#eventually he does manage to do so but it comes at the cost of his voice and ability to sing

[read-marx-and-lenin]

heyo- a friend is trying to get me to read 1984 because 'it'll totally change your worldview on government and anarchism', but i've heard some bad things about the book itself/george orwell. should i read it? is there anything similar/more theorylike i could read instead?

thank you! your blog rocks <3 <3

Go ahead and read it if you want. It's a classic entry into the genre of dystopian science fiction and it has spawned many imitators since its publication. However, if you're looking for actual theory or history, you won't find it there. I would recommend Pat Sloan's "Soviet Democracy" or Anna Louise Strong's "The Soviets Expected It" and "The Stalin Era" if you want real accounts of the Soviet Union under Stalin.

Orwell never actually visited the Soviet Union, and 1984 is based not on his own personal experience with the country but instead on Western propagandistic views of the country and his own displeasure towards the fact that during World War II, when the UK and the USSR were allies, the British press was much less keen to publish anti-Soviet works right at the same time he was trying to get Animal Farm published. You must also understand that his wife worked for the UK's Ministry of Information as a censor and Orwell himself worked at the BBC producing wartime propaganda. It is not a coincidence then that the main character of 1984, Winston Smith, is a censor and propaganda official working with the fictional "Ministry of Truth" and eventually finding himself battling against state control of information.

Ironically, after stylizing himself so much as a defender of liberty and freedom against the "totalitarianism" of the time, Orwell would write up a list of alleged subversive writers for the British Information Research Department, a secret department tasked with publishing anti-communist propaganda during the Cold War. Some of this propaganda would end up being a comic strip version of Orwell's Animal Farm. There is a significant throughline in both Animal Farm and 1984 that clearly betrays Orwell's political views. In both works, the proletariat are depicted as nothing more than idiots and sheep who follow the orders of anyone willing to give them work and are easily duped by intellectuals. In 1984, he phrases it as the proletariat being more "free" simply because they're so insignificant as to warrant no government surveillance.

In 1984, the fictional society of "Oceania" is a far cry from a dictatorship of the proletariat. The proletariat have no political power, they all live in slums and are mollified by bread and circuses. How is the building of the slums organized? Where does the money go when one buys their bread? We are not told anything about this except that the process is slow and inefficient. The story isn't interested in material concerns. The "proles" do their work, we are told, but we are never shown much more than informal labor. We don't know who is telling them to work or how they are getting paid. The "Outer Party" is supposedly the white collar "middle" class of Oceanic society, but despite the amount of focus the story has on this class, we are never shown a single Party member managing a workplace or poring over receipts. We are to believe that the proletariat are simultaneously left to their own devices and unmolested by the state, while also completely under the control of the state through invisible mechanisms that are never elaborated upon. While Winston will complain endlessly about his own quality of life, not once does a single prole gripe about their job. The cost and quality of goods come up sporadically and only to illustrate the deterioration of English society under Party rule, never to illustrate any material basis of said rule.

Even more at the periphery are the colonized peoples (although never described as such) within the war-torn areas never under the permanent control of any world power. All three of the global superpowers are said to be in a constant struggle over the control and enslavement of these super-exploited workers and the resources of their nations, which are said to make up a significant proportion of the material resources of each superpower, however at the same time they are not considered to be part of the proletariat and are dismissed as entirely disposable and unnecessary for the maintenance of any of these superpowers. To Orwell, it seems, colonialism is simply a thing the colonizers do out of habit and not a phenomenon with an actual material basis or actual material effects. In turn, the colonized are not actual people who might take umbrage with the constant conflict imposed upon them, but rather chattel that is perfectly content to be traded back and forth among the colonizers.

The importance of the middle class in society is a recurring theme in 1984. For example, the Trotsky-esque political treatise Winston reads within the story, "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism", begins with a twist on Marxist historical materialism - while it recognizes the role of class conflict in human history, it asserts a transhistorical narrative of the eternal existence of three separate classes within society since "Neolithic times": the upper, middle, and lower classes. It is then asserted that it is the middle and only the middle class that is ever revolutionary, and that when it appeals to the lower classes it does so only to use them as a cudgel against the upper classes and never out of a genuine concern for their wellbeing. The treatise, idealistic as it is, provides little definition of these classes. The lower classes are described as "crushed by drudgery" and in a constant state of servitude that places them incapable of achieving political consciousness, something reserved solely for the upper and middle classes. The upper class is defined simply as the "directing" class, and the middle as the "executive" class. The identity of the middle class within Oceania is made clear: they are the "Outer Party", the white collar intelligentsia and managerial class which Winston and Julia belong to. One must assume Orwell viewed himself as a member of the middle class as well. If this section of the book is at all reflective of Orwell's own views (and to be clear no part of the book refutes this outlook,) then Orwell's rejection of Marxism-Leninism is rooted in his view of the vanguard party as simply a mechanism for the intelligentsia and bureaucrats to trick the stupid proles into overthrowing the bourgeoisie, rather than as a genuine means of proletarian liberation.

The politics of the Party are entirely idealistic in nature. "Big Brother" dominates through control of ideology and speech. The goal of Ingsoc, the ruling ideology of Oceania, is to make dissent impossible through the thorough alteration of language and the removal of words which could represent ideas that are not in line with Ingsoc, a process called "Newspeak". It is explicitly stated, however, that none of this ideological control is directed towards the proletariat, which is said to make up 85% of Oceania's population. The proles are not expected to learn Newspeak, they are not monitored by the telescreens, because as is stated quite frankly in the book, "the masses never revolt of their own accord, and they never revolt merely because they are oppressed." That this line is given by the villain of the story is unimportant, because the story never refutes it.

While Winston routinely repeats his belief that "hope lies in the proles", he is consistently met with scenes that challenge his faith whenever he winds up interacting with the proletariat. His conversations with proles reveal their total lack of concern with politics or history. He hears a crowd erupt into chaos and briefly hopes it's the proletarian uprising he is waiting for, only to find it's simply a riot over consumer goods. They are more than once compared to animals. While it is said in exposition that intelligent members of the proletariat who might end up fomenting dissent are eliminated, this is never actually depicted. We don't see Winston meeting with a single intelligent and politically conscious prole. The most intelligent prole he meets turns out to be a secret member of the "Thought Police". And so, the concept remains theoretical.

Winston is depicted as an ardent materialist, desperately defending the notion of external reality against deranged idealists who believe that through control of thought, control of reality becomes possible. But the world he lives in is not material. It is fictional, of course, but more than that, the fictional world described operates on idealistic principles even from Winston's own perspective. Winston's worldview is a faith based one, appealing not to any material basis for liberation but purely to emotion. It is love and the spirit of humanity that is the basis of freedom, and material freedom springs forth from it. Anyone who thinks otherwise is merely a trickster trying to control the masses.

Orwell rejected the material basis of history because he rejected the idea of a revolution on a material basis. To him, the revolution must be an ideological one, and the problem lie not in how society and the economy are organized but in the existence of hateful "authoritarian" ideologies governing the world. He believed the material basis was already here, that industry alone was the solution to material inequality, and so we must concern ourselves now only with the idea of equality and freedom, and from an abstract and universal viewpoint to boot. It is intolerable to him that a revolution be fought against an actual enemy in the real world. The problem is not that the capitalists are in control of the means of production, the problem is that the workers are too stupid to disobey them. A real revolutionary class would spontaneously throw off its own shackles through thought alone. It doesn't matter that Orwell was a lackey and a snitch, because in his mind he was freer and smarter than everyone else.

The bravery of Winston Smith was in recognizing the existence of a material reality that lies and propaganda could never destroy even while being tortured into believing such absurd notions as "two plus two equals five". But Orwell was never tortured into any of his incorrect beliefs. His incorrect beliefs stem purely from accepting the official narrative that he was fed and refusing to investigate its veracity for himself. Orwell's writing was used as propaganda against the designated enemy of the UK throughout the Cold War, adapted countless times in the forms of radio plays, TV shows, movies, and comic books. He never made an effort to actually travel to the Soviet Union to find out if what he was told about the country was true. All the other upper middle class "left-wing" intellectuals he hung out with seemed to be just as concerned as he was with the rising tide of "totalitarianism" and the supposed excesses of the Soviet Union, so why shouldn't he agree? He was in this regard no different than the Western "socialists" of the modern day who have no shortage of vitriol towards China or North Korea. Yes, he might performatively rail against chauvinism and nationalism, but only enough to ensure that he wouldn't be seen as a conservative. He still knew in his heart that his country was surely better than those barbarous communists in the East.

Yes Orwell was sexist and homophobic, and despite his best efforts he remained plagued by racist and antisemitic attitudes, but in addition to all that his books promulgated a view of the world entirely in line with British bourgeois values, which is why they were so eagerly used as propaganda by the British government. The Nazis were bad and the Soviets were bad because they were both authoritarian, and the differences between them were negligible and unworthy of mention. The references 1984 makes to the shifting alliances in Oceania, "we are at war with Eurasia" becoming "we are at war with Eastasia" and vice-versa, are most likely allegories for the shifting alliances of Britain at the time, how they viewed the Soviets as an enemy before the war, as an ally during the war, and as an enemy again once the war was over. Orwell viewed himself as above all of this simply because his view of the Soviets never changed at any point throughout this.

[citrus-adventures]

can't go to sleep thinking about the trolls world tour little mermaid au

[confessedlyfannish]

DPxDC Prompt

Danny has always been able to manage his obsession with the help of his human half & also because a variety of urges were running through him when he died - curiosity (the desire to explore), service (the desire to be of use, to fix), and his overall innate nature, protectiveness (to protect this new, loving family he's found, to protect his little brother, no matter the cost)

-and underneath it all, buried deep down and an admittance he will never speak is his desire for power, because with power comes the ability to accomplish all of the above.

Still, he has seen what power does to people, to his Grandfather, and then what power had done to him, in a future where no human half had tempered his urges and his desire for power was doubled when he combined with the ghost of his godfather, obsession meeting obsession.

So he keeps himself on a tight leash except for the day he embraces Power and Ends Pariah, which is fine because the power from the suit is temporary and he still has no idea the dark future that awaits him, believes that he can temper himself. But he is something wild and dark and feral when he goes after Pariah, calling upon lessons from a past life and not hesitating to go for the kill in a way that makes Vlad, the only true witness, hesitant around him forevermore, a sliver of fear in his eyes that he cannot mask.

If he had known defeating Pariah would mean inheriting the crown, he never would've done it. Because with the power of the Crown and the Ring comes again his inability to fight his urges - not for more power, he has plenty, but to protect.

For Clockwork, for the Ancients, a King that will Protect his Realm is the ideal. But the ramifications for Danny are clear to his family the moment he wrenches Ellie from the Earth and into a room in The Keep for a week until her cheeks are flush with ectoplasm but also tears and Jazz and Maddie have successfully talked him through how safety must also mean happiness. To this day they do not know if it was their words that eventually penetrated his mind or his power settling. But he still struggles to allow them their freedom, and it is apparent to all who love him.

And so they figure out ways to manage. Systems. None of his Beloved, his Fraid will ever willingly step into danger. They will give him consistent updates, they will provide tech that manages their vitals. They will visit and allow him trespass in turn. They will sleep in his bed (less necessary, but said with a wink and an errant hand that shows they are willing to make the sacrifice).

And deep within the Zone, on one of his routine checks with nary a soul in a sight, Danny allows himself to curl into a ball and cry. Wail. Because he knows he can never go in search of his brother, nor his father, the Batman. The one reunion he craved, because with power came the ability to protect, even from one as horrible as Ra's Al Ghul, is the same reason he must deny himself. Because Damian Wayne and Bruce Wayne will always put themselves in danger. And if he comes to them, he will never let them go.

[terresdebrume]

This assaulted me as I woke up, and I'm carefully keeping it to make sure I'll be able to use it for I'm down on my knees someday ^^

"Could we," Edwin starts, but cuts himself off.

It feels so fragile, this moment. He and Charles in the same bed, side by side, Charles' head tucked against in shoulder... And between them, the promise that Charles will still be there when Edwin wakes in the morning. It feels so fragile. Like a dream, in those brief moments where the mind is both dreaming and aware that it dreams. Edwin never could hang onto his dreams half as long as he wanted, and the prospect of this one slipping between his fingers terrifies him.

"Could we what?" Charles asks eventually, his voice quiet in the dark.

He sounds... Tender, yet nervous, and when he hooks one of his fingers around Edwin's the gesture feels tentative, like he's still not sure he's allowed. Oh, how Edwin loves him.

"Could we... Spoon?"

Charles chuckles, soft against Edwin's shoulder. He pushes himself on his elbow as Edwin does, and Edwin sees the darker outline his arm reach for his waist.

"Oh," he say, catching Charles' wrist as delicately as he can, "no, I meant—"

He doesn't dare say the rest, half afraid to wake himself up if he speaks too much. Instead, he gives Charles' chest a gentle push, first met with resistance and then the sort of tension born of incertitude. Gently, so gently, Edwin coaxes Charles to lay on his left side, head resting on his arm as Edwin slowly slides down to mold himself to Charles' back, curling his legs up until he can tangle them with Charles' own.

Charles has always been on the leaner side, elegant and gangly in turns, but solid also. Strong in ways even Edwin's wider, stockier frame doesn't manage. Tonight, as Edwin settles behind him, he feels delicate in a way he's never felt before. Edwin loops an arm around his chest and feels it move under his hand, oddly bird-like and so, so regular.

"Is this alright?" Edwin whispers, barely daring to rest the full weight of his arm over Charles.

"Mhm."

Charles' breathing continues in the same slow, one-two-three-four rhythm. He still feels so fragile, here in Edwin's arms, like a figure of spun sugar. Edwin, unsure what to make of that, makes himself ask:

"Charles, are you—"

"I'm fine," Charles cuts in even as the up and down of his ribs speeds up. Deepens.

"Charles..."

"It's fine," Charles says, strangled with the urgency of someone trying to speak before emotion overtakes them. "Just don't. Don't make me talk."

"Oh, Charles," Edwin sighs, finally bringing his arm down to pull Charles to his chest and hold him closer. "I love you."

A harsh sob erupts from Charles' throat, deep enough to shake his entire frame, fast enough that he can't prevent the sound from echoing around his bedroom. Edwin presses a kiss to the back of his neck, and Charles sobs again, right arm coming up to lay on Edwin's, his hand gripping Edwin's hand so tight it feels like it'll bruise.

Edwin kisses the back of Charles' neck again, kisses the top of his shoulder, kisses the joint where the delicate lines of Charles' new tattoo are still fresh enough for Edwin to feel them with his lips.

Charles Rowland once jumped into a pool to save a teenager he didn't know, even though he knew it could cost him his life. He laughed in the face of bullies, and he built a life for himself after his father destroyed the one he should have had at home. He faced years of prejudice beaten into him, just for the sake of not hurting Edwin more than he had to.

The least Edwin can do, now that he is finally allowed to, is tighten his arm around Charles and guard his heart as best as he can. Guard the knowledge that, when Charles finally lets himself fall apart, it is because he is undone by love.

[fiendishfables]

hello!! i saw ur blog and i was super excited to see another aroaceee is it alright if you do platonic adam x reader headcanons? he can be reader's friend, sibling, or preferably reader's father figure as long as its platonic, anything u'd like is fine! sorry if my request is kinda weird lol, i just haven't seen a lot of platonic hazbin hotel stuff (especially stuff with adam in it)

a/n: Always good to meet other aroace individuals, indeed. I personally love Adam, he is absolutely my favorite character. I’ve been dying to write for him more and thinking of him as a dad is just my favorite scenario-

warnings: cursing, Adam being Adam, brief mentions of sex, subtle hints at Lute x Adam (if you squint)

words: 944

additional notes: this was one of my first asks I ever got; I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. Enjoy~!

Adam as a Father Figure

Headcanons

First of all, he never expected to actually have a kid of his own, but now here he was

By the time you turned 6, you knew about every single curse word in existence, along with a (disturbingly) decent amount of female anatomy

Lute gets promoted to babysitter

When Adam is off performing with his band or needed in the council/other Heavenly resides, Lute is responsible for keeping track of his child

Even if she lost you (which she has, multiple times) he won't be that worried

You were a kid and as far as Adam knew, kids needed food

Hence how he knew you would find your way back to him eventually

Okay scratch that, maybe he does get a little worried...a lot

Starts to doubt his ability as a parent

Once he even got Sera to send out a search party for you because you had been gone longer than usual

It worried him sick whenever you went exploring, but he was almost a bit prideful that his offspring had managed to inherit his sneaking around capabilities already at such a young age

Lute has had to console her boss many times in response to your random disappearances under her watchfulness

He has legit been facedown on the couch with his head in her lap whilst he bawls his eyes out, blabbering to her about his worries pertaining to you, and then somehow that stems to his hopes and dreams in life (he doesn't wanna talk about it)

Only for you to walk in with food from some random location about 10 minutes later

You'd be on the floor as soon as you enter the domicile because Adam would have jumped on you and then proceeded to hug the very life out of you (all while stealing your bag of food in the process and running off with it)

Calls you a bitch, dumbass, and 'a little shit' for worrying him

Though he would never openly admit he had been worried

He doesn't care if you have a social life, he wants you home safe before 9pm, sharp

── ･ ｡☆*☽*☆ﾟ.──

Teaches you how to play guitar

He claims its because he wants to pass on one of his awesome talents to his only child, but he also really wants you to join him and his band on stage one day or another

You are in the starter stages of learning and are able to accurately get chords down and learn to read sheet music

A tear just may have come to his eye

The first song you two ever perform together is "Hell is Forever"

He did see someone try to give you a rose after your performance and nearly knocked them out

Trust him, he's a sex and relationship positive guy (for the most part) but he also can't help but feel like he wants to protect you at all costs

If you dare to call him over-protective, he will very gladly give you the silent treatment for a good 5 minutes

After that time mark, he will be groveling at your feet and whining about how sorry he is (rare that he actually says 'sorry')

His biggest fear is his own child having it out for him and not wanting anything to do with him

A clingy parent, no doubt

Wants to train you in the ways of becoming an Exorcist Angel

Poor guy is a bit insecure about everything and needs extra reassurance, though he would never ever outwardly ask for it

That's a sign of weakness in his eyes

Not for his child though

You come to him with even the smallest hint of watery eyes and he is already going full dad-mode

Determined to find the fucker who made you upset

Promises to give em' a good ol' kick in the balls (or vag)

Adam won't discriminate, he's just there to beat the ass of whoever hurt his precious baby

He will get in a fist fight with Sera in order to make you happy

Just expect to be the one he then blames when he gets demoted

── ･ ｡☆*☽*☆ﾟ.──

Adam totally took lots of naps before he had a child, so this just makes for the two of you ending up crashing on the couch together and creating a melodic tune out of your in-sync snoring patterns

Anything the two of you can do together without constantly arguing is a miracle, so this is to be cherished

He has definitely given you some very creative nicknames (as he calls himself 'Dickmaster')

Lute has taken many pictures

She wants to make a photo album and give it to Adam one day just to piss him off

But as she knows how much he really cares for you, she does not want to risk him growing apart from you due to something stupid she did for a few momentary laughs

Let's you two have your moments without interrupting

The two of you always fight over food and who gets to pick where you go for the evening, if going anywhere at all

Lute claims that you are making Adam all the more emotional, but no one seems to be complaining

Especially not the High Council

Its nice to have him shut his mouth for once and remotely think about his actions and who they could potentially effect

Adam has something to lose now, and everyone in both Heaven and Hell alike knew it

No demon spawn would ever get to set even a foot near you

You were the first life he felt truly responsible for

He refuses to fuck it up and lose someone else he cares about

He would protect you until the ends of time, whether you liked it or not

[da-shrimping-station]

Mammon helps out with the House's budgeting as well as managing finances.

It started when he found Lucifer's notes on the expenses when they moved to HoL. Diavolo was generous enough to give them a monthly stipend but it was the brothers' first time having to deal with something like this. In the Celestial Realm, they really didn't have to spend much or ask for much. In the castle, everything was provided for after a simple request. But now they're on their own. Still with Diavolo's support of course but far more independent now.

So Mammon sits down on Lucifer's chair and starts poring over the papers. Lucifer's already got a preliminary budget drafted but it's not that thorough. His brother doesn't go out much with needing to juggle caring for everyone as well as fulfilling duties for the Demon Prince so some of the estimates are way off especially in terms of cost. He doubts his brother knows market prices for things like toiletries and groceries.

Time passed (that Mammon wasn't aware of) and he was waist deep in the process of fixing the budget. Lucifer eventually comes home and sees him at his desk and making a mess (in his opinion) of things.

"We're gonna need a bigger allowance." Mammon looks him dead in the eye, ink stains on his hands and papers filled with scribbles and calculations.

Lucifer makes the smart choice of shutting up and listening to him.

Over the next few days they manage to come up with a more feasible and more detailed budget plan for the family. The only thing left to do is to send a formal request to Diavolo to request a more flexible amount for the stipend.

Does this mean they all (Mammon especially) become more responsible with their finances? Of course not! It's just that Lucifer now has a more detailed report and estimate of everyone's spending! Mammon's transaction history and his maxed out Goldie. Levi and his online shopping for games and merch. Satan buying a cart full of books as well as random ingredients he may or may not use for curses. Asmo and the long bill for clothing, makeup, shoes, accessories. Beel being the reason the allocated budget for food is more than half of the stipend. Belphie and a purchase list of questionable but exorbitant items.

And of course Lucifer splurges here and there. Do you think this man buys anything cheap? NOPE. It has to be of good if not the highest quality possible. He justifies that it's a one time purchase (but the price tag is still hefty and how long do you think that item will last given you live in a house full of gremlins???)

"Here ya go, Lu. This month's summary."

"What do you mean we had to pay 40,000 grimm for damages to property?!"

[bunnylovesani]

The Bratty Belle

Chapter 3

Summary: You drop your car off at James' shop and spend the day together, bonding more than expected when you receive a distressing phone call that makes your dark past come to light.

Tw: mentions of abuse/molestation/suicide

WC: 4k

Anxiously slamming the door shut, you got into your rusty car and started the sputtering engine. You almost lost control several times on the short drive over to James’ garage but tried your very best to park as sensibly as possible once you spotted him standing outside in his striped work suit, wrench in hand. 

“You okay?” He asks tentatively as you exit the vehicle, shortly after hitting the curb.

“Yeah! Yeah, great.” You squeak, brushing some dust off your dress and stumbling over to him in your clacking heels. He looks like he’s about to say something about your driving skills but just about manages to hold it in. 

“Come on through, I’ll give you the grand tour.” He opens the door and gestures for you to enter. A shiver courses through your body when his hand brushes past your lower back as you skip into the garage. 

“It’s not much but it’s mine.” His voice echoes against the walls of the open space, tall ceilings and greasy oil spills in abundance. 

“I like it!” You chirp, eliciting strange looks from some of his colleagues who wondered what the scantily clad floozy was doing in their workshop. 

“Uh, guys- this is Bunny. I’m servicing her car.” James explains once he catches sight of their puzzled expressions and they nod at you courteously. “Through here is my office.” He continues the tour and guides you to a small but sleek room complete with a desk and computer. “Leave the car with me overnight and I’ll have it ready for you in a couple days. Do you need some driving lessons while we’re at it?” He chuckles as he leans on his desk, crossing his dirtied arms. 

“I can drive perfectly well, thank you very much.” You huff, cheeks flushing at the memory of the cat you almost ran over on the way here. 

“James, where’s your other tool kit- you know the one-oh. Hey.” A brunette woman with a button nose and a blue flannel shirt pops her head in. A flannel that looked suspiciously similar to the one James wore the other day.

“Hi.” You quietly reply, insecurity enveloping you. She saunters over to him and rests her elbow on his shoulder, brushing past you lightly in the process. “We have to get the Beetle fixed by Tuesday- the woman called to push the deadline up.” 

“Seriously? Who does she think I am, her personal servant?” James recoils and the woman chuckles. 

“Relax babe, you’re all knotted up.” She chuckles as she massages his shoulder lazily with one hand. 

“Oh, and this is Bunny. Bunny, meet Vanessa. Vanessa, Bunny.” He points between you while tiredly pinching the bridge of his nose. Your lips form into a thin smile as you feel yourself shrinking. 

“Aw, she’s adorable. Shy too. What’s she doing here?” She looks you up and down broodingly. 

“Ask her yourself.” He pushes himself up off his desk and gives you a subtle wink as he heads out of his office. “Bunny, give me your keys and I’ll park the car into the garage. Meet me out back.” 

You nod obediently as your gaze follows him out, eyes eventually meeting Vanessa’s in an uncomfortable silence. 

“So. You’re his new neighbour, huh?” Vanessa opens up a pack of gum and takes a seat in James’ chair, not offering you any. 

“Yeah. Moved in last week.” You shuffle nervously under her unfaltering gaze, steely and cold. 

“And you’re already getting a free servicing job out of him. You work fast.” She smacks her lips and you scrunch up your nose at the strong scent of spearmint emanating from her.

“Oh no, I have every intention of paying him for all his-“

“He told me not to charge a cent for this job. Told me to put all costs on his card.” She interjects monotonously, making a stark difference to the chirpy demeanour she had when he was around. 

“Oh. Well, I didn’t know that.” You reply earnestly, feeling a slightly threatening aura lingering in the air.

“Now why would a cold, self-absorbed man like James suddenly want to start doing charity work well into his 30s?” She scans you scrutinizingly and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. 

“Are you accusing me of something?” You reply boldly, sensing her opinion of you had already been formed. 

“I don’t know, Bunny. That depends on what your intentions are.” She straightens up in her seat and blows a bubble with her gum. 

“James is waiting for me.” You head out towards the door, wishing for an end to this painfully tense interaction. 

“You sure that’s not all he’s waiting for?” She quipped and it took every last bit of strength to ignore her, continuing your march out the door.

Pacing to the garage where James told you to come, your head spun with confusion; why would he want to pay for you? You knew the parts wouldn’t come cheap and he’d made it clear he wasn’t trying to pursue a relationship with you- so what did he want? 

“That was quick. Thought you and Vanessa would’ve been chatting for a while longer.” He comments as he slams your car door shut, having just reparked it. “What’d she say to you?” He asks suspiciously after seeing your perplexed expression. 

“Nothing. Just didn’t find the conversation too riveting. Would rather see what my favourite mechanic was up to.” You joked, stepping closer towards him. He raises his bushy brows and cracks an earnest smile, pearly whites contrasting against his sweaty, tan face. 

“So what’s the verdict? Is she wrecked beyond repair?” You ask, peering over his shoulder to observe the rusty hunk of metal you called a car. 

“Of course not. I’ll have her good as new by the end of the week.” He pats your shoulder as he walks by you. “Let’s go for dinner.” 

“Oh?” Before you can even object, he’s unzipping his work suit and walking towards his truck. 

“Get in.” He opens the passenger side door and you find yourself jumping in without a second thought. 

“Burger and milkshake sound good?” He starts the engine with a roar and you nod in response. “Get this on.” He reaches around you and clips your seatbelt into place. 

“Thank you.” You’re filled with confusion over his strangely paternal behaviour as Vanessa’s words echo in your head. 

Glancing over to your left, you ogle the way he keeps a firm hand on the steering wheel, tapping the leather with his fingertips. His side profile is so entrancing, chiselled jawline and Adam’s apple framing his strong features perfectly.

“What are you staring at, you little creep?” He grins and you snap your head back to face the front. 

“You have something on your face. Bit of smudged oil.” You point at his cheek unconvincingly, hoping he doesn’t check in the rearview mirror.

James pulls into a parking lot outside a quaint little diner and parks the car carefully before jumping out to open the door for you. You got the sense that he wasn’t usually such a cautious driver. 

“A girl could get used to this.” You giggle as you take his hand and hop out of the car, walking with him to the entrance.

“It’s concerning that you find basic chivalry impressive.” He mutters, guiding you to a chequered cloth clad booth in the corner of the establishment before taking a seat with a heavy huff. 

“You tired?” You ask, sitting prettily opposite him. 

“Long day. Like every day.” He looks away, grabbing the menu a little too fervently. “What do you want?” 

“Oh, umm...” You peer over and scan the menu but the endless options have your head spinning- you’d always been infuriatingly indecisive. 

James patiently waits for a couple of minutes as you flick through the extensive pages before summoning a waitress over with a raised hand. 

“I’ll have a hamburger and coffee- leave the jug- and a double cheeseburger and strawberry milkshake for the lady. Don’t forget the fries.” He fires out and hands the sluggish waitress the menu back. 

“How’d you know that was what I wanted?” You squeak out, watching the waitress ring the order up in the kitchen. 

“Lucky guess.” He winks. “Too hungry to wait for you to analyse the whole menu. Hope you don’t mind.” 

“No, but a double along with a milkshake might be a little much?” You giggle, remembering how you’d eaten already before you came by. 

“Well, I have to keep you full. I can’t imagine how grumpy you get when you’re hungry.” He shakes his head at the thought. 

“Here’s that milkshake for the lady and a big ole jug of coffee for you, handsome.” The waitress saunters by and pours his drink into a mug, bending over to accentuate her cleavage. 

“Thanks.” He looks her up and down for the briefest moment before ducking his head, weaving it away from her to meet your eyes again. “How’s the shake, kiddo?” He smiles as you take a sip from the stripy red straw.

“Delicious. But I make it better.” You flirt, noticing the sulking waitress frowning as she trudged away.

“I’ll have to taste it sometime.” The expression on his face is calm and sincere with a hint of something in his eyes that you can’t quite explain. 

“James?” You intoned, dragging out his name. 

“Yes, Bunny?” He played along. 

“That day before you came over for the first time, were you arguing with someone on the phone?” You queried innocently, knowing already that he was. 

“You could say that.” He sighed and waved his hand dismissively as the food arrived, delivered by a waiter this time.

“Who with? It looked quite heated.” You coaxed, keen to know more.

“You talk a lot. Eat your food.” He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat before taking a big bite out of his burger. 

Not wanting to push his buttons any further, you abandon your curiosity for the time being and tuck into your meal.

You and James exchange several glances as you eat in a comfortable silence, that familiar bubbling feeling rising in your chest every time you made eye contact. Once you’d finished, James swiftly paid the bill- leaving no time at all for you to voice your protests and effectively silencing you by getting up and heading out the door. 

“Thanks for the lift home.” You murmured once you’d gotten back into the car and he looked at you with an expression that neared disgust. 

“What was I supposed to do, leave you to walk home after I’d taken you out? Honestly, what kind of fucking idiots have you been hanging around?” He scoffs, shaking his head and you shrink down into your seat. 

He wasn’t wrong, you’d never been around the gentlemanly type before and spending time with James was making you shamefully aware of that. 

“Would you like to come in?” You ask sweetly, swaying on your tiptoes once he’d walked you to the front door. “I have some more of those girl scout cookies you liked.” 

“Maybe just for one.” He chuckled at the mention of the sweet treat before strolling into your apartment. 

“Here you go.” You retrieved the pastries from the kitchen and handed them to James, who was standing patiently in the arch under your doorway with an endearing smile painted on his face. “I added some other things I thought you might like.” 

He inspected the transparent bag laden with cookies, cinnamon swirls and chocolate croissants- lovingly wrapped with a satin pink bow. 

“It looks so pretty, I don’t even want to open it.” He stares at it in disbelief. “Thank you. This is so nice. No one’s ever….you really made all this?” 

You nodded and his earnest gratitude warmed your heart. 

“I should be the one thanking you.” You brush your hand against the side of his arm. “I’ve never been shown so much kindness.” 

“Jeez, kid, it was only dinner.” He chuckles.

“And it’s only some cookies.” You assert and he stares at you with a look of understanding unlike one you’d ever seen before. “I know about the car too. Vanessa told me.”

He curses under his breath and looks away, almost looking embarrassed. 

“And you don’t even want to sleep with me. I’m confused, James. Why are you being so good to me?” You stare into his eyes searching for an explanation. 

“Bunny, how can you even say that?” He grabs your face affectionately with furrowed brows before awkwardly retreating his hand a moment later. “You…I don’t even know what to say to that. As if that’s the only interest a man could have in you.” 

“Well, isn’t it?” You ask dejectedly.

“Of course not!” His hands settle for holding your wrists, needing to touch you in some way but not wanting to overstep. 

“So what reason do you have?” 

He looks so conflicted that it takes him a little while to form his next sentence. 

“You seem like a good kid. If I can help you out, I’m happy to.” He replies with a heavy sigh- as if he’s releasing thoughts that shouldn’t be there. 

“And your girlfriend doesn’t mind?” You ask curiously. 

“It doesn’t matter what she thinks. My business is my own.” You look down and notice how firm his hold over your wrists still is. “And I wouldn’t go as far as to call her my girlfriend. We’ve only been out on a couple dates.”

Try as you may, you couldn’t stop the wide grin that spread across your beaming face.  You expected him to scold you in his usual cocky manner- to make some kind of comment about how that didn’t mean he was interested but he simply smiled back. 

A shrill ringing filled the room and you recognised it as the sound of your phone. 

“One second.” You giggled at James and he nodded, stepping aside to answer your call. Looking down at the bright screen, you saw it was your step-sister calling. 

“Daisy?” You picked up hesitantly- you weren’t exactly on speaking terms.

“Dad’s in the hospital. It’s not looking good.” Her grave voice exhaled and a shiver ran down your spine. You hated when she referred to him as your father.

“W-what’s wrong with him?” You ask with morbid curiosity.

“He was in an accident. Hit head-on by a drunk driver on his way to work this morning. You need to get here!” She choked back tears. 

“I don’t know, Dais…” Your mind flooded with childhood memories of your stepdad. Not a single one was pleasant. He might’ve been Daisy’s dad but he sure as hell wasn’t yours. 

“What do you mean you don’t know?! There’s no question, you need to come here and see him now!” She shrieked, desperation laced in her voice.

“I told you I’d never set eyes on that man again. This doesn’t change that.” You tried your best to sound stern despite the pain that was building. 

“I can’t believe you’re being so selfish. Distancing yourself from your family just to prove a point when we already know you lied.” The venom in her voice strikes you to your core. 

“I have done nothing but tell the truth. You all chose to take his side.” The tears started spilling. “My only real family was my mother. And he is the reason she’s no longer here.” 

“She’s got no one to blame but herself. She took the easy way out. I guess you’re a coward just like her.” 

“I hope he dies. Slowly and painfully.” You spit down the line before hanging up and throwing your phone across the room, a sobbing fit racking through your body. 

“Hey, hey, what’s the matter?” James rushes over, wrapping his arms protectively around your shoulders. You’d forgotten he was even here but you were glad to be shrouded in his warm embrace. 

“My stepdad…he’s dying- and I’m happy about it? And I think I might’ve messed things up forever with the only family I have left. I’m a terrible person.” You choked out the words between snivels. 

“I don’t know about the rest but I know for sure you’re not a bad person. Calm down sweetheart, everything’s okay. I’m here.” You weep into his chest, staining his shirt with thick tears. “Why do you hate your stepdad?”

“Wh-when I was a kid, he’d - well he’d-“

“Take your time, angel.” He pulled you in closer when you struggled to get the words out. 

“When my mom first married him, he’d sneak into my room at night and do things to me. I was too scared to say anything. He said it’d be our little secret.” You shudder, feeling more vulnerable in this moment than you had in years. 

“Bunny…” James looked distraught, his face contorted and twisted into a look of disbelief, sorrow and disgust. “And you feel bad for wishing he’d die? If the bastard survives, I’ll go to that hospital and finish him off myself.” 

You stop the stream of tears for just long enough to gaze up at him pitifully- in a state of utter confusion that someone could feel so much empathy for you. 

“And I take it your stepsister doesn’t believe you?” He continues, rubbing your back in an attempt to instil you with calm. 

“No.” You sniffle. “She thinks I’m making it all up.” 

“Did your mother know?” He asks cautiously, careful not to upset you any further.

“No, no I hid it all. It was only a couple years ago that I worked up the courage to let it all out. Thought it would help but it turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. It filled her with such regret and shame that she didn’t even get to finalise the divorce before she… she couldn’t live with herself knowing she’d let that happen to me. So she, she-“

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He pulled you down on the couch, sweetly kissing your forehead and smoothing your hair as you cried your heart out. 

“Daisy’s right- I am selfish. If I’d never said anything, she would’ve still-“

“Don’t.” He interrupted you. “Don’t you dare blame yourself.” 

You were used to being rattled beyond repair whenever you came into contact with your stepfamily- but you weren’t used to having someone alongside you to pick up the pieces. Something so unfamiliar had never felt so good. 

“Will you stay with me?” You asked with such tooth-rotting sweetness you were sure he couldn’t refuse. His eyes darted back and forth and he licked his lips in thought.

“Like, for the night?” 

“Yes. Just one night. Please.” Your reddened, glassy eyes looked up at him sanguinely. 

“Of course.” He whispered, rubbing the side of your cheek with his thumb. “Anything you need.” 

Your faces were barely 2 inches apart but your gaze was stolen by his soft lips, plump with temptation. He said anything you need, right? Leaning in a little more until the tips of your noses were touching, you planted a gentle kiss on his parted lips. They rested against each other for a moment before James kissed you back, snaking his hand into your hair as he brushed his lips against your own passionately. 

“Wait.” He pulled away with a wet smack. “You’re vulnerable right now. This is wrong.”

“Then why does it feel so right?” You attempted to close the gap between you but he backed away again, imposing an ever bigger distance. 

“Bunny.” He warned, not budging. 

“Okay. I’m sorry.” You looked down in shame. 

“Nothing to be sorry for.” He looked out the window and you both suddenly became aware of how rapidly night had fallen. “Let’s get you ready for bed, hm?”

“But what about-“

“I’ll sleep on the couch.” He quickly resolves the matter and stands up before heading to your bathroom. “Come on, let’s get that makeup off.” He beckons you and you slug over to him. 

“But I look awful.” You sulk, hesitant to reveal your natural face to him despite crying most of your mascara off. 

“That’s not possible.” He mumbles in a low voice, handing you some pre soaked cotton pads. 

You swipe the black streaks away and wash your face as he leans against the ledge of the bathtub. 

“All done. Are you gonna run away screaming now?” You playfully cover your face with your hands but he stands up and tucks your wrists down. 

“You’re perfect.” He stares right through you, not letting you wriggle out of his grasp until his words sink in. 

“Thanks.” You mutter uncomfortably, not sure what to make of the feelings he was bringing out in you.

You amble over to your room and change into your pyjamas; James being the gentleman he was closed the door behind you and waited patiently.

“You can come in.” You call out and he enters after a few moments to find you in your comfiest set of fluffy pyjamas. “Usually I wear something a little more cute but today, I just-“

“Stop explaining yourself.” He interrupted you again. He loved doing that. “You’ve never looked cuter. I like my girls a little fuzzy.” You giggle and playfully slap his hand away as he pinches your side. 

“Thought you said you don’t see me in that kinda way.” You questioned teasingly.

“And it’s time for bed, little lady.” He chuckles and you throw a pillow his way. “Under the covers, c’mon.” 

You shuffle into bed as he tucks you in, folding the frilly duvet in around you until you were safely cocooned. 

“Alright, all tucked in. You gonna be okay?” He raises his eyebrows with the cutest concern and you nod drearily. “I’m right next door if you need something. Good night, sweetheart.” He places a gentle kiss on your forehead before turning the lights off and walking out. 

After several hours spent tossing and turning, you resign yourself to a night of no sleep. The cogs in your mind whir with dizzying speed and the memories that resurface make you nauseous. You shook your head every time the image of your stepdad, twisted grin beaming down at you took shape but it wasn’t enough to clear your dirtied mind.

Sitting up with a huff, you turned your bedside lamp on and wondered if James was asleep yet. Creeping out the door, you heard his light snoring from down the hall as you tiptoed to the living room. 

He looked so peaceful snuggled around the thin bedspread you kept on your couch but it dawned on you that in your distress, you’d forgotten to give the man a proper blanket. Quickly backtracking to retrieve a quilt, you grabbed your favourite pink one before going back to precariously swathe him in it, trying not to rouse. 

“Mm, Bunny?” He whispered sluggishly, still half asleep. 

“Just giving you a blanket. Go back to sleep.” You hushed before turning around to walk away but you felt a strong grip wrap around your wrist. 

“Are you okay?” He opens his dreamy blue eyes and sits up a little.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Just can’t sleep.” You admit, already feeling bad that you’d woken him up.

He shuffles back a little before grabbing the corner of the blanket and lifting it up. 

“Come on. I know you want to.” He smirks and you bite your lip shyly. 

Moments later, you’ve crawled in beside him and you’re enveloped in his arms- the musky scent of his faded cologne lingering under your nose as you press your face deeper into his chest. He held a protective arm around your shoulder as yours lay slouched around his waist, the heavy weight of the duvet pressing down comfortingly on you both. 

James fell into the arms of Morpheus soon after and the gentle hum of his breathing resonated through the night, helping you fall into the most peaceful slumber you’d had since you were a child. 

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[deconstructthesoup]

Okay, I had thoughts on forming a legit DBD Hadestown AU, and seeing as they kept me up literally all last night, it seemed only fitting that I actually write them down. So:

Charles and Edwin are, obviously, Orpheus and Eurydice respectively. However, rather than having just met and falling into a whirlwind romance, I decided that they're childhood friends who've met again and rediscovered feelings that they'd both been ignoring for a long time. Edwin is dedicated soley to figuring out why the world is dying and if he can help people while he can, and he hasn't really let himself rest, or even feel happy, in years---to the point where he feels that any good thing is too good to be true, even falling in love. Charles, on the other hand, has long since made the decision that someone has to be happy and keep spirits up in the trying times, and it might as well be him... even at the cost of his own health, as he works tirelessly on a song that he knows, despite all logic and understanding, will bring back spring again.

Crystal is Hermes, but she is also Hecate---she is the goddess of the in-between, magic, trickery, the crossroads, and restless souls... and that last part refers not only to the dead that she guides to Hadestown, but to anyone who chooses a life of wandering the road, from the honest messenger to the thieving highwayman. And yet, since the world has begun to die, she's been slowly slipping away from her role, choosing to spend her time among the mortals. This decision, of course, is helped by the fact that not only is Crystal one of the few gods who thinks there's more to the world dying than it just being "a reflection of mortal hubris," but that she's managed to make a friend in Charles. She's seen the way that music can change the world, after all, and knowing that there's at least one mortal who still has hope means that she can still believe.

Niko is a combination of Aphrodite and Dionysus---she's the goddess of love, revelries, happiness, and abundance, yes, but she's also the goddess of the mania that comes when all of those things are taken too far, and she's been dipping more and more into that side of herself as the world gets worse and worse. She wants to forget all the pain and suffering, and she gives herself and others the means to do so, even if it's all temporary. And while Niko does care for the mortals, and wishes that things could get better... deep down, she's lost a lot of her old hope, and even she can't disguise the fact that she's living with a broken heart.

Monty is Persephone, but he's also Apollo---he's the god of rebirth, prophecies, the stars and the earth, and new beginnings... and for what should be half of the year, he rules over the dead. He used to find just as much joy in watching over the souls as he did creating spring with Niko and charting the stars to bring prophecies to the mortals, but as Hadestown gets more punishing, more people die up above, and the world just gets worse, Monty grows even more bitter and closed off. He's unable to even properly enjoy his time on the surface, knowing full well that he won't stay for six months like he should... and the man he loves is wearing his patience thin.

The Cat King is Hades---and yes, somebody did make a very compelling argument for him being the Fates, but it works for the story, so just hang on. Once upon a time, he was happy just ruling over souls and managing the afterlife, and he cherished the time he spent with Monty as much as he could. But over time, wealth became added to his already vast domain, and his fascination for making and collecting things became an obsession... in no small part due to the fact that those six months spent away from Monty started to weigh incredibly heavy on him, and he eventually loses himself in his effort to replicate everything his husband loves about the upper world as it dies along with the way they used to feel about each other. Not to mention, his old empathy and compassion for the souls has hardened into cold indifference at best and a sick enjoyment of their suffering at worst. And all this change is making one person in particular very happy...

Esther is the Fates, but she's also a version of Demeter---the goddess of nature and all of its love and cruelties, and the one who spins everyone's path on her loom, punishing those who dare to stray from what she has determined for them. She's despised the Cat King for years, ever since he whisked Monty away to Hadestown, and she wholeheartedly believes that the reason the world is dying is only because he's been keeping Monty down there for too long, not because they've begun to fall out of love. So, when Esther spins a tale of a pair of lovers who are destined to end tragically, she sees it as an opportunity to finally push the Cat King and Monty to the breaking point---to save her son and the world, she tells herself, but mostly for revenge.

[roosterforme]

The Curveball Part 2 | Bob Floyd x OC

Summary: Bob got Molly's phone number, but he hesitated, and now it could cost him. When he finally manages to go on a date with her, he should have done a better job of preparing his heart. Because he's completely hooked on Molly, but he's not the only one. 

Warnings: Fluff, angst, eventually 18+

Length: 5500 words

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Female OC (this story accompanies Batting Practice!)

Check my masterlist for more! Thank you to @mak-32 and @teacupsandtopgun for the beautiful banners!

When Bradley needed a few days off from tee ball to go to Lemoore, Bob was thankful that Molly's sister was able to step up as Team Mom and help him prepare for the game on Saturday morning. 

It had been two days since he saw Molly. Two days since she kissed him goodnight in her car before he got into his truck and drove home with an erection. Two days since he managed to somehow not completely embarrass himself in front of his dream girl. 

But now her phone number was burning a hole in his pocket. Bob wasn't smooth. He wasn't sure what he should do next. Maybe waiting to see if she showed up to another practice was his best bet? Or was he supposed to call her today? Was she at work at the hospital right now? Maybe he should text her first instead? 

Flirting. Romance. Asking a girl out. He never did these things right. And Molly wasn't just someone random girl that he could try those things out on and not worry if he messed up. No, she was Molly. Bob would be lucky if he even got one chance with her. 

"I'm here to help," his Team Mom told him as he set up home plate.

"You're a lifesaver," Bob replied, handing over his clipboard. "Can you read down the list and check everything off for me?"

"Sure," she replied, following him as he set up cones. When she got to the bottom of the list, she asked him, "Did you remember to text the parent who volunteered to bring the snack?"

Bob groaned as he set down the last base marker. "No. Bradley usually does that the night before, and I promised him I would remember to take care of it this week."

"That's okay," she told him quickly. "I have bags of goldfish crackers in my trunk as an emergency backup plan."

Bob felt so relieved as he said, "You're the best Team Mom in the history of Team Moms."

She giggled, and he smiled at her. She sounded like Molly when she laughed. But then she said, "So, I talked to Molly a little bit this morning."

"Really?" Bob asked, picking up the tote bag of balls and looking at her like he was hanging on her every word now. 

"Mmhmm. She's kind of wondering why you haven't asked her out yet. She gave you her number. And it's been two days."

He was so flustered, he dropped the bag, sending balls rolling in every direction. He scrambled to pick them up, and she knelt to help him. "Does she really want to go on a date with me? Like just me and her?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, Bob. Probably more than one."

More than one. More than one date. Bob had only ever been on a handful of first dates and even fewer second dates. He wasn't the type who kept women coming back for more. He was too quiet and reserved. Too meticulous and not loose enough. He was probably honestly boring. But Molly wanted to go out with him, probably more than once. 

"Bob," she said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Her feelings are a little hurt that you didn't text her yesterday. If you like her, you need to make a move."

Bob had hurt Molly's feelings. He'd had his phone in his hands so many times last night, just looking at her contact name and number. But he never did anything about it. And now the game was about to start, and Bob's phone was buried in the bottom of his gear bag. He was tempted to dig it out now and text her, beg her to let him take her somewhere on a date. 

Then the game started, and he went into coaching mode. But Molly was never far from his mind. When the game ended in a victory for the Tiny Eagles, Bob told her sister, "I'm going to text Molly right now. Does she have a favorite kind of food? And a favorite type of flower?"

She pressed her lips together, nodding and looking pleased. "Sushi. And those really ugly multicolored carnations." 

"Thanks," Bob said, forcing himself to take his phone out right now. As he walked back to his truck with all of his gear, he typed out and deleted several messages. Nothing sounded right. He might need to call Nat for help. God, even fourteen year olds knew how to flirt over texts. What was wrong with him?

Bob tossed everything into the bed of his truck and took a deep breath. Then he quickly typed up a message and hit send before he could rethink it. 

Hi, Molly. It's Bob Floyd. If you have an evening free this week and are interested, I would love to have dinner with you.

Then he stood there and nervously reread the message, already silently pleading for a fast response from Molly. Because maybe everyone else was actually wrong, and she was laughing right now at the idea of going out with him. At the thought of going out to dinner with a man who had to spend a full minute trying to come up with a response every time she spoke, because he got so flustered. 

He tossed his phone into the cup holder and drove home. And not that he was counting, but it took Molly six hours and three minutes to respond to him. And when she did, his hands started sweating.

Molly: Coach Cute Glasses! Sorry for the late response, I'm working a double today. On my lunch break now. Dinner? This week? Are you sure you want to? You don't need to feel pressured to go out with me just because my sister is a bully.

Bob dropped his phone onto his kitchen counter. Molly thought he only texted her because her sister told him to. No, this was bad. But she wasn't completely wrong. He just didn't know he should have contacted her already. 

Before he messed this up, he called Nat. She already knew about his crush on Molly. She kept calling him Cassanova at work. But Bob knew that Nat would help him without picking on him too much.

"Nat, I didn't know I was supposed to text Molly right away!"

"You didn't text her yet?" Natasha asked so loudly through the phone that Bob had to remove it from his ear.

"I sent her a message this morning. I asked her out to dinner."

Nat practically screamed. "Bob! You should have texted her like ten minutes after she left you at your truck on Thursday night."

"Nat, I don't know how to do this!" Panic rose inside him.

"Okay. It's okay. What did she say to you?"

Bob went into every single detail he could think of and sent Nat a screenshot of his text with Molly. And then Nat did scream at him.

"Text her back this instant! She's so unsure, Robert Charles Floyd! You need to reassure her that you've had a boner in her honor for weeks and would like nothing more than to wine and dine her!" Nat huffed as Bob juggled his phone and started to draft a text to Molly. "Between you and Rooster, my hands are full. And yet I'm the one who's not getting any pussy? Unbelievable."

Bob took a deep breath, verified his response with Nat and then ended the call. Then he hit send.

I've been thinking about you a lot. Pretty much nonstop. I want to go out with you if you're interested. 

And then Bob stared at his phone for sixteen full minutes until Molly wrote back. 

Molly: Thursday night? I could meet you at tee ball?

And just like that, Bob had a date. And now he needed to get a reservation at the best sushi restaurant in San Diego.

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

Molly: Well what do you think of when you think of me?

Bob was on cloud nine. He and Molly had been texting constantly for days. Sometimes it was just a quick greeting. Sometimes it was flirty. And last night she sent him a selfie of her at work during her overnight shift. She was smiling in her maroon scrubs with her name embroidered on the top. She looked sweet and happy, and Bob had shamelessly masturbated to the photo. 

When I think of you, I think of how bad your driving is.

Molly seemed to like it when he teased her. She told him over and over again how funny he was. Bob had never been this charming before. 

Molly: You fly in a fighter jet, Lieutenant Floyd. Get over yourself! No wait, I'll bet you drive like a grandma. A grandma with a big, huge.... pickup truck.

Bob was laying in bed now, so excited for dinner tomorrow night. 

You'll find out tomorrow when I drive us to dinner.

Molly: I can't wait.

After work on Thursday, Bob showered in the locker room, but instead of the baseball pants, he changed into jeans and a soft undershirt. He had a dress shirt hanging in his truck that he would put on for dinner. He just hoped he didn't get too sweaty at practice.

He took more time to fix his hair than he ever had before. It felt important that he looked good tonight. He had a vase full of the ugly flowers that Molly liked. Apparently you could only buy them at the gas station, and Bob laughed when they came to four dollars for a bouquet of a dozen. He bought three dozen flowers for Molly last night and put them all in an oversized vase. He carried them in to work this morning and left them in his locker all day so they wouldn't wilt. When he was ready to leave for tee ball, he grabbed the vase out of his locker along with his keys and wallet. 

When Nat saw him in the hallway, she squealed. And then her eyes went wide. "Bob, no. Those flowers are hideous. You need to stop and get her something better!"

He laughed at the appalled look on her face. "She likes these ones. I verified it with her sister. Even sent a photo to confirm."

Nat studied him for a minute. "She likes ugly flowers and top tier sushi? And she's hot. And she thinks you're charming. She's quirky, Bob. Molly sounds like a treat. Like somehow... this makes sense to me." She patted him on the chest and then added, "Have fun! Don't forget some condoms!"

Bob gripped the vase in both hands before it could drop to the floor. Was he really supposed to do that? Stop and buy condoms? For a first date? Surely Nat was out of her mind. Bob laughed and headed outside to his truck. He buckled the vase in with the passenger side seatbelt. 

"Condoms," he murmured, blushing. He was just hoping for some more kisses. He was going to let Molly take the lead on everything physical, and maybe after a few weeks and a few more dates, they'd start to need condoms. If he was lucky. If she wanted to keep seeing him.

When Bob got to the ballfield, he still felt calm, collected. But when his eyes caught on that blue car, his heart skipped around in his chest. Because there was Molly, and his brain was quickly flooded with all of the flirty text messages they had been sending back and forth since the weekend. 

She had on a rather short dress, and Bob was filled with desire. It was almost like he forgot how beautiful she was since he'd been absorbed by talking with her over text. He had learned a lot about her as they chatted late into the evenings. Molly bowls in a league. Her favorite color is neither green nor blue but greenish-blue. She volunteers at blood drives. She likes spending time with her nephew. And she sleeps naked. 

Bob had blushed for an hour when she casually told him that. And now he was blushing again and getting flustered. Because Molly was here. And she was beautiful to look at as well as lovely in every other way. Everything about her was a turn on to Bob. 

But he still wasn't so sure he could continue to impress and entertain her. He wasn't cool. He wasn't sexy. Bob embraced his nerd tendencies. He was often reserved. Methodical. Meticulous. Molly was spontaneous and silly. She was perfect. A spitfire. The opposite of him.

Molly walked down to the ballfield directly toward Bob, and then she did the unthinkable. She planted her left hand firmly on his chest like it belonged there. And then she kissed him on the cheek before brushing his lips with hers. Right in front of everyone. 

"Hey, Coach Cute Glasses," she said with a laugh that had Bob fiddling with his whistle. "I'm excited for our plans tonight."

"Hi, Molly." Bob mumbled as all the moms looked on. He could feel himself blushing as she patted his chest and went to sit on the bleachers. 

He wasn't sure how he managed to keep it together, but he finished practice without getting too sweaty. Molly was lingering by the bleachers and talking to her sister as Bob talked with some of the other parents and said goodbye to the kids. 

When he started heading for the bleachers, Molly shoved her sister and nephew toward the parking lot and said, "Bye!"

"Hey, I thought you told me you loved spending time with your family," Bob said with a laugh. 

"I do!" Molly insisted. "But would I choose them over a hot guy who promised me sushi? Nope."

You took Bob by the hand and he muttered, "I still find it hard to believe you're talking about me."

Molly rolled her eyes and said, "You know you're hot. Now you promised me a walk around the park before dinner."

Bob couldn't help but smile as she tried to pull him toward one of the walking paths. But he gently pulled her closer to him. "Let me put my gear in my truck first."

She walked with him to the parking lot, and when he tossed his tee ball equipment into the bed of the truck, he heard Molly gasp. She was looking in the passenger side window as she said, "Oh my goodness, Lieutenant Floyd. Did you buy me gas station flowers?" She turned to look at him with adoration in her eyes. "I love gas station flowers."

"I asked your sister what I should get," he told her as he blushed. 

Bob's limbs felt warm as Molly clapped her hands together and then bounced into Bob's arms. "I can't believe you took the time to ask my sister what I like," she whispered, lips brushing his ear. 

Bob's hands came to rest on her lower back as he held her close. "I want to know everything you like."

She hummed softly and kissed the side of his neck. "I like you."

Now Bob felt too warm. He needed to cool down. He swallowed hard and said, "How about that walk through the park?"

Molly was like a force of nature, always keeping Bob's full attention on her. She told him stories about work and her sister, and she constantly asked him questions about himself. He wasn't interesting, so he tried to turn the conversation back to her as quickly as possible each time. 

"So," she said eventually, chewing on her lip. "Bradley told me you don't have a girlfriend, but... how many women are you seeing?"

"Seeing?" Bob asked, looking at her pretty face and their linked hands.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I mean, I'm just curious if you're going on a lot of dates, but you don't have to tell me. Pretend I didn't even ask!"

Bob stopped in the middle of the path, and Molly came to a halt too. "Just you," Bob said slowly. He hadn't even considered that his original thought of Molly's collection of a hundred boyfriends could still be correct. Just because she didn't have a boyfriend, that didn't mean she wasn't seeing a bunch of other guys. And now Bob felt like an idiot. 

"Just me?" she asked, surprised. "Oh. That sounds nice."

He forced the words out. "What about you?"

"Well," she said, ducking her head in embarrassment. Bob could feel disappointment thrumming through his veins. He'd already gotten his hopes up when he'd been texting her late into the evening every night. But he had never once thought that maybe he wasn't the only guy Molly was chatting with. 

Then she cleared her throat. "Well, my ex, Casey, and I were kind of seeing each other again, but I cancelled on him after I gave you my number last week. I had high hopes, but when I didn't hear from you, I figured that you didn't want to go out with me."

"I'm sorry, Molly," Bob mumbled. He had hesitated, and it was going to cost him. He was so bad at all of this stuff, it was unbelievable. 

She smiled up at him. "I thought maybe I came on too strong for you."

"I liked it," he said softly. And then he decided to be bold and try to make her forget about Casey. He leaned down and kissed her. But his plan backfired. Because instead, she made him forget he'd ever looked at any other girls. When he finally pulled his lips away from hers, his glasses were crooked again. Molly adjusted them before he could, and then she pushed her fingers through his hair. 

She whimpered softly, which made Bob's entire body throb, and then she was in his arms and kissing him all over his entire face before settling back on his lips again. "I just love your glasses," she whispered against his neck as her hand trailed down the front of him to the button of his jeans. 

"Molly," he groaned, which was a bad idea, because her hand dropped a few more inches, and he had to grab her wrist as she ran her hand along his erection. "Molly, let's go get sushi."

She nodded at him. "Yeah, okay." 

He was aching for her, and now that he got a little taste of her touch, he wanted more. She sounded out of breath, and Bob was beginning to wonder if this is what chemistry felt like. This nonstop attraction. His inability to look away. His concern about being better for her than her ex. Better than anyone else. 

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

Molly held her vase overflowing with rainbow flowers while Bob drove toward the naval base. He had put on his dress shirt, and now the radio was playing softly as he followed every traffic law. 

"I just knew you'd drive like a grandma," Molly said. "Your hands are at ten and two on the steering wheel. You don't go even a smidge over the speed limit. And you have absolutely no trash or anything in here." She glanced around the cab of his spotlessly clean truck.

Bob cleared his throat. "You know who taught me how to drive?"

"Who?" she asked, laughter in her voice. 

Bob turned to face her at a stoplight. "My grandma," he told her with a smile.

Molly erupted into laughter that filled his heart. "It shows, Uncle Bob! I love it!"

Okay so this was clearly the best date Bob had ever been on, and he wasn't even at dinner yet. He had no idea how a good night kiss would go since Molly had already kissed him. Quite a few times. And she had touched him, too. She made everything so exciting, he kept looking forward to more. 

"Have you been here before?" he asked, parking in front of what Payback and Fanboy had promised him was the best sushi restaurant around. 

"Of course," Molly said, crawling across the seat toward Bob once he climbed out of his truck. "It's the best." He could see down the front of her dress as she made her way across the seat on her hands and knees. Bob was going to ask what she was doing, but he was just staring at her. He reached out to help her climb down, and her body skimmed along his. 

"Did you come here on a date?" he asked as they walked into the restaurant, presumably just to punish himself. 

After Bob gave his last name to the hostess, Molly shook her head. "I brought my sister here for her birthday. And again after her divorce was final. Never on a date."

Bob liked that. Molly was looking up at him like he was transparent, but he didn't mind that either. 

When they were led to a table, he pulled out one of the chairs for her. When his fingers skimmed along her back, she looked up at him and followed him with her eyes until he was sitting across from her. Nobody had ever looked at him this way. It was so surprising, Bob felt completely off balance. 

When he stretched his long legs out, he bumped hers. "Sorry," he mumbled, but Molly hooked her ankles around his legs and pulled them closer.

"That's okay," she said. Bob listened to her order a beer, a salad and some sushi. He couldn't focus on the menu at all. Not with the way Molly was rubbing his calf with her foot. He said something to the waiter, so he must have ordered something for himself. 

Molly reached across the table and ran her fingers along his. "So, where are you from, Coach Bob? Your accent is cute."

He smiled down at his chopsticks. "I grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. My family moved to California when I was fifteen."

She bit her lip and stared at him before she said, "You're a country boy."

"Yeah," he replied with a laugh. 

"I'll bet you ran around in cowboy boots and collected bugs as a kid. You probably had your own wildlife preserve on the ranch."

"I did, actually," he confirmed with a grin. "I've always been a bit of a nerd. Interested in the ranch animals and the way things worked."

Molly seemed to understand him, and all of his interests and nuances didn't bother her at all. "Good lord almighty, a nerdy cowboy. I could definitely get used to that," she muttered.

Bob wasn't sure what to say. Maybe Molly was feeling like he was? Maybe the more she learned about him, the more she liked? I didn't seem at all plausible, but there was just something about the way she looked at him.

"Do you have a cowboy hat?" she asked innocently with her hands folded in front of her. 

"Not anymore," he said, and she was giggling now.

"I'll get you one," she whispered. "Or maybe I could wear it."

Bob could picture it. Molly, sitting on his lap, wearing a cowboy hat that was a little too big for her head before laughing and dropping it onto his head. 

"You'd look cute in it," Bob confirmed, and her eyes lit up. "You'd look cute in anything." 

"You know what I think I'd look great in, Lieutenant Floyd?"

Bob shook his head, mesmerized by the way Molly's lips looked when she spoke. "Tell me?"

Her eyes dipped down to his collar as she said, "That shirt you're wearing. It'll look pretty great on me tomorrow morning."

Bob's cock registered the meaning before his brain did. She was rubbing her foot along his calf and looking at him expectantly as she pressed her beer bottle to her lips. Was she suggesting a sleepover? Bob made a grunting noise, but he was saved from having to try to speak when their food was dropped off. 

As Molly picked up her chopsticks and went to take her first bite of sushi, Bob managed to say, "I'd like to see that."

She froze and looked at him. Her eyes were so expressive and unguarded. She wore her emotions on her face, and even Bob could tell that she wanted him. It didn't make sense, but it was true. It was obvious.

He sat a little taller and smirked as he started eating. Because if a woman like Molly was interested in him, even if he wasn't the only one, it was something to get excited about. 

"How's your sushi?" he asked, one eyebrow raised above his glasses.

"So good," Molly replied softly, her food still held in midair in front of her.

Bob smiled. "You haven't eaten any yet."

"I know," she assured him. "But when I do, it's going to be perfect."

Bob ate quickly after that, not really tasting his food. Molly seemed to be enjoying herself though, little moans and gasps of pleasure filled his ears as she ate. And she shared her food with him. He liked that. 

"Here, Bob. Try this one," she said, holding up her chopsticks instead of setting the sushi on his plate this time. Then she fed it to him and watched his mouth work as he chewed. "You're really sexy," she gasped before setting her chopsticks down. Bob watched her run her hand along the back of her neck as he ached for her. "I'm sure you get that a lot."

Bob almost never got that, but he didn't want to tell her. He didn't want her to think of him in any other way. 

"Molly," he whispered, pushing aside his plate as she ran her foot up along his jeans again. 

"Wanna take me home?" she asked softly, and Bob was nodding and reaching for his wallet. He dropped three fifty dollar bills onto the table, confident that would cover everything plus a tip, and then he was on his feet. 

Molly abandoned some uneaten sushi and the last few sips of her beer in favor of his arms. She kissed him on the cheek right there next to the table and whispered, "I just want to take you and my gas station flowers back to my place for the night."

Bob let her hook her index finger through his belt loop, and he followed her wordlessly toward the exit. He opened the truck door for Molly while she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him softly. 

"Do you want me to take you to get your car?" he asked as her lips met his jaw. "Or... do you want me to-"

Molly dragged her fingernails along his scalp, and Bob's cock throbbed against her belly where she was pressed tight to him. She must have been able to feel him, but he wasn't embarrassed about it at all. She whined softly and kept kissing him as she spoke. "Take me home, Bobby."

Bobby. Shit. He was unbelievably turned on. Letting Molly take the lead physically was maybe a bad idea, because several of his shirt buttons were undone, and her lips were on his Adam's apple. She was so warm and sweet. Never hesitating to show him affection or tell him she liked something about him.

And he liked everything about her. What was he waiting for? Once again, Molly made the next move, pulling her lips away from him and patting him gently on the cheek as she climbed into his truck and got buckled in with her flowers. Bob felt cold where her body used to be pressed against him as he closed her door and walked around the bed of his truck.

But when he started the engine and turned toward Molly to ask for directions, she kissed him again and rubbed her hand up along his thigh. "Turn right out of the parking lot," she whispered. After a few miles of following her directions, Molly whined, "I even find it sexy the way you drive like an elderly person. What is happening to me, Lieutenant Floyd?" Her head was tipped back against the headrest, and her palm was resting so high on his jeans, she was about to nudge his erection.

"Molly," he gasped, unable to say much else. He had never been this turned on before, and now he was afraid she was going to want to have sex with him. He'd never done that on a first date. Or a second date. Or a third date. His last girlfriend made him wait until they went out eight times, which was fine, but then she lost interest in him after a few more dates. 

But Molly made him feel the same way flying in a Super Hornet did: she was exciting and fun, but the element of danger lurking beneath the surface made it even better. 

"Park there," she told him, pointing to her assigned spot in her apartment complex. And then her seatbelt was off, the vase was sitting on the floor, and she was straddling his lap. There was no way he could hide how hard he was, so he didn't even try. 

"Molly." 

She devoured his lips, kissing him nice and slow while she took both of his hands in hers. Carefully, she guided his hands to her bare thighs, easing them up underneath her dress a few inches. Then she carefully worked on the rest of his shirt buttons while she kissed him. Molly's skin beneath Bob's rough hands was the softest thing he had ever felt. And the more he explored, the louder she got.

Then she wrenched her lips away from his, and Bob sat there staring at her as she looked at his mouth. There was a little crease of concern on her face as her brow scrunched up, and her eyes met his as she said, "Wait."

Bob started to pull his hands away from her legs, embarrassed now by how forward he'd been. "Sorry," he murmured, but Molly took his hands in hers once again and placed them back on her legs. 

She kissed his lips gently one time before she said, "I really, really like you, Bob...maybe we should slow down?"

"Okay," he agreed, realizing he was running purely on adrenaline at the moment. "Slow. Okay. Yes." That was the speed he knew best anyway. But Molly's lips were back on his neck and she was scooting a little more snug up against his body. 

"Slow," she murmured against his skin. And then slowly, she untucked his undershirt so her hands were on his abs, and Bob's head tipped back. Slowly, she kissed and nipped at his neck. Slowly, she rolled her hips against his. He had to squeeze his eyes shut as she slowly unbuttoned his jeans and licked his ear. 

"I thought you said slow," he whispered, panting as he gently squeezed her thighs in his big hands. "Molly."

"Keep saying my name," she gasped, shaking as he dug his fingertips into her soft flesh. "Bobby, please."

"Molly," he grunted, sucking in a breath and kissing her mouth. He swallowed down her soft whines and whimpers as he pushed her back against his steering wheel. She leaned back like she was on display for him, still rolling her hips gently against his.

Bob had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. And as she ran her hands down over her own body, she stopped at the hem of her dress. "Keep saying my name," she demanded. 

"Molly," Bob whispered, watching her ease her dress up higher. "Molly," he groaned, both syllables coming out a little rough. She wasn't wearing underwear. Her bare pussy was resting on the fly of his jeans, because she wasn't wearing any underwear. "Molly!" 

His hands were on her waist and his lips were skimming across the soft swell of her breasts. Bob was rutting gently against her now, but he couldn't stop as she cried out one word. "More!"

"Molly," he panted, imagining how good he would feel wrapped in her warmth. "You said slow, honey."

"I don't want to go slow!" she moaned. "But I don't want you to think I always do this!"

Bob looked her in the eye. He didn't care if she did this all the time. He just wanted her feelings to be as strong as his, so maybe she'd want to just be with him now. Because he was already completely addicted to being around her. And if they had sex, he knew he wouldn't recover from it with his heart intact if she turned around and grew tired of him. 

"Molly," he whispered, running his knuckles softly along her cheek so she'd look at him. "I don't care if we go slow or fast or somewhere in the middle. But I really like you, too. And nothing's gonna change that."

She nodded as he cupped her cheek. "You're too sweet," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing him. She knocked his glasses crooked and let her forehead come to rest on his. "Let's go inside."

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

I am so obsessed with Mob. Don't forget, Bob fucks. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls and everyone who bugged me to make Molly and Bob a thing!

PART 3

@theamuz

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[darkpetal16]

We've got Mafiafell Papyrus headcanons, BUT!! What about Wingding?

Can’t forget about him!

Undercut because t/w for toxic relationship.

Controlling.

Things have a place and he knows where that place is. He’s particular about things being where he needs them to be; from pens in his office desk, suit jackets in his closet, and to even where people stand beside him.

He needs to feel in control of his life the situation, otherwise he’s helpless immeasurably angry.

This controlling nature bleeds into all of his relationships. He will manipulate anyone by any means necessary for his goal. This includes you, and his brothers.

It’s for your own good, he will always say.

There are times where you may think the choice was yours; but hindsight will consistently show that he subtly hinted, and steered conversations around the idea months ago to plant it in your head.

He’s patient. He can and will wait however long it takes for you to come around.

If verbal persuasion no longer works, his next step is solitary confinement via the void. You’ll submit eventually.

Or break. He can love an obedient puppet just as much.

It’s not impossible to change his mind or handle him, just. . . Difficult. It takes trials and errors time. The important thing is to let him feel in control of the situation, even if he’s not. If you can manage that, you can manage him.

Control > Family > Himself.

Laws are “guidelines” to abide by. He tries to adhere to them when able, but if it gets in his way he won’t care to bend/break them.

He likes to act like a gentleman. He likes to pretend he’s polite. He likes to play the role of a suave rich man. It helps distract him from the fact that he grew up poor, crass, and desperate enough to sell himself to the Dreemur family.

He is the Royal Scientist, even if he doesn’t utilize the role as often as he did in youth. His love for science dwindled under the forced labor by the Dreemur family. Now all he feels is bitterness towards the subject he once revered.

If you find a way to turn that bitterness into something sweet, and make him genuinely love science again, you’ll cement yourself as someone precious to him. He’ll be so soft and gentle to you.

He doesn’t like to show vulnerability to anyone, so if he ever does show it to you. . . Understand that you’re special. Unique. He treasures you enough to show that side of him.

He will never let you go.

Dates are always someplace nice where you both have to dress up. He likes to keep up appearances, and he expects you to match his pace.

He’ll only do casual dates if one or both of you are sick. Then it’s usually eating together on a couch and reading. Something quiet.

Consistent kindness shown towards him even at the cost of yourself makes him weak please be gentle with him because no one else has or will disgusts him.

PLAY IF - MAFIAFELL FOR HIS ROUTE

MASTERLIST

[nonasuch]

Can I, in fact, get you started on Yesterday? That's the movie premised on everyone just forgetting everything about the Beatles one day right?

Yes, and it drove me nuts because that’s a great premise! But it was totally wasted in a way that I found extra frustrating, because they only needed to slightly reshuffle the existing pieces and give the love interest some kind of coherent characterization, and they just. did not do that.

So like. The premise of the movie is that Jack, the main character, is a struggling musician who gets hit by a car and knocked unconscious at the exact moment of a mysterious global blackout. When he wakes up in the hospital, he discovers that he is the only person on Earth who remembers the existence of the Beatles.

It takes him a bit to realize this: he quotes When I’m Sixty-Four to his best friend Ellie at the hospital and she just gives him a weird look. When he plays a bit of Yesterday while hanging out with friends, they all freak out about how good his new song is, and he realizes that something is Weird.

There’s a fun scene where he frantically googles Beatles-related terms and comes up empty. “Beatles” turns up bugs and cars. Ringo Starr? Never heard of him. We find out that the band Oasis never existed either, and over the course of the movie there are a few more disappearances thrown in as jokes: Coca-Cola, cigarettes, and Harry Potter have also ceased to exist, or never were.

So Jack, who knows most of the Beatles catalogue by heart, and is a decent musician, decides to re-record them. And they’re instant hits, and he starts getting money and fame and record deals thrown at him, and hanging out with Ed Sheeran (played by Ed Sheeran), and going on talk shows and so on. The movie rapidly turns into a parable about the cost of fame, not letting success change you, remembering what’s more important than money and power, etc etc.

It’s just like. kind of lazy about it? and the romance plot feels both incoherent and slapdash, because Ellie has no personality and no comprehensible motivations.

Like, she’s been Jack’s music manager since they were teenagers, and she’s been convinced he was destined for greatness since she saw him play Wonderwall at a school talent show, but she also is weirdly convinced that she’s not good enough for him even before he becomes super famous. But Jack never actually stops being into her, even at the Peak Hubris part of the plot, and he eventually gives it all up and tells the world he didn’t write any of the songs as part of a big dramatic love confession. Except it’s never really clear what was holding either of them back in the first place, or why a dramatic love confession was even necessary.

So, here is how I would fix the movie.

First, the romance plot feels super tacked on anyway so let’s just resolve it earlier and give the poor girl an actual job in the plot. I’d have Jack sit Ellie down fairly early, after he’s released the first few songs and they’ve blown up but before the Fame Spiral starts, and say:

okay. look. I know this sounds nuts but either that accident caused the most specific brain damage in the history of the world, or I remember a different version of reality than everyone else, because I did not write these songs. I just remember them, and no one else does.

And the movie did actually set up a way for him to prove this, but they never used it! for some fucking reason! Because Wonderwall is the song that convinced Ellie that Jack was destined for musical greatness, and Wonderwall has also been erased. Which creates an opportunity, which the movie did not take, for a really effective scene where Jack asks Ellie what song he sang at the talent show. And she can’t answer him, which freaks her out because that’s a core memory! Thats the reason she’s so devoted to Jack in the first place!

So he starts playing her the song. And she knows she’s never heard it before, but she also knows that on some level, she recognizes it.

So from that point onwards, Ellie and Jack can be in cahoots, sharing the secret, which allows the romance to develop a lot more effectively and convincingly, and puts Ellie in a better position to talk Jack down from Fame Hubris, and allows Jack to remind Ellie that he’s not actually too good or too famous for her, because she knows he’s actually just the beneficiary of a deeply weird cosmic accident.

Also, there’s a better way to resolve the romance plot. Ellie has bafflingly low self-esteem, for reasons that are never explained, so like. please explain that, movie. But since half the romance plot is just Ellie going “I’m not good enough for you!” I do have a better resolution than what the movie did.

The only Big Dramatic Gesture Jack does comes at the very end of the movie, and it’s boring and doesn’t actually have anything much to do with Ellie — he already hates being famous by then, he wants out regardless. He needs a gesture that’s actually about Ellie, and allows them to be together and in cahoots again for the rest of the Price of Fame plot.

Which, again, the movie laid the groundwork for at the beginning, and never used.

I’d have Jack tell Ellie that he knows — is baffled by? but knows — that she thinks she ought to leave him for his own good, and that she thinks his music career is more important than her. To prove it’s not, he’s going to give her a song. A Beatles song he’s never going to record, never going to play, for anyone but her. A song that used to be one of the most famous songs in the world, but is only ever going to be theirs, hers and his, from now on.

He plays her When I’m Sixty-Four.

That does the trick: they’re together through the rest of the movie, and decide how to get Jack out of the Fame Trap together, and retire into happy obscurity together.

There is one other optional change, but it would require buy-in from Paul McCartney.

There’s already a scene in the movie — one of the best bits of the whole thing, honestly — where Jack meets an elderly John Lennon, who has never been famous and is perfectly content with his life. I think a nice epilogue would have Jack track down Paul, and find him in his back garden, planting flowers and beatifically happy.

After a short conversation in which Paul appears to have no memory of ever ever having been a Beatle, Jack leaves Paul to enjoy his retirement.

After he’s gone, as the camera pulls away and the movie ends, Paul starts to whistle When I’m Sixty-Four to himself.

[fifteenminutes-if]

Screaming fans. Blinding stage lights. A multitude of camera flashes.

It's all you've ever wanted. It's all you've ever worked for.

So where did you go wrong?

You were always told you had the X factor.

Something indescribable. Something exceptional.

Perhaps you doubted the truth to those words when you took in your rag-tag group of bandmates in your high school music room. But, your first performance together–for a crowd–was electric.

And you've been pursuing that same feeling ever since.

Now, with a recording contract, a debut album, an EP, and a #1 Billboard hit under your belt, your band is gearing up for the biggest album release of the year. With major publicity and curiosity from fans and critics alike, you can feel the potential thrumming beneath your skin. You're on the edge of a precipice. You're going to be a star.

Until the shocking truth hits the tabloids and–eventually–major news outlets.

Your career falls apart before you in a matter of days.

Your manager resigns, the media turns against you, your fans wage war against each other as lines are drawn in the sands of stardom.

You become a pariah.

How will you rebuild your legacy, and what will you sacrifice to reach the top once again?

Fifteen Minutes follows an artist in the music industry who is on the cusp of a meteoric rise in fame until a leaked scandal lands their reputation in the grave. A story about the ugly underbelly of fame, our glaring mortality, and the way love fails to save us from ourselves. Rated 18+ for explicit language, substance use (and abuse), death, sexual content, and mild violence.

Choose the scandal that ruins your character's career!

Customize your superstar's pronouns, gender, name, stage name, appearance, celebrity persona, their engagement with their fanbase, and more.

Make choices that affect public perception, headlines and the media narrative.

Create your character's previous and future discography, including choosing the genre(s) your character commands and their musical influences.

Deal with the aftermath of a career in ruins and decide on its trajectory/how your character rebuilds their tarnished reputation (if they choose to do so at all).

Romance (or befriend) a colourful cast of characters–all with varying degrees of proximity to fame and obscurity.

[THE PUBLICITY STUNT ◦ primary RO] MADDOX, 27, M/F An internationally beloved megastar with a media target on their back. A long trail of broken hearts and sordid deeds follow them, but their talent overshadows their attitude enough for those in the industry to turn the other way. For now. Caustic, jaded, and charismatic enough to get exactly what they want. Fresh out of a public breakup, they're acting out more than ever and the bitter taste of fame in their mouth might just kill them faster than their long list of enemies. RO Routes: FWB PR relationship or PR relationship with feelings involved. (Engaging in a PR relationship with Maddox is a mandatory plot point, but does not prevent MC from engaging in romance with other characters)

[THE INDUSTRY SWEETHEART ◦ primary RO] CARMEN BAILEY, 30, F ◦ she/her The antithesis to MC—a pop star that rose to fame in her teen years and has maintained relevancy well into her late twenties. Carmen Bailey is the golden girl. Gracious, kind, and praised for being family-friendly yet edgy enough to capture both old and young demographics alike, Carmen holds tightly to her image at the cost of everything else in her life. Sometimes, it's difficult to tell whether Carmen herself knows the difference between her image and herself.

[THE RECLUSIVE SOCIALITE ◦ primary RO] MATEO EL AMRANI, 25, M ◦ he/him Born to a wealthy, legendary family within the heart of Hollywood, Mateo shuns the limelight that comes with his heritage at any given opportunity. Unfortunately, the mystery surrounding him keeps the cameras and the public intrigued and hungry. Only close with his oldest brother, Elias, and has a strained relationship with the rest of his family. Often seen as quiet and emotionless by the media, Mateo in reality feels very deeply and desperately wants to know and be known by those he loves. RO Routes: Ex-friends, ex-lovers, or just acquaintances.

[THE JOURNALIST ◦ primary RO] ROBIN FRASER, 32, M/F A shrewd investigative journalist with the ability to destroy a career or launch someone into stardom. Has a history of major exposés and reliable pop culture predictions under their belt. Needless to say, their words hold a whole lot of power. They value truth above all else, no matter how ugly it may be and while they're privy to the manipulations and machinations of the upper echelons, they're not willing to play the game.

[THE EX BAND MEMBER ◦ primary RO] VAL PARK, 24, M/F A whirlwind of a person that has taken Hollywood by storm since their abrupt departure from your life. Ambitious with a cutting tongue, Val is persistent in their chase for fame. Tends to be reckless, hot-headed, and easily provoked with a deep need for independence and creative freedom. While they're not everyone's cup of tea, they've charmed the right people to gain entry into opportunities that you've only dreamed of. RO Routes: Ex-rivals or ex-friends (can opt to have had a crush on Val in the past). Val was in love with MC in both routes.

DEMO TBA

[korkorali]

I think the worst bit for me about all Those Sorts (you know the type) of fics is that they always take Della extremely out of character in order to make her the 'antagonist.'

And that sucks because it's just not necessary! It's the worst because you can have Della & Louie angst where Della's the 'antagonist,' and it's in-character.

You just have to have Louie be wrong in the end (kind of).

The reason why Della and Louie clash in Timephoon and Glomtales! isn't because Della 'disapproves of scheming in entirety' or something, it's because she's done the same goddamn thing as him.

(And side note- Timephoon is honestly an amazing piece of storytelling, because it allows us to see Della's thought process for taking the Spear of Selene by showing us Louie doing pretty much the same thing.)

She's been through it all before, and she knows how it ends.

And that fucking terrifies her! The idea that one of her kids is making the same mistakes as her, could go through the same thing as she did, and she's the only one who can see it, is terrifying.

The way to start out a story like this is simple; have an adventure go wrong. Not in a deadly way, not in a way that's caused by Louie (at least, not that anyone but him notices), not in a way that costs anyone their life- but in a way that causes them to lose the treasure. The adventure is a failure, and they have to come back empty handed, like New Gods on the Block.

Maybe some people get hurt, maybe it's vaguely Louie's fault (and even then- it'd be better if it wasn't even his fault, it's just his brain connecting patterns where there aren't any), but the most important part is that they don't get the treasure, and it's like- one of those ones that can only be found once every hundred years or something.

Louie feels responsible (I mean all of the kids do, but as it'd be a Louie story he'd be the one focused on) and upset that they want to all that trouble and don't have anything to show for it, so he tries to figure out some way to go on the adventure again.

Turns out, after a bit of research, there is a way to get to the treasure again! Louie brings it to Scrooge's attention excitedly- but Scrooge turns it down. Says it's too dangerous, that they're not doing it, end of story.

...Not end of story- everyone's still obviously miserable. So Louie decides that 'okay, if it's 'too dangerous,' then I'll just go in secret. It'll be fine, Scrooge is just overreacting.'

So he starts trying to put a plan into place to get the treasure in secret- but Della, somehow, seems to know what he's doing (hint: it's because she knows what she'd do if she was in Louie's shoes). And is consistently getting in his way.

And there you go- a perfect setup to have Della consistently and purposefully stepping on Louie's toes, getting in his way, trying to stop him from doing things, and it's even in-character! It'd probably start out with the two acting like everything's perfectly hunky-dory, even though both of them know that the other knows that they know that the other knows why they did this one thing.

As plans get deeper, it'd escalate to Della trying to actively call Louie out, but he always manages to just barely weasel his way out of it, and eventually commence his plan.

It obviously goes wrong. But Della's there to help. And finally she'd actually explain why the fuck she's been something of a thorn in his side for the past few weeks, why it seems like she knows what he's thinking: because she does.

Because she's been through the same thing.

Because she fucked up, and left her stranded on the moon for ten years, and she does not want that for her kid. (And of course everything could've been solved if she'd just sat down and talked to Louie about that at the onset, but it's Della- she only likes to bring up the moon when it's funny. She would've thought 'nah it's fine, I can handle this, I don't need to bare my soul, I shouldn't burden anyone with that' without realizing that oh yeah, no, that's the exact same thought process she doesn't want Louie to think)

And of course they'd argue, because it'd be a high-stress situation and neither of them would have the composure to pretend that everything's alright and they haven't been sniping at each other for the past week or so, and eventually it'd finally come up; eventually, they'd finally bring up that they thought the exact same thing when Louie did this, when Louie took the Timetub, when Della took the Spear.

'...And if anything goes wrong, at least I'm the only one who'll get hurt.' (Because you cannot tell me that that was not the last thought running through both of their heads when they took the timetub/Spear of Selene, you cannot convince me that they didn't think they were doing right by their families in that moment, that they hadn't done their due diligence and minimized risk down to one person.)

And Louie wouldn't understand, because he did the right thing. He minimized risk, he made sure nobody else would get hurt. But that's wrong- because if he got hurt, then Della (Donald, Scrooge, their family, her kids) would get hurt too. That they could fly into a vacuum all they wanted, but at the end of the day, they still didn't exist in one.

Eventually, they'd get out of there and abandon the mission again. Maybe they'd succeed, but probably not. But that's not important- what'd be important is that they were both safe and alive and okay.

There- a Della & Louie thing, extremely angsty, well Della as the 'antagonist,' and it's all in-character. Easy.

[alex-rambles]

Could you please do some Bill X reader headcannons with a reader who helps Bill at no cost, which Bill likes at first, but he slowly grows attached to the reader as they'll listen to him vent and help him feel better and are there to listen to him, making him close to the reader. However, Bill grows concerned for the reader with how far they'll go, and when he sees that the reader has nothing to lose and wants to see the world burn, Bill puts his plans on hold asking the reader if everything was ok, to which the reader cries

Reader is gender neutral

-Honestly his "HMMMMM" detectors were going off from the start. He just wasn't sure why.

-Were you gonna pop up later and try to trip him with "I helped you sooo much for free, now it's your turn?"

-Weeks go by. Nope nothing.

-Months. Zilch.

-One year, and you're still just helping for no reason.

-Around the two month mark is when he starts enjoying your company and starts actively seeking you out when he didn't need help

-But Bill is a prideful being and doesn't admit he wants to see a mErE hUmAn

-"No, no, I was just looking for another idiot to swindle. This is YOUR mindscape? Oopsies well since I'm here let's chat! "

-His excuses fool no one

-At first venting might be around trivial matters, such as humans being pricks when he's trying to use them

-Eventually he opens up more, and you might hear small rants about the people of the Second Dimension, and maybe, just maybe, you'll catch a few glimpses into the life he had before Bill Cipher was Bill Cipher

-And you listen. You feel sympathy

-So, he grows to care for you, which actually pisses him off a bit

-You're human, you don't deserve him and all his glory

-Attempts to talk himself out of emotions

-Truth be told, Bill is just upset because you're human. You will be dead long, long before him (...unfortunately an incorrect assumption due to his death after Weirdmaggedon)

-And eventually, when the tasks he assigns begin to get more and more absurd and impossible to complete, he watches you accept and try your best again and again

-And then,

-"The brown-haired boy? With the hat? He's figuring things out he shouldn't, and it's messing up my plans. He somehow managed to... never mind. I couldn't get rid of him. Are you comfortable-"

-"Sure, why not?"

-You said it with a smile

-This disturbs Bill on a level he didn't think possible, and he attempts to backtrack.

-"Hey, hey, I was just kidding there, kiddo... Can't have you going to the bighouse, can we?"

-After that, Bill doesn't return for a few days

-When he does come back, he seems off

-"What do you have against your world? What is wrong with you?"

-Probably came off more accusatory than necessary, but he doesn't really care until you burst into tears

-Obviously, he knows what crying is, and why it happens, but he's still incredibly uncomfortable now and has zero clue how to comfort someone in a genuine way

-"Uh... I think your eyes are leaking."

-Which only makes you cry harder.

-Honestly, whatever the reason for your grudge against the world, Bill does his best to sympathize, just as you did for him

-Were you abused or bullied? He probably was once as well

-Are you a sadistic freak? Okay, so is he

-Passion for death, chaos, and destruction? Yas, twinsies

-Either way, he'll be quiet and listen to your story

-Maybe holding your hand

-You best believe you get front row seats to Weirdmaggedon

[the-badger-mole]

How would you improve Aang's writing?

In a word...accountability.

Aang, despite his own personal losses, never seems to grasp the gravity of the war. Season 1 would be more or less the same, but season 2 would open with him grappling with his part in the siege of the North. He would acknowledge that he was part of the reason a lot of people died that day, and it would lead into him confronting somethings about his duty, and eventually make him take his powers as the Avatar more seriously.

Season 2 would be him coming to terms with the fact that he has blood on his hands, however indirectly. This would be where he addresses his refusal to kill Ozai and be confronted with the fact that people expect him to. He'd be faced with either not going to face Ozai and letting down a bunch of people, killing Ozai like he's expected to, or some secret third option that he will spend the rest of the series leading up to his confrontation with Ozai trying to figure out. His emotions over losing his people would get a LOT more attention. He'd end the season realizing that he hasn't allowed himself to feel the anger and grief over losing his people, and it's affecting his ability to do his duty as the Avatar. He'd have an episode towards the end where he lets it all out. I'm talking a real tear jerker of an episode where he finally comes to a place where he can empathize with the people around him suffering under the war.

Aang can still have his stupid lionturtle, but this time he has to actually work for it. Sometime between season 2 and 3, he finds out about their existence, and he tries to find one. I mean tried hard. Gets himself and maybe his friends into danger hard. He knows how important defeating Ozai is, and he is willing to kill him if he has to, but it's his last resort. And he gets really frustrated when it's the final days before he has to face Ozai and he still hasn't managed to find a lionturtle. I haven't decided if he still gets kidnapped by the lionturtle, but maybe. The short story is, he does manage to find the lionturtle. He still gets spiritbending, but it comes at a cost. Off the top of my head, I think maybe he loses his airbending in exchange, except when he's in the Avatar State, but I'm not married to the idea.

Speaking of the Avatar State, he still loses his connection to it. He still speaks to Guru Pathik who tells him he's too attached to Katara and needs to let her go. He still refuses to. But instead of not focusing on Katara's feelings, she gets to be a lot more vocal about what she thinks of Aang's crush on her. Maybe not to him directly, but everyone is aware that Aang has a crush and Katara does not reciprocate. The EIP kiss plays out much differently. Aang's feelings get hurt, but Katara gets to have her say and she calls him out for not considering her thoughts at all in his plans for them. They are still friends in the end, but Aang does come to understand that he has her on an impossible pedestal, and that just like Guru Pathik said, he has put all the love he had for his people on her. Instead of the Magic Rock of Ultimate Destiny being what brings back his connection to the Avatar State, it's his acceptance that he needs to let go of Katara so he can be the Avatar the world need.

That's pretty much it. I've answered this question before with a lot more detail, but thanks to Tumblr focusing on looking more like Twitter instead of making their archive more user friendly, I can't find it. But maybe it'll pop up in the recommended section of this post.

[radiance1]

You know I had this real random au I made on discord on my other account that I logged out of and subsequently lost!

Where Vlad was a priest and Plasmius is his contractually obligated partner.

Except, said contract is actually 50-50 all the way on the scale of a good deal, but meh.

So baaaaaaasically, Plasmius was (I think) a demon that appeared before Vlad while he was in the hospital suffering from Ecto-acne and basically gave him a:

"Bind yourself to me or die."

Offer.

Like, literally. Vlad became Plasmius' vessel in the mortal world and Vlad is free to live his life. Well, whenever Plasmius wasn't living his life that is.

Which is pretty rare but anyways.

Vlad was a goddamn workaholic who spent most of his time working away on whatever little thing he could, before the rest of that time was spent with Plasmius taking over his body and doing whatever he wanted.

Most of which, due to having a mortal vessel and not as durable as his demon body, ended up with Vlad being injured a few times than not before Plasmius got a grasp on what Vlad's body could and couldn't take, well, compared to his other human vessels he's had in the past of course.

Then, a few years later, or whatever, Vlad and Plasmius have been going around killing a multitude of priests. Mostly the ones that have a high position and the like, and having Vlad replace them and work there for a while.

Why?

Because Plasmius wanted to find a suitable vessel for his son.

Which Vlad was totally a-okay, the killing priests part and taking their place he means. Taking over their roles were surprisingly easy, and he's memorized enough verses that he could recite the entire thing back-to-back from book to book with no real difficulty.

Oh, and he also found how to make holy water! And he could even confidently say that it works because, hey! He's literally the guy being possessed right now, and if it works against him then it'll definitely work on your probably possessed child, miss Samantha!

(He doesn't tell about the demon possessing him part of course, because that would be more paint something that most surely works in a negative light.)

It quite literally never even became a thought in his mind to try and use said holy water against, well, you know. The literal demon possessing him.

But hey, Plasmius brought it up once and Vlad just gave him the most, blank-eyed stare he's ever seen, and then just moved on with his life.

And Plasmius?

Well shit, he's realized he's picked a wonderful vessel.

(Usually, they would try to eject or kill him at their first opportunity, which is quite rude since he helped. But y'know, past is past and what not.)

So then comes time, after Vlad's like, 25th switcharoo they managed to find a picture perfect vessel for Plasmius' son, and he's like:

Plasmius: Kill him.

Vlad: What-

Like, kill priests? Sure no problem Vlad legit does not care, but killing a child? Not something he can do, he gets some shade for his decision, of course, but he's adamant about it.

So Plasmius, powerful demon from hell who is used to taking what he wants.

Lets him.

At the cost of the boy becoming his son's newest and first ever vessel of course.

And Vlad was kinda on the fence about this, but due to the contract- in which he stated that he'll do anything so long as he lives- is, well, there, he had to chose between the two.

And that, was how one young Daniel Fenton, was made the vessel of demon going by the name of Phantom.

Of course, he wasn't happy about such a thing, but it was going to happen eventually, so at least compared to the original plan he'll live.

(Can't remember if Danny's fam was alive or not here, so I'll just say they dead as hell in that Nasty Burger explosion. Cept it was more of a celebration thing, and Danny was running a little late on his way there and then BOOM.)

Vlad tries to make Danny as comfortable as possible after the possession, and of course Danny isn't happy about it, give all three of them snark and sass and being a genuine little shit. Except Phantom doesn't like that, and since Danny is the equivalent of a newly gotten toy, it doesn't end well for him.

Mostly, in the form of numerous injuries that leads to Plasmius lecturing his son about how fragile mortals are and some- looking at Vlad- even more fragile than some others

You know, since he was trapped in a bed for years and all that.

So then Plasmius and Danny wander around, dragging their vessels along behind them. Vlad and Danny do get a quiet a bit closer during this time, Vlad explaning that hey, he didn't want to subject a child to his fate, but it was either that or death so.

And that kinda thaws the ice a little between them.

Vlad says that it'll eventually get better, he's been at this for years and Plasmius regards him as either his most loyal henchmen.

Which is an upgrade from being viewed as a pet since he can actually add his opinions now, well, he could before but now Plasmius would actually take them into consideration if Vlad doesn't wanna do this or that.

Danny is very obviously bummed out about that, and also kinda pitying Vlad but is also still dealing with the trauma of his family and friends exploding and then having to share (Not really even THAT) a body with a demon who leaves him injured far more often than not because of his stunts.

Well, you could say he isn't having a good time.

Then, cut to a while later, and Vlad managed to make these things that allow for them to be separated, but not past a certain point.

Why?

Because Vlad was getting tired about Plasmius' wants for his body getting in the way of working through Vladco (a business idea he pitched and Plasmius backed once he found out he needed money) and there's only so much mental calculations he could do before he tries to find a way around this.

Plasmius thought that Vlad was finally about to do the expected 'fight back against the possessor' and was even a little hurt, before realizing that no, said thought still hasn't crossed his host's mind and he's just upset that he couldn't work on Vladco because of Plasmius' need of his body.

Plasmius, once again. Realized he picked a wonderful host, though this time he thinks there may be a little something wrong with him.

But that's okay, he still loves his henchmen regardless.

Meanwhile, Danny and Phantom are ecstatic, more so Phantom than Danny, and instantly use them. Thankfully, unlike the rings Vlad and Plasmius have, they have bracelets, the point extends city wide comfortably, a fair bit while past that if they strain it though.

So, Danny has been having the best time of his life now, able to spend it doing normal teen things instead of stunts that'll injure him or kill him and having fun.

Phantom?

Well.

He joined the Super scene.

If I remember correctly, he was a hero and his father played the villain, mostly because Phantom wanted to play as a hero, but he didn't have a nemesis like everyone else or something so-

Then for Phantom and Dann's birthday (Phantom kinda declared Danny's birthday his because it was the day he came to the mortal plane), Plasmius decided to kidnap various heroes to participate in an escape game that's really just an elaborate ploy for said party.

Some balloons here and there, confetti, a few gifts and a lot of things you wouldn't expect when kidnapped by a villain. Then at the end there was a birthday cake and a Happy birthday sign hung up there.

Then a Tv turned on and it showed Plasmius, sitting there in a classic villain chair with Vlad standing next to him- a surprise to most heroes there since Vladco was relatively clean actually- and then Plasmius going Happy birthday and then waving over at Vlad saying that he planned most of it.

Kidnapping various heroes was his idea, of course.

But everything else, from the design of each room to the traps to gifts and all of that, and Phantom excitedly shouts a thanks Dad and Papa, with Danny giving a quieter thanks Dad, which leaves the two of them shocked. Then Vlad, who was currently standing to Plasmius' side and working through Vladco investments and business opportunities, tries to play it cool but everyone (heroes included) can see the pink dusting his ears.

While Plasmius is just laughing his ass off at Vlad's reaction.

That's all I can remember right now, of course with a few tweaks here and there because, well, you can probably tell why.

Oh right, there was also this funny thing where, because of the matching rings that Vlad made and the two were wearing. The heroes thought they were married lmao.