired Lonely Remnants! It’s the first horror story I read at eight years old, lol.

Tag list: @raineisinkless @c0zmo-writes @musical-fiend @katslitterbox

(Want to be tagged in future updates for CorpseJuice / LoopJuice? Let me know!)

[sierra-touge-bitch]

so the touge scene in los angeles is super awesome, i (the EG) went there over the weekend with my bf (the tofu 86)

another AE86 came up the mountain too, a cool treat to see

some more stories below

watching this whole group go by was like the coolest thing ever! felt like that bit in initial d first stage when the redsuns first pull up

i wish i got to take more pictures but my phone was dying. anyway, first of all? holy shit those roads are fun. very technical and the pavement is great. can definitely see why it's popular

also you can like just hang out at the top of the mountain for a bit and people will pull over and say hi and talk about the roads or your car or whatever. like maybe 5 minutes after we parked, a guy in a GR Corolla (in the first picture) came over to talk to us (it was kinda funny since he was following us at the base of the mountain but we like totally left him behind on the run up). we also talked a lot with a couple that had a GT86, a guy with a miata, and a younger dude in a BMW

all sorts of different people come up there. new cars, fancy stuff, older cars (like ours), basically every sort of sporty car was up there running the mountain

everyone up there was super cool and excited to talk to people from out of town. they were also surprised when we said our local touge roads are basically barren and we're the only ones ever up there. i also talked to another girl with an EG with a k swap, she was awesome. truly an inspiration to us women in touge

one guy in an older BMW led us on a run into the canyon and back, it taught me a lot about how to reach the limits of my car (especially that i definitely need a new radiator)

my thermostat actually ended up like sealing itself shut with some silicone that was in it so i had to get a new one the morning after. luckily it was at the end of the night, so we just pulled over and slept on the side of the road in our cars. the guy in the miata we had talked to earlier that night passed us and asked us if we were all good. reiterating, everyone up there is so fucking cool.

also apparently one of the fastest drivers in the area is a tesla? the locals just said don't mess with him

10/10 highly recommend if you're in southernish california and like driving. you'll learn SO much from just driving around with the locals. even if you don't really attack the mountain, you can talk with so many cool people about cars n shit

[lenbryant]

(long post from The Atlantic) I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is

What’s happening in America today is something darker than a misinformation crisis.

Charlie Warzel is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Galaxy Brain, about technology, media, and big ideas. He can be reached via email.

October 10, 2024

Updated at 9:43 a.m. ET on October 11, 2024

The truth is, it’s getting harder to describe the extent to which a meaningful percentage of Americans have dissociated from reality. As Hurricane Milton churned across the Gulf of Mexico last night, I saw an onslaught of outright conspiracy theorizing and utter nonsense racking up millions of views across the internet. The posts would be laughable if they weren’t taken by many people as gospel. Among them: Infowars’ Alex Jones, who claimed that Hurricanes Milton and Helene were “weather weapons” unleashed on the East Coast by the U.S. government, and “truth seeker” accounts on X that posted photos of condensation trails in the sky to baselessly allege that the government was “spraying Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton” in order to ensure maximum rainfall, “just like they did over Asheville!”

As Milton made landfall, causing a series of tornados, a verified account on X reposted a TikTok video of a massive funnel cloud with the caption “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO FLORIDA?!” The clip, which was eventually removed but had been viewed 662,000 times as of yesterday evening, turned out to be from a video of a CGI tornado that was originally published months ago. Scrolling through these platforms, watching them fill with false information, harebrained theories, and doctored images—all while panicked residents boarded up their houses, struggled to evacuate, and prayed that their worldly possessions wouldn’t be obliterated overnight—offered a portrait of American discourse almost too bleak to reckon with head-on.

Even in a decade marred by online grifters, shameless politicians, and an alternative right-wing-media complex pushing anti-science fringe theories, the events of the past few weeks stand out for their depravity and nihilism. As two catastrophic storms upended American cities, a patchwork network of influencers and fake-news peddlers have done their best to sow distrust, stoke resentment, and interfere with relief efforts. But this is more than just a misinformation crisis. To watch as real information is overwhelmed by crank theories and public servants battle death threats is to confront two alarming facts: first, that a durable ecosystem exists to ensconce citizens in an alternate reality, and second, that the people consuming and amplifying those lies are not helpless dupes but willing participants.

Read: November will be worse

Some of the lies and obfuscation are politically motivated, such as the claim that FEMA is offering only $750 in total to hurricane victims who have lost their home. (In reality, FEMA offers $750 as immediate “Serious Needs Assistance” to help people get basic supplies such as food and water.) Donald Trump, J. D. Vance, and Fox News have all repeated that lie. Trump also posted (and later deleted) on Truth Social that FEMA money was given to undocumented migrants, which is untrue. Elon Musk, who owns X, claimed—without evidence—that FEMA was “actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally and locking them away to state they are their own. It’s very real and scary how much they have taken control to stop people helping.” That post has been viewed more than 40 million times. Other influencers, such as the Trump sycophant Laura Loomer, have urged their followers to disrupt the disaster agency’s efforts to help hurricane victims. “Do not comply with FEMA,” she posted on X. “This is a matter of survival.”

The result of this fearmongering is what you might expect. Angry, embittered citizens have been harassing government officials in North Carolina, as well as FEMA employees. According to an analysis by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an extremism-research group, “Falsehoods around hurricane response have spawned credible threats and incitement to violence directed at the federal government,” including “calls to send militias to face down FEMA.” The study also found that 30 percent of the X posts analyzed by ISD “contained overt antisemitic hate, including abuse directed at public officials such as the Mayor of Asheville, North Carolina; the FEMA Director of Public Affairs; and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.” The posts received a collective 17.1 million views as of October 7.

Online, first responders are pleading with residents, asking for their help to combat the flood of lies and conspiracy theories. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that the volume of misinformation could hamper relief efforts. “If it creates so much fear that my staff doesn’t want to go out in the field, then we’re not going to be in a position where we can help people,” she said in a news conference on Tuesday. In Pensacola, North Carolina, Assistant Fire Chief Bradley Boone vented his frustrations on Facebook: “I’m trying to rescue my community,” he said in a livestream. “I ain’t got time. I ain’t got time to chase down every Facebook rumor … We’ve been through enough.”

It is difficult to capture the nihilism of the current moment. The pandemic saw Americans, distrustful of authority, trying to discredit effective vaccines, spreading conspiracy theories, and attacking public-health officials. But what feels novel in the aftermath of this month’s hurricanes is how the people doing the lying aren’t even trying to hide the provenance of their bullshit. Similarly, those sharing the lies are happy to admit that they do not care whether what they’re pushing is real or not. Such was the case last week, when Republican politicians shared an AI-generated viral image of a little girl holding a puppy while supposedly fleeing Helene. Though the image was clearly fake and quickly debunked, some politicians remained defiant. “Y’all, I don’t know where this photo came from and honestly, it doesn’t matter,” Amy Kremer, who represents Georgia on the Republican National Committee, wrote after sharing the fake image. “I’m leaving it because it is emblematic of the trauma and pain people are living through right now.”

Kremer wasn’t alone. The journalist Parker Molloy compiled screenshots of people “acknowledging that this image is AI but still insisting that it’s real on some deeper level”—proof, Molloy noted, that we’re “living in the post-reality.” The technology writer Jason Koebler argued that we’ve entered the “‘Fuck It’ Era” of AI slop and political messaging, with AI-generated images being used to convey whatever partisan message suits the moment, regardless of truth.

This has all been building for more than a decade. On The Colbert Report, back in 2005, Stephen Colbert coined the word truthiness, which he defined as “the belief in what you feel to be true rather than what the facts will support.” This reality-fracturing is the result of an information ecosystem that is dominated by platforms that offer financial and attentional incentives to lie and enrage, and to turn every tragedy and large event into a shameless content-creationopportunity. This collides with a swath of people who would rather live in an alternate reality built on distrust and grievance than change their fundamental beliefs about the world. But the misinformation crisis is not always what we think it is.

Read: Florida’s risky bet

So much of the conversation around misinformation suggests that its primary job is to persuade. But as Michael Caulfield, an information researcher at the University of Washington, has argued, “The primary use of ‘misinformation’ is not to change the beliefs of other people at all. Instead, the vast majority of misinformation is offered as a service for people to maintain their beliefs in face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.” This distinction is important, in part because it assigns agency to those who consume and share obviously fake information. What is clear from comments such as Kremer’s is that she is not a dupe; although she may come off as deeply incurious and shameless, she is publicly admitting to being an active participant in the far right’s world-building project, where feel is always greater than real.

What we’re witnessing online during and in the aftermath of these hurricanes is a group of people desperate to protect the dark, fictitious world they’ve built. Rather than deal with the realities of a warming planet hurling once-in-a-generation storms at them every few weeks, they’d rather malign and threaten meteorologists, who, in their minds, are “nothing but a trained subversive liar programmed to spew stupid shit to support the global warming bullshit,” as one X user put it. It is a strategy designed to silence voices of reason, because those voices threaten to expose the cracks in their current worldview. But their efforts are doomed, futile. As one dispirited meteorologist wrote on X this week, “Murdering meteorologists won’t stop hurricanes.” She followed with: “I can’t believe I just had to type that.”

What is clear is that a new framework is needed to describe this fracturing. Misinformation is too technical, too freighted, and, after almost a decade of Trump, too political. Nor does it explain what is really happening, which is nothing less than a cultural assault on any person or institution that operates in reality. If you are a weatherperson, you’re a target. The same goes for journalists, election workers, scientists, doctors, and first responders. These jobs are different, but the thing they share is that they all must attend to and describe the world as it is. This makes them dangerous to people who cannot abide by the agonizing constraints of reality, as well as those who have financial and political interests in keeping up the charade.

In one sense, these attacks—and their increased desperation—make sense. The world feels dark; for many people, it’s tempting to meet that with a retreat into the delusion that they’ve got everything figured out, that the powers that be have conspired against them directly. But in turning away, they exacerbate a crisis that has characterized the Trump era, one that will reverberate to Election Day and beyond. Americans are divided not just by political beliefs but by whether they believe in a shared reality—or desire one at all.

This article previously stated that Bradley Boone is the assistant fire chief in Pensacola, Florida. In fact, he is based in Pensacola, North Carolina.

[fluff-foraxil]

Until the end (Doflamingo X F!Reader) - 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 9

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - . - Chapter 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah! It's me! This might not be my best chapter, but I promise the next ones will be better just believe in me and my tired brain :,) ANYWAY, how are you beautiful people doing? :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~ 11 years later ~

(Y/N) was sitting by the pool of the castle, the gorgeous weather of Dressrosa did nothing to mitigate her. Doflamingo was getting back after participating in the Summit War on Marineford. She knew about the death of Portugas D. Ace, the defeat of Whitebeard, the arrival of not only Shanks but also Blackbeard; the world was entering a new era, a new scary dangerous era as more pirates were roaming free than even before. Things had changed in those years, Doflamingo took over Dressrosa, he became the most known broker of the underworld under the nickname Joker, he welcomed Monet and Sugar into his family and, unexpectedly, got married. It happened 8 years ago, after the fall of the Riku family; the kingdom of Dressrosa had just been rebuilt to look like it did now, when Doflamingo asked (Y/N)’s hand. The man trusted her with his heart, body, and soul to death, even though he was cold and manipulating, he still had his own demons to fight, and she showed him that he was not alone, she showed him that there were good people in that hellhole called Earth. Even after their marriage, she was still actively working for him, dealing with business, and taking care of their family, as Doflamingo said one night. (Y/N) was brushing Monet’s hair while Sugar, her younger sister, was happily eating grapes. The sisters shared a special bond with her since the first day; they would follow her around and wait for her to return from her missions, going to her whenever they needed help, asking for her advice when they had doubts, seeking her comfort after a nightmare. «Your hair always looks so lovely Monet», she complimented. «You’re too kind, (Y/N)-sama», the girl blushed. Monet and Sugar were rescued by Doflamingo, he took them in after seeing the awful conditions they were living in and for that reason they pledged their loyalty to him. She clearly remembered the day she met them after Doflamingo brought them back into the ship.

~ Flashback ~

«And who are this lovely girls?», (Y/N) put on her kindest smile. «Monet and Sugar», Doflamingo replied pointing to each one. They looked scruffy, dirty, and malnourished so, being the good person she was, she immediately took them to take a bath. They followed her without any question, they watched as (Y/N) filled a big bathtub with warm water and a floral scented bubble bath, before laying down some fluffy towels and clean clothes for them. «I’m (Y/N), by the way», she broke the silence, «I hope the clothes will fit you, but don’t worry we will get you more once we reach the next island». «Thank you, (Y/N)-sama», Monet was hugging her sister close. She bent down to be at eye level with the green haired girl. «You’re welcome», she patted her head, «Now, come on, your bath is ready. I’ll be just outside so call me if you need anything, ok?». After they were all clean and dressed, she did their hair and lead them into the dining room where supper was already served. The rest of the family had just started eating, (Y/N) sat them with the other young members of the crew before taking a seat beside Doflamingo; the two girls were a bit unsure and wary of the others, but opened up seeing that they were being treated nicely. «You still have your magic touch when it comes to youngsters», Doflamingo commented while they were alone in their cabin. «I sure do», she kissed him, «After all I deal with a man-child every day of my life». «Fair enough», he chuckled, not taking her statement seriously.

~ End of flashback~

«Welcome back, Doffy», she didn’t look up from what she was doing. She felt his presence as soon as he stepped on the island. Her observation haki grew stronger, she could feel people from miles away without effort; her combat skills got better with time as well, she still wasn’t on Doflamingo or the elites’ level but if she could complete her missions without failing that was alright. «Missed me?», he kissed her. Sugar stuck her tongue out, showing her disagreement in showing love like that, hugs or a kiss on the cheek would have been better in her opinion. «A lot. Did you miss us?», she said referring to their family. «Obviously. Could you come inside after you’re done? I have something to tell you», he smiled, leaving a kiss on her cheek. Monet was patiently waiting for (Y/N) to finish braiding her hair, the golden ring on the older girl contrasting with the locks of green hair she was holding. The girl finished the braid, but looked at it, unconvinced; looking around she told the girl to wait for her as she picked up a gazania flower and added it into the girl’s braid, securing it to make sure it wouldn’t fall out. «I’m done, Monet», she declared. Monet stood up, stretching her limbs, her pale complexion looked out of place in such a sunny nation; plus, it was weird how she wasn’t melting considering her devil fruit power. «Thank you, (Y/N)-sama», she bowed. «There is no need to bow, we are family», she assured the other girl it wasn’t necessary to use such formalities with her. (Y/N) felt Doflamingo’s presence in their bedroom, the Warlord had just gotten out of the shower and was now sprawled on the couch with just his pants on staring outside the window, a bottle of his favourite liquor in hand. The golden ring was shining as the sun hit its surface. «How is my queen doing?», he asked without turning to look at her. «She’s doing great now that her king is back. Did you enjoy the war?», she walked up to his, hugging him from behind and kissing the side of his neck. Then she walked around the couch to sit beside him, nestling on his side, the feathers of his coat tickling her skin. «Very much», he chuckled. Doflamingo was so enthusiastic to have been present in such a crucial point in time. Raising his hand to bring her face closer to his, he kissed her deeply; his nightmares had completely vanished since she started sleeping by his side, his mood in general had improved as well since they became an official couple, even more after they got married; many women tried to catch his attention at social gatherings held in Dressrosa or on other islands, but Doflamingo was loyal and only had eyes for the woman that made him feel better than ever. «I got something for you», he said after breaking the kiss. (Y/N) looked at him, waiting to see what he got for her. Even though Doflamingo was a wealthy man now, he would bring her gifts just if he found one that really reminded him of her or if the object in question was as precious as his beloved; he was walking back to the castle, greeted by his subjects, when he stopped after catching the sight of a stone with a deep blue-violet hue. It was mounted on a ring, the stone was cut in a circular shape with a sort of vine made of little white diamonds and white gold curled on one side of it, the band was adorned with little white diamonds as well; he didn’t think too much and went inside to get it, once he was inside the jewellery shop he also got a pair of earring and a necklace to go with it.

Once she opened the box he handed her, (Y/N)’s jaw fell to the floor. «The jeweller said the stone they have on is one of a kind», he explained, «It’s a type of gem that can be found only on one island and it’s also very difficult to extract». Doflamingo wasn’t big on words of affection, but she never complained about it, after all everyone had their qualities and flaws. He loved her even more for that, for being able to accept every part of him without making him feel wrong nor shaming him. «You didn’t have to, Doffy», she put the box down carefully before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him all over his face, «I was thinking about taking a night for ourselves, you know, like we used to do. Going out for dinner, then coming home, taking a relaxing bath together». He took her hand in his, kissing her fingertips. «I would love to», he accepted her request. She flashed him one of her sweet smiles, those smile that made him warm on the inside and made him ask himself how he could have gotten so lucky; since he was a child, after losing his title, he worked hard to achieve his goals, his mind constantly working and calculating the next steps and moves. He was getting tired, but when he was at his lowest, he found her, a plain commoner girl whose kindness he repaid by giving her a place to call home, someone he thought wasn’t going to play a part in anybody’s life was now his wife, his home, his safe place. «Then I better check If I have the right dress for the occasion», she kissed him, «I missed you, I was worried, you’re strong I don’t deny it, but I was just… just worried». «My Queen, I’m here with you now and I always will be», he wasn’t big on the sweet talk, but there were rare moments where he would let her know his feelings by words. The other members of the family wouldn’t worry about Doflamingo facing other pirates or the Marine, they knew he was strong but still, having someone care for you so much was the best feeling in the world. (Y/N) was going through her wardrobe, looking at all the clothes she owned, she tried to find the right outfit for their date. She remembered purchasing a dress recently that she was reserving for a very special occasion, but she couldn’t find it. «Which restaurant would you like to go to, my love?», Doflamingo asked from the couch. «We could go to your favourite one», she suggested while diving into the wardrobe. Pushing aside, looking closely, inspecting every dress, she finally found it. It was a vintage pale pink off shoulder dress, it had long puff sleeves and a bustier that kept the dress tight-fitting on the waist area while the skirt was loose to her move freely. It wasn’t a fancy dress, but she was a simple girl when it came to clothes. After taking it out a laying it down on the bed, (Y/N) looked at her husband who had taken off his glasses and was leaning his head back as he kept his eyes closed; she melted at the sight, one of the most feared men on earth looked like an ordinary man in that moment. Tip toeing to him, she took his face in her hands as he opened his eyes. She traced the scar on his left eyes before kissing it. «I love you, (Y/N)», he whispered. She rarely heard those words from him. «I love you too, Doffy, I love you more than anything», she replied before kissing his lips with passion. The married couple cuddled on the couch, music in the background, while enjoying each other company. (Y/N) was focused on listening to Doflamingo’s heartbeat, it soothed her, so whenever she felt anxious or stressed, she just needed to cuddle with her husband to make everything better. «I’m going to take a shower, care to join me?», she kissed his knuckles. «Have I ever refused?», he chuckled. Doflamingo could proudly say he had a family, a real family after all those years of suffering.