#by and large i do not know the ins and outs of his personal life nor do i want to.

[awsteb]

i suppose get not liking jawn but uh. if you're like super into parx you realise they're choosing to be his friend right. this is like a slightly less extreme version of gerard way fans who despise lindsey

[suugarbabe]

omg ok ok ok, I love your Sirius, so, I'm wondering if you could write a sirius x fem!reader who is maybe the grumpy to his sunshine? he's the one who is always super flirty and outgoing and the life of the party, and she would sort of rather die but begrudgingly puts up with it for him? OH but maybe one day she has a bad day and he gets to see a softer side of her 🥹 IDK idk I'm too excited to request this is so bad sorry my love xoxoxoxo kisses for youuuu

I am *living* for this okay. l i v i n g. because Sirius is my sunshine to my grumpy. I am the grumpy reader. okay let’s do this baby. kiss kiss kiss yoooou <3

Opposites attract right? At least that’s what others seemed to deem as the explanation for your relationship. Sirius was in a category all his own as far as you were concerned, but that category was nearly the opposite of where people would place you. Sirius was a people person, it came so easily to him it was like he never even had to try. It annoyed you to no fucking end when you first met him.

Being a descendent of the most noble and ancient House of Black had its advantages. Like incredibly sharp cheekbones, beautiful alabaster skin that contrasted perfectly with onyx locks and eyes so deep and blue you could drown in them. Sirius exuded this energy that seemed to pull people towards him; like he had his own force field. He could walk into a room and everything shifted, like he breathed extra life into the area and everyone was desperate to live.

Most people when asked about you would say you were…short-tempered. Your housemates tended to steer clear of your presence. Which was fine with you because you were easily annoyed by most of them. Ravenclaws were known for being know-it-alls and truthfully you found it rather repugnant. Thankfully you had Pandora as company. Usually her overly sweet demeanor would drive you insane, but you knew more than the rest. Being a Rosier sorted into Ravenclaw essentially meant she was the black sheep of her family. But that seemed to be your soft spot.

Pandora would tease that this was why you started falling for Sirius. Despite your more grumpy demeanor, you were never quite as grumpy when it came to Sirius. Hearing the ins and outs of what was going on over breaks from Pan made you want to take care of him.

The first time Sirius brought you around the rest of the marauders it was not without sideways glances. “Er, Pads, you seemed to have picked up a shadow,” James nodded towards your frame just behind Sirius. “Sod off, Potter,” you’d grumbled, Sirius’s palm big and flat against your back moving in slow circles. “S’alright love, he’s just teasing. Be nice, Prongs or she’ll hex you into next week and I won’t be able to stop her.”

“Not that you’d try to stop her, would ya mate. I’m Remus, but all these miserable gits call me Moony,” Remus gave a small fingered wave as he plopped onto the couch ceremoniously. He would eventually turn into the one that’d help you gang up on Sirius, if ever needed.

On this particular night, though, you were feeling just…down. It wasn’t often you felt like this, despite outward appearances. However when this feeling did hit you, there was only one person that could fully get you out of it. You knew that the Gryffindors were having their annual Halloween party. Which meant if you wanted to find Sirius that’s where he’d be.

You had of course agreed to come to the party ages ago; much to do with Sirius begging and pouting his pretty pink lips and sucking you in with his pretty blue eyes. Sirius had insisted that costumes were required, “Even for an angel like yourself” which earned him a particularly large eye roll. Thus, you threw on some fishnet tights and a black minidress with your signature black boots. Atop your head a small pair of black cat ears, thanks to Pandoras charm work.

She was dressed as an actual angel, charmed halo floating above her nearly white blonde locks. Any muggle would think they were truly hallucinating if they would have seen her. You greeted the fat lady with the password, “Hiddlypunks,” and she swung open. Within the first few steps one would be none the wiser. But two steps into the commonroom and the barrier was broken, music and singing and murmuring filling the room.

“Drinks yes? Please yes,” you nodded at Pandora who found her way to to the drink table to create what you were hoping were very strong concoctions. You didn’t need to look around in order to find him. That magnetic pull leading you closer and closer until you heard the boisterous laugh of Sirius Black. You were quiet in your approach, not drawing any attention to yourself on purpose. Even though you yearned for his touch you knew how much he enjoyed entertaining and didn’t want to interrupt.

Remus spots you of course, the observant bastard. He throws a playful wink in your direction; you responding with a middle finger and a forced smile. Sirius is in the middle of recalling “a truly amazing play, great play” from the last quidditch match, but Remus’s low chuckle from your display of affection towards him causes your boyfriend to turn around in search of who could have possibly pulled attention away from him.

His furrowed brows disperse as you catch his sights and smile lights his face, “Well, hello there, Kitten.” You give a weak smile in response, “Hi Siri.” His brows are furrowed once more. The others try to greet you but immediately you’re swept away to a farther corner of the room. Sirius swirls his wand around you both, muttering a quick muffliato, coating you both in silence. “Okay, out with it what’s wrong?” Sirius’s hands were laid gently on your waist, head dipped down to force your avoidant eyes to keep contact with his. “Come now, pet. You know I can’t do anything without knowing what’s wrong,” he urged, giving your waist a small squeeze.

You met his eyes and yours immediately began to brim with tears. In an instant Sirius has engulfed you, one hand grasping your head and holding you close to his chest while the other wraps around your back, squeezing you as close to him as possible and hoping the pressure of his pull is soothing. His heart breaks ever so slightly at the muffled sobs against him. Your emotions seem to be everywhere but embarrassment is toping the list as you begin to pull away, aggressively wiping your face with the heel of your palms, hoping no one but Sirius is noticing you in this state.

"I-I'm sorry Siri, 've just..." you trailed off, choked breaths causing your intake of air to stutter. Sirius's touch has yet to cease, one hand cupping your cheek gently while the other finds solace in the dip of your waist, "Rough day, love?" You nod once, looking to the ceiling and willing any tears to fall back into your head instead of trailing down your face. "Alright, let's go," his head tilts towards the spiral staircase that would lead to his dorm.

You sniffle quickly, shaking your head, "N-no, I'll be okay. I'm not going to take you away from the party, Siri. Not gonna steal you from your friends like that." Sirius can't help but scoff, "Fuck my friends." You laugh a little at his brashness and the sound makes Sirius grin again, "There you are, love." He takes a quick peek over his shoulder, "Now. Let's just go tell the others we're going up, Remus will make sure we're left alone for a good few hours then, hmm?"

You nod, agreeing, knowing that there's no use in arguing with Sirius when he's made up his mind. His fingers laced with yours and the cool feeling of his rings are such a contrast the the heat in your body that it's calming. He gives your hand an extra squeeze as you approach the group. You decide to try and stay hidden behind Sirius, almost burying your face against his shoulder blade, barely peeking one eye out to see the others.

Sirius explains that he's feeling tired and wants to go back to the room with you. James does not look convinced in the slightest. He looks even more confused by your seemingly shy and reserved demeanor. He doesn't think he's ever seen you look so...vulnerable. Remus is the only person you make eye contact with and he gives you a simple wink and a nod. The reassurance from the smallest action making you sigh in relief.

It's almost like Sirius can feel you relax slightly, turning to you and asking if you're ready to go. You give a feeble nod and a shy wave to the others, most of which look a little skeptical but say no protests in return.

When you make it to his dorm Sirius immediately goes to his trunk, pulling out his favorite concert tee and handing it to you. You take off your outfit slowly, pulling his shirt over your head and letting it consume you, the additional scent of Sirius now enveloping your body and adding to your relief. Sirius changes himself and then pulls back the duvet, "In you go, pet."

You oblige, going and getting comfortable on your back. Sirius climbs in after you, crawling over your form and placing two soft kisses on either apple of your cheek before giving you the most gentle yet firm kiss. He rests his head against yours, asking you almost in a whisper, "D'you wanna talk about it?"

"No," your response so soft it would've been missed had it not been only you two in the room, "Will you just...lay on me?" Sirius kissed you softly once more, scooching down just enough to lay his head on your chest. He wrapped his arms around you, relaxing himself and allowing his full weight to now lay on top of you. The weight of your boyfriend was the grounding you needed, your breathing now finally able to even out.

[mymindisneverhere]

FAVORS (1)

warnings: 18+ MDNI!, sub!Terry, soft dom!black fem OC, explicit language, slight smut, a bit of a slow burn (forgive me if I missed any)

summary: Terry starts a new job at a warehouse after losing his life savings. He becomes acquainted with all of the workers except for one… the boss’ daughter.

Part One

Masterlist

“You alright over there Terry?”

“Yeah I’m good.” Terry responded.

He lifted the large boxes with ease, tossing them onto the back of the truck as they traveled down the conveyor belt. With each toss he’d let out a grunt, onlookers assumed it was from struggle but it was nothing other than frustration.

Terry had just secured a job at a local warehouse where he would load each delivery truck with boxes filled with parts for cars, motorcycles, trucks, etc. It was his only option after losing all of his life savings to a crooked police department.

Of course his experience in the Marines and his education made him a quick hire for the position. After a few weeks of orientation, training, and learning his new work schedule, he had fallen right in with the other workers who had been on the job for decades.

She watched him like hawk on the surveillance cameras, her freshly manicured tips tapping the sides of her coffee mug. She didn’t orchestrate any of the interviews or handle any of the paperwork that came with hiring people because she didn’t care to. She was solely there to do one thing and one thing only, find her next partner.

Terry had met all of the staff members on the job during his orientation. Supervisors, team leads, those with special assignments and floor workers, the same as he. There was only one person he had yet to meet, the CEOs daughter, Khloé MacArthur, the head bitch in charge.

MacArthur Motors and Parts Inc. was established in 1989 by a man named John MacArthur. There were a decent number of locations down south but his daughter only visited the ones closest to home. However Khloé visited very rarely, usually to spy on the workers and search for her new piece of meat.

She watched closely, observing his every move. Her eyes roamed from his face, admiring his naturally arched eyebrows, down to his full pink lips, his strong neck, and lastly to his chest that flexed every time he lifted a new box. The gray company shirt he wore wasn’t tight but it was no secret that when he wasn’t at work, he was in the gym religiously.

Jobs that require hard labor always had the perfect associates to fulfill her needs. Usually tall, muscular, a few tattoos and oozing masculinity. There was nothing she enjoyed more than making a big dog her bitch.

This new piece of meat she had her eyes on was nothing like she had in the past. He was pretty, no fuck that, he was beautiful. Everything about him fit perfectly in her sexual fantasy. She could see it clear as day in her mind, his big hands gripping her throat and that tight ass clenching every time he filled her up.

“Ms. MacArthur?” Olivia, the warehouse clerk and her personal assistant, called out to her, interrupting her thoughts.

“What?” Khloé snapped her head in Olivia’s direction, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

“Y-your father’s on the line ma’am, h-he wants to know if you can make it in t-time for dinner tomorrow tonight?” Olivia notified.

“I’ll pick it up.” She rolled her eyes, walking over to the phone. “Knock next time or that’s a write up!”

“Yes ma’am, I’m sorry.” Olivia stammered out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She picked up the phone and smiled.

“Yes Daddy?” She answered in her usual sweet voice. The voice she used only for her father… and her prey.

“How’s my princess doing?”

“Fine, just doing my check-ins as usual.” She responded.

“That’s my girl, always making sure the business is running smoothly.” He said. “Have you found a date for the annual banquet?”

There it was, the real reason he was calling.

“No daddy, I don’t need a date for a family banquet.” She responded in a fake tone, trying hard to mask her irritation.

“Your sisters got her husband, your brothers got his finance, all of your cousins have partners. Do you want to be the only one there without someone for the third year in a row?” He asked, hoping to hit a nerve.

Every year the MacArthur family would get together and celebrate their accomplishments and achievements for the year. Some families had family reunions, hers had family banquets. They’d dress up in gorgeous gowns and tailored tuxedos just to feast in a ballroom reserved just for them, a few business partners and close friends.

However Khloé hated them because every year they reminded her of how lonely she truly was. The dates she had brought in the past didn’t make her feel seen or loved, they just enjoyed status. Witnessing her siblings and other relatives truly love and admire their significant others had her questioning her ability to be cherished and loved by someone other than family.

A husband wasn’t necessarily the end all be all for an ambitious and independent woman like her but she wouldn’t mind having someone to come home to every night. Someone she could truly be herself with.

“I’ll have to call you later Daddy, I’m busy right now.” Khloé said, trying to end the conversation.

“Okay princess, but I will see you at dinner tomorrow… alone I’m assuming?” He was pushing her buttons again.

“Goodbye Daddy.���

She slammed the phone down onto its receiver, making the cord bounce violently. She stared down at the brand new business phone, one she had begged her father to purchase. She wanted to upgrade the phones and computers in each warehouse. Just because the buildings were old didn’t mean the technology had to be.

After a few minutes of collecting her thoughts and attempting to bring her emotions back down to zero she went back to lurking from the small office window. She was beginning to come up with the perfect plan that would involve the perfect man.

“How long were you in?” Earl, a man in his late 50s, asked Terry.

“Four years.” Terry responded, continuing to toss the boxes like they weighed nothing. “You?”

“Man I went in in ‘85, saw all that shit they wanted us to do, told ‘em they could kiss my ass.” Earl stated unapologetically.

Terry couldn’t help but to laugh at the older gentleman. His thick southern accent made what he was saying ten times funnier than it actually was.

“I understand that.” Terry said.

“But you young bucks got the heart for that type of training,” Earl said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Me, I been a old nigga all my life.”

“Oh yeah?” Terry continued his laughter.

He genuinely enjoyed Earl's company, he was one of the first few people to introduce himself to Terry. It didn’t take long for him to warm up to the older guy, seeing as though his extroverted personality made him so many friends.

The long conveyor belt had stopped, letting them know that it was time for lunch. They tossed the final boxes onto the truck and slammed the back closed before walking away from their stations.

“How long you been here?” Terry asked, placing his hands on hips.

“20 years.” Earl responded.

“That’s a long time man.”

“Who you tellin’?” Earl joked. “I remember when this company first started. I didn’t think it would last long. A business like this ran by a black man in the south? I just knew them white boys would tear this place to shreds.”

“What you think stopped them from doing that?” Terry asked.

“The same thing that’ll make anybody do something they don’t necessarily agree with-,” Earl looked over at Terry with a surprised expression “-money.”

“Olivia!” Khloé called, approaching the large desk that sat right at the front of the building. The words “MacArthur Motors and Parts Inc” plastered on the wall in big red letters.

“Ma’am?” Olivia answered, tearing her eyes from the computer screen.

“Who is the new guy?” Khloé leaned onto the desk trying to keep her voice low so the employees passing by wouldn’t hear her.

Olivia turned to the file cabinet on her right, stuffed with folders designated for each employee in alphabetical order. She scanned her slim fingers covered across the tabs before landing on his name.

“Richmond.” She said proudly. “Terry Richmond is his name.”

Khloé took the folder from her hands, flipping through each page carefully. She immediately began heading back to the office to figure out how she was gonna go about getting him.

“Ms. MacArthur, I actually need that to finish his new hire forms.”

“I’ll handle it!” Khloé yelled from down the long hallway.

“Thanks?” Olivia said in a confused tone.

The break room was becoming empty as workers began to head back to their stations. Terry kneeled down to get the water that had gotten stuck in the vending machine, putting up a bit of a fight to retrieve the beverage.

She stepped into the break room slowly, not wanting him to hear the loud click of her expensive pumps. The muscles in his back flexed as he tugged on the water. Finally getting it from the bottom of the machine, he still hadn’t noticed her standing there. She planted her feet together, standing just a few feet away from him.

“Terry, right?” Khloé asked.

He turned his head to see her feet first, his eyes trailing up her body and landing on her face. She stood there, hands behind her back, a small smile on her red colored lips. The black suit dress she wore fit her petite frame perfectly and her thick black hair pulled into a sleek ponytail topped her business attire.

“Yeah and you are?” He said looking up at her with a raised brow.

“I’m Khloé,” She answered, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He stood, his movement seemingly in slow motion as he grew taller and taller, eventually towering over her. He took her hand and shook it suspiciously. He couldn’t think of one reason why a woman like her, dressed the way she was dressed, would be in a warehouse wandering around.

“Khloé MacArthur, I’m the owner's daughter.” She said, hoping to rid him of the obvious skepticism she saw in his expression.

“Oh, Ms. MacArthur.” He said in surprise, immediately changing his expression. “My apologies, you scared me for a moment there.”

“No need to apologize. I’m usually traveling, I’m hardly ever here so I understand.” She assured him, staring into his eyes.

She held onto his hand longer than she planned to, not noticing until his eyes darted down and back to her face.

“I’m sorry-“ She said, finally letting go of his hand. “-it’s just, your eyes are so beautiful.”

Terry looked down, blushing a bit.

“Thank you.” He said, returning his eyes to hers.

“You hear that a lot, I’m sure.”

“I do.”

“When did you start? I know I haven't been here in a while but I’d definitely remember seeing your face.” Khloé asked, shifting her weight onto her left leg.

“A few weeks ago actually.” He answered.

The eye contact was almost intimidating but Khloé wasn’t a woman who folded easily, even standing in the presence of this Earthly God.

“How you liking it so far?”

“It’s good. I’m still getting used to the scheduling, a lot of coffee in my diet lately but it’s pretty cool.”

“Not an early bird, huh?”

“No ma’am.” He turned to look back at the clock on the wall and she took this quick moment to get a close up of his chest, flexing as he turned. She bit down on her bottom lip before he could notice.

“I hate to be rude Ms. MacArthur-“

“Khloé” She interrupted.

His lip folded into a slight grin. “Khloe, I have to get back on the floor, my lunch is over. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” She smiled up at him as she watched him walk away, her eyes scanning the back of his body.

“That is an ass on that man.” She whispered to herself before heading back to her side of the warehouse.

4 hours later

“Another day, another couple hundred dollars, young blood.” Earl announced, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “You got plans for tonight, you know it’s “Free shot Friday’s” down at Frankie’s?”

“Nah I’m good man, I don’t drink much.” Terry said, placing both of his arms into the straps of his backpack.

“You know Terry’s a good guy-“ John, another man shouted from behind the two of them. “-he ain’t no drinker or smoker.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, that’s why he built like a gladiator and we walkin’ around with beer bellies.” Earl joked, receiving laughs from the other men in the locker room.

Terry chuckled, placing the last of his work items into his locker before leaving the locker room. The only thing left for him to do was clock out for the evening and head home.

“I see y’all boys on Monday, y’all be safe.” And with that Terry left the locker room, heading to his truck.

He reached into his pants pocket to grab his badge and swiped it across the small box designated for clock-ins/clock-outs.

He exited the building walking to his truck, relieved to be at the end of another workday. He searched his pockets for his keys unaware of the pair of eyes that had been on him the entire time he spent in the parking lot.

She watched the TV screen closely, each quadrant displaying different areas in the building and parking lot. It had been two years since she had been with anybody but this was the first time she had this type of craving for someone.

Sure she had flings here and there but this longing was so strong, she could practically feel him inside of her already. Like his energy was pulling on hers, begging her for connection.

Khloé could still smell his scent, the mixture of cologne and sweat as if he were standing right behind her. She could still see the thick veins in his arms, permanently in her memory. She couldn’t wait to find out if he had those same veins on his dick, licking her lips at the thought of feeling him along her tongue.

*Knock Knock*

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and grateful for it.

“Come in.”

“The night shift are all clocked in and at their stations, are you ready to go Ms. MacArthur?” Olivia asked, her large purse hanging off of her shoulder.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Khloé grabbed her purse, her keys and Terry’s employee work file and headed out of the office.

She paced back and forth in her living room, biting the insides of her cheeks. Her feet sank into the white plush rug as she read over the pages for the 10th time, trying to piece this man together.

She had been looking over Terry’s file for the past hour now. She studied every page, every background check, every piece of information they had on him but unfortunately it wasn’t much.

Walking over to her computer, she wiggled the mouse and slammed herself into her large desk chair that sat against her window. The heavily lit view of downtown shined lights through her windows along with the full moon up in the sky as she began her research.

“Terrance Richmond, former Marine, Born June 7, 1994.” She whispered to herself, typing each word as she spoke.

‘He’s 30, perfect.’ She thought.

She searched his name to see if she could find him on social media.

No Twitter.

No Facebook.

No Instagram.

“Who the fuck is this man?”

She continued searching, scrolling for what seemed like hours until she stumbled across an article for a small town called “Shelby Springs”. The article titled “Ex-Marine Exposes SSPD” caused her invisible antennas to perk up.

‘Former Marine, Terrance Richmond, helps stop corruption invading Shelby Springs. After officers unlawfully seized $36,000 from Richmond, the last of his savings intended for posting bail for his late cousin, Richmond took matters into his own hands. One man gets justice for himself, his cousin and others who were wrongfully convicted.’

“So he’s some sort of hero?” She licked her lips, smirking to herself. The fact that this one man had gone to war with a police department full of cops and won made her nipples hard.

She could feel the gears in her head begin to turn as she finished reading the article. Learning about his time in the Marines and him being trained in martial arts, he was the perfect candidate for her future escapades.

Images flashed in her mind. Images of her hands against his bare chest as she rode him, the view of him looking down on her while she went down on him, him sitting back and watching while she played with herself. Each scene sent a shiver down her spine. She crossed her legs tightly rubbing her thighs together to create a pleasureful friction.

Khloé didn’t want to fully pleasure herself just yet. She knew the build up would be so worth it, she could feel it. She needed to contain her desire for an orgasm. She wanted to be sure that he was the one to give it to her.

Shutting down her computer, she closed his file and placed it on the counter next to her purse. She went into her bathroom and started the shower turning the knob to the far right to make the water cold.

After about 15 minutes of washing up and bringing her arousal back down she prepared for bed. She got into her large queen sized bed, topped with a thick white comforter and smiled to herself…

so her mission begins.

to be continued…

[muddyorbsblr]

the warmest bed i've ever known

'one look and they'll know' collection masterlist See my full list of works here!

Placement: dating era; a few days after 'when the feeling sinks in'

Summary: Tom has convinced you to go back to London with him for a few weeks, and a photo of you two out and about together has opinions firing left and right.

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings (spoilers ahead): language; big hater behavior towards Reader; attempted breakup; angst; brief mentions of past bullying [let me know if i missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: Tomathy fully in his comforting precious bf era

Numb.

That was the only word that came to mind right now to describe what you felt, staring at your screen with all the hateful vile words that people who didn't even know you were flinging your way. And all because of the man you were dating. And how much you looked like a downgrade compared to his ex.

Then again it really shouldn't have surprised you, considering the turn your life had taken in the last few months. Hell, the last few days. There was really no other way for these nameless faceless spineless people to react when the man you'd started dating was none other than Tom Hiddleston.

And the figuratively ridiculously large shoes you had to fill considering the rising power of said ex…was Taylor Swift's.

You shouldn't have gone online. Checked Twitter. Checked anything, really. They rarely if ever had anything good to say, it was a special kind of stupid and naive for you to think that someway somehow you and your relationship were going to be the exception to the vitriolic rule.

Now here you were, screechy voices filling your mind, spitting out the words that your eyes scanned when you opened the cesspool of a sight.

Nothing special

Unremarkable

Fucking stab my eyes out with a rusty fork ugly

To be completely fair, you'd seen worse when you were still in school, every day inundated with the mocking words that sociopaths with hormones on overdrive wielded recklessly like a goddamn balisong without care that the person on the receiving end was actually a person. And if that was the shitshow you experienced from people brave enough to sign those sentiments with their name and say it to your face with chests fully puffed out, then the bravery of these people when they were all snuggled up under the protective cover of anonymity really shouldn't have shocked you.

Finding out who they were behind the screen and dealing out retribution on your own terms would have been a simple enough task. After all, you'd done it before, and even with the current advancements in technology and the tighter security protocols centered around protecting user data, you still managed to keep a few tricks in your bag that you could whip out if the need ever arose.

There was just one thing that stopped you from doing just that. A part of you agreed with the vicious comments. It was easy enough to ignore when people in school were just making hateful pages about how you sucked and how no one would ever genuinely like you. Or when they made pages pretending to be you so that they could dole out their paltry attempts at trying to ruin what little reputation you had at the time.

When you dealt with them on that comparatively smaller scale, it became easy to numb yourself to their words, drown them out until they were just white noise in the background, keeping you focused on the path you laid out for yourself rather than distracting you. It gave you a drive to work harder and better so that you could get as far away from them as possible.

On this scale, the background noise was so strong, so loud and overwhelming that every step you took to fight it seemed to take every ounce of your strength. It felt like there was no way out. You couldn't just hunker down and work hard so that you could get away from it all this time. And you couldn't exactly ignore them, either.

How could you? When they were voicing with pinpoint accuracy every insecurity that plagued you ever since you agreed to be his girlfriend a few days ago. Ever since your first night with him months ago.

So is this some sort of Make-A-Wish thing? That's it, right? She's on her last few months and she wanted to live them in delusion?

Fifty bucks says Tom's active on Raya right now. Quick someone send me an invite link I wanna shoot my shot. Tommy don't worry baby I'll save you from whatever the fuck mistake you got yourself into.

How the fuck do you go from Taylor Swift to that?

The most prevalent remarks in the last few hours had to do with a sighting of you sitting on a park bench, working on creating a wardrobe piece for an upcoming show that, if all went well, would start filming in a few years. The book author and the prospective showrunner got in contact with you after a glowing recommendation from Taika, and they talked about struggling to find the perfect scarf that would serve as one of the series' focal points.

After a few discussions and so many skeins of yarn that there was now an oversized tote bag in your hotel room overflowing with various shades of dark teal and peacock blue, you started crocheting a sample size of the pattern to show the author later on in the afternoon before you went to meet Tom for dinner. And that was how you were spotted this morning, sitting quietly on the bench, eyes on your project while your boyfriend was taking Bobby for a walk.

And for some reason the internet was up in arms over that,

Are you really fucking telling me this boring ass bitch that's giving old lady crocheting a goddamn scarf is fucking riding the God of Mischief every day? Nuh uh nope I don't believe that. Our Tommy deserves someone fun, and actually fucking pays attention to him and not a ball of yarn. Our baby deserves so much better than this.

You stared at the desk in front of you, your sample scarf to the left, and your laptop at the center, the screen now black from inactivity. You couldn't bother to move to check the time; your reminder would ring when your call would start. All you could bring yourself to do was remain exactly as you were, knees drawn to your chest with your arms around your legs, shaking and doing your damnedest not to break out into sobs over the knowledge of what you were about to do as soon as the door opened.

It was a good run, you told yourself. More than I deserved.

The sound of the front door opening jolted you back to reality, the voices finally dying down somewhat. Unfortunately, hearing Tom's voice started the voices right back up again.

"Y/N, darling, have you finished with your call? I was hoping we could go out tonight for dinner and--" His words stopped abruptly once he got to his study, seeing you in the position you'd been in for the last few hours, and immediately rushed to your side, crouching in front of you and taking your hands in his. "What's wrong, goddess?"

"I uhh…I have to go back to Los Angeles. I'm gonna see if I can make the next flight back." You didn't dare meet his eyes, still trying to hold back any tears.

He let out a breath, sounding almost relieved before he pressed a kiss to your hands. "That shouldn't be much of a problem, I can pack a bag and we can be on the next flight out--"

"No," you cut him off, wincing at your tone. "I'm going alone. There's no need for you to go with me, I'm sure you have some other things to do here. Better things."

There was a slight tremor in his hand as he cupped your face, gently turning your head to look at him. He took a shuddering breath seeing the tears swimming in your eyes. "What's happening right now, sweetheart? Please. I don't understand what could have brought this on, we had a lovely morning--"

"I thought I could do this," you choked out, finding it difficult to form coherent words without starting to blubber. "I thought I could drown the voices out, not let them get to me but…they're too loud. They're ruthless and vile and they have megaphones and they're right." You shook your head to turn away from him, burying your face between your knees, the all too familiar feeling of shame flooding your system, shrouding over you like an overly weighted blanket. "I'm not strong enough to do this with you. And you deserve someone better than me."

You took your laptop off of Standby, your screen illuminating and showing him the harsh words that had been haunting you since you stupidly decided to check the internet just minutes after he left the house. He began to visibly tense as his eyes scanned the pages seeing all the hateful things literal strangers had to say about your relationship.

"Look we gave it a shot," you tried to tell him, making a motion to get out of the chair which made him put his hands on the armrests, effectively keeping you in place. "But I think it's time to call it. I'm not good for you, and you deserve someone--"

"No." His tone was low and resolute, hands staying firmly on the chair, refusing to let you go anywhere. From a certain perspective, it was a smart enough move, considering that if he let you go right now, you'd probably sprint out the door in the name of doing what you thought would be best for him. Even if it meant ripping your own heart out in the process. "This can't be over already, we've only just begun. The time I've had with you has been extraordinary and I know that if we keep going, it'll get even better. You've made me so happy and--"

"You'll find someone that makes you happier," you dumbly shot back, the sentiment hitting you so hard that the tears finally began to fall. Even the thought of him potentially moving on so quickly after this already had you ready to sob. "Someone stronger. Someone that can handle all of this or hell someone they'll actually like--"

"Those people don't care for my happiness," he said in a rush, tears filling his eyes as well. "No matter what I do, there's always going to be someone hateful that has something to say, and they'll always think they're right. It's so clear that they don't give a damn about what actually makes me happy because if they did, they wouldn't be saying these disgusting lies about you, trying to get into your head."

There was a desperation in his tone that tore at your heart; no part of you wanted to do this. But seeing every single insecurity that you'd had ever since you said yes to being his girlfriend, yes to going to London with him for a few weeks, and generally just yes to spending the next few however months of your life with him, all laid out in print echoed by so many others? You knew he deserved better than this, better than someone that would ultimately have to be hidden away so that these people would stop coming for his throat for his 'poor choices'.

And when you knew that what would be best for the man you ached to give your heart to was to actually tuck your heart away and run, how selfish would it be for you to do the opposite?

The feel of his hands framing your face brought you back to your thoughts, the frantic pleading look on his face robbing you of your breath. "Do you want to leave, Y/N?" You wanted to scream No of course I don't, I want to stay with you. But you found yourself unable to form words. All you could do was shake your head as more tears fell from your eyes.

He pressed his lips to yours, pulling you into his arms the second you crossed your hands behind his neck and lifting you out of your seat. He didn't break the kiss until he'd carried you to his bedroom, setting you down on the edge of the bed. Then he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead before sinking to his knees in front of you, taking your hands in his.

"Then don't leave. Stay with me. We'll stay in and stay away from prying eyes so nobody gets to say anything about you, we'll--"

"You shouldn't have to make adjustments in your life for the sake of making me comfortable," you argued. "You should be with someone that can face all of this, not cower in a corner licking her wounds needing to be protected if she so much as gets seen stepping out of your house like some tiny helpless baby animal. You deserve to be with someone you can share everything with, without the worry of people shooting you down just because I'm not pretty enough or tall enough for them. You can have anything and everything you want with a snap of your fingers, I'm sure it won't be that hard to find someone that--"

Tom stopped you from letting out another word, holding you by the back of your  head and pulling you to him for a desperate kiss. "I don't want anyone else, I want you. I don't give a fuck what anyone else wants to think about how I choose to spend my life and who I choose to share it with, because I know better. You're enough, you're more than enough. And if a few precautions and adjustments have to be made to make sure they can't get to you, then I'm more than happy to do all that and more.

"Our first night together I told you I just want you. As you are. That I want to make you happy." He rose from his knees, pressing a kiss to your cheek and working his way to your ear. "That I want to satisfy you. Do you remember?" You could only nod, trying and failing not to melt against him as he kissed below your ear. "I'm going to add that list of wants now. I want to make sure you feel safe, with every means I have at my disposal."

He guided you down until your back was flat on the mattress, kissing down your neck as he did so, his lips trailing a path down to just over your heart. You found it near impossible to breathe, finding yourself overwhelmed with how gentle and tender he was handling you.

"I want to love you," he said, meeting your eyes with a look that you could only describe as surrender. "I know you're not ready to hear it yet, but this can't wait anymore. You need to hear it. You need to know that the only way for me to actually have everything that I want is if I get to share everything I have with you. I need you to know that your leaving would rip my heart out." He made his way back up, stopping when your faces were mere inches apart. "I need you to know who you'd be leaving." He brushed his lips across yours in a featherlight kiss. "You would be leaving a man so completely, so desperately in love with you."

You tried to speak, but all you could manage was inaudibly mouthing his name, the sentiment you tried to stomp down just a little over a week ago fighting its way back up to the surface. Practically shouting from the back of your throat.

"I love you," he breathed out. "Please, sweetheart. Don't do this. Don't leave. Whatever you want, whatever you need so that we can make this work, we'll find our way through this together just please…I'm begging you don't tell me that what you want is to rid yourself of me--"

"That's the last thing I want," you managed to choke out, your eyes stinging with even more tears. You swallowed the lump in your throat, mustering every ounce of strength you had left to finally say the sentiment you prematurely blurted out when he first popped up at your house. "I love you, too."

You woke up the next morning the same way you'd been ever since you and Tom first got together, his arm wrapped around you, the butterflies fluttering violently in your stomach from how he held your body against his without a stitch of clothing between you two, along with the tender kisses he peppered along your shoulder. It was a routine you'd not only found yourself getting comfortable with, but you were looking forward to it whenever you felt yourself rousing from sleep.

And that part scared the living daylights out of you.

Relationships? Routines? Your mind wandering to that place that you said you never dared think about in the context of being in any kind of relationship again, because the last time you did, the rug got pulled out from under you and threw your life and the future you envisioned into a blender?

You swore to yourself that day all those years ago that you were never going to let yourself get this comfortable. That you would always have your safety measures in place so that you never had to worry about having to scramble your way back up to your feet without any sense of direction.

And you did. You had your measures. You had your walls up. You put your heart under lock and key and said you'd never give it to someone again. Yet here you were, basically opening the chest and telling Tom that it was right there for the taking.

A chest you couldn't close again even if you tried. Even if you wanted to.

The feel of his lips pressing a kiss between your neck and shoulder had you letting out a tiny whimper, making him smile and hum against your skin. "Good morning, goddess."

You were growing concerningly comfortable with that, too.

He moved you until you were lying with your back flat on the mattress, brushing his nose across yours as he gave you a contented smile. "I love you."

You couldn't help the smile that stretched across your own face hearing the words. "Hmm…careful, you keep talking like that I might get used to it."

He laid his lips on yours, giving you a tender kiss as he gently ran his hand down the side of your body before stopping at your hip, his thumb stroking your skin. "I want you to get used to it, because I'll be saying it a lot from now on." His lips traced a line down to the base of your throat. "I love you," he murmured against your skin repeatedly as he kissed along your collarbone.

"I love you, too," you whimpered as he kissed his way down to your stomach, his shaky exhale warming your skin even more. You placed your hand on his shoulder, leading him to refocus his attention to kissing his way up your arm. "I really stepped on the ledge yesterday…" you trailed off, struggling to take a deep breath as you tried to find the words, ultimately settling on the simplest ones. You weren't likely to find better words anyways. "Thank you for talking me off of it."

He took his time kissing his way back up to your lips, never breaking eye contact. "Always, my love." The new endearment, paired with the way he tenderly kissed your lips, had your head spinning. "I'm going out to get us some breakfast. I'll be back in an hour. Go back to sleep, sweetheart."

Those words had you stirring, making a motion to sit up on the bed. "What? No, you don't need to do that, you'll get papped. Gimme a few minutes to get dressed, I'll do it."

"If you go out, they'll photograph you, too," he argued. "Pictures of us are still fresh on their minds, which means these vultures are still very much on the lookout for you out and about, waiting to take pictures in hopes of selling them to the sleaziest gossip sites. Give it a week, maybe two, and they'll refocus their attention on someone else. Them and the internet."

You slumped back into the bed with a soft thud, surrendering to the fact that unfortunately, the logic made sense. You needed a good few days to let your face and those photos fade into relative irrelevancy. "You probably need your team to spin some story on why we were seen together, too," you sighed, the discomfort of having to let the wheels turn in your head before you've even had a bite of food or a sip of coffee starting to make you skittish. "I mean, the saying goes that we can't put the genie back in the bottle, but what if it isn't fully out yet? We still have a chance to…I don't know, mitigate the situation?"

Tom rested his forehead against yours, letting out a deep sigh as he laid back down on the bed as well, pulling you into his arms so that your head rested on his chest. "One day it won't be this toxic."

His words had you giggling, looking up at him and pressing a kiss to his chin. "It's adorable that you think that, but no. But one day maybe the voices of those who would genuinely just be happy for you would be louder than these snakes in the pit with their megaphones. And maybe one day I'll be strong enough to not give a fuck about any of it."

He tightened his hold on you, arms snaking around your body in an embrace that had you falling even more into that dangerous place of way too damn comfortable. "Until then I'm going to do what I can to keep you safe. It'll only be a few weeks at most. Maybe less if we're lucky and someone causes a scandal." He pressed numerous soft kisses to the tip of your nose, breaking out into a smile when his attentions caused you to let out a soft giggle. "For now, I get to keep you in the house. All to myself." His smile turned into a mischievous grin as he rolled you on to your back, rasping the next words, "Like my own beautiful brilliant little captive."

"A very willing captive," you shot back, once again going breathless when he started kissing you all over your neck and chest. "Be careful out there? Don't let them get a reaction out of you, no matter what they ask. Or what they say about me."

"I will," he mumbled, humming against your skin as he placed open-mouthed kisses along the side of your body, nipping at your waist before pulling away. He made his way to his closet, shooting a playful knowing glance at you when he saw how you propped yourself up on your elbows to enjoy the view. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart," he chuckled, throwing on his usual running gear of a black t-shirt with the Legendary logo and black shorts that were definitely a size too small with how the garment hugged and accentuated his hips and upper thighs. Not to mention how those shorts made it all too obvious that your boyfriend happily and proudly chooses neither when it came to the age-old debate of boxers or briefs.

He walked back toward the bed, sitting on the edge and leaning over you to capture your lips in a heated kiss, as if it had been weeks since he'd done it last rather than mere minutes. His hand freely roamed your side, lightly grasping at your hips while he slowly laid you back down flat on the bed. Once he had, he broke the kiss to press his lips to the tip of your nose, then to your forehead.

"I'll wake you when I'm back home. Promise me you won't check on those pages again. None of them deserve our time, or our emotions. I love you, goddess."

"I promise. I love you, too."

A/N: Welcome to the second part of the 'said it first' arc! This would probably be the angstiest moment in their entire relationship and precious bf meow meow really answered her "I'm leaving" with "No ur not I love u 🥺" and we love him for it your honor

Three more parts to this arc and hopefully I can pull myself out of playing my lil games long enough to actually get to writing any of the pieces in my rotation 😅🫡

Here's a gif for everyone who reads 'til the end of the post…this be what the blorbos were like in that last scene:

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @lunarnights95 @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover

[tadc-harlequin-au]

Heyyyy I need to know what Swap!Harlequin Pomni's living situation is, and how her Caine fits into it... No reason in particular..

(Totally not for a fic I'm cooking, not at alllll)

;3

Her living situation is the fact that I was thinking: she's living in a large underground hideout (one of those war bunkers) hidden inside a broken down shed that sat abandoned for years until roleswap!Pomni and Abel found it and repurposed it for themselves. Since they're on the run, they can't exactly risk on staying on a big mansion like Harlequin!Caine does in the canon story.

On the surface, it looks like a very dilapidated bunker entrance and opening the surface entrance door would lead to an "unstable" walkway down that had seemingly collapsed in on itself, but if you were able to put in the effort of moving the "debris" out of the way, You'd realize that it's actually just a coverup to make sure the place never gets explored beyond the "collapsed" walkway. How is this coverup possible? One of Pomni's many magic tricks.

Opening the inner door and hopping onto the open elevator with barely any protective railings on it, it's layers upon layers of rooms, and there's a small open space in the middle of it all, with a tall high beam support connecting the layers to ensure that the place doesn't collapse in on itself. Caine likes to use these beams as like an obstacle course of sorts for getting up and down.

This is a rough layout on how I think it'd be, not the final look obvs but it is a start that I can improve on later down the line

There's a number of 'broken-but-still-kicking' Puppets living in this space, all being taken care of and attempted to be fixed back into their prime to give them a shot at living a life that was robbed from them. Not exactly in tip top shape, but hey. At the very least, they have a safe space away from their abusive masters, and the duo never claimed they were good at this kind of thing anyways.

Pomni does have an office, but it's significantly smaller, very homely and she doesn't spend as much time in there unless it's wanting a small enclosed space to simply smoke in, thinking of a gameplan for their current situation or figuring out what to do for the day, and the day after that. Even more surprising is the fact that Caine likes this area the most and stays in there for extended periods of time, whether Pomni is in or not. He's in a calmer state when that happens, so Pomni lets him be.

Speaking of Caine, how does he fit into all this? He just does. He's actually not as energetic as Harlequin!Pomni, being an Assassin Harlequin instead of an active fighter; he's much more toned down and surprisingly well-behaved in the grand scheme, if at all irritated at the entire situation and how he had let his guard down enough to be roped into her mess. Passive-aggressive and speaks in a low tone like he's constantly judging, which he is lmfao.

... But that doesn't mean he doesn't ask for a target Puppet to locate, capture and bring back (if he can't kill them lol) to be inaugurated to Pomni's cause. He's still acting on directives like a normal Puppet would.

He does find out one day that he has a knack for making/fixing mechanical things, after finding Abel's pathetic attempt to reverse engineer an old mechanical wonder. This newfound passion of his could occupy him for hours (or days usually) on end, and frankly? it's nice to have peace and quiet instead of him going off on her ear about how the whole place is a damn OSHA violation completely.

Even goes to the extent that he knows the ins and outs of a Puppet body like an expert surgeon would with the body of their patient, which... Pomni finds quite interesting because as far as she knows, there's only one person in her eyes who could be a natural at something like that.

[whispersofbees]

— ❄️ 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄: 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄

summary: zhongli recalls the fateful tale of when a certain snezhnayan princess was sent on a mission to liyue. fem reader. 682 words.

warnings: none

masterlist

It was another mild, serene day in Liyue Harbor. Ships glided across the sea's turquoise waters, and the market was rife with the usual hustle and bustle. Zhongli felt the gentle caress of Barbatos' breeze as he sat on the patio of the newest up-and-coming tea shop in the city, with notes of chamomile, orange, and Qiaoying's signature black blend dancing on his tongue. He watched with quiet affection as a young man proposed to his lover on the streets below, and the sun warming his face brought forth a small, content smile.

Zhongli had, admittedly, become quite fond of fading into the background and watching the lives of everyone around him play out. He felt a sense of duty to know the ins and outs of every person residing within the city he had personally fostered and protected for centuries. Off the top of his head, Little Xia would start school soon. The ship with the blue sails had caught a large haul of fish and would be allowed to stay in the harbor with their families longer once they returned -- it had been many weeks and he knew their spouses could hardly wait. Hu Tao had seen an increase in business in the past few days. Yun Jin had just completed the production of her newest play. His birthday would be approaching in the coming weeks and with it, the tide of a new year.

Preparations for the lantern rite festival had already begun, and stalls selling both materials for making and completed lanterns could be found scattered down along the waterfront. The man took another slow sip of his tea, but before he could muse further, the familiar babble and laughter of children roused him from his reverie.

"Mr. Zhongli! Mr. Zhongli!" Little Lulu called, running up to where he sat, her playmates in tow.

Zhongli made the timely decision to set his teacup down as the young girl barreled into him, wrapping her small arms around him in a tight hug. Zhongli's smile widened into a surprised grin.

"Little Lulu, how lovely it is to see that happy face. How are your parents?" he asked, gently patting the top of her head.

"Everything's great! 'Cept my daddy forgot my mommy's birthday and their anniversary. But she told me not to tell anyone!" she beamed, and Zhongli's smile faltered ever so slightly.

"Ah... I see," he chuckled awkwardly before gazing at the two other boys waiting patiently for his attention.

"What's the occasion? Surely you didn't run all across Liyue Harbor just to give me a hug."

Little Lulu detached herself from Zhongli's side as Little Fei pouted. "We were playing pirates again, but we couldn't come up with a good story... and then we remembered you're the best at telling stories, so we came and found you!"

"So it's a story you seek, is it?" He said, leaning back in his seat. "Must it be about pirates? I'm sure Captain Beidou has much better tales than I about life on the sea."

"Anything will do!" Little Fei exclaimed, crossing his arms. "We're just bored, but your stories are always entertaining."

Zhongli's lips quirked at the young boy's compliment. "Hmm... have I told you about the Rabbit on the Moon?"

The children nodded.

"I see... well then, what about the Hare and the Tortoise?"

"You've told us that one, too!" Little Meng said, coming up to lean on Zhongli's knee. "We want something new."

"Yeah! Something new!" Little Lulu parroted, jumping excitedly.

The man brought a finger to his lips as he contemplated. Something new... a story he had never told anyone before...

"Perhaps I have the perfect story after all. It took place here, in this very harbor, not far from where we sit now..."

The three children quickly drew nearby stools and took their seats before him, exchanging excited smiles.

Sensing that his eager audience was ready for him to continue, he spoke once more. "This is a story about yin and yang - the fateful crossing of paths between a princess and a god. Shall we begin?"

[nalyra-dreaming]

re: the Loumand convo, I agree it's v unlikely they'll rekindle things after the choices made in s2. I hope they reconcile (platonically) & their future interactions aren't all hostile, but even that'll take time. I get why people assume there was genuine love there…but ymmv on exactly how much of it was codependence or even coercion. I'm not necessarily saying there's zero love, but whatever fondness or harmony they had was based largely on lies and manipulation (& some actual brainwashing). We don't have full context for the run-up to the trial yet, but show!Claudia's death was so brutal, and in this version Louis clearly didn't know of Armand's full culpability. In the book she was a wretched creature & her entire life sucked, her death felt like a relief - not that Armand's motives were noble, & it still destroyed Louis ofc, but there was a sense of inevitability to it. Show!Claudia otoh was a fully rounded person with a hopeful future. Her death had no catharsis & her suffering was turned into sick entertainment. Not only that but Armand was seemingly about to let Louis die too. Again, we don't know all the ins & outs but if Armand had anything valid to say in his own defense he had 77 yrs to come clean & didn't. The trust is broken, and while forgiveness is an important theme for Louis (& a major theme of the VC in general) he has no incentive to forgive Armand to the extent of getting back with him - he wasn't passionately in love to begin with! I want to see Armand grow as a character & recognize the mistakes he's made, but the show laid out v plainly why he & Louis aren't well suited. They were both just needy people "making do", putting on a performance of romance for reasons that had little to do with love. I think the show's done a great job with both characters though, and I'm interested to see what the future holds, but I doubt Louis or Lestat will want anything to do w/ Armand romantically after all that. I'd settle for them not being enemies tbh, though I'm not sure what the chances of that are, even?

I think they will end up being “not-enemies“ when all is said and done :) Or even more. But it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

But then it’s been a bumpy ride in the books as well, just a more implied than shown one.

That‘s going to be different in the show, obviously ^^

[what-the-stark]

Relationship/Romanticism Headcanon Meme

Name: Anthony Edward Stark

Nickname(s): Tony, Iron Man, The Mechanic, (Tony Stank) man I <3 me some Rhodey

Relationship Status: Verse-dependent

Gender: Cis male

Romantic Orientation: demiromantic, pansexual

Preferred Pet Names: most of them, as long as they're consensual (check-ins are key), open affection kind of ruins him

Opinion on True Love: So, this is a lot for him. Qualitatively, he's seen it, he has to believe it exists. He believes in love in general as an abstract, and that people objectively love him. Quantitatively, he has a hard time putting value on something he can't measure. The concept of romantic love in practice becomes a weighing of evidence that supports the theory. He's been betrayed a few too many times to trust blindly. Alternately, he absolutely believes in true love as a concept for other people. If that makes sense?

Opinion on Love at First Sight: Lust at first sight, for sure. Again, he wouldn't think this was anything that would be meant for him, and I don't think he would even be capable of recognizing that magnitude of emotion for someone he didn't know and trust to a significant degree.

How ‘Romantic’ Are They?: When he's not distracted (which, to be fair is saying a lot) he can be very thoughtful and attentive with a partner, to the point where it can give lovebombing vibes, but only from the angle of excess. He doesn't intend to manipulate, that's actually abhorrent to him, considering how he grew up. There are going to be logical gaps in his behavior; he's a product of his upbringing. He never heard 'I love you' from his father, so it's very rarely something he's going to be comfortable saying flat out, though he can be verbally and physically affectionate otherwise. He's going to spoil them, if they let him. Money means nothing to him, it's the effort and the time spent that matters. He'll research and find obscure or useful gifts they'll like, and if he can, he'll make them himself.

Ideal Physical Traits: Tony can see the value in beautiful people, and he's appreciative, don't get me wrong...but ultimately that's not what does it for him in the long run. A strong sense of character, a brilliant mind or clever sense of humor will absolutely win him over when a pretty face has lost his interest. (but if we have to focus on the physical, he's definitely an ass man, lol)

Ideal Personality Traits: dependability, again with the sense of humor, adventurousness, honesty. He clocks fake people quickly, and he can't be bothered with them. Tony sees (and wears) enough masks in public that he won't tolerate it long-term in his personal life as well.

Unattractive Physical Traits: personal (physical or mental) neglect, addiction, which is ironic considering the shit he's pulled, I realize. But I guess the trigger for him seeing someone else suffering like that is the threat of pulling him back down, too.

Unattractive Personality Traits: manipulation, cruelty, selfishness, disloyalty, dishonesty, cowardliness

Ideal Date: depends entirely on the person, and that will ultimately be his focus. He's going to have more fun knowing the encounter is tailored for the one he's with, and that they will enjoy themself and be put at ease. If it were just his preference, he'd probably stay at home (or somewhere very remote), those would be the only places he ever really gets to be himself without qualification.

Do They Have a Type?: He has a lot of types, to be honest, but what will grab him every time is a smartass who challenges him. He can't even help himself. Alternately, someone charming, kind, and capable can draw his attention (and since those attributes aren't mutually exclusive, some individuals really take him out lol)

Average Relationship Length: this depends largely on what stage of his life it's happening in...when he was younger he had a couple of relationships that were exclusive-ish (is it still exclusive if they cheat on you?), but later on it was pretty much all casual. After Afghanistan, I don't think he would be in a short-term relationship at all, really. It would take too much time to get past his defenses to anything that could even be categorized as romantic.

Preferred Non-Sexual Intimacy: watching movies curled together on a couch, having someone just doing their thing and sitting in the same room when he's working, talking about projects with a partner that gets it (unsurprisingly even his intimacy can have a lot of connections with his work), bathing/showering together, sleeping together (though this always makes him nervous due to his history, he still loves not waking up alone if it's someone that can manage him), massages or especially headrubs (he will actually get as close as a human can to purring)

Commitment Level: again depending on when in his timeline the relationship is occurring, early on, probably not happening, after Afghanistan, committed is all he can be with someone that he allows in like that.

Opinion of Public Affection: he's kind of an exhibitionist, but not to the point that he wants to make people uncomfortable. If he has feelings for someone, for himself he doesn't care who knows (plot depending), and he's lived in the public eye long enough that he can ignore the weight of a few eyes when demonstrating his affections (within reason xD).

Past Relationships?: He's been with/dated both men and women, (Tiberius and Pepper were the longest each of note) though definitely more women than men...publicly, at least. He has no preference for one over the other.

tagged by:// @inhcritance thank you, friend! <33

tagging:// @mindoverbanner (or any of the rest of the crew xD) @blindbastard, @kissedbymischief, @redxinmyledger, @benevolentgodloki, @notgonnabesubtle, @trust-my-glorious-purpose, @rejectory (Steve and/or Stephen?), @tomemyxxmen, @normaltothemax (Jake and/or Clint?), @zemothethirteenth, @thecoldsoldiers, @fvzzyelf, @gingerspiice, @hacker-codeq, @ficklefables, @amischiefofmuses

[askpowersides]

CERTIFIED INTRO

Hi! I'm Lemon/Lemoon! I solo run this ask blog. I will mostly do little prompts and blurbs of RP, but maybe drawings sometimes too! This is my first time running one so please, don't be afraid to give me some criticism!

This is a Superhero/Villain AU. In this world, it's very common for a person to have one or two superpowers. Depending on how strong they are you're offered jobs to work for the government in different positions such as crime fighting, crisis aversion, safety precaution, and basically anything to do with keeping the upkeep of Sanders City!

All of them have a Hero and Civillian identity, so I ask that if you submit an ask, you keep the civilian questions to the civilian identities and Superpowered questions to the super identities

As for shipping, there's probably gonna be basic stuff. Logicality, Dukeceit, and Prinxiety, so feel free to ask about those pairing, even though none are dating as of now!

I'm hoping you learn more about them through ask blurbs or prompts and such, but under the cut is a quick character profile and rundown!

Deceit and The Duke

The Duke and Deciet are the infamous villains of the city. They leave utter terror in their wake wherever they go. They're practically always together.

The Duke seems to be the stronger of the two, with his tentacle summoning powers he can constrain and hold people, animals, and even buildings! He seems to be more violent and prone to mocking his enemies. He wears a handcrafted helmet meant to look like a Mace or Morningstar, but lacks any metal in its structure.

Deceit is the more cunning, smart villain. His power is making minor illusions, and with that, he can change his snake face into any person he's seen, although imperfections are common. Speaking of snakes, watch out for his summoning ability! His second power is dastardly, as he can summon a yellow snake anywhere from 9 inches to a whole 26 feet!

The HHF (Head Heros Foundation) nor the government can find any information about their civilian identities....but through the power of an ask blog? You, too, can know!

Remus Crete has a power much similar yet weaker than his twin brother. He can create anything small and toylike in size with the ability to follow commands and come to life. With how weak Remus' creations are, he wasn't as fortunate as his twin Roman to get a job at the Heros tower. His brother still offers him funds, but his parents could not care less about the forgotten twin.

Janus Laine can summon multiple arms, and that's it as far as the government is concerned. He, Remus, and their other roommate Virgil live in a small apartment down in a less fortunate part of the city. They both live off whatever Roman sends them from his paychecks per month, and Virgil pays for himself.

Paranoia

Paranoia is the third villain of the little trio. Paranoia often works alone, seen only with the Duke and Deceit when facing off against multiple Heros at once.

Paranoia often targets more rich people than government buildings, leading him to less run ins with big Heros. His powers include 4 long spider legs that can help him climb buildings, and being able to contort shadows. This allows him to travel at the speed of light as long as he darts through shadows, even pulling them out of walls to cover his face and conceal his identity.

Just as Duke and Deceit, the HHF are unaware of the identity of Paranoia.

Virgil Freal is a skinny pale boy who was born with multiple eyes. As far as power development it came very early compared to most and that's all the power development team at the hospital seemed to note about him, letting his late stage power development go unnoticed to the government. He works at the Patty Cake Cafe in an upper part of the city and lives with his roommates and friends Janus and Remus.

Roman the Grand Prince

Roman, unlike his fellow Heros, actually revealed his name early on. With a power such as being able to create large fanciful powerful creatures like witches, towers, bats, ghouls, and other creatures of the sort just by drawing them and 'pulling them out of the page' he became the face man for the HHF.

Roman was offered a contract in his early teen life, as compared to his twin his powers developed fast and strong. He was offered a home, a 300,000 a month salary, and a job beating up evil-doers and he lept at the chance. Because of this it's rare to find him anywhere around, as to keep away from paparazzi he stays in the tower until needed.

The HHF classified his last name and family for their safety and privacy, but you already know Roman Crete.

Logic

Logic has worked for the HHF for many years. He has fearsome metalkenisis, and keeps strictly business.

His fellow heroes only see him when they all fight crimes. He works specifically in safety regulation but oftentimes will fight alongside Morality and The Prince. He tries to keep to himself and is very private.

The HHF have classified any personal civilian information about Logic.Logan Berly works as a librarian out of office. He lives in the hero tower with his fellow teammates Roman and Patton but avoids them at all costs. He has no second power, but his first power is strong enough to make up for it.

Lastly, Morality

Morality is the final aid of the HFFs main squadron. Morality can summon small floating balls of light filled with emotion. Being backed in one's light is said to be calming and sweet. Because of this he often works in crisis aid. He helps people facing trauma or accidents by calming them down while transporting them to safer places using his light magic, but it can also be used as a fearsome blinding technique in battle.

Morality got the gig in early adult life. It was his dream to help others and his powers came in useful when villains started popping up and scaring people.

The HHF have classified any personal and civilian information about Morality.

Patton Harth is a proud owner of a small upper-city Cafe called the "Patty Cake Cafe" where he often works and manages when not needed at the tower. Luckily as an owner he can pop in and out without needing to be there constantly. He often helps the younger looking man Virgil who takes a lot of Noon and Afternoon shifts for more money, despite the fact that he seems to get stressed easily and quickly.

The light stars he summons, being able to calm people and blind them, constitute as two separate powers.

AND FINALLY, ASKS ARE OPEN!!

[inkrabbit]

Replaced

Aether going through it after Phantom is summoned uwu

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, when Rain was summoned, Ifrit had been replaced with Sodo. When the ghoulettes were summoned, Zephyr was replaced by them. It was just how life was in the band. He knew he wasn't Copia's ghoul. Copia had never been his actual master.

Still, it didn't stop the drop of his stomach when he saw the new ghoul standing proudly beside Copia and Imperator, his tail flicking curiously behind him. It didn't stop the pain that shot through his heart when Copia proudly announced he had finally, after so many years, summoned his own quintessence ghoul. And it doesn't stop the sharp feeling crawling up his throat as he swallows thickly. But he forces a smile onto his face and blinks back the gathering tears. 

The hand on his back makes him turn, Sodo staring up at him with pursed lips. 

“It's okay,” Aether tells him in a soft voice. But they both know it's not. They both hear the quiver in his voice. And it only makes him feel worse. 

He knows what will happen now. As the crowd disperses, he puts on a brave face. The three walk forward, Imperator's head held high with a proud smile on her face. Copia, however, is sporting a shameful look.

“Aether,” Imperator starts, her tone a sickly sweet while still being firm. He knows what's coming, even if he doesn't want to. “you will be stepping down as rhythm guitarist. Phantom will be taking your place.”

“I understand, Sister.” He's at least proud of himself for keeping his voice steady this time. He looks at Phantom, giving him a smile. In a way, he resembles an ancient quintessence ghoul that once walked through the abbey. White hair that stood out against a dark, muted violet skin tone. He's got the double horns like most quintessence ghouls in the abbey, but they're smooth instead of rigid like his own. 

“You will also be teaching him how to play,” Imperator continues nonchalantly. “I don't trust that fire ghoul to teach anymore, especially with how Alpha turned out.” She turns to Phantom. “While you are learning, we will be giving you a temporary guitar. I expect it to stay in pristine condition while it's under your care.”

“Yes, Sister.” His voice is smooth as he responds, nodding his head once. Aether can see it clear as day in him. The professionalism, how he holds himself. It's all the same signs every ghoul goes through when they're first summoned. He wonders how long until they all get to see his true personality. 

“Thank you for everything, Aether,” Copia's voice is hesitant and meek as he takes a step towards the large ghoul. “I really did love our time together.”

“As did I, Papa.” He wants to bite back. He wants to scream and ask him why? Why replace him? Wasn't he enough? But before he can even act on these thoughts, Imperator's hand rests on Copia's shoulder.

“Phantom will be staying in the guest rooms until you can move out of yours,” she tells Aether. It feels like he's been stabbed. He knew it was just routine business. He took Omega's old room when he retired. But that was willingly. This was all sprung on him at the last second, being told that Copia had a “surprise” for the whole clergy. “I'm sure one of the older ghouls will be more than happy to help you settle in.”

“Yes, Sister.” He doesn't want this conversation to continue. He wants to wake up from some horrible nightmare and laugh it off with the others. Knowing he won't be close to his pack anymore – well... they're no longer his pack, are they? Alpha, Omega, Ifrit, Zephyr, all of them; when they retired, they were no longer part of his pack. That thought alone hurts him the most.

“Very good! Then it's settled!” Imperator claps her hands together, turning to Phantom. “Special will show you to your temporary room. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask him. Special has been here a very long time and he knows the ins and outs of the abbey.

As for you, Aether, I expect your room to be cleared out by tomorrow morning. Please, leave all of the windows open so it can air out.”

“Yes, Sister.” She must've been able to pick up on his negativity. He's sure he was doing a horrible job of hiding it. Still, Aether turns his attention to Phantom, mustering up a genuine smile.

“Welcome to the ministry.” He doesn't take another second. He turns around and starts for the dens. He feels horrible and, in a way, betrayed. He thought Copia had looked at him as his own ghoul. He never thought he would be replaced like this. 

“A new ghoul?” He recognizes the voices in the hall; Primo's ghouls. “Don't we have enough already? What happened to that other one?”

“He's being replaced.” How that response is said so matter-of-factly hurts. “Suppose he'll be joining us in the dens.”

“We have enough ghouls in there.”

“Take it up with Copia. You know how much he's been wanting a quintessence ghoul of his own.”

He can't bear to listen to the rest of their conversation. He's starting to feel nauseated by the thought of it all. Copia wanted to replace him. He wanted his own quintessence ghoul. And he finally got it.

When he reaches the dens, the rest of his pack is all gathered in the common area. The looks of concern and disbelief are prominent on their faces, especially Cumulus.

“Aeth-”

“It's okay.” He has to cut her off. He can't handle talking right now, the tears slowly starting to well up in his eyes as he gives them all a forced smile. “It'll be okay.” His voice is quivering again, and he feels his tail wrap around his leg in a pathetic attempt to comfort himself. “I-I gotta... get everything packed.”

He walks past them, his feet feeling heavy as he draws closer to his room. He hears one of the others start to move, but it's quickly stopped.

“Don't.” He can pick out Sodo's hushed voice. “Give him a little bit.”

And he's grateful for the fire ghoul's advice because the second Aether gets into his room and shuts the door, he lets it all out. He doesn't even make it to his bed. He just slides down the door, sobbing pitifully into his hands.

[daddyelliott1979]

Reflections on being a Daddy; what does it mean to be a Daddy?

This post is very much inspired by my journey with @squirtdaboi, whom I am going to be posting more about, especially our journey together!

This one is largely based on his series of first experiences he had with me that I'm going to post about separately.

I am his first experience of having a proper Daddy, which to many will mean different things, to me it's a wide subject and one I explain to all of my boys.

1st I will say that being a Daddy is more than just changing Nappies, wiping bums, bottle feeds or tuck ins; it encompasses so much more!

I am his safe harbour

I talk about "safe harbour" a lot, for me it's a deeply powerful belief, in all the world I am the one place to go that's safe and nurturing.

When the world feels too much or overwhelming, Daddy's house is the place to come for a calm, safe and understanding space!

He can experience himself, in all his glory, without judgement, without shame, just love and acceptance.

That includes his mistakes or the aspects about himself that he doesn't love. For example and he may hate me for saying this, but he has one blind eye, that's in his mind deformed. He's been bullied his whole life for it, he's been taught to hate it.

But I personally think it's beautiful, his eyes are beautiful and if you catch it in a certain light it reflects it and glows and it's just stunning!

And that's another thing, he's been taught by the people around him that he's moody, wrong and a problem! Let me tell you something about this boy! He's the sweetest, kindest and deepest little soul you could ever meet and watching him smile lights up the whole room!

That's Safe Harbour!

I am the shield

The world can be a tough place, and for those special boys who dream of a world of soft blankets, cuddles and stuffies it can often be a daunting and cruel place.

But that's ok because I always have my boys backs! You do not want to f@@k with my boys, I can go from chilled out dude to 'I will make it my life's mission to ruin you" if hurt the boys under my care!

And @squirtdaboi will tell you how protective I get, wether it's idiots at college or dumb ass friends, even family have made my shit list.

Of course he always makes me promise I won't do anything, but he knows he's always safe with me; and always feels confident walking about with me, because he knows I'm his shield!

I am the compass

Boys can get a little lost sometimes, both literally and figuratively. They often need guidance, help making choices, especially healthy one's!

I'm always that non-judgmenental person that they can come to for advice, whether it's what to do about a work situation or what nappy to wear, Daddy is always there to help!

I guide my boys to not only be the best baby's that they can be but also how they can be the best big boy also, I'm raising them to be men after all!

Sometimes it's just about holding their hand, a little gentle encouragement, often it's praising them when they do good!

Sometimes it's about reassuring them that I'm not going anywhere, they aren't too much and that they weren't naughty for expressing themselves!

And this brings me to a really heartbreaking point; whoever taught these boys that the things they love were wrong, or they are too obsessed with enjoying their hobbies can really go f@@k themselves!

Get @squirtdaboi talking about music or his guitars, and he's such a talented musician, and you will be taken on a beautiful journey into one of his greatest joys. He's said before "I talked about this too much or I'm boring you" no he hasn't and doesn't. I want to hear about all of it! And more more more!

Understanding their needs

Something that @squirtdaboi tells me often is that even though I have only known him a short time I understand him and his needs better than the people who have been in his life for years.

He can tell you more about that, but in an example I understand how his Sensory issues play out and know how to reduce issues, like patterns on t-shirts and the like.

He needed special ear plugs to help reduce sound and sensory issues, whilst his mum and school debated, made promises and didn't provide, Daddy went straight out and purchased the ones he said he needed; it cost me £50 and 5 minutes of time, but the benefit will be life changing for him!

Conclusion

There are probably so many aspects to being a Daddy beyond just AB stuff, things I provide but don't really think about, I am a Dad for real, so many things come very naturally to me!

But in the end I'm not just here to change messy lamps, but to help, to heal, to guide and to love my boys!

Something that I just take in my stride as my boys take my hand through life!

[theidiotabides]

Would really love to hear about the angsty marcotobias fic if you're interested in sharing. 👀

Oh gosh, I feel like I'd have to actually write it for it to make sense because like 80% of it is subtext, but here's some rambling in that general direction.

I'm chiefly interested in the ways in which Marco & Tobias are actually incredibly similar -- their senses of humor, their attractions, their complete direspect for authority, and most importantly how they both lowkey hate themselves but insist on survival anyway, largely out of spite -- but how they treat their similarity as, like, a cautionary tale rather than the basis for a healthy connection that it could be.

Like, Tobias disappearing into the woods and giving up on everybody is exactly the kind of behavior that Marco finds incredibly triggering, having lived through it with his dad. Marco would never walk away from his remaining loved ones like that, especially in the post-war world where he's charged himself with being the public face of the Animorphs because somebody has to. But there is absolutely a part of him that wants to give up and disappear; ya boi is tired.

Meanwhile, I think Tobias sees Marco's devotion to Jake and refusal to abandon him even after how Rachel died (which Tobias blames Jake for) as a version of the hero worship complex Tobias used to have about Jake -- like, I think Tobias sees Marco as being too devoted to Jake to see "the truth" about him, and he pities that in Marco. But at the same time, Tobias envies Marco's close personal connections, and I think on some level he knows that the only way to get to that place would be to work through his anger at Jake to get to his anger at Rachel, and he just can't bring himself to do that. It's easier to stay mad.

And then there's the question of Rachel herself, whom they were both deeply invested in trying to keep alive at the end of the war. Like, we see this explicitly from Tobias, with his "just be Rachel" and constant emotional check-ins with her, but I don't think Marco gets enough credit for his active role in keeping her literally alive. Dude bodily removed her from battles, at risk to his own life, and I just refuse to believe that's not something Marco & Tobias talked about, given how much time they spent together in Ax's scoop during that period of time between Marco's fake death & the move to the valley. Rachel is both a mutual love and a mutual failure for them (and that level of mutual devotion to a third person gives my polyamorous ass A Lot of Feelings).

Basically I think there's a lot of respect and love between Tobias and Marco, but they can't get to it because it would require each of them to deal with Rachel-related guilt and confront parts of themselves that they don't want to acknowledge.

...so I want to get them high on Marco's fancy penthouse balcony and make them kiss about it

[newromesweirdest]

Octavian the Augur.....or is he a haruspex?

TLDR: Octavian is both a haruspex and an augur (2 different ancient roman religious positions) but Rick’s writing was lazy and didn’t elaborate on his abilities and settled for the label of “augur” even though it isn’t accurate to what we see in the books.

(For those of you who don’t know, in Ancient Rome the Augur was an ancient Roman priest who studied omens and signs to determine if the gods were in favor of a motion or idea, and then he would relay these findings to the Senate. We see this a bit throughout the books. However, a haruspex was a person who was trained to read the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers. Augurs and haruspex were not the same thing, and their duties were not usually performed by the same person historically).

Octavian is the ONLY haruspex we see in the series, so it’s safe to assume that within the confines of canon, Octavian is the sole haruspex. His role as haruspex is confirmed in canon through his sacrifice of stuffed animals and the signs he reads from their stuffing, and yet he is continuously referred to as an “augur.” If I remember correctly, Octavian even refers to the sacrificed “entrails” as “auspices,” which is incorrect. “Taking the auspices” is the name for the practice of studying birds and their omens, and not for the reading of the sacrificed “entrails.” Now, this is most likely just due to Rick’s writing style and the way he chose to develop New Rome and Octavian’s character. I think most of us can agree that Octavian is not the most well developed character, nor is his characterization entirely consistent or logical as the books progress. Unfortunately, a lot of it comes down to the fact that Rick rehashed and redesigning a large portion of Ancient Roman society and customs to fit within the confines of the story that he had already created. A lot of New Rome’s word building just....doesn’t make sense, and that also applies to how it functions in conjunction with the “real” world (the college, for example. How in the world would those degrees transfer in any logical way to mortal life, even with the assistance of the mist?). But, the part where New Rome falls flat the most is it’s “continuation” of Roman “tradition” (aka it’s lack thereof). 

However, I do understand why Rick wrote New Rome the way that he did. Most preteens and teens are not going to know the ins and outs of Ancient Roman religion, and most people wouldn’t exactly know how to pronounce the word “haruspex”, much less know the definition of it. 

Keeping this in mind, I believe that Octavian is intended to be both an Augur and a Haruspex. In my own world building and head canon, Augurs aren’t terribly common. I believe that this is somewhat hinted at in canon, but I don’t have my books here at the moment to reference. Octavian is a legacy of Apollo, and it’s implied that he has divination abilities because of it. Considering this, that means that the ability to become an augur or haruspex is essentially genetic (at least until the bloodline is so diluted that the legacy “blood” no longer has any affect over the mortal blood). Legacies don’t seem to be terribly common in canon, let alone legacies of Apollo. Furthermore, regular children of Apollo don’t ever seem to have this ability. Therefore, while the natural inclination is largely genetic, I believe that a legacy or child must also be specifically chosen or blessed by Apollo, similarly to how Rachel is chosen to become the Oracle for CHB. In terms of Roman augurs/haruspices, I would imagine that Apollo at one point or another chose one family line (at a time when he had more legacies and descendants than he does in modern times) and then “stuck” with that family line as his augurs and diviners. I head canon this because Ancient Rome itself was very focused on lineage and family bloodlines, and that seems to resonate with Octavian’s character. Octavian himself is largely a reference to Octavian Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome and the founder of one of Rome’s iconic dynasties/bloodlines. Family names and bloodlines are most likely just as important in New Roman politics as they were in Ancient Rome, but we don’t see it much in canon with the main focus being on the 7 and not on New Rome.

Because Apollo has most likely chosen Octavian’s family to represent his prophecies, one could assume that there are no other candidates for augur or haruspex. This could explain why Octavian has the position despite the fact that a good portion of the legion doesn’t particularly like him. In Ancient Rome, augurs were priests that were officially appointed as a sort of “head of the church.” If that was still the case in New Rome, then why doesn’t the legion just vote him out of office??

Because they can’t. Octavian’s family has essentially been divinely appointed, for better or for worse.

In summary, Octavian is both an augur and a haruspex due to lazy writing and the confines of canon, but I believe that there is much more beneath the surface regarding his powers, abilities, and family situation.

[kakashi-posting]

This one is gonna talk about trauma (vaguely but still) so if that's not something you want, you've been warned. Largely it's more of a focus on the influence trauma has on Kakashi and how I think he'd learn to heal because I'd rather write happier thoughts than just angst.

I think there's some interesting stuff you could write about with Gai helping Kakashi handle his trauma. Kakashi has this shift in healing that I really think could be interpreted as learning to heal with Gai at his side.

I imagine Kakashi is avoidant of physical touch that gets better as he grows up. He actively doesn't want to hurt anyone so he's reluctant to even touch people on the shoulder, he shies away from hugs and startles when others try to touch him. Usually keeps himself a little further away from people in a group setting, just enough to feel like he's keeping them safe.

I also think it's Gai who helps him a lot with this. With all their competitions and Gai just generally communicating love through touch, I imagine it's just something Kakashi doesn't notice getting better until there's significant progress. There are still times where Kakashi struggles with touch but Gai finds a good balance with him of respecting his wishes and ensuring that his touch stays a familiar safe presence and keeps him from being touch starved. The times where Kakashi initiates things like fistbumps always results in such a sincere smile from Gai like he's given his friend the best present he could have asked for.

Being guarded and untrusting. There's probably multiple reasons why. He doesn't want to hurt others, he's afraid of himself, he refuses to lose more people - just naming a few. But this is a common enough response to trauma. Again I think it's Gai who really helps start the shift here.

Kakashi would still care deeply for people he lets in even if he comes across as distant. But I imagine Gai is just an unwavering support system for him. I'm talking like laying on the floor in his bedroom together talking about the latest flashback, just letting Kakashi blurt out everything on his mind with no judgement no commentary until he's done. And even when he is, just a reminder that he's there for him, always will be.

I'm talking like Gai being able to get Kakashi to open up to him even if he can't do that with anyone else. Regular check ins when Gai knows something's wrong from the small slips in facade when Kakashi relaxes enough around him.

And I'm talking Kakashi in return being there for Gai. Immediately able to recognise the attempt to hide a negative emotion and trying his best to meet Gai in the middle. A little hesitant to reach out and console him but not allowing himself to pull back, commited to try and help as he figures out what to say. Speaking softly and calmly with gentle movements to show Gai he's safe with him.

I also think that Kakashi knows how important it is to have Gai in his life. When he confronted Sasuke he claimed everyone he loved is already dead, not allowing anyone to understand the depths behind his friendship with Gai. Refusing to have a target placed on the person who never feared him being too much or too dangerous.

The whole silly rivalry they portray highlights some of their dynamic and brings out better traits in Kakashi that his distant act doesn't allow normally. But it also keeps them safer, keeps them able to be there for each other.

[creampuffqueen]

Mal's Future Sukka Headcanon Timeline (Part 1)

hi guys, i'm currently in the middle of an atla rewatch so y'all know what that means: i'm being insane about sukka again. i've finally worked out my personal headcanon future for them after the events of atla and the comics, which i will be sharing here.

this post is basically just a bulleted list of events that happen. things they do, when they have their kids, more things that happen, all up until the events of tlok, which i tie in. (i currently have two different 'tie-ins', depending on how angsty i feel).

a few points before we start:

no, suki did not fucking die young

sokka is not suyin's father

i gave sokka and suki A Lot of kids. 12, to be exact. yes, you read that right. i will explain further in the post why they have so many and what allowed them to successfully raise such a large family

i've published a fic with sukka babies in it, however my timeline is now different from what i wrote then. that fic is of course still staying, because i love it, but it's no longer part of my 'personal canon', if you get what i mean

and finally, just remember this is my personal headcanon timeline for them. don't like it? go make your own headcanons. i'm sharing this because i love talking about sukka and their future together, i'm not trying to insist that This Is Definitely What Happened. it's all for fun!!

so, without further ado, let's into the timeline stuff <3

after the events of A:TLA, Sokka and Suki then spend the next few years helping out as Team Avatar. Suki splits her time between guarding Zuko in the FN and traveling with Aang, Katara, and Sokka

by the time they're 18, Sokka and Suki know that they've found 'the one'. they both know that they're endgame for each other. sure they're young, but why wait?

i like to imagine they elope on the battlefield. fighting some baddies or another, one of them is like 'hey, we should get married!' and the other is like 'i love that idea! aang, you're the avatar, you have the power to marry people, right?'

they get battlefield eloped, but end up having a 'proper' wedding with their friends and family when they're 19

they're ridiculously in love and very happy to be married

so, they weren't planning on having kids right away. they're very young, there's plenty of time for that in the future

however, life has some other plans for them

Suki gets pregnant very soon after the wedding. like, right after the wedding, honestly

at first she doesn't really want to believe it. but eventually she can no longer deny it, and it's time to face the music

i want to emphasize here how complex feelings can be about pregnancy. Suki wants kids, but she feels very thrown off by getting pregnant so quickly and so young

but she and Sokka make a wonderful team. although they're both worried about the future and what it will look like as a family of three, they begin to get excited about welcoming a baby

their first baby is a little girl they name Yuki, born on a warm spring night on Kyoshi island

and while in some ways their lives do change, it's much less than they expected

both Sokka and Suki take to parenting like fish in water

so now they're just continuing their regular jobs and adventures, but with a baby in tow

Sokka with a baby carrier lives rent free in my brain tbh

for a while things continue pretty normally. Suki is no longer in charge of guarding Zuko, as that's a bit more dangerous than she's comfortable with, she's still the leader of the Kyoshi warriors and all that entails

and then Suki finds herself pregnant again, when Yuki is about seven-eight months old

this sort of forces her and Sokka to reevaluate their plans

Yuki is a great baby. but soon enough she's going to be a toddler, and they'll have a second baby to take care of

when Suki is too pregnant to work anymore, they have to make some decisions

they love their kids. they love their family. they love their communities. they love their jobs

after some discussion with the rest of Team Avatar, Sokka and Suki elect to take a step back from all the Big World Peace missions

they want to raise their family

their next baby is born, another girl that they name Saya

everything starts to feel right

as much as they love helping out the entire world and bringing about world peace, they also love raising their little family together, being able to benefit from the peace they've helped create

nobody blames them for this, of course. they've done their part in saving the world. now they get to live their quiet life and raise their kids in a peaceful world

they still work, of course. Suki still leads the Kyoshi warriors, and Sokka is always in close contact with their friends, giving his advice wherever needed. he's just not traveling as much, staying home to look after his babies

now is a good time to point out that Sokka and Suki are amazing parents who take a very equal role in raising their kids

they also have a very close-knit community to help them out. Kyoshi island has such an emphasis on community. there's always someone to help out. their kids are taken care of in equal part by their parents and the larger island community

this strong community is a major reason why they end up with so many kids. they have the support system around them to do so

Suki gets pregnant again when the girls are 3 and 2, and has another little girl that they name Umari

time passes peacefully

Umari shows waterbending abilities right after her second birthday. a bit unexpected but not totally surprising

around this time Sokka and Suki decide to move to the southern water tribe for a time, to help Umari harness her waterbending

and at this point Suki decides it's time to hand over her mantel of leadership to another very capable warrior. she can't very well lead them if she's living in the south pole

it's a very bittersweet moment for her. she's adored leading the Kyoshi warriors. she'll always be a Kyoshi warrior, of course, just not the leader anymore. she's sad to leave them, but at the same time she's in a new phase of life at this point, and focused on being a mother

and before anyone says any kind of bullshit about Suki giving up her career for motherhood, i want to emphasize that that's not a bad thing, when it's the woman's choice. being a mother is important work. Suki was not forced to give up her career to be a mother; she was successful at being both for a while. but she chose to give up her position as leader for the benefit of her daughter learning waterbending in the SWT

and in the SWT she still works. there's always plenty to do

soon after their move she and Sokka welcome their fourth daughter, who is named Kyiasa

and then Hakoda decides he wants to retire as chief

Sokka, as his son, is technically next in line

and Sokka loves his tribe. he's happy to serve as their chief for a few years and help rebuild

so they stay in the SWT for a while

during this time they welcome two more babies, both girls. Akedi, born three years after Kyiasa, and Kanna, two years after Akedi

Gran-Gran Kanna passes away right before Kanna 2 is born, which is where she gets her name

Kanna also happens to be a waterbender as well! Oh yeah and Kyiasa is an earthbender, which absolutely nobody was expecting. Apparently Suki had some earthbending ancestry she never knew about

eventually though, Sokka decides to step down as chief as well. his family is still growing, and he wants to be present for their childhood

with the SWT more stable, the family decides to move back to Kyoshi

one of the first things they do when they get back? have another baby lol

they welcome their first son: baatar

at this point, with the kids getting older, it allows them to do more traveling

they spend time on Kyoshi, time in the SWT, time in the Fire Nation, time in Ba Sing Se, time in Republic City

the kiddos all love traveling

and of course, Sokka and Suki are still having more babies. they're wonderful parents, they love their kids, and Suki has a relatively easy time with pregnancy and childbirth. why not?

again, the emphasis on community. it's only through this supportive community they are able to have all these kids

they welcome more kids: Senna, Iknik, and Kio

at this point Sokka and Suki are in their late thirties. when Suki goes years without getting pregnant again, they assume they're done having kids, and get happily settled as a family of 12

life goes on

then, five years after Kio's birth, Suki finds herself unexpectedly pregnant again. wild

they happily prepare for their eleventh baby

but life has one last surprise for them

omfg i've run out of room. to be continued!!!!

[vicbutnotactually]

SORRY TO ASK FOR MORE INFO BUT THIS AU SO TASTY… tell me more about the boys 🥺 especially like. Did they like each other before ending up stranded together? And what did that shotgun wedding look like because 👀👀

Ask as much as you like! I love asks :]

(I’m currently working on more drawings of The Elder Gays ™️ but bear with me it takes a second)

The did like each other before they went through the portal, but when they were dropped into this new and scary world, romance was put on the back burner to focus on their survival. There was an awkward phase in the beginning tho, where neither of them really knew what to do. Even a point where they were both so stressed and frustrated and scared that it resulted in a lot of arguing and couple dramatic scenes where someone would storm off or say something they didn’t mean (it’s a ship au, you know I had to do it to em.)They did like each other, but they also had bigger fish to fry, at that point it’s been a few months and they’re starting to worry that no one is coming for them. Eventually, they get in a situation where they think they’re about to die, and confession happens >:] after they survive, they start to settle into the idea more. Even though they’ve met other people in their time there, they feel like they only really have each other.

At first, everything was unofficial. Casey would flirt relentlessly and Leo would pretend he’s annoyed. But after they realized they were probably in it for the long run, they made things official.

It took them a while to get used to their new environments, they tried living in the cities, but found it to be more stressful that being out in the wild. I imagine that they probably had several run-ins with gangs, struggled to find food or water, and had to hide out in abandoned places and alleys. Eventually, they moved out, I like to think that their last straw was one of them catching an illness that was running rampant in the city which could possibly be life threatening. Who gets sick is fine either way for me tbh; either way, one has to find a better place to live outside of the city, fight off anything dangerous, take care of the essentials (shelter, food, and water,) on top of taking care of the sick one.

The events leading up to their wedding are as follows: they’ve been busy recently, hunting large fauna and salvaging ancient tech, both to sell and trade off in the cities, it’s going well for them, they have money and supplies to support themselves (mostly) and have a somewhat permanent place to live. During a slightly riskier hunt, they find themselves overrun and Leo almost dies. Casey sees it in slow motion as a deadly hit misses him by less than a centimeter and experiences more fear than he ever has before. Immediately afterward, while they’re still fighting off these creatures:

C: “WE NEED TO GET MARRIED”

L (slashing at something with his sword: “WHAT?”

C (louder): “MARRY ME! NOW!”

L: “NOW?!”

C: “YES! WE WONT LIVE FOREVER”

L: “OK”

C (calling over to someone nearby): “ (insert name) MARRY US, WE WANT TO GET MARRIED”

X person: “WHAT, NOW!?”

C (holding off an attacker with his weapon): “YES NOW DO IT”

X person: “ok then... DO YOU CASEY TAKE LE-“

C: “I DO”

L: “I DO”

X: “I NOW PRONOUNCE (shoots something) YOU HUSBANDS YOU MAY KISS THE GROOM”

And cue hurried kiss in the middle of a battlefield with possibly an explosion in the background

-

Let me know if there’s anything specific you wanna know about :]

Also, do you have any thoughts on what this au should be called?