#and there are others but like too lazy to tag them all

[singlenessofaim]

Thing is, some of the people you mentioned (Cope, Jarrett, or even really members of the Hurt Syndicate) don't really need a rehabilitation arc. They are all multi time champions so....

I mean, this points to a misuse of vets in the company. I agree that Sting's collaboration with Darby did a lot to put Darby over. The BCC was a solid faction and made all of their opponents look good. Christian's feuds with Jack Perry and Darby pushed more into the main event.

But yes, right now, there is not as much concern about the long term impact of booking. I mean, you have Dustin capturing the ROH tag and six man titles and now practically holding them hostage. Jeff Jarrett seriously contemplating a world title run. Edge and FTR talking about "taking it all"....which I assume means the world title and the trios title..... And the Hurt Syndicate taking the tag titles....

My problem with all of this is that you can point to any of these developments and then say "ok and then what?"....and then be faced with the black hole of nothing long term unfolding for other, younger talent.

The sad thing is, this actually backfires on the vets too in the end. They could have had an interesting feud or story to close out their career instead of glorified jobber matches which is what you do when you shift focus too far.

Sadly, this is a tale as old as time as every company (WWE, TNA, etc) does this to some degree. This is why I always highly encourage people to watch at least one indie promotion so you can check out young talent. And heck, you may end up seeing some of them in job matches on ROH or AEW at some point. 😆

In the meantime, I like to think that part of this can be chalked up to simple laziness in the booking department. Perhaps if there was some initiative to improve the writing, there would be attempts to better balance nostalgia with the need to move forward with pushing newer talent.

i think a large part of why ive been disinterested in aew is that it seems increasingly like their focus is to be a platform where older wrestlers who didnt get pushed to their full potential in their prime in other promotions try to rewrite history and get the push/titles they 'always deserved'.

i cant entirely fault them for that or their fans for wanting to see it, but its just not what i ever liked about aew. i dont have a problem with most of these wrestlers on their own but put it all together and the pattern is obvious and offputting. because as they do this string of rehabilitation arcs for veterans like danielson, cope, christian, hurt syn guys, fuckin jeff jarrett etc, there is a whole roster of wrestlers CURRENTLY in their prime that are, well, not being pushed to their full potential! all theyre doing is making history repeat itself

the thing i liked about aew is that they were forging their own path and writing their own stories. yes they had lots of misses along with the hits but it was on their own merits. i want to watch an aew that puts forward new ideas. i dont want to watch an aew thats just a place for correcting wwe/roh/njpw/whoever's mistakes

[teho0p]

a night out

sub! seonghwa, a lot of plot sorry guys, mlm, fingers in mouth, gay sex (duh), alcohol mentioned, degradation (not super heavy), fluff, crying, unprotected, fingering, hand job, the whole nine yards, you get the point, I'm pretty sure I have some mistakes here but I'm too lazy to read trough it rn

You, your boyfriend, and the rest of ateez went out to drink. it wasn't a special occasion it was just a random friday, and the guys had the weekend off tomorrow, so most of them wanted to get as drunk as possible before another week of work starts. You, on the other hand, just tagged along, knowing someone had to be sober enough to get them home in one peace.

i sat next to my boyfriend seonghwa, who was downing his 5th glass of soju by now while I was still on my second, not in the mood to get plastered. the table was loud. All the guys were having all sorts of conversations between themselves, plus the music that was playing over the bar speakers. sure it was a lot, but it's kind of what I sighed up for when I started dating seonghwa, so I was in no place to complain. as time passed by, the whole group was extremely drunk, maybe apart from jongho, who seemed to be in the best state among the group, excluding me. seonghwa leaned against my shoulder, wrapping his arms around my waist his cheeks were a bit flushed, and hair was slightly messy. it was a cute sight for sure. "You okay??" I leaned closer to him, making sure he could hear me as I looked down at him, moving some hair out his face so I could see him better. he hummed a smile on his face, his eyes closed. I couldn't tell if he was falling asleep or was just way too drunk. "Come on, let's get you guys home" I said as I glanced at jongho, who was sitting relatively close and gestured for him to get going and helping me gather everyone. thankfully, he got the cue, and soon enough, everyone was up on their feet, the alcohol and food paid for. half the group went home, and the other half went on their own going to karaoke if I heard correctly. seonghwa chose to stay with me and crash at my apartment for the night, which I didn't mind in the slightest.

the walk to my apartment wasn't long as I lived 10 minutes away, and thankfully, seonghwa wasn't a super crazy drunk, so he was easy to keep in check. halfway through the walk, he stopped and took his phone out, handing it to me. I looked at him confused. "What am I supposed to do??" i asked, waiting for an answer as I watched him fix his hair a bit before he responded "take some photos. I need to post something for atiny." I hummed and nodded, understanding my job as I took some photos for him, hoping they would be boyfriend enough for his fans. "okay that should work" I said handing him his phone back watching as he scrolled through them a pleased look on his face before placing the phone back in his pocket and intertwining our hands together "I like them". the rest of the walk went smoothly, both of us talking and enjoying the company of one another. it wasn't often we got one on one time like this, especially since he was the busy idol he was, so I cherished moments like this.

Once we made it to my apartment, he instantly collapsed on my sofa sprawled out the best to his abilities on the soft surface. I chuckled at the sight and went into the kitchen, getting him a cold glass of water and making a simple sandwich as an attempt to sober him up a bit. I came into the living room placing both on the coffee table as I moved his legs off the sofa taking a seat next to him leaning back against the backrest "drink and eat so your not crazy hungover tomorrow" I said patting his thigh waiting for him to sit up normally and at minimum drink the water. After a bit, he did end up sitting up his hair a big mess, but I didn't comment on it seeing no point in it.

seonghwa finished the glass and ate half the sandwich before calling it done, he sat back against the sofa looking at you, his face still a bit flush from all the alcohol he consumed before. you didn't push it as there was no point. seonghwa leaned against you, wrapping his hands around your waist again as he nuzzled his head into the crock of your neck. your own hands made their way around him, pulling him in closer as you both just cuddled for a bit, enjoying the closeness and the warmth of each others touch. as you both sat there all of a sudden you felt seonghwas lips on your neck. it was sudden and not something you expected, but you weren't too opposed to it. his hands moved from your waist to your chin as he pulled away looking at you with his pretty brown eyes that where now lingering with lust "it's been a while since we've done anything...I'm pent up" he said going straight to the point as he got on top of you sitting down on your lap.

as he sat down on my lap, I placed my hands on his hips, looking up at him a bit unsure as I didn't wanna do anything with him if he was drunk. "Are you sure, baby?? you don't seem sober enough to make decisions like this" I said, moving my hands up and down his sides, wanting a verbal answer from him before we actually did anything. he nodded, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "I'm sober enough, stop worrying Y/n" I was still a bit uncertain, but what's the worst that could happen. I stared up at him, my eyes darting between his lips and his eyes. seonghwa noticed and took action kissing me first. I returned the kiss immediately as I moved my hands to his back, pulling him closer to me. the kiss slowly got more intense as I licked his bottom lip, asking for entrance, which he gave. I dominated the kiss, sitting up a bit as my hands found their way to the hem of his gray jumper. I pulled away from the kiss, pulling the jumper off as I put my lips to work, leaving a trail of kisses on his neck, making sure I left some marks as well. seonghwas hands made their way to my hair, tugging at it as he moaned lightly at the feeling, tilting his head back, giving me more access. I felt the bulge in his pants rub against mine as he was slowly getting more desperate, so I pulled away and changed positions so his back was against the sofa, and I was on top of him. his hands wrapped around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. I returned it but pulled away shortly after as I undid his pants, pulling them down with his boxers. his cock sprung up leaking pre-cum as I stroked him slowly watching his face contort into pleasure moans filling the room from him. I picked up the pace watching him squirm under my touch. I leaned over, capturing his lips into mine, swallowing his moans, knowing it wouldn't take long for him to reach his climax, which I wasn't planning on giving him the pleasure of reaching just yet. Once I felt him buckling his hips up, I pulled away, completely leaving him on the edge. he looked at me a very desperate look on his face. "Why did you pull away? I was so close," he said, wining at the loss of contact. I chuckled. "Not yet, baby. we haven't even gotten to the fun part"

I placed my hand on his chin making him look at me as I tapped his lip with my thumb wanting him to open his mouth which he happily did wrapping a hand around my wrist as I put pointer and middle finger in his mouth his saliva coating the fingers. Once I felt that the fingers were wet enough, I pulled them out, giving him a kiss as I brought the fingers to his hole, inserting them in stretching him, making sure he was somewhat ready for me. seonghwa moaned into the kiss, a hand tangling in my hair as the other one clawed at my back and shoulders as I picked up the pace, making sure to hit his prostate his legs shaking from pleasure. I pulled away from the kiss, listening to him moan and cry. I pulled my fingers out and finally got undressed myself my own cock hard and leaking. I lined myself up with his entrance and slowly entered "fuck your still so tight" I groaned looking at him searching for any sign of discomfort only being met with moans and a desperate look on my boyfriends face "move please, fuck please move" I did as he asked moving slowly earning moans from the both of us his walls clenching around me, his nails digging into my shoulders.

I picked up the pace, his moans, the sound of skin slapping, grunts, and cries filled my living room. "you take my cock so don't you slut?" I say slowing down to keep him on edge my thrusts slow but deep. I saw some tears rolling down his cheeks but it didn't seem to be pain as he nodded agreeing with my words whimpers rolling off his tongue. "y/n please...please go faster.." he pleased his words desperate as more tears rolled down his cheeks. it was obvious he was close. I picked up the pace just as he asked with only a few thrusts "im close!!" he warned. I sped up and he ended up coming undone his cum covering his abdomen as I followed shortly with my own climax coming inside of him.

I pulled out and collapsed next to him, both of us panting and sweaty. I ran a hand trough my hair seonghwa doing the same "that was...very good" I said turning to look at him as he nodded "agreed" I sat up a bit looking at him studying him to see if he was hurt in any way. he knew me well enough to know what I was doing and looking for "I'm not hurt y/n don't worry" he said a smile on his face as I sighed and layed back down wrapping an arm around him pulling his back to my chest spooning him "well clean up tomorrow" I said my words a bit mumbled as I placed my head in the crock of his neck knowing we where both too tired to do anything at the moment.

"I love you, honey" seonghwa said, his voice quiet as he was on the brink of sleeping

"I love you too, baby" I responded both of us, drifting off to sleep happy and content.

[nightlyrequiem]

The Canary Cage

Chapter 2. Collector

Masterlist AO3 Next Previous

w/c- 3,402

One meeting in a dingy bar on the cheap side of town. One sighting of you. The raw sadness in your eyes drew Valeria in. A parasite attracted to the taste of your tears. She'll chew you up and spit you out, but what she doesn't realise is you bite back.

A/N: Sorry it took me like 3 weeks to update.... was busy with requests and Be Still My Heart, and also laziness.

Tags/Warnings: Tags Will Be Updated as Story Progresses, WLW, Mental Illness, Unhealthy Relationships, Angst, Violence, Referenced Self-Harm, A Healthy Amount of Self-Hatred

༺☆༻༺☆༻༺☆༻༺☆༻

Valeria glances at the address she has written on a torn piece of paper. On the other side, a list of groceries crossed out. She looks up at the building. A small orange neon flower flashing on and off. Fireflower, 2776 8th Street. A seedy lounge she wouldn't look twice at. She rolls her eyes. Of course Andrez chose this place to meet.

She pushes through the door and squints. The place is dimly lit in a way Valeria thinks may not be intentional. There's a light haze of smoke throughout the room, and while Valeria herself likes a good smoke, she believes it to be rude to smoke up an entire room. The tables are full of drunk men, ogling the admittedly pretty woman who sings on stage. She eyes her too. At least this place has something going for it. 

Valeria cranes her neck and spots her guy at the back. Head lowered, an almost empty glass in hand. He runs his hand through his thinning hair and looks up, startled by the sight of Valeria. She frowns and moves towards him, taking a seat across from him.

"Valeria." He greets nervously. "Let me buy you a drink-"

"I'm here to talk, not drink." She says firmly.

Andrez shifts his gaze away. "Yes. Talk." 

Valeria leans forward, staring him down.

"You sought me out because you've heard of a rat in my ranks, yes?" She asks boredly. Knowing the answer already. Valeria knew about the rat almost as soon as it started squealing.

"I did." Andrez nods, looking at her. "Nicholas is giving away your trade routes and stash spots to smaller gangs, for a small price." He tells her, rubbing his hands together like a grimy little fly. She bets if she were to wipe the sweat from his forehead with a cloth, the cloth would come back dirty.

"Hm. Did he." Valeria says, not sounding at all surprised by his words.

Andrez studies her warily. Dark eyes flicking over her face. She's obviously not reacting the way he thought she would.

"I saw him." He insists. 

"Funny." She replies dryly. Hand lowering to her holster and unconsciously fiddling with the straps. "Because Nichloas said the same thing about you - only he had proof." Andrez pales, mouth ajar like a fish. Valeria narrows her eyes. "Why don't you go home, Andrez, rest up and we can talk about this later." She gives him a clear dismissal and he stumbles to his feet. She watches him leave knowing that he won't be returning again.

She watches him leave. Knowing full well that he won't be making it home tonight. She curls her lip. Greedy little fuck. This was a waste of her time. She shakes her head. Valeria should've just ignored his message to talk. She orders herself something to drink and looks to the only source of entertainment here. She likes the way the singer's dress glitters in the light. Her eyes drift to the other patrons. A few of them seem to share the same opinion.

She watches you sing for a little bit. Relaxed by the soothing sound of your voice. There's almost a melancholic quality to every note you sing. The smokey haze combined with the stage lights almost makes you look angelic. She tilts her head and downs her drink. You look so sad. Nothing that sings so prettily should ever look that way. She wouldn't mind having you for a night and seeing what other pretty sounds you make.

Valeria finds herself feeling disappointed when you finish and disappear to the back. She turns and flags down the bartender, ordering herself another drink. After a couple of minutes you walk out, wearing a large coat. You're stopped by some old guy, and she watches judgmentally. Sugar daddy? Pimp? Father?

You look like you're somewhere else, your eyes glazed in a way she's seen one too many time. Whatever could make a simple little lounge singer look like that, she doesn't know. You look like you need a drink. Valeria takes the initiative and flags down a waitress and buys you a drink. Maybe she'll get lucky tonight. Though it quickly becomes clear that a passionate night with a sad stranger isn't in her cards tonight. After a single, quick glance in her direction you push the drink towards the old man. Valeria frowns and stands, leaving the bar and her unfinished drink.

She visits again the next night. Not something she planned on doing but she was wondering if she'd see you again. You're pretty good at singing and not too bad on the eyes either. Apart from her having ulterior motives for wanting to see you, she's also scoping you out. She owns her own lounge. Something to make her influx of wealth less suspicious. She wouldn't mind having you on staff. She'd feel more comfortable if she had you under her control.

There's more business to be conducted that night though so she leaves early. Not before buying you some flowers and leaving them at the bar for you to receive. She walks down the cracked sidewalk. Stepping over a puddle of puke with indifference. Valeria gets into her car and drives off. Streetlights faintly illuminating the sidewalks and road.

She arrives at a small warehouse ten minutes outside of the city. Crawling with cartel working like one to cook and package up her drugs. On the walls a large cartoon hare stares down with one yellow eye. Harrison Hare Farm. She checks up on The Butcher. Watching her carefully slice open the light underbelly of a dead hare and stuffing in a few small baggies of coke. She gets to work on sewing it back up to be shipped off with untampered with hares. Where they'll be taken to American warehouses, and the discretely marked buckets will be taken by paid off employees to be sold throughout the states.

Diego is waiting for her in her small office, frowning severely.

"There's still a leak." Diego grumbles. Crossing the room to her. Valeria walks around him and runs her finger over the well-loved spines of books collecting dust on the shelf.

"We got rid of the leak." She says dismissively.

"No, jefe," Diego presses. Valeria turns her head, her dark brown eyes burning into his. "We got rid of Andrez but someone's still talking. One of my pigs told me that his superior got a tip about this warehouse. They're getting their warrants in order so they can raid it."

That catches Valeria's attention fully.

"When?" She asks. She looks around. She's going to have to cease all production here for the time being.

"I'm not sure. He says his boss didn't tell anyone about it in the first place." He replies.

"He must have, otherwise we wouldn't be hearing about it." She snaps at him. Valeria scowls. "We need to empty the place of anything illegal tonight." She decides reluctantly.

Diego hesitates, looking unsure. "Tonight is kind of quick, no?" He asks.

Valeria glares at him, it's a reasonable question, she supposes. She has to stop herself from hurling the thickest, heaviest book on the shelf at him.

"Don't question me, just get all the equipment and drugs out of here by tomorrow, Diego." She says lowly.

"... Yes, Valeria." He agrees. Valeria can tell that he disagrees but as long as he keeps it to himself and continues to follow orders then she doesn't care all that much.

"Before you leave, do you know who the leak might be?" She asks. 

He looks at her. "No, it could be Nichloas though, it's possible both him and Andrez were rats."  Valeria suspected it herself. 

"Hm." She responds. "We'll keep an eye on him then." She says. Valeria turns away and waves a hand. "You may go." She needs to get started on clearing up the office of anything incriminating. 

Valeria was right to clear out the warehouse. The next day at noon the police - the ones Valeria doesn't have paid off - stormed through the place and turned it upside-down looking for anything they could. She watches with detached satisfaction as they found nothing. 

It will be a while before she makes use of that warehouse again. Knowing that the police will have it under watch. Valeria doesn't consider it to be that big of a problem. She has other warehouses with other labs. A well-endowed woman sets down a drink beside her, a friendly, playful smile on her lips. Valeria takes the drink and sips it, watching another woman on stage. Her voice is strong and sweet. Around the room patrons watch and simply listen as they mingle with one another. The Canary Cage, previously a failing business under a different name, flourishes under Valeria's ownership. It's not the only lounge with singers but hers has the prettiest.

Her thoughts, like they seem to usually do as of late, stray back to you. She'd like to see you on her stage in better lighting. Now that she has some free time to think about anything other than work, she allows herself to wonder what you may be doing at this very moment.

She knows she's straying into dangerous territory. Valeria can never have normal relationships with people. There's never that healthy level of detachment needed to make things work. Valeria is an animal that must eat every last part of her partner until there's nothing left to save. She doesn't like not knowing what's going on. It's like an itch beneath her skin and the only way to relieve it is by knowing everything she can. 

The temporary moment of tranquility and relaxation is interrupted as the doors swing open. She straightens defensively like a cat raising it's hackles as a band of cops walk in. The bouncer intercepts them but can only do so much to keep them out. They shove a piece of paper in his face and he reluctantly steps his hulking body to the side. Casting a dark glance towards Valeria. The patrons, consisting mostly of Valeria's men give the cops aggressive and furtive looks.

They approach her and her heart pounds. Her fingers brush over the edge of her gun. Arresting her will come with a price, she can guarantee that. She prepares herself to meet them head on but they walk right past her. She turns and watches them approach her bartender. He frowns, becoming increasingly agitated as they speak to him and finally arrest him.

"I didn't do anything!" He shouts, struggling as they force him against the counter and cuff him. "I didn't do anything!" Valeria stands and stalks up to them.

"What the hell are you doing?" She snaps. The one in charge turn to her, face dark with dislike.

"I'm sure you knew already, Valeria, but this man is being charged with possession and intent to sell of illegal substances as well as gang affiliation." He tells her, looking her right in the eye.

Valeria keeps her face straight. Not giving anything away.

"And do you have any evidence, officer, or is this a baseless assumption?" She curls her lip at him.

The officer leans closer to her, his coffee breath washing over her face. "We had an anonymous tip and seized drugs from his apartment." He murmurs. "We'll be taking him in for questioning." He adds, watching her closely.

His words bring her discomfort, but she doesn't let it show. He's trying to scare her into revealing herself but she won't play this game. She's had enough of men trying to intimidate her into submission.

"Hope he tells you all you need to know officer," She says mockingly, brows raising with faux sympathy. "It'll be mind blowing, I'm sure."

The man sniffs and jerks away. "Let's go." He snaps at his men. She watches them drag out her bartender. 

Valeria decides to pay the Fireflower a visit. Hoping you're working tonight. Valeria parks and gets out. Shoving her keys into her pocket and entering the building. You're on stage once again, in a very short dress. Tonight isn't all that bad, it seems. She stakes out an empty table and seats herself. Allowing the smoothness of your voice to flow over like water. Closing her eyes and letting you pull her deeper.

"He's my man, we're hand in hand," You murmur into the mic. "to hell and back, and I'll love him like no one else can."

Valeria feels like a cobra being charmed. Though a small, ugly thing blooms inside of her. Jealousy and hatred as you sing about a man. She's aware it's irrational, she holds no real claim to you, and if you didn't like women then she couldn't change that, she also just... doesn't care. Valeria does nothing if not constantly indulge herself.

You bat your lashes and pout and sway with the mic. She thinks again that this place really isn't good enough for you. She looks around compulsory and spots that old man from the other night. Her mood souring further. She really wants to know who he is and why he's important to you. She gets up and approaches him, taking a seat nearby. His eyes are glazed and half closed. She feels mild disgust at the pathetic and vulnerable state this man lets himself be in. No self-respect or pride. She eyes his almost empty glass and waves down the bartender. The same young man she left the flowers with.

"Get him another of what he ordered." She mutters, slipping him a few bills.

Soon enough, another golden beverage is placed before the old man and his eyes clear.

"She's quite the singer." Valeria comments. The man swivels his head and looks at her. 

"What?" He asks.

Valeria bites back her annoyance at having to repeat herself. "She's quite the singer." She repeats loudly. The man smiles and Valeria flinches, nearly recoiling at the state of his teeth. Yellowed with rot and cracking.

"She sure is." He nods. "Couldn't be prouder seeing her on stage. She used to run around the tables when she was a girl and harass the singers on break." He chuckles, then leans forward, his breath harassing her. "She used to be so tone deaf but like I always told her, singing's like riding a bike. Just keep at it and you'll eventually get the hang of it. She'd always grumble at me in the manner most teenagers do. Stubborn as a mule she is." He rambles.

Valeria feels a pang of regret. She didn't think someone who looked half unconscious could talk so much.

"... Mhm." She replies. She glances back at you. Drinking in your glowing visage. "You her father?" She asks.

The man sighs. "In all but blood. I'd never tell her, but I've always sort of thought of her as my daughter. I didn't do good by my first one you see. I'm making it up to him-" He points upwards, talking to a barely listening Valeria. "-by being kinder to her."

Valeria, hearing everything she needs to, tunes him out. No longer deeming him a threat therefore no longer deeming him relevant. She rests her chin her palm and enjoys the sight of you singing. Wanting to pluck you off the stage and pin your limbs down like a butterfly for her to hang on her wall. She studies you intently, noticing that beneath the smile and concealer, you look exhausted. Some people remain eternally tired no matter how much sleep they get.

Wednesday is a good day. Collection day. Where a bunch of Valeria's dealers go out to designated sectors to collect the set 'safety fee.' Nothing in life is free, and neither is protection. With her bartender behind bars, she's short a collector. She hasn't had the time to appoint a new one so she takes on his sector herself. The Fare Heaven Apartments are the last on her list. Pushing open the cracked glass door she begins her rounds. Collecting money from the downtrodden residents. She knocks on the 4th room of the 5th floor and waits. Growing impatient after a minute of silence. She raises her fist to knock again when the door swings open. You adjust the robe over your chest and fall still at the sight of her. Clearly not expecting to see her. Though clearly recognizing her, something that delights Valeria a little. Though her delight is dimmed by the less-than friendly expression on your face.

Similarly, Valeria finds herself being surprised. She had made an educated guess that you probably lived somewhere on the west side, but for whatever reason it never occurred to her that you lived in a collection zone. You hold out your hand, unlike the other residents who put their money into baggies or envelopes, you don't bother with the courtesy. She takes the money, letting her hand linger on yours for longer than what's considered polite.

You retract your hand. 

"Where's the other guy?" You ask. Subtly, but not enough to escape her notice, shutting the door a little. She feels irritated that you're asking after the bartender. Why do you care and why do you want to know? She looks you over, at the little feminine robe you're wearing. Were you wearing it for him?

"He's been... relieved of his service." She replies calmly. You stare at each other for a few seconds before you begin to close the door. Without thinking her hand shoots out, stopping you. 

"What?" You ask harshly, frowning at her.

She blinks at you. "I need to count it first." She says.

You frown at her. "The other guy never counted." You say, hands tightening on your door.

Valeria lets go of the door and sifts through the money you gave her. 

"He should have." She says, unperturbed. She almost hopes you're short the proper amount so she can have an excuse to heckle you. It's all there though. Down to the last cent. She begrudgingly shoves the money into her pocket and nods at you.

"I wouldn't dare miss a payment, Valeria." You say icily. Slamming the door in her face. Such disgust and vitriol. You're a lot less friendly now and she finds it turns her on a little. Fighting is all Valeria knows. It's practically her love language. She turns away and leaves. Content with knowing where you live. 

Valeria goes to your place of work the next night as well. Watching you sing and staying till the end this time. You disappear around back and emerge in that big, dramatic coat of yours. She downs her drink and puts on her own coat, following you out of the bar. You stop beside your bus stop.

"Why are you following me?" You ash harshly, turning to face her.

"I want to talk to you." She replies, smiling placatingly. "I have an offer."

"I'm not interested." You say flatly, turning your back to her. Valeria walks around you.

"It's a job offer, at my lounge." She continues anyway, ignoring the annoyed look on your face. "You deserve to make more then 7000 pesos, don't you think?" She murmurs, inching closer.

For a split second she catches a flicker of temptation in your eyes before you forcibly extinguish it.

"Blood money." You sniff haughtily.

Valeria furrows her brows. "Whatever do you mean?" She asks. Unsure if she's playing with you or warning you to watch yourself.

"Nothing." You mutter angrily. "I don't want anything to do with you."

"Why not?" She asks. Frustrated. "You're turning down the opportunity for a better life, to work somewhere you might actually like, and for what? Morals?" She laughs at you.

You scowl at her, glancing up briefly as lightning silently flashes.

"I like working at the Fireflower." You say defensively.

"No you don't." Valeria scoffs. "You hate it here."

"I'd hate working for you more." You snap. Looking down the street as the bus approaches. "Besides, what's the point in making more if you're just going to take it again?" You reach into your pocket to grab the needed change. Valeria silently hangs back and watches you board the bus. Not even giving her a single look back. She thinks you're really dumb for turning her down. If you want to be difficult fine. Valeria can play that game too. You made your move now it's her turn.

[littlefankingdom]

I love Batman being a part of the Justice League Dark. It's so funny imo.

His whole vibe and gothic asthetic fit so well with occultism, he has nothing to do here. He has an aura of misery and tragedy so strong any entities coined to death is pulled to him, he has no understanding of magic.

He doesn't understand magic, he tried but his brain is just not making sense of it, so he cannot do any of it. Which also means he doesn't see half of the bs happening around, or cannot interact with it. He is useless 90% of the time.

Why is he here? It's not to be the brain, because the guys are pretty smart (especially his bestie Zatanna). It's not to be Zatanna's scary dog, because she is powerful enough on her own to scare people (and they are just impressed to see Batman). It's not for moral support, he's Batman after all. He is just standing there with the team, doing nothing, but helping with the aesthetic.

He can do so little that the bad guy will forget he's there, until they get taken out by a karate chop in the neck. They were using all their energy defending themself against the team, they forgot to defend their back.

I'm starting to think him going on a mission with the Justice League Dark is a vacation for him. He cannot do real vacations, he would stress too much about all the work he could be doing, so this is the best he can have. He is still going to work, but he is not doing shit, and the world will not end. Or, it's Zatanna deciding he needs to go out or something.

[cornflowershade]

popping in because I can't resist a fashion conversation hehe. i think for me it might be ray 🤔 (i promise this isn't just bc he's my favorite fk character okay)

I enjoy the cool patterned button downs!! (seriously where do they find those for these shows??) and have a deep need to steal his fuzzy black sweater (someday i'll thrift one like it. i haven't given up 😂) He's such a great combo of patterns and texture and floof and snazziness. Of fitted little jeans [thanks to @scrumptiousstuffs 's tags for reminding me of them, had to edit and give that a nod lol] with looser fitting shirts. There's something graceful about him and he leans into a 'pretty' aesthetic that I quite enjoy. and yes i also love that it's very gay I even like his lil western tops haha!

I would also steal some of Sand and Bison's shirts ngl.

Kant might win for variety to be fair, he has a range of clothing items/styles going on that most fk characters don't, and i appreciate that he obviously spends time making outfits! I mean yeah Ray/Sand and Bison (who wins for accessories category—love my necklace boy - apologies to ray's cute little earrings) also make outfits but. Perhaps not with the complexity Kant does? Like yeah Kant does pay attention to tiny patterns/textures and even silhouettes sometimes, look at the ep1 bowling outfit! Maybe Kant has just had more time to play around, he is the oldest character of the bunch after all. Though I don't think the simpler outfits are worse by any means—or even that they're as much 'simpler' as they first appear. those other characters have distinct vibes for sure and when I enjoy their clothing picks I typically enjoy them more than Kant's, which is obviously just my style preference coming into play. (And imo when Kant flops. He really flops lol. But hey at least he's trying things.) They're all curating their looks with a lot of intention.

But anyway, yes, it's Ray for me. Like can I have his vibe pls. (And if I were to pick a couple, it's SandRay. They both have a fun aesthetic going on and I love how it works so well together while being like. Opposites. Ray who leans glamorous and Sand who leans grungy.)

I'm sure I could dig deeper into all the characters and rank some specific looks* which might change my overarching opinions [if I notice their bad picks starting to outweigh the good ones from my memory lol] but off the top of my head these are the thoughts. *should i do this actually? i might be too lazy tbh BUT i would definitely rank outfits if any were submitted to me haha

Here's a question though: what's the worst clothing item an fk character has ever worn. the most roast-able. bc off the top of my head it has to be Sand's vampire 'You Suck' shirt (sorry my guy. your style overall is quite nice and i've even tried emulating your vibes in some of my own outfits but what WAS that fashion choice. i don't care if it's some obscure band tee either it's ugly lol)

This might come across as a very random ask but I wanted/curious to know, which First and Khao character do you think has/had the best wardrobe? 🙂please you can choose from any of the characters they have played so far in any of their shows 😇

The single best clothing moment of any of FK's characters has been Gaipa's gay little boots. Just look at his little waddle 🥹

But in general, I think the award for Best Dressed goes to Kant—which is ironic considering the tantrum we threw after the initial fitting. He's had some flops for sure but overall his wardrobe is solid and he clearly tries which is more than I can say for most of them.

[tomatoart]

doodle page who cheered

[secrescaryat]

// pentiment spoilers (implied ig but still there)

more of these because i was inspired

[andro-dino]

a very eloquent breakdown on my thoughts and feelings about various icebound dynamics I think about a lot bc I love them and I miss them and if I keep these in my head for too long I will blow up:

this one I think is pretty simple. the whole party genuinely means everything to me they r THE family every and make me sob and cry and throw up constantly with how much I love them.

when it comes to ships, I DO NOT FUCK AROUND ABOUT SKRAISY AND JORQUEEN they r seriously everything to me, and then for barnabos skrimm and taishen, I just think they’re silly. all of them have their own moments together at separate parts that I came to each of these conclusions separately.

For a more in depth breakdown of those bc I really like them actually:

Barnabos and skrimm are pretty self explanatory I think. Those two are incredibly endearing together, both in the sillier moments but also just work together really well as a serious relationship and their dynamic is just so so good

Barnabos and Taishen are like, tooth-rottingly cute and I think it’s a crime that they aren’t more popular as a ship. I think barnabos’ maturity and protectiveness combined with taishen’s naivety and sweetness just make for a really cute dynamic and their duo moments together make me smile every time without fail

Skrimm and Taishen are like, the least serious one I have of the three. there is obviously the whole “pumped up” bit that was actually like insane, but they’ve had a couple moments throughout pretty much the whole series that have just made me have my eye on them for a while. I do not know how functional they would actually be together but I like to think that they both at the very least acknowledge that they find the other attractive and refuse to think about it any harder for both of their own sakes

Do not ask me how many times the term “queenie and skrimm/taishen bestieism” has come up in my priv livetweets of icebound (the answer is a lot). seriously like queenie’s friendships with both of them r everything to me they are just so insanely endearing. I like how skrimm and queenie absolutely bring out the worst (best) in each other and are just absolute rapscallions together every time, and I just like queenie and Taishen!!! like I don’t have the full words to put to their dynamic but I love them and I love that they r best friends and love and support each other always I LOVE THEM!!!!

These guys also mean everything to me. Queenie and her boyfriend and her best friend!!! That timestamp is a clip that just shows off the absolute silliness of these three together. I am so obsessed with jornir’s obvious favoritism for queenie and just how much he loves and cares about her and trusts in her and her abilities but is so insanely concerned for her safety and prioritizes it above all else, meanwhile emphasizing how incredibly much he does NOT trust in skrimm or his abilities and how he is there only to help queenie and nothing else. it’s genuinely really hilarious and I love them sm. Jornir and skrimm in general are just really hilarious but when you juxtapose it with jorqueen it’s just that infinitely better. I think also queenie and skrimm’s aforementioned duo dynamic and how insanely silly they are with each other, combined with jornir’s jornirness is also just such a funny dynamic and I love it very much

I dont really know how to elaborate on how much I love them together like you either get it or you don’t. Queenie and her boyfriend and her best friend part 2!!! They r such a comfort trio for me just bc I really like the idea of them all bluetooth syncing to each other and just understanding each other and communicating really well. Also this came to me last night but yk that one tiktok that’s like “‘doesn’t matter what you think, a different gender best friend is a red flag’? I’m sorry Emily, we can’t be friends anymore. and tell your boyfriend I fuckin hate him too”. that’s them to me. (Side note I cannot find this tiktok fucking ANYWHERE now??? it existed at one point I swear)

yeag. that about sums it up I think. queenie’s protective instincts for everyone around her all the time in general make me sob but when it comes to her and Daisy I am genuinely gonna blow up a building about it I love them so much. the way she so instantly jumps to take care of her after honey’s passing and how insanely protective she is over her and is constantly looking out for her I’m just like ooughhhhhhhhh my god. they make me sob I love them dearly

these could’ve been separate images but i didn’t feel like making more separate images lmao

Jornir and barnabos as a duo are really great I love remembering that these guys are like actually awesome and really cool like genuinely. Both of them have different qualities to them that make them so good when they step up into leadership positions for the party and I just think they’re both absolute fucking badasses when they really wanna be and I love when they come together and maximize their joint slay it’s really great.

When it comes to both of them with Daisy, I have the same feeling about it which is oughhhhhhhh my god I love them. Again both of them being some of the coolest and most mature members of the party when they really wanna be really comes out with both of their individual dynamics with Daisy and I just really love how they both take up such a protective and supportive role with her. They r so. I dare say fatherly. I just oughhh I love them I love them lots.

[somegrumpynerd]

I felt like drawing the boys just hanging out, because what is the point of living in your boss's huge castle with your new teammates if it's not a slumber party every day

Also I might colour in that last one cause I like how it turned out c:

[note-boom]

See here. BSD is a story about how all of our characters were once children. How the scars and wounds and secrets of their past will always haunt them to the present. We see it with Chuuya, Yosano, Ranpo, even Odasaku briefly, Atsushi, Tachihara, Akutagawa, Kyouka and Kenji right now, even Kouyou just a little bit. They've all overcome it or they've allowed it to consume them. And yet that brief glimpse into a past where they were young and scarred shows us once again just how human they are...every criminal, ever person, was once a child wounded by or protected from the world and doesn't that count for something even if it doesn't excuse the atrocities they commit today?

[necrotic-nephilim]

If you want to be bothered. Maybe this for dick and Bruce???

i ALWAYS want to be bothered these are always the highlight of my day tbh you're a delight for letting me just yap <3

Dick. For the canon isn't real square I am Specifically talking about the Tom Taylor Nightwing run. Usually I ignore bad runs but given this one is ongoing (though about to end THANK GOD and get replaced by Dan Watters who i have high hopes for since i adored his Sword of Azrael (2022) run but i digress) so I counted it. Especially since it's so debated if that run is bad or not, for some reason. I'm a 90s Nightwing truther. I love Dick so dearly and tbh recently I've been more enamored with him the more I read his Discowing era, I didn't used to be as big of a Dick stan as I am these days.

Bruce. Honestly where do you even start with Bruce. I want to fist fight him and also patch him up. He got me into comics and superheroes as a whole but I roll my eyes whenever he shows up in a story. He's a bastard and usually not a good father but also complex and should be dissected under a magnifying glass. I love him dearly. He's also just the worst. I think that's why I love him. I'm always a fan of unabashedly Complicated Asshole Bruce who's generally not always the best person, particularly not to the Batfamily and that being the driving force of his relationships with them, especially in shipping.

And for bonus points, Tim. Because know above all else, I'm a Tim Drake kinnie /deg. He's been my number one for a decade and I've yet to uproot him from my brain. He's literally the Worst half the time and I love him for it. And the canon isn't real refers to Tim Drake: Robin because... that sure was a comic. And that's about all I can say about it. Pre-Flashpoint Tim I miss you so dearly. I think it's fun that I want to put him in a blender and drink the juice but also want Nothing Ever to happen to him.

[scoliosisgoblin]

yo, @bennydunbar, check this out

[scythe-wolf]

Problematic take of the day: Thinking Out Loud isn't offensive DID rep because Galen is a close and personal friend of mine and not just another "serial killer alter" trope. Also that bitch deserved to die.

[mrmeepsmadmind]

he drew the abs on with sharpie, don't fall for the gremlin's tricks

[ilynpilled]

I think what bugs me the most about the type of analysis that is common in this fandom is that sometimes people are obsessed with not actually looking at choices being made by characters and instead try to project extra-textual symbolism/parallels they pulled out of thin air or use essentialist arguments to predict a certain character’s trajectory. There is already a weird tendency to blame bloodlines instead of institutions, oppressive/destructive social constructs/systems, and abusive cycles. This series repeatedly deconstructs bio essentialist ideas in a multitude of ways. Characters being viewed as monsters for the way they are born is a concept that is repeatedly torn down. There is a combination of nature & nurture at play with these characters, I admit, but it is nuanced. Your environment and your nature are in constant conversation with each other. Certain environmental factors will worsen certain attributes, while repress others etc. Your blood is not evil, nor is it pure, it just is, and your nature will be affected by your rearing, tragedies you face, and the environment you live in. Monsters are created and developed, not born. This whole concept is apparent with all the siblings in the series. Dany & Viserys are drastically different people, and make different choices despite having similar experiences and the same blood. Same can be said for Joff, Myrcella, and Tommen. Another very good example are the Lannister siblings. The twins’ idea of “one soul in two bodies” is deconstructed, and they are faced with how dissimilar they actually are. All three siblings have differences in nature, as revealed by their behavior as young children & their current values and motivations, and they are all shaped very differently by their environment. Cersei is affected by the oppressive system of the patriarchy, Jaime by the trauma due to the violent construct of knighthood, and Tyrion by the rampant ableism of the world around him. Tywin also shapes them by giving each of them their own flavor of parental abuse based on the role he wants them to play in his legacy. It is so apparent just how these characters became what they are, and how they navigate their world as a result of a nuanced combination of nature and nurturer. But in the end, it comes down to choices that they keep making. Characters on the right path can also falter sometimes, weigh their values wrong, and make bad decisions at certain points. Not to mention how thoughts and words do not speak as much as actions and actual choices that are made do. You all take bio essentialist arguments that some characters in the text make at face value, even when it is obviously bullshit. Any analysis that hinges entirely on “this character is the son/daughter of this character”, or “this thing on the surface parallels this other thing from something I read/watched”, “this character is a dragon. Dragons plant no trees”, “this character is a monster”, “this character is from this house”, “this character is related to this character” etc instead of actually looking at what said characters do or try to do is gonna lead to unconvincing arguments that are antithetical to one of the main ideas that this series is built on. To me it feels like these books are communicating that in spite of your birth, your origin, your trauma, your prophecies, etc it is primarily your choices that lead you to where you are and the legacy that you create. Cersei’s prophecy will come true as a result of the choices she makes. Dany’s many prophecies are also as a result of choices she makes, she was not just gifted with everything that she has achieved, she is an active agent who makes choices that push her a certain direction. This is also why it is weird when everybody wants to make characters have a predetermined trajectory solely based on “what” they are, or who they are related to.

Not only does George say this in interviews, it is an explicit thesis statement in the text itself:

This is the concluding statement of Jaime’s ASoS arc. Like “The things I do for love”, “So many vows...”, and “The heroes […] the best and the worst, and those who were a bit of both”, as extremely relevant it is to him in specific, it is a major thesis statement for the series as whole, and overlaps with many characters, just like how other characters also have a bunch of these overlapping arc theses. So can we please primarily look at the choices characters make and what ultimately motivated them to make these choices rather than thinking their ending and what they “are” as characters is set in stone because of the reasons mentioned. I feel like how you all engage with some of these characters contradicts the deconstruction of this kind of essentialism that is so apparent in these books.

[arttsuka]

post oc lore king/queen !!

😭 I don't really have lore tbh, mostly vibes. Everything is too underdeveloped for lore

I have vague ideas of what I want my ocs to be.

For example, I want to put these guys in a 'time travel' kinda situation, where a murder takes place (that phone guy, who was the only one who knew how to help them get back in their time).

The only thing worse than their designs are the names