#basically what i'm saying is that he goes by his own rules and what he wants in that specific moment

[darabeatha]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃?

palm.    you give and give. you are a gentle heart, broken but still standing... always lending a hand for those who need it, expecting nothing in return. you deserve someone taking your hand and kissing your open palm, the hands which have selflessly helped so many others.

Tagged by : @wistrea & @ardenssolis​ (thank u so much for tagging me in, aria and shi!! sending u guys hugs 🧡!!)  /  Tagging : y o u.

[codenamethebird]

God I have so much to say about Melinoe's characterization, and the fasinating implications about her future arc/the overarching plot of hades 2. I want to make a larger think piece with pictures but for the moment I'm just going to focus on this one specific thread.

In the wake of the Prometheus reveal, she has a slew of convos about his motivations for siding with Chronos, and the gods basically all go: this is his vengeance for us punishing him a tad cruelly. And Nemesis is like, yeah the gods 100% deserve it. But Meli's responds that he must have more motivation than just vengeance, it can't just be that. But when Prometheus explicitly goes, 'I'm doing this because the gods are horrible to humanity and I love humans,' she basically goes, no he must be lying. That motivation is both too pure, but also humans kind of suck why would you care about them?

Mel's humanity hot takes deserve it's own essay (Ms I think Humans should have never gotten fire and are better when they are dead), and I just want to focus on the former for now. She can not comprehend that Prometheus is fighting the gods for noble reasons. It just does not make sense to her. Mel's world is so black and white. She doesn't understand the nuance of the situation, and the thought that the gods might be actually in the wrong doesn't even get close to crossing her mind.

It's a fascinating (and horrifying) result of her upbringing. Of the constant state of war and the very convenient big bad that is Chronos, the evil monster who stole her family. If she accepts that his side isn't completely evil, that they might even be right in some (even many) respects, she would have to grapple with her whole life. Everything she believes would be thrown into question, the literal thing she was training her whole life for.

She can't have Prometheus fighting for a noble cause, because he fights for Chronos whose the Bad Guy tm. But he also can't be fighting for something as simple as vengeance, because that would also mean she would need to really think about what he's angry about. If the punishment was truly so unnecessary cruel.

When talking to Odysseus about Prometheus, when Ody's saying how much he respected him for stealing the fire despite knowing the consequences, Mel says that it was the price to be paid for breaking Olympus's decree. To her, Olympus's rules are sacred and ultimately good. Unquestionably. Prometheus broke the rules with intent, so to her, why would he be so angry at the consequences? Especially if he knew because of his power they were going to happen.

So he must have another reason, some secret machiavellian plan that drives him. Except as I already said, it brings her right back to him doing it for humanity, which she also can't accept. Because that would be admiting that the gods did something wrong to humans. She twists herself into knots to justify her worldview, and it's fascinating! She's so messy I adore her.

Please Supergiant please the final surface boss has to be a human pleeeaaasse (preferably a living one). Or at least have one (or more) show up in some other capacity. Mel needs to come face to face with the other side and have it utterly destroy her worldview.

And/or have (Pan)Dora betray her for Prometheus, that would also be very fun haha.

[kleefkruid]

I also own an EU disability card which is a way to prove you actually have an (invisible) disability which can be usefull in some cases like during lockdown there was a one-person-per-family shopping rule but I would be allowed to bring a second person to help me with whatever I need.

With this card comes a list of locations like movie theaters or parks that will offer discounts or free stuff to card owners, but they never fully fleshed out the system so everyone basically gets access to everything (on paper technically I can join the wheelchair diving club) and this gets funny side effects like when I got a discount for the zoo with a free activity book for autistic kids.

But the funniest locations to me personally are the ones where they offer me a free ticket for my 'companion'. They clearly have a specific type of disabled person in mind but hey, they're offering so I'm taking it! So I visit these places with a friend and we split the price of the remaining ticket. But this is where the fun part comes, actually informing the ticket workers of my card.

Let's use the example of my visit to the Gravensteen, a medieval castle in Ghent. The ticket guy is standing outside and does this explanation about some stuff that is being fixed in the office hence why he is standing in open air. So at this point we have had a completely normal conversation with this guy. But then we buy the actual tickets and I hand over my card, to prove we're allowed this discount of course.

And the second he sees my picture on the card, this guy, who again, had a completely normal conversation with us up this point, lowers himself down to me (he's not much taller), puts his hands on his knees and goes "SO ARE YOU READY TO VISIT THE BIG CASTLE? I HOPE YOU HAVE FUN!" at which point I was just staring back in bewilderment and not saying anything so he just gave me a sad smile, seemed to resist the urge to pat me on the shoulder and let us in.

We are all too familiar with the infantilization that comes with being disabled but it's becomes extra absurd when it happens min-conversation. He already is aware I can keep up with a regular conversation. The only thing that changed is that he now knows I'm disabled and not even what kind. and the fact that he did the embodiment of this meme was just the sherry on top

Anyway I'll take the autistic coloring book next time please

[bad-and-drawn-that-way]

Omfg I ate that Vox fic up! The one where he hypnotized the reader after a long fight of them nearly being taken from him. Can you do a part 2 please? Like when the reader eventually learns he basically forced them to sign the contract and they find a way to be immune to his hypnosis? He goes absolutely nuts despite literally owning their soul. He's canonically a control freak and seems to even have some yandere traits. I hope I'm not going against your rules! You don't have any posted so I just wanna ask! Thank you for being awesome! :D Don't hesitate to turn down this request. Write what makes you feel comfortable. Just please respond so I and everyone else knows not to make a similar request in the future. Lots of love!

ABSOLUTELY!! I did take this in a slightly different direction, but hope you enjoy it nonetheless! Lowkey thinking of doing a Vox POV of this later and maybe even a part three...

Vox isn't actually in this much, but I feel a loose actual plot coming together and this is what naturally flowed for me.

I hope y'all are ready for more angst... plus a cliff-hanger <3

More Than Anything Part 2 [Vox x Reader]

Part 1

Part 2.5

"You controlling prick!"

Vox ducked as you threw a pillow at him. Even in your righteous anger, you'd never actually truly try to hurt him, but by god were you pissed.

Despite Vox's obvious disdain for the Hazbin Hotel and its association with Alastor, you visited the hotel occasionally to catch up with your friend Angel Dust and give some much-deserved love to his pet pig Fat Nuggets. It was during one of these visits that you ran into Alastor, who immediately looked at you with disgust in his ever-present smile.

"Really now, my dear," he said as he shook his head in disapproval. "It's already enough of a shame that you have such poor taste in a romantic partner, but to give your soul to him as well? I thought you were smarter than that."

The overlord could see the aura of Vox's ever-annoying electric cords locked around your soul like chains. You'd been confused and his eye twitched with annoyance as he realized what Vox had done to you. To say you were livid after he explained that you'd been tricked was an understatement.

"Y/N, I'm sorry," Vox pleaded as you fumed at him in his room. "But you left me no other choice! You weren't listening to me and if I didn't bind your soul, then Satan knows what could have happened to you by now."

"Just because you don't fucking believe in my ability to look out for myself doesn't mean you get to just take my soul!" You screamed with hot, angry tears flowing down your face. You wipe at them, only crying harder at the frustration of the tears you couldn't control in your anger. You felt like they undermined your emotions.

Vox's magic sparked around him as he tried his best not to get angry and start a fight with you. He was terrified and was that much more susceptible to his angry tendencies in moments like these. It took everything in him to try and calm himself, not wanting to push you away further. His heart dropped and his blood ran cold as he saw you pull a large bag out of the closet and start shoving clothes into it.

"W-Where are you going?" Vox panicked as he crossed the room.

"The hotel," you said with quiet fury, as you stepped away from the closet and went to the nightstand with your personal things on it. "I need some space and it's the one fucking place I know you'd rather die again than follow me to."

"Ŷ̸̪͕o̸̢̿̿ū̷̫ ̶̬͂c̶̺̾͂a̴͒͘͜n̴̫̂̔'̶̡̉t̶͙̝̄͒," Vox said, his voice starting to glitch as his panic increased. "You've heard the news, the extermination is in a week and the angels plan on attacking there first. There's no guarantee they'll keep to the date after how much little miss dumbass pissed off heaven. It's not safe there."

You pull your bag over your shoulder and the look you gave him will haunt him for the rest of his afterlife. "It's safer than here."

It breaks him all the more when you shield your eyes from him and storm past him so he can't hypnotize you into staying. Vox is paralyzed with fear like never before. He wanted to scream, to beg, to stop you from leaving him, but he couldn't do anything as his system glitched so hard it forced him into a reboot. When he came to, he was alone. You were gone.

--

Charlie was more than willing to let you stay at the hotel. The two of you hadn't had the chance to really ever speak before, but she was always friendly when you came to visit Angel, even after you explained to her there was no way you'd be able to become a guest.

In exchange, you were happy to help set up the defenses against the extermination. You got to know all of the other members of the hotel and the work helped you push down the burning ache in your chest.

Vox had been trying to contact you nonstop. You eventually turned off your phone, driven insane by the wall of notifications of him begging you to respond in any way. He knew you were okay for the time being. He was literally connected to your soul. But as the extermination day grew closer, his panic only increased. If it wasn't for Valentino and Velvette holding him back, there were several times he genuinely would have set aside his pride and come to the hotel just to get you.

It was after helping Husk and Cherri put up a particularly tricky barrier with the dwindling supplies that Angel found you taking a break. He passed you a water which you took gratefully as he slid down the wall and joined you on the floor.

"So," he started. "Are we going to ever talk about the reason why you're hiding out here?"

"Do we have to?" You groan, running your fingers through your hair. Despite the smiles and laughter you'd been sharing with your newfound friends as you all prepared for the potential end of it all, the dark circles on your eyes gave away what was lurking underneath.

For as angry as you were at Vox, you missed him. You missed feeling him curl against you in bed. You missed being woken up at unholy hours early in the morning because Vox couldn't start his day without giving you a kiss and telling you how much he loved you. You missed his shitty taste in shows and how he'd collapse into your arms after a long day at work.

Angel sighed, looking at the boarded-up lobby. "Look I may not get it, but you love the guy, right? Are you really content with possibly dying in a couple of days for a cause you're not even a part of, just because you're pissed with him?"

"He stole my soul, Angie" You frown at him.

"And that is fucked up as hell," he agrees. "But I know you and I know there ain't no way in hell you're actually satisfied leaving shit like this."

"I just-," you start before groaning. "How the hell are we supposed to come back from this? I doubt he'd ever void the contract. He's too convinced he's right for that."

Angel sighed, setting his own cup aside. "Honestly toots, you're not gonna like it, but... He kinda has a point."

You whip your head up to look at him and he holds up his hands defensively. "Not saying that stealing your soul was the right call. Believe me, if anyone gets how fucked it is having your soul controlled by a sociopath with a big ego, it's me. But you're not exactly in the safest of places, dollface. Not to mention, you're dating an overlord who's in a trio determined to piss off as many big shots as possible. His mind may not be in the right place, but his heart kinda is."

You take Angel's words to heart and sigh as you bury your face in your arms. "I hate it, but you're right... I just... I don't want to hold him back. I don't want to be the person that needs to be protected. I want to be his equal, not his problem."

"Then tell him that," Angel sighs. His gaze drifts to the bar and smiles fondly. "Someone recently has taught me how important being real with yourself is. It's okay to be flawed. No one got stuck in this shithole cause we were perfect, y'know?"

He nudged you with a grin as he added, "Plus, come on. Can you imagine how many bitches in hell would kill to have a sexy fucker that wants nothing more than to love ya and keep ya safe? I love you toots, but for fucks sake, pick a struggle."

You snort, shaking your head as you lightly swat at his arm. "Fuck you for being right about shit all the time."

"It's one of my best assets," Angel smirked. "Y'know, aside from all the fluff."

You laughed as he puffed up his chest and by the end of the evening, you'd decided to head back. As much as you loved Angel and wanted nothing more than to be by his side as the extermination drew near, he had a point. This wasn't your fight and there was a controlling dumbass that had been blowing up your phone ever since you left that was praying for your return.

After exchanging promises to see each other after the extermination, you left the hotel. You had an idiot to see.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Hey dude. It's me - anon with that SAGAU!kid!reader idea. Well, I was thinking about Liyue or Sumeru men (I'm that kind of person, that's into guys LOL). If there is a relationship, then only platonic one (or maybe father-child in Zhongli's case).

So I will try to go with Zhongli, Baizhu, Alhaitham and Cyno (probably Gaming, cuz he's like a son to me) That's it for now Hope I didn't ask for much tho 😅

CONNECTED TO THIS IDEA!

Aye aye, Anon! God!Child! Reader Platonic Meets Ups It is!

Also plz note that I might not be able to list every Sumeru/Liyue man there is in Genshin bc Im doing this at the top of my head—

Sumeru And Liyuen Men (And Gaming) With The God Child.

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Cyno

The General Mahamatra may not exactly be well-versed when it comes to comforting words (except his puns—and even then, many people would say otherwise), but Cyno is a sincere man. You can trust that he will stick to his word.

And he does, when he promised to look after the Almighty Creator who is a child (not unlike Nahida, but they certainly have more of a mindset of a child—). But was he expecting your chaotic behavior (explosives Klee Style)? Yeah...No.

Bro nearly thought you were held at gunpoint or tricked/manipulated into doing it until he realized you did on your own.

"...Your Grace...Please don't blow up the store again." So instead of protecting you from harm by others, Cyno is more focused on protecting others from harm by you. As much as he doesn't like to think of it that way, you were a lot more dangerous than any eremite or sand monster there was out there.

At least he's still doing his job, being the General Mahamatra! You gift him a flower crown, and he has to take it or else. :)

Tighnari

Since he works with many young forest rangers, and tutors Collei, Tighnari is probably used to dealing with children. Dealing with the Almighty Creator certainly wasn't going to be an issue under this Forest Watcher's eyes.

That was...until you blew up a rishboland tiger. By yourself. On your own. Without getting hurt.

He was not the only freaking out, mind you. Collei was losing it, and Tighnari? He's internally screaming and getting metaphorical heart attacks.

"Your Grace, what were you thinking, running off like that? I know you're strong and you want to protect everyone, but you can really hurt the environment and—" He tries his best to hold back his sassiness while he scolds you, considering some children are much more emotional than others.

He sets up some basic rules for you to follow to make sure that you respect the Avidya Rainforest grounds, but also protect yourself from any form of harm.

Bro becomes a helicopter parent while you're under his care. Have fun, and I hope you enjoy mushrooms. Collei will cook you something else if you don't like what Tighnari cooks, though. :)

Kaveh

This man. He will BUILD you toys. He will DRAW you stories. He may even tell you stories himself.

Mehrak is your best friend when you're around Kaveh. And that man tries his best to make sure your time with him is good. He also refrains from drinking, which is nice! He's improving a little! :D

Absolutely gets worried if you run off without him knowing or if you're hiding from him for too long while playing hide and seek. He goes into an utter MELTDOWN.

And if you blow something up? Boy, if you thought Tighnari getting metaphorical heart attacks was bad, think again—Kaveh might actually get a heart attack.

"Your Grace! What—What were you thinking? Where were you? What did you do? Why did I hear an explosion?!" He's trying to keep himself as calm as possible, but Kaveh is an emotional man. He's kind of failing—

Luckily, with your go-lucky attitude, you pull Kaveh around and take his mind off of work and your explosions! Win-win! :D

Al-haitham

The moment Nahida assigned him the task of taking care of the Almighty Creator, who is a child, bro is planning his things carefully. He is safe-keeping his books, he's renovating Kaveh's bedroom (bc yes), he's buying a few colouring books and crayons.

What he caught him by surprise was not how trusting you were to new strangers you barely knew. It was how you had fun with explosions and exploding everything in your path.

You can imagine as you're being carried away by the Scribe, he's giving you a one-sentence scolding.

"Your Grace, don't ever do that again, it's not nice." He would go into further detail, but he's sure you wouldn't care all that much about data and analysis and stuff like that, so he just ends it as it is.

You're still gonna do it, there's no doubt. It's just now Al-haitham is preparing for your next incoming attack as well.

Zhongli

Grandpa gramps is here woohoo! He's probably the most calmest out of everyone on this request list LOL. You can imagine he's following you calmly, apologizing and paying (through Childe's money cough) for the damages you caused.

Believe it or not, but it was Hu Tao who found you first and decided to take you to Mr. Zhongli for babysitting. He contemplates how the Director found you and brought you back.

The first time you explode something, he is definitely surprised. And concerned of the people who got hurt. You can't fault him for being worried for the mortals that were involved—Liyue Harbor is basically his child. Bro's been governing it for thousands of years.

"Your Grace, Little One, let's try not to put strain in the efforts of an adult's day-to-day life." He scolds you, and will definitely be more keen on your whereabouts, but he does this in a gentle tone. At the very least, you give him something to do that doesn't require him to present himself as the supposedly "deceased" Geo Archon.

Baizhu

With the guy's health issues...it's hard to say if he'll be able to keep up with you and your constant outings all around Liyue Harbor. Changsheng is definitely worried about Baizhu's stress levels as he has to figure out what you did this time and make sure no one was harmed.

He constantly has to ask Qiqi to go find you since he literally cannot keep up with your speed, lest he actually faints or something. You were that quick.

Luckily, if he hears of your whereabouts, he will definitely arrive just in time to apologize and give free check-ups to everyone involved in your explosion party.

"Now, Your Grace, please refrain from hurting others. It's not good to hurt someone's health." You can certainly expect Baizhu to give you a scolding—as well as a basic understanding of medical care in case either you or someone else will need it, and he can't make it there in time.

Like Kaeya (And Tighnari in this post), Baizhu will definitely write you some rules in a notebook and makes you recite them at least twice a day so that you remember not to hurt other people or damage your own health.

He is a doctor for a reason. It's his job to look out for others—even chaotic children with explosives.

Gaming

HAVE NO FEAR, GAMING IS HERE!

Bro is basically your Big Brother who does cool dances and gives you snacks and protects you. Since he's a real foody, you'll definitely know which places are the best to buy snacks!

You find his Wushou Dancing cool as well. He takes pride in it tbh. I mean, who wouldn't be ecstatic if the Almighty Creator loves it?

He does get a bit panic-y when he sees you blow things up, though. As much as he wants to pursue Wushou Dancing as his daily career, he still needs his job as a Shipment Guard.

"Y/N! No! Don't blow that up—!" Yes, he took you out once to travel with the shipment goods for one time, and he's never taken you with him again unless you promise not to blow anything that are near the goods.

He usually leaves you in Liyue Harbor when he's making these Shipment trips, but once he returns, you can certainly count on him to give you some tasty snack or a fulfilling dinner, as well as a free small Wushou Dance.

Big Brother Gaming does not disappoint!

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: I AM VERY DEAD. I AM SO SORRY SOBBING. Life hits you hard and fast sometimes sigh. I've been so busy I haven't been posting much—but rest assured, I have quite a lot of posts for you guys very soon!

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[riddlerosehearts]

god i love how the twst novel characterizes trey and particularly what it does with his enabling of riddle's tyranny, how it uses this aspect of trey as a parallel to yuuya's intense anxiety and fear of confrontation and uses both of their characters to emphasize the consequences of avoiding conflict, and how you have to overcome that fear in order to do what's right, it's so fascinating to me and since i'm sure there are a lot of fans who haven't read the novel i wanna talk about it.

see, yuuya is written as someone who is so, so afraid of conflict that he doesn't let himself get close to anyone or even have any hobbies--he says he doesn't want to risk fighting with friends over a difference of opinion, and he's also afraid of finding something he's so passionate about that he doesn't want to let go of it, and having to fight to protect it. he practically avoids really living because he's just too scared of having to deal with any potential confrontation. throughout the novel there are times when yuuya wants to tell ace and deuce to stop fighting but can't get himself to say anything, and times when they ask him for his opinion but he avoids giving it so he won't have to upset anyone by picking a side. even when ace starts telling riddle off and calling him a tyrant at the unbirthday party, and everyone else is saying that ace is wrong, yuuya just stands there and does nothing--he knows he should have his friend's back but he freezes up, too terrified to speak.

and then trey... this will probably get a little long, so i'll put it under a read more, but oh, trey.

in book 1 of the game, when riddle has some poor student collared for not wearing pink to feed the flamingos, he tells trey and cater to escort the student away and they both just say "yes housewarden" and do it. in the novel, we have this additional moment:

notice how trey does not say this is okay, but he also doesn't exactly say it isn't. he doesn't really share an opinion on the situation at all, he just says there's nothing he can do, and then thinks to himself that he can't afford to think about it, can't risk letting riddle be pushed over the edge.

this is when ace, deuce, yuu, and grim then come in to ask trey about his friendship with riddle. in the game, grim asks him why he hasn't told riddle off already, given that he's the older of the two, and trey states that he doesn't think the situation calls for it because "these sorts of strict rules are what created riddle". but in the novel, it's deuce who asks trey "i know you're the vice housewarden, but you're older than riddle, right? wouldn't the housewarden listen to his elder?", and the way trey's response goes is a little different, with grim saying he must be scared of riddle and trey once again (well, twice actually) saying that he can't do anything about the situation:

he tells the rest of the group all about how riddle's parents are famous magical healers, how his mother planned out every single aspect of his life for him, how he obeyed every rule she set and had his signature spell mastered by age 10, and how riddle genuinely believes that the enforcement of strict rules is a service to his dorm members and he sees the violation of those rules as an inexcusable offense. grim wonders why this is and yuuya realizes the following, which is also a perfect explanation of why trey believes that standing up to riddle about his overly strict attitude would be rejecting him: "if riddle accepts that rules can be broken, then that's basically a rejection of his own self. because he was created by rules".

in both the game and the novel, trey then mentions that he knows how hard riddle's life has been and says he just can't bring himself to hold riddle's way of doing things against him, to which ace responds by telling him "so it's YOUR fault riddle is like this". but in the novel, yuuya is surprised because he didn't think trey bore any responsibility, and trey's response to the question of "you always thought what his parents did to him was wrong, didn't you?" is described like this:

it's very similar to the various descriptions throughout the book of yuuya desperately wanting to speak up but being unable to get the words out whenever there's any sign of conflict. clearly trey, like yuuya, is afraid, not necessarily of riddle himself but of having to hurt his friend by telling him he's doing something wrong, and in the novel ace calls him out on that:

(the dialogue at this part of the game is largely the same, but the sentences between "that's pathetic" and "you guys are supposed to be friends" are brand new).

and then, trey's response, or lack thereof is very telling:

what ace says to trey here even prompts yuuya to apologize to ace for not standing up for him before, because he empathizes with trey. he understands trey's inability to stop riddle, his fear of rocking the boat, the desire to avoid causing a conflict and upsetting his friend no matter what else happens, because it's exactly what he's been afraid of for his whole life. and as a result yuuya feels ashamed of himself and believes that ace was right to push trey the way he did. in response, ace tells yuuya that it's okay for him to not want to force himself into fights because, unlike trey, at least yuuya will tell ace if he thinks he's wrong.

but that's not enough for yuuya, who decides that he has to finally, finally stand up for ace and deuce when riddle has them collared and everyone is cheering for riddle during the duel. he walks right through the crowd and tells riddle that he doesn't even care who's wrong or right, he just wants the fighting to stop. it's a simple thing, but it's such a difficult step for him to take.

for trey, we know how this goes--just like in the game, he intervenes when riddle summons rose bushes to attack ace, because seeing his friend almost become a murderer is where he draws the line. in the novel, he also tells riddle that if this doesn't stop he'll only end up more and more alone. he reaches his hand out to his friend and tries to urge him to calm down.

of course, none of this goes the way either of them expected, and in the novel cater tries to get yuuya to agree that they should run from the danger of fighting riddle, but neither he nor trey will yield. so all of our main heartslabyul boys and ramshackle join together to find a way to win. and right after trey uses his magic to save cater from riddle, we get this dialogue:

and while what trey says after riddle escapes from his overblot state is basically the same as it is in the game, i think the description of his actions here is lovely:

and it may seem like a simple thing, to just be honest with a friend, but it's such a big step for trey to finally take with riddle, after spending so much time enabling his harmful behavior out of an incredibly flawed sense of loyalty toward him.

in the end, yuuya realizes that his way of living, spending his life stubbornly avoiding confrontation, had kept him from being able to make friends. similarly trey being so afraid of upsetting riddle that he hid his true feelings and let him do whatever he wanted, kept him from being able to be a true friend to him. they both learn to finally be brave enough to take action and to be honest with themselves and others, but yuuya mainly needed to learn the value of standing up for your friends while trey had to learn how important it is to stand up to them when necessary.

yuuya also says, after ace and deuce call him stubborn and opinionated, that he may have just hated bending his own principles more than he wanted to have friends, which i find really interesting because essentially part of yuuya's arc is to stop avoiding forming relationships with others for the sake of his principles, because true friends will have each other's backs even if they don't always agree on everything. and then part of trey's arc is to stop bending his principles for the sake of his relationship with riddle, because true loyalty goes hand-in-hand with honesty. and while i feel like you could figure a lot of this out about trey just by reading between the lines a bit in-game, i love how the novel really brings it to the forefront by making their arcs parallel each other like this.

[boyfhee]

JAKE BF HEADCANONS

g fluff w kissing if that counts, very slightly suggestive fem reader wc 1.2k note calling my jaketuals requested

rewind to when you guys are just friends, he still has your standards raised to the heaven

your friends ask why you don't have a crush and you're like, i have sim jaeyun, and it has it's own pros and cons because half of the time, people assume you two are dating

the other half, it's you wishing you two were dating

basically, he's prefect!!!! always texts you good morning and good night, reminds you to drink water and take care of yourself. if you're sick or unwell, he's at your door with your favourite snacks before you even know it

AND IT ONLY GETS WORSE WHEN YOU TWO START DATING!!!!! the clingiest boyfriend ever, and he's so sweet, always greets you with kisses and hugs

he PANICS when you get sick like nurse more : on

you have to force him to stop kissing you because you don't want him to get sick as well and he gets so pouty ?? he's sulking at you from a distance

still ends up kissing you and says you two are meant to be when you both get sick together with the most lovesick smile ( insert a sneeze )

BACK HUGS, he always sneaks up and wraps his arms around you from behind, planting kisses on your cheeks, all the way down to your neck

melts when you giggle as he does that :‹ your voice is music to his ears and you laughter is soty ( his words, not mine ) does silly things to make you laugh especially when you're feeling down because if you're sad then he's sad :(

you guys will have to cuddle at least twice a day it's an unwritten rule. he says every second not spent with you poses harm to his health

but in reality, he just likes having you close to him, nuzzling his face in your neck and shoulders, brushing his lips against your skin while his hands are caressing your waist

whispers compliments to you when you both cuddle :›

“you're the prettiest girl i've ever seen,” “i'm so lucky to have to, angel” “god, you're so perfect, i want to kiss you all over”

he's so crazy about you. . .like even jay knows how you like your drinks and your go to order at your favourite cafe :/ basically jake talks about you 24/7 to his members like a madman

LITERALLY SULKS WHEN HE MISSES YOU!!!! like catch him lying lazily on the couch with a frown, looking at his phone screen because he didn't get to talk to your before the stage

but when you face time him, he literally goes :D like the brightest smile ever on his face ㅠㅠ you're his good luck charm!!!!

when you visit their practice, he sneaks out with you to hangout but everyone knows you two are probably making out in a corner or something

hands on your thighs whenever you're sitting next to him, especially when he's driving

you end up on his lap and god, he loves to kiss your neck when you're on his lap

talking about kisses and making out. . .he gets so flustered when his lips get stained by your lipstick

LIKE CATCH HIM BLUSHING??? but also he teases you and tries to play it cool

“aw, look at you jake, you’re blushing,” “so what, huh? you were even redder when i was kissing you,” “pretty sure i can get those reactions out of you again, angel,”

sharing earphones with jake is a love language and you both just smile at each other with your hands intertwined together listening to your shared playlist

one would think he likes searching up new songs out of his profession but actually, it's because he wants to find songs that you would like, would try out new genres especially the one that fit your taste and gets so smiley when you tell him that you liked one of the songs he recommended

like you actually like the song he recommended??? you're adding it to your fav songs playlist??? he's getting on his knees and proposing

sometimes, he even sends you the samples of the group's upcoming songs knowing he's legally not allowed to do so

KISS SELFIES omfg jake has crazy mirror selfies but the kiss selfies especially the mirror ones are the craziest

hates to be away from you so when he's on trip, catching him text you all day

“the sky reminds me of you today,” [ attachment : one image of the sky with silly doodles ] “i miss you, my love,” “next time, you’re coming on the tour with us,”

gets kinda insane. . .like the withdrawal symptoms are getting to him

once again, his members are tired of him talking about you

like sunoo is asking which cap he should get and jake is looking at him with the :o face, holding to bucket hats asking which one would look better on you

their opinion doesn't matter because gets both of them, he just likes buying gifts for you, no matter how big or small they are

you may or may not know this but jake takes so many candid pictures of you, and most of them are when you're snuggling into him while sleeping, or busy cooking something or when you're watching your favourite tv so ever so attentively

has a quarter life crisis every three to five business while picking which pic of yours should go as his wallpaper next because you look gorgeous in all of them

calls you layla's mom and of course he's layla's dad so you both are married and parents, or so he says

jake has his whole life planned with you like that man is more delusional than you think, but it's also because he sees you at every single point in his future, he's more than sure about the two of you

ALSO he wakes you up in the cutest way

like forehead and cheek kisses while he pulls you closer, whispering the sweetest good morning to you ( you are NOT waking up lmfao )

knows cuddling you while trying to wake up is going to make you sleep more but he can't help it, you look too cute for him to not cuddle with you early in the morning

helps you make breakfast, it's like a tradition to cook together, and then he feeds you as an excuse for you to taste his dishes

when he's feeling a little flirty he will cage you between his arms, against the counter and will lean in really close— but he doesn't kiss you. you can feel his warm breath on your lips and you can feel his lips brush ever so softly against yours but he does not kiss you

and when he does, the breakfast is long forgotten— because you're sitting on the counter with him standing between your legs and his hands on your waist, he's kissing you like you're going to disappear the next minute, savouring every single feeling

basically, kisses with jake start as fluttering giggles and soft traces of his lips against yours but they leave you breathless in just a few minutes

sends you random videos and memes, also when you two are watching the same dramas, he texts you his live reactions

“omfg i need them to get together” “they’re so cute . me and who,” “THYE KISSED OHMYGODSDSKJFH IM CROYGIN OTP FR” “now i want to kiss you too im coming over,”

IM TELLING YOU aquarium dates are his favourites

gets so giddy looking at the fishes, but he's mostly staring at you and enjoying your reactions

buys promise rings on your first anniversary and loves staring at your ring when you two are holding hands

also kisses your hands especially above your ring, he just can't believe he gets to call you his

listens to you so attentively and tucks your hair behind your ear because it's distracting, and goes '???' when you get flustered and pause all of a sudden

you have his all his pcs and enhypen's signed albums because gf privileges with jake are real

one time, you were lucky enough to get a fan call with him and boy spend the whole time professing his love to you

overall an outstanding bf, highly recommended

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 6.5

AN: Okay i was in the middle of writing a/the clean browser history request when this came in (Idk if it's posted yet or not, depends how i feel lol) and immediately dropped everything to laugh and scribble a few ideas. I did finish the CBH request before starting this but the entire time I was giggling. AND Part 7 will be in the works at some point, but I'm working on some other requests before that <3

I wasn't gonna post this tonight but I hit 50 followers so let's celebrate:)

I haven't posted rules yet, which is coming, I'm just formatting it lol, but I'm comfortable with most things! I originally am a smut writer and so not very much can make me uneasy. That being said, for this blog I will not write any smut to stay respectful to Qwuel's wishes :) But things like this? I think are hilarious and absolutely on the table.

That trend is so funny to. For those who don't know, it's basically one person holding the camera, looking completely fine saying "Us after pound town" and then panning over to their partner, who looks, for lack of a better term, absolutely wrecked. There are a few DW takes on it on tiktok and I like every single one of them. :)

-> Part One

-> Part Two

-> Part Three

-> Part Four

-> Part Five

-> Part Six

Warning: More mature themes, nothing explicit but more mature nonetheless, talks and references to sex/ sexual activity but again, nothing explicit.

☁ Okay, okay, so this can go two ways here.

☁ The Broke take: Astro and Sprout split the roles of the more 'Dom' party.

☁ Both are mains, who are statistically stronger, faster, more evolved than the commons- like you and Cosmo. So it makes sense that they take the more upfront and steady role.

☁ Even on runs in previous parts, I've kind of played with that a bit. Both are settled individuals who have been practically trained to be in front of the camera and spotlight- no matter how much they hate it.

☁ I don't think that changes much after the breakout, honestly. I think after they've returned to their own forms and have had time to become reacquainted with not only themselves, but everyone else, they still hold that aura of main.

☁ Because there is a way about the mains that just...exonerates their status even if they don't mean for it too. It's in their designs and how they walk, and talk, bolstered from their times with their handlers.

☁ So it makes sense that within their relationship, they kind of take that responsibility as well.

☁ I find with Sprout especially as he's protective to a fault this is true? Like I've talked before about how you all stress him out, but it's because he cares so much it practically chokes him.

☁ While he does love good fun and being a menace in his own way- we'll get into that later- he also wants what's best for you all. So he's making sure you're eating and drinking water, taking care of yourself no matter what.

☁ Especially after the pudding cup fiasco. He keeps such an eye on the pudding inventory in the building after that, those who weren't there start worrying for him.

☁ Astro is similar in the sense that he wants the best for you all, but he goes about it in a different way. He's a very quiet individual outside of the private times he shares with you all, so he has to be sneaky about it. He has a reputation or so he's told.

☁ Bro is shadow the hedgehog coded /hj

☁ He shows his love in softer, quieter gestures. Like when he checked your forehead during the Blu incident? It was all he could think to do in that moment without freaking out. He does the smaller gestures because he's always so close to the precipice of panic when it comes to any of yours health. Bro is not chill, will never be chill, never wants to be chill.

☁ He and Shelly are BFFS, and as I said in her thing, she gets frantic when her partner gets hurt. Guess where she got that from. She got it from Baby Astro, crying for the handlers every time she so much as skinned a knee.

☁ He got more discreet about it as he grew up, but it never truly went away.

☁ So now that I've gotten that all out of the way, :)

☁ They are just as generous as lovers as they are as just like...beings.

☁ When it comes to you and Cosmo, nothing is off limits. Nothing is too much to ask for. You guys so much as breath and it has a hint of a thought of want for anything (Except pudding.) and it's yours.

☁ They probably have moods where, like the meme above, you and Cosmo need them to pick up your slack because asking you to do anything other than lay there is too much.

☁ Again, these two have different ways of showing aftercare.

☁ Astro's is soft, gentle massages and damp clothes being held by his star shards so you can reach them when you're ready. He's whispering and cooing all sorts of praises about how well you did for him and carrying you and Cosmo literally everywhere necessary.

☁ I don't know when I made carrying you guys Astro's thing, but it is now.

☁ Anyway, he's never very far from either of you and practically demands you two stick close to each other if nothing else so he can keep a close eye on both of you. If one of you absolutely demands to move somewhere and he's pinned by the other while Sprout is getting snacks or something, he's using his star shards as helping hands.

☁ He's always mindful of your own routines as well. For example, Cosmo puts a lot of care into his tail, which evidently gets ruffled and scuffed during the tussle against the bed, so he goes out of his way to learn how to properly care for it and making sure the process is as comfortable for Cosmo as possible.

☁ If you have a certain lotion or ointment you prefer, he always keeps it nearby so he can help you regardless if you can do it yourself or not.

☁ Whenever you or Cosmo try to do it yourselves, he's swatting your hands and doing it himself anyway, shooting you a stern look if you continue to whine about it. If you continue trying to do it, he isn't against using his extra hands to pin your own to the bed as he goes about caring for you.

☁ If you and Cosmo think there's no way he can catch you both, man oh man do I have some news for you. Because he can and he will. He's got an extra pair of hands and those star shards of his? He's got incredible control over them and literally makes a fool out of whoever thought they could outrun them.

☁ C'mon, you can barely stand and you think you're outrunning those bad boys?

☁ For all Astro jokes about Sprout being the Warden, he actually plays the part much better. By the time Sprout returns, you both are cleaned and subdued with Astro looking like the cat that caught the canary.

☁ Speaking of Sprout, he knows Astro has you both beat even with one set of hands tied behind his back. So once he's sure you and Cosmo are both okay and contingent enough you don't immediately whine when he's out of reach, he's showing his love in the way we already knows he does.

☁ He's getting you and Cosmo your favorite after care treats and water, along with things for himself and Astro, before returning, taking some of the burden off of Astro.

☁ He's the tallest out of all of you, so he too can also carry you quite easily. If by some miracle, one of you stubbornly gets out of Astro's reach, he's right there, picking you up like you weigh nothing. To him? You probably don't.

☁ He's a cheeky little asshole though, poking yours and Cosmo's cheek as you sip on water with that cocky little smirk, making you shove him away with a hand in his face. His go to move when that happens is to grab the hand and use it to pull the rest of you into his lap, nuzzling into your head with a laugh. You just didn't understand how cute you were to him, did you?

☁ Sidebar: I said they had moods, but with Sprout? Practically a given with him. With his stamina, he's got energy for days and knows it, which is why he takes a good portion of the aftercare that requires moving past what Astro can reach with the star shards.

☁ Rest assured though, neither Sprout nor Astro so much as think about moving until you and Cosmo are both soothed enough to handle the lack of personal attention.

☁ They have their favorite ways to end sessions too.

☁ Astro loves watching movies and cuddling in a big pile of kisses and limbs and laughter. It's literally his favorite thing in the world. He admittedly needs the contact for a little longer than Sprout does, loving the constant connection that comes with the bliss. You and Cosmo are quick to fall asleep during that too and he knows you're having good dreams since you're so close to him, so that's also an added bonus.

☁ Sprout can go either way. He likes the movies and cuddle pile, more so if you and Cosmo fall asleep. Not only are you two getting the rest you deserve, but it gives him the opportunity to turn his attention to Astro, smothering the celestial in all the love and adoration he can handle. But-

☁ He also enjoys doing any sort of group activity afterwards if you and Cosmo feel up to it. He's more than willing to hoist one of you on his back and trot into the kitchen, with Astro carrying the other one behind him, going on and on about what he could make or what they want to feel better.

☁ Food is literally such a big love language to him and he tries to show it at every possible opportunity.

☁ Bonus points if you and Cosmo are sitting there, licking your wounds as you groan to each other over all the things that are sore. He doesn't like that your in any sort of pain, obviously, but it makes him laugh at how big of babies you could actually be.

☁ Less bonus points if someone comes in and asks what attacked you two. Sprout can't stop his cackles fast enough as Astro chokes on his spit. It's just too funny watching you two scramble to answer that, turning a bright cherry red as you shoot them both glares. He's sure Cosmo absolutely combusts at the question, making him laugh even harder.

☁ Now, that was the broke take.

☁ The WOKE take: You and Cosmo top their bottom asses like it's no problem.

☁ You and Cosmo are both commons, which while not as strong as the mains, I'd like to argue are much tougher. In game they get an additional hit point, so I like to think if you're a common, you can take a punch or two and still get back up.

☁ This is carried over to the rest of your life of course. You and Cosmo are less likely to whine over injuries like minor burns or papercuts, you probably regularly playfully rough house with Cosmo because the other two whine about it. Hell, even by being a distractor alone, you're fast and don't take anyone's shit.

☁ Because everyone is so quick to blame the distractor if they get hit, you very quickly learned to become assertive and lay out a plan so if they deviate, it's their fault. You've grown accustomed to the other toons whining and snapping at you, especially in the beginning when getting research without Rodger seemed like a hopeless endeavor.

☁ So you have experience with toons fighting you on your every decision and quickly laying down the law.

☁ As for Cosmo, he's a healer.

☁ ...I don't know if y'all main healers, but I do (Alongside Astro) and lemme tell ya. People are mean to healers. He's constantly getting into fights with the other toons if he doesn't heal them well enough or if they simply have a scratch and are begging for a full heal. He had to learn to hold his own fast, much in the same way you did.

☁ Not to mention heals. The reason he drops everything once a heal is called is because before you and the others got experienced and learned how to properly hide and do runs, he had to fight the others for heals. Rodger and him had gotten physical more than a few times as the magnifying glass tries grabbing the med-kit for him and Toodles while Cosmo needed it to heal you along with everyone else.

☁ So while he's sorry for stressing Sprout out when he does it, he admittedly isn't looking to really break that habit for worst case scenarios.

☁ That being said, again, Cosmo is tough. He isn't a soft pastry who's gonna crack at the first sight of conflict. He's used to shutting attitude down as it comes, and he's used to grey walling when arguing gets him nowhere.

☁ Sidebar 2: Cosmo would be such a good gentle parent bro. He doesn't confuse it with dismissive parenting and I just- UGH.

☁ Anyway, suffice to say that you and Cosmo both know how to be a dominant voice no matter where you are. Or who you're dealing with.

☁ One of the notes I've had scribbling for this entire time since I got this message was, and I quote:

☁ "Sprout's a brat. I'm actually his scarf so I know."

☁ And I stand by past me. She was right.

☁ Sprout is the biggest brat. I've said it before in the Healer! Reader one (I think), but he like...refuses to get healed. He'll fight Cosmo and Ginger on it. This, again, carries into whatever he does. He's stubborn and willing to play dirty to get what he wants.

☁ Only child syndrome or something. His handler only had one toon to handle, so it makes sense that he got used to having all the attention on him. He lowkey expects the same in a relationship. He wants you three to be as obsessed with him as he is with you, and while you are, he probably doesn't think that way sometimes.

☁ He thinks because he's taller he can get away with whatever he wants. He pushes and prods when you aren't giving him what he wants and probably thinks he can change your mind. Which is where that assertiveness from early comes in.

☁ Eeny meeny miney- Let's start with Cosmo. Cosmo is quick to just...not interact when Sprout gets into one of his moods. While normally he's all over you guys and your every whim, there is a kind of switch that flicks when the mood strikes Sprout that changes the interaction.

☁ I can't explain it but like, you know when your partner is being a brat for the sake of being a brat or when they genuinely want your attention. Like you know. And Cosmo? He knows.

☁ So when Sprout is being a bit of twat, he doesn't engage, does not interact, barely gives him a glance before returning to what he was doing.

☁ Like, he's not outwardly strong, but he's got enough muscle that when Sprout tries to throw himself onto Cosmo's back, as if to prove a point, Cosmo can hold the weight while also continuing to ice cookies. It's kind of funny actually.

☁ Of course, Sprout does do well with this and when he realizes he's not getting what he wants from Cosmo, he throws his equivalent of a fit. He cries and whines about "You don't love me anymore" and "I've been replaced by cookies."

☁ Cosmo has to really pry on his patience for that one.

☁ As for you, you deal with Sprout however you deem fit. If it's the same way as Cosmo, he's literally like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to blow up in your face. In which case, you and Cosmo have a great night ahead of you! If you chose a different, more punitive approach...it's still a great night ngl.

☁ Astro is like...the polar opposite. He needs to please and is so good at it too. He does have a hiccup in the sense that sometimes he gets too lost in the need to just be near one of you. While Cosmo's dealing with Sprout, Astro is probably with you, quite literally crawling in between whatever you're doing and you, perching himself in your lap to get your attention.

☁ He's like a cat. Worse. Blu isn't even as bad as he is.

☁Also? He bites. When he's not getting the attention he wants, Astro bites. Then acts like he didn't do anything.

☁ So deal with them as you please. They like it, trust, I'm actually Sprout's scarf.

☁ Afterwards, they are shells of the toons the were.

☁ They are such babies.

☁ They need constant attention and will complain if they don't get it- one much, much louder than the other.

☁ While you're trying to get damps cloths ready and towels and Astro's favorite lotion, you have star shards yanking at you, trying to pull you back the entire time even with Cosmo still right there.

☁ If Cosmo is grabbing water and snacks, he can still hear Sprout yelling at him from your room, literally just making noise for the sake of making noise even if Cosmo can hear the strain on his throat.

☁ By the time everything is cleaned and water and snacks are within arms reach, you and Cosmo are pinned. No choice about it. Maybe if you're lucky you'll have time to put on a movie or something, but if not, man sucks to be you.

☁ They need the constant touch. It admittedly comes from a fear of abandonment especially while they're so vulnerable.

☁I haven't gone into detail about my own headcanons about their handlers and I'm kind of split on it in all honesty. I think their handlers definitely cared for them deeply, but they were still humans and humans are flawed individuals especially when it comes to things like money. We know the founders were bad people, but I think their handlers were genuinely good people who were just told bad things. Which influenced how they cared for the toons.

☁ But that's another discussion for another day.

☁ Not to be that person, but everyone can tell when those two took it lying down, so to say. because even the next day you and Cosmo are always seen with at least one of them following you.

☁ Maybe you and Vee are discussing the aspects of bringing her game show back, but she can barely focus, too busy laughing at the sight of Sprout slumped over you, arms locked around you as he burrows into your shoulder. He hasn't moved since you sat down, immediately falling into you, and Vee is sure he's got no plans on moving or letting you move either.

☁ Or maybe it's Shelly, cooing at Astro, who's hiding in Cosmo's back, as the cake roll copies his recipes into his personal recipe book, laughing as star shards swat at her.

☁ Either way, they cling. They're velco babies at heart.

☁ But either way I think it's safe to say, either party, no matter which way it goes whether it be Fruitcake taking over or you and Astro or Astro and Cosmo or you and Sprout, it's safe to say the next day is a no-run day.

☁ Just in case :D

[maxwell-grant]

The Penguin Episode 4: Cent'anni Breakdown

She goes through all these different levels of all these different personas: excellent daughter, overachiever, and this horrific feral state in Arkham. And it's not until the yellow dress that she finds the one that fits.

Kind of like sharks can't stop moving or they sink. It's that relentless pursuit of justice.

This changes her forever. She never comes back. Something so much bigger than her takes over in order to survive - Cristin Milioti

This was pointed out to me by my friend and, show of hands everyone, who else thinks it's unbelievably fucking sick that it is Sofia who gets to show up at the Falcone dinner table, wearing a thematically appropriate embodiment of her childhood trauma, and do a "None of you are safe" speech?

(Episode 1) (Episode 2) (Episode 3) (Episode 5) (Episode 6) (Episode 7) (Episode 8)

It probably felt odd to spend time with Sofia when we’re in a show called The Penguin. But I think it’s just as important so you can understand Oz psychologically. Even though I don’t view Oz as a hero or a villain, he is a greater villain in the show than anyone else. And for you to feel that way, I think you have to understand his primary antagonist more. And that’s Sofia.” - Lauren LeFranc

I gotta say I'm generally not enthusiastic about Penguin being depicted as overtly disgusting, like drooling and eating raw fish and all that Burton stuff (actually I do think the black bile is cool, but only so far as as that version goes), but for that opening scene, that was a spectacularly well-placed bit of grossness. Like this sheer craven animalistic ugliness of DeVito's Penguin descending for a second to show us how Sofia sees Oz, and even how right she is to do so at the moment because holy shit hahahahahaha

From what we can see of Sofia's pre-Arkham life, she was basically the Meadow Soprano of the family: The smart, overachieving golden child, whose social standing and eligitibility for leadership wouldn't even be up for debate if she was born a man like her loser brother (love AJ, relate uncomfortably to AJ, he's not at all morally comparable to Alberto, but he is very much a loser). Socially conscious and sticking up for victims but only if you don't poke too closely at her victim-generating family business, aware of some things but willfully blind to her own hypocrisy and insistent that daddy is still in average a good man who isn't as bad as people around her may say he is. I'd even say that the Sofia we see here is a more moral person than Meadow, although obviously being the daughter of Carmine Falcone is a much scarier, more isolating and horrific prospect than growing up the daughter of Tony Soprano (the ways in which the two Sopranos kids diverged and majorly prefigured American socio-political developments that kicked off after the show is a topic for another post).

(Also, I don't really want to bring up Sopranos comparisons because the shows are similar, they're really not, but I finished The Sopranos yesterday so they're gonna come up still)

I think Mark Strong does a really good job here filling in for John Turturro's role, even if he's not quite as good in it as Turturro. I think he plays the character differently in a way that works really well for this being a past version of Carmine, filtered through Sofia's vision. He is imposing and quiet and mighty, a lone titan of unquestionable power over the entire world, not even remotely someone to be defied or displeased. Turturro's Falcone was charismatic and affable and oozing with unspeakable yet casual cruelty, and I would have liked that here, but I like the idea that we're seeing a Carmine from before he was invincible, when he still needed Sofia to help him get Congressman Hill on the phone and still worried about the future of the family at Alberto's hands, a Carmine from when the Maronis were still around and he wasn't the sole ruling power in Gotham, who could still possibly lose even without vigilante intervention.

He is larger, more imposing, a stern and stoic father who had little use for pleasantries, and with no mirth to be had at the expense of the little people who think they can do anything against him that matters, even if he is getting there. I think the difference here adds a nice little arc to Carmine: there was a time where he needed to keep up appearences, there was a time where he raised his voice above a whisper to get things done, and there was a time where he wasn't the real mayor of Gotham. There was a time where he was a "proper" Don, when he acted like his comics counterpart, and none of that really became necessary over the following decade, when he grew more and more invincible and isolated and comfortable in this nightmare he made the city into.

They also confirm here that apparently the Iceberg Lounge/44 Below existed way back when Oz was just Sofia's driver, and it was already Carmine's prostitute slaughterhouse even then and Alberto knew about it. Possibly explains why Oz was handed the club in the first place, because the Falcones already called him Sofia's penguin and putting The Penguin in charge of the Iceberg Lounge would fit their idea of a laugh (and given how much Oz hates being called Penguin, he would hardly come up with the name himself)

Lmao, those dog comparisons I keep making really don't stop justifying themselves.

Credit again to Mike Marino and the prosthetics team for this younger Oz make-up, he strikes a very nice middleground between current Oz and the one we see as a kid.

Really like what we see of Sofia and Oz's dynamic here, again reinforcing that for all intents and purposes he was the sidekick in her HBO protagonist life. We see how Sofia likes his company and how she even kinda defends him from the family, but she really cannot bring herself to respect him very much and disdains him from the same very upper-class perspective the rest of the family does, she's just nicer about it. And in turn we see parts of where Oz's resentment to her comes from, and also the extent to which Oz was always lying in wait for an opportunity to get ahead regardless of her, his justified grievances as well as him being a conniving fuck. The really thin line this treads though, is that it establishes that neither of them were lying about how they meant something to each other, even if it doesn't help.

Sofia did have her life ruined partially because of Oz, she did endure horrific things while he got a promotion because he ratted her out to Carmine, and he very much did in part because he wanted to get ahead and saw an opportunity to do so. But also, Oz genuinely had no idea that this is what Carmine would do, and I think in large part this was also about keeping himself safe. It's not even that unbelievable that he was genuinely looking out for her, because holy shit you do not talk to the press about Carmine Falcone, daughter or not, and he tried warning her in the car before she rebuffed him and insulted him pretty deep for good measure. If Sofia talked to the press and would not stop talking (since he didn't know in the car that she rebuffed Gleeson) and shit started happening because of her snooping around, he would have absolutely gotten punished/murdered for it, it is not at all a stretch to assume that Carmine would have done something to Oz as punishment to Sofia.

Oz didn't plan any kind of misfortune, at no point did he mastermind her admission into Arkham (or even help keep her there with the letters, like the rest of the family), he just told Carmine something he shouldn't have, and neither of them expected anything too terrible was gonna come out of it. They both wildly underestimated what a complete scumbag Carmine is, but with Carmine (and the others) gone, there's nobody else to turn those grievances to.

Even if Oz could claim deniability for the Arkham thing, which he kinda can't but Sofia even tried to grant him anyway, he sure as shit can't for everything else he does in the opening minutes.

Oh hey it's Mr Mustache With The Broken Nose.

A thing that came to mind when I was watching the episode was the story of Rosemary Kennedy, JFK's sister whose father arranged for her to be institutionalized and lobotomized at age 23 as a reponse to "difficult" behavior. I'm not recounting it in more detail here because the rest of it is just too horrific, look it up yourself if you're curious. I remembered it because reading about Rosemary Kennedy ruined my fucking day and it still pumps up the breaks in my train of thought every now and then, so it came to mind watching this story about a young woman horrifically institutionalized and butchered for the sake of her wealthy family's image. Later I heard the podcast, and turns out that actually was exactly what Lauren LeFranc based Sofia's story on, which was nice. I'm glad it also fucks Lauren LeFranc up and that we both agree she should have gotten to wreak revenge on the entire family over it, thank you Penguin Show that continues to be made for me, this was nice.

Oh hey, Magpie. Just the name, yeah, but that was another nice surprise. I used to have a bit of a soft spot for Magpie, occasionally I thought there was something to get out of her and Penguin together, so a part of me likes that they put Magpie in The Penguin show even if just in name. Yes, she only exists to be annoying and die, but that's what she already tends to do anyway. And y'know, much as I may like her, she is still a John Byrne character, so she doesn't really deserve much more than that

Jesus Christ this episode gets uncomfortable.

I like that this establishes that Julian Rush kinda did make an effort to help her and kinda felt bad about it, but not nearly enough, and that he is very much a complicit contemptible creep who has it coming as much as any of the people who put Sofia in there.

Cannot state enough how much I appreciate that they didn't put any actual named Batman villains in the Arkham Asylum episode, guarantee a lot of creators would not resist the temptation. I mean okay I guess there is a Ventris already in Batman but, come on, you know who I mean. This did not need any references to like, Jeremiah Arkham or Jonathan Crane or Hugo Strange or any of that, and that's not a diss on any of those guys, it's just that unlike pretty much every other Batman story, this episode does not undercut it's point about the horrific institutional horrors dehumanizing and destroying Sofia by pinning it on a chief boogeyman supervillain that Batman is going to fight later. Dr. Ventris is not responsible for the systemic rot that got her there nor is he the sole orchestrator/perpetrator of the abuse it's inmates suffer, he simply answers to those, and thus perpetuates them, by doing his job in a mental institution.

I am still haunted by the inmate committing suicide with a fork. It is so fucked up that Sofia was tortured and goaded by the doctors into murdering another inmate, and when that failed, they tortured her again and again and again until she snapped. The whole point was to push Sofia beyond the breaking point to justify further incarceration. The doctors just standing there letting her kill Magpie.

I want Dr.Rush to die.

I have more thoughts on Arkham, but I'd call this the most horrific take on Arkham so far, because it is the most honest take on Arkham so far. Even at it's most run-down and monstrous, it is usually never at all into question that Arkham Asylum is necessary, because if it wasn't there, all the crazies would run rampant in Gotham. Over the years, it's monstrousness has always been tied directly and specifically to it's inmates, and whenever people have pointed out the shoddy conditions and inhospitable environment of Arkham as a factor for repeat offenders, it's pretty much always as a fandom joke outside of Batman stories proper, and if there is anything wrong with the way the Asylum works, it is always the fault of particularly evil villains attached. A Lock-Up, a Jeremiah Arkham, a Hugo Strange, etc. Arkham Asylum is in general a Batman concept that's raised a lot of discussions and calls for revision over the years, and a lot of the issues with it tie into larger issues around superhero depictions of the carceral system, that @artbyblastweave went into here.

Here, in large part because this is a realistic world and a Gotham without a rampaging supervillain contingent of repeat offenders who can magically break out constantly, it is never into question that the patients are the victims of this system, and if they are being turned into potential supervillains, it is because of Arkham inflicting this on them. This is an Arkham Asylum that remains a nightmarish, horrific force in this world, but not because it's Castle Dracula where all the crazy villains hang out, not even just because the rest of Gotham is hopelessly rotten and corrupt, but because it's a mental institution and depicted accordingly. It gets to dig into the real life horrors mental institutions inflict on it's patients without having to justify those measures as benign or necessary to keep crazy crimes from happening. Frankly, this take on Arkham Asylum has been long overdue.

In every form of Batman media, just about the worst thing that can happen at any given moment is Arkham Asylum falling and it's inmates escaping into the streets, that's generally what happens when Batman needs to deal with apocalyptic stakes (which is why of course it happens all the fucking time now). Here, that scenario would be regarded with cheer, because the worst thing that can happen in this universe is being sent to Arkham Asylum. It isn't just Batman's unofficial personal prison / punching gallery, if anything it massively raises the stakes on this Batman's next adventures, because now we know this is what's waiting for him if he gets caught and unmasked.

I like that Sofia and Oz are both trying to save/protect those they see as younger versions of themselves, while inflicting on them the kinds of tragedies that ultimately created them

Oz reached out to this poor disabled kid from the streets and is showing him the ropes, while also belittling him as a nobody and distorting his worldview and dragging him into life or death cornered scrapdog situations chipping away at his morals. Sofia saves her little niece who laughs at bad table manners and doesn't quite do what her family says, gently lulling her to sleep so she can kill her mom and her entire family.

Extremely important that Sofia Falcone makes her formal arrival as a villain by showing up dressed in a sexy yet fitting extension of her trauma / cultural reference (The Yellow Wallpaper / the walls in her mother's bedroom), before putting on a mask and enacting Gotham's first Mass Casualty Gas Attack, we love to see it.

I was frankly already calling Sofia one of my favorite Bat-villains even before this episode, I'm just glad everyone seems to be on the same page with me now. I'm seeing a lot of posts on Twitter and Instagram talking about how they're rooting for Sofia instead of Oz, that she deserves to win this war, and good, fucking amazing that they're doing this, again, this show is hitting home runs I could not have foreseen.

It is incredible what a character they've made out of Sofia, and the fact that we now see Oz as her antagonist as much as we see Sofia as his, and the fact that if Penguin wins, he will win this as a villain. He will steal a victory he does not deserve and rub it in your face and he will make the children of the world cry for it as any villain worth his name should be doing, and it frankly wouldn't be much of a fight if Sofia wasn't every bit the complicated, engaging protagonist he is. Lauren LeFranc claimed that she sees Sofia is the closest the show has to a hero even if she is not, and this is the episode that sold everyone on it.

Halfway through the show and it's only gotten better and better, can't wait for what's coming next.

[gnomewithalaptop]

Batfam Time Travel Fic Recs

Because @clarenceislazy requested it on my last fic rec compilation, here's a list of my favorite DCU time travel fics! They're all pretty Batfam-centric, but eh niche is niche what can you do

Damian fics:

A Good Place by LemonadeGarden - Damian gets sent back in time to a Batman who's never had a Robin. Very sweet, very fun.

The Rule Stands by Engineerd - After Dick's death, Damian has to deal with a time-displaced ten-year-old Dick Grayson. Love a good Dick and Damian bonding moment, PLUS this gets a happy ending <3

to stay in one place by Jezebunny - Injustice!Universe Nightwing!Damian time-travels/dimension-jumps to a timeline where Dick Grayson is still alive and his counterpart is still Robin. Ugh this is so angsty -- I have an unreasonable amount of love for Injustice Damian

looking for the shapes in the silence by popsunner - In a world where Dick died on the job, Damian falls through a hole in reality where Dick is still alive and finds that some things don't fit the way they used to. SUCH an amazing representation of complex grief -- literally every time I read it, I cry

Steph fics:

time slip by almondrose - A mistake in time leads to six Robins meeting. Honestly, this one is kinda cracky, and only barely qualifies as Steph-centric, but I still like it a lot

and we'll never be the same by almondrose - Steph and Tim go on a road trip to figure out the post-universal-reboot anomalies. This is more of a post timey-wimey-bullshit fic than a real time travel fic, BUT I think it's real cute regardless

Tim fics:

Tractors by lieu42 - Ooh this one is honestly so so fun! In a reimagined universe where DC's heroes operate out of the UK, Red Robin Tim finds himself right back in the year before everything went to hell. He has a duty to get back to his correct timeline so he can find Bruce, but with Bart and Kon still alive, there's a part of him that doesn't want to leave. Literally SO well written and trippy as hell -- this fic deals a lot with addiction, drug use, and grief, so definitely go into it forewarned. TimKon

not for very much longer by CreamOfTomatoSoup - ugh what CAN'T I say about this fic, apart from the fact that it's one of my favorite time loop fics of all time. Post Cult of Dionysus Bernard Dowd finds himself reliving the worst day of his life -- the day Darla got shot. Featuring identity porn, Steph as Robin, Original-Personality!Bernard, the grief of a childhood you can never return to, and the weirdness of having to interact with your significant other when he's currently a sixteen year old who doesn't know he likes dudes. Don't look at the incomplete warning -- it's not abandoned, just a wip, and I legitimately cannot recommend this fic enough. This fic made me read War Games. This fic made me a Darla Aquista stan. This fic made me ship timbern. Please read this fic.

Jason fics:

The View From Jade by lowflyingfruit - Jason Todd accidentally travels back to before Bruce took Dick in. I feel like this is on every time travel rec list, but what can I say: I'm a basic bitch

Two Dead Birds by InsaneTrollLogic - Jason Todd wakes up in the middle of his Mob Boss Era and immediately decides to rewrite his own history. This is very funky fresh of him, just in my personal opinion.

Dick fics:

So It Goes by 60sec400 - Bruce from Dick's Robin era receives a troubling call from Nightwing. Be warned -- this fic is angsty as hell. Implied major character death. Don't look at the incomplete warning -- it's a lie (the author has specified they intended it to work as a oneshot)

In This Or Any Other Universe by wildsofmarch - Dick-as-Batman ends up in Battinson-era Gotham. Again, I think this counts more towards the Dimension Travel pile than the strict Time Travel variety, but I'm still putting it here because I enjoy the hell out of it

a million dreams by CaptainOzone - In the seconds between the trapeze line snapping and their bodies hitting the ground, John and Mary Grayson find themselves transported twenty years into the future. SO GOOD I honestly can't stand it.

If you think I missed a fic you love (or if you've written any yourself and want to self-plug), feel free to drop a link in the reblogs! Especially if you know of any that center around Steph, Cass, or Duke -- istg I've scrolled through fifteen pages of the AO3 Time Travel tag, and I've found like maybe two fics that center around any of them. It's honestly a little ridiculous

[annebd]

2024 fic wrapped

i was tagged by the lovely @pitforwets to share some fave fics from 2024! this was especially difficult because i joined f1 fandom in late 2023 and only really started reading fic in earnest in january of this year, which means that this is basically "choose your five fave f1 fics you've ever read." that's hard! with that in mind, this list is nowhere close to exhaustive of the amazing list of fics i've read this year. but in keeping with a list of five, here we go (in no particular order):

icarus by @eirianerisdar. i discovered this fic sometime in the spring. i specifically remember being so engrossed in it that first day that i stayed up until nearly 4 in the morning reading it, and i had to call off work the next day because i was so exhausted (shhhh, don't tell my boss!). it's wing!fic, to reduce it to its absolute most basic form, but it's infinitely more than that. the characterization and worldbuilding are a masterclass. the scene where seb walks through the track picking up feathers lives rent free in my mind. (as does the scene where daniel is a wiggly worm whose newly grown feathers are itchy. if you want a fic to have you giggling and sobbing in equal measure, this is the one)

Hey, Remember That Time by @powerful-owl. i'm not 100% sure, but i'm fairly certain that this is the first of em's fics that i read. and what an amazing introduction! i definitely know that it's the one that made me reach out to say hi on tumblr, and i'm so glad that i did! daniel has amnesia, and max runs an inn- what more could you ask for? one of my favorite parts of this fic is the way em writes charles- he's such a little weirdo, and i adore him beyond measure. also, there's a scene where max describes daniel's own dick to him, and boy howdy. it's a good scene, is what i'm saying.

Breaking Every Rule For You by @magicalrocketships. maxiel exchange dick pics. that's it, that's the post. but to be serious, this fic is 150k words of some of the hottest sex (and preludes to sex) you'll ever read, interspersed with genuinely incredible character growth and exploration. honestly, this fic makes me want to learn to be a better writer. each time a new chapter came out, i would devour it and think "god, i wish i could do that."

there's glitter on the floor after the party by @fiveredlights. there are few things that i'm weaker for than a well written epistolary/social media fic, and there is no one out there who does it quite like five! their writing is amazing, every single time, and the care that goes into crafting these fics is unbelievable. i'm reccing this particular fic because it's the first of their fics i'd ever read, but this is actually a rec for everything they've published, because every single fic is one banger after another. also, after the actual events of this year in real life, i'd much rather sink into the world of this fic and pretend this is how things went down with daniel's career instead.

Get It Right Back by @overtake. have i mentioned that i'm a sucker for a social media fic? because i am. and this fic has the perfect combo of traditional fic structure intertwined with social media elements. it's very newly published and has already worked its way up my faves list. another fantastic example of a fic running me through an entire rainbow of emotion. special shoutout to all the scenes between max, daniel, and max's nephews. the cuteness is too much to bear.

tagging everyone who wants to do their own wrapped list! this was so hard, but what a fun look back at the year. <3

[tac-the-unseen]

What the Lost boys think about vampire related media

Fluff, x reader but just barely

•While making conversation with your four Vampire lovers you were suddenly plagued with a question.

“How do you guys feel about vampire related media?”

-That question was an immediate head turner. The cave goes dead quite before Dwayne speaks up, “Well…vampires are in hiding so…”

-This sparks a conversation about how media representation of vampires may not be accurate, but that's a good thing. “If a book or movie comes out and it is shockingly accurate to what being a vampire is really like, the creator isn't going to last long.” David explained

-That's because there's a set of rules vampires have to follow and one of those rules is to never publicly reveal your double life identity

-”If something like that comes out, that means a vampire has broken that rule OR somebody knows vampires very closely and is creating media they know shouldn't exist.”

-Turns out if a vampire breaks that rule it's basically open season to kill and destroy their creations.

•You turn the conversation and begin to ask how they, specifically, feel about certain vampire representation

•Bram Stoker's Dracula

-Dwayne is the first to buy in his opinion.

-Dwayne feels that while it is a cult classic and well written, The characters are exceedingly dumb.

-”Johnathan spends a ridiculous amount of time talking about other characters ‘Breasts’ and trying to figure out why his host climbs walls ‘like a lizard's.”

-David is the next one to speak up

-David thinks it's not really worth the read

-”Unless you're trying to brag to people there's no point in reading it.”

-”Also why was Mina talking to that old sailor so much?”

-Paul laughs as he remembers “how fucking crazy he wrote Dracula to be”

-”I'm pretty sure the real Dracula thinks it's a heinous crime against him”

-Paul hasn't read it but have heard enough about it to know even the more obscure references

-Marko comments on the graceful writing style and the beautiful descriptions

-”I've only read it because Dwayne thought I would like it"

-Marko also loves how oblivious Jonathan and most of the other characters are

-All of them think the movie adaptation is hilarious and love the shitty special effects

•Interview with a vampire

-Paul chimes in immediately

-”God it's so homo erotic it hurts…in a good way.”

-Paul thinks its a nice horror novel mixed with a weird cozy atmosphere

-Dwayne thinks it's another well written classic and He actually begins to rave about all the themes involved within Anne Rice’s work

-”It's a beautiful Gothic thriller with a deep, sadly comedic energy.”

-He even offers to read it too you sometime

-Marko chimes in quickly about “Claudia’s rebellious behavior and persona”

-”imagine watching your family choose somebody else over you. It's so deeply upsetting but to an understandable level.”

-”I would have hated to turn so young. I look like a teenager and other people can respect that to a certain point. But being five years old with the mind of an adult, No one would respect you.”

-Marko relates to Claudia on an internal level and loves unraveling her character. When you ask why he quickly responds "Some people call me a cherub... You think I enjoy that?"

-David says he doesn't have much to say other than it was a decent read (That's his version of a compliments)

•Twilight

-All of them agree that it's laughably horrendous

-Almost immediately at the same time they say “This is the skin of a killer Bella”

-This leads to banshee like laughter

David speaks up immediately

-”Why do you humans want us to sparkle so bad?”

-”I personally hate the idea of being a walking disco ball, but to each their own.”

-Marko chimes in quickly

-”Would you like it if we sparkled?” He asked while leans on you affectionately

-Marko thinks the only reason to read it is to have a nice laugh

-”Why did Edward have such a violent reaction of Bella standing by a fan? That makes no sense…like I have mates and I enjoy the smell of you guys but…I'm not nearly clawing off my face at your smell”

-”Yeah yeah, I get he's trying not to overreact but running out of class to get away is crazy.”

-Paul even adds that even thought it's very dumb even he can appreciate the message it's trying to said.

-”something something, coming over adversary, something something, love wins, something something..”

-”Also that Jacob imprinting on Bella's infant daughter is super fucking creepy.”

-when you asked Dwayne about his feels he scoffed and said It's insulting at best and borderline sexual harassment at worst.

-He refused to go into depth

•You thank them for humoring you and they tell you that it's no problem

-David kisses the side of your head in an uncharacteristically soft way “We don't ever mind answering your vampire related question.” He tells you

-Marko turns to you “But seriously do you want us to sparkle?”

-”I think I have some roll on body glitter somewhere..” Paul says while getting up to look for it

Thanks for reading <3

[hungermakesmonsters]

Love, Sick Love

Chapter Two

Plot summary : Working at one of the shadier bars in Brooklyn, you have one rule; don’t mess around with the patrons. Most of them are criminals, dangerous. None more so than Billy Russo, but Billy believes that rules are made to be broken. Especially your rule. One lapse in judgement is all it takes for Billy to decide that you’re his, and he’s never been the sort of man to take rejection well.

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Story Rating : R 

Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Explicit, rough and dirty smut. All chapters will deal with dark and smutty themes, including but not limited to stalking. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 

Word Count : 5.2k

A/N : This one goes from 1 to 100 very quickly 😅 .

CHAPTER ONE

Master List

Chapter Two

He followed you into your apartment without comment or question. His eyes stayed fixed on you, either because of disinterest in his surroundings or because he was too focused on you to care. Billy watched as you shrugged off your jacket and threw it onto the sofa and proceeded to kick off your boots.

Modest was a nice word for your apartment, empty was another. Aside from basic furnishings, there wasn’t much there. You didn’t even own a TV. From the look of the place anyone would have been forgiven for assuming you had just moved in or you were getting ready to move out. The sad truth of the matter was that it was neither.

But Billy didn’t seem to care.

You led him into the kitchen, trying not to look at him, trying not to think too much about how you’d let a man you didn’t know the first thing about into your home. Without a word, you grabbed a couple of clean glasses (the only two you owned) but, as you leaned down to get the vodka bottle from one of the lower cupboards, your back ached and you let out a hiss of pain.

“You okay?” He asked, stepping closer as you stood back up. 

“Fine,” you answered automatically.

“You're so full of shit,” he said, a hint of annoyance slipping into his tone. “Lemme see.”

It wasn't a question and Billy didn't wait for an answer before pulling at the back of your top, revealing tender, bruised skin. You pulled away from him almost instantly, knocking his hand away.

“I said it's fine.”

“I'm just trying to help,” he told you, barely holding back his irritation.

“It's not your problem.” 

He looked ready to say something, like he was ready to argue with you, but he seemed to think better of it and, instead, just offered a shrug. You kept your eyes on him for a second more before returning your attention to pouring drinks for the both of you.

His fingers met yours as you handed him the glass and he held you there for a moment, his eyes fixed on yours, filled with a wanting that stoked a heat in your stomach. Once he released your hand, you knocked back your drink, hoping to quell the feeling but it only seemed to get worse.

Billy sipped his drink slowly, his eyes not leaving you.

“What?” You finally asked.

“What?” 

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” You asked, pouring yourself another drink.

“You know why,” Billy answered without hesitation, completely unashamed and unembarrassed.

And you did know. At least, you knew enough; he wanted you. You just weren't sure why.

“You don't even know me.”

You didn't expect that to get a laugh from him.

“Well, at the moment I don’t even exactly know myself,” he said with another one of those awkward one-sided shrugs. “At least... not the last few years.”

Your expression softened and you gave him a confused look.

“What do you mean?” You asked, even though you had an inkling. “What happened?” 

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Somehow, he seemed almost amused by it, but there was a discomfort in his smile that said more than his words ever could. 

“You don’t remember anything?”

His head shook. “No, but I figure that’s probably for the best.”

“How?” You asked, struggling to follow his chain of logic (if, indeed, any logic at all was involved in his thought process).

“Look at me,” he said, and you did, only not at his scars. You got lost in his eyes again. “Whatever did this to me probably wasn’t good, so I don’t know if it’s something I want to remember.” He was silent for a moment, then; “makes us kinda perfect for each other though, doesn’t it?”

“How?”

“You don’t want anyone to know you, and I can’t remember who I really am...”

“I don’t -” you started to defend yourself, hating that he’d managed to read you so easily.

He took a step towards you, halting the moment he noticed you tense. You weren’t sure why you did, you didn’t think he was a threat or that he’d hurt you, but something about him made you nervous. You didn’t trust yourself with him. That was the problem. Every time he looked at you, every time your eyes met his, you felt butterflies in your stomach.

“I’m sorry if I scared you earlier,” he offered softly, though it didn’t sound like he was sorry for his actions, just the fact that you’d been around to witness it.

And you weren’t sure if that made it better or worse.

“I’m not afraid of you,” you told him, defiant. 

Lifting your glass, you took a slow drink, not wanting to give away the effect that he had on you. The cheap vodka burned its way down the back of your throat, stoking the warmth in your belly, a warmth that only seemed to burn hotter when he looked at you. And it wasn’t long before the heat was spreading down to your core.

“You should be,” he said, quietly, darkly.

“Why?” You asked, refusing to show anymore weakness in front of him. “Are you dangerous?”

“Oh, kitten, you’ve got no idea...” he answered, the grin on his lips causing your breath to catch.

“Kitten?” You repeated, unimpressed.

“You’ve got sharp claws and no sense of danger, but you’re so soft and fragile...”

It should have been your cue to say goodnight, to thank him for helping you and walking you home, and show him to the door. But it felt like things between you had shifted again and part of you wanted to see where it would lead.

You finished your drink and he did the same, his every reason for being there disappearing with that last mouthful, but he didn’t move or offer to leave. And you didn’t ask. You didn’t want him to go. At least, not yet.

“But I think you like the danger,” he offered, his voice quiet but certain. The grin on his lips grew and your thighs clenched. “I think it turns you on.”

Silence fell. You couldn’t bring yourself to deny it, not when his gaze dropped to your cleavage, watching the awkward rise and fall of your breasts beneath your tank top, pebbled nipples pressing through the fabric.

“Oh, really?” You rolled your eyes and stood a little straighter. “And what makes you think that?”

“‘cause you invited me in,” he started, “‘cause you haven’t asked me to leave yet, even though you’ve seen what I’m capable of.”

“You haven’t seen what I’m capable of,” you countered, not sure why you were indulging him.

“You shouldn’t tempt me, kitten. You might not be able to handle what you get...” Billy warned, smirking as his eyes moved to your chest again as you drew a deep breath.

There was something in the way he looked at you, something that felt almost predatory but found that you didn’t mind it. It was nice to have someone look at you that way, like his world would end if he couldn’t have you. You wondered when he was last touched, when he last remembered being touched. The scars on his face still seemed fresh and, even though he did a good job of hiding it, the trauma he’d been through seemed fresher still even if he couldn't remember it.

As he held your gaze, Billy dared to step closer, watching every flicker of emotion to cross your face. Trepidation, curiosity, arousal, and fear. You felt at war with yourself, the heat in your stomach and a throbbing between your thighs wanted one thing, while your brain and common sense wanted something else entirely. You barely knew him and had no idea what he was capable of, or what he was involved with.

His tongue slipped across his lip and your heart lurched in your chest. Neither of you had spoken in going on a minute, both of you were just staring, waiting to see if the other would make the first move.

Billy cracked first, taking that final step, his body pressing you back against the counter while his hand slipped around the back of your neck, pulling your lips to his. It was everything you expected from him; a domineering kiss that took far more than it gave, his tongue unceremoniously pushing its way into your mouth when your lips parted to let out a whimper of pain at the way your back was forced against the counter.

But any discomfort you felt was quickly forgotten and you lost yourself to the kiss, indulging in whatever this was, losing yourself in the sort of kiss you’d never experienced before. The men you saw were normally so gentle with you, and you’d always told yourself that that was what you wanted but Billy was already making you question everything.

He shrugged out of his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. The kiss continued until your hand moved to his face, your fingertips grazing one of the more prominent scars. He inhaled awkwardly and let out a low, animalist rumble from the back of his throat.

His fingers gripped your wrist, wrenching your hand away from his face and he pulled back a fraction to stare at you. Anger and anguish warred for place in his expression, his hold on your wrist so tight that it was almost painful. It should have scared you but, somehow, it didn’t. In fact, it sent a thrill through you.

“Do they hurt?” You dared to ask.

He didn’t say anything. It didn’t seem like he could. It was as if he was caught in the grip of something he didn’t know how to escape, something he couldn’t verbalise or come to terms with. Trauma that he didn’t know how to handle. As he looked at you, you looked right back, finally letting yourself look at his scars.

Even with his face marked and marred, there was more than a hint of handsomeness. It hadn’t been a lie when you’d said he was fuckable, but now you were really looking at him, you could tell that he’d been beautiful before whatever had happened to him. And, maybe that just made it worse for him.

“They don’t bother me,” you told him, trying to wrestle him from whatever thought had him in its grips.

When he didn’t respond, you leaned in and pressed your lips to his scarred cheek, trailing kisses along the raised mark. His chest shuddered against yours and he let out a ragged exhale. You took that as a sign to continue kissing his scars. When he seemed settled, you dared run your tongue over one of them, and Billy came to life again.

His lips captured yours, reasserting his dominance over the moment and over you. If the way he kissed you hadn’t been enough to tell you that he wanted you, the way his body pressed against you certainly did. As he moved closer you felt his erection through his jeans, pressing against your hip.

But you didn’t have time to think about it, not when his free hand started to trail up your thigh, taking the fabric of your skirt with it. The more he kissed you, touched you, the harder it became to hear the little voice of reason in your head. He was dangerous. Violent. You didn’t know the first thing about him. His other hand was still gripping your wrist, holding you in place. There were so many obvious red flags, so many reasons not to do this, but none of those reasons were enough to stop the way you trembled under his touch.

He parted your legs with his knee, and you let him. You let his hand slip higher and higher beneath your skirt and between your legs, despite knowing what he’d find. Another dark and possessive sound rumbled in through his chest as his fingers grazed the lace of your thong and he cupped you through the increasingly wet scrap of fabric.

“If I’d known this was all you were wearing under your skirt, I would’ve saved us both some time and bent you over the bar,” he muttered against your lips, as if he was angry that he waited so long to have you. The combination of his words and the press of his fingers pulled an eager gasp from you. “You like that? You like the thought of me bending you over the bar and fuckin’ you hard?”

“Yes,” you whined without thought or hesitation.

As if rewarding your honesty, Billy slipped his fingers beneath the fabric and finally touched you, his long fingers trailing through your arousal. His teeth nipped at your lip and the sudden pain caused you to let out another gasp, a gasp that became a moan as his finger slid between your walls.

“Already so wet for me,” he said in a low voice, his lips lingering close to yours but pulling back every time you tried to reignite the kiss. “Knew this was turning you on.”

You reached for the bulge in his pants, palming his cock through denim. 

“I’m not the only one,” you muttered, sounding a little out of breath.

As he grinned, you took the opportunity to kiss him, shutting him up before he could say anything else. Already you could tell that his dirty mouth was going to be your undoing, and you wanted this to last. Your legs trembled beneath you like they might buckle at any moment, but you didn’t care. His fingers finally released your wrist and you were able to grip his sweater at his waist.

A second finger slipped inside you and your head fell back, a needy moan erupting from you.

“Mmm purr for me, kitten,” he groaned.

At any other time you would have rolled your eyes, but the way he was touching you, the way he was making you feel. It was as if he’d already made himself intimately familiar with your body, as if he knew exactly how to draw pleasure from you. His fingers bent and scissored inside you and you cried out again, already feeling an orgasm starting to build, the wet heat of your body clenching around him in anticipation.

You didn’t notice the knife until you heard it ripping through the fabric of your tank top from bottom to top and, by the time you realised it was happening, it was too late to stop it. The fabric parted, exposing you, but before you could think to protest, his head bowed and his lips started to press kisses along your breasts.

Arching your back, you leaned into his touch, completely giving yourself over to him. His lips closed over your nipple, sucking and nipping at the hardened peak, while the hand between your legs continued to move, fucking you with his fingers.

Every touch was rough, assertive, dominant. Taking, not giving, making demands of your body. Everything you thought you hated, everything you thought you never wanted But, now that you had it, it felt so good that you could only want more. It was like he was awakening a side of you that you hadn’t realised existed, a side that craved a man like Billy; a man who knew exactly what he wanted.

By the end of the night, you knew you were going to be covered in the marks of his affections; bruises where he’d gripped too tight, hickies and bite marks where he’d gotten too excited. But you didn’t care. You actually wanted him to keep going, to be rough, to take what he wanted from you. 

“Your tits have been driving me crazy all fuckin’ night,” he groaned, running his tongue around your nipple in a way that had you clenching around his fingers, and then -

You saw stars, coming harder than you had in a long time, and the fact that it was on his fingers had you wondering just how explosive the main event was going to be. Your whole body shook and, if he hadn’t wrapped an arm around you, you were certain you would have crumpled to the floor, a trembling wreck.

Rendered speechless by the pleasure he’d forced your body through, you could only watch as his hand lifted from between your legs and his fingers slipped into his mouth. His eyes closed and he groaned as he sucked his fingers clean.

Just the sight of it had your cheeks warming. Maybe Jenna had been right, maybe this was what you’d been missing out on.

“I need a proper taste,” he groaned before lifting you onto the counter.

Without prompting, you parted your legs and pulled up your skirt, hoping to save it from the same fate as your top as the knife appeared in his hand again. You felt the cold blade against your thigh for the briefest of seconds as he cut away your thong. It shouldn’t have turned you on - none of this should have turned you on - but you felt yourself tremble and clench in anticipation.

“Look at that,” he groaned, brushing his thumb over your still-sensitive folds before parting them with his fingers. “Prettiest little cunt I’ve ever seen.”

He continued to tease you for at least another minute, paying more attention to your pussy than any man had in years. Your cheeks continued to warm and you felt like you should be ashamed, but there was no denying your arousal and the way his attention had you desperate for him.

“You’re practically dripping for me,” he groaned, his slight and teasing touches becoming too much for you to bear.

“Then do something about it,” you answered back.

Your words seemed to break whatever spell he was under, and he looked back up to meet your eyes, the grin on his lips almost turning sinister. He leaned down, the wet heat of his mouth finding the wet heat of your body. There was no teasing, no slow build up. His tongue slid through your arousal in quick, greedy swipes, like he was trying to devour you, like he was trying to make you lose your mind.

And it was working.

“Please,” you begged, leaning back against the wall and pressing yourself against his eager mouth as his tongue circled your clit. “Oh, fuck, Billy...”

The scratch of his facial hair against your thighs added to the roughness of the moment, and your pleasure. You’d only just come for him but you already felt another orgasm starting to build inside you. It shouldn’t have been so shocking but you couldn’t remember the last time a man had made you come more than once in a night (if they even managed to make you come at all).

He pulled your legs over his shoulders, almost causing you to slide off the counter, pulling you against his hungry mouth in a way you couldn’t escape - not that escape had even crossed your mind.

Your body was thrumming with pleasure, every stroke of his tongue causing you to tremble and moan. Your hands gripped the sides of his head, his hair buzzed too short for you to pull on, keeping him held against you as you came. Though it quickly became clear that Billy didn’t need holding in place, he had no intention of pulling away, his tongue continuing to lap against you until you had to beg him to stop.

He didn’t even give you a chance to come down from your high before scooping you off the counter. Your arms and legs wrapped around him, clinging to him as he navigated your apartment with ease, finding your bedroom without help while you tugged off his sweater.

Billy dropped you onto the bed and, this time, you saw him pull out the knife, the blade appearing from the handle. But before you could say anything, it was tearing through your skirt.

“Hey -” you started but stopped as he looked at you, folding the blade and dropping it back into his pocket.

“You know how many guys wanted to fuck you in the little skirt tonight?” He asked, though you were certain he didn’t want an answer.

Was he jealous? Is that what had caused all of this? Just some petty jealousy?

“Apparently I have that effect on men,” you answered back.

Rather than responding, he started to undo his belt, then his jeans. You took in the sight of him in the dim light, your eyes dropping as his pants and boxers did. You got your first glimpse of his cock, hard and standing to attention, but he didn’t give you time to appreciate it before crawling onto the bed on top of you.

Your heels pressed into the mattress as his hips lowered to meet yours, grinding the length of his cock against you. A desperate moan tore from your lips, needy and eager for more.

“Top drawer,” you managed to gasp with the last shred of your sanity. “Condoms.”

Billy made that sound again, that rumbling in the back of his throat, an animalistic sound that sent sparks of desire through you. It was almost enough to change your mind and let him fuck you bare like he obviously wanted, but you weren’t that stupid. You’d known him for less that forty-eight hours and what you were doing was already risky enough.

His eyes left you long enough to reach into the drawer and retrieve a condom, tearing the wrapper open with his teeth and quickly setting about rolling it down his length. You couldn’t help but glance down, between your bodies, to look at him, biting your lip in anticipation. When he was ready, he tapped his cock against your swollen and sensitive clit, causing your breath to catch.

Your lungs burned as you held onto that breath, biting down on your lip even harder as you felt his sheathed tip starting to stretch your dripping slit as he slid inside you. You finally exhaled sharply once he’d pushed past that first inch of resistance and started to fill you at a leisurely pace you were certain wouldn’t last.

“Fuck. I knew you’d be tight,” he muttered, grinning down at you. “I knew this sweet little cunt wasn’t getting used enough. Don’t worry, that’s gonna change.”

He looked down at you, expecting a response but you simply returned to biting your lip, overwhelmed by the promise in his words and the feel of his cock filling you.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Don’t tell me I’ve already fucked the attitude out of you,” he joked, “I’m just getting started.”

“Fuck you,” you managed to groan between panted breathes.

Billy laughed. “You first, kitten.”

As you opened your mouth to respond, his hips jerked forwards, driving the last couple of inches of his cock into you in a way that had your eyes almost rolling back.

“Fuck,” you whined as he stilled, every hard inch of himself buried between your trembling walls. Your back arched, head pressed back against the pillow, and your hips desperately shifted trying to adjust to the size of him.

“Next time, I’m fucking you bare,” he muttered in your ear, and you couldn’t tell if it was a promise or a threat, but the rough, dark tone of his voice was enough to make your walls flutter and clench around him. “Gonna make you feel the cock you’re gripping so tight, kitten.”

His hips drew back before you could even think to respond, almost pulling out completely before slamming back inside you, tearing a desperate cry from your lips. Then he started to fuck you, rough and hard, setting a pace that he wanted and not stopping to check if it was okay with you.

(Fortunately, it was more than okay with you.)

“You like that, don’t you?” He asked, knowing you couldn’t answer between the moans and ragged breaths he was already drawing from you. “You like being fucked hard. You’re gonna be able to feel me inside you for the rest of the week...”

Wrapping your arms around him, you tried to hold on as he took complete control. Your nails tore into his back but Billy didn’t seem to care about  or even notice any pain you were causing. In fact the way you were holding him only seemed to spur him on, and he soon lost himself in the roughness of the moment.

Your hands shifted, one of them pressing to his shoulder, fingernails biting into skin, and Billy tensed. It wouldn’t occur to you until later that it was the shoulder that had been seemingly causing him discomfort earlier - you were too out of your mind to even think about that.

Suddenly his fingers were on your wrist, taking hold of one hand, then the other, pulling both of them up until they were pressed into the pillow above your head. One hand was all it took to hold your slender wrists in place, effectively pinning you beneath him. He barely even slowed as he restrained you and, once he had you pinned, his thrusts became harder, the sound of his body meeting yours filling the room.

You’d never experienced anything like it before. You’d never wanted anything like it before. Never once in your life had you thought you were the sort of person who’d enjoy being completely at the mercy of some man you barely knew, letting him fuck you however he wanted, but you were enjoying it. You were loving it.  

Your mouth fell slack and you gave up on trying to hold back the sounds that were desperate to escape you; his name, guttural moans, and pleas for more, for him not to stop.

Pulling, you tested his grip on you, causing his hand to tighten on your wrists. You gave another tug, wanting to push your luck just to see what he’d do.

“Don’t make me tie you down, kitten,” he groaned, starting to get breathless. “Be a good girl for me.”

He kept you pinned, kept taking everything that he wanted from you, pushing you higher and higher. You almost wanted to struggle against him again, just to see if he really would tie you down but, even in your fucked-out state, you weren’t willing to trust him that much.

You cried out his name as you suddenly came again, your body shivering and shaking, completely overwhelmed by him.

Bill pulled out, leaving your body trembling and clenching around nothing. For a moment you thought that he was done, that it was over - and, honestly, you would have been more than satisfied if it was.

Instead you found yourself rolled onto your stomach before he pulled you up on all fours. A mindless cry tore from you as his cock filled you again and he started to fuck you from behind. Try as you might to lift your head, you felt boneless and exhausted, completely undone by Billy. But then you felt his fingers in your hair, pulling, tugging, forcing you to turn and look at him. He wanted you to see him.

“That’s it, kitten, let me watch you lose your mind,” he groaned as your eyes struggled to focus on him.

Every rough thrust forced a moan from you, each louder than the last. His free arm slipped around your waist, holding you tight, making sure you stayed exactly where he wanted you.

Your own arms shook and trembled as you tried to support yourself, and your back arched more and more with every drive of his hips, wanting to feel him as deep as he could get. You felt drunk, and not from the vodka you’d necked. You were drunk on the moment, on him, on his cock, and on every filthy word that left his lips. You’d never been with a man who’d treated you in such a raw and carnal way.

“You’ve creamed all over my cock, kitten,” he grunted, his hips slamming forward in a way that made your eyes roll back.

It didn’t make sense, you couldn’t understand how he’d managed to stoke a fire inside you that burned brighter and hotter with every passing second. Is this what you’d been missing out on by only picking safe guys?

“B-Billy,” you gasped.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, breathless and grinning, not slowing for a second. “Gonna come for me again?”

You couldn’t answer, whatever you’d wanted to say to him had left your head just as quickly as it had entered. All you could do was moan in response, your body quickly giving in to him again.

He let go of you as he came, letting you fall forwards onto the mattress, continuing to fuck you. His thrusts turned frenzied, fucking you into the bed as he chased his own orgasm.

Your body was trembling so much when another orgasm hit, that it barely even registered that he pulled out and rolled you onto your back again. Hazy, half-shut eyes looked up at him as he knelt over you, pulling the condom off and quickly starting to jerk his hand along his cock, finishing himself off.

A low grunt spilled from him as he started to come, and you felt it sputter onto your stomach and chest, and up your neck. Your eyes met his when you felt his thumb on your chin, urging your mouth open, and you let him slip the tip of his cock between your lips to swallow the last few spurts of cum.

Your tongue ran over his tip a couple of times, earning another low groan from Billy and one last little trickle of cum. His chest was heaving as he looked down at you, seeming like he was lost for words for the first time in his life. All he could do was let out a breathless laugh as he collapsed beside you.

It felt like you couldn't have moved even if you’d wanted to. You felt humiliated, dirty and degraded, overwhelmed and - and you’d enjoyed it. You'd loved it. It was the best sex you’d ever had. Your body was still thrumming with pleasure, trembling from his rough treatment, and it didn’t feel like it would ever stop. You’d never experience anything like it before. You’d never felt so good, so alive. Suddenly, you understood what you’d been missing out on.

“Jenna wasn’t kidding, you really did need someone to fuck your brains out,” Billy said with a contented sigh.

You barely had the strength to swat him with your hand. All you could do was take a series of slow breaths as your body slowly came down from the heights he’d pushed it to.

Your eyes closed but, before you could fall asleep, you felt him wipe you clean with the tattered remains of your skirt. Then he pulled you towards him, holding you tightly, possessively, in a way that you hadn’t expected. In fact, you’d expected him to leave once he’d gotten what he wanted from you. Instead, you fell asleep in his arms, held against his chest like this was anything more than a meaningless one night stand.

The last thing you remembered before falling asleep was the press of his lips against your forehead.

End Note : I shocked myself and let Billy go feral in chapter two this time 😅 From here on out things are going to start getting darker.

Thank you so much for the positive response to chapter one, I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! As always your comments/likes/reblogs/asks/general screaming is always appreciated. I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in future chapters! If tagging doesn't work for some reason (aka Tumblr being dumb) I post most Fridays around 7:30 gmt (and on AO3 at some point in the hours after).

Tag List : @xxxsweetcarolinexxx @sweetserendipity65 @dreadfulxives18 @snowkestrel @ladyblacky

@readingabouthim @cheshirecat484 @broadwaybabe18 @oliviaewl @lincerad

@benbarnesprettygurl @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @whereismymindnow

[greg-montgomery]

hey fay! I hope you're having a beautiful mornin

I am here to request like SWOONING hotch, touchstarved, red-cheeked, brain shortcircuited hotch, who is left a puddle by reader's lingering touches at the office.

I feel like if y/n was the type to just grab him by the hand when they need to show him something, the type to cradle the back of his head with their hand whenever they pull him in for their signature hugs, the type to casually doze off on HIS SHOULDER 😳🚨 he would simply be putty in their hands, he's just enamoured every time they open their mouth and say HIS NAME? HIS? and if they gave him his very own nickname like not even aaron not hotch but a personal nickname because THEY think about HIM enough to think he needs his own special word (personally I imagine they call him beam and he never knows why - but its bc when he smiles, like really smiles that gorgeous face thats nothing but smile lines and dimples ear-to-ear, he's beaming, he's a beamer, its just what he does. I. dont make the rules).

basically i would love to just read about lovely little hotch to get butterflies and blush and be enamoured by somebody, and of course reader is clueless bc they think thats just how he is but NO when they touch him he feels sparks and he'll follow them like a magnet, its this force they have on him, he's just a willing participant in any aspect of their life they're willing to let him see.

i would totally get if this was not your vibe or not something you want to write/elaborate on but GOD i need more swooning hotch in my life

bestie i'm embarassing late to this 😭 you're just so sweet - if you read this pls tell me you saw it lmfao <3 ily

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

“Aaron!”

Hearing the sound of his first name coming from your lips made him pause for a second. Impatient from watching him standing there frozen, you grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the direction you wanted his attention at.

“Come on, look at this. I found his son’s drawings. This could give us some insight of what their relationship looks like,” you explained, but Aaron was unable to pay any attention to your words, as your hand was still holding his.

“Beam, are you listening to me?”

Here goes that nickname again, he thought. He would sell his soul to find out what that nickname meant. He had asked you about it before, but your only response was a sneaky smile. A smile he would do anything for.

“Sorry,” he said. “I was distracted.”

“That’s okay,” you answered, softly. “I know our last case was tough and we jumped into the next one without having a chance to recover first.”

Aaron was grateful you assumed that the cause of his distraction was the last case and not your beautiful face, and even though you weren’t necessarily correct, his heart still melted at your comforting words.

“Yeah,” he simply said, and nodded.

“Well, you can always talk to me if you want. You know that, right?”

“I know.”

--

You wrapped up the case quickly so you flied back home that same night. Everyone on the jet was already asleep, except for the two of you.

Aaron was lucky enough to have been chosen as the one you sat next to, and his heart hadn’t calmed down for a second.

He felt embarrassed by the feeling of butterflies in his stomach just because his crush sat next to him, but he was glad his heart could still feel those emotions.

“Can I?” you sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

As he turned to look at you, he saw you pointing at his shoulder; you were asking for permission to fall asleep on him. As if he’d ever say no to you.

“Of course you can,” he said, almost breathless.

“Thank you, beamy,” you grinned as you let your head fall on his shoulder, and it was impossible for him not to smile too.

His smile grew bigger when you turned your head slightly to look up at him.

“That’s why you’re my beam,” you whispered.

“What?”

“Everyone says you never smile, but I see you smile all the time. And when you do you’re just beaming. You light up the whole room, no joke.”

“Stop,” he laughed, unable to keep his cheeks from blushing.

“It’s true!”

“You’re usually the reason why,” he admitted.

His words got you shy, he could tell, but you wrapped your arm around him and snuggled closer in the crook of his neck. “That’s the biggest compliment I’ve ever been given,” you mumbled against his neck.

Aaron breathed out a laugh, and it was his turn to wrap his arms around you, making sure there was not even an inch of space between your bodies.

[oddballwriter]

Daily Bite, Part 2: By Daylight

Part One

Summary: Part 2 of my vampire!Moon Boys au. In which you learn the basic rules of the house and get a tour. Though you notice a few weird things in an already weird mansion.

Warnings: Not much other than the implication of someone dying and leaving a mess, but no blood or death is actually seen or mentioned in the story. Gender-neutral reader. There is mention of gendered clothing but the scene is left open so that you can choose if you want fem of masc/neutral clothing.  

Author’s Snip: I LIVE!!! Sorry for not actually posting any big posts in forever, ran out of juice and needed to just relax and let it come back to me. Not sure if I'm BACK quite yet but maybe it will. So I hope you guys enjoy this as my comeback and finally feed you all after going into hibernation.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Word Count: 2k~

Taglist: @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @sergeant102105

If you would like to join the tag list for this series or for Moon Knight content in general please let me know through my inbox.

The next day, the head maid was waiting for you to finish breakfast to give you the mansion tour. She formally introduced herself now, though she was still very uptight with you. My name is Calpurnia, "But I will be Ms. Henderson to you—and Ms. Henderson only," she told you. You just nodded and she goes off with the tour, leaving it up to you to keep up with her, both in walking and knowledge.

It was all rapid-fire, but you managed to get the gist.

All the windows are to remain with their curtains shut during the day because the wallpaper is allegedly authentic and the same that the mansion was originally built with, and the sun will bleach them of their color. The only exception is during overcast and rainy days if they have to be drawn for whatever reason.

Not many rooms are in use, like the grand dining hall, social room, guest rooms, and other such rooms. But they still have to be maintained and cleaned to avoid the chance of mold or major dust build-up.

The main kitchen, the one designated to the owners and residents, is, however, in operation, but housekeeping staff is not allowed in there.

"The staff in charge of there can clean up for themselves, but they might ask for your supplies if they're short on their own." Ms. Henderson explains.

You are allowed to clean and tend rooms with the owners in them, but you can't bother them. They do occasionally have conversations and socialize with the staff, but it's best to let them approach you first rather than approaching them.

Ms. Henderson was kind enough to give you a brief summary of who was likely to socialize, saying, "Mr. Lockley likes having company and socializes with staff the most if you're set to take care of the den room for one of your tasks. Mr. Grant's a bit of an awkward and timid man when you first meet him, but he gets chatty once he's familiar with you. Both he and Mr. Lockley like to walk about the mansion, but he's mostly holed up in the library. And then there's Mr. Spector, who sticks to his office most of the time, and he's not one for talking.". It seemed a bit more like an info dump than a 'brief summary' like she framed it to be, but with what you're here to do, it was vital.

After that, it was more rules and touring around.

The housekeeping staff works in assigned tasks around a general area, i.e., when there are tasks to be done in a certain location of the mansion, members of the staff are randomly assigned to that area, and those tasks. Depending on how big that task is, you might be put into a little group who were also assigned to the same task, and you all work together. But more commonly, you'd work a task along with others nearby in case you need anything. You can also trade tasks with other people designated to that area if you wish, but you have to run it by her first.

No going into the attic without permission. If you need something from the attic, then you ask for the key, get whatever it is that's needed, leave, and re-lock the attic door.

You asked why the attic was so off-limits, and all Ms. Henderson said was, "Too many snoopers and slack-offs going up there." and carried on.

There were a lot of other rules, but those were the main ones, it seemed. The only minor rule that you remembered was when you stumbled upon a cat walking around the halls at some point during the tour. It was a pretty-looking black cat that stopped as it trotted past the two of you to give you a sniff.

"There's a cat here?" you ask as you extend your hand to give them more to check out. Ms. Henderson sighed, "We've always kept a cat here." she explained. "They're meant to be mousers, but we hardly get any, so all they do is sit around, get their fur everywhere, and scratch up the carpet and sofa legs." Ms. Henderson sneers slightly before shrugging, claiming, "But Mr. Lockley and Mr. Grant are fond of them. So she's here.".

"This one's name is Lucy," she says. "You can pet her if you like but she's on a strict feeding schedule. 'To save room for mice'." Henderson informs before moving along. You manage to give Lucy a few pets before she also carries on down the hall.

After a bit more walking, your tour was interrupted by a young woman dressed in a similar uniform to Ms. Henderson, finding you two and calling out to her.

"Jules, what are you doing running around for me? You're assigned to the laundry room." Ms. Henderson scolds her in a firm tone.

"We're out of bleach." the girl, now known as Jules, informs her.

"Then go get a bottle from the utility closet-" Ms. Henderson orders her before Jules cuts her off by saying, "We've used all of it. There is no more bleach in the utility closet." before apologizing for her rudeness. Ms. Henderson looks puzzled and shocked at the information. "Used it all? My god, it couldn't have been that bad to use it all up," she responds.

"You didn't see it, Ms. Henderson. We've been at it for days with the stains! They left so much b-!" Jules exclaims before stopping herself mid-sentence and redirecting into a new one, "I wanted to ask if there might be any more somewhere else?" she asked.

Ms. Henderson took a moment to think before looking at you briefly and then turning back to Jules. "I believe there might be some with the kitchen staff. I'll get it and see if I can get the stains out. You can call the supplier for more." she instructs her before adding, "But catch go outside and catch your breath first. If you had to use that much bleach then you should get some fresh air before you pass out.".

As Jules nods and walks away with a "Yes, ma'am.", she turns to you, "I'm sure you can figure out the rest of the mansion. You can go back to your room and find something to do while you wait for us to get your uniform ready." she says.

You nod but ask, "Shouldn't I be fitted?".

Ms. Henderson looks back at you, confused like she was with Jules. "I don't know if you can tell, but we aren't in the old fashion black dresses with white aprons and suits here. We have general sizes. You find what fits right enough, and you keep it." she remarks.

"Then shouldn't I just be given the array and choose?" you question.

She rolls her eyes and says, "You just got the tour, we're a bit short in your size range, and we're still waiting on the other new arrival. Don't be so eager to dust and vacuum." before walking off.

You stand there for a moment, watching her walk off, before muttering to yourself "It was just a question." and walking back to the house staff hall.

Even though you can sense that your cover is going to be a pain in the ass with how snarky your technical boss is, you just remind yourself of the cash out you're going to get once you're out of here. Speaking of sensing things, even though it's clear daylight out, and some of the light just manages to get through the curtains, this place is still just as spooky looking as when you got here. It's still dead quiet and holds an eerie atmosphere, making you feel unsettled.

You do your best to shrug it off as you walk, looking around the place more closely now that you don't need to focus on listening to rules and whatnot. This place isn't as empty as you thought it would be. There's the occasional piece of furniture along the halls, like tables and decor, along with the occasional frame on the wall of either a painting or photo.

However, as you look along the wall, you find that they are a bit scattered, not really following any type of spacing pattern. You'd find that one photo on the wall was farther from the one before it and the picture before that. Almost like there's supposed to be another between them that just isn't there anymore. Even finding the occasional little hole in the wall where a nail might have once belonged and hadn't been covered yet. The photos are also all the same.

At first, you thought that they were all the same man, but as you looked more closely, you found little metal plaques on the frames saying different names. Well, it's more like different generations.

"Steven Grant Spector III"

"Jake Lockley Spector II"

"Marc Spector IV"

"Steven Grant Spector V"

"Marc Spector II"

"Jake Lockley Spector IV"

These were apparently all the past Spectors over the years. But it was impossible to believe that these were all different people with how much they looked alike despite the clear advances in the photos, like clearer images, changes in fashion, and the turn to color. You knew that Marc, Steven, and Jake Sr. were identical triplets, but for their genes to be so strong that all of their future sons looked exactly like them and thus each other? Impossible. And why is it only pictures of them as adults? What about their younger photos or pictures of their wives and other children?

You must have been staring at and thinking about these photos for a long time because the sound of someone clearing their throat behind you nearly scared the color out of you.

When you turn around, you find the exact same face that you've been looking at in the photos staring back at you. Except this time, it's got a mustache and a flat cap accessorizing it.

"Sorry," he says, laughing at your spooked reaction, "I didn't mean to sneak up and startle you like that," he says before extending his hand for a handshake.

"I assume you're the new hire for housekeeping since I've never seen you before," he comments.

"Yes," you answer as you take the hand shake and tell him your name.

"Jake Lockley," he introduces himself. "Nice to finally meet one of the owners, Mr. Lockley," you reply.

Jake cringes a bit at the title, "Only Señorita Henderson calls me that. You and the rest can just call me Jake." he explains.

"Speaking of her," Jake says, "Where is she? 'She leave you all by yourself?" he questions. You shake your head.

"She gave me a tour already, but she had to attend to something last minute. Something about stains and running low on bleach. She figured that I could find my way back to my room." you explain. "I was just taking everything in again so that I could learn the layout better. I hope that's okay," you tell him. "That's perfectly fine by me," Jake responds. "I was just worried that you got yourself lost in this big old place." he smiles, like he's trying to joke with you.

You smile back and assure him that you're not.

"Good, because if you started calling for help, it would take a while for someone to come find you." Jake joked again. You take a second to understand that he's joking again, which he seems to pick up instantly. "I'm joking again. Someone will definitely hear you. This place has a natural echo most of the time." he assures you, patting your hand just before walking away.

"See you around." he waves goodbye, leaving you alone again.

You move on and actually get back to your room. Leaving the rest of your looking for the next day when you actually start working.

Later on in the day, someone comes by and drops off a range of different styles of the housekeeping uniform. There's not much to pick from. They're all the same color, black, and there were only two style options. A plain below-the-knee-length dress with short sleeves that was a bit boxy on its own if you didn't use the optional belt loops that were around the waist, and the other was a similarly styled collared button-up with matching plain pants. You picked one and gave the rest back to your future co-worker, who informed you that you're free to add more, like an under-shirt or thermal and other such things, as long as you don't alter the uniform itself.

You then take out your journal and write down what you've observed.

"Got a tour of the place and learned some base rules. The weirdest ones were about the curtains staying closed during the day and staying out of the main kitchen. Unsure what that's about. I'll have to ask around once I meet other employees. Also, do they use a lot of bleach? I heard mention of a 'supplier' for the bleach? Unsure what that's about.

The pictures are weird here. They're all the Jr.s of the senior triplets, and no pictures of them when they're older or their partners or children. Didn't really get to ask about it, but I did meet Jake Lockley. Seems friendly and has good humor, but it's a little weird. I also couldn't help but feel like I've heard his voice somewhere, though. Like I've met him before? I don't know. Maybe he just has a generic voice? I'm sure it's nothing.

I got my uniform now, and we're just waiting on the other new person before I'm set to start learning the ropes and working. One of my uniforms smells weird, though. Like bleach and dye? Maybe they recycle uniforms, and they just cleaned it and had to retouch it before they gave it to me. They were talking about bleach earlier, so maybe that's it.

That's all I have for now. I guess I'll just wait."

[torakowalski]

I'm trying not to say "sorry for the delay!" every time I post because there's only so many times you can say that before a delay becomes... Just the speed at which I post.

Anyway, I started a fancy new job last week and I'm knackered, but luckily so is Steve. So here he is! Finally at his first games!

(part one | part eight)

Seoul is... Wow, Seoul is like nothing Eddie has ever experienced. After roaming the US for two years, he thought he was pretty well travelled, but it turns out that he was a super embarrassingly wrong.

Jonathan Byers loaned Eddie his camera (with strict instructions on how to take care of it) and Eddie has already sent a roll of film home to be developed, despite having only been here three days. He's also sent about a dozen postcards and had one thirty-second phone call with Wayne where he just had time to promise he wasn't dead and wouldn't become dead, before his money ran out.

Now, it's sometime in the evening and he's lying on his bed, pretending that he isn't fully fucked up by the thirteen hour time difference between here and home. He keeps thinking about how it'll be early morning in Hawkins, that he's basically in the future right now. He rolls over, grabs another postcard and addresses it to Dustin.

Greetings from the future. Today's lottery numbers are...

Then he flicks a drop of ink and deliberately smudges it across the paper.

He's busy laughing at his own cleverness, when there's a knock on the door. Expecting the incredibly helpful woman who runs this hotel, Eddie rolls off the bed, and pads barefoot over to the door, opening it with an, "Annyeonghaseyo."

Steve, standing on the other side of the door, smiles at him and says, "Have you learned the whole language yet?"

"I'm not Robin," Eddie tells him, before grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. "What are you doing here?"

Steve shrugs, running a hand through his hair to push it back off his face. It doesn't look like there's any product in it, and he looks tired, standing there in a plain white t-shirt and his red and white Team USA tracksuit pants.

"My roommate brought one of the athletics girls back to our room, so I said I'd give them some space."

It's been two days since they last saw each other and Eddie wants to hug him, or kiss him, or maybe climb him like a tree, but he's not sure what the rules are.

They've barely had a chance to talk about anything since that first kiss three weeks ago. Dustin insisted on coming back to their hotel room with them for a sleepover that night, and then Steve has been training with the Olympic coaches every hour since.

They've kissed four times in total. The last one was four days ago in Toronto Airport before they boarded the longhaul flight to Seoul. Then Steve headed to first class with the rest of the swim team and Eddie to cattle, clutching his brand new passport.

He'd spent eleven hours wedged between an international student and a very chatty Korean grandma. Every time he went to pee, he spied on Steve through the little curtain but only managed to catch his eye a couple times. Steve looked happy, making friends in the team, and being brought complimentary bags of peanuts. He'd looked like he belonged.

"Well, welcome." Eddie gives Steve a bow then wishes he hadn't. That's what he'd do for anyone, and Steve isn't just anyone.

Steve rolls his eyes at him, but hopefully at least kind of fondly.

"Thanks. I'll make myself at home."

He throws himself down onto the bed, stretching out his arms and groaning. Eddie's mouth goes dry watching him, wondering if it'd be okay to follow him down.

Steve closes his eyes for long enough that Eddie thinks maybe he's just come here to nap. Then he blinks up at Eddie, and holds out his hand.

"Lonely?" Eddie asks, stepping close enough that Steve can push his fingers between Eddie's.

"I mean, I wouldn't say no to some company." Steve pulls on Eddie's hand, pulls again. Eddie thinks for a second then rolls up onto the balls of his feet, so the next time Steve tugs, Eddie spills forward and right down on top of him.

Steve wheezes on impact, laughing out, " You shit," when he gets his breath back.

Eddie looks down from about two inches above him. They're almost nose to nose, so close that Steve's eyes are a blur of green and brown. "Sorry, is this not where you wanted me?"

Steve wraps his arms around Eddie's middle, rubs his fingers along the hem of Eddie's shirt. "I guess there are worse places for you to be."

He smiles and Eddie smiles, then Steve lifts his head and Eddie lowers his and they're kissing. Again. Some more. First kiss in Korea, fifth kiss overall. Eddie wonders if they'll ever do enough kisses that he stops counting.

Then he tells himself to stop hoping for a future and focus on right now.

Steve's kisses are slick and measured, so Eddie tries to slow down to match. He shifts a little to the side so he isn't totally squashing Steve but Steve makes a protesting noise and hoicks him back on top.

"I'm too heavy," Eddie protests. He's never laid on top of someone before, but he's gotta be, right? He's a full grown adult man.

"I like it," Steve says, like that's the end of the argument. Then he pulls Eddie back on top of him and kisses him and, well, that is the end of the argument.

"How long can you stay?" Eddie asks once he's kissed every part of Steve's face that looked kissable (all of it) and is thinking of moving on to his neck.

"Curfew's ten and it's -" Steve lifts his arm to check his watch over Eddie's shoulder. " - ten past ten, so I guess... forever?"

"That is the best logic I ever heard, but I don't think time works like that, sweetheart."

Steve's eyes flare, which is kinda interesting. Eddie calls everyone sweetheart, same as his mama called everyone sugar, but if Steve likes it, it's his.

"My roommate will cover for me," Steve says, easily. Of course he's immediately fallen into the whole team aspect of the games. He's a jock all the way down to his DNA and they bond like pack animals. "He thinks he's sent me roaming the streets of Seoul alone, after all."

"Rude," Eddie says. "Banished you out into the night, just so he can get laid."

"Super rude," Steve agrees. He hesitates then adds, "Or like, not actually laid. The guys who were on the team for the LA games think it's bad luck to have sex before a race."

"Like...immediately before or at all?" Eddie asks. Steve's races don't start for another four days and Eddie isn't, okay Eddie isn't expecting anything, but Steve is in his bed right now.

"From the opening ceremony until their races are done," Steve says. He makes a face. "It's just total superstition, obviously."

"Obviously," Eddie agrees.

Steve bites his lip.

"And you're scared to go against it just in case," Eddie fills in for him.

Steve puts a hand over his face and squints at Eddie from between his fingers. God, he's cute. A cute, cute dork. "Sorry."

Stupidly, Eddie feels himself blush. "Sweetheart, I'm not, I wasn't, I'm not... I, uh, I. Shut up."

Steve frowns. "I didn't say anything?"

"I was telling myself to shut up." Eddie groans.

"Ohhh, I can help with that," Steve says. Then he kisses Eddie again, like he thinks he's smooth.

It's actually kind of easier to relax into just kissing now that he knows they're not gonna be doing anything else. He can focus on the warmth of Steve's lips and the spit taste of his mouth. Or, it turns out, on the weird feeling of Steve yawning directly into their next kiss.

"Excuse you," says Eddie.

"Excuse me," Steve agrees, and tries to go back to kissing. But Eddie caught a look at him when they broke apart and he's heavy eyed and very, very sleepy-looking.

This time when Eddie moves to the side, Steve's protest is quieter.

"Tired?" Eddie asks.

"Nah, I'm good." Steve yawns again then looks betrayed by himself.

Eddie strokes his hair back behind his ears for him then runs his finger over Steve's flushes cheekbones. "Wanna have a nap?"

"I should get back," says Steve, while simultaneously snuggling down deeper into Eddie's pillow.

"A short nap, then I'll wake you up," Eddie promises, secure in the knowledge that he hasn't fallen asleep before four any night they've been here yet.

"Just a short one," Steve says, tugging Eddie back so he's hooked under Steve's arm.

Entirely unsure of the protocol, Eddie lays his head on Steve's chest. It's all hard and muscly, not actually all that comfortable to lie on, but it's also Steve's chest so Eddie's gonna give it a whirl, anyway.

"You're coming to watch me, right? Every heat?" Steve asks, fingers twirling in Eddie's hair.

"I mean, there's a lot of other stuff happening. You know they've let tennis back in, this year?" Eddie says, drawing it out. When Steve tugs a little on his hair, he laughs. "Yeah, I'll be there. I haven't watched every other time you swam in the last two years just to miss out on any of this."

Steve hums like he's smiling. They've shared so many hotel rooms by now, spent so many nights talking in the dark, that Eddie can read him without having to see his face.

"Good," Steve says. He plays with Eddie's hair a little longer, before his fingers go slack and his breathing deepens.

Eddie smiles to himself, trapped under Steve's arm and not minding one bit. He might still be second guessing all the new rules of their relationship, but this part is familiar. He absolutely knows how to take care of Steve before a competition.

If there's such a thing as a tour manager for a swimmer, then he has all the experience in the world. He's still pondering whether or not that's a real career when, inevitably, he too falls asleep.

(continued here)