#but i gave up after a bit. might return to it bc i think it would be a good visual

[rolandkaros]

WTA TOP 10 POINTS TO DEFEND 2025

[LINK TO ATP]

Some notes:

Swing names are generalized based on the major events of that time period. For example, the North American Hard Court swing (NAHC) also includes Palermo in the point total.

Every player besides Krejčíková dropped at least one result. I calculated all points by hand and used the official ranking point totals to work backwards (i.e. if my total is 50 points higher than the official total, then I find the result they achieved that was worth 50 points and nullify that result). In some instances there were multiple tournaments with the same amount of points earned that could have been dropped. In those cases, I nullified the result which contributed less to its respective swing (e.g. subtracted Stuttgart rather than Berlin from Zheng's point total because she earned less points during the grass swing).

[rueclfer]

heyy there can i request some more touya headcannons? i really enjoy your way of picturing him because it’s just so canon and he’s kinda a lovely dick y’know. whatever comes to ur mind. thank u so much!!

weelll since you gave me so much freedom here r some touya as a housemate hcs ANNDD a moodboard bc i enjoy the visualization <3 since we talked abt this the other day too !! (i yapped so hard here sry sry this is so indulgent)

bakugou's and sero's version too hehe

housemates // touya todoroki

touya hates the idea of living with a complete stranger or one of his siblings, so what other option does he have other than forcing his best friend (crush) on a lease with him?

the newfound freedom definitely puts him on his ass for a few weeks. barely sleeps. eats like shit. trash is scattered everywhere. several unpacked boxes. it stays like this until fuyumi comes over to check our the place and gives you two a hard scolding to get your shit together.

more often than not, you'd end up waking up on the couch with your legs sprawled out across his lap and his upper half leaned over the couch arm rest in deep sleep. staying up so late was probably one of his favorite things about living together. being able to talk as loud as you wanted, watch movies late into the night, look over the city from your balcony- he found solitude in existing with you.

if he wasn't already codependent before moving in together, just know his ass will be GLUED TO YOU. you'd be doing work in your room and he'd barge in and flop down on your bed without a word. maybe he'd gotten a bit too comfortable.

if he's feeling extra annoying that day, he'd bring in his guitar and amp and keep asking you to rate his riffs until you entirely give up on work and give him some attention.

is it obvious his love language is quality time? not only that, gift giving too. he's like a fucking crow.

"look what i found. it's a rock. for you."

makes him soooo giddy to see your display of the rocks, feathers, and dried up flowers he picked up for you on his walk. sometimes you'd come home and there'd be a new addition to the ever growing collection.

ofc you'd return the energy in a different way. touya will not cook for himself. ever. he eats like shit as an internal rebellion against the healthy diet he was forced upon as a kid, but you will not allow that boy to rot himself from the inside out!! he can expect several tupperwares of portioned out meals with notes attached to the lids if you know he'd be home all day by himself.

"to t <3. if you don't eat every last bite i'll find out and it'll hurt my feelings and i might combust into flames or something idk don't risk it!"

i can also imagine him holding back tears whenever you ever come into his room to hand him a bowl of cut up fruit. the first time you do it he'd be speechless like jaw dropped taken aback. has he ever felt love like this??? i think not.

despite all of the kind gestures, he's still touya todoroki. hides your keys if you annoyed him that morning by rushing him in the bathroom and makes you a few minutes late to class/work. chronic door slammer. pisses with the door wide open. no sense of privacy and do not gaf to knock. always locking himself out -> i feel strongly about this like imagine coming home after a long day and he's sitting out in the hallway with a pouty face waiting for you hehehe.

i don't think he'd realize this crush until a few months after you've moved in together. how could he when you two practically already act and bicker like an old married couple?

yes- peanut butter belongs in the fridge. no- it doesn't. stop leaving your socks everywhere. you forget to flush again. stop slamming the doors. you ate my chips, didn't you? don't lie. did you really need to put the mugs up that high? (he does it on purpose, and tightens the lid to every jar too.)

it wasn't until one late evening when he comes home to find you frantically mixing a doughy substance in a large metal bowl. you never bake, but you have your own oven now, so why not?

"god, finally. help me, my arms hurt." you groan, shoving the bowl in his hands. "i think i fucked up."

he sees the hurricane aftermath of your kitchen- flour everywhere, egg shells left on the counter, every single jar imaginable opened and scattered around. he could be teasing you about the mess, but god you looked so beautiful with that stupid wrinkle in between your eyebrows as you read over the recipe, and the streaks of flour across your pant leg from wiping your hands, and the way you swipe away the stray pieces of hair falling in your face with the back of your hand- oh fuck.

he thinks he's falling in love with you.

he swallows it, but he starts acting kinda weird around the apartment.

like he's.... avoiding you?

living with his best friend whom he just so happens to develop a crush for, would eat him alive. he locks himself in his room and chain smoke out his window while he's stressing the fuck out. he told you he'd stop smoking, but he's sure you'd understand the need for it right now. he hopes you can't smell it.

i also think he'd be a stress cleaner lmaaoo he cannot sit still with his thoughts for too long, so the headphones are ON and blasting and he'll definitely use that as a scapegoat + the loud ass vacuum for ignoring you if you try to talk to him while he's on this cleaning frenzy.

you think he's sick LMAO imagine the pain he feels when you come knocking on his door and calling out that you're leaving a bowl of soup and cough medicine outside his door for him. he doesn't tell you that yeah he's sick but *not in that way*

lovesick. that boy is lovesick!!!!!!

how do you avoid your housemate while you figure out how to control your feelings?

he confesses via note that he leaves on the kitchen counter. really simple tbh nothing too extravagant, but he signs off by telling you that he's staying crashing at fuyumi's for a couple days.

you text him a string of obscenities to get his ass back home and he does (he's scared of you).

he CAANNOOTT talk about his feelings in an adult way. he is sitting on the complete opposite side of the couch, twiddling his thumbs, and staring down at his feet like a child while you reread his confession note out loud to him. you find his discomfort hilarious but endearing. he finds you unbearably insufferable.

jesus the amount of times in that apartment where he would storm off to his room whenever you two got in an argument or you pissed him off...old habits die hard, you guess, because this isn't the todoroki household anymore and you aren't scared to lose that deposit and kick a door down.

once you corner him and get him to open up about his feelings the air in the room suddenly shift!! the clouds are clearing and the sun is shining woooowww look at what good communication can do.

sharing an apartment with your BOYFRIEND is no different than sharing one with your best friend. i think he'd like to keep your separate bedrooms to have your own space, but you'll rarely sleep apart.

so! many! new! traditions!

helping him dye his hair on the first saturday of every month. biweekly horror movie marathons. counting the communal piggy bank ever couple months. trying new takeout spots until you find THE spot for every category- chinese, pizza, ramen, etc etc.

and finally, an everlasting mark on your first apartment together: a small carved out heart around your initials left on the inner corner of a kitchen cabinet done with his pocket knife on a random weekday evening while you two are cooking dinner together.

-

touya tag: @moonchild701 @kaldurahms-lover @themultifandomgirl @devilslittlehelper @porusuniverse @ratatellie @katbug37 @ggriwm

[loumandism]

thinking about louis as lesmand's second shared inpatient/both of their redemptions for nicki. lestat brought nicki into the vampirism that would eventually drive him to suicide but armand forced him into that world through the kidnapping. lestat broke nicki down but armand’s torture was the straw that broke the camel’s back. they have a shared responsibility in his death + not being able to protect him (*cough cough* from himself). enter louis: the second love of lestat’s life who he spends over three decades trying to break from his suicidal ideation because the idea of repeating the same mistake he did w/ nicki terrifies him. and when he throws louis from the sky and is banished, for good reason, he insists on returning over and over—obv because he’s controlling but probably also bc he wants to monitor him. did i once again hurt the one i love so much they’re going to die? because of me? and then louis “kills” him, abandons him as armand said his fledglings always would, and finds armand, and lestat once again “gives away” his lover to armand to become the caretaker of (cleaner of messes and etc) and louis tries to kill himself, in front of armand (as nicki killed himself in front of armand), bc armand once again went too far (in a scene where their shared obsession w lestat AND armand’s torture of nicki is brought up). and armand has failed these projects he’s been given by people he loves over and over (the palazzo boys, nicki, now louis) and he resolves himself to do Whatever He Needs To to guarantee louis’ survival—for himself and for the idealized romance he wants with louis and to prove himself to lestat in a really backwards way that doesn’t even include letting lestat know louis is still alive bc honestly why would he deserve that after making armand his good nurse 150 years later—including the maintenance of a decades long psychosexual gaslighting campaign. which surely will work this time.

it makes lestat’s “enjoy him” a bit stranger, doesn’t it? “i gave you to armand, you tell me if that was saving.” he’s completely conscious of who armand is and what he’s capable of and the pain he puts people through, and lets louis go with basically no resistance or warning. i maintain there was Something lestat knew about the trial, some sort of discussion he had w/ armand, that implied he really thought armand might actually protect the person he loved this time. the contact in 73 always struck me bc it sounds like there’s some sort of arrangement between old friends being discussed. oh season 3 you couldn’t come soon enough.

[shockercoco]

Modern Loneliness

Major John Egan x reader

Warnings - little bit of angst, but mostly fluff

Word count - 2159

a/n - this was literally supposed to be posted over a month ago for the ending of MOTA, but I kept writing for Austin lol. Might as well get it out the drafts now. I also basically had to rewrite the whole thing bc wtf was I thinking a month ago. I hope you enjoy :)

The war is finally over, allowing all the soldiers to go home, including the two best friends Buck and Bucky. The only thing holding Bucky back from being completely content about leaving is the fact that he doesn’t have that special someone to go back to.

Buck has Marge, and of course he’s happy for him, but Bucky just wishes had found a girl before he got sent off, someone who would know how he was before the war. Buck would always tell him not to worry and that he would find someone soon, but each time it doesn’t give him any reassurance.

You have been best friends with Marge since college, so when she told you her fiance was coming home you had nothing but joy for her. You had been a huge supporter of their relationship since the beginning, and while Buck was away you were always at her house comforting her for when she cried or just needed a friend. During his absence, Buck would write to you to check in on Marge because you and him both knew Marge would never tell him how she was really doing.

Currently, you are walking out of her front door to go back home when you see a taxi pull up in the driveway. You didn’t think anything of it until you saw Buck exiting the vehicle with his bags in hand. You shout for Marge to come outside, and it doesn’t take long for her to sprint into Buck’s arms after seeing him in the driveway. With a smile, you watched as he held onto her tightly and so lovingly, knowing this is exactly what Marge needed after a bad week. 

Deep down, though, you were wishing you had someone coming home to you, someone whose arms you could run into and kiss you like his life depended on it. When it came to the dating scene you never had much luck, so after a while you just accepted the defeat and gave up, deciding it was better to put your energy towards your career. 

During your girl talks, Marge would always tell you that you would find someone soon, and how perfect of a person you were, but year after year of not finding a relationship was making it hard to believe her. 

A couple days after Buck’s return, Marge invited you over because she was hosting a barbeque for Buck and some of his friends. You tried your best to get out of it, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She also mentioned that Bucky – Buck’s friend from the military who you’ve only heard while reading letters – would be there and that it would be an opportunity for you.

You didn’t find it unusual that she was trying to set you up with someone because this is what she always does, but you just weren’t in the mood to have small talk with a guy who probably wouldn’t find you attractive.

When Buck had invited Bucky – because when are they not together – he turned down the offer, and just like Marge, Buck wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

So, now here you were in Marge’s backyard surrounded by men and their partners. The only people you knew were the hosts, so you sat on the steps of the back porch with Marge beside you. Marge also didn’t know many of the guests given the fact everyone was Buck’s friend from the military, so she kept you company as she watched Buck man the grill with a few other guys beside him.

Bucky was among them, standing right next to his best friend and sipping on a beer as he talked. Every now and again, he would run a hand through his hair to push some of his loose curls, and you couldn’t deny the fact that he was attractive as you found yourself admiring him from a distance.

“Are you going to say something to him?” Marge asked you as she swished around the lemonade in her glass. She had been watching you this whole time as you practically drooled in the direction of the grill.

“Of course not,” you say as you turn your attention back to her, not before glancing around to see if anyone else had caught you staring. 

Thankfully some of the women had formed a little group and were laughing and gossiping amongst themselves, so there was little chance anyone had noticed you.

“And why not?” asked Marge with furrowed brows. “He’s a nice guy, I promise.”

“I’m sure he is, but it’s not like I know what to say. Plus look at him, he’s way out of my league,” you reply as you take a sip of lemonade from your own glass. 

“No he’s not, he’s just like any other guy,” she scoffs followed by a laugh.

“And just like with any other guy, I have nothing to talk about. What do we even have in common? He also just got back from a war camp in Europe, what if I say something that triggers him? 

“You’re overthinking. Just start off with a simple hello, and then go from there. He’s a huge flirt so knowing him he’ll do most of the talking,” she smiles. 

She was always so optimistic about these kinds of things, but you would be too if you were getting married to a guy who basically worships you.

You quickly finish the last of your lemonade before standing up. “I’m going to get a refill,” you mumble as you walk up the steps and into the house. You needed an excuse to get away from the conversation, and to get out of the heat. The sundress you were wearing was cute and gave you airflow, but it also exposed your arms and legs to harsh sun.

You head into the kitchen and open the fridge to take out the pitcher of lemonade Marge had made earlier in the day. After refilling your glass, you thought it was best to linger in the kitchen for a bit longer and decided to grab a plate of fruit out of the fridge to keep you busy.

Just as you jump up on the kitchen counter to get comfortable, you hear the back door opening. Next thing you know, you see Bucky walking into the kitchen, letting out a sigh that seems to be of exhaustion. He flashes you a smile when he notices you, before proceeding to grab another beer out of the fridge.

“You’re Marge’s friend right?” he asks as he shuts the door and turns to face you. 

“Yep,” is all you say before sticking a grape in your mouth.

“I’m John, but everyone calls me Bucky,” he says. He makes direct eye contact as sticks a hand out for you to shake, which you do, before popping the cap off his beer.

“So I’ve heard. I’ve seen your picture in Marge’s letters,” you respond as you focus your attention on the plate in your hands and begin moving some fruit around.

“Oh, yeah? Did I atleast look good in those pictures? Buck never lets me read his letters,” He smirks as he leans against the counter opposite from you.

You almost choke on the piece of fruit you had just placed in your mouth from his statement. You feel your face and ears turning warm so you turn your head and look out the kitchen window to avoid his gaze.

You stop yourself from smiling and cover it by clearing your throat. “Well  you were in a uniform and in black and white, so I couldn’t really tell.” 

“Understandable, black and white photos can be misleading,” he jokes, taking a swig from his bear. There’s a short silence that follows that isn’t completely awkward, but not exactly comfortable to you either. You hope he doesn’t notice.

The silence is interrupted by the back door opening and Marge sticking her head inside. She grins as her eyes flicker between you and Bucky before stopping on you to say, “Are you coming back out or what?”

“In a second, I’m just going to cool off in here for a bit,” you tell her. She gives you a nod before closing the door.

“Not a fan of big gatherings, I take it,” Bucky says once Marge is gone.

“What makes you say that?” you steal a glance at him before looking back out the window.

You smile as you watch Marge join Buck at the grill, making him turn his head to give her a quick kiss.

“I can tell you’re avoiding going back outside, and I don’t blame you. I’m doing the same thing myself,” he answers.

“What are you avoiding?” you finally turn your head to face him.

“Nothing specific really, I’m just not in the mood for conversating and answering people’s questions right now. That doesn’t include you though,” he looks over at you with a small smile. ” I used to love being around people and having fun, but now all I want to do is leave.” 

You watch as Bucky stares at the wall, going distant. His mood seems to have shifted from the one he had when he first stepped foot in the kitchen. “Everything okay?”

Your voice interrupts his thoughts and brings him back to the present. “Yeah, I’m fine…I’m just…I can tell I’m a different person ever since I got back, and I’m not sure I like this version of me.” He sets his beer on the counter and folds his arms, no longer in the mood to drink it. 

“I don’t think anyone expects you to be the same.”

“Well yeah, it’s just the fact that everyone I meet from now on will only know this version of me. They won’t know how different I was before the war, and they won’t understand what I’ve been through. Like Buck has Marge to talk to, and she understands because of the letters he would send her. I don’t have that,” Bucky says before adding, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to dump this all on you.”

You just give him a smile. Even though you will never understand completely what Bucky went through, you do have some grasp on what he’s feeling. To you it’s obvious that he puts on a mask when he’s around people, and won’t let his feelings show unless he’s alone – harboring his emotions.

“I know how close you are with Buck, have you ever told him about how you felt? It always helps to talk to someone.” you tell him.

He shakes his head, “No, I don’t want to bother him. He has his own problems.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” you tell him, but he just shakes his head again. “Well...I know we’ve just met, but you could talk to me. I mean, you just opened up to me in a kitchen within ten minutes of meeting me. I’m obviously a great listener Only if you want to, though,” you end with a hopeful smile.

Bucky finally looks away from the wall to look you in the eye with his eyebrows raised. “Really?” he asks and you nod. “That would be nice.”

And that’s where the bond between the two of you started, and it only continued to grow stronger. You would meet up with him for drinks, lunch, or just for a walk through the park. Bucky would tell you everything, from him joining the military and meeting Buck to what he has experienced throughout the past few years. You could tell that he would get emotional when he brought up certain topics, but he never cried around you, even though you always encouraged him to let his feelings out.

One day when he invited you to dinner, you brought it up to Marge. She quickly got excited and said it was a date, but you just brushed it off and told her it was just another casual meeting. Nonetheless, you still decided to put effort into your appearance – more than you normally do – and once the dinner was over, you realized she was right.

Bucky ended up confessing to you how his feelings for you have grown over the past few weeks. At first you were shocked, but when you realized he was being serious, you admitted that you felt the same way. 

You didn’t care that Bucky thought he was a ruined person with a lot of baggage, everyone has their hardships, after all. Bucky loved how you enjoyed being with him after everything he had told you, and how you accepted him for who he is now.

When you eventually told Marge that you and Bucky were official, she wasn’t surprised at all and brought up how she always said you would find someone. When Bucky had told his best friend, Buck was happy for him and gave Bucky his fair share of I told you so’s.

[angelicblondie]

Hi!

I love the PJO show ver. of Luke, I'm so very normal about him skvqmw

So, for a fanfic request, I was thinking... It's the 4th of July, so everyone is staying up late, and fem!child of Apollo user and Luke are off in a different part of Camp to see the fireworks. And well their alone and waiting, he confesses how he fell in love with her (they're dating to begin with btw), and she lights up.

Like, glow-wise. Like Will can do.

awww this is the cutest thing ever!! im not exactly sure what you mean by "glow-wise" (bc i admit i havent read any of the recent books bc i just couldnt get into them), but i'll try my best hehe <333

·:*¨༺🎀🦢🕯️༻¨*:·. 

the fourth of the july was your favorite day of the whole summer each year. you weren't exactly sure why - maybe it was that all camp duties were dismissed for the day, maybe it was that you held a deep love of america (which you didn't of course, but something about the fourth of july strangely made you a bit patriotic), or maybe it was that all the senior campers snuck off to the beach to watch the fireworks light. "snuck" might be the wrong word, considering chiron and mr. d definitely knew about it, but obviously they didn't really care since you guys never got in trouble.

moments like these were times you got to escape reality, even if it was just for a moment. it was a breath of fresh air to just be like every other teenager in the country, make a bonfire at the beach, and watch the fireworks. it was nice to pretend.

you, like every other person on the beach, had a red solo cup in your hands, taking leisurely sips. you decided to take it easy tonight - you wanted to witness the fireworks fully sober, which was unlike last year when you got plastered and your poor best friend (now boyfriend) luke had to take care of you the whole night. bless his heart!!

after spending the first half of the night chatting away with your girlfriends, luke came up behind you, placing his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. you didn't even flinch, knowing it was him, and you leaned back against him, hugging his arms around you with warm smile.

luke greeted your friends (who were smiling teasingly at your lovesick expression) and asked to take you away, to which they gave in with no hesitation. luke whisked you away to walk along the shore, away from the gathering.

you hugged his arm as it began to get chillier away from the fire, and right by the water. you walked mostly in silence, enjoying the pure serenity and peace in the moment, loving the way his arms radiated warmth into your skin.

you eventually found a log to sit on, the chatter of the gathering being out of earshot, but the bonfire still being visible. luke tore off his hoodie for you, and you swore to him as you put it on that you would return it (which you both knew wasnt true).

even with his hoodie on you still cuddled up close to him, staring out into the pitch black water and starry sky. "where did connor and travis even get these fireworks?" you ask him, voice muffled into his arm.

luke chuckled a bit when asked about his siblings. "zues knows," he muttered, turning down to look at you, cheeks scrunched up against his bicep with a faraway look in your eyes. for some reason, he couldn't stop looking at you - the way the water view in front of you reflected in your eyes, the way your lips sat in a gentle pout, how big his hoodie was on you - it gave him a sense of pride that you were his. that he had somehow, someway, managed to get you.

he began to smile to himself, and shook his head, almost as if he couldn't believe this was his life. and the way you looked up at him, turning your eyesight away from the view solidified his admiration.

you looked up at him the same way you looked at the stars and sea just then - with wonder and serenity. you bit your lip for a moment, as if you were hesitating to speak. "when'd you fall in love w'me?" you ask quietly and curiously.

luke raises his eyebrows at your question. "jeez, sunshine, where'd that come from?" he asks, and you giggle softly. "i dunno, i guess i was j'wondering," you explain, still looking up at him fondly.

luke blows out a breath of air and looks away to think. he racked his brain, trying to remember. in truth, luke believed he had always been in love with you, or as least slowly falling over time. but, if he thought about it, there was one moment he remembered admitting it to himself.

it was on your last birthday, a couple months after the two of you had started dating. your father (apollo), like every year, had left you a gift on your side table to wake up to. this year it had been a necklace with a sun on it, and he remembered you were so excited. "its like i can carry a piece of him everywhere!" you had excitedly squealed to your boyfriend after breakfast. he also remembered all the other years before feeling a bit jealous - and being incredibly guilty about it. your father gave you gifts, and visited you in your dreams - yet his father could only ever give him a doomed quest. he always knew he should've been souly happy for you, and he was, but the fucked up and bitter part of him was a bit envious of the love you had received effortlessly. now looking back, it felt stupid, because he didnt need his father to love him - as long as you did, nothing else mattered in his books.

he guessed that it was then when he realized that he loved you. this time around, he couldn't even be jealous, because he understood. luke loved you so much, that if he could, he would give you just abut anything you desired, simply for existing. he didn't have it in him to be bitter, because he was just so happy that you were happy on your special day.

after a moment, luke turned back to you to explain. the whole time he spoke, you lips were twisted in a soft smile and your eyes were lit up, feeling in awe of how lucky you were. moments like these made you feel grateful for your boyfriend. you didn't exactly know what life would look like without him, but you knew you never wanted to find out.

you pouted. "aww, lukey, that was adorable!" you exclaim, your hoodie-covered fingers grabbing his face and placing a fat kiss on his lips. he chuckled. "alright, back up." he joked.

you giggled, resting you head on his shoulder. "love you, luke." you say softly and quietly.

"love y'too, sunshine." luke whispered back, scincere michief filling his voice.

not too long after, the fireworks were lit, and you and luke watched in awe as the bright colors filled the sky, hearing the distant whoops and hollars from the campers not far away along the shore. luke tried to distract you, peppering kisses on you face and tickling you, so you giggled you scolded him, telling him you wanted to enjoy the moment and look at the fireworks. but you knew deep down that his teasing would only make the memory sweeter, and undoubtedly unforgettable.

·:*¨༺🎀🦢🕯️༻¨*:·. 

[mona-risms]

K so I manifested an Idea. Vampire (not spawn, not ascendant just vampire) Reader x Werewolf Selune Shadowheart

My idea was more imagine R is there instead of The Spawn ™

R is obviously not a damned racist or a pompous ass but still morally grey with a similar style of humor (gotta embody the bloodlust ™) but after the story is said and done and shadowheart is free from shar instead of going streaking in the pool they relive the first romance scene interaction but instead they actually fuck in the woods. Your typical Vampire x Werewolf PredPrey & Bloodplay type fuck ensues

Any takers?

◆ MAIN COURSE: sub!werewolf!Selûnite!Shadowheart x dom!vampire!Reader

◆ TYPE: NSFW, romantic

◆ ALLERGEN WARNINGS: Predator/prey kink, scent kink (?), bloodplay

◆ NOTES: ME I'LL TAKE IT!!!!! Much as the content warnings seem otherwise, this isn't a darkfic hello god 😭. Also ngl I think I just ended up flat-out making Reader Astarion 2.0 but without the background 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ enjoy LOL

Idk about whether you fully meant the whole campaign's finished or you wanted this set on the moment she invites you out for a dip, but like I choose the FORMER bc ougghfhg it's so sweet they're so sweet I LOVE SHADOWHEART!!!! And I'm guessing in place of Astarion ohhhh *rubs hands* (love Neil though)

IT'S SO BITTERSWEET cuz ending the Netherbrain = killing off the tadpoles and therefore no longer granting you access to the fucking SUN so you're standing amongst your companions, basking in your victory (as horrendously cheesy it is for you, to the point it makes your skin crawl upon realisation) before you feel the first pinpricks of literal fucking SUN DAMAGE

You have to RUN to shade, not even getting any time to notify anyone, least of all Shadowheart. But it's not like any of them are unaware of the reason why—not with the burning flesh in the air holy fuck—but it's just a bit sad since 🤷‍♀️ you can't see the sun anymore

It is only at night that you meet up again, partly bc the others wanna celebrate for a campaign well-done, but also partly bc it's not as if you could meet up with them at any other time of day. The party's set where the Act 1 celebration's set asw for the sake of looking back on how far you've actually come, so :(

But strangely enough, you're not there? Where did you go?? The wine might taste like shit unless someone's picked out the good ones, but it's not like you to be seen NOT skulking around everywhere, all miserable

It's fine though, Shadowheart knows where you are :3c

You register familiar footsteps first before you register her voice.

"I thought I might find you here."

You don't need to turn around from the edge that you've been sat on for a while now—you already know who it is, and by now, you've long since registered that she is in no means a direct threat to you.. usually.

So you placed your goblet down on the ground beside you and you recline, leaning on the palms of your hands as you watched the moon, "Really, now? What gave it away?"

"I can scent you out, remember?"

"Ah, right," came the sardonic reply, "do forgive me, my brain is still getting accustomed to not having an active host inside it. Might be a little slow from the sudden loss, see."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," the Selûnite rolled her eyes as she bent and settled down beside you, "were my eyes deceiving us all when we saw you fighting the Netherbrain?"

"Yes," you hissed out lightly, holding no venom in your words, "you know how much I detest heroism, especially when all we get in return is.. what, some shoddy party and cheap alcohol?"

She quirked an eyebrow, "You don't mean that."

"..."

She knew you didn't, she's known you for far too long and far too much to think otherwise.

"..I do."

"No, you don't."

"Ugh, fine. ..I suppose the wine tastes.. adequate this time."

Shadowheart sported a victorious grin on her lips—an expression that looks much lighter, and dare you even say softer, in comparison to when the two of you first sat here—before it is covered by the goblet of wine, though the crinkle on the corner of her eyes was unmistakable.

Though she lowers her goblet slightly just to take one more light jab, "Much better than your preferred sort of viscous finery, then?"

"Certainly much better than yours, mutt."

"Now I know you're lying, fangs."

And then the two of you just chill there, away from the fanfare. Are the both of you in a celebratory mood? Sure, but for Shadowheart's part, she'd much rather sit in this moment with you and bask in the intimacy

But you didn't come for the fluff did you lol

"You making up for lost time, Shadowheart?"

"Hm?"

"You seem to be entranced by the moon." You flashed your fangs in a teasing smirk, "are your instincts calling to you or is my presence so boring, now that we're away from mortal peril?"

She rolled her eyes as she jabbed her elbow onto your side lightly, "I'm not some beast who can't keep her claws to herself, unlike you. Remember when you--"

"--tried to drink your blood and you held me down as a result, yes, yes, I know how the story goes," you waved it off with a scoff. When you continue, you shuffle closer to lean onto your lover's side, "So? What are you thinking about?"

"I'm not sure whether this is something to share with you, of all people."

A scandalised gasp, "What? Do you not trust your own beloved? I'll have you know I'm the most trustworthy person there is!"

"You are a lot of things, but trustworthy? Even a Sharran would raise an eyebrow. ..Ah, fine." And she leans into to whisper—an unneeded gesture, considering your vampiric senses, yet you forget such semantics when she nips at your ear. "A vampire and a werewolf, both under Selûne's light. Who comes out on top, hm?"

Your lips stretch and your teeth bare themselves before you can stop it, and when you look at Shadowheart, you realise you've just started playing into her hand.

"Oh, you are unfair," you leaned in to her neck and inhaled her scent; night orchids mixed with a tinge of wolf musk and the sweet scent of the blood pumping through her body.

But she immediately pulls herself away, hauls herself up and backs off with a smirk, "'Unfair' would be if only one of us was beastly."

A blink, and she's disappeared into the woods. But her voice still rings in your head thanks to your enhanced senses:

"Come find me, lover, or I'll find you first."

THERE WE GO ong I was struggling to find how to actually get to it

NOW it's a chase between the three of you. Shadowheart wouldn't shift, because even if she knew for a FACT that this was going to end in no other way but the both of you without clothes on as you Gallivant in the woods, ain't no WAYYYYY was she ripping up her clothes when you are no longer in a 'desperate times' ahh situation. HOWEVER she would 100% use her werewolf senses to her advantage, or to at least even out the odds

This would also be her fully embracing what she is I think after being free from Shar's influence. After fearing wolves (and especially herself probably) for so long, now she's using her abilities to its full potential and feeling comfortable with doing so instead of hating herself for it

Within the forest is a cat and mouse game between the two of you, except both of you are the cat and the mouse. Especially for Shadowheart's case, even though she knew it'll end up with her getting her ass handed to her in more ways than one 🤷‍♀️ but challenging you and your authority has always been a favourite past time of hers that grew from your dynamic, the little brat

Close call after close call, taunt after taunt, chase after chase, and then eventually? You catch up to her and pounce from behind, pinning her down

PERSONAL HEADCANON that makes sense: while they have supernatural abilities, werewolves are built more on strength and durability, while vampires are gifted with speed and stealth. This makes things JUICIER bc then that means even if Shadowheart isn't at 100% rn, she's blatantly 'struggling' underneath you on purpose—she has no intention of actually getting away from you, just moving enough that she gives you a challenge and has you pushing her further into the grass

From then on call it the medieval highway to Sin City because JESUS CHRIST the sex is ROUGH. Both of you are in shambles and so are your clothes as it is either thrown to the side, just left in the midst of giving up in trying to take it off, or flat out just. Shredded by either one of you's claws. Or teeth. Who knows

Shadowheart leaning more into her wolf side, to being more free with herself, has her acting significantly less dignified. And we all KNOW she's FREAKY as hell anyway, now think about that being significantly much more intense. Biting a lot more, scratching, growling, etc. This is her mate we're talking about—though she'd absolutely correct you and say that no way in hells would she use that term and be 'primitive' when referring to you LOL—so there's that primal instinct in her to mark as much as possible

Before Act 3 she'd probably moreso coax you into putting your lips onto her neck and actually biting you, like a gentle practice that has her gasping and slowly pushing you away while in a daze. Now? OH WOW. Her hand darts to your head and pulls you into her neck and growls at you to fucking drink and really show her if vampiric dominance is more than just some mind control bs or what. She grits her teeth—sharper now—as her nails dig into your scalp as she practically whines and grinds her cunt on your thigh while you drain her. And when you're done? She pulls you back in for a messy tongued kiss to taste the metallic tang of her own blood before commenting on how you can even deal with that taste (chalk it up to an acquired taste?)

Doesn't matter if you're in the middle of the fucking woods, fuck her left, right, and centre until both of you are exhausted and/or one of you passes out

Much as Shadowheart likes to test you constantly, eventually she turns into a MESS, especially with the amount of blood drawn out from her as you rightfully consume your prey. She'd end up going delirious as you switch from eating her out and drinking her blood and leaving a mess

You can see when Shadowheart's tittering on the edge of consciousness.

What was once a strong grip on your scalp became something you could easily shrug off, even without your boosted strength. What was once a teasing string of breathy taunts turned into slurs of something coherent. And when you look up as you suck her clit, what was once a focused gaze glazed into something much more airy and unfocused.

Before, she would've refused to let down her guard like this. Now, she can't even decide what she wants for herself; her whimpers are desperste, her hands unsure whether to push you away or pull you in deeper, and her thighs shake unsteadily as she drips down your chin while forcing herself to keep standing against the tree bark.

A sob quickly transitions into a plea from the Selûnite—a rare concession of power from her, despite knowing your dynamics well—and yet you won't stop.

How could you?

Your prey tastes much too sweet for you to do so, especially after a hunt.

She ends up passing out even with better regeneration lmfao

Halsin probably warns everyone to leave the two of you alone HAHAHAAHHA

[smellslikechahnspirit]

Can you pwetty pwease write a fanfic where reader finds out they are pregnant but is scared to tell Chan???????? And but like, Felix helps bc it’s taking a toll on them and it’s really stressful

Oh. And they find out it’s triplets later on?

Hah…

Pwetty pwease with a poinapple on top?

Itd be good for the economy 👆

Chaos 🕸🤍 - part 1

[You found out you're pregnant, but are too scared to tell him]

Bang Chan x Reader

🕸🤍 read guide lines in Masterlist!

THIS IS (OBVIOUSLY) ALL FICTION AND IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! THIS IS MY PERCEPTION OF HOW I THINK SKZ WOULD BEHAVE IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AKA, NOT REAL.

[02:56 PM]

You sat down on the toilet with the pregnancy test still in your hand. ''Fuck.'' You couldn't believe you were actually pregnant. This wasn't the right time...you thought to yourself. How was I gonna tell him this?

Your boyfriend has had such a stressful few weeks already. Not only the comeback, but also the move. He had just moved dorms again and now lived with his maknae alone in a dorm. Due to the moving, he had been sleeping at your house a lot. And due to his stress, you gave him some extra quality time during these last few weeks.

You wanted to make things a bit easier for him. You cooked all of his meals, you did his laundry and at night you would always give him a bit more attention then he could give you in return.

He was exhausted. When it came to intimate stuff, you wanted it to be easier too and then you remembered...you two were unsafe a lot of those times. You thought it wouldn't matter too much since you keep very close track of your ovulation...guess not.

You decided to text Felix. You couldn't face Chris right now. Not yet.

[03:15 PM]

You heard the front door open. As you walked out of the bathroom Felix dropped his bag in the hall and walked towards you with a concerned look on his face. ''What's going on y/n?'', Felix said. You gave him a tight hug. He hugged you back but after 2 seconds he pulled away from you, only to make you look at him.

''Tell me, honey.'' You hesitated for a few seconds, but realised you had to tell someone very soon anyways, might as well be him. ''I uhm, know that I should be telling this to Chris first. But I can't. Not now with everything going on. Something uhm, happened.''.

He grabbed your arms soflty and stroked them up and down. ''Tell me, please I'm getting worried now.''

You should be, you thought to yourself. ''Well, it is....just that....I kinda....just found out...that I'm pregnant.'' You spoke and hid your face in your hands. He stared at you like a deer in highlights. He was shocked.

''You being serious?''. You nodded and started to cry. Still hiding your face and plopping down on the couch. It took him a second to really take it in, but then quickly he sat down next to you, comforting you by holding you close and saying sweet nothings.

After what felt like 10 minutes he finally spoke. ''You realise you have to tell him eventually right?'' You nodded slightly. ''But not yet! I can´t have him have even more fucking stress. Not now.'' ''Maybe now is the perfect time honey.''.

''Perfect time for what?''. Chris suddenly walked into the room. ''Nothing! Hey baby how was your day, you're a bit early aren't ya?''. He looked at you with a slight surprised look. ''You're excited today aren't ya?''. He hung up his jacket, still looking at you, who now had jumped off the couch ready to meet his embrace, while he had his arms wide open for you to hug him.

''Hi love, what's going on, why is Felix here?'' ''We were just chatting for a bit.'' He nodded, not showing too much curiosity at this point. He walked over to the fridge grabbing a drink. Opening the can and walking back into the living room.

He and Felix talked for a bit while you just sat there fidgeting with your fingers and laughing along with them, looking slightly nervous. He noticed of course, but not wanting to put you on the spot, he didn't comment on it.

''Imma go pee real quick be right back.''. He got up walking towards the bathroom. Suddenly you realised you had let the pregnancy test on the counter in there. ''Wait! I need to go first, please!'', you said while running past him very quick and closing the door behind you.

He looked surprised at your sudden protest. ''What's up with her, she has been acting weird...''. Felix hated being caught in the middle between you two. ''I can't say anything.'', Felix said.

Then you walked back into the room with them, hiding the test in your sleeve. You looked at Felix with big eyes, angry. ''Not say anything? About what? What's going on y/n?''

''Nothing he's being weird. Should we go for that walk now, Felix?'' You made up a lie, so you could get out of here fast. But Felix knew how you played these kinda games. He figured this wasn't smart, especially about these kind of important big things. But in the end it was your decision on how to tell Chris.

''No, and I'm going home. I love you y/n, but this isn't up to me.'' He wanted to leave but also had to pee real quick first, so he went into the bathroom that seemed to be occupied a lot today. ''Up to me? What is baby? I don't like being left out.''

Chris got a bit frustrated now. Crossing his arms while looking at you. ''Well?'' At first you got angry. ''What? I can't have secrets now?''. Chris looked surprised, not understanding your sudden change in attitude.

''Babe wha-''. Then you got sad. ''Not that I ever want to keep secrets from you of course, but that´s not the point.'' He noticed you pacing around looking at the ground. Instead of frustration he now felt concern.

''Baby calm down, all I want is for you to be honest with me.'' He walked closer to you, wanting to hold you, but you refused. ''No, no. I don't need to calm down. I need you to mind your own fucking business.''.

He was so confused by the way your moods were swinging. This whole situation was so stressful and it made him have a whiplash.

Part 2

...Masterlist...

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

© 2022-2025, smellslikechahnspirit • No posting on other sites or platforms, rewrites, or translations

[lovelettersforthedamned]

okay this request might be a little specific and long to get it out of my mind because I have major baby fever right now too but what about spending the holidays w/ peter and reader is pregnant but peter doesn’t know but the symptoms are so bad with motion sickness and no drinking and it’s obvious that the ladies in the family suspect and privately tell her it’s surely that bc also they can see it “in the face” but to peter he thinks he’s done something wrong🥺 and she’s acting weird but reader is just nervous

Your Well-Kept(?) Secret

--genre + trope: FLUFF, pregnancy reveal

--pairing: husband!tasm!peter parker x pregnant!wife!reader

--word count: 1.1k

--warnings: language, FLUFF OMG, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of alcohol, mentions of nausea, a bit of anxiety, reader is so anxious and nervous, peter is smitten by his wife.

You cover your mouth to muffle a strange mix of a laugh and cry in your cramped bathroom as you look down at the two lines on the pregnancy test, slowly growing darker. Placing the stick down on the cool counter, you run your hands through your hair. You’ve been feeling off for a few weeks, prompting you to run to the drug store and grab a test. 

Emotions were running high. You should be getting ready for Aunt May’s annual holiday party, but instead, you’re looking at yourself, or rather your belly, in the mirror. You weren’t sure what to feel, but you knew you were nervous. Fuck, what is Pete going to think? Of course, he loved you; without a doubt he did, but kids? The topic of kids was always a conversation for later, but now that it’s here, it scared you to death. 

Looking down at your phone, you check the time, quickly putting your emotions, and the test, aside. 

You and Peter have made it out the door, only a few minutes late. With one of his hands holding yours, and the other carrying a bottle of wine, Peter keeps you close. Walking to the subway gave you time to think. Thinking of both the good and the bad made your head swirl with anxiety. What if Pete gets mad? Can we even afford a kid right now? How far along am I? What would their name be? A soft, but tight squeeze pulls you out of your thoughts. Looking up at your husband, you give him a polite smile, “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he rubs the back of your hand with his thumb, “you’re just a little quiet today. Are you feeling alright bug?”

His constant worry for you makes you squeeze his hand in return, “Yeah, I’m okay, just a little tired.” He nods, accepting your answer for now. He always knew when something was off when it came to you, and this time was no exception. 

After a quick ride, and a few blocks later, you make it to Aunt May’s, her street filled with a row of parked cars on each side. “Wow, May invited a lot of people this year. I wonder if she invited the Blake’s across the street, their charcuterie board was so good last year,” Peter looks at you as he quips. 

You nod, bringing your hand up farther onto Peter’s arm to pull him closer, a sudden rush of nausea washing over your senses. 

Peter takes note of this, furrowing his eyebrows in concern while he reaches out to press the doorbell. Aunt May opens the door, her eyes lighting up when she sees the two of you, “You guys made it! Come in, come in. Oh, you look so pretty (Y/N)! The Blakes are here with their charcuterie board again, they’ve somehow found a way to double the size; but hey, I’m not complaining.”

May was clearly running around before greeting you guys, her rambling giving it away. You giggle at her excitement, you knew that she loved hosting, especially when you and Peter were able to visit. 

After making your rounds, you follow Peter into the kitchen, the alcohol coming into view. He grabs a beer for himself and starts to uncork the wine he brought to pour for you. Bringing a hand up to land on his arm, you stop him, “I don’t feel like drinking tonight, baby.”

He looks at you and puts the bottle down, “Okay. Can I get you anything else, bug?”

“Just water is good for me, thank you,” you smile at him as he turns around and walks away to get water. 

You sigh as you see his back walk away from you, you’re not sure how much longer you can keep up this act. The thought of keeping this from your husband adds to your nausea, but keeping it together is at the forefront of your mind. Looking down, you take a breath, only looking back up when you see one of May’s friends from work standing in front of you. You’re slightly shocked by her appearance, “Hi Miriam, how have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“(Y/N), it is so good to see you. I’ve been good, well, as good as a nurse during the holiday season can be,” she laughs, leaning in close, “I’ve just been meaning to ask if you’ve been feeling alright?”

You freeze in place, “Yeah, I’m just a little tired today, but nothing to worry about.”

“Good, good…You haven’t been feeling nauseous or anything like that?” a teasing tone lacing through her words. 

Silence. You can’t even respond. You’re baffled, “Is it really that obvious?”

A warm smile appears on her features as she rubs a hand up and down your arm, “Oh, honey…You’re surrounded by women who work in a hospital, we could see it in your face.”

You feel your cheeks warm at her confession, “Miriam, I’m so nervous. Peter doesn’t know yet.”

“You shouldn’t be a sweetheart. He is in love with you, has been for forever, even before you two were even dating,” she laughs, “you know Peter. And you know who he is, would he ever be upset at you for something like this?”

This may be what you need. Reassurance that came from someone else was always more believable than when it came from yourself. God! You feel so stupid for thinking that Peter would be mad at you for this. Looking at the older woman, you smile and shake your head.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Peter walking back with a water bottle in his hand, “Sorry bug, I got held up by one of May’s cousins. Apparently, he was there when I was born, and he just had to tell me all about it–Oh hey Miriam!”

After a few short minutes of small talk between the two, she walks away, not before winking at you as she turns her head.

 “Hey, we’re alright,” Peter’s voice, low and filled with worry, lingers throughout the air, “right?”

Bringing a hand up to his cheek, you copy the movement he displayed on your hand from earlier, “Yeah, we’re okay. I love you so so much, Pete.”

“I love you too, (Y/N).”

Placing the softest peck on his lips, you grab his hand, “C’mon, I saw May bring out raspberry thumbprints, and I need to snag some before everyone else can get to them.”

Your worries were at ease; that was the least you could ask for on this day, surrounded by friends, family, and most of all your husband. Your loving, caring, obnoxiously kind husband. You’ll tell him later, but today is all about each other, and the Blake’s charcuterie board. 

--author's note: LISTEN I KNOW PREGNANT PEOPLE CANNOT EAT LIKE ANYTHING ON A CHARCUTERIE BOARD, BUT LETS JUST CHILL AND GO WITH IT PLEASE!!! nonnie, this request is so sweet i'm going to have a cavity. i love writing domestic peter who loves his wife, because i'm so down bad for him. my asks/inbox is open guyssss, so send in more delicious things like this!!! support your writers by liking, commenting, and reblogging pretty please!! ok, bye ily!!! <333

[chelseachilly]

i watched it begin again

pairing: reader x ben chilwell summary: ever since your last relationship ended badly, you've lost all hope in love. until your best friend convinces you to go on a date with her bf's friend ben warnings: none word count: 2.7k

author's note: this is just a short little something inspired by one of my favourite songs, begin again by taylor swift ❤️ and bc the thought of a first date with ben is just so perfect to me 😌

-

As you sit in an Uber on your way to Marylebone, fidgeting nervously with the hem of your dress, you can’t help but wonder how you got here.

It took a lot of convincing - to be precise, three glasses of white wine, some chocolates, and the agreement to watch your favourite movie on Netflix that night - for your best friend to convince you to go on this date last weekend.

Mia, one of your closest friends since you were kids, knows better than anyone how reluctant you’ve been to return to dating life ever since your last relationship ended catastrophically. Your last boyfriend, Jack, who had also been your first serious one, had completely broken your heart eight months ago. 

After two years together, just when you were beginning to think about taking the next step and move in with him, you caught him cheating on you with in his flat with a coworker he had sworn was just a friend. You were so completely devastated by this betrayal and the sudden end of your relationship that you haven’t so much as downloaded a dating app or talked to a guy at a bar since. 

Your friends have been loving and supportive of your decision to stay single for a while, but ever since Mia started seeing her boyfriend Harvey a couple months ago, she’s been pestering you to meet one of his friends. She’s told you several times that his mate Ben is perfect for you, but based on the little you know, you’re not sure you agree.

She showed you his Instagram a while back and, although there’s no questioning that he’s quite attractive, you don’t know if a fancy, famous footballer is the right choice to ease back into dating. You doubted that you would be his type, either, but when Mia insisted that Ben was interested and free this Thursday, you finally gave in. 

You figured the worst that could happen is you realize you’re not ready to date again or that there isn’t a connection between you and you wasted one evening having dinner with a stranger. 

But now that you’re sitting in this car, about to go on an actual date for the first time in forever, you feel like you might explode with nerves. You don’t remember how to flirt, how to tell someone about yourself, how to act cool and composed. You could be totally awkward and weird and he might never want to see you again. 

Or, even worse, you could fall madly in love, only for him to end up breaking your heart. That’s the far more terrifying possibility.

You have half a mind to ask the driver to turn around and take you back home, but you force yourself not to. Mia would be upset with you, and you figure you owe it to her not to stand up Harvey’s friend for no real reason.

Your hands are shaking slightly as you get out of the car and enter the restaurant. You consider waiting outside for him, as you’re a couple minutes early and he probably isn’t here yet, but it’s freezing out right now, so you decide to head in. 

“Hi, do you have a reservation?” the hostess asks you, and you nod a bit shyly. 

“Yes, it should be under Chilwell? But I’m early, so I can just wait-"

“Right this way,” she says with a smile, motioning for you to follow her. 

It’s a small restaurant, with no more than ten tables, most of them occupied. There are candles burning and soft music is playing, the atmosphere somehow romantic without being cheesy. 

You feel slightly more at ease knowing it’s not some insanely posh place like you were half-expecting it to be, and then you lock eyes with your date. 

Your stomach erupts with butterflies - something you also weren’t quite expecting - when you see him, immediately realizing that the photos Mia showed you did not do him justice. 

He’s gorgeous, with bright blue eyes that light up when he sees you and wavy dark hair that you could spend hours running your fingers through. He quickly stands up as you approach the table, smoothing out any wrinkles in the dark blue trousers he’s wearing, paired with a black knit jumper and Nikes.

You can hear Mia’s words echoing in your ears: “Harv swears he has a heart of gold. He had a bad breakup last year too, so you’re in the same boat. Just give him a chance and see how it goes!”

“Y/N!” Ben smiles, greeting you with a quick hug. “It’s good to finally meet you, Mia’s talked a lot about you.” 

Oh, god, you think to yourself, hoping your best friend hasn’t overhyped you too much. 

“Good to meet you too,” you say, returning his smile. “And that sounds like Mia, she talks a lot about everything.” 

“That’s probably why she and Harv work so well,” he quips.

Ben is still standing quite close to you, and it takes you a moment to realize he’s pulled out your chair for you to sit down. You’re not sure if a guy has ever done that for you before. 

You oblige, taking the seat and letting him push you in before sitting across from you. Something your mum told you when you were a kid about how a gentleman behaves comes to mind, but you try not to let your mind wander too much. It’s been about twenty seconds, there’s plenty of time for him to prove right your current theory that all men are trash. 

“Thanks for choosing the restaurant,” you say to fill the silence, glancing around you. “It’s really nice.”

“Yeah, I come here a lot,” Ben replies. “It’s low key, which I kinda like. Mostly old people and stuff. I was actually just starting to worry you’d think it was a bit lame for a first date.”

“I don’t,” you say quickly. “I’m good with low key.”

Ben smiles at you, and you’re not sure if it’s him or the candlelight making your face feel warmer all of a sudden. 

“You look gorgeous, by the way,” he says a bit shyly. “I should’ve said that sooner.”

“Oh, thanks.” You’re certain now that you’re blushing. “So do you. I mean, you look very - not that you’re not gorgeous, men can totally be-"

You meet Ben’s gaze, your cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but you find no judgement in his eyes - he’s smiling at you even more now, the kind of smile that makes you feel completely at ease.

You just met this man, and yet you feel completely safe with him. 

“Sorry, this is my first date in nearly three years, I’m a bit rusty,” you admit. 

“No, you’re good,” Ben says gently. “Mia mentioned you recently got out of a long-term relationship.”

“Not that recently anymore, but…yeah,” you say. “It was a bit of a shit show. We were together two years and then one day I walked in on him sleeping with another girl. Not exactly an amicable breakup.”

Ben’s face falls. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Y/N. What a piece of shit.”

“Yeah, he really was,” you say, nodding your head. “Obviously, it was for the best, though. Better I find out he’s a lying cheater now than ten years down the line, right?”

“Definitely,” Ben agrees, “you want something to drink?”

After a couple glasses of wine and the most amazing pasta dish you’ve ever had in your life, you feel like you’ve known the person sitting across from you for years, rather than hours. 

You talk about everything - your job, his football career, your families, your friends. You talk about your ex a bit more, and then he opens up about his. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you’re sharing too much with him, but a far stronger one telling you that this is right. It’s a feeling you’ve never had before, not with your ex and not on any other first date you had before him.

You don’t even realize how much time has passed until you look around and realize you’re the only ones left in the restaurant.

“They’re probably closing soon,” you comment, though you don’t really want to leave. 

“Twenty minutes ago, actually,” Ben says. You raise an eyebrow, and he scratches the back of his head and smiles. “Uh, I may have offered the owner a hundred quid to stay open a bit longer while you were in the loo. I’ve been having a really nice time talking to you.”

Your heart thumps in your chest, your eyes nearly beginning to water at the gesture. 

“I’ve been having a really nice time with you, too.”

After you finish your drinks and Ben pays the cheque, not even hearing out your offer to split it, you head back out into the chilly London night together. 

“I’m just gonna call an Uber,” you say, pulling out your phone with one hand and rubbing your shoulders for warmth with the other. 

“I’m parked right around the corner, I’d be happy to drive you?” Ben offers. 

You remember that he declined a second glass of wine earlier, stating that he was driving - a stark contrast from your ex, who would frequently call you to pick him and his car up from the pub after he got too pissed to drive home. 

“You really don’t have to, it’s pretty late,” you protest.

“It’s no big deal,” Ben assures you. He then shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around your shoulders without hesitation, putting an end to your clearly obvious shivering. “So you don’t freeze on the way to the car.”

You smile gratefully, unable to articulate with words how much this simple gesture means to you. 

As you walk side by side, you can’t help but admire the Christmas lights already strung up on the shops and houses you pass. 

“I love this time of year,” you say. “It’s so magical.”

“Same here,” Ben smiles. “Christmas in London is the best. Do you have any plans for the holidays this year?” 

Your brain briefly flits back to the ski trip you and your ex went on the past two years right before Christmas. A week ago, you were dreading that time coming, knowing you would end up being nostalgic for those trips and start missing him again, but somehow, that feeling seems to have vanished. 

“Just going home to see my parents,” you say. “You?”

“Yeah, we always have games around Christmas, so my family usually comes to mine and we do a big dinner on Christmas Day, then they come see me play on Boxing Day,” Ben tells you. “After the game, we always go get hot chocolate and go ice skating. My little sister suggested it when she was a bit younger, and it sort of stuck.”

The combination of Ben’s coat over your shoulders and the way your heart is melting at his sweet words makes your entire body feel warmer. 

“That’s a great tradition,” you say, looking over at him with a smile and gently bumping your arm against his. 

You arrive at Ben’s car and he opens the door for you to get in, his hand brushing against yours as you do so, and the brief touch is enough to drive you crazy. 

The drive to your flat isn’t too long, and conversation continues to flow easily between the pair of you. You can’t help but steal a glance at Ben from time to time as he drives, admiring the way the streetlights reflect in his beautiful ocean blue eyes. 

There’s a bit of a pang in your chest when he pulls up in front of your building and you know this is the end of the most incredible night you’ve had in ages. 

“Walk you to your door?” Ben offers, and you nod without hesitation.

He once again comes around to open your door for you - you know you have a low bar right now, but you’re seriously in awe of what a gentleman he’s being. 

Once you’ve arrived at the door to your flat, you turn around to face Ben, and he has a bit of an inquisitive expression on his face.

“I had a really nice time tonight,” he says softly. 

“So did I,” you say sincerely. “Thanks for dinner, and the lift home, and…just, erm, for being so wonderful.”

His cheeks now flushed with red, Ben takes a small step closer to you, and your gaze automatically falls to his lips. You want him to kiss you, you’re sure of it, but some part of you is still completely terrified of where this might go if you do. 

“Can I…” Ben murmurs, tenderly reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, and once again, you don’t hesitate. 

“Yes.”

He slowly leans in until his lips are pressed to yours, one hand gently cupping your face and the other resting on your waist. You hold his hand that rests on your cheek as you kiss him back, your lips slowly moving together in perfect harmony.

It’s fun and new and exciting to kiss him, but mostly, just like everything has this evening, it feels right.

When you pull away, it takes a moment for your eyes to remember how to open. When you do, you’re met with an awestruck grin on Ben’s face that you’re pretty sure you’re mirroring yourself. 

“Wow,” you breathe. “Been a long time since I’ve done that.”

You’re not sure if you mean kissing or falling for someone - perhaps both. 

“Me too,” Ben whispers, kissing you once more. “I think we’re pretty good at it.”

You nod, grasping at his shirt as you find yourself swaying slightly, intoxicated by his kisses and his gaze. 

“Maybe we should do it again to be sure,” you joke.

He wastes no time leaning down to kiss you again, and again, and again until you’ve lost all track of time. 

Eventually, he pulls away and takes a small step back, and you miss his lips already.

“I should probably get going,” he says, though you can tell he doesn’t really want to. You have half a mind to invite him inside, but you know it’s better to take things slow, especially when there’s a chance this could really be something. “Can I - erm, would you want to-“

“Yes, please,” you cut him off with a grin. “Text me when you get home?”

You’re already eagerly anticipating a second date - the sooner the better, honestly, despite your wishes to take it slow. 

“Definitely,” Ben says, nodding eagerly. “Have a good night, Y/N.”

He begins to turn to walk away, and you watch him get halfway to his car before fumbling for your keys and entering your flat with a giddy smile on your face. 

You realize you haven’t checked your messages all night, so you quickly return Mia’s texts. 

You flip down on your couch, still smiling like a fool, and it’s only then that you realize you’re still wearing Ben’s jacket. After panicking for a second, you quickly reach for your phone again.

You nearly throw your phone with excitement, counting down the seconds until you get to see him again and thanking your lucky stars that you agreed to go out tonight.

You thought that love died that terrible day eight months ago, that your chance at happiness was over, but now you can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason things ended the way they did. 

Maybe to make way for something better to begin. 

-

please let me know what you thought, i hope you liked this story! i have some more in the works, including a super fluffy christmas one-shot 💓

[liedownquisition]

One thing that frustrates me sometimes is that the premise of the original RHATO team joining up together would not... take a lot to be made into something actually decent. Respect for the characters, really. Keep Kori's amnesia, keep Roy's isolation, but nudge the script a little:

Jason is vaguely familiar to Kori, because canonically they DID meet at least once when he was Robin (ignoring n52's everything tbh, the continuity still confuses me sometimes esp when some writers couldnt decide whether ot not 52 was a reboot or if they were going to keep referencing prior shit), but she doesn't remember, just has vague vibes and maybe he can help her with that if they knew each other? And Jason could try to help with what he can but he barely knew her, really. He's agonized bcs the only person he knows who might maybe help is Dick and he's Very Deliberately Estranged from the Bats.

Enter a tip from Talia. Maybe Jason reached out asking about the Titans, maybe she knows where he is and came to the conclusion that interacting with non-Bat heroes that he had a decently positive relationship before his death would be beneficial to him.

Roy's been off-grid since some time after Lian's death, pushing away everyone and deliberately running headfirst into things that could kill him. They're planning to televise his execution, but don't want to risk him getting rescued before that, but they can't hide from her spies. It solves a lot of problems then, doesn't it? Jason and Kori rescue him and he can help her with her memories and/or get her back in touch with the rest of their old team to help and Jason doesn't have to deal with any Bats himself.

But then they don't leave.

Kori's pretty content as she is, with people who know and have been helping her. Her memory loss isn't exactly life-threatening or anything and she's not in any hurry. Roy took one look at the two of them and came to the conclusion that he could help here, help both of them, and they won't judge him for what he's done or try to force him to reconnect with anyone before he was ready to face them/reality (if ever).

And Jason? Jason's a wounded animal snapping at anyone and anything that tries to come too close and covering up his own issues by fucking with shitty ppl & ruining their day. It's a bit of a challenge to make him chill out, but neither of the other two are afraid of that and he's already done all this to help them so why not return the favor?

Jason's the "leader", not because he's more qualified to lead a team but because he needs the feeling of being in control. There's only three of them and there's enough power & experience between them to compensate if anything goes off the rails & Roy's fluent enough in Bat from all his history with Dick to nudge Jason a little to the left if he has to. It's halfway between babysitting and a vacation.

(Amusingly this gave me the mental image of Roy & Kori in beach gear slurping colorful mocktails and Jason running around on an adult-sized child leash.)

You could even keep Roy/Kori, build it up slightly more, ect., ect. Just make it an actual relationship & not turning Kori into a sex doll lmao. I mean they were friends! Even without Dick they were friends with Each Other! & sometimes friendships can get sexual or turn into relationships!

None of this fixes like the racism & such in a bunch of the plot but that's a speech for whole different post I think, and I'm honestly not sure if I've got the chops to redesign all that. At the very least, it would be too big of a distraction from everything else I'm already easily distracted from working on lmao.

[undead-potatoes]

A somewhat eclectic collection of some of my favorite indie games I've played in the last year, bc @thievinghippo asked :3c

-

The Roottrees Are Dead - Puzzle / detective game

You are tasked with filling out and untangling a complicated family tree after the current heirs to a rich and influential family die tragically in a plane crash. You have to dig your way through diaries, old family photos, library books, and the internet ca 1998 to puzzle together the family tree bit by bit, discovering some old family secrets along the way. It was originally a free itch.io game that just recently came out with an official release on Steam with some polish and custom art. One of my favorite games I've played in a long time, and it gave me a real itch I'm struggling to scratch in any other way. If you're into deduction games like Return of the Obra Dinn and The Case of the Golden Idol I highly recommend you check this one out. (And if you've played neither of those what are you doing, GO! GO NOW! Golden Idol is even on sale for like $5 rn, a goddamn steal).

-

Cloudpunk - Open world sci-fi

You work for Cloudpunk, an illegal delivery service in a dystopian cyberpunk future. The world is filled with strange and interesting characters that you meet along the way, and the game frequently throws ethical dilemmas your way that don't always have an "obvious" answer. The blocky 3D artstyle, combined with absolutely gorgeous lighting and a stellar soundtrack, creates a truly unforgettable atmosphere to spelunk around in.

-

The Long Dark - Open world survival

I don't know how I've completely missed this game up until now, because it's exactly what I've been looking for since forever. TLD is a survival game in its purest form. There are no zombies, or cannibals, or even other people. Just you, an unforgiving wilderness, and the echoes of the past lingering everywhere you go. It's super customizable in terms of difficulty, and you can basically do anything between a casual winter camping simulator and a death march where your days are numbered no matter what you do. It also has a very active community that create custom challenges and mods to tailor the experience even further. The art style is simple yet distinct, offering some downright gorgeous scenery, with this almost painted watercolor look to it. And the soundtrack is subtle yet effective, especially coupled with an intense soundscape of wildlife and harsh winds. I don't think I've ever played a game that made me feel so truly, desperately alone, but in the best way possible.

-

Arcade Paradise - Work simulator / arcade bonanza

You are a college dropout at the mercy of your Big Business dad who has decided to give you one last chance: take responsibility for an old laundromat he owns, and make it turn a profit. There are also a few arcade cabinets in the back of the laundromat, but you are told not to bother with those. What if you did, though? What initially starts out as a busywork simulation game slowly morphs into an old school arcade simulator, with dozens of unique and playable arcade cabinets. And the soundtrack fucking slaps. This was one of the biggest surprises for me, as I originally went in thinking it was just a standard work simulator, and was so pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be so much more.

-

Orwell - Puzzle / detective game

As you might have guessed from the title, Orwell is set in a dystopian surveillance state, where you are one of its agents spying on everyone else. Social media, private emails and texts, people's own computers and phones, it's all at your disposal. You are tasked with finding the culprit behind a series of crimes, burdened with the power to decide the fate of everyone you investigate, depending on what information you choose to relay to your superiors. It's a game about ethics and choices, and how easily the narrative can change based on how it's presented. Another game I can recommend is Song of Farca, which has very similar mechanics but a slightly different premise.

-

Heaven's Vault - Language puzzle game

This one's bit of a ducy. You are an archeologist, studying a mysterious civilization that came before you, slowly deciphering their language and uncovering the secrets of the past. The setting is hard to pin down exactly, with a light mix of grimy sci-fi and fantasy, in a world where people are mostly separated from each other by a wast "Nebula" of rivers. You are one of very few people capable of sailing the "Nebula" in your ship, exploring the far reaches of the known (and unknown) space to puzzle together pieces of those who came before. The game is meant to be played many times over, with the translations getting harder and harder each time as the sentence structuring becomes more complex. There are also slight changes in the narrative over time, and the idea of repetition is thematically important, but I don't want to spoil too much here, as it's such a joy to slowly discover all these things as you play. (Hot tip: the game can feel a bit slow on repeated replays, and I highly recommend this mod that helps speed things along without making it feel like you're rushing). Super unique setting and gameplay, and a hidden gem imo. The graphics are also very unique, with a 3D world and 2D sprites that leave a "ghosting" trail as they move around. Although this is a little different, if you played Chants of Sennaar and want more of something similar this might be worth a try!

-

You might have played / heard of these before, but either way these are some of my recent indie favorites!

[minzart]

earthspark au, i can only imagine Megatron handing reader over to GHOST like “they are as much of a decepticon as any of my other ex-subordinates”

something about that line of megs giving full warrior rights to his little emotional support evil human that he knew for like a week from bcbc. the megs breakdown,,,

HERE'S THE KICKER

HE KNEW THEM FOR AT LEAST A WHOLE YEAR BY THAT POINT

And he is trying to be a better leader, since in ES his change of heart come safter a heart to heart with Dot about how he handles his troops, so in a way him handling Bcbc reader to GHOST is the equivalent of a very bad given apology

In his perspective it's gonna be something of the lines: I have kidnapped you and you have changed in incomprehensible ways because of it,I recognize I never gave you a chance to even choose and threw you into the war, this, is the best way I can offer to atone for my mistakes with you, since you can't have a normal life back, so I'm handling you to the government that perhaps may help you start over

So yes, he says it's because they are a deceptocon. Yes, he is naming them one,he is giving full warriors honors,full GENERAL EVEN, BUT IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE

See, all of that is coming from HIS ego and he is AGAIN, doing things without informing who he needed MOST, WHILE ALSO TRYING TO MANTAIN PROFESIONAL BC WHO FUCKING KNOWS WHAT GHOST COULD DO TO YOU IF THEY KNEW HOW ATACHED HE IS

THE PROBLEM THAT THIS IDIOT DIDN'T SAW COMING,like the dumbass he is, is THAT GHOST, Agent Croft especificaly, got a little bit TOOO into techno-organic that bcbc Reader was researching into, AND THEY WERE ALREADY IN TOO DEEP INTO THEIR TRANSFORMATION TO CHANGE BACK, so he just basically gave them up as prime test subject and reverse engineering, at the hands of two very unethical people who are VERY XENOPHIC AGAINST TRANSFORMERS AS A SPECIES

He doesn't know that, he literally thinks you never reached out for him after returning to some normality, only after Optimus tells him HE suspects GHOST HAS SOMETHINGVERY STINKY UNDER THE WRAPERS DOES HE DEVELOP A SMALL SHIVER OF DOOM OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT LITTLE HUMAN IN THE FIRST PLACE

which by then is too late, shit already hit the fan, you remember all 30 years of it, and by God so does Starscream, bc I headcanon he has been down there since the bridge battle, it's juicier that way

His breakdown is going to be MASSIVE, HIS GUILT TREMENDOUS, HE ALREADY ACCEPTS THE TITLE OF TRAITOR FROM SOUNDWAVE, IF THAT TITLE COMES FROM YOU IT'S EVEN MORE PERSSONAL, hell i might even write a genuine confession of an "I hate you" from Reader to him and it be TRUE, in ALLLL THE MESSIEST WAYS POSSIBLES

"I respected you, I followed you, You gave me the possibility to be so much more than I was and then you abandon me, you betray me,you hand me over to monsters, and now you call me friend... after everything here, now? Now after everything you call me a friend... how can you even, possibly think that is true after everything I have been put through because of you.... I hate you"

I imagine he had a whole therapy session with Dot mid those 30 years of working for GHOST andfi Aly admitted that perhaps he had friends before and during the war, and in this universe ehe especificaly had a human friend before her, and goes along the lines "for who I was back then... even if they coukd speak their mind... I think they wouldn't survived... so they enabled me... i can't blame them for that when I would have... you know, and... and yet.... i can't look back and not call them a friend you know?"

And Dot the sweetheart, but very much not understanding the whole picture bc Megs didn't tell the whole story, be it represison an oversight or guilt on his part, just goes "A true friend would call you out on your bullshit, I did and look at me, whole and well... ok mostly whole, but you know what i mean"

And the fucker stands there quiet bc how the fuck does he sumirize perhaps two years of bullshit and yourself being you and how you survived bc not even he is sure, without making him too terrible

[borom1r]

WAILING @theshakespearetrash sent me 2 ask memes for Boromir asks (who is very much Not my OC skfhshfjjs but I will Always do character analysis I love character analysis so much. rotating him so fast in my brain. microwaving him on high)

+ not to be a kinnie on main (voice of a man who is always a kinnie on main) but I will be answering these all w/ a sort of Boromir-lives scenario in mind -w-

anyways ask meme 1 + ask meme 2

1. What memory would your OC rather just forget?

ok I feel like it’s the cop-out answer to say “his fall to the ring” but I feel like Boromir is the sort of person to.. not like stew on things but very much takes the stance of “good or bad, all my choices got me to the current moment and made me who I am.” + I feel like there’s so much tangled up in his fall completely beyond his control where that’s the only memory that he’d like. actively want to erase from his mind

2. What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

HM. good with kids. I think unless you’d seen him with Faramir/his cousins when they were younger you wouldn’t guess (he’s a soldier and a very plain man when he’s not putting on a show for his father), but he’s just genuinely great with kids

3. What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

loves too much + quick to lose hope. painfully aware of this

4. When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

fight response. 100% the kind of man who gets kicked out of a haunted house for punching a scareactor even though he knew a scare was coming. Faramir and Aragorn have both almost gotten throttled bc they unintentionally snuck up on him

5. How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

OOO. When He Is Of Sound Mind, not actually very far. he was raised with the knowledge he would be giving his life to Gondor, whether he died in battle or sat on the throne as steward. add to that the act he puts on for Denethor, everything he does to protect Faramir— he’s a man born to serve. his own wants come last

6. How easily could your OC be convinced to do something that goes against their moral compass?

it would take. a DESPERATELY long time and an almost complete degradation of his mental state. Boromir arrives in Rivendell in October 3018, and the very next day is the Council, at which point he sees the ring and is IMMEDIATELY influenced by it. yet he doesn’t fully fall to it until the end of February 3019. he’d been fighting its pull for almost four whole months by the time he does anything malicious. resisting the One Ring for FOUR MONTHS. <- reasons why if I see someone call Boromir weak for falling to it I will see red.

7. What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?

teehee obviously again Boromir is not my OC so I will take this as an excuse to Be A Kinnie + say, I do remember Boromir being returned to us sometime after my coronation. so that’s one way my memories differ from canon, which is sort of an answer to this prompt snfjsjfj

8. Would your OC ostensibly be able to get away with murder?

OH YEAH. I mean yeah if we’re talking like actual criminal murder and not just Slaying People On A Battlefield like. yeah 100% he would IF he was within Minas Tirith. you know Denethor would do everything in his power to cover that up lmfao

9. Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

YEAH YAYYYY I GET TO MAKE MORE PPL LISTEN TO CROM AND BARONESS!!!!

anyways “have you ever seen a man so strong have you ever seen a man so great when he fights time stands still and everything seems so unreal but deep inside of him this man is torn” what if I bit things about this song

+ also listening to Magnolia and Shock Me by Baroness with Aragorn/Boromir in mind makes me ill. im Unwell.

10. What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

HMMMMM The Frankenstein Chronicles gave me brain worms so I might write a Frankenstein-inspired thing at some point. sth sth consequences of divine resurrection

11. What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

RAAAAGH. AUTISM TIMEEEEE.

Boromir uses a hand-and-a-half arming sword (meaning it’s balanced for single or double-handed use, with a crossguard). it’s a really elegant sword, very simple and utilitarian. speaks to an adaptable combat style as well. but, interestingly? Boromir carries a Rohirric shield, and if you notice Rohirric swords don’t actually HAVE crossguards the way Gondorian blades do. this tracks, and was common with Roman and early Germanic swords— BECAUSE these cultures were Also relying on shields for blocking.

and an additional note, Faramir’s sword is single-handed. so we’ve got a ranger who prefers the use of a bow and hasn’t experimented much with his sword combat, and his brother who prefers a sword and carries a very versatile blade with 1) a Rohirric shield and 2) a ranger’s vambraces designed to protect his arms from a (nonexistent) bowstring. I just find Boromir’s mix of protective gear so interesting, esp if you consider he and Théodred as at LEAST friends. like Boromir carries so much of the people he cares for with him into strange lands even when he (arguably) has little need for such gear

12. Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways?

yes and no. I think, not consciously? but he absolutely values himself lower than the people he cares for. he goes to Rivendell to keep Faramir out of danger, he takes multiple arrows to the chest and keeps fighting to defend Merry and Pippin. I think if there’s a risk of someone he loves getting hurt, all self-preservation goes out the window

13. If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

oh I would be staring at him like a predatory animal and trying to psychically convince him to lay on me in full armor

14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

HGH. ok I don’t think he necessarily. does?? and this is generally a Silly Little Headcanon bc of a comment a Most Beloved Friend made abt how everyone gets their autism from their dad (real+true) + now in my head “haha Faramir got his autism from Boromir instead” BUT. like genuinely I don’t think Boromir has an actual image of himself in his head or like processes that ppl perceive him, necessarily. and particularly when his father is holding him up as this aspirational figurehead for Gondor, like… I think he’s just himself, in his head. idk how to describe it well for the neurotypical ppl in the room snfskfjs sorry. like I don’t process myself as having Traits so ppl tell me they think I’m cool or funny or they enjoy being around me and it’s always like “!!! oh!” + I think Boromir is the same way. I think Faramir could describe Boromir to him + Boromir would just be like. “huh.”

15. Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

it’s Sean Bean + it will always be Sean Bean. sorry other Boromirs you simply pale in comparison

16. What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

VERY high by necessity. he’s a soldier he’s absolutely patched up his own injuries before, at least to hold over until he could see an actual healer

17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

ahh. I wrote a very personal fic exploring self harm urges w/ Boromir, so I suppose that

18. Is your OC more cold and detached or up close and personal?

very personable, when he’s of sound mind sndnsj

19. How does your OC behave when enraged?

oh he’s a silent anger type for sure. just seethes quietly. hello, consequences of spending time in an environment where you have no actual outlet for your anger + must simply sit there and Stew.

20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

again, When He’s Of Sound Mind, no. the man’s got a big heart and life’s too short to be petty

21. Does your OC have any illnesses or disorders? How do they handle it?

hitting him with the autism beam bc I can. I do also think he’s lost at least partial use of his arm in a Boromir Lives scenario, considering where the first arrow struck him

22. What character alignment would you consider your OC to be?

HMMM neutral good. he’s not chaotic enough to be.. chaotic (lol), and I think he’s too willing to go against Gondorian Popular Opinion to be lawful.

23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

HMMMMM pain, actually. or “weakness.” I think if he can quantify it in his head as “showing weakness” then it’s getting stuffed in a mental box and Not Addressed

24. What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

ok well. None. I think with his circumstances he had zero choice in his path. HOWEVER. I am deeply DEEPLY fond of Boromir learning how to play an instrument after the war ends. I STILL struggle to blow my wassail horn that shit takes SKILL that I do not currently have and Boromir was the BEST at blowing his horn?????? I think he deserves to learn how to play an instrument, esp bc Aragorn, Merry and Pippin would ALL be delighted to have Boromir play while they sing. Boromir learning hobbit folk songs????? Rohirric songs, to honor Théodred?? yeagh.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

HES SO. FUNDAMENTALLY LOVING. love is such a core aspect of his character he is so wholly loving that the ring has NO CHOICE but to try to twist that love. bc it’s all Boromir has. love. im going to throw up abt him.

AAAAAAAAAND:

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

has he ever BEEN completely alone? mm, no. has he ever felt that isolated? I think absolutely, by the time the fellowship leaves Caras Galadhon. obviously he doesn’t deal with it well el oh el.

as for how he acts when no one’s around to see him… I don’t think much changes, tbh. he’s not the kind of man to Perform for anyone except his father, and then with the express purpose of placating the man and keeping his ire towards Faramir to a minimum

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

been betrayed? hm. truthfully, no, though I’m certain he felt betrayed by Aragorn’s reluctance to be anything resembling a king.

has He betrayed someone? Technically Yes, though again, if we apply the qualifier of “When He’s Of Sound Mind” the answer is no. his betrayal comes under the influence of a Malicious Magical Artifact Which Has Been Fucking With His Mind For Months, so.

bound: Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened? How did they get out? Did the experience leave any scars?

ooo, hm. I think not, actually, though it is a fun little idea for angst

break: What would cause your OC to break down completely? What do they look like when that happens? Has anyone ever seen them at their lowest?

gestures wildly at canon. I mean that’s his lowest. we’ve all seen it.

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

again, canon— to see his people safe. he’s very open with that desire, lol

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

AH. canon again. though what he does to move past it… mm. quite a lot of atonement, I think. perhaps of the self-destructive, working-himself-too-hard variety. I do think speaking with Faramir about *his* experience with the ring would help, because Boromir is the first to hold Faramir up as this sort of paragon of Goodness. so I think to know *Faramir* was tempted would help him better ground his experiences as, like…. Not A Deep Moral Failure Exclusive To Himself

fear: What is your OC's greatest fear? What do they do when confronted with it? Are they open with their fear, or do they hide it away?

ehehe. this is one thing I’ve touched on in a Faramir-centric fic, but the idea that the ring showed Boromir visions of Faramir dying at Denethor’s hand should he fail to return with the ring.

had Boromir lived to discover Denethor had nearly burned Faramir alive…… Mmmm. mmmmmmmm.

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

worst possible? if he’d actually managed to claim the ring. I shan’t elaborate -_-

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

MM. his own actions. dead friends, dead loved ones. though if you mean literally, haunts him, I do like to think that Théodred’s Oðr pays Boromir a visit every now and again

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?

see above. handles it?? mm. atonement, again. direct action. he accepts it and does what he can to make it right

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

HATE? Orcs, probably. Sauron. that tentacle motherfucker outside Moria. he’s not a hateful man, so. shrugs.

heartbreak: Have they ever had a relationship that ended badly? Experienced some other kind of heartbreak? What happened?

that ended badly in the interpersonal sense? mm, unlikely. more ended badly in the “somebody fucking died” sense.

I do think he had One (1) fledgling romance in Dol Amroth that ended with the other squire dying and that was sort of the catalyst for “ah. If I love people they’ll Probably Die, so maybe I won’t do that” baggage that he didn’t really unpack until, I think, Théodred. add the additional layers of Denethor Being Denethor and Boromir having such great standards to live up to…. with all the love in my heart, that relationship only happened bc Théodred saw Boromir, went “I need to fuck that Gondorian so bad it makes me look stupid” and proceeded to work his way through 1700 layers of gondorian mental bullshit just so he could suck some dick (me too bestie)

hide: What does your OC hide? Why do they hide it?

hm. my first instinct is to say “not much” but ultimately I think he’d hide anything he can quantify as “weakness.” his own distress, any physical pain if he needs to be up and moving, etc. he’s only able to share that earnest moment with Aragorn in Caras Galadhon bc of Galadriel’s influence. he’s not used to being seen. so, if there is sth that would hold him back from fulfilling his duty as a soldier it is absolutely getting hidden/ignored.

hunt: Who or what is your OC hunted by? A person, a feeling, a past mistake? Is your OC able to let their guard down, or are they constantly alert?

hm. not necessarily Hunted, but I do think he is followed by Denethor’s expectations. it’s sth I’ve talked abt in another ask + that I go into in the costuming doc but such a key element of Denethor’s design is his son’s motifs but Richer, Grander. so… I do think Boromir is constantly alert of, like, how his father will perceive him, bc there is this very insidious sort of competition, this need for Denethor to show his sons up (whether a conscious need or not). and I do think that would weigh on Boromir quite heavily

mask: Does your OC wear a mask, literally or figuratively? What goes on beneath it? Is there anyone in their life who gets to see who they are under the mask?

mm again I think he only really wears a mask/performs for Denethor. anyone else would be too much effort for too little reward. at least if he plays Golden Son for his father, it keeps Faramir from being harassed as much

however, as for who gets to see him when he’s.. not just unmasked but actually RELAXED… Faramir, his uncle and cousins, Théodred, Aragorn, the others in the fellowship but particularly Merry and Pippin

midnight: What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping?

does he have nightmares? oh definitely. what he does in the small hours of the night? depends. if he’s on campaign/traveling/otherwise away from Minas Tirith he will either lay there in his bedroll and Think (bad) or get up and write letters. depends entirely on where he’s stationed/who he’s with. if he Is at home in Minas Tirith, I expect he just goes for a walk + looks at the sky

mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

I think I’ve pretty much answered all of this above, so skfjsjdh

monster: Is your OC monstrous in any way? Is there something that makes them monstrous? Are they aware of their own monstrosity? Do they accept it or reject it?

nah, he’s not ❤️‍🩹

nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

answered w midnight for the most part— I’ll just add that no, he wouldn’t really talk about his nightmares. that requires showing vulnerability lol. I think Théodred and Aragorn are the only two who could coax him into speaking about his nightmares/fears (he wouldn’t want to burden Faramir with such nonsense)

pain: What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt? Do they have a high pain tolerance?

answered sorta (yes he has a high pain tolerance) but worst pain? gonna go with three orc arrows to the chest

secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?

HMMMM again I don’t think there are many secrets. I do think if Denethor found out he liked men it would be disastrous

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

hm. I think he’s generally at ease with himself, or at least content with Not Thinking About These Things. I think, had he directly survived the arrows, he would have to grapple with like. the idea that he did prove Aragorn’s fears about men correct (whether Aragorn would agree with him or not)

torture: Has your OC ever been tortured? Would your OC ever torture someone else?

Four Months Of Slow Mental Degradation Due To An Accursed Magical Artifact!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

(no he wouldn’t torture anyone else)

wound: How does your OC handle being wounded? Are their wounds mostly physical? Mental? Emotional? What's the worst wound your OC has ever experienced?

hm. He would say mostly physical wounds. I’d argue a mix of both. he’ll accept as much care as he needs to stay on his feet and fighting. worst wound is definitely still arrows lol

[depraved-love]

OMG YESSSS

I really loved the fic thank you!

9/10(not 10 bc I never give 10 fr)

Would it be trouble to ask for part 2? Maybe a fae makes her imune to glamors to get back at Cardan or his bro

If not then please let me know and Im sorry!

Have a nice day!

Heya! Glad you like it and of course I'll get to writing! Sorry for the delay. Hopefully my quality doesn't suffer.

It had been months. Months that blurred into a whirlwind of whippings and beatings with a belt - and not just for him. [Reader] was getting her fair share too. Particularly from Nicasia, who didn’t appreciate “The Little Thief” stealing from their kingdom. Cardan could only watch. And take it. Growing madder every day. And he didn’t even know. He didn’t know [Reader] was very much aware beneath all the spells. She knew exactly what was happening around her - and to her. And with every time she was forced to grip that belt or whip, a burning hatred grew inside her. She would make Balekin pay.

Cardan knelt on the study floor again, dark trails of blood dripping down his back and pooling onto the luxurious carpet, the coldness of the stone beneath it biting into his knees. [Reader] stood above him, holding the bloody belt. Her eyes were vacant, that dopey smile plastered on her face like a cruel joke. He felt a hand grip his hair and yank him up. “So, brother dearest… where did you put it?” “I told you. I don’t have it.” “And you think I believe that? You clung to that ‘crown’ like it was sacred -” “It’s just seaglass. It’s not like the Undersea needs it -” This time, the slap came from Balekin himself. Cardan bit his tongue, blood mixing with spit as it slid down his chin. “Pathetic, as usual. Clean up and get out. One more hit and you might crumple, and I refuse to ruin the carpet.” With that, Balekin turned and dragged [Reader] out behind him. She followed, silent - but seething. And Cardan? He did as he was told. The beatings didn’t faze him much anymore. But when they came from her… they stung a hundred times more.

[Reader] sat in the cell that had become her home ever since they arrived. Cardan sometimes snuck down there when he had the strength. He would just stare at her. He never spoke - and she couldn’t. But the look he gave her said everything. There was more emotion in it than she had ever seen in him - or anyone. She could feel him screaming inside, begging. Whether it was for her to protect him or because he wanted to protect her was still a mystery. But neither sounded like a bad option. She had caused so much of his blood to spill. When this ended, she would hold him for days just to make up for it. She still wasn’t sure if it was the glamour making her feel this way… or if it was her own love, blooming. For the vulnerable young man she had seen when she first made the glass crown, thinking it just a memento. Something sweet to take with her once they both returned to their lives. But there was no going back now. She was too deep in jellyfish-infested waters. And she didn’t plan to swim out. She would kill the jellyfish.

With every day, she gained a little more control. She would hurt Balekin soon enough. Her wins were small, almost imperceptible, but each chipped away at the glamour's grip. Once, when ordered to hit, she managed to pause. Just for a few seconds. But it was pure, burning agony. Her muscles screamed at her to obey. Still, she resisted. It was a win. She prayed it gave Cardan even just a little more time to prepare, to brace. The next win came slowly. Balekin gave her a simple command: “Bring wine.” Nothing harmful. But perfect for training. So she told herself - I didn’t hear that. It might’ve only been a minute. But through the pain and pride, it felt like a hundred years.

She stood near the table. Balekin sat drinking, oblivious to the fury simmering behind her eyes. Cardan lounged nearby, dressed in his usual flamboyant fashion, drinking even more than his brother. After the incident, he hadn’t so much as glanced at Nicasia. But now? His hands were on other nobles, his lips at their ears. It made [Reader]'s blood boil. And his too. Both could’ve sworn they felt tears sting their eyes. Why is he touching them so eagerly…? He couldn’t get enough of flirting with me… touching me… Soon. Just a little more time… “No… no, no… not even other mortals are as warm as her… not so soft… just a few more sips, maybe then it’ll blur…” Reader] wished she could hear his thoughts. But her own spiraled - until Balekin stood. “Clean up.” He vanished into the crowd. She reached for the platter like always… Until she realized - she could feel her hands. She controlled them. A split-second decision. Maybe even smaller. She tore the iron button from her tattered sleeve and dropped it into his wine. She was almost out the kitchen door when a strong hand caught her shoulder. An unfamiliar voice spoke: “Interesting plan you have for my brother…”

Soon, she was in the hall with yet another faerie prince. “I’m Dain,” he said smoothly. “What should I call you, mortal?” She was about to answer instinctively… then remembered. Other mortals guarded their names. “…Nothing.” “Oh?” he smiled. “Certainly you have a na-” “Nothing.” A strange smile spread across his face. Beautiful, yes - but deeply unsettling. Not like Balekin. This one was colder. Calculated. “Well then, Nothing… how did you break free of glamour? And what were you planning for my brother?” “I don’t think I broke free,” she admitted. “I still feel him. I still feel pain when I resist. But… my hands… they went numb to it.” “Fascinating,” he murmured. “I’ve never seen that before. And your plan?” She hesitated. Saying it aloud could cost her everything. “I applaud the use of iron,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “But it would take more to do actual damage.” Her eyes widened. “Yes, I’m not my brother’s biggest fan,” he continued. “And if you do something for me… I might grant you something in return.” “…What exactly?” “I can give you more power over the glamour. Your will has brought you halfway already. Bring my brother down - and I’ll finish the job.” “…And what can I ask for in return?” “I could give you the power to enrapture anyone who looks at you. I could mark your forehead, and all who saw it would fall in love. I could grant you a blade that cuts through starlight.” “…Give me a position near Cardan.” “Oh? Are you sure?” “Give me a way to help him.” Dain’s smile widened, his pearl-white teeth gleaming through the gold of his hair and the storm of his eyes. “Nothing, daughter of sand… from this day forward, no Faerie glamour shall cloud your mind. No enchantment shall command your body. And you shall serve in my Court of Shadows.”

That night, when they returned to the Hollow Hall, [Reader] wasn’t summoned to beat Cardan.She was sent back to her cell. But her thoughts were elsewhere. On the young man lying half on the bed, half on the floor, face streaked with dried nevermore. He didn’t realize it was her at first. Not until she gently moved him onto the bed and reached to loosen his collar. Cardan’s hand shot out, grabbing hers. Pulling her closer. “…I’m sorry,” he whispered, trembling. “I can’t be sorry enough. For everything. For selfishly needing you. I’m sorry -” “Don’t worry, my prince. We’ll be out of this mess soon…” Even drunk, his heart skipped a beat. He grabbed her face, staring into those aware, [Y/E/C] eyes. “…How -?” “Does it matter?” The next thing she knew, she was lying beside him, held tightly like a dream he didn’t dare let go of. “Please stay like this… please…” “I-I can’t do much… but I’ll do anything I can for you. I-I’m no prince… but for the love of everything good, don’t let this be a dream… waking up will surely kill me… Please, you have to be mine - mine to protect and love -” “All I ask in return,” she whispered, “is that you be mine, Cardan. Mine to protect… and love.”

Alcohol lulled him to sleep, but not before they managed to promise their love to each other at least a hundred times.

[hinamie]

hi hina what are your top three pokemon games??

b/w & b2/w2 I BELIEVE IN GEN5 SUPREMACY !!! the MUSIC!!!! THE GRAPHICSSS GOD THE LIMITED 3D GRAPHICS THEYRE SO CHARMING!!!!!!! not to mention the loml N!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god i feel so much about N. honestly the motivations of the evil team r actually so interesting and I think it makes for some of the most compelling story u see in the early pokemon games. pokemon liberation??? hello???? it's one thing to want to take over the world or like. flood the earth but to manipulate the masses and play to people's guilty conscience by insinuating that they might be Hurting pokemon by keeping them captive??? they did not have to cook so severely with that concept but i'm so glad they did. That being said I think I prefer the story of the original b/w games just because of how new and unsettling it was to encounter team plasma for the first time and all the interactions with N, but I do rly appreciate how the sequels expounded on them! colress is ok as a villain and even more ok as mad scientist twink eyecandy so I'll allow him gfsdjh I also do like that b2/w2 included more pokemon in the base games I love you early riolu i love you castelia city eevee encounter,,,. I also LOVE how they tried to pull a Trainer Red 2.0 with the postgame battle against the b/w MC in the sequels god gen5 is so GOOD :’)

Platinum i mean is anyone surprised hfdsjg sinnoh is art to me. fr all i rave about gen5 gen4 is the one I grew up with and played alongside my friend group as a kid so when it comes to the nostalgia factor, sinnoh is unmatched. The legendaries in this gen r iconic and so well designed there is not a single one that sticks out as a hard miss. sinnoh gave us cresselia and darkrai it gave us 2 forms of shaymin it gave us !!! glaceon!!!!!!!! i love u sinnoh always <3

hg/ss listen i know these games get a bit of a bad rep for having poor power scaling and being baby games in terms of difficulty but i do not care bc i can see my guys walking behind me and that is all i care about argue with a wall!!!!! also pokeathelon >>>>>>>> 

i also have to give an honourary mention to sw/sh gdfshjgdsjk games that arguably get an even Worse rep ik but hear me out. they were my return to the pokemon games after having skipped gens 6-7 entirely and I enjoyed my playthrough SO much I genuinely had so much fun. I wasn’t too put off by the glitches or the objectively bad plot, I was just so happy to be playing pokemon again :’> ALSO I am a proud Hop defender I respect the hell out of the writers for the arc they gave him. Was it rushed and underdeveloped yes but by pokemon game standards? I honestly found Hop’s self-doubt n identity crisis super moving sue me. Also the trainer character designs r so GOOD RAIHAN CALL ME 

another honourary mention to s/v gfjhd i haven't played it personally bc I could not get past the graphics of it but speaking of compelling pokemon storytelling,,, Arvin mr. mommy/daddy issues I care abt u so much. ALSO CHAR DESIGN HEAVEN HELLO LIKE GRUSHA?? RIKA??? CALL M E

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Was I the asshole for getting a to-go bag at a boba place?

My partner and I (neither of us white) were at a boba place in Soho with 2 friends. My partner got two drinks, paid, and left for the restroom. So I went to pick up the two drinks when they were done making them. The person (of three) working there asked first if I wanted help stabbing the boba, if I’d like to drink it now, to which I said no (Bcs honestly? A bit odd of a service as most people do this themselves, also I wanted to wait for my partner anyway). She then followed up with “would you like a bag?”, which I acquiesced to, thinking why not.

I then proceeded to wait with my boba in the bag, standing in the bar area next to the boba kiosk with our friend A, waiting for friend B and my partner’s return. As they got back, friend A was already sipping on their boba, so in general the vibe was just very normal boba drinking times due to warm weather (at the time). So the rest of us stabbed our bobas while making small talk next to the small counter space provided.

After a few sips, the lady who gave me the bag leant out of the kiosk area, cupping her hands together to tell me that “I’m afraid you’re not supposed to drink it straight up like that” and further, with many gestures “if you were going to drink it now you shouldn’t have asked for a bag. I gave you a bag because I thought you were having it to go.” (Paraphrased) with the general air of explaining sth to a moron. She had a rather heavy accent which was a bit hard for me to understand, so my blank expression might have caused the general condescension.

I was very surprised at this frankly weird interaction and didn’t know what to say at the time. Why was I being schooled? For a bag? A guy in line looked at me with disgust as if I was pissing on the floor right in the middle of the mall or sth. When I left the scene I felt like I was half running away but thinking back it was rly just hella weird. Was I the asshole for taking a bag to wait with?

Note 1: it couldn’t have been a matter of bag price as it was made of paper, which they don’t charge for at these overpriced boba places, and we weren’t in anyone’s space.

Note 2: there were 3 people working in the boba kiosk and at most 3 people in line at the time of this interaction, so unsure why the guy in line gave me such a dirty look besides potential racism. I wasn’t holding up the line or anything.

Note 3: yes I understand overall this is trivial but it was so baffling that I wanted some kind of closure. I still don’t know what I did wrong, since as far as I can tell this is mainly classism for my not understanding “upperclass” norms, hence this submission.

What are these acronyms?