#and it has a bad habit of mixing up the moments where it should be clear its the protagonist doing fucked shit

[rxttenfish]

can we please kill the “this character did something problematic!” people already theyre making it very hard for me to talk about actual issues of how narratives are handling characters doing Absolutely Fucked shit or when a character does something fucked but the narrative has some utterly unhinged idea on what’s actually wrong with it or unintentional philosophies that narratives dont mean to have but it ends up enforcing regardless

[sheep-from-rad]

Idea! Neglected bar singer darling.

The joint they sing in is on the very outskirts of Gotham. The bars in the basement of a restaurant.

Its pretty clear darling is saving up money to slowly inch away from Gotham and from there neglectful and sometimes (often) cold family.

So they dress as a Him/femme/them fatale and saunter up to the stage and sing there lil heart out and get both the thrill of all the attention in a room being on them and the money in there tip jar to boot.

Imagine what happens when a clip of darling singing goes fucking viral. (I'd like to think it's would be "be your baby tonight" give it a listen if you want. I like norah jones' cover)

What I'm saying is there is no way any of the batfam would approve of darlings career choice.

I love this kind of asks!~ Requests are now open again but we warned, I'm a snail paced writer T__T This took a while because I have this habit where I write it down first on paper before typing it. Like I make a draft first and reread before typing it to see if I should add more or remove some. First fic about singer reader: here and part 2 here. 😅

**DC characters belong to DC and I don't give permission to feed my writings to AI. Thank you**

Masterlist(Batfam)

Masterlist (All of my other fics)

divider by: @k1ssyoursister

Okay okay, here me out. I know you said secret bar under a restaurant but my brain read the word ‘bar’ and ran away with it 😭. 

You know what this smells like? Scandal and maybe even a disaster waiting to happen too. You know what's a famous bar in Gotham? The Iceberg lounge that is run by Mr. Cobblepot (Penguin) and  is frequented by rogues  such as Riddler. 

Life in the Iceberg Lounge isn't that bad, maybe intimidating at first but it became a small comfort. Mr. Cobblepot lets you keep the tips, the lounge beauties (Raven, Lark, and Jay) are great companies, and workplace harassment? You don't really have to worry about that. If you ever get flirted on or harassed by small fries and drunkards and then rest assured a bigger, scarier person at the back of the crowd will beat the harasser and throw them out. They might be villains but they have standards and harassing the lounge’s songbird is a big no no! 

The clip of the singer reader went viral for a ton of different reasons: (1) The singing and the amount of simps you raked 24 hours after the clip has been posted. I have a headcanon that Mr. Cobblepot will nickname you as either Nightingale or Songbird to fit the crew because the lounge beauties are nicknamed after birds.(2) People can see villains just chilling at the background of the video. Riddler's nursing a whiskey at the counter, Two face is playing chess with Penguin who is multitasking in helping mix some drinks. Hell, even Harley and Ivy are in the background having a moment with the strippers.

(3) Why is Bruce Wayne’s kid at the Iceberg lounge? I have a teeny tiny headcanon that even though the reader was neglected they are still forced to attend galas once or twice because Bruce won't and then it will be like a big media scandal. Also reader's public appearances with Bruce or with the other Wayne children might be low but they still have hundreds of followers. The Wayne name alone is basically a celebrity name because of Bruce being heavily revered by the public. Think of it like nepobaby shit. (4) That stage presence and sheer seductiveness. Being a Wayne, I'm sure the reader was taught etiquette by Alfred and was taught how to dress properly. They are also taught how to behave. However on that vid, you look like you were dressed by the Gotham sirens (Ivy, Harley, and Selena) themselves. All those good boy, good girl, good child stuff are out of the window. If the reader was just blending in the background before and the video is the opposite. It's almost commanding every viewer to look at them, pay attention to them, worship the very ground they walk on, and love them! At this point just expect simps. 

The family loves the video but at the same time they also hate it. They had their copies downloaded and saved and then they'll immediately task Barbara into scrubbing the video off of the internet but it's too late. The video has been re-uploaded to hundreds of different accounts and some  news outlets had already published articles about it. The articles ranged from sweet ones like praising the reader for their awesome stage performance and singing to downright insane clickbaits like ‘Bruce Wayne secretly allied with Gotham rogues?’ 

The whole thing is very stressful and I pray to the DC gods that Bruce Wayne is very healthy because this guy's blood pressure might as well go high up. Imagine trying so hard to keep up with the ditzy playboy public persona to hide your vigilante secret identity only for your kid to be filmed singing and being cozy at the Iceberg lounge. Not only that! You also placed yourself in danger too! It's not a secret that a lot of rouges knew Batman's real identity (Joker knows it, he just doesn't care. He's so cool for that). Sure they don't attack Batman when he's Bruce and sure they are a sweet pseudo-family to you right now but who's to say that they won't use you when push comes to shove? 

While Bruce deals with the media, Barbara and Tim work on the damage control and tracking every video, expect heavy guilt tripping and interference from Damian, Dick, and even Alfred (in his defense, he wants you safe and will only ask for you to get a better job or at least work in a place not frequented by villains). Dick will be actively poisoning the well. He'll make you sit down and read the crime archives with him (starting from the heaviest crime down to the pettiest crime) and will tell you stories about their encounters with each of them. Damian will try to keep you from getting to work and will try to keep you in your room if you haven't moved out of the estate. He'll ask you to go around with him, feed his pets with him and even asked you to watch him train (he doesn't know how bonding works, please be understanding). If you had left the estate and then expect him to show up and walk in your place like he owns it. He's one of those cats that you feed once and then suddenly shows up and won't leave you alone anymore. 

Oh, you still won't come home? You still wanna continue that dangerous job of yours? Pick your poison then. Do you want them to call Jason to get to the bar and take you home, knowing him some heads will sure go flying. Or do you want the family to stage a stakeout, infiltrate the bar, and capture and lock up all the villains forever. Go on, go choose. 

[bloodsbane]

what i love about laios is that he's actually very good at putting puzzle pieces together BUT HERE'S THE THING 1) he needs to HAVE the information, and 2) (this is important) he needs to KNOW it is information he should care about

and i think this could be said of anyone but the thing with laios is that people tend to view his lack of awareness wrt social etiquette and memory problems as pure indifference and/or obliviousness; sometimes they misinterpret his motives based on their inaccurate expectations of him and therefore don't give his thoughts on a subject the credit he deserves

one of the most obvious examples of this happens at least twice in the manga as i remember it, but the most recent incident was when they were trying to resurrect falin. there's a moment where laios mentions reconstructing both of the warg skeletons, as their bones are mixed in with hers. both chilchuck and senshi balk at this, with chilchuck complaining aloud, questioning laios' priorities,

and laios quickly, angrily retorts. his reason for making the suggestion is perfectly logical and practical, but because his friends are used to his interest in monsters influencing his judgement, often in ways they see as frivolous or dangerous, they don't come to the same conclusion. one which i'd argue is kind of obvious considering the situation

we see it again during his fight with toshiro, where toshiro demands to know what laios plans to do to save falin. laios takes a minute to answer, but he DOES answer, following the logic that if falin is a chimera because of (and controlled by) the mad mage, then the logical next step is to confront/defeat/usurp them

then in the following episode, when chilchuck brings it up again, laios explains what he (now) knows about thistle, mentioning that he's the same elf that laios saw in the living paintings, which is why he knows thistle's connection to delgal. the party reacts like this:

i'd say this is an example of them feeling frustration over laios' habit of having 'bad timing', not knowing when or how to speak at appropriate moments. theyre judging him for not saying something earlier, as if he already knew all this but didn't think to mention it when it was relevant, when the reality is that laios only just now had all the pieces he needed to understand the full picture

and i mention this bit specifically because i think it's a great way to explain what i mean by point 2: laios needs to know when information is important and worth considering

which, again, feels fucking obvious. but as someone who ALSO has debilitating issues with remembering important shit, i find this particular element of it pretty relatable and critical to my overall point. it's not laios' fault that he didn't know who thistle was or his significance - why the hell would he assume that a person he met in a living painting, presumably long since dead in reality, should be someone who's face, name, or motives he keeps in mind?

ultimately, i guess what i'm trying to say with all this is that the way others treat laios' intelligence is not congruent to how actually smart he is. one of the things i love most about laios, what is possibly his biggest strength and the reason he is such a great protagonist, is that laios is willing to think things through and find the most logical conclusion to a problem, no matter how outlandish or dangerous or seemingly impossible that conclusion may be. sister got eaten? race back down to go get her. can't afford food? fight, defeat, and eat dangerous monsters. sister's fully digested? use black magic to bring her back. now she's a chimera? defeat the mage controlling her and use that power to fix it.

anyways. what was even my point with this post? i guess it is that laios is smart, at least as smart as anyone else in the cast, arguably smarter than some. he is intelligent and utilizes that intelligence in many ways, not JUST when it comes to monster info (though that is his best and sexiest brand of knowledge)

and also please be nice to your friends with memory problems. it's rough out here for forgetful bitches

[whxtedreams]

Forgetful Love

A Joel x reader birthday oneshot

Summary: she wasn't surprised that he forgot her birthday. Considering the weight he carried on his shoulders, it was a given that it would slip his mind. But she knew that Joel would make it up to her, as he always did.

Word Count: 3.1k

Tags: Birthdays, forgotten birthday, joel just trying to do his best, sad!joel, sarah and tommy mentioned, fluff, hiking trip, reader has she/her pronouns, third person POV

Main masterlist

Joel Miller has a very bad habit of forgetfulness.  

It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could not quite shake the inclination to forget important details. Whether it was a scheduled appointment, Sarah’s sleepover parties at his house, or even where he last left his keys, the man’s memory often failed him in the most inconvenient of moments.

His mind was constantly overloaded, buzzing with endless to-do lists and responsibilities. It was a never-ending whirlwind of tasks, each demanding his attention and care. No wonder he often forgot things—there was simply too much information swirling around in his head. She could see it in his eyes, could almost hear the gears in his mind grinding as he tried to juggle everything.

So really, she wasn't surprised that he forgot her birthday. Considering the weight he carried on his shoulders, it was a given that it would slip his mind. She understood that his forgetfulness wasn't done out of ignorance or indifference, but merely a result of being so caught up in the chaos and commotion of life.

The day was spent in the quiet haven of her kitchen, where music played softly in the background, filling the air with a soothing, familiar melody. The rich, sweet aroma of chocolate cake hung in the air and the taste of a cool, sweet, iced coffee on her tongue.

When the cake had cooled and iced, the turntable played static at the end of the record and the ice coffee turned warm, Joel texted.

A lot.

Joel: i am the worst person on earth Joel: sarah waited until NOW to remind me Joel: not that its her fault. thats all on me Joel: i fired her as my mini assistant BTW Joel: happy birthday Joel: im sorry Joel: i love you Joel: im coming over now

The texts from Joel, no matter when they arrived, brought a soft smile to her face. Whether it was at 12am this morning or as the clock ticked over to tomorrow, she couldn’t bring herself to feel upset.

She could picture the scene that more than likely unfolded in her mind. She imagined Sarah casually mentioning the forgotten day as Joel strolled through the door, his keys slipping from his fingers as he panicked. Then, a stream of swears escaping him as he frantically searched for his phone, only to realize it was still in his truck, where he had left it after a long day’s work. And to top it all off, his phone was, predictably, dead because he had forgotten to charge it… again.

She couldn’t help but chuckle as she thought about how the scenario was bound to play out. Deep down, she knew that forgetfulness and chaos were just a couple more quirks in the man she loved. That’s why she had already taken the initiative to order takeout, ensuring that even if the day didn’t start perfectly, it would at least end the way it should.

As she stood in front of the table, the evidence of her efforts laid out before her—the homemade cake and the take-out food neatly arranged and plated—she couldn't help but feel a mix of affection and amusement.

She took a quick photo and sent it to him in response to his texts.

*photo attached* Don’t stress!

Ten minutes after she had sent the picture, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the apartment. Joel had finally arrived and she could hear the soft shuffle of his feet as he made his way inside. She waited expectantly at the dining table and watched as he strode around the corner, flowers in hand.

Flowers from his garden.

He trudged towards the table, his shoulders drooped in a mix of defeat and disappointment. The bouquet of flowers in his hand sagged slightly as he approached, and he stopped just short of the table. His eyes met the food laid out before him. "I should have been the one to do all this for you," he mumbled, his frown deepened with guilt.

She attempted to ease his guilt; her voice soft as she spoke. "It's okay," she assured him, watching as he sank into the chair at the table. But she could see from the guilt-ridden expression on his face that he wasn’t convinced, his eyes downcast as he settled into his seat.

She gently took the bouquet from his hand and brought it to her face, inhaling deeply. The sweet, familiar scent filled her senses—a fragrance that reminded her of both him and his daughter. It was a warm, comforting smell, like a snapshot of their lives together. Smiling into the petals, she held the flowers close.

“These are really pretty.” She said.

“Sarah picked them, wrapped them up for you,” Joel's voice was soft as he spoke and just as her fingers traced the delicate petal of a flower, he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small box and placed it on the table, “even made you this.”

Her smile widened as she carefully opened the box, revealing the origami animals inside. One by one, she took them out. Her laughter filled the room as she admired each one. The origami creatures were a little wonky and uneven, but they were endearing in their imperfection.

“Can see she’s really taking those books I got her seriously.”

"Got a real talent for it. Everything she picks up, she does it perfectly.” As Joel spoke, his fingers fidgeted with the strap of his watch. A frown etched deep on his face.

Her intuition picked up on the nuance behind his words, and she couldn’t help but notice the undercurrent of comparison and self-criticism in his tone. It was clear to her that Joel struggled with feelings of inadequacy.

She placed the origami down beside the flowers and reached gently across the table, her hands enclosing his fidgeting ones. Her voice was soft and reassuring as she spoke, offering comfort and support. "She gets it from you," she said. "Her determination, her talents—they come from you. You've given her the building blocks to excel. You're not the failure you think you are, Joel."

“I forgot your birthday.”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“I should have taken you out for dinner, bought you gifts and made you feel special. Instead you bought your own dinner and cooked your own damn birthday cake.” Joel let out a deep sigh, his eyes met hers as he pressed her hand to his lips and placed a gentle, tender kiss on her knuckles.

Her words were soft and sincere as she spoke, her eyes meeting his. "You always make me feel special. Just being here is enough." she confessed. A smile tugged at her lips as she added, "And let's be honest, I make a damn good cake. I would have done that anyway." The lightheartedness in her tone elicits a laugh from Joel, his head shook in amusement as he dropped her hand.

A soft sigh escaped his lips. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards; a tender smile formed as he looked at her.

He nodded, conceding to her words with a mock reluctance. "Yeah, alright," he huffed as his gaze shifted down to the spread of food laid out before him on the table.

As she stood to take the flowers into the kitchen, Joel continued, "I've cleared my plans for next weekend," he said, a note of excitement in his voice. "We're going to hit that hiking trail I've been talking about. It's got a real nice river and views."

She chuckled to herself as she filled a vase with water and placed the flowers inside, their vibrant colors adding warmth to the room. Hearing his mention of the weekend plans, she decided to tease him a little. "I actually already have plans," she called out from the kitchen.

As she returned to the dining table, carrying the vase of flowers in her hands, she noticed the disappointment etched onto Joel's face. His expression mirrored a mixture of surprise and a touch of hurt, realizing that she had other plans for the weekend.

Without him.

She set the vase of flowers down in the center of the table. Then, she took her seat across from him. Her movements were slow and deliberate, prolonging the anticipation. A playful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she met his gaze.

She began to dish their dinners and she smiled to herself as she spoke. "You see," she began, her tone lighthearted, "there's this guy who forgets everything under the sun." She paused, letting the words sink in as she met his gaze, a playful sparkle in her eyes. "I had a feeling he would forget today. That he'd be all mopey about it and try to make things up by taking me away for the weekend. So, I already planned to spend my weekend with him."

Joel's eyes settled on her and his smile radiated with adoration. The look on his face was almost reverent, his gaze softened with love and appreciation. The corners of his lips tugged upward and his heart felt fuller than ever before, grateful for her understanding and patience with him.

“I love you, you know that right?” He asked.

 Without hesitation, she responded, her voice filled with unwavering certainty.

"I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life."

Hand in hand, Joel led the way as he guided her along the path. Her gaze, however, was fixed on the ground at her feet. He had teased her multiple times, telling her that she was missing out on the scenic views by looking down all the time. However, she couldn’t help it—the fear of tripping over a rock or root made her keep her focus on the ground.

He had helped her regain her balance each time, his hand steadied her as she stumbled. But by the fifth time, the teasing ceased. Replaced with a more protective, watchful gaze.

The afternoon sun was high, casting a warm glow over the landscape as they reached the river. The grass beneath their feet was soft and lush, and the tall trees provided a shady canopy overhead. The air was filled with the melodic tunes of birds, singing their hearts out, while playful rabbits darted amongst the colorful flowers.

She was at a loss for words, her eyes widened as she absorbed the breathtaking view around them. As he released her hand and continued walking, she stayed still for a moment, mesmerized by the natural beauty of their surroundings. It was only when he placed a blanket on the grass and began unloading food from his bag that she snapped out of her reverie, drawn to join him.

The sunlight glinted on his skin, and his eyes sparkled with mirth as he looked up at her, a wide smile stretched across his face. "I had to fight off Tommy this morning," he chuckled, a hint of playful exaggeration in his voice. "He came over hungover and drooled at the sight of all the food.”

She laughed and took her seat beside him. The contagious nature of his smile spread to her own lips.

They sat beside each other; their shoulders gently pressed together. Their conversations flowed easily against the backdrop of the rushing water and the gentle breeze. Their gazes danced back and forth between the flowing river and each other's eyes. An intimate atmosphere filled with stolen glances and warm smiles.

Joel's voice broke the comfortable silence as they strolled along the riverbank, stomachs full. "I really am sorry," he said, his eyes fixed on the water's edge as they walked together.

She moved closer to him, their fingers laced together as she gently nudged his shoulder with hers. A soft smile graced her lips as she hugged his arm. “I know." she said, her voice gentle and understanding. "But I was never upset with you."

“You should have been.”

“Would you have been upset if I forgot your birthday?” She asked.

“Well, no-”

Her voice was soft and comforting as she spoke, her cheek pressed against his arm, her gaze fixed on his face. "Then don’t stress yourself over it," she said, a gentle understanding smile played on her lips. "The only person who’s upset about you forgetting, is you."

His smile was subtle, barely visible on his lips as he nodded in acknowledgment of her words. There was a hint of relief in his eyes, as if a small burden had been lifted.

“I just want to do better by you.” He sighed, a shrug of his shoulders.

A buzz in her pocket grabbed her attention, pulling her gaze away from Joel and onto her phone. She pulled it out and stared down at the screen, her focus shifted from the man beside her to the message on her phone.

Sarah: Tried calling dad. Phone’s dead AGAIN. Got me thinking the two of you have fallen down a cliff or drowned or something. Sarah: also can you ask him to get juice on his way home PLEASE? Tommy drank it all

 She shook her head; a small huff of laughter escaped her lips as she glanced up at Joel.

Of course his phone was dead, she thought.

“How about we take small steps to being better, and I know just how to start you off.” She said as she poked his arm.

He hummed.

“And what would that be babe?”

“Charge your phone, Sarah thinks you’re dead.”

Joel cursed under his breath. His expression turned into a frown as he patted his pockets. He muttered that he must have left his phone back at the car.

Her lips curled into a smile as she stealthily lifted her phone and snapped a picture of Joel, capturing his grumpy expression as he searched for his missing phone.

She sent the photo to Sarah.

Here’s a photo of your very much alive dad realizing that not only is his phone dead, but back in the car. Sarah: He’ll never change Sarah: I love him.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she read Sarah's message. A pang of affection and adoration filled her chest as she gazed back at Joel, still on the quest to find his misplaced phone.

She slipped her phone back into her pocket and reached out, taking hold of his hands. His grumbling continued like a low murmur in the background, the annoyance at having forgotten his phone still fresh in his mind. In response to his frustration, she gently but firmly gripped his hands, bringing his attention back to her.

Her voice was soft but firm as she told him, "I love you so much." She meant it with every fiber of her being. She loved his flaws, quirks, and imperfections with unwavering affection. She loved him completely, without reservation and with every ounce of her heart.

His response was sincere, his voice filled with warmth and affection as he replied, "I love you too." There was a visible shift in his demeanor as his shoulders relaxed, a weight lifted from the weight of his disappointment. He held her gaze, his own eyes met hers, and in that moment, she knew he saw the depth of her love reflected at him.

Despite his repeated forgetful blunders, no matter how many birthdays he managed to forget, she knew that as long as he loved her, she wouldn't hold it against him. She understood that his forgetfulness didn't diminish his feelings for her. In fact, his efforts to make it up to her only strengthened her belief in the depth of his love. It was a testament to their connection, a reminder that even if he weren't the perfect planner, his love was unshakable and unwavering.

She was sympathetic to his guilt and the weight of disappointment when he let others down. She knew how much he prioritized making the people in his life happy. That's why it was impossible for her to be upset with him. He was trying his best, and that counted for everything in her eyes. She understood his innate need to please others, and she would rather support and reassure him than hold his forgetfulness against him.

Because she loved him with everything.

And he, loved her more.

EXTRA

SARAH POV

Sarah had written the date on various notes and stuck them around the house where she knew he would see them. He didn’t see them, oblivious to them, actually. She thought sticking one on the coffee machine was the perfect place, but she should have known that her dad would miss his alarm again and end up getting a coffee on the way to work instead.

She had set an alarm to remind him in his phone too, only for his phone to be dead before he even left for work. 

She instead spent her Saturday picking flowers from their yard and bundled them into a bouquet for when her dad got home and began to freak out. She made little origami animals and left the box next to the flowers on the dining table and waited for her dad to get home.

He had come home that night, a deep sigh as he walked through the door. She didn’t need to see him to know what his face looked like when she called out it was his girlfriend’s birthday today. She heard him swear, heard his keys drop to the floor and the telltale sound of him patting his pockets to find his phone. She heard him swear again and then the front door opened and closed. She smiled to herself when he ran into the kitchen, mumbling that his phone is flat and asking her where a charger was as he digs through a bits and pieces bowl on the kitchen counter. Sarah casually held the charger in her hand and he thanked her five times. She pushed the present she made and the flowers and she could see the guilt in his face as he took them. He promised he would take her out for dinner and that movie she’s been nagging him to go see with her. 

She texted Tommy if he was free to hang out with her next weekend because she knew that her dad would take his girlfriend out for a weekend away– she had been purposefully talking about that hiking trail after all. 

And when her dad’s phone went straight to voicemail while he was away, she knew she should have found his phone and put it on charge for him. 

She didn’t mind doing any of this, they were a team after all.

Notes:

hehe it's my birthday, big old 24!

[ericshoney]

Vaping ~ Brothers!Sturniolo Triplets

Summary: Since your brothers have been away in LA, you've started to mix with the wrong people, resulting in you picking up bad habits, your brothers soon find out about.

Warnings: swearing, vaping underage, shouting, crying, talks of bad friends, random names of friends, talks of bad habits, angst with a happy ending

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Nick, Matt and Chris moved to LA you found it hard. Justin obviously had his own life too, so it was strange not having any of your brothers around. Not having them around meant you struggled a lot, resulting in falling into the wrong group of friends and picking up bad habits.

The worst habit you picked up was vaping. Your parents didn't know that you kept it a secret. You would often sit by your window so your room didn't smell or hide behind school when you did it there.

That's where you were now. Standing behind the school building with your friends. You were vaping as you listened to your friend Jennie ramble on about your maths teacher.

"He's a fucking asshole, said I should start thinking of my future, like dude, I'm only sixteen!" She exclaimed as she puffed on her cigarette.

You laughed and kept taking hits of your vape. You then got a message from your mum saying there was a surprise at home for you.

"Well school is nearly over, I'm going to start heading home. See you later." You said to your friends.

They said their goodbyes as you slowly walked home. You took a few more puffs of your vape before hiding it in your pocket. When you walked into the house, you heard various voices.

"I'm home!" You called.

You then walked through to the kitchen and your eyes went wide as you saw Nick, Matt and Chris. They had called you over the weekend and when you asked when they would visit again, they answered with being unsure as they had loads of work, but now they were standing in the kitchen.

"Hey kid!" Matt exclaimed.

"Hey, your home!" You cheered, rushing to give them each a hug.

What you didn't think about at that moment was the smell of your vape. You only liked the sweet ones, but your brothers had good scenes and had been to a few classic LA parties, so they could smell a vape, alcohol and cigarettes from a mile away.

"New perfume, kid?" Chris asked you.

"Um yeah, trying something new." You lied, trying to drop the subject quickly.

Chris nodded and looked at Matt and Nick, who both looked suspicious too. They didn't say anything and thought to talk to you later.

You all chilled for a bit, you getting anxious as you felt the need for a vape break. Dinner soon rolled round, which distracted you for a bit, as you listened to your brothers tell you more stories from LA.

When you finished, you went off to your room. You sat at your window, vaping for a bit, when suddenly Nick, Matt and Chris burst in, catching you in the act.

"What the fuck kid!" Nick shouted.

"Shit." You mumbled, placing the vape down.

"So it's not a "new perfume", is it?" Chris called.

"I....No." You admitted, lowering your head in shame.

"Sit down. We clearly need to talk." Matt said, pointing to your bed.

You sighed and sat down on your bed, Nick sitting next to you as Matt sat on your desk chair and Chris stood up, pacing slightly.

"Let's start off simple, sweetheart. This has got to stop." Nick said, pointing to the vape.

"I know." You said.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"I...I just fell into bad habits. I started vaping mostly, if my friends had a party, I would drink. I know it's all wrong, but it was a way to cope." You confessed.

"Cope with what, petal?" Matt asked.

"Missing you." You answered, tears falling down your face.

The three shared a look, all feeling upset for you. They knew you missed them, as they missed you too, but didn't think anything like this would ever happen.

"Jennie started it, fuck I know I shouldn't have agreed to hang out with her, but I was desperate." You cried.

"Who's Jennie?" Chris asked.

"My friend. I met her last year, she has a few friends, some of which are out of school, she smokes and drinks. Fuck I'm such an idiot I should have never agreed to hang out with her. I'm such a dumbass." You answered, tugging at your hair in anger.

"Hey kiddo, calm down. Take a deep breath." Nick whispered, taking your hands gently, holding them in his own.

"What we're going to do is talk to mum and dad. Will they be angry? Maybe but if we explain everything, which we will be right by your side to do, it will be okay." He said.

"Will you promise to stop?" Matt asked.

"100%, I need a new way to cope." You answered quickly.

"We will help you, okay sweetheart." Nick said, making you nod.

"You could come back to LA with us for a while. You need a break." Chris suggested.

"For real?" You asked.

"We can talk to mum and dad, but I'm sure it will be okay." Nick responded.

You smiled softly and knew it would be hard, but your brothers were there to help you.

[neonganymede]

Do u have any poly DoA headcanons you'd be willing to share with us plebeians? :3c

Do I have any poly doa headcanons I'd be willing to share????? You fucking bet I do~! Putting this under the cut because I got a little excited~

Nikolai is a classic blanket thief, but he doesn't steal the blankets for himself. He steals them for Fyodor, groggily making sure that Fedya is nice and tucked in so that he doesn't get cold during the night. This usually means that Sigma gets cold at night, and the only way to guarantee he'll get any sort of blanket coverage is to sleep in between Nikolai and Fyodor. Fyodor mentions that this arrangement was likely Nikolai's goal all along, but Nikolai refuses to comment on the matter.

Separately, all three of them are perfectly capable of cooking or baking without causing any sort of catastrophe. And together, Fyodor and Sigma work rather well together in the kitchen. The moment Nikolai enters the mix, all hell breaks loose. Not because Nikolai is bad at cooking. On the contrary, he's quite skilled in the kitchen, particularly at baking, but he can't resist causing problems when it's all three of them. After all, Fyodor and Sigma just look so cute when they're irritated at him, so how can he resist?

Nikolai never stops moving. He's always dancing or swaying or using his hands to fiddle with something. He's better at controlling himself when he's cuddling with Fyodor, who tends to prefer stillness when he's relaxing. With Sigma, Nikolai is always playing with his hands or pulling him into his lap or even braiding his hair. And when he is ready to settle down, it's that much easier to snuggle up with Fyodor once he already has Sigma in his clutches.

But when Nikolai's not in the mood to cuddle, Fyodor is quick to steal Sigma for his own gains. He's always cold, and Sigma's always hungry for affection. Even wrapped up in a blanket burrito, Fyodor is the most comfortable when he has Sigma close to steal his body heat to cozy up with <3

Sigma always keeps a small first-aid kit nearby. Nikolai tends to be destructive, both to himself and to their home, so he likes to be ready for whenever Nikolai inevitably hurts himself. He also keeps an eye on Fyodor, whose habit of biting through the skin of his fingers worries Sigma more than he would ever admit. Fyodor gets a little annoyed; why waste a band-aid when he'll likely need another one within the hour? But he finds Sigma's determination cute, so he lets himself be fussed over from time to time.

Sigma lived a sheltered, lonely childhood, so Nikolai makes it his goal to fill their daily lives with enough excitement to make up for it. This includes celebrating everything. He has a calendar, and it's difficult to find a week where every day isn't circled for one reason or another. From the smallest of anniversaries ("Look, Sigma! Six months ago today, you left the water running and flooded the kitchen!" "Why the hell are we celebrating that!?") to foreign holidays that they've never heard of ("Happy Fourth of July!" "Put the fireworks down, Kolya!"), Nikolai is determined to make a big deal out of it all. Sigma goes to Fyodor for help, expecting him to be the voice of reason capable of convincing Nikolai to stop. When he learns that Fyodor is the one providing Nikolai with the names of all of these random holidays, Sigma's not sure why anything surprises him anymore.

I should probably stop there before I end up rambling forever ^^; but thank you so much for asking!

[oleanderbailey]

The Dinner Party of Adolescence

An internal monologue from Ives Gannet, the main character of my WIP novel Into The Vortex. Ives, the soon-to-be serial killer nicknamed the Portland Maneater, reminisces on how she chose to let her putrid nature develop back when she was still capable of stopping it.

1323 words // 6.5 minute read

Not a recommended read for those sensitive to mentions of sexual themes, murder and child molestation.

The only times I’ve felt true desire were those moments just before sleep. That’s the time most people tend to drift into yearning, right? They lay in bed and think of sweat-covered, glistening bodies and masturbate their worries away until they fall asleep. I do things a little differently.

My way of experiencing nightly desire seems to be less practical than the normal way, but that’s usually the case. These trains of thought never lead me to happy places – instead, to a tear-stained sleep and a jaw so tense it hurts in the morning. I don’t think of shirtless men with rippled abs or bikini-clad women, yet, I still find something to long for. I long for the desperate yearning of memories. I long to look behind me at everywhere I’ve been, and scramble back towards it, clammy hands reaching for the good that supposedly so heavily riddled my past. I long to be able to trace my winding trail of footsteps through the scenes I’ve seen, the homes I’ve lived in, the people I have loved, all the way back to my first everything – without feeling such an intense sorrow.

Even in the most benign-looking places I could visit in my head – break-times at my first school, the quiet walks in the local park, the kitchen of my childhood home – at any little disturbance, the bugs hiding in the cracks and the crevices will scuttle out of their hidey-holes, and I’ll remember. I’ll remember how disease and dirt has infected every experience I call my own. I’ll remember how other children would giggle amongst themselves and point at me as I paced the playground alone, I’ll remember only feeling safe enough to cry in the solitude of the deep woods, I’ll remember how much blood was on the kitchen floor and how I felt nothing when I saw my own mother’s lifeless body. Her head was pointed towards the door when I walked in, her mouth hanging open inhumanly wide, her trademark rosy cheeks a paper-white, eyes merely scattered with the remnants of fear. The fear I should have felt, too, but I didn’t.

All I felt was fascination. And then, I’ll remember why instead of lusting after memories, I fantasise about taking a gun and blowing them out of my head. They’re too irregular for me to understand. After a certain point, I stopped walking through life, and instead tripped over and was dragged through dirt to where I am now. I’m too tired to get up.

I don’t know why I’m like this. I just want to lose all comprehension of myself and rebuild my consciousness from scratch, because honestly, I think I’ve fucked up from my first thought. And unless I get a chance to start over, I’ll fuck up until my last breath.

If I were to try and rationalise myself – an admittedly bad habit that I sometimes try to get out of - I’d explain my current state as a consequence of my experience with sex and family and life being fucked up so young, so early into my development that I can’t see any point trying to be normal moving forward, because I never will be. Instead of doing what others do and push down any “forbidden” intrigues or desires, why shouldn’t I just embrace them? I never had the normality that they cling onto, so what have I got to lose?

I understand why so many psychologists jump to theories that serial killers and rapists were molested as children too, even when there’s no direct account to suggest it. It’s such a dark and morbid thing that, to the human brain, it’s only logical that things so vile must have sourced from another evil. To some extent, they’re right. Mixing childhood or trauma with sex can really, really fuck you up - if you let it. That’s the key to it that not many of these psychologists can ever get because they’re talking about experiences they will never have; it’s not as simple as “get molested, become a sexual deviant” with entire inevitability, it’s more like having the option of becoming an absolute fucking freak offered to you at the dinner party of adolescence, whilst everyone else was served “a thing for boys with brown hair” or “a thing for girls making fun of them”. Well, “offered”… you’re never able to refuse it completely.

See, the dish I was served, it had teeth, malice, and a thirst to ruin the life of the prepubescent it saw before itself. Before there was any hope in stopping it, it jumped up from the table and sank its teeth into my flesh. If you were to ask for forceps to rip it out, although the fight and the desperation would be gone, you’re still left with the wound, and then still left with the scar. You’re not truly free from it. But, you are free from the danger you could manifest. You know how to easily keep a lid on it.

Others like me immediately asked for the forceps – they were scared by something feeling wrong in their head and they cried to their parents about it, who quickly whisked them off to a child psychologist who knew what they were doing and knew how to ensure this child’s wounds turned into perfect, shiny scars. Something I struggle with when I look into the mirror each morning is that I liked the feeling of the curse gnawing at the muscle in my forearm. I was intrigued by these thoughts and that I was thinking beyond the trivial hand-holding that my classmates were discussing on the playground. But, most of all, I didn’t care that it wasn’t normal – because I never knew if I was normal! Pushed out of my family, pushed out of any conceivable social group in school, I never had a reference. So, I just never asked for the forceps. Because I didn’t know they existed. I looked at the demon making mince of my flesh and I took it as a fascination.

I know that’s not entirely my fault. I was just a kid – a very, very lonely kid – who didn’t know that her brain was driving on the other side of the road until it was too late. Everything just aligned too well – I was born morbid, I lived in morbid, and was in perfect shape to react to something like the murder in the way that I did. On the other hand, I feel like I still would have loved the way things were going even if I knew they shouldn’t be going that way. I didn’t want to stop this when I could, or to seek treatment when it would have made a difference. There’s no way to know, of course, but after all these years I have never been able to shake the feeling that my demented decisions caused all of this, and if I was a kinder person to myself, things wouldn’t be like this. I chose to be this way.

I am an evil reimagining that my holier self sees in the bathroom mirror each morning. I see her, too. I see her disappointment in what she knows is inside herself, and what she is capable of. To her, I embody filth. To me, she embodies everything I could have been. Just to scare her, I stare into her eyes sometimes until she starts crying.

Being so comfortable with what is vile about myself has led me to reject the parts of me that are wholesome and good. I want that cunt through the water-stained glass pane to wake the fuck up and realise she is already what she is so afraid of being; she has just sugar-coated everything to deceive others and hopes that she will eventually deceive herself. But - she won’t. I know she won’t. Because it didn’t work for me, either.

Purity is fucking overrated.

[kawaiigirly21]

Gem of Olympus pt 2

The very next day made the previous night feel like a bad dream. Usually, upon awakening, Nataha was met with a cold spot next to her due to Ares’ early training habits. That morning however, the moment Natasha opened her eyes, she was met with the soft smile and even softer eyes of Apollo and the warmth of Hyacinth’s breath on her neck with his arms wrapped around her waist. “Good morning darling sister. How are you feeling?” Natasha had simply smiled and leaned into his touch when he put a warm hand on her cheek. “A Lot better. Thank you Apollo.”

Later that morning, as the trio made their way to the hall to have breakfast, Hermes scooped Natasha up into a hug. “I heard about what happened. Are you alright?” Natasha nodded as she enjoyed the warm hug. Once seated, Hyacinth chuckled hearing Natasha’s stomach make clear that it was in need of sustenance. “Hungry are we?” He asked as he smiled. The goddess nodded sheepishly as the servants began to serve breakfast. “Oh good morning everyone! How was your night?” Zeus asked as he and Hera strolled into the dining hall.

Natasha watched in awe at how perfect they looked. The definition of opulence in her opinion. She wanted to know what that felt like. As breakfast carried on with idle and light hearted chatter between the deities, the calm and relaxing atmosphere was interrupted by the late arrival of Aphrodite and the man she was hanging onto so carelessly. Ares. Natasha’s breath hitched as Ares' eyes met hers from across the table. Her heart ready to jump out her chest and she herself ready to take the knife from the table and drive into her neck.

Tears began to bubble in her eyes before she felt a familiar warmth envelope her in its embrace. Looking down, Natasha saw a hand entangled in hers. It was Apollo’s and the hand on her back was hyacinth. “Natasha, tell me, where oh where did you run off to when you left me last night?” Ares smirked as if he was implying some sort of joke. Before Natasha could reply, Apollo spoke up. “She spent the night with Hyacinth and I. She’ll be staying wh us from now on dear brother.”

It wasn’t a mystery that Apollo had mixed feelings about Ares. He was fond of him at times but lately, the pair just couldn’t seem to get along. Every word he had spoken was laced with anger and venom. If words could kill, Ares would surely be in tartarus by then. “Spending the night night with not one but two men? I’m shocked Natasha. Tell me, do you run to a man every time something in your life doesn’t go right? Or is it just your inner whore crying for help?” Aphrodite chided with a nasty smirk on her face.

Maybe it was the comment. Or perhaps seeing the two so close together, but Natasha suddenly snapped. No one saw the knife fly across the table until it landed in the love goddess’ shoulder. Deeply. Painfully. The looks of shock and amusement coated the surrounding god’s faces. “I’ve done nothing but obey you like a proper wife should Ares. But instead of treating me like your love, you run out on me with that whore.” Ares stood from his chair immediately to speak but was quickly shut down by the thunder Natasha emitted.

“I am SPEAKING! You will talk when I am done!” Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus were quick to try and hide their amused expressions but failed quickly. “You didn’t want a wife, Ares. You wanted a servant who would do anything for you without hesitation. You wanted a doll who would sit still and pretty. Well let me tell you Ares, I am none of the sort! I hid my personality so as to not outshine you who has no more personality than horse shit! You will regret the day you crossed me Ares! I am no longer your doll! I am Natasha! Daughter of Zeus and Goddess of the galaxy! You will fear me. So watch your back. Cause I’m coming.”

With a flash of light, Natasha was gone from the dining hall. The gods remaining were either too scared to say anything or too amused to NOT say anything. No doubt what happened would become the news of Olympus for days. Later that day, Natasha looked at her nails as she partially listened to Hera’s complaints on how she conducted herself at breakfast.

“I understand you are upset. But Ares is my son and I do not appreciate you threatening him this morning. However, I will grant you an annulment. I know how it feels to be married and having your husband take advantage of your good nature. Do what you must to announce you are now a free and single woman.” It certainly didn’t take long for her to do so either. With her new found freedom, Natasha found her wedding dress and went to the arena.

With a confident smile on her face, Natahsa laid what was once her most cherished garment on the ground and set it aflame. Seeing the smoke from the arena, Ares, Apollo, and Hermes rushed in only to see Natahsa standing there drinking a glass of wine gifted to her by Dionysus who arrived just before them. “Yes!! Let it burn! BURN!” Dionysus smiled as he watched the dress be reduced to ash.

“Come Dion. All this bruning has got me hot all of a sudden. Wanna help me cool off?~'' Natasha asked seductively as she ran and finger down the wine god’s chest causing him to shiver. “Yes. Yes please.” Walking past the trio, Natasha smirked as her eyes met Ares’. “You burned me. Now watch as I rise from the ash reborn.”

[oddballwriter]

I’m still thinking about love children for reader and different OI characters (specifically Nathan and Anselm sooo…

Wilhelmina Vogelweide (or Mina for short)

She’s definitely a Vogelweide let’s put it that way

Mina is a strange little girl. Not like creepy-little-girl, but she’s strange and vaguely unsettling to be around if you aren’t seasoned to being around her. Think Jane Doe from Ride the Cycle and Emily is Strange mixed together with a light pinch of Wednesday Addams

Anselm gave her a vintage porcelain doll when she was younger and now she carries it around everywhere. Her name is Gertrude, by the way. Mina doesn’t have that clingy separation-anxiety-like bond with Gertrude like most children do with their favorite toy, and will leave Gertrude if an occasion calls for it, and is very aware that she’s just a doll, but she still carries her around the mansion and estate and talks to her. She also doesn’t do the thing that kids do where they frame their thoughts and feelings as if it’s the toys. Ex. “Gertrude doesn’t like this.”. Instead she will sort of use Gertrude as a means to think over something. Ex. “Gertrude, do you think I should play outside even though it’s overcast today? *Looks at Gertrude in silence for a brief moment* You’re right. It might rain and these are my favorite dress shoes, and your curls will undo.”

However, if there’s a cohort of Anselm’s she doesn’t like then she’ll play the part of a creepy little girl for her own amusement. Anselm finds it amusing too and has even had some of the furniture in the mansion made with features where things look like they move on their own so that Mina can say “Gertrude thinks you should leave.”. It’s a bonding thing for them so you let it slide.

You do have some stuff that you’ve implored so that Mina has “normal” social skills. It’s not really anything too major. You just have it that she has playdates with a few kids from various cohorts and other such people that her and Anselm haven’t scared off yet so that she can develop her social skills and also play with kids her own age for a change. She can’t talk to Gertrude and “play with” more like bully Andre forever. And the staff of the house don’t like it when she follows them around while they’re trying to get stuff done.

She does pretty great. She shares, plays fair, and is nice to the other kids but she’s still Anselm’s little girl and you’ve noticed that she’s picked up a few of his (all be it kid-friendly and watered down) habits from what you’ve seen when she plays with her toys alone. Thankfully there’s never been an incident where someone got on Mina’s nerves.

She also has a few more unique interests than most children. Like her interest in diseases and various unsettling human body facts that feel vaguely threatening when she says them. But you just guess that the strangeness just runs in the family.

She does have an actual nanny, but she’s more of a “We’re going to be busy for a bit. Make sure she doesn’t do anything bad or gets herself hurt and keep her entertained till we’re done” along with the occasional overnight babysitting when you and Anselm head off somewhere.

Her nanny is a university student named Taylor who’s just trying to pay for her classes. She thought that being a nanny would be easy and perfectly normal. It is easy since Mina can mostly entertain herself and just needs supervision, but she’s seen some weird ass shit. But hey, at least she’s not the nanny to an irl Veruca Salt and now you and Anselm are contributors for her financial aid.

Athena Bateman

Surprisingly not a snooty little tech brat

Nathan definitely had a basic yet effective parenting strategy but is still very… him

You insisted that the AIs stayed away or had minimal involvement with raising Athena and Nathan begrudgingly agreed to it. He also agreed to move away from middle-of-nowhere, Alaska since you said that she won’t get any “proper” social skills by being there with only her parents and some robots. You had to fight him on that a little but thankfully he caved around her early toddler years just before her development called for interactions with other (real) people. The new house was still rural but as long as Athena was around people it was perfect regardless.

Nathan did program some nanny stuff into the AIs but other than that you and him are her caregivers and parental figures.

She had a good childhood. She had all the toys and things she could want, even inspiring a brief idea in Nathan of expanding BlueBook into having a branch in toys.

She definitely got Nathan’s smarts and skipped a few grades but she wasn’t as snooty about it as her dad is. Shes more like a “Isn’t that neat?” rather than thinking she’s above people

Athena does enter a phase when she becomes a preteen though. But instead of having a “I’m not like other kids” phase, she develops a “I want to be like other kids” phase. Nathan hates it because it’s so different from how he sees the world and carries himself but there is literally nothing he can do. And he hates that too.

Her phase consists of getting braces instead of an Invisalign when her teeth started getting a bit off because “normal kids have braces”, she also insisted that she redo her room to “be more like other kids” (with her own personal flair for course) because the way Nathan had it made from when she was a kid didn’t look right to her (she even called it “A different version of a sad beige house.” to Nathan’s face), and further more snuck into his office and reprogrammed the AIs to no longer have their nanny stuff and basically leave her alone because other kids don’t have AI robots just walking around in their house. She has a point in that and also Nathan was impressed with her work on taking that stuff out that he didn’t reinstall it.

It does cause them to fight a little. You eventually come in and talk with her about it and why she’s so adamant about it. It’s a bit sappy but you help her vocalize that it just makes her feel too different from the rest of her peers and that she genuinely feels weird about it rather than it being a issue with some form of bullying. She genuinely just wants to have a normal teenage life without being “The daughter of tech giant Nathan Bateman”. After that Nathan sort of respects her choices more and lets her develop her own identity with that.

She’s still a huge nerd like her dad though and that’s really sweet. She may have that idea that her dad is “the lamest person on the planet” like most kids do but they have their moments.

She’s definitely going places in her life and you and Nathan can see that and you’re both proud of her and will continue to support her. Even if she’s also developed her dad’s weirdness.

Just last week she programed and made a tiny robot whose only job is to grab her anything that she doesn’t feel like getting up and getting for herself.

It’s really funny. She’s named him Alfred Bot and you’ll be sitting in the kitchen and this tiny robot arm on wheels just rolls in, extends to grab a bag of chips from the counter and a can of soda from the fridge, and roll back into Athena’s room. Could she just ask one of Nathan’s to do that? Yes. Will she ever? No. Never. That’s his one job and she wants to keep it that way otherwise he has no purpose.

[mayiwritesomething]

Love is an Unfamiliar Name (Pt. 9 - Final)

Wordcount: 2,7 k

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

A/N: Hi guys, thank you all for following this series that was quite fun to write. But like everything in life, we’ve got to the end of it haha

Don’t want to give any spoilers about it, besides the fact the reader cries listening to Arctic Monkeys (who has never?), the only thing i’ll say is that we have a quite happy ending, and I hope you like it 💖

I’m thinking about writing some more one shots about them, should I?

>MASTERLIST

———-

Home

The next day was a battle. Your head felt as heavy as lead when you woke up, unsure if it was from the two shots of whiskey or the tears you shed the night before. As you faced the breath of sobriety, you noticed missed calls from Jennifer and Colin.

Upon opening the group chat with the girls, you were met with a flood of messages and chaos. Some were concerned about you (you couldn't even recall the tear-filled voice messages you sent from the hotel), while others were hurling insults at Pedro, and the sober part of you felt bad reading those.

Scrolling through the messages, you came across a selfie Jenny had sent: she and Colin acting silly in front of the elevator mirror with the caption, "Colin says hi!" Despite your own misery, you couldn't help but feel happy for them. After all, you had been shipping these two for years.

As you continued scrolling, a notification from Colin popped up: “Forgive me now. Thank me later.” You were too miserable to comprehend what he meant, so you began tidying up your things to distract yourself. The need to immerse yourself in music to navigate through your cathartic moment and move forward grew stronger. With one month left of shooting, you couldn't afford to be unprofessional.

Opening your suitcase, you discovered one of his sweaters that you had planned to return to him if he were there now. Your Life Sucks playlist transitioned to Arctic Monkeys, and you found yourself lying on the bed, crying and singing, "Do I wanna know? If these feelings flow both ways... Sad to see you go. Was sorta hoping you’d stay…" Through sobs, you muttered, "Oh, my friend Alex... I'm so pathetic, oh my god," as you chuckled at your own disaster.

Still reclined on the bed, time slipped away unnoticed as an 80s ballad filled the room. Suddenly, the doorbell pierced through the melody, jolting you from your reverie. Rapidly, you silenced the song and glanced in the mirror, ensuring you didn’t look like a panda before rushing to answer the door. Why had Jennifer shown up unannounced?

Swinging the door open, you exclaimed, “Hey, early riser! What the fuc—Pedro?” Confusion swirled as you tried to comprehend how he found your place. Jenny wouldn’t have given your location, knowing your temper all too well.

“Hi,” Pedro mumbled sheepishly, “could we talk?”

“Firstly, how on earth did you find me?” You inquired, a mix of curiosity and annoyance evident in your tone.

“I had some help from your Irish friend,” he confessed, scratching his head trying to find the right words—a habit you found quite cute. “Oh, and I brought you some coffee— if you're up for a chat,” he added, his embarrassment palpable.

“Well, I suppose we both have things to discuss,” you conceded, feeling remorse for the events of the previous night but determined to clarify things.

“May I come in?” he requested.

“Yes, of course,” you replied, ushering him inside. He handed you a cup of Colombian dark coffee, your favorite, with a simple "thank you" from you. The atmosphere was oddly civil, considering the circumstances. Though no words had been exchanged yet, it was evident that both of you had let your guard down for the first time.

“Where do we begin?” he asked, his eyes betraying traces of recent tears.

“From the very beginning, where we both feigned indifference and claimed it was merely a casual thing with no strings attached,” you responded, a playful grin tugging at your lips.

"Wow, that was sharp," he quipped with a shy smile.

"Oh no, I'm just trying to be nice, given the circumstances," you remarked ironically.

"Can we just skip this teenage back-and-forth?" he asked, a hint of seriousness in his tone this time.

"Of course, dear. You've done nothing wrong, so you can ask for whatever you want," you said, settling into one of the armchairs in front of him, struggling to contain your sarcasm.

"I'm serious. Let's act like the adults we are. I know I've messed things up, but you're not a saint either, okay?" His Aries pride sometimes grated on you, despite how much he cared.

"Fine my love" you said, unable to hide your sarcasm, a defense mechanism he hated. "You show up at my hotel room uninvited; bring me coffee like we’re all good right after; firstly, treat me like a piece of meat the last time we had sex..."

"I was drunk. I know that's not an excuse, but—"

"You will let me finish before you dare to speak," You were on the brink of losing your composure, and he on the other side kept silent as you continued. "You have no idea how terrible I felt that day, and I still feel actually. And secondly, making assumptions? How many times have I talked to you about my friendship with Colin? I've never questioned any of your friendships—except for Kate, of course, which had my reasons to, and you know it " you chuckled to yourself before growing serious. "I have no problem admitting my mistakes. I provoked you by calling you a friend, which I know upset you. But it all traces back to our last night together. You seemed distant, like I was pressuring you into something you didn’t want to. I don't want to force you to do anything. I understand you have your own struggles, but I want you to understand mine as well." He was paying attention to your words, tears welled up in your eyes as you added, "What the hell are you so afraid of, dude?"

He was silent, but it wasn’t like he was throwing a tantrum; it was more like a kind of desperation, a fear of saying something he felt he shouldn't. “Pedro, talk to me,” you asked firmly. “There is no right or wrong answer; I just want to understand you, and I want you to understand me.”

He finally faced you, it was clear that he was searching for strength to spit it out. He finally said: "I’m afraid that you'll also leave me someday," his voice quivered, his hand trembling. He was visibly anxious. "I said those things to hurt you before you hurt me... because every time things start to feel right between us, it feels too good to be true, you know? I feel, i don’t know…like I don’t deserve it. Throughout the years, whenever I felt it was the right time, everyone…just… they just… left. So why should things be different now?" He held back tears as he gazed at you. "I wanted to be the one to walk away, not the one left behind," he confessed, searching for the right words. "But I… I can… I can’t just walk away from you, and that terrifies me."

You could sense his struggle, and despite your own issues, you were willing to give it a chance to make things clear. Seeing how difficult it was for him to express himself, you decided to do as you had suggested to him earlier: listen.

He continued, "While I want to be close to you, I fear you'll be my downfall. And it fucking hurts baby, it really does hurt. It's not that you're like a bad person, it’s the complete opposite, you're so fucking amazing." Tears streamed down his face as he faced you. "It's a kind of paradox that I can't escape... and you're like a calm presence amidst this chaos. Somehow, I don’t know... You manage to navigate through it… Despite your own issues and fears, you remain unafraid. I wish I could be like that. So I wouldn’t fuck things up and—“ he started crying nonstop.

"Hey..." You rose from your chair, for the first time, witnessing his true and raw vulnerability, a rare sight compared to your usual dynamic. While he was typically uninhibited, you tended to be much more reserved. Kneeling in front of him, you gently grasped his trembling hands, urging him to trust you. "Pedro, please look at me," you whispered, running your fingers through his hair. "Please... just look at me."

"I never meant to hurt you the way I did yesterday. I don't know why I—" he said through sobs.

"Shh, don't speak. Just try to listen," you interrupted, wanting him to find peace. You sought calmness, knowing you handled emotions differently from him.

"I never thought I could feel these feelings ever again—you appeared out of nowhere and… and… disrupted everything I've spent years building." He said it through sobs.

"By that, you mean the walls you've put up around yourself?" You questioned calmly, meeting his gaze. He nodded, tears glistening in his eyes again. Gently caressing his face, you offered reassurance. "I can't judge you. Somehow, you've managed to break down the walls around me as well. Even though you're quite different from anyone I've been drawn to before, you know?"

"What do you mean?" he inquired, trying to understand your words.

"You’re different from everything I’ve experienced—you're a friend, a caring listener, kind, intelligent, humble, funny, a bit stubborn, someone who admires and respects others," you began, opening up. "You're like a ray of sunshine after a storm, embodying everything that I am not."

"But… Why are you saying this?" he pressed, his expression reflecting a mix of curiosity and emotion.

"Because I want to do things differently this time.” You needed to say this. “I’m tired, you know? Not tired of you, I mean, in life in general… I’ve always been the one who kept my needs stored in a little box, waiting for the right moment to show them, and there is no right moment, man…There's no need to waste time hiding our true intentions, no desire to inflict or endure unnecessary pain like we both did to each other," you confessed, laying bare your intentions. “By the way, I’ve spent thousands of dollars in therapy all these years; I must make them worthy,” you added, trying to lighten the mood.

You felt his body relax under your touch, his tension easing. Continuing to stroke his hair, you remarked softly, “I never thought you were this fearful, Pedro. I am afraid too—all of this is new to me… I don't want to lose you or even walk away. But we need to take this leap together; we'll never know unless we try.”

“But... but I really don’t know what to do,” he admitted.

“There's no magic formula here. We were great friends before; now, we've added kissing and sex—amazing sex, I must add,” you quipped, eliciting his first chuckle.

“The way you put it makes it sound so simple,” he observed, visibly lightening up.

“Because it is. We've been seeing each other for months now. Our mistake was pretending it was casual when, deep down, we both knew it wasn't,” you emphasized. As he nodded in agreement, you continued, “Right from the start, we were both scared, hiding behind a facade of indifference like ‘oh cool, I like having sex and spending time with you’. —I care about us, about being with you, the real you. You can be honest with me, Pedro.” You needed to hear this from him. “Do you feel the same way?.”

“ I do. I want to be with you.” He said it once again, trying to find the right words. “You are everything that I always wanted. You are fuckin brave, fearless, wise, and a strong leader with a compassionate heart. You care for people’s wellness, command respect while remaining approachable,sexy as fuck…” You laughed at the small detail. “And you make me feel safer whenever I'm with you—sometimes I wish we had met before," he declared, now cupping your face in his hands.

"Things happen when they're meant to happen, Pedro. Remember how we first met in person? The fucking disaster," you remarked, chuckling softly as you held his hand that cradled your face. "Game of Thrones guy," you added with a smile.

“You should’ve seen your face the moment you saw me,” he chuckled. "Who would have imagined that nearly a year later, we'd be having this conversation?" he pondered.

"Definitely not me," you laughed.

Remaining in your shared moment, you both locked eyes for a few seconds. The tears had dried, and the silence was eventually broken by his whisper, "I'm sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I was an asshole—"

"It was a series of missteps from both sides," you murmured back, drawing closer to him. He instinctively drew you nearer, allowing your breaths to mingle. "Do you want to give us a chance? To try and make things right." Your voice was a gentle caress, melting into the air.

"I do, baby. I really do," he affirmed, cupping your face as he leaned in to kiss you tenderly. The weightlessness you felt after sharing your emotions made this kiss unlike any other; it wasn't a band-aid for past fights but a kiss brimming with genuine emotion. The way he held your face while you grasped his hand, the delicate touch as he guided you to sit on his lap. "I've missed you," he confessed, gazing into your eyes as his hands traced a path from your shoulders to your thighs, sending shivers down your spine.

"I've missed you too," you murmured between kisses. "Well, I mainly missed your body a bit more, if you catch my drift," you teased.

"Are you going to bring that up every time now?" he chuckled, drawing you closer. "I know, that was terrible. I’m sorry."

"Oh, you bet I won’t forget this easily," you agreed playfully.

"Baby?"

"What is it?" You said.

"Don't you think the bed would be more comfortable?" You could feel him on you, so you knew exactly what he meant.

"Yeah, I think... I will start to have cramps in a minute too, I can feel it," you joked.

"And you're the younger one here," he retorted.

"Well, we both know I’m far from young, but at least my back is holding up well," you bantered.

"Fuck you," he countered, lifting you up as he stood to take you to the bed.

"Actually, it's you who's supposed to fu—"

Before you could finish, he silenced you with a kiss. "I'll take care of that," he assured, his lips grazing your neck before returning to yours. "And I'll take my time until you're begging for more," he promised, his laughter mingling with yours. “As you aaaalways do,” he added.

“I like the idea,” you answered, as he now had your shirt lifted and was tracing kisses all over your sternum. As your fingers ran through his hair, he came back to kiss you.

"Baby,” he said, hesitant as you just hummed in response. He then continued looking into your eyes and asked, “Are we like a ‘we’, like me and you?”

"Yes, we are baby,” you said, smiling. "Yes, we are.”

“I’m not saying that just to say, ok?”

“Okay”

“But I want you to know that i…well… i kind of... I… I mean….” he struggled to find the word.

"I love you too," you giggled. "And can you believe I'm the hedgehog here?"

"You're totally a hedgehog; there's no doubt about it, even after all this time," he grinned. "And you, well, you're a real firecracker." He playfully traced your lips with his fingers, making you grin back at him.

"Te amo," he said, hugging you close as you gave him a soft kiss. It was the first time you both felt a new kind of connection, like finding a comfy spot, just like home, that felt just right. After all this time, something you both tried to find was already there, it just took some time for you to see.

Love wasn't just a word for passion; it was a mix of little things that went beyond the butterflies and excitement of seeing each other. These were things you both naturally did even when you were just friends, and it felt pretty amazing.

“And I thank you for bringing me here

For showing me home, for singing these tears

Finally, I've found that I belong here”

[an-angel-in-the-garden]

Szayel and mayuri (seperately ) with a reader who is as weird or weirder then them?

Fluff plz

A fun request. As we had spoken about, I made some changes to be a little more specific then just general headcanons so I hope you enjoy. Buckle up everyone this is a longer post.

Szayelaporro

Szayelaporro is a wild card on a good day, willing to do anything to achieve his goal it's a wonder that the other espada put up with him 

Then you came along, somehow just as weird and a times more concerning just for a very different reason 

Eating hallows is nothing new for an arrancar in fact it's incredibly common but a soul reaper or human doing that is...well unexpected to put it simply 

That's how Sazyelaporro had found you, a simple soul wandering around having come across what was left of a hollow your first thought was to bite

He finds it truly fascinating and wants nothing more in that moment then to learn how your mind works and oh it's nearly love at first sight

Szayelaporro is quick to rush over to you and then more or less demands that you come back with him 

This is not a question or a request yet you answer like its one and that just makes him more curious

" Why though?"  What do you mean why, because I said you would.  " Yes, but why do you need something from me? Will I get anything from coming with you?" Maybe. I haven't decided yet. " Okay!" 

So he brings you back with him and you become a companion

Working with him is an experience that's for sure, he's willing to give in to anything you want, be it an odd experiment solely because it sounds cool or having a bite of one of his fraccions

The latter request honestly got him a little worried but he still let you do it because why not, he also wanted to know what would happen if you ate one 

It was not pleasant tasting and it made you a bit sick 

He laughed at your suffering but still took care of you 

You get to be around for all his tests and such and truly having such an open and curious mind just makes him more excited for experiment time 

A truly reckless couple but man is he devoted to you and anything you want to know he will get answers for

Mayuri

You met thanks to Urahara who, like he had with Mayuri, brought you into the Research and Development Institute as a set of extra hands

What a bad idea that was, in some ways you were worse then Mayuri in other ways you where a delight to keep around

Urahara found it funny you both hated him so much and that seemed like the thing that made you get along

When Mayuri took over after Urahara left the weird not quite friendship continued and grew

He knew you were useful to keep around for as annoying as he thinks you can be Mayuri can admit you're helpful

Everything was fine until he started to learn more about you

Working with you means he has to learn some of your habits and well they are interesting to say the least

Constantly wanting to eat or lick things you should not, poking at already cut open experiments or wanting to mix things you think look nice

Not to mention how often you crouch beside him and just stare until he gives you some kind of reaction

It was annoying yes, hard to deal with but he found it almost unbearable when you weren't around

The weird looks and odd questions mixed with whatever action you choose to take that day become apart of his routine so when a day is missed or you just disappear on some random trip he's left more annoyed than normal

You became a constant he wanted to keep around for more than just scientific reasons for a while he claims the only reason is to make Nemu more productive

Perhaps because of how odd you are Nemu sees you as something akin to a mother, bing far nicer than Mayuri and with how often you both work together she gets attached and Mayuri will use that to keep you around more

Call him out on it, back him into a corner with a bright grin on your face and he'll start to crack, first anger then acceptance if you make it clear you like him

From then on the soul society must deal with the worst couple around, you two fit together great but no ones happy about it

With his love of morbid experiments and your encouragement and equally as morbid curiosities you two are a dangerous but somehow functional pair

And that's a wrap! Here I am once more finding out that writing for Szayelaporro is oddly easy. He's just fun whether he's mean or sweet he's just fun. So I hope this is what you wanted and thank you to everyone who's been waiting for me to upload again! I've got some stuff I've been working on so please look forward to that as well! ~ Lilly

[chaosk1ng]

Isaac Clarke somehow ended up with the Mandalorians again. I swear I didn't mean for this to happen again.

Fuck, I'm back at it again.

Another Star Wars x Dead Space crossover, this time it’s the original thought process! (I lied, it's the original era I had in mind but not the same thought process.)

So Isaac once again manages to get stuck in a galaxy far far away, only this time it's the prequel era, I’m thinking of the Clone Wars era.

If he’s in Mandalore then he could be mistaken for a new type of Mandalorian or knock off version that neither Death Watch or the New Mandalorians want. The True Mandalorians probably would have mixed feelings, he could be an asset but he’s an unknown party that doesn’t even seem to want to be involved and knows nothing about them despite looking like the Wish version of them. Maybe he accidentally gets involved with their plot, honestly I can’t see him helping Death Watch, the only way they could get him to help would be tricking him but not only do I think they wouldn’t want to be associated with Isaac but also because I think Isaac wouldn’t get tricked that easily by them. Then again, he did go to the Ishimura for his dead girlfriend who he thought was alive, but that was because of the Marker’s influence so that’s a pass. He probably would help the True Mandalorians since the New Mandalorians don’t like armor or violence which would suck for Isaac who just committed a massacre. The mental images of a blood stained Isaac appearing in a crowd of New Mandalorians is hilarious.

If he does get involved with all the Mandalorians jazz that goes on then he can do the other stuff after. Now I wanna expand on Isaac and the Mandalorians. Shootdangit. (Yes, I do mean that to be one word, that’s how I say it irl)

So focusing on this now, Isaac could (should) probably be placed before Jaster’s death (romance? No, not again. Stop giving me potential old men yaoi material. It’s not my fault they wear helmets). Man accidentally stops Jaster’s death if he ended up before it happens, but also consider this, if it’s after then Jango is parentless, Isaac is parentless, Isaac can become a bad influence on this kid. I’m not saying Jango should get adopted by Isaac cause they both now have problems they need to deal with at the moment to even think about that type of thing, but Jango picking up Isaac’s habits is funny to think of. Jango just curb stops everything, and learns curses from Isaac which would be headturners in this universe since they don’t exist, but please let someone say fuck. Jaster doesn’t need to die to have Isaac influencing Jango, I think he could get along with Isaac and understand where he’s coming from and why he’s confused and likely panicked. I was gonna say that maybe Isaac could try and fight Death Watch before Jango’s parents die but I don’t want to deal with the effect that would happen so Jango, it’s easier with Jaster since you still keep the connections and all that but also see how much the years have worn on them. Isaac needs someone to help him learn, if it’s between the three factions then the True Mandalorians.

HOLY SHIT I JUST REMEMBERED ARLA

I was writing a part later in this rant and remembered her and had an idea, Isaac saves Arla before meeting Jaster and Jango and basically adopts her, that or gives her to Jaster. I don’t care if Jaster isn’t their dad in either of the canons, he can be if I will it! I have the power over the canon of MY fic/rant, fuck you Star Wars writers! (jk, I love star wars, just not the crap in this Disney era, some was good tho.) Anyway, if Arla just kinda forces Isaac to adopt her or if something that happens subconsciously then both her and Jango can compete against each other about who has the better dad. Isaac is somehow getting by and Jaster has already been raising this boy for years up until now, you would think that Jaster would win but Isaac has some things on Jaster, like his weapons and modules and literally everything he possesses because I am very willing to bring up the crap his RIG can do. He can store information of different kinds, has a navigation system that has both a map and guide to show him where he needs to go and can store things of all kinds in it, he can survive in space with it and knows how long he can last AND not only walk on any surface while in the vacuum of space but also move however he wants. You can argue the Mandalorians can use their Jetpacks to do the same but my man’s abilities have not been hindered, he weapons all still work the same and so do his modules, the only thing holding him back is the fact he has limited air at a time and has only fought the Necromorphs. This is ignoring the other features the RIG has. Fuck you, he can hold his own decently by my standards which admittedly are not that high. Anyway, the sibling rivalry is real, one of them has a dad who was and is seen by them as the Mand’alor and this deeply traumatized man who only a few days ago just wanted to save his (dead) girlfriend.

Anyway, if he meets a different faction, he could meet the Children of the Watch. In my last rant of ideas with him in the Mandalorian, I had him co-parenting Grogu with Din, in this one Isaac can become a parent again but instead of Grogu it’s Din this time. He could either appear with the Children of the Watch a little before they rescue him or he could appear as they arrive to help. Either way, we can get Din getting raised by Isaac and him reluctantly becoming a parent, once again he could teach him curse words, have people say fuck in Star Wars, it’s fucking funny. I can’t see Isaac becoming a Mandalorian but I can see him having either good or neutral relations with them, some would like him and maybe befriend him for his winning personality but others may just like him for jobs they need done. Anyway, he could have connections to the Mandalorians and somewhat raise Din in that lifestyle, maybe just have it influence him so if he really wants to he could become one in the future. I could see him wanting to because they’re the closest thing to Isaac in the fact that they wear armor all the time and are warriors, he doesn’t need to know Isaac is just running on adrenaline while on fight or flight mode. Imagine his surprise when he finds out Isaac doesn’t actually know what makes a Mandalorian and the fact he’s just an Engineer and his one of a kind weapons are just tools he found, Din doesn’t need to find out about the Necromorphs until he’s older, hell maybe not at all. Point is that he could just have an accidental baby acquisition fic with him fumbling and eventually going into hiding as the Empire forms. Maybe we see his reaction to the Great Purge, maybe he helped a few of the few he was close to, maybe he finds out after it happened by a Mandalorian friend he had that he comforts, maybe he helped a few clans escape, maybe he was there and saw so many die, maybe he was hiding as he saw the terror unfold, either way he would be devastated at the amount of people he knew and their sudden deaths. He could help keep contact between clans since he isn’t Mandalorian and doesn’t look like one, either way he would be an asset to them after the Purge.

Another thing I want to briefly mention here is him meeting Revan, not long but just a little thought. If he went to the Old Republic and met Revan then he would be so confused if he stuck with him or had any form of contact with him. I love Revan and all but for someone like Isaac who has no idea what a Mandalorian, Jedi and Sith are he would be confused as hell to meet him, my man Revan has been all three. I just want to see how confused Isaac can get with Revan.

Anyway, Old Men Yaoi time™! I think I just like shipping masked men with masked men but still. Just like the last rant with the Mandalorian, this is just an excuse to have the two co-parent Jango and Arla. Maybe Arla does become Isaac’s kid and her and Jango think that since they’re both siblings and they both have their own dad that it only makes sense if they finalize it by getting them together. Basically they Parent Trap Jaster and Isaac, maybe the other True Mandalorians help or start a betting pool, some could try and sabotage it so they win said betting pool. Isaac could ask some of the parents of the group about tips in raising a child to which some could point him to Jaster if they’re trying to help get them together since he’s raising her brother, or if they’re trying to stall then they either will give him advice or warn him not to ask Jaster since he might become a father for Arla instead of him. I don’t think Isaac sees this as a problem because he knows they both have shit they have to deal with and he’s sure that he can’t be a proper father figure for her and does go to Jaster regardless who could give him good insight. Jaster could already have a thing for Isaac for saving Arla, his son’s sister who they thought was dead, and saving his life either before or after meeting the True Mandalorians, Isaac could’ve barely found them in time to save Jaster, maybe give him some medpacks so he doesn’t die. This could lead to him admiring or respecting Isaac to keep it platonic or have it also cause him to develop a crush on him and eventually develop as they talk more and get closer, add in the fact he’s raising the sister of your son and it’s already a done deal for Jaster, he will be too far gone while Isaac is hesitant as hell. I would like to say it’s one of those ‘Blank fell first but Blank fell faster’ but if they fell for eachother then it’s ‘Jaster fell fast and hard while Isaac is slowly walking down a slope at a snail’s pace.’ or alternatively, ‘Jaster fell fast and hard while Isaac is slowly climbing down like he has acrophobia.’

Anyway, this derailed again, it was originally gonna just be Isaac fumbling his way through the Clone Wars and somehow helping resolve it, y’know like other crossovers that are just fix-its and have goofy interactions with the characters but it once again ended up with Isaac getting caught up with the Mandalorians. You can see how my views changed as I went on. I need to stop, get me out the kitchen, this ain’t what I meant to cook.

[watatsumiis]

Some Pantalone headcanons <3

Some of my personal headcanons for Pantalone below the cut since my dash is flooded with him at the moment (as it should be)

Content warning for intrusive thoughts, mentions of skin/hair picking/pulling, compulsions, possible disordered eating.

Disclaimer: I write Pantalone as having OCD in this, please be aware that these traits aren't shared by everyone who has OCD, this is a set of headcanons that I have made based on personal experience and research, not a diagnostic list or a generalisation.

Pantalone has OCD - though he masks very well and keeps up his cool, unphased charade when around others, spending any significant amount of time around him and observing his behaviours makes it fairly clear.

He struggles quite badly with skin picking especially, his arms and shoulders are marked with faint scars, as well as his face, but he uses makeup to conceal it. This habit is a bit part of the reason why he wears gloves, so that it's harder for him to do so. He can sometimes get snappy with people who try to verbally remind him not to pick, but his anger is more directed at himself than anyone else, he just projects it outwards as a way of hiding his insecurities surrounding his struggles.

He twirls his hair absently, and occasionally may pick at his eyebrows or eyelashes when he's extremely stressed and overwhelmed. Sometimes he ends up with a tangled, matted fringe just because of how much he pulls and twirls at it.

Pantalone struggles back and forth with the way he views people like cleaners and cooks - logically he knows they are their own people, with their own families and quirks, but there's some part of his brain that just can't cope with that. He needs the 'relationship' to be purely transactional, almost clinical in nature - he can't know anything about the people who do those sorts of jobs, or else it just gnaws at his mind and wears on him until he has some kind of breakdown thanks to it. The more detached the worker, the better he copes. He doesn't know the name of his personal chef, or the person who cleans his quarters, and he likes it that way. He pays them handsomely and makes sure they're treated well, but no more than that.

His food needs to be prepared a certain way, by a certain person. He dislikes cooking for himself since it takes an obscenely long time due to the fact that he gets caught up with hygiene. He only trusts a small handful of restaurants, and sometimes he'll send subordinates in to scope out kitchens in places where he'll be staying. If they don't meet his standards, or he has an 'off' feeling about them, he'll bring his own food, which often ends up with him living off of preserves when he's on long trips where he can't bring his personal chef.

Observing closely, a fair amount of his rituals and compulsions can be traced back to his poor upbringing - he's picky with food due to repeated bouts of food poisoning due to poor quality ingredients and cooking conditions when he was young, he can't stand uncleanliness thanks to sicknesses caused directly by bad living conditions, he's strict when locking doors and windows due to repeated break-ins when he lived in a poorer neighbourhood.

He has a 'circular' way of sorting and working on things, he can work on a lot of papers at once, they just have to be in the right order, so he can flit in a clockwise direction through them all, switching seamlessly between each one without getting them mixed up.

Nobody can touch or clean his desk except for him - though it may look 'messy' at first glance, he understands it all perfectly and will know immediately if anything gets moved at all.

He keeps himself carefully detached from most people, he often views non-professional relationships as complicated and messy. He plays up his 'snooty' attitude as a defense mechanism to keep people away from him.

He can sometimes tolerate La Signora's company (after some light 'reconnaissance' missions into her quarters). They have similar tastes in wine, cheeses, and fruits and will sometimes share gossip.

Despite his haughty attitude, all of the people who work under him have good pay and benefits, and due to that, there's often a lot of people fighting over applying to work for him instead.

He always respects everyone equally upon meeting them, no matter their appearance or background - lots of people spread rumours about him being cruel and mean to the poor for the sake of it, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

He often makes large anonymous donations to organisations that he knows are good and trustworthy.

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites.

[skywarpie]

Did someone say baking with your baby? Enjoy some Copia and daughter bonding time.

words: 541

Cooking is something he’s been trying more of recently. He thinks he’s finally mastered baking, so this is the only logical next step. Well that and Copia feels rather bad about how the last time he sort of – kind of set the whole stove on fire. It was an accident! But he still feels shitty about it and apologizes to his partner for it on a near daily basis. 

Copia plucks the baby from his hip where she’s resting, the tiny toy in her hand waving aggressively in his face as he sits her safely on the counter. “Ragazza matta.” He smiles, smoothing her auburn hair down. 

The baby bangs her toy against the counter top several times before deciding she’s done with that. Her tiny eyes focus on the knife block and she reaches a stubby hand out.

“Ai, let's not do that, eh?” He quickly scoops the block into his arms, placing it on the counter that rests on the other side of the room. It earns him an irritated glare (well, as irritated as a toddler can look). He counters it with a forced nervous smile. “Knives are a bit advanced for your age, I think.” Copia knows if someone were to walk in right now they’d call him crazy for trying to justify to an infant why they shouldn’t have knives. He honestly doesn’t care.

“Now,” he claps his hands, rubbing them together in the process. “Let’s make some pasta, si?” Copia hums under his breath (a habit that has gotten increasingly worse since becoming a father) as he gets out all the ingredients and materials he’ll need. He’s only made, actually made pasta a handful of times. Most of those were when he was younger. But he remembers how to do it – he hopes.

It doesn’t take long for him to find his rhythm. Once everything is mixed together he kneads the dough until he feels tiny eyes on him. Copia glances to the side and sees the baby interestedly watching his movements. 

Realizing she isn’t getting her point across, she pats at his arm (a bit too aggressively) and whines. 

“You want to help, eh?” Copia smiles. He tears off a small hunk of the dough and places it in front of her. 

Tiny hands immediately dart for it, smacking and then almost punching it. 

She has the right idea at least, Copia thinks. That’s all that really matters.

They both do this for several moments. Copia kneading the dough he intends to be eaten, while the baby just smacks her’s and throws it against the counter. He should probably tell her to stop but honestly it’s one of the fucking cutest things he’s ever seen, and is reluctant to ruin her fun.

Eventually Copia does finally turn the dough into pasta, going so far as to do the same with his daughter’s blob of dough (though it will not be eaten) to make her feel that she’s done just as good of a job. 

“We make a good team, no?” He boops her tiny nose, flour causing her to scrunch her nose up before sneezing that dramatic sneeze toddlers do. 

Copia laughs and scoops her into his arms. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

[skyward-floored]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but is the "Hyrule can't cook" theme going to play in IAU? Because I think it's hilarious.

Also, (I'm looking far too into this I think) what is his relationship with food as he grows up?

I grew up hungry and sometimes wouldn't eat for a day or so until I was able to get lunch at school. As such, I became a food hoarder. Like I'd let food go bad because seeing bad food was better than seeing no food.

My husband held a bit of intervention after we got married and I learned how to preserve food which helped a ton.

Sorry if that was too much, I'm typing thinking.

It hasn’t been asked before actually! I hadn’t given much thought to that yet, aside from a Father’s Day post I have around here somewhere with them all attempting to cook with... mixed results. I should find that again, hee.

Wild and Malon probably both try to teach him how to cook, but Hyrule just isn’t good at it. They eventually get him to the point where what he makes is technically edible, but the taste... leaves something to be desired, lol.

And it’s not too much! I like to hear people’s thoughts on things. It gets my brain going, and hearing about experiences and things is helpful for developing stuff (even if the experiences aren’t the best. I’m sorry you grew up hungry, that had to have been rough).

Hyrule’s relationship with food... it differs, a little bit. I mention in the fic where he first shows up that he had to get used to eating three meals a day, but that was mostly because he’d been with a group that really didn’t feed him unless they had to. He mostly scrounged for stuff to eat then, and before that he lived on the streets for a bit and really had to just eat whatever he could find.

But anyway, that’s mostly background. I think after he was adopted, it took him time to realize that it was okay for him to eat if he was hungry, and ask for food as well. He probably hoarded/hoardes food “just in case” too— keeps a stash of stuff hidden so that if he’s not fed he has something to fall back on (and he knows his parents wouldn’t keep him from eating, and he knows they have plenty of food, but... old habits die hard).

Ahhh I think that’s it, or that’s all that comes to mind at the moment. Hopefully that answered your questions!

[anime-writing-everything]

How I want to write (and read) the judgment day in fics where it is kayfabe compliant, Rhea/Dom is not and has never been toxic, and Rey Mysterio is a deadbeat (who wants to be better eventually). This is mostly gonna focus on Dom since he’s my favorite.

Also please note, I’m new to the fandom and most of what I know is based off what I’ve found in tiktok, YouTube, and here. But I think I’ve got the general gist of the bigger things about this group whom I’m growing to adore as my comfort group.

Early Life:

One major change for Kayfabe is that in my mind we never know who Dom’s bio dad is. Rey and Angie were having trouble consummating, and one night while they were drinking with Eddie and his wife they all had a foursome. This is around the time the doctors projected Angie got pregnant and since they knew that they had been having trouble it was likely Eddie was the father. They told him and he said they would be great parents, he just wants to be in the boys life. He was given the position of godfather. Eddie straddled the line between uncle and father a lot but Rey didn’t mind that. The custody battle still happens almost exactly how it occurred including the announcement but after the battle it was discovered that the test results were mixed up at the lab and that the results for theirs was inconclusive/lost. Eddie and Rey decided that Dom should decide if they do the test again and Dom says no, that he’s okay with two dads instead. When Eddie dies not long later Dom vows to never find out unless it’s a medical necessity because he doesn’t want to potentially lose that connection. He has a very close relationship to Eddie’s family because they know about the arrangement too.

One of Dom’s major issues with his dad is this battle, he would have told them he would love them both equally if they had just asked instead of fighting over him like a prize on live television. He feels as though they did not consider his feeling at all during this event, especially since their fighting led to him being out in foster care for months until it was resolved and he did not like his foster family (they weren’t nice).

He calls Rey dad/jefe, he considers Eddie papa/padre

He was an autistic/adhd child who has issues such as hypersensitive hearing, moments of being nonverbal, anxiety/depression, texture issues, and more. He went nonverbal during the custody battle for a week, he went nonverbal after Eddie’s death for almost a month.

Other wrestlers who are close to Rey became uncles and aunts of Dom. Edge is Dom’s honorary godfather (note apparently he has 7 does anyone know who they are), Batista and Randy Orton (who is close to Rey in real life) are others uncles who really adore him. All of them help train him to wrestle when he decides to pursue that.

Like Dom has stated Rey had a bad habit of putting work first. He missed many of his children’s birthdays, christmases, graduations, and other school events (such as soccer games) and made up for it with gifts. Rey didn’t realize how much he missed and how much that hurt them until after Dom joined judgment day when Aaliyah got in his face about it.

Speaking of he adores his little sister and his mother, but he’s annoyed that they would always tell him to not bring up his complaints and ruin the few moments they had as a family. He felt as though it wouldn’t be so few if he had the chance to speak but whenever he tried to do it, he always backed down seeing them get upset. He’s an older sibling by nature and he wants to protect them, even from his displeasure.

He had some temper issues in school which caused him to get into fights. He was also relatively smart, but he prefers doing research on things that interest him. He’s the type of guy to go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

When he came to WWE events and Rey wasn’t around, people who had an issue with Rey (other wrestlers/crew/etc) made their problems known to him. He was getting yelled at and threatened at a very young age. He has made his peace about most of it (or at least he thinks he has) but still holds a very big grudge against CM Punk and Brock Lesnar.

He has two guardian angels, his mothers brother (from the ghost story segment) and Eddie, who are literally always watching him and so proud

Pre-Judgment Day:

He was so incredibly grateful to be able to fight Seth Rollins in response to what he did to his dad, but he feels like everyone around him thinks he got the shot because of his dad

In hind sight he should’ve just escaped the cage and won against Rollins but he wanted to prove he could pin such a legend.

He’s protective over his sister, so he knows he really didn’t react well over the Buddie situation but can you blame him

He loved fighting on a team with his dad, those moments will be some of his most treasured moments after he turns on him

His dad has a bad habitat of deciding on their matches, strategies, and even outfits without giving Dom a say. Rey is doing it because he wants to put Dom in the best position he can for when he eventually goes solo but even when several others (Randy, Edge, Aaliyah/Angie) point out he’s stifling his son and making him seem weak/reliant Rey doesn’t listen.

Fighting Judgment Day

Dom feels bad, but secretly he completely understands why TJD betrays his uncle. His uncle is great a lot of the time but has a crazed/sadistic side that he doesn’t trust or like being around.

TJD had no problems with Rey until they realized he was working with Edge. Because Dom is a team with Rey they figured he also knew and was working with Edge. Meanwhile Dom had no idea anytime Edge was coming to help them, and when he started see the pattern tried to convince his dad to stop. It wasn’t any of their business and it was quite literally painting a target on their backs. Rey not listening about this was the start of the end.

TJD realized quickly that Dom was not getting a say in anything and that’s why they decided to try recruiting him. He kept choosing his father, so they treated him like the enemy even though they had no hard feelings against him (this was actually something Dom liked, it made him feel like people were actually listening to him when he made a choice). They’ll also admit not all of their attempts to get him to see their way was conducive or healthy, but they did apologize afterwards and vowed to protect him and never let him get majorly hurt ever again.

He is on the edge over his loyalty for weeks but ultimately decides to join them after Rey sides with Edge after the spear incident and when he finds out Rey is going to replace him as a partner for CATC. He isn’t planning to do more than declare it until his sees Edge wearing a lucha mask during their entrance, that plus not getting to celebrate their victory sets him over and in the heat of the moment he acts. TJD finds it hilarious and back him 100% because they want to prove they trust him and his ideas from the start.

Judgment Day

First thing the group does is sit down and discuss everything that happened so far. Apologies and amends are made. Plans are put into place. They decide that they’re gonna make it seem like they manipulated Dom into everything as a way for him to have an out of the stress of betraying his father gets to him. Dom is only okay with this because he sees the potential of seeming like he’s easily manipulated in future altercations.

He and Rhea are not together right away, it’s several matches later that they discuss it and it takes all of them sitting down again and making sure Dom doesn’t feel pressured/coerced before she even entertains the idea of getting together.

Dom wants to be taken seriously by his dad for all of the past wrongs. He wants his dad to truly reflect on his controlling/deadbeat ways. But things just keep adding up: his dad is unrepentant, doesn’t take his son seriously (he wants to have a fight with his dad and he doesn’t think that’s a bad ask), and especially the spanking on live television has pushed Dom farther away. TJD were pissed seeing that move. When he’s making that speech about his dad being a deadbeat, he starts feeling too vulnerable and decides to talk about the car thing to not bring up how truly hurt he was his dad gave Edge a Lucha mask.

He decided when he joined TJD he wants to change his style up a bit, do less of his dads moves (one because it feels weird/almost dishonorable and two to differentiate himself more) which is why he ends up looking weaker/needing more help.

TJD truly does feel like a real family (he doesn’t know it but Damien/Rhea/Finn only started feeling like a family when they finally had him with them). The other three are super protective over him and want nothing but the best for their boy. They have timers set on their phone to make sure he’s drinking enough water, eating (he forgets to when he’s doing interesting things), and taking any medication he needs.

Dom starts to feel comfortable to explore his identity with them, something that he always thought would disappoint his dad. He loves feeling pretty (dresses or other cool clothes, makeup, etc). Rhea loves helping him shop and do makeup. Currently I have no plans on making him trans just a boy who likes presents more feminine. At most I would make him non binary or gender fluid.

Edge was definitely in his bad mode during their match, which is why Dom was so nervous. But after a few months Edge reaches out over text, and all it says is: “Sorry Dom. Proud of you kiddo. Give your dad hell until he figures his shit out” but that doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on Dom if they ever face off again.

Randy and Dom don’t talk until after the war games match. He comes up to TJD while they’re licking their wounds and when they looking like they’re about to fight him off he turns to Dom, “Hated to do that to you kid, but no nephew of mine is getting special treatment. By the way, give your dad more grief, all of us told him he was going to drive you away and he didn’t listen. He deserves it”

Dom did not like Rhea bringing up Becky Lynch’s daughter during her smack talk. When they left the stage he stayed silent for over two hours. When TJD finally got the courage to ask about it, he explained that it reminded him too much of being his dads collateral damage growing up, but he didn’t want to be unreasonable, ungrateful or unsupportive of his family. The rest of them made sure to explain to him that they would never do anything to make him uncomfortable, that they would always listen to his boundaries, and that they love him. Rhea even apologized to Becky away from the cameras.

That moment when Rhea told Dom that he couldn’t come back if he didn’t win back his title was bluster because she felt like she couldn’t show favoritism/weakness while Damien and Finn were fighting but almost as soon as the group got off the stage Damien and Rhea were apologizing to Dom and telling him how much they loved him/how proud they are of him. Damien felt really bad about throwing him under the bus, and promised to make it up to him. They all are human beings, tempers rise and amends are made.

Dom always felt like he had to be the good kid when he was with his dad, so when he came to TJD and got free range to be a menace to any of their opponents it was like he got back a part of life he missed out on. And TJD will defend him and his menace behavior until death, they see how he lights up when he pisses people off.

He does the ex-con Dom shit as mental warfare to his dad. His dad called the cops on him so he gets to suffer the embarrassment and shame that comes with seeing that.

Of all the people who his dad hangs around with now, he hates Dragon Lee. It just feels like Dragon Lee is a replacement (a respectable lucha son for his dad to finally have)

Dom and Rey (how I would resolve their issues)

Eventually Rey is put up against an enemy like Brock Lesnar who goes too far in a match. Dominik (and TJD) was out there watching under the guise of fucking with his dad but he was really just worried. When the guy goes too far he and the others help Rey avoid serious injury.

The two of them form a temporary truce to work together preferably as a tag team (maybe the enemy is currently one part of the tag team title holders). The two of them win the titles and defend them for a couple of months. During this time Rey learns to listen to his son and let him become a partner instead of his baby. He also starts showing up for him when he’s doing Judgment Day business.

Eventually they lose the title in a way where Rey realizes he’s not getting any younger.

The next week he brings Dom out and announces that he wants to retire. Dom is shocked, but he’s even more so when Rey says that he wants his last match to be against Dom at whatever next big event is coming up. And that he wants to put his mask on the line. Dom is forced to accept by the crowd.

During the build up to the match Rey continues to show up for his son showing that he’s learned from their last team up and he’s not going away anytime soon

During their match the two give it their all, but eventually Dom pins Rey. 1,2, Dom let’s go before 3 shaking his head because he does WANT this to end. Rey and Judgment Day (they still don’t like Rey but respect him and came to be ringside support but not cheating this time) tell him he has to, that they have to finish this. Dom and Rey continue. Dom eventually pins his dad while crying. 1,2,3 Dom wins.

Rey is so proud of his son hugging his son but there’s something else he needs to do. And takes off his mask in the ring, giving it to Dom. He’s not gonna force Dom to become the next Rey Mysterio, but he wants Dom to know that he has earned his mask and that he can carry it with him always (physically or metaphorically)

Dom and Damien

Damien is the most protective of Dom, loves when Dom hides behind him or relies on him

Dom loves having someone taller than him around

Damien loves to read, Dom loves listening to Damien read

Their love languages are acts of service and touch.

Dom and Finn

Finn is like “is anyone gonna adopt this child” and doesn’t wait for a response.

Love languages are words of affirmation and touch (and fighting Rey Mysterio)

Dom and Rhea (slight maturity)

Rhea is a domme and Dom is her sub, but they do occasionally switch if one of them need it.

Dom was not happy about how she reacted to Jey and Drew but she apologized as soon as she figured out he was upset.

Love languages are words of affirmation, touch, and acts of service.

In the cases of Poly Judgment Day

Finn is queerplatonic with Rhea and Dom but romantic with Damien

Damien is romantic with Finn and Dom but queerplatonic with Rhea. He is also Dom’s dom.

Dom and Rhea are obviously still romantic

If they do a Finn betrayal

Finn planned to destroy TJD from the inside, that’s why he joined. He always planned to go back to Liv and AJ

He started getting second thoughts when TJD became a family following Dom’s joining

He was okay when he and Damien got the tag team titles, but when they lost them and Damien took the WHC title/didn’t want to get their titles back he started growing resentful of their family. He feels like he is taken for granted and overlooked.

That’s when he got back into contact with Liv

He takes JD McDonagh with him because he never felt as much like family (because of Damien)

His only regret is that he betraying Dom, and he truly loves Dom