#and his new friends are actual demon spawn | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jazjelspen · 1 year ago

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devil's spawn.

angel alastor w/ radio demon daughter reader

(notes: based off of the concept of my other story 'my angel baby' except alastor and his adopted daughter switch places and personalities. In Alastor's pov (?)in this chapter.)

(caution: RUSHED!! definitely rushed qwq so I greatly apologize. Not proofread in the slightest. Might have cringe parts am so sorriy qwq)

(Alastor is still in a way the angel version of 'the radio demon' except he's called 'the radio angel' by his fans, but he doesn't refer to himself as such since angel alastor is actually humble)

(I'm willing to make another part but considering Hs becoming more stressful and it blowing my brain up it'll definitely take time, but always willing to make more if wanted/needed)

It was another bright and fresh day in heaven, Alastor clinging the laundry up on the line while his mother, whom he managed to find in his decades inside the pearly gates, sat on a rocking chair reading a book as she usually would.

The bright heavenly lights making his halo shine, complimenting his wings, other neighborly 'winners' he would be acquainted with would walk by and greet him with a wave or a tip of their hats to him while he was outside fixing their clothes.

In this particular universe, Alastor is the complete opposite of his original counterpart. Where the original Alastor would hurt and destroy, this version of him would care and heal. He was selfless, kind, compassionate and sympathetic to which again is also a complete twist around compared his original self.

Alastor died out of an accidental kill, mistaken for a deer and shot through the head while he was out in the forest collecting his adoptive daughter's favorite flowers, at her favorite flower meadow on the day of her eighteenth birthday.

Unfortunately due to missing his baby girl's birthday and being taken away from her too soon for his liking he has been living in pure regret, panic, and pure sorrow form having to leave her too early and it pained him everyday.

He raised you all by himself while juggling his passion for radio hosting, finding comfort in your innocence and smiles when he first found you and as you grew up you gave him a reason to live and work.

That's the only thing that him and the original sadistic version Alastor have in common; the fatherly love for their daughters who are also their entire lives. Their love traverses across universes.

Eventually the more you grew up the more.. peculiar and unique you became.. your innocence would melt away with a sadistic fire in your eyes that he would notice at times but would try his best to lead you in the ways of love and compassion which you had for him but lacked for those around you..

Alastor was finishing up his morning chores for his mother's home before he would eventually go back inside and get a few necessities before leaving his home. His pearly coat, his shining microphone staff, fix his appearance in the mirror just a tad, and finally hugging his mother goodbye from the porch to head up and down the street towards the main part of the city.

Yes, he was still a radio host as well too.

Instead of broadcasting screams of pain and terror from sinners he instead would give voices to those who wished to express their passions, interview everyday folk and influential people on opinions and advice to those listening to his radio show and he even has good connections and acquaintances to the high Seraphims of heaven in order to get the latest news in the ruling of heaven.

He's just as famous as he was in life, maybe more considering how many people there are in heaven alone.

His polished shoes creating sounds on the pavement as he hummed a special tune that he adores, a tune he used to sing to you. Yet again still greeting passing by acquaintances and fans of his show with genuine glee and care.

Alastor waved off to an old friend while walking by, shining his taken cared for smile. "Good to see you again Roger, don't forget to tune in soon in a few hours! It'll be a real gas so don't miss i-- oh my!"

Alastor looked down as he seemed to bump into someone small, looking down at his feet he saw a young little girl. Another fellow 'winner' she seemed to have bumped into him with chocolate smeared around her mouth with a giddy yet apologetic smile on her face. And unfortunately smeared some chocolate on his pants.

"Hiya mister!" she waved, showing her dirtied little hand as well "Sorries! I didn't watch where I was going..!"

Alastor noticed the stain and his jaw hung slightly from surprise but then immediately laughed it off, petting the young girl on the head in understanding.

"Oh little one, don't worry about it at all! Here, so you can clean yourself up." He then took a white embroidered handkerchief for his chest pocket to give to the little girl who then wiped her face and her hands, seeing her struggle a bit Alastor graciously held her hands gently to wipe them off for her and her nose as well.

"Mary!" A voice exclaimed that approached, a woman than came into view, a winner as well. "Oh! Well if it isn't our most kind radio host! I deeply apologize about my daughter sir.." The mother would smile sheepishly and apologetically. "Thank you so much for helping my little girl, I apologize for her clumsiness! Could I perhaps offer you help of any kind?..”

Alastor shook his head as he would then neatly fold the handkerchief and saved it in his coat this time so that he could remember to wash it when he got back home. "Oh no no! No need ma'am, it's nothing a little magic can't cover up for the time being!" He smiled at the woman who now had her hands placed on her daughter's shoulders with a sigh slipping through her lips. He looked down at the girl as he gave her a pat on the head "On the other hand, are you okay dear? I do hope you didn't hit yourself too hard!.."

The little girl shook her head as well in reply, "Nu-uh mister! Thank you for helping me! I promise not to bump into anymore misters or any misseses!" Oh her messing up of words ringed a bell in his head

"How darling! Take care of yourself and your mother now, " He looked up at the woman to then lower his head slightly in respect before resuming his steps again "Apologies for the rush, just trying to see if I can get some special guests on my radio show tonight!"

The woman waved at him 'goodbye' with her young girl following suit "Oh I sure hope they agree! Good day to you Alastor!"

"Good day to you as well madame!" he waved back as he finally took enough steps away from them to now get a clearer view of the inside of the city.

He couldn't help but sigh in despair, he remembers when he used to have his own little girl.

Took care of her as if she was his own blood, as if they came form the same flesh and heritage.

And although you didn't, he never loved you any less.

His smile faltered slightly but picked it up quickly, rushing towards the next moving tram that he recognized to get to his destination: the middle of the city. Once he saw one and hopped on, he could feel his heart pump with blood he once had as red and now as gold as the tears of the elder angels.

If what he heard was right, he would try to get a segment with three special guests from hell.

Sure, he knew that they came from a place of bad and evil but that didn't deter him any less. From life to death he would give voices to everyone that needed to be heard and he would follow it no matter where someone came from.

The fresh breezes and the smell of bakeries, restaurants, the sounds of workers in mom and pop shops and independent growing businesses were like music. He could've sworn that even the laughter of children and the chattering of friends, couples, and families amongst each other turned into melodies in through his brain circuits.

Heaven was.. heaven.

But his only sin was not speaking out at heaven's hypocrisy or flaws at times. Many times he would but it turned into heaven setting restrictions on him.. silencing his own voice. He was never fond of that but apparently according to Sera and that blasphemous Adam, it was required. 'To avoid panic and prevent disturbances amongst the people of heaven' or so they'd say.

He was working on a way to go around that.. change their minds. But it was much harder than he anticipated.

Oh!-- The tram stopped with a loud hiss and ring.

Alastor snapped out of his thoughts would hop off the tram and finally start resuming his walk. He was now just a block away, the more he walked the less the voices and sounds of work distanced, entering a quieter part of the city. He was now in the smack middle of the entrance to heaven, where ice cream shops were laid in rows, cafes as well, people quietly chatting and drinking their beverages or eating their food.

Oh! And he could heard a familiar tune! It was that one.. welcome song that St. Peter would often sing..

Not a favorite song of his.. at all.. but he applauded them for effort!

Maybe a splash of swing or jazz would bring it to life.. but he assumed that was the old man in him talking.

For the time being he decided to watch some place nearby yet not too close since he knew that if he stayed where he was he would be caught up in the performance and he would have to sing with them..

Waiting at the side and hearing the singing come closer and close Alastor would make himself busy by polishing his microphone with his breathe and sleeve, fixing and dusting himself off as to not give any bad first impressions.

And thankfully he managed to remember his stain that the little girl left-- forgetting about it due to wanting to get to his destination on time and helping the poor thing. With a gentle swish of his staff pointed at the stained he then managed to cover it with his heaven-given magic.

Once the full group performance made his way towards his direction was when he stood up straight, chin high, shoulders fixed, looking good as always Alastor.

He heard Emily's voice among the performance, the youngest of the two Seraphims.

He's quite close with the two, at first only starting as something for business until one day he got closer to them and confessed his past, and his regrets.

Emily reminds him much of his daughter, the high angel having an enthusiasm and mentality of a late teenager or young woman, same age his daughter was when he last saw her.

He thought, wondered, pondered, dreamed-- what his little girl grew up into.

His eyes stared at his microphone, the shine of silver blinding him when he turned it for a spot of sunshine to burn his eyes slightly.

Did she grow up into an incredible woman? Did she ever find love? Settle down and have children? How has she matured? Does she resent him for leaving him so soon even if he never meant to? Does she look completely different? Did she ever change her name?

Were you even up here at all?

He hopes you were, looking and asking for you far and wide in heaven. Did you seclude yourself? Did you hide from him on purpose?

Or were you simply in hell..

No-- his little girl couldn't be in hell. Sure she had concerning hobbies, thoughts, ways of doing things but it didn't deserve her going to hell of all places.

You had to be up here, somewhere.. you had to.

A somber sigh escaped his lips as he stared at his reflection in the object between his palms and fingers. His heavy heart tugging and ripping itself apart.

'my little girl.. where are you?'

"Alastor!! Hey!"

A young voice shouted at him from afar, looking up he saw Emily wave and ushered him to head towards her way from afar.

He let go of his guilt for now, and shined his iconic smile as always.

"Why hello Emily, Sera," he lowered his head at the high angels in respect for them "How may I help you ladies today? I see we have new visitors!" His head moved to look at the other three ladies in front of him that came from below.

There was a young woman with eyes that shared the same enthusiasm as Emily's did, hair of sunshine and gold, fangs as sharp reminiscing those of a blood bat, small and thin frame and an outfit that successfully mimics casual sophistication.

Another young girl to her right was one that seemed more reminiscent of an angel, her long hair filled with silver and moon, a gaze as sharp as broken, stance serious and unapologetic, she seemed ready to protect the blonde girl beside her but also had eyes of worry and a sense of uncomfortability haunted her features and her almost slouched back.

The last one, really shook him up.

The next young woman to the left of the blonde girl was adorned in nothing but pure red with tones of a deep hot pink in her entire look. Her clothes were of an era he knew of very well, of course he'd recognize clothes from the 30s!.. except they had a few odd touches that more or so reminded him of the 40s or heck maybe even 50s.. a bit more ahead of his time. She had a large sharp smile that screamed of mischief and eyes that are waiting to do something-- anything sinister.

Despite all this, these characteristics weren’t the ones that shook him to his core.

She looked like someone he knew, that he missed.

"Everyone, this is Alastor. He's heaven's most famous and influential radio host! Giving voices to the voiceless when he was alive and even more up here, and of course due to his selfless acts when he was alive he was blessed to be let through the gates of heaven." spoke Sera, introducing the 'winner' as he chuckled sheepishly.

"Oh thank you Sera, but it's nothing really! Just had to do what was right."

Sera then lead his eyes back to the newcomers, having him face directly to the girl with hair of sunshine first. "Alastor, I present to you the Princess of Hell and heir to the throne, Charlie Morningstar. She's here to present a few ideas to the court the next day."

Alastor's eyes widened in surprise, "Princess! I didn't know royalty were to visit us today!" he bowed down towards the girl as to pay his respects, standing back straight once he finished. "A pleasure to meet you sweetheart quite the pleasure! Didn't expect our guests to be of royalty so apologies to any bad manners."

The princess shook her head with a large smile "Oh!-- don't worry you didn't give off any bad manners! It's nice to meet you too Mr...Alastor!.. it.. it's very admirable what you did before and what you do now! You seem to have earned your place here quite well!"

The man shook his head as well in reply "Oh like I said it's nothing! If anything I should thank my daughter, she was my reason and my motivation to be nothing but kind to others to present a good example! I continue to do so in her honor."

Charlie's eyes grew as a soft 'awwww' escaped her lips "You must love your daughter very much..!"

Alastor nodded, "Of course I do! As a father always should!"

Charlie opened her mouth again to speak, her eyes filled with a sense of bittersweetness until she was suddenly interrupted by the young woman dressed in red. She walked in between Alastor and Charlie with a sense of charm and enthusiasm, the spirit of a presenter or spokesperson shining in her body language and way of speaking.

"How delightful! The love of a parent transcends heaven and earth! Now that's poetry!" the girl's voice was glitched out and heavily amplified with a strong sound of static, as if her vocal cords came straight from a radio speaker. She held a staff much similar to his, except her's was shorter and more compact-able.

The girl with silver hair rolled her eyes in nothing but pure irritation, Charlie giggled nervously as she then pointed her way towards the one who spoke. "And this is ______! She's the founder and host of my hotel back in hell! She's helped me throughout everything and I dont think I would be able to get to this point if It weren't for her help as well!"

Ah,

He knew it.

______, anyone could have that name.

But you looked like his daughter, his pride and joy.

His face still shines with a smile but his eyes are baffled with the sudden hit of realization.

It couldn't be a coincidence-- you looked like her, your eyes had that spark he always used to see in his daughter before he left. The way of speaking, that stance-- more confident and mature but the way you spoke.. your vocals were a match to his daughter's just with a touch of years to it.

And you looked at him as if you knew as well, eyes narrowing with piqued interest. Sharp smile widening an-

wait..

what?..--

You seemed to have almost hopped right in front of him with your hand suddenly shaking his. "A real pleasure to meet you sir! Quite the pleasure!"

You mimicked his greeting yet somehow you spoke it so naturally, as if spoken a billion times before. He was stunned, if there weren't people around he would've slipped and broken down right here right now--

but he cannot, will not.

He will not worry others, he will not bother others with his emotions.

"Good to meet you Ms.."

"______. Simply call me ______." Your sinister grin only stretched, a sense of despair fell into the pit of his stomach,

His little girl in hell?

Did he.. fail at raising you?

Was dying too soon the reason why you let yourself fall?

Whatever the case, Alastor was nothing but stuck in a small limbo of his own guilt again

If he did this to you-- even indirectly,

he wouldn't ever forgive himself.

"Ms.. ______..."

'my little girl' he would've said, 'my daughter, how I've missed you. please forgive me for leaving you so soon... I'm so so sorry my darling..'

the words were stuck to his throat.

a small gust of air was the only thing that escaped from his cords.

Sera clapped her hands together once as a way to announce, "Well Princess Morningstar. I hope your stay here is nothing but comfortable, and I say that to your companions as well."

Sera looked at the 'winner' with confusion and a sense of concern but she knew she had to leave due to duties calling for her and Emily's presence.

Sera gently put her hand on his shoulder, "Alastor, would you perhaps show them where their hotel is and how to check in? It's going to be the one nearby."

'the one nearby' he thought, 'a block away.. '

"of course! anything to make our guests feel more welcomed!"

Sera nodded in 'thanks' before flying off with Emily on her side, herself also waving goodbye to all of you as well.

Alastor paused, before finally turning his head at the girls.

"Well, let's get you all to where you'll stay for the time being!.."

He will find out what happened to you, what went wrong, how he messed up.. he'll beg for forgiveness from you. for you were and still are his reason for who he is.

you were his one and only daughter, he will make it up to you.

"Follow me now! Time isn't going any slower!"

Little did he know, he wasn't at fault at all.

You were just born that way.

You knew what you were and you embraced it as a way to cope from him being taken away from you.

Of course you had to blend in and you took on the mantle of taking over your late father's radio show, eventually becoming as famous as he was and you were nothing but just as charming as he was on his show.

But then you killed, the power imbalance favoring you was nothing but amazing to you.

Years later, you enjoyed it. Killing was your life's purpose. Your crimes were never a subject for you to ever regret or feel guilt for.

You regret nothing.

You were a merciless killer then, and one now.

Through earth and hell, forevermore.

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fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year ago

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The Radio Times magazine from the 29 July-04 August 2023 :)

THE SECOND COMING

How did Terry Pratchett and Neil gaiman overcome the small matter of Pratchett's death to make another series of their acclaimed divine comedy?

For all the dead authors in the world,” legendary comedy producer John Lloyd once said, “Terry Pratchett is the most alive.” And he’s right. Sir Terry is having an extremely busy 2023… for someone who died in 2015.

This week sees the release of Good Omens 2, the second series of Amazon’s fantasy comedy drama based on the cult novel Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman in the late 1980s. This will be followed in the autumn by a new spin-off book from Pratchett’s Discworld series, Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch, co-written by Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna and children’s author Gabrielle Kent. The same month, we’ll also get A Stroke of the Pen, a collection of “lost” short stories written by Sir Terry for local newspapers in the 70s and 80s and recently rediscovered. Clearly, while there are no more books coming from Pratchett – a hard drive containing all drafts and unpublished work was crushed by a vintage steamroller shortly after the author’s death, as per his specific wishes – people still want to visit his vivid and addictive worlds in new ways.

Good Omens 2 will be the first test of how this can work. The original book started life as a 5,000-word short story by Gaiman, titled William the Antichrist and envisioned as a bit of a mashup of Richmal Crompton’s Just William books and the 70s horror classic The Omen. What would happen, Gaiman had mused, if the spawn of Satan had been raised, not by a powerful American diplomat, but by an extremely normal couple in an idyllic English village, far from the influence of hellish forces? He’d sent the first draft to bestselling fantasy author Pratchett, a friend of many years, and then forgotten about it as he busied himself with continuing to write his massively popular comic books, including Violent Cases, Black Orchid and The Sandman, which became a Netflix series last year.

Pratchett loved the idea, offering to either buy the concept from Gaiman or co-write it. It was, as Gaiman later said, “like Michelangelo phoning and asking if you want to paint a ceiling” The pair worked on the book together from that point on, rewriting each other as they went and communicating via long phone calls and mailed floppy discs. “The actual mechanics worked like this: I would do a bit, then Neil would take it away and do a bit more and give it back to me,” Pratchett told Locus magazine in 1991. “We’d mess about with each other’s bits and pieces.”

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch – to give it its full title –was published in 1990 to huge acclaim. It was one of, astonishingly, five Terry Pratchett novels to be published that year (he averaged two a year, including 41 Discworld novels and many other standalone works and collaborations).

It was also, clearly, extremely filmable, and studios came knocking — though getting it made took a while. rnvo decades on from its writing, four years after Pratchett's death from Alzheimer's disease aged 66, and after several doomed attempts to get a movie version off the ground, Good Omens finally made it to TV screens in 2019, scripted and show-run by Gaiman himself. "Terry was egging me on to make it into television. He knew he was dying, and he knew that I wouldn't start it without him," Gaiman revealed in a 2019 Radio Times interview. Amazon and the BBC co-produced with Pratchett's company Narrativia and Gaiman's Blank Corporation production studios, with Michael Sheen and David Tennant cast in the central roles of Aziraphale the angel and Crowley the demon. The show was a hit, not just with fans of its two creators, but with a whole new young audience, many of whom had no interest in Discworld or Sandman. Social media networks like Tumblr and TikTok were soon awash with cosplay, artwork and fan fiction. The original novel became, for the first time, a New York Times bestseller.

A follow up was, on one level, a no-brainer. The world Pratchett and Gaiman had created was vivid, funny and accessible, and Tennant and Sheen had found an intriguing romantic spark in their chemistry not present in the novel.

There was, however, a huge problem. There wasn't a second Good Omens book to base it on. But there was the ghost of an idea.

In 1989, after the book had been sold but before it had come out, the two authors had laid on fivin beds in a hotel room at a convention in Seattle and, jet-lagged and unable to sleep, plotted out, in some detail, what would happen in a sequel, provisionally titled 668, The II Neighbour of the Beast.

"It was a good one, too" Gaiman wrote in a 2021 blog. "We fully intended to write it, whenever we next had three or four months free. Only I went to live in America and Terry stayed in the UK, and after Good Omens was published, Sandman became SANDMAN and Discworld became DISCWORLD(TM) and there wasn't a good time."

Back in 1991, Pratchett elaborated, "We even know some of the main characters in it. But there's a huge difference between sitting there chatting away, saying, 'Hey, we could do this, we could do that,' and actually physically getting down and doing it all again." In 2019, Gaiman pillaged some of those ideas for Good Omens series one (for example, its final episode wasn't in the book at all), and had left enough threads dangling to give him an opening for a sequel. This is the well he's returned to for Good Omens 2, co-writing with comic John Finnemore - drafted in, presumably, to plug the gap left Pratchett's unparalleled comedic mind. No small task.

Projects like Good Omens 2 are an important proving ground for Pratchett's legacy: can the universes he conjured endure without their creator? And can they stay true to his spirit? Sir Terry was famously protective of his creations, and there have been remarkably few adaptations of his work considering how prolific he was. "What would be in it for me?" he asked in 2003. "Money? I've got money."

He wanted his work treated reverently and not butchered for the screen. It's why Good Omens and projects like Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch are made with trusted members of the inner circle like Neil Gaiman and Rhianna Pratchett at the helm. It's also why the author's estate, run by Pratchett's former assistant and business manager Rob Wilkins, keeps a tight rein on any licensed Pratchett material — it's a multi-million dollar media empire still run like a cottage industry.

And that's heartening. Anyone who saw BBC America's panned 2021 Pratchett adaptation The Watch will know how badly these things can go when a studio is allowed to run amok with the material without oversight. These stories deserve to be told, and these worlds deserve to be explored — properly. And there are, apparently, many plans afoot for more Pratchett on the screen. You can only hope that, somewhere, he'll be proud of the results.

After all, as he wrote himself, "No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone's life is only the core of their actual existence."

While those ripples continue to spread, Sir Terry Pratchett remains very much alive. MARC BURROWS

DIVINE DUO

An angel and a demon walk into a pub... Michael Sheen and David Tennant on family, friendship and Morecambe & Wise

Outside it's cold winter's day and we're in a Scottish studio, somewhere between Edinburgh and Glasgow. But inside it's lunchtime in The Dirty Donkey pub in the heart of London, with both Michael Sheen and David Tennant surveying the scene appreciatively. "This is a great pub," says Sheen eagerly, while Tennant calls it "the best Soho there can be. A slightly heightened, immaculate, perfect, dreamy Soho."

Here, a painting of the absent landlord — the late Terry Pratchett, co-creator, with Neil Gaiman, of the series' source novel — looms over punters. Around the corner is AZ Fell and Co Antiquarian and Unusual Books. It's the bookshop owned by Sheen's character, the angel Aziraphale, and the place to where Tennant's demon Crowley is inevitably drawn.

It's day 74 of an 80-day shoot for a series that no one, least of all the leading actors, ever thought would happen, due to the fact that Pratchett and Gaiman hadn't ever published any sequel to their 1990 fantasy satire. Tennant explains, "What we didn't know was that Neil and Terry had had plots and plans..."

Still, lots of good things are in Good Omens 2, which expands on the millennia-spanning multiverse of the first series. These include a surprisingly naked side of John Hamm, and roles for both Tennant's father-in-law (Peter Davison) and 21-year-old son Ty. At its heart, though, remains the brilliant banter between the two leading men — as Sheen puts it, "very Eric and Ernie !" — whose chemistry on the first series led to one of the more surprising saviours of lockdown telly.

Good Omens is back — but you've worked together a lot in the meantime. Was there a connective tissue between series one of Good Omens and Staged, your lockdown sitcom?

David: Only in as much as the first series went out, then a few months later, we were all locked in our houses. And because of the work we'd done on Good Omens, it occurred that we might do something else. I mean, Neil Gaiman takes full responsibility for Staged. Which, to some extent, he's probably right to do!

Michael: We've got to know each other through doing this. Our lives have gotten more entwined in all kinds of ways — we have children who've now become friends, and our families know each other.

There have been hints of a romantic storyline between the two characters. How much of an undercurrent is that in this series.

David: Nothing's explicit.

Michael: I felt from the very beginning that part of what would be interesting to explore is that Aziraphale is a character, a being, who just loves. How does that manifest itself in a very specific relationship with another being? Inevitably, as there is with everything in this story, there's a grey area. The fact that people see potentially a "romantic relationship", I thought that was interesting and something to explore.

There was a petition to have the first series banned because of its irreverent take on Christian tropes. Series two digs even more deeply into the Bible with the story of Job. How much of a badge of honour is it that the show riles the people who like to ban things?

David: It's not an irreligious show at all. It's actually very respectful of the structure of that sort of religious belief. The idea that it promotes Satanism [is nonsense]. None of the characters from hell are to be aspired to at all! They're a dreadful bunch of non-entities. People are very keen to be offended, aren't they? They're often looking for something to glom on to without possibly really examining what they think they're complaining about.

Michael, you're known as an activist, and you're in the middle of Making BBC drama The Way, which "taps into the social and political chaos of today's world". Is it important for you to use your plaform to discuss causes you believe in?

Michael: The Way is not a political tract, it's just set in the area that I come from. But it has to matter to you, doesn't it? More and more as I get older, [I find] it can be a real slog doing this stuff. You've got to enjoy it. And if it doesn't matter to you, then it's just going to be depressing.

David, Michael has declared himself a "not-for-profit" actor. Has he tried to persuade you to give up all your money too?

David: What an extraordinary question! One is always aware that one has a certain responsibility if one is fortunate and gets to do a job that often doesn't feel like a job. You want to do your bit whenever you can. But at the same time, I'm an actor. I'm not about to give that up to go into politics or anything. But I'll do what I can from where I live.

Well, your son and your father-in-law are also starring in this series. How about that, jobs for the boys!

David: I know! It was a delight to get to be on set with them. And certainly an unexpected one for me. Neil, on two occasions, got to bowl up to me and say, "Guess who we've cast?!"

How do you feel about your US peers going on strike?

David: It's happening because there are issues that need to be addressed. Nobody's doing this lightly. These are important issues, and they've got to be sorted out for the future of our industry. There's this idea that writers and actors are all living high on the hog. For huge swathes of our industry, that's just not the case. These people have got to be protected.

Michael: We have to be really careful that things don't slide back to the way they were pre the 1950s, when the stories that we told were all coming from one point of view and the stories of certain people, or communities within our society, weren't represented. There's a sense that now that's changed for ever and it'll never go back. But you worry when people can't afford to have the opportunities that other people have. We don't want the story that we tell about ourselves to be myopic. You want it to be as inclusive as possible

Staged series 3 recently broadcast. It felt like the show's last hurrah — or is there more mileage? Sheen and Tennant go on holiday?

David: That's the Christmas special! One Foot in the Algarve! On the Buses Go to Spain!

Michael: I don't think we were thinking beyond three, were we?

So is it time for a conscious uncoupling for you two — Eric and Ernie say goodbye?

David: Oh, never say never, will we?

Michael: And it's more Hinge and Bracket.

David: Maybe that's what we do next — The Hinge and Bracket Story. CRAIG McLEAN

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mydearestbeloved · 1 month ago

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I was sewing when this thought came into my mind: What would Jinwoo do if he learned that TP!Reader made plushies of him to cuddle when he's not around? Worse, what if she had a body pillow of him?

Well, I actually planned a scene with Esil based on her comic in the Solo Leveling: Arise game. I'm just not exactly sure yet how to include this scene in the main story, but it basically goes like this:

During Esil and TP!Reader's hangout, Esil noticed that TP kept glancing every now and then at a particular hand-made plushie—courtesy of Esil herself, her new humanoid butterfly friend (whom TP assigned to keep her company), and one of the shadow soldiers who got dragged into it by the two ladies. Yup, that one knight Jinwoo assigned to keep station in the Demon Castle.

Esil offered two to TP, since she had plenty. TP was given one that was perfectly huggable in size, and she fangirled marveled at the craftsmanship (it was of high-quality, like official merchandise back in her original world—our world, basically) and at how utterly adorable it was (it was basically the perfect chibi Jinwoo! 😆😍).

"Huh? But you said two—" Well! Dear Anon, instead of a body pillow of Jinwoo, Jinwoo himself walked into the room to pick up TP so they could return together, since his business in the Demon Castle was done—only to find TP hugging a plushie version of him, with Blanche cuddling against her also, dozing off on another chibi him plushie, but a giant version.

While he was still processing the sight, Esil spawned in beside him holding up a tiny chibi TP plushie with a teasing grin.

Safe to say, TP and Jinwoo both have plushies of each other then.

ASDFGHJKL 🤭🤭🤭

Good luck on whatever you were sewing, dear Anon! 💕

#Hollow's Talks #Trial Player AU #solo leveling imagine #solo leveling #only i level up #solo leveling x reader #sung jin woo x reader #sung jinwoo x reader #jinwoo sung x reader #sung jinwoo #solo leveling jinwoo #sung jin woo #solo leveling fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #reader insert #x reader #fem reader

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coffin-ramblings · 5 months ago

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January 2025 Devlog

Happy New Year's everyone! I hope that you have a good New Year's and a good 2025! Now onto devlog thoughts!

This honestly my favorite preview pics that we got. Simply iconic. Speaks for itself. While my first thought is it's Andrew's dream/vision/psyche, it can be Ashley embracing cannibalism as a central part of her self-image/identity. Which is always interesting to see more.

I guess this is what happens on Friendship and maybe Romance route of Decay where they successfully reconciled? I wonder if this is before they stand off with the demon, or the demon's concerned about them. This feels like a standoff with how final boss vibes this place is. But it's always possible this is when something else happens, like a new transformation? (please have them turn into demons)

So this friend from primary school is still friends with Andrew in adulthood. I wonder what happened to him, especially since he didn't help him out in quarantine. Rip Andrew though, he seemed to be both smoking and drunk. Or sick.

Goddamn, that's a spike in CGs, with episode 4 not even being revealed yet. And all of that content with no satisfying cliffhanger.

And now onto the devlog video!

It's interesting that it acts like a video rewinding, suggesting Andrew has the TV motif like Ashley has. This might be part of the demon's powers, since Burial vision has it start with a TV screen and the six eyes in TV screens when you're going through Ashley's past and murders. Or it could be a gameplay feature explained as the demon's powers.

TV motifs are also very interesting in regards to the siblings. They tie in with Andrew's obsession with the gaze and Ashley's insistence of simplicity and remaining a child. It can also mean the demon is watching them carefully and is actually their puppetmaster. This may spawn its own analysis/theory post, but for now, on to the actual video.

It's so strange and funny to have the friends to be like the dummy-looking sprites. It doesn't seem to be a placeholder and an actual reflection of Andrew's psyche at this point. It appears the fully detailed sprites only go to people he deem most important in his life.

So it is confirmed Ashley did get bullied in high school. And Julia was the one who helped her deal with them, but they don't always get along enough for her to be reliable. Ouch. But on a bright side, we finally get to see Teenshley's sprites and she is so damn adorable, I love her so much.

Also that detail of Andrew's shoes being so worn out is. Ouch. How much money did he have to give to his parents that he couldn't even get new shoes?

Guy really defended his friend from incest allegations and then called Ashley that. Yeah no wonder why Andrew just kinda tolerates him.

And of course that douchebag only wants to fuck Ashley because. This does confirm my speculation Ashley was desired in high school for her body by boys, but to what extent is a mystery. Cause this guy is such a sleazy horndog to the point his own friend told him straight to his face he wouldn't even let him date his sisters.

This appears to be right before or soon before Andrew asks Julia out, especially since Julia is worried if Ashley hates her. Though interestingly Ashley is blank-faced about not on talking terms with Julia.

Anyway, this is a very interesting devlog, definitely one of my favorites!

#the coffin of andy and leyley #tcoaal #ashley graves #andrew graves #tcoaal analysis #tcoaal devlog #tcoaal theories #tcoaal theory #also embarrassed to admit i fell for the release date #it took me 10 seconds to realize it but still

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weepingtalecowboy · 6 months ago

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Warriors and Legend's dynamic is the most ridiculous thing ever

Fanfic prompt : Especially if it’s a true older sibling younger sibling dynamic

Warriors is the one who would torment Legend for daring being his bitter and salty as fuck self

To the point where he would probably bully the other into being less bitter just because he kept saying how horrible the other's existence was

And Legend had to prove him wrong on principle

Warriors be that kind of older brother who smashes Legend’s head into the cake and then gets him a new one

He definitely seems like the type to make fun off legend

While also having his arm ready to grab him if they are near any form of escape

Windows and Cliffs included

That rat ain’t leaving

He needs his punching bag to torment

It’s for mental health

Who is he going to tease if the rabid rat is gone

An older sibling's teasing and love towards the middle child is ALWAYS the most devious and dangerous there is

The rest of the chain are not the ultimate middle children

That’s all Legend with his teenage angst and physical reaction towards Warriors' existence

He visibly experiences pain when Warriors is getting any kind of success

He has to ruin it or else he won’t reach the most inner peace of being a demon spawn that any middle child craves to have for once

They are so older sibling and their younger rat sibling coded

It’s unbelievable

Like even if Legend gets put under mind control or something (because of his dark form) he would rather get into an argument with Warriors and stop in the middle of killing somebody to tell him he is the worst thing in the universe

Then actually be controlled

The sibling rivalry is TOO fierce for even the strongest kind of mind control

The urge to be a gremlin is too powerful

The chain has to constantly drag those two away from each other because Warriors loses any and all maturity and self control when in general proximity to Legend

Time , Sky and Twilight be berating him on being too harsh

Just like any other parent does because you are bigger and older

Even when the younger one started it (the universal experience is no joke Legend was giving him the middle finger behind the others's back)

And the cycle continues

While also trying to force them both to be friends even if they are more or less the weirdest but best friends anyway

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luizd3ad · 1 year ago

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When in Doubt, Blame Damian | Jason x Reader

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ࣪˖⤷ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ࣪ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ˖ ⤷

Pairing: Jason Todd x GN! Reader

WC: 928

CW: Swearing, over thinking. It’s mostly kinda fluffy. No use of Y/N.

Author's Note: I got this idea while giving my dog a bath sooo here you go idk lol hope you like it🖤

Summary: You get a dog!! … but you didn’t tell Jason.

Not my picture

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You blamed Damian.

You normally blame Damian for a lot. More than you're willing to admit, sometimes for stuff he wasn't even involved in.

But this time you think it's actually his fault.

How could you not blame him? If he hadn't asked for a ride to the pet store. If he didn't insist that Titus absolutely needed a new friend. If he never put that little puppy in your arms basically forcing you to fall in love with the little baby that was giving you kisses, then you wouldn't be here right now.

You wouldn't be in yours and your boyfriend's apartment trying to figure out how to tell said boyfriend that you guys now had a dog.

Would Jason be mad? Honestly? You didn't know. The topic of getting a dog or a cat has came up a few times.

He would usually say things like ‘Maybe’ or ‘Now's just probably not a good time’ it was never a definite yes or no.

So maybe it wouldn't be that bad, you thought to yourself trying to give yourself some confidence.

I mean it was your apartment too. You contributed. And it would feel nice to have something to keep you company while Jason was on patrol or had to go somewhere for a while.

You'd hyped yourself up at this point you had some good arguments lined up for why it was a good idea.

You felt confident about your choice, especially when you looked down at the little puppy sleeping peacefully in his bed that was in your shared bedroom. You got this, you told yourself and you really believed that. You genuinely did.

That was until you heard the front door unlock.

You rush out the room, closing the door softly trying not to wake up the puppy.

You walked into the living room to greet Jason who was out all morning and most of the afternoon training with Dick, Cass and Duke.

“Hey Jay.” You say giving him a soft kiss.

“Hi my love. How was your day?”

Jason says, giving you a tight hug, holding you for a moment.

“Umm it was you know. It was fine. Hung out with Dames. Nothing crazy you know? How about you?”

You rambled pulling away from Jason trying not to sound suspicious while walking to the couch in the living room.

Jason gives you a questioning look but ends up just dropping it and following you to the couch.

“It was fine. Just the normal shit. I missed you though.”

Jay pulls you into him while giving you a kiss on your head. You feel kinda guilty at this point.

You don't like keeping things from Jason. He has a lot of trust issues so it was important that you guys had a lot of honesty and communication in your relationship.

You pull away from Jason and look at him, giving him a slightly guilty look.

“Jay, I have something to tell you. Don't be mad.”

“Did something happen when you were out with the Demon Spawn? Did he do something? What did he say? I'm gonna kick that little brats ass.”

Jason runs his hand through his hair already mad at Damian for whatever Jason thinks he did.

“Jay calm down Dames didn't technically do anything. I did something, and before you get mad-”

You were interrupted when you heard a puppy bark and a slight clawing sound at the bedroom door and judging by Jasons face he also heard it.

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

You give a little chuckle, now trying to play it off. Hoping that this isn't how Jason finds out but knowing that it is.

“Babe Is there a dog here?”

“Um technically..? Yes?”

Jason sighs and gets up to the bedroom and opens the door letting the dog run up to you as he tries to climb up on you. You pick him up, putting him on your lap while he starts playing with your hand.

“Babe, who’s dog is that?”

“Umm… Ours?”

“When did we get a dog?”

Jason says wide eyed and raises his eyebrows at you.

“It's all Damian's fault! He told me how lonely Titus gets sometimes and I felt bad and just look at how cute he is!”

You try to explain picking the dog up so Jason can look at him.

“Don't be mad jay..”

You say putting the puppy on the floor so he can run around a little all while you look extremely guilty.

“Mad? Why would I be mad? Wait baby, is this what you were trying to tell me?”

Jason says sitting next to you on the couch while looking at you concerned.

“Yes… I felt bad making a choice like that without you and I know how you don't like it when people hide stuff from you and I just don't want to make you mad.”

“Baby, I'm not mad. I'm not thrilled that you got a dog without me, especially because it was with the Demon Spawn. But I'm not mad.”

Jason says pulling you into him kissing the top of your head.

“You're not mad? Really?”

“I can't be mad at you baby. You mean everything to me.”

Jason says while the puppy runs up to you guys laying down at your feet.

“I'm still sorry Jay.”

“I know you are, baby. It's okay, promise. Now what's this little guy's name?”

Jason says picking up the puppy and looking at his face while you smile at them.

Maybe you shouldn't blame Damian… this time.

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iikisa · 3 months ago

Note

Hi! I love your BE art, especially Tightrope AU! Rin💔

Do you have any other details you wanna share? I'd love to know more... Teacher!Rin is something I never knew I needed in my life. I know now:3

Hihi! I accidentally deleted my whole paragraph answering this, I’m sorry it took so long to answer 😔 I’m so glad you’ve asked though! It always makes me so happy seeing others just as interested in Teacher!Rin AU 😆

I’ll start under the cut!

So, it wasn’t actually Rin’s idea to become a cram school teacher, much less a teacher in the first place! I mean, who would let the spawn of Satan, prince of Gehenna, unstable half-demon child near a bunch of teenagers? Mephisto and Shura.

He doesn’t even trust himself to take care of Kuro, but thankfully Kuro is a demon who can very much take care of themself. So why would the Vatican trust him near future exorcist children? They didn’t! Shura and Mephisto surprisingly collaborated together to kidnap Rin and slap him into True Cross to do an urgent mission: teach teenagers.

Yeah, they thought it’s be a great way to spice up his depressed lifestyle after all the beatdowns he’s gone through. Safe to say it worked.

Now, you’d probably expect him to teach a practical class considering his talents, but nah! Shura doesn’t want him feeling any more of a weapon than what be probably thinks he is, so he’s teaching.. drumroll, please….. demon pharmaceuticals!!!! 🎉

Haha… guess who chose that.. Mephisto, that bastard.

You see, I wouldn’t say I know everything about what it takes to become an exorcist, but writer’s freedom and all that! Teacher!Rin is knowledgeable in other areas other than just being a knight. His weakest link is probably scripture, because he lacks the patience to be an aria. He’s a proactive guy!!

Let’s talk about some Shura-Rin sibling stuff shall we? You may have noticed Shura has already gotten her haircut from my posts, thats because that whole arc happened already. Yep, Rin and Yukio go on like normal and help free Shura from her curse before Yukio defects and shit hits the fan for Rin! Shura thinks of those two like brothers, so being the oldest trying to take care of Rin, who literally lost everything now, she takes it up on herself to care for him (in her own rough-love-with-hints-of-soft way). She takes him out to go get matching earrings to help distract him from his new image, safe to say it’s the one thing he likes about himself for a while, and it cheers him up whenever he looks at it!

Yikes… poor Rin. 😓

Shura is an anchor for Rin’s current lifestyle, and she helps him in a lot of different ways. Dragging him to be a teacher with her is one of the many things she’s done!

And thanks to that, he gains an even greater pillar of support from it. Although his relationship with his students started off looking like the introduction from Assassination Classroom… he made it work out with his amazing charm. The cram school students gradually warmed up to their semi-unstable, depressed demon prince, son of Satan, demon pharmaceuticals teacher! Learning about his situation and the unfairness of it all brought them to become even more determined to help their poor teacher. Thanks to the help of his amazing students, Rin starts to gain some light into his shadowed life. He starts to let himself relax, have fun bringing back old passions, mourn, and enjoy the life he has even now. His brother may not be there with him just yet, but when he does, Rin will be ready.

And that’s one of the biggest changes I wanted to make clear for this AU! Teacher!Rin doesn’t have the same support system Canon!Rin does. He didn’t have friends, he didn’t have his brother, and he barely liked himself. But when he finally started to gain even just friends, Rin started to get better.

Because Rin thrives off others.

He wants to see his loved ones happy, even if it means he may not be. I really want to bring out these aspects from his childhood. Because while he did love cooking, everyone made it seem like his only good trait. And that’s just messed up, guys. Rin lived for his family at the monastery, despite not amounting to even half as much as his brother, and being reminded of that fact regularly, I’d assume, he still loved them. He loves his brother even after everything he’s done to him. He loved Shiro even after learning about the secrets he’d kept from him. Because Rin can forgive anyone so long as they can be happy, even if it means hurting himself doing so.

Now, this is my take on Rin’s personality, and others may have different perspectives; I’d love to hear them all!! There’s always room for improvement in my viewpoint and opinions, so please feel free to initiate some friendly debate and share some ideas! I love love love seeing everyone enjoy Teacher!Rin just as much as I do!!!!!

I’d also like to mention that this story is focused on healing, meaning this will probably be categorized as a hurt/comfort with necessary hints of Rin whump!! Woo!!

Thanks everyone, for listening to this ramble!! I’ve got lots planned for this AU, but with life’s unpredictability, time flies out the window. I hope to hear more from you all!! 💖

#iikisa’s tightrope au #aoex tightrope au #tightrope au #rambles #iikisa rambles #ask #rin okumura #okumura rin #aoex au #aoex #ane #blue exorcist au #blue exorcist #<3

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kharmii · 9 months ago

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The slutty pose in manga form.

I'm done watching the Black Clover anime so should move on to the manga, but instead I found a bunch of visually appealing Zora panels on Twitter:

Where they left off in the anime was kind of good but kind of aggravating at the same time. I liked how it was finally revealed who Yuno actually was. That would mean he's not in the running with Asta for Wizard King, like I was hoping they'd be co-Wizard Kings someday. They have that 'Two Halves of a Whole' aesthetic with their one wing on opposite sides of their bodies...light and dark.

They went and introduced new characters right in the last couple episodes. I thought Liebe was cute with his Inosuke voice. Nacht came across a douche. He reminds me of Volo with his smiling all the time but having a contract with a demon (like how Volo has the relationship with Giratina but he's secretive about it whereas Nacht is out in the open). I didn't like how Nacht said he hated the Black Bulls only focusing on their faults without acknowledging their virtues. I'm like...screw you then, Dick Bag.

Whoa, behind you!

Look at that sexy mofo. At the end of the anime, the fights with demons drug on too long. I was sitting there thinking, "Ya know...I wish my guy Zora would get more screen time. -Like they could have him in the bath, and Gordon would spawn like a Minecraft creeper saying, 'Hey bestest best friend Zora. How about I wash your back, and then you wash mine?' Zora would reply, 'I'm down..' (Because that's an actual running joke. *eyebrow wiggle*)"

How many aura points does Zora get for putting his arm around the Wizard King and giving him rizz eyes when they've only just met?

NOOOO!!!! Don't die Zora!!1!1! -Or maybe the thing just wants to disintegrate Zora's clothes, like, "I've seen most of it, and now I want to see the rest."

This is a good look for Zora. (Sassy hand on hip).

Do you mean it like 'back door to Hollywood' you hoe?

The gang of delinquents.

Zora's secret base where he puts together the most complex spells ever made.

I'm guessing that's not a fist bump between bros. Zora has the runes written on his own body, which means he's in real trouble. I hope they animate the rest of the manga someday because it's probably epic, and my guy gets more screen time.

The Purple Orcas cape covers up too much tiddies.

*A non-Zora related side note* I like how they prettied up the based Praying Mantis Guy (kekek), like I used to ship Jack x Nobody, but he's in the running now.

#zora ideale #asta #julius novachrono #noelle silva #magna swing #gordon agrippa #charmy pappitson #secre swallowtail #mimosa vermillion #curtis warren #vanessa enoteca #gauche adlai #luck voltia #jack the ripper #fuckery #finral roulacase #grey #that's my take and I'm sticking to it your honor

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starwarsmum · 2 months ago

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Day 20: Joke's on You. This one is actually a Boldly inspired fic!

@maribatserver

Jon stood nervously to the side as Marinette and Damian had their latest screaming match. Honestly, it was impressive that the French girl hadn't backed down at any point in their animosity, and Jon wished they had made friends instead of enemies. Though with Damian's track record he shouldn't have expected anything else.

He tuned back into the argument just as Marinette reached a new shade of red.

“...and you can hate me but you can't make me shut up! And if you think you can get rid of me you're dead wrong, because I'll just date your best friend,” she shouted. To everyone else, Damian would have seemed unaffected but Jon could hear his heartbeat stutter slightly in response - which was curious. He hadn't thought his best friend hated Marinette, but if the thought of her dating him caused that big of a reaction.

“Tt, well the joke’s on you, Dupain-Cheng,” he sneered, eyes not even flickering towards Jon. “Because I only have acquaintances.”

Marinette's eyes narrowed and she definitely turned towards Jon slightly before something obviously occurred to her. A vicious smile erupted on her face and it made Damian's brow furrow ever so slightly.

“Fine, but I'm pretty sure I heard you're not an only child,” she sing-songed, turning on her heel. Damian's jaw slackened in surprise and, Jon presumed, no small amount of horror. It was almost a shame that Marinette had stalked away before she got to see the speechless mess she left behind.

“What was the argument about today?” Jon asked quietly once he was close enough to Damian. The other boy huffed in annoyance and glared at the door Marinette had exited through rather than answer. “Come on, why are you still arguing with her? Surely you could just ignore her, like you do with almost everyone else, right?”

Then I could just have you as friends separately, he thought wistfully, pouting slightly when Damian gave him a narrow look. He couldn't understand why Damian reacted so badly to Marinette when she was practically sunshine in a person. People described Jon that way and Damian had gotten used to him.

“I- she is not going to get away with speaking to a Wayne like that,” he muttered aggressively.

_ _ _

“Demon Spawn, why is there a little Pixie girl messaging me and saying she wants to get to know me better?” Jason drawled from the far side of the table. Jon gaped at him, wondering if he was messing with them. But there was no way Jason would know that much to mess with them so that meant…

“She messaged you?” Jon blurted out, wincing when Damian glared at him. “Wait, why would you ask Damian that?”

“Because her profile picture has her GA uniform in it and since I haven't been there in years I figured she must know him.”

“Ignore her, she is my nemesis,” Damian said curtly. Jon closed his eyes and prayed for patience. If there was any one thing that would have piqued Jason's interest in her, that was it.

“...so it would bother you if I got to know her?” Jason said with a manic grin. “You're eighteen already, right? Can I assume she is too?”

“You know, I'm not-” Jon began, only to be interrupted by Damian who, apparently, didn't know when to quit.

“Her being of legal age is irrelevant, Todd,” he seethed, body rigid with tension. “She has contacted you to get to me and therefore you should ignore her.”

“Oh, hell no, if it bothers you that much, I'm going to sweep this chick off her feet,” Jason said with a smirk, fingers flying over the screen of his phone. Damian hissed like an angry cat but Jon wasn't sure what he had expected to happen. “Guess I've got a date tomorrow.”

Jon was glad Jason decided to make himself scarce immediately.

_ _ _

Jason approached the table in the cafe that Marinette, the little Pixie that was trying to wind Damian up, had suggested. She was bent over a sketchbook, hand moving confidently over the page as a figure took shape. It looked suspiciously like a certain vigilante's civilian form and he cleared his throat as he arrived next to her. She squeaked and slammed the sketchbook closed before he could take a better look.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet with me,” Marinette said with a tired smile. Jason eyed her with concern as he sat down opposite her. She had been all smirks and pizzazz when she had messaged him about Damian but now…it was like she had completely deflated. “And I want to reiterate that I have no intention of dating someone more than half a decade older than myself - even if it was fake.”

“Yeah, don't worry about that. I don't need any accusations leveled at me about being a cradle snatcher, Pixie,” Jason said, shooting her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. If the way she raised her eyebrows was any indication it hadn't worked but she was smiling too so that was fine. “But I've gotta ask, why does the little brat have such a stick up his ass over you?”

Marinette sighed and rested her head on her crossed arms, which wasn't the reaction he had expected.

“We had an argument when I first started at Gotham Academy at the beginning of the year,” she said, voice muffled slightly. “And he said some very condescending things to me. I don't react well to condescension and it just…it escalated from there. Nearly everyone else at the school is fine with me and have assured me that he is cold with everyone but that doesn't strike me as a good enough reason to be rude to someone. And the only thing evil requires is that good people do nothing, so I have continued to clash with him.”

“Huh. If you're not willing to date someone older than you to make a point or drive the little devil mad, you could always just see if B wants to adopt you,” he said casually, taking in her features again. He laughed at her confused expression and elaborated. “Just imagine how much more in his face it would be if you lived with him.”

“That- I- no,” she squeaked, flushing. And wasn't that interesting; the response he had expected was either disgust or thoughtful contemplation, not getting flustered. “I- that would not be helpful.”

“So you think he's evil?” Jason said after pausing for a second, latching onto the other thing she had said. The startled look on her face was, again, unexpected.

“No! Damian is- I can tell he's a good person,” she said, hands waving in agitation. “He's…a little awkward, and unused to being challenged, but he isn't bad.”

“Then why do you hate him? Hell, why bother arguing with him at all?” Jason asked, genuinely curious as to what the point was. Again, she flushed, biting her lip this time and looking away. She muttered something and he raised his eyebrows. “Say that again for me?”

“Mon dieu, I do not hate him. To be honest, a lot of the time it feels like more of a game between us and I hate losing. But whilst I haven't lost yet, I haven't won either and as the end of the year approaches…”

“You need a conclusion,” Jason said, nodding in understanding. She really would fit in extremely well with the family with her stubbornness, he mused before shaking it away.

“Or to extend the game past graduation,” she agreed, fingers drumming on the table top. “Honestly contacting you was a spur of the moment idea, mostly because Jon said you two were particularly volatile as a pair.”

“Well, I can't promise to help you win your game, but we can certainly give it a go,” Jason said with a smirk, hunkering down to get into plotting.

_ _ _

Jon was hanging out with Damian in one of the drawing rooms at the manor when Jason arrived. They had patrol that night and he was likely just looking for a quiet place to hang out until then. Unfortunately, Damian spotted him immediately and jumped to his feet to talk to him.

“Todd, you will tell me what you discussed with Ma- with Dupain-Cheng,” Damian said imperiously. Jon eyed him like a particularly volatile chemical reaction but didn't intervene - yet. He wanted to know what Jason had to say as well.

“Why do you care? Pretty sure you said she was your nemesis, but she isn't mine. My relationship with her has nothing to do with you,” Jason said tauntingly. Jon furrowed his brow, disliking the way he had said relationship. Damian didn't like it either, judging by the snarl that came out of him.

“Considering the only reason she is speaking to you is because of me, I beg to differ.”

“Please, she told me all about your petty rivalry,” Jason said with a wave. Damian stilled entirely and Jon wondered if maybe they had passed the point of salvaging any of this conversation already. “You don't get on with most of the people I talk to, how is this one any different?”

“I knew her first, Todd,” Damian snapped, teeth clenched hard. Which was an interesting thing to say, Jon thought distantly. “And she is far too young for you. Not to mention you would put her in danger by associating-”

“Oh, I see, you thought you'd called dibs,” Jason said patronisingly. “You know what they say, brat; you snooze, you lose. And I wouldn't say too young, that's a woman we're talking about-”

“Whoa, okay, let's all take a second here,” Jon said, moving between the pair and holding Damian back. The look on the boy's face was nothing short of murderous and he wasn't certain he would be able to contain him for a long period of time. “Jay, you can't seriously be saying you're trying to hook up with someone in high school, right?”

“She's not gonna be in high school that much longer,” Jason said with a wicked grin. “So if that's the only issue…”

“Stay away from her,” Damian hissed around Jon, still straining slightly. “You are a disgusting, lecherous man and you are unworthy-”

“What's going on in here?” Bruce said, coming into the room suddenly. The tension remained palpable and Jon wondered if Damian would tell Bruce what was going on.

“Tt,” was all he said, shoving past Jon roughly and stalking out of the room.

_ _ _

“Why on earth did you think actually going on a date with Jason was a good idea?” Jon asked Marinette the following day. It was Friday and they had a free period together before the end of the day. She raised her eyebrows at him but he heard the sudden uptick in her heartbeat.

“I don't see the problem. Jay seems like a really cool guy. Besides which you're the one that said he was the most likely to get under Damian's skin,” she said accusingly.

“No, I said it was a horrible idea to try and date a Wayne, especially since the only single one that would take you seriously was the one Dames has the worst relationship with-”

“Yeah, see? The one most likely to get under his skin,” she said, nodding. “Now if you don't mind, I have some homework-”

“Dupain-Cheng, a word.” Damian had appeared next to their table while they were engrossed in conversation. Marinette dropped the papers she had been organising, blinking up at him owlishly.

“I mean, no? I have no desire to discuss anything with you currently, especially-”

“Please,” he interrupted, cheeks darkening slightly when her mouth snapped shut. Jon eyed him, wondering if he was dreaming. Damian, saying please? To Marinette of all people? He shot Jon a significant look before turning back to her. “I wish to speak with you privately.”

“Oh, um, okay,” she stuttered out, putting her papers down and standing. Jon could hear her heartbeat skyrocket as Damian led her away. He very much wanted to listen in on the conversation but he also knew that Damian would never forgive him for breaching his privacy like that. Well, he probably would, but they were best friends, so he really shouldn't.

Marinette followed Damian along the halls, only slightly worried about getting a reprimand for being out of class. Her heart was hammering in her ears and almost stuttered to a stop when he ushered her into an empty classroom. The lights were off and neither of them made a move to change that. She could just about make out his features, but she couldn't see details like his eyes so she wasn't sure how angry he was just then.

Truth be told, she had known that involving one of his brothers had crossed some kind of line. From what she knew about Damian, he liked to keep the different aspects of his life separate. She knew Jon spent time with him outside of school but that was because they'd actually only met because their fathers were friends first.

“Thank you for agreeing to speak with me,” Damian said in a low voice, standing close enough to her that she worried he could hear just how hard her heart was beating. “I don't know why you spoke with Todd but it needs to stop.”

“Oh,” she said, frown taking over her face. She narrowed her eyes at him, taking in the tightness in his shoulders and the way his fists were clenched. “No.”

“Dup-”

“You don't get to tell me who to be friends with, Damian,” she said firmly. “As long as Jason wants to talk to me-”

“He is my brother, it is wildly inappropriate for him to pursue you,” he said, teeth obviously clenching tight. She didn't need to be able to see his face to know he was scowling at her because that's how he always sounded when he was scowling at her. She scoffed and started to turn away from him only to pull up short when he gripped her upper arm and pulled her towards him. “Marinette, he is six years older than us and he has many issues that make it a poor choice to be romantically involved with him.”

“So he doesn't deserve to date someone because he has something dark in his past?” She asked, trying to ignore how closely they were now standing, and how he had uttered her name. After so many months of being called ‘Dupain-Cheng’ it felt almost scandalous to hear him say her first name.

“Let him date someone his own age,” Damian muttered, clearly glaring at nothing. “And…his history is colourful. I'm certain there are things that would give you pause if you knew them. You should be with someone like you.”

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” She demanded, outrage adding to the slightly charged air between them. His hand, still on her arm, tensed and she had the abrupt urge to make him look her in the eye and explain what he meant. So she grabbed his blazer's lapel and yanked him to face her.

Unfortunately she pulled a little too hard and she overbalanced, feet going from underneath her as she tipped backwards. She braced for the fall but was stopped by his hand securing her lower back. She blinked up at him, blushing at how close his face was to hers. Now that they were closer together she could see the brilliant green of his eyes again, almost glowing from the light she could see peeking around the classroom blinds and the door.

She didn't dare move, even breathing shallowly as she wet her lips nervously. His eyes flickered down to the movement and she swore her heart stopped dead as his head dipped towards her. She tilted her head slightly and their lips brushed tentatively.

She felt the soft exhale from him against her lips and then he was pressing his lips back to hers more firmly. He straightened up, pulling her with him and the hand that had been on her arm slid up to cup the back of her head. She kissed him back, hands fisting in his blazer and keeping him close.

She sighed against his mouth as he angled her head slightly more and he took that as permission to deepen the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. It was intense, the hand on her lower back pressing her closer to him and the one at the back of her head urging her to open to him.

Her hands began to move upwards, fingers brushing his jaw before moving into his hair and tugging gently. He broke the kiss but didn't pull away, tilting her head further to kiss her neck. She gasped when his teeth grazed a sensitive spot and it was like a switch had flipped. Damian jerked away from her, face flushed.

“I- that- I'm sorry, Marinette, I didn't-” he stammered, turning away from her. She tried to organise her thoughts, hand coming up to touch her now swollen lips as she stared at him. “I should leave.”

“Wait,” she said, grabbing for his arm. “Don't you think we should talk about- about what just happened?”

“I…I'm not sure what did just happen,” he said softly, hand buried in his own hair. He looked messy and horrendously attractive in that moment and she bit her lip against the urge to kiss him again. He sounded uncertain and that definitely put a damper on the thrill running through her veins.

“Like, because you blacked out, or just that you don't know how that happened?”

“The second one,” he muttered, turning back to look at her with an unreadable look. “Mar- Dupain-Cheng, I shouldn't have-”

“Oh, hell no, if you can put your tongue in my mouth you can call me by my actual name,” she said firmly. He gave a bark of laughter, turning back to her and leaning against a desk. “Care to explain what you were thinking if you ‘shouldn’t have’?”

“You are going to be the cause of my premature death,” he said sullenly, making her scowl. “You cannot stand me, Marinette, I should not have lost my head and kissed you. It was hardly a logical thing for me to do and I don't…”

“It's not as if I minded,” she said quietly when it became clear he didn't know where his sentence was going. He looked at her sharply. “And I'm not sure why everyone thinks I hate you when I don't. You're abrasive but I don't actually think you're an asshole, you know?”

He seemed to be surprised, just staring at her in the dark. It made her nervous and she wished she had turned the light on as soon as they'd walked in. And if he didn't say something soon she was likely to say something embarrassing during a rambling speech that was doubtlessly coming. Unfortunately he didn't seem to be forthcoming with any words so she did.

“I mean, I have to assume you don't hate me either, otherwise I am really confused about what just happened,” she blurted out, feeling a blush spread over her cheeks. “But, uh, I should probably say that I was never going to date Jason. Like, he's cool in an older brother sort of way but it would have been really weird, even just to pretend, given you're the one I wanted to kiss, obviously, and he didn't- he never tried to flirt or anything. I just wanted to get more of an idea what you were thinking, and you're kind of easy to rile up and-”

She was cut off when he pressed his fingers to her lips. She swallowed and stared up at him.

“I was not joking when I said you should be with someone more like you,” he said. She continued to look at him, confused. That didn't currently sound like an insult, but she wasn't sure how else to take a statement like that. “Marinette, you are relentlessly positive and brighten many people's days. People like Jason or- or like me wouldn't be capable of making you happy.”

“How would you know?” She demanded, grabbing his fingers and holding tight. “You know what, never mind that. I don't need someone else to make me happy. I make me happy. What I want is someone to challenge me, to make my life interesting. Do you think you're not interesting?”

He stared at her, eyes wider than she was used to seeing on him and she harrumphed and dropped his hand. Now that the rush from kissing him had worn off, she felt uncertain and uneasy. He looked like he might say something else but the bell signaling the end of the day sounded, making them both jump.

“I have to go,” she sighed, tugging her ponytail sharply. She looked at him briefly but he was frowning again, still staring at her, so she turned back to the door. “Jon has my number, if you want to talk at all. If I don't hear from you before Monday…”

She trailed off but he didn't say anything, so she sighed again and went to collect her bag from the classroom.

_ _ _

The weekend passed too quickly for Damian. He had every intention of speaking to Jon and obtaining Marinette's number so they could talk about…what had happened. But whenever he tried to bring himself to ask, he froze up. So he had thrown himself into patrol and honed his fighting skills and told himself that if he was supposed to contact her, it would have been easier.

That didn't stop him from freezing when he bumped into her outside the homeroom they shared. He was seldom at such a loss for words but instead of smirking and saying something borderline rude she blushed lightly and apologised before stepping around him and making her way to her desk.

From that point forward she avoided him. At least that's what he presumed she was doing, since every time he had her in his sights she vanished. It was the most peaceful day he had had in months and he hated it. He stopped trying to approach her after his fourth attempt, settling for watching her interactions with other students to try and gauge her mood.

It was definitely wrong of him to feel slighted by how easily she continued to speak with her other classmates. But knowing that and changing that feeling were two wildly different things and he wanted nothing more than to go over and demand that she explain why she was ignoring him.

“Okay, seriously Dames, what's the problem?” Jon asked during their lunch hour, after another angry huff of breath came out of his best friend. “I thought this was what you wanted? All you've talked about all year is getting her to leave you alone and you succeeded. I don't think I want to know what sort of verbal beatdown happened on Friday to make her completely stop antagonising you but-”

“Then why mention it?” Damian snapped, flushing as he thought of the darkened classroom and all that passed within it. He knew his heart rate had spiked momentarily, and that Jon had noticed it, because the super’s brow lifted. “It is none of your concern, suffice to say she confirmed that she is not pursuing a romantic relationship with Todd.”

“Okay, but that doesn't explain why you're not arguing anymore,” he said suspiciously. “Or why you're in a piss poor mood over it. Not to mention she's avoiding me as well now, so I ask again: what's going on?”

“Perhaps you should ask her during your free period,” Damian muttered, glancing involuntarily towards where Marinette was giggling with some of the idiots from the football team. He knew she was friendly with everyone (except for him) but his eyes narrowed when one of the idiots leaned down to whisper something in her ear. His hand clenched on the fork he had been using to toy with his food and it took several minutes for him to release it.

During his last period he tried to keep himself occupied as his phone vibrated in his pocket again and again. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Marinette had said to Jon about what had happened between them on Friday. His stomach clenched when he thought how she might be approaching it - was she flippant? Upset? Angry? He didn't know which would be worse.

When the final bell rang he was the first one out of his seat, storming through the halls to get to the car as quickly as possible. He faltered when he saw a familiar bike and rider sitting out front instead of Alfred and his car. Brow furrowing, he stalked over to Jason, contemplating violence as a way to release some of the tension he had been feeling all day.

“Todd, did Alfred send you?” He clipped out, standing straight and glaring.

“Nope, I'm here for someone else,” Jason said with a smirk. Damian felt a tic in his jaw and had to remind himself that Marinette had assured him nothing was going on. It didn't stop an irrational, possessive part of him from wanting to warn Jason away from her. He grinned more genuinely before lifting a hand to shout to someone. “Yo, Pixie! Over here!”

“Sorry, Jon was- oh. Good afternoon, Damian,” she said, face going blank as she stopped several feet away. An awkward silence fell and Jason gave him a look that couldn't possibly mean anything good. “Well, Jay, we should get going. Have a nice evening, Damian.”

“Wait, I thought-”

“Yes?” Marinette said, eyes flashing as she looked at him properly for the first time all day. Her usually bright, clear eyes were full of a storm. He had thought he knew what she looked like truly angry, but it appeared not. He stood stiffly, not knowing what to say and she laughed without any humour or warmth. “As I said, we should go. Goodbye, Damian.”

He stood there, unable to form any words as she climbed onto the back of Jason's bike, helmet jammed over her head, before grabbing onto him and letting him carry her away. He was a riot of emotions, wanting to demand Jason bring her back but not sure how without making things worse.

_ _ _

When Jason finally stalked into the manor several hours later he made his way straight to Damian's room. Damian knew this because he hadn't bothered to take off his bike jacket and was still carrying his helmet. He scowled at his older brother but turned back to the homework he had been brooding over for hours.

“So, what the fuck did you say to Pixie?” Jason drawled eventually. Damian frowned but didn't say anything or look up again, not until Jason strode into the room and yanked him up by the arm. “Hey, brat, I asked you a question and I expect an answer. What. Did. You. Say.”

“Tt, I have not spoken to M- Dupain-Cheng today,” he said, shaking off Jason's grip. Then he paused thoughtfully before continuing. “Excepting, of course, that which you were present for. If she is spreading falsehoods about-”

“Oh, no, no ‘falsehoods’ from Pix. In fact, she wouldn't so much as talk about you, even when I pressed her, so I know you did something. And ‘that which I was present for’ looked like she was pretty pissed with you. So I'm gonna ask nicely one more time: what did you say - or do - to hurt Marinette?”

“I- nothing,” Damian said, cursing himself for stumbling over his words. He willed away the memory of the icy anger he had seen in her eyes. “I spoke with her on Friday about the inappropriateness of your acquaintance and thought we had reached an agreement. Clearly I was incorrect and I will speak with her again tomorrow.”

“Hmm, no, I don't think that's true. But hey, why don't we just ask her and find out.”

Damian frowned as Jason grabbed him and frog-marched him down, presumably to take him to wherever Marinette was. He would force the oaf to release him before he allowed him to remove him from the manor so he was surprised when they pulled to a stop in the kitchen. And then he cursed and tried to leave again when he saw Marinette chatting with Alfred. Unfortunately Jason had a decent grip on him and he had been unable to grab a weapon on the way.

“Oh my god, Jay, can we not?” Marinette said when she turned to see what the commotion was. “I told you, Damian and I have nothing to say to each other. You said you were grabbing something you needed and then you would take me home-”

“Yeah, I lied,” Jason said glibly, shoving Damian towards her. “Damian can make sure you get home safe, right Demon Spawn?”

“Todd, I have no idea where this idiocy is coming from-”

“Jason, please,” Marinette said softly. Damian looked at her, alarmed by the pleading note in her voice. He had never heard it before, and it shifted something in his chest and made it ache. Jason looked uncertain, like he was second guessing everything. She looked at Damian with a fake smile that felt wrong. “I'm sorry for intruding, Damian, I promise I didn't know he would do this. Please, Jason, just take me home.”

“Uh, I mean, yeah, okay. Sorry Pix,” he said gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and steering her out of the room. Damian could hear them talking softly as they got further away. He hesitated for another moment before darting silently after them, though he didn't know why or what he hoped to accomplish. They were standing in the foyer, Jason asking something in a low voice and Marinette shaking her head. Neither of them noticed him as he listened in.

“...tell me what happened, I know something must have.”

“Jay, you've known me for all of five minutes, you don't actually know me all that well,” she said thickly. “But it doesn't matter. I just want to go home. School finishes in two weeks and that will be the end of it.”

“What happened to winning?” Damian wanted to force Jason to let go of Marinette's shoulders, but he wanted to hear her answer more.

“Nobody wins everything,” she muttered, hand swiping at her face. “Just- please, I don't want to talk about it. Will you go and get the bike? I'm tired.”

Jason gave Marinette a long look but nodded and disappeared. As soon as he was out of sight, her shoulders slumped and Damian could hear her crying quietly. He moved without thinking, grasping her arm gently and turning her towards him. She jumped at the contact and hastily scrubbed at her face even as she plastered another smile on it.

“Was there something else you needed?” She asked in a polite voice he had heard her use once or twice with visiting parents during school open days, but never with him. He swallowed against the sudden anxiety swamping him and raised a hand to wipe away a stray tear.

“I'm sorry,” he said when she flinched away, slowly lowering his hand. “I didn't- I meant to speak to you earlier in the day but I couldn't seem to catch you.”

“You don't need to,” she whispered, arms coming up to hug herself. He looked at her, confused, and she shrugged. “I get it, okay? I won't say anything about- I won't tell anyone. And I'll stop arguing with you at school, you don't have to bother yourself-”

“Dup…Marinette, that's not-”

“Really, you don't have to explain anything,” she interrupted, looking vaguely panicked. “I understood, when you didn't message, that that was it. And I'm sorry you felt like you had to take such drastic measures just to get me to stop. I thought that we were…I thought it was playful. And I'm so, so sorry if I made you uncomfortable or-”

Damian placed his fingers back on her lips, making her freeze exactly as he had when she had been rambling on Friday. Her eyes were wide and she seemed to be trembling slightly as he moved his hand to cup her cheek.

“Marinette, I'm sorry. I should have called you, or messaged you or- or anything, but I didn't because I was overwhelmed by the very thought. Not that it changes things but I didn't intend to hurt you. I didn't consider that my lack of contact would make you think-”

They jumped apart when the door slammed open again and Jason paused with a spare helmet in his hand. His eyes narrowed at the guilty look on Damian's face and Marinette's tear filled eyes.

“Demon Spawn, what the f-”

“Todd, turn around and come back in an hour,” Damian said, glaring. “Or never, I will ensure that Marinette returns home safely.”

“No dice, I left her alone for five minutes and she's in tears-”

“This doesn't concern you-”

“Jay, give us another five minutes, please?” Marinette said softly, looking up at Damian with something like hope flickering in her eyes. Damian ignored the exasperated exclamation that emitted from Jason and focused solely on Marinette again. He stepped closer and hesitated for only a moment before taking her in his arms.

“Perhaps we can try again?” he asked, speaking into her hair. She nodded and he breathed out fully. “Marinette, I have wanted to kiss you during an argument for longer than I can remember and I have fought the urge for just as long. If it isn't too late, I would very much like to kiss you again.”

She smiled up at him before pulling him down for one.

#maribat #mlb x dc #maribat march #maribat march 2025 #daminette #damianette #dc x mlb #fanfic #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #maribat event #damian x marinette #marinette x damian #boldlyanxious #boldly made me do it #jokes on you #enemies to lovers

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zivazivc · 11 months ago

Note

what's your headcanon about the bergens keeping the trolls as prisoners?

OHOHOHOHO! fair warning, my headcanons tend to be really dark and this is no exception.

I'm not typing this anew, I'm just pasting two blocks of text I sent to a friend via tumblr messenger on two different occasions, so it might feel a bit disjointed while reading:

block of text one:

okay basically in my hc trollstice is also a once a year thing but it’s not barbaric in the sense that on that day they let the bergens into the cage and they just go ham catching trolls left and right. in my hc king peppy and chef actually have a fucked up agreement where chef shows up a few weeks/days before trollstice on a particular year and tells him how many trolls she needs that year and then the trolls pick that year’s victims by lot (only trolls who are 40 and older participate (with a few exceptions like obvs the king, but also rosiepuff but more on that some other time)) (also the age limit used to be much higher at the very beginning but they had to adjust to their population growing smaller). they implemented this to keep the kids safe and also to kinda force the population to reproduce more, because everyone starts having kids young bc they want to see them grow up before there’s a chance that they can get picked for the next trollstice (it’s also why jd and freesia we’re already thinking of starting a family at 18) ANYWAY during all this the trolls have been secretly digging the escape tunnels for years, and they are getting close but they keep pushing the date back because of cave ins or other setbacks. ANYWAY the bergen king has a baby son who will be old enough for his very first trollstice in a few years, and the chef being a demon spawn proposes that the prince’s very first troll should be a princess. king peppy and everyone is horrified because viva is still young and he tries arguing that she’s the only heir to the throne. So then Chef is like “then make a new princess for the prince, you still have two years time”. SO THEN the king is forced to have poppy (hence why she’s so much younger than viva 🙃) but the trolls are still all horrified of the idea that the bergens would eat a child so they collectively start working extra hard in the tunnels and they manage to finish them just in time for the prince’s first trollstice…….

this would also explain why chef was so confident about where baby poppy was located at the last trollstice at the beginning of the first movie when she walked into the cage and knew which pod to grab - it all had to be planned in advance.

AND there being no “old” trolls would also explain why so much life wisdom and knowledge about the outside world managed to disappear during the time the trolls were imprisoned. no grandmas or grandpas to pass the knowledge on.

block of text two:

in my hc rosiepuff isn't the brothers’ grandma but is actually their great or maybe even their great great grandma, who was alive when the bergens arrived. she was from a family of like “biologists” who studied plants and fungi and knew how to take anything in their natural surroundings and use it as food or to make medicine. they were like witch doctors or folk healers, something in those lines. rosiepuff was pretty young when the bergens arrived and by the time the bergens and trolls implemented trollstice and the rules about picking who gets eaten, she was the only one left from her family. and the troll king at the time chose to excuse/prohibit her from participating in trollstice in the hopes of her passing on what was left of her family’s knowledge about wild plants because they will need it when they escape and will have to survive in the wild and build their society from scratch. so rosiepuff was basically the wise elder at the troll tree and she also drilled her knowledge into all her children and grandchildren and this is why branch and the other four were able to survive so well on their own. especially branch, who lived alone with her for a few years before she died and just hyperfocused on her teachings and his promise to build a bunker. the reason she died the way she did is that chef was experimenting with a new recipe for the bergen prince’s first trollstice so she quickly popped into the cage the day before trollstice and just snatched the first troll she could get her hands on… she basically died just the day before the trolls escaped. :( which is also why clay didn’t find out about it (in my hc clay didn’t escape the troll tree the way jd, spruce and floyd did)

#answered #trolls #trollstice #trolls rosiepuff #trolls chef #trolls headcanons #yes i do manage to sleep at night thinking about trolls thank you for asking

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andthekitchensinkao3 · 24 days ago

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WiP Wednesday

More Emmstarion stuff this week. Thank you @thosegayoldmen and @notyourmamasdeerbat for the tags. And respectfully, I'm a geek 😘

Bit of a long snippet under the cut - as well as all the usual tags. Sorry if you're being multi-tagged, and as always, no pressure!

Astarion is having A Day. Good thing he's got two quinquagenarians to keep him company. Kids these days...

“Tea sounds lovely,” he said, trying and failing to detect some kind of agenda on Varric’s behalf. Perhaps it was a mistake to be so prickly, first impressions being what they were, but if he could read his two new besties correctly, and he fancied himself rather good at that sort of thing, they were giving him quite a bit of leeway. Injured, poor soul, tumbling into their book club, or whatever they were doing in a ‘library.’ With floating-bloody-bookshelves. There’d been quite a number of different voices. If he remembered correctly.

It would not do, to respond on the wrong side of borderline snide. Even though he wanted nothing more. “I’m not a vampire, Saer Tethras, I’m a vampire spawn.”

Varric’s mouth curled into a smirk. Wry. Still friendly. “Meaning?”

“All the drawbacks and none of the perks.” He smiled pretty. “Well. Almost none of them. I am desperately handsome, don’t you think?”

To his everlasting… delight would be an overstatement, but for the sake of argument - Varric snorted. “No comment, pretty boy. But that doesn’t actually mean anything. Bangles, be a doll and tell our new friend what a vampire is, ‘round these here parts?”

“Varric, please.” A fresh cup of tea appeared in his line of sight, jarring him from his thoughts. Emmrich again, of course. Him and his gold, chinking against the porcelain. “Here we are. We have honey, if you prefer it sweet.”

“Thank you.” He wondered… If the way Emmrich had looked at him earlier, if that was a way in. Varric certainly hadn’t looked at him as if he were the prettiest thing in the world, alive or dead, but Emmrich… He took the cup, making sure to brush his fingers over Emmrich’s. “Who needs honey when I have you for company.” He smiled, proven right in the way Emmrich’s cheeks flushed with colour. “And what, praytell, makes a vampire in these here parts?”

Emmrich swallowed visibly, but didn’t reciprocate his game of cat and mouse. “A demonic possession, wherein a Hunger demon drives a mortal to become ravenous for flesh. My fellow scholar, Bellara, has more of an idea as to the fictional variation than I do.”

Astarion sipped his tea. No. Still didn’t make any sense. Hunger demons, really? “Are you saying you’re not dying to know everything about me?”

Something shifted across Emmrich’s features - a miscalculation on Astarion’s part, it didn’t bring on a deeper shade of blush. Quite the opposite. “I wouldn’t go that far. But. Having said that: I have a thought. Why don’t I find a book or two on cartography, give you an idea of the world. And history.” He snapped his fingers, turning to Varric. “World politics!”

“Great,” said Varric.

“Maps?” he said, cringing violently on the inside. What did he care for maps, unless they showed a clear and direct path out of there. “World politics?”

“Precisely, my good man. Information!” He got to his feet. “And maybe something on parasitic infestations. I’ll need to know everything you can tell me about mind flayers. And what exactly constitutes a vampire ‘spawn.’ But first, let’s get you up to speed, as our guest.”

Before he could object or agree, Emmrich had vanished out the door and down the corridor, leaving him with the ‘sadly indisposed leader’ of the pack. Astarion sipped his tea. Black, bitter and smoky. Warm enough to be pleasant to drink, just like Emmrich had said.

“Does he do that? As a rule?” he asked Varric, easing himself back into the propped up cushions.

“Try to fix things?”

“No,” said Astarion, but filed it away as a useful nugget of information. “Maps.”

---

@ghoulehhh @natendo-art @in-my-loki-feels @kusakichan15 @kcscribbler

@devilbearingtrouble @impulsemuppet @mirilyawrites @scifikimmi @silentxsymphony

@rin-love-is-green @confetti39x @stillwanderingflame @elodiah @lokimobius

@insert-witty-user-name-here @blackbirdofasgard @dreamycloud @distracteddream

@mobius-m-mobius @dilfmobius @adorbspotat @lgwilt

@redheadsramblings @starfleetteddybear @mercars-musings @holyglassbone @genocidalfetus @wolfpup026 @elodiah @notyourmamasdeerbat @lavender-tea-fling @otterpocketz @notyourmamasdeerbat @crowtoed aaaand who did I miss?

#ao3 fanfic #da veilguard fanfic #bg3 fanfic #datv bg3 crossover fic #emmrich x astarion #astarion x emmrich #emmstarion

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coffeefiction · 6 months ago

Text

Megatron's "Not So Interesting' Life

So, I have this thought of an au for a while, where the war never happened but the world is littered with anomalies, entities and all that jazz, right? And Megatron, is just a normal mech, with a normal life, being friends with "normal" people and finding their newly crowned Prime off. Oh! He also gets these cool abilities that I have yet to properly set down-

If you have any ideas on what I should do with this story! Or questions! Let me know! Have fun!

_______________________

Megatron knows that he special he has always known this. How could he not? From a young age, he could instinctively distinguish between a walking glitch of a fake and an actual mecha. It was as if his optics had been calibrated to detect the unseen threads of the universe. Shadows danced at the edges of his vision, and he always had the gnawing sense that something lurked just beyond his peripheral awareness. Not that he cared. In fact, he barely gave it a second thought.

Megatron has always known that he has abilities, that he has a gift. He knew this. He could see what others couldn’t. Yet, for the longest time, he refused to acknowledge it, treating it as little more than an inconvenient quirk. That was, until he befriended a few of those shadowy entities that liked to pass themselves off as part of the mortal world. He never really minded—they weren’t doing him any harm, again, he barely cared.

They are attracted to Megatron's gift, I mean, who wouldn't? Having the ability to sniff out someone's bull is pretty helpful.

You see, Megatron grew up in Kaon, and growing up in Kaon, which was and is a place dripping with superstition, Megatron had heard his share of horror stories: the dark, Unicron’s spawns, Primus’ Youngs, and the whispers of what prowled in the shadows. These tales were used to scare younglings into good behavior.

Megatron himself had his fair share of those stories, although, some of the elders do love to exaggerate those stories.

He likes it, not because it makes it creepy. He didn’t find them scary—he found them funny, mostly because of his friends. For reasons he still couldn’t quite fathom, his closest companions growing up were a spark eater, a ghoul, and a demon. Hearing their outrage over the inaccuracies in these tales was endlessly entertaining.

“You can’t eat a spark like that,” Starscream, the spark eater, would hiss in annoyance whenever he hears these ridiculous stories . “Why do they always describe it like I’m slurping energon soup? There’s nuance!”

“Ghouls: do not hide under berths: waiting to snatch younglings” deadpanned Soundwave, the ghoul, glaring at Megatron. “Soundwave: not a sterotype: Stories; exaggerated”

And Shockwave, the demon of the group would just simply twitch in annoyance.

And unlike Iacon, who rarely has anything to do with superstitions and such beliefs were dismissed as primitive nonsense. (or as media likes to portray it). Kaon has plenty, it thrived on superstition, unlike Iacon, If Kaon had a museum for the supernatural, it would probably need its own skyscraper.

Megatron can attest to it, as stated before, he is friends with some of the horrifying entities that the tales always tell. Not only that, He’d had his share of encounters with those dark forces, not all of them pleasant. Most of the time, it ended in one of three ways: a fight, a frantic escape, or an unsettling brush with death. The only reason Megatron was still functioning was thanks to his friends, who often bailed him out of tight spots to save his arf.

Yet despite all of this, Megatron barely cares.

He doesn't do much, than work at his boring office job, visit his friends and reassure them that he is well, one of the literally lives in Vos! But at least his trip is always payed, courtesy to his friend. Outside of that? His life is completely barren and uneventful.

That is, until he met the new Prime that goes by the name Optimus Prime. Not, met met him, more like saw him in the holos and the streets during the coronation parade. He didn't wanna be there to be honest, but Starscream wanted to be there, he was in town for royal duties as the Prince of Vos and he wanted to Megatron to hang out with him, that isn't the mech's lonely apartment or Soundwave's house, or Shockwave's lab.

And Megatron, is a friend, so Megatron decided to go with Starscream, begrudgingly of course.

When Megatron first laid his optics on the New Prime, he immediately sensed something was off, and he can tell that Starscream noticed too, yet he seem calm, which was odd. Normally, Starscream would have been on high alert, his predatory instincts kicking in. But this time? He wasn’t reacting defensively. That wasn’t exactly a good sign, isn't a bad one either.

Spark eaters tend to have heightened senses, they have the ability to sniff out their pray, and they have the ability to semi manipulate the perception of others, making it easy for them to blend in. If Starscream wasn’t threatened, that meant whatever this “off” thing was, it wasn’t something Starscream recognized as dangerous—or perhaps it was something he couldn’t categorize at all.

Megatron looks at the Prime, observing him closely. Their newly crowned Prime seems nice, he speaks very confidently yet softly, a leader with stern yet does not weild his fist to cage those around him. He spoke to the crowd with warmth, crouched to address younglings optic-to-optic, and carried himself with an air of calm authority.

Megatron….he knows there is something wrong, something off with the Prime. Megatron could feel it, like static in his circuits. He wanted to dig deeper, to pull at the threads of this mystery. But before he could, Starscream interrupted.

Megatron has to put those thoughts into a file and store it for later to entertain his friend. A bored Starscream always never ends well.

Soundwave can attest to that.

So Megatron talks to Starscream as they watch the parade from the distance in the balcony of Starscream's fancy hotel. They watch as the Prime mingle with the civilian, as he interacts with the younglings with such care.

“Ugh. Look at that pompous mech!” Starscream sneered, slumping dramatically in his chair.

Megatron arched an optic ridge. “What are you talking about? He seems fine.”

“Fine? Look at him, so pristine, so proper!” Starscream gestured wildly at the balcony railing. “He’s too sweet. It’s disgusting. He’s practically dripping syrup on those younglings!”

"Shouldn't I be the one making complaints here? I'm the one who's gonna get affected if his rule is slag" Megatron quipped dryly, already dreading the new rules and laws that will be set if this Prime is like the other ones before him.

“Oh, please.” Starscream waved him off. “If it were up to you, you’d just brood in silence and not say a word.”

“I would, actually,” Megatron muttered. “Besides, you’re the one verbally attacking your own kind right now.” He pointed out, wanting to immediately change the topic, for all that is stands in this world, Starscream is right, he would probably just brood in silence, rules kept him safe after all.

Starscream makes a disgruntled noise. "That thing down there, is far from being my kin."

Megatron grows confuse, he looks at Starscream. "What do you mean?"

Starscream’s wings twitched irritably as he leaned back in his chair. “That thing down there is not my kin.”

That got Megatron’s attention. He turned to Starscream, optics narrowing.

Starscream huffed, clearly annoyed he had to explain. “Look at him! He’s too…off. Too stiff to be a spark eater, too mellow to be a ghoul. His frame doesn’t match anything I recognize. And his voice?” Starscream shuddered theatrically. “It’s wrong. It’s too nice. No one’s voice is that…perfect.”

Megatron frowned, glancing back at the Prime. Now that Starscream mentioned it, he can see more of the odd things about him. The balance of his movements, the precision of his words, the faint flicker of something beneath the surface—it didn’t quite add up.

Huh… Yeah, he can kinda see that now.

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