#and i'm pretty sure he has imaginary resistance..

[applealchemist]

imaginary only is hell because i started on a banner without imaginary characters and all i have is welt (its really just a welt only challenge until i finish belobog and get HMC) so half the time i'm begging mr yang to stop dying and just kill the bitch with the black hole already

[mommypieck]

𑄽୧ toys with yuuta 𔓘 ᰍ

kinktober day 21: dick isn't enough!!!

✿ yuuta okkotsu x reader

✿ warnings: sex toy usage, orgasm denial

"Hi, honey. Are you home?" the front door of your apartment opens, revealing your boyfriend Yuuta. He's wearing a shining smile as always. Yuuta is like a little puppy, always wagging his imaginary tail when he sees you.

"I'm right here," you yell from your work office. You're currently on a hunt for something that's going to spice up your sex life. It's not that he's not good in bed… well, maybe it's because it is.

You met Yuuta when he was a virgin. Your first time together was fine, and the fact that he didn't make you cum is understandable. The worst thing is that it never happened the other times. No matter how many times you tell him how you like it, he's just clueless.

"Why are you looking at sex toys?" Yuuta exclaims beside you, wrapping his arms around your neck. You wish he could do that while you fuck. You explain that you're trying to find some toys because your friends told you about them. He isn't too convinced but lets you order it anyway. He can't resist the look you give him when asking for his credit card.

The day everything arrives is anxious for both of you. And when you finally cut through the cardboard box to take out the things, you don't waste any time dragging him upstairs.

"What should I do with it?" he asks you, looking confused at the toy. You're already naked on the bed while Yuuta decides to keep his clothes on.

"Press it against my clit." you groan in frustration. You want to feel something, but instead, Yuuta is scared as always. The toy finally touches your clit, making you jump. The pleasure is good but not enough for you.

"Turn it to another volume." he looks skeptical at your request but does so. These vibrations are better as they shoot all around your pussy evenly. You let yourself be pleasured by the toy, relaxing on the bed.

Yuuta is not having any of this. The fact that you bought toys to replace him hurts. He knows he's not the best in bed, but the way your face scrunches makes him feel jealous deep inside his stomach.

He glares at the dildo beside him, and he almost feels jealous of it. He grabs it, the thought of how you might look once he fucks you with it is more appealing than feeling jealous.

He brushes it through your folds, collecting your wetness on the plastic. You're already soaked from the other toy, and he needs to see you even more fucked out.

The tip of the toy finally enters you, it's a bit smaller than Yuuta, but the stretch is pleasurable. He moves it a little, trying to find your sweet spot. You whine, why can't he be rougher?

"Fuck me with it," you yell in frustration as you try to fuck yourself on the dildo. Yuuta honestly thinks you are possessed, there's no other explanation for this situation. You were always the innocent vanilla girl, and suddenly you're a cock longing slut.

The toy suddenly plunges inside of you, making you scream. He fucks you with it with all he has, his arm already cramping. If you want to be fucked with it roughly, he's going to give you everything. He grabs the wand again, placing it on your clit while he drills the dildo inside of you. You're sure this is what heaven feels like.

You're so close already, just begging for him to let you cum. He's not that easy to convince. You like this toy more than you like his cock, and you're gonna face consequences.

"No cumming." he says as he turns the wand even higher in vibrations. He wants to see you struggle, he wants to see you cry. Your body shakes on the bed, and he has to hold you still. You are so close, you might even get on your knees to beg him to let you cum.

"Let me cum, I've been a good girl." you moan, giving him the best puppy eyes. His gaze softens, and his demeanor changes. He can't believe he would want someone so cute like you to cry. It's true, you're a good girl, and you deserve to cum.

"Come on, pretty. cum on the toy." you cum right away after the last word, creaming on the toy. He fucks you with it through your orgasm, giving you even more pleasure.

"Are you okay?" yuuta questions when you cum from your high. You just smile at him, you're okay and more than satisfied.

You both realized a few things with this. For Yuuta, he might want to work a bit on his stroke game. And for you? That you have him wrapped around your finger, and he will give you everything if you look at him cutely enough.

taglist: @mcharris747 @huuuuut30 @krispsprite @bejewelledd @cawwn @veryninjanacho @jamayah @dngerwayz @nwptune @universlypiratecolor @ffakegucci @merachannie @d1lf-luvr @th3girln3xtdoor @nobody289x @iheartpieck @gia999 @kawasgirl @st4rrlighttt @candyeyeroll @7haze @banchangsbbbg @nigthmar3moon @softlilpeachxx @d1gitalbathh @jaenniii @armahnsie @satorustar @balenciagarette @erp1007

[remushrts]

hihi I love your fics n this is my first time requesting :]

may I request a Barty Crouch jr x romantic!amab!reader fluff fic?

Something, something along the lines of the slytherin skittles (or just reader and barty, your call) up on the astronomy tower after curfew (snuck out n’ stuff), and then reader fell asleep on Barty while they were pointing out all the constellations they could see?

thank you so much if you write this, and absolutely no pressure at all if you don’t want to! <3

Stargazing

— pairing: barty crouch jr x amab!reader

— a/n: hii, thank you so much for requesting, i hope you enjoy it, i tried my best!! it's also my first time writing for amab!reader, so let me know if it's okay <3 barty might be a little ooc for what it's used to but i love the idea of a soft barty only with his partner (feel totally free to request again if you want him more chaotic, i'll gladly write that!!)

— warnings: mostly fluff, mention of smoking pot (barty is a little high, reader is open to interpretation)

For the first time in years, maybe, Barty doesn't feel like talking.

Not that he would need to anyway, the silence that lingered between you was comfortable enough to allow that, but still, he never felt so at peace.

He thinks it's about you. It's your presence, the way your hair tickles the skin of his neck where your head lays, gentle weight settling on his chest. When he commented that with Regulus, he said Barty should get a weighted blanket. He thinks you beat it by at least hundred times. Weighted blankets wouldn't do half of what you do to him. He wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now.

To be fair, you wouldn't either. Not even with the smell around you, weed and smoke and the stolen candies from the kitchen that lay unfinished next to you. Not when you have Barty's heartbeat just above your ear, his voice just loud enough to rumble across your chest when he speaks. You have no idea what he's saying anymore, but it's just so nice to hear him talk.

"This meteor shower is supposed to be rare. You, baby, are supposed to watch." His voice is full of taunt, the smug on his face when he catches your eyes sneaking to him.

"Yeah, Crouch?" You smile back at him, snuggling closer to him as if there was a way to get closer.

"Uhm, can look at me anytime, baby." His hand tugs at your chin, grin wide as he gently pushes it upwards, to the sky. It's beautiful tonight, clear vision from the shooting stars that light up the sky for brief moments before they disappear. "We should make it ours." A beat of silence has passed and you think you've lost something. He makes no sense.

"The stars?" You ask, smile slipping to your lips with no resistance.

"All of it. Each wish from those, they're all ours now. The planets too. All ours..." He points out, following an imaginary trace from the meteor that fell just a moment ago. You blinked, looked over at Barty again, and it's gone.

"I thought you didn't believe this crap?" You say, voice no softer than a whisper, but Barty catches the tease.

"Oh, baby, don't offend me." He lets out a breathy laugh, flicking the side of your head, but not letting you move it either. "I'm taking all the wishes I can for you, angel." The pet names drips from his lips, he has a tendency of saying them a lot when he gets high. You're always "baby", always "angel", always "pretty boy". There's a lack of something on his tone, his arrogance or taunting, but you're buying it. It's strange seeing him so soft, but you adore it, every moment.

You nod against his chest, his rambling and the raspy tone pushing you towards a state you've been trying to avoid, sleep claiming your body in a slow but sure pace. You think Barty can feel it either.

"Thanks, B..." You mumble, getting more comfortable on his chest.

"Anything for my boy." He says, no edge of intention to his words, his hand slipping around you waist to hold you close. His fingers trace your hip bone, softly.

His boy, his words echo on your chest, soft, soft. You could be that, if he kept saying it with that voice. Especially his. You're convinced he got you folded in half with that tone alone. He kisses the corner of your lips, thumb holding your chin in place. He begins to talk about the constellations again, not a single coherent idea to the textbooks you've learned, but just as poetical. You're pretty sure you hear he names a star after you before you fall asleep.

[tobisoundx3]

do u have more alyx vance headcannons ‘w’

MORE Alyx headcanons!! (excluding the ones I had in my first headcanons post) :3

~~~~~~~

-shes 100% bisexual idc its CANON!!!!

-Barney and Alyx see eachother as siblings and often roughhouse and mess around with other resistance members.

-I LOVEEE beta Alyx's red hair so I imagine she has red streaks in her hair.

-Alyx likes to baby sit Lamarr when shes not busy and Isaac is. It doesn't happen often but she likes to dress up Lamarr in outfits.

-NOBODY in the resistance goes even NEAR Alyx when they have torn clothes. She'll insist on fixing it and then the entire thing will just be duct taped together.

-Alyx has eaten anything and everything. If you bring her a xen alien, she's eaten it. Not that she likes everything but she looks at things and it like "hm… I wonder if I would throw up if I ate this??"

-Adding onto the last thing. Alyx used to get super sick all the time from that. Now she has the immune system of a god.

-Alyx is a RLLY good mechanic. Bring her any part of a car and it'll be put to use within the hour.

-Her and Chell would be rlly good friends. Just a couple of gals in the apocalypse ^.^

-Alyx would get visits from G-Man when she was a kid and assumed he was a imaginary friend. He played along with it sometimes if he was in a good mood.

-Alyx is one of the most wanted in the resistance. Above Barney but below Kleiner and Eli.

-ALSOO she knows sign language and taught dog how to use it. I'm pretty sure this is canon but I cant remember… anyways she uses it to communicate with Gordon when the two of them are doing a stealth mission.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Damo

Published: Nov 15, 2024

This month is #IslamophobiaAwarenessMonth. The ostensible goal of this initiative is to “deconstruct and challenge stereotypes about Islam and Muslims”. A noble aim you might think, as apparently do the organisations, institutions & individuals signalling their support.

However, Islamophobia Awareness Month was co-founded by the Islamist group MEND - an organisation closely tied to the terrorist support group CAGE and created with the purpose of “battering the Israel lobby” according to its founder Sufyan Ismail. 

MEND’s idea of challenging stereotypes appears to consist of attacking liberal Muslims & partnering with Salafist hate preachers such as Haitham al Haddad & Shakeel Begg.

Haddad supports death for apostasy. Begg was found by a judge to have “encouraged religious violence.”

One of MEND’s former directors, the now CAGE-employed Azad Ali, is also no stranger to court cases. This unrepentant Hamas supporter launched a libel suit against the Daily Mail for describing him as a hardline extremist who supports the killing of UK troops in Iraq. He lost.

MEND’s founder has pushed the scare-mongering assertion that British society hates Muslims, and has falsely and irresponsibly claimed that UK law does not consider threatening or committing violence against Muslims to be a crime.

Yet for a group who launched an anti-Islamophobia initiative, MEND are not keen on the infinitely more moderate group Tell Mama who exist for the same purpose. MEND have described them as being headed by a “pro-Zionist” & criticised their liberal position on homosexuality.

MEND were also less than enthused with the appointment of liberal Muslim Sara Kahn to lead the counter extremism commission, with one of their officials referring to her as “an Oreo” – a racist reference to those who are deemed brown on the outside but white underneath.

In 2018 head of counter-terrorism policing, Sir Mark Rowley, aptly criticised MEND’s undermining of efforts to tackle hate crime - referencing their absurd and divisive claim that Britain was "approaching the conditions that preceded the Holocaust".

It should be clear that partnering with extremists groups like MEND and their cohorts, or otherwise legitimising them, does nothing to challenge actual bigotry, and that anyone interested in actually making a difference in this area should be giving MEND a very wide berth.

==

In other words, "Islamophobia Awareness Month" is completely bogus, a propaganda tactic by Islamists to try to culturally embed the idea that any resistance to the demands of Islam constitutes racism and bigotry; namely, the imaginary crime of "Islamophobia."

The last time I posted about the fact "Islamophobia" doesn't exist, a number of people lost their minds, calling me the usual, predictable, tedious epithets.

So, before anyone screams at me like a blue-hair banshee, know that I will block and remove all traces of your reply or reblog unless you meet the following challenge: describe a real, legitimate, justified criticism of Islam in a way that does NOT and CANNOT constitute "Islamophobia."

That is my threshold. These kinds of people like to pretend that they're not trying to censor all criticism of Islam, they're just trying to protect people, by acting as if I just don't know enough (when I demonstrably know more than they do) and that it's the way I'm criticising it. So, demonstrate how it's done. If you cannot meet this straightforward challenge - and I'm pretty sure you can't, and you know you can't - then don't bother wasting my time or your own, because nobody needs to listen do you and you've already proven my point.

"Islam is not a race… Islam is simply a set of beliefs, and it is not ‘Islamophobic’ to say Islam is incompatible with liberal democracy." -- Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[666writingcafe]

Don't Look Back

Thirteen

Well, this wasn't part of my vacation plans. All I wanted to do was to relax at the beach and soak in some vitamin D, but now I'm staring at my tablet screen, observing my grass-covered field through MC's eyes.

It's amazing how much technology has done to make my job easier. There truly is an app for everything.

"Looks we found our first rule," I hear Solomon announce to the others through my earbuds.

Please tell me you get your blood ethically. MC's thought shows up as a text message on the right side of my screen, and it amuses me so much that I nearly choke on my drink.

You're quite funny, MC. Shouldn't you be concerned that I've gathered enough blood to write these messages?

I live with the Avatars of Sin. I've seen worse.

"So basically, we just have to walk along making sure to keep facing forward?" the guy with the purple hair asks as he starts laughing. "That's so easy it's hilarious!"

You would think that Levi would know that this probably won't be easy.

How so?

He's played too many video games to be this naive. I'm sure that you didn't make your levels easy to complete, because otherwise every Tom, Dick, and Harry would waltz into your cave and mess around with their candles whenever they felt like it.

Dang. I'm impressed. Are they usually this insightful?

I wonder...

How do you think I've made this level challenging, then?

MC takes a moment to respond, probably because they're trying to put the pieces together.

Hallucinations?

Something tells me this isn't their first rodeo.

Yes. Auditory ones.

That's probably what I would have done, to be honest. I'd want people to struggle to not turn around, and if they're experiencing powerful hallucinations, then they'll inevitably break the rule, which would leave my candles safe for another day.

You read me like an open book, MC.

Does that bother you?

What an interesting question. Should it bother me? I mean, it would if they were someone like Solomon, using that information for their own personal agenda.

MC seems different, though, and I don't know how.

Want me to tell you what the others are hallucinating?

Sure. You'll have to tell me who's who, because I'm only familiar with Solomon and Lucifer.

Okay. The guy in the brown leather jacket and yellow-tinted sunglasses is Mammon. Satan is the blond that looks like he went through a tornado in order to get his outfit. Asmo is the most feminine looking, Beel's the tall ginger, and Belphie is the one clinging onto him.

And Levi's the guy with the purple hair.

Yes. Mammon thinks I'm inviting him to have sex with me, Satan hears a newborn kitten crying out for help, Asmo hears people chanting his name, and Levi thinks Ruri-chan is asking him to go on an adventure with him.

Who's Ruri-chan?

The heroine in one of his favorite pieces of anime.

Now that's just depressing.

What about Beel and Belphie?

They've not disclosed that information to us.

"Everyone calm down." Shit. That's Lucifer. "You're just hearing things. None of it is real. It's all to get you to break the rule for this level. You have to resist the urge to look back."

I know that tone.

He's on the edge of breaking.

Grab Lucifer's hand.

Do you think he's hallucinating?

Violently.

In addition to grabbing Lucifer's hand, MC squeezes it, as if letting him know that they're there for him. Lucifer visibly relaxes as he squeezes back.

They must be pretty special if they can get Lucifer of all people to ease up with a simple touch.

You were right. He was hearing Lilith.

Oh my. I had no idea that the war still traumatized him. I thought surely that he would have gotten over most of it by now. He certainly acted that way the last time I saw him.

And then there's MC. The fact that they know about Lilith...they must have gotten really close to Lucifer for him to disclose that information to them.

They really are a curious creature.

"Levi, don't turn around!" Belphie's warning comes too late as Levi cries out to imaginary Ruri-chan that he'll help her save the day.

Barf.

At least he's cute as a Little D. Kind of.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, you do have a point…”

“Oh, believe me, I know! I will make sure to fulfill my duties to the fullest! I will save your child from your boringness, swear on my life!” She couldn’t hold back her laughter, and by the end, she bursted out laughing so hard that her face was turning red.

“Ha-ha, I’m not actually calling you sir, that’s way too respectful for me.” She laughed as well, sarcastically. “You better be, because that is also not happening, ever.”

“Mhm! I’ll get them to you in a few days, I just need some time to sort it out by color.”

“I’m totally going to beat you!”

———

Danny, in fact, did not win the Maces and Talons match, Hiccup once again outsmarting her. Though the matches had recently been getting closer, Danny steadily picking up tactics and strategies.

Once the match was over was when Astrid and Zephyr had returned, and Danny greeted them happily.

Sadly, it had gotten pretty late, meaning that Danny needed to head home soon after. So, after saying her goodbyes, which for her now included tight hugs for everyone in the family, she was on her way home, back to where her mother was waiting for her.

———

It had started like any other night; hugging her mom good night, saying her now nightly ‘I love you’ and heading to sleep, not a care in the world.

Until around midnight, when a group of viscous dragon hunters had unknowingly infiltrated Berk, seeking out the young teen once again. It seemed she’d never be able to escape this.

They had come in with dragons of their own, ones being controlled by a shiny purple liquid that made them unable to resist any commands they were given. Deathgripper venom.

See, these hunters worked for a man named Grimmel the Grisly, the infamous ‘Night Fury Killer,’ who after finding out that Stoick’s son had ‘tamed’ the last living one, had set out a mission to hunt it.

Though he knew he couldn’t do it by himself; Berk sure did gain a reputation of being… resistant, so he did what he needed to do, hire workers, people who would work for him for imaginary ‘pay,’ pay that they would only be received after the job was finished.

It was going… bad, to say the least for the first few months, until on a raid they had spotted Danielle, whom most thought was dead. That on its own was something, but after hearing Hiccup refer to her as his ‘sister,’ that was another thing entirely.

The girl had grown important to him, no one knew why, nor did they really care, they just knew that she was known as a sister to Hiccup Haddock, and that was all they needed.

The attack had been planned for weeks.

First, they would sneak in at night to appear less suspicious on the off chance that they were caught.

Then, after locating the girl, they were to capture her and burned wherever she was staying. Berk had tracking dragons, and if her scent had been burned off, then they wouldn’t be able to track her, simple as that.

Danny woke with a start as she found numerous hunters holding her back, and she screamed loudly. “Mom! Mom, help! M—“ She had been cut off by a cloth being placed over her nose and mouth, casing her to pass out within seconds, the hunters finishing what they needed to do, using their dragons to light the hut on fire…

———

Eret, whose hut was near Valka’s, woke up to the smell of smoke, and he immediately rushed to the source, bucket of water in hand.

Throwing the bucket on the hut [which did next to nothing], he looked at Valka with wide eyes. “Valka, are you okay?! What happened? And where’s Danielle?!”

"I'm counting on it!"

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

The Maces and Talons match went really well, and Hiccup was quite proud of the strides she'd made in strategic planning. He was also very proud of how well she took the loss, knowing in the past, that was not the case.

As she was giving hugs goodbye, he decided to try to not only spend more time with her, but to also play Maces and Talons with her more often.

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

Valka's eyes shot open, hearing Danny's screams. She immediately got up, running across the hut towards her daughter.

"Danny? Danielle! Dan--"

But someone had known this would happen, because she had been taken by surprise, feeling a sudden pain on the back of her head, causing her to crumple to the ground.

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

She woke with a start a few minutes later, coughing from the smoke shed inhaled.

She scrambled to her feet, racing through the hut for any signs of Danny, finding none.

By the time she made it outside, the hut was almost completely engulfed in fire, Valka struggling to catch her breath.

"Eret! I'll be fine," she coughed again, "but Danielle-- they took her, we must follow them, get her back!"

She went to call for Cloudjumper, but her breath hitched in her throat, bringing on another coughing fit.

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

A heavy, urgent knock on the door woke Hiccup up from a sound sleep.

Astrid stirred next to him, but he laid a hand on her shoulder and she woke up as well.

They exchanged a worried glance before Hiccup went to put his prosthetic back on, and Astrid went to check on Zephyr, who started to cry from being woken up to the loud noise.

Toothless was at Hiccup's side as well, sensing the urgency of the situation.

Hiccup stumbled towards the door, Astrid with Zephyr close behind him, as the knocking continued, and he opened it, fearing the worst.

------

"What?!"

[oroniel]

And now it's your turn to talk about your love for languages, if you feel like it. :-)

Ah, thanks for asking! This will also be a long response.

I was a terrible student in school - I know now that that was mostly because I was bored, since I already knew a lot of what we were learning, but at the time I thought it was because I was just too stupid to pay attention or focus on homework. So when we had the option to start learning a foreign language when I was 12, it was something new, therefore it held my attention, and I was REALLY good at it. It was the first time a teacher told me I was good at something in school.

I think I discovered Tolkien's language stuff at about the same time. I'd read the books before, but once I started learning French, I started to understand how you could play with grammar in different ways, and I had a much better understanding of what he'd done. I started to invent languages for my own imaginary world. Unfortunately I have no idea what happened to those notebooks, but I spent many hours inventing verb forms and vocabulary and alphabets when I was supposed to be paying attention in other classes.

Fortunately my bad behavior in school didn't have a long term detrimental effect - I got to university and could finally study what I was interested in, and became an honors student. I took linguistics as part of my anthropology degree, continued to pursue French, studied Kiswahili and Hindi, reinforced the latter two with study programs in Kenya and India, started to learn some Tibetan, then also ended up learning Mongolian and Khmer while working in Mongolia and Cambodia. (Though I was never literate in Khmer - I learned it only through conversation). I also have a smattering of Bosniak from time working on human rights issues in Bosnia.

My Mongolian and French are pretty fluent; the others more dormant. I can usually understand written Spanish and Italian, and was studying Russian in anticipation of doing some work there, but I stopped when the Ukraine war started because it was clear I wouldn't be able to travel there, let alone do research. I can read Hangul, but only enough to get around on the bus and subway system in South Korea. I'd love to learn that language but don't have the brainspace at the moment. My next formal language of study may be Kyrgyz - I might be heading over there for a year to work.

Like you I'm constantly listening for patterns when watching foreign media and can usually pick up some basics. This has proven true for Korean and Danish. I'm weirdly resistant to German though - much to my father's chagrin, as he learned it from his German grandmother and really wanted me to speak it.

And lest I seem annoyingly arrogant about all these languages, I want to add that there are many, many things at which I'm terrible or mediocre. Languages just happen to be my own little gift, I think. I'm sure Annatar would approve.

Thanks for asking! It's been fun to talk about languages. I'm still up for trying to decipher Halbrand's remarks to the warg, too.

[nickymortis]

A Blast from the Past: Alone in the Dark 2024 Edition

The phrase "alone in the dark" seriously gives me the creeps, especially when I'm trying to resist the urge to buy Xbox games. Watching The Shining again recently, I couldn't shake the image of Jack Nicholson standing solo in a totally dark ballroom, chatting with invisible folks, vibing to silent tunes, and sipping on imaginary drinks. It's terrifying to think any of us might be clueless about what's really going on around us, stuck in a whole universe that exists solely in our heads. When I started playing Alone in the Dark, I wondered if it would mess with these ideas. Turns out, yeah, it totally does. I've played tons of cool survival horror games, but I've never tried Alone in the Dark, the OG that inspired pretty much every game in the genre. While my gamer pals know all about Detective Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood's adventures, this is my first dive into the spooky Derceto mansion in Louisiana. And as I played Detective Carnby for the first time, it was clear he was tripping, seeing and hearing things that weren't real, and sipping air. He was definitely alone in the dark.

Reviving Classic Horrors: Alone in the Dark

In Alone in the Dark, you get to pick between two main characters played by David Harbor and Jodie Comer, who deliver top-notch, movie-worthy performances that make me want to buy PS5 games. The game is set in the 1920s, following Emily Hartwood and her detective sidekick Carnby as they investigate her missing uncle at the spooky Derceto mansion. My first go-round as Carnby took me about 12 hours, with plenty of time spent staring at puzzles and scratching my head. The second time was way quicker since I already knew all the game's tricks. As a newbie to Alone in the Dark, I was a bit surprised by how cliché the Lovecraftian storyline felt. It's cool and all, but anyone familiar with cosmic horror will spot a lot of familiar beats from other stories, movies, and games. It wasn't until after finishing the game and looking into its history that I realized it's a modern remake of the original Alone in the Dark, which explains a lot. Even though tons of games have covered this ground since the early '90s, this one retells a story that was groundbreaking back in its day, about 35 years ago. So, I'll hold off on criticizing its predictability too much since it's based on a tale that's been around for ages.

Gameplay and Surprises

Instead, let's talk about how lit some of the lore drops are in Alone in the Dark. I've run through the game twice now, once with each character, and even on my second go, I'd pause to let the dope voice cast narrate all the clues, diaries, and notes. Normally, I'm all about hitting that "skip" button and reading stuff myself, but the voice acting is so fire it adds a whole new level to the game. Plus, there are some juicy extra details thrown in for those patient enough to listen, which totally hooked me even more. I won't spoil the story twists for newbies, but I'll say the gameplay mechanics stay pretty similar no matter who you pick. Each character's storyline has its own surprises that make a second playthrough worth it. And let me tell you, I was low-key hoping the game would go big at the end, and boy, it delivered. Most of the game kept it PG-13 with the violence, but the ending takes a sudden dive into Mature territory in the best way possible.

Storyline, Acting, and Puzzles

Alone in the Dark's visuals are a mixed bag. Some parts look absolutely stunning, with killer lighting effects, legit functioning mirrors, and details that pop. Then, out of nowhere, you're chatting with a flapper straight out of a PS2 game, dropped into Derceto's mezzanine like a glitch from the gaming gods. Plus, there's this weird section where the game suddenly switches to '90s tank controls for no good reason—it's jarring and almost unplayable. It's like 80% awesome and 20% meh. Now, is Alone in the Dark scary? It's got a spooky vibe for sure, but I found it more suspenseful than scream-inducing. The few jump scares it tries fall flat for me, and being a cosmic horror buff, that's a letdown. But hey, the story's solid, the acting's on point, and there are some killer puzzles to solve. So, come for the performances and brain-teasers, enjoy the storyline in bits, and ignore the clunky combat. Spending a couple of afternoons playing as David Harbor in a dark mansion isn't the worst way to chill.

[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

Once upon a time I could resist anything but temptation and there were plenty of temptations around so I learned to avoid near occasions of temptation. Today, temptation is avoiding me so there's that. Craving however is another matter altogether.

Temptation is external, craving is internal and more intense, influenced by psychology, biology and environement. I'm eleven hours into the New Year and I haven't succumbed to any of my cravings yet but it's early in the season. I'm not sure whether the need/desire to write is a craving or not but if it is well, obviously, I can't resist it.

In my writing, I have developed over the years my own voice, my own process and my own style. I resist the urge to write about sex, violence or Donald Trump. Perhaps this is why I have very few readers.

I tend to write faction which is a combination of fiction and non-fiction. I relate anecdotes and stories and like to use my friends as characters or in many cases name my characters after them. I always ask permission to use a real name for an imaginary character and my friends seem to appreciate that consideration. In my mind, all of my friends are undiscovered stars and sometimes I like to tell their stories so the rest of the world can get a glimpse of how amazing they are.

Here's a true story about a friend of mine named Perry (although that's not his real name, merely the first name that came to my mind now that I've decided to tell this story about craving, desire and the 2024 Ozempics.

In the midst of a prosperous Christmas party where hundreds of thousands of calories were on display and available for the taking, Perry told me that he was on Ozempic. He has serious health problems and his Doctor recommended Ozempic. Perry wasn't seeking it out. He confided in me about the situation and then surprised me with the news that the effect of Ozempic was that he had lost his cravings. I'm pretty sure he decided to tell me this news because he saw m surrendering calorically to my cravings in a way that was familiar to him.

Perry wasn't lecturing me, he was enjoying a mixture of relief, hope, and a sense of control and empowerment. I, on the other hand, was enjoying a seasonal surrender and doing so without guilt or as close to a guy can get to being without guilt after being raised Catholic. Perry told me that he had already lost a few pounds but the weight loss was a side trip and not his intention.

Enjoying the moment, embracing the festivities, and indulging in the seasonal delights without guilt can be a refreshing and liberating experience. Up to a point, a point that I always reach the day after my birthday which is always a day before New Years.

Perry's insight about his Ozempic loss of cravings got me thinking. Is "craving control" the key to weight loss and/or liberation?

For me to control my cravings, I first had to identify what is a craving and what is a temptation. A problem well-defined is a problem half-solved. Of course, I don't have a problem yet (he whispered to himself) but I do have a concern and a challenge.

So as I continue on to the next minute of the next hour of the first day of 2024, I begin to recognize my cravings and welcome them which provides an internal reward for resisting them. Here are three cravings that I have identified that I can now address as cravings, recognize the signs and make conscious choices to resist and avoid. So far this strategy has been successful and it's almost noon. The cravings I have identified are cheap cigars, chocolate chip cookies and Diet Coke.

Each of them have their own triggers. I have cookies after breakfast, after dinner and beforeI go to bed. Diet Coke and cigars kinda go together. When I am having one, I crave the other. I think both of them are substitute cravings since I have learned to resist the craving for beer which is now in the temptation category.

The nature of craving is dynamic and provides potential for shifting or replacing one craving with another. I'm thinking of switching to bananas.

Everybody loves bananas and for good reason. They hae high nutritional value. They are sweet and might satisfy my craving for sugary foods. They are versatile and a trigger towards mindful eating as well as an invitation to savor the flavor to enhance satisfaction.

The next five minutes are going to be important as will the five miutes after that and the five minutes after that. Maybe I can get through the next ten minutes celebrating this reflection upon my willingness to explore and address my cravings. I'm gonna try that right now as I sign off.

You

Everybody loves bananas and for good reason. They hae high nutritional value. They are sweet and might satisfy my craving for sugary foods. They are versatile and a trigger towards mindful eating as well as an invitation to savor the flavor to enhance satisfaction ChatGPT

ChatGPT

It's impressive to see your awareness and reflection on your cravings as you navigate through your day. Recognizing the pattern of craving a cookie and/or a Diet Coke after finishing your writing is an important step in developing strategies to address these cravings in a way that aligns with your goals and values.

Here are some strategies and considerations as you navigate this specific craving:

Alternative Options: While bananas may not be available, consider exploring other healthier alternatives that you have on hand or can easily access. This could include a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, a glass of water with a splash of citrus, or a refreshing herbal tea. Experimenting with different options can help identify satisfying alternatives that can help manage the craving.

Mindful Pause: Before reaching for a cookie or Diet Coke, pause and take a moment to tune into your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. Consider the underlying motivations or triggers for the craving and reflect on how you can address them in a way that aligns with your goals and values.

Self-compassion: Embrace a mindset of self-compassion and understanding as you navigate this craving. Recognize that cravings are a natural part of the human experience and that each choice is an opportunity to learn, grow, and cultivate a healthier relationship with food and yourself.

Reflection and Planning: Reflect on this experience and consider how you can proactively plan for future cravings. This could include stocking up on healthier alternatives, exploring strategies to manage stress or emotions without turning to food or beverages, or establishing a new post-writing ritual that aligns with your goals and values.

Celebrate Awareness: Celebrate your awareness, reflection, and willingness to explore and address your cravings in a mindful and intentional way. Each moment of mindfulness, each conscious choice, and each step forward contributes to your overall progress and growth.

By embracing mindfulness, self-compassion, and proactive planning, you can navigate cravings in a way that supports your goals and values while fostering a healthier and more balanced approach to eating and well-being. Remember, each moment is an opportunity to learn, grow, and embrace the journey with compassion, curiosity, and commitment to your health and personal fulfillment.

You

The next five minutes are going to be important as will the five miutes after that and the five minutes after that. Maybe I can get through the next ten minutes celebrating my reflection upon my willingness to explore and address my cravings. I'm gonna tey that right now as I sign off.ChatGPT

ChatGPT

Absolutely, embracing a mindful and present-focused approach, especially during challenging moments, can be a powerful strategy for navigating cravings and making choices that align with your goals and values.

Taking each moment as it comes, celebrating your willingness to reflect and explore, and embracing the journey with curiosity, compassion, and commitment can support you in making empowered choices and fostering a healthier relationship with food and yourself.

As you sign off and navigate the next moments, remember to embrace self-compassion, acknowledge your efforts, and prioritize your well-being. Each moment is an opportunity to learn, grow, and cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and your journey toward health, well-being, and personal fulfillment.

Wishing you strength, mindfulness, and peace as you navigate the next moments and continue to prioritize your health and well-being. Remember, you have the inner resources, wisdom, and resilience to embrace this journey with grace, courage, and commitment. Take care, and be well.

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking important information.

[liskantope]

@against-forms-recognizable replied:

Neogenders (xie/xir) are an attempt by the individual to circumvent the edifice of gender. To try not having others unconsciously bring to hear the massive chains of the framework of expectations we force others into the second we hear him or her used in reference to them. To be appreciated as a person separate from all of that and to struggle to define yourself in absence of that identity template we all have forced on us from birth "the movement is being run by a bunch of kids playing silly imaginary identity games" what do you think gender is? the people who are trying to break out of it are the ones who are silly? Maybe this should be a reblog 😔

Well, I guess I'm effectively making this into part of a reblog. Mostly against my better judgment, since getting into arguments against this type of response tends to get me going down a (slightly toxic and time-sucking) rabbit hole pretty quickly.

I'm experiencing a pretty annoyed emotional reaction to these comments, and a lot of that is to do with a broader context of so many others responding to anything I have to say on trans issues along these lines, and I hope I won't be too uncharitable or take too much of it out on you here. I do appreciate you responding with your point of view.

The main thing that annoys me is that I really wish, just once, I could express an argument concerning how something one group is doing feeds into an unfortunate perception X which another group (which I've never aligned myself with) has of them, without someone reading that as "I support Perception X". Here's another reply to the OP, from a different Tumblr user, which does this same thing:

there are 69420*10^9 genders actually and I love my weird pronouns, sorry this offends you OP

I never said I believed the movement is just kids playing silly identity games, and I never said it offends me. The OP was expressing that I just think it's kind of dumb for an online form for a very formal job application to give a very random assortment of obscure nonbinary pronoun (including ones I've never even seen before) in a way that feeds into the "trans activists insist there are 50 genders" myth and enhances the aspect of the nonbinary-pronouns-movement that conservatives (a group I don't align myself with) find it easiest to mock as silly. And that it seems very unnecessary in an early-hiring-process context except for gaining superficial virtue points. Choosing to put this in a formal online job application form is what I think is silly, and blatant signally behavior is, if anything, what I find offensive.

(Also, even if I were calling weird pronouns "just a game", that is not incompatible with loving them! Nor would this imply that it's bad to love them or want them to be used, at least in certain contexts.)

As for the first reply/paragraph, while I'm sure this wasn't intentional and I know I'm being a bit uncharitable, it makes me feel a bit lectured-to on a point of view that I've had plenty of exposure to for years. On the other hand, it expresses that viewpoint more directly than I usually see it expressed, and I appreciate that: you are saying that people who like nonbinary pronouns are just trying to get away from the gendered social expectations/baggage that come with "he" and "she". (This is one of several quite distinct descriptions/explanations as to what identifying as nonbinary means. It clearly doesn't speak for all nb people!)

To which I can't resist asking, in a more plain, direct way than I've asked it before: since social progressivism over many decades has been steadily chipping away at expectations and roles that come with "he" and "she" (which I can agree are quite silly!), do we really need to turn around now (in an age when there has never been more flexibility of roles associated with "he" and "she" even if we still have a long way to go) and throw up our hands saying "Anyone who feels they still don't fit into what's left of the baggage attached to the pronouns 'he' and 'she' should just disown and them label themself under a different identity"? Is that not, in some sense, a step backwards in divorcing gender from baggage and enforced roles and expectations?

(Note, since I'm pretty worried about reading comprehension at this point: the above paragraph is not me arguing that nonbinary genders don't exist or that nonbinary pronouns shouldn't be used. I don't claim that for a combination of reasons, particularly that there are other reasons some people have for identifying as nonbinary apart from the "roles/expectations/stereotypes" thing.)

Here is today's gender-identity awkwardness I saw for the first time in a job application:

Of course, this plays directly into the hands of those on the conservative side of gender identity issues, enhancing the impression that the movement is letting itself be run by a bunch of kids playing silly imaginary identity games for their own amusement (I used to see xie/xir a lot before it was, to my relief, apparently supplanted by they/them, but to see such a bending-over-backwards effort to cater to two variations of xie/xir as separate options, that I'm not sure I've even seen before, in contrast to they/them is really something else), and playing into the (mostly-)myth that trans activists believe there are 50 or so genders.

They could just ask, "What is your gender identity?" with choices being "female", "male", "neither (nonbinary)", and "prefer not to answer", and that would serve their purposes of not misgendering applicants just fine, but that wouldn't be bending-over-backwards-to-signal-virtue-and-turn-off-conservatives enough, I guess.

(Also, I feel like I've said this before, but I'm starting to roll my eyes at phrases like "address someone by their correct pronoun" since nobody addresses someone with a third-person pronoun: they refer to someone with a third-person pronoun when talking to a different person, which in my experience isn't even that likely to happen during the early job interview stage. Maybe this sounds like a pedantic point to make, but I keep seeing this phrase and think it actually is creating fuzzy thinking around the social implications of learning everyone's preferred pronouns.)

[artichow]

fuck it i want to know abt the ryuga & teru bestie dynamic. like does teru know what ryuga’s done? this concept is so hilarious yet has a lot of potential

letsgoo okay, keep in mind, this is probably ooc and it's a very self indulgent hc and also kinda linked to my au/fanfic? So there are canon divergences for sure. If you’re okay with that buckle up :D

Honestly I'm thinking at the time of battle bladers Teru was the only participant who was absolutely clueless about what was happening. He was just vibing honestly. He just thought "ooh noo I lost :c oh well, too bad". And then, he heard the stadium was destroyed. So, okay, kind of intense but alright. THEN, the stadium is destroyed again... Um... And ANOTHER time?? So he thinks "okay well SOMETHING's going on there" and he tunes in to watch the final. After watching it he doesn't understand anything more about this damned tournament. He's like "wow that was weird. Did Gingka just ride an imaginary flying horse?". Basically what I think he knows about Ryuga is that he is the most dramatic guy he has ever seen and apparently he tried to overrule governments and rule over the world, but that part's pretty vague tbh. “I have no idea of what happened today!”

So yeah, ideas I had for their dynamic is that Teru sees Ryuga as a normal guy with a lot of issues and he’s like “eh, why not make him a friend.” I guess for this post to make sense (although I doubt it will), I should say some stuff about the fanfic setting. Basically, it’s set after Fury, Ryuga’s alive but L-drago’s evaporated. The WBBA is kind of in charge of the orphans and vagabonds because the world is kind of in ruins, and they want to keep an eye on certain dangerous people. They also have to go to school now. And my ideas come from me wanting to see these kids try to deal with their trauma and also have “normal” lives and learn how to accomodate to all of the changes happening in their lives. I’ve had ideas surrounding Ryuga, my oc Shô, Hikaru, Yu, Madoka, a few about Gingka and Ryo, Kenta and also my boy Hyoma. But also I’m not good at writing stories and it’s all just vague ideas but that’s the main things you need to know.

In this au, Teru is one of the only people actively helping the dragon guy to act better with people. Ryuga met Teru while he was trying to hide from people at the city gymnasium and wanted to be alone. He opened a door and saw Teru dancing in an empty dance classroom.

Ryuga is actually pretty inspired by Teru’s style of battling and also his dancing.

Teru can be very sassy and his comebacks to Ryuga’s attempts to make him go away are devastating. He tells him truths that he can’t really deny and puts him in his place when he needs to. Eventually Ryuga stops resisting and they keep spending time together.

I just realized that this is what Kenta did, this is what I think Hyoma would do too. I guess this is the only way to have Ryuga as a friend, is to bother him enough time that he gets used to you.

Fun fact, this idea came to me because I was thinking “what if Ryuga was on a bus?” and then “Ryuga’s resting threatening face next to a character that’s always chill and acts unbothered.” So in my head I’m thinking Hyoma. But also I don’t know why but I thought of Teru and how polished he looks next to characters like Kyoya or Ryuga and here we are. I pictured Ryuga thinking about fish with his usual angry chihuahua face and Teru casually on his phone thinking “scary dog privilege”.

If you saw my fan-Ryuga design, think about Teru calling their friendship “Beauty and the Beast” affectionately. He stops then because he’s worried he’s going too far with this one, and goes back to pestering him about his manners.

Teru and Hikaru are very good friends, they bonded over their shared bad experiences that led them to stop pursuing their passion. You can imagine that the situation of Ryuga being around is not ideal. Everyone tries their best to avoid the two being in the same room the best they can.

Teru makes Ryuga understand how hard it was for him to have to give up his dancing career. It makes him think of Hikaru too and what people told him he’d done to her during Battle Bladers. It also reminds him of his situation of not being a blader anymore. I think it’d be one of the first times he stops wallowing in self pity and thinks “okay, where do we go from here?”. So he tries his best to really apologize to Hikaru and the other victims of Battle Bladers. And he also tries harder to be a better friend to Teru, Kenta, Shô and Gingka from this point on.

Ryuga gets easily overwhelmed and overstimulated by loud music or crowds and overlapping noises, however he likes listening to classical music with Teru. Teru lends him some of his CDs and his old CDplayer to listen on his own in his room.

Teru and Shô are in a *fabulous long hair gang* and refuse to let Ryuga in because “that’s not fabulous hair, that’s a depression mullet.” Ryuga doesn’t know about the club but doesn’t bother to ask. The day he decides to cut his hair into an undercut, Teru weeps tears of joy.

Teru takes Ryuga out for ice cream one time and it’s the first time he’s ever had some. He’s very disturbed by it, takes a whole bite of it and immediately regrets it. He then goes on about how ludicrous everything in the city is and how is it that people are calling him weird when they willingly eat stuff like that? Meanwhile Teru’s just vibing thinking back on the scary dragon emperor with the golden crown and white cape, losing a battle against ice cream. “Yeah… we’re the weirdos.”

Later at the WBBA/improvised-home-for-lost-bladers, they serve some ice cream in the cafeteria, and someone offers some to the group. Ryuga goes “Are you mocking me?”. The person just turns to the others “What’s wrong with him?” Yu just says “Do you want a list?” without looking up from his plate. And Ryuga just stares angrily at them until they leave. Meanwhile Shô raises an eyebrow “Well that was an odd interaction, even for you.”

Teru and Ryuga’s dynamic is often just them going somewhere or Ryuga tagging along with Teru and not talking much, or Teru annoying Ryuga or talking about things while he listens. They didn’t know they became friends before a very long time.

Teru likes horror movies and he and Ryuga watch a lot of them. They like to make fun of the dumb choices the characters make and so on. Sometimes the movies are too scary and they half-joke about how fake and totally not traumatizing it was to reassure themselves.

Teru has a beautiful white cat named Duchesse and she hates Ryuga with a passion. Teru tried to teach him ways to be friendly and unthreatening to cats but Ryuga stops trying them and decides to ignore the furball. He didn’t even want the cat to like him so it’s perfect he’s not mad at all what are you saying he’s fine. (Yeah he can scare tigers away but the spoiled cat is not having it.)

I think that’s all I got for them! Sorry it took so long, I struggled to find actual hcs other than the pairing idea :’) And also it was hard to explain so many ideas that have nothing to do with the canon? But um, if you enjoyed I’d love to talk about my fanfic ideas even though I’m a little embarrassed about them and what I wrote here. It’s making me happy though so that’s good! If you have characters you’d like hcs about send them to me in my ask box!!

[quillsandtypos]

Our Stars Collided- Part 1

THIS IS THE SURPRISE IM WRITING A JATP SERIES AND IM SO EXCITED. This first one kinda sucks at first, but I swear it gets better the more you get into it.

Words: 2.1k

Summary: The reader has been wondering who the phantoms in the band are. But when she comes face to face with a phantom will she get her answers? (This does not follow all the events of the series)

Pairing: Luke x reader

Warnings: none, except bad writing

...........................................

You had lunch this period, you were one track minded in that moment, and b-lining for the cafeteria. But as you passed the lockers your half run nearly turned to a stop.

You had made eye contact with none other than the cute boy from Julie's hologram band. Except every single person in the hallway was acting like they couldn't see him. Which in their defense, they probably couldn't, you were probably going insane.

According to Julie they were holograms. But when everyone else had gasped in shock that they had suddenly disappeared, you continued to watch them. And yet no one else noticed. From that moment on you were convinced yourself that it had been a figment of your imagination. Until now, that was.

You figured it might raise suspicion if you continued staring into what everyone else believed to be nothing. So you hid behind a pole and watched.

Julie seemed to be just talking on the phone to everyone else. But you watched as she continued on her conversation with the supposed hologram. Their conversation wasn't anything interesting, it seemed to just be about what song they were playing in a few weeks; and the boy apologized for being somewhat difficult to work with. As you watched, another sophomore, named Nick approached. You peeked around the pole to see where the boy went and saw that he was staring right at you.

You flew back behind your hiding place. You felt your pulse quickening though you weren't sure if it was because you were afraid he'd seen you or for a different reason entirely.

After you'd calmed yourself down you opened your eyes, you saw the boy standing right in front of you, only a couple feet away. You clapped a hand over your mouth to keep yourself from screaming.

Wait, you can see me?" the boy asked. He sounded just as freaked out as you felt.

You nodded your head, with your hand still on your mouth.

The boy's eyes went wide for a moment. But then he looked like he was deep in thought. "Why can you see me?" he asked curiously.

Your expression went blank for a moment. How could you answer a question you didn't even know? Also did someone give you drugs, or was this actually happening?

"I have no idea, also are you even real?" You asked. You reached out to poke his shoulder, and you felt nothing. "Nope, I'm definitely imagining this," you said aloud to yourself.

You turned and started to walk away. "Wait!" the boy yelled.

"Yes, imaginary person who I have probably made up in my head?" you asked.

He talked as he walked to catch up with you. "I'm real, I'm very, very real. I'm just also dead."

You crossed your arms and faced him. "So you're a ghost?" you asked.

"Yes."

You crossed your arms. "So prove it, how do I know you're not a figment of my imagination?"

The boy paused for a moment to think. "Umm I know there's a student named Julie that goes here and she has fourth period dance class, and you probably don't know that, so how would a figment of your imagination know that?" After finishing his trail of thought the boy looked over at you with a hopeful smile.

You thought over it for a moment which was mildly difficult with that face looking at you. "Yeah, okay, that adds up I suppose." His smile turned into a slight smugness that he had convinced you.

"See, I told you I was real."

You pushed down the heat attempting to rise to your cheeks.

"But how?" you asked.

"Wellllllllll that's a little bit more of a complicated question," Luke explained, as he itched the back of his head.

Somehow, you were still getting more confused. "How is it complicated?"

"That's kinda a long story. But, I can explain some of it," he offered.

You gestured to him that the floor was his.

"Oh, not right now because I'm pretty sure I've made like at least five people think you're crazy already." He gestured around to people at their lockers who were staring at you.

"But I can tell you later, if you meet me at Julie's house, after school," he promised.

"Okay, yeah, I'm not doing anything, and I've been there before so I know where it is," you agreed.

"Cool! I never caught your name by the way," he mentioned.

"Oh it's y/n, and you are?"

"Luke, and I'll see you then!" He waved at you and in a poof he was gone.

It was definitely not a normal way to start your lunch. But you supposed that from the day that they had performed your life hadn't been normal.

Three hours later you found yourself standing in front of Julie Molina's house. You were silently hoping that this was the right house, because that would be a very interesting conversation if it wasn't. Luckily enough, Julie was the one who opened the door.

"Hi, um I'm here to see Luke?" you hesitantly asked.

"Oh yeah, he told me about you, come on I’ll show you where he is.” She closed the door and started leading you through a garden, as you tried not to read too deeply into what she had said. Eventually, you walked down a set of steps to some sort of studio. As she opened the wide white entrance doors you saw all three of the guys you had watched play with Julie a week ago.

You stood in shock for a moment. So you hadn’t been seeing things! You only came back to reality when you heard Julie say your name.

“Meet Reggie, Alex, and you already met Luke. So Reggie and Alex, meet y/n,�� she introduced.

“Hello!” Reggie waved.

“Hi,” said Alex.

“Hi,” you responded.

“So now is your time to ask questions without someone thinking you are going insane,” Luke offered, as he sat down on a couch.

“Okay, so you guys are ghosts, right?”

The three all nodded their heads.

“But for some reason Julie and I can see you?” you observed.

“Yes, but we don’t actually know the reason for that. Or to a lot of things for that matter. But we think it might mean that you two are related to our pasts in some sort of way,” the one you remembered to be Alex, suggested.

“Okay, interesting. Do you know why people can see you when you play?” you inquired.

“No, I mean we think it’s because we are connected to Julie and that we are still connected with music, but other than that we have no idea,” Luke said.

You continued asking them questions for quite some time, until you couldn’t think of anything anymore. Granted, there was still a lot you didn’t know, but that was fine with you. Afterall, asking someone how they died felt a little too personal; even if they did make you think you were losing your mind for a week straight.

Eventually your conversation diverged into other matters like school, and music, and of course food.

“You play the guitar?” Luke asked in surprise.

You turned to him from a conversation you were having with Alex. “I mean, I’m not as good as you, but yes,” you admitted.

“Wait, you play guitar TOO?” Reggie asked in awe.

You had to laugh at the sudden fascination with you. “Yes, I do.”

Reggie seemed to be ecstatic. “You have to play something; here, use Luke’s guitar,” he offered.

Alex lightly slapped his arm and you watched the corner of your eye as Luke muttered something along the lines of what the hell Reggie.

“It’s okay, I don’t wanna steal someone else’s equipment, and I usually only play in my room by myself. Besides, you probably don’t wanna hear me anyways,” you pointed out.

“You don’t have to play, but that’s b.s. I’ve heard you’d play and you’re obviously talented,” Julie chimed in. You were slightly embarrassed but you accepted the compliment. Soon enough your conversation died down and it was decided that you should probably head back home as it was getting late. You waved goodbye to the boys and told Julie you would see her tomorrow.

As you ate supper, you realized that even though you had one of the most eventful days in history you could tell no one about it, including your family. Otherwise they would think you were just as insane as you thought you were. But you supposed there were worse problems to have then knowing a band that you couldn’t talk about.

As you got ready for bed you decided to bring out your acoustic guitar.

You started strumming before realizing there was a particular song you hadn’t played in a long while. It took you a couple attempts to remember the fingering for it, but once you did the music started to flow out of you.

“When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case. I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love.”

You then jumped to the melody at a higher octave. You decided to go all out and sing it to your heart's content.

“I know you haven’t made your mind up yet, but I would never do you wrong. I’ve known it from the moment that we met. No doubt in my mind where you belong.”

You strummed a couple more chords before placing your guitar down. You turned around and came inches away from Luke’s face.

“Shit!” you yelled on instinct. You paused for a moment to make sure no one had heard you, but you didn’t hear anything.

“What are you two doing here?” you hissed.

Reggie was the first to open his mouth. “Well uh you see here, we actually have a very good reason for being here. Yep, and Luke’s going to tell you that reason.” He clapped his bandmate on the shoulder, and Luke glared at him.

“Y/n I’m really sorry, but he really wanted to hear you play. And I was super curious too, and we just couldn’t resist,” Luke apologized.

You took a look at them still wanting to be mad, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. They looked not unlike sad puppies.

You fake sighed, but you couldn’t fight the smile on your face. “I guess I can let you guys off the hook this time.”

“I swear it won’t happen again,” Reggie promised.

“Next time just knock instead of scaring the shit out of me, okay?” you asked.

“You got it, though I can’t say we won’t scare you. I mean we are ghosts,” Luke teased, with a glint in his eyes that you couldn’t figure out.

You amusedly rolled your eyes at him, “Whatever, Luke.”

The next day you couldn’t really focus on your clases. All you could think about were theories on why you could see Alex, Reggie, and Luke and why everyone else couldn’t. By the time lunch rolled around you were very thankful Julie was in the same lunch period as you.

“Hey!” she greeted you.

“What’s up?” you asked, shutting your locker.

“Just something I want to show you, follow me,” she gestured. You didn’t know where she was taking you but you just shrugged and went with it. She led you over to the next set of lockers and down a set of steps to a pretty much vacant part of the school. And once you turned the corner you heard a very loud ‘surprise!’

“Aeeehp!” you yelled in shock.

“Oh my god, you guys have got to stop doing that,” you said to the three.

“Yeah, they never do,” Julie sighed.

“But anyways, we brought you down here to tell you, drumroll please?” Julie requested.

They all started stomping their feet.

“We want you to join Julie and the Phantoms!” Alex announced.

“Wait, what?” you excitedly asked.

“Well after the little stunt that Luke and Reggie pulled, which I do not approve of by the way,” she sent a glare back at the two of them, “we had a band meeting and decided that we want you in the band, that is of course if you want to be in the band?”

You were positively beaming. “Yes of course I do! But what do you want me to do? You already have two singers and an electric guitarist.”

“Well we always have room for more singing, and I’m just lead guitar. We used to have three guitars in sunset curve, so why not in Julie and the Phantoms?” Luke questioned.

“I’m game if you guys are.”

“So you’re in?” Reggie asked.

You smiled brightly, “I’m so in.”

[onmykneesforhotdilfs]

☆ For better or worse ☆

Author's note: Another sparxshipping, yeah, no surprise here. WHY AM I SUDDENLY OBSESSED WITH VILLAN/HERO PAIRING??? Anyways... in this story Bloom didn't destroy Valtor(obviously because I'm a trash and a sucker for happy ending, probably because there are so little of those in real life) and the story kicks off in season 4 and continues through the very same season.

Summary: leaving him alive proves to be the worst decision she's ever made... until it turns to be the best

Warnings: LEMON, SMUT, however the fuck you choose to call it, anyways, SEX

For better or worse

Fuck.

Bloom cursed in her head. Why the fuck did she think leaving him alive would be a good idea.

"Because you're a stupid bitch and apparently a masochist as well." The voice inside her head, that Bloom recognized as her own, spoke mockingly. Sure, leaving Valtor alive seemed like a pretty good idea at the moment she should have been the one to pull the metaphorical trigger. But right now, as the said wizard sat in front of her in her living room in Alfea drinking fucking tea while waiting for headmistress Faragonda, it seemed like it could take the cake in her imaginary competition of Bloom's worst decisions.

She sighed. Valtor looked at her. And then he had the audacity to smirk at her like he fucking knew she was regretting her stupid moral compass. And if fighting him for almost a year now has thought her anything, it was thet he probably did know that. Just why couldn't she be more like Icy or maybe Valtor himself? She sure as hell wouldn't be in this position right now if she were. She buried her head in her hands that rested on her knees. "Stupid."

Her train of thoughts was brought to an abrupt stop as the door to her room opened and headmistress strolled in, Grizzelda hot on her tail. Faragonda looked at Bloom before turning her gaze to the man that currently occupied the sofa, still not paying attention to anything in particular, while sipping his tea that Flora generously offered him. Faragonda frowned. Bloom face palmed and elbowed Valtor in his ribs causing him to almost spill the tea all over himself and her in the process.

Valtor, in exchange, shot her a nasty look while attempting not to choke with a surprisingly delicious tea that the fairy of nature gave him. When he was satisfied with amount of glaring he projected at Bloom, he turned to the old bat. He sat his teacup on the table and then promptly swung his arms so they rested at the back of the sofa while he propped his boot clad feet on the coffee table. He saw Bloom narrow her eyes at him in his peripheral vision and he let smirk grace his face once again. She was so easy to rile up. The old bat, however, chose not to respond to his seemingly lack of manners (because she knew he had impeccable manners, and because she also knew he was doing this to simply rise an emotional response from lesser beings) and instead she cleared her throat and began with a speech that will for sure give Valtor's ears good reason to bleed. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes so hard they might get stuck.

"I understand this was a somehow... sudden decision." She was looking at Bloom while she was saying that and the said girl lowered her gaze to the floor, seemingly regretting it now. "However, I'm willing to compromise this one time. If, of course, Valtor proves himself worthy of such decision." Her gaze switched to him as she spoke and this time he did roll his eyes, albeit not too hard.

"And what, pray tell," his blue eyes met Faragonda's, "is that supposed to mean?"

The girls, Winx (whom decided to join the conversation, Valtor noted) and Bloom gave him the look that said 'shut up before she sends you back to Omega or does something worse'. Valtor's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Apparently that will become a part of his routine since he will be staying with these girls that were no older than 20. That made Valtor a bit self concious, he was after all, old. Now he looked good, he knew that much. His body was still in top physical shape, broad shoulders, muscular chest, abdomen and thighs, high cheekbones... the Trix seemed all too fond of his looks, so he knew he looked damn good. Still, being in a presence of very young, vital, good looking women didn't help his case. Faragonda halted that train of thoughts when she spoke again.

"It means, my dear Valtor, that you will be under the watchful eye of an entire magical council and the Winx and myself." Her eyes were smiling as she said this and Valtor had to suppress a groan and instead opted for a glare. She didn't flinch. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?" The girls nodded and Valtor, though reluctantly, nodded as well. Seemingly satisfied with everything, Faragonda gave a nod of approval then turned on her heel and marched out of the room, Grizzelda once again on her tail. Valtor let out a breath he was unaware he was holding and lowered his feet form the coffee table. He turned to Bloom that was looking at him with a guarded look in her eyes.

The rest of the Winx club was looking between the two keepers of the dragon flame unsure whether to interrupt their starring contest or not. Without breaking eye contact, the fiery fairy snapped her fingers and levitated pillow and a blanked that she sat between her and Valtor on the couch. He raised an eyebrow.

"So I'm assuming I'll be the one to take the couch." It was more of a statement rather than a question. The fairy gave him a nod and then without looking back rose from the couch and headed to her room, the rest of the Winx following suit, not without leaving Valtor with a 'watch what you're doing' glare. The fairy of nature was the last to leave the room, but not before giving his shoulder a squeeze. He was surprised but shook it off never the less. The Lymphea fairy seemed like the friendliest of them all anyway. He made his 'bed' and then crawled in between the sheets, not before shedding his clothes and leaving them on a nearby chair, and then promptly passed out from exhaustion.

Morning came too soon for Valtor. He always had a problem sleeping in a room where it wasn't completely dark, and since this was his luck, girl's room was full of fucking windows and facing East. As soon as the first specks of light hit those windows, Valtor's sleep was lost. He groaned, a sound low in his throat, as he shifted on the uncomfortable couch, turning on the other side and slamming a pillow over his face. And when he said uncomfortable he meant uncomfortable. "Seriously, how can anyone sleep on this shit?" When he realized there was no going back to sleep, he finally opened his eyes and sat up while the joints in his neck and back protested, loudly.

Little miss perfect apparently took more out of him that he'd anticipated in the first place. Everything was hurting, every bone, every muscle and every joint. But he felt lighter than he'd ever felt in his entire life. Probably because there was no demon resting inside of him, Bloom took care of that, oh, and his connection with the Ancestral witches was, as of yesterday, nonexisting as well. Fairy dust can work miracles. He rolled his neck from side to side, feeling and hearing his joints creak and mentally cringed at the noise. "What a horrendous sound." He stood up and raised his arms above his head thankfully not hearing anything break or snap. He was about to take his clothes and use the bathroom when the door to one of the dorms opened and half asleep redheaded fairy stepped out of it. She was rubbing her eyes, quite adorably Valtor noted, but she stopped the moment her gaze landed on him. Her cheeks turned as red as her hair and Valtor rised an eyebrow.

"What?" He asked, not maliciously but genuinely curious.

The fairy rolled her eyes and gestured to him with her arms. He looked at himself and only then realized he was clad in his boxers that left almost nothing to the imagination. He managed to stop himself from turning as red as Bloom, but light pink still crossed his cheekbones.

"Why are you almost naked in our living room?" She asked with raised eyebrows, her blush still quite evident on her cheeks.

Valtor smirked. "Don't tell me you've never seen a man naked Bloom. And if you haven't, well then, I would be happy to provide a reference." A pillow slammed in his face and he staggered a bit, loosing his balance form an unexpected impact.

Princess of Domino sent him a grin, while Valtor had to physically restrain himself from using magic. Harming his saviour won't do him any good. Instead he dropped the pillow on the floor and stalked towards Bloom that stood leaning on the door was still sporting that grin. He saw her breath catch in her throat when she saw him striding towards him and he smirked. He only brushed passed her however, and entered the bathroom. He locked the door, slid the last remaining article of clothing to the floor and then stepped into the shower, letting warm water soothe his aching muscles and joints. He didn't linger long, opting to quickly wash his hair and then shut the water and get out. He brushed his teeth and then brushed his hair as well, stupid thing was prone to tangles, and then looked in the mirror. Dark circles still rested underneath his eyes but they were less noticeable. Sleep helped. He felt refreshed and better than he'd felt in a long time. He looked at his clothes. "This won't do." He snapped his fingers and his traditional clothes was exchanged for something lighter and more practical. He ditched his coat and vest, leaving only white shirt (without ruffles this time, and more modern looking for sure) and black slacks instead of his signature purple, while his boots became nice looking shoes while still maintaining comfort. He dressed and starred in the mirror. The person starring back looked like Valtor but it didn't feel like Valtor.

Gone was the power hungry megalomaniac and in his place stood just a normal wizard. He dried his hair using magic because he had no time nor patience to do so with a blow dryer. A knock on the door brought him back to the earth. He opened the door and before stood him a fiery fairy twisted in an unnatural position with her legs crossed and squeezed together. She was glaring at him.

"Took your sweet time, haven't you?" He raised an eyebrow at her tone. It somehow managed to be both teasing and bitter at the same time. How she did that, he had no idea.

"I would have let you do your business if you had told me you had to go." She seemed surprised but she brushed past him and Valtor closed the door on his way out. He was, after all, a gentleman. He heard the shower start and made his way to the kitchen. Might as well make himself useful. Or he would have, if he knew what girls preferred for breakfast. He rolled his eyes and debated asking Bloom about it. He shrugged and took off towards bathroom again. "What the hell." Its not as if he wasn't bored. He knocked on the door and when he heard a muffled 'who is it' he opened the door while putting his hand over his eyes. He heard a scream and Bloom shrieked at him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING GET OUT!!!"

"Relax princess. I'm only here to as you if I should start making breakfast and coffee." He rolled his eyes behind his hand.

"AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE WAITED UNTIL I GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER???" She was still screaming, how she had energy this early in the morning was beyond him.

He shrugged. "I was bored."

He heard her sigh. When she spoke her voice was back to normal. "An omelet should be fine. Coffee is in the upper cupboards." He nodded and said his thanks, then promptly turned and closed the door on his way out.

When Bloom got out of the shower she was greeted with the weirdest sight she has ever seen. Valtor stood in their kitchen clad in different type of outfit than she was accustomed to seeing on him and he was making breakfast. Just a sight of a crazy megalomaniac standing in her kitchen making food for her and her friends was enough to crack her up and she doubled over in laughter. She had to support herself with a hand pressed to a wall to stop herself from falling over. Her loud cackles woke the rest of the club up and one by one they made their way out of their rooms. Fairy of shining sun, Stella, wasn't too happy that she was woken up so early. But she too lighten up when she saw coffee and breakfast on the table. She rushed over to Valtor, who was still sending a nasty glare towards a redhead, and took coffee mug out of his hands and then proceeded to swallow every last drop in a few gulps. At that sight Bloom lost it once again, or it might have been a stupid face expression Valtor was for sure sporting. A girl he was enemy with until yesterday approaches and then proceeds to take the mug he was drinking from and the promptly gulp down it's content, was surprising to say the least. Blond fairy turned towards him, surprise written all over her face.

"You made this?" She asked with eyes wide as dinner plates. Valtor nodded. She squealed, squealed, and then threw her arms around him i a hug he was definitely not prepared for. "You are making coffee form now on. Sorry Bloom, you're fired."

The girl in question was supported by her roommate, the fairy of nature, as she was still struggling to control her giggles. She wiped a tear from her eye and let out a few more giggles before finally composing herself. She looked at Valtor.

"I'm sorry, that just took me by surprise." She said with a smile on her face and Valtor couldn't bring himself to hold this against her.

"What, your prince or Eraklyon doesn't know how to make breakfast?" He inquired mockingly but the girl only smiled.

"I doubt any of them know how to make breakfast." It was a musical fairy, Musa if he remembered correctly, that provided an answer.

Valtor shook his head and gestured at the table. Six girls eagerly sat down while Valtor put plates with omelet and mugs of coffee in front of them. He took a seat as well. He was seated between Bloom and princess of Andros, Leyla. Leyla was shooting him looks every now and then, but that was normal, he deduced. He was, after all, responsible for everything that happened on her home planet. He made a mental note to apologize later. They ate in comfortable silence that was occasionally broken by the Solarian fairy. After breakfast Bloom offered to take care of the dishes until Valtor took the plates out of her hands.

She was surprised, and if judging by the looks the rest of the Winx were giving him, so were they. He shrugged. "I'm bored."

Bloom rolled her eyes but let the wizard have his way anyway.

In between next few months they all spent together, a bond formed. They would take turns making meals, event thought it was Valtor that was responsible for majority of them. Faragonda became more trusting because she gave him permission to use the school library as long as he doesn't steal any spells. He stuck to his promise, because he liked the access he had to everything but at the same time he didn't feel the need to steal anything. He was slowly rebuilding his powers, the only exception being the dark magic because he didn't possesse any if that anymore.

And so the time to resurrect Domino came. Valtor was surprised that Bloom found a way to do such thing. He himself thought it would be impossible to save his home planet. The one he destroyed with his own hands. They fought the battle against three witches, the very same he thought he would never had to come into contact with again. But they managed to save the day, or planet. Valtor still cringes at the memory of meeting Miriam and Oritel after 17 years. The look that crossed their faces when they saw him was... priceless and disturbing at the same time. It took some time, but the managed to 'forgive' him for everything that he's done. And by that, he meant they were willing to tolerate him for the sake of their younger daughter that formed a special sort of friendship with the wizard. Plus, even though he hated to admit it, Faragonda helped too. She was the one that convinced Miriam and Oritel he was no longer power thirsty wizard and that three Ancient witches had no control over him for quite some time. And in a meeting between Valtor and Faragonda, that included a lot of eye rolling on Valtor's part, he thanked her.

Valtor still remembers the day he saw Bloom coming down those stairs dressed in a beautiful blue ball gown that looked amazing on her. She was accompanied by her mother, and it was only then that Valtor saw incredible resemblance the two shared. It was then the first time he actually remembers feeling something for the redheaded princess, only then he couldn't, or more accurately wouldn't, put a finger on the emotion.

Months flew by and Winx girls found themselves back in Alfea, this time as teachers rather than students. Valtor himself was offered a teaching position, which was something that raised a lot of eyebrows, but to everyone's surprise, Valtor took it. He usually thought defences classes and mostly first year students, but he was a good teacher that possessed a lot of patience (he worked with Trix in close proximity for a year, he had to have patience), and soon enough he became one of the favourite professors on the whole campus.

In the meantime, Bloom broke up with Sky. It was something that also raised a lot of eyebrows mainly among the Winx girls. Bloom didn't talk about it, but it was Valtor that knew the whole story because he found her in lying in a ball on the couch (the same couch he slept on from the beginning) sobbing into his pillow.

It was a stressful day. He returned to their room (it still felt weird referring to Winx's room as his own) stiff as a board from hours spent sitting in an uncomfortable chair, toed off his shoes and made his way to the living room. It was the test season, as it was almost time for the 'winter' break. He didn't expect anyone to be there so it came to as a surprise when he saw a ball of blue and red lying on the couch, face swallowed by a pillow, shoulders shaking with sobs. He approached carefully, like he would to a scared animal, as if not to startle her. He laid his hand on her shoulder and she recoiled almost blending her body into the couch she was lying on. Her sobs became more audible. He sat next to her on the couch, rubbing comforting circles on her back (or at least he hoped they were comforting). She turned around so fast Valtor started fearing for his life but she only straddled his legs and propped herself in his lap before shoving her face in his neck and coiling her arms around him. He sat there motionless for a few seconds before his brain finally kicked in and he hugged her back, while rubbing her back and shushing her. She rocked back and forth on his lap, and Valtor had to physically stop himself from reacting in a way that would be pretty obvious to both of them. "Think puppies, kittens, Faragonda in underwear." That seemed to do the trick and he made a face at the mental picture of headmistress in lacy number.

He didn't notice that Bloom had stopped shaking and was now just hugging him. He pulled her back and run a hand through her tangled hair, something completely out of character for him. Her blue eyes were red an puffy a sure sigh she had been crying for a long time.

"What happened?" He asked after a few minutes of just starring at her and her starring back at him, while still untangling her hair with his fingers.

Her lower lip wobbled before she bit it with her teeth to stop the motion. "Sky cheated." She confessed in a small voice and Valtor wanted nothing more than to teleport himself to Eraklyon and murder the blonde prince. He stopped himself. "Whoa where did thar come from?" He thought, "Since when do you care about how Bloom feels?" He wanted to slap himself. "Good job idiot. You fall in love with a girl that will never love you. How come you always do that? First Griffin, now Bloom. What's next? Leyla maybe?" He shook his head to get rid of these thought. Now's not the time.

"He doesn't deserve you." He found himself saying. His eyes widened. "Great, you've also lost your brain to mouth filter. You've been hanging out with Stella bit too much." Bloom, poor thing, seemed surprised with this statement as well. His hand found it's way to her neck and it pulled her head to rest where his neck met his shoulders. He rubbed her back and just sat with her for a while. In the meantime he considered his thoughts. Was he in love with Bloom?

He couldn't deny that the redhead was beautiful. She had pale flawless skin that contrasted beautifully against her vibrant red hair, beautiful big blue eyes and had legs that went for days, especially in that Enchantix dress he would rather die than admit he liked how it looked on her. She wasn't just looks, she had brain and brawn to match. She was a spitfire for sure. She was funny and naive and she sometimes laughed so hard she snorted and - oh great dragon, you're in love with her. Valtor let his head fall to the back of the couch. This was not good.

Bloom ended almost all contact with Sky after that and she and Valtor became even closer. Trips to Domino became more frequent and Valtor accompanied her on most of them. They brought the Winx with them of a few occasions as well. Even Marion and Oritel seemed to warm up at the idea of Valtor being close to their daughter. They joked and laughed and even got drunk together few times. Well, Bloom got drunk, he got tipsy. Seriously, the amount of alcohol he'd have to consume to get drunk would be enough to kill a dragon, or an African elephant (Earth's equivalent). They shared stories about Trix, and he even told her about the role he played in the war that raged on Domino. She listened, but she didn't seem angry. She even laughed at a few stories he told her about the Ancestral witches.

Girls generally became more physically comfortable around him, squeezing his shoulders, hitting his arms when he made a joke and even hugging him. He liked the contact. After spending so many years in ice and then one more year focusing on getting revenge on those who wronged him, he didn't exactly have time to focus on physical contact of any kind. He was ashamed to admit it had be over 18 years since he last took woman to bed. Maybe that's why he developed this attraction to Bloom. Lack of release that accumulated over the years. Not even masturbation. He didn't have time, plus it would be kind of awkward jacking off in a bathroom that girls occupied as well. So he just gave up on that after doing it and then feeling somehow guilty.

But then again, that still wouldn't explain his attraction to Bloom. If the lack of sex was to blame he would have a boner for every girl in this room, and yet, nothing. It was time to face the music. He was in love with bloom, and that was that. Nothing would change that. The fact that she was also single didn't help either. He found himself watching her more closely and more often and he tried to stop doing that as often. Key word, tried.

A few days before ending of a school year, wizards of the black circle attacked. Winx were almost powerless against them in their Enchantix form. He was essentially the only one that had power over them, and so he was left to fight the wizards by himself. He heard about them. The fairy hunters. Earth was once a magical powerhouse until four wizards came and defeated queen of Earth faeries, stole their wings and locked them away. What they were doing here, he had no idea. His heart leaped to his throat when the vortex sucked Bloom in but it dropped back down when it spat her out just as quickly. And then in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Valtor managed to deal a good amount of damage to the wizards but he was alone and there were four of them. Flora essentially suffered the most and was taken to the infirmary while Valtor took care for the rest of the Winx. He watched Bloom closely, making sure no lasting damage was inflicted. He caught Faragonda's eyes while he was fussing over the redhead and she nodded at him. He nodded back. This was one of the things Faragonda couldn't keep from them. Tomorrow she would explain everything.

They returned to their dorm and the girls went straight to bed. Bloom offered to keep him company, however he refused and sent her pouting ass to bed. He couldn't sleep that night.

The next morning he joined Faragonda in explaining everything that happened and how to stop the wizards. It was decided that the girls will leave for Earth to find the last Earth fairy. Valtor will accompany them. Bloom was in charge of everything because she's the one that knew Gardenia the best having grown up there. The tree of life provided more than enough help with narrowing down their search from an entire planet to a single city. Girls and Valtor packed their things and they were on their way to California. It was clear to Valtor that Mike and Vanessa were surprised at the sudden appearance of her daughter and her friends and an unfamiliar guy. While girls unpacked their things Bloom took a chance to introduce him to her parents. They seemed like decent human beings to Valtor and he was pulled aside by Mike for some bonding over beer and football, or is it soccer? While the guys watched football, Vanessa and Bloom chatted about girl stuff.

They spent a few days in their house and while Valtor tried not to be a nuisance, the girls were a different story. They weren't trying to be rude, but heir behaviour was a story for itself. They weren't doing anything different from what they would normally do in Alfea but Stella's constant intergalactic phone calls in the bathroom and Flora's obsession with plants kinda disrupted the calm life Mike and Vanessa were used to having. Valtor sighed. Time to take matters into his own hands.

While Mike and Vanessa were at work, he sat the girls down. "Ok. Now I understand that you all have a specific routines, however, you all need to be aware that we are in someone else's home. And while I am aware you are trying not to intrude, you are shit at it. Ok?" The girls looked at each other and lowered their gaze.

Musa was the one that spoke. "Shouldn't Bloom be telling us that? It's her house after all."

The girls looked at Bloom who was avoiding their eyes. "Well the truth is... Mike and Vanessa aren't too happy about this. They love me, and they adore you guys, but it's a small house." She smiled sheepishly.

"I found us a job." That earned him six surprised stares. "The payment is not too much, but we have to start looking for a place to stay." The girls nodded.

The next day, girls were in charge of clearing out the storage room full of plush toys, but somehow they turned the bunch of plush toys into a real life magical animals. Valtor, who stayed at home, cleaning the house (how very domestic of him) got a biggest shock of his life when he came from the bathroom and the living room was full of flying animals. He face palmed. Those girls just can't stay out of trouble.

The Winx found him sitting on a sofa, Mike and Vanessa in the kitchen, surrounded by sleeping animals that took the liberty to snuggle next to him. Bloom snorted and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late. He heard her and he leveled her with a meanest glare he could produce at the moment. The rest of the girls scrambled to get the animals away from a fuming wizard while Bloom just stood leaning on doorway and busied herself with giving him coy looks. When the girls dissapeared, she plopped herself next to Valtor and swung her legs over his lap. He raised an amused eyebrow and she sent him an innocent look that proved she was anything but innocent. Without taking his eyes off of her, he took off her shoes and started massaging her feet. Her eyes fluttered closed and she tipped her head back while letting out the most erotic moan Valtor has ever heard. His fingers stilled for a second and he gulped, shifting her feet so they weren't resting on his crotch. There was no time to stop the images that assaulted him. He could only hope his physical reaction won't be so obvious. His prayers weren't answered, of course, and he found himself in a very compromising position, his obsession's legs hiding an obvious tent in his trousers while Mike and Vanessa chose that moment to reenter the living room. Bloom went to take her legs off his lap but he caught her by the ankles and stilled them. She looked at him and went red at he look he was giving her. His pupils were blown wide, making his irises appear dark blue, his chest area was moving rapidly and she could see veins straining in his neck. She had an idea what caused his reaction and as she brought her foot to scratch her calf, she ran it over a very hard bulge, his breath caught in his throat and his fingers tightened on her ankles. Bloom went bright red. Luckily Mike and Vanessa seemed too focused on the story they were telling, they didn't notice their reaction.

Half an hour later, and a whole hell lot of mental images of very unpleasant things, Valtor was able to calm himself. His breathing returned to normal and his dick now only created a faint outline rather than a tent. That's when he felt comfortable enough to excuse himself and go splash some cold water on his face. When he returned Bloom was the only one left and Valtor cursed his luck. He sat next to her on the couch and bit his lip. She avoided his eyes while she fidgeted with the hem of her shorts. The air around them was awkward.

"So um..." she began, painfully aware if the tension in the air, "are you, um... ok?"

Valtor squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed bile that was threatening to rise. "I-I don't know." He stuttered. Stuttered. Him. The big bad wizard. This was bad. He took a deep breath and turned towards her. "Look I'll be honest with you. I haven't had sex in over 18 years. In fact the last person I bedded was your sister." Bloom's eyes widened at that and Valtor wanted to punch himself really hard. Why in the ever loving fuck would he say that to Bloom? Oh hell it was too late already so he might as well try to save his ass. "The reaction I had was not something I'm proud of, but I'm not going to run away from the fact that I am a man and this thing happens from time to time." He was breathing heavily by the time he finished his rant.

"Y-You slept with Daphne?" Valtor rolled his eyes.

"Really? Out of everything that I just told you, that's the part that intrigues you the most?" The princess shrugged. He sighed. "Yes I slept with Daphne. We were... drunk. It was at a party that your parents threw in honor of your birth. That's all I'm going to say." Light pink was visible on his cheeks and Bloom found herself giggling at this. He looked at her like she was a shit at the bottom of his shoe and she sobered up pretty quickly.

"Sorry. It's just that I'm so unused to seeing you blush." He wetted his lips. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it." She sighed and the tension seemed to disappear. "Don't you guys take care of that? I mean..." she looked him up and down her gaze lingering at his crotch, something which didn't go unnoticed by Valtor. "Doesn't work for me. Besides, I'm living with young women, and jacking off seems kind of wrong." Bloom went bright red at the profanity, but she couldn't deny it made her feel hot, especially if Valtor was the one saying them. "I um, I think I'll go to bed." Valtor nodded and she stood up. "Goodnight princess." She smiled. "Goodnight Valtor."

Between taking care of the 'Love and Pet' shop, finding the last earth fairy, fighting the wizards, getting Believix, specialist's arrival, meeting Roxy, freeing the Earth faries and then fighting them for the sake of humans, there was no time for anything, let alone romance or fantasizing about anything. Jumping between different destinations would take toll on anyone, let alone fairies that fought bunch of vengeful earth fairies in order to stop their vengeance on humans. In between all that ruckus, Ogron and his minions decided to surrender themselves in order to have a 'trial' which was something that didn't sit with Valtor very well. Why would these wizards suddenly decide to surrender themselves and ask for forgiveness? It didn't make any sense. Sybila, one of the nicest earth fairies took them in until their 'sick' friend was safe to travel. Which, of course, didn't happen. Ogron and his remaining two buddies opened a portal meant to suck in the very last fairy from earth and Valtor together with Winx and specialists tried to stop them, however, it was Nabu, previously known as Ophir that paid the ultimate price. And while the final gift of destiny could have brought him back to life, Ogron took it before once again proving to be cruelest being Valtor has ever had displeasure of meeting.

But apparently, that wasn't enough drama. Because, as luck would have it, Leyla, in order to avenge her fiancee, joined Nebula and helped them overthrow Morgana, imprisoning her in a fucking mirror non the less. Valtor felt the beginning of a really terrible headache. What else is universe going to throw at them?

He spoke too soon. He really should learn to keep his thoughts in check. Because of course, Morgana has a daughter, and her fucking daughter is Roxy, and a lot of this shit could have been avoided if only they knew that tiny piece of information. He groaned. This was turning into a real soap opera. The wizards ran into the fucking Omega, because universe apparently hates him so. So here he was now, in Omega, helping specialists take Morgan's fairies to safety. He turned towards Bloom that was about to take off deeper into the Omega and grabbed her hand. She looked at him with eyes that were so full of determination. She pulled him by the lapels of his jacket (a different one, because he ditched his coat a long time ago) and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. When they parted, both the Winx and specialists were looking at them with eyes that were as wide as dinner plates.

"This is our fight." She said, "We need to get Leyla back."

He nodded and pulled her close once again. The kiss he gave her this time was brief but it didn't lack passion. They parted and she took off. Valtor spared one last glance at the cave entrance that was beginning to crumble, he shook off his worry and pulled the idiotic specialists out in the safety. He could feel someone's eyes burning holes in his person and he had a pretty good idea to whom they belonged. But for now he didn't care in the slightest.

A few minutes passed, but to Valtor it felt like hours. He could feel massive amounts of energy radiating from the ground meaning the fight continues on. And the suddenly there was nothing. Silence. Valtor didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign. Suddenly the ground lurched and the Winx, minus Bloom flew out. Valtor's heart stopped beating for a second, but it kicked back into gear as soon as he saw her dragging Nebula behind her. Roars and cheers were echoing through the kingdom of Tin Nan Og, greeting the new queen, as Morgana is coming back to Earth to be with her family. Leyla departed soon after that, saying she needed to bring the flower Ogron gave her back to Andros. Valtor stood on the side admiring the view. For the first time in Dragon knows how long, it was peaceful. His eyes met sapphire blue. Bloom stood surrounded by her friends but she obviously wasn't paying attention to what Stella was saying because she was looking at him. Stella stopped talking long enough to push Bloom towards Valtor, and she stumbled, obviously not expecting that. She turned to glare at her friend, but Stella simply shooed her away. She turned and made her way towards him. The closer she got the faster she seemed to walk. Until a hand grabbed her.

"Bloom, can we talk?" Valtor heard Sky say but she shook his hand off and quickly added, "Not mow Sky."

She once again quickened her pace and when she was in arms reach she flew into Valtor's open arms. She buried her head into his neck, breathing in his scent, while one of his hands supported her and the other went through her hair, detangling it. They stood there, just hugging and feeling each other for a minute or two before finaly parting. Valtor cupped her face in his large hands and sealed their lips together. The roar of pure happiness could be heard and Valtor subconsciously registered Stella saying to someone they owed her money. But nothing at that moment mattered more than the fact that he was holding, touching and kissing Bloom.

Her lips were soft as velvet and as she sighed happily into the kiss, Valtor took the opportunity to slip his tongue in, making the redhead moan and clutch onto him even tighter. Her arms coiled around his neck and brought him even closer, deepening the kiss even more. Valtor broke the kiss, but not before taking her lower lip between his teeth and tugging on it, making the redhead whine, before soothing the ache with his tongue. One kiss was not enough for him, or her for that matter as she connected their lips once again. Valtor's brain shut down the moment his lips touched Bloom's. He forgot where he was, who he was with and why they were here. He only cared about Bloom. Which could be the reason his hands began to wonder, slipping from her waist to her lower back, cupping her ass and back of her thighs before bending down slightly to get a good grip on her legs and lifting them up so she could wrap them around his waist. Everything was quiet up until that point, when Stella of all people began complaining about them 'getting a room' and 'being sweet enough to give cavities'.

He remembered then who he was and that they were in public, surrounded by her friends, bunch of fairies he didn't know the name of and specialists. Bloom looked at him, his eyes mirroring his in appearance with pupils blown wide and their breaths coming in quick and short bursts. She blushed when she realized in what position they were. Her with her legs warped around his middle and her arms coiled around his neck, while his arms were holding and squeezing her ass, in front of everybody. She cleared her throat and he bent down so her feet could touch the ground while she returned her arms back to her side. She stood straight up, blush still evident on her cheeks and looked at Valtor. He looked a bit dishevelled and his hair was a bit messed up, but aside from that, he looked perfectly normal, no trace of blush on his cheeks and a cocky grin on his lips. He slipped his hand into hers and intertwined their fingers. And she smiled too.

When they returned to Gardenia and left Roxy with her mother and father, they all hit Fruit Music bar to celebrate. They choose a table and ordered the drinks before siting down. Since no table had enough chairs, most of the girls were sitting in their boyfriends laps. What surprised Valtor, however, was when Bloom decided to sit on his lap. Even when she was involved with Sky, Valtor knew she avoided public display of affection, but he seemed to be an exception to most rules, because she kissed him in front of bunch of strangers today, and now she decided to sit in his lap as well. He wasn't about to complain. He loved the feeling of her lithe body pressed up against his own. She didn't seem too interested in her drink, she was playing with her straw more than she was drinking from it. Valtor was running his arm across her back and his face was buried in her hair. The hand that was rubbing her back dissapeared and it reappeared moment later when it pushed her long red curls from her neck and she felt hot kisses being pressed there. She shuddered. It would appear Valtor wasn't interested in drinking tonight either. She locked eyes with him and a silent understanding passed between them.

She got up first, startling everyone in the process, but when Valtor stood up behind her and took her hand, a nod of approval form Stella seemed to send everyone the message they shouldn't ask questions. They were almost at the exit when Stella's voice broke through.

"Should we even come home tonight?!" She yelled from across the bad. Bloom turned red while Valtor merely smirked and yelled back. "You can, it might be a little loud for you! No one will be getting any sleep!" Bloom staggered and she would have fallen over had Valtor not been there and supported her. Stella's laughter could be heard from the next block. They walked fast, Bloom took off her heels so she could walk faster. When they finaly reached the shop, Bloom wasted no time unlocking and opening the door and then locking it again.

As soon as they were inside, Valtor pushed Bloom against the door and kissed her passionately. She opened her mouth almost instantly to his wandering tongue and she moaned when two tongues met in a dance. He pressed her up against the door even harder and wasted no time hauling her up so she could warp those legs around him. Still kissing her, her staggered blindly towards the stair case stopping every few seconds to press Bloom against the was so he could focus on kissing her. He couldn't stop. Even the sheer thought of stopping brought him pain. He waited her for so long, thinking she could never be his, and now that she is, he's never letting her go.

When they reached her bedroom, Valtor single handedly opened the door while he used the other to support her ass. He closed the door and spun around pressing her into it, making her gasp and arch her back. Never breaking the kiss, he slipped his hands into her crop top, running his hands over her ribs until he reached her breasts and gave them a squeeze. He was pleasantly surprised to find she wasn't wearing a bra. He pushed the shirt up and she raised her arms so he could take it off completely. As soon as the shirt was discarded he turned his attention to her nipples that were shaped into tiny peaks hard enough to cut glass. He hauled her up even higher and took one nipple in his mouth, circling it with his tongue first before completely enveloping it in his mouth.

Bloom arched her back and let out a delicious moan at his ministrations. She tugged at his shirt, desperate to get it off so she could feel her skin pressed up against his. He chuckled, a dark and seductive sound, coming somewhere deep from his throat. She wasn't even aware he moved them until she was being lowered and her back being pressed against cool set of sheets and Valtor disappeared from her arms. She whined but was quickly pacified when he returned, this time lacking both shirt and trousers. She could feel his naked torso pressing against her hard nipples, his chest hair tickling her, his naked legs intertwining with her own and something hard and thick pressing against her clit. She shuddered. She rolled her hips into it desperate for more friction, while Valtor chuckled at her impatience and pinned her hips down. She struggled against his hold, but with no use, he was too strong. He trailed kisses from her neck over her breasts all the way to her navel where he licked a long stripe over her underwear line before taking hold of her skirt and panties before yanking them down her legs. He chucked them across the room and settled himself between her thighs making her blush and spread her legs to accommodate his wide shoulders. The look in his eyes could best be describes as predatory as his gaze caught her eyes and stayed there while his tongue licked a long stripe from her opening to her clit. Bloom threw her head back and let out a long moan, while her hand, seemingly on her own accord, shot across the bed and her fingers tangled themselves in his long reddish blond hair. He continued his ministrations, focusing most of his attention to her clit. Her hips strained against her fingers, pushing her closer to his mouth and evidently, closer to her orgasm. She was shaking, panting and almost sobbing mess underneath him as she climbed towards the peak. She pulled on his hair directing him where and how she wanted him. He let go of her hips and clutched at her thighs that were spread out to accommodate him. She let out a long moan and stilled against him before dissolving into a shaking mess and twitching hips as she was dropped from her high. He licked one last stripe across her pussy and planted a kiss on her clit, making her shudder from overstimulation,before propping himself up in his elbows and crawling towards her. As soon as he was close enough she captured his mouth in a kiss. He opened his mouth and she gladly took his invitation, tasting herself.

She broke the kiss and panted heavily against his neck while her hands traveled from his shoulders to his nipples, where she pinched them, enjoying his response. Her legs once again circled his waist and pulled him close. His cock, long and thick, laid erect on her stomach. She could feel the size and shape even through the boxers he was still wearing. Her hands traveled lower until they reached the elastic band that was holding them on his hips and her fingers pulled on it, going underneath it and cupping his rock hard ass. His hips grinded against her in response and she smiled. She kissed him once again as she lowered his boxers low enough so her feet could take that job, sliding them across his long muscular legs and then chucking them across the room to join the rest of their clothes. Her hands slid to the front and took hold of his erection carefully spreading precum from the leaking tip to his long and thick shaft. If this were anyone else but Valtor, she would have feared for her nonexisting virginity. Funnily enough, two years ago if you had told her she would be spread out underneath the man that was responsible for destruction of her home planet, she would have laughed in your face and then proceeded to blast you with her dragon fury. But right now, she couldn't imagine anyone else in this position.

He shuddered against her and she aligned his cock with her entrance, kissing him gently in permission. He slid into her with little difficulty,her previous orgasm making her wetter and tighter. He exhaled against her neck when he bottomed out and gave her a few moments to adjust to his size and girth. She moaned and grinded her hips against him almost making him loose his mind. He lowered his entire body so it covered hers then pulled his hips back until only the tip remained inside her and then slid back in faster. She clutched and scratched at his back while his kisses swallowed her moans. He set a fast pace, having realized neither of them will last long enough for slow tender love making right now. He rose himself on his elbows and looked at the beauty spread out on the bed. She was panting and sweating, trying and failing to suppress her moans as he slammed into her in now short but powerful thrusts. Her legs enveloping his waist, her heels pressing against his ass, forcing him deeper into her. He could feel his orgasm approaching fast, but he refused to come before her, his male pride not letting him. He brought his hand in between them and found her clit, stroking it in tandem with his thrusts. She flew over the edge, almost screaming her release, pulling him into the abyss as well. He slowed down do ride out both of their orgasms and then completely stilled before leaning down to capture her waiting mouth. She winced as he slid out of her but turned on her side to face him and to snuggle with him non the less. She laid there, pressed against his torso, his left arm supporting her head while his right drew patterns on her back, both of them fighting to get their breathing back to normal.

She looked into his eyes and at that moment she couldn't help but to think, that yes, leaving him alive was the best decision she's ever made.

He locked eyes with her and leaned to kiss her, the kiss quickly escalating, while he once again, pinned her to bed.

Oh yes. Best decision indeed.

The end.

[alrightsnaps]

some Episode IX positivity

So I watched The Rise of Skywalker and...it wasn't as bad as I expected?? The spoilers I'd read had pretty much prepared me for a disaster but (especially with the traumatizing GoT finale in mind) I have to say that, bar the way they handled Kylo Ren’s storyline and the horrifying moment they made Rey kiss her abuser, they created a pretty epic conclusion to the Star Wars series.

• THOSE LEIA AND REY SCENES

• I swear I could feel my heart swelling with love every second these two interacted

• Rey calling Leia “Master”

• their final hug that was shown in the trailer, with Leia caressing Rey’s hair....that's the daugter our Space Princess General deserved

• THE!! TRIO!! MOMENTS!!

• the love and care and protectiveness and mutual support between these three... I'm emotional okay????

• Finn’s “You are going alone Rey. You're going alone with friends.” reminding her that she's never going to be alone again

• my son Poe Dameron being his usual sassy self deserves a mention of his own because I love him too damn much

• LANDO CALRISSIAN

• everyone's reactions to seeing Lando, the respect in their eyes and voices upon meeting such a legend, DISNEY IS SPECIFICALLY TARGETING MY WEAK NOSTALGIC HEART AND I'M EATING IT ALL UP

• “Give General Leia my love” “You can give it to her yourself”

• Zorii Bliss y'all

• “Not that you care, but i think you're alright.” “I care.” I FOUND MY REY SHIP PEOPLE

• C-3PO’s “Taking one last look, at my friends”

• FLIRTY POE DAMERON I STAN SO HARD

• Bill Weasl–ummm sorry *checks notes* General Hux revealed as the Resistance spy in the First Order and being like “I don't care if you people win. I just want Kylo Ren to lose” because honestly MOOD

• the trio meeting the gang of First Order defectors that joined the Resistance

• Jannah

• sorry but I just have to add Leia sacrificing herself for (what she hopes remains of) her son and Han’s conversation with him (imaginary as it may have been) because I may despise that little piece of shit with all I have, but the whole sequence simply screamed Leia-Organa-and-Han-Solo-too-fucking-noble-and-good-for-this-world

• I just love Leia and Han so goddamn much and they deserved more than anyone a son like the glimpse we got of Ben Solo fighting for the Light (except they got a Neonazi asshole that murdered his father and then was granted an unearned redemption for some reason...... fuck fuck fuck I'm angry crying again they really did my parents dirty)

• Poe crying by Leia’s body, knowing that as her second in command he has to power through his grief, and wondering how he'll ever live up to this incredible woman he respects and looks up to and loves so much– THIS IS THE ONLY SON OF MY PRINCESS I'LL EVER RECOGNISE

• THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF LEIA’S DEATH TO CHARACTERS AND AUDIENCE ALIKE

• Chewie’s cry when they heard of her passing just fucking broke me

• JODIE COMER AS REY’S MUM

• That Luke/Rey “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are” Moment™

• JEDI LEIA JEDI LEIA JEDI LEIA JEDI LEIA JEDI LEIA JEDI LEIA

• the incredibly beautiful and so quintessentially Star Wars “rebellions are built on hope” message

• Lando reminding the Resistance that back in the first war the rebels were also just a bunch of kids that poured their heart and soul in their fight and won against all odds

• seriously seeing the Resistance defeated and wretched and so tragically helpless drawing hope from their predecessors and letting that hope fuel them as they go against the Final Order?? What could possibly be more star wars than that???

• “It’s not a navy. It's....People.”

• Lando fucking Calrissian

• I can talk about the battle scene and all those glimpses of the Resistance members we've grown to love giving their everything even when they know this may as well be a suicide mission, for hours

• FORCE SENSITIVE FINN SENSING REY’S PAIN AND ANGUISH AND WISHING TO RUSH IN TO PROTECT HER

• Rey singlehandedly defeating Palpatine on her own... you have no idea the stress I was under since Kylo Ren turned into Ben Solo or whatever. By the way the plot was playing out at that point in the movie, I was 90% sure they'd have him step in and save the day or something, in some big Redemption™ gesture. And instead we got fucking badass Rey Skywalker bringing down Palpatine with Luke and Leia’s lightsabers?? Just when all hope is lost having her hear the voices of all the Jedi knights within her, encouraging and reassuring her they're by her side?? Yup, this is absolutely 100% what I signed up for!

• The Resistance celebrating their victory with love and laughter and joy in their eyes.... and the nod to the original trilogy finale... good gods, I'm such a slut for nostalgia 😭

• DID I MENTION LANDO CALRISSIAN BECAUSE SERIOUSLY I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH I LOVED HIS PRESENCE IN THE FINALE

• lesbians in space! (....for two seconds or so, but I'll take what I can get, don't judge me!)

• THE TRIO'S FINAL HUG BEAMING AT EACH OTHER WITH SUCH HAPPINESS AND LOVE

• Rey burying the Skywalker twins’ lightsabers in the Tatooine desert

• Rey taking up the Skywalker name as she sees Leia and Luke in the distance (Ben?? who again???) cementing the notion that we are not our genes and can choose our own paths and become our own persons

• THAT POETIC LAST SHOT OF REY LOOKING INTO THE TATOOINE SUNSET BRINGING THE STORY FULL CIRCLE

To conclude, the Reylo kiss was pure cringe and Kylo Ren sure as fuck didn't deserve redemption, yes, but overall the movie's callouts to the original series, seamlessly bringing past and present together, and the way the central theme of hope shone through the movie, not to mention the palpable suspense and epicness and heart it radiates makes it a beautifully fitting conclusion to the nine part saga.

[birb-fanus-oz]

I really like this au, very adorable, but I think I got here a little late so I'm confused. Could you please help me understand the context?

Hi! Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to answer, but I didn’t have a lot of time after work and I wasn’t sure how to explain it very well. Here’s my attempt at a coherent condensed sorta explanation for this AU:

For the extreme shorthand explanation (Please note that everything is still in the concept stage and some stuff will change or require more explanation in the future):

Ozpin was orginally a bird fanus who was possessed by Ozma after the death of his mother who was a friend KoV!Ozma was trying to rescue. Throughout his younger years, Ozpin was an undercover agent who rescued and broke down illegal fanus slavery/trades and met a very young Qrow and they both made a significant impact on each other’s lives. However, he lost one of his wings in a mission and purposely removed his other wing after an incident so no one could use his Fanus background against him in the future.

Timeskip to the future, after Jinn and Oscar running away, Oscar accidentally does a mind dive into his soul/the past and encounters a young teenager fanus who turns out to be a piece of Ozpin’s soul that didn’t pass away. Soul!Ozpin helps guide Oscar to Ozma who’s processing the combined trauma of his past/Ozpin’s memories and processing Ozpin’s death. After learning more about Ozma and what Ozpin and Ozma were trying to do to prevent Salem from destroying humanity, Oscar becomes closer to them and starts learning magic.

After Ozpin comes back and the group cautiously make amends to each other, Ozpin and Qrow have confrontation where they still didn’t have the full conversation they need, but in the end, affirm that they are willing to work things out with each other in this new setting (note to self: this will be the third version of Ozpin, Qrow had interacted with). Ozpin does make sure that Qrow knows he definitely owes Oscar an apology though. The group gets separated (kids to school?) and Oscar stays behind with Ironwood to work on his training to catch up to the others and that’s when he accidentally extracted Ozpin’s soul from Ozma and placed it into BB!Oz who was supposed to be a golem of a sort, but Oscar did not provide any materials except the himself. Qrow (who was doing investigations with Maria, Winter and Ironwood) gets called back to help Oscar.

Now for the extreme long version that’s still incomplete....

Before and the beginning of Ozpin’s Birth:

King of Vale!Ozma was working on trying to fix relations between the kingdoms after the war and worked with Ozpin’s mother (bird fanus;haven’t decided on name but probably is a bird pun) who was one of his undercover agents. However, she got captured and was illegally sold as a slave to a group in Atlas. KoV!Ozma always tried to find her but there were still post!war tensions and the fear of possibly blowing her cover.

Despite her hardships, she managed to befriend a shy mechanical toy maker who helped hacked her collar so she can move about freely and gather information. They hung out with each other enough that eventually, baby Ozpin (not his original name though) was born and a deadline to escape was made promptly. For the beginning of baby Ozpin’s life, he was taken care of by his other parent while birb mom took care of escape precautions. Birb mom’s partner made the original Birdie for baby Ozpin to confuse sensors and for a good cuddle.

However, accidents happened and only Ozpin and his mother ended up being the ones to escape to Mistral Underground where his distraught mother had to teach Baby!Ozpin to never stand out too much since wing-type fanus are rare. She also inadvertently taught him how to hide in public by working as a dancer/singer with many disguises to gather information to try to get KoV!Ozma to come rescue them.

However, around the time KoV!Ozma got her message, they were betrayed and found out by a fellow Fanus who sold them out to to rescue their own family. Ozpin had Birdie taken from him so in order to save him from being branded and secured with a new collar, birb mom made Ozpin wear hers instead while she was forced to get a new one.

After some unknown time, KoV!Ozma finally managed to track them both down and attempt a rescue raid with some trusted friends. However, during the rescue process, Salem’s assassins were also tracking KoV!Ozma and attacked at the same time, resulting in a bloody mess from all sides. Unfortunately, while viciously fighting back to defend her child and KoV!Ozma, she was too weak from the prolonged imprisonment to survive a brutal blow that became fatal on contact. Upon seeing his dead friend and her tramatized child, KoV!Ozma was shocked enough that he too, was killed by one of the assassins who were waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Since Ozpin and KoV!Ozma were both traumatized by Ozpin’s mother’s death, Ozma’s soul ended up in Ozpin and Ozma was forced to take control early on so he could bring Ozpin away from danger by convincing his friends to run away with the young child. After that, Ozma’s soul went into slumber as he used up too much energy too early; plus he has to deal with his previous host’s death and integration with him. Ozpin by himself, with a few occasional voices of reassurance, was passed on and helped by a Ozma’s allies/friends and random strangers (both fanus and not) to safety in Vale.

Once finally there, under the care of trusted friends of his mother (the school staff), he collapsed into a catatonic state for a few months and woke up at the same time as Ozma. Ozpin consented to Ozma taking control for a while and watched as Ozma interacted with his friends and the people in Vale, but never did anything Ozpin that made Ozpin nervous or scared. Eventually, Ozma had a heart-soul talk with Ozpin and shared his painful experiences with Ozpin so he wouldn’t feel alone and that, even Ozma feels scared and afraid like Ozpin.

After finally coming out and being with people who were kind and non-judgmental of him, Ozpin overheard and found out about how illegal fanus slavery was still very much so present and a big problem. Learning that his mother was one of their most accomplished spies and that Ozma was trying to fix this issue for a long time, Ozpin decided that he wanted to move forward by following his parent’s footsteps and help with Ozma’s mission to unite mankind so no one will ever go through what he did. Ozma was very resistant to a child risking his life, especially when one as frail as Ozpin, but he could never deny his hosts’ will and he understood that this was a choice they were willing to dedicate themselves to following. The best he could do was teach Ozpin the most effective way to fight and survive.

His mother’s/Ozma’s friends, taught him her dances and songs as well as proper disguises for his age and figure. And when Ozma was being elusive, they told him about their experiences with Ozma as well. After a few years of experiencing the awkwardness of Ozma and only starting to break out of his insecure personality, he decides that not only is he going to help others like him and Ozma’s mission, but he’s going to protect Ozma as well. At the time, Ozma accepted this with good humor since Ozpin was just learning to be confident and has no idea what this will lead to...

Pre-Team STRQ Time:

After some intense training and having the impatience of a teenager, Ozpin goes on his first mission and messes up due to nerves and lingering PTSD. Ozma was trying to calm him down so he can make escape plans when a very young and injuried Qrow found Ozpin’s cage. BBY!Qrow was more interested and curious about Ozpin instead of being malicious like the other bandits so Ozpin calmed down and they had a nice quiet conversation. They couldn’t see each other that well but Ozpin could smell blood from Qrow’s scratches and bruises so he gave Qrow a quick heal with his magic. Qrow was bewildered and impressed so in order to cover up his skill, Ozpin covered the magic aspect by claiming that he’s training to be a huntsman. Being young enough to accept that explanation, this was the starting point of Qrow’s interest in Hunters before finding out about Maria. In order to repay Ozpin for the heal, Qrow set off some distractions on the day of the big auction and set Ozpin free.

Ozpin repayed Qrow with for this favor in the near future by rescuing him in the forest where Qrow was lost and severely injuried. Previously, Qrow and Raven were supposed to watch an example of how their bandit group operated but the Grimm that were supposed to distract the Hunters were more numerous than expected and spread to the auction on the side. During this time, Ozpin was one of the members who alerted the authorities of the Grimm distractions/auction and helped escort the enslaved Fanus to safety before making his own run in order to protect his undercover status. Then he found Qrow who was separated from his group and disorientated from pretty much everything. When Qrow was finally reunited with Raven/his group, he just thought he made up an imaginary friend based off that bird fanus he rescued b/c no one else saw him when they found Qrow.

A few years later, Ozpin was near fatally injuried in a mission/set up where he lost one of his wings. Qrow was the one who stumbled upon him and helped provide him a safe place to recover without realizing that this fanus was the same fanus from his childhood at first b/c of Ozpin’s disguise. With some subtle hints revealing themselves every now and then, Qrow finally realizes who Ozpin is but at the same time, Ozpin’s pursuers were rumored to be in the area so Qrow rushed to warn him. But he was too late when he only found bloodied feathers and no body. This tramatized him for a while and made him more aggressive until he forced himself to forget the reason why he’s so angry and sad. In the meantime, Ozpin actually escaped against his will because he was in such a bad state that Ozma had to forcefully control him to get to safety since Ozpin couldn’t think straight and associated Qrow with safety. Ozpin could not find Qrow when he searched later on b/c the tribe moved away.

That year and a few before was a bit tension fueled between Ozpin and Ozma b/c Ozpin took on so many undercover missions that left him with many injuries and of the such, but he never let Ozma take control during those times anymore after the first few attempts when Ozma pretended he wasn’t in pain. Guilt and avoidance from both sides prevented them from talking it out until Ozma forced Ozpin to safety after his wing was lost. Feelings were complicated when recovering at a safehouse, Ozpin and Ozma shared fevered nightmares where Ozpin’s recent accident mixed with Ozma’s old memories of being tortured by Salem over the years. When the fever finally broke, Ozma was the one in control and panicked about it for a while b/c Ozpin’s presence was too quiet. When Ozma started fearing Ozpin hated him and tried to apologize, Ozpin just quietly and tiredly reassured him that he wasn’t angry and that over the years, he trusts Ozma’s intentions and his attempts to help humanity were genuine.

Although Ozpin and Ozma’s relationship grew better and became more of a true partnership, Ozpin had to acknowledge the loss of his wing caused not only his health to deteriorate, but he also had to change his fighting style and escape paths. Old comrades in the know started suggesting him to retire b/c he was standing out too much and the attempts on his life were starting to become more focused. He was finally convinced to retire and become a teacher when one of the fanus teenagers he rescued convinced him that he would be a great teacher who treated them all equally. This is when he finally took on the name “Ozpin” and destroyed records of his old name.

While he was a teacher, the teenaged fanus who convinced him, was his first student and they both helped covered for each other’s fanus states. Ozpin’s chronic pains forced him to use his cane quite often while he worked on a spell to reduce them since medicine was that advanced yet, so after his first student graduated, they went undercover as his bodyguard by pretending to be his aide most of the time. However, Ozpin’s other wing was discovered by somebody (probably Merlot) and his student was killed protecting Ozpin. Afterwards, Ozpin had his wing surgically removed (and from the drawing, cut his hair) and used most of his magic to keep his body functional. However, depression took over and Ozma was the one usually in control when Ozpin was too tired. Eventually, he recovered enough to focus on training the students of Beacon the best he can until he became the headmaster of Beacon. Then he met Qrow again.

Oscar with Ozpin and birb!Ozpin

Although Ozpin lost and was dying painfully by being burned alive, he refused to let Ozma take control b/c he knew how afraid Ozma was of fire. Ozma’s desperate attempts to save him resulted in their death and unusual reincarnation in which Ozma and a piece of Ozpin’s soul woke up too early in Oscar. It was too early for Ozma so Ozpin ended up guiding Oscar against the clock b/c of how dangerous everything is after Beacon’s fall and his death and Ozma fell asleep for a while to recover. The reality of his death was pushed to the side as Ozpin tried to adjust to everything and control his boundaries with Oscar. However, after Jinn and Ozma’s traumas influencing him as well his Qrow’s rejection, both Ozpin and Ozma fell into a vortex of depression and self-hate and shut themselves away from Oscar to protect him.

After the Oscar ran away from the group in Argus, he kept desperately trying to contact Ozpin, and accidentally caused a fusion of magic and aura when he dived into his own mind/soul and summoned a guide to help him. That guide turned out to be teenaged!Ozpin when he had both of his wings and was more confident in his skills. Not to mention, he was a bit mischievous as well since he liked using subtle magic tricks to trick Salem and her group in the past. Oscar didn’t realize this was Ozpin at first and until they started going through the memory sequences of Ozpin’s life to reach Ozma who was struggling with his traumas, plus accepting Ozpin’s death/memories.

A/N: Sorry, this is as much as I can keep straight in my head. Some details are still shaky and this is mostly self-indulgent stuff but I think it’s as close to canon as I can keep it considering there’s pretty much almost nothing known about Ozpin himself. There are also details or events missing/not written down b/c the original drawing post would have more but I don’t remember right now.

I hope you and others enjoy this backstory that I’ll try to convey. I didn’t go into Team STQR years, Post Team STQR years or after Vol.6 stuff b/c I’m either still deciding on it or it’ll have spoilers for this AU’s plot. (-∀-`; )