#but at least she does it with things she ENJOYS

[flowrmoth]

tumblr decided to fuck with me today and post this while unfinished 2 TIMES. like okay girl I'm working on it jeez ✋🙄 tumblr sub!ellie enjoyer #confirmed.

this was supposed to be a short blurb but as usual i got carried away cus it was too fun to write lol. sub!ellie has been plaguing my mind I'M SICK (ovulating), enjoy. also @hypnagogics thank u tvin for the idea and encouragement

warnings: smutty smut smut, bottom sub!ellie yum, praise, use of sex toy, written at like 1 am excuse any grammar mistakes

MDNI!!!

"What the fuck are those?"

A mysterious black box sits in between your red-headed friend and you, perched on top of the couch you're both currently lounging on. You've been busy these past couple of days, to say the least, after discovering a certain shop on your patrol. The lone mall you came across outside of town was surely filled to the brim with supplies, you thought as you entered, exploring different stores and rooms when something bright colorful and caught your eye.

A neon pink sign reading "Lovehoney" flickered above a shop you've never seen before; it looked half-empty, with just a few lonely mannequins posing in the window, their bodies clad in nothing but mismatched, lacy underwear. Intriguing.

You swore you would only take one, maybe two...fuck it, three. Oh, but the rainbow one is so pretty. Whatever. You honestly did not know how it happened, but that day you carried home at least 5 sex toys. They were all different sizes, shapes, colors, intended for different purposes. Obviously, you picked up a stack of batteries you found behind a counter, hidden away behind some dirty magazines (you took those too), and a harness, just in case. Okay fine, some lingerie as well.

In that box, which your dear friend Ellie was looking at and referring to, were those exact sex toys. You try not to laugh as you look at her confused face, snickering at her question.

"Els, seriously? You don't know what these are?" you ask her, holding up a purple vibrator.

"Yes, seriously. I-I mean, I have a few guesses, but..." Ellie says, pink blush evident on her cheeks, teeth gnawing on her bottom lip in curiosity.

"What are they, hm?" you tease her, finding this a little too funny.

"...sex toys of some kind?"

"Bingo! Look how many I managed to snag, and they all work!" You happily say, gesturing at the bundle in front of you. Well, what else were you supposed to do in your free time? Of course you tested out every single one.

"They all...work?" she breathed out.

Shit, did you say that out-loud? You tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear as you look away, putting the toy back into the box. "Yeah... Yeah, they work...pretty well. I mean, don't worry! They're all thoroughly washed." Seriously?

A pause ensues and you think you fucked this up. Great, Ellie's gonna think you're a fucking weirdo now. Seriously, who shows their friend their sex toys? Weirdos probably, that's who.

Just before you were about to spew an array of apologies, your eyes suddenly snap to the girls hand as she slowly picks up a pink vibrator, a big, microphone shaped thing, and examines it, curious eyes flickering over the plastic. Okay, you're good. She doesn't hate you.

"I've never even fucking seen one of these. Jesus, how does— how does it work?" the cute furrow of her brows makes you smile as her hands spin the toy around, tracing the small buttons on the side.

"You're really asking me?"

Ellie scoffs, putting her hands up in defense. "What the fuck do I know? Just...never seen one before, so..."

God, she was cute, and clueless. You've never seen her this flustered, she even refuses to make eye contact.

You scoot closer to her, positioning your hands on her shaky ones as you place her finger on the 'ON' button.

"You press this and," she presses it lightly and the toy starts to buzz, which adorably startles her, "it does that, but here you can change the intensity. See?" You move her finger down, pushing it a couple of times to show her all of the different settings.

Hot, short breaths fan the side of your face and you can see in her gaze that she's intrigued, likely curious to what it would feel like. Before you catch yourself, you blurt out, "You can borrow it, ya know?"

Another pause.

"Sorry, I—"

"No, no, that's—"

Ellie sighs, furrowing her face as she feigns nonchalance, "I was gonna say it's not— you don't have to... I mean, I don't even fucking know how to use the thing, so... Like, the fuck do you even do with it, I don't—" she stops, looking at the pink toy again, "Whatever, just, yeah." She swiftly places it back in the box and scratches her neck, red cheeks and wide eyes.

Oh.

You think for a second.

Well, a friend would explain it to her; the placement, speed and all that. But, a very good friend would offer to show her, right? That's just what good, amazing friends do. Exactly. Definitely not because you've been absolutely dying to fuck her for months now, somehow always missing the chance to make a move. This was your in.

Fuck it.

"Uh, want me to show you?"

Beads of sweat gather at the nape of your neck, while sharp breaths brush against it in quick succession. Red hair tickles your cheek and your shoulder burns hot from the girl in front of you, her weak, warm body slumped on your chest.

"Oh, fu— fuck." Ellie rasps, her moans whiny and a bit shy as she gets used to the foreign feeling on her lower half.

Your hand sneaks its way under her shirt, quick fingers finding her pink, pebbled nipples, squeezing and kneading the soft flesh. In the other hand, the pink vibrator buzzes softly against the girls clothed core as you hold it in place, slowly trailing it up and down.

"Feels good?" you whisper into her ear and she nods, more eager than ever.

"Y-yeah, yeah, feels good." she's breathy and fidgety, but most of all, wet.

Wet, wet, wet. Fucking soaked. So much so, that you can hear it, even with the toy pressed up against her damp boxers, the color turning a few shades darker.

So, you press a bit harder, just to see her squirm in your hold, her tattooed hand coming up to squeeze your bare thigh and legs spreading a bit farther apart.

"Holy shit, please—"

"Please what, hm?"

God, were you enjoying this. Seeing the girl who half of fucking Jackson was afraid of, melt like absolute putty in your hands. Hearing her moans and pleas, feeling her warm touch on your skin, it was almost enough to send you over the edge. You would've never guessed she was a beggar, though, that was a nice surprise.

You smile into her hair, kissing her shiny temple. "Please what? Use your words." And she barely returns a coherent moan back. You already got her falling apart and you just started.

Ellie squeezes your thigh once more, bucking up her shaky hips off of the couch, "Can I take them off? Please? Please, please, please." The tip of her nose nuzzles your neck, the slightest touch sending shivers down your spine. Her desperation only fuels you more.

You chuckle. Oh, you were gonna ruin her.

"Only good girls get what they want, are you a good girl, hm?"

The toy trails up and down, pausing just where she needs you the most before continuing its path to her aching hole. It pushes and prods until her pretty moans slip past her swollen lips, getting muffled in the skin of your neck. You stop, lifting up the buzzing vibrator, just to drop it down again when you see her writhe beneath you.

"Yes, fuck, I'm being good, I swear!" Ellie mutters out and you can hear the slight hesitation in her trembling voice, this not being her usual role in the bedroom. Only a few have made it to this stage, her usual strong and somewhat quiet demeanour showing a totally different side to her.

But this, this side she doesn't let out often. This was absolutely different than any other hook up she's ever had. Hell, even Ellie herself wouldn't have guessed this is where she would end up tonight — on her friends worn-down couch practically, no, full on begging to get properly fucked.

A soft kiss is placed on your neck, just below your ear, your skin tingling from the sudden contact. She follows it by placing a few more sloppy ones, quivering moans slipping out in between. This was some sort of Ellie's way of bribing you, telling you to just take off her sticky undergarments and let her feel everything, she's been good so far, right? She deserves her reward.

"Please—" Ellie whimpers, so softly, so desperately that you barely catch it. You figure she's had enough.

"You can take 'em off. Slowly." You steadily take the toy off of her, a translucent string of slick sticking to it as you lift it up.

Holy fuck.

She was absolutely killing you.

Ellie nods, inserting her clammy hands into the waistband of her black boxers, slowly and painfully sliding them down her trembling legs. She returns to her position, thighs open so wide she would be embarrassed if she wasn't so fucking turned on. You take this as an invitation to continue and you place the pink vibrator just above her sensitive bud, testing out if she's ready as you massage her skin.

"That's it, good girl. You're being so good for me right now. You ready?" Fuck, you're shaking just as much as her and you're not even the one being touched.

"I'm-I'm ready. Mhm!" Ellie's almost unintelligible, babbling into your neck as she cranes her head to see your hand working its magic as it inches down.

As per her request, you lower the toy on her clit, starting off with small circles as you let her get used to the intense feeling. Ellie groans out, relieved that you finally let her have it. Finally, she feels the full effect of the pink toy that's been teasing her for the past half an hour. She's surprised she even lasted that long.

"Fuuuuu— Feels so good. Don't stop, please! Don't stop, holy shit—"

The sounds that fill the room are obscene, dirty, so fucking filthy. Wet squelches, whiny groans and curses fill up your ears and you swear you can feel everything you're giving her, almost on the edge yourself.

The vibrator continues to buzz deliciously against her swollen clit as you run your hand down her heated body, occasionally stopping to grope at her pretty tits and feel her quiver and babble in your hold. You can sense that she's close, needing that one final push.

"You close, hm? You gonna be good and come for me?"

Ellie, as good as ever, nods at your questions, eager to finally feel her release. As much as she was impatient, she wouldn't have it any other way.

No one else but you.

Her hips rock against your hand as you match up her speed, her pace messy and faltering as she chases her long-awaited high. Her breathing picks up and she moans louder than before, so near her peak it's almost painful — almost like she's waiting for your much needed approval.

"You can come, baby." You nod, voice hushed as you watch her with blown out pupils.

And she does, she comes so hard she could swear she's in another dimension. The orgasm hits Ellie hard and fast, her moans chocked up and high-pitched, plump lips open and brows creased — you could come just from the sight. Her weak hands grip your own, pale knuckles turning a shade lighter from the tight hold she has on you.

You, of course, talk her through it. "Good girl. My good girl. You did so well, you know that?"

After a string of curses and a couple of seconds later, Ellie comes down from her high, instinctively closing her trembling thighs around the vibrator placed between her legs and panting as she wipes the shiny sweat off her forehead.

"Holy fucking shit. That was— Fuck..." She pants, still meekly holding your thigh with one hand as she pushes the toy away from her, her aching pussy still overly sensitive for more. As much as you would love to overstimulate her, you decide to save that for another time, another lesson perhaps.

"Good? Bad? Never again?" You chuckle softly, feeling satisfied with yourself as you caress her auburn hair, weak fingers threading through her damp locks.

Ellie lets out a breathy laugh, "It was amazing, never felt anything like it. Shit."

A few moments of silence pass as you lay in each others arms, simply enjoying the presence of the other. Your sticky limbs tangled and your bodies sweaty as you match your breathing to Ellie's, cheek pressed on the top of her head.

"You know," you whisper in her ear, "you were being such a good girl, I'm up for some more..."

You were in for a long night.

[jobean12-blog]

The Best Worst Day Ever

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Word Count: 3.4K

Summary: You're having a shit day but then you see a dog and things start looking up...

Author's Note: We love a soft and sweet Bucky and dogs and bookstores and cookies and kisses- so here we are! Hope you enjoy, thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️The two bookstores I mention can be found here (Spoonbill and Sugartown) and here (Albertine Books). Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy! 🥰

Warnings: a cute dog, Bucky saves the day (a few times), cookies, soft fluff, building tension, books

“You will not believe the day I had.”

You practically sigh the words into the phone, feeling at least slightly better at the sound of your best friends voice.

“Tell me everything,” she says.

You start to recap your shitty day but a large fluff of black fur across the street catches your eye.

“Oh my god…,” you start, completely derailing your previous thought. “There is this giant black dog across the street. I have to go pet it.”

Your best friend laughs, “of course you do,” and you can feel yourself start to form a real smile for the first time today.

“I’ll call you back,” you tell her.

“You got it,” she answers, not even questioning your behavior.

You start to cross the street, giving a quick glance in both directions before breaking into a jog. You’re just about to call out to the old man to ask if his dog is friendly, when you hear the screech of tires.

Your heart drops and your body instinctively reacts but all you feel is the whoosh of air that whips past you and a set of strong arms wrapped around your waist.

For a few long seconds you simply breathe, clinging to the solid warmth of whatever is holding you up.

“Are you ok doll?”

The voice is soft but deep and you look towards it, blinking against the bright sun, wondering for a moment if the car hit you and you’re dead and in fact, now in heaven.

Your fingers dig into soft leather as you stare at one of the most beautiful men you’ve ever seen.

“Am I dead?”

Bright blue eyes peer down at you, the corners lightly crinkling at your question. His gaze wanders over your face, his expression seeming to waver between awe and concern.

“No, I’ve got you. But are you ok?”

His words draw your attention to his mouth. Blinking again and trying to clear your head you finally manage to answer him.

“I…I don’t think so…I just wanted to pet the dog.”

His perfect lips curl up into a teasing smile and you have to drag your eyes away to focus on his blue ones. But the fact that you’re pressed against his solid chest and encased in the warmth of his arms does nothing to help your concentration.

With a slight tremble you start to sit up, but he doesn’t release you from his hold. He just moves with you and helps you to stand.

Once he feels you’re steady enough on your feet he removes his hands but stays close, clearly not convinced you’re fine.

You let out a shaky exhale and smooth your hands over yourself.

“That was so scary.”

You can feel the warmth of tears spring to your eyes and your vision starts to blur. He reaches out a gentle hand and places it on your arm.

“I’m sure it was. And while we could stay here I think it would be best to get out of the middle of the street. Why don’t we go sit?”  

He points to the bench on the sidewalk where the old man with the dog stands and watches.

As you approach the old man asks, “it’s a good thing this young man was here to save you. I could never move that fast.”

You glance at the “young man,” and he extends the hand that doesn’t have a secure hold on your arm to greet you.

“Bucky. Bucky Barnes.”

“Thank you Bucky,” you say and then give him your name.

“Is she ok?” the old man asks Bucky.

“I think she’s gonna be fine,” Bucky says with a reassuring smile.

Bucky helps you onto the bench and as the dog moves closer, tail wagging, you blurt out in a rush, “can I please pet your dog?”

“Sure,” the old man says. “She’s very friendly.”

“What’s her name?” Bucky asks, as he kneels down to put his hand out for the dog to smell.

“Luna,” the old man replies, sitting down next to you on the bench.

You reach for Luna, letting her smell you before scratching her ears and leaning down to press your face into her soft fur.

Your focus stays on the dog until your heartbeat returns to normal, the conversation between Bucky and the old man lingering quietly in the background.

After a few more steadying breaths you thank the old man and Bucky helps him to stand, watching as he takes slow and small steps away from you, Luna in tow but still looking back at you.

Bucky stands and offers you his hand; strong and slightly clammy, and sparks fly, a curious look flitting across his stunning face as you both react to the touch. You fix your gaze on him and finally give yourself a chance to look. Your heart starts to crash against your chest all over again. You just sit there, staring.

He’s tall and the soft henley he wears beneath his leather jacket is fitted so that you can see the outline of the muscles in his chest. His eyes are the most beautiful blue, and the stubble covering his strong jaw does nothing to conceal the handsome features beneath it.

He smiles softly and for a moment you think you see his cheeks turn a light shade of pink at your obvious examination. He’s still holding onto your hand, and suddenly, seeming to come to his senses, he releases it and smooths his palm over his hair and then the back of his neck.

You feel a flush of heat move through you.

“You’re sure you’re ok doll?”

You nod.

“She should probably eat something.”

At the old man’s gruff voice both you and Bucky startle and turn to see him standing just a few feet away, a knowing smile on his face. Obviously, he didn’t get very far.

“He deserves a date for savin’ your life there young lady.”

With a decisive nod he dismisses you and Bucky and calls to Luna to finally continue on his way.

You feel Bucky’s eyes on you, and you look back up at him from your seat.

“Food?” you ask quietly.

“Let’s go,” he answers, his easy smile returning. “I know just the place.”

The butterflies stay firmly planted in the pit of your empty stomach and you stand so abruptly that you teeter forward and into his arms again. He catches you with two hands splayed at your waist and the urge to bury your heated face against his chest is overwhelming.

“I’m really having a day,” you mutter. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for. I’m just happy I’m here to help.”

“Me too,” you whisper.

He falls into an easy stride beside you and a huff of laughter falls from your lips before you say, “I can’t believe I almost died trying to pet a dog.”

“I get it,” Bucky says, throwing you a wink.

You’re careful with your footing, still somewhat shaky from the whole ordeal but when your attention turns back to Bucky, his eyes trailing across your face, seeming to linger on your mouth before lifting to your eyes, you stumble, your foot catching a crack in the sidewalk.

He grabs your bicep to steady you, and you groan. “Shit, you must think I’m hopeless.”

“That person’s driving skills having nothing to do with you,” he assures you as he gently leads you toward the restaurant. “And everyone likes to pet dogs…or at least they should.”

His voice is gentle, and you avoid his gaze, his hand still curled securely around your arm as you come to stop outside the restaurant.

He only let’s go to open the door and usher you in with a soft press of his hand to your lower back.

The flutter of butterflies that you keep trying to ignore are back in full force and when Bucky stops at a table and pulls out the chair for you the gesture has you feeling faint.

You must be starved.

With a monumental effort to relax you sit back in the chair and cross your legs. His gaze automatically flickers downward and be visibly swallows before quickly looking away.

There’s a definite blush on the tops of his cheeks now.

“The pizza here is really good.” His voice sounds extra rumbly, maybe even a little hoarse.

You pick up a menu and start to fan yourself without even thinking. “I’m sure it is.”

“Do you live close by?” you ask him.

“Just a few blocks away. I’m here all the time.”

Before you can ask any more questions, an older woman appears beside your table with a beaming smile.

“Barnes has finally showed up with a girl!” she sings. “And a beauty at that.”

You hide your giggle behind the menu and peer at Bucky.

“This is Millie,” he says, his smile wide. “She owns the place and loves to bust my chops.”

You introduce yourself, delighted and Millie’s warmth.

“Are you having the usual?” Millie asks Bucky.

He nods and looks to you.

“I’ll have whatever he’s having,” you tell Millie.

“I like her already,” Millie says before rushing back off to the kitchen.

Bucky sits forward, his arms crossed in front of him and now that he’s taken off his leather jacket there is more of him to admire.

His blue eyes are focused entirely on you, and you try not to blurt out your thoughts about how nice his biceps looked in his shirt so instead you clamp your mouth shut and look around the cozy space.

You fall into easy conversation and when the food comes the silence is comfortable while you eagerly eat it, not realizing how hungry you really are.

After your stomach is full, Bucky pays the bill, even after you offered several times, pleading with him that you owed him at least that after saving your life.

He waves you off and hands Millie the cash then holds his hand out for yours.

At the feel of his skin tension immediately springs between you, and you scramble to think of something to say.

He beats you to it.

“What are your plans for the weekend?”

Grateful for the distraction, you reply, “well, I usually spend my Saturday afternoons at this little bookshop in my neighborhood.”

“Is it Spoonbill and Sugartown?”

Your eyes widen and light up.

“YES! You know it?”

“I do. I used to go all the time. Haven’t been in a while though. I love the smell of the old books.”

A rush of attraction sweeps over you like a wave and your hand squeezes his.

“You could meet me there tomorrow? If you’re not busy?”

“Yeah. I’d love that,” he says, grabbing the door and holding it open so you can exit the restaurant.

“Which way are you?” he asks, still holding your hand.

You point right toward Bedford Avenue.

“Come on, I’ll walk ya home doll.”

“Is it out of your way? I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”

He chuckles before leaning down to press a quick, surprising kiss to your cheek.

“Nah, it’s not and I really don’t mind.”

You are in love.

Inside the old bookstore, with its vaulted ceilings and shafts of light pouring through the skylights, you stare at the rows and rows of bookshelves.

Through the aisles there is something to catch the eye at every turn. Not just books, but interesting and antique Tiffany lamps and various knick knacks that make you smile. Reading areas are set up in breaks between the shelves, tables with chairs so people can lounge, read, and drink their coffee and eat their desserts.

You let out a contented sigh. On purpose, you arrived a bit early, hoping the familiarity and comfort of the store would calm the persistent butterflies that have taken up a permanent residence in your stomach since your literal run in with Bucky.

As you’re falling deeper under the spell of the leather lined bindings and dusty-smelling pages a soft voice calls your name.

You look up and see Bucky standing at the end of the aisle. He’s dressed casually but different from yesterday, his dark jeans fitted to his muscular thighs and his black tee shirt showing off those perfect arms and chest.

He steps closer and greets you with another kiss to your cheek, this time, closer to the corner of your mouth.

You close your eyes briefly, inhaling his scent and steadying yourself on your feet. Before you can actually swoon to the floor you tell him about the expansion they recently built in the back with a rush of enthusiastic words.

Taking his hand, you lead him to the new section, practically running.

Laughing at your overexcitement, he squeezes your hand.

“You’re very cute.”

When you turn to look at him, something in his eyes makes your skin heat and you have to look away again, but not before you give him a thankful smile.

You expect him to let go of your hand once you reach the back, but he doesn’t.

“Have you ever been to Albertine Books?” he asks.

You stop and think.

“No, I don’t think I’ve even heard of it.”

“It’s easy to miss,” he explains. “It’s inside the French Embassy and has mostly French language books and translations from French into English, but it’s gorgeous.”

“Really?” you say with uninhibited joy. “Will you take me there sometime?”

You’re too busy deciding which part of the expanded bookstore you want to show him first to see his expression, but you hear the affection in his tone when he replies, “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, doll.”

Your heart flutters.

Your hand gets clammy, and you gently pull it away, trying to use the shelves and the books lining them to refocus yourself.

He stays with you, content to watch you peruse the bindings, moving from bookshelf to bookshelf.

The book titles quickly become a blur as your awareness zeroes in on one thing, one person.

Bucky.

You feel the warmth of his presence, hovering at your back, and feel the heat of his gaze on your face. The skin on your cheek tingles and you can still feel the press of his lips.

Your breathing grows shallower as his fingertips brush against the small of your back, a gentle touch, but searing through your clothes.

Busy frantically pondering how to navigate the chemistry you share; you don’t realize the book you halt in front of until it’s too late.

A romance novel with a couple in a sexy position on the cover.

Just perfect.

His fingertips press deeper against your lower back, and then you feel the whisper of his lips on your ear as he comments, “interesting choice.”

You make the mistake of turning your head toward his and find his nose just inches from yours.

Your eyes lock for a second before his gazes drops to your mouth. Your body sways slightly toward his, and he takes the movement as an invitation, his head dipping those last few inches.

“Excuse me.”

A voice, loud and close, jolts you away from Bucky, whose mouth had just been millimeters from touching yours.

“I just…want that book.” An arm reaches between you and Bucky, and dazed, you look over to see a woman. She seems unfazed by the fact that she clearly interrupted a moment, and you grab the book for her.

She gives you a thin lipped smiled and darts away.

After a second or two of staring after her, you finally draw up the courage to meet Bucky’s eyes.

His cheeks are pink again and he’s rubbing his palm on his jeans.

Looking over his shoulder you spot the coffee and dessert counter.

“Ooh!” you say, hurrying towards it. “Let’s get a cookie!”

Bucky follows and you turn to him, smiling through the awkwardness.

“You have to try the double chocolate chip.”

He bends down to peer into the display case. Your eyes meet, and just like that you’re too close for your body to handle. You swallow hard.

“It’s delicious. And the chunks of chocolate are gooey.”

His eyes are trained on your mouth as he murmurs, “maybe we should get two.”

“Good idea. I can eat a whole one easily on my own. We might even need three.”

You sound breathless.

“Hm.” He’s not even listening to your words at this point. His focus is on your lips, his eyes are hooded, and he is definitely going to attempt to kiss you again.

“What can I get for you?” the worker behind the counter asks, smiling brightly when the two of you jerk your heads up.

“Four double chocolate chip cookies,” Bucky blurts out, then follows with a soft, “please and thanks.”

Once you have your cookies in your hand you head to one of the back tables and sit, stuffing nearly the whole cookie in your mouth.

It’s so good that for a moment you forget yourself and moan around the bite.

Bucky clears his throat, and you lock eyes. His reaches across the table, his strong fingertips gripping your chin, and he bends his head toward yours. He halts when he’s close enough that you can see the patches of gray in his beard and feel his warm breath fan your cheek.

With the softest brush of his calloused thumb, he wipes away some chocolate from your bottom lip.

“Had a little chocolate smudge right there,” he whispers.

You slowly nod and your tongue darts out to lick your lips. His eyes track the movement, and he releases you, biting into half of his own cookie.

“These really are amazing,” he says around the mouthful.

You nod again, too flustered for words.

The two of you eat all four cookies and despite wanting to distract yourself with more you leave the bookstore and let him walk you home once again.

When you stop outside your building you fiddle with your hands and look anywhere but at him.

“I had the best time,” he says, drawing your attention.

“Me too,” you say quietly.

“When can I take you to Albertine Books?” he asks, as he takes a tentative step closer.

“Tomorrow?”

It’s a hopeful question. One you couldn’t stop yourself from asking even if you wanted to.

“I’d love that doll.”

A deep tug low in your belly makes you bite your lip. You love the use of that endearment and after spending most of the afternoon so close to him you’re nearly at your wits end.

His gaze fixes on yours and his jaw tightens at whatever he sees in your expression then he closes the distance and slides his arms around you, his hands coasting slowly up your back.

He lifts a hand to your cheek, sweeping his thumb across your soft skin and splaying his hand to draw you closer.

“If someone interrupts us this time…” he says, tone full of warning but still teasing.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t even notice if there was a dog nearby for me to pet,” you say with a smile.

He laughs and bumps your nose with his.

“Not even a dog huh?”                                                                                   

You shake your head, and your eyes start to close as your hands grasp the front of his shirt. You feel the heat of his breath first, the warning before his lips touch yours. And when they do, it’s barely a brush, a hot, glancing touch.

Your fingers close more tightly around the fabric of his shirt, silently urging him to really kiss you. You’re desperate for it.

Another whisper of a of kiss, then a slightly deeper press, a nibble on your lower lip. A whimper escapes you.

It shatters whatever restraint he’s grounded himself with and his hand splayed at your back hauls you against his body as his mouth presses to yours.

You open your mouth to let him in, and his groan of satisfaction rumbles through you. The tickle of his scruffy jaw is rough in the just the way you’d hoped it would be and when you feel the slide of his hands down your back, the smooth strength of him under your touch, you completely melt into the kiss and the rest of the world fades away.

[monster-disaster]

Crazy idea: busty cow hybrid CEO x personal assistant reader. The assistant is timid and clumsy. The CEO finds it adorable and the reader cute (the reason she hired her) and she finds a lot of joy in flustering her. The assistant does normal assistant stuff but she is also hired to drain her boss's tits (she is not aware of this) and things get hot and heavy.

cow hybrid!boss x human!Reader Good to know: well... milking? not really graphic just a tease

_

After the interview, you were stunned when, just three days later, your now-boss called to offer you the job.

"It's yours if you are still interested, darling."

You were floored. To you, the meeting had felt like a catastrophe from start to finish, and you were sure you would never hear of her ever again.

The morning of the interview had been chaos. You miscalculated the time it would take to get to the office and ended up sprinting through the streets like a lunatic. A patch of ice nearly sent you flying, and by the time you finally reached the building, your shirt clung to you in damp patches, and there was no amount of awkward arm positioning that could hide them. You were a complete mess.

Then came the boss herself. When you stepped into her office and came face-to-face with the towering cow hybrid, your brain short-circuited. She was nothing like you expected. Her attire didn’t help your already frazzled nerves; a crisp, white button-down shirt strained against her full figure, clearly without the support of a bra. When you sat down across from her desk, your eyes betrayed you, lingering far too long on the way her shirt pulled taut over her breasts and dark nipples.

The second you snapped your gaze back to her face, her lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. It was the kind of expression that made it clear she’d noticed exactly where your attention had wandered, and worse, she didn’t mind it at all. If anything, she seemed amused.

“Enjoying the view?”

Your stammered apologies came out garbled, and she didn’t even bother hiding her chuckle. Instead, she began asking about your life, your experiences, and why you wanted the position. And your answers were... lackluster, to say the least. What could you say? You were sick of the monotony of working on a factory line at the edge of the city. The repetitive grind had worn you down, and even though you weren’t sure you were qualified for an office assistant role, you craved something different. Something better. You mumbled your way through the interview, painfully aware of how unimpressive you sounded. Yet, she listened patiently, her sharp eyes scanning you as if sizing you up for some invisible checklist.

When it was finally over, you left the building convinced you’d blown it, but she still called you three days later, and of course you were interested. For the life of you, you couldn’t figure out why she’d chosen you, but hey, you weren’t about to question it too much.

You are an assistant now, and you are determined not to ruin it for yourself. Especially since, let’s face it, you are not exactly a natural at this.

You stumble over tasks an experienced assistant could handle with their eyes closed. It is a constant uphill battle; you misfile documents, stammer through phone calls, and forget which cryptic post-it note means what.

Most days, you just focus on doing your best and keeping your head down.

It’s not easy, though. Working so close to the woman who gave you this chance and has the power to take it away at any moment is enough to push you into a mild panic all the time. And every time she calls your name, your stomach flips like you are about to be hauled into the principal's office just much worse.

The sharp click of her hooves against the tiled office floor makes your stomach plummet. She stops at the edge of your desk, her towering form casting a shadow over your scattered papers.

You don’t realize you’re holding your breath while staring at her with wide eyes until she speaks. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost," she says, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Something on your mind?"

Your throat feels dry. "I- uh, I made a mistake," you stammer, clutching the report in your hands like it might shield you somehow. "I sent the wrong file to a client. I’m so sorry, I’ll fix it right away, but I just thought you should know-"

She tilts her head, and the amused glint in her eyes makes you feel like a mouse cornered by a very playful cat. Well, cow, but then, the analogy doesn't work so... "Relax," she says. "Mistakes happen. You are not going to get fired over one wrong file."

Oh, how you wish it were only one wrong file.

You blink, startled. "I’m not?"

"Not unless you want me to," she quips, her smile turning downright mischievous.

Your face burns. "N-no, of course not!"

"Good," she says. "Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to fetch me a coffee, and while you are doing it, don’t get lost this time."

Her gaze stays locked on yours, one brow arched in question until you nod.

"Good," she purrs. "And don’t forget the sugar this time. Sweet things are important to me."

The implication in her tone hits you like a shock wave, and you nearly trip over your chair in your rush to get away. Her soft laughter follows you all the way to the break room, where you take a moment to press your burning face against the cool metal of the coffee machine.

So, after all the chaos you’ve managed to create in just one month, you are not exactly shocked when your boss asks you to stay after work. Naturally, your mind races with possibilities. Fixing documents? Sure, that’s reasonable. Reviewing her plans for the week? Definitely within the realm of your responsibilities. You brace yourself for a long evening hunched over her desk, trying to make up for your earlier mistakes.

What you don’t expect is that the things she needs help with have nothing to do with spreadsheets, emails, or even her overwhelming calendar. No, it turns out your boss’s definition of help extends to something far more personal.

Because somehow, without warning, you find yourself tasked with something that was definitely not in your job description: dealing with your boss’s milk. No one warned you about this. Certainly, no one mentioned that you’d be standing a breath away from her, fumbling over buttons that seemed to mock your every move.

The realization hits you like a truck. In the awkward silence that follows her request, all you can think is how utterly unprepared you are for this.

"Careful," she murmurs in a way that sends a shiver down your spine. "I’d hate for you to tear it."

Your fingers tremble as you reach for the buttons of her shirt, the fabric taut and strained against her curves. The silence in the room feels heavy, filled only with the soft rustle of cloth as you work to unfasten each button. One by one, the gaps widen, revealing more of her generous curves beneath. When you finally undo the last button, the sight before you renders you utterly still. Her breasts, full, soft, and impossibly inviting, spill free from the confines of her blouse. Her hard, dark nipples glisten with droplets of pearly white milk.

Your throat tightens, and your gaze flickers up to meet hers. Her smirk is nothing short of predatory, her dark eyes glowing with satisfaction. She reaches out, her hand firm yet gentle as it finds the back of your neck.

"Be a good assistant, Y/N," Her voice is a velvety purr that sends a shiver down your spine.

Before you can process what’s happening, she is guiding you closer, her fingers pressing lightly against your skin, and your instinct takes over as the coherent thoughts leave your racing mind. Your tongue flicks out, capturing a droplet of milk that carries a sweetness unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.

The sound of her pleased hum fills the air, vibrating through you as her hand holds you steady. "Good," she murmurs, her tone dripping with approval as your lips part fully, your mouth closing around her. The soft pull of your suction elicits a low, throaty moan from her. "I knew you’d be perfect for the job."

[dollzites]

⏦ﾟ♡︎ GDRAGON AS A FATHER

୨ৎ pairing: father!jiyong x fem reader

୨ৎ genre: quite soft, quite fluffy, and emotional!

୨ৎ from myeong: hi!! so happy to receive this adore request and I’ve been so excited to get to it! I hope you can enjoy this and seeing a dad jiyong would be the cutest ever!! ): such a sweetheart x

jiyong will be the most softest, caring, sweetest, loving, supportive, and genuine father ever!!!!!!!!!!

does not care about whether the first baby will be a boy or a girl all he cares about is having a healthy child that he can help him become a better person.

enjoys letting the baby hold his finger and takes at least a dozen photos even when you tell him it’s a bit pointless to have so many of the same photos.

“it’s not! what if something happens to the first few I took then I need to have more for backup!”

jiyong will be extremely overprotective and if a family member wants to hold the baby he has to be near to watch and make sure everything is okay.

“see that precious smile? that’s because of me.”

you’ll give him this look and he then of course adds you in and thanks you for helping in the creation of the baby and why he/she is just so beautiful. aww

“do you think he’ll/she’ll look more like me or look more like you as they get older? I’m so curious.”

jiyong will kiss you and tell you to go back to sleep while he takes care of the baby during the night. he knows you need all the rest you can get for being up most of the day with the baby. he’s very caring.

spoils the child rotten but also makes sure that he or she has the best manners even at such a young age, teaching basic skills and always showing the baby how much he loves you for everything you do.

as the child gets older it only makes jiyong slightly panic because he wanted so badly for the baby to stay little forever but of course it doesn’t work that way so he spends extra time filming for memories.

“one sec! let me take this last picture.. alright I got it. gosh.. she/he looks so perfect thanks to us.”

when it’s just the three of you jiyong sometimes gets emotional and talks about how much he’s always wanted a family like this and he still can’t believe he finally has one after so many years.

takes family time very seriously. he’ll cut everyone off who’s not interested in including you and the baby. he doesn’t have time for any of that stuff.

jiyong will want matching pjs, shoes, jewelry, hats, glasses, etc etc with the baby and you. he looks at it like family goals and thinks it’ll complete the fam.

“guess what? I learned how to make this dish! do you think he/she will like it? it has all of his/hers favorite things in it! the broccoli is what sold me.”

jiyong is obsessed with taking you and the baby to the park every chance that he gets. he’ll ask if you want to go if the weather is nice and gets the big bag ready full of snacks, drinks, and toys for the baby in case he/she gets a little bored there.

he likes to plan little trips as a family. the zoo and aquarium being at the top of the list because in his mind it’s so important to experience these types of things with the baby as a very close family. cute ):

allows you to have time to yourself since being a mom is a very tough job so he’ll take the baby and shop around for the day or hang out at the studio while he/she plays and snacks on yummy snacks.

“are you having fun with dada? I know you are.”

if you’re away at work or he’s allowing you time away for yourself like said before then he’ll send you so many selcas that he takes of him and the baby asking if you’d like this as your wallpaper.

“thank you for giving me my perfect little one.”

jiyong loves falling asleep with the baby even when he/she starts to get older he’ll take bedtime very seriously and read he/she a book while slowly falling asleep. next thing you know he’s asleep with he/she in bed and it’s the cutest thing ever!!!

long story short he’s a perfect father to your baby.

[lonesilverw0lf]

I hope whoever decided to read Id is enjoying it. I had a random thought for the class: how big is it? Like did only one classroom get Isekaied, or did a whole graduating class get it? Like the Class of 2018 or something? I’m assuming it was a singular class since even towns can have a sizable year for students. That can be a lot of characters to try to create. Not impossible, just a lot of work.

MC: rouge-ish, stealth, wild magic(?), mild immortality?, disguises, Heroes’ Shadow

Prez: leader, commander, fighter, strategist

Tomboy: fighter, pretend damsel in distress

Bully: barbarian, orc in laws

Prepper: ranger-ish, survivalist,

Mama: logistics, underworld connections, torture encouragement

Goth: Outerplane connections (warlock?), craftsmanship (of an undecided sort)

Clown: support, morale, bard, jack of all trades

Football jock: Paladin

Flower girl: potions, poisons, botany

Queen Bee: insect control(unwanted)

Influencer: cult creation(unintentional)

Skater: slacker,

Chess student: Pokémon summons, tactics

Art student: scouting magic

Teen Mom: lore keeper, record holder, divination, domestic support, fairy friend, mother

Baby: cuteness, defend at all costs, morale booster

Rat: size shifting, mascot, food vacuum

I think I got all that right at least. Lemme know if I missed something and I’ll edit the list. That’s 16 characters not counting Baby and Rat so far. Nor any Fantasy Land characters. Theatre and nerd kids were mentioned, and one otaku, but I haven’t seen anything else come up for them. I know I introduced Skater, but not quite sure what to do with him. I had a thought about him becoming a sort of messenger/runner to put his skater skills to work, but also not entirely sold on that.

Do we have a straight mage character decided? I know all the Party have a degree of magical ability, but did someone decide on who would dump all their points into sorcery? I can see Otkau mayhaps going that direction, going all Elder Scrolls/Elden Ring Sorcery would be right up an otakus power fantasy but then again what kind of otaku is Otaku? Does Goth get anything from her Patron other than cell phone service? I wouldn’t mind seeing her become a bit of a cross between Teen Titans Raven and Frieren. From my understanding she’s not a physical type so spells would work for her fine.

Thanks to this post I was granted a couple thoughts regarding a piece of technology that I have tragically overlooked which is a goldmine for comedy and usefulness: Goths Phone and her bargain. Whatever her deal was to get cell service, assuming that she accesses earth’s internet, this also implies that her phone has unlimited battery as well. So the Party calls home first thing they can so they can let everyone know that they’re alright. Then they take turns with it when they’re feeling homesick. They can also use it to get blueprints of various devices and designs, certain details of things like the best metals to prevent infection, search videos explaining certain subjects, use it to video and photograph their adventures, and so on.

I can’t decide what’s funnier: either a) she is now a walking cell tower that the Party uses. (A kinda short one at that, especially compared to how tall Mama is. Are we really sure they’re actually siblings let alone twins? I know that’s what they say but can you blame me? Are we sure their parents didn’t just snatch another baby out of her cradle?) So the Party has the advantage of using their phones to a limited degree, mostly for sending messages to each other since communication is vital in this world. Each person using her as a reference point whether they have service or not. The closer the better of course. Instead of having three bars they say they have ‘three Goths’. Awake she’s most ‘receptive’, asleep less so but you can still get a signal, unconscious/hypnotized/etc. has zero. Or maybe just the tiniest bit so the Party can track her down if necessary.

Or B) her phone is the only one that works and so the Party kinda ‘take turns’ using/stealing/borrowing it for various reasons. To call their families when feeling homesick, reference some history or scientific tidbit for their current situation, take pictures/videos of certain books/places/things/etc, how the football team is doing, check for updates on their favorite fanfiction, etc. They barter and trade for Phone Time creating a sorta sub culture surrounding the Phone. Goth is all dramatic when she doesn’t have her Phone.

I didn’t come up with situation A until I was halfway through writing this.

~

Goth, in the fetal position and murmuring, a dark haze surrounding her: Life is suffering. To deny suffering is to deny existence. And so we are inextricably linked to it.

But why? Her Phone has been borrowed so Influencer can use it to stream. Hence she has been bereft of her phone and now is bored.

Influencer: And with that we’re going to have to start wrapping up this Stream! Thank you for taking the time to teach us about this local board game, Mr. Farmer.

Farmer: Mah pleasure Missy! Anything to help out ta Heroes Party!

Chess: Less heroes and more normal teenagers right now. And thank you for showing me how to play this game! Now if I can just find someone else to play it with.

Farmer, looking at Goth: Ar ya sure that one is alright?

Influencer: Oh she’s fine, she’s just being dramatic. She does this every time.

Farmer: Ah, like a catto ya? One tha didn’t get tha cream?

Chess: Yep! We’re trying to find a pair of cat ears to make a little headpiece for her when she’s like this. Here’s your silver.

Farmer: Silver?! Milord I can’t-

Chess: No lord stuff, we’re just normal people right now. I know we agreed four copper for the board game, but the rest is for taking time out of your day and being so patient with us. Think of it as a thank you gift.

Influencer: Mr. Farmer, do you want to say anything to the people on the other side of this?

Farmer: I just talk to tha little box ere? And they can see me good ya?

Influencer: Yep! Just like we talked about earlier!

Farmer: Ah thanks ya folks fer listen’ to an old man go on about his favorite game. Er, is that good or?

Influencer: All the stuff on the side? Oh that’s the other people talking. They’re all saying thank you for being on this stream. A lot of them seem to be interested in making this game back home and trying it themselves.

Farmer: Ah! You’re all too kind!

Chess: Here, let me walk you back to the village.

Influencer: Be safe Chess! And so what did you all think? An interesting game for a small farming and logging village so far from the road ya? And all handmade too! Kinda makes me wonder how many games our own world used to have like this that have been lost over the generations….I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that HotdogMan. You know the rules, I really don’t want to ban anyone…. Yes we’ll try to bring the game back with us so Earth can play with it as well.

Influencer: Ohhh~ that is so nice of you! However this isn’t a normal stream….Yes I’d love donations just as much as the next gal but in Fantasy Land there is no way to access a Patron- Patron, Patrón, Petrol, Patren. Pttthhh! PATREON! Ugh, what are words? Yeah, we can’t access any of that money. And Fantasy Land doesn’t accept Visa or PayPal either.

Influencer: Well I’d love to stay and chat more but my Time is running out here so we’re going to have to wrap up! As always a great big thanks to Goth and her Patron…..um……Chat I haven’t even started attempting the name and you’re already making fun of me!!😭…..There are like no vowels in its name so of course it’s hard! Ugh, ok here goes. Thank you Ktchre-, no Cacgken- guh, Crushzu- argh…. I know how to pronounce Cthulhu Chat, its name is not Cthulhu. I wouldn’t be made fun of by y’all if its name was that simple….. No PolyPomPoms, it’s an Extraplanar Entity. Gender isn’t a thing with it. No its gender isn’t fluid, either. How do you get even fifty genders in the first place? That doesn’t- The point is it doesn’t have one!… No I don’t know how that works and quite frankly I’m not going to ask.

Influencer: As always: stay safe, be nice, be awesome, and hopefully we’ll be here again next week! Fantasy Land Adventures signing off! Bye~!

After packing up her setup Influencer walks over to Goth.

Goth: -even when the sky is overripe, it withholds its bounty. Thus here we are, bereft of its-

Influencer: 🙄Alright Goth, here’s your phone back.

Goth: Life has returned! The sweet succor of-

Influencer: 😑 And here I thought I was bad. Or that Bee was annoying when she couldn’t get her Java anymore.

Goth: You know, I was thinking…

Influencer: Dear god, please not this again.

Goth: There is a way to do this without all this torment and suffering.

Influencer: 😓Of course it is.

Goth: A path that would benefit both our desires.

Influencer: Don’t say it Goth, don’t you dare say it.

Goth: You could-

Influencer: I’m warning you!

Goth: -make a pact with my Patron.

Influencer: AAAARRRRGGGG!! We’ve been over this a gazillion times! No!

Goth: It’s excited to talk to you! It wants to help! I’m sure it can give you a wonderful deal! Probably better than what I got…

Influencer: It -wants- to make me its Chief Cult Leader! It -wants- me to convert everyone into its cult! Just like every one and thing else around here! I got enough problems fending off every blasted religion, cult, government, and organization out there, don’t you start harping on me too!

Goth: Cmon, what’s a half dozen cults?

Influencer: I’m still not over that little ‘celebration’ in that one town. I can only imagine how bad it could’ve been if Clown didn’t help me reword myself to make it just a drunken celebration instead of something worse. Remember I almost got that one Holy Order nearly come down on our heads for that? I am not starting up anything else if I can help it.

Goth: Don’t act like you’re special there, we all have nearly run afoul with many such groups. Remember when Prep killed that one holy animal thinking it was just a random Fantasy Land critter? Or when Football flirted with the wrong Lady in Waiting? Also you don’t seem to mind the Base.

Influencer: Because they tried to sacrifice me, so I had no choice! Thank goodness MC ungagged me there. Base is reasonable only because Mama and Prez got things under control! I can’t handle that kinda pressure.

Football: Here you two are. Where’s Chess?

Goth: He’s walking that farmer back to his village.

Football: Hm. Prez wants everyone in the Command Tent. We’re due for another Meeting.

Influencer: So soon? I thought we were going to have that Tuesday?

Football: That was the case, but since it’s Prez I’m sure there’s a good reason for it.

Goth: Alright then, let’s go. Hey Influencer, just think about-

Influencer: We are done talking about this!!

Football: Er, what did I miss?

Goth and Influencer: It’s nothing.

Football: Right. ‘It’S nOtHiNg!’ Geh, women.

The standard 'entire class gets isekai'd to a fantasy world and the outcast MC is basically discarded' anime setting, where the MC, now assumed dead, decides to instead help the class of Heroes in the shadows, making sure they live up to what the people need.

However, the entire class knows that he's alive and are hellbent on dragging that son of a bitch back into the spotlight and to give him the recognition he deserves.

(And maybe because he was basically the entire class's Little Guy™.)

[yuikomorii]

I love Yui she's such a nerd, honestly your blog is the whole reason I even like Yui now, I never disliked her but I never cared about her because she seemed kinda the basic " Nice girl " trope ( and I watched the anime first ) so I just ignored her but your blog put more light on her personality and now she is so much more interesting to me. I honestly wish we would get some more background info on her about her old life before the Sakamakis, we do kinda but not much.

When I thought Yui was a bland Nice Character only to realize she's a Clusmy, kinda slow, obsessive girl in love and somtimes just as crazy as the Sakamakis, like girrrl I've seen those Bad endings, Shuu More blood brute?? Ayato bad endings? Our true queen, say delulu in love Yui ❤️

// Haha, I’m glad to hear that. 💕💕

I don’t have anything against the “nice girl” trope, as long as it’s executed well and the girl has more depth than just being “too good for this world.” Yui might come across as your typical nice girl at first glance, but even outside the endings, she occasionally does or says things so unexpectedly problematic that you can’t help but wonder “What’s wrong with her?”. That said, she’s not meant to be a normal character, since this is a game made for people with masochistic fantasies, and we’re supposed to either play as her or put ourselves in her shoes. It’s pretty clear Yui has always had some underlying masochistic tendencies. After all, she started enjoying the bites during the Dark section of the HDB chapters, which isn’t exactly something a “normal” person would do… well, not so fast. 👀

Yui is a kind and stupid girl in general, but she can also be cunning and even worse than the Diaboys when mad, so that’s what makes her interesting. Honestly, I’m glad she’s crazy too, if she weren’t, I’d feel way too bad for her. At least this way, she shares some of the twisted traits of her men, which makes her dynamic with them feel more balanced. 😂😂

Speaking of those endings, every time I think about them, I get chills. I can understand the “I’ll get rid of everyone for senpai because he’s my precious senpai and mine alone!” type of Yandere you see in anime, but the ones who do something truly horrifying to the person they claim to love are on a whole other level of disturbing. At least in Shu’s one, she “only” stabs him and locks him in a dungeon to turn him into her one and only blood slave. But in Ayato’s ending? She literally paralyzes his entire body out of jealousy, leaving him unable to move or speak yet fully conscious of what’s happening, while she carries him around like an actual DOLL, and then she uses him for pleasure. It’s practically an allegory for reducing someone to a living sex doll—an object meant solely to look good and fulfill someone else’s desires, which is just next-level of messed up, lol.

Credit to: dialovers-translations

I even remember this screenshot from the Chinese edition where Yui says to a paralyzed Ayato, “Ayato, don’t go anywhere.” Girl, where was he even supposed to go?? You literally took away his ability to do anything. Even Karlheinz got creeped out! 😳

[rainix13]

Loving Her Is (Im)possible

masterlist

Natasha Romanoff x Civilian!Reader

description: They say loving the Black Widow is impossible, so what happens when you meet her?

Words: ~2k

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none I think, not proof read tho

I know this is shitty, I wrote this coping with myself lmao.

Next one is promised to be good or at least better again

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𓅨⋆｡°✩✮ ⋆ ˚｡⋆｡°✩｡⋆｡✮ ⋆ ˚｡⋆｡°✩✮ ⋆ ˚｡𓅨⋆｡°✩

Loving her is impossible. That's what they say.

Meeting her is easy.

Red hair, brown coat, black boots.

And effortless elegance that held the power to draw everyone's attention but prevent anyone from making eye contact. Or comment on her.

"A large, black coffee please" her voice carried the same unspoken authority her movements displayed.

Rough and soft at the same time, polite but distanced. She layed one hand on the counter while waiting. With the other hand she removed her sunglasses, letting them fall in the pocket of her coat. A few curious glances from the other customers in her direction but most just continued their conversations.

You watched the interaction, studying her. How she glanced over the room. How she corrected her own posture - and you did instinctively too. How she took her cup and took yet another glance over the room but in a seemingly different way. Her eyes locked onto you.

She directed a small, greeting nod to you and you responded with a friendly smile. "That seat doesn't seem taken", the redhead mostly stated, sitting on the chair across your own.

"You can't be sure of that" you replied with a teasing grin. The woman chuckled. A low, soft and intriguingly dangerous sound, sending a shiver down your spine. You tried to save it, lock it in your memory and protect it, the moment you heard it. If you could do something to get to hear it again, you would.

"So you're saying this seat is taken, princess?" a playful glint in her eyes, knowing exactly that it wasn't.

And within a split second your mind surrendered. You weren't sure if it was the nickname or just the way your own teasing backfired but you flushed and glued your eyes to your hands. "No" you mumbled, holding the cup in your hands just a little tighter. A shy smile played around your lips.

"No need to be shy, sweetheart. I'm Natasha"

Meeting her was embarrassing in a way you enjoyed it.

Knowing her is easy.

You knew who she was. Everybody does. The media is flooded with footage of her, everytime something in the world happens. Everybody sees what you could see that day.

Effortless perfectionism. Authority without room for arguments.

She was the Black Widow.

In press conferences the backbone of the avangers.

No one knew her. Behind that perfect mask that would allow her to dominate the whole room, was in reality something different.

Behind that perfect image was a human just as everyone else is. Someone who sometimes feels lonely. Someone who's guarded but also someone who let a few things slip from time to time.

You were aware that everything you saw of her was calculated. A risk she took.

A nightmare she told you she had. Explaining why her day was bad. Asking you what she should cook.

You never got much to grasp on, but to every little detail you held on as if it was sacred.

Nat:

I'm bored

What should I do?

You:

Me [you deleted that as soon as you typed it]

Cinnamon rolls

And just two hours later it'd ring on your door.

"Hey, I brought cinnamon rolls."

You laughed, seeing her physically relax under your careless happiness as you invited her in.

The Black Widow was an open book - someone everybody could know within thirty minutes of amateurish research.

Natasha Romanoff was more than that.

A closed book with a lock, behind bars, behind walls.

She rarely shared something about what she actually did or felt at any given moment. But if she'd let something slip you'd pick it up and cherish it.

Talking to her is easy.

Without even noticing in less than a month your world was upside down.

Checking your phone every ten minutes for notifications, even though you know the screen lits up when you get one.

Smiling when it does.

Denying the small bit of disappointment when the notification doesn't begin with "Nat 💕:".

Going silent on phone calls with others for a moment when you recieved a message from her. Being mentally absent while playing cards, glancing down at the phone beside you, answering whenever it's not your turn.

You:

How was your day?

Nat💕:

{voice message 1:48}

You loved these. You loved listening to her voice, detecting the satisfaction when she told you about a successful mission, hearing the frustration when some recruits didn't listen to her in training and then obviously failed the task at hand. You loved her sighs when she was tired.

Soon you yearned for every interaction you could get. A small chat, a short phone call. Or when you had the time you'd bring her a coffee over.

The first time you did, you weren't sure you'd get out of the building in one piece.

You learned that day that Shield doesn't have visitors. Especially not ordinary people and definitely not one's who come in without an agent.

Your hands were shaking as you held them over your head, in one still the coffee you brought.

"What do you want?" The guy, who asked this just entered the area, motioning for the security to stay in position.

"u-uh visiting? A friend" you added and cringed internally about verbally friendzoning the redhead. But that's the most fitting description. Maybe even exactly what she sees in you. A friend. One she likes to flirt and tease with just to see how it messses with your head.

"And who is that friend?" he walked behind you, taking the coffee from your hand.

"Natasha? Romanoff..." your voice grew quieter realizing how unrealistic that must sound. And just as confirmation he scoffed "Of course. And if that's true, why isn't Agent Romanoff here to get you through security? And further, why is the name on this coffee 'Nathan'?"

Now you scoffed, rolling your eyes "So now it's my fault that coffeeshops can't get names right?? You can't convince me no coffeeshop ever wrote your name wrong" You regretted those word almost as soon as they left your mouth but now it was too late anyway.

But before anyone reacted to that, the clicking of heels cut through the tension. Just as they stopped a familar voice spoke up from behind you "You have some nerves, giving these kind of answers while having two guns directed at you, princess"

Your cheekes flushed at the nickname. You knew she did that on purpose, relishing your involuntary reaction. And it happened every time.

With probably another motion of one of the two behind you the security guys backed down and you turned around with a small smile on your lips. "Well, bold of you to show up so late they almost shoot me"

When you sat down on a couch in what you presumed was her office she took a sip from her coffee and sighed. "Nathan, huh?" A smirk playing around her lips.

You snorted meeting her eyes with a mischievous glint in your own "Maybe I made the barista write down the wrong name intentionally. But a coffee wouldn't be a coffee if they got your name right twice in a row"

It became a little game of yours. Trying to find a new variant or fucked up way to mess with each others name.

These meetings happened more often, you bringing her coffee or lunch. Talking, laughing, joking. You learned that the guy, who questioned you on your first time there was Clint, Natasha's best friend. Soon these lunch breaks became the thing you looked most forward to, by the start of a week.

You got to meet Clint, introducing himself with saying something along being sorry for almost having you shot. And by then all of you could only laugh about that first encounter.

On a fandom friday she took you to the shooting range after another shared lunch. Handing you one of her pistols she positioned herself behind you. Guiding your legs to stand in the right stance, moving her hands along your arms so you wouldn't hurt yourself. And while you loved learning to shoot, her being pressed against your back made it hard to focus. How her touch burned itself under your skin, how her scent surrounded you. And suddenly you felt like one of the recruits she liked to complain about. Distracted.

Of course Natasha noticed. But she didn't seem mind it, when it was you. She didn't mind having to guide you into the right position another time and maybe even a third. At least she didn't say so. She seemed to enjoy the time you had as much as you did and that alone made your heart skip a bit.

Watching yourself fall for her feels scary. Like the craziest thing you've ever done.

Running away is easy.

Especially when self-doubt is consuming you.

When she's out on missions and you don't get any response to your messages for hours or days.

You start to doubt yourself, if this was right for you.

The redhead tried to push you away only shortly after you met. Telling you that she's too much for you. That her life isn't made for her to fit in your world. You managed go convince her from the opposite.

Now you were the one doubting if that was the right decision.

On the one side fearing how much this is about to hurt if you don't work out, on the other already being too attached to let go now.

Not without trying.

But after just another day of radio silence from her side you feel like ending things would be best for you. Or after another conversation, where you realize that she's not actually telling you what she feels or what's bothering her. Giving only so short answers to your messages that something like a conversation wouldn't even begin - it hurt you probably more than it should.

But you didn't blame her. Or you tried not to. You knew that this was an unsettling kind of jealousy with no one to be jealous of. No one you knew about. But that didn't make it easier. It just drained your energy on these days, killing some of your usually good mood. Every one of those days giving you another reason to leave.

Running away. Not without an explanation, that would be unfair. She deserved to understand. And while you're trying to convince yourself that hurting her by leaving now would be less bad than doing it even later and that it would probably be for the best for both of you, you couldn't shake the feeling that she would've felt used.

And every time you think about that, she texts you, answering your last message and pushing the thought of leaving away immediately - not that she's aware of that but she still does. The start of a conversation, that filled you with a strange sense of happiness. A happiness that kept you from running.

The urge to stay is impossible to ignore. The want to understand every action before calling it unreasonable, taking all reasons to leave and burn them down, you kept only the reasons to stay.

A stupid smile with every message.

An shy and embarrassing flush with every tease.

The commitment to understand her and give her time.

You mentally burned whatever you read about her on the internet. Banning news reports about her, ignoring blogs judging her or her job in any way.

Instead you chose to focus on every single bit that seemed to be real and held on to it. Every soft chuckle, the glint in her eyes when they meet yours, her sighs at the end of a voice message about an overly exhausting day.

Everything that you knew was her. What didn't scream 'ex-assassin and spy'.

You chose to learn and hold on to what you got about Natasha instead of Widow.

You chose to ignore the reasons to leave for now.

Red hair, brown coat, black boots.

And a caring smile in your direction.

Loving her could turn out so easy.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𓅨⋆｡°✩✮ ⋆ ˚｡⋆｡°✩｡⋆｡✮ ⋆ ˚｡⋆｡°✩✮ ⋆ ˚｡𓅨⋆｡°✩

[1moreff-creator]

You've done this before so this is exclusively self indulgent but can you give your thoughts on DRDT foil theory again haha... I'm enamored by it and think about it daily.

I'll point out as well that there's been a trend regarding which characters are relevant to the chapter's case based on the order of the foils so far.

In chapter 1 it was [Xander, Min, Teruo & Charles] while in chapter 2 it was [Eden, Arei, Nico, Ace] - following this train of logic next chapter's main players would be [Hu, Veronika, Rose, J].

Hu's arc has just started (her beliefs are being challenged), Veronika became worst + Arturo is going to be centered at the start of chapter 3, Rose's arc just started + a money motive would be relevant to her & J's conflict with Arturo is going to be centered at the start of chapter 3.

Feel free to ignore this if you feel it's too repetitive, I just like it when I see people talking about my theory lol.

Well, if the creator of the recap foil theory asks me to talk about it, who am I to deny? It's probably, like, in my top three theories about DRDT, so I'm gonna enjoy talking about it! :D

(Btw I totally get you about enjoying when people talk about your theory. Whenever I see someone mention one of my posts I always go ":O that's me :D" it's great lol)

CW: Murder, electrocution, execution, suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, discrimination against a non-binary person, manipulation, poverty, harmful environments during childhood.

As a quick recap (heh): at the end of the CH1 recap video, the characters are paired up in a certain way. The theory states that they're paired up in a way that represents some of the most important foils in the cast. And... well, it seems to hold up quite well! I'll talk about them here in the order they show up in the recap video.

1) Xander & Min

And what a start! These two are basically eternal foils, with everything about their characters being contrasted with each other in some way or another. From the very first moment they're seen together, in Min's introduction, they immediately start beefing simply due to their respective talents.

The biggest point of contrast comes from their past with education. From Visiting Graves, we know Xander used to be a diligent student like Min, but he stopped when his family died while he was away studying. He's come to the conclusion that the things taught in school are oftentimes kind of useless for most people's lives, and his rejection of the education system kickstarted his rebellion against systemic issues in general.

Min, for her part, actually has a lot of the same views. Her Bonus Episode makes that pretty clear; she doesn't think things like Hope's Peak's history are really all that useful, and feels insecure because she doesn't see the same value in her talent as she does in others. However, Min still wants to maintain her talent, at least in title, seen as her first instinct when the killing game started was to grab an anatomy textbook and start studying it. Meanwhile, Xander dislikes his talent title greatly, as he believes calling him a "Rebel" undermines the stuff he does.

All of this is literally baked into their first interaction, as mentioned before. Xander seems to project heavily on Min upon first meeting her, assuming that she probably has no hobbies or friends if she's the Ultimate Student and judging her for it quickly. Min isn't particularly thrilled over that, given he knows nothing about her life.

Speaking of backstories, there's other points in those where they contrast. Particularly, the involvement of large companies and rich people in said backstories. Duke Spurling did a thing that killed Xander's entire family, which was the inciting incident for Xander officially leaving behind his studious nature. Meanwhile, XF-Ture Tech helped Min's family out of property, but pushed Min into studiousness for the Ultimate Student title; more or less the opposite of what Spurling did for Xander.

The same can be said of their relationship with Hope's Peak, which is elaborated on in the Bonus Episodes. Xander went to Hope's Peak for some kind of ulterior motive-

Unnamed Classmate [BE2]: I think your ability to get back from adversity is really admirable. That determination of yours is admirable. If you set out to do something, then never give up on that, no matter what obstacles may stand in your way. Even if it's risky or against the rules, as long as it's for a good cause... I'll trust that you know to do the right thing. Xander: Yeah, of course. That's why I've come to Hope's Peak, isn't it?

-which we can somewhat confidently assume to be bad for the school given Xander's... Everything. For Min's side, just getting to Hope's Peak was Min's entire goal for the entirety of her childhood, playing right into the hands of the Ultimate Contest for Eminent Students, and thus into the school's hands.

By the way, if you go back and look at what Absolutely-Not-Mai says to Xander, the idea of "bouncing back from adversity" could be connected to Min's whole "mistakes are to be corrected" thing. This one's an insane stretch, though.

For another point, though I don't know much about this particular topic, I find even their designs are opposites in some ways. Although arguably that's more a result of them being foils in general and DRDT having good character design but y'know.

Both of them seem to wear some kind of school uniform, but in totally different ways. Xander does everything he can to stylize his, be it wearing his coat as a cape, or getting a tongue piercing specifically because they weren't allowed and he could hide it, as stated in a Q&A, doing everything he can to fight against this institution. On the other hand, Min wears hers normally, and several Q&A answers clarify that she finds comfort in the colors and style of her uniform. One fights against institutions, the other works withing their systems (Min even wants to be a teacher which is an extension of that idea), you get the point.

Also this plays into the theme of fate because of course it does. Just replace "institutions" with "fate" and you kinda get the point. Xander fights against it, Min accepts it. Or, she accepts the fate of being the Ultimate Student, at least.

Their relationships with other characters, Teruko and David in particular, is another point of foiling. I've brought this up before, but as a recap: Xander betrayed Teruko so she openly hates him even though her real feelings are much more complicated than that, while Min tried to save her only to then panic and try to win the class trial, which causes Teruko to openly hate her even though her real feelings are much more complicated than that. But Teruko takes on Min's philosophy of fixing mistakes in the second trial, which is notable because in the same trial, David calls Min pathetic before his magical girl transformation, only to reveal that he's following Xander's ideals a while later. And while Teruko and David may not be recap foils, they sure are foils in general, so the foiling Xanvid and Terumin duos are formed. Cool!

As a minor point also connected to relationships, I could see the angle that Xander's friendship with David might parallel Min's thoughts on Mai. This one's iffier because anything about Mai is iffy, but I think it's worth mentioning.

The starting point of the Xanvid thing is the fact that they both used to idolize each other, but eventually decide that they should just be friends like any other friends. Cue the whole "foxes and children" quote from The Little Prince that shows up in LGI in the "I hate the things I love..." scene- I don't know how many people can follow what I just said, but I hope the main idea got across, at least.

Xander [1-5]: Enough with these idols or role models, okay? Let's just be friends.

In the same way, everyone loves Mai, but Min's Mai quote is:

Min: An average girl with nothing special at all about her.

Which can kinda be said about Min too, but the whole point of the end of the Bonus Episode is how Min is special to Mai.

Think of David as Mai and Xander as Min. David and Mai are idolized by everyone who knows them (pre 2-11 anyways), but Xander and Min see them as regular people (post 1-5 for Xander), while Xander and Min aren't idolized (by most of the cast at least) but are special to David and Mai respectively. I don't really know if it works perfectly, but it's close enough for me to mention.

You can even try to fit in some kind of point about the theme of cooperation vs competition, though I'll admit it's a bit of a stretch.

Competition is greatly important for Min's character, but she doesn't often go out of her way to help others. She helps when asked, sure, as she does when Surely-Not-Mai asks her to help her study in BE1, or when Eden asks for help baking and the subsequent clean-up. However, there's several scenes where she avoids conflict by reading that anatomy textbook of hers, such as in her introduction and when Arei's yelling at the Baking Squad.

Meanwhile, Xander doesn't really compete on anything with anyone aside the arm wrestling contest (which isn't much of a competition anyways), but he constantly tries to butt into other people's issues. It happens in Min's introduction, in his chat with Nico in 1-5, right before stabbing Teruko, you get the idea. So, he constantly tries to cooperate even without the consent of the person they're trying to cooperate with. Again, a stretch, but kinda works.

All of these foils culminate in Xander's death and Min's murder. Xander, like always, is proactive and acts even with incomplete information:

Xander [1-5]: Then, why did I do this? I don't even know... Why? Just why did you ask me to kill Teruko?

Trying his best to cooperate with an unknown ally to, presumably, hinder the mastermind's plans; fighting against the killing game like he fights against any other system.

But then Min barges in. She was just trying to fix the mistakes of the past, aka cleaning up the remnants of the baking thing. But just like her being randomly sponsored by XF-Ture Tech was in some ways both a blessing and a curse, she once again finds herself in a situation where, depending on how you look at it, she's either in the right place at the right time (to save Teruko) or at the wrong place at the wrong time (because she'll end up dying from this).

Xander attacks, and there's a bit of brain vs brawn thing that happens. I hadn't mentioned that theme before because Xander is intelligent and Min is arguably not the smartest in the cast, but it's true that Xander's physical prowess and Min's intelligence are some of their most notable strengths. This is brought to the forefront when Xander tries to kill Min by overpowering her only for her to outsmart him with the light switch trick.

However, again similarly to how she was pushed into a corner by the XF-Ture Tech contract, Min now finds herself in a position where she must compete with others for her own survival. And not just any form of competition, but a class trial. Once again, Min has to compete under the rules established by an institution, as she did in the UCES. She ultimately gets executed, but kept trying to survive until the very end, fighting for her life the same way she'd been fighting for her future her entire childhood; by trying to give the right answers in a test.

Look, there's probably more foils (because each time I look at these two I find more of them), but I need to stop at some point. These are characters who foil even in their fucking custom weapons for God's sake. Xander's "gun" looks extremely dangerous, when in reality it's nothing but a piece of plastic; and Min's pen looks totally safe, while actually hiding a knife. If I keep looking, I'll keep finding, and I have to talk about 7 other foiling pairs, so I'll keep it at that for this post :v

2) Teruko & Charles

There's plenty to talk about with these two as well! The main point of foiling is their respective character arcs so far.

Charles started out as a prickly and judgemental guy, pushing the others away as he felt superior due to his talent. However, after the events of the first trial, he started opening up a bit more, and hanging out with the others, mainly Whit.

Teruko, for her part, started out friendlier. She made a quick connection with Xander, and we saw her socializing with the elevator scene with Ace and Levi, and the baking squad scene. However, she went the other way after the first trial, pushing the others away to avoid getting attached and trusting no one. She's swinging back to trusting now, but the point stands.

Basically, Teruko and Charles went in opposite character arcs in the first two chapters. In that sense, Charles exists as an early warning to Teruko about the dangers of pushing others away, as the only reason Charles managed to get through the first trial is because Whit trusted him and his hemophobia. So, trust, relying on others, important themes their stories share.

And it's not just the in-killing game arcs, as their backstories also vaguely foil. Charles had a pretty privileged upbringing, while Teruko obviously had a lot more issues with her luck and all. Funnily enough, this includes them having scars they don't properly remember getting. Charles believes the dog bite wound on his arm is a birthmark, while Teruko doesn't know where the scar on her back came from.

Which is what gets us to the theme of memory we got going on. Both of them have memory issues, albeit different ones: Charles has childhood amnesia, Teruko has prosopagnosia. They even both have a brother of indeterminate fate, what with us not really knowing what happened to either "Kyo" or Elliot. Well we know Elliot's dead at least but you get the idea.

Speaking of the Elliot situation, one can tie this pair to a theme I can best define as "challenged preconceptions." Basically the idea that there's preconceptions these two carried into the killing game which are challenged by the events within it. That can technically be said about a lot of characters, sure, but Charles and Teruko have a fair amount of very specific notions which are only begin doubting in the killing game.

For Charles, this would be the existence of Elliot; that's the point I was trying to make with that segue back there. Charles thought he was an only child, but turns out he had a brother at some point.

Charles [2-7]: From birth all the way to the present, there are probably many things that you had taken for granted to be true. Things you never thought to question before, like those frivolous lies about "Santa Claus" or the "Tooth Fairy." Or perhaps less frivolous lies, like the idea that your parents know what's best for you. Once you're given some hitherto unknown information, you may begin piecing together a bigger picture of your past. Things you had accepted as truth your whole life begin to reveal themselves as lies. And once all the pieces are in place, you realize you were blind for never seeing the whole story before.

It's what Charles' numeral in LGI references: "if you doubt, brittle things are broken."

For Teruko, there's a few preconceptions that get challenged over the course of the killing game, but probably the most notable one is the idea that she's doomed to live a horrible life due to her luck.

Teruko [2-16]: I have always said that my misfortune, my personality, the choices I make, everything was all a product of a bad luck that I can't control. That I grew up in such horrible circumstances, so I was destined to grow up to be a terrible person. That everyone else abandoned me, so it's not my fault that I'm alone. I want to say that it's fate's fault, and that I had no choice in the matter. But, even so... Even so... Everyone. Xander, Min, Arei, Ace. Maybe even Levi. Is it my fault that they died? [...] Whether it was the fault of fate, or my fault... I already knew the answer. I had known what the answer was since a long, long time ago.

I think you can kinda see the point.

Their aptitude in class trials can also be mentioned. Although Charles was sorta out of it during the first one, he was definitely pretty good in the second one. And Teruko is far and away the most influential character in trial discussion overall. The fact they're equally matched intellectually speaking helps them play off each other pretty nicely.

Like with Xander and Min, there's probably more to talk about, but that's enough for me in this case.

3) Eden & Arei

The girlies! Arei's playground breakdown very neatly captures a lot of the themes these two foil on. Mainly, the theme of kindness and being a "good person." Arei used to try and be kind, but she was hurt because of it and thus decided to fight back against her sisters through becoming mean. Eden, meanwhile, remains kind and compassionate even through the despair of the killing game. This also plays into the idea of strength; while Arei is physically stronger and more forceful when it comes to getting what she wants, Eden is stronger in her resilience, her ability to remain Silly despite the horrors. Both have their merits, as we see for example when Arei defends Eden from Arturo and when Eden manages to move Teruko in the 2-3 kitchen scene, respectively.

Meanwhile, when we speak of being a "good person", Arei's breakdown of what that means in 2-13 is really all we need to talk about. Eden's seemingly unending patience and kindness is not what's truly needed to be a "good person", as even she must have made mistakes and hurt people in the past (cue fork CG). Rather, being a "good person" just means trying to change for the better whenever you mess up, represented by Arei. Not to say Eden's not a good person; she is, but you don't need to be like her to be "good"- you get the point.

In the same ballpark, we have the theme of friendship, what it means to be friends. In fact, Arei's little 2-10 reconciliation speech connects both this theme and the last.

Arei [2-10]: Being a good person means doing nice things. So if there's anything you need from me... Whether it's defending you from scary jerks like Arturo or baking some stupid fucking cake... I'll do it. I promise. I'll do anything for you. Okay? Eden: I... Arei: Because... because... Because that's what friends do.

Arei believes friendship to be all about doing things for the other person, protecting each other. This is pretty central to her character, seeing as "Because that's what friends do" is her secret quote. Eden brings up the same thing when acused of murder.

Eden [2-14]: I just wanted to help Arei.... I didn't kill her... Teruko: You know I can't just take your words at face value, Eden. Eden: Please, Teruko... You're my friend, aren't you? Friends help each other.... So please, help me...

So. That.

One could also connect Eden's theming around new beginnings (birthday right before New Year's, favorite color is daffodil yellow and daffodils represent new beginnings, her name references the Garden of Eden which comes from a story about the beginning of the world) to Arei's redemption arc, as Arei gets a "new beginning" in the kindness she once showed. This even ties into Arei's death thematically, as Arei not only dies trying to be a good friend to Eden (tying into the theme of friendship), but she specifically dies in the playground, a place connected to childhood. So we once again get "new beginnings" by connecting her place of death to her origin point and the time when she was kind, if you get the idea.

Again, probably more here, and for this one in particular I'm not even sure I really scratched the surface, but I'll call this good enough for now.

4) Nico & Ace

So these two have a ridiculous amount of beef and that's not really new. Even their very talents have foils; both work with animals, but Nico loves all animals, while Ace hates them, especially horses. 

Ace [1-5]: Animals are fucking lame, anyways. Seriously, they suck hard. If someone told me their cat was acting up or something, I’d give it a good punt.

But the main point of contrast is the theme of agency and taking control of their situation.

Ace’s thoughts on this are expressed quite clearly in his secret quote, “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore.” He feels he lacks control over his talent (forced into it despite being deathly afraid of horses), over his feelings (obvious), over his relationships with the cast, etc. And so he tries to feel in control by bullying Nico, especially when he gets their secret so he can try to blackmail them. Not that Ace doesn’t bother Nico before that, but it does get worse in CH2. He repeatedly does self-destructive things just so he can feel in control of something, be it killing Arei because he feels everyone hates him and he has no way of fixing that before he dies, or trying to find reasons to get mad at Levi so he can try to control his feelings towards him when they become inconvenient for the whole murder thing.

Nico, for their side, keeps having their agency undermined by people around them. They get pushed by both David and Ace into revealing their secret before they were ready, Hu keeps defending them even after they ask her not to, they keep getting spoken over during the trial, etc. You can even extend that to stuff like feeling like they have to present as a man at the start of the series because the people from their backstory don’t respect their identity, or more minor events in the killing game like Ace reproaching them for just… wandering around.

Nico [1-8]: The motive was on my mind. So I was nervous. I tend to pace around when I’m nervous. That’s not a problem, right?  Ace: Seriously? You were ‘wandering around’ all alone? You’re definitely the killer!

Basically, Nico struggles to assert themselves a lot of the time, which means they end up going from 0 to 100 pretty fast on the whole “murder Ace” plan. 

That’s how we get to the theme of victims/perpetrators, or rather, how sometimes things are more complicated than that dichotomy. The theme is explored throughout their relationship, with Nico originally being a victim of Ace's bullying, then Ace being a victim of Nico's attempted murder, then Ace being a perpetrator of actual murder, you get the idea. Pretty straightforward there. 

Going further, this also connects to the theme of forgiveness and apologizing, which comes up a few times in the trial. Nico doesn’t apologize to Ace after explaining their plan because they still hate him and know Ace isn’t going to forgive them, so they see no point in doing it. This parallels how Ace doesn’t expect anyone to forgive him for killing Arei, though with Nico, the question of forgiveness is currently open-ended, as there’s several characters who either have shown a willingness to ignore their crimes (Hu) or don’t know what to think of them (Rose). Basically, Nico has a chance to move past their mistake, which Ace isn’t getting.

And as usual, Ace’s death is the culmination of the themes his character embodies. He kills Arei, who is connected to him via the theme of bullying. He does it out of fear of death, because he feels he doesn't have enough control over his life to avoid getting killed by the enemies he made by insulting them all. Arei was on the path of forgiveness with Eden, which Ace cut short. Ace replicates what Nico did to him because Ace’s murder is the conclusion to everything that’s happened to him in the killing game, with everyone hating him and all that. You get the point. Hopefully.

For a relatively smaller theme, we can bring up dissatisfaction with their body. Nico is non-binary, meaning they’re presumably not very happy with the sex they were born with. Meanwhile, Ace has an eating disorder, not to mention that he always wears gloves for some reason (hiding his hands), and he wears heels to be taller because he’s shorter than he’d like, even though he’s also tall for a jockey. Can’t win, this guy. 

Again, probably more to talk about, but I’d like to get this post out at some point this year :v

5) Hu & Veronika

You mention in this ask that, since the first two recap foil pairs were important for CH1 and the third and fourth were important for CH2, it's possible that Hu-Vero and Rose-J could be important for CH3. That's certainly an interesting observation! We could also extend that to CH4, I guess, but that's a bit too far for me to talk about... so I won't! I will talk about CH3, though.

I'll get to Rose-J in their section, but I could definitely believe that Hu-Vero could be important for CH3. There's a fair bit of setup for both of them going through some kind of arc in the chapter, which you kinda mentioned in the ask (Hu has to deal with the fallout of the Nico situation, while Vero's reactions to Levi's near death and Ace's execution imply she's getting worse), and there's already a narrative connection between them through their pact about the secrets in the second trial. Not to mention that Vero's always given people CH3 death vibes, which I get even if I'm hesitant to say that myself.

But that's just speculation. What about the foils we already have? Well, the main point of contrast is their reaction to conflict, especially when it comes to a specific person they're particularly interested in. Hu always tries to mediate conflict and defend the people she considers good, mostly seen in her white knighting of Nico all throughout CH2. Veronika's the opposite. She enjoys watching conflict, stirring the pot with her psychoanalysis, and particularly enjoys whenever Arturo does some bullshit. Basically, Hu goes "I can fix them" while Vero goes "I can make him worse." Classic dichotomy there.

Then there's the matter of change, metamorphosis even. Hu’s character is designed around it, with her butterfly hairpin and the fact her name means “still lake”, as water is often connected to rebirth. And we know she has changed, from the hopeless child who attempted suicide three times into someone who seems quite attached to her life, if her secret quote is anything to go by.

Hu [Profile Source Code]: I want to pay for what I’ve done. But even then, I still want to live.

Much in the same way, we know Veronika in present is not the same person she used to be years ago. She mentions having been quite outdoors-y back in the day, some of that bleeding into her excitement about the playground, and of course her motive secret is that she used to self-harm, but no longer does.

And yes, the theme of self-harm/suicide is another one where these two foil, which has even come up with their motive secret pact in CH2. We don’t have many details on that yet, though.

That said, the reasons for why they harmed themselves seem to be quite different, which is noteworthy. Although we don’t know what exactly led Hu to attempt suicide, we do know that nowadays she desperately wants to be relied on so she feels useful, meaning it’s very likely her suicidal tendencies came from a feeling that her life had no meaning, or something equally depressing. Meanwhile, provided her secret is to be believed, Veronika just hurt herself when she was bored. Definitely very different reasons for self-harm there.

Looking over your original post on this (have I mentioned I’ve been cross-checking my own thoughts with your own? ‘Cuz I’m doing that), you also bring up maturity, which is indeed an aspect in which they foil. Hu’s character profile states she acts motherly, and the highlighted word in her subtitle quote (“Can you please try and act with a little more maturity?”) is, in fact, maturity. Meanwhile, Vero has childish tendencies, most evidently seen in the scene where the playground gets introduced.

There’s definitely a lot of things about these characters which we currently don’t know about, so I’m sure this section could get significantly larger in the future. But for now, this feels decent enough for me.

6) Rose & J

According to the extension of the original theory stated in this ask, J-Rose might be an important pair for CH3. And I can definitely see that! Rose's mental state has deteriorated a lot, so CH3 is primed to be a turning point for her character. Your point about Arturo being important at the start due to Levi's condition, and that possibly leading to attention being drawn to J, is also very reasonable. Not to mention that, as you seem to be aware of given what you said in the ask, DRDT's motives have so far aligned pretty well with the THH motives, with the first one being videos of their family and the second being secrets. This is important because, if that pattern continues, the third motive might be related to money. And one of the themes in which these two foil is wealth and poverty, which we'll get to in a moment, so it's entirely possible this pair could be quite relevant as a result of that. Not a bad idea in the slightest.

In any case, this is another set that mainly foils through backstory, at least for now. Rose was born into poverty, J was born into wealth. Rose tried to do everything she could for her family, J tries to distance herself from her mother as much as she can. Some parallels can be drawn between the influence the Spurling Foundation has on Rose’s life and the things Mariabella tries to force J to do. I can’t recall if this actually got mentioned in the series itself yet, but based on the childhood drawings post, we can tell J was probably forced to wear dresses despite disliking “girly” things per her profile, and from there infer that she was likely forced into doing a lot of things she didn't want to do.

These backstories can additionally connect to the ever prevalent theme of fate. Rose has accepted her fate, in a sense, believing that she’ll never escape her contract with the Spurling Foundation (see: her secret quote, “In the end, the only thing I can do is watch my wretched life go on”). On the other hand, J constantly rejects her fate by going against her birthright and hiding that she’s a Rosales (see: her secret quote, “Please don’t call me your daughter ever again”).

This is literally baked into their designs btw. Rose’s apron is stained all over, as if to signal she’s stained by the mistakes of her past, while J wears a hoodie as if to hide her identity as much as possible. Notably, J’s shirt actually has a paint splatter design, so she literally is hiding the stains (which in her case would be her last name) that Rose doesn’t bother covering up. 

(Btw while I was looking at their designs for this I noticed J’s hoodie has two zippers, which threw me off a lot lmao. Apparently those are a real thing, but it still caught me off guard and I wanted to mention it lol)

On the topic of design, why do they wear the same shoes?

(Rose's on the left, J's on the right)

Like, Rose’s are a bit less saturated and maybe a bit more green than blue, but that’s the only difference I can see. I don’t think there’s any other pair of pairs of shoes that look this similar in the cast. Whit and Arei’s are similar to these, but they have a few different details. I don’t even think this is a foil thing I think Rose and J just have very similar taste in shoes. I find this amusing. 

Anyways. Their talents are artistic.

…Yep, that’s the parallel! Admittedly, it does come up a bit, with J saying the decor looks new during the prologue, and Rose saying she could figure out a few things about the building if she could analyze the paint on the wall. They be detective-ing and stuff.

Arguably, the theme of betrayal can also be brought up, though it’s very minor. Rose got betrayed by Nico, who used her turpentine for their attempt on Ace. And something like that kinda happened to J around the same time, as she dragged Teruko into a dressing room to avoid Arturo and got a knife to her throat for the troubles. It barely counts, but given Teruko is one of the only people J seemed to genuinely like before that point, I’d say the situations are similar enough to mention, if nothing else. 

Leaving it off there!

7) Arturo & Levi

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. Their talents are aesthetic related, be it related to people’s physical appearance or the clothes they wear. These talents connect to some of the other themes of their characters, such as Arturo’s obsession with beauty and Levi “styling himself” as a good person by doing things good people do, if that makes sense.

Then there’s the other big one; their family situation. Arturo’s home life was likely pretty bad, which we can infer from how desperate he seemed to get the hell outta dodge; and his sister committed suicide because Arturo left. Levi also left his family behind, although in his case he says everyone was a “bad influence” on everyone. Plus, he directly killed his father for one reason or another. We did get to see how Arturo felt about Levi’s nonchalance about the death of his father in the second trial, and that furthers their foiling. 

Arturo [2-13]: How could you simply *forget* that you murdered your own family member?

Yeah that.

Going back to the talents, there’s some contrast between how they got them. Arturo studied from a very young age and for years to become a Plastic Surgeon just as he entered adulthood, while Levi admits to being relatively new to fashion. They both kinda use their talents to escape their past in some way (it was part of Arturo’s plan to get the hell away from his home and Hope’s Peak is the reason Levi was never convicted for his murders), just that one had a little more planning behind it. 

Then there’s the matter of protection. Arturo repeatedly resents the idea that because he has some medical training, he has to be the cast’s doctor every time someone gets injured, and panics when he’s asked to do something as serious as saving Levi’s life.

Arturo [2-16]: I–! I’m not that kind of surgeon! I’ve told you, over and over, I have no experience with saving lives!

Levi, conversely, actively wishes to protect the others, seen for example when he attacked MonoTV in the Prologue and when he jumped in front of Teruko right before she got shot at. It’s even clarified in the subtitle quote of his profile (“I will do my utmost best to make sure that you all are safe”). Levi likes to protect others so they see him as a “good person”, which segues nicely into a more vague theme of categorizing important people in some way. Levi wishes to be seen as a good person and thus is quite interested in those he considers good (eg Eden), while Arturo is only interested in talking to beautiful people. It’s very vague and I don’t have much to say about it, especially since we don’t know exactly where Arturo’s obsession with beauty comes from, but it’s there.

Speaking of that, another point of comparison is the way both of them seek the approval of one specific person in the cast. For Arturo, it’s J because of her mother. For Levi, it’s Ace because of what happened in the first trial. They do it in quite different ways, but it is a thing that happens, and the differences help highlight the main narrative points these plot points bring to the table.

I’m calling that good enough!

8) Whit & David

We sure left a pretty interesting one for last. This is probably one of the ones I’m the least clear on, mostly because both Whit and David are sorta unclear characters. However, there are still a few interesting things I can bring up.

Let’s start with the theme of idolization of the dead, because it’s quite literally what Whit’s secret quote references.

Whit [Profile Source Code]: We tend to idolize the dead. 

Whit idolizes his mother, and thus tries to be like her in any way he can. He dyes his hair blond, he completely ignores the fact she’s dead, you know the drill. Meanwhile, David idolizes Xander. Take a pick from any of his 2-12 lines or any of the Xander related LGI bullshit to see what I mean by that. 

Though, speaking of family members, Diana Chiem. Given we have no idea what the deal with her is yet, I won’t speak too much on it. But if you’ve watched my Vivisection of the David MV, you might know that there’s a theory brought up there that Diana may have died during Hope’s Peak time and that David’s started saying she never existed when that happened. The link sends you to that section of the video. It’s kinda insane, but there’s some basis for it, and it would create a pretty clear connection between Diana and Elizabeth (Whit’s mom) so I’m bringing it up. 

Then there’s the theme of hiding/avoiding sad topics and the like. David is obviously not as happy with his life as he presents himself as, at least for most of the story, while Whit has a history of horrendously avoidant behavior when it comes to anything that’s even remotely negative.

David does occasionally talk about heavier topics, but always behind some kind of persona. Either as the inspirational speaker who takes on a leadership role in CH2 (see: revealing his family history of depression (which I think is true, even if he probably never thought that was actually his secret), comforting Arei in the playground) or as the cartoonishly evil person he pretends to be immediately after his magical girl transformation (see: “Arei was a weather spell” line). He’s seemingly a bit more candid when it comes to Xander in 2-12 for a bit, but then he mostly reverts back to just being an asshole most of the time, other than a few outbursts of genuine emotion (funnily enough, one of them being David shouting at Whit to take things seriously). Meanwhile, Whit (in my opinion) doesn’t seem to have a persona, per say; he’s just kind of an unserious person who repeatedly uses humor and other tactics to distract from the Horrors. He’s a deeply strange person, but that’s kinda just who he is.

Then there’s- say it with me everyone- the theme of fate. David believes people can’t change, that they’re fated to remain the same no matter what happens during their life. He’s made that stance relatively clear. Whit, for his part, has a much more optimistic view on humanity and the like, as he tells Teruko.

Whit [2-3]: Charles… No, everyone here… we might act callously, but we’re all only human. We're all real people with our strengths and weaknesses.  You included, Teruko. Just like Charles, even if you’re acting cold, there’s still a part of you that’s good–

(And yes, “we’re all only human” can be contrasted with the whole “David doesn’t really feel human” thing from LGI and Tally 5)

Thus, his connection to fate is actually something that hasn’t been talked about in the main series yet, but rather comes from his character profile. All it takes is noticing the repeated references to luck and thing that are “guaranteed” (aka fated) to happen, and you can kinda piece it together from there. 

Whit [Profile]: It’s said that if you get the Ultimate Matchmaker to find you a romantic partner, you’re guaranteed to have a happy and stable relationship for life. Unfortunately for Whit Young, he seems to lack all luck when it comes to finding a relationship himself.

And since that profile talks about his talent, I'll use it as a segue to look at similarities between Matchmaker and Inspirational Speaker. Both are talents based around influencing and advising people on how to achieve happiness, either in their love life or their… life life. Thus, both require some level of understanding on how people think and act, which manifests in Whit’s self-proclaimed intuitive nature and David’s confidence in his beliefs when it comes to people not changing and all that. 

And… yeah I’m gonna say I’m okay with that for now.

-

Wow, that was quite a bit, now wasn’t it! And it still feels like I could find more if I thought about it long enough, but I hope this was enough for you. Thanks for the ask! The DRDT cast is really fun to talk about, though, so the excuse to do so is always welcome :D

[prettygirl-gabi]

Title: Such A Menace

Pairing: Ice Brady x Reader

Fandom: UConn Women's Basketball

Rating: Mature

Warnings: wlw smut, !glittery blue strap Ice, !top Ice, !bottom reader, Ice being a "bully", sensuality, and intimacy.

Summary: she may be a "bully" but she's yours and she loves to prove it

Tag: @elalfywhore

I heard her before I saw her. Ice had this habit of making her presence known in the loudest and most chaotic way possible—whether it was her laugh echoing down the halls or her sneakers scuffing purposefully against the gym floor.

And today was no different.

“You call that an outfit, babe?” Ice’s voice carried through the practice gym as I sat on the bleachers, scrolling on my phone. I looked up to see her sauntering over, her hands tucked casually into the pockets of her UConn warm-ups, a smug grin plastered across her face.

I rolled my eyes, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. “Don’t start with me, Ice. I look good, and you know it.”

“Oh, you think you look good?” she teased, coming to a stop right in front of me. Her tall frame loomed over mine, and I had to tilt my head to meet her eyes. “I think you forgot to match your socks. That’s tragic, babe.”

I crossed my arms, glaring up at her. “And I think you forgot that I’m not one of your teammates you can mess with.”

Her grin widened, and she leaned down until her face was inches from mine. “Oh, but you’re my favorite person to mess with,” she said, her voice dropping to a low, teasing tone.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I looked away. “Whatever,” I muttered.

Ice chuckled, clearly enjoying how flustered I was. “Aww, you’re blushing. That’s cute.”

“Go away, Brady,” I said, trying to sound annoyed, but my voice wavered, betraying me.

“Make me.”

Before I could respond, she plopped down on the bleacher next to me, casually throwing an arm around my shoulders. I stiffened as she pulled me closer, her fingers toying with the hem of my shirt.

“You’re such a menace,” I grumbled, trying to squirm away, but she held me firmly in place.

“Yeah, but you love it,” she shot back, pressing a quick kiss to the side of my head.

I rolled my eyes again, but I couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at my lips.

Later that evening, we were back in her dorm. Ice had insisted I come over, claiming she wanted to “study,” but it was clear from the way she was sprawled across her bed, flipping through her phone, that studying was the last thing on her mind.

“Are you actually going to do any work, or am I just here to entertain you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked up, smirking. “You’re always here to entertain me, babe.”

“Seriously, Ice—”

“Seriously,” she mimicked, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm.

I threw a pillow at her, and she caught it effortlessly, laughing. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re adorable when you’re mad,” she said, tossing the pillow aside and sitting up. Her eyes glinted with mischief as she patted the spot on the bed next to her. “C’mere.”

I hesitated, knowing that look all too well. It was the look she gave me right before she decided to push all my buttons.

“I don’t trust you,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

She laughed, leaning back on her elbows. “What, you think I’m gonna bite? C’mon, babe, I’m not that mean.”

I scoffed. “You literally told me my outfit was tragic earlier.”

“It was tragic,” she said matter-of-factly. “But I still think you’re the hottest person in the room, so what does that tell you?”

I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks burned at the compliment.

It wasn’t long before Ice’s teasing turned into something softer. She had a way of switching gears when I least expected it, going from relentless teasing to being the most affectionate person on the planet.

As I sat on her bed, her hand found mine, her fingers tracing slow, lazy patterns on my skin. “You know I only mess with you because I like seeing you all flustered, right?” she said, her voice softer now.

“I know,” I admitted, leaning into her touch. “But you’re still a bully.”

She laughed, pulling me into her lap. “A bully who’s absolutely obsessed with you,” she said, pressing her lips to mine.

“Just enjoy it, babe,” she cooed, her voice silky smooth. “Let me take care of you.”

With a skilled flick of her fingers, hand quickly pushing my blue thong out the way, she found my sweet spot, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through me. I squirmed under her touch, the sensations overwhelming. With in a few minutes I was withering from her touch“Please… I need more,” I begged, my voice laced with desperation.

“More, huh?” she teased, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I think I can manage that.”

As her fingers worked their magic, she leaned in closer, her mouth capturing mine in a heated kiss, her tongue dancing with mine. It was a heady mix of passion and control, the perfect combination that sent me spiraling into bliss.

Finally, she withdrew her hand, her eyes dark with desire. “I think you’re ready for me now,” she said, her voice low and sultry.

I nod letting her pull my shorts down, quick motion, breathless with anticipation as she flipped me over, positioning herself behind me, her hands gripping my hips. The moment the glittery blue strap pressed against me, a shiver of excitement raced through my body. “Tell me if it’s too much,” she murmured, her voice a velvety whisper.

With a gentle thrust, she entered me, the sensation sending waves of pleasure crashing over my body. I gasped, feeling both filled and cherished as she held me close. “You’re doing so good, f'me” Ice praised, her voice a soothing balm against the intensity of the moment.

As she began to move, the rhythm between us both built, a tantalizing dance of gentle and rough. The contrast was intoxicating, each thrust igniting a fire deep within me, pushing me closer to the edge. Ice’s hands gripped my waist, guiding me as she took me higher and higher, our bodies moving in perfect harmony. Skin slapping louding, my warm creamy juices falling to the base of the stap and onto the Satan sheets.

“Just let go,” she urged, her voice a sultry whisper that sent shivers down my spine. With each thrust, I felt the tension building, the pleasure coiling tighter and tighter within me.

“Ice… I’m so close,” I gasped, my body trembling with need.

“Come for me,” she commanded, her voice dripping with desire. “I want to feel you fall apart, on this dick baby.”

With a final thrust, the world around me shattered into a million pieces, pleasure crashing over me-us like a tidal wave as I surrendered to the bliss. Ice’s name fell from my lips like a prayer, each syllable a testament to the connection we shared.

As the waves of ecstasy subsided, Ice pulled out slowly leaving me aching for more. She pulled me close, her breath warm against my skin. “You were amazing,” she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

I smiled, feeling a warmth settle within me, the afterglow of our shared intimacy. In that moment, I knew that with Ice, every encounter was a beautiful blend of love and desire, a dance that would always leave me wanting more.

When she finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against mine, her eyes searching mine. “You know I love you, right?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, a soft smile spreading across my face. “I love you too, even if you are a pain in the ass.”

She grinned, her hands sliding down to squeeze my waist. “And don’t you forget it.”

---

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-Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

-prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

[dinogoofymutated]

Okay, since requests are open, I wanted to ask for something, especially after seeing that you are comfortable with most male characters.

I present:

Scott Summers x fem!reader who's just a little too rebelious and annoying for his taste but he still can't help but love her? Like, enemies to lovers kind of style?

If you want to do a oneshot or headcanons is up to you, I'm just starving for Scott content.

Don't know, if you wanna do is, especially since he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I thought "hey, give it a try, maybe she wants to try someting different" so here I go

Anyway, love your work, you#re amazing <3

Cyclops/GN!Reader I've had this prompt saved in my drafts for SO LONG. Basically since the moment it came in!! I was so happy you sent this in bc i had been thinking about writing for Scott, but then I couldn't think of a good enough way to carry this out so I waited on it for a good bit until I had it down to a science!! Hope you enjoy!! Man, I started writing this and then realised I had to make a banner for him too 😭 I did this to myself tho Most of the characters I write for are written as combinations from different x-men media, but I'm still figuring out how I want to characterise Scott since he's a new character for me. Just wanted to put this out there in case I change how I write for him in future fics. (also, let me know how you feel about him in this one! Tell me if yall think I should tweak his attitude a bit :) ) Edit from the future: I started this draft so long ago and damn did it turn out long. TWs: Idk at the moment, will add if I think of any! Reader has a specific power that is kinda vague at first. I've written them out at the very bottom BUT if u read u will spoil the surprise of the fic so fair warning

Scott does not like you. At least, not anymore.

You've known each other for a long time, both coming to Xavier's school within weeks of each other. You used to be friends- or at least friendly. But as you both grew and learned more about yourselves and your powers, a gap began to form, and then continued to grow once both of you became members of the x-men.

It's not like he didn't notice your tendency for rebellious behavior before, but on the field? the two of you clashed more than ever. He's doing his best out here, and the last thing he needs as a leader is both you and Logan going out of your way to put yourselves in dangerous situations because you think you know better.

And the moment you get back to the mansion? You clash all over again- and over the dumbest things. You practically avoid him all of the time, refuse to spar with him unless you're forced, will scoot away from him if he has to sit next to you on game nights. It's like the very thought of brushing against him is enough to get under your skin.

The moment the blackbird lands, you should have known what to expect. But you're in such a good mood, with the mission having gone well despite all odds. Sure, you didn't exactly follow Cyclops' foolproof plan, but when did you ever?

Scott is standing at the end of the ramp when the doors open, watching with a rather sour look on his face as you laugh with Jubilee, the others trailing shortly behind. He crosses his arms, and you barely stop short of him, acting like you had never seen him in the first place as you sigh, nodding at the others to go ahead before finally turning to him and crossing your own arms.

"Go ahead. Say your piece." You say. It only stokes the irritation in him, and he scowls.

"You can't go one, single mission and actually listen to what I say, can you?" He snaps. You roll your eyes, knowing that if he had it his way, you'd never have gone on the mission at all. Still, you stand defiantly, unwilling to back down.

"Look, you weren't even there, you can't expect me to-"

"It would be different if I was there, but I wasn't." Scott interrupts you, and the aggravation it lights in you is practically all-consuming. You can't hold back your scowl. "You were the only senior member of the team on that plane, do you understand how detrimental it could have been if you had gotten hurt, or worse?!" Oh, what a load of horseshit. It's alway the boy scout schtick with him- I'm the leader, do what I say, If I was there none of this would have happened- what an asshole! Hell, in the second half you might have actually thought he was concerned for you and the team, but you knew better.

"Don't act like you actually give a damn, Summers." You snap. "Everyone is fine, no one got hurt, I don't see your problem." You're done with this. You're tired, sweaty, exhausted, and the last thing you want to be doing right now is talking with him. You knock shoulders with him as you brush past, but he reaches out and grabs you by the arm. You feel a mix of strong emotions- anger, concern, frustration- and thoughts swim in your head, before snatching your arm away from him like you'd been burned. He pauses for a second as you whip around and look at him, a rage in your eyes. He still looks at you with that stupid, stubborn look on his face.

"I get that you think I'm just some stuck-up asshole, but there's a reason I get angry when you do something reckless." His voice has lost the smallest a bit of fire. You scoff at him immediately, before turning away to storm out.

"Eat shit."

So no. things weren't exactly cool between you two.

It's not like you weren't friends at some point though, back when you were kids. You didn't know what happened to cause this rift, but he only really thought of you as some reckless idiot as of late, and you didn't care to learn anything else about what was going on in his brain.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean you could avoid him forever. Not when the both of you are on a team.

You only realise how much pain you're in when the blackbird's autopilot clicks on. Your suit was scuffed and worn in some areas, starting to burn at the edges of your sleeves as the protective coating started to wear away. You noticed it in the midst of battle, trying to focus on manipulating debri to a colder temperature rather than a hot one, but sometimes you can't afford to be picky in fights. Your suit may have been temperature resistant, but you were temperature invulnerable. Besides, heat did the most damage anyway.

You frown a bit at the sight of your burnt sleeves. Normally, you'd be worried that Hank would be mad at having to make a new suit again, but if anything you were sure he'd be grateful for the challenge of improving it. Scott was really the only one who would scold you for it, always coming back to the same arguments of being too reckless, ect, ect... and speaking of Scott, he was being awfully quiet right now.

The cockpit is empty exempt for the two of you, being the only two assigned to the mission. Scott is sat in the pilot's chair, and you can't really see much of him besides the top of his head. He's silent, and it makes you worried.

When you stand and walk. over to him, his face looks pained. You're sure his eyes are closed under his signature visor, his head leaning back limply in the chair, hair tussled. You furrow your eyebrows. You knew he'd be tired, but he's not usually this burned out.

"Scott? You alright?" You ask. he only hums in response. It's then when you realise what's wrong.

"Migraine?" You ask, and he hums in the affirmative. You wince at the thought. You knew he got migraines often, especially when using his mutation more than usual, and having migraines yourself, you knew he was hurting. You take a look at where the emergency aid box usually is, knowing it had painkillers, but the space is empty, and you sigh to yourself when you remember you used it on a local- Scott agreeing with you for once when you wanted to leave it with them for any more emergencies. You look back at Scott, and think for a moment more.

Scott jumps when you place a cold hand on his forehead, having settled your weight on the back of the chair behind him. It sparks a feeling of surprise.

"What are you doing?" Scott asks, and instead of his usual accusatory tone, he just sounds tired.

"Don't be a baby." You respond, chilling both hands and combing through his hair gently. Scott is confused as all hell. Why were you doing this? You go out of your way to avoid him at any cost, and then... this? What even was this?

But... he'd be lying if it didn't feel nice. Scott begins to relax underneath you as you continue to comb through his scalp, pressing gentle touches to his forehead as you do so. It's... it feels good.

"My mom used to do this when I was little." You say softly, after a long moment of silence. "Whenever I had a migraine, she'd run her hands under cold water for a long time, lay my head in her lap, and run her hands through my hair. The cold usually helped." Scott's shoulder's are sagging now, and he sighs every once in a while. Although he doesn't say anything, you don't need to ask. There's a question beginning to brim, but you answer it before he can even speak- saving him the effort of talking in the midst of his pain.

"...And it just felt nice to feel her play with my hair, I guess. 'figured it might help you, too."

You try not to dwell on whatever thoughts begin to swirl after that.

It's hard to tell when things shift after that. Even harder for Scott to understand why.

Eventually you go from avoiding him at any given chance, stiff and petty with your actions, to casual. Not quite friendly, but almost.

"And... Right hand red!" Jubilee calls from the couch, having entirely too much fun for someone who isn't even playing this game. Everyone who's already lost has dispersed, either playing a different game or having good conversation. The game of twister had started with four? Maybe five of you? But at the moment, it was just down to you and Scott. -The two of you being way too competitive to let the other win. At the moment, both of you were in a bit of a strange position, with Scott managing to crawl over you at some point. Aside from that, the game had been going on for uncomfortably long- long enough for the pizza to get here.

The doorbell rings and it's pretty instantaneous when people start to flock to the kitchen for the feast, Jubilee included. There's a flicker of panic in both of you as she quickly leaves.

"Hey!-"

"Jubilee! Wait!"

"You'll be fine, you big babies!" She calls out, giggling in her pursuit of the cheesy goodness. That just leaves you and Scott on the matt, pressed together in some places and a but uncomfortable, but awkwardly? Still competeting.

"God, that pizza smells good." Scott groans from above you, the smell of food becoming more and more tempting. You think about it, for a half a second maybe, but that competitive little devil on your shoulder gets to you before your stomach can.

"You know what? why don't you go ahead and grab a piece!" You say, causing Scott to cock an eyebrow at you.

"What, and let you win? Not a chance." He huffs. You shrug best you can, it was worth a shot! Neither of you were going to budge any time soon, determined not to let the other win. But the longer you stayed pressed together...

It's not like you hadn't noticed how handsome Scott was. Hell, who wouldn't? Even Logan isn't immune to his good looks, but obviously you weren't going to be... wierd, about it. You're just playing a game, right? But the sight of him above you, slightly flushed, shifting every once in a while while keeping his balance? It was... tempting.

It doesn't take long for other thoughts to begin swimming around, worming their way into your mind. The two of you in various states of undress... gasping, gripping onto one another... marks on his neck, your lips swollen and stained by the lipstick your wearing tonight.

Each and every thought leaves you more flustered than before, slipping on the plastic mat and accidentally knocking into one of Scott's weight bearing arms and sending the two of you colliding into the floor. You hear Scott let out a noise of pain and you're not down there for long before you shove him off of you, face burning as you grumble about his win. You stalk off without much fanfare, leaving Scott a bit befuddled.

"What was that all about?"

But regardless of how aggravated you made eachother sometimes, everyone has their breaking point...

You're surprised when Scott kisses you in the hall some weeks later, less than a second after a heated spat started to take a bit of a turn, but to be honest? You were into it.

His lips are soft, if a little chapped, heated kisses full of force and urgency before they soften just a little. You kiss him back in a similar manner his hands falling to your waist as you grab him by the collar and pull him even closer. You're quick to start moving the two of you backwards fumbling for a closet door you could have sworn was right... there.

As soon as the door swings open, you pull him inside, pushing him against the wall once it closes again and cupping the back of his neck as you pull him into another kiss. An unfamiliar feeling of warmth shoots through you as you do, and you almost giggle as his thoughts start to flood with more and more tempting situations for the two of you to be in.

After each and every dirty thought he has, you start to wonder if he even remembered your touch telepathy after having known you for so long- but hell, even if he didn't, you weren't complaining.

If u made it this far, I wanna give u details about the Reader's powers some more!! Specifically, the powers are temperature manipulation/temperature invulnerability/touch telepathy! They get a bit complicated bc reader can't light shit on fire or make ice out of the air, but they can melt shit and freeze existing water though! As long as reader touches it in some way! Due to this they're invulnerable to heat/cold for obvious reasons. Touch telepathy was added bc i love mutations with unnecessary layers (Emma frost) and... u really think I was gonna let scott get away without banging another telepath? wrONG

[tony-buddenbrook]

With Irwing seemingly being an ex-military man, do you think he went through the same thing as innie!Irwing before leaving the army? With the "don't ask don't tell" politics, it feels eerily obvious that Irwing worshipped his father and joined the army only to discover his sexuality and rebel against the establishment because he fell in love?

Innie!Irwing seems to be very trusting, friendly and open-minded, but he is also fiercely loyal to his principles and ideals (and people around him, too, which is less obvious because he lacks the "us vs them" mentality that loyal people sometimes display). Loving Burt and being willing to go through hell for him is perfectly natural to his character, after all he was immediately locked in on trying to help Helly to transition to innie life, BUT the series misdirects us because he does it in THE MOST awkward way.

But he does help! He wants to get her out of the office and make her move physically (instead of sitting around), make her curious about the world, which is actually what Helly needed, he just quoted the scripture the whole time, and we were thrown off by that!

And if we take those characteristics at their face value (friendly, open-minded, loyal, brave, values integrity, wants to be helpful and knows how to be helpful) then yeah, hot outie!Irwing goes very well with that!

Innie!Irwing is also quite dramatic and appreciates art, and guess who wears cool leather jackets and paints every night? (and no, it's definitely not just to communicate, innie!Irwing wouldn't have been able to perceive it if it wasn't something that Irwing's body enjoys doing and knows how, I think)

I actually think that all innies use outies' social skills and have the same core values! At the very least, both Marks are very skilled manipulators, both Dylans are altruistic and value family above all else (in fact I think Dylan's thing for perks might have been an expression of despair that he had to go through severance for his family, a very serious sacrifice, and a subconscious desire to overcompensate for that) AND both of them are VERY awkward and focused on performance (Dylan's ambitions as an echo of his desperation?).

With Helly it is purposefully difficult, because we are definitely being misdirected to misunderstand Helena! Right now it seems that Helena is very lonely and fell for Mark like immediately, from videos (the proverbial erotic fixation, if you will!), and that she is confident and is good at masking her true emotions. Something that Helly is notoriously bad at. Did Helly fall for Mark that quickly? Idk I think she might have? Not sure.

[himluv]

Just a Taste

Chapter 28(?!?!) of Say My Name (Say it Twice) is here! Read it below or over on AO3!

Now that he and Rook are together, Lucanis decides he might just try acting on some of these new feelings he's been struggling with late at night.

There was no place that Rook could go that Lucanis would not follow, but the Necropolis put a stutter in his step every time. Even without Spite, he didn’t think he’d be comfortable in the dank, dusty, cavernous place. It reeked of incense and funeral bouquets, and the backs of his eyeballs itched furiously at the rampant magic that kept the crypts intact. 

It was a place that vaunted death, and while Lucanis was well-versed in the causes, he did not like to dwell on questions of what came after. 

He was not a religious man. He firmly believed you only get one life that could so easily be curtailed, so it was best to live well. The Necropolis suggested there could be more to life and death, and Lucanis had no interest in exploring those possibilities for himself. 

While the Necropolis made him uncomfortable, it made Spite irritable. Even more so than usual. The demon did not play well with other spirits, especially ones as benign and courteous as those in the desiccated halls of the Necropolis. 

So, they were both quiet and discomfited as they followed Rook and Emmrich. Rook seemed, if not entirely at ease in the crypts, at least curious about the magic required to maintain them. She and Emmrich spoke in hushed, reverent tones that Lucanis only heard part of. 

“I didn’t expect it, but Strife and I are getting along quite well,” Emmrich said. 

Spite growled at the mention of the elder Veil Jumper, but if Emmrich heard it, he chose to ignore it. And Spite wasn’t the only one troubled by mention of Strife. 

The Professor might be oblivious to it, but to Lucanis, Rook’s discomfort with the conversation was clear. Her posture was rigid, shoulders back and head high, despite the downward tilt of her chin. 

“But where to go with him…” Emmrich continued. 

Asking Rook for advice about Strife was reasonable, but Emmrich didn’t know about their recent fight. And Lucanis could tell that she would rather not speak about her mentor at the moment. 

“Does he like coffee?” Lucanis asked. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d needed to alleviate Rook’s unease. He winced. “Or... knives?”

There was a beat of silence as Emmrich and Rook both turned to look at him. Emmrich’s brow was furrowed as he considered it, but Rook could barely bite back her grin. 

Mierda, what was he thinking? He knew nothing of Strife and even less of romance. He should not be giving advice to Emmrich of all people. The man was stylish and confident, and doubtless had much more experience than Lucanis. 

“Sorry, Emmrich,” he said. “Rook might be better at this.”

She gave him a chastising look, one he knew meant he’d hear just what she thought of that later. And while she would never convince him that he was good at flirting, he looked forward to her efforts to do so. 

As the mages fell back into discussion of where Emmrich should take his date, Lucanis let them lead the way through the dusty halls, content to watch their backs. Besides, he very much enjoyed the view of Rook’s hips when she jogged ahead of him. A view it was getting harder and harder for him to ignore.

Want. Rook! Spite said.

Lucanis shot him an ugly look. He did not need the demon’s needling now, not with Emmrich close enough to hear. 

Spite’s grin widened. Want to watch. To touch. To TASTE!

“Enough,” he hissed at the demon. 

“Everything all right back there?” Rook asked. She glanced over her shoulder at him, a small smile on her lips. 

“Fine,” he said. 

Rook wants too! Spite glared at him. Would make. Rook. Happy!

Lucanis rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was his demon encouraging his more… salacious thoughts. They were out of control as it was. Luckily, Spite got distracted with chasing a wisp, and Lucanis was able to follow after Rook (and her lovely, wide hips) in peace. 

A few days later, he and Rook were sitting in the armchairs in the dining hall, enjoying a rare cup of morning coffee. She was going to Arlathan with Davrin and Assan later that afternoon, and she was always jittery before a trip home. Partly out of excitement – she truly loved the forest – but also because she was bound to see Strife. 

So, in an effort to ease her nerves, Lucanis had offered a light breakfast and coffee. Few of their colleagues were fond of mornings, so they had the dining hall to themselves. The meal, coffee, and easy conversation seemed to be working. Rook’s eyes were clear and her smile bright as she sat and chatted with him. They were discussing favorite books, and while their mutual love of reading was exciting, they were learning that they had very little overlap in their reading history. 

She shook her head. “It’s been so long since I had time to a read a book,” she said. 

He nodded. “Bellara has made it her mission to get me caught up on all I’ve missed this past year.” He said it so casually, without any consideration, that for a heartbeat he didn’t understand why Rook’s smile melted into a frown. 

“Oh, Lucanis–”

He raised a hand. “It’s fine, Embria,” he said. It was more than fine, actually. For the first time since his escape, he hadn’t thought of the Ossuary when he alluded to the time he’d lost there. There had been no water thundering in his ears, no bands of ice cinching his chest tight. There’d merely been the facts of the matter: he’d missed a year’s worth of publications. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he added when he noticed the concern in her eyes.

“You didn’t,” she said. She took a deep breath and looked down into her coffee cup, suddenly timid. “I don’t want you to think you can’t talk to me about it.”

Something in his chest twinged, and he had to look away. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. The bitterness in his voice surprised him. It’d only been a few short months since Rook had saved him, but he was tired of thinking about and talking around his imprisonment. 

Her hand was warm on his forearm, her thumb rubbing soothing circles into his skin. “But, if you need to,” she said. 

Lucanis gave her a tiny, half-smile. “I know,” he said. “But, you’ve already seen it.”

Her look was skeptical, as if she didn’t fully believe him. Which… was fair. She’d seen his thoughts, his fears and insecurities. She had not seen the actual torment, the memories that replayed in his dreams on the bad nights. If he could help it, she never would.

“Embria,” he said. “You know my thoughts. I’m all right.” He squeezed her hand where it rested on his arm. It still amazed him, how she touched him so easily, and it amazed him even more how much he looked forward to her touch. 

She squeezed his arm, then released him. “Okay.”

The dining hall door opened and Emmrich entered the room. He hummed a little tune and had a definite jaunt to his step. And, most tellingly, his clothes were every so slightly rumpled. It was clear that the mage had only just arrived back at the Lighthouse.

Lucanis smiled. “Emmrich,” he said. “How did it go?” 

The professor grinned. “Very well, thank you!”

Lucanis glanced at Embria fondly. “I knew Rook would give you good advice.”

She snorted at that and rolled her eyes. “I told him to go look at bugs.”

He frowned. “Bugs?”

She shrugged. “There’s a cave where the bugs glow like veilfire.”

He blinked at her. That sounded… beautiful. Possibly gross, but still beautiful.

“Actually,” Emmrich said, his smile sharpening and a hand on one hip. “As it turns out, Strife does indeed collect knives. So, your suggestion was excellent as well, Lucanis.”

“Really?” He stared at the mage and pointedly ignored Rook’s grin in his peripheral vision. “That…” he shook his head. “Has never worked for me.” He sat forward, his own smile widening. “I can get you the name of my blacksmith.”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Emmrich said. 

Embria downed the last of her coffee and stood. “At least that means Strife should be in a good mood today.”

Emmrich’s mustache lifted with a wry smile. “I daresay he will be.”

Rook made a disgusted noise, her nose crinkling adorably. 

Lucanis looked between them for a moment, sure he was missing something. Why would Strife’s good mood be cause for disgust–

“Mierda,” he said, heat rising to his cheeks as he understood just what the mages were talking around. Good for Emmrich, he supposed, but that was not information Lucanis needed, nor wanted. First Taash and Harding, now Emmrich? And if the lingering looks between Neve and Davrin meant what he thought they might…

Was everyone in the Lighthouse having sex?

Well, everyone but him and Rook. And maybe Bellara, though he’d seen her blush whenever she wrote in her notebook. Maker only knew what she was writing about. 

Jealous? Spite whispered at his ear. 

No, and he needed to curtail this train of thought – Emmrich could hear Spite. 

The demon sniffed the air and grinned. Ahhhhhhh. Nervous! Afraid. To want!

“Lucanis,” Emmrich said, interrupting the demon. “Were you really spurned once for gifting someone a knife?”

Rook looked at Lucanis, her eyebrows high with surprise. 

He shrugged. “Not ‘spurned’ so much as ignored.” He shook his head. “I just… don’t have Illario’s gift for flirting.”

Rook curled her lip at his comparison to his cousin. He knew she disagreed with him, but she was hardly a neutral party. And it was an objective fact that Illario was far more charming than he was. 

“Well,” Emmrich said. “We all approach things in our own way.” The older man’s frown was gentle. Patient. “Who was it, if I might ask? The recipient of your gift.”

Lucanis shifted in his seat. “A Crow from another House.”

Rook gave him a curious, amused look. 

“It was a long time ago,” he added. 

“I’m surprised that the gift wasn’t better received, then,” Emmrich said. He sounded almost miffed on Lucanis’s behalf, which was nice, but completely unnecessary. Whatever fledgling feelings he’d carried for Viago had long since faded. 

“You’ve met him,” he said. “He’s very… particular.”

Rook’s gaze burned into him, and he knew she had at least a dozen questions she wanted to ask. Lucanis focused on his coffee while she waited for Emmrich’s tea to steep. Once he left, she refilled their cups with the last of the coffee. 

“So,” she said, handing him his cup as she returned to her seat. “A very particular Crow from another House.”

“Yes.”

Her smile only widened at his terse reply. “This wouldn’t happen to be a certain Fifth Talon, would it?”

He rolled his eyes. “It was a long time ago, Rook.” 

Her smile softened as she reached for his hand. “I think it’s sweet,” she said. 

Sweet. He wondered, would she still think him sweet if she knew how he thought of her, late at night? How he imagined her touch, her taste, when the night drew long? How, when his dreams weren’t haunted by the Ossuary, they always featured her? 

She’d said she would leave initiating the more… sensuous aspects of their relationship to him. And while he knew he wasn’t ready for all that could entail, he couldn’t deny he very much wanted a taste. Just a little hint of her desire, to get him through the next aching night. 

Lucanis took her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. A soft, chaste kiss they’d shared many times now. Then he turned her hand to press his next kiss to the heel of her palm. 

“Sweet,” he murmured, the word ghosting over her skin. He glanced over at her, saw the surprised heat in her eyes, and his own desire surged through him at the sight. His instincts screamed at him to look away, to hide this feeling from her.

But Lucanis didn’t want to hide anymore. Not from Rook. So, he held her gaze and allowed his own to go molten. 

“And if I don’t want to be sweet?” He asked, his voice low and controlled. He pressed another kiss to the inside of her wrist and hummed when he felt her pulse jump against his lips. 

She watched him as if stunned, her eyes dark and lips parted. She licked her lips and blinked. “What do you want?”

He hummed again and let their hands return to the table between them, still interlaced. He wasn’t entirely sure. He wanted to touch her, to explore her skin and see which spots made heat bloom in her cheeks and her breath hitch. But that wasn’t an activity for midmorning in the dining hall. Plus, she had an outing to prepare for, and Lucanis wanted to take his time with that particular experiment. 

He released Rook’s hand and moved to stand before her. She looked up at him, crystal grace eyes wide and wondering. Then he leaned forward, planting a hand on each arm of her chair, framing her between his arms, his body hovering over hers. Her breath hitched, her chest heaving beneath him, and Lucanis let a slow, pleased smile claim his lips. 

Slowly, he leaned closer to her. Rook lifted her face, her eyes fluttering closed, and for a breath he marveled at her like this. Flushed pink and just a little desperate. She was perfect. 

Rook. WANTS!

Yes, she most certainly did.

Lucanis leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Have fun with Davrin and Assan today,” he said at her ear. She shuddered, and then he pulled away from her with a mischievous grin as she let out a frustrated huff. For a moment he feared he’d done something wrong, perhaps had even upset her, but her frustration turned to an awed chuckle as she opened her eyes and saw his smile. 

“So,” she breathed. “Lucanis Dellamorte is a tease.”

His grin widened, and he ran a hand through his hair. “For you? Yes,” he said. “I think I might be.”

Her blush deepened and she bit her lip, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. Another gorgeous image to lock away in his mind for later. Then his doubt wormed its way back to the surface. 

“Is that all right?”

“Yes.” She nodded emphatically. “That?” She continued, gesturing at him with one hand while the other brushed her hair back over one ear. “That was… very good.”

It was his turn to blush. He cleared his throat and tugged at his waistcoat. “Good,” he said. 

She stood, eyeing him with plenty of residual heat. “Will I see you in the music room after dinner?”

His heart thumped in his chest, and his throat felt dry. But he thought of his own desire to touch her mere moments ago and nodded. 

“Good,” she said. Then she stood up on her toes and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to his cheek. She grinned at him, and then headed out into the bright fade-light of the courtyard. 

Lucanis stood there for a long moment, his hand coming up to touch where her lips had met his skin. “Mierda,” he whispered, shaking his head. 

He was going to kiss her tonight, he decided. They’d both waited long enough. And with his mind made up, now he just needed a distraction to pass the time. He glanced around the dining room, and decided he’d start by cleaning the kitchen. And, when that was done, if he still had Rook’s lips on his mind, he’d go workout. 

Tonight. Just a handful of hours and he would finally know if this first kiss truly tasted like honey and lavender cream. He suspected it wouldn’t. Because, if he had to guess, it would be even sweeter. 

[farfromstrange]

Happy Birthday!! I’m sorry your birthday leaves you with mixed feelings, but I hope this celebration helps direct them towards the happy side of things💖 Can I please request a bouquet of tulips regarding Matt and the stray animals of Hells Kitchen? Cats, dogs, even possums and raccoons? Heck, how does the devil of Hell’s Kitchen feel about pigeons?

Aww, thank you so much, lovely 🥹🤍 And thank you for your request(s)!!

These headcanons were actually so much fun to think about.

Here’s your bouquet of tulips!

Matt Murdock and The Strays of Hell’s Kitchen (Headcanons)

Event Masterlist | Matt Murdock Masterlist

I feel like Matt is the kind of person who doesn’t usually pay much attention to the animals around him because most of the time, they’re much quieter than the people of New York City, so when he encounters one he won’t let them throw him off his game. However, our Devil of Hell’s Kitchen definitely has his favorites and least favorites.

The stray cat that keeps appearing on his fire escape? He doesn’t want to admit it, but he kind of enjoys the company. He’s fascinated by how easily this tiny ball of fur started trusting him once he started feeding it some tuna. Cats usually don’t find him off-putting when he’s in the suit, and he likes that. He likes petting them, too because cats purr at a frequency that perhaps is soothing to his senses. And if he finds one that’s hurt? You best believe he will take it home, clean it (although that’s a fight he often loses), and patch it up. And he’d drop those who are really bad off at a shelter to make sure they get taken care of.

Matt Murdock and cats (especially orange ones) have a lot in common, so I think they’re the kind of animals he enjoys being around, even though they annoy the shit out of him. He’s just incredibly touched-starved, and having a stray cat dote on him just makes him feel a different kind of way. He certainly wouldn’t mind if the same stray cat came back to him on the regular. He’d adopt that fur-ball without even realizing, and suddenly he’s a cat owner who gets cuddles every night. Using his tie to play with it before he can buy toys? You bet! Finding a vet to nurse the poor thing back to health? Matt Murdock to the rescue. Would it be easy with his sensory issues? No. But he turns into a cat person nonetheless. It’s better than being alone, anyway.

I also think he doesn’t mind dogs. They’re active, they’re fun to play with, and they’re very empathetic. Sometimes a little too empathetic for his taste. He may have shut down Foggy’s and Karen’s idea for him to get a guide dog, but that’s because he is insistent on shouldering everything on his own and accepting help—even if it’s from a dog trained to support someone with his disability���doesn’t sit right with him. It’s an issue. Anyway, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like dogs! You best believe he’ll make sure the stray dogs of Hell’s Kitchen end up at an animal shelter. If you remember Season 2 where Matt searches for Frank and finds the dog instead, he is good with them. They listen to him. They respect him, and he respects dogs. I can see him bringing home a stray eventually, just because he knows what it’s like to be alone and Matt hates the fact that others have to suffer the same fate. He’d have to make sure the dog gets along with the cat though.

Possums? It’s a complicated relationship. I headcanon one bit him once while he was, once again, lying half-dead in a dumpster and the poor thing got spooked by this grown ass man trying to climb back out, so it bit him. He had to explain to Claire that no, he was not bitten by his opponent, it was actually a possum, and she laughed at him. He’s not their biggest fan, but he also doesn’t despise them. I feel like Matt would be open to reconciliation though. Like, they’re just trynna survive on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. He can’t really blame them for that.

Same goes for raccoons. His sense of smell is so sensitive he can smell every last item of garbage they’ve had their noses in, but they’ve never hurt him. He doesn’t necessarily pay attention to them when they cross his path, but he definitely wouldn’t want to stay close to a raccoon for an extended period of time.

I don’t know why, but I feel like Matt’s the kind of guy who feeds the pigeons outside the courthouse. He’d take the breakfast Foggy got him and share it with them, even though it’s technically not allowed. And Foggy would definitely need to call out, “Matt, stop feeding the pigeons!” Before security has to intervene. That may change though if one ever decides to poop on him. New suit? Ruined. He’d never feed them again.

Bonus: I like to think he despises spiders, mostly because he can hear them crawling over walls and stuff, and that’s just a sensory nightmare. If you’ve ever had one crawl on you, you know that feels fucking terrifying, and I imagine Matt would feel the same way. Unless they’re a daddy long legs chilling in the corner, eating all the flies (which he also despises), he will exterminate them. God can forgive him for that one.

[antheshewro]

A few random headcanons about Attack on Titan characters that make sense in my mind (even if some are truly random idk):

Levi – In terms of his personal appearance and grooming, we can say that he is canonically very attentive to it. I picture him being very meticulous when it comes to his nails and especially shaving his face. In his free time, he still visits the Underground and brings basic necessities to children and families. On the Surface, he always helps, if he can, homeless people. After the war and once he became a retired veteran, he began to smoke even though it repulsed him. It was, however, a great way to calm his nerves.

Erwin — There were stray cats wandering around the backyard of the headquarters and he fed them regularly, to the point they started to settle there and became a feline colony. Hange, Moblit and Miche may have or have not helped him. A man that every single woman wanted to marry, or would have wanted as a son-in-law. He was tempted to let his facial hair grow, when he let it grow after he lost an arm, but at the end decided against it.

Moblit — He always reminded me of Armin, and just like him, he would probably spend hours inside the library to read while drinking tea. A very calm and quiet guy, well liked by the ladies as well, though he never felt like they would be interested in him. A morning guy who would like bread with butter and cherry jam for breakfast.

Hange — Has read "The Metamorphosis" by Kafka and asked themselves for weeks if the protagonist was a big roach or a small roach. Sleep talks, learned how to fix things by themselves even though it would end up with them having at least one small cut. Likes spicy food but regrets eating it every single time.

Miche — Very much into trekking, walking in the countryside, camping and all that stuff. Cooking meat on a fire in the middle of a forest, fishing with bare hands, hunting but only to feed himself. I can see that he's one who would build a birdhouse and replenish it with food periodically.

Nanaba — At least two Scouts told her that she was the perfect combination of Erwin (she's blonde with blue eyes) and Levi (her haircut and features). A big flirt with women, if a man is annoying a lady at the tavern she would step up no matter if the said guy is twice her size.

Oluo — His haircut is clearly an attempt to copy Levi's own. He said, to himself, "Nanaba has a similar one, I can do it" and ended up with... that. He also tried to hold teacups like Levi does, but they slipped from his fingers. He broke three of them in the span of a few weeks.

Petra — Massive dog lover, especially those small chihuahuas with big ears and a fluffy body. If Birkenstock were a thing in Paradis, she would've owned a green pair.

Pyxis — As a young man, he had tons of women around him. A flirt but not to the point he would cheat on his wife (since he's canonically married). And when he still had hair on his head, he was clearly blonde.

Keith Shadis — A massive Jägerbomb and Jägermeister drinker. He smoked cigars to unwind as he took breaks from his paperwork, and since he didn't want his subordinates to know that he smoked, he blamed that it was someone else smoking near him. Also–stay with me on this, he gives me massive Egyptian vibes. If he was from outside the walls, that is.

Nile Dok — He has the aura of someone who despite living in Karanes, he faked a posh accent at some point so people wouldn't say that he was from that part of Wall Rose. Having a wife and daughters, he understood women pretty well but would say "Yeah, and I have a bi-cycle" when Marie would get her period. You got that? Marie had her cycle and Nile had a bi-cycle... dad jokes would be his thing

Dhalis Zachary — Remember that chair of his? He probably would enjoy splatter horror movies. The human centipede

Theo Magath — A guy who has a sweet tooth. Likes dark chocolate and butter biscuits with his black coffee. People at the Warriors Headquarters–Porco–bothered him to kill the cockroaches that entered the bathroom when summertime arrived.

General Calvi — An Italian surname, which makes me headcanon him as Italian. Picture him as "Saverio Giovanni Calvi" (I went with old Italian male names), and for his political party, he was a Marleyan who hated Eldians. I don't think I have to add anything else to this.

Niccolò — If we have to keep in mind that he was from Marley and hated Paradisians and Eldians, he reminds me of a person from Northern Italy that hates the South and calls them terroni uncultured and unmannered. In Paradis, after the war and after he realized he was no better than the islanders, taught himself how to cook the typical dishes, especially the venison that Sasha's father would hunt for his restaurant. Likes old Italian movies and he isn't fond of cooking dessert.

Reiner — Likes to water plans at the Warriors Headquarters and helps the staff members to clean up if he can. Takes sleeping drops and wanted to learn to play guitar, at some point. Despite the fact that people think he is in love with Historia, I think he loves her like gays love Lady Gaga.

Bring me the horizon Bertholdt — Tried to eat sand as a kid to see if it tasted like breadcrumbs. It didn't. He spent hours building a sandcastle until Porco destroyed it, along with his brother Marcel. Reiner helped him build it back, along with Pieck and an older Zeke. Likes to eat ice cream alone, at the park, and was a good student.

Annie — Liked to hit little boys as a kid, especially when they would tug on Pieck's hair and call her names. One day, she slapped a boy so hard, his glasses flew away. No, that wasn't Zeke.

Pieck — Massive caffeine addict, but she's now numb to it and can sleep even if she drinks four cups a day and gives her the shits. Likes nightgowns and always has well manicured fingernails.

Porco — One of those guys that act like big shots but a "your mama" joke is enough to shut them up. And whenever he teases someone and that person has a better comeback, he grumbles and leaves.

Zeke — If he has time, he helps the local animal shelters in Liberio. Has books about dinosaurs, and he was obsessed with them as a kid. Also a child who went to the supermarket and he put the products back in their place if other customers grabbed them and left in another spot–the label HAS to face him.

Sasha — As a Southern girlie, she knew every single folk dance and song, and she invited her friends at least once to the village festivals in Dauper.

Jean — When in season 4 we see him with facial hair and longer hair, it took him forever to grow them out. At some point, Connie teased him saying that he must've glued a rat on his head, and Jean slapped the back of his neck.

Connie — Sneaks out of his room to have a midnight snack but he's so loud, he wakes the entire headquarters up. Hange doesn't have the guts to send him back to bed, but Levi surely does. His real name? Constantine.

Armin — A guy that claims to love nature but the moment an insect lands on his shirt, he would pass out. Cockroaches, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers. You name it. But he likes bunnies–the reason why he never ate rabbit meat, if served. Politely declining and saying that it upsets his stomach. After the war, he embraced veganism or vegetarianism.

Mikasa — We know that she liked ice cream once she tried it in Marley, and I would say she likes black cherry one, lemon, vanilla and peach, but her weakness would be berries. Likes to take walks, alone, and if she goes to the cemetery to bring flowers to Sasha and she finds a tomb without flowers, she personally plucks a few and offers them to these poor souls.

Eren — He likes to go for walks by the sea, and he always carries bread with him to offer to the seagulls. When they pooped on his shirt, he got annoyed and stopped for a while. Also tried to throw stones and seashells at them to take revenge of that.

Historia — As a Queen, she tends to sleeps late. She doesn't care and she sleeps in, if she could. Still visits the orphanages, and once her daughter was old enough, she brought her to play with those kids to teach her inclusivity and equality.

Ymir — During her time as a Scout, she would be having massive fights with Oluo. She couldn't help it. She hated his ass, and if it wasn't for Historia, she would've beat him up. But she would find Nanaba to be bearable, and even Petra—as harmless as she was.

Yelena — Let me hold your hand when I say: her deep voice with a Russian accent. A woman who doesn't like to shave, a big and massive lesbian. If she didn't enlist in the Marleyan troops, she would've been a Marine.

Onyankopon — A true gentleman, ladies loved him in Marley. He's religious, but after the Rumbling, I feel like he lost his faith for a lot of reasons. Though, before the war, he was usually going to church every now and then and he did volunteer work.

Gabi — Have you seen the scene where she basically suplexed Falco? If she kicked or punched a few Marleyan soldiers that were calling her "midget", it wouldn't surprise me.

Falco — A good kid at school, always polite and respectful. The one who prevented Gabi from talking back to teachers, and even to Magath.

Willy Tybur — Has five kids, loves his wife but he slept around. 100%. Due to the influence he had in Marley and the fact that no one could go against him, if he left his illegitimate children, the women couldn't say anything about it.

Grisha Jaeger — Kept a journal where he scribbled his memories from Marley, so he wouldn't forget them. Also, bad at cooking. He tried once and almost burned the kitchen down.

Carla Jaeger — When she was a waitress, she always had the attention of both men and women. And since she wore lipstick, I can see that she would always be very fond of makeup. Complimenting the other women for their appearances–to flirt or not, that was up to one's interpretation.

Kenny Ackerman — If classic rock was a thing, he would've been a diehard fan of rock bands. He was a chain-smoker, liked to drink intense liquors and never got tipsy right away. Has a Southern accent, never been religious, but a fervid supporter of "the end justifies the means". When he became the legal guardian of Levi and he would soil the bed, he would walk out of the house to calm himself down and not yell at him.

Kuchel Ackerman — A woman that was very refined and elegant. I can see her having books about romance, with fantasy settings. She's the one who taught Levi how to properly handle his personal hygiene, a reason why his clients liked her–she was very well kept. She secretly smoked.

Furlan — A guy that attracted his fair share of ladies in the Underground. Always have a part of his food to Isabel, liked to brush her hair and retrieve knick-knacks she would like, and that she ended up losing.

Isabel — Another cat fan. She went around the Underground to feed the stray cats, and she had brought one back home, to the place she shared with Levi and Furlan. It didn't last much, due to Levi not liking cat hair around the place, but she secretly kept it in her room. They knew due to the smell of cat and the tiny mewls at night.

Hitch — One of the most liked girls in her branch of the Military Police. She had at least one date each week, dated a few guys. She also had a flirt with a girl, and she had to admit that it was something she couldn't ignore. Blunt and straightforward enough to be men's worst nightmare.

Floch — No surprise when we say that he would be a big misogynist. Preaching about women finding fulfillment if they got married and had kids. A guy who would laugh if your pet dies because "it's just a dog/cat/whatever it is", but he's a pathetic yearner if he falls in love. The thing is, more than half of the women he was interested in didn't give a damn about him.

Sorry if it's a bit too long and if I missed any character but I was bored and here's the result of that ★

[melonsharks]

I literally love ur transfem dipper (makes me so happy) but I actually live in the firm belief that dipper is transmasc. Him needing to be a man so bad can honestly go either way, but I wanted to know ur thoughts of ftm dipper?

I love transmasc dipper! I always have. He was one of the first characters I ever headcanoned as transmasc, and it's a hc I still enjoy thoroughly. I think it's beautiful that other transmasc people can relate to the things he goes through in the show and it really does make so much sense for him. He struggles so much with being seen and I think that's really the beauty of any trans dipper hc. He really embodies the experience of being trans in so many different ways that people can relate to.

It's not my main headcanon anymore, but that's alright, I think! I still like it. I love seeing people talk about it and compare their own experiences to him. Projecting on characters is one of the best parts about liking something.

Being fully, fully honest, I feel like it's a headcanon I adopted from fandom without giving it much thought (Dipper isn't even my favorite gf character, funnily enough so I never gave Dipper as much thought as he maybe deserved in general. Not before, at least.) This doesn't happen anymore, but I've gotten comments or asks before that are implying or just outright saying I'm taking dipper away from transmascs, even though I am transmasc myself! Honestly... I didn't think about it a lot because I just never related to transmasc dipper. When I was a kid, I never overcompensated for masculinity like that. I was really repressed, so I was really stubbornly feminine because I was scared and unsure of myself all the time, even when it hurt ME to be that way. That's why transfem dipper means as much to me now as she does! I just understand her.

But it would be stupid of me to say anything definitively when everyone's experience with their gender is so vastly different from my own... so obviously how they read dipper is different too. reading essays or fics or whatever where dipper is transmasc (or even nonbinary) feels like peeking into an experience that's unlike my own. and I just think that's awesome. It's really, really awesome.

[shepherds-of-haven]

Hi Lena! Was going through some old asks and was curious, if Junoth was part of the Shepherds in the game how would he get along with the other characters?

I know he does exist doing his own thing from the short stories but pretending like that isn’t the case lol

Hi anon, this is such a fascinating question! Give me a second to think on it...

...Okay! I'm going to go with the novel version of Junoth, or as best as I could transfer him: a spry, gamboling, youthful Ket (Khehi-Ket from Chicora, specifically, soldier class) with a lanky build, fox-orange hair, tan skin, and pointed, pixie-ish features. Energetic, enthusiastic, exuberant, vigorous, but fairly puppy-like and, unfortunately, a bit dumb. He has his clever moments, but he largely needs most things explained to him... simply, or he'll just stare at you with a blank, well-meaning look of confusion, like, "Okay.................. ...I don't get it." 🤦🏻‍♀️ Raucous, boundlessly optimistic, and full of determination and zeal, he gives off strong "little brother" energy, but not as cute or childlike as Caine. More like your maddening, half-grown 19-year-old brother who casually goes through your stuff even though you keep telling him to stay out and inadvertently (or possibly deliberately) says insensitive stuff about you in front of your crush or pranks you so unceasingly that you just want to strangle him. More on him here for folks who aren't familiar!

Blade: Blade and Junoth were childhood friends in the novels, so it's hard for me to separate that out and say they wouldn't be at least reluctant friends in the game! I'm going to quickly headcanon a scenario where Blade started the Shepherds and his childhood friend/old second-in-command showed up to help out, having handed in his resignation to follow his old friend and commanding officer Blade into the great unknown 🥹 So they'd definitely be friends, even though Blade would act even more annoyed by him than he does with Trouble (but still less so than Chase. ...Or Red.). It'd be a friendship borne of long tolerance and experience and history!

Trouble: they'd be fast friends! I can't imagine what unholy terror they would reign with Chase rounding off the trio. (Well, I suppose I can imagine it, because they did it in the novels.) I think he'd be closer to Junoth out of almost anyone else in the Shepherds, especially because Junoth would remind him of some of the boys he grew up with in his street gang. They'd always be underfoot, smoking charch and giggling together like schoolboys and planning some kind of mischief

Tallys: I think she'd either be indifferent to Junoth or would find him soooo annoying lol, he's pretty loud and reckless and bursting with an energy that would most likely give her a headache. She'd probably do her best to avoid him! She likes calm energy like Shery or Halek or Riel, and with her lifespan, she'd probably look at Junoth and think he's even more of a kid than the rest of the non-Elves 😭

Shery: I think she'd like having him around! Junoth is pretty biddable and approachable, as well as naturally a follower, so she'd find him very easy to talk to and approach! He's the very picture of non-threatening, which made him somewhat of an oddball in Ket society. If she could get him to settle down, she'd probably have a pretty tame assistant who'd be willing to help her out whenever she needed, so she'd enjoy his company a lot!

Riel:

Ohhhhh he would want to die. He could deal with Trouble. But Chase... and then you throw Briony into the mix... Privately he would refer to Junoth in his head as 'The Migraine.' Partially because Junoth is fond of dressing in extremely loud and clashing colors. It would set off Riel's neuroticism just to look at him. He'd also think Junoth is something of a rube. 'What's the rube bleating about today?' Ah, it's something about a drinking contest. Of course. His antipathy wouldn't manifest as cold disdain the way it does with Chase--he just wouldn't really have anything to say to Junoth most days, and if he did, it would be with bland professionalism--but if Junoth were to ever leave, Riel would feel a slight nostalgia for his persistent good-heartedness, at least. So they wouldn't be friends, but Riel also wouldn't hate him!

Chase: Good, goooooooood, Anakin! A third compatriot to round out the Three Chaosmigos! And he'd enjoy Junoth's blunt honesty and unadulterated way of looking at the world, though privately he'd shake his head at the endless optimism. He'd take Junoth under his wing instantly and then corrupt him to unfounded levels. Junoth's somewhat innocent boyishness would be converted to all kinds of misadventures. Junoth would certainly emerge more educated in the ways of the world... but at what cost?

Red: they'd be friends just like Red is friends with pretty much everyone else in the inner circle, but they wouldn't be like hanging out one-on-one, it would mostly be just in a group setting! He'd enjoy Junoth's presence and personality and respect him as a companion, but they don't have enough in common to be really interested in each other!

Ayla: She'd be a big fan of Junoth, honestly. At first she'd act a little annoyed by him because all of the cool kids do, but in actuality she'd find his enthusiasm and non-threatening, honest energy infectious and would really enjoy spending time with him. They'd probably come to be good friends with a sibling relationship; her, the tough, worldly older sister who he'd look to for advice, him the guileless and loyal ingenue she's always wanted to have around. They'd get along very well!

Briony: She'd love Junoth!!! She'd be obsessed with him, honestly. Instant brother to her. They'd be great friends and just pal around all the time, each feeding the other's natural energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. Have you ever seen two friends or siblings who are just constantly hyping each other up? That would be them. I actually think Junoth would become her best friend if he were around!

Halek: There would be much groanings and complaints from him whenever Junoth was in the vicinity. The guy is loud and boisterous, both to look and to hear, and he'd be a constant disruption to Halek's attempts to nap! In actuality, they'd get along pretty okay, but they wouldn't really be close friends. They wouldn't have enough in common or be truly compatible enough to be so.

Lavinet: for some reason I feel like Junoth would be stunned by Lavinet! Not exactly on the level of a crush, but he'd get a bit stammery and flummoxed around her, mostly because being around a beautiful noblewoman would be so far outside the scope of his typical experience that he'd default to a kind of meek and worshipful politeness that she'd end up enjoying very much. It would kind of be like a stableboy/footman to princess energy between them, and of course she's going to enjoy that: who wouldn't appreciate such honest and respectful admiration?? He'd probably be devoted to her LOL

Thanks for the fun question!