#characters die really frequently and casually in that show

[dravidious]

You're the CAT (Coolest of All Time)

Episode 2 of The Amazing Digital Circus came out yesterday (great show) and it got me to finally watch Murder Drones (great show) and the humor in that show is VERY dumb. Dumb and blunt and frequently things happen or characters say things that don't make sense for the sake of being silly (for example, a robot calling herself hormonal). The moment that made me realize just how good the writers are at doing dumb stuff was in episode 4 at 15:04 (warning for spoilers and gore (robot gore) (the gore isn't the funny part, that comes after) (text explanation below the cut that I wrote before pasting the link) (also the link is to 13:54 because the context is important))

The characters are around a campfire and are shown reading a book titled "Final Girl Survival Guide", and the character reading it references a horror trope from it. Then, a horror monster shows up and kills someone and the characters shout "Split up!" "I think I read that's good!" and they drop the book as they run, and the wind blows the book open and the camera moves to show the book, and the page reads "DON'T SPLIT UP!!!". Except I lied, it doesn't say that, I expected it to say that with all my heart but instead the page reads "THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BOOK SAID." Which makes NO SENSE and is SO FUCKING STUPID and subverted my expectations SO MUCH that it was the FUNNIEST THING EVER

[wordstome]

Single Dad!König (Dream Daddy au)

(+ a bit of Ghost under the cut)

Thank you to everyone who indulged (said exactly what I asked them to say 😅) me.

Here’s the paragraph I wrote:

I imagine his heart sinking when Ava comes home sad and quiet, unwilling to look her dad in the eye. He recognizes what that means: that used to be him as a kid. His worst fears are confirmed when Ava admits she's being harassed by a boy at school, replaced by anger when Ava says her teachers simply shrugged and told her that boys will be boys, and has she considered that maybe he just has a crush on her? Needless to say, by the time König's walking out of that school, nobody will ever be hurting his little girl ever again. Honestly, one glimpse of Ava's dad by her classmates will keep her free from bullying for the rest of her life.

Now here’s a bit more about single dad König, namely, how he came to be a dad…and single :( Angst and death tw ahead (nothing graphic)

With Ghost, I said he would only have had Caden due to an accident, because of Simon’s previous trauma involving his family. He was firmly in the mindset that he would die in the field, he’s just not built for civilian life anymore, he's a danger to everyone who loves him. However, when Caden shows up at his doorstep, all he can think about is Tommy and his nephew Joseph when he looks at the boy. He probably does his best to get Caden sent to a different family member, but let’s suspend our disbelief that any responsible social worker would leave a kid with Simon “Ghost” Riley for a moment and say that the social worker is like “It’s you or the foster care system.” Realistically, Simon would probably be like “foster care is safer than living with me” but for the purposes of the AU, he took the kid in.

With König, he doesn’t have the same trauma/hangups regarding kids and family. He’s in the same boat as Simon: he’s a human weapon, and can’t function properly in civilian life. For König, his work is an outlet and keeps him stable. I’m gonna have to sit down and make a proper post about my König’s character (Alexander), but for my König, violence is a method of regulating his emotions and a way to manage his anxiety. Having power and being hyper competent in the field is key to his mental stability. However, I think he would be able to settle down, it would just take a very patient, special woman. (For the purposes of the AU his first partner is AFAB she/her.) Here’s where I start breaking hearts… 🤭

In Dream Daddy au, König considers his first wife the love of his life. She deeply understood him as a person and wasn’t afraid of him, even when he was socially awkward and intimidating. They were honestly kindred spirits: both of them had their neuroses and flaws, but instead of trying to fix each other or mold the other into some ideal partner, they accepted each other and thus were able to grow together. (And tbh they were already a match made in heaven anyway.) König’s wife never asked him to quit, and was completely ready to raise a child with him frequently being gone. She was a badass woman, and she really, really wanted to start a family with him, so they had Ava.

For three years, König was probably the happiest he’s been in a long time, and if you asked him he’d probably say it was the happiest time in his life. He was moving up the ranks at work, his mental health was in check, and he had a wife and adorable little daughter to go home to every leave. He started planning to transfer to a safer/more stable position, because as much as the military has done for him, he’s ready to step up as a father and a husband. Then he gets a call that changes his life forever, and suddenly he doesn’t get a choice anymore.

(I'm eternally sorry to the little fictional people I made up in my head because I entertained the idea of putting the Brooklyn 99 "Guess who got murdered!" gif here...)

One thing y'all need to know about my man Alexander is that he is the embodiment of "I am not meant for casual. I was born for soul-crushing devotion." His problem is that he never had devotion before his wife: he craved it like a starving man, and it engulfed him like water flowing into a basin when he got it. He had it for a handful of years (I'm thinking 6 but that's a flexible number), and now it's gone again. You know in movies when something horrible happens and they cut all the noise and there's just a high pitched ringing sound? That's König getting that phone call.

God. All I can imagine is König dropping everything and taking the next flight home. He’s in a daze, in a way that he’s never quite been before. His mind is finally quiet, but the emptiness is not peaceful. Then he finally sees his little girl, she runs into his arms, and the dam bursts. He just holds her and cries. He’s numb, a dead man walking throughout all the business that needs to be taken care of after his wife’s death. The only thing that brings him back to the land of the living is Ava. She’s so small, so sweet, and she doesn’t really understand what death means: all she knows is that her mama’s gone somewhere, and her dad is so, so sad all the time. She’s all that keeps him going, and the only reason he keeps himself alive.

By the time you come into his life, it’s been several years, but Ava is still a little girl. She doesn’t remember her mother at all except what König tells and shows her, because he’s determined to keep her memory alive. König’s been slowly rebuilding who he is as a person from whatever scraps are left. There’s a gaping hole inside him, and he’s reconstructed himself around the hole. In some ways he’s a totally new man, in other ways, he’s gone back to who he was before his wife came along. He’s bitter and angry at the way his life has treated him just as he was as a young man, but now he’s swallowed up by guilt and self loathing. He's gotten better at coping and functioning as the years have passed and life has continued on, but his grief has never really gone away.

(alexa, play "right where you left me" by taylor swift)

[serosblunt]

BakuSquad Drabbles: If They Had A Crush On You

BakuSquad x (Female) Reader

NSFW, 18+

Characters: Bakugo, Kirishima, Denki, Sero, Mina

Warnings: Mentions of smut (masturbation, electrostimulation, kissing, general horny thoughts.) Reader with female anatomy and pronouns. My terrible use of Spanish.

A/N: I am not Spanish, nor have I ever taken a day of it in my life so pls forgive me if I messed up the beautiful language😭

------------

Bakugo was NOT a pervert. 

Hothead? Yes. Slowly-coming-out-of-the-closest? Yes. But he was not a pervert. So why did he find himself having so many restless nights thinking about your face? 

The blond would frequently wake up to sheets soaked in sweat and slick palms that emitted his caramel essence. 

The way you smiled at him for less than a second when he handed you a pencil, or the casual manner in which you wiped sweat from your brow while sparring with Uraraka was so enticing to him. 

Perhaps it was because for only the third or fourth time in his life, someone wasn’t afraid of him, and that scared him. If he hurled insults at you, you would simply throw him back a grin, a toothy one that matched his own, as if you were telling him you knew he didn’t meant it. You were his equal and he respected you, maybe even worshipped you. 

Walking down the halls, if you were to accidentally bump shoulders, Katsuki would internally die a little, and turn a deeper shade of red than Ejirou’s hair. 

For some reason he would be overcome with the need to…apologise?!

You were his kryptonite, exposing all of his weak spots. 

He was in deep. And he didn’t know if he wanted to get out. 

Katsuki was fucked. 

Maybe he wanted to be, if you were down ;)

The red-head had always prided himself on being manly, and it hadn’t taken long for him to figure out he was harbouring strong feelings for you. 

Your loyalty to your friends and your willingness to drop everything’s for them at a minutes notice had initally peaked Eijirou’s interest. It was a very manly quality to have. 

His longing had only grown from there. 

Kirishima fondly remembers one day when he wasn’t in class, and during the lunch-break there was a pounding at his dorm room door. He was sick, it was really only a sniffle but Aizawa advised him against getting the rest of his classmates sick. 

He opened his door to find you, out of breath, having apparently run all the way from the classroom. You somehow had managed to find tissues, soup and an assortment of medicines along your fast-paced journey, with help from Recovery Girl. 

His heart was fluttering around you constantly from that day onwards, and he knew he couldn’t keep blaming lingering cold symptoms forever. 

His friends had caught him staring lovingly at you from across the room on more than several occasions, and smacked him out of his trance, as good friends did. But not before Mina got a few photos of the “lover boy” to show you later.

If he wasn’t going to step up and ask you out himself, she would do it for him. 

Denki WAS a pervert. 

Lately the two of you had been partnering up for training exercises, and his filthy mind had wandered. It was inevitable, you had boobs and were breathing. 

As you dodged his attacks, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you hadn’t.

If you submitted to them willingly…asked for them…begged for them…

He had a crystal clear image of you underneath him, any time you trained. Naked and begging him to run his volts through you. In his mind, it made your toes curl and your nipples impossibly hard, and that wasn’t the only hard thing around.

When the thoughts got too much for the horny teen, Kaminari reverted back to blaming an over-usage of his quirk. Often this backfired on him however as you came even closer to him to run your fingers through his hair, knowing that it had helped him feel more grounded on occasion. 

It was common knowledge that recently, Denki, in his infinite wisdom, had developed intense stomach aches whenever he overused his quirk, which he obviously needed to see Recovery Girl for. 

Alone. 

Really, it was just an excuse to hide his boner from you and make a quick getaway, before either shamelessly rubbing one out in the bathroom or trying to coax it down enough to see the nurse. 

Unfortunately Denki could be a little clueless. You had felt something poking you in the thigh the first time you trained together, you decided to start wearing shorter skirts from that point onwards. 

Sero is a confident man. He knows he likes you and he suspects that you like him, but he needs to put that theory to the test. 

In the beginning he starts out slow, with only a word or two whispered so low you’re not even sure he said anything. 

Then the long-haired teen decided to use his powers for good. 

He calls it experimentation, and the way you blush after he breathes so softly just below the shell of your ear, he calls that data. 

“Data which must be collected again and again.”

The phrases too begin innocently enough, but Hanta knows how to get what you both so clearly what. 

“Cariño,” he purrs to as you reach for a snack.

“What does that one mean?” You squeak back, meekly. He finds it completely intoxicating. 

“It means ‘sweetheart’, but that’s nothing compared to what I’ll be calling you later, mi dulce princesa.”

You practically bend over for him right then and there, and the cocky, smiling fool knew it too. 

The tension between you two was more electric than anything Denki could produce, and it was driving Sero just as crazy as it was driving you. His lips spent more time attached to your ears in those few short weeks than they did apart from them. 

The taller boy was completely enamoured with the way you melted simply from his words.

Needles to say it didn’t take long for the two of you to start dating, and Sero kept up the Spanish.

Thoughts of you came to Mina often, but especially at night. When she was getting ready to slip her fingers below the waistband of her nightwear, inching them closer to where she so desperately wished it could be you touching her instead. 

It felt like it should have been wrong, the two of you were friends, but you were close. Closer than she saw a lot of her other friends act. But the way it felt, the way she felt about you, overpowered all that negativity. 

Ashido pictured your smile, your collarbones, your hands, and if she thought about it hard enough, she could almost feel the ghost of your lips against her skin. 

Your plush body against her own. It edged her closer and closer to her release.

She was practiced at this, having had the same desires for many a night. She knows just what vision will get her over the edge. 

Mina pretends it’s your voice in her ears instead of her own laboured breathing, coaxing her on, telling her you love her too.

A few more talented flicks of the wrist has your name on her lips like a symphony. 

Later that night, as she does every other, the bubbly girl curls up to a teddy bear you gifted her, which still holds your scent. 

You’ve never understood why she blushes the first time she sees you each day, but Mina knows that each night will be the same as the last until you’re hers. That’s the only secret she’s ever kept from you. 

------------

[trashykat7-blog]

Derek and Tim: Hiccups at the Dog Park.

Part 1 of a series between these two characters. Derek meets Tim, a frequent hiccup sufferer, at the dog park and the two hit it off.

Later parts of the series will be NSFW but this one contains no sexy bits.

MDNI!

Derek heard it from across the dog park, his ears finely tuned to the sound. Someone had the hiccups.

He scanned the area casually for the sufferer and noticed a man in his mid-30’s on a bench not far away with a hand held to his chest and his eyes fixed on a yellow lab that was chasing a ball. The man’s shaggy blond hair and athletic build might have caught his eye under any circumstances, but the fact that he clearly had a bad case of hiccups in public definitely had his attention. Derek kept his stance casual but out of the corner of his eye he could clearly see the stranger’s head and shoulders snap back forcefully as the continued sound of regularly spaced “hic”s and “hulp”s cut through the noise of the park.

Quickly calling his border collie who was attempting to herd the other dogs, Derek leashed him and walked toward the water fountain which was right next to hiccup guy’s bench. He was glad he’d worn jeans rather than shorts today because the man’s gulpy hiccups already had him aroused. Derek made a show of filling the dog bowl and then moved in next to the bench.

“Do you mind if we join you for a sec?” he asked?

“N-o. Go ahead.” A silent hiccup interrupted the stranger right away.

“Thanks man.” Derek placed the dog bowl down on the ground and settled in. “I’m Derek by the way. This is Dash.” He gestured to the dog who looked up at the sound of his name.

“Tim.” He reached out his hand. “And that’s Sasha *Hulp*.” A powerful hiccup cut him off. “Sorry, I have really bad hi-*hmk!* hiccups right now.”

“Oh man. That’s a pain.” Derek sympathized, carefully tamping down his interest and keeping his tone neutral.

“Yeah. Had them *hickl* had them all day. Off *hilp* off and on. Just can’t seem to *hilp-hip* scuse me, shake them.”

“Oh man, that sucks.” Derek sympathized, secretly delighted. “I got hiccups just before a presentation last week. I wanted to die.” He laughed, and hoped the shared experience would make Tim relax and keep talking.

“Y-*hup* yeah. Everyone in *hilk* in my office is pretty much *hickl* pretty much used to it. If I don’t *hulp* get a good case at least *huck* once a week they worry.” Tim smiled shyly.

“I think I have an extra water bottle,” Derek offered rummaging in his pack.

Tim shook his head. “Doesnt work. J-*hulk* just have to let them go until they’re *hilp* done.”

“My mom always used to use the sugar trick on me,” Derek shared, hoping to keep the conversation going.

“Tried that o-*hoop* one too. And p-*heep* peanut butter, and holding my br-eath. My hiccups just kind of h *hulp* have a mind of their own.” Tim shrugged.

“I’m sorry, you’re probably tired of explaining that to people,” Derek said, secretly delighted.

Tim laughed “*hulp* a little. But I know they’re just trying to h*hilk* to help. Besides, I’m glad it gave *hulk* gave us a reason to *hup* to get to talk.”

The two chatted while the dogs played and ran for the next 20 minutes. Tim’s hiccups kept up a steady pace but gradually grew further apart as the sun began to set. For his part, Derek was in heaven.

“Hey, I think your hiccups stopped.” Derek pointed out after it was clear they had. He was disappointed but couldn’t complain.

“For now,” Tim laughed.

“So, we should hang out sometime. Maybe without the kids?” Derek gestured at the dogs.

“Hang out or go out?” Tim asked.

“Well, I’d hope for the latter but take the former.” Derek admitted.

“I’d love to go out sometime. Maybe we’ll have a chance to chat without my hiccups making me look like an idiot.”

They both laughed at this and exchanged phone numbers.

Xxx

Derek and Tim’s first date came without the hiccups making an appearance. Despite this Derek found himself more attracted to Tim with every passing moment. His laugh was infectious, his sense of humor just the right mix of dry and sardonic, and his ass…well, that was a very fine bonus indeed. They watched a movie and then discussed it over drinks. Tim was well-read and shared Derek’s interests in science fiction. While the hiccups were absent, Derek did make several notes.

At the movie Tim ordered water and milk duds, turning down Derek’s offer to split popcorn and a fizzy drink. He also went with straight bourbon on the rocks afterward, shying away from beer. Derek couldn’t help but wonder if he was intentionally avoiding common hiccup triggers.

The date ended with a kiss and a fast agreement to get together again soon, this time for dinner and a movie at Derek’s apartment.

Next up: Dinner and a Movie with a side of Hiccups.

[warningsine]

On Aug. 28, Amandla Stenberg, the lead of the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte,” posted an eight-and-a-half-minute video to her Instagram Stories about Lucasfilm’s abrupt decision not to pick up the show for a second season just a month after the Season 1 finale streamed on Disney+. 

“It’s not a huge shock for me,” Stenberg said. Since the series was announced in 2020, she continued, “we started experiencing a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language towards us.” (Stenberg was unavailable to comment for this story.)

In other words, “The Acolyte” was the latest high-profile target of “toxic fandom,” the catchall term for when fan criticism curdles from good-faith dissatisfaction into a relentlessly negative, often bigoted online campaign against either the project or its stars or creative leaders. In a franchise economy increasingly dependent upon established audience devotion to drive the bottom line, the threat of toxic fandoms poisoning that enthusiasm has become a seemingly intractable headache for almost every studio. And it’s only getting worse.

“It comes with the territory, but it’s gotten incredibly loud in the last couple years,” says a veteran marketing executive at a major studio. “People are just out for blood, regardless. They think the purity of the first version will never be replaced, or you’ve done something to upset the canon of a beloved franchise, and they’re going to take you down for doing so.”

Sometimes, toxic fandoms behave reactively. A “House of the Dragon” episode featuring two female characters kissing and an episode of “The Last of Us” focusing on a gay couple were both review bombed — the practice of mobbing sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb with negative user reviews, which gained mainstream attention following the premiere of 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” And an entire YouTube ecosystem is devoted to declaring projects like “The Marvels” and “The Boys” “woke garbage” (among other pungent sobriquets).

Just as frequently, the backlash begins before the project has seen the light of day: a Reddit mega-thread dedicated to outrage over “Bridgerton” casting a Black woman (Masali Baduza) as the love interest for Francesca (Hannah Dodd); social media epithets directed at the actors of color cast as elves and dwarves in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”; death threats aimed at Leslie Jones during the press tour for 2016’s “Ghostbusters.”

Perhaps the greatest irony of this phenomenon is the disproportionate impact these toxic fandoms have relative to their actual number. 

“The vast majority of any fandom are casual fans,” says John Van Citters, VP of Star Trek brand development, who has been with the storied franchise since the 1990s. “The number of people who live and die on their franchises are very, very few, and then those who come after things that they espouse to love with venom are a really, really tiny subset of that already smaller subset of fandom. It’s just much easier to see it now. I don’t know that it’s really that much broader than where things were in 1995 — it’s just that the bullhorn wasn’t there.”

For some, combating that bullhorn amounts to acting as if they can’t hear it. “Particularly when it’s a negative, toxic conversation, we don’t even engage,” says a TV marketing executive. “Like with toxic people, you try to not give it too much oxygen.” One principal concern is that reacting to these kinds of attacks risks alienating fans who are unhappy with creative choices about a franchise but haven’t tipped over into abusive behavior. So a studio may attempt to amplify friendlier voices instead. “We’ll reply to comments that are positive and elevate those things,” says the TV exec.

Still, toxic fandoms have grown so pernicious that they’ve become a fact of life for many — and so powerful that while talent, executives and publicists will privately bemoan the issue, fear of inadvertently triggering another backlash kept several studios from speaking for this story even on background. (As one rep put it, “It’s just a lose-lose.”)

Those who did talk with Variety all agreed that the best defense is to avoid provoking fandoms in the first place. In addition to standard focus group testing, studios will assemble a specialized cluster of superfans to assess possible marketing materials for a major franchise project.

“They’re very vocal,” says the studio exec. “They will just tell us, ‘If you do that, fans are going to retaliate.’” These groups have even led studios to alter the projects: “If it’s early enough and the movie isn’t finished yet, we can make those kinds of changes.”

Several studio insiders say they often put their talent through a social media boot camp; in some cases, when a character is intentionally challenging a franchise’s status quo, studios will, with the actor’s permission, take over their social media accounts entirely. When things get really bad — especially involving threats of violence — security firms will scrub talent information from the internet to protect them from doxxing.

In some particularly egregious cases, a direct response has been necessary. In 2022, after “Obi-Wan Kenobi” actor Moses Ingram denounced the “hundreds” of racist messages sent to her about her role — “There’s nothing anybody can do about this. There’s nothing anybody can do to stop this hate,” she said — Lucasfilm posted a statement to its Star Wars social media accounts that read, in part, “There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist.” The Star Wars accounts also shared a video of “Obi-Wan” star Ewan McGregor saying the abuse made him “sick to my stomach” and that “if you’re sending her bullying messages, you’re no ‘Star Wars’ fan in my mind.” 

Later that year, the cast of “The Rings of Power” condemned “the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis,” and actors from the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy posted photos of themselves wearing clothing featuring the ears of Middle-earth creatures in multiple skin tones underneath the message “you are all welcome here” written in Elvish. Those efforts may have had an effect. In an August interview with Amazon MGM Studios TV chief Vernon Sanders about “The Rings of Power,” the executive said the show hadn’t experienced the same racist hostility in advance of Season 2 that had greeted its 2022 debut. “People have had a chance to actually engage with the show,” he said. “Overwhelmingly, what we’ve seen is that folks who came with an open mind can discuss and debate their favorite things — which takes you out of the place of that ugly conversation that happened with some folks who may have been infused with an agenda that’s separate from the show itself.”

There is one other way to handle toxic fans on the internet: Stay off it. “I’m not online, so I’m protected,” says frequent Marvel star Elizabeth Olsen (“WandaVision”). “Generally, it’s a lot of positive experiences of making kids happy. I ignore the other stuff.”

[snotsloth]

"It's amazing what they've managed to build here, isn't it?" Taliesin said as he leaned against the railing and looked down to the main floor of the Pendants. "In the face of utter annihilation, thousands of people came together and built something."

"Reminds me of Rhalgr's Reach in a way," Meteor said. "Well, minus the giant Crystal Tower in the center and one mysterious leader.

Taliesin looked over his shoulder to see Meteor leaning casually against the opposite railing. He was staring into the middle distance as if puzzling over a text only he could see. His amber aura slowly pulsed like he was deliberately holding back something that was desperate to burst forth. Taliesin frequently caught him in such a state these days.

"Does the Exarch's reticence bother you so?" Taliesin asked, his brow creasing in concern.

"Hm?" Meteor snapped out of his trance and focused on Taliesin. He sighed, "Yes and no. I know he's not telling us everything, and he has his reasons. What's really bothering me, is that I feel like I'm missing something. There's something about him that's so... familiar. Like I should be able to see right through him, but it's just out of focus."

Peeling himself from the railing, Meteor crossed the landing to join Taliesin. He placed both hands on the wrought iron rail and squeezed until his knuckles went white. "I'm no good at this, Tal," he muttered. "Politics? Intrigue? Secrets revealed in half truths? That's always been you and Alphinaud's thing. I'm just the guy you throw into the melee when a big monster shows up."

Taliesin wrapped his arm around Meteor's and leaned into his space, resting the side of his head against Meteor's shoulder. He felt the tension leach out of his companion as Meteor sighed through his nose and rested his head on top of Taliesin's.

"Everything in my head tells me that we shouldn't trust the Exarch, but deep down, I still feel like we can. I don't have any good reason for it I just... feel it," Meteor said.

Taliesin smoothed the dark hair on Meteor's forearm with his thumb. "You may be hopeless at political maneuvering," Taliesin admitted. "But your judgment of a person's character is almost always spot on. If your heart is saying we can trust him, then I believe we can."

The softest whisper of a kiss pressed into the downy tufts of hair around the base of Taliesin's ear. "What would I do without you?" Meteor whispered.

"Probably die in a ditch somewhere near Hawthorne Hut," Taliesin quipped, getting a snort out of Meteor.

"You're probably right," Meteor replied.

[avesseloflanguage]

like, we have a main character (Scrooge) who is known for being just a cruel, stingy, money-obsessed piece of shit. everyone hates him. he causes pain to so many people because he refuses to have sympathy for anyone. he lets people suffer in poverty so that he can have more money and success than he ever needs. he suggests that poor people should stop using up resources, and even says that they should just fucking hurry up and die. because it would better society and they would stop taking money from people like him.

people in the present mock Scrooge for being shitty. they all can't stand him, and even people who love him are upset because of the way he acts. only one person will really truly defend him — his employee who he underpays and treats horribly, but who is also convinced that because he keeps him in this job, Scrooge is worth appreciating. there's another essay there but i won't get into it.

and when Scrooge is forced to see visions of Christmas Yet to Come, he sees people feel entirely devoid of emotion over his death. the subject is casual chatter on the streets, even frequently a joking matter. nobody cares that he's dead, because he was so awful in life and caused so much pain that there's no one around to mourn him or even feel a little sorry for him.

Scrooge begs for the spirit to show him someone, anyone feeling emotion for this dead man (who he doesn't yet know is himself) and the only example the spirit can show him is that of an extremely poor family who celebrate in desperate relief when they find out he's dead. they owed Scrooge money, and he was ruining them for it. they can actually celebrate Christmas now, because the man killing them for their money when they were at their lowest is dead and they no longer have to answer to him.

the celebration of those who hurt and ruin and kill others — even if indirectly — is a Thing That Happens. it is a HUGE plot point, like THEE plot point of a famous(ly still-relevant) novella from 1843. obviously there are differences to the current situation. but, like, it does feel poignant that this moment in A Christmas Carol is what finally makes Scrooge realize he has to change the way he lives his life; this moment, combined with seeing the way people really view him and his cruelty, seeing the awfulness he puts those around him through, and finally observing firsthand the lives of poor people he so vehemently hated. and now we're living in a world where the calculated murder of a CEO in charge of killing hundreds of thousands of americans every year by someone who likely was fucked over by medical issues and insurance problems is the thing that is already causing insurance company higher ups to be afraid, and to even consider changing things (like the anesthesia coverage thing). i don't know. whatever.

hmmm to me there is something deeply A Christmas Carol about the whole UHC CEO killing situation we are in as a society rn

[mercuryandmoonpods]

✨12 Podcasts for 12 Days of Podmas ✨

a belated podmas post from me, asha!

thanks to @vestaclinicpod for coming up with the idea, it's genius! <3

in no particular order, the podcasts I reviewed (and a link to their spotify/podchaser when I rb this later):

SPIRIT BOX RADIO @spiritboxradio: Absolutely charming! I'm now very attached to the main cast of characters, and the overall tone of the show is (pardon the pun) bewitching! Plus gorgeous music that loops in my head constantly when I'm not listening!

MONSTROUS AGONIES @monstrousagonies: An agony column for 'creatures of the night'? What a brilliant concept! Monstrous Agonies manages to be oftentimes soothing, funny and heart-wrenching all in the space of an episode! It has swiftly become a favourite of mine and stands to stay that way.

THE PASITHEA POWDER @pasitheapowder: Complex, unique storytelling methods and a plot that unravels deliciously. I'm constantly on the edge of my seat! The intense relationships between the main characters (Sophie and Jane, but also them and Evelyn and Jane with George to name just a few) all feel very realistic and I can't wait to see what happens next!

THE STRANGE CASE OF STARSHIP IRIS @iriscasefiles: Never fails to cheer me up! Complex and compelling characters, delightful sci-fi setting and concept of an alien culture. At this point I think I've recommended TSCOSI to everyone I know at least twice. Sad? Starship Iris. Happy? Starship Iris. Not sure yet? Starship Irisss!

UNSEEN @unseendotshow: Seemingly standalone stories build up a rich lore for the world of the podcast. Always a delight! Each episode adds a new layer/type of story to consider, and the voice work is always jaw-dropping.

ROGUEMAKER @roguemaker: Super fast paced, does NOT pull its punches. I need the songs to be on spotify by themselves so I can listen on repeat because they're so so beautiful! Dynamic, intriguing and most importantly, very very enjoyable! <3

NIGHT SHIFT @nightshiftpodcast: Phenomenal audio work! A treat for your ears :) the world of the podcast is one almost like our own, but just a step or two to the left, making for highly entertaining listening as we (and Seb) learn the secrets of Echor City. I'm very excited to see where season two takes us!

BODIES IN SPACE @bodiesinspacepod: Very funny and very heartfelt! Delightful protagonists, each with their own thing going on that we get to find out about over the course of the show. Really lovely sound work!

SOMEONE DIES IN THIS ELEVATOR @sditepod: Every single episode blows me away! I dread the day I get properly up to date and have no more to just casually rip my heart out on an otherwise average afternoon :') Consistently stellar writing, and you'd be surprised by just how many ways someone can die in an elevator…

MABEL @mabelpodcast: How to even begin to describe this rollercoaster of a story?! I devoured this podcast. The style is hard to pinpoint but unique, refreshing and absolutely enthralling. If you like fae horror and fantastic sound design, Mabel is right up your alley!

ME AND AU @meandaupod: I find myself returning to Me and AU frequently, because the characters are just so sweet! A truly delightful show, I'd recommend it to anyone who has spent any time in a fandom - especially a tiny one! The experience is well represented here :))

CHAPTER AND MULTIVERSE: The characters of Masks are going to live in my heart for a long time! The players and GM bounce off one another very well, making for deliciously complex relationships between their characters, who are all, in their own ways, really very sweet. Tonally each episode balances the serious with the sweet in a way that I find lovely to listen to :)

[mouthlessmaiden]

“If you think this has a happy ending...” or, how shock killed Game of Thrones

If you ask someone who watched Game of Thrones casually when the show got really bad, they’d probably say seasons 7 or 8. If you asked someone who really liked the show, they’d say that season 4 was the last good one. I’ll go one step further: the soul of Game of Thrones died in season 3, episode 6 at 26 minutes and 27 seconds with a Ramsay Snow quote. “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention”.

This quote wasn’t in the books. It was a show quote for the direction the show was going in: edginess and shock and torture porn for the sake of it. At this point in the show, the showrunners knew that they were going to run out of source material sooner rather than later. Changes were going to be made - big ones. The show was getting steadily edgier, steering away from the books, and this is about the point when it made the single worst mistake any franchise can fall for - it started believing it’s own hype. See, the narrative around the show itself was this - in Game of Thrones, anyone can die, no one is safe, and anything can happen. The problem with this narrative being believed by the fans is simply that it’s a misunderstanding. The main point isn’t that anyone can die for any reason - it’s that no matter who you are, your actions have consequences. Ned Stark dying was the first and most potent example of this misunderstanding. But at some point, some people started believing that Ned died as a subversion of the expectations of a traditional hero narrative, to shock the reader into realizing that “this isn’t like anything else”. And to some degree, that’s true. But the main reason Ned died (in the context of the story itself) was that he made choices that put him in a situation where the only possible outcome was his death. For the fans to misunderstand the reasoning behind the frequent deaths of major players in the game of thrones is one (entirely harmless) thing. For the showrunners to misunderstand it is another. The showrunners bought into that narrative that anyone can die, but they stopped seeing it as about consequences and more about keeping the audience on their toes. If you ignore characters facing consequences in favor of killing off whoever will shock the viewers the most (see: Missandei’s death), you’re ignoring the narrative. And to ignore the narrative is to kill the heart of the show.

This quote represents the dive from a form of shock driven by the viewers expectations to shock for the sake of shock. Since Ned’s death is the most prominent example, we’ll continue with that. Let’s look at what happened to Ned from the context of the text alone: Ned was charged with treason (the sentence for which is typically death) and was in a dungeon. He was being held by a willful child who we are quickly realizing is a completely sadistic and unpredictable individual. And yet when Ned dies, we’re shocked. This is because readers and viewers are so conditioned to an outcome in which the morally superior character lives despite all odds that we collectively ignored the signs pointing to Ned’s death until it was too late and his head was on a spike. This is a shocking death done right. It also represents the direction the narrative is going to go in: in order to survive, you need to play the game. Ned didn’t, and he died. Missandei’s death, on the other hand, has no value other than to shock the viewer. And yet there’s no buildup to it, no foreshadowing, and no reason why it occurs narratively other than to drive Daenerys into a rushed madness arc. But if you say this, nerds on twitter will send out the “if you think this has a happy ending...” and act like a Ramsay Snow quote excuses all narrative fuckups.

The quote was indicative of what’s to come: there would be no happy endings. Not only that, but ridiculous deaths and plot twists and torture scenes would show up solely for the sake of shocking the viewer. Euron sniping Rhaegal, Missandei dying, Rickon dying, Sansa’s r*pe scenes: all of these were additions added solely for the sake of making the viewer go “holy shit!”, but they added nothing to the narrative of the show.

Narrative is what gives a story life and soul. If there’s themes and direction and character choices that make sense, you feel like you’re living in that world as you watch the show or read the book. By the end of Game of Thrones there was very little of any of that, which is why the show felt “soulless”, as I’ve heard some people describe it. They had an ending they wanted, and they bulldozed their way there instead of finding a way for those endings to feel right. Any story should be driven by a character and their choices: GRRM understands this, which is why all plot points, all shock value is driven by characters and what they decide to do. The showrunners, on the other hand, seemed to have the plot drive the characters, which is why so many choices feel so out of nowhere. The characters can be dark in the books. They can be edgy, and they can be shocking. But it’s all because of the choices they made, not because someone has decided that their character needs to be dark now for the plot to move forward.

And for all that the showrunners wanted us to believe that the sheer grimdarkness of Game of Thrones made it nothing like anything else on television...it’s still a story, and it still needs a cohesive message and narrative. By the end, Game of Thrones didn’t have one. All that was left was a shell of the story occurring in the books. Oh, and shock and edginess. There was plenty of that.

[magnificent-nerd]

Where are the good guys?

Image description: actors Ennis Esmer and Marwan Kenzari.

When it comes to positive Muslim rep, where are the good guys?

It would be good to focus on some positive Muslim character rep for a change.

The two examples I've picked aren't from superhero media per se, but I'd call them superhero adjacent. Sci-Fi, action genre. Safe to say if you enjoy superhero content, you'll probably enjoy these recs.

Let's dive in.

Example 1. The Old Guard (2020 movie, Netflix)

The Old Guard is a Netflix movie starring Charlize Theron in the lead role, based on the graphic novel written by Greg Rucka.

So it is a comic book movie, and you could call it a superhero movie as the main characters have a superpower and they do superhero-ing. The story is grounded more in reality, mercenaries trying to do good, if you like that kind of theme.

The characters of Joe (Marwan Kenzari, Tunisian-Dutch, Arabic speaking actor, also played Hot Jafar in Disney's live action Aladdin) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli, Italian actor) are from Byzantium times when they were Muslim and Christian soldiers respectively, on opposing sides of war.

They met during that war, and they became an out and openly loving queer couple.

The movie shows Joe and Nicky as an established couple, which makes a nice change in media to see a happy couple work together.

Onscreen we see Joe and Nicky show caring yet casual affection to each other frequently; one of the movie's highlights to me.

Yes, there is an onscreen m/m kiss. RARE in any comic book movie/superhero content, so the movie gets bonus points for that.

I suppose my one complaint is that they're not in the movie that much, they are background characters. The movie focuses more on the two women characters (Andy, and Nile).

Image description: a scene featuring ‘good guys’ in The Old Guard, extremely rare to see a Muslim character like Joe included in a ‘hero’ shot like this.

It's directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, so do check it out.

The Old Guard is a great example of how easy it is to cast a SWANA actor into the part of a SWANA and Muslim character who isn't a baddie, or a terrorist, or another tired trope, but shows Joe as a good guy and a well rounded character with important lines to say.

And he doesn't die, yay! 

Also, bonus points for a queer Muslim character. We need more of those.

~*~

Example 2: Blindspot (series, NBC/WB, The CW)

Blindspot is a TV show (2015-current) from American TV network NBC, affiliated with Warner Bros. and The CW producers

(The CW is the same network who makes a lot of the DC superhero content that fans call The Arrowverse, and so far the only superhero content from The Big Two that portrays any LGBT characters on a regular basis.)

Blindspot is a spooks/gov agents/FBI procedural show, but with a Sci-Fi twist of magical glowing tattoos that hold clues to mysteries the team has to solve to stop Bad Guys.

Like CSI meets Bond, plus it's very easy to dip in and out of and simply enjoy the banter and the action. I'm calling it superhero adjacent because it definitely lives more in the world of Sci-Fi than reality (I mentioned glowing tattoos, right?) Like a James Bond theme but with a woman lead. (Jamie Alexander, also plays Lady Sif in the MCU.)

Anyway, one of the supporting cast is a queer Turkish character, Rich DotCom, who is played by a Turkish-Canadian actor, Ennis Esmer.

He is a bit part/recurring character in seasons 1 to 3, then becoming a regular from season 4 on.

My first quibble is, I'm pretty sure we have another straight actor playing a queer character, BUT at least the show managed to cast a Turkish actor to play a Turkish character. (Heavy side eye at Disney right now: see, it isn't that hard.)

While Rich Dot Com does play into the stereotype of a SWANA character as a hacker, I can say he is well rounded as a character, especially as the seasons go on.

He starts off as a criminal (a very light hearted, quippy criminal who fleeces rich white people online, so I don't really mind that aspect much) and later works for the FBI. Many of the characters including the lead (Jamie Alexander) have a good guy/bad guy grey area that's explored, so at least it's not just the Muslim character.

Showing a Turkish character onscreen as one of the good guys, being funny and likeable (he is SO likeable) with a lot of screen time (one bonus of TV shows to movies is all the screen time afford to supporting characters) is really great.

Not to mention his character is queer, and there is a recurring on/off boyfriend character (Boston) who he has interaction with.

Last time I watched the show, the pair had a tender moment when Boston found out that Rich had bought his art pieces. That was a great episode.

I really appreciate seeing a character like this onscreen on a regular basis. I do like the show, it's fun and cheesy procedural stuff. If you like spies and action, give it a watch. (Also, Bill Nye guest stars!)

I'm aware the final season (final? Really?) has been confirmed and is yet to air, but with talks about Rich and his partner-in-lab-banter, Patterson, having a spin off show, I remain hopeful that Rich won't be killed off. Don't let me down, Blindspot!

(Honestly, if you wanted to just jump into the show on any season, that's easy enough to do. That's what I did whenever it was playing on the TV channel. Procedurals allow for easy viewing, IMO.)

And just a P.S. with Ennis Esmer, he also has a recurring role on team good guy in Canadian show Private Eyes, a similar fun romp if you like mystery shows.

Now, I'm not saying the examples of Rich from Blindspot or Joe from The Old Guard are perfect, there's always room for improvement (like, can we cast queer actors to play queer roles, please?) but they're certainly a lot better than the rest of superhero media has provided.

Blindspot and The Old Guard have achieved better representation for Muslim characters onscreen in the past couple years than the MCU and DC have put together over the past decade.

And it's odd how Warner Bros(DC) has better rep all round in its affiliated TV shows but NOT its movies. Hopefully The Old Guard will prove that diverse characters AND diverse casting in superhero movies IS possible, and more studios will follow that good example.

The sad fact is, it's not that hard to write in more diverse characters and then hire a diverse cast to any media. Doing so does not impact quality either, it only enriches it.

I'd like to see more good rep on my screen. No more cardboard cut-out baddies for Muslim characters (hard side eye at Wonder Woman 1984), let's have some good characters.

~*~

Originally posted on my blog, magnificentlynerdy.blogspot.com

Have you any recs for positive Muslim and SWANA rep in superhero media? Tell me about them! Add them to this post or send me an Ask.

[luverofralts]

Now I’m curious how your and potentialfate-sims reading of the characters differ, so 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 25, 31, 34, 38, and 50 for Nathan

Nathan knows how to sew because of Dorhack's strange compulsion to force people to sew for him. Ian was driven insane by it, and Abe has the ability to sew clothing, but will never use the skill. Nathan is probably very good at sewing, but has no real need for it in his life. Aside from that though, Nathan's not big on crafting.

Nathan wears deodorant and maybe some aftershave. He doesn't really care what he smells like to others and hates romantic partners that wear overwhelming scents.

6. Nathan doesn't trust anyone but himself. If he were injured, I could see him going to Jorah because he knows that Jorah is too nice for his own good and he's sympathetic to Lucy's family. He might also go to Nickolas since they were each other's shadows growing up. Nickolas is more focused on building his own life now, which pisses Nathan off, so they'd probably just end up fighting about Nathan's life choices.

7. Nathan has a lot of fears that people would think are unusual, but not to him. He has a lot of fears about demons and his own sanity, but his greatest fears are about finding someone he cares about. If he falls in love or has a friend, then that means he's vulnerable to someone hurting that person, and he's terrified of it. He would really like to date Cindra again, but he's afraid of hurting her in any way. Caring about people makes him feel weak.

8. Nathan collects demonic artifacts and creepy occult books and charms. He and Roman probably have a lot of the same items in their collections, though Nathan can't afford or find some of the things Roman has.

10. Nathan regrets breaking up with Cindra and trying to be her friend, since she’s been in his wants ever since they broke up. He regrets showing his hand to Roman before he knew how strong Roman had gotten. That’s pretty much it, since he loves trolling people and anything someone else would have regrets over, he chalks up as a learning experience to avoid in the future.

12. Nathan dresses pretty casual, sometimes leaning into the bad boy image he hopes he’s projecting. He’s fond of jackets, tight pants and sunglasses.

16. Nathan does not want children. He half expects to die before he’s thirty, and wants to live as much as he can before then. Unfortunately for him, he has three so far in my play through, none of which he knows about and one of which he won’t learn about for years.

25.Not really. Nathan never knows where he’ll end up at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s his dorm, sometimes it’s at a random hookup’s place and sometimes it’s in the middle of a cemetery. No two nights are the same and that’s how he likes it.

31. Nathan would choose to be able to cast out demons most of all, but he wouldn’t mind being invisible. Both because he enjoys gathering intel for his crazy schemes and because it would remind him of the days he and Nickolas hid in the walls and spied on people.

34.Not well. Like his sister, Nathan tends to shut down the emotional part of his brain to function. Late at night, sometimes he finds himself feeling emotions and has to drown them out with his usual vices. He doesn’t grieve for his dad; he just ignores that his dad exists. He grieves for his chance with CIndra, but then sleeps with random people to forget her. Lashing out with words and violence usually gives him something to think about other than his problems.

38. Horrifying mostly. Dreams are where he interacts with the piece of Dorhack embedded within him, and where he processes his trauma and fear. He dreams about Roman a lot because of Dorhack’s interest in him, and he’s partly so interested in testing Roman’s patience because of his frequent dreams. Sometimes he dreams about Theo and how powerful he will be, making him hostile to his nephew for what looks like no reason.

50.My favourite thing about Nathan is his attitude and ability to adapt to any situation. He doesn’t care what happens to him and trolls people purely for his own entertainment. I like when he actually forms an attachment to someone else, but then has to immediately try to sabotage the relationship to maintain his emotional distance. He’s a lot like his sister, but darker and more unhinged.

[imasimpforshanks]

hi! i love your stuff so very much!!

can i request the angst alphabet with zoro?

thank uuuuu ❤️

Angst Alphabet - Roronoa Zoro

a/n: hiya!!! thank y’all so much!!<3 hope you enjoy this 😌

A-Accident (would they blame themselves if you died in an accident?)

He may not blame himself entirely if you were to die in an accident. But Zoro would think himself weak. How could he possibly become the words greatest swordsman if he can’t even protect his s/o.

B-Break up (How would they break up with you?)

Before breaking up with you Zoro would start to distance himself a little to try and make it easier on the both of you for when he does break up with you. Other than that, he is likely to just come right out and say exactly what he wants to say. He’s brutally honest and straightforward so he won’t try to sugar coat anything or beat around the bush.

C-Crying (how would they make you cry?)

Zoro does this horrible thing where he likes to overwork himself to the point of exhaustion. No matter how many times you tell him to stop and express your concerns for his health, he just doesn’t listen. It hurts seeing the man you love more than anything exhausting himself.

D-Death (how would they react to your death?)

Speaking of overworking, after your death he works himself harder than he ever has before. Day in, day out he’s training. He trains every possible minute to distract himself from your death and make himself stronger to ensure he never loses a loved one ever again.

E-Emotion (what is one emotion they would try to hide the most and how would they do it?)

Being openly vulnerable is something Zoro doesn’t like to do. He really only shows his vulnerable side with his s/o and even then, it took him a really long time to do it.

F-Fight (do you two ever fight? How big are the fights? What do you fight about? Etc.)

Very rarely do your fights get serious. Your fights are often just light-hearted teases and jokes towards one another. Where its always followed by laughter or eye rolls.

If your fight was to get serious, it would result in a lot of yelling at one another and with Zoros blunt personality, a lot of hurtful words (which he ALWAYS apologizes for in the end).

G-Guilt (what is the biggest thing they feel guilty about?)

The events of Sabaody weigh heavily on Zoro’s mind. He was the first one to get sent away by Kuma, so feels as though he failed not only his captain, but the whole crew as well. He wasn’t there to protect them, to help them. Instead, he was a complete failure. And, because of his weakness his captain had to fight and suffer alone.

H-Heartbreak (what would cause them pain in the relationship? How would they deal during a break-up?)

During a break-up Zoro does what he would in any other situation: workout. He keeps himself occupied by working out, and actually he drinks a little bit more than usual too. It could even get to the point where the rest of the crew feels as though they need to step in.

I-Injured (how would they react if you are badly injured?).

He turns dark. Basically, a demon in human form. Moves you from wherever you are so that you’re out of the way of more danger AND THEN HE TIES HIS BANDANA ROUND HIS HEAD BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS SERIOUS.

J-Jealousy (what do they do if they are jealous?)

Its ridiculously obvious when this swordsman is jealous. He gets super grumpy and tries to intimidate the other person. He’ll stand right behind you and honestly, that’s intimidating enough on its own. But, if the other person doesn’t get the hint he’ll place his hand, ever so casually, on his swords.

K-Kill (would they kill for revenge?)

Ever since joining the Straw Hats, Zoro doesn’t kill others (its not something Luffy wants his nakama to do, so Zoro doesn’t do it). However, that mindset goes straight out the window depending on who he’s taking revenge for (i.e if it’s for his s/o).

Most of the time Zoro just leaves them wishing they were dead. (this seems to be a common thing amongst One Piece characters).

L-Loss (what is their greatest loss?)

I would actually say losing some of his pride. Zoro is a poud man, who refuses to lower his head to anyone. However, after receiving the message from Luffy to train and meet up again in two years, Zoro knew he had to lower his and beg Mihawk for his guidance. It was definitely a hit on his pride, but, honestly… He doesn’t regret that one bit – anything for his captain.

M-Mistake (what is the worst mistake they ever made with you?).

During one of the few big fights you guys have had things got really heated and the fight ended up getting so off topic. Insults and mean words were being thrown out left and right. Zoro got so caught up in it all that he said something that targeted one of your deepest insecurities. He knew he had screwed up so badly when you walked away without even saying anything.

N-Nightmares (how often do they have them? What are they about? How do they deal with it?).

He doesn’t often get nightmares, but when he does they tend to be about Sabaody and when the crew got separated from one another (or really any other incident where he was unable to help properly). After he wakes up, he gets straight out of bed and starts working out – determined to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.

O-Outrage (how and why would they get mad at you?)

Zoro doesn’t get mad at you for much, mainly if you pay any attention to that shitty cook, like seriously, he doesn’t understand why you have to give Sanji any attention when Zoro is literally your boyfriend….

P-Past (what has happened in your relationship that changed the way you saw each other?)

Even though you never found out exactly what happened on Thriller Bark (its something Zoro refuses to tell even you), it made you realize that you need to step up and not rely on Zoro so much because although he may act like it, he’s not actually indestructible.

Q-Quality (what is their most dangerous/toxic quality?).

(SORRY I FEEL LIKE I’M BEING VERY REPETITIVE HERE AH BUT YEAH…) He never allows himself to heal from an injury properly. He always starts training immediately despite Chopper’s best attempts to stop him.

R-Rejection (how would they react to you rejecting their confession (or the other way around)).

If you were to reject his confession, he’d probably try to justify it to himself by saying “yeah actually it’s probably better this way. I don’t need anymore distractions in life.” But, he would definitely be a little down in the dumps about it. He made himself vulnerable for this and it didn’t work the way he wanted.

S-Scars (battle or self-inflicted)

Zoro has many scars. The scar over his left eye was a result of his two years of training with Mihawk, though no one knows the exact cause of it – only that it appeared during those two years. Zoro also has a scar on his chest from his very first encounter with Mihawk. He may also have scars on his ankles from the time he tried to chop of his own legs on Little Garden (I can’t recall if these are actually scars or if they healed completely).

T-Trust (have they ever broken your trust?).

This answer is short and sweet: No. Never. Not even in his wildest of dreams. Loyalty is basically Zoro’s entire character. He would never violate your trust. If he did… well Zoro, wouldn’t be Zoro anymore. (only thing he’s done that comes close is keep you from finding out what really happened to him on Thriller Bark).

U-Urge (how badly do they want to see you after you guys separated?)

Honestly, he is probably one of the few who are able to cope with missing you the longest. He still wants to see you of course – your presence is reassuring, so he definitely prefers when you are around – but he can handle not seeing you for a while by focusing on the task at hand and just remembering that this separation isn’t permanent.

V-Vicious (what do they do when they lash out on you?).

Similar to what I’ve said before, he says some really harsh things. He has always been blunt and straightforward, but when he’s lashing out at you he tends to make things a little more personal.

W-Weak (what makes them feel weak how do they try to avoid it?).

Zoro hates losing. Not because he’s competitive or anything but because losing makes him feel weak. Whenever he loses he feels so far away from his goal. To make up for this he works out. He trains and trains and trains until he can no longer move. He will keep going until he never loses another fight.

X-X-ray (what do they hate and show it most obviously?)

Obviously, he shows his hate of Sanji very frequently. The two pirates are constantly arguing and at one anothers throat.

But another thing he hates is people getting in the way of his dream. He agreed to join Luffy so long as he didn’t get in the way of his dream – and if luffy were to get in the way Zoro made him promise to commit seppuku (although whether or not I think Zoro would actually make him do that anymore is a different thing that I could go on about for a while so imma stop there…).

Y-Yearn (what is one thing that they want but can’t have?)

Zoro wants to be the world’s greatest/strongest swordsman. It’s not currently a title he can have, however, day-by-day he is getting just that much closer.

Z-Zero (what do they do/say in your dying moments?)

I don’t think a lot is said or done by Zoro in your final moments. He probably whispers a few thank you’s and I’m sorry’s. He won’t mourn properly until he’s completely alone.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Okay, I have thoughts about the new MCU Loki show, but especially about Mobius (perfect name for a guy whose job is protecting the timeline, by the way).

SPOILERS!

That was a master class in interrogation/deradicalization/recruitment. Possibly the best I’ve seen.

First off, there’s the usual TVA protocols - and I’m highly amused that an organization with extremely futuristic technology and an amazing-looking city deliberately designed their system on a 1980s-bureaucratic aesthetic, right down to the old-style animated video. It’s like they considered every single style from every single time people, country, and planet and decided that Earth-style-1980s-bureaucratic would be the most demoralizing.

Then Mobius comes in all friendly-like. And while that starting point is just standard good-cop-bad-cop, everything he does from then on is just outstanding. And we can reasonably assume that Mobius is coming in knowing everything about Loki, from his entire history and future to his psychological profile - after all, he’s been hunting other-Loki for a while now!

First off, Loki starts with threatening him, and Mobius is giving him absolutely nothing; just cheerful, casual agreement, ‘sure, why don’t you start with burning down my office,’ none of the fear or anger that threats are intended to provoke. At the same time, he takes Loki on a route that makes it unmistakeably clear just how impressive the TVA and their technology is; it’s on a level well beyond even Asgard, and it’s clear that Loki is picking up that the world is a good deal bigger than he’s accustomed to thinking about, and he’s a much smaller player in it than he believed. Mobius takes this moment of discomfiture as an opportunity to reassure Loki, present himself as a friend and build rapport; set up the feeling of ‘we’re on the same side here’. See, Mobius finds the bureaucratic system annoying too! And then, in the elevator, he mentions offhand that he just saved Loki’s life. He engages Loki in banter and wins a few exchanges.

In the cell, he starts off talking to Loki while facing away from him, and talks in an distracted tone. Rather than a standard interrogation setup with the interrogator trying to drag out information and the prisoner trying to stay silent, this creates a situation where Loki is trying to get his attention - as he just observed, Loki loves talking (and attention) - while also giving Loki an opening to attack, an attack that is immediately not only foiled but time-reversed, and which Moebius brushes off casually, thereby reinforcing that Loki is absolutely no threat.

To get Loki to start talking, he encourages Loki to try to manipulate him for future gain; after all, that’s Loki’s best available strategy under the circumstances, and not one he’s averse to (see: Grandmaster). He again emphasizes that Loki isn’t dangerous. He offers him unspecified benefits (he sounds like he is promising to let him go if he cooperates, but there is in fact no firm promise). And this gets Loki talking - especially since the questions are about himself, Loki’s favourite subject.

Now Mobius pulls out some truly incisive questions. (Note that this wouldn’t have worked without all the prior TVA stuff - it works because Loki is bewildered, wrongfooted, and placed in a situation where he’s got zero control. If you put Loki at the end of Avengers in a room and asked him those questions, he’d just laugh at you.) ‘What do you plan to do when you’re free?’ - which immediately reveals that Loki doesn’t want to do anything in particular with power; he diesn’t have any, like, policies; he wants power because it makes him feel powerful and successful. Then he butters him up with ‘I’m a fan; why limit yourself to just ruling?’

While the rest of the fandom is freaking out about Loki’s reaction to the MCU clips, the line that got me was his one about freedom: “For nearly everything living thing, choice breeds shame, and uncertainty, and regret. There’s a fork in every road, yet the wrong path - always taken.” Hello, projection! It’s a great window into Loki’s thinking in The Avengers (albeit a retconned one). “I’ve made terrible choices for myself that made me miserable, therefore I should make all the choices for everyone else” is of course a nonsensical idea, but Loki’s not operating on reason, just emotion.

The Mobius pulls out the video clips, first emphasizing Loki’s lack of success, and then pushing harder with “Do you enjoy hurting people?” Making him look at his actions from outside his own perspective. He keeps pushing, until Loki looks genuinely uncomfortable with his actions, and then, to counter the clips of him failing at conquest, invokes his title as ‘god of mischief’ and shows him succeeding at something genuinely mischievous. Be who are you really are. Be what you’re good at.

When Loki diverts from the topic at hand to rant about the TVA and his inevitable ascent to power, Mobius shows him the real outcome of his choices: imprisonment, and his mother’s death. Loki’s clearly emotionally affected, and Mobius presses his advantage; this is the first time in their entire interaction that he’s raised his voice. But Mobius then immediately returns to calm, and plays his masterstroke. Your predetermined role in the world is to cause pain and suffering. Is that what you want? It flips the narrative: suddenly, Loki returning to his quest for power and rule is compliance with the established order, and becoming a better person is defiance of it.

I don’t know if Loki’s escape is genuinely an error by the TVA, or if this is something orchestrated; the former is more probable, but the latter is a possibility - it’s seeing Infinity Stones thrown in a desk drawer like junk that takes Loki to the breaking point.

After the escape attempt, Mobius, in another great move, leaves Loki alone in the room rather than resuming the interrogation. It’s practically a guarantee that Loki will look at the rest of his future - there’s nothing else to do in the room, and it’s an irresistible opportunity - but at this point it’s more effective for him to feel that he’s acting freely that for Mobius to actively show it to him. And he’s also, obviously, more able to engage with his emotions when there’s no one else there (though the TVA is certainly observing him remotely, he’s not thinking about that).

And only then, when Loki’s coping with all those new realizations - both that his family loved him and that his life ended pointlessly - does Mobius come back. And then he at last gets genuine emotional vulnerability from Loki and, even more stunning, an admission of wrongdoing: that he’s been acting as a bully, harmimg others so he can feel strong. And it’s at that point, when Loki acknowledges himself a villain and is unhappy about it, that Mobius can make the offer of Loki helping on the case and have it feel like something he’s doing for Loki.

It’s the same deal it was at the beginning - help the TVA or die - but it feels very different to Loki. An opportunity rather than a threat. A choice he’s been given to do something different with his life.

And all this is nested within an episode that’s about the illusion of choice. Impressive.

Short version - I don’t see Mobius as Loki’s new best friend. I see him as a man who’s very, very good at his job. And I love competent characters.

I could be misreading it - I frequently read more into superhero movies and shows than is actually there - but that’s how it’s looking to me now.

[xillveart]

Reckless

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rough Sex (Vaginal), biting, scratching, breeding, very minor mention of blood, degrading, dirty talk Words:   7812 Pairing: Dragon Fantasy AU Bakugou Katsuki x Fem!Reader 

BTW, please blacklist the tag cutesuki-lemons if you do not want to see this content from my blog. I will no longer be tagging with specific keywords for this type of content.Thank you~

Due to the nature of this post, the characters are 18+

Taking huge risks was never really your thing. All your life living in the castle, you always followed the rules of your role, never stepping out of bounds and never taking chances. You had always thought about it, asking for a different position or perhaps more pay, maybe even just a change in shift. But, in the end, you always decided that, not only was it not worth the possible outrage your superiors could slam upon you, but you could lose what made your position so absolutely wonderful. A change in your work life could rip you away from the presence of your Lord, who you had grown very attached to in an obviously one-sided romantic connection. 

Working with him multiple times during the weeks he was present at the castle was like a dream you never wanted to let end. As a scholar and war strategist, you were his first line of contact when it came to important political or wartime plans, and you cherished the contact and respect he had for you. Your Lord wasn’t one to trust people easily, but with you, it was like he could share even his deepest worries and secrets without worry that you would betray him. Never in your life would you even consider doing such a thing, because in truth, you loved him. 

There were many reasons why you shouldn’t be so enamored with him, but in the end, all they did was make your desires stronger. To the world, to his people and enemies, he was a ruthless brute. Conquering lands and expanding his territory was his constant goal, and even at his young age, he had been incredibly successful. His people respected him, his warriors would die for him, and his enemies cowered at his feet. It was so incredibly attractive to you, to watch him in action and know that you were helping him on this journey, that you were the one to help push him forward. No matter what other opportunities you knew you had, if you were to just simply ask, there wasn’t a chance in hell that you would take it. You didn’t take those risks because you wanted to be here, at his side as much as you were allowed. 

Bakugou Katsuki was your Lord, but he was also the man that made your knees tremble with just a simple glance. He made you soft and filled with such a longing that made your chest ache terribly, and you craved to feel his hand against your skin. Anything would do. A simple touch on your arm. A brushing of his fingers against yours. A secure grip on your hips. A rough tug of your hair in his fist. 

No, no! You couldn’t let your thoughts go that way. It was highly inappropriate for you to think that way of your Lord, even if he was the most attractive man you had ever laid eyes on. Your thoughts on him could click from cute to extreme lust in the time it would take you to blink, and they did so frequently, no matter how you tried to stop it. That adorable fluffy blonde hair matched with that piercing crimson gaze always had your heart racing, and the thick, muscular figure didn’t exactly quell your urges. 

You tried everything you could think of up to this point to get over him. You saw other men who were just as equally built or with similar personalities, but none of them could match up to the way he made you feel without having ever even laid a finger on you. You could imagine in the moment that it was him touching you. Fucking you. They could quench your thirst when it was unbearable, but it was just never enough. You wanted to know what it was like to be closer to him. But how could you? 

You had tried, with subtle hints or during moments of casual conversation that came up during your meetings. An innocent batting of your eyelashes or brushing of your hand along his arm that was, of course, completely accidental. A flirtatious smile. A sultry giggle. A peek down the front of your corset as you bent over the maps to talk strategies. In the end, it was impossible. Sure, you had caught him peeking at your skin or your curves when he thought you weren’t looking, but that wasn’t enough to convince you he was even remotely interested. 

Although your body was on fire for him, it wasn’t all that you wanted. There were cute things about him that you had seen during the times you were alone with him. The way he covered his mouth when you said something that could make him laugh, or the excited grin that would break his face when you gave him good news. You had caught him napping on occasion, and his expression was so soft and calm. You knew there was more behind the short fuse and anger he carried, and it was something that you hoped to see one day. The softness that he had within him was fiercely protected, not only to keep up this image that he was a brutal man, but also because he just wasn’t ready to share those parts of him. 

Especially not with someone whom he wasn’t romantic with, like yourself. He was calm and collected around you, sure, but that could purely be from the nature of your professional relationship. But what if it was more? What if he was really and truly comfortable around you? You could only hope so. 

Hope wasn’t really working for you, however, and the longer you waited to do anything, the bigger your fears grew that he may pick a different woman. Bakugou was a Lord, someone who would need to have heirs to pass his lineage down to, and that meant that he would eventually need to have a wife and children. He had talked about it a few times with his advisors and counsel as far as needing there to be someone in case he was killed in battle or some other tragic event. Each time, he blew it off, but never gave any hints as to why he wasn’t actively searching. 

Although he didn’t want a wife, that didn’t mean that he didn’t have women at his disposal. Being a very frustrated man, much of his stress relief was in the form of sex, and he had plenty of handpicked concubines to serve him. There was a special magic done on each one of them so they could not get pregnant by him, and that procedure was highly regulated by Bakugou and his advisors to make sure there would be no illegitimate children. In truth, you weren���t sure of the exact number of women he had at his beck and call, though you knew it was at least in the double digits by now. 

There was a very good reason for that, and it wasn’t just because he grew bored with the women. Bakugou was dragon kin. That meant that he had powers, abilities, and features of a dragon while he was able to keep a mostly human form. Those included enhanced senses such as eyesight and smell. Sharp canines and nails that he tried desperately to keep trimmed. More strength and stamina. But, your favorite was something that you’re pretty sure he wasn’t even aware that you knew. 

He purred. This strong, gruff, and rough man would occasionally purr. A deep, low rumble in his chest during moments of true relaxation or happiness. You had heard it a few times, when you caught him sleeping before a meeting, resting his head on his arms against the table. It was truly the most adorable thing you had ever heard, and you wondered if he was dreaming about something - or someone - special. 

There was something less adorable that came along with his bloodline, and that particular thing was what affected the number of women he had in his life. Ironically enough, it was the urge to mate. He hated talking about it, so you didn’t know much, but he was frustrated how he felt like nothing but an uncontrollable animal during those few months. It was so difficult for him, in fact, that he locked himself away in his chambers until it was over, if he was able. If he had war or political things to attend to, then it was a decent distraction. But, when he didn’t have that, then all he could do was hide away with his women. 

That’s why there were so many. His needs and urges were nearly insatiable during this time, and even if they could go for a while, the women would eventually need a break. It was an almost constant rotation, though you were never sure of exactly what went on behind those doors. You were free to imagine it in the comfort of your room, hand between your legs as you pictured him absolutely ravaging you from behind. 

Although the thoughts of what he was doing in that room made your body incredibly hot, it also worried you. What if he had a favorite woman that was stealing his heart before you could even have the chance? They were all his body type, since he had picked them in the first place, and they were obviously fluent in how to pleasure him. What if they had a personality he liked, too? If that were so, how could you ever find a way to stand out or get his attention? 

Well, you knew how. 

You had to take a risk. 

A huge one. 

And that just wasn’t your thing. 

That didn’t matter. If you wanted your chance with him, then you knew that you had to put yourself out there in a more… obvious way. You had to show him that you wanted him. Subtle hints just weren’t going to work anymore, if they had worked at all up to this point. It was time to literally jump into the lion's den - or, in this case, dragon’s den - and offer yourself to the beast. And, in reality, that wasn’t an exaggeration. He was in peak rut season right now, and from what you heard, he was absolutely feral. In fact, it was so intense this year that the male servants he had bringing him food had to literally run away before he ripped them to shreds in a territorial rage. There were even rumors that he was showing signs of dragon features that were rare for him, including scales along his skin. Those were just rumors, as far as you could tell, because some said he didn’t and some said he did. 

It was of little consequence. You would see for yourself. 

Although Bakugou was impossible to please during this time, he still kept up a schedule of sorts, and after some spy work, you learned that he actually had been sleeping most of the night and his concubines didn’t start showing up to his room until sunrise. That meant all you had to do was show up before that time. Right? An hour or two before anyone shows up would be plenty of time to see if he’d either take you or reject you. 

So, dressed in nothing but a shift and a coat, you silently made your way through the castle to his chambers, avoiding others who may try to question you. Since it was so early in the morning, before sunrise, there weren't many people out, so the journey was less stressful than you had prepared yourself for. Though, you wished you had done more prepping to have enough bravery once you reached the entrance to his room. You had decided to not go through the main door, and since you knew the route that cleaning servants took and the location of the hidden door, this was a perfect plan to avoid being caught. 

Even still, it took an incredible amount of courage to finally place your hands against the cold stone, nibbling at your bottom lip nervously. You had thought of everything that could go wrong already, and of course, it was rushing back to you like a violent storm. You could be fired. You could be killed. You could be banished. You could be simply rejected and forced to continue your normal life with an incredible sense of shame and regret. You could fall only further in love with him. He could admit his feelings for you. He could use you for his own uncontrollable sexual pleasure. 

He could accept you. 

That’s what kept you from running. There was still hope that he would take you as his woman, which you wanted more than anything. 

You just prayed that you weren’t going to end up biting off more than you could chew. 

After a final trembling breath, you carefully pushed the door open, just wide enough so you could fit through before shutting it behind you. Since it was made to be quiet, there was barely a sound in the dim light of the fireplace, which was blazing across the room. Soft, warm heat rolled across the large room, bringing relief to your cold bare feet and legs. In the flickering shadows, Bakugou’s large bed loomed over the room like a large hungry beast, the posts tall and reaching for the ceiling. The footboard that you could see was very ornate, with dragon bones, horns, and scales, which matched the color of the canopy drapes that hid the man inside. 

Or, it would have. Much to your surprise, you could see rips and tears in the fabric as you stepped closer, which you assumed came from one of his many lustful sessions. There were pillows and blankets also scattered across the floor, abandoned in favor of sleep, and the remnants of his last meal were sitting on a table near the head of the bed. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” 

The dark growl of a voice startled you so badly that you jumped, stumbling back against the wall, eyes darting this way and that to find the source. In the darkest corner of the room, you could see Bakugou’s shadow-cloaked figure, his reflective pupils visible as he glared at you. Feeling heat rush to your cheeks as you tried to calm your racing heart, you placed your hands on your chest, keeping pressed up against the wall. Before finding the strength to answer, you looked over what you could see of his figure, only able to tell that he was perched up on a chair with his legs pulled up into the seat. It was a stiff and uncomfortable position, as if he were forcing himself to stay in place. 

“I… I, uhm… Why are you awake so early?” 

“Are you fucking serious? You’re walking into my room in the middle of the damn night, and you’re asking me why I’m awake?” 

“I… I had just heard that you were having more trouble than usual. I hadn’t heard from you about any of the strategies I sent in and… I got worried.” You could hear the bullshit in your own voice, and you wanted to just bite your own tongue off. Already, you were chickening out of your plan, but his aggressive presence was more radiant than you expected. It was throwing off the small amount of confidence that you had gathered, which you knew you needed to get back as quickly as possible. 

A low rumble escaped him as he lowered his legs to the ground, the growl sending a harsh shiver down your spine. It was so aggressive and intimidating that you nearly felt the need to cower down to the ground, but you kept yourself up on weak legs. It was odd, how he was both frightening you and filling you with a raging lustful fire at the same time. 

Clutching at the front of your coat, you stepped away from the wall, but was once again startled to a halt by his voice. 

“Bullshit. I know you. You’d just send a letter instead. That’s what you’ve always done when I’m like this. On top of that, you’re sneaking around the servant’s halls like a rat.” His teeth were visible as he snarled, clutching on tightly to the arms of the chair. “You think you’re being slick, huh?” 

“I don’t know what you mean…” 

“Yes, you do. You wanted me alone. Sneaky, figuring out my schedule and getting in here without anyone noticing. I’m both impressed and pissed off.” 

“I… You’re right. I did want to come see you when no one would bother us.” Giving your bottom lip a nervous nibble, you began to unbutton the front of your coat, able to see him only further tense in his chair. “I wanted to… ask you something.” 

Bakugou couldn’t take this. How in the hell could this really be happening? This had to be some type of dream, a hallucination brought on by his unquenchable need to breed. How could you actually be here, in his room, at the peak of his rut. It was so dangerous, and you needed to leave. Now, before he lost what little control he had. He wanted to tell you, to snap at you to fuck off, but the words just wouldn’t leave his lips. 

He was too enamored already. Your scent filled his senses like the aroma of a delicious fruit, one which he craved to sink his teeth into and let the juices drip down his chin. Just the sight of you made him dizzy, so disheveled and vulnerable. 

Unexpecting and unaware. 

Beautiful and stupid. 

So fucking stupid. 

As your coat was shrugged off your shoulders, more of your scent wafted over him, forcing him to further dig his claws into the fabric of the chair to keep himself in place. With the light from the fire, your figure was visible to him as a silhouette beneath your white shift, giving him just a taste of that beautiful body he craved. If only you knew how badly he wanted you. How badly he had always wanted you. But it just hadn’t ever been the right time. He had never made the move. 

Now, here you were, tired of waiting and willing to put yourself in such a compromising situation. Your years of flirting, teasing, and genuine care for him was always something he paid great attention to, and the feelings weren’t unwelcomed, like you must have assumed. Of course, he knew it was his fault for refusing to take that step you both craved. 

Still… 

This wasn’t the right time. 

“Tell me what you want,” Bakugou growled, his heartbeat so loud in his ears he could hardly even hear himself. It pulsed through his entire body to his crotch, his cock already hard and straining painfully against the fabric of his sleeping pants. “You’re fucking stupid for coming here. Don’t you know what I could do to you?” Tell her to leave! “Don’t you know what’s wrong with me?” I need to throw her out! Fuck, I want her. I want her! Damn it!

Letting your coat fall to the floor, you took a few steps closer, swallowing the hard lump that had grown in your throat. “I just can’t wait to find out anymore, my Lord.” Growing shy, you timidly fiddled with the fabric of your shift, your body growing hotter with his reaction to the formality. Bakugou’s breathing grew incredibly heavy, his head hanging as he tried to not look at you. 

“Don’t fucking… call me that… Don’t say that!” He spoke with a trembling, angry growl. “Just fucking tell me what you want!” 

“Y-you! I want you! You oblivious jerk!” 

“Oblivious?!” Bakugou barked, standing up so roughly that the chair toppled backwards behind him. The volume of his voice and the movement startled you enough to make you take a few steps back, bringing your hands up to your chest defensively. “I’m oblivious?! You moron! Look who’s just waltzed into my room knowing damn well I’m dangerous right now.” 

“I don’t care,” you stood your ground as Bakugou began to come towards you, his hands balled into fists at his side. “I’m not scared of you. I know that you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want.” 

“You’re smart enough to know that I’m not completely myself right now. I don’t know what I could do.” His tall and broad stature was incredibly intimidating as he got closer, breaking your tough front and making you stumble over your feet stepping backwards. It wasn’t only his form that caught you off guard, but the intensity of his glare and the patches of crimson scales that broke his skin along his cheeks, chest, and shoulders. 

It was true, what the servants had said about him. This was the worst he had been, probably ever, and you were truly curious as to why. Was his body really beginning to grow desperate to have an heir? Was the need to impregnate and breed worse because of his natural instincts, or was it because he knew who he wanted as his mate and he just hadn’t been able to have her?

Your back was once again pressed against the cold stone of the wall as Bakugou pursued you towards it, and in the next instant, you were trapped by his arms on either side of you, palms pressed against the rough surface. He was so close to you that if you relaxed your body, your chests would touch, and it was hard enough to keep the distance as your breathing grew heavy. “I… I know. But I don’t care. I came here now b-because… because you couldn’t ignore me or brush me off so easily.” 

“That’s fucking bold of you. Reckless.” 

“Why is it so reckless?” You relaxed a little, the warmth radiating from his body calming your momentary fears. “Other women can be with you… Why can’t I?” 

“Are you serious? You’re comparing yourself to one of my whores? To a bitch I can snap my fingers at and have her at my feet? You think that lowly of yourself?” 

Confused, you gave a small shake of your head, feeling an odd fluttering in your stomach. “That’s… I don’t mean that. I mean… it’s safe for other women, why couldn’t it be safe for me?” 

“It’s not safe for them. Why do you think I have to rotate? I could hurt them. I have, however unintentionally. You’re not like them. Don’t compare yourself to them like this… It pisses me off.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I respect you.” 

A fierce heat rushed to your cheeks, spreading across your skin to burn your ears and even your eyes. You had wanted this type of response from him, but it was still such a shock to hear it. Not exactly the love confession you were wanting, but it was something, and he hadn’t forced you out of the door just yet. 

But there was something else, paired with his response that made your heart race. That glare, so dark and frustrated, had softened into what you could only describe as… gentle. There wasn’t a single crease or frown line on his gorgeous face, bringing such a sweetness to him. Even his pupils had relaxed, the thin reptile like slits now wide and blown out. There was more than just respect in that gaze. 

“My Lord,” your voice hitched as he tensed at the formality, shifting half an inch closer to you as his pupils constricted. “There’s… more than just respect. Isn’t there?” Your final question wasn’t confrontational. Instead, it was worried, seeking the affirmation you had dreamt of. 

“Of course there is. But I can’t do this now.” 

Heart sinking, you slowly and carefully brought your hands up to caress his cheeks, but they didn’t stay in place long. The instant you touched his skin, Bakugou grabbed both of your wrists, forcing your arms up over your head against the wall. It was so quick that you barely had time to register what was happening before he began to speak again, a deep growl that you could even feel reverberating in your chest. 

“I said I can’t do this now! Don’t just fucking touch me! You don’t understand!” Although he was saying these things, his body was betraying him, pressing in closer to you, one leg slipping between yours to further keep you in place. “I’m not me right now! I’m a fucking animal.” 

“T-That’s not true!” The position of your arms was making it difficult to find the breath to speak, unable to resist wiggling in his grip uncomfortably. Your thighs clenched around his and your chest ached up against him, your lips permanently parted against your panting and struggles. “This is you! It’s a part of you, My Lord--” 

“--Don’t call me that!” 

“-- You have to accept it. I accept it. I want to be here for you.” 

You had to stop. Bakugou had to make you stop. Somehow. He wasn’t going to be able to control himself much longer. That beautiful flushed and pleading expression. Your plush breasts pressing against him with every breath and wiggle. The scent of your arousal fogged his mind with every breath and he could hear your heartbeat, so rapid and desperate. He knew that he needed to make you stop this, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to stop. 

No, at this point, he didn’t think he could stop. How much he adored you was swirling with the fierce need to fill you with his seed, to fuck you for hours on end until you were absolutely filled to the brim. He wanted to mark you, sink his fangs into your soft flesh, taste your sweet essence, and hear you scream his name. 

More than anything, he wanted to have you as his mate. His lover. His queen. All these years of having you by his side had always felt so natural, like you were always meant to be there. Now, he had you, so willing and accepting of him even in his darkest moments. Was this really okay? Could he really let himself take you now, when he was unsure of what was love and what was lust? 

Frustrated, Bakugou pressed his forehead against yours, clenching his eyes shut tightly to alleviate the red from his vision. Trying to restrain himself so intensely was beginning to grow painful, his muscles and joints aching from the need to just devour you. Even your lips barely brushing against his was enough to send shocking tingles through every nerve, urging him to taste you. 

I shouldn’t do this.

But I need her. I want her! 

I could hurt her! She doesn’t know what I could do. 

She’s not protected by the magic… She could become pregnant--

“Katsuki.” 

The sultry sound of his name coming from your lips instantly snapped his restraint like a twig, not even opening his eyes as he kissed you roughly. The feeling of his hot lips against yours made you immediately melt into him, moaning softly with the first rough nibble to your bottom lip in a demand for access. The kiss was sloppy and wet, with little direction except the mutual cravings to taste each other. You couldn’t help but wonder for a moment if he kissed the other women like this, so fierce and passionate, with an unrelenting aggressiveness that made you feel weak in the knees. 

Unable to move or find a moment to breathe, you began to struggle again, trying to tug your arms down out of his grip to at least be able to hold him. You had no luck. Instead, he moved to grip both of your wrists with one hand, his other roughly gripping your neck and pressing you back against the wall with a frustrated growl. “You trying to escape me?” His lips left yours, pressing against your flushed cheek with a wicked smirk. A low rumbling began in his chest, a deep and hungry purr that was completely different from the sweet and innocent sound you had heard in the past. “My little pet… You can’t get away, now.” 

A soft whimper escaped you, biting down onto your bottom lip as Bakugou ran his tongue along your cheek to your ear, leaving a hot trail of saliva in his wake. “I-I’m not…” You relaxed your head back against the stone, looking up at the ceiling as his tongue slid along the shell of your ear. The pain of his teeth pulling on your earlobe was paired with the pleasure of his knee pressing up into your sex, your clit immediately met with the friction of his pants as there was no underwear to create a barrier. 

Able to feel your heat against his leg, his purr only grew deeper, his hand leaving your throat to move down your body. His touch was hot and rough, caressing your figure and digging his sharp nails into your plush areas that he deemed worthy of a squeeze. You couldn’t help but continue to whine and wiggle with the slight pain, only further pleasuring yourself against his leg. “K-Katsuki--” 

“Don’t be shy,” Bakugou spoke in your ear, his hot breath running down your neck. “You want me? Show me how much of a horny bitch you are.” His hand set firm on your hip, his teeth lightly scraping along the skin of your jaw. “C’mon, pet. You were so desperate to have me, now you do.” 

God, your body was so hot. Every inch of you felt like a raging inferno, and the fire had nowhere else to escape but between your legs. Your sex was throbbing and aching, absolutely begging for his touch. The need was too much, so you began to roll your hips, grinding yourself eagerly against his leg. 

“That’s it,” Bakugou released your wrists, tugging your body in closer while still forcing you to straddle his leg. Now, however, each roll of your hips had you pressing into his cock, his girth impressive from what you could feel. Your head free for the moment, you took the chance to look down, eyes glancing over his muscular torso before focusing on the bulge in his pants. The grey fabric was taut against the form of his cock, and was dark with wetness from where you assumed the head to be. You wanted to touch him, to feel him throb in your hands, but you found that they were otherwise engaged. 

You were forced to hold on tightly to his shoulders to keep yourself balanced, since Bakugou was doing little to help you. He had both his hands on your ass, holding and squeezing while you fucked his thigh. His lips were still at your neck, growling and panting against your skin with each moment of pressure against his cock. Listening to him, you started to feel lost in the moment, loosening up to instead wrap your arms around his neck. Though, with a sudden rough bump of his leg into your sex, you released a loud moan near his ear, which was quick to set him off again. 

Taking the back of your shift into his hands, he ripped the thin fabric open, exposing your back to the chill of the room. “A-ah, Katsuki-- Wait--” Removing his leg from between yours, you found your front pressed into the wall, the torn shift falling in loose rags against your body. Standing behind you, Bakugou kept one hand on your back between your shoulders to make sure you couldn’t move, while his other trailed down your back and to your hip. He left light marks along your skin from his nails, but those really weren’t what he was focusing on. That perfect curve and dip in your back. The shape and plushness of your perfect ass. The light glistening off your skin where your essence had spread across your sex and down your thighs. 

“So pretty,” Confident that you weren’t going to move, he released your back to grip your ass in both hands, spreading you open to see every inch of you. You couldn’t stop the twitching of your pussy at his touch, his thumbs so close that your body instinctively arched out more for him. The effort paid off for a moment, his thumbs slipping into your folds to pull your pussy open nice and wide for him. “Fuck… How many other cocks have filled up this pretty pussy?” 

Turning your head a bit to look at him over your shoulder, you caught his piercing glare, feeling your core twist at the sight. “N-not that many… They can never satisfy me.” 

Leaning forward, Bakugou pressed his lips roughly against your cheek, his hips grinding into yours and digging the length of his cock against your sex. “And none of them ever will,” He growled into your ear. “You’re mine. And once I’m done with you, all you’ll be able to think about is my cock. You’re going to be so fucking marked up and covered in my cum no other man will ever think about touching you.” 

“I don’t want any other man. I only want you.” 

“Good girl.” Another lick and bite on your ear made you moan softly. “My little pet… My pretty mate.” His hands left you for only a moment to pull his pants down, finally freeing his hard and throbbing cock. It came to rest for a moment between your cheeks, giving you a decent look at it once he sat up from leaning over you. His length and girth matched the size and muscular figure of his body, making your entire body quiver with a mix of excitement and worry. 

“S-so big…” Your voice came out as a trembling whisper, though you had expected it to stay in your mind as a mere thought. Bakugou chuckled, slowly running his tip along your wet slit, teasing your clit. 

“We’ll see if it’s everything you’ve dreamt about.” Without any further warning, Bakugou began to push his cock into you, the tightness of your cunt pulling a sharp hiss from his mouth. “Oh fuck…!” 

The feeling of him entering you immediately made you feel breathless, gasping and digging your nails into the stone wall. “A-ah, wait--! It’s so big! I-I’m not,- I can’t-!” 

“You said you could take it, my pet. So take it.” 

With a sharp snap of his hips, Bakugou buried himself completely within you, making you cry out and nearly collapse as your knees tried to buckle out from under you. There wasn’t another second that passed before he began to fuck you, holding your hips steady with a fierce grip. It was so much at once that your mind was already going blank, the initial uncomfortable feeling of being so incredibly full beginning to morph into an unrelenting pleasure. It left you completely breathless, barely able to find the strength to stay standing. All you could do was moan. 

“How does that cock feel inside you, huh? You like being fucked like the horny bitch you are?” A rough slap to your ass made your voice squeak, and you somehow found the conscious strength to look back at him over your shoulder. 

“I-it feels good! M-my Lord, do whatever you want with me!” You gasped as your hair was suddenly in his fist, pulling you back up against his torso. Hand wrapping around your throat, he continued to thrust into you, his lips at your ear as his deep grumbling purr began again. 

“Don’t fucking call me that. What is my name?” 

“K-Katsuki-!” It was almost impossible to speak through the grip he had on your neck, and mixed with the breathlessness brought on by the pleasure, you weren’t sure if you were even going to stay conscious. 

“Say it again.” 

“Katsuki!” 

“And what am I?” 

“M-my mate! Katsuki, please, I--” As your eyes began to roll back, you found your body floating in a hazy sea of pleasure, the lack of steady oxygen making you oblivious to everything else. It had already been building up in your core, pushing you closer and closer towards release, but you just weren’t there yet. 

“Are you going to cum already, my little pet?” His nails dug into the skin of your neck, making you wince and whine from the pain. Yet, you didn’t hate it. 

“M-more! Katsuki, please- A-ah! Fuck!” Releasing your neck, he grabbed both of your wrists and pulled them back, forcing you to bend over. With this new leverage, he slammed his cock so deep and hard into you that you couldn’t even find the air to moan. Head hanging, you watched his muscular legs and the way your arousal dripped from your ravaged pussy behind blurry, teary vision, only able to take a split second to be amazed at how truly turned on you really were. You were the hottest you had ever been in your entire life, so needy and aching for any attention or passion Bakugou would throw your way. It didn’t matter what he wanted to do to you. You would take it all just to finally be one with him. 

Each thrust inside of you had your pleasure spiking, the coil within your core growing tighter and tighter, until the tension was too much to bear. When it finally broke, your body reacted without any conscious thought, twitching and trying desperately to escape the pleasure as he only continued to pound into you against the constricting of your walls. “Ka- a-ah! N-no, wait--!” 

“Not so fast, my pet,” Bakugou used his grip on your arms to yank you backwards, one hand firmly on your throat. His other arm latched around your hips, keeping you in place while continuing to roll and dig his cock deep inside you, pressing against that delicious spot that drove you mad. “Fuck, your pussy feels so good squeezing my cock like that. You’re so damn perfect, I just want to fill you up until you’re dripping with my cum.” 

“F-fill me up, Katsuki-!” You gave a choked moan as his grip tightened on your neck, his deep, grinding movements returning to the erratic and rough thrusts. You could tell that, in that moment, the thought of pleasuring you at all had completely left him. All that was on his mind now was doing just as he wanted, just as you had asked him to, and you were at his mercy. Even his teeth sinking into the skin of the crook of your neck didn’t deter the pleasure for you, the sudden spike of pain only making you arch your hips up even more for him, up on your tiptoes as far as you could possibly get. 

With the movement, Bakugou released a frustrated growl mixed in with his groans and sighs of pleasure, his teeth only sinking further into your skin. The warmth that spread down your collarbone told you that he must have broke skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat that filled your womb in the next instant. The cum that coated your pulsing walls was hotter than anything you had ever felt, bringing a gasp from your hoarse throat. Desperately trying to clutch on to anything that you could to help distract you from the feeling, you snatched onto the arm of the hand that held your neck, clawing at his skin. 

“H-hot, oh fuck- it’s so hot!” Although at first it was an uncomfortable sensation, you were slowly enveloped by the warmth, spreading through every inch from the belly out. When you began to relax, your eyes grew heavy, loosening your tense posture to rest back against Bakugou’s broad chest. “So hot… It’s nice…”

Teeth still in your skin, Bakugou began to purr, that same deep and rough sound that vibrated all through your body. Releasing your neck, his hand moved down your body, coming to a stop on your stomach. “Mm…” He smirked against your bleeding skin, running his tongue along the wound. “Delicious… You’re going to look so fucking beautiful when you’re carrying my children.” As he pulled his still hard cock out of you, his cum began to dribble down your trembling thighs, wondering for a moment just how much he had released. 

Mind still hazy from the pleasure and the heat, you brought a hand up to tangle into his hair, turning your head to catch his lips. The metallic, sweet taste of your blood of his lips and his tongue were of no consequence, moaning softly against the kiss as both of his hands gripped and squeezed your breasts eagerly. From the feeling of his cock still between your thighs, hard and pulsing, you knew that this wasn’t over. You didn’t want it to be over. He had felt so heavenly inside of you, his attention and affection, however rough it may be, was filling your heart to the brim. 

“I want to… Katsuki, please pick me! I want to always be at your side, to be your wife and carry your children.” You turned to face him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Please make me your mate!” 

There wasn’t another word shared between you as he kissed you, cupping your backside to scoop you up into his arms. Legs hooking around his waist, he carried you towards the bed, the plush softness of the blankets against your back lost to the euphoria that was his body intertwined with yours. 

…

Bakugou wasn’t sure the time of day when he finally came out of his haze. The red that had blurred his vision had subsided in a sudden flash of white, finding that he was panting quite heavily, his forehead pressed into soft flesh. His consciousness returned to him slowly with the final pounding waves of his orgasm, his cock buried deep within the still twitching and constricting walls of a woman. No, not just any woman. It was his woman. You. 

Slowly, he felt tired arms wrap around him, softly stroking up and down his scratched and sweaty back. With this movement, his head was gently pushed further against wherever he rested, which became clear by the pulsing against his lips that it was your neck. With a deep groan, Bakugou kissed your skin softly, working his way up along your jawline to your cheek. Your fingers in his hair made him feel so calm and secure, more than he had ever felt in the weeks since his rut first started. 

It was odd. Usually, Bakugou could never stop once he got going. At least, not without using extreme self-control. He would need to keep going until his body was at its limit, but now, there was nothing. All that was left was this overwhelming softness, an urge to protect, and a love that he had refused to accept all these years. You were something so special to him, so incredibly precious, and you were his. All his. 

Is that why he finally felt at peace? Is this what he had been missing? Are you what he had been craving for all this time? 

The unfamiliar butterflies fluttering about in his stomach were proof enough, bringing him to nuzzle his nose against your cheek as your hand softly stroked his. It was then that the uncontrollable soft rumble began in his chest, which was the complete opposite of the aggressive purr he had been making most of the morning. He finally had you. And he was happy. 

“Katsuki,” You spoke in a hoarse whisper, turning your head a bit to finally catch his gaze. “What’s that cute noise you’re making?” Your continued touch along his cheek made him realize that his scales had finally subsided, figuring he was mostly back to normal for the time being. How bad he had gotten, he really couldn’t remember, and just hearing how faint your voice was made him worry. 

“Fuck off, you know what it is. Are you alright?” 

Clearing your throat, you nodded, smiling against his lips. “I’m fine, Katsuki. Perfect, actually. I’ve never been happier… But I am pretty thirsty.” 

“You look it.” Carefully moving some hair out of your face, Bakugou placed a kiss on your lips before sitting up from you, removing his member as well. As he flopped to sit on the bed, he felt a twinge of true concern while looking you over. “Fuck. I was way too damn aggressive.” Bruises, bitemarks, and red scratches littered your beautiful skin, your neck and thighs being the areas that received the most abuse. Shiny with sweat, you were truly a sight to behold, and the amount of his cum that stained your body and pooled between your legs was more than he had seen in a while. You were beautiful and ruined. Marked and scratched. And all his. 

“Oh, I really don’t mind.” Sitting up, you lightly ran your fingers along a bite mark on the top of your left breast. “I didn’t know what to expect coming in, but… it really did feel amazing. I’ll be sore, but it’s worth it!” Smiling, you reached over and took both of his hands tenderly, bringing one up to softly kiss his fingers. “Mm… I’m so happy…” 

With only a light tug on your hand to beckon you forward, Bakugou let his arms rest around your waist as you straddled his lap, facing him. A soft kiss was shared as you rested against him, the purr returning. “I am, too. It was a stupid fucking thing for you to do, but… I’m glad you took the risk of coming here.” 

“You were pretty much moving subconsciously through most of it, though, right?” 

 “Hm… I mean, I remember some things, and the feelings, but that animalistic part of me was… really strong.” 

“I was just gonna say that… it was super cute when you kept calling me your mate,” You couldn’t resist a smile as Bakugou’s cheeks flushed, the color spreading to the tips of his ears. “And you were calling me your pet.” 

“Ah... Well, so what if I was?!” Bakugou’s embarrassment instantly had him feeling defensive, even as you laughed and hugged him tightly. “I wanted you, alright?! And not just right then, for fucking years! I was excited-- stop laughing at me!” 

You nuzzled your nose against his neck, sighing in happiness as you closed your eyes. “Aahh, Katsuki… you’re so cute. I’m so happy that you picked me, out of all the women you could have.” 

“There’s no other woman I’d ever want than you. How about we clean up and get some food. I think we could both use some rest. My beautiful mate…”

[redrobin-detective]

Crawls out from the Pit

Alright so after about 2 and half weeks I have finished all 8 seasons, 80 episodes of Ben 10 Omniverse. I’m a little sad to be done but also glad to have my free time back (also if I have to hear that motherFUCKING opening theme again I will actually cry). So it was an experiencing one that was both super enjoyable but also infuriating. Let me break down my thoughts (with some spoilers) under the cut.

Things I liked

- From the very first episode I was, and still am just fascinated by the basic world set up. Ben Tennyson is known across the entire universe as a hero and wielder of the Omnitrix, everyone he meets knows who he is. Coming off series with locked down secret identities Ben’s status as a universal celebrity had both pros and cons and was simply fascinating to watch.

 - Aliens are common in his hometown of Bellwood and there’s a thriving populous under the city. Watching aliens and humans interact with awkward moments and periods of adjustment was damn interesting, great world building in there too.

- The Plumbers being intergalactic peace keepers of sorts (again with all the good and bad that come with essentially being space cops) and having a presence on earth and beyond. Ben’s status as being part of the organization but not a true member, one who really answers only to himself was intriguing.

- For all that I nitpick Ben and Rook’s relationship (stilllll not seeing shippers sorry) I loved Rook Blonko as a character, he was delightful. I also did like Ben and Rook’s relationship bc their individual prejudices and problems kept them from becoming actually close and reliant on one another and while it came close at times it never really resolved which I’m okay with.

- Love the time travel shit *chefs kiss* Professor Paradox my beloved. Also I would die for No Watch Ben. And why is Ben 23 so popular? He’s a lil bitch.

- Genuinely did love the cartoony artstyle, I was obsessed with how green Ben’s eyes were. My personal fanon is the Omnitrix has slowly made them green and glowy over the years. Also the flashbacks to 10-11 year old Ben, baby diagnosed. Such a cutie patootie. 

- Speaking of which, loved the frequent callbacks to the original series (my first and favorite). OV felt way more connected to that Ben that I first fell in love with than AF or UAF.

- Ben, when his character was executed right, was wonderful. A big hearted teen who has way too much power and responsibility just doing his best. He covers his fear of failure with jokes and a deceptively casual attitude. While he can be lazy and overconfident and doesn’t think things through, he is dedicated to what he does not for fame but to help people and his determination and adaptability always see him through. 

Things I Didn’t Like

- So when Ben was done right it was great but my biggest peeve was how they changed his personality, maturity, competency level episode by episode. Sometimes he was capable of complex negotiations, sometimes all he could do was complain and eat junk foods, sometimes he he could sheer climb walls, other times he was pathetically weak without his Omnitrix. Needless to say I was really irked by the dangerously immature & reckless, rude to the point of being mean, willfully idiotic moron version of Ben who didn’t care about anything.

- When I first started someone said the first half of OV was good and the rest was not. They were right, loved S1-4, 5-8 had good episodes but overall was either cringing or rolling my eyes. S5 in particular aggravated me with Ben being at his worst. I was pulling my hair out at Ben yelling about how ugly and monstrous the citizens of Anur Transyl were like Ben... you regularly turn into those aliens.... your whole deal is being able to see from other’s perspectives...

- Just, the lack of taking itself seriously or following through on some damn interesting storylines. Like Ben being put on trial for recreating the universe? And being found guilty not just of that but misusing the Omnitrix??? That’s good shit right there but they waved it all away with some trial by combat bullshit and well back to normal. I know its a cartoon but that episode infuriated me. 

- Gwen and Kevin... didn’t care for them much here. Their characters just felt flat and shoved in whenever it was convenient with no real meaningful interactions between the supposedly close trio. They really were thrown under the bus to make room for Rook and the whole Plumbers thing.

- Kai *long groan* Honestly any attempt to address Ben’s love life was so nightmarishly bad. Everyone who says that Ben is Aromatic is absolutely correct. Boy hardly showed any interest in dates and tried to get out of most of them and yet he was ‘destined’ to be with a girl who was shown only to care about his transformations and not him? And that he didn’t really respect back? Hell no.

- Most of the villains were kinda Meh. Maltruant was cool but underused, we hardly got ANYTHING interesting out of the series big bad Vilgax, Albedo was... still don’t know what to think of him. Malware was cool tho, the whole Feedback thing was painful.

So overall the good outweighs the bad but I liked it far more at the beginning than I did the end. I’ll rewatch some of my favorites but probably won’t do a full binge again. Still, I love the idea of this particular universe and really did enjoy most of my watch!

[feelyourhearttakingroot]

The Reader's Guide to Avoiding Redfly (and how to have a good time doing it)

“How’re you doing, kid?” Tom murmured in your ear. Your skin hadn’t started crawling yet, but it definitely would soon.

“Redfly, leave the girl alone.” 

A third voice - the voice of God himself, if it meant that Tom would let you go. 

Summary: Your friend Dina is dating Benny Miller, and drags you along to one of his fights before a night at a bar. His friends meet you there - Tom ‘Redfly’ Davis, who is too busy trying it on with you to think about his wife; Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia, who is a god made flesh; and Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales, who agrees to help keep you out of Redfly’s clutches. But Frankie is not without his own charm...

Relationships: Frankie Morales x reader, side Santiago Garcia x Original Female Character, side Benny Miller x Original Female Character

Rating: First chapter is Mature, but it will be getting Explicit after that... 

Author’s note: I saw Triple Frontier last week for the first time and it has occupied my every waking thought since then. This is my first ‘x reader’ fic, so feedback is appreciated. Benny is my darling boy and I want to write him a loving af relationship even if it’s in the bg of this fic. I also don’t mean to step on toes but Redfly is the worst man and deserved to die a lot earlier than he did in the film. I am also obviously obsessed with Frankie Morales. Sorry if the formatting is fucked, this is the first fic I’ve posted directly to Tumblr in many’a.

Warnings: 18+ for frequent language, she/her pronouns, future smut but this chapter is just teasing.

Read on AO3.

Chapter One

The Fight

“The fight ends at 9pm, so we’ll be good to get to the bar by 9.30,” Dina said, leaning to within a hair's breadth of the bathroom mirror. Your arms twitched, hands opening and closing as you watched the safety pin come even closer to her eyeball.

“Dina, do you have to- the fight?”

“Yes, I need to separate my eyelashes, and yes, the fight.” She said, tongue peeping out between her lips. “Benny is fighting and he’s going to come with us to the bar afterwards.”

Your heart sank, just a little. Benny was a great guy, and you were happy for Dina, but it was always harder to get into bars when Benny ‘Brick Shithouse’ Miller rocked up with facial wounds and an ego after inevitably winning the fight. 

Apparently their post-fight sex was insane.

“So it’s you, me, and Benny?” you asked flatly, and she rolled her eyes in a way that made your hands clench into fists, with a vivid mental image of the pin sinking into her eyeball. She ignored you, of course, and started on the bottom lid.

“No, you prick,” she said, teasing each lash apart. She paused, and winked at you through the mirror “Ha. Prick! Get it? Sandy, Amy and Kelly are joining us - and Benny is bringing his friends.”

“William and Tom?” You were trying so hard not to be a downer, you really were, but you’d met William and Tom before and it was not a great experience. William - Benny’s brother - was aesthetically pleasing, and a lovely guy, but way too earnest about the purity of combat, while Tom was… a douche. A douche who clearly enjoyed his nights away from the wife a little too much. “Great.”

“Not just Will and Tom,” she chided, finally putting down the pin and fluttering her eyelashes at her reflection. “A few of his old squad guys are coming too.”

“OK then,” you said, and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Dina called.

“To get another drink.”

Based on the MMA prelude, you decided to rethink your outfit to something a bit less… showy, and had poured yourself into a skintight skirt with a shirt that helped accentuate your decolletage just right. So right, in fact, that you’d forgone a sensible coat in favour of a leather jacket that didn’t even close properly. The clothes did little to shield you from the cold, which explained why you had chugged nearly half a bottle of Smirnoff in the cab over. 

-----------------

Dina looked every inch the fighter’s girlfriend, she really did. You didn’t even know she owned a faux-fur coat. Her meticulously-separated eyelashes were currently fluttered together, shielding her eyes from her cigarette smoke. 

Not that it helped. Your buzz was fading fast with every second you stood out in the freezing cold parking lot.

Sandy hadn’t bothered to change her outfit - “Fuck it, it can’t be any dirtier than the bar.” - and was leaning against the arena wall wearing a mini dress that practically showed what she had eaten for breakfast. The woman had legs up to her neck, and more than one man had slowed his passage into the arena to get a good look. Sandy, with legs that long since she was fifteen, and a face that had been beautiful her whole life, flipped each one off with a casual laziness you could never hope to emulate. 

The three of you were standing outside the arena waiting for Tom and the others to arrive. The crowd was known to get rowdy, and Benny had been very firm with Dina about going in with his friends. William was already inside with Benny, prepping him for the fight.

It was so cold you were nearly tempted to ask Dina for a pull of her cigarette, just to feel some warm air, when -

“Dee!”

Your face locked into a grimace, and you looked down to kick a loose pebble from under your shoe, trying to regain control of your facial muscles by the time Tom got close.

“Tommy!” Dina yelled. “You’re late, what the hell?”

“Don’t blame me,” Tom said, “Blame these assholes.”

Two sets of denim-wrapped legs stepped into your view, and you huffed out a little sigh before looking up. Tom was standing in front of you, with his friend on his right. 

His friend. Who was the most gorgeous man you’d ever seen. He smiled at you, and you felt a small laugh escape you. 

What was that face? He looked like a Latino George Clooney. How did he get taken seriously in life?

“Hey, tiger,” Tom said to you, his lopsided smile showing a little too much teeth on one side.

“Hey… Tom.” you replied, raising a hand in greeting. He made a little ‘pfft’ sound and pulled you in for a hug, enveloping you in the smell of… dear god, was that Axe? 

You heard the crunch of gravel, and a movement out of the corner of your eye told you that the devilishly handsome man was currently introducing himself to Sandy. 

Probably wouldn’t have worked out with us anyway.

“How’re you doing, kid?” Tom murmured in your ear. Your skin hadn’t started crawling yet, but it definitely would soon.

“Redfly, leave the girl alone.” 

A third voice - the voice of God himself, if it meant that Tom would let you go. 

“This is my girl right here, Frankie.” Tom said, and the proprietary tone in his voice made your stomach turn. You should have just met them at the bar.

“Crazy, I thought your girl was sitting at home looking after your daughter and -” the second half of the sentence was in mumbled Spanish, and you heard a bark of laughter from the handsome man. A quick, rough pat on the back and Tom released you, already walking into the building as if nothing had happened.

The speaker was standing in front of you; a tall-ish man wearing a blue plaid shirt over a grey tank top, with a beat-up baseball cap on his head. Just as the phrase ‘hillbilly trucker’ crossed your mind, every thought in your head promptly vanished on looking up into his face. A pair of warm brown eyes were gazing down at you, creasing gently at the corners. He wasn’t built like Tom or William; they slanted more towards beefcake, where this guy was toned and slim. He was older than you - not a surprise, William and Tom were in at least their mid-40s - but it was a very manageable older. Unruly, curling brown hair peeked out from under his cap, and the man smiled, a shadow of a dimple appearing on his cheek.

The other guy was crazy good-looking in a movie-star way, the sort of hot that had made you laugh because it was almost unreal. This guy was the perfect side of handsome, mortal enough to take your breath away just a little and not make you feel stupid about it.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m Frankie.”

Maybe it was the dimples, maybe it was the fact that he had just saved you from a fate worse than death, or maybe the cold had finally gotten to your brain. Whatever it was, you barely knew what you were saying until you’d said it:

“And I am so fucking yours.”

So much for not feeling stupid. His smile widened, and your heartbeat quickened just a bit.

“Ignore Redfly,” he said. “He just doesn’t have good manners.”

Another burst of Spanish from behind you, from the dark-eyed Adonis near the door, and Frankie replied in kind, with an evocative hand gesture that you were pretty sure meant ‘fuck off’.

You finally turned to get a good look at the other man. He was standing in front of your friends, angled towards Sandy in a way that boded well for her. He was terribly good-looking.

“Hey, how’re you doing?” he leaned toward you, and took your hand in his. “Santiago Garcia.”

The man was on another level. You felt like you were meeting a politician. You told him your name as if in a dream. 

“That’s a beautiful name,” he said, looking into your soul, and you felt that laugh bubble up again. This was too much all at once.

Dina blew out one last plume of smoke, and threw her cigarette butt on the ground.

“Come on guys, it’s fucking freezing out here.”

----------------------------------------

The arena was chaos. Tom was nowhere to be seen, but he could have been standing two feet from you and you wouldn’t have seen him. He could have been behind you.

As the thought crossed your mind, a hand came to rest on your hip and you jumped sideways, ready to kick Tom in the fucki-

It was Frankie, hands suddenly up and visible, mouth framing a ‘whoa’ that you could never hear over the din of the crowd. You grimaced, mouthing sorry.

He gave you a tight-lipped smile, uncomfortable, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He craned his neck to look over the crowd, toward the ring, and you stepped quickly toward him. Your hand raised, like you had the right answer in a classroom, and you tilted your mouth up towards Frankie’s ear. He scrunched his face and bent his head towards yours.

“Sorry,” you said into his ear, trying not to deafen him at this range. He smelled warm, and clean, a welcome respite from the arena’s smell of old beer and sweat. “I thought it might be…” one of your best friends, whom I loathe. “... a creep.” you finished lamely.

When you pulled away, he was looking at you so intently that a blush started to creep up your neck. Hands still in his pockets, he rocked back and forth on his heels as he processed what you said. His tongue worked in his mouth, pushing out his cheek, before he winked ever so slightly, and nodded.

He knew. He damn well knew.

Frankie grinned and pointed towards the ring, to where your friends had disappeared, before nudging you forward.

------------------------------------

Dina and the others were sitting ringside, by Benny’s corner. Dina had shrugged her coat in the sticky closeness of the arena, and was adjusting her top for maximum cleavage. Beside her was Sandy, deep in conversation with Santiago, and Tom sat beside Santiago next to an empty chair.

The single empty chair. 

Fucks sake.

Tom saw you both coming, and had a look of fake disappointment on his face that your hands twitched to slap off. He held his hands up in defeat, before patting his thigh. A quick scan showed that this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence in the arena; the place was jammed so tightly that you counted at least seven people on laps in this section alone. A fire hazard, and a pain in the ass. 

You’re fucking kidding me.

You went to take a step, and felt a hand grip your arm. Frankie was sliding past you on your right, pivoting to sit in the empty chair. A shit-eating grin slid onto Tom’s face, and he patted his thigh again.

You’re fucking kidding me. 

Frankie still held your arm loosely in his left hand. Reaching over Tom, he nudged Santiago, who broke off from his conversation long enough to pass him a beer. Settling back into his seat, Frankie spread his legs a little too wide and steered you into the space between them. 

He looked up at you under the brim of his cap, his face out of Tom’s eyeline. The corners of his mouth curved downward and one shoulder shrugged, as if to say ‘Why not?’.

Lightheaded, floating on a mental chant of fucking hell fucking hell fucking hell fucking hell, you perched on Frankie’s knee, your knees pressing against his other leg. A quick glance at Tom’s face nearly made you yelp. The ham-coloured man was staring sullenly out over the ring, lips pursed around his mouthful of beer. The smile was nowhere to be seen.

Frankie shifted slightly, and with one hand on your waist pulled you closer until you were sitting mid-thigh. When he was satisfied, his hand moved to settle against your lower back, keeping you upright. The shape of the seat had his body angled away from you, allowing you to sit upright without being nestled against him. He leaned towards Tom and said something in his ear, something you could barely hear over the din. It was as if he’d forgotten you were there.

But not quite. Slowly, as if you were a wild animal he was trying to tame, his hand started to move in gradual, broad strokes, forward and back, forward and back.

Your stomach muscles locking tight was your only visible reaction, and you thanked baby Jesus and all the angels in heaven that Frankie couldn’t feel the way your pulse had suddenly picked up. Though that might not be far off; there was a warm throbbing between your legs that definitely hadn’t been there two minutes ago.

Forward and back. Forward and back.

This was totally normal. This happened to you every day. Every day you met hot guys and sat on their laps. Every day you got mildly turned on by hot guys stroking your back.

Looking over at Dina, the two of you locked eyes. Her grin was positively wolfish.

Fuck off, you mouthed.

You looked around, hoping that the people-watching fodder available would help take your mind off the hot man you were sitting on and what his hand was - 

As if Frankie could hear your thoughts, the rhythm of his strokes changed. Now, instead of moving forward and back, his palm started sliding up and down, with every pass downward bringing his hand closer and closer to the curve of your ass.

For a fraction of a second, your breath caught in your throat, and the pulse between your legs kicked up a notch. Trying to keep your cool, you casually - so casually! - looked over at Frankie.

Still absorbed in conversation with Tom. Fine. He clearly had no idea what he was doing, no idea of the effect he was having.

Your awareness was steadily narrowing down to where his hand touched you, to the vague sensation of warmth that each pass left on your skin. Reaching the hem of your jacket, he paused almost imperceptibly, before reaching under the leather to rest on the back of your shirt.

Dear god, were you disappointed he wasn’t touching your ass? Were you actually sad that this stranger wasn’t - 

A radiating sensation on your back, so warm and firm, and suddenly you could feel every little movement his hand made, the way his fingers were flexing against your skin so gently - 

Air you didn’t realise you had been holding escaped your lungs in a whoosh. 

“Getting bored up there, tiger?” Tom’s expression wasn’t as friendly as it normally was, and you were reminded why all of this was happening. This was purely for Tom’s benefit. 

“No, it’s fine. It’s…” you looked down at Frankie as he took a sip of his beer. His eyes met yours over the rim of his beer cup, and a smile crept across your face. When the cup left his lips, you took it deftly from his fingers and lifted it to your mouth. Your gaze didn’t leave his. Tom may as well have been part of the furniture.

The beer was not good, but you finished it, and ran your tongue over your lips. Frankie’s eyes tracked the movement, and you felt his hand pause, felt his fingers splay wide across the small of your back.

“It’s great,” you said, winking down at him. “But I think we need another drink.”

You placed a hand on his knee for leverage, and stood. Dina saluted you with her nearly-empty drink, and tapped at the low liquid level with one long fingernail. You nodded, and flashed the OK sign.

A broad chest blocked your view, and the smell of Axe surrounded you. You glanced up at Tom, who was shaking his own empty cup. 

“I’ll come too,” he said. “I could do with another-”

“It’s cool, man,” Frankie stood, easily slotting himself between the two of you, and gently but firmly took hold of your shoulders as he turned to the exit. “I got it.”

Empty cups and debris were strewn across the aisle, and you were beginning to regret wearing your heels for what was shaping up to be a fucking obstacle course. But you felt Frankie’s presence behind you, and if you put a little more sway into your walk than normal, so what?

Between a few stragglers at the bar, there was a gap just wide enough for the two of you to lean against the counter. You rested on your forearms, and flagged down the bartender.

------------------------------------

“Two beers, and a whiskey and coke.” 

“Make it four,” Frankie said. “I know it may not seem like it, but it is better to get Redfly liquored up. After about,” - his hand made a see-saw motion - “six drinks? He’s going to get real maudlin, start missing his wife, and go home.”

“Oh, yeah,” you replied, “He’s really missing his wife when he’s trying to put his hand up my skirt.”

His eyes flickered up and down your body, and he cleared his throat. One hand came up to scratch at his moustache, before smoothing it back down. 

“You know, I don’t blame him,” he said. “That skirt looks great on you.”

A low warmth pooled in your stomach, and you smiled. He smiled back, those beautiful eyes twinkling as he turned around to face the arena, elbows back on the bar.

“If I… go too far, in there,” he said, face suddenly serious. “You can just punch me in the face. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

The bartender laid your whiskey and coke down in front of you, and pulled out two cups for the beer. 

“Two more of those, please,” you told her, and took a sip of your drink. You knew you were a bit of a savage for drinking whiskey with coke, but your sweet tooth demanded nothing less. “Frankie, I’m not really OK with the idea of ‘being saved’.”

“That’s fair,” Frankie turned to the bar, and rapped a quick tattoo on the wood. “When we get back in there, you take the seat and I’ll -”

“But,” you raised a finger. “Your lap is pretty comfortable. And if you’re OK with having my ass on your knee all night, then I’m happy to stay there.”

A laugh escaped him, and you found yourself appreciating the way his moustache framed his lips so perfectly. 

“I think you’d be hard pushed to find a man who wouldn’t be OK with that deal.”

The bartender laid down four cups of beer. “$25.60.” 

Frankie laid out three $10 bills, and pulled the cups closer. 

“Do you think you could make sure Tom doesn’t put his hand up my skirt?”

He was intent on arranging the cups in a way he could carry them, to the point that you thought he hadn’t heard you. Just as you were about to repeat yourself, he flashed you a wicked look.

“Well sweetheart,” he smiled, “I’ll just have to get my hand there first.”

------------------------------------

As soon as you sat back down, it was like a switch had flipped. Your conversation at the bar had been light, to the point where you’d nearly forgotten that you’d actually been turned on a little at sitting on Frankie’s lap.

When you got back to your seats, and Frankie had handed off the beers he was carrying, he sat and pulled you down onto his lap in one fluid movement. No more tentative movements; he held your waist firmly, and pulled you even closer than before. And now, not only was his hand stroking your back again - he had put it under your jacket straight away - but his other arm was now resting on your leg. His beer cup sat on your knee, below where the hem of your skirt rode up, and he rotated it gently on your bare skin, almost teasing you with the cool feeling of the condensation on the base.

It drove you just a little short of wild. Though part of you wanted to shift against his thigh, wanted to feel some pressure right where an ache was steadily building between your legs, you kept it together fairly admirably. 

A wet patch on Frankies jeans probably wouldn't go down too well anyway.

A murmur from the crowd rolled towards the ring, and Pantera’s heavy guitar riff blasted through the speakers.

Benny was here.

------------------------------------

Ringside seats were… certainly something.

The smell of blood hummed in your nostrils, and you felt the impact of every punch. 

Benny was a monster. He had swaggered into the arena, head and shoulders above everyone, and proceeded to hammer the shit out of his opponent once the bell rang. Watching the way Dina was looking at him, you were very, very glad they were going back to Benny’s place tonight.

The six of you were standing at the ring edge, screaming and roaring with the crowd. Your blood was singing. Sitting on Frankie’s lap, his hands leaving trails of fire wherever they touched you, had rattled you something fierce, and the adrenaline from the fight was getting to you too. You didn’t think your pulse had slowed for about ten minutes, and you were breathing like you were climbing a mountain.

It was the last minute of the last round, and Benny was flagging. 

You guessed. You really had no idea who was doing better, both fighters were covered in blood and looked tired as fuck.

Santiago, Dina and Tom were rattling the cage, howling through the wire at Benny. The man was intent on his opponent, never taking his eyes off him. 

As you watched, Benny did an odd movement, stepping back, rotating his shoulders and head as his feet danced. You heard roars come from your friends, but were completely lost. 

“He’s about to kick the guy’s head off his fucking shoulders,” Frankie’s voice was low, and close. You felt his nose brush the outer shell of his ear, and you suppressed a shiver as his breath ghosted over you. He was standing behind you, so close that you felt his warmth up your body from ankle to neck. He reached over your shoulder, and pointed up at Benny’s right foot.

“You see that?” 

Benny’s foot was moving in a fan shape on the floor of the ring. He dodged as much as he needed to to evade blows, but whenever he was still his foot moved in that fan shape. 

“Why is he waiting?” Turning your head, your nose brushed against Frankie’s jawline. He smiled down at you.

“Not long now, sweetheart,” he said. “Watch.”

He stepped closer until he stood flush against your back, and crossed his arms over your chest to grip his own elbows. His beard brushed against your cheekbone, and you found yourself nestling further into his hold. He was just so warm and solid and - 

Benny moved like lightning. His opponent came too close, ever so slightly unguarded, and Benny pivoted on his left foot and -

“Fuck!” you screamed. Benny’s opponent hit the floor, and the arena erupted.

===> Chapter Two