#approaching freak of nature status

[kingsoverjacks]

Heather Graham is proof that women in their fifties (53) can still be incredibly hot and sexy!

[joequiinn]

The Dos & Don'ts of Fake Dating | E.M. x reader | pt. 2

[chap one] | [all chapters here] | [chap three]

summary: You propose a crazy idea to the resident freak of Hawkins, Eddie Munson. But maybe he was even crazier for agreeing to it…

notes & tropes: fem reader, faking dating, opposites attract, bratty rich bitch reader, minor revenge plot, not-quite-enemies-to-lovers

a/n: Oooh I'm excited for this chapter! Would love to hear what everyone thinks about Eddie's characterization! And, after editing this chapter about half a dozen times, I feel like I'm still just not quite conveying the motivations of the character well, so let me know if her thoughts/feelings could be more clear!

taglist: @daisyridleyss @munsonssweets @marrowfrog00 @lotrefcp @rach5ive

wc: 4.0k

Chapter Two

Getting away on Sunday afternoon to meet Eddie was easy. You’d celebrated your birthday on Saturday, with your friends dragging you along on plans that they put together weeks in advance before you returned home for a far too formal dinner with your parents. You probably could have - and should have - been more excited considering that you were toasting your legal adulthood, but if anything, it just stirred even more desire for change and rebellion in you. What good was being a legal adult if you were still trapped in high school, if you were still just following the status quo?

You told your parents as you were leaving the house that afternoon that you were going to the ice rink - your dad grunted in acknowledgement, too caught up in his reading to really hear you, and your mom commended you for how dedicated you were to skating. To both responses, you rolled your eyes, leaving without saying goodbye.

You knew exactly which picnic table Eddie referred to in his note, as you weren’t the first person to meet him there for a drug deal, nor would you be the last. It was a well-known spot for students to meet with the metalhead - although it seemed like no one actually talked about it, probably because they themselves didn’t want to admit to any interaction with him, somehow everyone knew exactly where Eddie made his deals.

There were trails running through a lot of the forest that made it easy to find your destination; you left your car on a neighborhood street not far from the school, and trekked your way into the woods. It was still pretty in late September - leaves weren’t falling to the ground quite yet, and the sounds of wildlife could still be heard up in the trees and low on the ground. Not that you were one to appreciate nature much at all. But it was hard not to at least notice it as you walked quietly along the trail, going over exactly how you might propose this crazy idea of yours while trying your best not to trip over rocks or step in mud puddles.

When you arrived at the picnic area, Eddie was nowhere to be found, which was actually a relief to you. It gave you more time to think, to calm down and find the best means of conveying this idea to him. You felt stupid, having this strange and foreign anxiety in your chest, but it couldn’t be helped. Best you could do was relax and put on a cool face whenever the delinquent did finally show up.

You were about to sit at the picnic table, but quickly decided against it once you took a closer look at the rotting wood - it was disgusting and dirty, and you weren’t going to risk ruining one of your favorite skirts or catching some nasty disease. So, instead, you paced, keeping your mind busy as you waited, taking in your surroundings with an air of boredom as the hour hit 4 and you were still here alone. Eddie better show, or you weren’t going to be happy.

Eventually, the sound of footsteps crunching on twigs and brush caused you to look around, not quite sure which direction the sound was coming from at first. But it didn’t take long for you to spot Eddie hiking his way to you, surprised amusement on his face as he approached. He cocked his head, lips tugged back in a grin, as your heart skipped nervously; god, you felt so stupid being edgy like this, it was so unwarranted.

“Well, well…” He drawled, crossing his arms as he walked closer to you, “I’ve seen a lot, but the ice princess wants something from me? Now I really have seen everything.”

The way he said “ice princess” was jarring, almost as if it was both an insult and an inarguable fact. Yes, you’d heard people call you that before, but never with the gusto that Eddie Munson added to it - you briefly wondered if the nickname was more common than you originally thought, and then you wondered who it was that first came up with it. Was it Eddie? No, if anything it was probably someone in your own circle that started that stupid nickname, maybe even Duncan - you didn’t think Eddie cared enough to come up with a nickname for some popular kid who he’d never even spoken to before.

It’s as if his use of the derogatory nickname immediately reminded you that there was no reason to be nervous, because you could feel your usually cool demeanor coming back to you.

“Don’t cream your pants, Munson.” You replied bluntly, crossing your arms as if to mimic Eddie’s posture. His brows went up in surprise - it briefly crossed your mind that he might not have known what your voice sounded like, let alone how you talked. Well, now he knew.

Eddie tilted his head down slightly as if speaking to you conspiratorially, “I wasn’t expecting a chick like you to be so vulgar.”

You rolled your eyes. Okay, maybe this discussion would be more challenging than you had anticipated. Having never actually interacted with Eddie before today, you couldn’t have predicted what your dynamic together would be. From what you could tell after only this one minute of interacting, your personalities were bound to clash, making your impossible plan all the more impossible.

“I guess I’m full of surprises.” You replied plainly, your tone disinterested. Without thinking, you leaned your rear on the picnic table, but quickly jumped away when you remembered how dirty it was, an affronted sound escaping your lips. As you tried to wipe dirt from your ass, Eddie chuckled. To that, you shot him a cold glare.

“Alright, what are you looking for, princess?” Eddie asked while sitting on the filthy bench - that felt intentional, as if he was mocking your disgust at the grime and muck on the table, “Ask and you shall receive.”

You raised a critical brow at his theatrical tone, at the way he said ‘princess,’ at his entire demeanor. Yup, this was going to be impossible. You were certain that your judgmental expression was clear as day, because you could see the cogs turning behind Eddie’s eyes, how he was analyzing you just as much as you were him.

You stared at him with your arms crossed, your hip jutting out to the side as you briefly considered him, considered what you wanted to ask of him. You made a bit of a harsh face as you responded, “That’s a bold claim, considering that you don’t know what I’m going to ask.”

You met Eddie’s dark eyes as if to make a point, his brow furrowing in curious response. His gaze was mocking as he held your stare, “You think anything you ask for will shock me? Snobby rich kids always want the same stuff.”

“‘Snobby?’” You nearly snapped, glaring smally in offense. To that, Eddie pointed his hand at the empty bench across from him, a defiant look on his face.

“Take a seat then.” He challenged, the corner of his mouth curling up. You make another grossed out face, to which he gives a half-hearted shrug, giving him all the confirmation that he needed, “That’s what I thought.”

You scoffed, turning your back while grumbling, “God, I knew this was a stupid idea…”

You started to walk off in annoyance, trying your best not to trip over rocks or sticks in your haste, but only made it a few steps before Eddie called after you, “Wait, wait, come back…”

You spun back around, but remained planted where you stood, raising an eyebrow and crossing your arms as if prompting him to continue, to grovel and earn your trust.

“I’m just joking,” Eddie raised his hands in a lazy surender, his face growing surprisingly sincere after a moment, although that sincerity was also laced with a hint of judgment, “What are you gonna ask for, then?”

He’s patient, watching you as you deliberate what to do. Was it worth it? Did you really need Eddie to make this plan work? Should you call this off while you still had the chance?

No. This plan was stupid as all hell, but you were going to do it. With a determined little stomp of your foot - Eddie smirking in amusement at the mildly childish action - you approached the picnic table, bracing your hands against it as you tried to ignore the feeling of dirt getting under your nails.

“If you laugh at me, I’ll ruin you.” You threatened while meeting his eyes. Again, Eddie grinned, but he otherwise kept his mouth shut, which seemed to be his way of agreeing to your terms, “I don’t need drugs, I need a favor. It’s gonna sound… honestly ridiculous.”

“Okay…” Eddie leaned forward so that your faces were only a foot apart; his expression was one of neutral attentiveness, however, you could see the sparkle of intrigue in his eyes. You don’t pull back from the close proximity he created, studying one another’s faces; it felt strange to be observed by him so closely, as Eddie had a way of scrutinizing you that felt different from those you knew, different from the way people normally looked at you. You tried to find the best way of proposing your dumb idea, but nothing would make your request sound less crazy than it already is.

Finally, you gave up with a sigh and just blurted it out, “I need you to date me.”

Despite your earlier threat, an unexpected bark of a laugh jumped out of Eddie’s mouth. He raised his fist in front of his lips and pretended to cough, as if that would do anything to hide his very clear amusement. Your eyes widened in intense warning. To his credit, Eddie composed himself quickly, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, although you could still see a little twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Can you repeat that for me?” He prompts, fighting off his laughter and confusion.

Again, you roll your eyes - god, you were going to be doing that a lot with this guy, weren’t you? You were already getting tired of it.

“I don’t want to actually date you,” You said as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world, “Just pretend. You know, like one of your dumb games.”

Eddie’s eyes darkened a little at the insult, but instead of retaliating he simply pulled back, putting a bit of distance between you. He looks you up and down in consideration, his mind racing to understand your unexpected request.

“Care to elaborate?” He questioned, his tone mildly critical.

You purse your lips in annoyance as you consider where to start, eyeing Eddie closely - how the hell did you explain to someone that you wanted them to be your fake boyfriend? You sighed, pulling back from the table, starting to walk in a slow circle around it. The motion was vaguely like skating around a rink, so in an odd way it helped you think.

“I hate literally everything about my life,” You paused, half expecting Eddie to mock your pathetic woes, but he remained silent, “It’s my senior year and I’m only now realizing that nothing in my life is up to me, that I don’t have any control over anything - everything is decided by someone else. And I’m fucking tired of it.”

You could see mild surprise on Eddie’s face, and you wondered if it was because of your foul language - it always seemed to surprise people to hear the way you could talk considering how nice and well-behaved you appeared, although you’d always been anything but.

You continued, “I want to do something stupid, something that’ll piss off my parents, that’ll get everyone to stop treating me like some untouchable, perfect princess.” You chose the word deliberately, looking Eddie dead in the eye, “And what stupider than to date Eddie freaking Munson?”

Now, it was Eddie’s turn to look somewhat offended, “Gee, thanks.”

Maybe it wasn’t the most effective tactic to keep insulting the man you were trying to bribe, but you just couldn’t seem to help yourself. You didn’t exactly know how to be nice to anyone. Eddie’s eyes considered you for a moment before something of a mean look flickered across his face.

“This has something to do with that boyfriend of yours, doesn’t it? What, you break up or something?” And then an almost mirthful realization flashed across his eyes, obviously seeing some change in your demeanor that you didn’t intend for him to notice, “Ooh, I get it. He broke up with you, didn’t he? You trying to win him back?”

You brace yourself against the table again as you glare at him, but otherwise you maintain your composure, your tone condescending and mean as you reply, “I do not want him back. He could drive off a bridge for all I care. I want to get under his skin. I want to get under everyone’s skin.”

You could tell that Eddie didn’t get it - he still didn’t understand why you needed his help in this ridiculous plan of yours, and he didn’t understand why you were feeling the way you did. With a sigh, you try to calm down and unclench your tight jaw.

“Look, Munson,” You caved in and stiffly took a seat on the opposite bench as if to bolster your argument, to make him take you a little more seriously, “I know it sounds crazy, but I just know nothing else will work.”

“And how do you know that?” He urged - you couldn’t tell if he thought you were an idiot or if he was actually interested in hearing you out.

You stared at Eddie for a long moment, trying to find the easiest way to make him understand. He stared back, again showing far more patience than you would have expected from him, especially with the likes of you. As you study his face in thought, you finally sigh, shaking your head as you look away with a vague annoyance set on your features.

“I don’t actually know, okay?” You start, eyeing him out of the corner of your eye for a few moments, “What I want is complete and utter… social suicide. To just stop worrying about my reputation or what people think. I’m sick and tired of expectations and status quos and doing what I’m told or what people expect. I want to piss everyone off. I want to piss Duncan off. I just… it feels like I need to change, you know?”

“Nope, I have no idea what you mean.” Eddie says plainly, and as you glare at him, you realize he’s joking once he finally cracks a smile. His eyes are surprisingly kind as he leans forward on his elbows, parroting your words, “When have I ever subscribed to expectations and status quos and doing what I’m told?”

At that rhetorical response, your face relaxed for the first time this entire conversation. Hell, you even felt a mild excitement wash over you as you consider what his words were implying, “So… you’ll do it?”

Eddie makes a face as if he’s still mulling over the idea, still trying to figure out what exactly your motivations were, “I mean, you’re bratty and rude and this plan is kind of stupid, but I might do it.”

“Might?” You ask, trying not to sound too pushy or annoyed by his casual insults. If this was going to happen, you both had to learn to stop prodding at each other like this, learn to stop picking on each other just because you could. That might prove to be the most challenging part of all of this, though.

Eddie smirks, rising back to his feet as he contemplates, “What do I get out of this? And don’t say money - that’ll make me feel like a prostitute.”

As you pulled a face, Eddie grinned at his own comment, obviously finding that idea amusing in some way. And like a teenage mimicry of a business person, you sat up straighter, looking at him plainly as you presented your offer, “No, but I do have one idea. But if you think of something better…?”

Eddie nods in confirmation, urging you to continue.

“Well, my uncle’s a cop--”

At that, Eddie chuckles abruptly while cutting you off, “Oh, trust me, I know exactly who your uncle is.”

Aside from shooting him a small look, you continue as if he hadn’t said anything, focused on getting this plan hatched, “I think I can help you. You can’t get in trouble with them anymore if I’m the one taking the fall.”

Eddie’s brows rose in surprise at your words, his arms crossing as he studied you, “What, you think your pretty little ass can handle a night in lock up?”

“No, genius,” You roll your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, “If it falls on me, there will be no jail, no arrest, nothing. The minute I tell someone who my uncle is, they won’t even think about putting a hand on me, that would be stupid. I’m effectively untouchable.”

Eddie nods, rubbing his chin, “But doesn’t that go out the window if you commit… What did you call it? ‘Social suicide?’”

You shrug, “Maybe. Maybe not. But I can probably keep them off your ass for the rest of the school year so long as you don’t do something too stupid.”

“You want to date me until graduation?” Eddie makes a dramatic show of placing his hand to his chest as if he’s flattered.

“Jesus…” You mutter to yourself with a sigh, “We’ll see where it goes.”

Eddie, again, nodded while humming in consideration. You sat quietly, waiting for him to add something to the conversation. You could tell that he was drawing it out, though, milking the moment just for the hell of it, to put you on edge. Suddenly, he slaps his hand down firmly on the table, causing you to jump in your seat.

“We have a deal.” His eyes glint as he smirks at you, “We play happy little couple, we destroy your reputation, piss off all your friends, and you keep me out of trouble. What could possibly go wrong?”

It suddenly felt like he jinxed everything by saying that, ruined it before you could even begin, but you ignored that feeling as you gave him a slight smile, actually pleased with how the conversation had gone. Of course, there was still that strange sense of disbelief at the entire situation - it was the most ridiculous thing you’d ever thought of or done, but that also made it kind of exhilarating in its odd way.

Eddie walked around the table, leisurely sliding onto the bench beside you, intentionally leaning over to bump your shoulder playfully. It was unexpected, causing you to make a slight face at him, but that only seemed to amuse him more.

“Look, princess, you gotta start being nicer to me if you want to convince anyone that we’re a couple.” Although his tone was teasing, you knew what Eddie said was true. Even you, known for your bitchiness, couldn’t be too mean to the man that you were supposedly dating, especially if you wanted to get under Duncan’s skin - the nicer you were to Eddie, the more it would annoy Duncan that you were never that nice to him.

“Fine.” You say plainly, looking him in the eye, “If that’s the case, no more ‘princess.’”

Eddie made a teasing face, “Then what do I call you? It would look strange if your boyfriend didn’t have any pet names for you, right?”

You sighed, but he did make a good point - it made you realize that you needed to lay out some ground rules for this whole fake dating thing, something that you hadn’t accounted for during your planning stage.

“When we’re around other people, just call me something nice. I don’t care what it is.”

Eddie’s playful expression was still in place, “Oh, you’ll regret that…”

You rolled your eyes, and yet this time the corner of your mouth pulled up into an amused grin despite yourself, “Just be nice to me and I’ll be nice to you. Can’t be too hard, right? And don’t touch me unless it’s in front of people.”

You looked him up and down critically with that comment. It's not that you were worried about him being gross or anything like that, you just hated people touching you unnecessarily.

“Any other commands, my liege?”

“What, you want me to write this down for you or something?”

Eddie pretended to consider the idea, “If only I knew how to read, princess.”

You made a face, knowing that Eddie kept calling you that dumb nickname quite intentionally, that he kept testing you with deliberate aim. Trying to resist rising to the tempting bait, you continued explaining the dos and don’ts of fake dating. 

“Okay,” You started, raising your pointer finger. Eddie made a show of paying close attention, surely just to mock you, as you raised another finger with each new rule you stated, “One: we have to try to be nice to each other. Two: no unnecessary touching if no one’s around. Three: we have to spend a lot of time together, like, not just at school - we have to go out sometimes, especially to places where people will see us. Four: we have to be extra obnoxious when Duncan’s around. Five: … I’m in charge.”

At the last instruction, Eddie laughed right in your face, “You’re in charge? I thought this was a relationship, not a dictatorship.”

You had a response ready to leave your lips, but you let it go - practice for the inevitable niceties to come, you supposed. Eddie studied you for a moment while half smiling, seemingly aware that you were doing your best to bite your tongue.

“Alright, alright, you’re in charge…” He rose to his feet, which seemed to signal that the conversation was coming to an end, “So, what, starting tomorrow I’m your boyfriend?”

“I mean… Should we build up to it first?” The question sounded ridiculous, you knew it sounded juvenile and naive in its way, but it had to be asked. And yet again, Eddie chuckled.

“Sure, we’ll ‘build up to it.’” His tone was teasing, but not quite so mean as before. Eddie studied the look on your face, trying to learn how to read you considering the amount of time you were surely about to start spending together, “Don’t worry, princess, I’ve got this in the bag. Relinquish some of that control a little, okay?”

He slowly began to walk backwards towards the trail, waiting for you to join him, so you stood to walk alongside him. You almost neurotically began dusting yourself, trying in vain to get the dirt and the mud and the dead leaves off of your skirt, out from under your nails.

You caught up to Eddie easily enough, continuing to pick at your well manicured nails, “I’m serious, Munson, please don’t fuck this up.”

Eddie threw his arm around your shoulder, once again disregarding one of your rules without a single care. He looked down at you with a teasing look on his face, confirming that he did that on purpose, confirming that he was sure to keep doing it on purpose, “Relax. I’ll flirt with you tomorrow, I’ll flirt some more throughout the week, I’ll start hanging around your locker or talking to you at lunch, and then by the end of the week I’ll ask you on a date. Deal?”

You stared into Eddie’s eyes a moment before lifting his arm off your shoulders, stepping just out of reach with a mild sneer on your lips, “Okay, deal.”

His smile is wide as he walks alongside you back to your cars. This was going to be one hell of a time, and he, frankly, was all too curious to see how it would turn out.

[velvetdesir3s]

Tutoring sessions: Roman Godfrey x Reader (Prologue)

Summary: Reader goes to the Godfrey mansion for her first day tutoring Roman Godfrey.

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: none (for now)

Author’s note: This is the first part of a little series I’m writing. Second part is out! I hope you enjoy!

As you drove up the winding, tree-lined road, the towering silhouette of Roman Godfrey’s house came into view. The mansion stood ominously at the top of the hill, its dark, gothic architecture stark against the sky. You could feel your heartbeat quicken with each turn, a mix of anticipation and unease settling in the pit of your stomach.

The iron gates creaked open as you approached, revealing a sprawling driveway that seemed to stretch endlessly towards the house. The gravel crunched under your tires, the sound echoing in the stillness of the evening. You glanced around, taking in the meticulously maintained gardens and the eerie statues that dotted the landscape, their stone faces frozen in time.

The house itself loomed larger as you neared, its windows dark and uninviting. You parked your car and sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, trying to steady your nerves. The front door, massive and foreboding, seemed to beckon and warn you simultaneously. Taking a deep breath, you stepped out of the car, the cool air brushing against your skin, and made your way to the entrance, each step bringing you closer to the unknown that awaited within.

Olivia Godfrey, Roman's mother, hired you to tutor him. At first, you were skeptical, of course. You didn’t like him at all. You thought he was arrogant, spoiled and a pathetic excuse for a trust fund baby. But you needed the money. If you wanted to get out of Hemlock Grove, you needed to start somewhere, and she was paying you a great amount of money.

It was surprising how she managed to track you down. You hadn't advertised your services; sure, you had mulled over the idea of tutoring to make some extra cash, but you envisioned helping little kids with algebra, not Roman Godfrey. But when you got the call from her, offering a crazy amount of cash per study session, you couldn’t resist. You had to put your pride aside and get it done.

You thought of a few possibilities as to how she could’ve found you but didn’t like to dwell on it since it freaked you out. This whole family gave you weird vibes; every time you passed by the mansion or the Godfrey Institute, you got shivers down your spine. Ironic, since now you’re technically working for them.

You pushed your thoughts aside and walked up the steps to the front door. Each step seemed to echo in the stillness, amplifying your unease. As you reached the top, you paused, taking in the grandeur of the entrance. The heavy wooden door loomed before you, ornate and intimidating. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves, and then raised your hand to knock, the sound resonating through the silent mansion.

It didn’t take long before a butler answered the door, gesturing you to come in and wait in the living room. You made your way into the room, setting your backpack next to you on the couch before sitting down. A maid came in immediately, asking if you wanted something to drink or eat. You politely declined, concerned at her anxious expression. After she left, you took in the grand living room, with its plush furniture and elegant décor.

As you waited, you noticed a few framed family photos on the walls and a large window letting in soft, natural light. You couldn’t help but wonder about the circumstances that had made the maid so uneasy.

A few minutes later, Olivia Godfrey came in. She reeked of cigarettes and floral, expensive perfume. She gave you a warm smile that seemed a bit insincere. “Hello, you must be the tutor I hired. Nice to finally meet you,” she said, extending her hand. She shook it quickly, her discomfort not so apparent, before letting go.

“I trust you’re well-prepared for this,” she said, her tone sharp and formal. “I’m somewhat out of touch with modern education, and I’m concerned about ensuring my son receives the best guidance.”

You gulped, somewhat uncomfortable with her tone. “Oh, yeah— you don’t have to worry about that. Today we’re going to start with the basics of calculus and then we’ll move on to—”

“That’s great, honey. Let me just get Roman,” she said, quickly dismissing you.

And just like that, you were all alone again. You leaned back on the couch, sighing to compose yourself.

“She’s such a cunt, isn’t she?”

Roman’s voice cut through the quiet as you stirred on the couch. You blinked awake to find him standing over you, his eyes cold and distant. He sank down beside you with a sigh, pulling out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. With a practiced flick, he lit one, the glow of the flame briefly illuminating his face as he took a long drag, the smoke curling around him.

Where the hell did he come from?

You snapped out of your thoughts when he glanced at you with a piercing gaze, removing the cigarette from between his lips with deliberate nonchalance. With a subtle, inviting gesture, he extended it toward you, offering a puff.

“Oh, I don’t smoke,” you replied awkwardly. He smirked, “Of course you don’t,” he muttered, placing the cigarette back between his lips. You rolled your eyes, thinking he hadn’t noticed, but he did and simply smiled to himself.

Then, you heard the unmistakable sound of heels clicking sharply against the floor as Olivia entered the room. She stood in the doorway with an air of poised authority, her gaze fixed on Roman. “Roman, dear, I specifically asked you to be in the living room after lunch,” she said, her tone sharp and controlled, with irritation concealed behind a carefully maintained veneer of sophistication.

“I was taking a shit; I’m here, aren’t I?” he quipped back, taking another drag of his cigarette and blowing the smoke deliberately toward Olivia.

Olivia narrowed her eyes, maintaining her composed exterior. "Charming as always, Roman," she replied coolly. “Do try to behave for your tutor.” She then turned her gaze to you. “I trust you can handle things from here?”

“Uh, yeah—” Before you could continue, she turned and walked out, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

Roman smirked, taking another drag of his cigarette. “Don’t take it personally,” he said, blowing the smoke into the air. “She’s always got a stick up her ass.” He leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. “So, what’s this supposed to be about, anyway?”

You turn to him, your confusion evident. “I was hired to tutor you. Didn’t your mom tell you?”

Roman raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Not exactly. She said I’ve been failing my classes and she’d find a way to fix it,” he explained, taking another drag of his cigarette and flicking the ash into an ashtray. “I figured she’d bribe the school or something.”

Of course he did.

“Well, sorry to disappoint you. We should get to work—”

Roman cut you off with a casual tone, “What if we do something else instead?” His smirk suggested he had something more intriguing in mind.

“What do you mean?” You asked, a little more guarded. You knew about Roman’s reputation for being unapologetically promiscuous. It wouldn’t surprise you if he was suggesting that he wanted to sleep with you right now.

Roman raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Relax, I was just thinking of a change of scenery,” he said with a chuckle. “But if you’re really set on studying, I suppose we can stick to it.” His tone was teasing, but he made it clear he wasn’t pushing further, at least for now.

“Oh, well. Is there anywhere else we could go to start? A couch isn’t really the best place to get some studying done,” you suggested, looking for a more practical setup for your session.

Roman leaned closer, his smirk widening as he set his arm casually on the couch, resting it near your side. “What do you have in mind?” he asked with a teasing tone, his eyes locking onto yours.

“Maybe your kitchen?” you asked, trying to maintain your composure despite the closeness.

Roman leaned back, his smirk softening slightly. “Yeah, the kitchen’s fine,” he said nonchalantly as he rose from the couch and began walking towards the kitchen.

You quickly grabbed your backpack, slinging it over your shoulders, and walked briskly to catch up with him. As you followed Roman through the mansion, the opulent surroundings were hard to ignore. The grand hallway was lined with dark wood paneling and ornate, vintage portraits, casting an almost eerie glow under the soft lighting. The floors were polished marble, echoing with the sound of your footsteps as you walked briskly to keep up with him. Roman’s stride was confident and deliberate, each step resonating with a casual authority.

As you reached the kitchen, the contrast was striking: the space was modern and functional, with sleek countertops and stainless steel appliances. The ambiance was more casual from the mansion’s formal elegance.

“So, what school do you go to?” Roman asked, strolling over to the countertop where a coffee maker sat. He grabbed a cup and poured himself some coffee, then turned around, leaning casually against the counter as he looked at you with a curious expression.

You softly scoffed, incredulous that he hadn’t even paid attention to you before. “We go to the same school. I’m actually in multiple classes with you,” you replied, your tone tinged with a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

Roman raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise crossing his face. “Oh, really?” he said, his tone shifting slightly. “Guess I didn’t notice.”

You walked up to the kitchen table, setting your backpack on it with a sigh. “I guess not,” you muttered, feeling a bit exasperated. Settling down on one of the chairs, you looked up at him and said, “Let’s get to work.”

Roman took another sip of his coffee, watching you with a bemused expression. “Alright, let’s get to it then,” he said, pushing off the counter and walking over to join you at the table. “What’s first on the agenda?”

[owlespresso]

dogged pursuit. dr veritas ratio. p3 of ? / part 1, part 2 summary: you've been appointed as the bodyguard of one doctor veritas ratio after a failed attempt on his life. he's easy to get along with, so long as you learn when to plug your ears and focus on his washboard abs. tags. suggestive content, reader insert is a bit of a freak, mr dr ratio is getting OBJECTIFIED!

He’s doing it, again. You’re sure he’s not even cognizant of it. The irresistible nature of him, nestled in every curve and bough of his body, perfect and smooth as the statues he painstakingly labors over.

He’s been quieter, today. You get the sense that he feels a little guilty about his tantrum yesterday. It’s already water under the bridge, as far as you’re concerned. He can have a mouth on him because he’s pretty. Because you’re sure there’s some deep-seated inferiority complex entrenched at the root of his behavior.

What you can’t abide by is him sneaking off to go out on his own. You’ve made the rookie mistake of sneaking in a short, afternoon nap, only to wake and find him nowhere within your shared domicile. You’re his body-guard. How are you supposed to guard his body if he doesn’t tell you that he’s going out for a run? 

Watery sunlight filters in through the half-opened blinds. It’s cloudy, today. A pressure weighs heavy in the air, the kind that rolls in before a nasty storm. You’re half-resolved to go out looking for him, even though you know he can well handle himself. Fortunately, he strolls in through the front door before you have to make that call. 

He’s in a t-shirt and shorts that don’t even reach his mid-thigh. They’re too tight for him, fabric hugging his ass, his hips. You let your gaze roll up the length of his calves and thighs, skin covered by a thin sheen of sweat. A bead of it rolls down the side of his face, caresses the sharp angle of his cheekbone. 

“You didn’t tell me you were goin’ for a run,” you grouse at him. He bends down to undo the laces on his white sneakers, and your fingers clench tight into fists. Long, smooth legs. Shiny with perspiration from the run, glimmering underneath that dull sunlight. He leaves his shoes against the wall all neat-like, and then turns to lock the front door. He takes his sweet time in answering you, makes sure you know your concerns are hardly worth his time. Brat.

“You were asleep,” he says. His voice is airy with faux innocence. “I’m not a child. I’ve told you countless times that I do not need an escort—I am an adult—a doctor, mind you, and I can very well take care of myself. The fact that I fended off my assailant on my own should be proof enough of that.”

“I know all that—you’ve been telling me since the day we met. But think of it from my point of view. If anything happens to you while we’re here, anything at all, it’s my head on the line! There’re IPC goons crawling all over this town. What if one of them sees you, without me, thinks I’ve been slacking, and reports me to the higher ups?” you tilt your head to the side. Once again, you’re reminded of how few friends Veritas Ratio has likely ever had—how wanting to educate the universe’s populace doesn’t necessarily equate to his ability to see another person’s perspective. He’s arrogant, yes, but he isn’t devious. He wouldn’t hope to get you in trouble. 

“I…” he says, and then swallows. The conflict plays out across his face. As subtle as it is, you can see it in the way his jaw tightens and his lips purse together. It takes only a few seconds before he’s pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. “Very well. I… apologize. I failed to see it from your point of view. We may have our… disagreements, but I wouldn’t want to see you harmed.”

“Disagreements? What’re you talking about?” you say, flatly. “I agree with almost everything you say, all the time.”

Another pause. “Yes, you do.” He sounds pained. He runs a hand through his wind-tousled hair as he approaches the table, where a water bottle sits next to a blue and white vase. “About that, you should make more of an effort to form your own opinions, even if I happen to not agree with them.”

“Oh?” you grab his wrist. “Really? You’re the kinda guy who likes being listened to though, aren’t ya?”

“You make me sound like some sort of tyrant,” Veritas scoffs. “Having a social circle populated by individuals with diverse opinions is healthier than being surrounded by mere yes-men,” he says, spitting the word out with no small amount of venom. “That’s how the Genius Society has declined so steeply in the last few decades, only approving those who fit a very specific set of standards. It’s a recipe for stagnation, I tell you, and the blind worship paid to them—”

You half-listen to him. He winds himself up with no prodding from you at all, expression warped with displeasure at the mere thought of his intellectual rivals. You lean over and draw his sweaty hand to your mouth, kissing the back of it. He cuts himself into a series of surprised, and indignant splutters.

“Whatever you say, beautiful,” you coo, swiping your tongue over the back of his wrist. The tang of sweat-borne salt nearly makes you shudder. 

He draws his hand back to his side like he’s been stung, and you release him with a coy smile. He cradles it to his chest, pale cheeks flushed with color. And he gets stuck like that, for a few seconds, completely jarred. For all the whining you’ve heard about his temper and supposed long-windedness, all it really takes to strike the mighty doctor silent is a few, choice actions.

“You are a menace,” he glowers, and stomps towards the stairs. The steps groan underneath his weight. You admire the plump curve of his ass, the flex of his thighs with each angry step. 

Evening turns and tosses into deep night. The house is swaddled in deep shadow. You think about the taste as you stare up at the ceiling, remember the way his ears had turned pink in the pale grey light.

A pulse of thunder groans in the distance.

[girlwithwolftatoo]

Can I request jumpscaring or attempting to jump scare the moon boys? I think if you actually succeeded in jumpscaring Jake he would be proud of you but like so upset with himself for getting jumpscared

For some reason I enjoy jumpscaring as a joke. Some people find it not innofensive enough but bah...

Moon boys + reader jumpscaring them

Steven Grant:

How dare you to scare the sweetest boyTM? Besides that, maybe jumping from behind the statue of Sobek, who reminds him of a certain crocodile lady would be enough...

It works... perhaps better than you expected. Poor Steven literally jumps and he's so freaked out he makes the Mr Knight suit appear.

"Oh no no Steven, take that off!" you rush him before someone sees him. He'll stare at you during some seconds, figuring out what just happened.

Steven has a very strict rule about jokes, he's not a big fan of pranks since he considers them a socially accepted manner to bully people. But, well, it was you who did it, so he's not as bothered as he would.

"Wasn't funny (Y/N)" he nags you, but will recover soon and, in fact, he's smiling just to let you know he forgives you.

Jake Lockley:

Usually he's the one that scares you. There's a hint of pleasure in making you gasp anytime he approaches from behind and wraps your arms around you (there was this time he gagged you with a hand before getting in an alley for a very intense make out session), so he considers you an innocent little butterfly...

Well he shouldn't have underestimated you, because when you finally got him, he went so wild he shouted without embarrasment "¡AY CABRÓN, CHINGA TU MADRE!" (a very flexible expression that can be roughly understood as "Holy shit my fucking God!")

You come out, laughing at his face, not believing something that simple would actually work. Once he sees this was only you, he shouts some more spanglish phrases to show how affected he was ("Chingado, bonita, almost crapped myself!")

But he laughs too. He's, as you said, proud and surprise to finding you can be really mean, in a playful manner, towards him.

Anyways, don't think you'll come clean. He'll make sure you... pay for your little game. But don't worry, Jake knows how to make you scream... and not just by horror.

Marc Spector:

This man has enough traumas for a couple of lives, and maybe playing a joke like this to him isn't easy. Luckily, he's full of surprises, and you managed not only to get a weak and harmless spot to play with him, but also to prepare it in such a way he would never suspect it.

He also screams, but not as exxagerated as Jake and naturally not as freaked out as Steven. His scream is a short, sharp one, and you can see he turns back with an expression of disconcern and waste, as if he noticed quick this was just a joke and can't believe it.

While you come out of your hidden place, laughing, he stares at you with a silent "Are you for real?" glare, which makes the situation even funnier.

"Oh yeah, so funny, keep laughing" he grunts. He's not angry, it's just he considers this pranks as something childish and can't believe you, of any other person he knows, could take time to prepare this prank for him.

There's a chance he'll return you the favor, just to whisper in your ear after you screamed, "What, not so funny when it happens to you?" (all this while a mischiveous chuckle forms on his lips).

[zeevoidlight]

I think Vegeta was a virgin up until he met Bulma.

I know, what a freaking way to start an argument but blame reddit for asking and leading me to a trail of autism thoughts, and I will also talk about Vegeta's attraction to Bulma and viceversa when they first met. Like, how tho. Albeit from a demisexual perspective (or asexual, idk anymore really). (I saw the latin dub but as I have heard it is very similar to the japanese version but I'll reference the japanese one if i found footage of it).

/////

Some might believe that because of his attitude, his raw power, his Saiyan heritage, his status as conqueror of planets, genocidal maniac, sociopath extraordinare, his military background and his ruthlessness and uncaring nature, Vegeta was raping people left and right, or that he has always been very sexually active, or at least had some experience regarding the matter.

But be honest, he was too dense with everything from his childhood traumas and his vengeance against Frieza to care about having sex, or having a relationship with anyone in any capacity.

Also he is too proud and values his Saiyan heritage too much to give anyone he didn't deem worthy the privilege to have sex with him, let alone risk the possibility of an offspring. At least that's how I see Vegeta being pre Namek and pre dying against Frieza having to confront and accept by force an overwhelming amount of feelings on a rollercoaster for the first time in years. Dude didn't even thought two times to kill Nappa and let Raditz rot instead of reviving him as the last remainings of his people, that's how dense he was prior. He was so proud that he didn't mind to be the only Saiyan left alive and probably preferred it that way. Nappa that one time suggested to him that they could revive the Saiyan race by mixing with earthlings and Nappa was ready to pound (consensual or not) and Vegeta is like "nah, are you crazy? I wouldn't like to have a child being stronger than me". Dude probably had the opportunity to do so some other times but rejected the thought, he doesn't sound interested at all, first thinking on other things than sex.

Of course he wasn't oblivious to it like Goku though and was well aware because he's not stupid. Outside of the English dub he notices Bulma on Namek and even refers to her as gorgeous, or pretty earthling woman. So I guess he still had a sexual notion but in other ways. He was not innocent of mind is what I'm saying. Like, he must have known what flipping the bird means. Is probably not that he didn't knew what sex was and desired it at some point or joked about it like I guess they'd do in Frieza's army but he was just not interested on acting on it for real at that time.

But then, after Frieza died and everything that happened after his disaster visit to Earth and Namek, after loosing literally everything and having no purpose anymore other than wait and find Goku to best him, and after having realized more of himself in vulnerable ways trying to find some sense of normality in who he perceived he was, here comes Bulma all confident, infatuated and aggressive with him, because of course she like the bad boys and because Vegeta let his guard down for one second and let Bulma be Bulma while he literally couldn't do anything but go along (I suppose Piccoro was the only one that could have fight him if he tried anything). And he already found her attractive too in a way, not only that but she was probably the first woman that wasn't scared of him and even challenged him, treating him as an equal and as just another person, flirting with him openly, living with her and her family as a guest which is a completely different context to what he had been doing to survive his medium.

His interactions with Bulma

So just so happens that now he can think on other things that aren't killing Frieza and escaping his rulership. He had to learn this new types of interactions and how to deal with them in his own way, and that includes how to approach someone that he felt attracted to. Who knows if he had other people he felt that attraction towards, probably, but Bulma is the one that basically said "yeah, I'm down if you want".

The fact that he calls her "vulgar" when she first flirted with him says a lot of how he would not engage with just anyone because of his pride as a prince and a Saiyan, and how she probably was the first to even flirt with him openly. How he says she is "loud" and called her "woman" also says that he was more likely annoyed by the idea of women as gender like it often happens, belittling them and all. While on the other hand Bulma constantly challenged him on it once they got to Earth, forcing him to address the topic as we see several times, being strong against him. Like (again I'm going with the Latin version since I've heard is more accurate to the japanese version), Bulma says to him "and what about you, small one", and he's like "what?!... She called me small one?..." (in japanese she just calls him Vegeta-kun, like a pet name), he was not willing to dignify the provocation huffing to Bulma's invitation after but didn't menace her nor got aggressive or sarcastic like he would with someone else. But then she said "I'm going to give you a lot of food. Bet you eat as much as Goku, am I wrong? haha!... But I'm not going to allow you fall in love with me even if you find me very attractive", and is in this moment where you can see Vegeta's wtf face entering panic mode resorting to insult her under his breath as if she could see through him. Is right here where you see that he doesn't really know how to react to someone flirting and is debating between bursting in anger or run away but just ends up paralyzed because his ego won't let him move. (in japanese he reacts by muttering "what a vulgar woman! and how loud she is (being)!")

Then they go to Bulma's house and Vegeta just tags along. It seems that going through Namek with the earthlings, helping each other and cooperating like his life depended on it was an experience for a lifetime. My man can't seem to get a rest from one wft after the other since he arrived to Earth because the next thing that happens is that Bulma's mother comes to him faster than light startling him and says "[]...I imagine you must be Bulma's boyfriend. You ARE charming. And it looks like you are trendy". And the only thing he can muster to reply back is "t-trendy?" (I find it funny that that's what he reacted to and not to being called Bulma's boyfriend XD)

Vegeta's disinterest and rejection is part of why I think Bulma was interested on him. Because the interactions Bulma has had with men in general throughout the entirety of the series have been... very poor to say the least. Men want take advantage of Bulma in one way or another but more often than not sexually (I mean just being in Roshi's general vicinity is more than enough for anyone), or they see her as a "thing" for themselves, a trophy. (this one bellow was so terribly stressful, my god...)

And Bulma's approach to men is a similar as well because she is clearly very superficial too and that has remained a constant since day one. (jesus, bulma)

And Vegeta wasn't interested on taking her like that, on the contrary he pushed her away despite being interested (which I bet Bulma knew or at least expected because of her own ego), and also he had greater objectives he wanted to pursue. Focused (on surpassing Goku...), determined, and that was the difference. He doesn't seem like the type of guy that would try to get an opportunity to peek through the shower window seeking to get a glimpse of her like we have seen others do (although, Bulma did saw him through the shower doors), or disrespect her in any physical way. Far from it, his reactions with her are getting all nervous, speechless, flustered, he follows her (because in a way he does respect her character and leadership), aggressively rejecting her at the same time (trying to negate his feelings to go back to the status quo), calling her names, and Bulma isn't taking none of that because she doesn't believe that bs he's spouting and she knows he likes her (like, who wouldn't, as she probably tells herself), even plays with it sarcastically and either brushes it off or dares him to say it again.

He lets her get close to him but cautiously (the comparison to a stray cat is not too farfetched). He knows what Bulma wants but just now he has found someone that confronts him about it without fear or shame, he has now the mental space to think about it and needs to respond to it somehow, he is interested back too, he IS aroused by her as well. When he arrives to Bulma's house from his search in space and Yamcha and him are al tense with each other, Bulma arrives and says all calmly "Calm down, boys. Why don't you let him take a shower first?", she touches him and says "C'mon. You have to take a shower because you are VERY dirty" *finger movent, "Come. It's this way". That flinch he does when she touches him while going into fight or flight mode again, and the famous sexy finger movement on Bulma's part that completely seeks to throw him off and serve as a sexual invitation that he quietly accepts (even before she yells at him to stop gawking and not let a damiselle wait) by being passive and following her lead to the surprise of everyone in the scene.

I mean, I'm not the most versed person regarding this (as you can probably see) but It's happened to me where someone gives me something they have to hand me, and they let their hand stay a little longer than usual, or unnecessarily caress your palm with their fingers or nails with the intention for you to notice the unusual movement and tingly sensation as a way of flirting and invite you to sexy time. So I see this the first time and i'm like "Bulma?... ~what is this?~ I see your game" while remembering the first time someone did that to me so clearly. People think that because it's some people's first time you'll be all awkward and won't know how to be sexy too, specially being an older virgin person which would be Vegeta's case, but nah, you just gotta be confident and say "fuck it, I want this too and will give you a good time as well". It is how I picture Vegeta, ultimately knowing his value and enjoying himself as well (like, "serving himself with the bigger spoon" as they say) once they got there when he had to take a decision and answer Bulma's provocations.

(Also, I never totally understood why Bulma's mom was spilling the tea in the background at that moment but I suspected it was because it meant to signify Vegeta and Bulma were "cooking" and very into each other, and not just her being careless and aloof tho using that as a way to convey it).

Every time they in a scene she's measuring him with every interaction they have from the moment they got back to Earth onward, to see how far he's willing to allow her go, and hitting him with another wtf reaction every now and then to trow him off. Even going as far as put him in ridiculous and assert HER dominance. Because is not that he couldn't have just blasted everyone away with every step but little by little both were forming a connection. The scene of the pink shirt, after Vegeta gets offended by the style she says "If you don't want them you can walk around nude"... D: (his pikachu face was better than mine though, and then he says "damn, she's very rude"). I mean... is there anything more clear than that.

And then she sees him and says "You really look good like that...". Not only that but when Vegeta senses Frieza arriving he gets mad, insults Yamcha for doubting his ability to sense Frieza's chi, they're about to fight each other and Bulma is cooking some meat and is like "Vegeta, if you want to use the sauce I have it here", and everyone, specially Vegeta, is visibly confused and he doesn't know how to respond, the scene is left unanswered.

(side note: Trunks says that after his arrival Yamcha was going to be unfaithful to Bulma but no man, That's what future Bulma told him but is more likely that it was her the one that left him for Vegeta that day, way before Trunks arrived. Even on Namek she already was over him, thinking of Goku and how she lost her train with him, then with Zarbon, and finally Vegeta (she also had a picture of Yamcha in her little camp in Namek full of darts to his face, so...). Yamcha never really had Bulma, and he didn't do much to get her back either or change. Truth is Bulma is the crazy one). And then when Frieza arrives to Earth Bulma arrives at the scene too and explains that since she couldn't see Frieza in Namek she wanted to see him here to see how strong he really was, and Vegeta says "not only she's rude but aggressive/daring too..." In this very soft thoughtful tone and talking to himself, like... C'mon dude! Accept that you like her!

And then then! when everyone is going towards Frieza's ship, Bulma is the one who yells "Wait, Vegeta! take me with you! Remember who hosts you!" (is that how you say it? dar alguien hospedaje?). Yamcha is completely out of her picture.

We see the next time the most obvious episode where the love tones are more present, Vegeta's training montage after the news of the androids, and his accident with the gravity chamber, but by then it was just confirmation of all the signs from before. So when we see Bulma with baby Trunks it doesn't really come out of nowhere and you understand how and why.

While I find Super's tsundere Vegeta in some instances fun to watch, more with him and Goku to be honest, but I don't think Z Vegeta was taking it in such a juvenile way, he's more adult and mature still about the situation, as mature as someone calling a girl "woman" to assert dominance that is. The flirting "dance" towards their sexual encounter is more silent and elegant, just like two adults would do so. He wants to get closer but the only thing the dude has known his entire life is fighting and being on offense mode all the time. Their dynamic is quite interesting and quite amazing, not for nothing they are considered to be one of if not the best couple in anime, and trying to unravel how it all started is really fun.

But yeah, As I see it and if we could compare Vegeta's sexuality to something from real life he, as most saiyans, was probably demi-sexual (yay), since it's said that Saiyan's don't understand romance and they likely only had sex to reproduce. They didn't had the concept of family outside of the royal family. And that's why also Vegeta is one of the few saiyans that later could develop an understanding of family and being in a relationship in a way other saiyans don't, including Goku.

So yeah, that's my terminally online post of the day. Nothing but Dragon ball and Vegeta on my mind lately.

I would like to get into analyzing Goku and Vegeta's sexuality soon too. It's so interesting as well because is not traditional.

[quitealotofsodapop]

LMK assorted Spider Gang LMK headcanons/theories

sequel to this post. Focusing on the Spider Gang cus I just finished reading that section of Journey to the West.

Spider Queen:

Spider Queen was one of seven sisters... seven sisters who fell to Monkey King's staff after trying to capture Tripitaka/Tang Sanzang for their master; Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord/Centipede Demon. Spider Queen was the only survivor of the fight besides the sisters' adoptive sons. She has spent the last countless years trying to rebuild the family and home she once had, accidentally becoming a "queen" of spider demon-kind in the process.

The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's current status is unknown. Spider Queen doesn't care. Her former "brother" refused to give up the Tang monk in exchange for the safety of his sisters. She views this as the ultimate betrayal from someone she had considered her mentor/older brother. She did steal his alchemy supplies though, hence her cauldron.

Spider Queen actually lost her legs in her and Wukong's original fight - hence why she uses a mechanical lower body. Modern mobility aids yall.

Spider Queen also has beef (accidental Pun) with Zhu Bajie for harassing her and her sisters when they were bathing. Homeboy really went so creepy that they predatory spider demons didn't even wanna eat him. Even Pigsy's brief lapse of braincells when he first met Spider Queen was more polite than what his predecesor did.

Spider Queen's motherly nature extends beyond her clan. It's why LBD deliberately possessed a child to approach her - she knew Spider Queen would think twice about hurting "just a little girl". Spider Queen even gets a little protective over MK once she starts talking to him on an equal level.

Syntax:

Syntax was once a scientist who worked at the Weather Station. When the station was damaged by Red Son and MK's fighting in "Bad Weather"; he got scapegoated by the company as it's lead programmer and was fired. This gives him mega resentment towards both the Monkie Kid gang and the DBK family specifically.

He ran into Spider Queen while trying to find work as a freelance programmer. She needed someone to design a delivery system for her venom that didn't require her biting every single victim's neck. Syntax scoffed and went "I could just program a swarm of mini-robots to do it for you. We use similar drones while cloud-seeding at the station." and the rest is history.

Syntax's name is not only a programming reference, but is a ref to a type of spider family called Synotaxidae - related to Huntsmans and Black Widows (family <3). His name in Mandarian is "Liù yǎn zhū"/六眼蛛 meaning "Six-eyed Spider", which could be a glasses joke from the rest of the spider gang (who normally have four eyes) or a reference to a species in the same family - a six-eyed sand spider, known for their reclusive natures, and having the most powerful venom of any spider species. Hilarious if Syntax ever accidentally bit someone and it was a 1-hit KO.

The antidote made by Red Son wouldn't have worked on Syntax. While it did cure those envenomated during New Years, Syntax getting the "first spin" of the refined venom meant that he recieved far higher a survivable dosage/damage from the spider-bot. He had to work out a few more kinks before the New Years parade or else Megaopolis would been filled with dead half-spider people.

Syntax is having a small crisis of humanity. Not as big as the gang expected, but more like "Oh dang. I could've just been a demon this whole time? This rocks!- Hey why do chickens freak me out all of a sudden?" There's lot of spider demon stuff he has no context for - Spider Queen probably has to give him the spider demon version of "The Talk" the first time Syntax drums his legs at someone he likes.

Has/had a very mild rivalry with Macaque, mostly cus the shadow monkey would poke fun at Syntax for being a magic-less former human, and the programmer could toss the criticism right back at him in words Macaque didn't understand. The hostility died down when Macaque got weirdly interested in an RPG Maker game Syntax was playing, and wanted to know how videogames worked. And so the development of the "Macaque VR game" began.

He def chose the name "Syntax" for himself.

Huntsman:

Huntsman is only slightly younger than Spider Queen. He was a fellow spider demon disgusted by what the pilgrims had done to her sisters. And was a little curious at how strong they truly were. Encountered Sha Wujing on the road when the river demon was foraging, and was immediately enamored with his strength. He knows Sandy is pretending to be a reincarnation, he could recognise his Blue from anywhere.

Hates being seen as weak. Will act out if he suspects someome is "going easy" on him. Even with spicy cooking.

Saw some Things in the potion-portal Tang accidentally sent him to in Laozi/Lao Tzu's lab. The "duck" label was a metaphor.

Beyond tracking devices, this spider is tech blind. Has no gotdamn idea Syntax is talking about half the time.

Goliath/Strong Spider:

Is a little older than Huntsman. But no one's really sure how old he is. Not even him.

Was a drifter from another clan before joining Spider Queen. He doesn't like to talk about what happened with his birth clan.

Deliberately trained his body so he could physically protect his friends/clan from harm. A lot of things can squish a spider, and Goliath wants to make sure that never happens again.

Goliath/Strong Spider has no idea how to make or spin a web. It's the folly of his sub-species. He can however, knit you a pretty good wool blanket instead. :3

Since he's based on a spider called a Goliath Bird-Eater; Goliath occasionally just plucks a bird out of the sky and noms on it like Hogsqueal in The Spiderwick Chronicles. If he ever saw Peng, not even the Buddha could stop Goliath from trying to take a bite.

Spindrax (sadly toyline only ;_;):

Has an obnoxiously black-and-pink colour scheme as a foil to Mei's white-and-green aesthetic.

Is Mei's equal rival in everything. Racing, pinball, arcade games, hand-to-hand combat, etc... Spindrax and Mei even go toe-to-toes when it comes to dancing.

Uses a stylized motorcycle helmet while driving, so much so that Mei honestly didn't know what Spindrax's face looked like until after a race/spider gang fight.

Youngest of the whole spider clan. She's barely considered a young-adult by their standards. Gets babied/underestimated sometimes by them and wishes to prove herself.

Would annoy Syntax while he's working by flicking rubber bands at him.

Bonus ideas+:

The original spider clan was once an actual kingdom, but it fell to silk-greedy humans during the mid Tang Dynasty when the empire began enforcing extreme measures to prevent rival nations from getting their hands on easy silk. When a few too many Roman and Greek tradesmen went to the Spider Kingdom instead of following the Silk Road - the kingdom was burnt to the ground. The Seven Sisters were the only surviving members of a very minor branch of the royal family - saved by a centipede schoolmate.

The Spider Sisters in Journey to the West had adoptive children in the form of other bug demons known as; Bee, Hornet, Cockroach, Cantharis/Spanish-Fly/Blister-Beetle, Grasshopper, Maggot/Wax-Fly, and Dragonfly, who came to defend their moms' after Zhu Bajie harassed them. However they were just little kids, so they could barely nip at the pilgrims even as a swarm of insects. Even the tallest of them was said to be "no more than two and a half feet". SWK simply scared them off by making his hair-clones turn into different birds. It's likely that Spider Queen had to care for her orphaned nephews/students in the aftermath of Jttw.

Would be cool if the seven niblings were still around, trying to avenge their moms and aunts. Hilarious if they were somehow more successful than Jin and Yin at villainy - if only a smidge. Then again that means at the end of canon S3 they're left without a family, if LBD doesn't see them as extra mech material that is...

MK: *driving home from a delivery* A voice off to the side: "Hey monkey-head!" MK, stops driving: "???" (MK turns, only to see seven scrappy-looking kids) MK: "Aww. You guys fans of mine?" Kid 1#: "No! We are sons of the Seven Spider Sisters! Sworn enemies of the Monkey King!" MK, tensing up cus arachnophobia: "S-spiders?" Kid 2#: "Yeah! Now you're gonnna get it!" The Kids: *transforms into their true demon forms* MK: *massive sigh of relief* "Oh thank the buddha! You're just regular bug demons. Sorry nothing personal, I just can *not* deal with a swarm of baby spiders right now. You guys get home to Spider Queen before it gets dark ok?" MK: *continues driving home* The Kids, briefly stunned: "HEY! Get back here!" "You're not suppose to run away!" "We're telling mama about this!"

Spider Demons are able to heal/hibernate inside cocoons similar to those seen in the cave system. Huntsman and Goliath were sleeping off the worst of the winter frost when New Year's woke them up. It could also give an explaination to where Spindrax and the seven adopted bug kiddos are - they sleepin'.

I leave you with this funny Gary Larson comic with a spider in it:

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

🧚‍♀️ Anon

Tales from the Darkside Movie (Gargoyle Story with Johnathan or Risotto?)

Johnathan/Risotto falls madly in love with Darling (While he’s a statue, as he could only see Darling from where he was sculpted and placed)

However he comes to life and kills a man harassing her, telling Darling that she must swear to never tell anyone that she saw him (Darling swears she won’t tell anybody)

Darling encounters a huge man named Johnathan/Risotto who proceeds to help raise her Artistic Career and become successful (She’s very grateful to him as they even start dating and even got married)

Or maybe Diavolo and Doppio? (It would be interesting with since Darling marries Doppio, keeping Diavolo from taking over since he’s content *At the moment as he comes out when Darling’s asleep to touch her*)

However after 10 Years of Marriage on their anniversary, Darling finally reveals the truth to Love, only to be horrified seeing him turn into the monstrous Gargoyle that has been haunting her dreams for all these years (She was startled when she found out their child/ren also transformed into smaller gargoyles)

He doesn’t kill Darling, instead he snatches her up to take her away (Along with their child/ren) to somewhere abandoned to live their for all eternity

Or maybe he turned Darling into a Statue while their Child/ren turns into Gargoyles with him? That way he could preserve her for all eternity so she could never die and leave him

Ooh, you know this premise reminds me of a story about the Yuki Onna (which funny enough has a side quest associated about it in pokemon legends arceus)

This is hard to choose so I'm gonna go over both Jonathan and Risotto.

Jonathan longed for darling. From were he stood atop the campus he could watch her for hours as she'd worked on her sketches. There was one time when she continued to glance up at him, if he'd had a heart it would have pounded tremendously each time their eyes connected with his.

If he hadn't been bound to the rock which he was carved from he would have... well he wasn't quite sure. Brush his fingers through her hair, lovingly embraced her, smothered her in kisses. How he daydreamed about it.

One night darling leave the campus late after using one of the studios for a project and is jumped, the guy demands she hand over her belongings while brandishing a knife. Jonathan witnesses this. He wished he could move, fly down and save her and he hadn't quite realized that he'd done just that until he heard a gasp from behind. Even he was shocked by what had just happened. He turned around to see darling on the ground with her hands supporting her.

She was shaking as she looked up at him with a horrified expression. He promises he won't hurt her as he offers his hand to help her up. She reluctantly takes it and pulls her up. He's awe struck by how warm her hand is, like a ray of sunlight.

"You won't tell anyone, promise?" He asks, unsure of what could happen if people found about him.

"I... promise" darling mutters shakily.

After he began fall for her even more. Yet he also felt ashamed of himself. You always averted your gaze from him(she's had constant nightmares of him). Was she so afraid of him. he was a freak of nature, a monster even.

What if he'd been human, would she have reacted differently. Human just like her...

After about a week or so word spread about one of the gargoyles on campus had disappeared, even the staff had no idea. She tried to not pay it much mind. Little did anyone know that the gargoyles longing had changed his appearance to that of a human and has been trying to learn human customs as best as he can (mainly through reading at the nearby library).

During a break at a Cafe darling is approached by a tall, built man in a button up shirt and knitted vest. He asks if she'd mind him sitting next to her and allows him.

He's quick to compliment her work and they have an engrossing conversation before she asks his name. For a few seconds he doesn't respond, he never had a name.

"Sir?" Darling asks. He finally responds.

"Sorry, My name is Jonathan Joestar" he introduces himself as.

She then asks for his phone number, he doesn't have one and makes up the excuse that his one was stolen. So she writes down her number and tells him to let her know when he gets a new one.

He manages to aquire one and gets in contact with darling. He practically becomes her biggest supporter, making it to every public viewing and helping her get her hands of pricey materials and supplies. Darling is always pointing out how cold Jonathan feels and insists that he wear warmer clothes in the colder months.

Eventually darling graduates and manages to get into her dream career. For awhile daring is busy but promises to see Jonathan at some stage.

Eventually they meet up and he quick to confess his feelings, darling accepts as she feels he's always supported her.

Fast forward to around 10 or so years later. Him and darling are married with kids. However their eldest George has developed two lumps on his forehead and is soon going in for surgery to get them removed. Which has both of them stressed (darling is worried they might be tumors while Jonathan fears they maybe horns).

After their anniversary darling has another nightmare about the gargoyle and confesses to Jonathan that she's had the nightmares because her encounter with a gargoyle. Unfortunately due to this Jonathan's form returns to that and begs darling to not look at him but it's too late. She sees the very gargoyle that has haunted her for years and immediately runs to grab their kids but is soon horrified that they too have become gargoyles. Jonathan tries to defuse the situation but the kids are frightened by him too. Darling is practically having a breakdown while their kids are trying to desperately get their mothers attention, convinced that this is all some horrible nightmare. How could her wonderful family become this.

Jonathan prepares tea for everyone and tries to explain (at least to the kids as darling is really going through the motions). Eventually Jonathan has the children on his side and he takes them all to a secluded cabin in the woods. Promising that they'll all be a happy family again, it'll just take time.

Risotto has seen millions of people throughout his lifetime but for some reason he had an interest in darling. He wasn't quite sure as to why, he hadn't felt until that moment.

And when he saw her defenseless as a man held a knife to her in the dead of night he felt something boil inside him. The assailants head had been caved in he looked down at darling who was on the verge of tears. He could feel his chest tighten up.

"Never tell a soul about this" he told her, she could only respond with a head shake in acknowledgement before running away as fast as possible.

As as far as he knew you kept that promise, he'd catch you cautiously looking up at him whenever you walked in and out of campus. Until he suddenly disappeared.

"Hey you're going to Ayden's party, right?" A girl asked her.

"Yeah, it should a lot of fun" she responded. Unbeknownst to a white haired easedropper, he'd seen many pamphlets around for the event. It wouldn't have been worth his time, but she'd be there.

God those collage movies made sorority parties look like so much fun in comparison to actually being there. She was squished into a corner with a cup of cheep booze as she watched everyone around her slowly deteriorate into drunken messes. She had at least hoped she could find some like minded people to befriend but that didn't seem like a chance, until an unusual looking man stood next to her. Tall and built with platinum blonde hair and red irises against black sclera. He wore torn up clothes that screamed punk.

"Music major?" She asked him.

"No, I don't do college" he spoke in a monotone voice.

"Oh sorry, I've kinda made a game of guessing people's classes since this party been boring" you told him.

"No I get that, what's your name if you don't mind me asking" he asked her, after that the two had a long conversation until the sound of police sirens blared.

"Shit, we've gotta leave" she told him, apparently a big fight had broken out at the opposite end of the house. So the two of them ran out and eventually they headed out to a nearby fast food joint.

"I guess there was one good thing about going to that party" darling chuckled.

"And that is?" Risotto asked.

"Meeting you" she replied before taking a sip of her drink while opening her phone with the other.

"Here's my number" she continued as she slides her phone to him. Luckily he'd already acquired one.

So after that they kept in touch, little did darling know he was stalking her. Despite his rough and tough exterior he always offered an eye or an ear whenever darling had a problem.

After long enough darling gets her degree and begins freelance work and it's during an gallery open with their work that she finally tells him how she feels and his more than happy to hear darling pour her heart out to him.

A little over 10 years later, everything is perfect and they've recently had baby number 3. They celebrate their anniversary and enjoy the night but then darling wakes up from a nightmare of the gargoyle. Asks Risotto if she can tell anything and he'd believe her. He assures her he will. She confesses to what happened that night and he feels horrible, betrayed even that after all these years you'd break your promise but also how you described his monstrous form.

But he hadn't quite anticipated that his form would revert. Darling is horrorfied and tries to defend herself and something in him snaps. He grabs darling and without even realizing he turns her to stone. He's shocked and tries to find any sign that she's alive, hearing a faint heartbeat inside. He hadn't even realised how loud he'd been until one of the kids came in, they we're just like him now. They try to run but he scoops them up and tries to calm them.

He knows they can't stay like this, they have to leave and find somewhere safe.

[cookie-crumblr]

GN!Reader X Ezra-Yandere Bully OC

🚬Ezra Masterlist

Theme: Someone with equal status stands up for you.

!!!MINORS DNI!!!

CW: GN!Reader, No body descriptions for reader, Yandere, bullying of reader, violence against reader, names against reader(freak), brief hand job on reader, asphyxiation,

status: not dating (but real close)

Sorry these asks have taken so unusually long!!! I’ve been re writing them all…. hopefully it’s still satisfactory! plot twist on that ask XD DW, there’ll be at least 1 more post for this prompt!(probs more tbh)

ask link here!

“Come on Freak”

“No, Ezra.” You’re upset today, anything from anyone is just too freaking much. And Ezra? Oh fuck that guy.

“No?” He scoffs, and closes the distance between you. His hand latches onto the side of your neck, thumb pressing on your jaw and squishing your face. Your head hits the wall when he backs you up against it

A punch to the cement wall right next to your face startles you and you try to cover your face, a small shriek leaves without your permission.

“Come with me. Now, freak.”

“I don’t want to.”

The hand on your jaw roughly slides down the front of your torso, traveling down to your pants, where he unbuttons them, and rushes in. His other hand stays against the wall to keep you locked under his body. “oh really? We can always bang in front of the whole campus.” Just his shoulders shrug. “‘s’if I care”

His hand moves expertly against you, tweaking and thumbing you just right.

Underneath the smell of smoke that stains him, his natural scent comes through in these close and more laid back moments. It’s intoxicating and you can’t help a deep inhale into his hair. You grind against his palm, but still try to push him away. He smells like a fresh forest in the morning. Covered in dew, and blissfully still, crisp and clean…

You want him now, but you’re still so mad from whatever happened earlier.

Ezra’s hands are around your throat, Your vision is blacking out and you’re so scared, you never know what he’s going to do to you. He’s squeezing you tighter and tighter, and his hand moves with more and more pressure, an almost painful amount. “‘s—too—muchh…” You rasp out.

His lips part as they hover over yours, almost touching when—

“HUNFFFF” Suddenly Ezra gets knocked off of you by some man that’s just as tall as him, kicking him in his side. He recovers fine, it seems Ezra was mostly just startled.

The man stands between you and Ezra now.

“Heel, Freak.” Ezra’s lighting up a cig, looking bored of this already, as he calls you over to him.

“No.” You step forward.

The guy motions as if to say, “stay behind me”

“No!” You shout, and stand taller between both mountains, even in their shadows, they only see you right now.

“You think because you can try and act like youre a big dog you can play with the big dogs?” he scoffs, “you’re still just a little pup beneath us. Threateningly he approaches you, as your eyes try to stay trained to his, they can’t help but wander to that burning ember between his slender, bloody-bandage wrapped fingers. You shudder with vivid and painful memories of those same embers against your skin.

You don’t shrink back, though your eyes are betraying you, Ezra still smirks back. Unlike before, this time his smile holds no hostility, in fact, it’s betraying him by showing his pride.

You try and contain your own smile, for fear of ruining this monumental moment with him.

Take a deep breath in.

and let it out.

AN:! I hope you didn’t expect that it’d be YOU defending you in one of them!!!!

[positivelybeastly]

So, a very dear friend of mine asked me why I think that Hank is such a performer - why he's so good at it, why he enjoys it so much - and it's one of those things that I think is so integral to Hank's character that really determines if you 'get' Beast or not.

I think the brass tacks of it is - he enjoys the attention, he enjoys the affirmation, the praise. There's some lines of dialogue from his parents that state that he was basically the best case scenario they could've hoped for, considering his father's radiation accident - sure, he was weirdly strong, sure, his limbs were oversized, but he was otherwise extremely healthy and intelligent and not deformed like they feared he would be.

So there's a degree of a miracle baby thing going on, where they showered him with love and attention and found it hard to be genuinely angry with him, and especially as he went on, as he got more and more plaudits for being brilliant, I think he chased that high a little bit.

He throttles back a bit when he's older, to try and hide because mutant and he does like being normal even if he loves being praised and affirmed as well, but everyone is telling him to keep going, to be as brilliant as he can be - which, to him, means be VISIBLY brilliant, be VISIBLY great at what you do.

And even when he joins the Avengers, even after he achieves that status symbol, he's STILL chasing that affirmation, he's starting to create impossible standards for himself. He feels notably down when he isn't contributing in fights or with his scientific acumen, he takes it hard when people criticise him, and he starts to feel the need now to be a public face for mutantkind.

It's not really something he mentions as being a thing in Avengers because 70s Avengers wasn't all that interested in addressing the mutant angle, but it does become a plot point in New Defenders, where a college student calls him out for being one of the most public mutant faces there is (remember, this is before Xavier outed himself, so, like, the public mutant faces are probably Hank, Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver . . . PROBABLY A LOT OF VILLAINS, and the X-Men, but they're secretive and known only as a weird paramilitary group) but not DOING anything with that status. And then he takes that hard, and forms a mutant advocacy group, because he wants to be good and be seen to be doing good.

There's also the aspect of needing to aggressively perform both masculinity and humanity - especially in Avengers, he's so hypersexual and so casually intelligent (he spends an entire issue just alternating between the dozen languages he knows for fun) because he wants you to consider him a man, and a human, before he's a Beast.

That's an element of his character that you see really obviously in his human form, where he's a fucking walking thesaurus, but there, it's to stand out, to seem smart, there's a degree of smugness and 'look at meeeee,' but the instant he turns blue and furry, it's more about 'look at me not being a freak.'

That only intensifies when he becomes feline, where you see a sort of melding of the two - he's a lot less casual with his speech, he almost slides back into his Big Words mode, but he also wants you to consider him friendly and approachable, so how much he drops a million dollar quote or word starts to oscillate depending on his audience. He changes depending on who he's talking to.

He also almost never shows his teeth when he smiles.

As for why he's so good at it - practice, a lot of reading, and I think a degree of underrated emotional sensitivity. In his way, he's more empathetic and kind and gentle than Jean can be - granted, Jean was fucking MEGA PISSED over the affair with Scott, but if you look at the way he treats Emma, it's very soft and teasing and nurturing, and he stands up for her even against his best friend Jean, who had psychically brutalised Emma.

She has the cheat code of telepathy, but Hank is just - naturally warm and tender. He's a very sensitive soul, not just in terms of being vulnerable but just knowing what people need to hear and being there for them. He's even capable of empathy for Mr. Sinister of all people.

If Percy had even an ounce of this insight into Hank's character, X-Force Beast would just be a performance. "This is what Krakoa needs, so I'll become it," but he just. Doesn't. Get. That. There are glimmers of it! HE'S SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE TO GETTING IT.

This SHOULD be why X-Force Beast is so overtly evil, why he's so despicable, why he's so stupidly villainous - because it's a performance, because that's the only kind of evil Hank can do, and it's KILLING him to do it. One last great performance, to save everyone he loves.

THAT. THAT. WHERE DID IT GO, BEN?

And, like . . . he's getting . . . a reaction. It isn't the reaction he wants, it isn't a reaction he enjoys, but it's a reaction, people . . . ARE paying attention to him, so in a way, that's telling him to keep going. Like, that'd be such an interesting, fucked up dynamic to lean into, that this is just a bit that went too far, that Hank can't stop himself, that his emotions are all fucked up and no-one can tell it's a performance anymore and no-one can pull him out, that he became the performance, but no.

Just evil.

It just sucks because I bet we're not even going to get a resolution on X-Force Beast's feelings about Krakoa and the Hellfire Gala. About the idea that he was the necessary bastard but it didn't keep them all safe, that all of his plans and gambits failed, that he sacrificed everything for nothing. Judging by X-Force #48, he's probably just going to do some Bond villain shit and get taken down. In his own villain turn, he's just - stripped, of all emotional complexity. There isn't a character there. It sucks, man.

It isn't even subtextual. It's just. It's there.

Like, Hank's fatal character flaws are: a complete insecurity in his own self-worth, a worrying fear that he's failed at everything he's ever tried to do, an anxiety that he's not truly human, never will be, never can be, and will in fact only get worse.

THOSE ARE ENOUGH TO BE GETTING ON WITH.

And he ameliorates those things by being charming and funny and playing to type so people like him.

Like, if these writers understood Hank, they would USE that by emphasising the fact that Hank's insecurities and fears and anxieties are growing to such a scale that it's affecting his ability to make emotional reads on people, and thus he's playing the WRONG role that he thinks they want from him, because that's tragic, and that's understandable, but instead they make it that he's just got an ego, or that he's just plain evil.

LIKE.

YOU COULD LITERALLY HAVE HANK BE PAGLIACCI.

"Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain.

Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up."

Man bursts into tears.

Says, "But doctor...I am Pagliacci.”

Hank is always playing the clown, because it makes people happy and that makes him happy, but when they aren't happy, when the jokes don't work, there's no clown to make him feel better. That's when the bottom falls out. That's when you start getting the troubles. And that is tragic.

THAT is how you justify Hank doing horrible things, by making him chase ever greater jokes to tell, ever greater acts of devotion and amusement and entertainment for his audience, desperately hoping it'll bring the soothing balm of someone telling him he did good, because that is horrible, and that is real, and that is so sad.

But nah, evil.

[haileyywrites]

Young Morax was foolish enough to fall in love with a mortal woman whom would fall pregnant and give birth to his only ever child. Sadly as an Archon he could not be apart of your life, nor could your true nature be revealed to the world. Your mother especially wishing to keep you safe to the point you are isolated from the rest of the world...

-> Zhongli / Morax x reader! Platonic!

-> Reader is gender neutral with they/them pronouns! Pretty heavy themes! Essentially an absentee father and a single mother slowly losing herself to paranoia due to your father's identity and wanting to keep you safe! Reader is isolated and incredibly lonely! Death - mother dies of old age! This is just fanfiction so it might not be loore accurate! Also this is not proofread as it's long and I'm lazy...

To many children their parents are the equivalent of God, they're there usually from the moment of the child's creation and are always there to guide them through life. They pass on their knowledge to their children to help them survive the world they live in.

But what if a god were to have a child or children? Would their child be a god as well, should they be treated different from others due to this? In Teyvat most of the Seven have lived hundreds upon thousands of years, but not once had any of the acting Archon's had children - at least as far as the mortals knew. Lovers perhaps weren't so uncommon, but it was still incredibly rare due to their exalted status and long lives. Yet things happened, and foolishly the young Morax fell in love with a mortal woman who would come to bear him a single child - his only child.

Their relationship had crumbled before the news and these news did not help their situation. It was bad enough that he allowed himself to be so careless, but your mother was adamant she'd keep you, with or without his support. He had no choice but to agree, he only asked your true nature be kept a secret they would take to their grave. Informing the world of your existance would put in danger not only you but also your mother, so she agreed and the contract was sealed.

You were born a happy and healthy baby some time after and though it took everything from your mother, she pushed through with the help of the best doctors in Teyvat. Morax had arranged everything to support you and your mother. He kept his involvement subtle to stop anyone from connecting the dots, but due to this he wasn't there for your birth. He bought your mother an accommodating house for the two of you, it was modest to not draw any suspicion but fit the needs of the two of you perfectly. You were his flesh and blood, he would make sure you were both taken care of to the point your mother no longer needed to work.

Things were fine at first, your mother had everything she needed and you were both looked after. But the more you grew the more worried and paranoid she grew... She kept thinking and believing someone would recognize or figure out your identity. If anyone stared at you for even a moment longer than she wanted them to, she would immediately think you were in mortal peril. She would freak and lash out accusing them of wishing to harm you - no matter who they were or their age was...

It wasn't surprising you grew up as an outcast due to her behavior, no parent would allow their child near you or wished to approach you themselves in fear of being the target of her latest outburst. If you were to ever venture outside - even without your mother people would avert their eyes and move to the other side of the street, avoiding you like a plague... At the age when you couldn't understand why this was it hurt, but it was even worse when you did because you couldn't blame them for it.

The only one she trusted even a little was the one she now depended on, your father. She was always hesitant and outright avoided the subject when or if you brought it up. It was for your own good - or so she would tell you. For as longs as you knew your father existed you had tried everything to gain the tiniest sliver of knowledge from her, but she refused to pudge. However, she wasn't as smart or careful as she thought herself to be.

Sometimes, in the middle of the night when you were sure to be deep asleep - the front door would open and your mother would faintly whisper a hello to whoever was at the door... Heavy but soft footsteps walked inside your home as the person entered and sat at the dinner table. He would greet your mother rather warmly with his deep but comforting voice. Strange as it was, it didn't consern you as your mother clearly knew them and you were about to fall back asleep. But then he would ask something that caught your attention.

“It's been some time, how have things been? Have they grown a lot?” He casually asked, something they had clearly talked about before.

“Everything's been fine and they're fine too. I have some pictures we recently took, I know you can't keep them but maybe you'd like to at least see them?” She sounded so calm when with him...

“That sounds wonderful, thank you.” He softly answered.

Your mother moved around the kitchen looking for the pictures and some papers by the sound of it. You couldn't help yourself any longer as you crawled out of bed and slowly drew back your door to peer out of the crack. A tall man with long brown hair and strange clothing sat next to your mother as they went through the polaroid pictures of you - after which your mother handed your latest drawings to him. They chuckled and talked together quietly as they went through each one.

“I've been hearing some concerning things about you.” The man said to your mother, as the air suddenly became tense.

“Like what?” She curtly asked.

“About your outbursts.” He carefully said, but your mother only scoffed in response. “I'm worried about you.”

“I already told you - we're fine. I think its getting late, you should get going.” She glared at him and he didn't fight back.

The man stood up, but then slowly turned towards your door where you could have sworn your eyes met his through the crack you were peering from. You quickly but quietly scrambled back into bed and under the covers while trying your best to apear asleep while trying to muffle your breathing to hear anything said. After a moment the door creaked open as the man slowly stepped inside.

He stopped at the doorway and looked around your room before turning to your mother, "I will say my goodbyes and be on my way."

“Just don't wake them up.” She sighed.

The man sat on the edge of your bed and brushed your hair away from your face gently, he was clearly aware you weren't asleep but he didn't say anything. He stopped after a moment to whisper a small goodnight before standing up and heading for the door.

He stopped there once again before whispering something to you, “Take care of your mother.”

You didn't respond and he didn't expect you to. At the time you didn't understand what those words had meant, how could you take care of your mother? You were just a child and she was a mother - your mother. But you wouldn't remain a child forever and she only had you in her life, he couldn't be there for her even if he wanted to and he did. He truly cared about you and your mother, but that was even more reason to keep his distance and keep contact minimal.

It was never in their intentions to let you know your father's or your true identity, but after that night things would never be the same. Even at your young age it wasn't that difficult to figure out his identity, he had features unique to only him and when comparing him to any statue it was quite obvious. Your father was none other than the Geo Archon of Liyue, the land of contracts.

Even after you grew older and your mother passed away peacefully, it was never brought up. She knew you knew the truth, but she would take the truth to her grave without ever explicitly telling even you. Even as she was dying she remained stubborn and untrusting... Her death impacted your whole life, as she was the only person you had ever formed a connection with. Your whole life revolved around her and her paranoia towards everyone, you had lived your whole life in this small house you called home with her alone.

Taking your first steps back into the real world and into society was incredibly terrifying, it was like relearning how to walk or talk. You had to learn social cues and how to connect with other people, but you managed. Never did anyone suspect your true identity or wish to harm you the way your mother so feared. It was horrible how she lost herself to that paranoia and fear when none of it ever came true or payed off...

But what about your father? Rex Lapis was dead and that is what you believed when the news hit you. It was sad that you had now lost both parents, but you never really knew him so you couldn't mourn him the way you mourned your mother. But he wasn't dead after all, or perhaps Rex Lapis and Morax was - but the man who once used them wasn't. It wasn't intentional, but you did find out.

You had walked through town with your groceries, you turned your head towards the Third-Round Knockout where Iron Tongue Tian was telling one of his regular stories. You weren't in a hurry, thus you decided to sit and listen for a while. Most of the tables were filled except for one where a lone man sat. You approached with a sheepish smile and gained his attention with a cough.

“Would you mind if I sit with you to listen?” You asked politely.

“Not at all.” He smiled warmly and motioned for you to sit down.

“Thank you, sir.” You sat down and listened to the story being told, but you couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.

His voice was distinct, yet sounded so incredibly familiar... You didn't wish to be rude and stare, but you couldn't help yourself from glancing at him every once in a while. It didn't take long for him to notice and turn to face you - that is when it all hit you. Those eyes, that hair and that voice. He was no doubt your father, the Geo Archon and the one who was now supposedly dead. Yet there he sat, right before you as you stared at him wide-eyed.

“I suspect we have much to talk about.” He weakly chuckled.

A/N: You guys don't know how bad I wanted to end this with ZhongChi and having him introduce you to Childe😭

Anyways I hope you liked reading this! If you did feel free to like and or reblog <3

[kingsoverjacks]

Nippy Brooke Burke in a bikini!

[alexander-23]

Larissa Weems x Student!reader

Warning: Minor violence

Summary: While in Jericho with the school, reader is attacked by a few normies. They finish the fight, but not without attracting the sheriff and Principal Weems, as well as taking plenty of damage themselves.

Jericho is having a huge celebration and included a fair as part of the festivities. The Nevermore students were invited down, and I couldn’t be more excited! I loved going to fairs since I was little and could not wait to hang out with my friends. After the last school year, everyone really needed an excuse to have fun.

The fair is crawling with so many people and lit up with so many lights. My group and I move from game to game collecting small prizes until we come upon knife throwing. I was raised not to hurt others, but knew my way around knives in case of an emergency. The point was to pop 5 balloons in a row and I could win the largest prize.

As I’m handing my bag filled with trinkets to my friend Yoko, there are a few normies behind us calling us freaks and such. I do my best to ignore them and focus on the task at hand.

One for one!

Two for two!

THREE FOR THREE!

I get all the way to five hits in a row winning the game and getting the only big prize they have; a giant teddy bear! I thank the man as I take it from him and go to grab my bag, but am suddenly pulled back by my shoulder. I fall to the ground hitting my head semi hard and look up to see the normies.

“You’re a freak and a danger to everyone.”

“We don’t like having you freaks here.”

I go to stand, being on my hands and knees, when a blow to my stomach hits and I’m back down on the ground. I hear my friends yelling at the normies to leave me alone and when I look over, I see Enid was pushed to the ground.

“Leave them alone normie!” He turns to me and winds up to deliver another kick, but I grab his foot and roll in the opposite direction bringing him to the ground himself.

——————————————————————

By the end of the fight, I’m standing over the three normies on the ground and a crowd surrounding us. Sheriff Galpin and Principal Weems are pushing through to see what the problem was and then see me. Naturally, Sheriff Gaplin goes to the three boys on the ground and Principal Weems approaches me.

“What is the meaning of this?! Explain yourself Y/N!”

I just stare down at the boys. My fight or flight instincts were triggered and I’m still coming to terms with what just happened. I’m in pain from the multiple hits I got myself all over my body.

My hearing begins to morph a bit and my vision is getting dark. Last thing I feel is someone catching me before I collapse to the ground.

———————————————————————

Larissa’s POV:

I wait patiently in the seat beside their bed for them to wake up. I received occasional messages from faculty or emails from their friends asking about Y/N’s status.

I was at war with myself inside. I had assumed Y/N had started the fight when in reality, the poor thing was defending themselves from three boys. I should have seen it on their face, the fear and exhaustion, the trembling. As their friends yelled at me they had done nothing wrong, Y/N collapsed and I caught them just in time.

It’s morning now and I’m exhausted myself from staying awake all night. I close my eyes to rest them but hear groaning only minutes later. I open my eyes to see Y/n’s eyes opening slightly, but is agitated by the light. I stand to to close the blinds, then return to their bedside. I sit beside them on the mattress and comb their hair away from their face.

“Oh thank goodness you’re ok. You had me worried Darling.” I whisper. They nudge their face into the palm of my hand and I can’t help but smile at the sight.

They open their eyes more, comforted by the dark room, “what happened?”

“You were attacked dear. But you certainly defended yourself just fine,” I run my thumb across their cheek, looking over the bruises the boys left behind. “Are you hungry?”

They nod their head and I press the call button for a nurse. I return to my seat, but Y/N panics at the sight thinking I’m leaving, “don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying by your side through all of this.”

Not my best writing towards the end, but I’m running on less than 5 hrs of sleep so it is what it is. Hope you enjoy

[pbs-theundeadmaggot]

first love // before I cave in

🎶 before I cave in by too close to touch

(AU) Steve Harrington x fem!reader

[a/n] so I just found out my mum has cancer so updates will probably be weekly from now on (sorry) but I'm still excited for where this series is going and hopefully you enjoy it!

[warnings?] underage drinking, angst, self doubt, bad parents.

first love masterlist here!

The sticky summer’s heat clung to the cheap fabric of your sweater, the gentle breeze doing nothing to help cool you down and even though you may have been overheating, you’d rather take that chance and feel protected by the comfort of your sweater then to feel the unnerving chill that was bound to be a constant within the small tunnels of the Catacombs. 

Why you were visiting a mass grave you weren’t entirely sure other than the fact that Eddie had insisted on it, saying that it was possibly the most metal thing he’d ever experience in his life. Although, you weren’t sure anything could beat the time Jason Carver swapped Eddie’s clothes out for a cheerleaders uniform during gym. Thankfully leaving a pair of shorts behind so he wasn’t flashing the entirety of Hawkins at once. Much to Jason’s dismay not only did Eddie pull off the awkward fit of the outfit but he also managed to gain a handful of new ‘sheep’ to carry on the legacy of the Hellfire club after he graduated. Which subsequently also turned him into a living legend of the former freak turned rockstar that would continue to live on within the trauma ridden hallways of the school for many years later. 

Yeah, that was once pretty epic day.

“Ready to go?” The living legend said himself before wrapping his arms around both you and Robin as you followed the tour guide into the ancient passages. 

It was unnerving seeing the thousands of bodies stacked upon each other, simply as if their bones held no meaning and served as a reminder that the world keeps moving even after your death, that one day you would cease to exist in both memory and real life. The only sound to be heard for miles being the echoing crunch of shoes on gravel and the voice of your tour guide leading you around. The air was thick and heavy almost claustrophobic as if there were one too many people in the room yet only 10 silhouettes were reflected under the dark dingy lights, 5 of which belonged to you and your friends. 

“look bats!” You’d excitedly whispered to the group as you pointed them out, the creatures almost hidden away in the far corner of the ruins. For as long as you could remember you’d always preferred animals over humans, being somewhat anti-social and having absent family meant you spent a lot of time alone with nothing but nature to surround you, the peaceful hustle and bustle of the woods bringing you a sense of comfort and relief when you needed it.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Both of you sprawled out across your bedroom floor giggling like school girls half drunk and flushed, window wide open and curtains lightly fluttering from the wind. High school was officially over and adulthood was quickly approaching, neither of you feeling like partying but opting to stay at home together, taking in the final moments before you returned to the ‘real world’.  

Although you’d both been forced to grow up long before you were meant to, it didn’t mean the idea of becoming a real adult was any less scary. After all you’d watched your parents fall in and out of love, working 9-5 in a depressingly boring job and become hollow lifeless shells of people they used to be. Where once upon a time they had a love for life, a love for you, until money and status grabbed a hold of them like a disease, outweighing everything else that mattered until they were left with nothing but their greediness to comfort them. 

Perhaps that’s why you and Steve were so close, because you understood each others troubles and both just longed for someone to see you and love you as you are. The sleepless nights spent talking about anything and everything or just being alone together were something you would’t trade even if your life depended on it, just like tonight.

Steve could tell your mind was running rampant with thoughts and fear, the frown on your face evidence enough. He hated how your parents treated you, terms and conditions attached to their love as if you owed them, to him he would happily walk through fire and burn in hell if it meant he got a chance to show you how much he adored you. Nonetheless the dread of being rejected meant he would only ever do so platonically because he’d rather have you as a friend then lose you as a lover. 

“If you could be any animal what would it be?” He’d cleverly lured you away from your darkness hoping it would be enough to keep the pain away a little while longer. 

You on the other hand, turned towards Steve, observing his every move as if you were scared he was a figment of your imagination and would disappear any second. You knew he knew what you were thinking about, and you gladly accepted the distraction.

“Hmm, I think I’d be a bat.” Truth be told this was something you thought of often enough to have a solid answer for.

“what?” Steve had turned towards you now, propping himself up with his arms and stealing a swig from the wine he’d smuggled over. 

“You know what a bat is Steve” It came out as more of a question than a statement but you continued on. “Bats do almost everything upside down and the equivalent of their meals to ours would be like 20 pizzas every night.” 

“You must really like pizza to want to eat 20 every day for the rest of your life.” He teased, running a hand through his soft untamed hair. 

“Well who doesn’t like pizza?” You waited for an answer but thankfully got none. “What would you be?” 

Although you saw him almost every day you couldn’t deny that somehow he got more attractive each time. Wether it was the alcohol or mutual attraction talking you couldn’t take your eyes off his features that were ingrained in your memory like a scar you never wanted to fade. From the light freckles kissing his skin to the gentle curve of his nose and slightly flushed face, every part of him was beautiful like he’d been carved by a god and blessed with holy water. And the way he looked at you sometimes, made you feel like the only girl in the world, his soft eyes gleaming with what you hoped to be love but settled with fondness, perhaps in another lifetime you could be more.

You didn’t realise you’d blanked out until you saw his large hand waving in front of your face. “Anyone there?” It had gone way past midnight by now, waves of sleepiness crashing over you both waiting to pull you under. 

“Sorry what were you saying.” Slightly embarrassed to be caught thinking about your best friend in such a way.

“If you’re a bat I wanna be a bat too.” He’d said so earnestly practically melting you under his stare. The room fell into a comfortable silence both just soaking in the moment before sleep drowned you both." 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

“ew they’re so ugly.” Rebecca had murmured out, holding tightly onto Steve’s arm as she pulled him away. “Babe I’m bored can we go now?”

You’d arrived no less than 20 minutes ago but of course Steve just let her yap on like a little lap dog, fuck she was making it hard to accept her and it was only two days in.

No.

You wont be that person.

She was probably just having a bad day or maybe she was scared of the dark? 

You didn’t not like her….?

you liked her?

Yeah that wasn’t convincing…

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

[a/n] Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated and encouraged!

other works available here!

taglist: @freezaz123

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Trials and Defibrillations (5)

Prev

Jonathan Crane would like to say, for the record, that he did not usually stalk people.

Now, admittedly, this isn’t the kind of thing you would, typically, have to disclaim, but… well, he was currently following someone home, and he would like to say: hey, leave him alone, this is a special case.

You see, the person he was currently stalking was a fucking freak of nature and he needed to know more. For scientific reasons.

... also for Evil Reasons.

After all, Marinette had shown herself to have healing abilities. This, on its own, might not have been worthy of fanfare, until you consider that she seemed not to care all that much about things like literally getting shot in the head. Just how powerful was she? Could she reverse death? Even her own?

Every weird thing that he had learned about the girl over the few times he had had the misfortune of speaking to her was coming together to paint a very clear picture.

She was a meta with, frankly, ungodly healing powers.

It explained why she hadn’t blinked at the gun being pointed at her head. No need to wonder why she had been so good at patching him up that one time despite her lack of medical experience, there was probably an instinctual element involved. It made sense now why she was so interested in the chemicals he developed – he would be wondering if chemical weapons would make healing powers less effective, too, if he were in her shoes (he wasn't even in her shoes and he was already wondering it).

Frankly, he felt stupid for even taking this long to realize.

But he was determined to make up for lost time.

By following her to her home so he could get her on his payroll By Any Means Necessary.

‘But Jonathan, she already took you to her house once, why do you need her to lead you there?’ you may ask. To which he would say fuck off, he doesn’t make a habit of learning random people’s addresses. Like he said – he’s not a stalker.

Ignore what he is doing right now. He is a Rogue and he can do what he wants. And what he wants right now is to pay this random meta to heal him after particularly painful battles. Batman may not kill people, but sometimes getting his knee kicked in by a furry on a Tuesday afternoon was worse than death. And, besides, the bats’ No Kill Rule didn’t go for the rest of Gotham, who generally didn’t like Jonathan all that much, for some reason. So, yeah, getting a healer on board would be great.

Unfortunately, she does not seem that interested in talking to him now that he knew her secret, probably because she thought that he would perform unethical experiments on her or something (which, to be fair, he would do if he wasn’t pretty sure she could beat his ass on sheer willpower alone thanks to the unfair advantage that was getting to heal at any time... and, even then, he was still considering it heavily). She was surprisingly good at avoiding him. Every time he tried to approach her in public, she disappeared so fast that, had he not known her power set already, he would have assumed she could teleport or, at the very least, shapeshift.

Her ability to completely disappear was nothing more than a minor (albeit very annoying) inconvenience, though, because she has two weaknesses:

Firstly, her mysterious roommate, Adrien – a person who was, by all accounts, a normal guy. A good person, even, judging by his status as an EMT. And most good people are super boring and therefore aren’t all that fond of the idea of their friend and/or roommate being in cahoots with Rogues. She had proven that during their first meeting, when she had stressed to Jonathan that her roommate could not know who he is. This meant blackmail was definitely on the table. Which was great! Because Jonathan loves blackmailing people, sometimes you don’t even have to pay them!

Her other weakness was that, while she certainly wasn’t poor enough to fit in among all of his usual henchmen, she wasn’t rich, either. And, if you aren’t rich, it is actually very difficult to uproot your entire life on a whim. Especially when she was as established in Gotham as she was. She attended college and rented an apartment and, assumedly, had friends (though he had yet to see proof of them, which made sense, he was glad to know he wasn’t the only one put off by her general… vibes). All of this meant she would be unlikely to simply move away. If he had to wear her down over time, then that was what he would do.

So, when he found her apartment again, he was happy to say that he knew she would not be leaving anytime soon.

This isn’t a set up for a joke where he comes back in a week to find all evidence of her scrubbed from the apartment. He was just very proud of his stalker abilities. He may not be one professionally or anything, but he’d be good at it if he was.

Okay, well, remember when he said he wasn’t a professional stalker? He would hope so, considering this was one sentence ago.

The point is, he made an amateur mistake.

While he had included Adrien in his plans, he hadn’t really accounted for him to be… in the place that he lived.

So, when Jonathan, having made himself comfortable on their couch once again, a classic Gotham gas mask over the bottom half of his face solely because he had been working with chemicals earlier and didn’t feel the need to take it off after, he was blindsided to find two people walking through the door.

“ – still don’t get it. Yeah, ‘to get to the other side’ is a lame punchline, but it’s a lame punchline. Why is it funny?” Marinette asked as she stepped through the door, her eyes just barely gleaming with amusement, suggesting that she was just messing with her unfortunate roommate.

Adrien seemed to know this, but he still looked like he was going to strangle her to make her shut up. Luckily for her (and unluckily for Jonathan, who had wanted to see whether his ‘unable to die’ theory would be proven correct), he was quickly distracted by the person sitting on their couch.

Neither person looked all that concerned about the stranger who had broken into their house. Just confused.

“It’s funny because it subverts your expectations,” Jonathan offered his answer.

Not that either of them seemed to care about his opinion right now.

“Marinette. There’s a man on our couch.”

Wow. Deja vu.

“How does this keep happen – wait, are you cheating on me?!” Adrien gasped. “After all we’ve been through?! Don’t you know that cheating is, like, wrong?!”

Never mind on the deja vu thing. What?!

Marinette sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jonathan wasn’t sure whether she was more annoyed at him or Adrien. Which was kind of offensive. He was supposed to be making her panic, not be mildly annoyed.

“No. I would never cheat on my beloved husband. Especially not with a guy that looks this old.”

Jonathan was so hurt by the ‘old’ comment that he almost breezed past the first part of her statement. Which was, technically, logically, the more important one. It recontextualized a lot of stuff and he needed to know more about it.

But he would definitely come back to the ‘old’ comment later.

For now, Jonathan held his hands up in a kind of ‘time out’ gesture. “Wait, you’re married?”

Adrien, looking like he was seconds away from collapsing into a fit of laughter, pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a golden band on one of his fingers. Marinette was a little slower, and far more reluctant, but she still tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing that her ring was in her earlobe.

“It’s an ear ring,” Marinette explained with a sigh, looking like she would rather be anywhere else but was oh-so-bravely standing put.

“I’m hilarious,” Adrien added, as if Jonathan really needed him to confirm that he was the one who had come up with that.

“And I’m getting a divorce,” she grumbled.

“Nah.”

Jonathan was pretty sure that’s not how that works. You can’t just say Nah to divorce. No fault divorce was legalized in, like, 1969 (nice). But that was that, apparently, because Marinette didn’t bother arguing it further.

Jonathan was not going to let this go, though. “You said he was your roommate.”

“He is?” Marinette said, sounding confused, motioning to the living space around them, as if to say ‘We share a room, see?’

Jonathan did not, in fact, see.

“Shouldn’t you call him your boyfriend? Or, I guess, husband? Wouldn’t you being in a relationship kind of trump you being roommates?!”

Both of them looked disgusted at the very thought.

“We’re not in a relationship,” Marinette said.

“I would never,” said Adrien, looking like Jonathan had just accused him of a crime and not being in a relationship with the person that he had apparently married.

Jonathan did not deserve this. He did not think there was anything wrong with assuming that the people that are married would be dating. That is how it goes in, like, >99% of cases.

He huffed. “So, what, is the marriage for tax reasons or something?”

College was pretty expensive these days, he’d heard. It was entirely possible.

“No, we’re married because we’re soulmates,” said Adrien, slinging his arm around Marinette’s shoulders.

Marinette looked unimpressed.

Jonathan puzzled over this for a few more minutes before deciding, hey, he isn’t Riddler. He doesn’t have to know everything for the sake of intellectual superiority. Jonathan Crane might be a mad scientist, but this meant that he knew that sometimes the best answer you can get for the time being is ‘I dunno, shit is weird’.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Whatever. Can I talk to you, Marinette?”

“You are cheating,” Adrien sniffed. “Can’t believe you got another man’s wife pregnant. We have kids at home!”

Kids?!

“Please don’t bring the labrats into this,” Marinette said.

Oh. Okay. Jonathan could respect that.

“Tikki and Plagg are going to be devastated when they hear about this.”

“Well, if they are devastated then I’ll have successfully uploaded a human consciousness into their minds so, frankly, that would be wonderful,” said Marinette.

“Why’re you trying to do that to rats?” Jonathan asked. “Yeah, they’ve got minds that aren’t unlike humans’ in structure, but their brains are so small…”

“‘Cause the guy that leases us this place doesn’t allow pets.”

“Rats are pets!” Adrien, someone who was apparently a strong purveyor of rats’ rights, said.

“You dropped an ‘s’. They’re pests,” Marinette corrected. “That's why I'm using them. They're, like, everywhere. Honestly, Gotham has a weirdly high amount of rats.”

“That’s because of the Rat King,” said Jonathan.

Marinette’s eyes widened. “The fucking what now.”

“You know, the Rat King,” he said, shrugging.

Marinette didn’t 'know'. But that wasn’t his problem.

“I can tell you about it after we talk,” he said.

She lit up, immediately rushing over to grab him by the arm, dragging him toward the window. Jonathan made a mental note: she was much more agreeable when she wanted information of some sort.

(He made another, smaller mental note that she had been stalling the coming conversation on purpose. This mental note had a few holes in the paper where he’d pushed his pencil too hard and had accidentally torn through it.)

“Sounds great! See you in a few minutes, Adrien.”

“Cool. Don’t die.”

“No promises!” she chirped.

Then she, unceremoniously, pushed Jonathan out the window.

This wasn’t as bad as it could have been, considering there was a fire escape to stop his fall, but he still didn’t really appreciate hitting a metal grate facefirst. He, probably, could have lived without that experience. Perhaps he would have even lived better, because surely a few of his brain cells had died upon impact.

She didn’t seem to mind, tugging him to his feet and towards the stairs without even giving him time to process the maybe-concussion he’d just earned.

“So, what do you want?” she asked, her tone light.

“Work with me or I’ll kill your – uh – husband-partner-roommate-thing,” he said, straight to the point, because they had waffled about for far too long before this.

She snorted. “Alright.”

“... alright as in You’ll do it, or as in Go ahead and kill him?”

She thought about it for a minute. As if even she hadn’t known what she was saying.

“Mmmm… I mean, if you kill Adrien, I will kill you,” she said, perfectly chipper. As if she was talking about the most recent Brucie Wayne drama and not revenge.

“Then don’t make me kill him,” Jonathan said, raising an eyebrow. “All you have to do is agree to be my healer.”

She sighed, looking reluctant.

“You literally stalked me for weeks on end until, like, a few days ago. Why are you suddenly deciding that you hate me?”

“‘Cause I’m pretty sure you want to experiment on me, and that sounds like a pain,” she said.

This was a fair point. Unfortunately.

Jonathan gritted his teeth. You know, usually, threatening the lives of people and their loved ones was all that he needed to get them to comply to his demands. He was more than a little in the dark here.

“And if I promise to only do the experiments that you agree to…?”

Marinette thought this over. “Can I use your lab from time to time?”

“Fine.”

“Sweet. You have a deal.”

They exchanged numbers and he left, content now that he had her on his payroll.

It wasn’t until he was halfway home that it occurred to him that, somehow, despite the fact that he was the one who was blackmailing her, she ended up getting more out of the deal than him.

At least he had gotten out of telling her who the Rat King was, so she was, probably, suffering, too. That made it, kind of, fair.

He would make it completely fair by bringing Rat King to his next meetup.

Because he was a nice guy! The Rat King, a man who lived in the sewers and communed with the vermin, was sure to have numerous diseases, and a healer would surely help keep him happy and healthy.

(And he was pretty sure that the Rat King would have a few things to say about Marinette’s treatment of ‘Tikki’ and ‘Plagg’. That was a conversation he couldn’t wait to watch play out.)

+++

Up next: Adrien grows on people like a particularly stubborn bit of mold

TBC

Trials and defibrillations masterlist

[scorpionhells]

in LIFE, he masqueraded as an angel; in DEATH, his true form is revealed …

an independent, private, & selective hellaverse oc based on ERIK aka the phantom of the opera, written by ROMEO.

• 21+ • potentially nsfw • icon and para threads • oc & crossover friendly •

sideblog of @discoinfernos & @delanuit

RULES are same as main blog. read ABOUT below.

ABOUT. AGE. 45 (upon death), 142 (years in Hell), 187 (total) GENDER. male PRONOUNS. he/him ORIENTATION. ace bisexual (in modern terms) SPECIES. human sinner OCCUPATION. overlord PLACE OF BIRTH. Boucherville, France PLACE OF DEATH. Paris, France CURRENT RESIDENCE. Pride

APPEARANCE. The Phantom is a tall and spindly demon, standing at about 8'5". He has a long, pointed face and two sharp horns that stand upright from his head. His skin resembles old porcelain, with the right side of his face splintered with cracks and part of his upper lip missing, revealing his sharp yellow teeth. His eyes are yellow pinpricks set in narrow black sockets, and his hair has the appearance of black flames. He has two sets of arms with a third, retractable pair, and a scorpion’s tail.

He often wears a red full-faced mask with a neutral expression, and not many have seen his true face. He is most often seen in evening dress one might expect to see at a European Opera House circa the 1880’s, though occasionally he may sport fashion of the mid-to-late 1800’s from China, Russia, and Iran.

PERSONALITY. The Phantom is a reclusive and mysterious figure, with very few who know him well. To most he seems curt, aloof, and withdrawn, with a short-temper that often leads to violence. Unlike some other Overlords, however, he has a distinct distaste of violence for violence’s sake; he prefers to manipulate from the shadows than to get his hands dirty. The souls in his employ find him to be a reasonable boss, who only expects everyone to do their fair share of the work and stay out of his personal affairs. The rare individual who manages to befriend him will find him to be a fierce and loyal friend, though he can be rather possessive.

Like Alastor, Erik has a strong distaste for anything modern, preferring to keep his domain much like the era in which he died; he hates modern clothing, aesthetics, and technology. He has no interest in the politics of Hell outside of his domain, and is not at all invested in the idea of a revolution against Heaven. He also has no desire for redemption; he could not be redeemed while alive and has no hope for it now.

BIO. Much of The Phantom’s human life is shrouded in mystery and lost to all but himself. Despite the near-supernatural status he’d acquired at the opera in his life, now his mystique has faded into superstition and legend to those who know or remember it at all. He entered Hell upon his death by suicide in 1882, and found his footing much more quickly than most. It wasn’t long at all before he had his own territory, and souls at his command. He took in all the outcasts, the strange and the weak, the frightening and bizarre, from addicts to artists and offered them safety and purpose. Due to his elusive nature, he is known in almost all of Hell as simply “The Phantom,” though the rare few in his confidence know him by his true name: Erik.

The territory he holds in Pentagram City is known colloquially as the Devil’s Carnival, though its proper name is Phantasma. Here, many kinds of entertainments are offered, from mechanical marvels to freak shows to circus acts to musical performances. (If any sex work occurs, it does so without Erik’s knowledge). He owns the souls of all who work for him, and he demands nothing but that they do their jobs to his standards and satisfaction, and in return they have employment, a place to live, and protection from other overlords. Sinners may approach him for more than this standard bargain, perhaps looking to erase their debts or to learn from him and his vast array of knowledge. The steeper the bargain, the more he will demand from them in return.

Erik spends most of his time focused on the minutiae of keeping his business running, creating new inventions, or composing and playing music. It is rare that he, himself will perform at Phantasma, though much of the music performed there is of his own composition. He uses his multiple sets of arms to play and compose complicated organ music, or to play violin and piano at the same time. Those who have heard his voice have reported that, despite being one of the most formidable overlords in Hell, he has the voice of an Angel.

DISCLAIMER. This OC is a Hellaverse AU based on the character of Erik “The Phantom of the Opera” from Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, Phantom by Susan Kay, and The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. My canon blog for Erik can be found @delanuit.