#d) end up with me dying at the bar

[nice-bright-colors]

How’s this for a stress dream:

I was back working in an architectural office setting. However, we weren’t using computers, it was back to manual drafting on tables.

I had a project deadline approaching in the next 36 hours. I had yet to start drafting any of the plans. The project was for a 15-story mixed-used building with a below grade parking garage.

I was the only person available to work on this project.

Coffee and cocaine became my closest companions.

[not-neverland06]

n a s t y d o g I logan howlett x fem!mutant!reader

One-shot A/N: I've never felt this way about a fictional character before. Every gif I see of him has me gnawing and biting at the bars of my enclosure. I want to bite him. If Hugh Jackman ever discovered what thoughts lurk inside my rotted brain about him he'd get a restraining order. This isn't OKAY Anyways... Summary: You'd thought you'd had a good thing going with Logan. You weren't officially anything to each other, but you were getting close. You truly saw a future with him, but he made it incredibly clear he did not feel the same 18+ HATE FUCKING (MDNI)

(one chance please, just one chance with him)

“Are you sure this isn’t totally clingy girlfriend of me?”

Ororo gives you an irritated look and Jean laughs. “Not at all, Scott loves it when I surprise him like this.” You’re all huddled in your room, each of you in varying stages of getting ready. Jean is finishing off her eyeliner at your vanity, Ororo is putting on her boots, and you’re trying to decide between a skirt and a dress. 

You’re not entirely sure how, or why, Logan and Scott decided to go to the bar together tonight. You suspect it has something to do with Jean. She wants them to start getting along so there’s less friction when you’re all around each other. 

At Jean’s idea, Logan had muttered, “When hell freezes over,” in your ear before he had left for the night. You’d gotten a little antsy without him to entertain you and had mistakenly blurted out the idea of going to visit them. Ororo had been dying to get out of the house and Jean was a little worried about her boyfriend as well. They’d agreed to go along with you and you’ve felt a weight in your stomach ever since. 

Your relationship with Logan was relatively new. Hell, a month ago you’d thought he’d hated you the same he did Scott. You’d, of course, been proven wrong when you’d had a few drinks with him and things had taken a very physical turn. 

You weren’t sure if he’d just wanted a one-night stand or something serious. But when you’d tried to sneak out the next morning and he’d muttered a grumpy, “Where’re you going?” You’d gotten your answer. 

You hadn’t been on any real dates, there didn’t ever seem to be time for them. But you spent most of your days together. Sometimes just silently enjoying each other’s company, other times you would be holed up in one of your rooms cuddling. The thought always brings a stupid lovesick grin to your face. 

It’s one of your first real relationships and you’re worried that things are moving a little too fast. At least on your end. You can already tell that you’re falling for him. Headfirst into the deep end of love. And it’s terrifying because you truly cannot tell what he thinks about you. Clearly, he likes you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t let you follow him around like a lost puppy. 

But he’s never truly said anything to you. There’s no official label as to what you two are. You say girlfriend off-handly and you usually don’t mean it when you reference yourself. You’ve never outright said he’s your boyfriend and he’s never really claimed you. He’s made it explicitly clear he doesn’t want you sleeping with other men, and you’ve said the same to him about women. You both agreed on that, but…

You kind of drive yourself crazy trying to figure this out. He’s not vocal about his feelings and everything’s still new so you don’t like pressuring him. You also worry that if you push him too far he’ll just get tired of you and move on. It’s not fair to assume that of him, and you know everything would be better if you just talked to him. But you’re scared. You’re scared the conversation will take the wrong direction and everything will blow up in your face. 

Jean calls your name and your head shoots up to see both Ororo and Jean looking at you expectantly. You flush when you realize they must have been talking to you and you’d just completely zoned out thinking about Logan. 

“Huh?” You blurt out, cringing at how dumb you sound. 

Jean gives you a concerned look, “I can practically taste your anxiety.” The telepath frowns and offers you a comforting smile. “Don’t worry about it, I promise, Logan won’t mind at all.”

“You’re fine,” Ororo adds, because clearly the look on your face screams, I need constant validation. They’re not wrong, but still, you hate feeling like an exposed bundle of nerves. “Think of it as girl’s night, the boys just happen to be there.” 

You force a smile on your face and give your most enthusiastic nod. You change into the dress and finish up with your hair. You finally start chatting with them again, engaging so it might disguise just how nervous you feel. 

There’s this clenching feeling, traveling from your stomach up to your chest. It makes you sick, makes you hurt. And it’s not because you think Logan will be upset with you for crashing. He’d be relieved, if anything. There’s something else. Premonition isn’t one of your abilities, but you’re seriously starting to doubt that now. 

The bar is loud when you walk in. The soles of your shoes immediately start to stick to the floor and your nose screws up in disgust at the loud laughter coming from around the pool tables. You glance around, trying to see if you can spot Logan. 

You’d say you could spot him in any crowd. But has a propensity to hunker down and try to attract as little attention as possible so people don’t bother him. “There he is,” Jean taps your shoulders and points to the two men at the end of the bar. 

Like you’d thought, Logan is hunched over his whiskey, glowering down at the wood under him like it had insulted him. You almost want to laugh at the sight. Some of the earlier anxiety eases its grip on you and you feel your shoulders begin to untense. 

Before you can walk over Ororo grabs Jean’s wrist. “Gotta go to the bathroom,” she tugs Jean behind her. 

Jean looks over her shoulder at you and smiles encouragingly, “Go to them, we’ll catch up in a second.” You give her a tentative nod and slip through the crowd. There are more people here than you thought there would be. 

You’re happy not to spot any kids in the crowd. You’ve had a few too many nights out crashed by kids who thought they were good at sneaking out. 

It’s easy enough not to spot you or the other women in the crowd. Mutants have gotten good at blending in with the people around them. Makes it easier to get around. It’s probably why neither Logan nor Scott stop their conversation as you approach. “So,” Scott draws the word out, fingers tapping against the glass of his beer. 

“Don’t,” Logan warns. You want to laugh at his grumpy demeanor, but someone’s accidentally elbowed you and you find yourself stumbling a few steps back. It’s taking entirely too long to get to them, the bar isn’t even that big. There’s just that many people here. 

Scott ignores him and rolls his eyes. “Look, we’re stuck here for a while. Try and pull that stick out of your ass.”

“How about I put one in yours?” Logan’s claws come out slightly. But then they both share an odd look and Scott smirks. “Shut the fuck up,” Logan grouses, “not like that.”

“Right,” Scott huffs out a laugh and shakes his head. He picks up his bottle and takes a long drink. You’ve nearly reached them now. You stop, though, when you hear Scott say your name. You shouldn’t, you really shouldn’t. Eavesdropping now is just asking to get hurt. 

You drop back into the crowd, hoping the smells of others will stop Logan from discovering you lurking behind them both. Scott continues, “How’s that going?”

You crane your neck forward, trying to hear them better over the karaoke happening behind you. Someone is butchering Britney Spears but you couldn’t care less right now. Logan shouldn’t answer. Since when has he ever shared anything with Scott?

So, imagine your surprise when his answer isn’t immediately telling him to fuck off. “Eh,” he shrugs, downing the rest of his whiskey. Your face drops in irritation. Seriously, all this skulking around for an Eh? That’s bullshit. 

You keep yourself from stepping forward, forcing your feet still, and ignoring the little voice in the back of your head telling you this is a bad idea. You’ve committed this much, you’re seeing it through. Scott whistles lowly, “That bad, huh?” Oh, fuck off, Summers. 

Logan shakes his head and for a moment you have a brief feeling of hope lifting you up. “Nah, not bad. It’s just, I don’t know.” Logan sits up and signals the bartender for a refill. Your snooping senses go off and you briefly see Ororo and Jean exiting the bathroom. Desperate for something to keep them at bay, you flick your wrist. The man in front of them tips his drink down Jean’s shirt, slurring out apologies. Jean huffs and Ororo brings her back into the bathroom. 

Scott and Logan somehow missed the whole interaction and you promise yourself that you’ll pay for Jean’s dry cleaning. You’re definitely not going to. “Think she wants something I don’t,” Logan tells Scott, and your heart plummets to your feet. You can practically see it deflate, all the lovesickness draining out of it and onto the floor of this grimy bar. 

“Like, she just wants to fuck around?”

Logan shakes his head and downs another glass of whiskey. He’s just swallowing it down like it’s water. At a certain point, the bartender gets sick of it and just leaves him with the bottle. “No, she wants something real. Like a real relationship.” Scott’s brows furrow and Logan shrugs. “Not interested.” 

It’s the way he says it that really bothers you. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something different in a relationship. It happens all the time. But he says it so dismissively. He knows that you want something real with him, something secure and loving. He knows that, continues to fuck you and lead you on, and then speaks as though you’re an idiot for ever being interested in that. 

Hurt hasn’t set in yet. You’re staring wide-eyed, jaw agape with shock as you stare at Logan’s back. You’d thought a conversation needed to be had. But you didn’t think that he thought of you like this. You’d thought you meant something to him. 

Scott seems to share the sentiment, his lips tugged down into a frown. He leans against the bar, surveying Logan with a disbelieving look. “What?” Logan snaps.

Scott raises his hands in surrender, shaking his head and backing off. “Nothing, man, I just thought you two were serious about each other.” You miss whatever Logan says as an arm slings itself around your shoulder. 

“What’re you doing?” A husky, seductive voice whispers against the shell of your ear. You jump in shock, glaring at Ororo as she grins at you. She lets her arm slide off your shoulders and glances over at Jean. “I think she was spying.”

Jean nods, nudging you forward. “Definitely spying. Hear anything good?”

You fortify your mind against her probing fingers before she can find out. “Nope,” you blurt out. You hope the racing of your heart is dismissed by your constantly frazzled nature. You hope the look on your face is explained by your earlier boredom and anxiety. You pray that none of them notice the way you lean away from Logan when the men finally turn around and notice you all. 

Scott breathes out a dramatic sigh of relief and slumps onto Jean. “Thank god, I thought I was going to die trying to talk to this brick wall.” his eyes flick towards you in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. There’s a brief pitying look before he grins. “Come to get your boyfriend?” There’s a heavy emphasis on the word that you never would have noticed had you not heard their conversations. 

It’s clearly a petty dig at Logan. And you would appreciate it if you didn’t feel the sudden urge to vomit up your dinner. “Thought you might need saving from Logan.” You tell him, a chuckle hiding the slight tremor in your voice. 

You’re not sure if he does, but you hope Logan notices how you avoided the word boyfriend. You hope that he hurts the same way you do. But you know, deep down, that he doesn’t care. He’s probably relieved that you didn’t use the title. 

Logan gets off his stool, he wraps his arm around your shoulder, and pulls you into a brief hug. His lips press against your temple before he dips down to whisper, “Thank you,” in your ear.

Asshole, he’s not allowed to smile at you the way he is. If you weren’t in such a crowded place and already overstimulated, you’d shove him away. If your friends weren’t watching you’d take his arm and slam it down onto the bar until you hear his fucking adamantium bones break. 

That might have been too far. Maybe you’re not that angry, but you’re hurt.

You place your hands against his chest, a thin smile on your lips while you hum a simple, “Mhm.” He doesn’t seem to notice the way you push away from him. It’s easily dismissed by you cheekily stealing his seat at the bar. 

He comes up behind you, hands bracketing you and keeping you stuck against the bar while you order your drink. One of his hands drifts down, laying against your thigh. You know this isn’t sexual, this is him comforting you. 

He shouldn’t know how horrible you feel in such busy places. He shouldn’t know that and know that his touch is grounding and then help you. Not if he doesn’t want something serious. If he didn’t want to be your boyfriend, didn’t want to be anything but a fuck, then why do this to you? Did he not think this was leading you on? Is this just him caring for you?

You’ll drown in a sea of unanswered questions before the night is over if you linger too long. You tip your head back, let your shot burn its way down your throat, and turn towards the others with a smile. You feel your worries fade and your focus loosen as you simply drift further into your mind. 

You must have disassociated or something. By the time you realize you’re no longer hearing bad karaoke and your elbows aren’t sticking to the bar, you’re already home. You stare in the mirror, hand pausing as you brush your teeth before you quickly finish. 

You didn’t drink much, you never do. It fucks with your abilities and causes migraines. You rinse your mouth out and glance into your bedroom. Logan groans and stretches. His back bows, muscles flexing and you rip your eyes away. You can’t let yourself be distracted by the chest you want to drape yourself across. 

You need to talk to him. It’s never been more clear. You wipe your mouth and toss the towel onto the rim of the sink. You take in a deep breath, trying to get rid of the nerves plaguing you. It’s never worked before, it’s not going to suddenly cure you now. 

You give up on the thought and instead, shove down the anxiety until you have enough confidence to speak. It takes a little while, Logan peaks an eye open, eyebrows quirked when he sees you just staring at him. “Something up, bub?” he flexes, on purpose, and you roll your eyes. You grab his shirt out of your hamper and toss it at him. 

“Put this on. Can’t think when you look like that.”

He chuckles, “That’s the point.” at your pointed glare his smile drops and he tugs the beater on. It barely does anything to deter you. If anything you’re having more trouble paying attention. Especially now that his full attention is on you. The humor is gone from the room, a thick tension replaces it. Logan seems to feel it, sitting up straighter and glaring at you like he’s trying to read your mind. “What’s wrong?” It’s a demand more than a question. 

It’s hard to look at him. But you refuse to let yourself cower now. You take in a fortifying breath and let your gaze bore into his. You put all the hurt and anger you feel into it, willing yourself to be firm. “We need to talk.”

“‘Bout what?” He’s brusque, but there’s a slight concern to his tone. 

There’s no point hiding this. And maybe you had misheard, maybe there was a conversation prefacing the one you’d heard. And you’ll talk it out and everything will be okay. “I heard you and Scott talking at the bar.”

The hope you had, as minimal as it was, is dashed at your feet. He sucks in a deep breath and the look on his face has you crestfallen. You can feel your chest cave in. You feel so stupid all of a sudden. Constantly following after him, even before you started dating him. Looking at him with stars in your eyes and latching onto his every move and word. 

You’d worshiped him, put him up on a pedestal he didn’t deserve. Superhuman or not, at the end of the day he was still a man. And they’ve done nothing but disappoint you. You suck your teeth, gaze dropping to your feet as you fight back the tears in your eyes. “Right,” you whisper, stepping back from him. 

“Look,” he starts. You force your eyes up and watch as he rubs uncomfortably at the back of his neck. He takes a step towards you and you shake your head, stepping away from him. His arms fall to his sides and he sighs. “Sorry,” he mutters.

“That’s it?” You demand, tone incredulous. You weren’t some great love or anything. But that’s seriously all he has to say.

He opens his mouth, eyes softening as he stares at you. Then he snaps it shut, something covers his face and his expression is borderline cruel as he sneers at you. “Not my fault you got in over your head, kid. Never said I wanted anything more with you.” He points at you, and you suddenly feel like a little girl getting scolded. You’ve never had a partner make you feel this small, especially not Logan. “You were just convenient.”

You rear back like he slapped you. You think it might have hurt less than that. To know you wasted so much time on such a fucking dick makes you want to throw up. Or scream, or cry. You can’t decide on one. But your powers can, the walls are shaking, knick-knacks falling off your shelves as energy pulses from you. 

You’ll face the hurt, the sadness, the horrible ache of rejection later. Right now, you need him out of your face before you bring the whole mansion crumbling down around you. “Out.” You grind the word out, turning away from him and clutching your hands to your chest. You take in quick, rapid breaths, trying to think of anything other than how horrible you feel. 

You haven’t lost control like this in a long time. You’re not going to give him the satisfaction of being the reason you get put on probation again. He whispers your name, coming up behind you like he’s going to touch you. 

You want to lash out, want to hurt him like he’s hurt you. But you’ll only cause more damage than necessary. He’s not worth hurting the kids in the rooms around you. You shove past him, ignoring the way he shouts your name. 

You dart out into the hall, grateful there are so few people milling around. Nearly everyone’s asleep, just a few stragglers finishing up their homework for tomorrow. A few of them give you odd looks that turn concerned when they see Logan chasing after you. Your bones are practically vibrating by the time you make it outside. 

You rush towards the grove of trees at the back of the mansion. Your knees give out under you before you can make it very far. Energy pulses out of you in an explosive circle. You hear bark crack and turn into nothing but dust as the air around you trembles. 

It’s a relief, like going to the bathroom after holding it all day. You feel it drain away from you, a plug pulled out as the energy rushes from you. It slows after a minute, feeling more like a leak than a steady stream. 

Your hands shake by your sides as you lay trembling on the grass. Your eyelids flutter shut and you try and keep them open but it’s hard. All of your energy had been spent keeping yourself in check until you made it out of the mansion. 

“I’ve got you,” a voice mutters near your ear. Familiar strong arms dip under your knees, lifting you up and pulling you into a sturdy chest. You recognize the body, recognize the uncomfortable warmth coming from him. But your tongue won’t work and you're passing out before you can try and push him away. 

You’re in your own bed when you wake up again. You’re briefly comforted by the warm feeling of the sheets around you before you realize how cold the other side of the bed is. You’re so used to the feeling of someone being beside you that it’s jarring for no one to be there. You sit up, a spark of anxiety lighting up inside you before it’s being quelled by an outside force. 

“I think it’s best if we keep that under control.” You’re not surprised to hear Charles’s voice. You can’t be, not when he’s actively keeping you calm and placid. You lean back against your headboard. You tilt your head lazily, looking at him while he looks out the window. 

“That tree was a hundred years old.”

You wince, face screwing up when you remember the large oak tree you obliterated last night. “I can remake it,” you promise. 

“You could,” he corrects, “but whatever happened last night between you and Logan is causing your powers to be volatile.” He finally turns towards you, the motor of his wheelchair a dull buzz as he smiles at you. There’s no resentment in his gaze at least. You’d known he wouldn’t be mad at you. He was used to accidents like this. Had you hurt another person, however, this would be an entirely different conversation. 

There’s a dull ache in your chest at the mention of Logan, but it’s quickly covered by another wave of calm from Charles. He smiles and holds out two metal bracelets. They’re thick, something red inlaid into the black metal. They look like handcuffs more than anything. His lips quirk up at your thought and you frown. 

“That’s what they are, right? Cuffs.”

“You’re not a criminal,” he assuages, his tone gentle as you take them from him. There’s a small silver button inside that you click and the metal springs open. You place your left wrist inside and it snaps shut, it’s a snug fit. It won’t be moving around anytime soon. You put the right one on and feel Charles’ hold on your mind ease the second it's closed. Every horrible feeling from last night crashes down on you and you nearly choke on it. 

You wonder how Charles managed to keep you asleep for so long without the roof crumbling. He chuckles, the noise tired. “Jean helped me. It took a while for the cuffs to be ready.”

The way he says that causes alarms to go off in your head. “How long?” He takes in a sharp breath and shakes his head, attempting to dismiss the question. “Charles,” you snap, voice bordering on a shout. 

“Two days,” he says. You gasp and slump back against your sheets. He says your name but you get to your feet and pace. You don't know what to do with yourself. There’s energy buzzing under your skin, but the cuffs are keeping it at bay. It feels wrong like your pores are being clogged with acid. 

“Two days.” You look over at him, horror painting your face and you can see why he was so apprehensive to tell you. “It’s never been that bad before.”

“No,” he starts cautiously, “It hasn’t. Which makes me wonder, what transpired between you and Logan that destroyed my grandfather’s tree?” 

You cringe at the mention of the tree. He’s never going to let go of that. Even when you recreate it, he’s still going to hold it over your head. His teasing eases you out of the spiral you were heading down and you glance over at him. “You’ve been in my head for two days. I’m sure both you and Jean already know.”

He smacks his lips together and shrugs, clasping his hands in front of himself. “Simply seeing if you wanted to discuss it, my dear.”

You vehemently shake your head and sit back down on your bed. “No, I don’t want to talk about him. I don't want to see him.” Charles gives you a look like he doesn’t believe you and you hate it. You truly don’t want to see Logan again. Just thinking about him makes you want to explode. He was a pig and you regret ever wasting your time on him. 

There’s a shriveled part of your heart weeping somewhere, but you crush in your fist until it shuts the fuck up. “Right,” Charles nods. “I do believe it’s best for your recovery that we keep you two separated for a while.” He rolls past you and places a comforting hand on yours. “Rest, you’ll feel more like yourself soon.”

You nod and watch him leave. Exhaustion suddenly seems to drop its heavy weight on your shoulders. Two days being restrained by telepaths probably wasn’t very restful. You lay across your comforter, rolling over and hoping when you wake up your heart will be healed. 

Two weeks. Two pathetic, snot-filled, and disgusting weeks of sobbing over Logan. You felt like a sixteen-year-old again, crying over the boy that didn’t like you back. It was awful, especially knowing that the entirety of the mansion knew what was wrong with you. 

Your students would leave your class and you would lock your doors, hiding under your desk as you wept. Those with superhearing or telepathy would bake you cookies and leave gifts at your door. It was sweet, but honestly made you feel ten times worse. You felt like your sadness was a burden you were forcing everyone to carry. 

Your mother would be so disappointed in you. She’d always told you that you mourn a relationship half the amount of time you were in it. Of course, hers never lasted more than a few weeks. And she’d had more boyfriends than you could count on three hands. 

Besides, you were allowed to wallow for a while. This was someone you were starting to fall for. To be so blind going into and leaving the relationship was awful. Having the rug ripped out from under you had been cruel and needless. You’re resentful and grateful he’d been so horrifically honest with you. On one hand, if the relationship had just ended, you’d be pining after him. Wondering what you’d done to lose such an amazing guy. 

But being faced with the brutal truth, knowing he was a piece of shit, it makes you hate yourself. You should have seen it. Should have known that he didn’t want you like you wanted him. But there were never any signs. You’d run it through your head a million times. Every interaction you’ve ever had with him. None of it shows you where he’d been lying to you or using you. You can’t even trust yourself anymore. 

There’s a loud knock on your door and you sniffle, tossing another tissue in the trash as you go to answer it. “Hello?” You croak. You can barely see, eyes puffy and so swollen your vision is blurry. 

“Holy hell,” Ororo scoffs and shakes her head. She pushes into your room and slams the door shut before anyone can see how awful you look. To be fair, you keep yourself relatively put together during the day. But it’s after hours now, you’re allowed to be a mess. 

“You look like shit.” 

Neither of you are prepared as you begin to blubber. Your lips tremble and your voice shakes as you begin to sob. “I know,” you wail. “I hate it.” Ororo’s eyes widen in horror and she quickly pushes you into your desk chair, grabbing a box of tissues and shoving it in your hands. 

“I feel,” you stutter, having to take in a few shuddering breaths before you can get the words out. “He tore out my heart and ripped it up with his stupid fucking claws.”

“Okay, okay,” Ororo runs her hands over your arms, trying to soothe you. “I know, sh, it’s okay.” She groans, “Stop crying,” she pleads under her breath. 

“I’m trying!” You snap at her, running hands over your wet cheeks and trying to swallow down the rest of your tears. 

“Look,” she steps back and shakes her head. She glances down at you, disgust poorly hidden on her face. She’s really fucking bad at comforting someone. “This is awful, I can’t take it anymore. You two keep dancing around each other and you’re putting everyone on edge. You won’t stop crying and he keeps going off,” she holds her hands up and shakes her head. “I just can’t do it anymore.”

You frown, brows turning down in confusion. “What?” You didn’t think Logan would be mad. You pictured him skipping through a field of daisies, happy to finally be rid of you. It only made you hate yourself more that you were still crying over it all. 

“He’s kind of losing it,” she seems reluctant to relent the information. “Look,” she kneels in front of you and snatches the tissue box from your hand. She tosses it to the side and forces you to meet her eyes. “He’s in love with you. We all know it, Jean’s confirmed it. He loves you, he needs you, he’s just terrified to admit it. He’s afraid of what's going to happen if you two become real.”

Your eyes widen with the realization. She nods enthusiastically as you connect the pieces. You can’t deny what’s so plainly laid in front of you when she assures you that even Jean knows. Jean knowing means she just did a nosy dive into his head. 

You can picture what could happen. With rom-com levels of nauseating romance, you run to find him. You tell him you don’t care that he’s afraid. You don’t care he pushed you away and you do love him. He’s not going to lose you. Nothing can rip you apart. You ride off into the sunset on Scott’s bike blah blah blah. 

This isn’t a fucking romance. And you’re not going to cry over a man who's too much of a pussy to admit he has feelings. You like men who have emotional depth deeper than a teaspoon. “Are you fucking kidding me?"

Ororo’s face blanches and she slowly backs away from you as you stand. “No,” she answers slowly, like she’s not sure of herself now. 

“That’s what I’ve been crying over?” You feel upset for an entirely different reason. You never misread the signs. You never missed a hint that he didn’t feel what you did. He did! He was just happier letting you doubt yourself and the love you held for him than admitting he felt something. You tear off the depression hoodie you’ve been living in for the past two weeks. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

You don’t know where you’re going. Normally, you’d run into a forest to let out a blast of energy. It drained you enough that you wouldn’t have to feel anything. But with these cuffs on, you can’t do anything. 

You storm out of your room and stomp down the stairs, uncaring who you wake up. You’ve wasted so much time on Logan, you refuse to stay in your room and cry for another fucking night. 

“I want to see her,” Logan growls. He tries to move around Charles, but he stops him with his mind, holding him in place while Jean disappears inside your room. Logan watches her go and glares at her retreating back as the door closes behind her. 

It’s been a day already, you’ve never needed to be out for more than a few hours. He doesn’t want to think that there’s anything wrong with you, that he might have permanently broken something inside you. 

That talk at the bar with Scott had been stupid. He would have said anything to get him to shut the fuck up and leave him alone. He didn’t really mean what he said, he just wanted him to back off. And saying that your relationship wasn’t anything was quicker than pouring out every thought he’s had of you. 

It was easier lying than it was to admit just how much he wanted you. Just how far he would go for you. But then you’d overheard, and you brought it up. And there’d been faith on your face. Like even you couldn’t believe what he had said because you could see through the bullshit. 

But all Logan had seen was a way out. This was an opportunity to finally get out of the suffocating clutches of something he didn’t want to admit was love. He took the chance before he could think. It’s what he was used to. Taking the easy way out, especially when it came to shit like emotions. 

He hadn’t thought you were going to explode, though. Because that’s exactly what you’d done. By the time he’d caught up to you, you’d burned a crater into the ground and had destroyed Charles’ stupid fucking tree. 

Seeing you like that, laying there lifeless, it terrified him. He didn’t want to live in a world that you weren’t in. There was no fucking point. It was sobering, realizing that, and then realizing that he was the reason you were like that in the first place. 

He didn’t want to live without you and he certainly would never be able to come to terms with being the reason you were dead. But it didn’t matter, whatever realizations he was coming to. Charles and Jean were completely blocking him from your room. They weren’t even giving him a chance to look at you. And he was about five seconds away from ripping the old bastard’s head off and just barrelling inside. 

He didn’t care what they said, he needed to see that you were okay. “I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to see her for a very long time.”

“Stay out of my head,” Logan growls, glaring down at the man. “What are you talking about?” He presses, finally processing the rest of his sentence.

Charles sighs and rolls away from him. Logan glares at his back but ultimately follows. “You were the cause of this, yes?” Reluctantly, Logan nods, there’s no point in hiding it. He’s sure Charles already knows. “For her own safety, the two of you will need to remain separated.”

That had been it. There was no arguing about it. No fighting Charles. It was for your safety that he stayed away from you. No matter how much he wanted to explain himself, he wouldn’t risk another meltdown like that. 

You didn’t deserve to get hurt because of someone like him. He wouldn’t be able to stand hurting you again. 

But two weeks seemed like a lot. At a certain point, he’s sure you’re just avoiding him. He knows he can’t blame you. He’d been a fucking idiot. But that didn’t make him any happier. If anything, he was getting more and more pissed off every day. 

He had less patience for mistakes. Was lashing out at the kids more often and don’t even get started on the petty fucking fights he was picking with Scott. How long did you fucking need before you talked to him again?

He knows you’re upset, your crying keeps everyone up at night. Something he’s sure you’d be mortified to learn about. Why won’t you let him comfort you? Why do you have to be so petulant, running around the corner every time you see him? Pointedly ignoring him when you’re in the same room together. 

He could fix this, make this all better. But you’re just not letting him. He knows this is why he loves you. It’s why he was so drawn to you. You seem like a bundle of nerves, constantly flitting around and keeping yourself small. It had been off-putting at first. And then he’d seen you training with Scott, kicking his ass more like. A switch had been flicked in his head. 

He could finally see you for what you were. He finally realized that it was your abilities you were keeping small. You were a fucking spitfire and you didn’t hesitate to tell him off, he loved it. Loved arguing with you just so he could see you get all pissed off. 

But that stubborn attitude he loved was really biting him in the ass right now. 

There’s a knock on his bedroom door and he doesn’t even get to pretend it’s going to be you. He smells Jean’s perfume and rolls his eyes. He puffs on his cigar and contemplates ignoring her.

“Don’t be a jackass, open the damn door.” 

Fuckin’ telepaths. “What?” He snaps at her the second the door is open. Her face screws up when she smells the smoke from his cigar. He knows she wants to put it out, and can see it in the twitch of her fingers. He raises a brow, a silent challenge to try him. He’s itching for another fight and she can feel it. 

She lets out a sharp breath, choosing her battles wisely and backing off. He’s almost disappointed. “We need to talk. This whole thing between the two of you is ridiculous. You’re a mess, she’s a mess…”

Her voice trails off into nothing more than the annoying pitch of a fly. Logan can’t be bothered to listen to her scold him. He’s not a fucking kid, and maybe if you were acting like an adult, they wouldn’t be having this problem. 

A few doors down he can hear you shouting, then the door to your room slams open. He darts off his bed, opening his own door to see what you’re doing. He only sees the back of your head as you angrily stomp down the stairs. 

Enough is fucking enough, he was finishing this now. He was sick of your side of the bed being empty and the stupid fucking glare on your face every time you saw him. He doesn’t even bother saying anything to Jean as he leaves, just chases after you. 

Jean watches him go with a perturbed look. She steps out of the room and glances down the hall. Ororo steps out of your room and walks towards her. “Well?” Jean probes. 

Ororor shrugs, “She’s over it.” Jean smiles but it’s quickly wiped off her face by Ororo’s expression. “Not in the way we wanted.

Jean clenches her eyes shut and takes in a deep breath. She needs you two to figure your shit out or she’s never going to be able to get a good night’s sleep again.

You find yourself in the gym. It’s not your favorite place in the world, you don’t usually get to train with the others. You’re stuck with telepaths, mainly the ones who can shut your powers down if you get too out of control. That hasn’t been a problem since you got the cuffs, but you’ve been too sad to test them out. 

Now you find yourself obliterating a punching bag. You wrap the energy around your fists and let it protect the thin skin as you pummel into the bag. You don’t know what else to do. You can’t have energy meltdowns anymore. You have to try and funnel it all out physically, but it’s not working. Nothing is. 

“Imagining it’s me?” You pause midswing. You glance over to the door just in time to see Logan stalking towards you. He unzips his jacket slowly. So slowly it almost seems provocative. He tugs it off and tosses it onto a nearby bench. 

You scoff as you watch him. “Do you ever have a shirt on?”

He shrugs and moves towards the ring in the middle of the gym. His movements are lithe and fluid as he hops onto the ring, every bit a wild animal. You watch as the muscles in his torso ripple and force your eyes off of him. You try and focus your attention back on the bag, but all your earlier energy is gone. Your mind is completely wrapped around Logan. 

Which you’re sure is exactly what he wants, or he wouldn’t be staring at you so smugly as he leans against the ropes and waits for you to acknowledge him. You suck on your teeth, irritation blooming in sporadic bursts throughout your body that has you nearly shaking. Finally, you give in. 

He smirks the second your eyes meet, “I can take it, sweetheart. A lot better than that little toy of yours can.” He nods towards the punching bag but the insinuation isn’t lost on you. You and Logan had been very active in your relationship. You could barely go a day without tasting each other. 

You’ve been pent up since the breakup. You’d given in a few days ago, pulled out your old vibrator, and tried to bring even a semblance of joy back into your life. But nothing could compare to Logan. 

His tongue darts out, wetting his lips as he waits for you to react. He’s standing there, staring down at you with all the surety in the world that you’re going to fuck him. It makes you want to dig your nails in and rip him apart, bit by bit. 

You can already picture it in your mind, using your abilities to pick him apart until he’s nothing but molecules dispersed through the air. He’s lucky you have the cuffs on, without them you’re sure he’d already be dead. 

You smirk and move towards the edge of the ring, your voice drops as you purr up at him, “You wanna play, Logan?”

He grins and moves off the ropes, starting towards you as you make your way onto the ring. You’re slightly less graceful than he was, but you’re too focused on wiping the smug look off his face to pay attention. “Come on kid,” he taunts, voice as low as it usually is when he’s fucking into you. “Let’s see what you got.”

You’re not stupid enough to just outright swing at him. You feint to the right and bring your knee up into his ribs. He only needs one hand to wrap around your thigh and drag you forward. His other hand goes to your hip, tugging you closer until you’re practically grinding against each other. You grit your teeth and glare up at him. 

“Come on, sweetheart, that can’t be all you got for me.” Energy wraps around your head, blurring the air around you. You slam your temple against his, it provides enough of a distraction for you to yank your leg out of his grip. You throw your right fist into his ear, bouncing back with a grin as he shakes his head. 

He practically growls as he reorients himself. You shrug and smirk, “What, don’t tell me that’s all you got, wolvie.”

“Don’t fuckin’ call me that,” he grumbles. You open your mouth, prepared to taunt him again. But he’s lunging towards you and you just barely have enough time to dart out of his way. You know he’s going easy on you. He could have had you just then if he really wanted this. 

But he’s dragging this out. Forcing you to spend as much time with him as you can. It only pisses you off further. You plant your foot on his back and kick him forward. He barely even stumbles and it only further confirms your suspicions. “Stop fucking holding back,” you yell at him. 

He turns around slowly. You almost expect there to be a sneer on his face, something angry. Instead, he looks fucking thrilled, like this is all just foreplay for him. He laughs, so low you can barely hear it, and his chest flexes as his claws come out. 

“You sure?” It’s a taunt, a dare, he knows you aren’t going to take the bait. You’d be stupid to, you don’t heal like he does. Once those things get in you, you’re screwed. But right now, you’re too pissed off to try and care. 

You don’t say anything, you just duck under his fist as he swings at you. You know he made it easy for you, giving you an opening to fall into. He’s treating you like you’re something fragile. And maybe you are. One wrong move in this fight and you might not make it through the night. But anger is making you blind to logic. 

Him playing fair just makes you want to play dirty. You use the opening he gives you, letting energy form around your fist and pulling back just enough to slam into his ribs. He coughs, doubling over as you hear bones crack under your hit. He’ll heal in seconds, you can’t bring yourself to feel too bad for him. 

Maybe if he ever took you seriously you might not be such a bitch. But he didn’t think you were good enough to be honest with and he still was treating you like a plaything. In your opinion, he deserves whatever you give him and more. He doubles over and you swing your leg around, bringing it down across his face. 

You hear a crack as your socked foot connects with his face, something crunches underneath you. And when your sole hits the mat again you see the blood leaking from his nose. You almost apologize. Almost, then you see the look on his face. His pupils are swallowing the hazel of his eyes, lips parted as he pants through his teeth. He looks fucking animalistic. 

You have no warning as he pounces on you. His lips smother your own, moving over you with little to no grace. There’s nothing romantic or gentle about this. His fingers are digging so hard into your shirt, you’re sure you hear the seams rip. But you can’t bring yourself to care. 

One of your hands goes to his hair, tugging at the roots until he’s groaning into your mouth. You rake your nails up his back roughly. He cusses against your lips, hand traveling up to your chin so he can roughly jerk you back. 

He stares down at you, a silent question on his face. You’ve barely nodded before he’s descending upon you again. Lips and teeth clash borderline painfully as he lowers you onto the mat. You’re missing all the usual love and tenderness he treats you with, but you don’t care. 

You want to be rough. You want to hurt him like he hurt you, make him ache for you the way you do him. You wrap your legs around his, lifting your pelvis until you have enough leverage to flip him. Your thighs straddle his waist and you grind down against the prominent bulge in his sweatpants. 

He groans into your open mouth, large palms grabbing at your ass and spreading you so he can thrust between your clothed thighs. You can’t help but moan at the friction. It’s just enough to keep you on edge, he pulls back every time you think you might be close to something real building. 

You rip your mouth off his. He glares up at you as you grab his hair and yank his head back. You slam his head hard enough into the mat for it to echo through the room and he growls against your grip. You grin down at him as you slowly get off him. You make a show of stripping, enjoying the way his eyes track your movements. He looks like a dog, panting and waiting for his treat. 

You’re tempted to get yourself off, making him watch, and then leave him straining against his sweatpants. But you need this bad, need him to scratch the itch you can’t reach so you can finally get him out of your head. Neither of you are patient as he jerks his sweatpants down just enough for his cock to pop out. 

It’s already leaking from the tip like a faucet. You kneel, straddling his waist again. You don’t have to do much to slick him up. You pump him a few times before he’s gripping your wrist and jerking your hand away. “Get up here,” he commands, voice rough as he grips your hips. You don’t even get a chance to protest before he’s flipping you over. 

He grabs your thighs and wraps them around his waist. Your ass is off the ground, hovering above his lap as he lines up with your slit. You moan when the tip rubs against your clit. “Whose teasing now?” You grit out, glaring at him. 

His lips curl up, that insufferable smirk on his face before he slams into you. The attitude is practically fucked out of you as he starts pumping in and out. You groan, raking your hands down his chest. He fucking moans at the pain, blood blooming under your nails and immediately closing the further down you go. 

Neither of you are giving up this fight, you don’t want to lose, not even while you’re fucking. He pulls out of you and flips you over so fast you don’t even have time to whine. He’s back in you before you can blink, hips slapping into you in a way that you know is going to leave bruises tomorrow. You’re not going to be able to sit for a week and he knows it. His hands are groping at the skin of your ass, pulling you apart and watching the skin ripple as he fucks into you. 

You’re not going to last long. You’ve been too desperate, too pent up while you’ve been pissed off at him. He leans over you, draping himself across you lazily. You groan at the added weight, it only adds to the sensation, only makes you want him deeper inside you. “Thought you didn’t want me anymore, sweetheart.” He whispers in your ear and you flutter around him as his hand snakes around your waist, rubbing tight circles on your clit. 

You open your mouth but all that comes out is disjointed moans. You know there’s something sarcastic in there, and he must know too because he laughs at your pathetic mumbled sentence. “I don’t know,” he leans back and watches as he makes room for himself inside you. “Seem to need me real bad now.”

Your nails dig into the mat, energy leaking through your fingertips and warming up the canvas beneath you. You can feel it fluctuating, fighting against the cuffs the closer he brings you to the edge. “Fuck you,” the words escape you at a particularly deep thrust and you struggle to keep your eyes open. 

He pauses and you nearly cry at the loss of movement. “Sorry, couldn’t hear you. What’d you say? Stop?”

You glare over your shoulder at him  “Don’t you fucking dare, Logan.” You let your power push up against his back, forcing his hips to move again. He chuckles at the move, fingers creating figure eights on your nub. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart,” he protests, voice innocent. “Ah, fuck,” his voice is nothing more than low grunts and groans in your ear the closer the both of you get to your release. You can’t speak anymore, can’t think. You can feel it cresting higher and higher inside you. 

Your abilities are rising with your release. They’re pushing against the cuffs, fighting desperately against the control the foreign metal has on your powers. You can feel it, heat building up under your skin, like a tingling on the tip of your tongue that you just can’t reach. It’s Logan’s release that finally tips you over the edge. 

The way his breath catches and his hips stutter in their perfect rhythm as warmth floods you from the inside out. You can feel it, him, dribbling down your thighs and staining the mat beneath you. It has you clenching around him, pushing your hips back weakly while you let the feeling overwhelm you. You nearly black out. Two weeks without him hadn’t felt long until you remembered what you were missing. 

You lose your sense of time, dropping to the mat like your bones have gone liquid, dripping out of you. You can feel Logan draped over you still, his weight a comforting blanket that nearly has you drifting to sleep. Naked, in the middle of the boxing ring. He pulls out of you and you whimper at the loss. 

He shushes you, rubbing a hand up your spine and pressing a gentle kiss to the side of your temple. He wraps his arms around you, laying down and pulling you back into his chest. It takes a few minutes of quiet cuddling for you to remember what exactly led you down to the gym in the first place. 

You feel disgusted with yourself for giving in to him so easily. It’s clear what his plan had been. And you’d fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. You’d barely even fought against him. Of course, you could reason that you needed to get the tension out. This was the perfect way to funnel out your built-up energy. 

But you’re disgusted with yourself for giving in to him so easily. You just disregarded dignity and self-respect for a chance to get him between your legs. You were such a fucking idiot. No wonder this is all he wanted you for. 

“Shit,” you mutter, trying to pull yourself out of his grip. Your eyes widen as his arms tighten around your waist. He tugs you back down until he’s got you in what essentially feels like a headlock. He could easily pass it off as spooning, but it feels a little more demanding than that. “Logan,” you warn, the silent peace of the moment officially shattered. 

“Don’t,” he gripes. You can fight against him for as long as you want, but you’ll only tire yourself out. His arms are literally metal bands around you. “Let me talk and then you can run off.” You huff and wait, but he never speaks. Finally, you look over your shoulder and glare at him. “Well?”

You roll your eyes, “Fuck’s sake,” you mutter. “Alright, speak.”

You can feel his grin against the back of your head. If he didn’t have you in such a tight grip, you’d elbow him in the gut just to be petty. “I made a mistake,” you scoff and he keeps going. Stopping you from interrupting him with something bitchy. “You weren’t just something convenient to me, sweetheart.” he pauses and chuckles, “You’re a huge fucking pain in my ass.”

“Is this your idea of an apology?” You snap, “Because this is pathetic.” 

He doesn’t say anything and you’re tempted to snark at him again. But then the world is flipped on its side as he jerks you around and forces you to face him. Your chests rub together, the sweaty skin sticking together and bordering on uncomfortable. “You ever shut up?” He asks, but there’s no heat to the words. If anything he looks fond of you, and it makes you shift around, trying not to look him in the eye. But there’s nowhere for you to hide, you’re both naked and bare before each other. 

You’re as physically vulnerable as he must feel emotionally. And as much as this is a horrible way to display how he’s feeling, you’re starting to understand him a little better. You know why this conversation is so hard for him, why he can’t accept that someone truly loves him and he loves her back. 

But that’s not going to get him out of it. He’s still yet to say the words. Maybe if he manned up and said something real you’d consider forgiving him. You give him an expectant look and he sighs, forehead pressed against yours as he slumps over you. You want to pretend you’re annoyed at the contact, but you’ve been craving it since you ran away two weeks ago.

You’ve been desperate for this warmth that only he can provide you. Without realizing it, you nuzzle further into his chest, hands drifting up to wrap around his bare waist. Logan feels the tightness in him ease slightly at the way you curl into him. He’s got a shot, even if you try and tell him he doesn’t.  

It’s silent for a while, while you linger in the emotions of what just happened and he tries to find the right words. He leans down, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear and smiling against the shell of your ear. “I love you,” he whispers. 

You’d told yourself you’d only consider forgiving him if he said those words. But that’s only because you’d never thought he would actually say it. You didn’t think he was capable of admitting that to himself. It seems so out of character for him. But, maybe, you don’t know him as well as you thought you did. 

He pulls back, hand landing on your jaw and gently guiding your head out of his neck. He gives you an expectant look but you’re finding it hard to meet his eyes. You’ve been waiting for him to say that, but now it feels like you can’t. You’re still struggling to forgive him. He put you through so much unnecessary hurt just because he couldn’t face his own feelings. 

And now you’re struggling to do the same. “I want to say it back,” you tell him. “But how am I supposed to trust that the next time things get hard, you won’t lash out again?”

He frowns, an irritated huff of breath shooting out his nose. But you know it’s frustration towards himself. For letting you both get to this point because he couldn’t just say three words. “I’ll wait,” he promises. “For as long as it takes, I’ll wait.” 

You smile and nod, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face in his neck. You’re sure you’ll be saying it sooner rather than later. But what’s the harm in making him squirm a little? He deserves it. 

A/N: I don’t write smut, it’s literally in my rules. I think I stared at a gif of him for too long and some horny ass demon possessed me and made me write this. Forgive me, universe, I’m no better than a man.

end. — I do not own the characters or the comics/movies Wolverine/X-Men, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[scarletttries]

Roronoa Zoro Fluff Alphabet (One Piece Request)

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro (One Piece) x Reader

Rating: Pure Fluff

Word Count: 4.1k

Author's Note: Back on my Roronoa bullshit with this one, thanks to everyone reblogging my posts and sending in requests and also for bearing with me while I mentally frothed at the mouth for Novocaine (2025) :)

a -affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?)

Roronoa Zoro isn't the kind of guy who's going to be adorably giggling and cooing over you in public, but that doesn't mean he won't find ways to let you know how utterly essential you are to him. He'll enjoy a subtle bit of PDA, keeping an arm wrapped firmly around your waist as you walk through uncharted lands together, or setting one hand on your leg when you settle next to him in some bar or restaurant. Behind closed doors, he's much more traditionally romantic, saving all his smiles for you and the way you look at him when he forgoes addressing you by name in favour of just calling you 'his love.' And when he settled next to you at night, you know this man's got his arms encircling you and his nose nuzzling against your neck, claiming he needs to keep you close in case of a late night ambush on the ship.

b - beauty (what do they admire about their s/o? what do you think is beautiful about them?)

Roronoa Zoro isn't a shallow man, but god does he admire the way you look; every curve of your body, every mark of intrigue across your features, the way you carry yourself as you walk into his life. He's sure he's never laid eyes on someone that moves quite like you do, and feels like light seems to reflect differently around you, making you almost glisten in front of him. He loves your kindness, and your stubbornness, and of course your quick mind, but from the first time he saw you this man has been wondering if there's a devil fruit for undeniable beauty that you could have stumbled upon to be this perfect.

When it comes to Zoro there's a lot of things to admire; his impressive swordsmanship, his strong sense of right and wrong, the sheer volume of sake he can consume and still remain upright. Throw in the way he looks when he's training shirtless around the ship, and it's safe to say you'll always find something beautiful to enjoy in sweet Zoro.

c- cuddles (do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?)

He'll deny it until his dying day, but Zoro is one of the cuddliest bugs out there on the seas. He won't quite know how to ask you for affection, chasing the high of the first time you held him in your arms and all his worries and loneliness seemed to instantly melt away. Instead he'll find weird positions to settle into where eventually he can sort of collapse onto your lap and huff until you move your hands to caress over his chest and down his arms, a soft smile breaking out on his face when he finally gets what he wants. The only trouble then is that he gets so relaxed by your touch that he has to fight to stay awake so that he can appreciate every second of your undivided attention.

d - dates (what are dates with them like? do they plan them out or are they spontaneous?)

With your adventurous life on the high seas, it's not easy to make plans, or even have a private moment with your Zoro, let alone a full date. Zoro likes to make the most of whenever you are docked on an island, ignoring the pleas of the rest of the crew and dragging you away to a secluded spot where the two of you can finally be alone and enjoy a moment of peace. If it's a place he can grab you both a cocktail, or the two of you can lay cuddled up on a blanket on the beach, even better.

e - ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He doesn't have a lot of experience when it comes to love, or ending things, so if he had to, Zoro would probably be overly blunt. He'd calmly state that things were over, that it's nothing personal, and then say at least on the bright side tomorrow he'll be gone from this land and his ex would probably never see him again except on a wanted poster.

f - fiancee (how do they feel about commitment? how quickly would they want to get married?)

Before you came into his life Zoro would have never thought twice about marriage or commitment, but suddenly with you in his life it all seems to make perfect sense. It wouldn't take long for Zoro to know with confidence that you are the only person he's ever going to be with, that no one else would ever make him feel this way, so it's only natural he instantly feels very committed to you. He wouldn't really care about the classic stuff like a traditional wedding, or even a legal marriage given all his trouble with the law, but he'd make himself at least sit you down and tell you exactly how he was feeling and what that meant to him. It'd be endlessly endearing to see him struggle to look you in the eye as he lets you know he wants to be yours forever, and how he doesn't need anything else but to know you feel the same way. Cut to the next morning when he calls you his wife/husband in front of the crew and Sanji threatens to throw himself overboard in response to Zoro getting married before him. From that moment on he'll always introduce you as his spouse, satisfied you meet every condition of the title.

g - gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Zoro doesn't feel the need to be overly gentle with you, your ability to see past his tough exterior is one of the things that he loves about you. He likes that he can make the occasional sarcastic comment and you'll laugh along with him, and he loves that he can pick you up and throw you over his shoulder when he's tired of being around anyone else and wants to have you alone in the safety of your shared cabin right now. Obviously he'd never do anything to hurt you, and when you're not feeling your best he'll absolutely handle you with the utmost care, but Zoro enjoys that he doesn't have to be anyone but himself around you and he can still be loved.

h - hugs (do they like hugs? how often do they do if? what are their hugs like?)

Zoro loves your hugs so much! He likes to collapse his weight into you and feel you support every part of him you can reach, every inch of his skin feeling lighter for being held by you. Every time he gets you alone he'll go out of his way to entangle himself with you, dragging you onto his lap when he get away with it, and breathing you in like you sustain him more than air.

You'll usually be the one to initiate the hugs, but when Zoro loses sight of you in a dangerous situation and then finally finds you again, then he'll be the one to scoop you up in his arms, your feet lifting of the ground as he clutches you to his chest, face burying itself against your neck so he practically feel your pulse and ensure you're still with him. When he hugs you like that it's hard to do anything but embrace being entirely consumed by Zoro, letting him hold on for as long as he needs to to feel whole again.

i - injury (how would they act if they got hurt?)

Zoro's no stranger to injury, barely phased by the occasional mark sketched across his skin. If anything he'll probably show off his wounds to you as Chopper cleans him up, secretly enjoying the glint of worry in your loving gaze.

When you get hurt however, he's decidedly less cool. If there's someone he can get revenge on, they'll already be skewed by his sword before the first drop of your blood hits the ground. When you're just ill out at sea, he'll be doing everything he can to help Chopper out, trying to keep a calm demeanor around everyone else but still coming across absolutely frantic at your weakened state.

j - jealousy (how jealous do they get? what do they do when they're jealous?)

Zoro doesn't tend to feel jealousy often when the two of you are out and about on islands, so confident in the relationship that you share that he's not worried about some interloper taking you from him. One person he will feel plenty of jealousy around though, is Sanji. He hates the way the chef fawns over you when he serves up his culinary creations, and what's worse, Zoro hates that Sanji actually is a brilliant cook, something Zoro will never be.

Thankfully he'll occasionally manage to put Sanji back in his place when he starts getting a bit too familiar with Zoro's partner. For example, any time Sanji goes out of his way to make you a special dessert, Zoro will pull you onto his lap while Sanji sets the plate in front of you, and he'll take the first bite much to the chef's displeasure.

"Hmm, you should taste this." He'll say smugly to you as he captures your lips in a greedy kiss, the taste of Sanji's cooking still lingering on his tongue as it slips between your lips. You know Zoro well enough to sense this idiotic display of possession is important to him, so you'll let him hungrily make out with you after every small bite of your dessert, until Sanji is practically unconscious under the table with rage.

k- kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to be kissed?)

Zoro's kisses are possessive and intense, like there's no doubt holding him back when his lips meet yours. He's firm in his grasp of your waist, chest pressed tightly against you so you can feel him giving you every part of him with each and every kiss. Once he starts he can go on forever, each taste of your lips only making him more desperate for another until you're both gasping for air on top of whatever surface was closest at the time. Zoro would keep your lips pressed against his all day if you could manage it, but he also loves when you trail your kisses over his neck and chest. After you've been together for a while he'll also get used to you sitting behind him with your legs either side of his, gently pressing his lips against his shoulders and down his back. It's such a vulnerable position to feel so comfortable in, and every time he's relieved you can't see his eyes flutter shut as a content smile spreads over his face.

l - love language (what is their love language?)

Zoro's never been one for words, and he couldn't care less about a gift, so Quality Time is the best way to show this stoic man that you care for him. Sit nearby while he's training, and let him settle by your side for every meal, the two of you curling up together at night to rest, and that's enough to ensure Zoro can feel wholly and truly loved by you. He'll also love going out of his way to keep you safe, being the most protective partner he can be as just another way of showing you how much he appreciates you.

Zoro will also get more and more physically affectionate as he gets used to your gentle touch washing over his body and transforming his once cold exterior into one of a man who adores being hugged. Slowly but surely he'll go out of his way to place his hand in yours whenever he can, just providing a tangible reminder that he's there for you no matter what happens next.

m - mornings (how are mornings spent with them?)

Roronoa isn't a morning person, his constant need for naps starting from the moment he opens his eyes. He'll refuse to let you escape from his arms until he's so hungry that he has no choice but to accept that you need to get up for breakfast, making sure to steal as many kisses as he can before the two of you are in the company of the rest of the crew.

n - nights (how are nights spent with them?)

Nights are much more familiar for this once famed bounty hunter. He'll want to make the most of every precious second of it with you; finding a quiet spot in the back of a local tavern, or bringing a blanket onto the deck of the ship so that the two of you can watch the stars passing overhead and muttering loving words under your breath for the sea air to carry away.

o - open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It would be hard for Zoro to share much about himself. His past is as littered with sadness as it is with danger, every tale of his childhood providing another precious insight into exactly how the world's greatest swordsman came to be. His emotional state is a mystery even to himself a lot of the time, and even though he yearns to tell you the depth of his devotion to you, sometimes he doesn't think he even knows the words he needs to use. It will be a slow and drawn out process to really reach the depths of Zoro's soul, but it'll be a journey that's worth every slow and difficult step.

p - patience (how patient are they usually? what tends to wear their patience thin?)

As a master swordsman, Zoro should have almost infinite patience thanks to his years of intense training, but that isn't always the case in reality. Don't get me wrong, he can be really patient if you need his help or if there's any time he needs to pass that he can spend with you. But if there's time when he has to spend away from your company, then he gets very impatient and snappy with the people who are stuck with him until you get back. And if they dare to point out that he only gets like this when he's waiting for you to come back, well that's just going to make the whole situation worse and he'll be twice as grumpy and impatient for your return, all while completely denying it.

q - quality time (how do they like to spend with you?)

You and Zoro could pass an entire afternoon in complete silence and he'd struggle to wipe the smile off his face for the rest of the week. It really doesn't matter what you and Zoro do, together or separately, as long as you're nearby it will mean the world to him. Obviously there are a few favourite activities for him; being cuddled up with you in bed, being sat in a bar toasting to each other with your drinks, or practicing your sword fighting skills until inevitably Zoro disarms you and you end up pinned under him on the mat exactly where he wants you.

r - remember (what is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

If anyone asked Roronoa Zoro this question, he'd say the answer was easy - it the time some villain had him disarmed and was kneeling on top of him, slowly choking the life out of the helpless pirate. When all of sudden you appeared in Zoro's slowly blurring line of sight, light shimmering all around you like you had descended from heaven itself, holding one of his swords and slicing straight through the bad guy that had threatened to put him down forever. Seeing you dripping with blood and brandishing one of his famous swords would fill him with an unparalleled sense of pride that he would be quick to label as the best day of your lives together. As great as that moment was, he'd be lying.

The real answer would be much more mundane, a moment he would claim he couldn't remember if someone else brought it up. The crew were docked at some small island where they had once again saved the day, and a celebration was thrown on the beach in your honour. The two of you sat bundled up next to a roaring fire, watching as the rest of the crew made merry and drank their fill before you were due to set sail tomorrow. Zoro watched the flames flickering in your bright eyes, the expression on your face shifting slightly as the music drifting over from a local band changed from one song to the next.

"You wanna dance?" Zoro had never offered to dance before. Hell, he wasn't sure he'd ever even danced before. But the feeling that you might want to, followed by the warmth of your smile as you nodded, rising to your feet and wrapping your arms around him, that was something he'd never had before either. It was nice to hold you close, to sway against you, to feel your head rest against his chest as you moved. But more than that, after a lifetime of keeping walls up and having to care about his reputation, Zoro didn't give a single thought to anyone except the two of you and what you both wanted. And that felt perfect to Zoro.

s - security (how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?)

Literally one of the greatest bodyguards to ever sail the Grand Line, Zoro is the ultimate protective boyfriend. He needs to know you're safe at all times, and he's more grateful than ever of his swordsman skills so that he can be the one to keep you that way. It doesn't matter how good you are in a fight, Zoro just cannot risk something happening to you, you giving his whole life a meaning he wasn't sure he'd ever have.

When it comes to Zoro you'll have to protect him right back by making sure you reassure him that you're not going anyway, and that you're in this for the long haul just as much as he is. He sometimes doubts something so good can truly be happening for him, so he'll need you to be the brave one then, and to whisper the three little words that always keep him going.

t - try (how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

As an everyday crewmate, Zoro will do his best not to actively inconvenience the crew, but he's not going to go too much further than that. Similarly, he's not the romantic type so don't expect him to keep a calendar of anniversaries or to shower you with gifts. He'll find other ways to show you how much he cares though, from forcing himself to be emotionally vulnerable with you no matter how unnatural it feels, to gifting you one of the three sword earrings he's known for. He might not cook a three-course meal like Sanji would, but I promise you there won't be a single second that you doubt Roronoa Zoro's complete and utter devotion and commitment to you through his small and unwavering displays of loyalty.

u - upset (how do they act when you're upset? how do they act when they're upset?)

When you're upset Zoro is quite solutions-focused. It hurts him so much to see you hurting, and he'll move the earth itself if it could make things better for you. It won't come easily to him, but over time he'll learn to sit with you, holding you against his chest and letting you come to terms with your feelings before he launches into his next quest to fix whatever had the nerve to hurt you.

When Zoro's upset he's much more concerned about making things right, and usually he'll only come to you when it's something he can't fix himself. He won't be subtle in the way he'll drape himself across your lap, avoiding eye contact and waiting for you to soothe his heavy heart with soft words before he's ready to open up to you.

v - vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)

Zoro likes his signature look of short green hair and loosely unbuttoned shirts, and he's confident in his looks thanks to all his training and exercise. That being said he doesn't spend that much time thinking about how he looks in general, and I promise that no matter if you're dolled up completely or have just dragged yourself out of bed and feel gross, you are the most beautiful person Zoro could ever imagine because you're his person.

w - wildcard (a random headcanon for them.)

With a total lack of interpersonal skills, and an even more limited range of flirting experience, Zoro would be completely clueless about how to let you know that he's in love with you, and how to know if you feel anything back. When you join the crew he's completely sure that you're the person he's never realised he's been looking for, so rather than tell you, or make some grand gesture, Zoro decides to just always be nearby in case that will help you feel the same. He'll squish himself beside you at every meal, follow you around the ship as you go about your day, volunteer to walk by your side as you explore new places, and generally find any excuse he can to spend more time in your presence.

It'll get to the point where you'll get used to him waiting outside your cabin on the ship to say goodnight, the flustered swordsman trying to think of anything he's not already said to you that day to keep the conversation flowing. You'll definitely have to be the one to finally move a make, gently resting your hand against his cheek and leaning close so he knows as he quickly lunges forwards for a kiss that while he might be the one finally closing the distance, it's entirely your decision for him to do so.

x - x-ray (how easily are they able to read you?)

He can be pretty oblivious when it comes to picking up on how you feel and what's on your mind, so it's usually best to spell things out if you want to talk to him about it. When he does realise something's wrong, he's the first to bring it up, prefering to have an open, if not at time's blunt, conversation about if there's anything bothering you. Zoro on the other hand is stoic to a fault, and is so difficult to read that sometimes you just have to take a chance and ask him if there's something bothering him, just in case there is.

y - yuck (what things do you do that they hate?)

Zoro loves that you have made him a better and kinder man by being his partner. That being said, he also sometimes can't quite cope with the way you see the best in everyone, your friendly nature putting him in more than a few uncomfortable situations where he's been stuck by your side, talking to a stranger when he'd rather be absolutely anywhere else. Zoro thinks people are the worst, but also he knows if you weren't such a warm and loving person, then you might have never taken a chance on loving him. And so for that he wouldn't change you for the world.

z - zzz (what is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Zoro can fall asleep absolutely anyway, and almost instantly. It's a talent really, but sometimes when the two of you curl up at night, and you're telling him your thoughts from the day, or decorating his skin with soft kisses as you think about what the future holds, it'll be really obvious how hard he's trying not to fall asleep on you. His eyes keep slowly blinking as he fights to remain awake so he can hear more of your precious words, his head rolling forwards occasionally as almost nods off but then manages to catch himself and stay awake for a few more seconds. You'll get used to making sure you've said everything you need to before the two of you lie down, so that you have just enough time for Zoro to tell you he loves you before he drifts off to relive that moment in his dreams.

[rebelliousstories]

Logan Howlett/ The Wolverine SFW Alphabet

Relationship: Logan Howlett/ The Wolverine x Reader

Fandom: X-Men

Request: Yes by Anon

Warnings: Fluff, Brief Angst

Word Count: 3,684

Main Masterlist: Here

X-Men Masterlist: Here

Consider donating a TIP or a Kofi: Here

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Logan is a very solitary guy. He’s much more used to being on his own than with someone in any capacity. That said, I do see him as an “acts of service” kind of man. He definitely is getting you refills on your food and drink at mansion parties, and keeping an eye on the people around you. He’ll carry you to your room after a mission, or make sure that you’re not needing any medical assistance, if you are a part of the gang.

If you’re a normie, he’s holding your heels and carrying you home after a night at the bar even though he warned you not to wear them and to just go with your boots.

B = Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Sarcastic comments and playful bullying are your first love languages. I mean, people outside the friendship think you hate each other, but that’s only if they don’t look at you closer. He would always find something to tease you about, but he never let it get too mean.

If you’re an X-Men too, I believe that you guys would have been made to go on a solo mission together. You two have never been this close, so you try to pass the time, but it eventually turns into you pushing Logan’s buttons. So he gives it as good as he gets.

A normal person however, a non-mutant, I could see him just meeting you at every given chance. It’s a small town in Canada that he has decided to stay in; there’s one post office, one coffee shop, and only a couple of bars and restaurants. So yeah, he just keeps running into you, and strikes up a little conversation each time.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Oh he for sure loves to cuddle. You’re going to look at me and tell me that grumpy kitty with the fluffy hair doesn’t like to cuddle?! Oh nay, nay. This man loves it. A major reason is that he loves to make sure you’re kept happy and comfy. In Logan’s mind, the safest place you could be was in his arms.

Logan would cuddle one of two ways. He would either place you on his chest, fully laying down on him because he would love to feel your weight on him. It’s comforting to the man. Or, he would be on his side, with you in front of him. His back would be to the door, and his arms would be tucked up all around you.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

This man has proved he wants to settle down. He wants to have his little cabin in the Canadian wilderness, maybe a dog, and you and some littles. Logan would want to retire from being a superhero one day. Even though he could technically live forever, he doesn’t want to spend those days fighting. He craves having a slice of the quiet life, with someone he loves.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Cold, quick, and efficient. He would not draw it out, or withdraw from you over time. Logan would either simply leave with only the necessary items while you’re asleep or away. But if you catch him leaving, he would continue barreling towards the door, successfully shaking off your hands. He would not talk more than necessary and would only leave with one final glance before stalking off into the unknown, and away from you.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Logan loves fiercely and deeply. Not even death can shake his love for you. He would learn to live with it of course, but he would still proclaim his love for you till his dying breath. He’s a committed man to those who commit to him. To be loved by the Wolverine is a blessing and a bit of a curse. That fierce kind of love always rears it ugly head in a jealous mood if he notices you getting close to someone you shouldn’t. That being said…

If you were a mutant that had a healing factor like him, I think he would want to actually get married. Full on, with a marriage certificate, a suit and gown, and a beautiful ceremony and reception on the lawn of the mansion. Beast definitely officiates the wedding, with Charles rolling with you down the aisle. Scott makes a joke about how Logan should get married in a Canadian tuxedo rather than a traditional one. That doesn’t go over well with the man who is already reigning in his nerves about the whole ordeal. Not about marrying you, but rather the fanfare of it all.

If you do not posses a healing factor in some fashion, whether you’re a mutant who doesn’t have that, or a non-mutant, I feel like he would be hesitant to marry you. Logan wouldn’t want to tie you down to someone that will inevitably outlive you. In fact, he might encourage a break up so that you can find someone to grow old with. But, if you manage to convince him to stay, he would have no hesitation about marrying you. You have a small and intimate affair, from where Logan calls in a favor from an old friend named Charles.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s the Wolverine. It’s James Logan Howlett. That man is as soft physically as concrete wall. However, he does tend to take a softer hand to you no matter what he is doing. Logan has lived with his own enhanced strength for centuries, but he is still afraid of hurting you. He would always make sure that his hands are soft on your body, and that his claws are nowhere near you.

Now, emotionally, again it’s the Wolverine people. He is a lone wolf, that doesn’t care too much for the rules of society. But, when it is just you two, he’s letting you in on his struggle on reconnecting his past or the innermost struggle of his more animalistic side. Going back to A for Affection, Logan sends you little winks and smirks from across the bar. But his smile, his genuine smile when the two of you are alone; those are what you both cherish.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He, for sure, loves to hug you close. He’s just got those big meaty hands, and those equally beefy arms that encompass you and keep you close. It’s a safe form of intimacy for him. Even if his claws were to come out accidentally, he would probably just knick himself. There would be virtually no chance of him getting you caught between them.

Logan tries to hug you whenever he’s home from missions. The first thing he does after getting home and dropping his bags in the foyer of the mansion, is to find you so he can get his hugs that are on back order. It’s something that helps ground him as much as his hugs help to ground you.

Getting a hug from Logan is the physical feeling of putting a fleece blanket hoodie on a bear statue and walking into it. He is always warm, partially because he’s a big burly man and partially because of his mutation, and he’s hairy. So if you hug him without a shirt on, be prepared. Could make a carpet out of that body hair.

I = I Love You (How fast do they say the L-word?)

At least six to eight months, but more than likely a year. He’ll know right around the six month mark, but he’s not telling you at first. Logan would assume his acts of service and protection were enough to tell you that. He’s also waiting on you to gage how he feels about saying that word to you. You’ve gotta show him, and possibly tell him, you love him in order for him to reciprocate.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Logan really only gets jealous if he notices someone younger and attractive trying to chat you up. A major insecurity of his would be the age gap, and possibly you not living as long as him. If you had no regenerative healing factor, he might just quietly sulk in the corner of the bar as he watches.

If you do, however, he would be downing that beer first, and then moving. Logan’s not stupid enough to leave his drink unattended. Just because he can heal from just about anything, doesn’t mean he wants to. He’s pulling hands away and squaring off to anyone that dares try to get handsy with his girl. And you need to be prepared to calm down the feral Wolverine, and give him some reassurance once you get back to where you guys are staying.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

As I said, Logan loves fiercely and deeply. His kisses are no exception. He kisses you like it will be the last time he sees you forever. Logan aims to encapsulate you in a kiss, and it works a lot of the time.

He loves your lips, and forehead. Especially if you’re shorter than him. Lips for the obvious reason; it’s close, intimate, and he loves feeling yours against his. Now the forehead, is because that is what he can reach. When you’re tucked into his chest, he wants to be able to kiss you but for whatever reason he can’t, so he goes for your forehead. Also those forehead kisses just bathe you in a warming glow.

Logan loves to be kissed on his throat and knuckles. Now hear me out before you scroll away! His throat, because if you’re shorter than him, it always happens when he’s got you hugged close. So when he’s dropping kisses to your forehead, press a couple to his throat and he’s putty in your hands. As for his knuckles, it’s a dangerous game, but one that is born of a time of deep insecurities. When he is having doubts about himself, his choices, and his past, he likes to sit with you on the couch or bed and hold you. Logan is always worried about having you anywhere near where his claws come out of skin, but the little, feather light kisses you leave, well, they break his resolve just a bit.

L = Little Ones (How are they around children?)

I believe that it depends on the child’s age. If it’s a small baby, like less than two years old, he would be okay as long as he is not the one holding it. However, if you do manage to convince him to hold the infant, he is sitting there with the most scared expression he has ever had.

Kids that are a bit older and can handle their own he’s okay being around. Logan doesn’t mind the younger ones, like are seven or ten, but he tends to just watch them rather than get involved. Teenagers are the youngest he likes to interact with. He’s just not used to being around little ones, and he feels like he’s too old to start now.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings with Logan are blissfully spent. Whenever he gets the morning off from work or from the X-Men, he loves to spend it doing absolutely nothing. Slow mornings are spent lounging in bed, with nothing on your mind. He loves watching you sleep and be at peace. It’s a peace that he, himself, longs for. Logan enjoys being able to have slow mornings as it gives him a taste of a life he craves.

N = Nights (How are nights spent with them?)

Evenings depend on how that day has been. If the day goes good, then you can expect a nice slow evening, with cuddles and kisses. Maybe falling asleep to an old black and white film on the tv, with you perched of his chest.

Now if he had a bad day, oh Lordy. Logan is going to be non-verbal and totally unwilling to be near you. For your own sake, he wants to keep a distance from you. He doesn’t want to hurt you physically or emotionally. Eventually, Logan will come to bed, but he does it after you have gone to sleep, because he just doesn’t want to deal with any questions. Not until the next day.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Logan would not be open to you at all. He’s a very closed off man that doesn’t let just anyone in. It would definitely come in stages. He would tell you what he could remember about his past over several months to years. And as he uncovers more of his past, Logan will come to terms with it before he ever tells you. He’s also a man of few words, so it will probably take him a while just to put it into words to tell you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

I don’t think he gets angered easily so much as annoyed. It genuinely takes a lot to get him angered. And most of the time, he’s playfully annoyed at you. Like if you politely ask him for another drink, he’ll grumble about how you are perfectly capable of getting it yourself. However, getting him mad is something that takes a personal turn. If you attack his abilities, or legitimately degrade him, he’s getting righteously angry. Logan takes any purposeful attacks on him personally. And he knows you could do it after a while of dating, because he will have told you things that will push the right buttons in the right order.

Q = Quizzes (How much do they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Logan remembers everything. Losing his memory is a blessing in disguise, because now he can use that space for you. He truly loves every word you say, even if he doesn’t show it. Logan can often be perceived as disinterested in you whenever you’re talking. But this man got a small notebook to fill with random things you talk about, including your to go orders. There’s a section about favorites like food, color, or move. Another is there about dreams and plans for the future, and even random things.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Logan’s favorite memory is one random night in the dead of winter.

He returned home from a mission gone horribly wrong. Scott was pissing him off, Jean kept trying to tempt him into another relationship, and Storm was staying out of it on the flight home. Then, the actual contents of the mission. They had lost their target, gotten wrapped up in another one of the Brotherhood’s schemes, and overall got the snot kicked out of them. The team had enough that day. So getting home was of top priority.

Logan grabbed his bag and stalked off before anyone could get a word in on him. He wanted out of his suit and in his bed as of yesterday. Even he could feel the cold from the snow seeping into the mansion as they ascended. He was in his jeans and his usual jacket, but the boots caused the stairs to creak under his weight. As he came into the room, his heart skipped in his chest, and he leaned against the doorframe.

There you were, snuggled up in the blankets with his flannel wrapped around your body. You were even on his side of the bed with your face smooshed into his pillow. It made him swell with love and pride. But that stands out in his mind, because it was the first time that he had caught you like this. The TV was still on; you were trying to wait up for him. And that meant more than anything in the world. He would never tell you though, that he had caught you like that.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

I’m sorry, you do realize who we’re talking about right? Wolverine is going to be the most fiercely loyal and protective lover in the world. He will literally sniff out trouble around you, and keep you safe.

If you’re just dealing with someone who won’t take no for an answer at a bar or party, he’s putting a hand on your waist and glaring the person down. If they refuse to back down, he’s getting in their face and using his intimidation to make them. After that, claws are coming out, bub.

Now, on missions it’s a different story. He knows that you can take care of yourself, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting to keep you away from harm. But if Logan sees that you’re getting overwhelmed or in trouble, he’s on his way over as fast as lightning. He is dispatching of the enemy with fierce vengeance.

Logan wouldn’t need nor want you to protect him physically. That’s his job and he will stand by it. However protecting his mind and heart is the only job he wants you to have. By providing him shelter when his own mind betrays him, it protects him during a vulnerable time.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Dates really depend. If you’re an X-Man and going on missions, your date nights and anniversaries are at the liberty of whenever you are home from missions. If you’re not, he usually has an easier time of planning things for your dates. Regardless, he will usually plan casual dates nights for the most part. Every once in a while he will take you out on the town for dinner and a movie, or a night of drinking and dancing. But most of the time, he’s just having a dinner prepped or gotten take out, and a movie pulled up on the tv.

Logan loves to silently spoil you. He will never make a huge fuss about gifts he gives you. And they’re always practical in some fashion. He gets you a new coffee mug with your favorite character on it but he’s scratched your name into the bottom so no one can take it. Or a new set of personal defense weapons that won’t trigger metal detectors but still pack a punch.

            Like I said before, his love language is acts of service. You need your car fixed? He’s got it purring like a lambo. You need laundry done? You’ve got new clothes in your dressers, plus some of his flannel and tank tops so you can have his clothes and scents around you. This lovable man will preform mundane tasks without being asks because he wants you to know he loves you.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Going cold and silent for no good reason is a big one. It’s so easy for him to revert to his old ways but he does try to work on it. After a long day though, he just wants a beer and a silent, dreamless sleep. So, it’s difficult for him to open up and talk about whatever it is that’s bothering him on a day like this. Thus, leading to the withdrawal.

I feel like another would be his ability to overreact. If Scott asks you to join him on a mission, or even how one went that he wasn’t on, Logan is just about growling at the man. But anyone he views as a threat to you, he’s not liking one bit which tends to lead to the man to growling, snapping, and even the claws coming out.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Logan is not all too concerned with how he looks. He does his hair but that’s about it. Like, other than that, he just genuinely doesn’t care. This is a mutant with the ability to heal near instantly. I can’t reiterate how much he doesn’t care.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

The further you get into your relationship, the more he feels like he can’t live without you. It’s something he gets hit with all at once. It’s part of why he’s so protective over you, even if you have a healing factor. He’s terrified to lose you once he truly loves you deeply within his soul. When he can’t be near you, he’s counting down the minutes till he can remedy that. If he ever lost you, if you died or left him in some other way, there would be nothing left to keep the animal in check.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Logan loves you playing with his hair and pampering him. Does he understand the difference between a physical exfoliant and a chemical one? Absolutely not. But he loves having you use whatever it is on him. When his day is super rough, he’ll stay silent as he lets you lead him face down on the bed. Getting massages on those days are amazing because he swears that your hands can feel what is wrong and get it out. He’s letting you wash his face, put weird creams on him, all the while he’s got a fluffy headband on. And once you’re done with the skincare, the head massage that follows? Oh, he feels the stress of everything wash away. There is nothing that clears the rage and foul feelings better than a little pampering session.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

I don’t know why, but he strikes me as a texture guy. Not on his skin, but in the food he eats. Like he won’t eat certain foods because they make odd textures in his mouth. He also just likes simple foods, so that could be a reason.

In a partner though, he wouldn’t appreciate someone trying to change him, or that would pry too deep. Let me explain. Logan knows what he is, a rehabilitated animal that tries to do his best. And he doesn’t want anyone else telling him that he isn’t. It’s not a matter of that he can’t shake the image that he spent so long with, but rather that he can still feel it inside his being every time those claws come out.

In that same vein, he doesn’t want someone that asks too many questions that he doesn’t have the answers to nor wants to give. If he wakes up from a nightmare where he uncovers new memories, he’ll decide in time to share that with you. You have to let him go at his own pace otherwise you’ll spook him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

On his back, straight as a board, blankets around his chest, while he’s alone. If you’re spending the night, he’ll either fall asleep with you on his chest with hm on his back, or with his back to the door and on his side with you in his arms. Also, I don’t care what anyone says, this man has the cutest baby snores ever. Sounding like a baby bear in bed and now it’s your own form of white noise. It’s so difficult for you to fall asleep without it.

[francesderwent]

“decrying the manipulative cowardice of cohabitation” I would love to hear more of this take on TTPD if you’re willing

boy am I willing!

I am going to start with You’re Losing Me, because I think it’s a crucial prologue to the album. You’re Losing Me is about a relationship that’s dying, because the partner she’s singing to is stuck in inactivity. she begs, “do something, babe, say something. lose something, babe, risk something. choose something, babe, I’ve got nothing to believe unless you’re choosing me.” we’re in new territory, for Taylor. she sings, “now I just sit in the dark, and wonder if it’s time.” he isn’t leaving (Forever & Always), and he’s not doing something so awful that she has to leave (The Moment I Knew). he is staying—which for so long has been the hallmark of a happy ending in her music (Stay Stay Stay, All You Had To Do Was Stay, New Year’s Day, The Archer)! but he won’t make some decisive move, won’t risk something, won’t choose her. but he is with her, so what is that choice?

and the thing about TTPD is, when she’s speaking directly about that relationship, she doesn’t exactly just tell us. So Long London is more about what the collapse of the relationship felt like for her than a story of how it collapsed—she felt like he wasn’t giving himself to the relationship, she felt like she was putting in all the work, she felt like her sadness wasn’t taken seriously, she felt unsure of whether he even wanted to be with her. and she throws in there amidst all of this: “I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free” and “you swore that you loved me but where were the clues, I died on the altar waiting for the proof.” they were together for a long time, but still she’s waiting for something—still she felt like she was taken advantage of when that something didn’t come. the altar line is the clearest hint—along with “my beloved ghost and me sitting in a tree D-Y-I-N-G” in How Did It End—what was missing was marriage. she felt left at the altar. the relationship that should have followed the traditional trajectory of “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage” stalled out after love.

don’t get me wrong, I think she totally captures the feeling of slow despair when your partner won’t commit—but she doesn’t come out and say “you liar, when I fell in love with you, you told me we would get married and have a family, but you never followed through”. on the face of it, she barely focuses on this relationship at all—at first glance only the track 5s are obviously about the long-term live-in partner. instead, she presents us with a twist: not an album about the six year relationship which ended out of nowhere, but an album seemingly mostly about a rebound that only lasted a few weeks.

but the rebound doesn’t leave the theme of marriage behind! no! in fact, marriage comes to the forefront right away in the title track: “at dinner you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on, and that’s the closest I’ve come to my heart exploding.” and again in Fresh Out the Slammer: “ain’t no way I’m gonna screw up now that I know what’s at stake here at the park where we used to sit on children’s swings, wearing imaginary rings.” so despite everything that she knows from the get-go is wrong with this guy (“you’re in self-sabotage mode, throwing spikes down on the road”, “all your indecent exposures”, “I know he’s crazy”, “the jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud”) it’s evident to me why this is the one she wants—because this guy says, clearly, that he is willing to give her what her last partner would not. marriage isn’t the unspoken wound that’s made the relationship bleed out—it’s out in the open! this guy is making moves! and so the story of how the live-in partnership fell apart starts to come together: she was lured away by the rebound guy, someone she had a former acquaintance with but who’s appeared again in her life at a decisive moment (see: Fortnight & Guilty as Sin) precisely because here was a way to actually have the happy ending that she thought she was promised in her old relationship. “it’s gonna be alright, I did my time”!

but of course, that’s not what happens. just as quickly as the rebound guy swept into her life and promised to fix everything, he disappears without a word. Down Bad paints the picture starkly: their love affair was so quick and so dramatic that she feels like she was abducted by aliens and then dropped back at home with a story no one seems to believe—but it was real, he did say all those things, she was in love. until finally, in The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, she has to admit: whatever he was after, whatever his motivations were, it wasn’t love. he used her.

why is this important, when we’re talking about cohabitation and not rebounds or hookups? let’s turn to loml. loml tells the story of a relationship which from the beginning seemed like it was heading straight from the first kiss to marriage, but which turns out to be not what she thought it was—“a con-man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme”. perhaps the most telling line on the whole album, “you shit-talked me under the table, talking rings and talking cradles”, tells us: in private where no one could see, he made her all these promises. but she can see now that he didn’t mean them, that although she’s mourning the loss of their love, what she’s mourning wasn’t even real: “something counterfeit is dead”. who is this song about? lines like “in your suit and tie” “you low-down boy” “you holy ghost” “told me I reformed you” and “Mr. Steal Your Girl and make her cry” seem to point to the rebound—but lines like “you stand-up guy” “you cinephile in black and white” and “all those plot twists” seem to be references to the partner. and the closer you look, the blurrier it gets. “you holy ghost” applies to both of them—one ghosted her by disappearing, but the other became a ghost in their home. “told me I reformed you” sounds like I Can Fix Him—but her relationship with the partner started in an album that opened with “knew he was a killer first time that I saw him”. the rebound stole her from her partner, making him Mr Steal Your Girl, but the partner did the same thing back in the day. “something counterfeit” could be pointing to “was any of it true” in Smallest Man—or it could be pointing to “your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in”. the more you know the lore, the more you have all her old lyrics memorized, the more references you see.  Taylor has always been famous for calling her boyfriends out publicly, but this time, she didn’t hide any identifying clues for us to unearth. she blurred the details, she painted everybody with the same brush. loml is about both of them. they both told her they were heading towards marriage and kids—and they both disappeared on her.

and once you start to see the parallels, they start popping up all over the album. the title track is about the rebound—but it says “I’ve seen this episode and still loved the show”, hinting that everything with him feels familiar for some reason, and her plea “who's gonna hold you like me? who’s gonna know you like me?” echoes her triumphant statement to her partner in ME!: “I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me”. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys tells the same story as loml of the man who gave you all kinds of attention at the beginning and then when he saw forever coming, smashed it up—“I’m queen of sandcastles he destroys” parallels both “once your queen had come you’d treat her like an also-ran” in Smallest Man and “salute to me, I’m your American queen” in King of My Heart. “but you should have seen him when he first got me” is the thesis of practically every song she wrote about her partner from evermore to Midnights, when she had to go back to the beginning of the relationship to find something romantic to sing about. Down Bad is the same story again, of singling her out and making her feel special, and then abandoning her. Fresh Out the Slammer parallels High Infidelity, which had her current partner cast in the part of the one she was running home to, the one who brought her back to life. “we’ve already done it in my head” in Guilty as Sin is the sinister reprise of “in the middle of the night in my dreams, you should see the things we do, baby” in Ready For It. is The Albatross about the public outcry in But Daddy I Love Him, or is it about “here’s to my baby, he ain’t reading what they call me lately” in This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things? in Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus, who is she talking about when she says it would haunt her to know their love was real? Peter weaves the two stories into each other: both men met her when they were twenty-five—one said he wasn’t ready for a relationship but maybe they’d connect again later, the other said he was ready for a relationship but he wasn’t ready to get married. “we said it was just goodbye for now, you said you were gonna grow up then you were gonna come find me”. but all those promises, from both of them, from every guy she’s ever dated, were never ever kept.

in the album liner notes, she sums it all up: “and so I was out of the oven and into the microwave”. both men did exactly the same thing—the only difference is one did it slow, over six years, and one did it fast.

that’s a really powerful, and a really unexpected statement. think about it. most people in our society don’t really believe that marriage is until death do us part; they believe in the possibility of divorce, they believe that marriage is until one or both parties call it quits. therefore, marriage is essentially no different from living together: both are committed, but not unbreakably vowed. so the death of Taylor’s six-year cohabiting relationship is, for many people, the death of the most serious kind of relationship there is. and instead of delivering the “mature adult breakup” party line of “sometimes things are good and right for a season of life, but they just don’t work out”, what the album says is “what you did is exactly the same as if you’d fed me a few pretty lines to get me into bed then stopped answering my texts”. living with someone without proposing marriage to them EQUALS love-bombing them then ghosting. one lasts a lot longer, but it’s still just manipulation and use. she has to ask herself about both of them what it was they really wanted—“were you writing a book, were you a sleeper-cell spy?” about the rebound, and “was it hazing for a cruel fraternity I pledged and I still mean it? were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke?” about the partner—because they clearly did not want her.

I think in the end what she saw was that it’s not about timing, it’s not about fate, it’s not about anything other than whether the man has the courage to make a commitment. she says in loml “the coward claimed he was a lion”, and in The Black Dog “you said I needed a brave man, then proceeded to play him until I believed it too”—these men pretended like they were brave enough to get married, but then “there was danger in the heat of my touch, he saw forever so he smashed it up”. he gets scared and gives up; he’s “lost to the lost boys’ chapter of life”. all that courage was false bravado. “tail between your legs, you’re leaving”. by the end of the album, she has lost all patience and respect for these blokes who warm the benches on the fields of love.

I really do believe that the album she gave us is more sophisticated than if she had simply written a callout of her partner in the style of Smallest Man or Should’ve Said No. she can give detailed accounts of individual sins all day long, but by looking at the big picture and drawing equivalencies, what we get isn’t an accusation so much as it is the development of an ethics.

I mean, come on. that’s cool.

[hooked-on-elvis]

ELVIS' SPIRITUALITY, STRONG FAITH, LOYALTY AND GENEROSITY.

"I don't want him to go. He needs the job." ⚡

— Elvis on September 3, 1973 during a concert at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.

[2] Elvis and friend Mario in 1970 in Elvis' suite in Las Vegas. Mario was the Maitre D of the Hilton who served dinner in Elvis' suite every night. [1-3] Elvis in his hotel suite in Las Vegas on September 1, 1973 being presented by Henry Lewin (at right), Hilton senior vice president, with a long gold chain, a gift from Barron Hilton (son of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels chain) for the incredible success of Elvis' residencies at The Hilton. The elongated, hexagonal-shaped bolo-style clasp is stylized bamboo shapes, with elaborate script initials “EP” on the cross bar. The chain was then used on stage by Elvis for all his shows until the end of the engagement on September 3, 1973. Also pictured with Elvis is his father Vernon and George Parkhill of RCA Records.

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

HERE'S ONE MORE STORY ON ELVIS' SPIRITUALITY, STRONG FAITH, LOYALTY AND GENEROSITY:

In August 1973, Mario, Maitre D on the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, told Elvis his wife was dying of cancer. Elvis, who for all his life but specially since the mid-60s was deep into religion and spiritual learning, was a believer of the healing laying on of hands [Bible, New Testament, Luke 4:40 talks about this, which is associated with Jesus healing the sick]. Elvis did this laying on of hands while he prayed on many of his friends and the ones close to them whenever he had the opportunity, even on strangers - by the way he performed this faith act on one of his own backing singers, Sylvia Shemwell of the Sweet Inspirations, something she told the fans during the 1996 Elvis Week [you may listen to herself telling the story on Youtube].

So, back to the story, Elvis told Mario he wanted to see his wife [to pray on her]. The Hilton Hotel management heard about this a little time afterwards and they decided to fire Mario because he was considered to be taking advantage of his position in the hotel as a staff member and the closeness to the stars it granted him with.

Elvis heard about this and, during a concert at the Hilton Hotel he did the best he could to help his friend. See, Elvis could have had a private meeting with the hotel's management but he decided making the matters public for the hotel's guests maybe in hope they could pressure the Hilton Hotel not to fire Mario right away, a person the frequent guests were also familiar with.

Elvis believed in people being treated as equals. Before telling the audience the hotel was planning on fire Mario, he actually mentioned the gold necklace piece he received from the Las Vegas Hilton president, Barron Hilton, just a couple of days before. How could they treat him, an already wealthy man, gifting him expensive jewelry while they would dare to fire a simple member of his staff for something he considered stupid? He couldn't have it.

LET'S SEE HOW ELVIS DID TRY TO HELP HIS FRIEND, MARIO? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CONCERT NIGHT AT THE HILTON IN 1973:

"In a Las Vegas night, Elvis was specially talkative onstage.

Lisa Marie was in the audience. Next to the closing of the concert, Elvis introduced her to the audience and then joked about little Lisa getting more applause than his own musicians did when he introduced them previously. Elvis immediately rushed in to praise on his talented musical group, telling the audience how good they really were, when he said: "I kid a lot, change songs and switch around… [but] they never miss a lick. They just catch on, and I think they're really fantastic. We can do at least fifty songs, and I don't have to turn around and tell them [which one we'll do next]. They can just hear it and pick it up. The guys [relying] on the sheet music have heart failure, but they always catch up with me [too]."

Then, Elvis dedicated "The First Time [Ever I Saw Your Face]" to his daughter, Lisa. After the song was finished, Presley joked around a little more. His mic had a minor electrical bug and Elvis joked about it saying, "I broke it! Just hang with me, folks, I used to be an electrician. You drove two thousand miles and paid all kinds of money to watch me screw this damn wire in."

Elvis continued the break between songs moving on to the guest introductions, the moment the King would recognize their presence among the audience and thank celebrated names from diverse strings of the industry of entertainment for attending the concert. That night among the guests was Bobbie Gentry, a young Grammy award winner songwriter and singer who's hit tune "Ode to Billie Joe", released in 1967, was appreciated by Elvis. Presley sang a few lines of the tune during a rehearsal/recording session in 1967 (we can hear it on the album "From Nashville To Memphis - Essential 60s Masters" Disc 3, track "Hi-Heel Sneakers"). It was now 1973, so people were familiar with Gentry's talent, yet Elvis introduced her with a compliment and a somewhat indirect message of support for herself when he said: "This young lady is a very fine singer. She's opening at the Frontier Hotel on Thursday, Bobbie Gentry. She's good, folks, so go over and see her act. She's a lot of woman, really."

SIDE NOTE: Normally, Charlie Hodge would have the names of those artists with him, previously written, sometimes with a little background info about them too (what they did, something they have been working on lately... basically anything Elvis could talk about so this moment would feel as genuine as possible). With that VIP names list in hand, Charlie would whisper the VIP guests names, sometimes a little info about them too, to Elvis - usually when the King was drinking water or off stage for a brief moment - and that's how he would not forget to mention anyone. That was one of Charlie's responsibilities as Elvis' stage manager aside from being one of his backing singers, providing water - or Gatorade - and the scarves for Elvis. Charlie Hodge helped keeping the show running smoothly.

Moving on with the concert, after introducing the VIP guests Elvis also introduced more member of his own family who were watching the concert with little Lisa Marie: his father, Vernon Presley, and his then girlfriend, Linda Thompson.

Right after this was when things got a little more serious, for a very noble cause. Elvis was in great mood that night but now he wasn't horsing around anymore. The King tried to use his influence to persuade [read "pressure on"] the Hilton Hotel management, his own employers, to not letting a man be fired from their staff that night. Those were Elvis' words:

Tiger Man vs. Hilton

"There's a guy here that works in the Italian restaurant, his name is Mario. And these people are gettin' ready to fire him as soon as I leave. And I don't want him to go. He needs the job. And I think the Hiltons are greater than that. No disrespect, I just wanna wake up Conrad [Hilton] and tell him about Mario's job. That's all. This next song [Tiger Man] is dedicated to hierarchy - the staff - of the Hilton Hotel. "I'm the king of the jungle. They call me the Tiger Man."

Excerpt from "Elvis Word for Word" by Jerry Osborne (2000) — Source: Jerry transcripts of Elvis' words during this concert came from audiotapes from that night's performance at the Hilton. Those tapes were released on "Elvis Presley: Las Vegas Fever" [I suppose it's the Vol 3, released in 1990, but not sure].

Elvis on stage at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas on Lamar Fike’s back and with a toy monkey on his own back; September 3, 1973. Now, things got another depth, right? I think that's the main reason Elvis decided not to give a fuck about his employers and just have fun onstage. He knew they didn't care for him, for his well-being, only for the money. The best he could do for himself was to enjoy working, having fun the best he could while also respecting the fans and they desire to watch him giving his best with the songs performed live. Was he the greatest artist ever, and so human, so similar to us when it comes to the way he felt about life, or not? C'mon.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS STORY:

People say EP was not happy working in Vegas for a while and things just got worse and worse concerning his enthusiasm in playing at this particular venue, but while the official records put the blame on Elvis himself getting "easily" bored and the known circumstances of medication abuse, I wonder if Elvis' issue with Las Vegas was also about the way the Hilton ran the business there. I don't know about you but I hate working for people who are not nice to everyone and I know about it.

What are your thoughts?

[vermilionsun]

In my headcanons vere has a little problem with ppl who are driven by lust 🙋🙋 He has a disdain for Leanders "shameless" behaivor and straight up kills mc when they 'give in' in the demo (at least thats how i interpret it)

So i humbly ask for his reaction to an Mc who is just down bad for him in a silly kinda way. No innuendos no sexual comments just tomfoolery from mc, straight up leaning against the bar at the wet wick with a "ya come aroun here often ;D" and they slip and fall or something

i want mc to be down bad pathetic cause IM TOO, full on groveling at his feet (but cutely), the ex that shows up seranating at your door except they are not your ex you never dated them— wait why are they crying about my beauty —

You’re a G E N I U S.

I might need to make a part 2...

Pathetically-down-bad-for-Vere group, assemble!

Disclaimer! They/them for MC because we love inclusivity!

✦ “Jumpy, aren't you?”

The MC scans him up and down once again, eyes wide. “Damn… you come here often?" They wiggle their eyebrows, which earns them an amused chuckle from the Monster.

"Depends. Would you like me to come by more often, pretty one?”

“YES PLEASE–”

✦ When he presents the key to the MC, they proceed to walk towards him, a slightly dazed smile adorning their face. “So, how about I buy you a drink–” The MC proceeds to trip and fall in front of Vere’s feet.

✦ He lets out a breathy laugh before bending forwards to take the MC by the chin.

“Damn, I love that laugh already…:”

“You really should be more careful. City like this, someone might take advantage~”

“Huh... Yeah… whatever you say, beautiful.”

"Oh, eager, are we? You know, compliments like that might just convince me to make this a regular hangout." His ears flick.

✦ “What’s your name? or should I just call you mi–” The MC tries to get up but bumps their head on the small table next to Vere, who is desperately trying to stifle another chuckle.

"Careful, wouldn't want you hurting yourself this early on. Name's Vere. And yours, darling?”

“Your future partner, I hope,” they say, still somewhat dazed.

“Oh, is that so? You're pretty confident,” he comments, his tail swaying behind him, capturing the MC’s attention.

“Fluffy–”

“No.”

✦ “Tell me traveler, what brought you to this–”

“You,” they cut him off with a wink.

✦ “Unless you’re dying to consort with Monsters.”

“...I don’t like the way you said “consort”, but you’re not wrong. Sign me up—”

Vere: [Shocked Pikachu face]

✦ “Come, take my hand and we’ll go together.”

“Woah! Save the hand holding for after marriage!”

✦ “Do you like dancing? There’s a traveling troupe in Hightown tonight. Truly a performance to die for.”

“Are you asking me out?”

Vere looks taken aback for a moment, but before he answers, the MC chimes in; “Too late. You did.”

✦ “I know Eridia like the back of my hand—”

“oh, that’s why it looked so heavy…”

“...Uh, pardon?”

“May I help? I can hold it for you—”

✦ When Vere grabs them, nuzzling in their throat, murmuring threats, they almost faint in his arms in a dramatic “Now I can die happy” moment.

✦ When they meet again a few hours after, at the Wick, and Kuras mentions that he and Mhin were escorting the MC back, the MC walks forward into the light, only to end up tripping over their own feet and falling flat on their face… and once again, in front of Vere.

✦ “You seem more interested in having the floor as your object of attraction, do you not?” Vere asks with a sly smile.

“What can I say? You look good from this angle.”

“Wait, do you all know each other?” Leander looked confused between the people sitting at the bar. “You’ve met before?”

“We did. Not long ago either,” Ais considered his drink.

“I’m starting to suspect they’re stalking me,” Vere comments.

“If I were, I would have to say you're quite the elusive target," the MC winks at Vere as they try to get up, only to fall again. 

✦ Later, when Vere is alone at the bar, the MC slides onto the stool next to him. They rest their chin on their knuckles. “So, about that—” Their elbow slides on the smooth wood, causing them to stumble, trying not to knock over their drink. "Sorry about that," they say with a sheepish grin, trying to regain their balance. "So, about that drink?"

"Well, isn't that cute? I might just have to take you up on that offer."

✦ “So, you survived the night. Are you here for praise, or will a head pat do?”

“anYTHING JUST plEaSE–”

✦ When they arrive in the abandoned alley the MC tries to lean against the brick wall, only to smack their head.

✦ When they attempt to unbuckle his collar, he lashes out a hand, capturing theirs. “Tch. Don’t you know better than to touch without asking?”

“Can I please please please please—”

“No.”

“—please—”

“No.”

✦ Leander’s voice echoes from the Wick, and the MC glances behind them and back at Vere, only he’s gone. “...Not even a kiss good night 🥲?” They pout into the empty night air.

EXTRA: Modern era

✦ “Hey, can I call my phone from yours? I think I’ve lost it,” the MC looks at him with pleading eyes.

He raises an eyebrow and hands his phone over. When the MC presses call, their phone rings from their pocket.

“Thanks,” they hand his phone back.

He later finds out there is a new contact number under the name “My darling.”

[mellozheist]

Hi guess who got no sleep last night (thanks doctor's appointment) and decided to watch your animatic again

I quote myself about 1 hour ago in a treebark channel on a discord server my friends and I made (to anybody that reads this i am so sorry):

(Also I'm sorry if somebody's uncomfortable with swearing :'D)

"[Link]

I'm sorry I still can't handle this animation's existence peoples

I can't with it

I'm crazy

Like REN PUTTING HIS HEAD BACK ON AND CALMING DOWN MARTYN WHO'S PANICKING?????

REN BEING SO CALM AND THEN FUCKING CRAZY IN THE NEXT SHOT?????

FUCKING HELLO????

THE VERY FIRST FEW SHOTS WHERE MARTYN IS LOOKING AT REN BEING ALL EXCITED AND BLUSHING??????

THE END????????

THEM HAVING THEIR PINKIES WRAPPED AROUND???? I EVEN SENT MELLOZ AN ASK ABOUT THAT AND THEY TOLD ME "oh yeah they indirectly promised to see each other in the next life series :3" MELLOZ IS SINGLEHANDEDLY KILLING THE TREEBARK SHIPPERS WITH THIS ONE

MARTYN HOLDING REN'S HAND AND KISSING IT BEFORE DYING ALSO

GUYS I BEG

I CAN'T WITH THIS

I CANNOT

I AM UNABLE TO

Oh my gosh FCUKING REN PUTTING HIS HEAD BACK ON AND LOOKING AT MARTYN WITH THOSE DANG EYES

Guys I need to resist spamming this thing in here

But at the same time IT'S SOOOOOO TEMPTING

FUCKIN

LOOK AT IT

[Link]

GRIPPING MY HEAD FURIOUSLY

THIS WHOLE BEHEADONG SCENE

I JUST NOTICED REN'S NECK DOESN'T LIGN UP PROPERLY IN THE SHOT WHERE MARTYN KISSES HIS HAND

GUYS I'M INSANE

GIYS I'M INSANE

LOOK AT THISSSSSSS

Furiously rattling the bars of my cell is that what it's called

Honestly I never thought I'd go insane over a ship called treebark

IT'S FUCKING BAUMRINDE IN GERMAN

BAUMRINDE IS SUCH A SILLY SHIP NAME ISTFG

I don't think I've ever loved an animatic thid much

I'VR NEVER LOOKED AT AN ANIMATIC SO CLOSELY

THE FACT THE FIRST SCENE IS SO SWEET AND THE SECOND ONE IS ALREADY REN BEING BEHEADED

I wish they won. I wish Ren or Martyn was the winner of 3rd Life

CAN'T I HAVE L8KE

A LITTLE FAIRY THAT MAKES MY WISHES COME TRUE?

C'MOOOOONNNNN [insert a bunch of screaming emotes here]

AGH I CAN'T

...what if i copied every single message and sent melloz this as an ask to show my appreciation

CUZ I SURE DO APPRECIATE THIS ANIMATIC

[Link]

WATCH THIS. WATCH. OBSERVE. NOW. I BEG.

I'VE WATCHED THIS FOR 5 TIMES IN A ROW NOW

I'M VERY SANE

I STILL CAN'T GET OVER REN'S NECK NOT ALIGNING PROPERLY

also the feather and the poppy but this is the treebark channel

Not

Not desert duo

I CAN'T

.........do i send this as an ask i am very sane i promise

One of my very favourite scenes though is the beheading scene, funnily enough

Me literally passing out when I see gore but not here cuz idk baumrinde <333333

Also here

HIS NECK.

IS NOT.

ALIGNING.

Or what if it's his head falling off after death cuz he died and that determination is no longer there to keep dogwarts, causing his hesd to fall off

New headcanon i think

And I just noticed I watched this like 6 times now DESERVED THOUGH

Gonna watch it again

I love them so much

I love this animatic so much

Guys I can't

WAIT DID MARTYN'S EARS TILT DOWN IN THE REN DEAD SCENE

HOLD

WAIR YEAH

HIS EARS TILTED DOWN

I CAN'T

Somebody stop me

Actually no

Oh also the song choice IS PERFECT????????

WAIT REN'S PONYTAIL IS GONE IN THE LAST SCENE HIS HAIR IS OPEN

YAAAAAYYYYYY

Anywhoozles

[Link]

WATCH THIS.

I BEG

EVERYBODY THAZ DOESN'T IS MISSING OUT THIS IS SO COOL"

And with that, Melloz you're amazing, EVERYBODY WATCH THE ANIMATIC EVER >:D

I have so much fun reading this, It's like I'm in a theater seat watching this happen with 4D sound surrounding Lmaoooo

Thank you for sending this to me I really appreciate this <3333

I'm so happy you eating all the details I put in hehe

though the part where you describe Ren's neck as not aligning is probably just my error in art but that's also a really cool headcanon!

I might adopt that headcanon :d Like drawing Martyn carrying Ren's head

you really made my day Thank yooou :D

hope you get a good night sleep bud

[busybeewriting]

How do you think the love interests would react to an accidental love confession from the farmer? Like during a Friday night they just BLURT it out in front of everyone?

Anon, I answered this ask in full almost. And then Tumblr crashed on my computer and I lost it ALL. I am foaming at the mouth. I can't remember all of what was written so pls enjoy these two I could actively remember but let me know if you want more!

Ryis:

The last thing that anyone at the Inn had expected was to be so involved with the D&D campaign that happened at the table by the door. Truly, it hadn't been on the docket to basically watch it unfold for the entirety of Winter but where the Farmer was involved the whole town loved to watch them.

Eiland sat as the DM, then Balor the rouge, Ryis the Druid, Brad the Bearded Bard made his return with his daughter- Brightclaw at his side. And you, the fighter. Currently the store was at the climax of it all- with the spring air just looming around the corner it was almost time to switch off on someone else's campaign. But as you and the rest of your party entered the lair of the big bad you'd been hunting the last thing you were expecting was for Ryis to fall.

The party had, for lack of a better word, gotten thier asses handed to them. Brightclaw was knocked out on the ground, Brad the Bearded Bard was trying to help her get back up. Balor was knocked down, but still valiantly trying to get back up. And Ryis. Ryis in his final act had given the last of his health to get Balor back up. He had tried not to focus on the way your eyes watered and you pleaded with him out of character to not do it. But as Balor gets up and manages to get the final blow in an Epic victory, Eiland starts to narrate again.

"Ryis, as you take your final breaths, is there anything you wish to say?" He asks giving his friend a smile.

You rapidly flip through your spells and items trying to stop this- you couldn't- even if it was fake you couldn't loose Ryis like this. As your eyes land on one of your spells you gasp, slamming your hands on the table as you stand. "I cast Summon Deity!"

Eiland blinks, looking to Ryis who gives a nod to let you do this. "Which deity do you wish to summon then?"

"The God of Death!" You say frantically. "I want to plead with him to save Ryis." Eiland gives you a nod to continue. Taking a deep breath, you nod. "Dear God of Death please spare my party member."

Eiland raises an eyebrow, "And why should I?" He asks you.

"Because! Ryis doesn't deserve his end here! He can not die here! This isn't how it was supposed to be! Ryis is kind, selfless, compassionate! He likes to have ice coffee every Saturday! He thinks that watching the birds fly and sing is cool! He likes to make birdhouses and put them all over Mistria! His fate shouldn't be dying here- even then! He gave the last of his health to help defeat evil. Is that not admirable? Is that not thing you should reward?" You plead.

Eiland smirks, knowing exactly what he was doing. "You sound as if you're in love with him."

"I am!" You rush, "I love him so much, and I can not bear to be without him. Please!" Eiland grins raising a hand.

"Your request is granted." He nods, looking over Ryis. And then it hits you. You just admitted that you were in love with him. In front of everyone. While playing D&D of all places. Ryis joins you in standing from across the table.

"As I feel my life coming back to me, I reach out my hand and take y/n's. Looking into her eyes, I say that I love you too." The Inn erupts into cheers causing you and Ryis to startle before breaking out into laughter.

"Hear that Joise! You owe me twenty Ters!"

Celine:

Friday night at the Inn were also fun. And they were especially fun when all of the younger single townsfolk gathered together to drink. It wasn't often that it happened but every now and again it was something you would all sit at the bar and do- it often left Hemlock very entertained.

But now, as you all sat and started chatting you were sharing the worse pick up lines that you had ever heard. Giggling at how awful they were with each other. "Ugh! We once had a guy where who did that dumb 'is your dad a baker? Cause you've got nice buns pun to me." Reina says with an eyeroll as she tips her head back to drink. The rest of the girls groan in unison.

"Shouldn't the line be about your mother? Considering she was the one who was pregnant?" Adeline says with a frown and crease in her brow. Celine pats her shoulder.

"Don't think about it too hard." She smiles, "And as much as that sucks. I do wish I had at least one of those stories." She sighs, "No one has said something like that to me." Celine frowns a little, her pout adorably cute.

"Wait- you've never been hit on?" You asks with a gasp. "That just seems like a crime." Your friends go a little quiet as they process what you had just said, but in your slightly tipsy state you continued to blabber on. "I mean, seriously. You're like the cutest person ever. I can give you a good pick up line-" You lean over, wrapping an arm around her chair. Not realizing the way that her face flushes as she watches you intensely. "Are you a rose? Because you're making my heart bloom."

Sighing, Orlic gets up. "Okay c'mon Y/N lets get you home." He smiles as he helps you, "Hemlock's orders."

In the morning, you wake up with a raging headache and a...banging in your head? Getting up to see the sunlight shining in you blink as you realize the banging isn't just in your head. Hopping out of bed to open the door, Celine stands there with a bright red blush looking anywhere but you. "H-hello y/n...uhm...do you remember last night?"

Opening the door more you nod, silently offering for her to come inside. "Of course I do. Why? Should I not?" You ask with a raised eyebrow as you go to make some coffee.

"W-well you hit on me." She stammers out.

"That is what people who have crushes tend to do with the person they have a crush on, do." You smirk.

She stands there before blinking rapidly. "I- you-" She lets out a sigh as she rushes over and wraps her arms around you. "I like you too." She breathes. Letting out a quiet laugh you hold her tightly. Happy that it has turned out for the best.

A/N: I can definitely do the others- but like I said Tumblr crashed and I wanna throw hands. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed!!

[unholywriter]

Stars | Jaime Reyes x Fem!Reader

Warning: Fluff.

Paring: Magic Reader x Symbiotic alien infused bug boy.

a/n: I know it’s definitely not the time of year for Christmas but enjoy. 💙🪲

It was later, and your shift was ending. Working at a bar downtown in Palmera City, you never knew what kind of rambunctious shenanigans would unfold. But, for Christmas Eve, it was quiet. It was a godly slow day, not many stopped by aside the few occasional regulars wishing good holidays. Thankfully, it was coming to an end. Setting up the bar stools on the table, and making sure all was clean, capped and put away. You slid out the door, locking it behind you. Palmera was nippy, but it doesn’t get too terribly cold around this time of year.

Pulling up your scarf you walked looking at the text message from Jaime, your lover. A smile blanketed your face.

Jaime: Close went good?

You: Yes. Just stepping out now.

Jaime: Need a pick up? I’m near by.

You: What, a roof top a block over?

Jaime: Hey, rooftops are peaceful. 🥺

You: So is being wrapped up in my bfs arms but, sadly you like rooftops more. 😈

Jaime: You’re not going to let me live that down huh? Also, lamp post. 😂😭

As you read the last part you halted immediately. You were a few inches from running into it. You took a breath in and smiled looking up to the sky to see a silhouette of a particular blue looking suited boyfriend of yours. But you knew he was grinning ear to ear underneath that mask.

“tfihs em oot sih edis.” You whispered. Now it was your turn to grin ear to ear as you materialize right beside him. You swore a squeak left his mouth.

“Dios mío mi amor!” He hitched his breath, dramatically placing his hand on his chest. “You know you could have just let me come down and meet you right?”

“Maybe I like the rooftops too.” You smile, and move in closer to embrace him. He embraced you back, and just like he read your thoughts, and well. Khaji reading his; the suit’s mask dematerialized revealing his gorgeous face underneath. And damn those beautiful brown doe eyes of his.

“You were just teasing me about it.” He rolled his eyes, his grip gently squeezing you.

“I know.” You placed your lips against his tenderly, running your fingers though his hair as he kissed you back just as sweetly. “I’ve missed you JaiJai.”

“Sorry for being gone a week, I thought we caught wind on a lead for Ted.” He said grimly. His mood changing only made you soften your expression with more concern.

“How’s Jenny?” You pulled away slowly. You still didn’t leave his touch though. But you knew making sure he was okay and being his emotional support is more important than craving deep intimacy at the moment from him.

“She’s doing well for someone who found out her father is alive. Just not knowing where he is, you know. She’s worried.” He began to explain, his tone and pace nerve racked. You could only assume because, Ted, being his predecessor. A man he’s never met before. Definitely an unregulated, stressful situation. Not only that, Jenny and Jaime had some moments together. But, she stepped away knowing you two were more or so in love with each other without each other knowing. She was the one, (and Milagro) who gave you both a push ironically. Now it’s been a few months after Jaime had Khaji Da infused within him, Victoria Kord, and Jaime’s father almost dying. It’s been rough, but you’ve been there. As a best friend and his lover. He is thankful, and you know it. Just as much as you’ve been thankful for him all these years.

“I’m glad, but we’re here for her. She has you. And Milagro always makes it her business to make sure she and all of us are okay. So honestly, Jenny will be alright.” You smile, entangling your fingers within his. “You will be alright too, got that mi querido?”

“Loud and clear.” He smiled brightly, fighting back his tears. You reached up, rubbing your finger against his cheek.

“So, do you still want to visit the tree in town square?” You ask, making sure he’s up for it. Yes distractions are nice too get away from everything but you can’t always run away.

“Of course. But I actually had a better idea.” His grin pulled further, a bit of mischief being one of your favorite signature looks that spread across his face.

“What do you have in mind?” You grinned back, curious to what your boyfriend had in store.

“Just trust me?” He grabbed both your hands gently and started to walk backwards, leading you too the edge.

“Always.” You tittered softly, turning back into a soft smile. He then lifted you into his arms. His wings materialized and off you two went. The view was beautiful, of course you’re used to flying via magic yourself but being in his arms with the breeze hitting you even if it was chilly was very peaceful. Soon you could see Palmera City Square, the large Christmas tree erect in all its multicolored glory for season cheer.

“So pretty.” You spoke softly. “What now?”

You both now hovered a far distance from and over the tree. The crowd gathered below enjoying the festivity. “I thought we could have a once in a life time experience not many normal people can experience.”

“Oh?” You tucked some of his curled hair behind his ear still nice and snug in his arms. “So we’re not normal?”

Your tease made him laugh. “I have an alien symbiotic peice of technology infused into my back and connected to every cell in my human body and you? Well, you’ve never been normal mi tesoro.”

The tease back earned him a gentle smack to his shoulder. “Wow, if this is your way too whoo me tonight I might just have to up my game.”

“Hey! I meant you not being normal in the best way possible!” He cheesed. And you gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“I know my love. So what now?” You beamed happily. Patiently waiting for his goofy, lovable plan of his. Because well, both of you were sixty or so feet in the air and you were beginning to wonder if people looked up wondering what or who was hovering above them.

“Well.” He then begin to help you to where you were now dangling closely together. But your feet hung out, and gravity wasn’t to kind. “Uh.” He laughed nervously, his plan not working in his favor for the moment. “I was going to see if we could just, dance? But, I honestly didn’t think this part through.”

“It’s okay Jaime, that’s why having a girlfriend with magic comes in handy.” You giggled. Holding him close. Taking a breath in you closed your eyes and met his again. “Ekam eht ria a ecnad roolf, kaolc su nihtiw eht thgin.”

With ease your feet met an invisible flooring underneath the both of you. He looked down awe stuck with bewilderment but quickly smiled back. “What did…?”

“Now we can dance.” You took your arms wrapping them around his neck. He tenderly held you by your back. From below Christmas music rang, the smell of peppermint and pine filled both your senses. Laughter and happiness from people all over could be heard. It was truly magical.

“Okay, so bear with me mi amor. My two left feet might become a problem.” His cheeks turned a tint of pink, and soon an even more embarrassed expression crossed his face. “No Khaji!” He looked over his shoulder in a fit of sheepishness. Your smile pulled further.

“What did she say this time?”

“She said she could help me learn because she indulged herself to the internet the other night.” He rolled his eyes yet again.

“Oh no, that poor thing.” You gasped in actual horror. “I hope she didn’t delve too deep into the endless web of dark and treacherous Fortnite dances.”

“Do not give her any ideas.” He widened his eyes. You laughed again. Waiting patiently. “Besides, even if I trip over my feet as long as I’m dancing with you no matter how bad I am - that’s all that matters to me”.

You blushed softly. “Me too. Then lead the way Jai.”

Slowly, he began to lead. His steps a bashful disaster. But, he kept at it, soon both you moving in a circle of rhythm. “I think, I think we got!” He looked down and snapped back up with his playful, dramatic expression of giddiness. One of the many things that you fell in love with about him.

“We are!” You pressed your lips together tighter, and he then placed his forehead against yours.

“Feliz navidad mi estrella.” He said softly as the bells began to chime signifying midnight. “I love you so much y/n.”

“Feliz navidad Jaime. I love you so very much too amor de mi vida.” You softly spoke back. A gentle kiss was exchanged, and the both of you continued to dance above the city square. Locked deep in each other’s arms, but more importantly deep within each other’s hearts. And man, were the stars so pretty tonight as they watched the both of you fall in love deeply.

[flyingwargle]

@bokuakaevents2025's bokuaka week day 4: "you're adorable, you know that?"

the world comes to an end after akaashi receives his health report from the doctor.

"it can't be that bad!" bokuto sits on the couch beside him, leaning forward to retrieve the discarded report. "you probably just need a more balanced diet and to sleep earlier!”

akaashi, whose head is in his hands, waits for a follow up comment, but only hears fingers wrinkling the paper. he lifts his head. "kou?"

"keiji." his boyfriend looks at him, sunny expression overcast. "let's go for a run tomorrow, okay?"

thus begins operation: improve keiji's health score from c to at least b. with help from msby’s athletic trainer, they create a simply at-home routine for him, and when they see each other every two weeks either in tokyo or osaka, bokuto will take him to the gym for a full body workout and cardio.

akaashi thinks this might kill him faster than his cholesterol.

they start with a run at 7 am. this is usually when he wakes up, so while he’s struggling to keep his eyes open, bokuto is alert and enthusiastic. "we'll run three kilometers," he declares. "then, we'll come back for breakfast and hit the gym. i'll go at your pace!"

three kilometers sound like torture, until akaashi remembers they used to run five in high school. "i'm going to be really slow," he warns.

“it’s okay, so long you finish it! let's get going!"

it isn't so bad, at the start. akaashi maintains a steady pace, even talks with bokuto, but after five minutes, he starts huffing and puffing.

"keep it up, keiji! you're doing great!"

after a brief break at a nearby park, they jog back. akaashi resists the urge to crawl back into bed, instead dragging his feet to the kitchen to help bokuto with breakfast.

the torture continues at msby’s training facility. a few athletes are already in the weight room, including hinata and atsumu. "bokuto-san! akaashi-san!" hinata chirps at their arrival. "good morning!"

"yer such a musclehead, bokkun," atsumu remarks. “ya’d really bring ‘kaashi-kun here fer a date?”

"it's not a date! we're improving keiji's health," bokuto explains. "i want him to live until 130 with me!"

akaashi coughs to hide his chuckle. "i'm not sure anyone would be able to live that long, kou."

“we’ll just be the first ones to do it!”

his teammates wish them a good workout, and bokuto brings him to the far corner. “do you have a preference on what to start first?” bokuto asks him. “upper body or lower body?”

both sound terrible, but he answers, “lower body.”

“okay!”

they start with several sets of squats and lunges. akaashi knows not to lower his guard though, dread trickling down his spine when bokuto gestures at the squat rack. “kou, i’m not sure if–“

“we’ll start light, don’t worry!” his grin is wide. “80 pounds should be good!”

he slides the weights on either side, shows him how it’s done. akaashi gets behind the bar, grips it at shoulder length, opens his legs. bokuto stands behind him. “give me a set of 10!”

an impossibility, akaashi thinks. he lifts the bar, nearly buckling beneath its weight, and brings it down for a squat. one. two. three.

by five, he’s dying. “you’re doing great,” bokuto praises. “come on, keep it going!”

“i’m going to die.”

“you won’t, promise! come on, number six!”

his encouragement doesn’t slow, not when they move to deadlifts, then sit-ups. bokuto sits on his feet, counts every time akaashi touches his knees. even when he lays on the mat like a dying donkey, bokuto keeps hyping him up. “just two more, ‘ji! you can do it!”

fueled by determination, akaashi tightens his core and propels himself forward, panting for air as he looks at his boyfriend. “what?” he asks breathlessly.

“you’re adorable, you know that?”

that just sends his racing heart off the charts. he crumples to the floor. “keiji! hey, you okay?”

“did ya kill yer boyfriend?” akaashi hears atsumu shout from across the room.

“don’t kill him, bokuto-san! you haven’t proposed yet!” hinata calls out after him.

“i didn’t kill him, i swear! right, ‘ji?” his voice is close, and akaashi opens an eye, blinking at his golden gaze rippling with concern. bokuto relaxes. “you’re doing really well. let’s take a break.”

the torture eventually ends after a set of bicep curls. every part of akaashi’s body aches, and he struggles to walk, sinking onto a mat for cooldown. bokuto sits beside him. “i’ll help you. just relax, okay?”

akaashi groans at every stretch in his arms, legs, lower back. “has exercising always been this painful?”

“only if you haven’t done it for a while,” bokuto replies easily. “you got through everything, too! i thought i’d scare you with all those rows!”

“ah…well, i do want to get healthier. it’s just…hard, with work and everything.” he’s lucky if he has energy to cook after work, often opting for instant noodles or takeout. “thanks for your help, kou.”

“any time! now, you deserve a hot shower and lots of protein. how about katsudon?”

“sounds perfect.”

they say goodbye to hinata and atsumu, no longer working out but gossiping on the bench, and shower in the locker room. as they walk out hand in hand, akaashi asks, “did you mean it?”

“did i mean what?”

“when you called me adorable earlier.”

bokuto blushes, looking away. “you’re always adorable, ‘ji, but…well, i really admire your determination, you know? and in that moment, you just looked…really cute.”

akaashi doubts it. his face was probably sweat-stained and red from overexertion, but it’s thanks to his boyfriend that he managed to persevere. “if anything, you were cute as my personal cheerleader.”

“i try my best.” bokuto turns back to him with a grin. “how else would i motivate you to finish your sets?”

“well…you could kiss me after every set.”

“oh, we can do that for sure next time.”

they share a laugh, a delightful sound that follows them for the rest of the day, brighter than the sun.

--

inspiration: bokuaka at the gym! (x) (x)

[darkwitchingflower]

I've lost count but here's another "Sht my friends say as pjo characters" pt like 7???: Also side note sorry if I'm repeating these idr the last one i did lol:

Jason: I opened my glasses case and started panicking because I couldn't find my glasses... I'm literally wearing them

Leo: if I ever have a son ill take every chance to laugh at him

Reyna: Thalia the love magnet. She got b*tches (romantic) when all she wanted was b*tches (platonic) (Gojolover69, see last quotes post by @wraith--2)

Leo: so you're a ho*n't (same person above)

Piper: Stole scientific equipment and everything and we found out the smallest thing in the galaxy is the size of our patience because we gave up the search and stole a gazillion dollar dildo ( @wraith--2 )

Leo:....calculator

Reyna: You're a calculator

Leo: are you calling me smart?

Reyna: no I'm calling you a tool

(I'm Leo and @thatonelazyghost is Reyna here)

Piper: Coach keeps going on about ppl who aren't in and he's like and then there's Annabeth who's broken her ankle ( @wraith--2 )

Will: I'm gay, I have the spidey sense for rainbow things ( @indecisivenb)

Nico: it's not gay if it's from behind

Nico: I'm ready to leave now

Nico: like I'm done

Nico: too peopley

Nico: nvm coach gave me a maulteaser

(Me on my last day of college)

Annabeth: You absolute bean of a human

Piper: Hi its me, Percy, a twink! ( @thatonelazyghost)

Leo: I put Frank down because he's lactose intolerant (me)

Leo: dismember my body and stick me in a lightning McQueen coffin ( @wraith--2 )

Nico: what's your sexuality

Ghost swings it back and forth*

Nico writing down bi: Ah you swing both ways ( @wraith--2 )

Reyna about Leo: DAM bros balls didn't drop

Leo: ...and the tip was empty

Mr D about Connor and Travis: ITS THE F*CKING TWINS!!! WANNA KNOW HOW I KNOW THAT?! THAT GUY HAD THE F*CKING ZOOMIES HE HAD PLACES TO GO AND PEOPLE TO SEE

Nico: is anyone gonna pay attention to the fact Leo's dead?

Leo: THANK YOU!

Nico: You're dead shut up

(Nico is @thatonelazyghost and I'm Leo here)

Luke: I'm no p*ssy ill skin my victims infront of the lifeguard ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: like do you moan daddy, mammy or parental???

Playing stardew valley*

Nico: I love Willy

Everyone dies*

Percy: I love cream in my mouth! (Ider the context for this I just know the sake friend said the quote above this one too so it may be smth to do with that idr)

Leo: I don't need a psychiatrist I- ( @duckbakery)

Piper: you need God (Gojolover69)

Playing DnD*

Leo: I also successfully charmed a woman at the bar, then Nico ( @duckbakery ) goes

"The woman leads you away"

Everyone else: "ohh wait hold on ooo whats going on, dayum"

Nico: "you come back 2 minutes later"

Everyone dying laughing

Nico: "you went into a private room but couldn't stop talking about pirate ships so she gave up"

Alex Fiero (I think that's their name? I haven't read Magnus yet): Oh so YOU'RE the gender goblin ( @thatonelazyghost )

Mr D: I'm literally the god of gender identity, furries and monsters

Piper: I want someone to yippee on my body ( @thatonelazyghost )

Leo: Leo you should know better its because of your feminism you f*cking freak

Annabeth: Freaky feminists have got to be my favourite breed of gender (she was totally talking about Thalia here) ( @wraith--2 )

Calypso: Leo always finishes early

Leo: ye I do- WAIT WHAT?! ? ( @duckbakery )

Playing stardew*

Piper: LEOS A WOMAN

Piper: OMG HIS NAMES EMO-LY

(Me about another friend)

(Pic of character at end of post)

Nico: do you have any food?

Hades: Nope ( @duckbakery )

Nico: guess I'll die then

Thalia: I have a dead cat in my shed

Hazel: OMG PICS

Thalia: Read that again

Hazel: OH OH NO OH NO OH NOOOOOOOO I DIDNT SEE THE WORD DEAD

(I was Hazel here)

Rachel: I do other stuff than being ginger ( @duckbakery )

Percy: If you don't sleep rn im gonna call you tickle tipsin

Annabeth: ... what ( @duckbakery )

Nico: call me what now (me)

Percy: it's from the "it's been a year daddy" video you freaky f*cks

Nico: it's a beautiful day outside... f*ck- (GojoLover69)

Playing stardew valley*

Piper: annabeth ya know he likes pickles right?

Me: ya

Hazel: who like pickles?

Piper: Harvey

Hazel: divorse him!

Piper: ye he clearly likes men

(I'm annabeth and @duckbakery is piper here)

(The text was sent too early)

Percy: sorry I'm late I got blown

Percy: into smithereens

( @duckbakery )

Percy: This is more zesty than Piper and that's saying something ( @wraith--2 )

Leo to Jason: F*cking senile b*tch

Jason: I'm older and wiser except I'm not smart ( @duckbakery)

Piper: forget the fact I split a gay man in half in the gc ( @wraith--2 )

Coach Hedge to frank: why did you feel the need to @everyone about percy and annabeth getting 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 ( @thatonelazyghost )

Annabeth: oooh eloquent 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 ( @wraith--2 )

Reyna: Perchance you can suck my d*ck ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: Perchance you can commit tax fraud with me (Gojolover69)

Piper: Perchance we can stab ppl together ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: Perchance. Get on the f*cking boat and let's hunt 😈 (Gojolover69)

Rachel: perchance 7 half bloods shall answer the call to storm or fire the world perchance must fall with an oath to keep with a final breath perchance as foes bear arms to the doors of death perchnace (me)

Nico to will: Perchance you and me should fall into tartarus ( @wraith--2 )

Thalia: perchance we should all hug and kiss in a platonic way ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: Perchance that is an excellent suggestion (Gojolover69)

Reyna: Perchance I shall kiss Thalia completely platonically ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: perchance that platonically is bs (me)

Reyna: Lies I'm off at sea and don't see Thalia every morning ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: i know for sure you've found a way regardless ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: I feel like this is bullying ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: guys we need to do among us in real life ( @duckbakery )

Annabeth: That's already a game Leo, it's called mafia ( @thatonelazyghost )

Percy: I see you've grown a brain can you share (friend from work)

Thalia: the need to refer to eachother as "love", "dear" and "pookie" is strong but the aro is stronger ( @thatonelazyghost )

Piper: this whole group is secretly but not very secretly a big polyamorous relationship ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: So glad the sex aversion in me is strong cause imagine the stds going round this place my God ( @wraith--2 )

Annabeth: i'm iconic i'm quotable and i'm autistic ( @thatonelazyghost )

Leo: Are you a heinz baked beans, extra rich tomato sauce-sexual? (Gojolover69)

Percy: So my mam booked me and my sister a swimming lane for tmr morning, and I'm like oh dear God mother, u do know I'm currently blasting liquid magma from my a*s, which travels at super sonic speeds, do you reckon this is safe for public health? (Gojolover69)

[thydungeongal]

Sword of Cepheus Character Creation: Vagabond

For those of you not in the know, The Sword of Cepheus is a Cepheus Engine RPG in the good old swords and sorcery (as well as swords and sandals and sword and planet) genre. What is the Cepheus Engine? Well, it's the system that Traveller, the classic sci-fi RPG of space-trucking and dying in character creation, runs on. I am unsure of the details of why the Cepheus Engine has been turned into a generic, open system, but since the Traveller licence is currently held by Mongoose Publishing and Mongoose was at one point swept up in the OGL hype leading to at least some of their games (including RuneQuest) being made open gaming content under the OGL, I suspect it to be a similar situation here.

Anyway, Sword of Cepheus is an adaptation of the Cepheus Engine into the fantasy genre and to someone whose only exposure to Traveller has been the very first edition of the game (known as Classic Traveller these days) it looks very familiar. Barring the fact that there's no dying in character creation, although characters can still end up badly wounded.

I'll be rolling up a character for Sword of Cepheus, because it's one of those systems where character creation is nice and gamey.

What I know of my character already: As per the poll I ran, I will be making a Vagabond. But since I also happened to notice that this game has options for non-human characters and I'm particularly fond of goblins, I will be making a separate Goblin character. (Non-human characters have their own careers they are locked into, and while Sword of Cepheus is nowhere near as strict about forcing characters to only advance within the skills afforded by their career as something like D&D, it is still a fun nod to Basic D&D's demihuman classes.)

Anyway, a lot of text under the cut:

Sword of Cepheus uses six stats, some of them familiar, some less so: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social Standing. To create a character you simply assign an array to these stats in whatever order you like: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

That array happens to be more or less what you would get by rolling 2d6 for every stat, but slightly nudged upwards. In fact, 2d6 per stat was the way Classic Traveller handled character creation, and it is provided here as an alternate stat generation method. I'll be going with the default method for now.

The game tells me a bit about what the stats do, there's a derived modifier from each ability score. A score of 5 (the lowest in the array) happens to be the threshold for having a -1 modifier, with values of 6-8 yielding a modifier of +0, with 9-11 translating to a +1. So our character will be pretty average to start with. I will be assigning that 8 to EDU, because an EDU of 8+ is the minimum needed to access a career's Advanced Education options, so that sounds good. I'm picturing a character who is sly and roguish, clever and quick on their feet, but not particularly well-equipped to handle direct physical conflict. This is what their stats look like:

STR 5, DEX 9, END 6, INT 10, EDU 8, SOC 7

My first decision after this is to pick my character's background from a short list and set one of the skills tied to that background to a rating of 1. Skills in this game start out with a skill rating of nil, meaning that your character is untrained in it and takes a -3 untrained penalty on attempts to use the skill, but in character creation characters will end up with many skills bumped up to rank 0, cancelling out the penalty, after which a skill rating of 1 already gives the character a +1 bonus on checks related to that skill. It's a very traditional ability modifier + skill rating versus target number system, only using 2d6.

Anyway, the Aristocracy background appeals to me the most: I like the idea of a noble scion fallen on hard times, forced into a life of adventuring. The Aristocracy background explicitly states that a character from said background may no longer have a noble title, which makes sense given our character's distinctly average SOC (for reference: the Noble career, distinct from Aristocracy background, is available only to characters of SOC 10 or higher).

The Aristocracy background gives us a choice between three skills: Carousing, Riding, and Govern. Carousing is the skill used for gathering information and mingling in social settings, as well as gambling! So that seems perfect for our character. We pick up Carousing 1 for our character.

Our character has now graduated out of being 14 years old and now we beging the most interesting part of character creation: career advancement. Back in Traveller, characters would pick a service branch and then basically go on 4-year "tours" in that service branch, picking up skills and abilities, and also rolling for random events which included dying horribly. Sword of Cepheus' system is much the same, except we are by default locked into one Career (although there is an optional rule allowing characters to move between careers: this is something I think could be expanded upon, with various careers allowing for "exits" into other careers) and there is no chance of dying in character creation, although there is still room for hilarity. Looking at the master character creation table I decide that 3 Terms is well and good enough to get a rounded character. We've already got our career picked for us too: Vagabond, an itinerant wanderer and general ne'er-do-well.

We first note our career's Service Skills (and this terminology really makes it clear this game is a hack of a military sci-fi game) and pick one of them to set to a skill rating of 1, and the others go to 0. There are exactly six service skills, so it would be theoretically possible to randomize this process as well. But I'm just going to pick Streetwise. So, taking into account our Background Skill, this is what our current skills look like:

Carousing 1, Survival 0, Streetwise 1, Melee 0, Deception 0, Sneak 0, Scout 0

At this point we get two Skill Levels we can distribute among skills from the Vagabond's lists of skills: Either Service, Specialist, or Advanced Education. The text is quite unclear as to whether the first skill level boosts a character's skill level to 0 or 1, but I look around for the Cepheus Engine SRD and the latter seems to be implied as the default. This makes me think that it is more cost-effective to ignore the skills we have already raised to 0 and instead focus on skills that our character doesn't have at all or has at level 1 already. I feel the text could stand to be a lot clearer with its intent here.

Anyway, I look at the Specialist skills category and notice a skill called Jack o'Trades, which reduces the Untrained penalty for using skills by 1 per rank. During my character's first term they can have a skill at a maximum of level 2, so. I'm just bumping that skill up by 2. To make a ridiculously well-rounded character.

Carousing 1, Survival 0, Streetwise 1, Melee 0, Deception 0, Sneak 0, Scout 0, Jack o'Trades 2

At the end of my character's first term I will also roll a Vagabond Event for them with a 2d6. The result is a 7, which guides me to look at the Life Event table, of which there are three: Hinterlands, Village, and City. The Hinterlands table happens to be the first one I see and I don't have a clear idea of my character yet, so I pick that one. My next roll is a 5 which gives my character this:

The local noble takes an interest in you, for better or worse. Either gain an Ally but lose a Benefit roll or gain an Enemy and gain a Benefit roll.

Brief explanation of what Benefit rolls are: once character creation is complete, we will be making a number of rolls equal to number of terms taken in a career's "Mustering Out Benefits" table (there's that mil sci-fi terminology again), and getting a bunch of benefits to start with. I feel that making an enemy of a noble fits our character concept well, so we'll go with that one.

Our character is now 18 years of age and we're starting their second term. To continue with making our character ridiculously well-rounded I am once again putting a level in Jack o'Trades, as well as buying the skill Liaison 1 (used for negotiation, haggling, impressing people, etc.).

Carousing 1, Survival 0, Streetwise 1, Melee 0, Deception 0, Sneak 0, Scout 0, Jack o'Trades 3, Liaison 1

And once again, we roll for a Vagabond Event. A result of 5 gets us this:

Foreigners – Your travel among strangers. Gain an Ally or a Language.

Because I am imagining a very traditional swords and sorcery world but I somewhat want to invert the dynamics a bit, I am thinking of a Thirteenth Warrior situation where our character, from a heavily SWANA-coded region, travels for a time and ends up in fantasy viking land. That also perfectly ties into them having made an enemy with a noble, and also ties into their aristocratic background and loss of social station. Besides our character's native language, they now speak Fantasy Viking.

Our character is now 22 years of age as we begin our third and final term. For skills I am picking Riding 1 and Leadership 1: I assume that during our character's time in viking land they ended up fighting alongside their viking friends, doing horsemanship, that sort of thing.

Carousing 1, Survival 0, Streetwise 1, Melee 0, Deception 0, Sneak 0, Scout 0, Jack o'Trades 3, Liaison 1, Riding 1, Leadership 1

And finally it's time for our last Vagabond Event: a 7 gives us a roll on the Life Events table again, so let's refer to that. Based on what we've established of our character's situation thus far, they are probably in what counts as Hinterlands in this setting. Another 7 gives us the following result:

You form a close relationship with someone. Gain an Ally.

Of course our character became sworn brothers with a cool guy named Brynjolf, his BFF. Together they intend to one day return to my character's homeland and probably kick the ass of whoever it is made them lose their station.

With that our character has come to the end of their third term and at 26 years of age it's time to roll their four mustering out benefits (three for three terms, one for a life event result). These are all separate 1d6 rolls, and before each I must choose whether they will be Gold or Material Benefits. I could also trade Benefits for skills. Gold does not particularly interest me, so I will be simply rolling all four on the Material Benefits table: 4, 3, 5, 5

Which comes out to... Weapon, Ally, Ally, Ally. :D

Our character has hella allies.

We also get to pick two traits for our character (the number of starting traits is the number of Terms divided by 2, rounded up)! These are very much not unlike feats in D&D parlance, being little ways to customize our character and make them a bit more unique. Looking at my options the following two stand out:

Awareness Prerequisite: INT 9+ The character has sharp senses and is difficult to surprise. When rolling the Scout skill to avoid surprise the character throws with Advantage. This applies even if the character does not have the Scout skill and rolls with the Unskilled penalty. Note that this trait does not apply when the character is setting up a deliberate ambush; the Hunter Trait covers that instead.

Danger Sense Prerequisite: DEX 9+ The character instinctively senses danger and can try to evade enemy attacks even when unaware of the assailant. It can be very difficult to ambush this character effectively. When the character is attacked by an enemy the character is unaware of, throw DEX 8+; if successful, the character uses their Dodge or Parry bonus (see the Combat chapter for further details).

Our character is all but impossible to catch off-guard.

Anyway, our character turned out somewhat less remarkable than I had hoped, but I still have a good idea for him: a young noble scion whose family was all murdered in power struggle between the noble houses of his nation, who escaped and traveled to the far North to live in exile, but who intends to return not to reclaim his title but to simply take revenge for the death of his family. To this end, he has made allies many skilled warriors in the North who seek to accompany him on his quest, including his BFF and sworn brother Brynjolf. Playing around with some name generators, I eventually end up with a name for him: Shamash-Nasir

Shamash-Nasir STR 5, DEX 9, END 6, INT 10, EDU 8, SOC 7 Carousing 1, Survival 0, Streetwise 1, Melee 0, Deception 0, Sneak 0, Scout 0, Jack o'Trades 3, Liaison 1, Riding 1, Leadership 1 Traits: Awareness, Danger Sense Benefits: Weapon, Ally (x4), Enemy

We also get a starting package of equipment. This is what the Vagabond package looks like:

Dagger (2d6) Bedroll Cudgel (2d6) Hide Armor (3) Bread, course 9GP 98CP

The rest of character creation is simply doing math for stuff like our character's Stamina (hit points) and Lifeblood (meat points), but that won't be necessary now. What matters is that we got a neat little guy out of this!

[practicedvmm13fullofpotatoes]

All of sfth's improvized plays described by someone with bad/selective memory (but remembers 90% of the sentences they make up) pt. 6

26) Priscilla's Final Petal

British/German setting because ??????. Buttercups are magical and a lactose intolerant groundskeeper/assassin is too!! Both music teachers end up fucking dying because the titular character gets possessed by her dead mother after all the petals fall off of her buttercup. Also, this play is really fucked up if you think about it (so are other plays but hthhahhdhs)

27) The Mystery of the Midnight Circus

The oddest one-sided future!au Johnlock fanfic I've ever read. Literally all of this happened because Sherlock loves Watson as family while he loves Sherlock as a.. [lover] (Other assistant Philip!! Shut up!!) and also mind Moriarty fuck chess??? Huh??? I mean, sure, there was murder but it's all in the name of love (Watson does end up dying at the end, though)

28) Caesar and Juliet

"Be careful! Powerful men will always prioritize power over their loved one!" Ten years later "Haha, little did mother know, women can be like that as well" shoutout to Juliet Caesar for proving to me that women with bloodlust will always be the best kind of women

29) Wine Under the Bridge

Troll Son was exiled for thinking there is more to life than goats, Troll Father doesn't accept anything other than the troll norms. Despite their differences, they end up having a happy ending because of their shared love for Troll Mother and they open a wine bar in Ipswich :D (Also, Troll Father just singing Stuck in the middle with you)

30) The Unrelenting Aubergine

A plot including feuding brothers, magic, innuendos, and a gay romance all in one!! Everyone ends up happy in the end!! Yay!! :D

Prev // Next

[mammalsofaction]

Aw no, no!!!! You're so good!!! 😭 And, if any PnF thoughts come to mind I'll shoot an ask 😌

Tbh, I feel like Carl is probably the best answer here. Like, no matter the reason--- sympathy, blackmail, or just owing Perry a favor--- it would work. I can just imagine Perry keeping his reasons very vague. So, Carl would know enough--- replicator and the spare key set up in his lair--- to not ask questions. Like you said, no one would question him wanting that spare key for security reasons, and if he HAD to give a reason for having this stuff installed at all, he could just explain it's an end of the world measure. A last resort, a hail mary, etc.

OKAY BUT YES. There is honestly so, so much there. I desperately need a major deep dive into At2D that covers ALL of it. Especially, what it says about the characters, their relationships, and more. I will say though, I remember as a kid being kind of surprised that At2D was so Perry centric. It definitely made me love this movie even more (I'm a sucker for Perry angst >:3c)

But man, there's so much to say about Platyborg--- like, he technically got the better end of the deal compared to our Perry. In Tales From the Resistance, it's pretty clear that 2nd D Phineas and Ferb are aware of his secret agent past, and he can more or less be himself around the boys in a way that our Perry can't :'))) He is allowed to keep his family, has the option to return to his career, or even retire and just stay with his boys (as a weird platypus cyborg uncle).

The lava scene is so AAAAAA. The pure terror and fear and love Perry has in this moment. He's so scared for Phin, Ferb, and Candace (and to a different extent, Doof) as he desperately tries to hold onto the cage bars. (He's so small and tiny, and the weight of all those people is definitely hurting him, but fuck if he isn't going to hold on until his dying breath if he has to.) Those are his kids, they are the ones keeping him going, and damn. He never ever meant to put them in any kind of danger, but he did because he chose to be selfish and not expose his identity to stop them from helping Doof (one of the few times he's ever chosen to be selfish), and he couldn't save them from being in this situation. Hanging over a massive pit of lava where he's trying so hard to keep them all alive, and now he also has to trust those kids to save them all. He does trust them, he always has--- but it doesn't shake the knowledge that if something goes wrong the consequence is those kids burning to a crisp in molten hot lava. The amount of strength it took for Perry to finally let go KILLS me.

Frankly, with the amount of times that the OWCA has screwed Perry over, they should count themselves incredibly lucky that Perry hasn't snapped and gone rogue on them 😭 Like, I don't think they turned on Perry on a dime for nothing! I think they're painfully aware that if Perry did go rogue they would be absolutely COOKED. Monogram literally sent two agents to arrest Perry, and it took nothing for Perry to beat them and escape. Heck, in At2D we see other OWCA agents try to take down the evil Norm bots and fail. Perry shows up and nearly beats most of the Norm bots before he's pinned down. He is a lethal force!!! Perry is both their top agent, and arguably their biggest threat. If he ever realized his worth and how much more his family means to him than his loyalty to the agency then it would be over for OWCA.

There is just so much potential to explore here, so I HOPE the revival takes the opportunity to do so!!! Heck, a tiny part of me hopes that maybe somehow Perry is able to be himself around his family more by the end of the revival. If Platyborg can get a happy ending where both his worlds can come together, why can't our Perry 🥺 (I know, wishful thinking but an anon can dream 😆)

The amount of strength it took to let go..... Oh god. Imagine being the last saving grace of all your most loved ones hanging over certain death.... Which would be more painful? Holding on or letting go? Im not normal about it. *Screams into a pillow*

Also the idea of Carl being told that Perry wants a hail mary key being made of his most prized possession, the locket of his kids .... Like they make this small child go through so much. Cus now Carl has to sit there and deal with the thought of their best agent has a) lost enough faith in both himself and the organisation to overcome an something difficult in the coming days or b) something is coming and it is going to be horrible and harder than even their agent can ever be prepared for. And AT2D hasnt happened yet. After everything i cant believe Carl still wants to become Commander for OWCA but like. Im glad he is??? Theres literally nobody better for OWCA's future than Carl.

And OH MY GOD i literally went on and on as to why Perry possibly still wants to work for OWCA that has to do with the delicate balance he has in retaining his loved ones (the Flynn Fletchers AND the Doofenshmirtzes) and the fact that there are VERY VERY FEW people who has crossed that line and lived to tell the tale (as in knows about both his lives) is just. Clutching my head fist on my heart. Pinky and Stacy are literally his lifeline and i NEED more fics about their trio relationship cus they are arguably the only people in the whole WORLD Perry can be ENTIRELY truthful too. Hnnnngh. But also im convinced Perry like. Genuinely LIKES his job. He doesnt need to like OWCA to know that he likes having this defined and meaningful purpose, doing something that hes been born to do and is incredibly good at. Like i think being an agent is the one thing Perry chooses to be selfish about and I dont wanna take that away from him. That being said Perry's refusal to let that part of his life go might be the only thing standing between having the answer to his two worlds finally colliding, but what do I know? Im just some person.

He DOES deserve to have everything. He deaerved like.... Truth and peace. And I Know Platyborg has gone through hell and high water to get where he is now but.... Fuck. The fact that its possible.....

[edenfenixblogs]

I think that the user who made this post is lacking reading comprehension as to me it looks like Netanyahu is just saying that he wants security controls in place which if we go by the Wikipedia article for security controls, is just tighter security. The article in that post also doesn't include his full statement which adds context.

This article has his whole statement

what are your thoughts on this?

Idk what article or post you’re talking about.

I don’t like or trust Netanyahu. I do not believe anything he says. He’s Israel’s version of Trump. Idk what exactly he wants more control of but based solely on this post it seems like he’s offering to end the war by placing more security and checkpoints around Palestine.

My thoughts on that are that people not dying is better than people dying. But that’s too low a bar. Palestinians deserve better than just “not being under siege.” The steps must be in the direction of increasing freedom, not limiting it further.

This is what I’ve been talking about for months while people have been busy trying to compare me to a Nazi for saying I don’t want Jews to die or be expelled.

The only proper way to behave right now is to actively discuss what a future where both Israelis and Palestinians live together in peace should look like and then taking steps to ensure that future.

If we don’t do that, then Netanyahu will get his wish: tighter controls around Palestine, increased tension between Palestine and Israel, a guarantee that enough discontented Palestinians will look to organizations like Hamas for a solution to their oppression only to end up endangered between a terrorist organization and a hostile Likud-run government that stays in power by casting them as inherently vicious villains.

So, idk man. I can’t know for certain that I have any of this right. I’m just going off context clues cuz I refuse to look it up. Why do I refuse to look it up? Because I’d give myself an 85% chance of being right about what Netanyahu is proposing. Because he’s predictable and a bad person and a bad leader whose only goal is to weaponize both Jewish and Palestinian trauma to retain his own power.

This, even more than the personal attacks from antisemites, is what has bothered me most about western leftist “support” for Palestine during this most recent flair of the conflict. By focusing on attacking Jews around the world and stanning terrorist organizations and ignoring Jewish people and Israelis and even Muslims and Palestinians and Arabs who are and have been actively engaged in working towards peace and against Netanyahu for literal decades they have all but ensured that the most reasonable and informed voices have been effectively silenced. And you know who’s gonna fill that power vacuum? Netanyahu. Cuz it’s what he does.

And then the next time this happens, because it will, we will have to all live through this (or fault to live through it) again.

So, do I get a gold star friends? If I’m wrong I’ll delete this post. But man just the idea of Netanyahu proposing tighter security makes my blood boil. He knows what he’s doing. And it’s bad.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope I’ve misinterpreted something. And I will look it up further. But before I do, I genuinely want to know: is that asshole really that predictable? Did the entire western left literally just fall for his whole schtick and end up helping him to concentrate even more power? Did it work because it relied upon people hating Jews more than they trust Jews or love Palestinians? Cuz it feels like that’s what’s happening.

In the meantime, A Land for All is a solution worth actually discussing. Let’s all work toward that or another equally mutually beneficial solution to this conflict instead of helping Hamas gain adherents and helping Likud retain power:

https://www.alandforall.org/english/?d=ltr