#but being he has a whole line about using whatever to make him stronger i feel it leans towards positive

[tetsuskei]

i contemplate if childe has a bad relationship with his older siblings and parents or if he just focuses so much on his younger siblings to give them the life that he didn’t have when he was younger. or maybe it could be a mixture of both.

[casino-lights]

so. the thing about Illario and Lucanis.

I don't have the screenshots but somewhere in Lucanis' mind, you hear Illario's voice saying "If I was in charge, you wouldn't have to do this anymore." as far as I can tell, all the other lines in his memories are from the game, but this one is from The Wigmaker Job. the story that took place over a year (probably more) prior to the events of the game. it's referring to a scene where Lucanis comes back from their contract, injured, and Illario, worried about his cousin, says that Lucanis wouldn't have to do Caterina's bidding anymore if Illario was First Talon. so now we know Lucanis still thinks about that conversation, even though it happened so long ago.

two other things about The Wigmaker Job: 1) Illario is a lot different in it and in some ways he seems more competent than the Illario we get in veilguard; and 2) we see Zara Renata at the end, and she already has Lucanis in her sights. depending on how much time passed between that contract and Lucanis' kidnapping, she could've been setting this up for months to years.

in the concept art/storyboard frames that were recently released, Zara is hardcore giving siren in the first image and it almost looks like she's straight up controlling Illario via blood magic in the second (imo)

now imagine if Zara was looking into Lucanis, started with the people closest to him, found Illario, and said all the right things. imagine she said he should be First Talon, Caterina never loved him, Lucanis doesn't believe in him and is secretly just tolerating him, he can save Antiva from the Antaam (or whoever else), he can lead the Crows to their long-awaited unification and make them even stronger, he's the smartest prettiest most super special boy in the whole wide world, etc. (if you give this man an ounce of praise and he actually believes it, he will crumble, I know it.)

now imagine Zara, having successfully sunk her claws into Illario - Lucanis Dellamorte's cousin, the only person closer to the Demon of Vyrantium than the First Talon herself - manages to convince him to let her kill Lucanis. he doesn't have to do it himself so there's less guilt. there's no way Caterina would make him First Talon if Lucanis was alive. and then Illario would be in a position to protect his beloved Antiva because if there's one thing the Antivan Crows are, it's patriots. I think Zara played Illario like a fucking fiddle and the game was just really bad at showing us that. I think when her spirit says "he fooled us both," she means he fooled her by being less of a coward than she thought and straight up killing her.

and maybe this is the Illario apologist in me, but I also think he realized the whole thing was a doomed plan after he was defeated. I mean, he shows up to the final battle to help, at risk of his own life. maybe he's trying to atone, maybe not, but still - he is there, and he sounds more like the Illario we see in The Wigmaker Job than whatever we got through the rest of the game. with his quippy little "was that suitably self-important?" line, he's closer to himself than he was this whole time, and that makes me wonder if maybe he wasn't fully Illario. maybe that was grief and guilt and a shaky sense of self and Zara's manipulation and the feeling of losing his grip on the power he never quite had to begin with, all bundled up into a new, bitter, resentful man. I think he was used like a pawn in Zara's chess game, and that doesn't take away from his agency in this situation or lessen the blow of his betrayal, but it does make it easier for me to swallow the fact that the Obvious Traitor Illario I was immediately skeptical of in-game is not the Illario I immediately loved after one scene in Tevinter Nights where he shaves a single hair because it was uneven with the rest of his five o clock shadow.

I think ultimately, Illario realized Lucanis would forgive him anyway. I think it's because he realized he would forgive Lucanis too.

[takamiwife]

Got sick and can not stop coughing at all and yhe worst part is my period started the same time rip

Could i request a lil comfort thing for hawks or dabi comforting the reader who is sick and also feels even worse cause she has rlly bad cramps?

AWW I HOPE YOURE FEELING BETTER :(( sorry this is likely out after you’re all better but this still deserves to be written !! if you’ve submitted something to my inbox dw, i have seen it and it’s in my drafts, im just going in order!! 💞 also, there’s some sex and the city spoilers toward the end of it, for season 3, so just watch out for that if you’re watching it/interested in watching it!

well, sick season was back and hit you full force. you woke up, your throat feeling like it had been scratched by a thousand cats and your nose stuffed. you groaned, your voice barely coming out above a whisper. you shuffled out into the kitchen, nearly passing out from reaching up into the cabinet to get some tea.

“baby? are you okay? you’re up early” keigo yawned, following you out into the kitchen

all it took was for you to turn around, looking at keigo; tired, darkened eyes, puffy cheeks, and your body being able to stand.

“jesus, you definitely are not,” he frowned, putting a hand to your forehead. “you don’t feel like you have a fever… here, come on, sit down,” he guides you over to the couch, watching as you slump against the comfortable throw pillows. he hands you the remote and moves back into the kitchen, immediately making you some tea — you never seemed to have an appetite when you were sick, but hopefully you could handle this.

after adorning your tea with honey, he moved back to the couch, placing them in front of you, replacing the throw pillows with his own body as you lay on his lap.

you whimper, holding your stomach; as if everything else wasn’t bad enough, the universe decided to curse you with cramps too.

he stroked your hair, using a few of his feathers to retrieve the pill bottle from the bathroom, not wanting to move from his position. he opened the red-capped bottle, tapping a few pills into his hand. “here, cmon, you can sit up for me right?” he coos, helping you sit up and make sure you toon the pills, hopefully to at least help with the pain. “there we go, that’s my girl” he smiled

“don’t you have work?” you say quietly, moving your head back down to his lap.

“i can be a little late, they can manage without me. don’t worry about it, alright?” he said softly, running his hands along your side.

now, had you woken up with dabi, it would go a little different.

you lay in your shared bed, surrounded by his scent, but your boyfriend was nowhere to be found. he had been out all night doing.. god knows what with the league, and you had woken up with all of the worst symptoms imaginable. you scrolled on your phone, praying he’d be back soon so he could help you.

luckily, something listened, as he cracked the door open, trying his best to be quiet; a surprisingly sweet gesture from him when he was out all night on missions.

“shit, are you okay?” he kneeled in front of you. “you look awful”

“thanks for the reminder,” you say through a stuffed nose. “my throat is on fire, i can barely breathe through my nose, and of course i have to have fucking cramps..”

“well.. hey, at least you aren’t pregnant” he shrugged

you glare at him, a small part of you finding the silver lining a bit amusing

“can you.. help me, please? you know, like a good boyfriend?” you hide your smile

“uhh…” dabi trailed off, playing with a strand of your hair. of course he wanted to help, he just.. didn’t really know how. he didn’t really get sick, and if he did he just popped whatever pill was in his cabinet and said fuck it and continued on. “yea.. what do you want? we’ve probably got a whole stash somewhere - xanax, percocet, oxy, if you want something a little stronger.. uh, a little coke might not hurt, just rub it on your gums”

“are you insane?” you stare at him blankly. “do you just have, like.. tylenol? midol? anything like that? and not.. crushed up and in a line. in pill form”

“yea, yea, let me go check. pussy..” he muttered, shooting you a smirk.

you used your little strength to smack his arm, unable to hide your smile.

after digging around under his sink, he was finally able to find some normal, non-hard drug tylenol.

he returned to you, holding onto your side as you sat up, taking the pills with a swig of water.

“you uh.. really don’t feel good, do you?”

“you couldn’t tell?” you ask through your scratchy voice.

as you lay back down, he looked at you, your eyes closing as you groaned. he tried to remember back when he was a child; there was a short period of time where he got quite sick during the winter, and his mother was nothing short of a saint. cartoons, warm soup, medicinal tea, cool wash clothes on the forehead.. the whole nine yards. it was clear that what you needed right now was him, and he was more than willing to give that to you.

“c’mere..” he shuffled beside you, pulling you onto his chest. “are you.. hungry? do you want anything warm? that’d help your throat, right?”

“not right now.. just wanna sleep right now..” you say into his chest, and he pulls the warm blanket over you, kissing your head as you fall back asleep, finally sound and able.

now, as you fell back asleep on keigo’s lap, he knew he couldn’t ignore his work any longer or they’d have his head on a spike. in an indiana-jones style move, he replaced his lap with a pillow, draping a blanket over your sleeping form. he kneeled in front of you, watching you sleep as he kissed your forehead.

“i’ll be back soon, okay? i’m sorry i have to leave..” he whispered, brushing some hair away from your face.

luckily, with the day being quite boring, within about three hours of working, he was able to convince his side kicks to take over for the day; “you guys can handle this, i have a sick girlfriend i need to take care of. i mean, what horrible things are going to happen, it’s a random tuesday.”

back at home, you stirred back to life, the pain now having subsided a decent amount. you reach for your phone on the coffee table that sat beside your tea, clicking keigo’s contact. he picked up rather quickly, his voice being a comfort on the other line.

“hey my love, finally awake huh?” you could hear his smile through the screen.

“yea, i just woke up”

“ah, well your throat sounds a bit better. how are the cramps?”

“um, a lot better.. sorry to make you late, but i appreciate you staying with me”

keigo chuckled

“they were fine without me, love. actually, i just left them”

“what? but-“

“but nothing. i’m on my way home, want me to get your favorite?”

you sit up, smiling. “…if it isn’t too much trouble”

“i figured you’d say that. i’m already on my way there. i’ll see you soon, okay?”

“okay.. i love you”

“i love you too”

still being held in dabi’s arms, you slept surprisingly soundly despite everything. he slipped out of your grip, making sure you were comfortable before going to the raggedy kitchen downstairs, searching for anything that could make you feel better. but he was doubtful the crumbs in the dirty cupboards would help much. so, with no other choice, he put on his hoodie and a mask, pulling it up over his nose, less likely to be recognized.

so, after walking a few blocks to the nearest convenience store (that also happened to have a deli), he returned home with your favorite soup, a box of tea bags, and an ice cream bar for you to enjoy later if you felt better. after placing the ice cream in the fridge, he made a nice warm cup of tea (thanks to the help of his quirk) and brought that, along with your soup up to the room, setting it on the bedside table.

“hey,” he shook you gently. “i got you something.”

“mmh.. you’re supposed to let sick people sleep.” you whined.

“fine, go on and sleep, but your soup is gonna get cold”

you opened your eyes; okay, you were quite hungry now. you reluctantly sat up, placing your back against the wall.

“there she is,” he grinned slyly. “morning sunshine” he said, handing you the cup of soup with the plastic spoon. “and there’s um.. tea, too.”

“wow, you really went all out, huh?” you smile from over the cup.

“of course i did. it’s for you, after all.” he brushed it off.

“well, thank you honey.” you coo, gently scratching his chin. damn, he loved when you did that.

he sat beside you, occasionally accepting bites of your soup.

“if i get sick from this, you’re so dead” he

“you’d love me taking care of you, don’t lie”

“…fair enough”

within about forty five minutes, keigo had returned home, takeout bags in hand as you paused your show. he placed them down on the coffee table in front of you, unpacking them.

“thank you, kei. i mean it, really. you didn’t have to do all this.” you say, smiling at him as he came back with plates for the two of you.

“what do you mean? of course i did. i love you, and you didn’t feel good, so of course i had to help you feel better.” he said, placing the food onto a plate and handing it to you.

“well, still-“

“still nothing,” he cut you off, leaning toward you. “you take care of me all the time. this was nothing compared to all you do for me.”

your heart swelled as you stared at his determined face.

“now, catch me up. what’s going on with the girls?” he gestured to the tv.

“well, carrie just cheated on aidan with mr. big…”

after a few hours of lazing about and watching your favorite show on dabi’s phone, he returned to the room with his hands behind his back.

“i got something else for you, too… figured since you’re feeling better..” he pulled out the wrapped ice cream bar, holding it out to you.

“oh, baby..”

“i know it’s not the best, but it could help your throat feel better and.. i dunno, you like ice cream, so..”

you sit up on your knees on the bed, pulling him into a hug.

and as you enjoy your treat, he sits beside you.

“so, feeling better?”

“much. thank you, doctor.” you tease.

“well.. good. i don’t like seeing you like this.”

you lean your head on his shoulder, holding your ice cream up to him.

as much as he hated seeing you sick, dabi loved taking care of you for the day. of course he wanted you to feel better, but.. he wouldn’t mind another day of holding you in bed.

[brianwashere]

hello!! saw your writing today in my tags and got interested, read some more and you seem really cool :D i got one fic stuck in my head though, the one you posted earlier today with the 7 foot spider reader! it was really cool but i kind of thought about a follow up (and I made sure to check your rules before this)

i was thinking, m/n is really big, intimidating and generally a badass- however. in bed (nsfw) he’s inexperienced, shy af, and ends up just being really submissive (you actually didn’t specify if you prefer dom or sub reader, i assumed you mind neither, but if u don’t feel comfortable with this then just ignore)

thank you, and keep up your great works so far :D

Anon, you’re officially my favorite fucking person ever. Oh my god. This req. warmed my heart. Idek what. It just did. Thank you for reading my other fics too. Wow. I’m reeling rn.

Also you didn’t specify who with so I just did HCs for Noir and Miguel

Pls req again soon! You’re so sweet

**I do not own any characters or part of the franchise from marvel or sony **

Summary: look at req

Tw: explicit activities ehehehehe, language

-Miguel-

The first time you two try anything he’s expecting you to be all dominant and get his ass blasted

Y’all two are making out and he’s ready to take it to the next level

And you’re nervous cause you know he’s expecting you to be this super experienced “knows how to make you scream immediately” kinda guy

The truth is you haven’t had much experience because while people may be into the whole “huge man” thing they’re too scared to actually come up to you and even have a conversation

And you’re also scared of hurting your partner

Just a mix of things that led you to little experience

It doesn’t take long for Miguel to figure it out

As soon as you glanced at his face nervously he knew something was up

At first Miguel is surprised bcc he would’ve expected men and women to practically be hanging from you

Once he recovers from the initial shock he’s down with topping and showing you the ropes

It’s a bit of a boost to his ego, not to mention a massive turn on for him

He never lets you shy away from him/cover your face. He loves seeing you. He knows he’s not stronger than you but he’ll still pull your hands away/pull you closer

But sometimes he does wanna be on bottom

Queue very erotic teaching sessions

When you do something he likes he’ll definitely over exaggerate so you’ll know

He also loves marking you up in more…intense ways because he knows it won’t really hurt you

Clawing your back. He’ll claw the SHIT out of your back.

Biting you too. Sometimes he just can’t help it

He finds out you have god tier stamina and impecable recovery time and will definitely use that to his advantage

*cough cough* Overstimulation and denial *cough cough*

He’s down to do whatever you’re comfortable with but sometimes he really needs some stress relief i.e. getting a blowjob or just fucking you senseless

He won’t admit it but he likes when he’s the little spoon after you two are done

~Noir~

You got nervous and told him the first make out session that you had practically no experience

He was a little taken aback, again, you’re so big and so hot how could people not be lining up for a piece of you

It makes him feel even more lucky to be with you though

“Oh…that’s ok, dear. We’ll take it slow, then.”

Then he finds out your submissive too and he’s pretty sure he has a heart attack

Now he was pretty vanilla at first but then he found the internet and stumbled upon some kinks and did some…research

Behind. He loves seeing your back muscles move and twist under him

He likes tying your wrists together with some of his webbing

It’s strong enough that it could actually hold you if you tried resisting, maybe not for very long, but it wouldn’t snap like thread at the slightest pressure

He loves praising you. Praise. All the time. Always praise. You could breathe and he’d be on his knees for you

Every time he does something new he asks if you’re ok with it

He’ll be gentle if that’s what you want but he figures out that’s usually not the case

Usually you want everything he’s got, as much as he’ll provide you

He does love soft romantic nights with you though

Where he gets to enjoy your large beautiful frame and your contrasting shyness

When he gets to slow down and drink in ALL of you

The noises you make, the small movements, your incoherent mumbling

He loves ALL of it

He’s so down bad for you not even a joke

A little guilty pleasure for him is kissing you senseless

He loves being the big spoon for you, even if it just feels like a backpack is attached to you

[harry-on-broadway]

Fancy Dress

Word Count: 3.4K || Rating: M

A/N: So this was supposed to be posted in time for Halloween, but better late than never I guess. It can be read on its own, but I've been thinking of it as a sequel to last year's Harryween one-shot. It's not much, but I hope at least a few people enjoy it. 🫶🏻

***

“Gonna dress up for me again this year?” 

Those words had echoed through your head since he’d whispered them in your ear as the first glimpses of dawn pushed through the cloudy London skies. His body, warming yours as he inched closer to you on your pillow, threw off heat, stronger than any radiator you’d ever encountered, and you scooted closer to him in an attempt to ward off the chill of the room. 

“What are you talking about?” Your voice was hoarse, still thick with sleep. 

“For Halloween.”

“You hate Halloween.” You twisted in his arms to roll over and face him. “You’ve made that clear many times.”

“A man can change his mind.”

You sighed. “What happened to ‘Tour’s over. Let’s do something quiet this year?’ Hmm?”

Harry traced a line down your spine and you shivered under his touch. “Doesn’t have to be a big deal. Can be just the two of us.” 

“Well, I’m planning on dressing up as ‘woman who wants to snuggle and eat candy with her boyfriend.’ Accessories include sweatpants and a hoodie, as well as candy and an Apple TV remote.” You felt his laugh against your hair. “Best news of all, it’s a couples costume,” you continued. 

“Oh is it?” 

“Mmhmm. And if you don’t want in, it’s OK. I’ll just call my other boyfriend.”

“Your other boyfriend?!?!” Harry easily flipped you so you were lying trapped underneath him and began pressing feverish kisses against your skin as he tickled your sides. “You better take that back.” 

“Giovanni would never do this,” you laughed.

“He has a name?!” 

You laughed even harder as Harry doubled down on his efforts, forgetting about Halloween all together. 

***

Harry didn’t let the topic rest over the next couple of weeks, sending pictures of costumes – some tame, some a little sexier – throughout the day, earning a fair number of eye rolls from you. 

“What? I’m just trying to brainstorm.”

You looked up from your computer. “Why is this so important to you? Halloween’s never been a big deal. And it’s essentially been a work event for you for the past two years.” 

“I mean,” he shifted in the seat. “Last year was really…nice,” he said thoughtfully. “I liked getting to spend time with you.”

“You liked having sex,” you corrected. 

“Which technically counts as spending time with you.” He ignored your glare and turned thoughtful. “I’m just kidding, but really, I liked getting to spend a fun night with you and would love to do it again. If you feel the same way.”

You softened hearing how much that night meant to him. “Doesn’t it feel less special when it’s not a surprise?”

“I’m going to be honest, love, I really don’t care how it happens as long as you’re naked in my bed.” There was a slightest hint of a blush across his cheeks, and you felt a heat flame across yours as well. You’d been together for awhile now, with no plans of leaving each other anytime soon, but such an intimate admission felt vulnerable.

“You are such a boy,” you chided, not willing to let him onto the jolt of pride you felt at being so openly desired by him. “But we’ll see how I feel.” 

“I can work with that,” Harry said, turning back to his phone, a sly grin on his face.

***

The invitation arrived a few days later. A friend of a friend who he hadn’t seen in ages was throwing a “fancy dress party,” which despite your early assumptions was not a black tie affair. You weren’t that enthusiastic about going, and you could tell Harry was forcing himself to be excited, not wanting to let a friend down. 

“It’ll be fun,” he said, sounding more like he was convincing himself rather than you. “We don’t have to stay the whole time either.”

“Whatever makes you happy, babe,” you said, kissing his cheek. “Pick out whatever costume you want and we can go from there.” 

Picking the costume was easier said than done and the two of you spent much of the next week bickering over who had the better idea. Harry’d been pushing for Barbie and Ken, but you’d dismissed the idea as overdone. And your own suggestion of Paolo and Isabella was shut down by Harry who said he didn’t get the reference. It wasn’t until you all were flicking through the channels on the couch when you all came up with your idea. 

“It’s perfect,” Harry said, grinning at the screen. 

“And super easy,” you added. 

Which is how you all found yourself walking into the party dressed as two characters out of The Notebook, thanks to the blue dress you’d found in the back of your closet and the white button down Harry had pulled from his. You’d offered to splash some water on him to add authenticity, but he declined. 

You weren’t sure what you were expecting but the party was a surprisingly low-key affair. Classic simple costumes – vampires with plastic fangs and lipstick blood stains and black cats with felt ears – mixed with some that were more of the moment, ranging from a half-assed Barbie and Ken to what appeared to be Harley Quinn and the Joker. 

“Told you,” you whispered against his ear, as he passed you a drink, looking on as a Barbie walked by looking for her Ken, earning you an elbow to the ribs. 

“Nice look,” Johnny said, fixing a drink of his own. “How did Harry convince you?”

“It was actually a group effort,” you said, with a laugh. 

“Felt a little like fate. We were watching TV one night, the movie was on and it was like a lightbulb went off,” Harry said, wrapping his arm around you. 

“It was easy too,” you chimed in. 

Even though you all had been together for a while, Harry’s circle was so vast that you still hadn’t met many of them, making the party a little nerve wracking, a bunch of faces that weren’t familiar yet. But Harry stayed by you the entire night, hand in hand, steering you around the party, introducing you to his favorite people, and shielding you from the ones he wasn’t as fond of. Going into the evening, you all had made a pact to stay for only an hour, but two had passed by the time either of you looked at the clock. 

“OK to stay a little longer?” he asked and you’d nodded, before turning your attention back to Erin and her story about a costume contest gone wrong. 

Three hours in, you found yourselves on a couch in the back of the house. The room had unofficially been designated at the quiet zone, with a few people taking calls or a breather before returning to the party. Harry flopped down on the end of the sofa, pulling you onto his lap before sighing contentedly. 

“Are you tired?” You rested your forehead against his as pressed a gentle kiss to the bridge of his nose. 

“A little.”

“Well that’s too bad,” you said softly. “Guess I won’t be able to give you your treat tonight.” 

At the mention of the treat, he perked up tremendously. “I mean I’m not that tired. I’d hate to miss it after you put in the effort.” His eyes were steely as he held your gaze. 

“You don’t even know what it is!”

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t think you could ever disappoint me.”

You grinned and shifted in his lap, causing your dress to slip up and you guided his hand up your bare leg to rest just under the hem of your dress. His fingers groped blindly and when they reached the edge of your lacy undergarments his eyes widened. 

“Oh fuck,” he whispered against your neck. 

“Do you like it?”

“Do I like it?!”

“I mean you haven’t seen it yet…” 

“I’ll bloody well be pleased with anything you wear,” he breathed against your neck. 

“Thirty more minutes and then we’ll head out?”

“Fuck that, we’re leaving now.” He gently pushed you up and out of his lap before standing and nearly dragging you to the door.

Harry made a beeline for your coats and bags, and when he had them in hand he caught your eye and nodded towards the front door. You held up a finger and signaled for him to wait before enacting the second phase of your plan. Slowly, you walked up to the first person you could see, thanking them and chatting some more about the party. You repeated this for the next person and the next and the next, until you finally found yourself reunited with Harry. 

“Ready?” you asked. 

“It’s not funny.”

“What?” you asked, feigning innocence. 

“Making me wait when I’m…” Your eyes drifted down to his pants. “How bad is it?” he asked, almost wincing. 

“Not bad, baby, but we should probably do something about that.” 

“You don’t say? Please, for the love of God, get in the car.” 

You laughed, enjoying having him beg for you. “Whatever you say.” 

What followed was the most tense car ride in recent memory. Harry’s leg bounced up and down, his hand gripped tight on your thigh as he looked ahead. His breathing was even and measured but the intensity in his eyes told you he felt anything but. You smiled, pleased with the effect you had on him. 

When the driver pulled through the gate, Harry thanked him, quickly and politely, and you did the same, scurrying along when Harry all but pulled you up the path, jamming his key in the lock and throwing the door open. You closed the door behind you, securing the deadbolt when Harry spun you around and pressed you against the door. 

He held your face, angling it to look up at him and he took a shaky breath, before pressing his lips to yours. The kiss was surprisingly restrained, almost chaste, but you savored the way he felt so close against you. Again and again he kissed you. Lips, neck, cheeks, no part of you went unnoticed. You wanted to show him the same affection, but he wouldn’t give you the chance. His hands found your shoulders, pulling your coat off, and then working the straps of your dress down your shoulders, his lips trailing in the wake of his hands. 

After a few moments, you managed to pant out a single word. “Upstairs?” 

Harry pulled back, his lips plump and pink from his efforts, his hair messed from the way your fingers had been threaded through it. “Yeah,” he managed to nod, looking dazed, and you took the lead this time, pulling him towards the stairs. 

In your haste to get to the bedroom, you tripped, over the step or your own feet, you weren’t sure, and landed face first on the carpet, Harry tumbling down after you. 

“If you wanted me on top of you love, all you had to do was ask,” Harry muttered, as you shoved his shoulder. “Are you OK?” 

“I’m fine. You?” 

“No worse for wear. Shall we try this again?” He pushed up from the stairs and offered his hand, which you gladly took. Slower this time, you all continued up the stairs and into the bedroom, where Harry sat on the bed, pulling you onto his lap. “Sure you’re good to do this.” 

You nodded. “Yes, I just need a minute to get ready.”

“Get ready?” Harry arched his brow. “Tell me more.”

“You need to close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes…OK.” He shut his eyes and you wriggled out of his grasp, walking over to your dresser and doing your best not to make a sound as you fished around for the headband you’d stashed there earlier. 

“What is this?” Harry called from across the room. “Some sort of Notebook roleplay? Do you have a thing for Gosling too?” 

“Hush, or you’re not getting your treat.”

That silenced him and you double checked to make sure the accessory was secured on your head. You shimmied out of your dress until you were wearing nothing but your second costume. If you were honest, costume was a liberal description of the flimsy Halloween store lingerie you ‘d been wearing all night. According to the package, you were a dark angel, but the only thing angelic about it was the halo that was precariously perched on top of your head. You stood in front of the mirror, surveyed yourself and tried to summon the confidence to tell Harry to open his eyes. 

“Are you taking your clothes off? I thought that was my treat!”

It was almost funny how outraged he sounded, like a petulant child robbed of a promised prize. 

“Oh I think, you’ll like what I’ve picked out for you,” you shot back. At least you hoped he would. Once you contorted yourself into the black wings that came with the ensemble, you turned to face him, still sitting on the bed with his eyes shut. You padded over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck, as you climbed astride him. Once you’d settled into his lap, you uttered the word he’d been waiting for. “Open.”

His eyes flew open and you had to fight a laugh at how comical his face was. Eyes wide and mouth open he was like a teenaged boy who’d yet to see a pair of breasts, as he glanced between yours, covered in a sheer, lacy bralette and your face. 

“Fucking hell what is this?”

“You said you wanted me to dress up…”

“Yeah, I did. I did say that,” he said, wetting his lips, his eyes transfixed on your chest. 

“And I didn’t really know what to dress up as since you weren’t doing a show this year and we didn’t really have a theme and I couldn’t think anything on my own and this was the only thing left at the store and –” 

He cut you off with a kiss, more passionate than those he’d first given you in the entryway. “It’s perfect, love. Better than I could have imagined.” 

He held you tight against him as he kissed you, his fingers tangled in your hair and yours in his. You tightened the grip of your legs around his waist as you returned his kisses with a passion you didn’t think you’d ever felt before. In the heat of the moment, you rolled your hips, dragging your center over his lap and feeling every inch of his growing erection through the flimsy fabric of your panties. You moaned at the sensation and did it again. He felt even harder than before and you shuddered involuntarily at the thought of him inside you later. 

“You like that baby,” he huffed against your mouth. “Does my angel like that?” he asked as he bucked his hips. 

“Yes. Yes, please,” you replied, practically begging for more. 

“Going to be good and let me take this off of you?” His hands were on your hips, stilling your movement. 

You closed your eyes and bit your lip, nodding, not trusting yourself to speak. Suddenly you felt Harry’s teeth against your shoulder as he used his them to pull your bra strap down, the movement scratching at your skin in the most delicious way, before Harry trailed kisses down your arm, soothing the sting away. He repeated the action on the other side before placing a kiss on the side of your breast and wrapping his tongue around your nipple. Hands still on your hips, he gently pushed you, encouraging you to rock back and forth on him once again. 

You were so sensitive that even the smallest action had a massive effect. The combination of his mouth and the rhythm of your hips moving in time together had you feeling the beginnings of an orgasm deep within you, a feeling that was only magnified as he moved across your chest to your other breast. 

“Love,” Harry said after a moment, pulling away from you. 

“Yes?”

“I-I-” He started again. “We need to do something otherwise I’m not going to last.” His cheeks were red, whether from passion or embarrassment, you weren’t sure, but you nuzzled against his neck. 

“That’s alright, baby. I’m all yours.”

“Yeah, you are,” Harry said, almost as if he didn’t believe it. “Wanna get up for me?” 

You climbed off of him with wobbly legs, nearly landing on your ass – and taking Harry with you – in the process. But Harry scooped you up in his arms, helping you get comfortable on the bed, as you all laughed off the moment of clumsiness. 

“Do you want to take this off?” you asked, gesturing to the cheap black wings that were shedding all over the white sheets. 

“No, I kind of like them,” Harry said. “It’s uh…kind of sexy,” he mumbled, against your neck. 

“Noted.” 

“May I?” He’d hooked his fingers around the waistband of your panties, waiting for your nod of consent, which you readily gave him. He slowly pulled them down your legs, tossing them somewhere behind him, before moving his lips down your body. 

It was almost a ritual at this point, the way he explored you as if you were uncharted territory each time he had you naked in front of him. You’d been told this wouldn’t last forever, that all couples eventually tired of each other, that sex became a routine thing, a means to an end. That may be the case, but you secretly hoped that you and Harry were the exception to this rule. 

He’d made his way down to your thighs at this point and you opened your legs wider, inviting him in. Your back arched when you felt his fingers inside you, testing the waters. 

“So wet for me already and I’ve barely done anything. Careful love, this will go to my head.” 

You made to kick him, but he dodged your attack and managed to hit that spot in the process, drawing a cry from you. 

“Was that good?” You could hear the teasing smirk in his voice. 

“You know it was.”

He crooked his fingers, earning another moan from you as you tried to pull him up to you. “Ready so soon?” he asked, as if he wasn’t already aware. He lined himself up with you and thrust forward with no preamble. 

His sheer size still took your breath away – quite literally – and you breathed heavily at the feeling of him, all of him, inside of you. 

“Easy, love. Slow,” he said, calming you as he gave you a moment to adjust, waiting until your breath had steadied before gently rocking forward.

You angled your hips up, meeting his pace and trying to drive him as deep inside of you as possible. You brought your legs higher around him, giving him more freedom to move and his pace accelerated. 

The sounds coming from your bedroom were, quite simply, ugly. Between the moans and groans and heavy breathing, the grunts that meant move over or shift this way that you all inherently understood, the sounds of sweaty bodies rubbing against each other. It was brutal, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Love, I’m going to come,” Harry said, words urgent against your ear. “I’m not going to be able to hold on.” 

“It’s OK baby,” you said, encouraging him. He was always so selfless, you wanted him, just once, to take a moment for himself. “Just let go.” 

His hips stuttered, once, twice, three times in quick succession and you felt the tell-tale warmth and wetness of his orgasm between your legs. 

“Oh, fuck, I’m so sorry,” he wheezed. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” 

You sighed softly, contentment radiating through you. “You don’t have to. Sometimes it’s nice to just…” 

“Yeah…” 

The two of you lay there like that for a while, ignoring the stickiness of the sweat, and for you, the itchiness of the costume pieces that were still on you. 

Finally, Harry rolled off of you, and you cuddled into his side. 

“That was a very nice treat,” he said, voice hoarse. “I think we both need more treats.” 

“I’ll second that. And I promise next year will be even better.” 

“Next year?” Harry said aghast. “I think you deserve one of your own right now.” 

***

talk to me! || master list

[lilies-n-slander]

just my unstructured thoughts on “complicated and sad”

I’m not huge on radiostatic and haven’t thought about the dynamic as much as other people so probably I’ll be retreading common ground

radiostatic friendship had to have broken up for smth more ideological, it would honestly be a bit boring/disappointing if it was just over the unrequited romance aspect (but it was likely a contributing factor)

the fact that vox asked alastor to join his team gives a few clues

I think atp vox still thought positively of alastor while alastor’s opinion of vox was starting to deteriorate. Vox respected alastor enough to *ask* him to join, rather than manipulate or try to force him

if that’s the case, then whatever vox did that alastor hated likely wasn’t malicious (but knowing vox, it was still a bad/harmful thing)

it seems like the kind of situation where alastor showed discomfort and vox refused to change and didn’t understand what he was so mad about

what could vox have done that alastor disliked so much that it ruined a previously good friendship?

using people? Alastor does that

owning souls? Alastor does that

killing people? Alastor does that

associating with and enabling ppl like val? Maybe? It seems like an arbitrary line to draw, altho one of the comics shows alastor killing an attempted rapist

influencing people’s perception of them through media? Alastor does that, but maybe it was the difference of method that he didn’t like (hypnosis vs charisma)

being fake? Alastor does that but is better at it than vox (smiling to hide weakness)

being weak*? (*not just physically) Now we’re talking. Alastor hates weakness, both in other people and himself. He hates when people let their composure slip and tries to exploit any weakness he sees. Maybe it disgusted him to see someone he thought was strong actually prove to be weak, insecure, and pathetic

a combination of the last three seems the most plausible to me (especially considering what things alastor disses vox for in stayed gone), but I’m still struggling to come up with something that has the right amount of “oomph” to it

I’m curious what alastor initially liked about vox in the first place?

did he only like him bc he thought vox was stronger than he actually was?

has vox just changed so much over the years that the vox alastor formed a friendship with was basically a different person? That would make me curious about what sparked that change in vox—was it a particular incident or gradual corruption?

does alastor hate modernity because of vox or does he hate vox because of his modernity?

leaning twds the former, the way alastor speaks abt tech has a personal tinge to it

most of vox’s hostility twds alastor is prob due to what alastor did as rejection

supported by vox not having much variety of his insults in stayed gone

yes he’s pathetic and might be salty that he doesn’t return his feelings, but I feel like that’s not the whole explanation

does “I thought he was gone *for good* too” imply that alastor has previously disappeared or been shooed away by the vees and came back soon after?

“he owes us a lot more than money” + “things have changed a lot since he left town… …I gotta send a message of who’s really in charge of things now” = before he disappeared, alastor was previously in control, possibly by sabotaging the vees and overthrowing them?

I didn’t rlly mention “still pissed he almost beat you that time?” bc that had to have been after the fallout, so not as much to dig into there (this isn’t to say that I don’t desperately want a flashback of it lol)

hmmmmmmmnfgh… so many questions

I really hope their backstory has already been mostly planned out, bc it seems like something that would go poorly if you just made it up on the fly

[sameheart-sameblood]

Need You Now

gif credit: @javier-pena

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

summary: when your new life in jackson leaves little time for each other, you and joel sneak away looking for some privacy

words: 3.6k

warnings: 18+, smut, car sex, fingering, unprotected sex, soft joel strikes again

a/n: apologies for this *gestures at the whole fic* i was horny and joel is hot

read on ao3!

You’re surrounded by people, yet all you can focus on is Joel. That’s not unusual. You could be in a room of hundreds and still hone in on his whereabouts in an instant, like some kind of heat seeking missile.

 It’s how it’s always been with you two. He’s the heat, you’re the incessant missile. Being together for a few years, you’d think that your draw to him would have lessened slightly. But it just seems to grow stronger with each passing day. 

Joel knows it, too. He remains in conversation with Maria and a group of her devoted followers but you can’t miss the ghost of a smirk as he senses your eyes on him. He teases you by bringing the beer he’s holding to his lips, leaving them lingering on the rim much longer than necessary. 

Joel finishes his swig, running his thumb gliding across his lips to collect the residual beads of moisture left behind. Asshole. He’s toying with you and there’s nothing you can do about. 

As you wander home from the party later hand in hand, you pull him aside. The shadows of the Aspen Trees lining the pathway gives you some seclusion as you press your lips to Joel’s. He grunts in surprise but quickly melts into your embrace. Only the sound of Ellie and Tommy calling your names make you break apart. 

You hide for a moment longer as the hunger for each other threatens to overtake you once again. “I need you,” your voice comes out as a whimper. 

Joel cups your chin, bringing your face up to meet his. He kisses you quickly, “I know, honey. Soon.”

******

Life in Jackson was peaceful and idyllic but it left a few things to be desired. The biggest problem was the lack of privacy. Tommy and Maria had been nice enough to put you up in their house the past few months. The one they offered you across the street from them needed repairs. All of the unoccupied houses in the community had varying levels of damage that needed to be addressed before you could move in. 

They had let you pick out the house you wanted, a truly generous offer that had left you speechless. The last one you had seen was a milled log cabin on the bank of a large pond within the Jackson boundaries. The house was tinier than some of the other offerings but it just felt right. It felt like home.

One look at Joel had told you he felt the same way. The two of you gazed in awe at the cabin that would soon be yours, your arms encircling each other. The peace was broken by Ellie grumbling, “You guys would choose the most ‘old person’ house in town.”

You grinned, used to her saying whatever thought crossed her mind. “What would you expect from two certified old people?” Joel grumbled at being called old but kissed you on the top of your head, pulling you closer. 

One arm still encircling Joel, you reached out to Ellie. “Come on. It won’t be so bad. You can decorate your room however you want.” She shuffled towards you, trying to hide how desperately she wanted to be included in the scene of domestic bliss. 

“Can I get first pick of rooms, too?” she asked hopefully as she snuck into your embrace. 

Joel reached around you to tousle her hair. “Not a chance, El.”

******

Your cabin, cute as it is, has a few pressing matters to deal with before it can be occupied. The cosmetic issues have been fixed but the roof is due to be completely replaced and the floor needs reinforcement. While those are finished, you’ve been crashing at Tommy and Maria’s house. 

The one free bedroom they have to offer is your current home. The bed is shared by you and Ellie while Joel takes a mat on the floor. Ellie, to her credit, has offered to switch spots with Joel several times. But as she and you both know, he’s too proud to accept the offer. You’re his girls and he won’t have you sleeping on the floor if there’s any other alternative. 

The close quarters have, to put it bluntly, put a dent in your sex life. Back in Boston QZ you at least had the privacy of your apartment to sneak away to. There was also no fourteen year old there to cramp your style. You love Ellie to bits but you’ve also never met a bigger cock-block before. 

Since you’ve arrived in Jackson it’s been all hushed quickies that you were certain someone would walk in on at any second. Maybe a different person would thrive under that kind of pressure but you want Joel to yourself. 

The morning after the party, you’re the first one up, probably because you’re the only one without a hangover. Well, you and Ellie. She’s still asleep, though, too. You decide to make breakfast as a thanks to your hosts. The pancake batter is resting as you begin to crack eggs for omelettes. A pair of arms envelopes you from behind as Joel’s sleepy voice croaks out a ‘good morning’. 

You lean back into his chest for a moment, smiling as he hides his head in the crook of your neck. “Coffee’s brewing,” you offer. 

“God bless you,” Joel murmurs as he releases you. You giggle as you watch him pour a massive cup and begin sipping without any sugar or cream. 

The rest of the household wanders in soon after. Tommy catches sight of you working the griddle and pats your shoulder. “Stay as long as you want,” he grins through a mouth full of barely cooked pancake. 

Around the table, the five of you fall into easy conversation. Ellie regales you all with a few of her latest puns and Tommy and Maria share their plans for the day. Eyes fall on you and Joel, waiting expectantly to hear what you’ll be up to. You open your mouth to admit you don’t know when Joel speaks for you. “We need to get some timber for the house. Thought we’d go scout some out.”

Tommy nods, “Good idea. I’ll come with you.” 

Joel interjects, “No, you’ve done enough for us already. We can manage this ourselves.” He says it nonchalantly but you don’t miss the way he’s quick to refuse Tommy’s help. “Think we can borrow your truck?” Joel adds. 

As Tommy, Maria and Ellie clean up breakfast, you pull Joel aside. “Timber, huh?” you tease, raising an eyebrow. 

He grabs your ass, then leans in to whisper in your ear, “Had to find some way to get you all to myself.”

After the house clears, you and Joel prepare for your outing. You don’t know exactly what Joel has in mind but you know from the look in his eyes earlier it probably doesn’t require much in the way of clothing. Sifting through the pile of Maria’s clothes she had offered when you first arrived, you find a red sundress with white flowers dotted on it. It’s completely impractical. But you’ve grown tired of worn jeans and flannels. You want to feel pretty for your impromptu date. 

Joel likes your decision too. He whistles in awe as he sees you walk up to the truck. Your face heats as you beam shyly at the approval. You duck into the backseat, stuffing your backpack full of sensible clothes to change into later into the footwell. 

Joel grabs you from behind and turns you around, pressing your back against the car. He cages you in, kissing you fiercely. “You trying to kill me with that dress, honey?” he sighs.

You pat his cheek, then push him gently away. “Come on, cowboy. Can’t keep that timber waiting.” 

The drive takes you past Jackson security. They wave you through after they hear where you’re planning on heading. Joel has to assure them that you’re fully armed and prepared for stepping outside of the safety of the community. 

It’s been awhile since you’ve been past the safety of the walls. You should be nervous but all you feel is anticipation. For the first time in weeks, you have Joel truly all to yourself. 

“You wanna tell me where you’re taking me?” 

Joel smiles at you, “I saw a clearing by a little lake when we made our way into town last supply run. Think you’d like it.” You can tell he genuinely means it and you smile at him. 

“How long will it take to get there?” you ask as you start rubbing his thigh, wandering dangerously close to his belt buckle. 

He chuckles, “10 minutes or so. Think you can wait?”

No. You’ve been waiting long enough. 

You shrug, face deceptively calm. “Might as well get started without you.”

Joel glances at you, smile falling away as he sees you toying with the straps of your dress. “What are you doing?”

You offer him your best doe-eyed look of innocence. “Nothing, Joel.” The strap of your left shoulder falls and you pull at it more to expose your breast. “Just taking care of myself since you won’t do it for me.” Definitely not teasing you like you did to me at the party last night.

Joel curses under his breath but doesn’t say anything else, his ability to string together a coherent sentence seemingly gone. You smirk as you pull the other strap down, completely exposing your chest. Your hands wander across your skin, paying extra attention to your nipples when you catch Joel side-eyeing you. 

Chuckling at his expense, you pull up the hem of your dress. One hand wanders between your legs as the other continues to play with your hardened nipples. Your clit throbs as you rub it and you let out a relieved moan as you reacquaint yourself with the feeling of pleasure. It hasn’t been that long but god it’s felt like forever. 

You sneak a glance at Joel and find his eyes trained ahead, knuckles white on the steering wheel. His jaw clenches and relaxes over and over. It gives you great joy to see how much you’re affecting him already. 

The prairie fades away and trees begin to rapidly rush past your window. Joel’s doing his damndest to make it to the lake before he completely loses it. He won’t dare pull over a second sooner. It would give you too much satisfaction to win at this little game and he’s too proud to admit defeat. 

At first, you play up your pleasure to get more of a rise out of him. But soon, the sighs and moans you’ve been exaggerating become very, very real. You don’t want to cum like this, not without his full attention. But you can’t stop now that you’ve started. Subtly, you slow down the rubbing of your clit and silently urge him to get you to your destination. 

After a few more minutes that feel like hours, the car stops. You open your eyes and are met with a sight that makes you briefly forget what you were just in the middle of. The lake in front of you isn’t the biggest but it’s blue like a jewel, the hue bright and clear. It’s gorgeous and you can’t wait to go for a swim. 

Joel has other plans at the moment, though. You hear his seatbelt unbuckle and he leans over the console, grabbing the back of your neck to make you focus back on him. Your gaze meets his and you know you’re in for it. His eyes, usually a soft, warm brown have turned almost black. They bore into you as he reaches over with his free hand to start rapidly rubbing your clit. 

It’s so much better than what you were doing and you close your eyes, basking in the sensation. Joel stops his fingers and tuts, “You keep your eyes on me or you’re not getting anything.” Usually, you’d think about pouting. But you need him and so you just nod vigorously as he rewards you by beginning to rub again. 

You settle in, angling yourself more towards Joel and spreading your legs to grant him better access. With his eyes still locked on yours, he moves his fingers down from your clit and shoves two inside of you. You gasp in surprise as he starts fucking you with them. Joel’s usually the lovemaking type but you’ve teased him too much and he needs to teach you a lesson. A lesson you will enjoy but a lesson nonetheless. 

Never once do his fingers stop, aided by the slick you’ve built up on the car ride. Moans are drawn out of you, seemingly of their own volition. Your eyes travel down to gape at the sight of his hand working between your legs but he tightens his grip on the back of your neck. He pulls your face closer to his as he watches you, knowing you’re a goner. 

Joel’s fingers curl inside you and you’re done for. You cum hysterically, eyes never leaving his. Joel slows his strokes but continues rubbing lazily at your walls, helping you down from your high. He pulls you gently to him and kisses you, back to sensitive Joel. 

Finally, you close your eyes, relishing in your orgasm. Joel doesn’t stop you. You don’t even realize that he’s left the car until you hear your door click open. Still in a haze, you’re lead out of the front seat and ushered into the back. You watch as Joel climbs in to sit next to you and closes the door. 

You grab for him, pressing your lips to his. It starts sensual and romantic, then quickly devolves into a sloppy make-out session. Joel pushes you to lay down on the seat so he can climb on top. Instead, you push him back into a sitting position so you can clamber onto his lap. 

Joel steadies you while you get into position straddling him. It’s uncoordinated and you smack your head on the ceiling. Imagining how clumsy you must look, you let out a laugh. Joel joins in, caressing your face as you smile at each other. 

Once the giggles subside, you take his face in your hands. “I’ve missed you.” 

The admittance sobers him and he grabs your hand, pressing a kiss to your palm. “I’m right here, honey. I’ll always be right here.”

It’s amazing how he can always make you feel as giddy as the first time you admitted your feelings to each other. Your heart leaps, fit to burst and all you can think to do is show him how good he makes you feel. Leaning down, you kiss him with as much passion as you can muster. 

You could get lost in the feel of Joel but the sound of a muffled moan coming from him pulls you back to attention. Continuing the kiss, you reach down and start undoing his belt buckle. Years of practice have made you an expert at getting him out of his pants in seconds. But it’s been a minute since you two have done this and you’re so excited you find your fingers don’t seem to work. 

Joel smirks as he reaches down to help. He undoes his belt but moves his hands aside so you can continue. Reaching down, you slip his cock free and encircle it, beginning to slide up and down at a languid pace. A soft thud brings your eyes back up and you see Joel has leaned back against the headrest. 

Labored breathing fills the truck as you press your lips to Joel’s now exposed neck. You suck red marks along his skin that others back in Jackson are sure to notice. Joel curses but grabs your wrist to encourage you to speed up. You do as requested but soon feel a throbbing between your legs. “Joel,” you whimper and his eyes shoot open to see what’s wrong. 

He reads your expression and nods, helping to lift you so you can position his cock at your entrance. Slowly, you lower yourself and the two of you groan in unison. The feeling of him and the realization that you can take as long as you want makes your head spin. 

But it becomes apparent that this is gonna be a quick fuck too. “I’m not gonna last long,” Joel confesses. 

He’s not the only one. Even just staying still with him inside you is making it hard for you to focus. “It’s ok. I won’t either,” you murmur. 

Joel grabs at your sides to encourage you to start moving. You roll your hips against him and Joel’s head falls back against the headrest again. Smirking, you continue the pace. The realization hits you that Joel has entirely too many clothes on. Thankfully he’s wearing the denim shirt with snaps you love so much. You rip it open, exposing his weathered chest and lovely soft belly. 

Joel comes to, watching in fascination as you bend down to start kissing his chest, leaving marks there for only the two of you to admire later. The roll of your hips stays consistent until you moan when Joel’s cock hits one of the more sensitive parts of your walls. 

The sudden snap of his hips makes you stop in your tracks. You look up to meet his lust clouded eyes and recognize that he needs release and he needs it now. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders you bury your face in his neck as he begins to fuck up into you. 

Sobs cascade out of you as the pleasure begins to bubble up. They’re muffled into his skin, though. “I wanna hear you,” Joel orders and you nod, leaning back to let your wails fill the truck. They grow louder and more desperate when Joel slows his hips, bringing his mouth to your breasts, sucking on one nipple then moving to the other. 

Joel gives one last kiss to each breast, then continues fucking you, hips pistoning up with a fervor you’re not sure he’s had since you’re first days as a couple. Your back arches as you cum, not even able to give him a warning before it happens. You stay that way, paralyzed with bliss as Joel chases after your orgasm. 

Collapsing into his chest, you come down from your high as he ruts into you a few more times before spilling his release inside. His cock continues to pulse as he wraps his arms around you. Sighing, you turn your head, pressing your cheek to his chest. His rapid heartbeat soon slows and you lie there for a few minutes listening to its strong pulse. Joel hums a song you don’t know as he rubs your back. 

“That’s nice,” you murmur, “What is it?”

Joel answers quietly not wanting to break your little bubble of serenity. “Just something that’s been floating around my head the past few days.”

You straighten up and kiss him. “You’re something special, Joel Miller.”

He looks up at you, a loopy smile plastered on his face. “You’re the only special thing about me, honey.”

A look of incnesed shock flashes onto your face, making Joel laugh. He might not truly believe that there’s nothing special about him but also…he very well could. His confidence and self-worth are maddeningly low for someone who most others would label “the whole package.”

Your thighs tremble from riding him and you long for a nap but you won’t rest until you’ve shown him just how much he means to you. A brush of your lips against his own makes his softened cock, still nestled between your legs, twitch with interest. He may not be as young as he once was but his lust for you never fails. 

“Guess I didn’t do a good enough job just now of showing you how exceptional you are. Let’s try again, shall we?”

It takes a few more hours of fucking, interspersed with a brisk skinny dip in the lake, before Joel admits defeat. He concedes that, yes, he is unique, admirable and all of the other complimentary adjectives you’ve bestowed upon him. 

The sun begins its descent towards the horizon and it becomes apparent that your day must come to an end. Joel slips back into his jeans and shirt as you abandon the dress to the bottom of your pack in favor of a more practical hoodie and khakis. You’re already going to get enough questions about how you spent a whole day in the woods and yet have no timber with you. Best not to give more fuel to the rumors by showing up in a disheveled sundress. 

“So what’s our story for today?” you question, slumping back into the passenger seat. 

Joel considers the question as he turns the key in the ignition. “The truth?” he shrugs. 

You laugh and shake your head. “Yeah, we’re definitely not doing that.”

Joel puts his arm on the back of your headrest as he looks behind to reverse back onto the drive way. “I’ll take the long way back. Give you some time to think about what you wanna tell them.” You roll your eyes and he puts a comforting hand on your thigh as he drives. “While you’re at it, think of a few more excuses we can use for next time we need a day like this.”

“You planning on this becoming a regular thing?” you tease him. 

Joel squeezes your thigh as his eyes crinkle with amusement. “Well, I’m no fortune teller but we will be sharing a house with a very nosy teenager… ”

Oh, right. You’re going to need a whole arsenal of excuses to get some privacy. But the thought of the three of you being a content, little family makes it all worth it. 

******

[ilikekidsshows]

The most ironic part of people defending Marinette in Ladynoir and Marichat is that hardly any analysis I've ever seen about her "being soooooooooooooo adoring to her Kitty uwu" ever EXPLAIN Marinette's feelings either.

Even her own fans mostly only write abuse and neglect excuses and talk about some endlessly vague softness, some at this point meaningless heart eyes, and whatever short lines of kindness of the week on her end of the ship are thrown in there.

Even Marinette's own fans apparently can't not go in depth on her "boundless love and devotion" for Chat Noir because the show drags everything down with her writing. It's always the same surface level crumbs. So how are WE supposed to get more out of it then?

If even her own defenders mostly only really talk about Catrien doing 95% of the work in Ladynoir and Marichat in Canon, then how are WE supposed to say something different? We are complaining for the same reason as they are focusing on Catrien: he's canonically actually contributing to the damn SHIP in ways that are pure enough to talk about.

All canon ever does for Ladynette's side is explain what use, excuses and comfort she gets outta his presence. That's also all her canon self ever truly highlighted in her crush era besides him bein hot.

Even her own defenders reduce her crush on him to thirsting. I've never seen anyone actually talk about the scenes in Passion where she for real showed effort and progress cause, I guess, that would require of her fans to acknowledge that she prior to this acted wrong in the first place. And of course the critical people won't make the posts cause when her damn fans can't be asked to acknowledge the rare REAL moments where she actually TRIES then I'll sure as hell not do their damn job.

Cause it's almost hilarious, right? For as much as Marinette defenders yell about us being too harsh, I've truly wanted to read analysis posts on her feelings for Chat to be convinced. But for 2 whole seasons her own fans failed her. They hardly say anything of substance and mostly count on Catrien to make up for her lack of contributions in the ships. Even massive fan Blogs like Buggachat for example are constantly showing that writing flaw in their content. That Adrien has to put up with and has to romantically do WAY TOO MUCH to make up for Marinette’s writing that sticks even in the most best faith (and often to at least some extent ooc, if not entirely) characterization.

When even her own fans spew nothing but endless excuses then don't blame us for picking up on that.

When even her own fans say hardly anything but abuse apologia to defend her then don't blame us for picking up on that.

When even her own fans say that she should be thanked and rewarded for having failed Chat Noir in basically ever possibly way, but hey, at least she stopped being an aggressive Jerk about it, then don't fucking blame us for picking up on that.

We're the ones who can at least argue with Canon scenes and whole episodes to make our point that Ladynette treats him badly. Her defenders say that canon doesn't count whenever they don't like it and otherwise point to their fanon as arguments. Forgive me for thinking that our side has the stronger case, our arguments are the ones that hold up when put to the test by Canon.

---

Yup. Stanning Marinette has to be based off vibes and made up stuff at this point, because the canon is giving us nothing to root for other than her being the protagonist. All the likable aspects of Marinette are so downplayed in canon these days, that the fans have to actively ignore canon to make her a better person they can view as an undisputed hero. And that's without getting into all the abuse apologia and excusing of bad behavior they engage in whenever they don't outright claim Marinette didn't do something she actually did in canon.

It's basically what that person who wanted writing tips for Marinette said; how can we make fanworks where Marinette is a good person who cares about her partner, when the character in canon, based on her canonical actions, probably doesn't care? Well, I try to avoid Buggachat’s stuff these days specifically because all I've seen from said stuff these days is trying to make the toxic stuff look quirky and cute. This isn't the only fanwork that's like this, though. Like, I remember when the Paris Special came out and people started wondering if the alter versions of the heroes were gonna tell each other their secret identities and work more closely together and all the fanwork with this concept was just: “Haha, the main verse lovesquare can’t count on each other for anything and the supposed villains support each other better! It's so silly!”

Like, the toxicity does sometimes get depicted in fanworks but it's always just funtimes, and not actually a problem because they treat it as a two-sided thing, where Adricat participates in the mess in their relationship, when he's the only one trying to be wholesome. There are so many comics of Maribug doing something absolutely horrible to Adricat and the artist’s comments are just: “they're such disasters, lol” when Marinette is the only “disaster” in the equation, but they have to be equally guilty, because then they can brush it off as just “communication issues” instead of Marinette being a self-obsessed jerk.

Like, the reading of the lovesquare as mutual communication issues is understandable to a point. In seasons 1-3, the typical dynamic was “Cat Noir hides his problems, because they're home-related, and Ladybug remains oblivious that he isn't always happy”. However, Cat Noir did tell Ladybug, all the way back in Syren, that he doesn't want to be left out of the loop, which is all Marinette does in season 4. The season 4 “Ladynoir Conflict” isn't based on Cat Noir hiding something Ladybug is oblivious to, even though everyone is used to treating their dynamic that way. In season 4 Cat Noir does tell Ladybug what's wrong, tries to do so repeatedly, only for Ladybug to shut him down by ignoring him, giving him excuses or by repeating apologies she doesn't actually mean because she has no intention of changing the way she behaves with him. The more I looked into what actually happens in season 4, the more I realized that the “the Ladynoir conflict is mutual communication issues” take is wholly inaccurate. Marinette alone is the one keeping secrets.

Marinette Stans have to make stuff up and ignore huge junks of canon in order to depict Marinette as a good partner and person these days, because the stuff the writers have her get away with keeps getting worse.

[totallyjustabunchofhocuspocus]

Fic Preview

A sneak peek of the next chapter of Come Away, O Human Child, featuring a POV we've not yet seen in the story (care to guess who?)

The room is beautifully appointed, always furnished for whatever purpose was desired in the moment, dripping in fine art and tasteful decoration. One moment it is the most sinfully comfortable bedroom, a huge bed piled high with the softest pillows taking up most of the space. The next it is a pleasant living room, across which sprawled seating for intimate gatherings or gigantic parties. A kitchen outfitted with every possible gadget and utensil, pantries, shelves, and multiple refrigerators stocked with every imaginable food, snack, spirit, and liquor. A game room that would be the envy of any player of any persuasion in the world. Cozy. Opulent. Plain. Elaborate. Minimalist. Overflowing.

All versions of the room exist at all times, in all places. It is everywhere and nowhere, existing in the places in between the magic and the mundane. There are no doors to enter or leave. The only way to get to the room is to already be there.

Beneath the enormous windows that take up one whole wall of the room, the whole of Los Angeles stretches, so far below that the lights of the city blur together in a carpet of glittering color. It is one of his favorite views (when he is in this form, anyway), and he can and has spent countless hours just lounging before the windows, drinking it in.

Tonight, though, the vision in front of him is far more interesting.

They usually choose to manifest as a human man and woman, when they take a physical form. The faces he uses tend to change depending on where he is in the world at the time, but she is more creative. Like the room around them, though, she is always changing. From one moment to the next, her face and body are different. A statuesque Black woman with locs that fell to her waist, braided with dozens of charms and beads. An elderly Asian woman whose severe expression is belied by the deep laugh lines around her eyes and mouth. A middle-aged Latina whose eyes glittered with intelligence and humor. A tall, Indigenous woman with midnight-dark hair and elegant features. A plump, curly-haired white woman with a kind smile. Representations of all the people that have called her home for as long as she has existed.

The magic of the world tends to run deeper and stronger in the largest cities, power pooling in places where there are many people and creatures. He loves listening to people debate over whether high populations cause the collection of power, or if the collection of power draws high populations. He loves traveling through the cities, though. Interacting with so many of his children—even if only a handful of them ever recognize who and what he is—spending time with them. Not every city’s leylines have grown powerful enough to manifest a conscious spirit, but oh how he loves the ones who have. Los Angeles is one of his favorites.

There’s a reason he’s always trusted her with his most treasured children, since the day she first woke up; always tried to guide the ones in need of a safe home to her borders.

“You’re being awfully quiet tonight,” she remarks, studying the elegant, crystal chessboard on the table between them. She taps one finger against the table briefly, before moving her knight.

“Am I?” he says, all faux innocence. The look she levels him is thoroughly unimpressed. He ignores it, examining the board—damn it, his rook’s wide open and he’s sacrificed all the pawns he can afford to. One would think that as often as they play, he’d learn her tricks, but she always manages to surprise him. He makes his move, shaking his head. “You could at least pretend to follow normal strategies, you know.”

She smiles at him, not believing the grumpy tone of his voice for a moment. “Would that make you feel better or worse about walking into my traps every time?” She props her chin in one hand, tilting her head to stare at him with eyes that shift through a dizzying array of colors every few seconds. “You’ve been very on edge…and not that I don’t enjoy your company, but it’s been ages since you stayed in one place for so long.” He hums, staring fixedly at the chess board and waiting for her to make her next move. Instead, she reaches across the table and gently takes his hand. “You did everything you possibly could. Even if my solution doesn’t work, you’ve put the dear thing in the best position possible.”

“I know,” he sighs. “I’m just…concerned. That Fae’s anger was very outsized. I’m afraid he’s past the point of his own magic recovering if he stops stealing from changeling children. It’s bound to make him desperate.”

“Are you angry I did what I did?” she asks softly. Immediately, he shakes his head, turning their joined hands over to lay his other one on top of hers.

“A price had to be paid for the power to cut off that possibility. You chose a price that also gave my boy a solution that has a better chance of succeeding than I could. How could I be angry?”

She lifts her chin, regarding him steadily. “Ours,” she corrects. “He belongs to me, too.” Her face drops, after a moment, sadness flickering in her eyes. “I do wish I could have taken a less permanent sacrifice.”

“I’ll miss the connection,” he admits, thinking of the changeling child who has so thoroughly captured both their attention and care.

He always feels a bond with changelings. Their power draws his notice…and their circumstances get them his pity. He tries to nudge their paths through life into directions that will at least be a little gentle, a little merciful, casting through all the possibilities surrounding them to find the best chances for them to escape their curse. He so rarely succeeds…most changelings don’t even make it out of childhood, and he hates that it is their magic that kills them. What should be a gift twisted into a weapon. His interest in Evan Buckley had started like that—pity for yet another changeling child that would likely die before he ever got to experience even half of what life had to offer. Then it had been shock at just how powerful the changeling was growing—not many things shock him.

But it was the way the boy loved magic that eventually won his favor. The way he took such joy in all the lesser fae and creatures around him, the way the boy had every right to let his loneliness turn him bitter and he instead chose to be kind. Chose to try and use his power to do good in the world, chose to be gentle and protective, even of creatures that humans tended to dismiss or even fear. He loves all his children, all the people and creatures that are connected to magic. But he does have his favorites.

“I’ll miss the connection,” he says again. “It’s sad to think he won’t be a part of us anymore. But I’d be sadder if he never had the chance to really make a life for himself. Find some happiness, finally.”

Her eyes flare with a gentle, violet glow that quickly changes, flickering through a spectrum of green, blue, and gold light of the wisps, no doubt checking in with the little network of spies she’s had following their boy practically since he sent the changeling to her. Not that many creatures have to be asked to follow him around. Her lips tilt into a serene, beautiful smile.

“I don’t think he’ll have to look far for that,” she says. “Is it always the werewolf?” she asks curiously.

“They’re always important to each other, in any possibility where they meet,” he replies. “There’s a reason I pushed the werewolf here so hard. More often than not, they end up together—and it’s the best possibility for both of them. There are others, of course—there’s actually another werewolf in a few, someone who used to work at the fire station. Decent man, treats my boy good. But they don’t fit together as well and it’s not always the kind of love he needs. Deserves.”

Her smile turns knowing. “You’re such a romantic,” she laughs. He joins in, shrugging his acceptance of her teasing. It’s true, after all. “But you still haven’t explained what you’re still doing here…you’re not planning to stay here the whole two years until your favored is completely safe?”

He frowns at that, turning to look out the window at the city. “There’s…there’s one more possibility I’m worried about. It happens so rarely. The chances are—they’re astronomically small. So many things would have to fall just a certain way for it to be a problem. I’m probably worrying for nothing. But keep me company a little longer?”

He turns back to her in time to see a worried frown flash across her face. But then she smiles and redirects her attention to the chessboard. Her fingers hover over one of her pawns. “As long as you like,” she says graciously.

[daniwib]

Season 8 speculation

Here’s my own speculation on what is going to happen in s8 based partly on wishful thinking but also because TM likes to do the unexpected while also calling back to earlier episodes:-

Chim and Hen both get transferred out to different stations. Chim possibly to the academy as a trainer instead of a regular station. Either way, they’re not at the 118 anymore under Gerrard. The fandom is so focused on what their lives are going to be like working under Gerrard again that I think TM is going to flip things on us and they’re not going to be working under him at all. They’ve both already done that before and they’re both much stronger, wiser and more mature now. They won’t take his shit and so we won’t see it. It’ll be more dramatic to take them out of the equation completely and split the 118 up.

Eddie is in a dark place because Chris is still living in Texas. He’s aware things are not great with Gerrard but he’s not focused on it, he’s just trying to keep his head above water in his personal life. Call back to Tommy saying he didn’t like who he was working under Gerrard – Eddie cannot handle anything else, so he falls into his old military mindset and toes the line at work. Does whatever Gerrard says, doesn’t talk back etc etc. Inadvertently becomes Gerrard’s golden boy because of it though he barely even notices. I’d love for that to cause issues between him and Buck but I think their relationship is too strong for that. But then TM has surprised us all before so who knows.

It takes a while before Gerrard realizes that Buck is dating Tommy but once he does, he starts making Buck’s life hell at work in the small ways he did back in the day with Hen and Chim. Who aren’t there to support Buck, and Eddie doesn’t seem to notice, and so Buck flounders. He’s never experienced constant, relentless homophobia like that before. How would he react? Does he try to hide who he is like Tommy did while working under Gerrard, or does he instead flaunt it? Does it wear him down and make him withdraw into himself? Or do we finally see some real growth for his character and see him standing up for himself without any support from his coworkers? (I’m assuming Tommy is supporting him bts but perhaps not against Gerrard personally. Tommy has his own past demons about the man to deal with).

Call back to 3x16 when Buck says “Yeah, like if Bobby retired. [sic] You know, or one of us got moved to another house, we would still all stay in touch” and Buck’s seeking reassurance that that won’t happen to them. Which they don’t actually give him, btw. Fast forward to the end of s7 and what’s Bobby done? Retired. Sure, he changed his mind and wants to come back but as of now in canon he is retired. So, I’m waiting to see some or all of them transferred to other houses and the 118 be completely separated either physically or in Eddie’s case mentally if he stays working in the same house as Buck.

They did it in Lonestar already and we know the shows have echoed themes before (whumpable chaos coma besties TK & Buck anyone?). The drama potential of it happening to the 118 is enticing. It would affect all of them in different ways and who knows we might even get that Buck breakdown we’ve been wanting for years. There are so many ways all of their storylines could go before we finally get that sweet sweet resolution and see Gerrard get the karmic slap he has to have coming – because that’s something else that 911 loves, dispensing karma to those who deserve it.

I haven’t even mentioned the whole Bathena being homeless or HenRen losing Mara storylines, but I know those will come into play again in s8 and I am excited to see where things go with them, too.

I also really hope that Gerrard was the arsonist and that we get more of the 118 losing their homes to arson (cough cough Buck’s loft) and perhaps even the station itself. Far fetched? Possibly. We’ve had more insane things happen on this show, though.

I’ve deliberately not speculated on the BuckTommy or Buddie of it all because quite frankly I’m tired of the shipwar. I’m content to wait and see where TM goes with that. What I’m excited for is to see how the dynamics of Gerrard and every member of the 118 play out during s8.

[m3nt4llyr4v3d]

Chat Blanc Doesn’t Matter

(to the person who actually saw it)

You’ve probably seen this said already but I have to express how frustrating this is dear LORD

Lemme preface this by saying: I think it’s hilarious that the fans come up with better headcanons than the writers

I completely believed the idea that the reason Ladybug was growing distant from Chat was because of the whole Chat Blanc thing. Sure, it was really alluded to twice in the entirety of season 4, but it honestly wouldn’t have been the first time something important was brought up only a few times, so it was reasonably believable. It’s falls in line with Chat Blanc affecting Marinette in multiple ways, her wanting to distant herself from Chat to prevent that timeline, whether subconsciously or on purpose. Meanwhile, her distance from Chat and his feeling of inadequacy on the team could possibly lead to his akumatization anyways. It was poetic really

And then the writers turned to us and said “oh no, it’s not that! It’s just that she has a lot of responsibilities and… that’s it!”

Kuro Neko happened in this season.

The episode where Marinette, for a brief moment, thought that Chat was akumatized.

And she barely has a reaction.

Look, I’m aware that if that was actually Chat, he wouldn’t have the ring and would be a bit less of a threat… theoretically, I mean being akumatized can replicate his powers regardless but whatever. But I feel like this “revelation” should have a stronger reaction? She saw the world get completely destroyed the “last time” this happened, why isn’t she more affected by this??

And in Season 5, she “rebounded” her crush, so now she likes Chat because of the events of season 4… except that would be an issue because it never once occurs to her that a relationship with Chat would lead to that future?? Chat Blanc literally says their love destroyed the world, how else could she have interpreted that? And yet she constantly goes on about what she likes about him and tries to pursue a relationship with him in her civilian identity and she doesn’t think about the potential consequences once?? (I can’t believe the season 4 finale affected her in that regard and Chat Blanc didn’t)

And of course, like others have said, every single iteration of Chat in white doesn’t freak her out. I guess seeing Paris destroyed, flooded, and seeing herself DEAD and her own body DISINTEGRATE IN FRONT OF HER EYES didn’t really affect her at all, nah just a normal Tuesday

No, Chat Blanc doesn’t matter one single bit to Ladybug, because for some baffling reason they’re shoving that all onto Chat, who WASN’T THERE! They had to make him have a nightmare adjacent to it to even do this!

Which, by the way, Marinette couldn’t have told him about any of what she saw therefore making him scared of a potential future based on her words. That would mean that this potential future she saw would have any meaning to her whatsoever, which it clearly doesn’t

what are the writers smoking, genuinely

[lacrimosathedark]

SOMEONE needs to get on Angel Dust & Vox content.

Not a ship, but just their whole dynamic could be so interesting.

Both Angel and Vox are connected to Valentino. Both of them, for lack of a better phrase, fuck with Valentino. But they have such different dynamics.

What they have in common (besides sex):

They're both used to Val's violent temper.

Both are unafraid to stand up to him if necessary

Differences:

Since Vox is stronger and on more even footing, he sees Val less as a threat and more as an annoyance when he acts up.

(I love that second scene Vox's face makes me laugh every time)

Vox has also learned non-violent ways to pacify Valentino where Angel...can't do that.

Angel, however, has reason to be afraid. Val owns him and can do whatever he wants to him. For the most part he's less scared and more miserable, but there is fear.

Angel's abuse has led him to inflating Val's strength in his own mind. This leads him to being protective of people who could feasibly kick Val's ass, putting himself in harms way to keep them safe from him.

Vox doesn't have anyone to protect from Val, really. The only others we know he cares about are Velvette and Alastor. Velvette is part of their team and used to this shit, and Alastor could not give less of a fuck.

Angel also has somewhat healthy relationships while Vox only has the Vees and his obsession with Alastor, which is also distinctly aggressive.

I have so many questions though.

Is Vox jealous of Angel being Val's main carnal focus? Did Angel ever envy Vox because he got to see a nicer Val more often and wasn't bound to his will? What do they think of each other? Has Val hurt Vox? I mean we know he can swap his head out for different monitors, could Val have broken his face at some point? Does Angel know?

Could Vox and Angel have any kind of connection from the abuse Val puts them through? And how would that dynamic effect their other relationships?

The closest we have to an interaction between them is this in Poison

Vox is holding Val's hand less like a handshake and more like kissing his hand. He sees Angel and stops whatever he's saying, and his smile drops. Then he gives Val an I'd almost call it a soft look, and then he zaps off.

There's also those lines on his face. Those aren't the same lines Vox has when he's worked up.

It's the other side of his face.

But also if you notice, both Val and Angel have something coming out of their mouths in this scene too. (this gif is Angel having wiped it off on his hand, you can see the droplets)

Seemingly, this is Val's saliva...ew.

I've seen people theorize Val's spit works like an aphrodisiac or has some other kind of soporific effect. I've seen people suggest it's an ingredient in Velvette's love potions.

Point being, it's a physical manifestation of the "poison" Angel is "addicted to", "choking on", and "full of".

The implication on Vox being that he's being poisoned too.

And there's just...something about this that has me thinking.

I just think they could be a fun dynamic to explore.

[anamericangirl]

What do you think about trump possibly getting arrested for fraud?

If he does get arrested it’s nothing more than a maliciously motivated political ploy to keep him from being voted in as the next president. If you’ve paid attention at all to anything since 2016 you will know they’ve been saying they will “get Trump” since he won the election but they never had anything to get him for.

And they still don’t. There’s no real evidence of any crimes and the case against him is so weak it can’t be anything but political. Even anti-trump prosecutors have refused to take it in the past because it’s simply too weak to prosecute. Even the illegal things he supposedly has done were so minimal that the statute of limitations has passed for even the most serious charge they could realistically put against him. Which means they would have to create a crime, read through the lines and misapply the law, all of which they are willing to do to “get Trump.”

Take 5 seconds to research DA Alvin Bragg and it’s obvious he’s doing this for political points. Look at the crime he’s been ignoring in his own district and then ask yourself why. And ask yourself why he’s ignoring those crimes but going after a decades old flimsy case against Trump that there’s next to no evidence for. Even if he gets prosecuted no reasonable jury would ever convict him on such a weak case.

Why are actual serious known crimes committed by the Biden family not being prosecuted but hypothetical crimes by Trump are?

Where is the indictment for Hillary Clinton whom there is a much stronger case against for similar and more serious crimes?

The whole Stormy Daniels case is bs and there’s nothing to prosecute there because while paying hush money is shady and less than decent it’s not illegal. It’s not a crime. Which means if they try him for anything in regards to that they will have to make up a crime and charge him for it.

And anyone who understands what is happening here, even if you hate Trump to your core, should be furious. Because even if you want Trump locked up or whatever, the way this is happening is a disgrace to our country. The way it’s supposed to work is a crime is found and then they find the person who did the crime and in this case what they are doing is finding the person they want to prosecute and then trying to find a crime. And right now people might not care because it’s Trump and Orange Man Bad but forget that it’s Trump. Maybe next time it’s you. Or your mom. Or the kid down the street. The fact that they are doing it to Trump means they are willing to do it and if they get away with it they will do it again.

Another reason this should infuriate people is because it’s an attempt to keep him from being the president. And that should upset you even if you don’t want him to be the president because what they are doing is trying to override the voice of the people. They are trying to choose the next president when it’s not up to them. It’s up to the voters. They want to keep us from being able to vote for or against Trump because they don’t want him to win. We should not allow this because this time it’s Trump but next time it won’t be. We can’t let the establishment pick the candidates and keep us from voting for people just because they don’t want them to be the president. That is not a choice they get to make. That is up to us, the voters.

This is actual election interference.

I know you might not have been looking for that much but that’s how I’m feeling about it right now.

[revvethasmythh]

it's like, the thing I like the most about widobrave is that it's COMPLICATED. like written on a hill in ten foot tall letters, capital C complicated. it's like there's this person who is the only person you have and the way you engage with each other isn't exactly platonic but that's okay because honestly both of you needed that level of intimacy at the time in order to survive. you call her your "life partner" and when a near-stranger asks if you're a couple, you reply "Sure" with the confidence of someone who knows that she is your person just as much as you are her person. you are unsure of everything (everything) in the world and deeply distrustful, but not of her, not even when you try to convince yourself you can't trust her, not really. because she's your person, she's your life partner. and if people assume you're a couple? well. are they really wrong? (you huddled for warmth with her, and isn't that where romance has started for you once before?) why, then, would you dissuade them of that notion?

then everything changes (when the fire nation attacks) because it turns out she is not your person. she's been married this entire time and she already has a person and he is not you. that your place in her life is disrupted as you realize she was never really yours to begin with. you were too intimate to be just friends--the first time you meet her husband, she compliments you a little too much and then has to rush to assure him you weren't her romantic partner--but never quite lovers, even though you wouldn't have minded if people assumed you were. everything from then on is walking that tightrope of platonic-romantic love, trying to maintain that intimacy but also trying not to cross the line in the sand anymore. you are not her familiar soul. you don't get to see her interior whole. and that's just the way that it is

and also like there's this guy. he's handsome and sad and you hate dealing with your own problems--jesus fuck you have a lot of them right now--and you'd do just about anything to worry about someone else's issues rather than your own. and he's handsome. didn't you already think that? whatever, it's true. he's quiet and he's smart and he's awkward and gods he kind of reminds you of your husband sometimes, when the moonlight streams in through the window just so and make his eyes glitter like that. now, you've given up on ever returning home and seeing your family again. your problems aren't relevant. but this guy's are. so you attach yourself to him, you help him, you support him, you care about him. he knows magic. transmutation. you think maybe there's a chance there that he could save you one day, if only he gets strong enough, smart enough, powerful enough. he could be your salvation and sometimes, when he doesn't realize you've noticed, you catch him looking at you like you could be his too.

maybe you start out thinking this relationship is going to be transactional. you help him get stronger, he puts you back in the body you're supposed to be in. simple. not really, as it turns out, because you actually adore him. some latent part of yourself that just wants to care for someone comes to life again and you're going to care for this guy if it's the last thing you do. you'll be his advocate, you'll be his person, and you have no doubt he'll do the same for you. until your home is attacked--his people did this--and the family you'd resigned yourself never to see again are in danger. no question about it, you have to save them (it's what you always do, after all). revealing this rocks your relationship with him, but this is just more important that some guy you've come to care about who maybe you cared too much about on occasion. it just is. then you get your husband back and what do you do after that? leave him and this family of friends you've created? go back to being the person you used to be? no, you can't do that until you have your body back. you have the time to figure it all out.

except this guy you've tethered yourself to is brilliant, actually, and it doesn't take him that long to figure out how to change you. you love his brilliance and his goofiness and the bone deep way that he cares. you kiss him one time, sweetly, before you think you're turning back into you, because this is the last time you're allowed to behave so transgressively. besides, in your old body isn't it possible all these feelings will just go away? but they don't. when you get your body back, the feelings stay and--fuck--they get worse, actually. you try to brush it off but those feelings grow and your conflict deepens. you love this guy, this brilliant wizard you've tethered yourself to. you love your husband, too, but you can't figure out if you're in love with him anymore. you have one foot on either side of the divide (your family or your friends, him or your husband) and you genuinely don't know what to do, what the right choice is, which version of you you want to be. your heart is in a cage and it keeps on beating away

[armins-main-hoe]

MHA x avatar

MHA navi x Fem!reader

request

Okay so far we only have met the forest na’vi and the reef na’vi. We don’t really know much about what other variant of na’vi there are yet, at least not 100%. I know there was a mention of fire na’vi but then again, we all don’t know much about them that much. But I think I’ll still make some characters be other types of na’vi other than just reef and forest. I might make up my own too, just to give me more options. But I’d honestly love to hear your ideas as well, the one reading this. If you think differently or have another idea for a na’vi type.

So I’m thinking I’m just gonna do head cannons for now, then later on when I can think of an actual plot line, I’ll make a whole fic for this.

I'm only gonna do the main three for now, if you guys like this and want other characters let me know!!

(and i'm gonna write a little smut drabble for the three soon too)

Midoriya na’vi x reader

I honestly think he’d be a forest na’vi, that’s just the type of vibe he gives off.

He’d be really in tune with his surroundings, a keen observer, since he doesn’t come off as the talkative type.

Though he is well liked by the others, there always is one other na’vi who doesn’t quite share the same opinion of him as others.

Despite his constant attempts at dismissing bakugo’s taunts and challenges, he does sometimes find himself not being that confident in his own skills and abilities.

But that changed when he got closer to you. You, a kind and loving na’vi who honestly nobody could hate. You were always there for him. Sometimes you’d find him sitting alone on some tree top, looking out at the view around him. You’d sit down next to him silently.

Together, the two of you would quietly enjoy each other’s presence and relax.

"You are strong Isuku. Stronger than you think."

Honestly, i believe you both would have a puppy love trope, enjoying everything the forest has to offer.

From sharing sweet, juicy fruits to running across thick branches of the trees.

Though you both had yet to make anything official, it was clear to the whole clan that you two would choose each other when the time comes.

While the two of you were what most would consider 'googy-two-shoes', you would sometimes sneak out at night just to spend time together. To go to the trees of souls where the woodsprites would float around you both, softly landing on you both as you hold hands.

Even Ewya would agree that the two of you were perfect for each other.

Bakugo na'vi x reader

Just to keep the rivalry between midoryia and Bakugo, I would put Bakugo as a forest Na'vi too.

The entire clan and the other clans around would know about Bakugo and his feisty temper. Many would look down at him for viewing life through such fire, but not many would dare to confront him about it.

Despite the clan looking down on his behaviour, they were quick to recognise his strength in being a strong warrior for the clan. Even the Olo'eyktan recognised this and praised him for it.

You were a strong huntress, you never missed a shot. Sometimes you would be sent out with the warriors to fight the human machines that would try and invade your part of the forest. Thats when you saw Bakugo and realised why everyone praised his strength. You used to admire it too before you found out how cocky he was.

The two of you would bicker, he would get on your nerves too much and you weren't one to let him do whatever.

As others would pass you both arguing, they would either roll their eyes at your usual antics or laugh to themselves.

Though one day it wasn't so funny. One day, it wasn't a bit of banter. One day you were at each other's throats. That day, you both hurt each other.

Others were quick to pull you both apart. Both of you had busies and busted lips. The amount of scolding you both received from the Olo'eyktan drew much attention from everyone around you. No one had seen the leader that angry.

The Olo'eyktan had sent you both out, out of the clan. Not to come back until a week later. He said that you both must survive on your own with only each other to rely on.

Fair to say even more arguments happened during that week, more arguments that somehow turned into making out.

Nobody saw that coming, nope, definitely not. Who would have thought.

Todoroki na'vi x reader

Now as much as we would like to see the trio together, I would say that this one was a produce of two navi from different clans falling in love.

Lets give him a somewhat decent family in this AU okay?

His father from the fire na'vi clan and his mother from the na'vi that live up in the cold, snowy mountains.

Their love though wasn't appreciated by either clans. They were forced to choose, either stay in love or stay in their respective clans.

They chose to leave their clans and start their own family. But it wasn't that easy. You don't quite realise just how much easier it is to live with a whole clan, where food is shared and and roles are divided.

It was hard. Harder so when other clans around them would not let them enter their territory. But Ewya blessed them both by letting them stumble across a small bit of unclaimed land out in the middle of the ocean. It was small but the land had trees which bore fruits, ocean which had plenty of fish and small cave for shelter.

Even with this blessing, it wasn't easy. Not when one na'vi was used to the harsh heat of the volcanoes and another used to the harsh cold of the mountains.

Though with time they were able to start their own family. Four children. The youngest being Shoto.

Shoto was content with his life, he never met any other na'vi apart from his siblings and parents but that didn't seem to bother him. He didn't know life outside of the island and the waters around.

But that didn't bother him.

You can't miss something you never had.

Not until a young reef girl called y/n who happen to have swam out too far and came across the todoroki island. The young girl who he quickly became friends with and who began to tell him all about her clan by the reef.

Thats when he began to truly wonder what was out there beyond his little island in the middle of the ocean.

@katsuki069

[katy-133]

Spy's Rally - Character Analysis

We have TF2 fan Shork (YouTube behind the scenes video) to thank, but a deleted Spy monologue from a scrapped version of Meet the spy has been uncovered, featuring the voice of Spy's voice actor, Dennis Bateman.

You can listen to it below:

Here is a transcript of the speech:

Our's is a mean, dark, old world, where some say, a man can be whatever he's man enough to be. I'm here to tell you there are limits. I have no doubt that your hometown bars, alleys, churches and whorehouses are safer tonight for your absence. Alone, any of you bad men could be the Caesar of his local sewer. So what? Your individual strengths--Speed, accuracy, brawn, brain, rage, flame retardancy--are matched by weaknesses we need not detail. Disorder, the natural state of nature, is cheap to create, costly to overcome. But you've put pain to that debt. Nature abhors a team, gentlemen. And together, we bold few, we unnatural brothers, are going to seize Mother Nature by the throat, and choke the whole world out of that sorry bitch! [End of transcript]

So going line by line, there's information on Spy's character we can gather from this.

Spy sees the world as "mean and dark". Old and primal. A place where power is what allows you to gain ground.

The line about "whorehouses" makes me believe that this is a speech Spy gave before he fully knew the mercs as people (rather than as classes with strength/weakness statistics), because we know canonically, Scout is not going there. The fan animation (by animator AltraNade) for Spy's speech also has Spy pointedly look at Scout in particular when he says the word, so I don't even think Spy knows that Scout is his son at this point in the timeline.

The line about Caesar is a variation of the English idiom, "You can be a blip in the world, or you can own the pond." (This is one variation of the expression I've heard--there's many paraphrases.) The idiom can be interpreted as looking at the pros of containing your reach of power, versus the cons of trying to extend your power over more and more range, and how power (the amount you have) can be a matter of perspective. Here, Spy is using it to say how pointless it is to be on your own to try and seize power. Power over what? A single Control Point? A single piece of farmland? You need more organisation and discipline to think bigger, Spy is saying.

"Nature abhors a team" is such a telling line to me, because it gives us insight to how Spy views the world. He believes that life and people are naturally lone beings who are motivated by just their own needs. Therefore, forming a team with others is going against nature. It takes work, it's "costly," but makes you stronger because you are a part of something bigger than yourself.

This is what Spy believes. This is his moral compass.

Like his speech in Expiration Date, Spy leads others because he believes in his team being stronger and better together. He chose teamwork above being strong on his own.

And the implications of this--Was Spy always like this, or did he change to this mindset after leaving Scout's mother? Did he start out thinking he had to leave her because he wanted to be a lone wolf figure? Did he leave because his enemies were after him and he thought leaving his family would keep them safer than staying together to protect each other? And then he changed his mind and realised that he was wrong when he met the mercs?