#but i'd love to see if people would pick up on the cycling of his clothing patterns

[fractualized]

Could you give me any Batman comic(/series) recommendations? Or Joker ones?

(You can pretend I’ve never read any Batman comics)

Man, this got me thinking about (1) the number of extended storylines I still haven't fully read myself and (2) of the ones I have, would I recommend that people read them?? Tough question! Thinking about it in terms of a Batman newbie changes things too... 🤔

Ultimately, my list is mostly one-offs apart from the mainline series, but there's a few multi-issue mainline stories in there. From oldest to newest:

Batman (1940) #1, "The Joker" and "The Joker Returns" — Early comics can feel inaccessible because of their age, but I would still recommend checking out the start of Batman and Joker's relationship for a sense of the longevity and evolution of these characters (You could also read Batman's first appearance in Detective Comics [1937] #27.)

Batman (1940) #251, "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge" — Jumping ahead thirty years! After a 4-year absence from comics, Joker returns, and I just love how his dynamic with Batman picks up where they left off like it was yesterday.

Detective Comics (1937) #475, "The Laughing Fish" — The infamous story in which Joker's mad scheme is to… copyright fish.

The Dark Knight Returns #1-4 — TBH, I'm not a fan of TDKR for various reasons. However, it had a huge influence on Batman and you should read it at least once.

Batman (1940) #404-407, "Batman: Year One" — More required reading (but I do enjoy it more than TDKR). Frank Miller's problematique is more acknowledged today, but as I said, modern Batman stems from his work.

The Killing Joke — Controversial-ish recommendation nowadays, considering the much-maligned choice to fridge Barbara Gordon, but I still enjoy the nuance it gives Joker and the meta element of the ending, with Bruce and Joker trapped in their cycle by choices that are informed by the needs of the franchise. Alan Moore may no longer care for it, but I do! (Also, I'd say read it with the original coloring.)

Batman (1940) #426-429, "A Death in the Family" — Another big event in Batman lore: the death of Jason Todd. It's one of those moments that gets flattened in various ways today, so I think it's important to see how everything actually played out. In particular, it's striking to see that Joker is initially nervous about Batman finding out what he did, and just how Bruce struggles with his no-kill principle.

Batman #450-451, "Wildcard!" and "Judgements!" — Joker's big return after Jason's murder, in which we see he's still not all that giddy about it.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #65-68, "Going Sane" — This story takes place earlier in Batman's career, before Robin. When Joker seemingly kills Batman, he tries to start a new life without his instability breaking through. Meanwhile, Bruce recovers from his near-death in a little town in the middle of nowhere and thinks he might actually stay there… but he's plagued by restlessness too.

Joker: Devil's Advocate — Joker winds up on death row, but for a crime he didn't commit! Bruce is set on proving Joker's innocence despite the clown's other sins, and Joker is too captivated by all the media attention to help save his own hide.

Deathstroke (1991) #58, "Bad Blood" — A story in which Joker causes plenty of chaos, but in service of doing something… nice?

Batman: Ego — As Bruce contemplates giving up his crusade, he falls into an argument with… Batman.

Batman (1940) #648-650, "All They Do Is Watch Us Kill" — Part of Under the Red Hood. Jason Todd's reappearance in Gotham City comes to a head when he kidnaps Joker and draws Batman in for a dire confrontation.

Detective Comics (1937) #826, "Slayride" — Paul Dini is one of the writers who consistently remembers Joker has a personality and makes him funny, and this Christmas-time story featuring Tim Drake is a great example.

Batman Confidential #7-12, "Lovers and Madmen" — An alternative origin for Joker. Bruce has been fighting crime for about a year when he encounters a bloody crime scene that he can't make sense of. Meanwhile, the culprit, Jack, is growing bored with his criminal life, until he comes face to face with a vigilante bat.

Batman 80-Page Giant 2010 (Volume 2), "Reality Check" — Is Joker really crazy? Does Joker himself even know?

Batman (2011) #13-17, "Death of the Family" — Not to be confused with "A Death in the Family." Joker tries to convince Batman that all his sidekicks make him weak.

Batman (2011) #23.1, "Time to Monkey Shine" — Joker infamously adopts a gorilla. (It ends badly.)

Batman (2011) #35-40, "Endgame" — After Joker's failure in DOTF, he decides to bring his conflict with Batman to a close.

The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #1-7 — The Riddler is dead, but what really happened? A heist story in which the point of view is passed around multiple rogues, but Joker is the ringleader.

Catwoman: Lonely City #1-4 — Alright, this one does revolve around Selina, but the story is deeply tied to her relationship with Bruce and what she comes to understand about him in the end. (And Joker plays a brief but key part!)

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1-7 — A recent team-up that calls back to everything I've personally enjoyed about Batman and Joker's dynamic.

Batman: City of Madness #1-3 — Beneath Gotham lies Gotham Below, from which a monstrous mirror of Batman escapes in search of a Robin. In his pursuit, Bruce confronts not only alternative versions of his rogues but his personal demons.

[gramophoneturtle]

One Full Body Sprite for Mother and Father.

I thought I'd have more time to add some alternate poses and expressions but I don't know if I'll be able to anytime soon, so here's another update! I also included the initial doodle when I started solidifying their heights cause they're so adorable!

Mother and Father OCs Master Post

Some notes:

Father loves to change his coat pattern and gloves. For a TWEWY game sprite if he has freedom, he would annoyingly have sprites for each combination of gloves/socks (7) plus 3 variations of coat patterns. And maybe some variations of the faded jeggings pattern. Maybe some sparkles from his hair tie. Since the sprites don't move in game, if he's in the UG and he's "allowed" to change his patterns, then probably every time he changes poses or has a new line of dialogue, his coat pattern & rainbow pattern will cycle to the next one.

If he's not allowed to (ex: the RG, staying low-key in the UG) and still want to mess with people, then he'll be more sneaky and each time his sprite goes off screen and comes back, then it will be on the next pattern. In addition, his glove pattern will cycle to the next one each time it comes out of his coat pockets.

In free floating spaces, it's usually natural to float to eye level of other human like forms. He tends to adjust his floating height a little more than others. He is, perhaps, slightly sensitive about his height, but he won't show it, and while he could wear shoes that make him taller, these sneaker sandals are comfy! Comfort is important! He could probably make himself physically taller but...he doesn't. For some reason.

Mother loathes being in the lower planes like the RG, because she can't let her jacket float freely off her shoulders unless it's a windy day. In the UG she can get away with a little bit of it. So to resist the urge, she'll wear her coat in the RG.

Even though her suit jacket isn't her wings, she treats it like it is, so even though she likes the feeling of the rest of her dressy outfit, she doesn't like wearing her suit jacket because she feels bounded and restricted.

Maybe someone will suggest she can carry the suit jacket in her arms. She would probably still make it blow in the (maybe non-existent) wind slightly, but at least it wouldn't feel restrictive.

For floating jacket sprites, they would probably be dramatic with her poses. I don't think they'd change as much as Father's clothing patterns do, but maybe they do too. I don't want them to be too distracting...but...perhaps that's ok for her.

[hughiecampbelle]

The Boys Preference: Being Self-Destructive

Requested: Heeeeyyyyy can I request an angst but hurt/comfort request with a main lot from boys where r is like a younger sibling to them but struggles with self-worth and is self-destructive and it worries them? - anon

A/N: Thank you for requesting my love! I really hope you like it! Feedback is always appreciated my loves!!!! 💜💜💜

Butcher wants to smack some sense into you. Literally. But he can't because that would be wrong and probably drive you away even more. Instead, he yells and screams and badgers the same old subjects because you don't change, you don't listen. You fight back. The screaming matches you two get into are legendary. You fight anywhere and everywhere. The drinking, the drugs, the hurting yourself and other people, it was all unacceptable. He saw you as a younger sibling, someone to protect. He wasn't going to be around forever and you needed to get your shit together before then. He had to know you'd be okay without him. This was your life. If you wanted to set it on fire, you had every right to. Butcher was a hypocrite and you both knew it.

Hughie worries about you constantly. Every time you miss a meeting or a mission, every time you disappear for days on end, it fills him with anxiety and dread. There's nothing he can do to stop you, you're an adult. And yet, he goes through every scenario possible, every worst case scenario. Everyone tells him to give up on you. You're trouble. But he can't help but feel responsible for you the way an older brother would. When you show up at his place in the middle of the night he drops everything. You're so unhappy, it hurts him to see. Drunk or high or just messed up, he always let's you in. He makes sure you're fed and safe even if it ends up hurting him in the end. He can't turn his back on you. And when you leave again, because you always do, he'll call and text and make sure you know you have someone in your corner.

Annie gives you your space at first. She thinks you need some time to deal with your shit just like everyone else. But when nothing seems to be getting better, when your tendencies become even more self-destructive, she can't sit by and watch. She hates to do this, especially when she sees you as a younger sibling, but she gives you an ultimatum: her and your friends or throwing your life and potential away. Blinded by your insecurity and shame and self-consciousness, you pick yourself. You havent spoken to her since, but she reaches out constantly. Texting and calling and showing up at your place, waiting for hours, hoping she'll run into you. You don't want to see her or any of them. If you wanted to hurt yourself then you would. You wouldn't let them control you. She doesn't regret what she's done, but she feels terrible about it. Everyone says she did the right thing.

M.M. can be cruel at times. He doesn't want you throwing your life away like this. The drinking, the drugs, hanging out with the wrong crowds, this isn't you. He takes more of a fatherly role than a brotherly one. He can't help himself. He sees the self-destruction and he wants to shake you, snap something in you until it makes sense. Until you see the value you have as a person. He's nit the only one who sees the decline, but he I'd the most vocal. Sometimes it's tough love, other times it's gentle parenting. He'll try anything and everything if it means going back to the person you were. Sure, the team needed you, but Marvin needed you more. He didn't care about the things you've done in that were done to you, it didn't matter to him. Just getting better was what he cared about. Getting better and finding your way back to yourself.

Frenchie knows exactly what you're feeling. You hate yourself and you hurt yourself and it's a vicious cycle of bandaging your wounds only to reopen them again. He tries to talk to you, to get through to you the best he can, but it's so hard to listen. You really don't believe you're worth an ounce of kindness or forgiveness. Your past haunts you. Your decisions, your experiences, what's been done to you. When you mess up, he's always there for you. He knows what it's like, he wouldn't wish it on anyone else, but especially not you. He doesn't believe in lost causes and he would never give up on you the way others have. You just need time and understanding and someone to tell you they care about you. That's all. It'll go a long way. He sees a future for you, one that is bright and happy, you just can't imagine it.

Kimiko hates that you're throwing your life away because you think you're not worth it. She tries tough love and talks to you and when that doesn't work, she gives you the silent treatment. It hurts both of you, but she can't let this happen. She can't let you drink or smoke or anything your problems away just because you think you're a bad person because of what you've done. You've all done things you aren't proud of, but you're trying to do better now. She can't help but take a sisterly role and that hurts her even more. You beg and plead for her to listen, to understand, but she can't. You're bright and funny and caring. You're a good person whose had some bad stuff happen. That doesn't make it okay to hurt yourself and everyone around you like this.

Bonus! Homelander hunts you down and talks to you. There are no threats, but you know he's angry. Furious, even. So you stay and you listen and you don't fight back. Getting into trouble, hurting yourself, that's wasn't you! You were part of The Seven, you were powerful and intelligent and, though he hated to admit it, like a little sibling to him. He wasn't going to watch you destroy everything you had ever worked for because you felt bad about yourself, because you didn't believe in yourself. It wasn't just that though. It was the things you'd done, they haunted you. The people you hurt. He didn't really care about that though. All he cared about was you. You getting better, you figuring it out, you going back to the person you were.

[cutielando]

i should hate you, but i can't | r.c.

synopsis: in which you and Rafe are enemies... until you aren't

my masterlist

Rafe Cameron.

There were no words to describe what you felt for the boy.

Love? Adoration? Hate? Disgust?

It was a multitude of things all stacked against each other, each battling to come out on top. He was rude, he was a junkie, he couldn't stop picking fights to save his life, he belittled everyone around him, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

So then, why were you so attracted to him?

Maybe it was your very poor taste in men? Or yo were just unfortunate enough to be attracted to the bad guys? The possibilities were endless.

Rafe knew how much of a crush you had on him. He used every single opportunity to point it out when you would find yourself alone in his presence. Especially at the parties he would host.

You never wanted to give him the satisfaction of seeing you too much, but his parties were legendary on the whole island and your friends never missed one. You couldn't allow yourself to be the only one who wouldn't go, it would be too obvious.

That's how you found yourself in the kitchen of Tannyhill, trying to find a bottle of vodka to refill your cup. 

Kooks were dancing all around you, grinding against each other, spilling their drinks all over themselves and not having a care in the world. Typical for every party held on Figure 8.

You were desperately trying not to bump into anyone, quickly finding your way towards the alcohol counter.

"Where the fuck is it?" you mumbled to yourself, not seeing the bottle anywhere on the tray.

"Looking for something?" a voice called out from behind you. More specifically, his voice.

You rolled your eyes before turning around, your eyes landing on the man of the house himself, Rafe Cameron.

Eyebrows raised, a taunting smile on his face looking back at you, the alcohol bottle you had eagerly been searching for right in his hands.

"What's it to you?" you crossed your arms, resting your back against the counter.

"Given that you are snooping around in my house, I would say I deserve to know what you were searching for so desperately, wouldn't you agree?" his tone was taunting, just like his whole personality. Living to make your life miserable.

You rolled your eyes, but couldn't deny that he was a tiny bit right. You had, after all, been snooping around his house searching for alcohol.

"I was looking for the vodka, had to get a refill and entertain myself somehow" you explained, tired of the conversation already.

"You should've just come to me and asked about it, sweetheart. You know I'd never deny you" he winked before handing you the bottle, departing right after that.

This was the interaction you always had with him. He would just come in, make fun of you in some way, proceed to sneakily try and flirt before just leaving.

It was an ongoing cycle with him.

One you never thought you'd participate in.

As the night rolled away, so did the alcohol into your system. It was well past midnight and you were having the time of your life, dancing with your friends and not having a care in the world.

The interruption came when a Kook, more specifically someone you couldn't stand being around, decided to just come up behind you and start dancing with you. 

"You've got some moves on you, baby" he whispered in your ear, his hands caressing and guiding your hips against his.

You tried to pry yourself out of his arms, but the hold he had on you made it impossible. He was holding onto your hips tightly, grinding into your behind. 

Rafe's eyes found you in the middle of the huge sea of people in his living room, his anger rapidly spreading through his body when he noticed how uncomfortable you looked. Downing the last remnants of his drink, he quickly made his way towards you.

"Let go of her" when you heard Rafe's voice, it was like hearing an angel. You had never been more grateful to be with him than you were in that moment.

"Get lost, dude, we're having fun" the Kook answered, gripping your hips even tighter now.

Even in your hazy state, you started pulling away from him, clawing at his hands to let you go. 

Before you could even register what was going on, you felt his hands being yanked off of you, and you saw Rafe hovering over the Kook, who was on the floor holding his bleeding nose.

"Don't ever touch her, or anyone, like that ever again, do you hear me?" you heard Rafe say, his voice dangerously low.

When the Kook nodded, Rafe turned around and took your hand, pulling you through the crowd and towards the back door. He slid open the door and you were met with fresh air, your brain starting to sober up a little.

"Are you okay?" Rafe asked, taking off his jacket and draping it over your shoulder when he noticed you shivering in just your dress.

You nodded, words not yet able to roll from your lips.

"Why did you do that?" you asked after spending some minutes in silence, your mind still hazy but almost completely sober now.

You had always been able to handle your alcohol pretty well, which many times came in handy. Especially now, when you were alone with Rafe Cameron in his backyard after he just saved you from a creep.

"What?" he asked.

"Why did you help me back there?" you specified, shuffling so you were closer to him.

He shrugged, kicking his feet. "Anyone would've done the same. Plus, I don't like guys who touch girls against their wills, and you clearly looked uncomfortable while he had his hands on your body" he explained further.

You stared at him, both of your eyes locked on the other. Maybe it was the alcohol still in your system that prompted your actions, or maybe you had just been suppressing it for far too long, but you found yourself kissing him, your hands gripping onto his shoulder and the hair at the back of his head.

He was stunned for a brief moment before he relaxed into the kiss, pulling you closer and holding your waist gently.

If anyone would have seen the two of you in that moment, they would have thought the world had gone crazy. You spent so many years hating each other, making fun and just picking on one another, you had never given second thought to the feeling bubbling in the pit of your stomach every time you would see each other, when your eyes would lock in a crowd of people.

When you pulled away to catch your breath, neither of you could help the big smile that was on your faces.

"What did we just do?" you asked, biting your lip.

"I think maybe we got tired of hating each other" he teased, holding you against his body.

"Oh, Rafe, as much as I wanted, I could never hate you" you said before leaning in again, not being able to get enough of his lips.

Oh, what a turn of events.

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[sequinsmile-x]

I keep seeing Tiktoks where couples completely surprise their families by hard launching a baby when it's born - so not telling anyone they were pregnant at all. Any chance you could write this for Hotchniss? I'd love the teams reactions

hi bestie <3

ok so, initially I couldn't think of a way for them to hide a pregnancy entirely (although @hancydrewfan gave me an idea...so blame her in the future xoxo) BUT my mind did immediately go to this idea, so I really hope you like it!

-x-

The Name of the Game

Emily and Aaron are having twins, a fact they decide not to share when they tell the team she is pregnant.

-x-

Words: 3.6k

Warnings: Pregnancy

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

There were moments when Emily felt like she had to pinch herself. Her life so beautifully ordinary, the kind of day-to-day that she used to dream of, that she was sure it was just that - a dream. 

She couldn’t remember when she fell in love with Aaron. It had snuck up on her slowly, matching her footsteps so it was in sync with her, slowly stitching itself to every part of her until it became so much a part of her she knew she could never be without it, without him. She’d found the family she never thought she’d have, a type of belonging she’d never expected to experience, in the ashes of her old life. Love and acceptance and joy with her boss and his little boy had found her just when it felt like all was lost, and that the old Emily Prentiss, who may as well have been buried in the empty grave that had borne her name, was gone forever. 

She supposed in some ways, she was. The old Emily hadn’t ever felt love like this. Maddening and addictive and overwhelming in a way she’d once thought was impossible, something reserved for fairytales and books that sold love as a prize to people who didn’t know any better. The old Emily hadn’t been someone’s wife. She hadn’t had to think about someone else so entirely, hadn’t compromised over tiny things she once would have called insignificant that were now important.

The old Emily hadn’t been a mother. 

Loving Jack was the easy part. He was a mini Aaron with flashes of Haley holding him together like a fine gold thread. Tiny pieces of the woman Emily wishes she could know better so she could know Jack better. Loving him was easy, but being his mother wasn’t. She worried about him all the time, worried she wasn’t enough, that she was somehow messing it all up. But every time he smiled at her, or hugged her, or called her mom it made it all worth it. 

Being Jack’s mom had taught her she could do it, that she didn’t have a piece of her missing, doomed to repeat her own mother’s mistakes in a cycle as vicious as the world she’d grown up in. 

It was why when she found out she was pregnant, after months of trying, the joy and excitement were replaced with a sense of calm. An assurance that she wasn’t expecting, that she knew wouldn’t last the entire pregnancy, washing over her as she stood in the bathroom holding the positive test. 

Any confidence she had that she knew what she was doing, that she could do this, disappeared the moment her doctor told her she was having twins. 

Emily immediately spotted on her doctor’s face that she’d seen something she hadn’t expected. Aaron had picked up on it too, his hand tight around hers as the doctor’s brows furrowed for half a second before she smiled at them, turning the screen towards them so they could look. 

Twins. 

She blows out a steady breath as she looks at the ultrasound picture in her hands, her finger trailing over two distinct blobs that were her babies, and she feels anxiety twisting in her gut. 

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Aaron asks as he places his hand on her thigh, the weight of his palm against her comforting, and she nods, her lips pressed together as she continues to stare at the picture in her hands.

“Yeah,” she replies, swallowing thickly as she looks up at him, “Just…processing,” she says, letting her head fall back against the couch. She tilts her head to look at him and a smile breaks free across her face as he cups her jaw, his thumb tracing back and forth over her cheek, “I’m so happy,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief, “So happy but also so overwhelmed.” 

Aaron smiles at her and leans down, pressing a kiss to her lips as he holds her in place, his hand still on her jaw, “I know, Em. Me too. But we’ll figure it all out,” he kisses her again before he pulls back, his smile wry, “The team are going to lose their minds.” 

She feels her eyes go wide at the mention of the team, at their reaction to the fact they were not only pregnant but were having twins, and she blows out a steady breath. She loved their friends, she really did, but they were involved in everything, her love of keeping parts of her life private, something she knew her husband also shared, almost impossible at times. 

This pregnancy was always going to be hard on her with her age and medical history, but she knew it would be even harder now. More risk, more chance of complication, and she didn’t want anything to make that even harder on her. She looks back and forth between the ultrasound picture and her husband, and she smiles as she feels an idea start to come together, “What if we don’t tell them?” 

Aaron watches her carefully, trying to figure out if she’s joking or not. She looks up at him, an earnest look in her eyes and he clears his throat, well aware that he’d have to choose his next few words carefully. 

“Sweetheart,” he says, his smile soft, “How would we hide it when you start to show? Even people who aren’t profilers would probably figure it out.” 

She rolls her eyes at him and lightly slaps his shoulder, “Not the pregnancy,” she says as if it’s obvious, and she points at her still flat stomach as she carries on, “The fact there are two of them in there.” 

He’s intrigued by the idea, by the thought of having something that was just between them and those who needed to know, so he looks at her thoughtfully, “What makes you want to do that?” 

She sits up straighter, turning so she’s facing him, her knees against his thigh, and she places her hand on his arm, “Think about it - Pen has been harassing me to get pregnant so much I think she might actually have been a month or two away from breaking in here to poke holes in any condoms she might have found,” she says, only partially joking, “Imagine what she’d be like if she knew we were having two babies. And Dave would be insufferable. Derek makes fun of me for everything, and Spencer would spend the next several months telling me all the horrible things that could happen to either me or the babies because he just can’t help himself-”

“Em-” he says, trying to cut her off because she’s started to spiral, but she just carries on, her eyes wide as she rambles.

“And JJ would just about be the only normal one, but I’m going to spend my entire pregnancy comparing myself to her anyway, and I’m so much older than she was when she had-”

“Em,” he says a little firmer this time, his hand on her arm as he cuts her off, his smile soft as their eyes meet, “Okay.” 

She furrows her brows for a second, her brain taking a moment to catch up, “Okay?”

He stamps a kiss against her lips, “Okay, we won’t tell them it’s twins,” he says, placing his hand on her stomach, “You’re the pregnant one. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.” 

She sighs in relief, her body almost sagging with it, as she all but collapses into his side, smiling as he pulls her into a hug, “Thank you,” she says, tilting her head to look at him, “It will be so much less stressful.”

He smiles knowingly at her and tucks some of her hair behind her ear. He raises an eyebrow at her and shakes his head slightly, “And of course, you can have some fun with it.” 

Her smile turns wicked, and her stomach rolls again, a rush of love for him, for how well he knows her, briefly overwhelming. 

“That too.” 

___

By the time she’s 28 weeks pregnant she’s so uncomfortable she has no idea how she’s going to cope with the two months she has left. Her doctor had decided it was best for her to be induced at 36 weeks, the safest option for both Emily and the babies, but it still felt like it was a long way off. 

She’s walking, not waddling no matter what Derek said, back to her desk from one of her many bathroom breaks a day when she hears it. The team were all gathered around Spencer’s desk, all seemingly thinking that they were talking over each other quietly even though she could hear them, passing money to Derek who was filing it away. 

“It’s a girl. Definitely.”

“Don’t be stupid, it’s a boy. My mom always says you can tell from the shape of the bump. Princess is carrying low. So boy.” 

“It has to be a girl. We have Henry and Jack, now we need a BAU girl.”

She clears her throat, and fights a smile when she watches them all freeze. She raises her eyebrow at them as they turn to look at her and she places one of her hands on her bump. One of the twins shifts beneath her hand and she narrows her eyes at her friends. 

“Are you betting on what I think you’re betting on?” 

Spencer stutters and Penelope avoids her gaze. Eventually, Derek clears his throat and answers, “It’s just a friendly betting pool,” he says, looking more confident than he sounds, “We did it before we found out JJ was having a boy.” 

JJ frowns, looking back and forth between her friends, “You did?” 

Emily presses her lips together to hide a smile, her mischievous side taking over, “How much are you all putting in?” 

“$50,” Dave answers, “We’re also guessing on weight. Closest weight and correct guess on the sex wins.” 

She hums and nods, “I can do $50,” she says, walking to her desk and pulling out her wallet. 

“Wait, you can’t play,” Derek says, frowning at her as she looks back up at him, “It’s cheating.” 

“I’m the one the kid is living inside of,” she says, pointing to her bump, “I should be able to have a little fun.” 

“Don’t hate the player, sweet cheeks,” Derek says, shrugging, “Hate the game.” 

“Em and Hotch aren’t finding out what they are having,” JJ says, “It does seem unfair to not let her play.”

“Surely she’s more likely to get it right.”

“Actually the odds are still the same,” Spencer says, shrugging, “Still 50/50.” 

Derek sighs and then nods at Emily, rolling his eyes at her smirk as she passes him $50, “What’s your guess then, Princess?”

“Boy,” she says, not missing how Derek and Dave both celebrate as he seemingly agrees with them. “5lbs, 8 ounces.” 

“Really?” Spencer says, looking up at her from the paper where Derek was writing down all the bets, “That’s a little small given the size of your bump alread…” he trails off as she raises an eyebrow at him, and he clears his throat, “I mean, 5 and a half pounds, good guess.” 

She hums, “Smart boy,” she exchanges a smile with JJ, “I’m going to go up to see Aaron, see if I can convince him to take me out to lunch.” 

She shakes her head and smiles as she hears her friends carry on as she climbs the stairs, each of them guessing a higher weight than she knew either of her babies was likely to be born weighing. She groans as walks into Aaron’s office and lowers herself onto the couch, her hand on her bump as she tries to get comfortable. 

“I might have to start working up here,” she grumbles, looking over at her husband, “My desk chair was not built for this much of me.” 

Aaron smiles as he gets up from his desk and walks over to join her, “You can work up here any time,” he says. He sits down and puts his arm around her, pulling her closer and placing his hand on her bump, allowing both of them more physical contact than they would usually have in the office, “And we’ll get you a better chair,” he stamps a kiss to her temple, “I have it on good authority the boss is quite fond of you.” 

She chuckles wryly, linking her hand with his and moving it to where she can feel one of the babies moving, “He’d better be,” she says, lowering her voice so only he can hear her, “I’m carrying his litter.” 

He hides his smile in her hair, knowing it is best not to get caught, and changes the subject, “Did I hear you betting on whether we’re having a boy or a girl?” 

She pulls back and smiles, “The others were betting on it and I wanted in,” she says, shrugging one of her shoulders, “And I’m the one literally doing all the heavy lifting - why shouldn’t I make some money.” 

He smiles widely at her, his life for her threatening to burst out of his chest, his whole body thrumming with it, “And the fact we know we’re having one of each doesn’t play into this at all?” 

She narrows her eyes and shushes him, her eyes flicking to the door to make sure no one in the bullpen would have heard him, “Okay, so why shouldn’t I make some easy money,” she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she bites her lip, “You know…I said boy, five and a half pounds. If you go down there and bet on us having a girl and say a lower weight than the others then we’ll make a lot of money off of them.” 

There’s a beat of silence and she can see a whole range of emotions flash across his face before he smiles and leans forward to kiss her forehead before he stands up, “I’ll be right back.” 

She chuckles as he walks out of his office, purpose in every step, and she looks down at her bump, “Daddy is so silly,” she says, her smile getting wider when she feels a sharp kick, “But we love him anyway.” 

___

Emily hums softly as she rocks the small bundle in her arms. She didn’t know it was possible to be so happy yet so exhausted at the same time, but as she looks down at her newborn son’s face she knows everything she’d been through the last several months, every moment of discomfort and pain, was worth it. 

She looks at the clock on the wall and smiles before she looks back at her newborn, “Mommy and Daddy’s friends will be here soon, Issac,” she says, lifting him to kiss his forehead, wincing slightly as the movement pulls at her c-section incision, “They are going to be so surprised to meet you and your sister.” 

She still couldn’t believe that they’d pulled it off, that they’d made it through the whole pregnancy and the five days since the twins were born without the team finding out. She’d finally relented and told them to come over, instructing JJ to let them in with the key she had for emergencies when they arrive. There was a part of her that wanted to keep her baby bubble, to just be her, Aaron, the twins and Jack, who was currently out with Jessica, but she also wanted to show off her children, to let them meet the people she knew would love them entirely. 

She hears a knock on the front door and feels her cheeks go warm, excitement and nervousness flooding through her in equal measure. Aaron was upstairs with Olivia, a well timed diaper change meaning it was just her and Issac downstairs, and she blows out a steady breath before she calls out. 

“Come in.” 

There’s a brief pause before she hears the door open, excited whispers filtering through the house, and she shakes her head at her friends. Unsurprisingly, Penelope is first to walk into the room, rooted to the spot just inside the doorway when she catches sight of Emily sitting on the couch, an almost impossibly tiny baby in her arms. 

“Oh, Peaches,” she says, tears immediately spilling out onto her cheeks as she walks over to get a better look, the rest of the team not far behind her, “Look at you.” 

“Hi,” Emily says softly, her chest so full of love she can’t quite breathe properly, tears she’s not even angry at herself for gathering in her eyes, “Everyone this is Issac,” she says, looking down at her son before she looks back at her friends, “Issac this is everyone.” 

“He’s beautiful, Em.” 

Emily opens her mouth to reply but stops when she spots her husband in the doorway, their daughter safely snuggled in his arms, and she winks at him, giving him the go-ahead to announce his arrival and break the secret they’d so dutifully protected for months. 

“Hi,” he says, and everyone turns to look at him, smiling at him for a moment before they turn back to Emily.

“Hi, Hotch.”

“Aaron.” 

“Congrats, man.” 

There’s a beat of silence, a moment of peace in the room, before all hell breaks loose and everyone turns to look back at Aaron, their eyes fixed on Oliva sleeping in his arms. 

“What?” Penelope asks, finding her voice first, looking back and forth between Issac in Emily’s arms and Olivia in Aaron’s, “I…what?” 

“Whose baby is that?” Spencer asks, his confusion clear, and Emily laughs, the sound loud enough to draw all of their attention back to her. 

“That is Issac’s twin sister, Oliva,” she says, pressing her lips together to try and suppress her smile, “Surprise.” 

The room falls into silence again, different arrays of shock and confusion across everyone's faces.

“You were pregnant with twins?” Dave asks, his hands on his hips, and Emily nods in confirmation, “I knew it.” 

She rolls her eyes as Aaron walks over, taking a seat next to her on the couch, “No you didn’t Dave.” 

He chuckles, “Okay, no I didn’t,” he says, sitting down in the armchair next to him, “You two are worryingly good at lying.” 

“First off, I used to be a spy, and secondly it technically wasn’t lying…more like being selective with the truth,” she says, narrowing her eyes at her husband when he chuckles next to her. 

“And why were you, selective with the truth?” Derek asks, crossing his arms over his chest, “Don’t you trust us?” 

She sighs and rocks Issac a little more, something she knows is more of a comfort for her than the sleeping infant, “Of course we trust you. It’s just this was a big thing and…we wanted to keep it to ourselves to reduce stress in an already stressful situation.”

JJ sits on the arm of the couch to get a closer look at the babies and she hums, “I can understand that,” she squeezes Emily’s shoulder, “I still can’t believe you were pregnant with twins,” she says, scrunching her nose up as Emily turns to look at her, “Now I think I hate you even more for how good you looked the entire time.” 

Emily laughs and she feels her cheeks go red, “Well, I definitely didn’t feel good by the end I can tell you that much.” 

Aaron clears his throat, cutting Derek off from asking another question, and he tilts his head towards Penelope, “I know we have a lot of questions to answer, but I think if Garcia doesn’t get to hold one of them soon she might go into orbit.” 

Everyone turns to look at the technical analyst, who was so excited she was practically vibrating, and she holds her hands out, not having to be asked twice, “Gimme.” 

Emily sits forward and passes over Issac, “Here, he’s a little more chilled out than she is,” she says, wincing as she settles back onto the couch, turning to smile gratefully at her husband as he helps her, “Livvy is a bit more vocal in demanding what she wants.” 

As if she knows she’s being spoken about, Olivia starts to cry, making all the adults in the room chuckle, and Aaron immediately passes her over to Emily, aware even only a few days in what his daughter wants.

“I think we all know who takes after who,” Dave quips and Emily narrows her eyes at him, which makes the smile slip off his face, “Well, if it makes you feel better Bella, you aren’t any less intimidating holding a newborn than you are holding a gun.” 

She smiles at him, “That does make me feel better,” she says, as she rests Olivia against her chest before she in turn rests against Aaron, sighing contentedly as he wraps his arms around her. She keeps an eye on her son, the baby boy surrounded by his aunts and uncles, each one of them doting on him already, and she turns her head to look at Aaron, unsurprised to find him looking at her, “I love you.” 

“Love you too,” he replies, kissing her temple, his grip on her tightening just a little. 

“Wait a minute,” Derek asks, looking up from Issac, his brow furrowing as he looks at the couple on the couch, “Does this mean you both fixed the bet so you’d win?”

Emily shrugs nonchalantly and bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling, her hand rubbing soothing circles on her daughter’s back. 

“Don’t hate the player sweet cheeks,” she says, winking at him, “Hate the game.”

-x-

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[kromaticglass]

I've been sitting on this for a while because I'm not usually one for writing out my thoughts on characters in media that I like but honestly I need to yell about just how much I love Wriothesley as a character and how his story is written.

Don't get me wrong, I love Scaramouche, and I love his story arc, but there's something about this absolutely horrific past that Wriothesley grew up in and despite everything that should have made him a bitter person, he's so selfless. Selfless to the point of completely overturning a system that had been working in it's own horrific manner for hundreds of years as a teenager/young adult in order to make it better and actively work on fixing people, not just let them fall between the cracks of a society that sent them away to be forgotten.

Putting this under a read more because I'm going to yell about this a lot.

When we're first learning about Wriothesley we're introduced to the fact that he was an orphan. This brings up questions to start with; how was he first orphaned? By the sounds of things he wasn't willingly given away to the foster family that he ended up living with, he was on the streets or at the very least was on his own for a time before he ended up there. The first thing that my mind goes to is that this means either his parents abandoned him or they died/were killed, which may also be the reason he seemingly was desensitized to death as a kid - I'll get to that point later, it's important.

Just how long he was on the streets before he was taken in by his foster family isn't mentioned, but I'd expect it was at least a year or so, just from some context clues we got from both his story quest and his character stories that you unlock with friendship. When in his foster home, things were supposedly a picture perfect family, a dollhouse where people looking in would only see the perfect picture but as soon as curtains closed it was something very different.

Households like that are traumatising, it's no wonder that Wriothesley's ability to trust in people is shot. The people who were supposed to care for him after promising a good life were nothing but a front and in his eyes he once more was on his own. For a child to decide to willingly orphan themselves a second time is so taxing on the mind, I could only imagine the stress he would've been under.

But what really gets me is the fact that he eventually came to the conclusion that in order to stop the cycle of picking up kids and selling them off to the highest bidder and killing the ones that didn't sell, Wriothesley didn't think about contacting gardes, didn't go to anyone else about it, he took matters into his own hands.

Not just that, but that he had to kill them.

It takes a lot for someone to work themselves up into killing another person. If you've never taken a life before, most people will hesitate, they'll be sick, or they'll completely shut down and remove themselves mentally from the situation, there's a very visceral reaction that happens in the human brain when you're pushed so far into stress responses that you'll take another life, and this was a teenager. This is why I feel like he would've been desensitized to death or at the very least gruesome scenes like this from a much younger age.

One can only wonder just what was going through his mind during the time he was away, taking the odd jobs to create that first prototype of his gauntlets that he used to shoot nails at his parents. It may not be as personal as taking a knife to someone, but using a nailgun is a bloody affair, the wounds needed to make that fatal are grievous if done by an inexperienced hand. And from what we're told in the character story, it sounds like his parents fought back, hard enough that it very nearly killed Wriothesley as well.

It makes me wonder just what he was thinking, or feeling in that moment, was it fear? Anger? A mix of many things? Or was he simply numb to it until he woke up in the hospital bed later? From what we hear in his tone during the story quest, he sounds apathetic about retelling the story, but that could be a result of trying to compartmentalize the renewed trauma that was rekindled thanks to the gem he touched.

And the trial, lets not forget that. On the day he wakes up from his injuries, he's served papers to face in court, and given a timeline for his recovery. The character story says the trial went with little fanfare and that he accepted the charges with little to no protest, it makes me think about just what could've gone through his head during the time he was recovering.

Wriothesley states that he knew he was guilty in the eyes of the law, and that his methods were extreme and he knows that. Because he survived his injuries when he expected to die from them, it makes me think that he knew he would be going to the Fortress of Meropide once he got to the trial. Given how much of a lawless land the Fortress was back then, I wonder if this was Wriothesley's own way of putting himself back into the hands of fate again, or maybe in some way, taking it back into his own hands.

Character Story 2 and his Vision story tells us more about his time in Meropide before taking it over, and how chaotic it sounded. He arrived in the Fortress and found his Vision in his pockets when being processed, and the first thing he's told is "hide it well". This was the only warning he got from anyone about how life in the Fortress was at that time, and he took that to heart in order to not lose anything precious to him.

Meropide was a place you could pay for someone to die in back then, among other things like drugs and probably far more things that Hoyoverse wouldn't mention for the sake of keeping things PG. It certainly doesn't seem like a place a teenager would be safe in and yet despite all odds, Wriothesley thrived and amassed a massive collection of credit coupons in order to make his name known.

It doesn't say much about what a feat that is, especially the line where it mentions that he amassed more coupons than anyone else in the Fortress combined. He figured out how the place ticked and made it sing to his own tempo instead of simply falling in line, that's such an impressive feat for anyone to do, let alone someone who would've had to fight tooth and nail to even get the respect needed for people to see him with as much power as he seemed to gain by the time he took over.

When he challenged the former administrator to a duel, the story mentions how Wriothesley was saved from having to get another person’s blood on his hands because he fled from the Fortress instead of showing up. And sure we could gloss over this as he was glad about not needing to fight him in the end, but this also implies that if the fight had've gone on instead of what happened, Wriothesley would've either beaten that man within an inch of his life or taken it. He would've taken another life for the sake of other people, once again.

This is something I've noticed is a theme with Wriothesley. He has either little regard for or at the very least places his own safety below others, so long as it's doing what he thinks is right or protects other people. During his story quest when he's being shot at, Wriothesley does little to protect himself aside from some minimal protection with his cryo vision against the bullets shot at him, but the moment that the gun is turned to the Traveler, he spent absolutely no time in very nearly killing Dougier (if the Traveler hadn't been there, I think there would've been a 75%-85% chance that he would've killed Dougier) and putting him in his place.

We see this again with the Archon quest where Wriothesley and Clorinde fight back the Primordial Sea. He spend his own safety and energy icing over the doors in order to save people in the Fortress from the Primordial Sea until Neuvillette could get there, at the risk of his own safety and very nearly getting trapped and dissolved by the waters.

That's not even taking into consideration the work he did on the Wingalet. We saw so little of it in the 4.2 Archon Quest, I was almost disappointed, but the fact that instead of staying idle about the prophecy, he spent so much time and energy making a ship like that and keeping it a secret from most parties until the time came all for the reason of saving as many Fontainians as possible just kills me.

Wriothesley has been through so much, and instead of that horrible backstory and all that trauma turning him into a bitter and hateful person, he instead uses it to give others a better life than he had just crushes me. He took over Meropide and reformed it into a place where not only does it help people now, but is such a nice place to be that inmates want to stay afterwards warms my heart. Like, for sure there's the fact that people staying down there reintegrating into society would be a challenge but I love the fact that there's even the choice to stay down there after the term is over instead of simply turning people lose and risking them returning back down after repeating crimes.

Anyway what I'm trying to get at here is that Wriothesley is such a well written character and I want Hoyoverse to give us more characters like this. I'm rambling way too much and I'm sure like 80% is incoherent bullshit but I needed to get my feelings off my chest about this lol.

If you made it this far thanks for putting up with my rambling LMAO.

[kitkatt0430]

17, 33, 35, 44, 50 for OTP Asks (coldflash) please

17.) Who's more likely to pull the other in by the waist and kiss them passionately?

Hmmm, this is a tough one. I think it's something they both do, but who does it most?

Barry definitely has a kink for being manhandled and taken care of. He's constantly having to be the hero and on top of things and so having Len take charge, pull him close and demand kisses... it's nice to just give in. He trusts Len whether it's with something small and romantic like this or, uh... other things. ;) So Len enjoys taking advantage of this in order to draw Barry close and kiss him whenever he wants.

Conversely, Len likes that despite being a twig in human form (until his thirties anyway), Barry can still push him around if he wants. Len definitely enjoyed being shoved around by Barry in S2, though he was definitely wishing for a kiss there. So I think his preference is less being pulled in by Barry and more by being shoved against a hard surface and crowded in by Barry, but he does enjoy getting pulled forward, into Barry's arms, and kissed senseless too.

I think, ultimately, Len is more likely to pull Barry into a kiss, but it's definitely something that goes both ways.

33.) Who's the better cook?

Barry. Len's not a lethal chef or anything like that and he enjoys cooking with Barry because it's something he's doing with Barry. But for it's own sake, Len's more of an 'eat what's convenient' type. Whereas Barry is very much a 'shows love through food' type.

Mick supports the relationship in part because he's no longer the only one making sure Len doesn't wind up with scurvy for avoiding his veggies.

35.) Who's more artistic?

Probably Barry. He can sketch really well and I can see him doing the ADHD cycle through various artsy hobbies. (I do this. Best to keep the projects in what are doable chunks for me or something I can put down and pick up again a few months or a year down the line.)

I think Lewis really stunted Len's artistic talents. He strikes me as the kind of father who sees his son taking art classes or home ec and gets super homophobic about it. Len expresses his creative side through his heist plans. He's maybe starting to allow his creativity roll into creating things - starting from learning how to repair and then recreate the Cold Gun to adapting what he learned to create ice grenades and the like. But overall, Barry's much more of the artsy sort.

44.) Who would dance in the kitchen making dinner? Would the other join in or watch from the doorway?

Barry is absolutely the dancer. We see that in canon with him dancing around in the kitchen in his boxers making breakfast. He will dance around and sing to music on the radio/streaming on his phone when he cooks alone - especially if he's cooking something special for Len. Romantic dinner? Barry is extra bouncy while he cooks and sets up a candle lit dinner.

Len won't admit it, but he finds it really charming how Barry romances him and he does try to romance Barry in return. But when Barry's dancing around in the kitchen, he definitely loves to stand back and watch. Just kind of take in that this ridiculous man loves him so much.

50.) who's more likely to do something out of spite?

I'd say initially it's Len. He's used to pushing people away and he expects eventually he'll push Barry away too and gets snippy and spiteful about things. But Barry's stubborn and as Len realizes that it'd take a hell of a lot to run Barry off, he starts to relax and accept that what they have is actually going to last and his tendency to say spiteful things while angry tapers off.

Barry isn't at first because he's had to learn to be very careful with his relationships and choose his battles with Joe. He'd argue to hell and back about his dad's innocence, but he was very afraid of Joe not wanting him anymore so he got in the habit of swallowing down his feelings about things until they boil over. He's a lot more likely to do this when something's triggered his trauma reactions. The first time Len realizes that Barry flipped out over something relatively minor with him and talking it out later reveals it was really because Barry was already on edge over something Team Flash did that triggered him that his team dismissed as inconsequential? Len absolutely reads them the riot act about the way they treat Barry's mental health so dismissively.

I think once Barry's trauma responses start being taken seriously and his boundaries are better respected, the spiteful responses become less likely to show up too. That said, I think maybe he still struggles with it more than Len.

[the-grand-gemini]

Big obsessed with all of the BG3 villains. The themes of the cycle of abuse/trauma in all of the main cast makes me feral over how the villains unfortunately do not/did not get the opportunity to be "saved" by Tav (if doing a good playthrough) and by experiencing the heros journey.

I could talk about Ketheric and Orin, but after reading @bearhugsandshrugs fic it got me deep diving into Gortash's character. It's amazing and everyone should read it especially if you're weak for Tav/Gortash like I am 👀💦

Trigger warning for abuse mentions below the cut.

Let me start with stating this is NOT an Enver Gortash apologist post, he's evil and he's done terrible things. This is just me yelling into the void about character foils.

Childhood abuse:

In game we really only get to know his history through background information that we can scrape together if you search through the city and the House of Hope.

We don't get any details on what exactly Enver went through as a child. We can assume neglect/possible violence from his parents given his mother's words and the fact they sold him. We get to know that he was beaten when living in the House of Hope, but not what other possible horrors he could have experienced there (not including just the trauma of witnessing the other debtors and Hope), what age he was, or for how long (if anyone knows more timeline wise I'd love to know) he lived there before he escaped. We don't know how he escaped either, if he had help or did so on his own.

I'm no child psychologist, but abuse has lasting effects as we can see through all of the main party. Victims of abuse tend to have difficulty moving past certain emotional stages in their life. Aka a person abused in their childhood may have issues maturing emotionally without therapy, etc (again I'm not a psychologist). There is a strong possibility that "Child" Enver is still probably holding the reins emotionally while adult Enver isn't even aware of how his past affects every action and reaction he has at all times.

I can't imagine how living with Raphael during ones formative years being healthy in anyway, but we can definitely see some of the learned behaviours he's picked up from the Cambion. A focus on possing/presentation, a suave persona, torturing/using people for his own gain, a general lack of empathy, deal making, similar attire with devil motifs...

Unhealthy coping mechanisms:

Speaking of attire, Enver's coat not allowing Fear to be cast on him speaks volumes to me. Imagine the absolute horror of moving from one situation of abuse to another much worse one in the hells as a child/teen and probably being in a state of fear/anxiety at all times. Enver wearing a coat that doesn't allow him to feel fear gives me three main thoughts:

1. He is doing everything in his power to avoid that specific emotion and therefore prevents himself from thinking about that period of his life. Meaning he is not confronting his trauma the same way the main party is forced to throughout the game.

2. Narratively does the coat prevent him from feeling any fear at all? Or do we just go with the game mechanic that ensures he cannot be made afraid by the fear spell? If it prevents him from feeling fear at all (which I think is narratively more interesting and you can take this headcanon out of my cold dead hands) how does this effect his every day decisions? Fear prevents risky decisions all the time, it's one of the emotions that actively keeps people alive. Psychopaths usually don't experience fear the same way an average person would. Given his many horrific actions (the Iron Throne being a key example) I wonder how much his forceful removal of fear has done to his perception of rational thought. If you aren't afraid of consequences what's to stop you from doing anything at all? Selling a loyal body guard to the hells, torturing an entire faction of people in order to manufacturer your own personal army, stealing from an immensely powerful devil aka mother fucking MEPHISTOPHELES??? He presents himself as calm and collected in conversation. He appears as if he's the most rational of all three villains when he's really just as awful when we look into what he's actually been up to vs seeing Orin and Ketheric kill people on screen.

3. Where did he get the coat? Did he make it himself or was it a boon from Bane? A promise to a devout worshiper that he would never be made to feel afraid or beneath anyone again?

Another abuser - Bane:

Speaking of Bane... Another user (please tag if anyone can find the original post!) mentioned a line Astarion says where he states that he prayed to all the gods, but none answered. OP wondered if Enver, trapped in the hells and desperate for salvation, called out the same way... only for Bane to be the only god to answer. I'd die to know specifically when he was introduced to Bane and made to be his chosen.

We know Bane is considered an evil god and we even find that if we kill Enver and then use speak with dead that Bane is torturing him in the afterlife for failing him.

Given this abusive relationship is Enver a foil for Gale, a man groomed from a young age by a goddess and left with the consequences when his actions did not meet her expectations?

Is he like Shadowheart, someone who was given no alternative and made to believe they willingly chose their god only to learn they were deceived and never had any other options?

Like Wyll he's cast out by his father (or in his case both parents).

Like Lae'zel he's worshipping a deity with false promises, how can he believe he'll rule the entire world like a god himself when Bane the god of TYRANNY would see no other at the top but himself (Was he secretly planning to use the crown like Gale to usurp Bane or just pandering to us)?

We know he and Karlach are absolutely foils for each other given that he is her abuser and like himself Karlach was forged by her times in the hells only to survive on her own merits.

Those are my thoughts! Would love to know anyone else's on the walking red flag that is Lord Enver Gortash.

If Enver lost his memories like the Dark Urge would he be given a chance to redeem himself through his actions? Could he with his knowledge of infernal engines fix Karlach's heart

Would Enver have ever become Lord Gortash if not for Bane...?

Anyways if anyone wants to yell at me about Enver, Orin, or Ketheric please feel free to do so! I love characters who fell through the cracks because they had no one there to help them only to crawl out themselves and burn the world.

[pisshandkerchief]

When I got into Fall Out Boy on the tail end of last year I never imagined I'd be here. I remember learning all the lore and getting to know the band in the middle of the Stardust release cycle, feeling a little out of the loop, like I was late to the party (kind of like how I felt with MCR). but you guys have made me feel so welcomed and loved, even if I'm so much newer here than the rest of you. I'll never forget getting excited over every new song teaser, laughing and joking about every new music video and TikTok from the band, watching everyone be so supportive of Joe on his mental health break, being so happy when he felt good enough to come back. I'll never forget watching all the interviews, picking them apart with my mutuals, seeing first hand all the love and respect for each other the members of this band have. To get a little personal here, I was in a tough place in my life when Stardust was first announced. I was in my senior year of highschool, and for awhile I didn't have a phone, so I had to keep up with Tumblr at night, on a shitty old computer. At school I would listen to every song teaser in class and talk to some of my Tumblr friends on Google chat about it because it was my only option. I remember as soon as Stardust came out I downloaded it onto my old iPod and listened to it every night to fall asleep. It was so important to me to have this thing I could connect with people over. To witness this band who love each other so much, who pour that love out in every interview, who spread it to the world through the music they make, who are so open and honest about their mental health, who say that it's ok to feel despair, to be frustrated with the world, that sometimes life does feel meaningless, but you can find pleasure in the details, you can always pick yourself up and keep going, because there will always be people who want you whole: that meant the world to me. I bonded with one of my closest friends, Charlie, over Fall Out Boy. The first vinyl I ever bought was the gold special edition of So Much (For) Stardust. The first concert that I actually wanted to go to, that I chose for myself, was the Fall Out Boy show I went to with Charlie (this was also the first time I had the privilege of meeting an online friend in person. it's an experience I'll never forget, and one I hope I get to repeat).

This has gotten rambly, but what I'm trying to say is this: there is so much love in this community. Love for the band, love for the music, love for each other. I may not have been with Fall Out Boy for very long but I know this is going to stick with me. I feel so honored to be experiencing perhaps the best (and definitely the happiest) era of Fall Out Boy as it happens. I feel so honored to be experiencing it with all of you and I hope that we stay in touch. I don't have the words to describe how much this album, this tour, this band, has meant to me already. Thank you. All of you. Fall Out Boy forever 💜

[raayllum]

so if/when runaan is uncoined, how do you think Callum and Ezran will prosses it? cause we know Ez definitely has some unresolved anger towards him, and Callum is very conflicted about Runaan. I'd just like your two cents on how they would interact at first, and possibly in the future.

*hoists up a 146k+ long fic* how much time you got?

[ Sidenote: granted, some of the fic is different than where it's gone in canon, largely Callum being 100% devoted in getting the parents back, but struggling hard with Runaan upon his de-coining significantly moreso than Ez, who in this version has had 4 years with his grief and 4 years of getting to know Ethari as well. But for being written in Jan 2020, not bad, I think. ]

In all seriousness: I think Ezran's lack of connection to Rayla's past (never been to the Silvergrove, never met Ethari) and his harsher reaction to Harrow's death, especially given Callum's automatic positive reaction to the coins in 5x04 (including Runaan!), means that they're gonna go for a contrast with the broyals. It seems that in his closeness with Zubeia, Ezran's heaped a lot of the blame onto Runaan (which makes sense on a certain level - Zubeia didn't know about Zym's survival, Runaan did and went through with shit anyway) because well... It's always gonna be easier to compartmentalize. It's always gonna be easier to just hate someone who's dead.

Until they're not.

I also think Runaan could be a catalyst for a lot of wonderfully messy 'uglier' Ezran emotions (resentment towards Callum and Rayla keeping something from him again; the burden of ruling he only has because of Runaan; impatience with people not willing to consider ending the Cycle, ironically leading him to perpetuate it a bit, etc etc) and god I am so fucking excited for that. And a bonus Harrow-Viren parallel conflict with Callum, generations wise? Chef's kiss. Delicious. Give it to me

To me, I don't think Callum is even really thinking about "this is the man that murdered my father" (which he did in Through the Moon during a brief argument with Rayla, and then realized he needed to give space for her grief, too) so much as "This is Rayla's dad and someone she loves."

In his short story Inheritance he couldn't even hold the bow without immediately freaking out, and we see it ignite a similar sort of panic in 5x01, but by the end of the episode he's brought the bow into his room to hold onto it for her and hands it to her outright. He's willing to mix his magic with it and trust it (and her wielding it) to defend him.

So for Callum I think he'll be snarkily done with Runaan if the man is unremorseful / hostile but not willing to or wanting to pick too many fights with him in front of Rayla. (I also have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Callum ultimately realizing that Runaan's eventual awkward form of parenting/looking out for him -- once Runaan's gotten over his anti-human shit -- does remind him of Harrow as a father, but that is delved into Much better slowburn wise in the fic linked above).

For Ezran, who's younger and has largely been bottling this anger up, I think he might be harsher and more resistant to undoing the coins, but might have an easier time once he can see and get to know Runaan as a person (because once that's clicked into place, Ezran's empathy knows little to no bounds) and well, Ez loves Rayla too! They're all family. It's just... complicated

That said the fact that my 2019 political trio theory has now structurally also come back to me is Hysterical and what I'm holding onto above all else tbh

[the-oc-lass]

Cody Day 2024

So APPARENTLY it's Cody day and I just missed that, but if you think I'm going to skip out on an opportunity to write about one of my favorite little clone guys, you'd be SORELY mistaken.

I'd love to draw him too but there's like 6 hours left in the day and I have other things to do, like eat and shower and homework.

ANYWAY, those of you who know me know that I'm the OC lady and for that reason, I'm going to write a little drabbly thing about Cody and my OC, who is like an adoptive mom to him and many other clones (see this post if you want to learn more about her). If you aren't interested in ocs, feel free to skip, the drabbly thing will be under the cut. Oh and also, the clones call her "mum" because Temuera is from New Zealand and that's how they refer to their moms (or, that's at least how my old friend referred to her New Zealander mom). Also, no idea if it's ooc, it's been a while since I watched anything with Cody in it.

Anyway, happy Cody day to all, now enjoy the first bit of Star Wars content I've written in months. Btw @langsnscraps since you've been asking for SW content for a while.

It's late in the night cycle. So late that The Negotiator is practically silent. His general and most of his brothers are blissfully asleep in their barracks, but Cody can't bring himself to do the same. He can't sleep yet. There's a cup of caf nearby, though he can't remember when he got it or if he finished its contents. Doesn't matter. He's too focused on the work in front of him, ignoring the insistent tug from his eyelids. When he hears something behind him—the door opening followed by footsteps, he quickly realizes—his hand jumps to his blaster and he whips around, ready to draw it if he needs to. But as quickly as his fight reaction was triggered, it's soothed. Onteile Tiax is standing a few feet away, a calm expression on her face even as she holds up her hands. He exhales, hand falling back to his side.

"Sorry, mum," he mutters. She lowers her hands as well, folding them in front of her as she tilts her head.

"It's alright, Cody. I should know better than to creep up behind you," she says. He frowns slightly at her.

"I could've hurt you." The calm expression shifts to one of soft amusement, and she raises her eyebrow slightly. Alright, that's probably not true. He sighs and turns away from her, looking back at the holotable in front of him. He can hear her moving again, and she eventually appears at his side.

"Can you not sleep, Cody?" she asks, voice gentle and concerned. He shakes his head and looks down at his data pad.

"I just have a few things I need to do," he mutters. Her gaze weighs on him, but he resolutely keeps his eyes on the information in front of him.

"I worry for you," she says suddenly. He lifts his head to look at her, met with a look of apprehension. She lifts a hand, gently cupping his face. "You put far too much on yourself. I just want to make sure you're alright." He leans into the affectionate touch, just a bit, and offers what he hopes is a comforting smile.

"I'm fine, mum," he says. Bright eyes inspect him carefully, and he feels her stroke her thumb across his cheek for a moment before her hand falls away again.

"Would you like some help?" He considers denying her offer, telling her that she should go back to bed, but he admits that company sounds nice. So, he nods, and she smiles softly before picking up a data pad of her own.

~~

When the work is done—or, at least acceptably lessened—she finally convinces him to go to bed. He walks at her side through the empty halls, The Negotiator humming around them. He takes a moment to look at her as they walk. She's not much taller than Cody himself, but the way that she carries herself makes her seem towering and important. She doesn't hold any official military rank, but she looks like she holds a great deal of authority. People respect her most everywhere she goes. Walking at her side always makes him try to stand just a bit straighter, hold himself with more confidence. A small, unspoken of part of him wants to make her proud. They stop outside of her room—because Cody is a gentleman and promised to walk her to her door—and she turns toward him.

"Promise me you'll rest, Cody," she says. He smiles slightly at her.

"I'll do my best, mum." She smiles back at him.

"That's all I ask." She reaches out, and he allows her to tilt his head down slightly so that she can press a warm kiss to his forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours, Cody." When she releases him, he looks her in the eye again, nodding.

"Sleep well, mum." She nods as well, and he steps around her to walk to his own room.

"I love you, Cody." He pauses, looking back at her. "I just wanted to remind you." His chest is filled with warmth at the affectionate look on her face, and he smiles at her again.

"I love you too, mum."

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Anything scruffy!vere. i miss them

"I hate this."

"Pockets you look fine," Jason said, tugging the strings on your sweater.

"I look huge-"

"No," he said, "You don't. You look healthy and just a little... fuller figured." He supposed it shouldn't be a shock. Getting you on medication meant side effects. And now you cycled between having no appetite and starving. That combined you being an adult and not a kid anymore meant you'd gained weight. It also didn't surprise him that you had issues with it. You were used to being smaller. But if he was being honest, you looked healthier this way.

"Plans are canceled I'm fat-"

"No," Jason said firmly, "You're just a little plump. And it's nice." He hugged you against his chest and kissed your head. "I can bench press the sofa. 20 or 30 pounds doesn't mean much."

You whine and he kissed your forehead tilting your chin up, "Honestly," he said crossing his heart. "You look fine. But if you think working out would help you, you know I love me an Amazon-"

"Jay."

"Just saying. I don't give a fuck what you look like as long as you're healthy and happy. This makes you unhappy, and even if I don't mind- you do and it makes me unhappy. Because you're beautiful."

You sigh and nod, thudding your head against his chest.

"Let's just go see the family, huh? Bring your guitar and we'll just go chill out."

_____________

"That sweater is so fucking cute," Stephanie said, "I love it where did you get it?"

"A thrift store I think," you answer, picking a fuzz off your sleeve. "Manic me just likes shopping."

"And sick guitar riffs," Duke said grinning, dropping onto the couch next to you.

"That one wasn't mine though," you tell him, taking a sip from your mug and letting Steph pull you against her side so she could examine your sweater. She liked to cuddle people who looked warm.

"Who wrote it then?" he asked, interested.

"Her mom," Jason answered. "The one thing Nissa was good at was music."

"Oh- I-"

"It's okay. I've been retooling a lot of her stuff. Especially the stuff she never got to use really."

"That's cool," Duke said, not sure what else to say. He knew parents were never a good subject in this house.

"I brought my guitar-"

"Did I hear Guitar?" Dick said, strolling in "Because if you wanna play me some Fleetwood Mac I'd marry you like tomorrow-"

"Hey!" Jason protested, reaching behind him to grab the hard case there he'd set it. Smiling a little at the stickers as he set it down in front of you. He knew that guitar as well as he knew Scruffy. And he couldn't count the number of times you'd both set on the steps in the train station, trying to make enough money to get a good meal.

"Yeah!" you echo, holding out your hand to show him the engagement ring.

"Papers ain't signed," Dick said teasing, dodging the pillow Jason threw at him.

[busterswritehand]

You're Timeless To Me

-

Roughly 180 years after the events of ACOSF, Lucien looks up to find that he is surrounded by strangers. Meanwhile, Nesta realizes she has stayed still while the world around her keeps moving. Misery loves company, but these two can hardly make small talk.

-

Part 11

-

The past few days since Calanmai had been spent in a repetitive cycle of eating, treaty reevaluations, drinking, eating, and more talk of a centuries-old agreement. Lucien, Tamlin, and Nesta had practically been locked away in the Highlord's study for most of that time. While that might have sounded excruciating for most people, it was like a rush of energy for Lucien. Tamlin made it a tricky start to a nearly impossible puzzle.

When the treaty was first forged, Tamlin was a shell of himself - and so was the Spring Court. Lucien hadn't made it easy for him, keeping Elain at arm's length for both their sakes. Though he could still recall the anger and pain of betrayal in Tamlin's sunken face, Lucien did not regret his decision for a second. After all, how could he?

The male that stood before him was stronger and more lively than Lucien ever recalled his friend being. While Tamlin nitpicked and argued with the concessions he had previously made, the anger that he used to lock away was replaced with a sense of comfort in his emotions. Lucien couldn't help but smile. It almost made him miss his old life at the Spring Court.

"What are you smiling at?" Tamlin placed a document full of notes and half scribbles before Lucien. "I'm serious when I say I'm not agreeing to this yet."

"It's just good to see you like this is all," Lucien said. He was surprised at his own frankness, and so was Tamlin. The male blinked, taken aback.

"Don't get all soft on me now," Tamlin laughed. "Has three days in already made you go mad?"

"No, but four might," Lucien joked. He stood from his chair. "Nesta and I will have a final draft for you tomorrow morning, and you will sign it."

The female's head popped up at the mention of her name. Nesta gathered the papers sprawled around her as she stood to meet Lucien.

"We'll see about that." Tamlin leaned back into his chair.

Lucien picked up the document Tamlin had nearly ruined with pen and ink. He nodded to his friend and left the room with Nesta close behind.

The two walked down the hall to the drawing room like they did almost every night to work around Tamlin's demands. It was the only time the two ever really talked since Calanmai. When they weren't working on the treaty, Nesta would completely disappear. It was odd, if not a little hurtful. He thought they had made a breakthrough after the Rite, but the next morning Nesta barely cared to acknowledge him. He tried to give her space at first, but after a while it became maddening.

They sat across from each other. Nesta sat on a chaise couch, with all the drafts they had written beside her. Lucien took the chair across from her. Behind them, a fireplace lit the room. He read through all of Tamlin's notes, relaying the important ones back to Nesta. She made quick work finding ways to match Tamlin's demands and refusals with quid-pro-quos or plausible deniability. In all honesty, Lucien was impressed. Nesta took to these dealings like a general to battle.

"You have good ideas, you know," Lucien said. "Why don't you talk more when we're negotiating with Tamlin?"

"I figured I'd let you take the lead," Nesta responded, not looking up from the papers on her lap. "I'm supposed to be learning from you, right?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

Lucien waited for a quick-witted retort, but Nesta remained silent. It was odd for Nesta to not at least respond with a glare. It wasn't like her. He knew something had to be wrong, whether it was something he did or another thing entirely. Setting the documents aside, Lucien leaned forward in his chair with arms resting on his knees.

"Nesta."

Nesta's eyes darted over to Lucien. He waited for her to speak up, but it seemed that she was waiting as well.

"Did you need something?"

Lucien sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Nesta returned his sour expression with her own.

'What?" She sat up straight in her seat.

"Will you just tell me what's wrong?"

Nesta stared at him, shocked. It somehow surprised at offended him that she would be taken aback. They both knew something was going on, but only one was being kept in the dark.

"By the cauldron," he blurted out, "you've barely been able to look at me much less talk to me since Fire Night."

Nesta's face grew flustered, her cheeks turning rosy. Still, she refused to dignify him with a response.

"Did I do something wrong or are you just choosing to be difficult?"

Lucien stared at Nesta's wide-eyed expression. Frustration started to build up inside him. His hands felt like they might ignite at any moment.

He shot up, "I didn't have to come here or bring you with me. I'm doing this because you asked - no, begged - me too."

He noticed that her fists were balled up, her knuckles white. Lucien could see icy flames dancing in Nesta's eyes, yet she still wouldn't respond. He never thought someone's silence could be so infuriating.

"Do you remember the first winter solstice I spent in Velaris?" Nesta broke her silence.

Lucien felt his body tense. He turned to her. Out of all the things she would choose to say, why that? He knew she could be cruel when pushed, but this? Nesta had managed to disarm him completely with a single question.

Of course, he remembered.

Nesta didn't look at Lucien. instead, she stared at his empty chair.

"I had nearly forgotten," she continued, "until Calanmai."

He wasn't sure what to say. All Lucien could do was stand still. He would feel the fire beside him heating up his legs.

"I felt a lot of guilt about that night for a long time," Nesta picked at the arm of the chaise, "for sleeping with my sister's mate."

After three excruciating days, Nesta finally met Lucien's eyes. He was not sure that he wanted her to. They burned hotter than the fire behind him.

"Except I wasn't Elain's mate," Lucien finished her sentence.

Nesta nodded. She looked around the room. Still, he was frozen in place.

At that moment, it was hard to pretend that wasn't the real reason Lucien decided to help her. That night they were both lost in their own darkness and acting on their worst impulses. Neither tried to mask it behind feigning infatuation. Lucien was angry at himself - at Tamlin, Elain, Feyre, and practically everyone else. He was furious with the mother and the cauldron itself. Nesta was angry too - he could see it in her eyes that night. So, he let her believe whatever she wanted to for their own self-destructive desires.

"That's what has been on my mind," Nesta's frank tone pulled Lucien out of his thoughts.

Despite wanting to respond, Lucien thought over his next words. He hadn't ever really thought about how something like that could have eaten away at her even after everything. It might have still been misdirected anger, but not without cause.

"I would understand if you don't want to continue learning from me," Lucien said quietly.

"Oh please," she snapped. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Nesta picked up one of the treaty drafts and began to flip through the papers. Lucien carefully approached his chair and sat back down. He picked up the document.

He was only left more confused than at the beginning of the conversation. If Nesta did not want to lash out, then why did she bring it up? Unless this was her way of making amends. There was only one way to find out.

"Did that night," Lucien let himself find the right words. "Did it ever cause tension between you and Cassian?"

"No," Nesta replied. "I never told him."

"Oh," Lucien said.

He wasn't sure why he was so surprised.

"It was before the mating bond snapped into place."

He also wasn't sure why she was justifying it to him.

Lucien picked up his pen and went back to work. Quiet filled the room for what felt like hours but must have only been minutes. Now he understood why Nesta had been so silent the past few days. It was an uncomfortable truth they had dug up. One that they never quite laid to rest.

Nesta's breath caught his ear as she tried to speak but stopped herself. From the corner of his eye, Lucien noticed her fidgeting with the documents. He waited for her.

"How were you able to lie so well," Nesta eventually asked. "I get the rest of us, but Feyre and Rhysand are daemati."

Lucien set down his pen and looked over at Nesta. Her attention was solely on him.

"I offered them truths to hide the lie," he said.

"And that worked?" Her words were laced with suspicion.

"Against any other daemati it wouldn't have, but they respected me enough not to push further."

"But not enough to trust your word."

Lucien shrugged, "Would you?"

"No," she said. "Not back then at least."

Lucien blinked. It wasn't so much the beginning of her answer that surprised him, but the end of it.

"And now?"

He could not help but to pry. Nesta met his eyes. In them was a sense of clarity.

"I would."

Looking down at his paper, Lucien smiled to himself. They worked for the rest of the night with the roar of the fire being the only sound to fill the room. Every so often, he would glance over to check in on her. And every now and then he caught Nesta doing the same. Any of the coldness that remained was thawed between them. Knowing Nesta it might not last past the sunrise, but he hoped it would.

After a few hours, they finished their final draft. Lucien was exhausted. The fire had burned low, threatening to die out. He closed the documents and looked over at Nesta. She had dosed off in the last moments of Lucien writing any final clauses.

Standing up, he approached the couch. Lucien collected the old drafts surrounding her. He placed them in one arm. With his free hand, he pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over Nesta.

Watching Nesta's sleeping figure. Somehow, despite her resting state, there was still an icy edge to her. He chuckled to himself. While it might have been concerning for someone else, it was authentically and unapologetically Nesta. His chest grew warm. It was like the first embers of a flame. He shook his head. There was no reason to dwell on it. Lucien took the papers and left for his bedroom.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Friends To Lovers + Smut/PWP Masterlist

7 Minutes In Heaven - interrupted-by-fireworks

Summary: Dan and Phil have to play 7 Minutes in Heaven at a party.

A Koi pond, love, sex, and all the crap that comes with it (ao3) - winstonlives

Summary: Dan can't sleep, but Phil can. Dan thinks too much. What happens after the tour?

A Sleepless Night With Dan (ao3) - cockwhoredan

Summary: Dan and Phil live together, and they’re just friends. One night Dan can’t sleep. Naturally, he decides to give Phil a blowjob.

Break Me Down (ao3) - gayestever

Summary: The tour bus breaks down and Dan and Phil struggle to find a hotel room- or at least one that has two beds.

Can't Help The Itch To Touch- To Kiss (ao3) - thescienceofphan

Summary: Phil is deaf and Dan is a manwhore. When people see them together, they worry about Phil’s emotional well being and shame on Dan for targeting a deaf boy, but it’s not like that. Not at all.

Craving Control (ao3) - starwatersong

Summary: Phil is intrigued by the hypnotist at the YouTuber Summit in 2016 and finds himself oddly fascinated by hypnotism. Is Dan helping him find one for a video for Phil’s benefit… or Dan’s? Some timeline mixing where Phil’s fortune telling video takes place in an earlier time. They’re living in London apartment #1 in this story.

drop your heart I'll save it for you (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: Tenderness isn't part of the deal, nor are soft words, or feelings, or kisses that don't lead to fucking. It's not what Dan asked for, and it's certainly not why someone would choose to fuck their friend slash flatmate slash colleague who they absolutely don’t have any feelings for.

How do you Sleep? (When you Lie to Me.) (ao3) - CactiPhan

Summary: Dan is about to be married to his longtime boyfriend Henry, but plans change when he walks in on him cheating on Dan. The only person he can run back to is his best friend, who he was blind not to see was perfect for him.

If You Don't Love Me, Pretend (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: All his life, Dan has wanted to have the chance to be a parent someday. He would be the best parent that ever existed, he was sure of it. Fostering might not be the most traditional way on the road to parenting, but Dan's dead set on doing it anyway. But, well, it would be easier with a co-parent, right?

the bed-sharing, fake relationship, friends-to-lovers, parent fic i was desperate to read; when i shouted into the void and was met with silence, i decided i'd do it myself

No They're Not (ao3) - bandhoez9194

Summary: Against Phil's better judgement, Dan goes to a small house party with friends. He had been assured by both Dan and the party host that there would be no alcohol after all.

Unfortunately, someone else has a change of plans and gets Dan drunk anyway. Which makes him start talking about buttholes and storage places.

When Phil picks him up though, things get soft, steamy, and bendy, just like the spaghetti he left on the stove.

Very sexy, very smutty, very random, very cute. Also, drunk Dan so who doesn't like that?

Read It and Weep (ao3) - phansomedevil

Summary: Dan's feelings toward Phil are nothing but platonic, or so he thinks before stumbling upon some actually decent phanfiction and falling face-first into the abyss.

Something New (ao3) - benotafraidofwriting

Summary: Dan wants Phil's help when trying something new, but can Phil keep his feelings for his best friend at bay?

stuck on you (ao3) - watergator

Summary: dan finds himself in a rather awkward predicament and phil ends up having to helping him

The Parent Project (ao3) - ATEEZpresent (orphan_account)

Summary: Dan and Phil get paired to take care of a realistic baby doll for a few days. Feelings arise.

The Sun, The Snow, And Everything In Between - chocolatesaucelester

Summary: A lot can happen in the span of one year, or a cycle of four seasons, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes and 31,536,000 seconds. In that common amount of time Phil met Dan at bonfire night in the fall and over the course of a year, realizes he found a person he would’ve never guessed he’d found that night.

Two Man Team (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: This is the story of two struggling friends who after many trials and tribulations find their way back to each other and build the life they’ve always dreamed of.

Or how Phil changed his life by talking to random strangers on the internet.

Unspoken Rules (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: They have rules.

1. They don't kiss 2. They don't talk about it 3. They aren't exclusive 4. They don't get attached 5. It's over when the tour is

As long as they abide by the rules, no one gets hurt. Simple, right?

Want (ao3) - yoidnp

Summary: It was a rare night alone in a hotel room away from the confines of the tour bus. Dan and Phil discover a few things about each other.

Watching You, Watching Me (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: Dan accidentally discovers his best friend and roommate pleasuring himself in the early hours of the morning and can't look away. In fact, he can't keep his hands off of himself. Phil is surprised by Dan's reaction, and two best friends make long-time confessions.

[blueskittlesart]

I always felt bad for Link,reall,and Zelda. Link,the very first,started out as a normal kid. Now its thousands of years later and he is so old and so young and everything at once. A child with the soul of a hero,doomed from the start no matter what. People still name their kids Link even if they dont remember him. Zelda,she was a goddess,but she wanted love. She became human and then stayed that way,because she loved Link. He will always come back so she will. Forever,until the very gods die.

Zelda stayed because of love. She was mortal once and then forever,because she loved Link. She loved living. She loved it all and couldnt bear to leave it. Link always had to come back because Ganon would,because evil will always exist even if the hero stops it for a while. So she placed a peice of the triforce in each of them,even Ganon,so she would always be with him.

I assume these two asks were meant to go together lol? and i agree with a lot of your points about zelda, but i'd argue that LINK comes back for love too. the first link, the one we see in skyward sword, initially had NO connection to the goddess or demise or the triforce or anything. What he DID have was a connection to zelda, his best friend. The reason he initially goes to the surface is because she fell and he wants to help her. the reason he keeps going after her as she travels the surface and tries SO hard to push him away is because he loves his friend and he's worried about her. the soul of the hero irt zelda lore is something that a lot of people boil down to like. courage or fighting spirit or even just 'someone who is fated to fight ganon' as you kind of have here, but that interpretation of link's reincarnation ignores the reason any of this started: Link loved Zelda. it's all well and good that zelda loved link, and yes, she loved him so much she became human and stayed human and her descendants for the rest of time get to be human and know human love, too. but the reincarnation cycle doesn't work unless link loves zelda, too. if link never jumps off skyloft to follow his best friend, demise wins and the cycle never has a reason to start in the first place. If link never befriends a scared little princess in the palace garden and does what she asks not out of duty but because he UNDERSTANDS how powerless she must feel, the cycle never continues. if link never wears himself ragged fighting guardians to protect the girl he loves, the cycle never continues. Link is the hero's spirit, yes. the triforce of courage. but without love, what reason does he have to pick up the sword in the first place??

[planetette]

if i made an obm omegaverse au this is what i'd make everyone's designation

lucifer

omega

idk i kinda like the vibe that he would be far more nurturing and openly loving if circumstances had allowed him to

but the devildom doesn't take to "nurturing" and "loving" too well, especially coming from someone that used be on the enemy's side

so his designation is just one more thing he has to hide and suppress

thankfully since he's the most powerful and the pack alpha everyone just assumes his designation is alpha, too

also he would be insufferable as an alpha and we all know it

mammon

beta

didn't present until just before the celestial war so he has NO idea what he's doing

pays no mind to people's pheromones, but also doesn't pay attention to his own

the type of person that never pays attention to their heat cycle so it always sneaks up on him

highly empathetic, sensitive to everyone's mood

ultimate peacekeeper when he wants to be

levi

alpha, but, like, a really malformed one

the celestial realm picked up on his talent for strategy quickly, so him presenting as alpha had him fast-tracked to the military

so his protective / territorial instincts got hyper-developed at the expense of everything else

so when there's no battling going on he has no clue how to deal

is jealous of everyone else being able to express their softer instincts more easily

satan

alpha

absolutely tries to lord it over lucifer

how a demon's designation presents would be pretty different from how an angel's would, so him starting to present starts off as a nightmare

the most territorial out of all the brothers. if he claims a spot anywhere that is his fucking spot and you'd be stupid to even get close to it

asmo

beta (at least on paper)

can mimic the pheromones of all three designations tho, so the general populace get confusing reads on him

needy. needy needy needy

he makes absolutely shit nests. like, he sees an aesthetic nest on devilgram and he'll try to do the same set up, but they come out horribly. frustrates him to no end

beel

alpha

was also fast-tracked to a combat role, but lucifer was able to get beel fully assigned to him quicker than he could levi

so beel has a more healthy expression of his designation

it's not entirely healthy, though. his protectiveness has an anxious / paranoid edge to it, always checking how everyone's doing, double-checking any protective wards on the house, etc

belphie is a calming presence for him and help tempers these behaviors so of course beel kicks these into overdrive while belphie's stuck in the attic

belphie

omega

also super needy, but in a passive-aggressive way

sometimes his hormones fuck with him and he gets more sleepy and loopy than normal

can't sleep anywhere that doesn't have his scent on it, that's why he takes his pillow everywhere

beel's presence helps him perk up and makes him feel more secure and present

dia

beta or omega??? maybe??????????

(maybe a secret fourth designation that only applies to royal demons?)

very territorial; there's an entire wing of his palace that's just for his nest that no one goes in

but sometimes when the stress and loneliness gets to him he starts building mini-nests throughout the rest of the palace :(

barb

alpha, but you'd never know

no one can get a scent off of him, no one's seen him get heat / rut remedies, no one knows if he even has a pack... to the devildom population he simply doesn't have a designation

diavolo (and maybe lucifer) knows the truth, everyone else will just have to guess

luke

unpresented

designation doesn't show itself until puberty has well and truly started, so he's got a while to go before anyone knows what he is

meanwhile he still smells like babby

his first few weeks in the devildom had him massively unsettled, so he almost always needs simeon's cape to go to sleep

simeon

beta or omega, but on celestial realm suppressants

yeah, it was trying to cure a human that doomed lilith, but she wouldn't have done that if she hadn't fallen in love, and she wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for those pesky, pesky designations

so now angels old enough to present are "heavily encouraged" to get on some sort of suppressant

he "forgets" to take them every time he goes to the devildom

solomon

has gone through menopause and also he doesn't remember

(he remembers liking making nests and having frequent heats though)

if he gets comfortable enough with you he will just make his own nest in your room and conk out there