#but maybe someone else will find it even slightly relevant

[deimcs]

not going to lie, I think sooner or later some of you will have to come to terms with the fact that ALWAYS needing to completely relate and/or only seeing YOURSELF in the characters you read about/play as/watch in movies, can not only severely impact your critical thinking as a whole but also have very real consequences irl when you are suddenly introduced to struggles or issues you didn’t and maybe won’t ever face. suddenly your empathy is stunted 'cause you never really tried to put yourself in some else’s shoes, not even fictionally

[petrawood]

I saw someone post a tweet about how a lot of people in the Inquisition must have suspected that something was off about Solas, and out of all of them Bull knew that there was something fishy going on for SURE but the scope of the whole thing was just too big for him to have guessed exactly what was going on.

So, that made me think how the whole reveal must have been like if it actually happened in our world and oh my god it's SO ridiculous.

Btw, this is obviously OOC, but it's just. Solas makes SUCH a character oh my god.

---

Imagine you are an Interpol agent that joins the CIA for this one very important and very specific mission. Everyone knows that you work for another organization and you are a trained and highly competent agent, but the situation is so dire that the CIA is basically hiring everyone who could help.

So, there is this one very weird guy.

He wears an old hoodie and yoga pants. When asked where he came from, he tells you that he is into outdoor living, so just "outside, you know, somewhere". He has no qualifications apart from being a skilled hacker and really really really good at navigating the Deep Web. In fact, he's an expert at it, to the point of being the Deep Web specialist of the team. He walks around BAREFOOT.

He is a WEIRDO.

You assume he is just some guy probably over his head, pretty helpful but that's kinda it. You are going to keep an eye on him anyway, as you keep an eye on most people.

And suddenly, things start no adding up.

You ask him how he learned to hack into the deep web and he answers that he just likes sleeping under bridges and there is very good internet connection there, so he ended up learning. He doesn't elaborate.

For a guy that spends all his time sleeping on the floor and hunched over a computer, you notice that he is actually BUILT. You cannot tell over the oversized hoodie, but that guy has muscle. Once it comes up, he looks you in the eyes and tells you that that's just normal when you live in the outside like him.

You need somebody to pilot an helicopter. He knows how to pilot an helicopter. "Oh, I just watched a video tutorial. You know, in the Deep Web".

You need to steal some nuclear codes. "Oh I know how to cancel those nuclear codes. I found a lot of documents explaining how to do it. You know, in the Deep Web".

You need to plan a coup. "Oh yeah I know all about backstabbing politics. I found a list of all the relevant politicians and the country's corrupt history. You know, in the deep web"

You are in the middle of said backstabbing and he's slightly tipsy looking fondly at the whole thing like "oh how I missed the vibe of a nepotist state. No one throws a party like corrupted politicians- Not that I've been in one before, of course. I've only seen videos. You know, in the deep web"

He drives the other two expert hackers out of their minds. "I don't know how you managed to get this position, you don't even have a Doctorate" "Doctorates are overrated, I think you all would do better if you came to vibe under a bridge like me"

He actually is OBSESSED with overthrowing institutions.

The hackers tear him a new one because they find his Hacker Drip lacking (fair). And he smells like Cheetos.

"I made a lot of friends on the Deep Web forums"

At this point you are convinced that this guy HAS to have something else going on. There is simply NO way someone would know so many things from his deep web premium access under a bridge.

Your best bet has to be that he's another secret agent, a very highly trained one at that, right? Or maybe a highcore antifa member? He either has inside information of the CIA or he's looking for it. But he has been ridiculous helpful so far, so you just can't tell what he's hiding and why.

And then one day guy, this FUCKING guy.

He shows up and tells your Boss that he's actually the ancient god Loki from the Nordic pantheon. That he created death, but is sorry so he's actually going to join the Earth with Heaven and Hell. A lot of people would die because of the Demons and you know, Earth as it is not existing anymore, but that's a sacrifice he's willing to make.

Now tell me, how the FUCK were you supposed to guess THAT.

[deadhands69]

Harder, Softer, Harder

MDNI

Dabi x gn/afab Reader

Dabi helps after you're hit with a sex quirk Contains: consensual sex/non consensual situation I wanted to keep these as consistent to the same story as possible, hence Dabi leaving with two girls even if this one is written as more canon/slightly broken introverted Dabi. (I’m still amused by the idea of him being an absolute slut in the Shigaraki fic though.)

Typically, I don’t assign jobs/quirks to the reader unless it’s relevant to the story. This isn’t a crucial part of the plot but a record store reader seemed like so much fun. After seeing High Fidelity too young to understand it, all I got out of that movie was that I wanted to work in a record store when I was older. For obvious reasons, my mom laughed at me and I never ended up with that job. But it seems sooo cooollll. So, record store reader. Maybe you’re there full time or just work there part time for fun or something.

This is part of an ongoing series: shigaraki version - bakugo version

It was supposed to be a quiet night. The wind lightly blew warm summer air over your skin as you walked through the shopping district with one of your best friends. You were leaving a small cafe and planned to visit a few shops next. Everything would have been fine, if not for - 

A sudden commotion draws your attention to the sidewalk as you’re walking out the door. Out of nowhere, you can’t see. Everything is dark and you would almost assume it’s in your head if not for the screaming and shoving surrounding you. Instinctively, you and your friend grab each other, ducking to the ground in an effort to find clear air. Ten seconds feels like an eternity but just as quickly as it came on, the darkness dissipates. 

A man rolls off the sidewalk in front of you and you immediately know it was him. Having never seen his face before, you connect the dots: he’s the sex quirk villain that's been all over the news lately. He has to be. He has the face of someone you’d imagine looking through the window of a locker room. He winks at you before running across the street towards some dumpsters in front of an alleyway. That brief interaction makes you sick to your stomach.

Sick isn’t all you feel.

Your insides twist in a familiar way, aching. Empty.

Fuck.

Before you can dwell on it, a familiar figure in the crowd catches your eye.

His hoodie blocks most of his face, but you’d recognize those eyes anywhere.

“Dab-” you begin to shout before he cuts you off.

“Hey, quiet,” he looks around, “I gave you that name in confidence. Not to yell in public.” His eyes continue shifting, but he sees that no one notices him in the chaos. 

“You doing alright?” he asks.

“We’re… fine,” you reply, “both of us got hit with that quirk though.” 

You stare up at him expectantly. He does know what that villain's quirk does, right?

“Your friend here have anywhere to go?”

“Yeah, she needs to get to her boyfriend’s apartment.” 

“Alright,” he says in a gravelly voice, putting an arm around each of you, “let’s get out of here before heroes anyone else shows up. Lead the way.”

The walk drags on forever, for how short it seemed earlier in the night. You can’t help but notice how much warmer Dabi feels against your body. It’s like every part of you is drawn to him. He only has an arm around you but you can’t help but want more. 

He follows the directions you give to get your friend to her destination. Her boyfriend is already waiting outside the building to take her in. Once you see that she’s safely taken care of, your mind begins to wonder. Dabi never said he’d help you, he’s just escorting you…somewhere?

“Where to next?” you ask.

“Don’t you need to…” he trails off, his intense eyes looking you up and down.

“Yeah,” you answer, trying to hide how flustered you are by quickly turning the direction of your own living space. 

He follows.

Honestly, you don’t know him all that well. You know his name is Dabi (or Touya, as he sometimes changes it up when putting in special orders) and he’s the cute regular at your work. You could list all of his favorite songs, but you have no clue where he lives. What he does throughout the day. 

Fortunately, you don’t live far. 

Unfortunately, it’s proving to be the longest four blocks you’ve ever walked in your life. With every step, you notice the way your pants brush against you. Turning you on even more than you thought possible for such a mundane situation. It doesn’t help having a hot guy close. And god, you can’t stop staring at him.

 Of course you always found him attractive, but today he’s irresistible. There’s something sweet in the way he smiles. How he looks at you like you’re the only person alive. The way he casually moves through the world as if he's unaware of how insanely attractive he is. It's effortless.

Dabi takes your arm, wrapping it around his to make sure you don’t lose your balance in the street. You look woozy, he’s decided.

The first time you ever talked to him, he was looking for a specific album, which happened to be your favorite band/musician. The two of you talked for half an hour about music before you offered to order the record for him to pick up later. Since then, he’s come in once a week like clockwork to look at the new arrivals and talk about music. Lately, he’d been bringing you coffees after you yawned once at work. When you brought it up, he brushed it off like it was no big deal and never spoke of it again.

All green flags so far though. He seems sweet so you don’t have many apprehensions about bringing him home with you. Besides, he’s your best option and you’ve secretly wanted this for a while anyways.

Before you know it, you’re walking through the door to your own home. Work crush in tow.

Good thing you cleaned up a bit earlier today.

“I like the space,” he says, as you hang your keys by the door.

“Thanks,” you reply awkwardly. It’s nice enough, you think to yourself. Not really noteworthy. He must just be making conversation. 

For how much you couldn’t keep your eyes off him and how painfully turned on you are, seeing him in your living room is still, well, nerve wracking. He seems too beautiful to actually be here, yet there he is. Staring at you with his hands in his pockets. Wearing a slight smirk while he waits for you to invite him into your bedroom. Or your couch.

Deep breath, he knows why he’s here.

“So,” he starts while walking closer to you, stopping less than a foot away. “Still feeling fine?”

Nope. Your face is flushed and you’re overwhelmed.

He knows that too, he can tell by the way you squeeze your legs together. How your breathing is different than usual. But he’s not just going to come out and say it. You never really asked for his help, as much as he’s willing to give it. He can be confident, to a point. But he’s waiting for you to approach him.

The coffee. Showing up every week, specifically during your shift. His arm around you while you walked here. Standing closer than friends typically do, but not fully closing the distance.

He’ll bring himself to you, knowing exactly what you need, but you’ll have to be the one to reach out for him if that’s what you want.

And you do.

You want him.

So, you reach for him.

He’s so close already, his face just above yours as he looks down at you. Gently, you run your fingers up his neck. 

He freezes at the touch.

It's what he wants, really. He’s been waiting for this moment since he walked into the record store and met you. But comfort is a feeling he can’t quite place. Your hand softly caressing over his jaw.  He can’t feel much on the scarred area, but it’s the meaning behind it that counts. He doesn't hate it, it's just a lot at once.

“Are you okay with this?” you ask, his face still blank as he stares at you. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” he smiles, shaking himself out of it, “can’t feel anything there anymore.”

“Oh,” your fingers trail over the soft skin of his cheek down to his upper lip, “how about here?”

“Yeah, that I can feel.”

You can’t help yourself, you have to ask…

“What about…” your eyes shift down.

“You trying to find out?” he laughs.

“I mean, you did come home with me after I got hit by a sex quirk.”

“Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes. "Come on. Which room is you?”

Since you met Dabi, you've dreamed of this. You could never have imagined it happening in real life, but it's finally happening. You haven't even had time to celebrate touching him, now he's in your room. Hands on your hips, guiding you to the bed. Pushing you playfully onto the mattress before climbing on top of you. He leans in closer, nose brushing against yours. You take it upon yourself to close the space between the two of you. Bringing your lips to his, focusing mostly on the parts you know he can feel.

He tenses, but kisses you back. It's interesting watching his typical nonchalance crack away. 

He continues kissing you, slightly awkwardly. Pausing slightly whenever your touch becomes too affectionate. He’s loosening up though.

His warm hands slide up your shirt, resting against your ribs. Occasionally squeezing as he becomes more comfortable with the closeness. Eventually, he takes your shirt off entirely. 

You do the same, pulling his hoodie off to grip his t-shirt underneath.

At this point, you’re so horny it’s painful and kissing him is only making it worse. In desperation, you grab his hips and slam them into you hard for any relief. 

His eyes light up. 

This, he can understand. He's comfortable with roughness. It's not like he spends every night fucking his hand thinking about it, but when he does he imagines it more like this. 

“Like that, [y/n]?” he huffs teasingly, pounding down into you, harder than you'd managed to earlier. 

You only manage to gasp in response. 

It’s like you opened Pandora’s box, giving him permission to live out his fantasy. This sparks his confidence again.

He pulls your bra strap down, flicking his tongue over your nipple. Eye contact never wavering while you melt into a puddle beneath him.

“Dabi, fuck,” you moan at his touch. 

The pressure in your gut builds as he continues to rub against you. Both of your pants begin feeling increasingly in the way. You yank his belt undone, shoving his tight jeans down with it. His dick springs forward, tenting his underwear. 

Looks like you’re not the only horny one. 

“Like what you see?” his husky voice asks. He sounds self-assured, but based on everything else you’ve seen this evening you know there’s a bit of a question in there.

“Mhmmm,” you reach out to grasp him through the fabric. 

Continuing to follow your lead, he pulls your pants off as well. Tossing them to the floor of your bedroom. His hand is softer than you expected when he slides into your underwear. Rubbing intensely against your clit while he kisses you deeply. You’re about to pull the last of his clothes off when his other hand grabs your wrists to pin them above your head. 

Everything in you wants as much of him as possible. 

“Need you to fuck me,” you whine into his ear.

He smirks, pulling his dick out himself. It’s thick. Making you wonder how you’d never noticed it before in the tight pants he wears. How does he hide that?

Without letting go of your wrists, he lines himself up with one hand. Rubbing his tip between your lips before pressing into you. He’s certainly not being gentle, but you can tell he’s holding back.

He pauses.

Wide eyed, for a moment he looks more surprised than you that this is happening. Regaining composure, he begins to move his hips. 

It’s everything you’ve needed all evening and then some.

“Fuck, you’re taking me so good,” he groans down at you. 

Some combination of the heat building in you all night, the stretch of him, and his praising voice sends you over the edge. You’ve never cum so fast in your life but there’s a first for everything. Dabi looks pleased with himself.

He fucks you hard through your orgasm. Pressing your hands into the bed. Your head is spinning as the quirk wears off; you feel detached from everything but him. His eyes are nearly glowing as they stare down into yours.

His hands loosen around your wrists, sliding away from your arms onto the bed. You find yourself chasing them, slipping your fingers between his. His movements stiffen and he glances away. 

It’s interesting. He had no apprehensions around burying his dick in you but holding hands makes him nervous.  

You’ll save that one for another day.

Instead, you run your fingers over his arms. Feeling the smooth scars as you make your way to his shoulders. His movements become less constrained. He fucks into you hard and smooth, building the heat in your body once more.

Your pleasure crashes over you like a wave again, leaving you gasping while you grip his white t-shirt. Pulling him into you. Your hips angling to bring him as close as possible while you feel yourself squeeze around him.

“You feel amazing,” you whisper in his ear, “you’re so fucking perfect.”

At that, he can’t hold back any longer. 

His breathing becomes more erratic. Hips slamming harder into you until he gives one final thrust, filling you with cum. Head drooping as he groans into your neck.

You run your hands through his hair, letting him relax while you both catch your breath. 

The neck of his shirt hangs loosely over his shoulder, oops. You can’t help but kiss the area above his collar bone sweetly. Even if you know he can barely feel it. He tenses and you realize it was too much, pulling away.

“Don’t stop,” he whispers.

m.list

[brooklynisher]

Hey all, you ever hear of Jaunty?

[x]

Do you WANT to learn more about Jaunty?

Well I dug deep, and found some things I never thought I could find. I'm really excited to share what I've found with y'all. This post is sort of a little journey of how I found Jaunty.

There's a few sections to this.

Skip to But where does Jaunty come from? If you just want answers

Is Jaunty even a real character?

Jaunty, from what I originally found, is SUPPOSEDLY a Steam Powered Giraffe character. But where have we seen this character before? Was it the comic? Was it the timeline? Maybe in a song cover? Does the band ever talk about Jaunty?

And to answer all of your questions, no! At least not that I knew of. The only source of Jaunty’s existence is here.

The Steam Powered Giraffe Wiki

So that makes this whole thing pretty complicated right? The wiki has info, and it’s not too inaccurate most of the time, but some of the lesser known/more nuanced information tends to get scuffed.

It really doesn’t help knowing that David has mentioned before that the information on the wiki wasn't that accurate.

What I’m saying is, the only proof we have for the existence of this character is on what might be one of the more unreliable sources of SPG information.

But despite that, this page is special in the fact that SUPPOSEDLY it was uploaded by Steam Powered Giraffe themselves!

[x]

However, there isn’t really much of any information on this user at all. All we know is that they founded this wiki, added a few characters and a bit of information, and then became inactive. Really our biggest reasoning for believing that this was an actual SPG member is the fact that they are the founder and have been around for a very long time.

Okay, suspicions aside, let’s see what I found about this thing.

What the wiki tells us

One, this image was touched by the founder of this wiki twice, it was uploaded in 2011, and in 2014 they protected the page, which means only the administrators can edit the page.

[x]

Both are pretty major years for SPG being the year Upgrade left the band and the year Rabbit transitioned, but there’s not many connections you can make with that.

This user was first active in 2010 and last seen in 2015 [x]

Cool dates to have, but not a lot to work with. It mainly gives us a clear vision of what SPG was looking like at the time of the creation of this page. I can see this thing being used for a special, slightly themed show.

Of course, the information the wiki alone offers is very limited, but we know two things for sure. One, this character is a robot being under the category of robots, and two, these photos were taken by Cineria.

[x]

So, here's the problem, you'd think that by having the name of the photographer, we could get far with that, but unfortunately, it is such a vague name, that there is just no way we could figure out who Cineria actually is. It really doesn't help that they don't seem to be a professional photographer. The only page I could find that connects both the name Cineria and Steam Powered Giraffe is this one.

Useless information

I started searching for stuff by reverse searching it. It wasn't really successful, as I was expecting, but I did find one thing.

A different source.

This source doesn't go anywhere must you know. The ORIGINAL site, florist.buketbunga.com is still up an active serving as an Indonesian site for selling flowers, but this very specific link is broken, and the Wayback Machine doesn't know a thing about it.

The good news is, the link title alone gives us a ton of stuff to work with! Appropriately, the last part of this link translates to "Flower Bouquet Florist Shop Address Nearest 24 Hours Online", which makes sense.

What DOESN'T make sense is everything else coming before it. Specifically the Team Fortress 2 Wiki. This made me believe that someone used these sites to create a scam link, but it's weird because somehow, it's relevant?

Yandex was able to match these images of Jaunty to this site, and what's crazier, Jaunty is in the title of the link! But it's not just Jaunty, it's the Jaunty Explorer.

I did some searching, and discovered that the Jaunty Explorer originates from a TF2 livestream charity event called Tip of the Hats! Donations can earn you medals known as the Jaunty Explorer ($10 Donations), the Jaunty Ranger ($30 Donations), and the Jaunty Mountaineer ($100 Donations). They can come in many different color variations, but here are the main ones.

[x] [x] [x]

There are TWO connections between this and SPG. One, the shared name of Jaunty, and two, hats. Steam Powered Giraffe is pretty big on hats. But, bad news, these are completely unrelated. Main reasoning? The image of Jaunty was posted to the wiki back in 2011, while Tip of the Hats as an event started back in 2013. Can't even take the "SPG was inspired by TF2" route with that.

Okay, but what even IS it?

Now we get into the visual aspect of this!

I tried to see if there was at least any way to identify what this is, but that solely relies on observational skills. There are two images of this thing, but the image with the blue background is much easier to make out.

[x]

There's a lot that's going on with the design of Jaunty. Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to identify what half of the doodads are. This machine, whether it's an actual machine or just a prop, is definitely a one of a kind as I couldn't find anything like this.

I talked with @boneinator about this, and he was able to read the text: "STAND CLEAR!" on the top of the doors of this machine which lead him to believe that it might be a time machine of sorts.

What we both managed to agree on when it came to the design of this thing however, was that it looks like a cabinet.

Now, like I said, this thing has a one of a kind design, so it's not going to look exactly like one thing or another, but it has similar features to other things such as to this cabinet

[x]

Two longer doors on the upper half, and two smaller doors/drawers on the bottom. Is that actually what it is? I didn't know, but there is a resemblance.

One thing that's REALLY interesting about this machine is the intense amount of steam it lets out.

[x]

So it's definitely a very active machine.

But where does Jaunty come from?

Something I've been wondering is how much of this is actually connected to SPG.

Is it theirs? Is this a part of a bigger thing? Is it just associated with them?

A bigger thing. There is one example of a big SPG show that comes to mind, and it was not just them.

During their 15 Year Anniversary Livestream, the band was asked about their favorite memories. Bunny mentions that one of her favorite memories was at a show called Clockwork Vaudeville. This was one of the band's first time having a massive audience. According to her, this was a time traveling show, and they performed alongside others.

I looked into it and found that the full name of this performance is called Clockwork Vaudeville Circus Cabaret. And there, I found a little advertisement for it as well!

The Kickstarter for this show started in late 2010

I did some more searching and realized there is a bunch of video from this show out there though all these clips are recorded at random intervals. Assuming that the uploader posted these clips close to the date of the actual show, we can see that this show took place in February of 2011!

About one month after this show, this page was added to the wiki.

I checked the clips, and guess what.

[x]

Right there in the corner, there was Jaunty.

But that's not all

Not only have a found a video that contained Jaunty, I found a video that contained Jaunty in action!

[x]

Unbelievably enough, it was a video of the band performing Honeybee alongside a pole dancer. And thanks to the title, we now know that this show took place February 19, 2011

Which all this confirms 100% that Jaunty IS a time machine.

Now with all things considered, Jaunty is not necessarily an "SPG character" as in they didn't create it. It's hard to say if Jaunty is even a character at all at this point! But it does exist in their world and they actively interact with it!

Who cheered? I cracked the code!

[stuffyflowers]

follow up to the bad driving post from yesterday. explanations under cut also feel free to argue with me lol

So basically top left = characters who drive badly but not in a way that will cause a crash, top right = characters who are actually all things considered good at driving, bottom left = characters who should not be behind the wheel ever, bottom right = characters who are good drivers in theory/most of the time, but certain factors can make them become car crash material.

Dalv: In my mind, Dalv is the most cautious and safe driver ever, to the point where he loops back around to being a shit driver. You do not want to get stuck in a lane behind this guy he will not go even CLOSE to the speed limit. He will probably let you through when he has right of way. etc etc. Ig on the bright side he doesnt get into enough situations where a car crash could really occur? yay?

El Bailador: Kind of guy who drives windows down music blaring probably speeding slightly at all times but somehow has never had anything bad happen to him. he is being protected by higher powers because he is sooooooo nice and cool :)

Ace: Ridicules all his friends for being bad drivers then actually gets behind the wheel and he sucks almost as bad. Yk, given how his whole thing in the Wild East is facepalming at the five's antics while arguably being worse than a lot of them in that regard. Why are you encouraging a child to gamble. Why are you tormenting blackjack with mooch. Whats his problem

Edward: Okay I didnt really know where to put Ed.. Hes in a weird situation where,, i think his biggest problem would be finding a car thats actually suited to him. Like how he wants to play the guitar but his hands are too big to actually play any of the ones they have. After that though, I think he'd be pretty good, at least decent! He does have some anger issues to deal with (beat up blembino that one time lol) that could cause problems but hes working on it :)

Moray: Pretty self explanatory. The most normal feisty five member. Probably their designated driver 90% of the time. The only reason theyre not completely top is bc their one weakness is whilst they ARE the voice of reason, they do ultimately go along w the group most of the time even if they feel whats happening is wrong. Maybe picks up on the five's bad habits a bit? Overall still a trustworthy pick for driver i think.

Flowey: Ok.do not take this too seriously..............Ik he doesnt have feet for th pedals but consider. Its funny. He can use his vines trust me (also even if he cant physically drive i feel like he'd have a really good understanding of driving. guy who has read every book is bound to have useless knowledge on topics that arent at all relevant to him. and you cant crash the car if youre not driving i guess!!!!!!!!!! but also. funny.)

Ceroba: Similar case as Ed. Actually good at driving but holy fuck the road rage. I feel she'd be worse at responding to it than him bc she has so little self respect. very "I will kill us both😳" attitude abt tailgating and shit like that. Usually better at keeping it in when shes driving with someone else.

Martlet: Maybe she should be furthest down bc she is the only one to canonically crash a vehicle…, Idk I feel like she’d be sliiiightly better w a car where her focus has to be constantly checked, she cant get distracted while filling in questionnaires with clover if she’s driving. That being said she is still. Yeah.

Mooch: similar to mart. Just cannot see her being a good driver. Sorry girl </3

Starlo: starlo.

Axis: faceplanted right in the center bc hes a wild card to me. Would he have insufferable road rage? Would he actually be pretty chill and responsible? Can he even drive if his foot is a singular wheel? Who knows.

[animestsstuff2]

Titterpated

ProHero Hawks x Fem VillainReader

Part 3

Master list here!

This will stick overall to the plot of MHA with some minor tweaks due to the self insert character! But nothing major.

Content warning: spoilers for S4/5!, manipulation, power dynamic (reader and Dabi),

15:00

Hawks wings floated him in the air as he sipped on the milky tea drink. His wings spanning out behind him as his eyes watched the bustling street below him. His eyes slightly dry and thoughts fuzzy. He was tired, coming off night patrol without his coffee was proving difficult for the avian.

He hadn’t seen you the rest of the week on his night patrol. He did, however, have a run in with a certain black haired man and the interaction left him on edge. His hair waving as he moved through the air deciding to land on rooftop as he replayed the encounter in his head. The request Dabi asked of him to prove himself to the league.

Buzz!

Hawks clouded thoughts vanished as a the Hero Commission icon displayed on his visor. His gloved finger pressing the side of the visor, answering the phone call.

“Hawks” it was Madam President. Hawks moved to sit down, allowing his feet to dangle over the edge as he sipped on his tea.

“Madam President, what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice calm and as ever laid back.

“I know you probably won’t want to hear this but we are putting you back on night patrol” Hawks stomach fluttered. The tea in his mouth getting caught in his throat. He managed not to choke and force out a reply.

“Yeah? How come? You know im an early bird” He feinted a whine. The Hero Commissions preening of him certainly came in handy as he collected himself and hid the excitement he couldn’t help but feel.

The excitement of possibly seeing you again. The excitement that swelled from somewhere deep in his mind.

“There has been movement by the League of Villains. A number of relevant people, people we needed to get more information on the League have been found..well their ashes found. Someone within the League knows, either that we are on to them or they are tying up loose ends” Hawks eyes narrowed instinctively as he thought back to the first night on his night patrol last week when Dabi incinerated that man. Was he an important figure?.

“So you want me find out why? Or just stop them before anyone else gets incinerated?”Hawks asked as his wings curled back in. His tea sat beside him as he rested his weight on his palm.

“Both if you can, finding out why is more important, stopping them is second. If you can find out who they plan to kill before it happens and relay it back to us so we can find out what they know” She stated. Hawks agreed to the request and he would be on tomorrows night patrol for the rest of the week.

Hawks felt something twitch in his stomach as his eyes scanned the ground below him. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited. He had orders to further pursue the League. The League that you were part of. Hawks lifted up as a distress signal displayed itself over his visor. His wings pushing him faster, feeling energised as the tea drink fell from the gush of wind. Maybe he didn’t really need coffee, something else had him all amped up.

03:00

You stood with Dabi on the rooftop of some building away from the League’s hideout as you waited. You weren’t sure what for. A yawn pushing its way past your lips as you rubbed your drying eyes.

“Tired Dove?” Dabi’s voice sent a shiver down your back. You glanced over at the man who had a cigarette hanging from his lips as he placed a booted food on the small wall around the roofs edge.

“A bit, why am I here? What are we waiting for” You asked, eyes scanning the dark sky. You didn’t have good vision at night the city lights helped a bit.

“You know why you’re here” You bit your lip at his vague answer that you understood completely. It was silly to ask Dabi why you were here. You weren’t even sure why it slipped out.

If I could i’d be anywhere else right now

Your shoulders tensed as large red wings came into view. Your eyes narrowing as you looked around for other pros as Hawks literally just appeared in front of you. Your eyes unable, however, to spot anyone else and instead focused back on the blonde man carrying a large duffle bag as he landed on the rooftop.

“Hey guys. I brought what you asked Dabi” Hawks voice was light as he dropped the duffle bag at your feet. Dabi crouched down as he unzipped the bag but your eyes were more focused on the yellow ones that stared back.

“You really did kill someone. Some hero you are” Dabi’s voice cut through the tension between you and Hawks and you stilled as your eyes glanced down, widening in horror at the body of the 3rd pro hero.

Hawks heart dropped at your expression. His fingers and stomach curling. Your eyes wide in shock horror as you took a small step away from the bagged hero. Dabi stood up from his position and looked over at you. A grin stapled across his face.

“Somethin’ the matter Angel? What? You thought a hero wouldn’t get their hands dirty, wouldn’t get blood on em’” He teased as he grabbed your wrist and kept you in place. The part of your face visible above your mask had paled slightly. Your body tensing at the almost unbearable warmth of Dabi’s palm as your eyes darted back to Hawks, whose brows were furrowed.

Why is she getting on like this? Wasn’t she a villain too.

“Hey now. I’d be a bit shaken if someone dropped a dead body at my feet huh Dabi” Hawks kept his composure as he forced a light laugh out. He hoped Dabi didn’t catch it, catch the concern he knew he let slip for a second. Dabi didn’t miss it, of course he didn’t. A man who grew up watching out for his father’s emotions, his mother’s distress. He didn’t miss anything.

Primal fuckin’ needs. Poor birdy.

“Hmm, suppose you’re maybe right Hawks. After all Angel here sticks true to her name, ain’t that right Dove. Never hurt a fly” Dabi teased as he finally released your wrist. You just nodded and kept your eyes downcast. A confusion of emotions swelling in your chest as you tried to ignore the growing warmth of your skin and feathers that trembled ever so slightly.

Ring!

Dabi’s hand reached into his coat and pulled a phone out as he flicked it open and walked a bit away. Hawks immediately casted his eyes back to you as he forced himself to say something, anything. He needed to say something to you, something within him wanted to speak to you.

“A-Are you okay?” Your eyes snapped up to meet his and you couldn’t help but feel surprised. He sounded different, sounded honest. His face no longer sporting a smirk, voice no longer light and airy rather weighed down with genuine concern.

“M’Fine just surprised me” you mumbled, growing sheepish as you crossed your arms over your chest wings reflectively coming to curl around your body as a cold breeze brushed by.

“Right, yeah. Your in the League, probably see things like this all the time” Hawks joked as he glanced at Dabi who had walked to the other edge of the rooftop.

“Yeah, always with Dabi so..” Hawks nodded as he puffed his cheeks out unable to draw his eyes away from the bright white of your wings. They were so clean and pristine. Hawks felt his stomach twist at the thought of Dabi preening you, helping with the considerable upkeep of such a quirk.

“Yeah? You guys a thing then huh.” Hawks voice was still light but his pupils had narrowed. You didn’t notice the changing look in the avians eyes as you felt your cheeks warm.

“Me and Dabi? N-No, tha-“

“So quick to say no Angel. Im hurt” Dabi’s voice from behind you made you jump as you instinctively spun round, never liking having Dabi out of your sight. Hawks watched carefully as you began stuttering again. Your wings fluffed out from surprise and embarrassment.

Yellow eyes flicked across your wings as they spotted a pin feather near the base where your wings met your shoulders. His hand reached before he could reason with his logical self that it was not a good idea. His fingers picked the feather, rubbing it between his thumb and index finger as yous stilled and the dry keratin flaked off revealing a short white plume underneath.

“Sorry! Im a real stickler for getting my own pin feathers when I seen that one I couldn’t help myself. Ya’ know like when someone sees a good spot” Hawks curled his arm around his head as he scratched the back of his head, cheeks tinting pink as he laughed lightly. He hoped both of you would buy his act at least Dabi.

“Thanks.” You mumbled as you turned back around. Dabi coming to stand beside you reaching down and grabbing the duffel bag. Hawks eyes flickering to it before meeting the blue eyes of the man before him.

“Alright Birdy. I suppose this’ll do for now. You’ll know when I next wanna talk” Hawks just nodded as Dabi turned on a booted heel and began to walk to the edge of the rooftop.

“Sorry again for touching your wings. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable” Hawks said loudly as he stared at you. You smiled slightly under your mask.

“It’s okay. I can’t get them all myself anyways” the pro just nodded as you turned and followed after Dabi who listened into the conversation as he held the rooftop door open.

“Think our Birdy likes you Dove” Dabi’s voice was cold as you glanced over at him. A stutter in your regular heart beat.

“What do you mean?” You swallowed thickly as his loud footsteps resonated in the dark stairwell.

“You know I don’t like repeating myself Angel. Out Birdy very obviously has an interest in you, probably due to those primal needs you lot carry in your genes. I was too quick to judge those primal needs of being a nuisance for me. I think we could actually use them” You couldn’t help it as your wings puffed out behind you. Dabi only chuckled.

“How would we use it?” You knew what Dabi wanted, you always did. The unfortunate ability of your quirk ensured Dabi would never go without.

“Was thinkin’ you could be my little messenger bird. You know pass all the needed information to and from Hawks and get to know him a little” Dabi told you as you exited the building below. Dabi threw his large trench coat at you and pulled a hoodie over himself.

You slipped the heavy coat on nose crinkling at the smell of cigarettes and smoke wafted into your nose.

“Well? I need an answer. That sound like a good idea?” Dabi asked as you walked down the sidewalk.

“Sounds good Dabi” You mumbled, slipping your hands into the big pockets as your wings folded further against your back.

“Good. Ill let crusty know but I just wanna make sure you remember what I told you” he stopped walking and you turned towards him as a grin crossed his face and he held grabbed your wrist with his hand, pulling you close as you gasped.

“You let those primal needs get in the way and I won’t hesitate to get rid of you. I may care for your quirk but the rest of the League couldn’t care less about your life so i’d watch it. I’m the only thing keepin’ you from deaths door” You nodded quickly as you ripped your hand from Dabi’s seeing a dark red mark forming as the her seared up your arm, tears welling in your eyes.

“C’mon. You know how much he complains if we are late” His voice was nonchalant, shoulders sagged as he walked ahead. You swallowed the thick lump in your throat as you followed trying desperately hard to ignore the burning on your wrist and the panic in your chest.

Ignoring Hawks truly would be impossible. You would just have to quell those needs festering within you. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?. You continued your walk in silence as both of you kept an eye out for any pros lurking about. The unfortunate thing about keeping an eye out for a specific thing is how easy it becomes to miss other things, things that are red, small and feathered.

The red plume having gathered the information needed shot back as Hawks stood high above on a different building, eyes focused in on your two figures as the small feather nestled itself back into his wing as decided on his next move. His wings spanning out as his feathers bristled in the slight breeze. His heart humming and skim prickling as he thought of you being the little messenger. He would be seeing you more.

Hawks took off as he searched for a 24/7 shop to find a calming tea to sort his nerves out. He had to remain professional. The commission would never hear the end of it if the news got out of him caught up with a villain. But the idea sent Hawks stomach twisting as he tried to force the imposing thoughts of you out. His hands sweaty as he ignored the feverish heat licking at him. He would need to call the doctor to see if any medicine could be taken to sort out this supposed ‘heat’ he was feeling.

[waitingongravity]

Alright, so. So there's PLENTY of unfinished business in the Abyssal Hunter storylines.

Let's look at what we know of already and what that could mean:

First off, the stuff that has already been established in previous events: There were three big leaders in the Church of the Deep: Quintus, Amaia, and some other dude who has only been referred to as Him. This Him is acquainted with Specter during her time as an experiment subject. We can pretty safely assume that much like Quintus and Amaia, He will be the one orchestrating the events of next uhhh... event. Besides that, we have Ulpianus and the Last Knight. Those two swam off into the sunset at the end of Stultifera Navis, and we can only assume that they are still hunting seaborn to this point. The curious thing with the Last Knight is that we got to see him plenty in IS3. We know he's a powerful piece of work, and that in true Don Quixote fashion he is unreasonable with. The real question for me is what the hell he's going to do in a world where Ishra-Mla hasn't taken over yet. Will he be more helpful? Proooobably not. Speaking of: ISHRA-MLA. I've seen a lot of speculation over whether Skalter is fully non-canon to the main timeline, or if she is merely an eventuality. Skadi's condition is not looking good, and we haven't really been presented with any possible solutions. Specter is fighting off infection and insanity through her seaborn blood, but Skadi's issue is seaborn in nature. That being said, I'd like to stay optimistic. Skadi's arc has been an upwards one, even if it's only slightly. I'd like to believe that the difference between IS3's timelines and the Canon is that Skadi had more time to grow stronger mentally and emotionally to resist the pull of Ishra-Mla. Or at least stall long enough to find a solution. Of course, this transformation is also affecting Specter and Gladiia. Much like oripathy, they may be doomed, but maybe there's hope for a comfortable life.

AEgir is a nation we know next to nothing about since they're all the way in the Water. An unknown settlement of AEgir was spotted right under the Stultifera, and we know Ulpianus preventing the Hunters' return to AEgir is one of the reasons why the fish apocalypse didn't happen. Whether that is just proximity to the ocean or something in AEgir itself, I think we'll be diving out of Iberia and into that AEgir colony. I doubt we'll go into AEgir proper, but that doesn't mean AEgir won't send its own people out. Okay, now for the operators relevant to all this: The obvious one is Andreana, our lonely cuttlefish. She is essentially a cheap walmart knock-off Abyssal Hunter, so many think that she'd be getting an Alter or some story focus as she goes full fledged (full scaled? Whatever.) While I see that as a possibility, a lot of Andreana's character is just NOT CARING about any of that. She outright rejects the opportunity from Kal'tsit to learn more, and wants to leave her mysterious past behind her. Honestly, I can respect it. My guess is that Andreana might get involved but stay out of it, unless someone (like her employer Incandescence who we've yet to see in-game) gives her a reason to care.

So who else do we have involved in this? Well, Deepcolor is pretty sus, and the only other AEgir operator besides Skalter. I'll be honest, I always thought she was up to no good. Do NOT trust her >:I. There's also the chance she's some loose AEgir agent or something that lost contact after the Great Silence. But I still don't trust. Here's the sleeper pick: Blue Poison! The curious thing about Anura, besides how cute they are, is that they were enslaved by AEgir and brought to Iberia in hopes that their toxins could be a new weapon against the seaborn. This puts Bloopy in an interesting position as both someone with a vested interest. Hell, she could truly be the secret weapon in the event.

With all this in mind, here's my idea for what the event could/should be. Ulpianus can be the new 6 star, whatever he's a loser I don't care about him. More importantly, BLOOPY ALTER as a limited unit. That's right, Andreana can keep her gun, we all know she loves that thing more than anything. Let Bloopy be the first 6 star Arts Defender or something! Or a new Fighter since we know she boxes. I dunno, just make her busted so I can feel vindicated in my love for her. and finally, 5 star... I dunno, some AEgir girl from the settlement under the Stultifera. Give me a manta ray girl! Flat friend. Or angler fish? Hmmmm. As far as the plot, I think it'll be a two-pronged threat. On one end, He and the rest of the Church of the Deep implement a final plan, either relying on the super advanced tech AEgir have, or simply being the culmination of the evolution which has been a running theme for these events. Under Tides saw the seaborn evolve to talk, Stultifera Navis saw them evolve to be incredibly powerful and adaptive. Who knows what we'll see next? As for the AEgir settlement's conflict, I think we could see a next step in the other relevant issue in Iberia: the persecution of the AEgir peoples and the role of the Inquisition in the fight against the sea. I doubt the settlement will be safe for long, so perhaps over the course of the story we will see them integrated into Iberia, and offer their own tech/abilities in exchange for a stronger frontline. Of course, all this is assuming that the settlement isn't just an long-abandoned ruin. I'd also like it if the Doctor actually got involved in this event. Kal'tsit is a given of course, but I think the Doctor's presence might be appropriate for the conclusion of this trilogy. Much how like Lone Trail concluded the story started by Mansfield and Dorothy's Vision, there might be big story turning points at the end of this. And given the forces involved? This wouldn't be surprising. Anyways this was a super disorganized ramble I typed mid-ttrpg session so I'm sure I missed a lot or messed stuff up. I'd love to hear any more speculations, this stuff is very fun to think about.

[1d1195]

Neighbors Extra IV - Merry Christmas

Read Neighbors here

I wanted to write something for the holidays and they seemed like a worthy couple to do so. I will get back to Dolcezza over the next few days and I'm sorry my posting schedule is off now. I will get that back on track too.

Warnings: fluff, cuteness, Christmassy nonsense (maybe a little angst if you read it the right way)

This isn't super proofread. I'm not sure how my timeline is matching up with the rest of the story but this is their first Xmas together as a couple. Probably before the other Extras I've written but I'm not sure time is really relevant.

~3.1k words

Surely everyone in her life showered Rory with presents. He hoped that her family spoiled her just as much.

But he had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the case.

“I hope Santa gets everything on my list,” Rory giggled. Harry watched as the wonderful woman helped Rory write out his list. She wrote out each item carefully, committing it to memory. He signed his name in his large six-year-old print. Once the list was decorated with stickers and glitter (and an extra drawing of the North Pole was slipped in the envelope), she stole a picture of it for her own use and memories. The three of them headed to the store to put the envelope in the North Pole mailbox and get some shopping done.

Harry smiled lazily. This was better than any Christmas he could imagine with his little family—and it had hardly started. He gazed longingly at the love of his life as she meandered down the aisles getting presents for her family, Harry’s family, coworkers, and anyone else she could think of before she would have to find a time to get all those items on Rory’s list. “Think y’ve been pretty good, lad,” Harry smiled. “Don’t you?”

He nodded. “I’ve eaten all my vegetables this year. Even the gross ones,” he wrinkled his nose distastefully. It was the same way she did it which made his heart flutter at the sight. Rory was so much like his mum it hurt in the best way.

Harry chuckled. “Mummy and I appreciate that. S’good for you,” he reminded him.

“Can you help me get Mumma a present?” Rory whispered. He wasn’t very good at it. She turned a bit toward the sound of his little voice ever so slightly. A smirk on her face that Harry didn’t miss. He ignored her attention so he could focus on Rory’s inquiry with hope that maybe the pair of them could surprise her.

As usual, she was very smart and did a lot of her Christmas shopping early in the season—almost as soon as the decorations for Halloween came down, she was out at the store buying gifts.

“Course, lad. What do y’want t’get her?”

“A racecar. So she can play with me,” he explained. It wasn’t a question in Rory’s mind. It was the most obvious choice of gift.

Harry chuckled. “I see. Do y’think Mummy has asked Santa for something else we could get her? Something a little more girly?”

By now she had rounded the corner to the next aisle. Harry and Rory had veered off to look at the racecars. “Mumma doesn’t get presents from Santa,” he shrugged heading to the section of toys that he deemed worthy of Mummy.

Harry frowned at how readily that came from Rory. “Oh? She on the naughty list?” He joked. But he would tease her about that later when they fell asleep. Right as they fell asleep.

Rory giggled. “Mumma isn’t naughty, Harry,” he rolled his eyes.

No. She wasn’t. She was the furthest thing from it. She was perfect. An angel. It was...the best thing that had ever happened to Harry—moving in across the street from someone so lovely. “Then how come she doesn’t get any gifts from Santa?” He was joking of course. Surely there would be a little white lie of how Santa left them at the North Pole or there was a promise of next year there would be double the amount for Mumma.

But he hadn’t anticipated Rory’s response. “Mumma said that she called Santa when I was born. She doesn’t want presents so I can have more. Mumma says that even his magic sleigh has a weight limit.”

Harry thought his heart might break. This was the third Christmas that Rory probably understood. His developmental psychology classes told him that age four is usually when kids start to get the gist of what Christmas is like for them. That meant for the time that they knew one another, she hadn’t gotten Christmas gifts from “Santa.”

It shouldn’t have been such a surprise to him. What else was she supposed to say to Rory? There wasn’t anyone to balance the gifts out so that she had something to open while Rory got new toys and clothes. Harry tried to think of what he got her over the last couple years. It wasn’t anything special because he couldn’t remember.

She was selfless, of course. Especially for Rory. It honestly made him fall more in love with her. Made him want to cry something awful as well. Harry wondered if she minded. Surely everyone in her life showered Rory with presents. He hoped that her family spoiled her just as much.

But he had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the case.

“Boys, are we ready to go get some hot chocolate and start decorating?” She called.

Rory quickly handed over the racecar he wanted to get her and pushed it behind Harry’s legs where he could reach to hide it from Mumma. The pair of them smiled like they had just stolen a cookie from the kitchen after she said no. She smirked and met Harry’s gaze with a twinkle in her eyes, herself. “Yes, Mumma,” Rory said hurried to her side. He turned and put a finger to his lips toward Harry. So, he would keep the present a secret. He winked at the little one and caught her gaze once more so he could wink at her too. With a shake of her head, she turned her attention forward toward the checkout.

*

Don’t forget to invite Gemma and your Mum, please.

Harry smiled at his message as he and Gemma walked the aisles of the beauty store. Harry wanted to get her everything her heart desired and more, but wanted to make sure it was right—that required reinforcements.

“Does she use a face roller?”

“A what?”

“Jesus Christ, Harry,” she sighed in exasperation. She threw one in the basket.

“I don’t know, Gem. I don’t think she has a skincare routine. She’s usually making sure Rory gets a bath and goes t’bed.”

Gemma didn’t like that response. “Then we’re going to get her a spa day too after this,” she explained. “And you need to make sure she takes some time to herself every night,” she said knowingly. Harry nodded. He didn’t care about how many stores they were going to. He wanted this to be the Christmas of her dreams and more. He would get her anything and everything. Cost wasn’t a problem. And he was going to make sure she spent an hour to herself every night for the rest of their lives. “Does she ever complain of dry skin? Or that she looks oily?”

“No...” he shrugged again. Maybe he wasn’t paying as close attention as he thought he was to her self-care.

“Does she ever do anything for herself, Harry? Or do you just let her do everything?”

“Gemma. She is a selfless person. S’impossible t’do anything for her,” he resented the idea that he wasn’t doing a good job as her boyfriend. But Gemma wasn’t wrong. It sounded like he was doing a bad job.

“Okay, okay, you’re right,” she nodded in agreement. “Mum is getting her all sorts of clothes for us to split up and give to her,” she tossed three different serums into the little basket. “She wears makeup, right?”

Harry never thought she needed it, but he couldn’t help but be hypnotized by the way she glided the various liquids and powders over her face each morning. She did it quickly—with a six-year-old everything had to be done quickly. But it was like watching an artist as she put stuff on her face and turned even more beautiful than she was without it.

“Yes,” he said confidently feeling like he finally was contributing to this whole escapade.

“Does her stuff look old? Has she ever said anything about getting new makeup?”

He thought about all the brushes and tubes she used each morning. Harry thought all of them looked on the older side. “What’s the one y’dot on y’face? Under y’eyes?”

“Concealer.”

“She said they discontinued the brand, so she keeps putting water in hers.”

“Jesus Christ, that’s sad,” Gemma remarked. “Alright, I’ll get her the kind I liked. She can always return it. Give me your phone.”

Harry handed it over immediately. Gemma examined the picture of the pair of them in his background. A selfie from the symphony. Harry felt himself warm at the sight of her even on his own screen that he looked at no less than thirty times a day. While Gemma did her best to match her skin tone, Harry simply admired how pretty she looked and how even just her picture made him feel an overwhelming amount of love for his little life.

“It’s hard to tell in pictures, but she’s tanner than I am; lucky bitch,” Gemma grumbled. Harry smirked.

“Do you want anything for Christmas?” He asked his sister.

Gemma snorted. “She’s already way ahead of you, Harry,” Gemma smiled. “You’re about a month too late.”

He chuckled shyly. “Sorry, Gem.”

“It’s okay. It’s... really nice you have someone so thoughtful. As thoughtful as you. Maybe even more so just because she does it so early. But... I wouldn’t want you to be with someone less thoughtful. So it’s nice.” Harry agreed fully and smiled even brighter knowing that his sister loved his choice in love as much as he did. “Alright. We’re meeting Mum for lunch and then we are going to the home goods store for stuff she might need around the house... what are you doing about her stocking?”

“Doesn’t some of this stuff go in there?”

“Yeah... but like... you could get her jewelry or something.”

Harry nodded. “Okay... I’ll do that on my own.”

“Harry,” Gemma smiled at her little brother—even though he was a good seven inches taller. “You’re doing great. This is...” she sighed happily. “She’s going to love it.”

Harry felt a sense of pride wash over him even though his cheeks warmed at the praise. He really hoped she would.

*

“Harry?” She whispered in the middle of the night. They had spent an hour setting up Rory’s new roller coaster track after she finished wrapping a few last-minute gifts and pulling the presents from various hiding places—the shed in the backyard, the back of her car, and of course across the street at Harry’s house that had hardly seen anything else Christmas related since he spent all his time with her and Rory.

“Jus’ getting some water, kitten. Go back t’sleep,” he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She didn’t need to be told twice. Her light snores started almost instantly, which boded well for Harry. All her presents were in the back of his car. The transfer had been done late in the day by Gemma while the three of them went to the Christmas Eve fair put on by the local high school. They drank more hot chocolate than Rory could dream about. She worried the sugar would keep him up and prevent them from putting the presents under the tree.

Harry found Rory at the top of the stairs. A ribbon and sign across the way telling Rory not to go down without Mumma and Harry. He was asleep on the floor. A pillow from his room and covered with the blanket she and Rory made one rainy afternoon in November. She helped cut all the little ends while he did his best to tie them together.

Harry smirked and lifted Rory from the floor to bring him back to his bed. “Harry?” Rory murmured.

“Hmm?” He hummed.

“Did Santa come?” He yawned.

“Santa won’t come if y’aren’t in y’bed, lad,” he reminded him.

“I wanted to ask him to give Mumma some of my presents,” he muttered sleepily.

Harry felt his heart warm. “I’ll go write him a note,” he placed Rory on his little mattress, tucked him in, kissed his forehead, and ruffled his hair. “Don’t get out of bed, till morning, Rory. Or Santa won’t come,” he reminded him.

But Rory was already asleep.

*

“Mumma!” Rory’s little voice gasped. Harry’s eyes fluttered open to meet her sleeping figure. Her lips parted as she breathed. Harry reached out and put a hand on her face.

“Hey, beautiful,” Harry whispered and inched forward to place a kiss on her forehead. “S’time t’get up,” he murmured. “Merry Christmas,” he leaned closer to kiss the shell of her ear as he spoke softly to her. Meanwhile, Harry could hear Rory bouncing up and down the little hallway between their rooms and the stairs chanting that it was Christmas and Santa came.

Her lashes fluttered as she woke up, meeting Harry’s beautiful green eyes. “Harry, Santa came!”

He winked at her as she rubbed her eye tiredly. “Yeah, lad?” He smiled at the excitement. “Y’didn’t go down, did you?”

“No way, Jose!”

Harry chuckled. “D’you want t’come give Mummy a Christmas hug?” He asked.

There was a shift in weight on the bed as Rory’s little body flung himself in between the pair of them. “Merry Christmas Mumma,” he giggled and snuggled up to her. She smiled, burying her face in his hair, and squeezing him to her.

“Merry Christmas, love bug,” she sighed sleepily but very content.

“Can we go downstairs?” He was trying to wriggle free.

“I have to brush my teeth and we’ll go right down,” she promised and threw the covers back. “Maybe you should give Harry a Christmas tickle,” she suggested as she left the bed and Rory took her word and tickled Harry well enough to make him squirm and giggle himself.

“You’ll pay for that,” he kissed the side of her face as she exited the bathroom so Harry could brush his teeth too.

Rory was now bouncing with excitement, and she smiled sitting back on the bed while they waited for Harry. “What do you think Santa brought you?” She asked.

“I hope he brought me the roller coaster,” he crossed his fingers on both hands to show her and she mimicked the gesture while Harry returned as quickly as possible.

“Alrighty, I think we can go down now,” she smiled.

Harry grinned and followed behind the two of them. Rory was squealing and laughing as he reached the bottom of the stairs before they did. He hurried to the rollercoaster set and sent the little cart flying down the track while she tilted her head at the pile of presents that seemed to increase in size by at least a half.

“Did you get him more?” She muttered under her breath.

“Mumma!” Rory shouted. “Harry wrote Santa a note for me last night! Santa brought you some presents this year.”

She seemed to freeze in place and Harry put a hand on her lower back. “C’mon, kitten. S’Christmas,” he kissed the top of her head and nudged her toward the sofa so she could sit.

“H-he did, huh?” She looked overwhelmed at the pile of neatly wrapped presents with her name on them. Most were labeled from Santa. A few from Harry and one from Rory—the racecar of course.

“We start with the stockings,” Rory explained to Harry grabbing the one with an H on it and handing it to him. It was filled with little trinkets and items that she painstakingly tied with ribbons and candies that he would undoubtedly end up sharing with Rory until their stomachs hurt.

“Oh...I had a chat with Santa last night,” he recalled sitting beside the poor thing that was struggling to make sense of all the items under their overly decorated tree. “Santa agreed that I could do Mummy’s stocking from now on,” he told Rory.

“Mumma, Harry knows Santa too!” The poor thing was having a meltdown on the inside of her mind. It was clear on her face as she tried to factor in the price of all the presents that were tied nicely with bows and ribbons. Rory handed off her stocking as well and was lucky she didn’t drop it immediately. Lucky that Harry was sitting right beside her to hold it while he placed his beside him. Rory sat himself on the floor with the stocking between his legs. “Can I start?”

She was mute it seemed as she examined all the little items poking out of the top of the oversize sock. “Go ahead, lad,” Harry encouraged and squeezed her thigh. “You too, kitten,” he murmured into her ear.

“You...” she whispered breathlessly, cleared her throat and Harry saw the well of tears filling her eyes. “Santa brought me a lot of stuff,” she murmured while Rory oohed and ahhed over the little things filling his stocking.

“He told me that y’never have t’sacrifice Christmas on behalf of Rory anymore. That was really nice of you t’do it the last few years. But...he wants you t’get whatever y’ever want,” he cupped her cheek while Rory ripped open his bag of M&Ms spilling tens of them across the floor with a little scattering that she ignored because Harry was gazing at her like she was the most special thing on the planet.

Harry really, truly believed she was.

“Yeah?” She smiled, but her eyes were so watery it made him melt.

“Very much so,” he leaned forward and swept his lips across hers briefly so as not to get Rory’s attention to their yucky kissing. “Merry Christmas, m’love.”

“Merry Christmas, Harry,” she leaned toward him, resting against his chest. His arm draped over her while they watched Rory stuff a mouthful of M&Ms between his lips. They continued watching him open each and every present that was selflessly ticked off his list.

“This is the best Christmas ever,” Rory smiled excitedly.

“I think so too, love bug,” she giggled at him.

“Absolutely,” Harry agreed.

“How about a picture, Rory?” She asked grabbing her phone out of the pocket of her leggings. “C’mere,” she handed her phone to Harry and opened her arms for Rory to hop into her embrace. Rory situated himself half on her lap and half on Harry’s. She squeezed closer to Harry while he hold the phone out for a selfie. Rory held his little jar of slime out for the picture and Harry grinned into the camera as she rested her hand on Harry’s leg around Rory’s little body as best she could. “Alright one more,” Harry smirked and leaned toward her to steal a kiss that caused Rory’s face to wrinkle in distaste forever savoring the perfect moment on film.

A Christmas for the history books, for certain.

At least their history books.

--

general taglist: @justlemmeadoreyou @daydreamingofmatilda @sunshinemoonsposts @youdontcaredoyou @tiredinwinter @loving-hazz @likeapplejuicenpeach @straightontilmornin @freedomfireflies @littlenatilda @kathb59 @babegoals @angel-upon @lilfreakjez @mleestiles @ameliaalvarez06 @canyonmoondreams @summertime-pills @daphnesutton @l4rrysh0use @perfectywrong @foreverxholland @lolyouallsuck @buckybarnessimpp @stylesfever @harrysxcarolina @haarrrys @lovrave @st-ev-ie @pandeebearstyles @toosarcastic03 @luvonstyles @tenaciousperfectionunknown

neighbors taglist: @claimingharrystigertattoo @mopeymousey @vmpellie

[owlwithanapple]

Bird & Fox

Chapter 5

Jason POV

In the morning before Y/N replied…

Dickhead made a willful request, so I went back to the manor eat the breakfast prepared by Alfred. I saw everyone woke up early in the morning and were doing their own things in the hall.

While Alfred hadn't prepared breakfast yet, I sat next to Tim who was working on his laptop, with my hands on my chest, leaning on the sofa in a daze. I couldn't help but glance at Tim, what was he doing on the laptop, and he also glanced at me.

"Ermm, hi." Tim greeted politely.

I poked him with my arm "Hey, what are you doing?"

I don't talk much with them usually. We only chat a few words when we meet occasionally. At most, we talk about patrols and missions. It makes me feel uncomfortable and awkward to talk with them.

He turned his laptop to show me. He was analyzing the relevant content of Kitsune. It carefully recorded every word said by the fox, her body reactions, equipment and movements.

"No flaws at all." Tim gave the answer.

I exhaled, "It seems that she is not a small character, especially her mouth."

Tim nodded, "Yesterday, not only Dick was flirted by her, but also Damian."

I stood up from the sofa, "Huh!? That demon brat was flirted by her?!

Hearing the word demon brat, Damian jumped off the sofa, walked in front of me and Tim and shouted, "I didn't!"

I covered my mouth and laughed, "Hahahaha! Demon brat! Congratulations on your peach blossom!"

Damian stamped his feet desperately, "I didn't! I just..." He whispered.

I put my palm behind my ear and approached him, "The hell? "

He turned his back to me, his ears slightly red. This kid is really easy to understand. It should be said that he has little experience in this kind of thing, he was fooled by Kitsune's sweet words.

I sat back on the sofa and said, "Haha, a kid is a kid." I mocked him.

He gave me the middle finger "Heh! You deserve to be used as bait by her."

I don't deny that she is good at choosing the right time, but I really can't swallow the fact she used me as bait. With her reaction speed, she can make changes so quickly, and I slightly recognize her ability.

However, this demon brat still makes me very angry. How can this guy make me angry every time I see him? And the most funny that he is Bruce's biological son.

Bruce closed the newspaper, "You two stop arguing."

Bruce's words, I and he remained silent didn't pursue it. He sat quietly next to me. I thought to myself this house has such a big living room and there are several sofas. Why does he have to sit next to me?

I poked him with my arm, "Hey, sit somewhere else."

He stuck out his tongue, "I don't want to."

Suddenly, someone came from behind hugged me and demon brat together, "Okay, okay, don't quarrel, get along well~" That person was Dickhead.

I shook off his hand, turned around and said with a smirk, "Hey, how many rounds can you take?"

He blushed and clarified, "Shut up! Don't mention it!"

"Hehe." We looked at the laughter, it was Bruce who was laughing.

Dickhead walked forward, "Bruce, no way, even you are laughing at me."

Bruce immediately clarified after hearing Dickhead's words, "No, I just feel happy when I see you guys making trouble sometimes, don't mind me."

I scratched my head awkwardly, demon brat looked in another direction, Tim's mouth corners slightly raised, Dickhead kept smiling and giving me thumbs up gestures, Bruce buried his head in the newspaper as usual.

Bruce occasionally said words like a father, I couldn't figure out his mind, I knew he wouldn't show his feelings on face, but his actions would show some fatherly little movements.

For example, when I returned to the manor, he was the first one hug me, a very tight and warm hug. At that time, I was so scared then pushed him away and turned away. From then on, Dickhead kept trying to find ways to resolve our differences.

I was very happy to return home, but I still couldn't get over that hurdle. Maybe I am too fragile and too sensitive. Every time I back, I am filled with anticipation and fear in my heart, but I am afraid that I will lose my mind again.

Tim touched my shoulder "Hey."

I was awakened by Tim, and my clenched fists unconsciously loosened "Hey."

"Would you like some coffee?" Tim was comforting me in his own way.

I touched his head "You are really addicted to caffeine. One for me."

Tim closed his laptop and left the sofa "Okay, okay, I'll try."

Demon brat on the other side whispered "Hey, are you free?"

"If you have anything to say, do it now." I said.

"Train with me later. You will be my opponent." He suddenly asked.

Not only me, but also Bruce and Dickhead were flattered. This was the first time I heard him say this. Usually Dickhead and Bruce trained him, and this was the first time he asked me.

He was so weird and abnormal today. I covered his forehead and said, "Hey, did you see a ghost? Or do you have a fever?"

He slapped my hand away and said, "Do you want to or not?!"

I took out my phone and saw that there was plenty of time. I clicked into the chat room but there was no reply from her. I was a little disappointed, but it was not good to force a meeting, and it was not good to get entangled, so I took back my phone.

I scratched his hair with both hands and said, "Okay, okay, I am happy."

Dickhead and Bruce were very pleased to see what I did. I was actually very happy in my heart. Although I hated this kid, he occasionally showed the attitude of wanting a brother, just like he wanted Dickhead.

Tim approached me and handed me the coffee. "Here you go."

I took it and raised my glass to his cup. "Cheers."

"Haha, it makes us look like we are drinking." He sat next to me.

I carefully put the coffee in my mouth and took a sip, savoring the warm coffee carefully. A strong aroma came to my face. No wonder Tim is addicted to caffeine. It can not only refresh the mind but also smell delicious.

"Ahem, everyone, breakfast is ready." Alfred popped up.

Bruce put down the newspaper and got up from the sofa. "Okay, kids, breakfast."

"Yahoo!" Dickhead screamed excitedly.

I got up and was about to go to breakfast but Alfred stopped me. "Master Todd, you are welcome to come back anytime. I am also looking forward to chatting with you."

I smiled and responded to him. "I will come when I can find time. I promise."

Alfred put his arm around my shoulders and walked to the dining hall together. Everyone sat quietly in their seats, except for idiot Dickhead, who was supposed to sit next to Bruce, but today he sat in my seat.

I stood behind him, "Hey, Dickhead, leave my seat."

He turned around and stuck out his tongue, "I don't want it. This seat is very comfortable."

"You bastard!" I pulled his collar.

"Ahem. Master Todd." Alfred stopped you.

I let go of his collar. Dickhead looked so proud that I really wanted to punch him. This guy always came up with bad ideas. I scratched my hair helplessly and sighed to calm down.

I moved closer to the seat next to Bruce, pulled out the chair and sat down quietly. I looked at the table full of delicious breakfast and the shiny tableware. I carefully took the tableware and put a mouthful of food into my mouth to chew.

Sitting next to Bruce made me feel weird and stressed. It was a very awkward feeling. It had been a long time since I had sat next to him to eat. Before, we were always at a distance from each other, but now he was so close to me. How could I start a conversation?

"Jason."

I heard someone calling my name, and I looked up at Bruce in the direction of the voice. He called me with a gentle expression, and I put down my cutlery and looked him in the eye.

"What's the matter?" I was a little embarrassed when he called me by my name.

Bruce turned his fork and was about to speak, and he swallowed his saliva "How are you getting along with your friends?"

I was extremely shocked when he suddenly mentioned Y/N. I put my hand on the back of my head awkwardly "Ermm..."

He looked at me in confusion, and my mind was blank. I didn't know what answer to give. I didn't know how to change the topic of her in the middle of the conversation, and I didn't know how to describe her to them.

"Break up?" Demon brat interrupted.

I gave him the middle finger "She and I, pure friendship, how can we break up?"

Tim tilted his head curiously "What's her name?"

Dickhead raised his hand "I want to know!"

I covered my face and didn't want to pay attention to them. Everyone was talking nonsense, acting like an idiot. I didn't hate this noisy atmosphere, I just wanted to keep her presence until we met and introduced her.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to answer these questions. At this time, Bruce's hand was on my shoulder, which made me calm down immediately.

"Erm... she's a good person." I told him vaguely.

Tim looked confused, "What else?"

Dickhead interrupted, "What about the appearance? Where is the photo?"

Demon brat also intervened, "I'm more curious about who is not afraid of death and dares to be friends with you."

"You two are really nosy!"

Bruce covered his mouth and laughed quietly, "Are you happy to be with her?"

I turned to look at Bruce and nodded, "Yeah, happy."

Bruce nodded and smiled, feeling relieved, "I hope I can meet her one day. Talk to her again."

Tim took a sip of coffee and said, "It seems that you are very cautious about her. I am more curious about who is your true love."

"Yes, yes! Have you mentioned us to her?" Dickhead pointed at himself.

"I didn't tell her about my family affairs. I didn't think it was necessary." I said indifferently.

Dickhead complained, "You didn't introduce me, a handsome big brother, to her? How shameful!"

I glared at him, "I don't want her to know that Nightwing was foolishly flirted by Kitsune last night."

Dickhead stood up from his seat, "Not talk about that!"

"I can't stand it either. Cheesy love talk." Demon brat chewed his food.

Dickhead pointed at demon brat and complained to him, "You are the same! When Kitsune is mentioned, you blush!"

Demon brat stood up and retorted, "I'm not blushing!"

For some reason, they started to quarrel. I ignored them and continued to eat my breakfast. After eating, I cleaned up the dishes and took them to the kitchen, because the whole house was in a quarrel.

Just then, Bruce also walked into the kitchen and put the dishes aside. I opened the refrigerator and took a bottle of juice to pour into the cup. I also poured another cup and handed it to Bruce. He looked at it and smiled with relief.

"Thank you." He took the juice from my hand.

"You're welcome." I put the remaining juice back.

Bruce leaned next to me "Jason."

I looked at him "What?"

"You know I'm not very good at expressing my feelings, but I'm really happy for you."

"What did I do?" I was confused.

"You met a good girl."

I scratched my hair "Just friends, nothing else."

He chuckled and said "Whether friends or other relationships, I hope you can be happy."

I swallowed and my hands trembled slightly "Actually, I didn't tell her about our family affairs. I don't want her to be implicated."

Bruce nodded and smiled "I understand."

"I want to protect her." I smiled slightly.

Bruce took the empty cup from my hand "You can."

He put the cup in the sink, then put his arm around my shoulders and led me out of the kitchen. The other people looked at him in confusion but smiled. I looked particularly embarrassed but not disgusted.

Dickhead wanted to follow but stopped by Alfred. Alfred did this so that we could have our own father-son time without anyone interfering or disturbing our time.

Bruce and I talked a lot alone in the room, including about Y/N. It was still unbelievable that I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Bruce calmly like this.

I felt that someone was eavesdropping outside the door. I opened the door and saw three other people. I had no choice but to invite them to chat together. Y/N's matter should be kept secret from the three of them for the time being.

The topic of the long-lost family gathering together was not work, but the stupid things encountered in life. Looking at this scene, I really don't want it to disappear. I also want to protect this family, not as Red Hood, but as a son.

In the afternoon, we all stayed in the Batcave. Tim was busy with the computer as usual, demon brat and I were sparring with each other, while Bruce and Dickhead sat aside and watched.

Demon brat was trained as an assassin since he was a child so he already had the basics of fighting. Later, he was brought back by Bruce to be Robin and guide him. From the sparring, I could still feel his shortcomings.

He rushed towards me with a stick in his hand. I saw through his attack, grabbed the stick with my backhand, and threw him over my shoulder. He was a beat slower to react, and I threw him to the ground.

I sat cross-legged in front of him, "You are too naive."

He punched the floor with his fist, "Damn it! Do it again!"

Bruce stood up and was about to scold the demon brat. I raised my hand to tell Bruce to stop talking and just watch. I stood up and went to get another stick and took off my shirt. This time I would not fight with bare hands.

"Demon brat! How long are you going to lie down! Get your weapons!" I got ready.

"Jason..." Bruce whispered.

Dickhead patted Bruce on the back, "Let him go. You know his style of doing things. He won't be ruthless."

It seems that Dickhead still doesn't understand me. This time he is wrong. Whether I have a weapon or not, I can be ruthless at any time and thoroughly eliminate the enemy.

I did not show mercy to Demon Brat. The force of the shoulder throw just now was not strong, he must have been injured when his face hit the ground. He slowly got up from the floor, holding the stick tightly in his hand and wiping the blood from his nose.

"Demon brat! That's all you can do!" I mocked him.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and said, "Shut up!"

Actually, I hope he can be more mature. Since he is Robin, he should be. He is an important person standing beside Batman. If he keeps rushing around and acting recklessly, he will sooner or later be stuck in a crisis and unable to survive.

Although my personality conflicts with his, we also have disputes because of our different tempers. It is indeed difficult to get along with people with different values. He is the one talks meanly and loves to be arrogant with a rude attitude. I don't know he inherited it from his father or his mother.

"Ha!" He hit me with a stick. I blocked his attack. He aimed at my feet at a fast pace. His judgment ability is good, but he was still careless. His expression completely exposed where he was aiming.

I turned over and kicked him in the chin with my heel. My kick confused him and his consciousness began to blur. I put the stick under his chin to make him look directly at my face.

"Listen to me, kid. I will only say it once. You are full of flaws."

I took the stick from his hand put it back in place, walked to the side to get a bottle of water, opened the cap poured it into my mouth, Alfred handed me a towel, I wiped the sweat off my body, after training I let my body regain its balance.

Dickhead left the chair and hurriedly tried to support demon brat, but was rejected by his weak hand. He walked towards me step by step, and I could hear his panting breathing.

"You..." He muttered softly.

I put down the water bottle and stared at him seriously, "What?"

"One more time!" He roared angrily.

"Damian! Enough!" Bruce pulled demon brat.

"Father! I can still do it!" Demon brat obviously couldn't afford to lose his self-esteem.

I couldn't stand his face, I grabbed his collar and pulled him in front of me, "You are still far away from beating me." I threw him to Dickhead and let him take over.

Dickhead carried demon brat away to treat his wounds. Alfred wanted to clean up but was stopped by Bruce. He asked the other two to leave the Batcave first. He wanted to talk to me alone.

I sat on the floor. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head quietly. "Nothing. It's been a long time since I saw you being so serious. It just reminded me of the past."

"Hey, Bruce, we can have a fight after a long time. Do you want to?" I knocked on the floor to challenge him.

He chuckled and got up from the chair and clenched his fists. "Come on. Let me see your strength."

I got ready for the fight. This was the long-lost pleasure. The person I always wanted to surpass, Batman Bruce Wayne, was right in front of me, without equipment, just bare hands.

A drop of sweat flowed from my forehead. Bruce punched me head-on. I didn't dodge his fists, but chose to face him head-on. I punched him mercilessly. I didn't feel pain from a heavy punch, but pleasure.

I aimed at the target and punched him in the stomach. He grabbed my hand with his backhand to defuse my attack. He grabbed my collar and tripped me to the ground.

He strangled my neck with his left hand and clenched his right fist try to hit me in the face. I subconsciously punched him in the abdomen to make him lose balance. I rolled to the side to keep a distance from him.

There was no anger in his eyes, but a reflection of the battle between two hounds, biting each other wildly until one of them fell to the ground. That was the real winner.

I took another step forward and rushed over. He put his hands in a defensive position. I aimed at his hands and punched them continuously until he put them down. He grabbed my fist in the next punch and hit my abdomen with his knee.

He was about to give me an uppercut, and I blocked his fist with both hands. This time I made a mistake, he stepped on my feet and threw me to the ground with the shoulder throw I used on demon brat.

I got up again and reached out to touch my chin. I noticed that my fingers were stained with blood. It was the injury from the head-on attack just now. I took a deep breath and adjusted my state to prepare for the second round.

Bruce wiped the blood from his mouth with his thumb. "Are you okay?"

I laughed. "That's what I was asking you. Round 2?"

I took my stance and walked in a circle, keeping a distance from Bruce. He had the same idea as me and did the same thing as me. It seemed that we were both unwilling to give in.

"Ding!" My phone received a message, but I ignored it.

"Don't you want to read it?" Bruce asked.

I nodded in agreement with Bruce's point of view and temporarily called a truce with Bruce. I scratched the back of my head, picked up a towel to wipe off the sweat on my body, and picked up my phone to see that it was her message.

🐶: Sorry! I stayed up all night last night and stayed up late!

I was so touched by her reply that I covered my mouth and laughed.

🐶: Are you there?

I laughed for a long time. I guess the uneasiness in my heart had disappeared so I could laugh out loud. At one point I had some wild thoughts that she didn't want to talk anymore. I was really too funny.

🏍️: Hi! I was busy just now.

🏍️: Have you eaten?

🐶: Just a glass of milk, I'll make a sandwich later.

🏍️: Very good, don't starve.

I want to ask her out, but I don't know what her hobbies and interests are.

Bruce approached me and asked, "How about asking her out to watch a movie?"

My eyes lit up, "It seems possible."

🏍️: Do you want to watch a movie together tonight?

🐶: You don't have work tonight?

🏍️: It's my day off today, I'm free.

🐶: Okay, see you tonight.

🏍️: It's a deal! I'll pick you up at 7 o'clock tonight.

🐶: See ya!

🏍️: Adios~

I looked at Bruce and smiled at him for a while. "I didn't expect that you were the one who gave me the idea of ​​where to ask a girl out."

Bruce laughed. "Hahaha, who said I understand women's hearts."

I searched for movies to watch recently, and Bruce opened his phone and recommended that I ask her out to a drive-in theater. Usually, they go to the cinema, but this drive-in theater can bring her a surprise.

I laughed and praised him. "You are still good at picking up girls."

Bruce patted my back. "I believe you don't just want to covet her body."

"Your words are very vulgar." I punched him lightly.

"Hahaha, bring her back next time so that I can see her." Bruce mentioned.

"Actually, when I drove your car to pick her up, she asked me to introduce you to her." I said with a smile.

Bruce tilted his head. "Then?"

"I told him not to hit on you. You are already old." I mocked him.

"I am still confident in my charm because I have lot of money." Bruce laughed.

"Is this a so-called dad joke?" I mocked him.

Bruce tilted his head and gave a sly smile, "I just want to see my son's future wife."

I raised my middle finger, "Pure friends, Bruce."

He grabbed my middle finger, "I also have pure friendships, in bed."

This fucking Bruce and I were joking and chatting, Dickhead brought demon brat to us. The kid still had a sour face on his face, and his face was covered with traces of being beaten by me.

"Why did you two suddenly fight?" Demon brat said.

I shook my shoulders, "We just sparred when we were bored. Nothing else to do."

Bruce approached demon brat, "Does it still hurt?"

Demon brat's response was just shaking his head. Bruce breathed a sigh of relief and his expression was a little relieved. Dickhead scratched demon brat's hair, which reminded me that he used to do this to me.

"Hey, annoying guy." Demon brat approached me and looked up at me.

"What?"

He pointed at my chest muscles and asked, "How big are your boobs?"

What kind of joke is this kid playing? I was stunned. I squatted in front of him with a smirk on my face, "What? Want to touch it?"

Dickhead also squatted down and took a closer look, "Indeed, really big."

I raised my middle finger, "This is called chest muscles! You idiots!"

Tim came to intervene, "I want to touch it!"

I stood up stepped back a few steps. The three of them raised their hands and wanted to attack my chest muscles. I immediately dodged them. These idiots are so fucking perverted!

"That's enough!" I yelled.

Suddenly Dickhead grabbed me from behind and shouted, "Now!"

"Fuck you! Let me go! Idiot! Don't come near me!"

During the play, Bruce sat aside and laughed hard. Dickhead held me tightly let demon brat and Tim touch my chest muscles. This should be the worst moment in my history.

I felt helpless even struggling. At this time, Alfred came into the Batcave with lunch. Seeing the scene in front of him, he immediately turned his back and laughed. I could hear Alfred's whisper from a distance.

I was topless, and my brother were sexually harassing my chest muscles. At this moment, I couldn't let Y/N know about this, otherwise I would be considered a pervert and she would start to question my fetish.

"How did you train it so big and firm?" Tim approached my chest and kneaded it with his hands.

Demon brat tilted his head and pinched it. "I'm also curious about how you did it."

"Little boy, I don't just have big chest muscles." I grinned.

Demon brat tilted his head. "Huh?"

Tim was immediately shocked when he heard me say, "Wow."

"How many girls have you slept with?" Dickhead asked curiously.

I laughed in a mocking tone. "Ha! Definitely more than you!"

"Damian! Attack!" Tim ordered.

"Dickhead, you better hold on tight, or I'll kill you all if you let go." I gave a helpless warning.

Dickhead heard my warning, "Uh oh...shit..."

"You guys are having fun." Alfred said with a smile.

I yelled, "Who is having fun!"

After playing for an hour, they finally let me go. I couldn't hold back my anger and punched the three men one by one. Bruce came to me with a medicine box, wiped my face clean, and applied another layer of medicine.

I had a lot of fun today. Although I was sexually harassed by the other three, I was lucky that Y/N was not there, otherwise she would have seen my embarrassing side. It seems that I have to think carefully about bringing her home.

"Although you were punched in the face several times, it still can't cover up your handsome and charming face." Bruce put away the medicine.

I touched my face, "Damn it, if she sees it, she definitely will be scared."

Tim interrupted, "Or you can wear the Red Hood helmet."

I kicked him, "Damn it! Why do I have to hide it!"

Bruce put his hand on my shoulder, "Men with scars are more attractive. I have a feeling that you will charm her."

I scratched my head, "How many times do I have to say it? It's just pure friendship."

Demon brat chewed an apple, "Do you want it to be just pure friendship?"

His words made me hesitate, "I..."

Dickhead shook me, "No matter what the two of you are at, as long as you are happy, we are happy too. Right?" After saying that, he looked at everyone.

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was really unbelievable that everyone would support me. I was not abandoned by them, and I was also glad that I had never given up on this family.

"Hey, I still won't introduce you to her." I added.

Dickhead strangled my neck "You must introduce! I want to see my brother's future wife!"

I hit his waist with my arm "Fuck you!"

Y/N who was at home at this time "Achoo! Who said something bad about me!"

Chapter 5 End.

If you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment and I will use it as a reference.

Other Chapter

[donnerpartyofone]

I'm sure @staff has kind of a lot on their plate right now but while I'm thinking of it, this would be nice to have:

Add a Fandom community label. Or a dedicated universal tag, or a box you can check during post creation, or just anything that has the ultimate effect of allowing users to filter fan content.

This could at-least-slightly ameliorate problems with the search.

I have come into acceptance of the fact that fixing the notoriously dysfunctional search, even on individual blogs, is just way, way, way out of scope for some reason. Tumblr must know that a functional search would radically increase engagement, so I assume that the persistence of this glaring problem means that there is simply no way to fix it. I tell myself that "search" really just means "give me a handful of related suggestions" and not "show me every instance of X". I am learning to live with this.

What compounds this issue is that there is no way to separate fan content from content directly related to your search terms.

EXAMPLE: I search for a popular movie, and the results are so overburdened with people's personal stories and drawings that it's impossible for me to find anything actually related to the film. I give up quickly and Tumblr loses engagement from both me and the people who post screencaps/gifs/music/production info/etc.

EXAMPLE: I'm searching for something--anything--but my commonplace search term happens to be related to a very specific fandom. Perhaps I have never even heard of this fandom. But after scrolling through yards and yards of fan fiction, I have to give up, and Tumblr loses engagement from me and also whoever is posting about the actual thing I wanted.

OTHER NEGATIVE EFFECTS:

1. I stopped tracking ALL tags because they were constantly serving me fan content. I haven't bothered with tags for years because of this.

2. I blocked tons of innocent users because I couldn't avoid seeing their fan content; in order to stop seeing it, I have to sacrifice our entire ability to interact. I'm not alone there, sometimes I even see a note about this in someone's header ("Sorry you're blocked, it's probably because Tumblr won't stop showing me your fan art").

All of these scenarios happen to me and other users all the time and we have been vocally complaining about this. And I know Tumblr has rebranded itself as the fandom app in recent years, but I would say that even a fandom person still wants to see i.e. actual movie & TV show stuff and not just other people's drawings and stories.

So basically Tumblr has two big, related problems: Search doesn't really work AND is clogged with fan content that drowns out everything else.

BUT what if we could just have ONE problem? What if the search had a toggle that includes or excludes fan content. Then even if the search only gives me limited results, I can improve those results by making sure they are ONLY related directly to the thing I want. This would make the Tumblr search instantly, hugely more useful and I would do way more with it, way more often.

Maybe it could even work both ways, like I can choose to ONLY see fan content for a given search term, fandom folks would probably have a use for that. But the main thing for me is that even if search functionality is unfixably limited, I could refine the limited results and get only the most relevant stuff by excluding one common piece of metadata. Problem not-solved, but significantly reduced!

[o-sachi]

─── A Letter for @i-am-so-strange ✦

If you have received this, it means you signed up for Sachi's Selfship Event !

ATE JEIIIII. You're one of my bestest friends on this platform and I absolutely adore the fics/analyses that you make. You don't know how much I love our questionable thirsting threads. They make me giggle and kick my feet. TO MORE THREADS!! Anw, thank you for requesting!

✉️ Attachment: A special request???

Surprise. It's a normal matchup.

Okay, maybe this wasn't what you were expecting, but Barou just popped into my mind as I was reading the info you gave me. (Spoiler: it's not just because you both like cleaning and consider it a hobby lolol).

To preface things, I genuinely find Barou to be like the best potential boyfriend out of the bunch. I know he seems rough around the edges, but he's a completely different person to his s/o. He's a lot softer and kinder to them.

You complement each other in a way that your bad traits slightly mirror his and your good traits are almost the same. Does that mean it exacerbates the bad traits? Not really. But it does help you understand each other better and it helps avoid you from projecting it on to each other (everyone else though, not so safe haha).

Like you don't even bat an eye at each other if either of you say something a little too blunt or harsh. It's just another Tuesday for the both of you.

I feel like y'all would judge people together (HAHAHAHA)

You two debate a lot about a variety of things. Even ordinary arguments about your relationship start sounding like a debate... Part of him NEEDS to win, but another is really into how you articulate yourself (secretly simping).

As a person who isn't afraid of speaking his mind, Barou admires the same trait on you. He loves a woman who is brave enough to stand up for herself or do what is right. Not a lot of people can do what you do.

Doesn't compliment much, but he will definitely compliment you for your courage and independence. He needs that in a partner.

Barou most definitely likes smart people. Intelligence is a strength of its own. He just loves your brain; he loves the ideas and thoughts that it comes up with. He also thinks that your job is cool. He doesn't know anything about law, but he'll pretend to understand and nod as you explain things to him.

He liiiiiikes it when you play the piano for him.

You enjoy cooking and cleaning together (wow domestic bliss?!?! HAHAHHA). You do it very systematically too. Not that you explicitly talked about it, but it kinda happened on its own. That pretty much sums up a lot about your relationship—systematic.

You like trying new food together, whether by buying it somewhere else or trying out a new recipe.

He subtly supports your hobbies by buying you books or figures. Most of the time though, he listens to your rants. You know he's listening because he asks relevant questions.

He genuinely thinks listening and giving your full attention to the other person is a sign of respect. And he respects you. So, if you're talking, all his attention is on you.

I feel like he has a strong tolerance for alcohol, so if you do decide to get drunk, he can easily take care of you. Sure, he'll grumble a bit, but he's surely doing it out of love <3

He'll agree to play games with you as long as you go bowling with him. He won't go easy, but at least he has someone to play with.

He doesn't mind driving long stretches. It's quite calming for him and with you as his passenger princess, he can listen to you speak even more.

You two travel a lot and he (reluctantly) agrees to be the model in your photos. He prefers that you two take photos together, but sure, if you insist.

You two have the exact same dislikes, especially being disorganized. It makes him feel queasy to see a messy place or have his tasks all over the place.

Although, I feel like he's good with kids (yk cuz his sisters). So he makes up for the fact that you don't like 'em.

You two plan things together so well. Like I said—organized and systematic. Dates and travels are so easy when both of you are working on the logistics and whatnot.

I'm not making this up but I genuinely saw Barou as the type of guy who likes the simple look on women (he's the type of guy that says natural is better and would complain about makeup...) So he really loves how laid-back and classy you look.

HE DIGS THE CORPORATE STYLE.

You two already spend a lot of time together. He can only stand you, honestly. He'd rather be alone completely or be with you. No in between.

You can expect sooooooo many acts of service from this man, mostly the domestic stuff—cooking, cleaning, taking care of you when you're sick. If you ask him to come over, he'll do his absolute best to get there asap. If you ask him for a favor, he'll do it without a second thought.

He's so whipped for you, but will never admit it out loud.

His gifts usually come in the form of food or clothing... or something really practical. Perhaps the only "non-practical" thing he'd give you is a bouquet of flowers.

Waaaa idk I got a lot of inspiration writing Barou for you. LIKE IT FITS SO WELL???

Thank you for participating. I hope you like it :3

Want to participate? Give this a read.

o-sachi © 2024 pls do not translate/copy/reupload my work on other platforms.

[kuiperoid]

My "Nickstorian" (people neurodivergently fascinated by Nick Fuentes, but not for shared ideology reasons) entry point

It started in late winter/early spring of 2023. I was dealing with a mix of stress from my second semester of graduate school and not being able to pin down a thesis topic, plus devastation from the ending of a relationship, my shortest romantic relationship at just over a month, but she'd been my friend for around fifteen years, back when we were awkward young nerds that gave our classmates "school shooters vibes" (perhaps foreshadowing, as we were exactly the kind of kids who could have gone down the groyper path if things had gone a bit differently) and who hadn't transed our genders yet, so I was dealing with a lot of stuff emotionally. I was watching a video upload of one of Shark3ozero's streams when he started discussing one of Nick Fuentes's tweets. I had heard of Nick Fuentes and his "groypers" before, but didn't really know what made him unique among the far right Internet personalities. Some of Shark's chatters remarked about Nick, "isn't he gay?" and Shark responded with something along the lines of, "yeah, he searched his friend's room for cum who he tried to make watch Euphoria with him and went on a date with a Nazi catboy." Now, I'd heard of plenty of rightwing talking heads being called called gay before, but that particular statement was so incredibly specific and strange that I had to verify what it meant. Surely this was some kind of terminally online joke that I wasn't getting? Alas, Shark did put some images on screen in reference to the latter claim. I was intrigued by this odd claim, so I did some Internet searching, initially just for "Nick Fuentes catboy" and found YouTube videos by CreationistCat, Vaush (despite the fact that I hate him), and more (several rightwing critics, I found, which added to the intrigue; as a leftist, we often lament how unified the right is and here was an exception). I got to a point where I was watching the entire ten hour stream in pieces between my classes as I ate in the grad student lounge. The catboy question was answered, but there was more. KiwiFarms and similar platforms kept on talking about his "friend Jaden," who he'd incidentally referenced during the "date" multiple times, and I figured there was some equally bizarre story there and I went down that rabbit hole as well. I was wrong about it being equally bizarre; it was more bizarre. Needless to say, over the next few months, I ended up learning his entire life story for which I wrote a thirty page essay for a project about rightwing Latinos in the US that ended up being abandoned in favor of another subject, though I keep that up for anyone else who shares my bile curiosity (most everyone who follows me has read that madness, so I won't bother linking it again). I have more or less followed him and his ex-associates, namely Jaden McNeil (who I find just as ideologically repulsive, though I do have slightly more sympathy for him for other reasons), from a distance ever since. It is a bit funny, at the time I was learning about him, I truly thought that Nick's relevance was waning. He was in deep trouble after an ex-associate of his, Ali Alexander, was exposed for sexually abusing teenage boys in his organization and a lot of people on the right found him to be a contrarian grifter, while leftists viewed him as more of a joke than a threat. It was a pretty big surprise when he managed to thrust himself back into the spotlight with the whole "your body, my choice" thing after the election, a bit ironic given he had spent almost all of the election season criticizing Trump for supporting Israel and issues with JD Vance. It's interesting watching someone, especially one I've had this bile curiosity about for almost two years, so successfully regain relevance he'd lost, maybe even become more relevant, from what was essentially a publicity stunt that ended up being weaponized beyond him. At the moment, it seems like his previous reputation as a joke and possibly gay is returning, what with the Destiny leaks (which probably weren't even him, but the Internet doesn't care) and then his arrest, but we'll see.

[veliseraptor]

Hello ! I've read a lot of the posts you shared or wrote about horror, especially in reaction to "pearl-clutching" discourse against the whole genre.

It was very though provoking (thanks!) but I was wondering if/how you draw the distinction between that and, well, honest and "legitimate" bad review / negative analysis of some individual stories who happen to be horror ?

Oh, for sure. Of course there's legitimate criticisms to be made about individual horror works, or even about horror as a genre on the whole. I'm never going to claim that there isn't. While I do feel like there's a place for the "let people have fun" school of thought around media criticism, I don't think it should be a blanket smothering of all criticism - mostly, as with so many things, it is worth considering your time, place, and audience. For your own sake as well, I find.

I do think that sometimes the language of "criticizing" or "being critical" has become a handy mask for people to say whatever they want in some of the same (though less pernicious) way that people use "I'm just asking questions" to shut down discussion of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Again, #notallcriticism, much of it is good and beneficial and keeps things fresh (and me thinking), even the criticism I ultimately might end up disagreeing with. And at the same time, I do see the tendency popping up sometimes to use the idea of "legitimate criticism" as a way to shield a person from disagreement (the somewhat infamous "think critically about x" translating to "and you'll agree with me" comes to mind.)

As far as the how, well, it's certainly a little your mileage may vary - what I might read as an unfair review of a book I liked, for instance, someone else might read as a well-deserved ripping to shreds of a mediocre work, and it's certainly possible for neither of us to be "right" about which it is. Some of this - maybe even a lot of it - is a matter of perspective.

I guess I would think of two things that shape my perception of how someone is talking about a work or a genre, in general and in particular with horror:

1. Is the writer familiar with the genre? Do they have at least a passing familiarity with the conventions, tropes, and other narrative tics that tend to crop up? If not, are the criticisms they are making marked by that lack of knowledge (ime some of the discourse about the A Song of Ice and Fire falls victim to this, sometimes). I'm not saying that criticism is invalid coming from someone without genre knowledge, but I am saying that I'm more inclined to be skeptical of criticism that comes from someone who clearly dislikes the specific genre they're discussing, because it sometimes feels like a willful lack of curiosity and unwillingness to engage with a text/genre on its own terms.

> Addendum to this: is the writer familiar with the genre as it stands recently? Horror now looks rather different than horror fifty years ago, just for instance.

2. Is the argument or point they're making actually coherent? Is the analysis solid and grounded in at least some kind of evidence or source? (Is the author using screenshots of tweets in lieu of actually writing about the phenomenon they're discussing?) I can't always but I'd say I can usually at least recognize, even if I disagree, when someone is actually taking what they're engaging with seriously and when they're not (in terms of the work put in to convince me what they're saying is true, relevant, and important), and if they're not taking it seriously then why should I?

And one more, I guess, which feels obvious but sometimes on the internet isn't, because people love to have opinions (I get it! so do I!):

3. Has the writer actually read (or watched/played/whatever) what they're talking about? This ties in a little with point one but is slightly divergent, because someone can to an extent be familiar with a genre without having read it. But someone talking authoritatively about the problems with something they haven't actually had direct contact with, based purely on a set of cultural osmosis and related assumptions, is frustratingly common, and people will assume that they know what they're talking about from that alone and are qualified to make a sweeping judgment from that position. And I'm just not going to take criticism made from that perspective very seriously.

That's how I'd draw my lines, anyway. I don't claim to be an authority, certainly; I'm a gal on the internet with a big mouth and a lot of opinions. I think the important things here though are a. I certainly don't think that there's no such thing as legitimate criticism (in the negative sense) of horror works or horror as a genre, and b. I have particular standards for how I judge that criticism based on content and context.

I guess it's also worth noting, with this particular example, that the other question is "how much does this feel like it aligns with the present moral panic around dark or disturbing content in fiction?" and if the answer is "a lot" then I'm significantly more likely to dismiss it.

[mandy4ever69420]

in seasons 1-10 the only times mickey shows interest in topping (incomplete language - referring also to having sex with women) it's been an expression of psychological distress or being unsafe. this pattern emerged by coincidence mostly but fits pretty well also into mickey's casual tone leading people to not take him entirely seriously.

see: "my dad will kill me" - it sounds like hyperbole, because people say things like this as hyperbole, so ian assumes he must be at least slightly overreacting

especially when he refers to incarceration his casual tone laughs off "being somebody's bitch" and people don't tend to take prison, even child prison, as seriously as i think they should. mickey generally builds a pretty impressive defense mechanism against facing how scary things are by saying them straight up so people don't follow up. a lot of his plot involves the story asking you to take something seriously that he says as though it's a joke. this also has to do with the complicated maneuvers he has to do around the closet. when mandy says he only asks for "girl-on-girl porn" it did immediately occur to me that he'd found a non-gay way to ask for gay porn.

mickey's sleeping with women is another topic where he can mostly find it easy to look away from the hard parts of how it feels. technically speaking, none of the women he slept with did anything wrong. though it does feel relevant to note: we are introduced to the fact that mickey covers for himself by actually having sex with women (rather than implying it, or just bearding like ian and mandy) a literal single scene after he confronts a manipulative pedophile. in a similar piece of framing, we don't learn mickey is gay until after we've learned that his dad is a nazi

his deal with byron is kind of an outlier as the least outright sad occurrence of this, because he's not actively having THAT much of a meltdown. he is, however, making a very direct point, basically to ian's face. both ian and the viewer are made excruciatingly aware that this guy is not somebody mickey would ever seriously pursue. he does it to hammer home the point that he's never going to seriously want to pursue anybody BUT ian. mickey is immediately cognizant of the exact kind of self worth meltdown ian is having (because he's seen it before) and this time he's figured out the retrospectively obvious fact that the best way to get ian out of his own way is to just piss him off. when he tried making his devotion more obvious to reassure ian in s6 it just fed into ian's guilt complex about making mickey act like he loved him. byron is given the unfortunate hand of being picked out as a sort of a parody of everything mickey doesn't want in life. sorry dude.

i've said it before but to reiterate: the fact that mickey is making a strategic choice here doesn't negate that he's feeling vulnerable and hurt. he's just not one to linger on that sort of thing and prefers to move forward with gritted teeth. pragmatism in the most ridiculous dramatic way

i think there was a pretty good opportunity to tie all of this up^ with like a nice bow in 11.03 by either working with a "maybe the discomfort gained from a lifetime of being pressured into something i wasn't that into doesn't have to have power over me anymore even just once to prove my point with someone i do trust" angle OR by taking this from an potentially miss-able subtext into something more overt - if mickey's worrying about being the "man" is it an indication that something else is going on in his head that we need to worry about?

so it's just. infuriating to me that instead this episode is written like an intro to gay relationships. because we couldve been making points here people. nevermind that it barely sidestepped the slightly interesting "bottoming isn't womanly, and womanly isn't bad" there was much more potential there! well let's simply hope that framing mickey as making some sort of concession by regularly bottoming, whoever decided to write that isn't fucking anyone. because jesus christ

[noodyl-blasstal]

Aftermath - Blupjeans Week day 7

My @blupjeansweek prompts are part of a story and I'll be adding one more part to round it all off I think! Find the others here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 or on Ao3

“I think I’ll maybe do it after the bone church?”

“How romantic.” Said Taako, wryly. “Here’s a load of dead people whose bones they dug up and made a chandelier of, also, I’ve been in love with you for a bajillion years, wanna grab coffee?”

“I wasn’t going to say the last bit.” Barry huffed. It was already mortifying that he had to talk about this with Lup’s brother. Maybe he should have told Magnus instead, but Barry wasn’t convinced he could be counted on not to wave them off by shouting ‘good luck telling Lup how you feel about her’ or something equally mortifying. Taako, at least, was air tight.

“You aren’t going to tell her you love her?” Taako narrowed his eyes. “Barry, Barold, you are my best friend in the world and I will murder you to death if you do not do this. You have been promising for months. Months! I cannot live like this. It’s homophobic.”

“I’m your best friend?” Barry laid his hand to his chest. “Taako, I..”

“Shut up.” Taako hissed. “If you don’t tell her then I will.”

Barry tried not to laugh at the deflection. Torturing Taako when he accidentally confessed that he had feelings was one of Barry’s favourite sports. It was a toothless threat too, if Taako was going to tell Lup then he would have done it already. He clocked how Barry felt almost as quickly as Barry did. “I’m going to tell her. I’m not going to ask her out for coffee after. Probably.”

“Fine. Fine! But you’d better tell her. Or else!” Taako mimed a series of tiny punches.

“No, please, Taako! Mercy! Mercy!!!”

– The conference was in a castle. It was hard to pretend that wasn’t at least 60% of the reason they were there, but their research was good too. The post-doc hunt had, thankfully, provided them both jobs. In the same University, of course, because it was unfathomable that they wouldn’t be together. The fact they would apply for jobs together and continue to live together wasn’t even discussed, it was just how it was going to be. The photo strings moved again, Barry’s book shelves stood in a slightly different configuration, and their coffee machine only fitted under one of the cupboards in the kitchen. They took their home apart at the seams and lovingly sewed it back together somewhere new.

It was inevitable that they’d end up researching together. They knew each others’ work inside out anyway, and one late night conversation about being able to sap energy from a storm cloud to heal someone led to a frantic few weekends in an empty evocation lab, which produced the paper that had taken them here. The applause faded and the moderator stood to ask for questions.

“It’s more of a comment than a question.” Said the dapper elf who had lazily raised his hand and immediately commanded attention. Of course that would be their first response. No one would want to drag things on after this. It was Barry’s least favourite phrase, but he tried not to roll his eyes and nodded politely instead. He felt Lup bristle beside him. “In my own research…” Barry fought not to tune him out. Maybe it would be relevant? Maybe the comment would even be helpful? “...instead of hiring an evocation specialist, which, even though I’m sure yours wasn’t too costly…” he gave Lup a once over which made Barry want to bite him. “...is still an unnecessary cost. You can just use volunteers. They have plenty of power for the taki…using. Voluntarily offered, of course.” He smiled a violently calm smile. There were murmurs around the room.

“What my colleague means to say…” Said the female elf next to him, Barry assumed his twin because they certainly looked the same, but people with these ethics might be experimenting with cloning for all Barry knew. “... is that our subjects are all there voluntarily and know exactly what they are taking part in.” Barry would like to see the ethics board they’d run that one by.

“...They volunteer to heal others?” Lup asked.

The pair shared an uneasy look. “We didn’t say our experiments were exactly the same, anyway, I’m sure lots more people have questions about your little project.” The female elf made a dismissive hand gesture.

“Which University are you from?” Lup continued before the moderator could take another question. “It would be wonderful to keep in touch as we obviously have similar research interests.”

The female elf’s mouth closed into a tight line and she glared, but her colleague… brother? Both? Answered before she could shush him “Felicity Wilde. It’s private.” He said smugly.

“Uh huh.” Answered Lup. Scribbling a note. “Great, and you are?”

“Edward and Lydia Vo-Gue. Remember it, you’ll see our publications soon enough.” Lydia elbowed him hard in the side.

“Cool, thanks.” Lup finished scribbling. “Anyone else actually have a question about this sweet sweet research?”

They did.

– “Are you actually going to contact them about their research?” Barry asked once they’d escaped from the conference dinner. The food was all strangely combined in the trying to be fancy but not actually fancy way and their table had been full of people who only wanted to talk about nothing but themselves. They fled as soon as the dancing started.

“Fuck no. I already emailed the Neverwinter ethics board. I imagine they’ll be shut down by the time they get home.”

– The bone church was their reward for surviving the schmoozing. The university had to pay for them to get to Goldcliff and back anyway, and the conference just so happened to finish on a Friday and it wasn’t any more expensive to travel back on a Sunday. They had meticulously planned the weekend and the ossuary was their first stop. They had a full morning to explore and they were going to use it. It was also where Barry was going to tell Lup how he felt. Definitely. It wasn’t going to be weird. It was going to be fine. Even if she didn’t feel the same it wouldn’t ruin everything, she already knew and she wasn’t angry. She wanted him to have as much time as he needed, but Barry was growing more sick of waiting and less worried about change with every passing day.

They stood together in front of the church, it looked completely ordinary from the outside, all weather-worn stone and too-modern-roof. “Ready?” He asked Lup?

She casually took his hand. “Cha’girl was born ready for this. Let’s go get our spook on!”

It was beautiful, macabre, but no one could deny the artistry, the dedication to shape and place as the old graves had to be emptied to make way for new corpses. There was an undeniable tenderness in the refusal to throw away the bones, the time spent cleaning and creating instead of destroying and forgetting. Their guide was taken aback by their endless questions, but was able to answer them. Lup and Barry absorbed as much as they could from them, and were eventually let loose while their guide tended to another tour.

“Is it okay if we check out the chandelier again before we go?” Lup asked. “I want to look at how they were connected again.”

“Sure.” Barry replied, his mouth dry. This was the place, and he was nearly out of time. Not that it mattered, but Lup would like it if it was here.

“Babe, you know your cool bird skulls?”

“Uh huh.”

“Think we could make them into cool miniature candle holders like those ones?” Lup pointed to the chandelier.

“I think we probably could.” Barry nodded. A skull and a candle should be easy enough to cobble together into something her spooky heart desired.

“I’m not sure we should try and create the full chandelier.”

“No, I think Taako would probably refuse to come over ever again if we had bones hanging from the ceiling. Kravitz too, for that matter. You know how he is about the sanctity of death.”

Lup rolled her eyes. “Fine. We won’t make a cool spooky chandelier that we’d both love. We’ll just decide not to do a fun group project because of Taako getting all the squeamish genes and picking the least cool kind of Death-y boyfriend. That seems right and fair.”

“I’m in love with you.” Said Barry softly. It wasn’t what he meant to say, there was a speech, he’d written it down. Maybe he could show her later, then she’d know he’d tried. “Just so you know.” He added. “Although, I think you did already.”

Lup smiled and placed her head on his shoulder. “I’m in love with you too, Bear. Just so you know…”

Barry didn’t know what to say. Sure, he’d realised this was a likely possibility. It wasn’t like Lup had pulled back since she’d overheard the conversation, if anything, they were closer than ever. But to hear it. To know, wholly and fully? That was magic.

“Anyway, wanna grab some coffee?” Lup always knew the right thing to say.

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Taylor Playlist :]

Cause if you haven't noticed I've been a bit fixated on my little guy recently and I meant to share this one forever ago anyways. I'll be real, I really didn't bother to figure out the song order for this one.

Track list below the cut + annotations and relevant lyrics :)

(slightly long post you've been warned!)

>> Here you go bestie <<

Seeya (by deadmau5 feat. Colleen D'Agostino)

“Don't wake me up, I'm winning wars inside my head

And maybe I'm weak, but not beneath the covers of this bed

Asleep, I'm undefeated in this world of mine

So, let me stay inside this dream and keep me from the light

(…)

I've built this place, behind my eyes, you'll never see

And you can move my body, but please keep my mind asleep

Beyond the galaxies, where there's no space or time

I will transform, I am reborn to rule over the skies

(…)

Escape the world I know, it's all in my control

I, I just wanna stay this way

(…)

Don't try to save me when my mind is finally free

'Cause I'd rather run my own world, than face your reality”

The Main Character (by Will Wood)

I don’t think I have to explain this one.

World Is Mine (by Hatsune Miku)

Lol

Life Is Fun (by Boyinaband feat. TheOdd1sOut)

Well this one for me is basically an interaction between Taylor and Scary haha.

Cloudbusting (by Kate Bush)

Largely about Nicky! But in a way that is like… From Taylor’s perspective? Maybe also the reverse. A bit hard to explain exactly but maybe I’ll just share what sticks out to me and you can come to your own conclusions.

“You're like my yo-yo

That glowed in the dark

What made it special

Made it dangerous

So I bury it

And forget

(…)

On top of the world, looking over the edge

You could see them coming

You looked too small

In their big black car

To be a threat to the men in power

(…)

I hid my yo-yo

In the garden

I can't hide you

From the government

Oh, God, Daddy

I won't forget

(…)

And every time it rains

You're here in my head

Like the sun coming out

Look, your son's coming out

Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen

I don't know when

But just saying it could even make it happen, oh

Ooh, just saying it could even make it happen”

Chosen (by The Living Tombstone)

Hm how to put this… It’s like, one part “Taylor seeing himself as some kind of chosen one”, one part “Taylor unlocking his inner demon” and one part “Taylor being along for the ride- potentially at his own expense/risk”

“A mind without a home

Leaving behind, the comfort that I've known

Where do I roam? A stranger to myself

Born to be here, but living somewhere else

And I'm searching for the reasons I've been

Chosen by a force beyond control

Beyond remorse and I don't know

If I will make it through this

Losing who I am

(…)

Losing everything I called "human"

Free will is miles away

I heard you play

In the digital cabaret

But I'm okay

I won't disobey

If you take me by the hand and make me

Chosen by a force beyond control

I'll play a part, you'll make me whole

You'll be my voice, I'll be your soul

You'll take my choice and I don't know

How you will make me new but

This is who I am”

Open Up Your Eyes (by Tempest Shadow)

Like this could have gone in a Nicky playlist cause this is literally just Nicky talking to Taylor and warning him of betrayal but it’s a MLP song so ultimately Taylor won out lol. Also someone please make an animatic of this I want it so so bad.

“It's time you learned a lesson

It's time that you understand

Don't ever count on anybody else

In this or any other land

(…)

I once hoped for friendship

To find a place among my kind

But those were the childish wishes

Of someone who was blind

Open up your eyes

(…)

Give up your sweet fantasyland

It's time to grow up and get wise

Come now little one

Open up your eyes

(…)

We all start out the same

With simple naïve trust

Shielded from the many ways

That life's not fair or just

(…)

But then there comes a moment

A simple truth that you must face

If you depend on others

You'll never find your place

(…)

And as you take that first step

Upon a path that's all your own

You see it all so clearly

The best way to survive is all alone”

Pretty Little Head (by Eliza Rickman)

It’s mostly:

“Boy, where's your mother? Fall down dead

Dirty mind, dirty mouth, pretty little head

I wish you were here, I wish you'd make my bed

Dirty mind, dirty mouth, pretty little head”

Mama (My Chemical Romance)

Heheh.

“Mama, we all go to Hell

I'm writing this letter and wishing you well

Mama, we all go to Hell

Oh well, now, Mama, we're all gonna die

Mama, we're all gonna die

Stop asking me questions, I'd hate to see you cry

Mama, we're all gonna die”

In light of recent episodes maybe even

“Mama, we all go to Hell

It's really quite pleasant except for the smell

Mama, we all go to Hell”

Takes on a funny little meaning now.

Holding Out For A Hero (by Frou Frou cause I really like this cover)

Partially an antihero goof, but there’s also a bunch of lyrics that are funny/interesting to me if you remove the intended context and think about Nicky instead. Perhaps especially:

“Up where the mountains meet the heavens above

Out where the lightning splits the sea

I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain

And the storm and the flood

I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood”

Heads Will Roll – A-Track Remix (by Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Because it makes me laugh and I couldn’t resist.

Special (by Shinedown)

“Stop waitin' on your fifteen minutes of fame, 'cause you're not special

I'm not tryin' to rain on your parade, but you're not special

I'm not tryin' to bring you down, I'm not tryin' to sound so ineffectual

But you're not special

(…)

We all live to love, we all fall apart

We'd all go to war for the faint of heart

Instead we're condescending

There are no happy endings

I won't hold my breath, I won't cast a doubt

I'd never sell you out

But I'll give you one last chance to own it

'Cause you're not a god or a poet, so...

(…)

Stop waitin' on your fifteen minutes of fame, 'cause you're not special

I'm not tryin' to rain on your parade, but you're not special

I'm not tryin' to bring you down, I'm not tryin' to sound so ineffectual

But you're not special”

^ Anthony probably lol.

:) Okay that's it thank you for entertaining this besties!