#except without being able to actually understand any of it

[catboybiologist]

Hey. You know how laws against queer people never really mask off say that they're for queer persecution? You know how they always have to wrap it in a layer of "saving the children" or "protecting women", when the goal is actually the destruction of queer groups without actually any improvements to the lives of children or women? You know how the cherry pick examples without context of queer people committing horrible Acts, most of the times in completely false ways, try and make their point?

A bill to destroy biomedical research as we know it just got introduced to Congress with a similar tactic.

The SPARE act would ban all use of vertebrate animals for biomedical research in the United states. It's dressed in language of animal welfare, into aims to tap into the public lack of knowledge about how animal research is used and why is necessary. Not easier, necessary.

I can go into great detail about why this is, but I'm going to put this as simply as possible. There is an inherent paradox to not using animals for biomedical research. If you know enough about a factor or disease or whatever, that you are studying, replicated in a model system and no, for a fact that this model system reflects the reality of how that factor operates in a complete organism, then you know enough about that factor by definition to none use an animal. And therefore, no research is even necessary. If something is being researched, somewhere in the thread of that research, there will be an animal study involved. Maybe not in that particular paper, maybe not in that particular research group, but something that group cites, some continuation of that research, some thing that is necessary to actually provide a meaningful understanding about human or animal biology, must involve a research animal at some point in the process.

Anyone who has done animal research understands this is the case. Anyone who has done animal research also understands that there are great standards put in place by University IACUCs to maintain ethical standards. Are there lapses? Of course. And you're about to hear about *all* of them, without context, without the thousands of examples of lives that have been saved by disease research. And of course, we already *have* systems of accountability.

Animal testing is a delicate topic across the political spectrum. And for good reason. However, I don't think very many people outside of the field truly understand how necessary it is to gain literally any understanding about biological systems, nor the systems of accountability that already exist to ensure it's done ethically and meaningfully.

The goal is destruction of research science in this country. If this bill passes I'm genuinely doubtful that I will ever be able to be employed in this country again.

Please, PLEASE urge your representatives to do something about this.

Oh and by the way- if you needed any indication that this law is bullshit and they don't care about animal welfare, any testing on military and police animals is a specifically allowed exception.

[lavenderhateswritting]

Sinister!Mark x Reader

You're running. The streets are chaos and deep in your heart you understand that there is very little you can do. Running from one person to the next desperately trying to heal who you can, has taken so much out of you . You've been going for hours at this point with no end in sight. The carnage is so brutal you're having a hard time distinguishing one body from the other. When you can you lean down and heal those who are still alive and breathing and point them to the nearest safe house.

Invincible and you had never been close. He was obviously a very nice guy and you could respect him for trying to fight the good fight, but you were support. When the world went to shit you came in after to pick up the pieces so you to never really got to know him. Now you don't know if you'll be able to look him in the eyese without seeing the carnage being created by the other Invincibles around the world.

You were at home when a Mark began reeking habit on downtown Chicago. You couldn't just sit and wait for the fight to be over so you ran to the streets and tried your hardest to help where you could. Which had gotten you caught out without any backup and low on energy.

"It's okay I've got you" You told the civilian you were leaning down to heal.

"Thank you. Oh god thank you I can't feel my legs"

"I'm gonna heal you and then you're gonna have to make a run for the safe house on halsted okay" You placed your hand on his knee and felt some of your energy being sapped away as you fixed his legs.

"You're waisting your time I'm just gonna kill you both anyways." The voice made a chill run down your back.

How could you be so stupid you should have been paying attention. The sounds of destruction had been steadily geting closer, but between your fight to try and help as many people as you could and stop yourself from collapsing everything had turned to background noise. And now he was right behind you.

"Of course I guess if you wanted I could give you a head start. What do you think 10 seconds or 20? I mean it doesn't matter, but time is time." His mocking tone just added on to your hopelessness. You weren't going to make it out of here alive.

The civilian you were helping began to stumble to his street and run as fast as he could. You watched as he tripped over his feet trying his hardest to make use of his head start.

"Aww that's really cute he's actually trying. That's okay I'll make it quick." The Invincible double said. You felt him speed passed you getting dust and dirt in your eyes.

"WAIT NO!" You screamed as you tried to warn the civilian desperately trying to get away. It was to late the Invincible double already had his fist in their stomach up to the elbow.

"Haha sorry about that you just healed that guy right." He finally turned to you. He looked exactly like Invincible except his suit was black and yellow instead of blue and yellow and his smile there was something so rotten about the smile he sent you.

"Well isn't that interesting." He looked at your face and the sinister smile he had on his face began to grow. You could barely breathe and all of a sudden he was directly in front of you scanning your face so close you could feel his breath on youre skin.

"You look just like them." If it was possible his smile got even wider.

You jumped backwards desperately trying to crawl away as fast as possible. It didn't matter. He grabbed your face with a grip so hard that you could feel your jaw straining under the force.

"Now where do you think you're going love. It's been so long since I've seen this face of yours."

"Let go of me I don't know who the hell you are , but just kill me already you asshole." Your voice was shaking, but you were trying your hardest to at least die with dignity.

"Has the Mark in this universe left you to sit here just running around with that fire in you. What a fucking idiot." He finally let go of your face. You turned to make a run for it, but before you could the ground was already disappearing underneath your feet.

"You know in my universe we used to do this all the time. I'd fly you up here and then I'd fuck you above all of these worms who never stood a chance agaisnt me." He was holding you up by your shoulders and shooting into the sky. He watched your face as he spoke those words searching for some kind of reaction all you could do was scream.

"Put me down. Holy shit put me down you crazy son of a bitch." Your eyes were watering from the wind in your eyes and you were so high you could no longer see the Chicago skyline.

"Really you want me to put you down?" He was smiling still laughing at your panicking. "Ok if you say so." And then he let you go.

The ground was geting closer and closer and as you flailed your arms you were certain this would be it.

"Nah just kidding." He said as he swooped in and grabbed you a few miles above the ground.

"Why are you crying love you know I would never drop you." There were tears free flowing down your face now you.

"What do yo want from me. I don't know anything that could help you. I don't even know Invincible that well." Your voice was shot you. It felt like you ahd been screaming for hours you were drained in a way you had never felt before.

"Oh love I don't want anything from you. I never did." His faced softened into something that could almost be viewed as love. He leaned forward and you flinched back, but you couldn't go far as he placed his head in the crook of your neck.

"They took you from me. Turned you against me. Made me have to do something I would have never done If they hadn't left me with no other choice." As he was speaking his hold on you got tighter and tighter until you couled feel your bones creaking.

"But, I've been given another chance and I won't fail you this time." He turned his head against your neck and you finally felt him leave a feather light kiss on your neck.

You thought as fast as you could and finally you reached your arm up and rubbed your hand on his forearm.

"It's okay Mark. I'm right here, but you've gotta let me down you know. You've gotta let me do my job." You had no clue how the other you acted and if you're being honest you just needed to get out of here anyway you could.

"If I let you goback to work I'm just gonna have to kill you again." The saddened ex lover was gone and now it was just the mass killer again.

"Okay okay I won't go back to work then I'll go back to my apartment." You just needed to get out of his hold any way you could if you're being honest. You would have told him you were going to backflip off Sears Tower if it would have gotten him to let you go.

He pulled his head back so fast of he could have gotten whiplash you could have sworn he would have gotten it. There was maic look to his face again.

"Yeah we're going to go back to your apartment. And then we're going to watch (favorite show) and have some pizza. You're a genuis love." He kissed the top of your head and then all of a sudden you were speeding off and were in front of the door to your apartment.

You were staring at it with shaking hands and wide opened eyes. The psycho killer who had already killed one version of you and had killed a civilian diectly in front of you after destroying a city new exactly where your apartment was. That's just fucking great.

"Open the door love." His voice still had that manic edge to it as he stood behind you. You reached into your pocket and fumbled with your keys before you opened the door.

He zipped in immediately and began taking his suit off while floating off the ground.

"Woof I need a shower order the food and I'll borrow some of your clothes okay." He was peeling the bloody costume off in the middle of your fucking living room.

Your eyes nearly popped out of your head as you watched him get undressed. You were seeing parts of Invincible that you really weren't ever supposed to see and holy shit he wasn't wearing underwear. You turned your head and trying to not think about the line of hair that began below his stomach and worked its way down lower than you were ever supposed to see on him.

"I can't order food you destroyed the city remember." Why would you say that your brain was literally short circuiting right now.

"Haa yeah I did whoops guess we'll just have to make something." And then he spead off down the hall to your bathroom. Something in you wanted to keep your costume on if nothing else than just as emotional support since you were trapped in your one bedroom apartment with a fucking serial killer. But the dust and grime had begun to make your skin itch and before you knew it he was out of the bathroom and you were in it.

Sitting on the couch you turned on (favorite show). He layed his head on your lap and grabbed your hand and placed it on his head. You began to work your hands through his hair as he slowly started to loose the tension in his body. Once you finally heard his breath shllow out and tiny snores make their way past his lips you finally hung your head back. Fuck how were you gonna explain this to Cecil.

Grammar mistakes probably I speed wrote this in the middle of the night I can't tell if I wanna write about Conquest next or Batman I love old men I don't know if this really reads like Sinister he feels a little more sidistic than I've made him here

[starry-bi-sky]

Danny's used to finding lost kids in Amity.

The ghostly kind, that is. But the human variant happens on occasion too, usually when a too-lax parent takes their eyes off their child for far too long in the park. But he digresses.

It happens more often than he would like. He's not really sure what the family dynamics between ghosts are like in the Zone, he hasn't gotten around to asking about it. Although, it's not like he would be able to anyways — hard to ask questions about something you don't know much about. So far, it all seems kinda... laissez-faire.

Point is: Danny is used to finding lost kids in Amity.

It's since lost its novelty on him. Kids are kids everywhere, dead or alive, human or not. And kids are curious, and portals between the Infinite Realms and the Mortal World are rare in both dimensions. The braver ones will want to explore the things that are new and unknown to them, and they'll do so without any thought of what might happen.

The lost kids Danny finds are, more often than not, just kids who got curious about the portal and got too close to it, and ended up falling through. And in their panic and haste, accidentally fled the lab and got lost in the city.

Like right now.

The noise he makes as he squats to the ground, his knees bracketing his shoulders, is... well, the best way he could describe it is that it kind of sounds like a pigeon coo, or the trill a cat makes when you touch it while it's sleeping. It's as soft and as quiet as he could make it, while still being loud enough to be heard through his mask.

Ghostspeak is not a language that you can learn... technically speaking. That's because the majority of Ghostspeak relies heavily on core vibrations, of which Danny and other humans don't have. The verbal components that Ghostspeak does have also aren't done with the human vocal chords in mind, so most of the sounds Danny can't make.

...Except for a few.

The little noise he makes whips through the tunnel both him and the kid are in. The boy's terrified sniffling abruptly stops, if only because it's cut off by a teeny, startled gasp, and him snapping his head up at the sound.

Danny, crouched reminiscently like a frog, and a solid six feet away, tilts his head just slightly. He hunches his shoulders in and dips a little closer to the ground — it feels a bit awkward on his back, but he's found that moving unnervingly, even if it has to be animalistic, tends to help a lot in situations like these.

Lots of ghosts thrive off being weird and off-putting and inhuman; acting like one usually gets a lost ghost to calm down faster than if he didn't.

He can't parse how old the boy is — physically, he looks about eight, but he could always be older — but he can see shimmering, blue tear tracks streaking down his face. There's a snake-like seam stretching from both corners of his mouth and connecting up to his jaw, and little patches of scales around his yellow-eyes.

The boy's eyes go wide at the sight of him, before his pupils abruptly shrink into needles. The temperature plummets and the boy's mouth peels back to reveal two curved, deadly-looking fangs, and a perfunctory hiss comes out of his mouth.

"Go away!"

Danny does not go away, goosebumps rake down his arms and spine, and he cranes his neck until he hears it pop. The ringing in his ears subside, he braces and reaches back— "Ḩ̶̢̤͉̜̔̕- H̶̩́͋e̶̘̋̅̈̀ļ̵͎͉̑̒̚p̵͙̫͉̏."

He can't help the soft grunt that escapes him after, swaggling his head left and right like a lion shaking out its mane. His mask hides his grimace — he generates enough of his own ectoplasm to understand Ghostspeak and to have a few intrinsic abilities of his own, but compared to an actual ghost, it's minuscule.

It's like trying to speak in a register lower than your throat can handle; on a technical level he can in some aspects, but it still hurts to do. It's one of the few actual words he knows how to say, most are just sounds. Rumbles and trills and purrs that he's somewhat perfected.

The boy's face scrunches up, he shrinks a little away from Danny, looking both equally wary and judgmental. Which.. yeah, fair. That's the usual response. The boy croaks: "What?"

Danny tilts slightly forward — only enough to shift from a crouch to a partial kneel. He points at the boy, and then slowly draws his finger back to point at himself. "H̶̩́͋e̶̘̋̅̈̀ļ̵͎͉̑̒̚p̵͙̫͉̏," He repeats, throat straining, "ḩ̴̲̘̺͗͂ě̵̳̼̝̀̎͠͝l̶̬͈͍̳͂̓͆p̷̢̡̧̛̩̟̆̅͐͘."

He reaches back and tries to flare what little ecto-signature he has, and follows up with a low-rumbling noise he knows for certain means 'safecomfortsafe'.

Danny points to the exit of the tunnel: "H̵̼̹͎̊̏́͑̂͘͜ǫ̴̠̺̜̞́̕͜m̵̪̋e̸̢̞͔̞̺͛̽."

That seems to catch the boy's attention, his head perks up and his folded, pointed ears flap slightly. Unsteadily, his knees draw away from his chest, some of his distrust melting away like frost under the sun. "You- you know where home is?"

Danny can't say the word 'yes', its out of his range and his capabilities. But he knows how to mimic the sound of 'pleased', so he presses his cheek to the ground — ignoring the unpleasant clack it makes as mask thunks against concrete — and nods, replicating the trill.

The boy looks hopeful, a crack in the ice, before suddenly remembering to be wary. He shrivels back again, his brows furrowing and eyes narrow. "Who are you?"

"H̷͇͚̹͝e̶͉͑͗͒̂͝ĺ̸̡͇̟̅p̸̰̕." Danny repeats, because he doesn't know how to say "Phantom" in ghostspeak, and not every ghost knows English — Wulf is the first to come to mind in that regard. He points again to the exit: "H̵͈͉̖̳͚̾̀͐̄̀ö̶͖͑̄͝ḿ̷̨̭̬͋͆̃́e̵̺͑."

"Is that all you know how to say?" The boy asks, (more like demands) "Help and home?"

Danny nods again, he sits back up and slowly crawls back outwards from the tunnel, gesturing for the boy to follow. "H̴̤̊o̶̢̳̻͓̿m̵̘̘̀e̸̡̝̼̓̉," is all he says, "H̴̤̊o̶̢̳̻͓̿m̵̘̘̀e̸̡̝̼̓̉."

He only crawls back a few steps before stopping — he's not actually going to leave until he's certain the kid was going to follow him. And so far he wasn't moving, yet.

They stare at each other for a few long seconds, Danny watching expectantly. Emotions run rapid and rabbit across the kid's face, flickering between uncertainty and consideration. After a few minutes, victoriously, the boy drops his legs and begins to follow.

Danny rewards him with a very pleased trill. Perhaps some of his joy bleeds through his signature— the lines in the boy's face disappear for a moment as a little giggle escapes him.

"What are you?" The boy asks him once they're closer to the entrance, Danny holds his arm out to prevent the boy from walking out, and then peers out of the tunnel for stragglers. It's the middle of the night in Amity Park, but you never really know. "You don't feel like a ghost."

Ah, well. Danny glances at the boy, how does he explain liminality to someone who might not grasp the concept, and might not even know English? He barely understands himself what he is.

Danny shrugs, and points to himself, "H̷e̵l̷p̴."

[giveemhales]

🦇 My 30 Favorite Batfam Fics of 2024 🦇

I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing some of my favorite fics that came out in the past year (you can see last year’s list here). This is just a way for me to show my love and appreciation for the many amazing artists/writers who keep the fandom alive. If you read any of these fics, please make sure to leave some kudos and comments! And there are so many amazing fics I wasn’t able to include, so I encourage you to show some appreciation to your own favorites!

Please be sure to read all tags and warnings. I’ve provided warnings for the darkest fics.

All of these fics were completed in 2024. I only do one fic per author, but definitely check out all of these authors’ other works. Also, most of these feature tim, because he is my favorite. Now, without further ado…

Sparkles by @iselsis (2k, jason & bruce, fluff, a/b/o dynamics, batman finds an omega kid covered in cuddle pollen and going into heat)

until the bounds of death have been unwound by @vinelark (2.9k, tim & jason, fantasy and angst with a hopeful ending, tim is a demigod and he goes to save jason from the underworld) (the sequel is also great!)

Sacrificial Lamb by @kgraces (3.3k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, bruce makes a deal with the devil to trade tim’s life for jason’s, his kids later find out) (this fic messed me up, i actually think about it all the time)

wouldn’t wish it by @green-eyedfirework (3.3k, jason & damian & tim, whump/angst with a hopeful ending, talia calls jason to save his brothers from the league of assassins) *READ THE TAGS

Lucky Number Three by @sohotthateveryonedied (3.4k, tim & bruce, angst and hurt/comfort, bruce has to deal with the consequences of his actions while he was under the influence of truth serum) (won’t make much sense unless you read this fic which honestly destroyed me)

Anything by @byrambles (3.5k, dick-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce tells dick he wants to adopt his siblings, dick assumes this does not mean him)

possess by @envysparkler (4.6k, bruce-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce is possessed by a demon that want, fortunately jason has magic swords)

The Guilt Never Really Left, You Know by @neuro-psyche (4.9k, dick & jason, angst with a happy ending, nightwing saves and then confronts red hood) *READ THE TAGS

Sacrifice by @onemuseleft (5.4k, bruce & his kids, light angst with a happy ending, the justice league is successfully negotiating with alien invaders until they request the sacrifice of one of Batman’s children)

you’ll be alright [or else] by @call-me-quill (5.9k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim takes a bullet meant for jason and doesn’t understand why jason is so upset)

the bed and breakfast by @adelfie (6.2k, dick-centric, fluff and angst with a happy ending, dick is stranded at a b&b during blizzard, things seem fine until he realizes he’s being held hostage)

with the exception of… by @dss1101 (6.4k, tim-centric, hurt/comfort, everyone realizes tim had a very different experience with his batman than all the other kids)

How to be a Little Brother by @die-erlkonigin6083 (7.4k, damian-centric, fluff and light angst, damian tries to learn how to be a good younger brother)

Reply ‘STOP’ to Unsubscribe by @motleyfam & @batmoniker (8.4k, jason & tim, angst with a happy ending, tim imagines his dad when he’s hit with fear gas at school) (this will probably make more sense if you read the rest of the series first, but I don’t think is strictly necessary (but you should read the series anyway bc it’s great))

Of A Genius’ Legacy by @sparkoflena (8.5k, tim-centric, fluff, tim graduates high school, a lot more people than he expected show up)

Flatline by @dragonpyre (8.9k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is injected with a drug that basically shuts down his body, he has to watch his family’s reactions to finding his “dead” body)

Our Dead Drink the Sea by @ghost-bxrd (9.2k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is a selkie and bruce kept his pelt when he died, the red hood takes the pelt and the batfam want it back)

In The Back Room by WhumpKing223 (9.9k, dick & jason & tim, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, batman discovers black mask is holding three boys captive, bruce wayne decides to take them in) (the rest of the series is about the boys’ time with bruce and it is great) *READ THE TAGS

Boom, Boom, Pow! by LilaVaporizer9000 (11.1k, tim-centric, absolute hilarity, kid tim steals the batmobile and wreaks havoc/ saves the day)

how to feed your local demon by @inkpotsprite (14.5k, tim & dick & bruce, fluff and humor and light angst, dick is an incubus and isn’t doing well after jason’s death, tim shows up to help)

the fire under your feet by @phneltwrites (17.8k, tim & jason & damian, angst with a happy ending, tim shows up to the league of assassins while jason is still there, they must team up to save damian from ra’s)

Perfect Storm by @banditywrites (25.1k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim is winning the game of not needing anything from his parents, but it starts getting harder and his neighbors are concerned)

you’re not defenseless, i’ll be your shelter by @fandomtrash-whataboutit (26.3k, tim-centric, angst with a hopeful ending, tim is lex luthor’s captive and is in charge of watching over the new captives- young justice) (the only batfam relationship in this is tim & dick, but the rest of the series has more batfam plus timkon and is so good)

Brother of the Fucking Year by @aceofdivinechlorophyll (26.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack, jason makes plans to chaotically meet and bond with his siblings… as red hood) (will probably make more sense if you read the first part of the series first, which is also funny and great)

Join the Club by @cephalog0d (26.9k, jason & tim & dick, fluff and humor and light angst, where tim and jason meet at school, tim is dick’s biggest fan, and jason thinks it would be funny to make them meet) (this was filled for me for FTH but I would have included this fic regardless, it’s great)

What Christmas Means To Me by @taralaurel (29.9k, tim & dick & jason & bruce, fluff and angst, tim meets bruce when he is dressed as santa and asks for his parents to be home for Christmas, the batfam takes this as a challenge)

Screaming In The Dark (While We All Play Our Part) by @yourwakingnightmares (32.9k, dick & jason & tim & damian, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, the batboys are captives of a very evil batman, they escape and go to the justice league for help) (I also rec the sequel, which is ongoing and great) *READ THE TAGS

The Right Substitution is Key by @addictedapple (34.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack and light angst, nightwing and batman go missing, robin asks red hood to fill in as batman)

the loneliness in worth by @yeeyee123 (56.1k, tim & damian, angst with a happy ending and humor, tim is supposed to be training in paris, he instead ends up with the league of assassins and decides he’s gonna help damian get to his father)

Northern Attitude (I Was Raised on Little Light) by @theskeptileptic (103.2k, tim-centric, heavy angst with a happy ending, tim is bruce’s biological son, jack drake has been punishing him his whole life for this, the batfam just want tim in their life) (technically not finished, but I didn’t put it in the WIP section as there is only one chapter left and it’s honestly at a satisfying stopping point) *READ THE TAGS, there is graphic child abuse

+5 WIPs I’d love to see more of in 2025!

[Refuge] by @raberbagirl (7.6k, tim & jason & dick, mostly fluff, the boys take refuge from the streets in the abandoned and supposedly haunted Wayne manor, the spirit of the manor is just happy to care for the kids)

a cuckoo in the nest by @antebunny (9.4k, tim-centric, angst and fluff, bruce makes a deal with the fae to get jason back, he has to take tim in in return, tim just wants to be loved)

Mine by @millytsworld (18k, jason & dick, angst with a happy ending, dick is the right hand man to an infamous mob boss (bruce) and decides jason is his new little brother, jason completely misunderstands dick’s intentions) *READ THE TAGS

Losing Time by hatlessmule (40.3k, tim-centric, angst (hopefully with a happy ending), tim finds himself in a universe where he doesn’t exist, the batfam want to know who this flighty kid is)

Care and Keeping and Kryptonite by @mild-and-hammered (96.9k, superbat ft. the bat kids, fluff and light angst, mild-mannered reporter clark is injured and has to stay with playboy bruce wayne and neither know the other’s secret identity, meanwhile bruce’s kids start meddling to bring the two closer together)

[sugarphoric]

when husband!nanami has a crush on his wife! :)

slight nsfw, gn!reader for the most part except for like. wife/gf. actually is this even gn anymore guys im so sorry idk im slow

nanami kento whos been happily married to you for years now, and has never felt a day where he didnt feel this love for you. but recently - and he cant tell you when it started - hes started getting... butterflies?

it started off small- when he worked and had a thought of you, he would be smiling and giggling almost maniacally without him realizing, leaving coworkers thinking hes finally lost it.

then, it started to get bigger.

hed be driving home and while checking his blind spot, that small shift of his head allowed him to get just the tiniest whiff of your perfume- fuck, if there was a car he definitely wouldve crashed. nostrils fully flared, his breathing is completely erratic to see if he can get another hit, pedal almost to the floor, more impatient than ever to get home.

he cant tell if hed rather be at home or at work, both a personal paradise and a jail cell- you occupy his every thought that small butterflies turn into heart throbbing chest pains (he even visits the doctor to see if he had survived a week long heart attack from how much it ached in his chest (he didnt have any complications, only a very very high heart rate? ... weird)). he cant do anythjng about it so he starts hitting the gym as much as he can to attribute this throbbing with hard-work and exercise (hes there so often people have started to think hes a manager)

now its gotten so bad that he finds himself not being able to look you in the eye, so conscious that hes making EYE-CONTACT with his CRUSH (wife), or else hes going to turn into a mess (as if he wasnt already) - blushing, stuttering, pants going tiighttt, you name it.

hes feining so hard that hes started courting you again (like a fucking bird), dressing himself up as best as he could, seriously making him look like the best suitor on the market possible (even if he wasnt youd still pick him). normally a very financially responsible man, its uncharacteristic of him to spend money left and right arguably buying the most expensively useless things imaginable that he knew you would like (but it reminded him of you so how could it be useless? (._.))

you initially thought he was mad at you with the way he started to ignore you, refusing to touch you or make eye contact, refusing to hold a conversation longer than five minutes (it was because he would actually cum his pants (from talking!!) if he held it out any longer), hes never felt more like a schoolboy till now. oh and you (unknowingly) were not helping his case; sweet, honey dripping whispers of "im sorry"s and "i love you"s, michelin star curated bento boxes with his favorite foods paired with such sugar infused notes of encouragement and love to get him through the day.

you, too, were now dressing to the T's. you could easily steal the title of "world's most unforgiving fashion critic" with how precise you were with every detail of your outfits, your hair, anything that would catch his eye. days and nights of dolling up to try and even seduce your way to his "forgiveness"- and it didnt even work in the end, if anything, it made him retreat even further :(

(he almost slept in the guest bedroom when this started to happen- hell he was this close to renting a hotel room for the night. if he couldnt even handle your horribly messy morning face, how could he ever handle you looking like a damn angel sent from god himself)

then it was a whole plethora of thinking he felt guilty for something like breaking your eyeshadow palettes or shattering a plate, or was trying to keep a massive secret from you. and fuck if you thought hed wanted a divorce but didnt know how to tell you! (which was far from the truth apparently)

you finally understand he doesnt want a divorce, but hes... weird.

it was, really, nothing short of endearing, frustrating, and pathetic. hes never acted this way, even on your wedding day nor the day he proposed nor the day he even got to finally have you as his proud girlfriend. even way before when he spent years pining and courting (like a bird) for you to be his girlfriend!! hes always had this air of "cool and confident", almost egotistical if he wasnt so humble, so this... yea this was different.

it finally pushed you to the edge, so what better to do than implement the "forced proximity!" trope while he was in the shower! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა (it was created for a reason)

if it wasnt obvious before about his big fat crush on you, it was obvious now as the immediate sight of your naked body in the shower, with him, together- oh hes already hard and dripping so much pre- no, he actually just came. his face incredibly red, eyes almost vibrating due to not knowing where to look, mind buzzing from feelings of embarrassment, ecstasy, shame, love, everything all together at once.

and what a sight it is, that your husband nanami kento is finally professing his love for you, his deep crush on his wife, naked (and still hard) in the shower. you can only giggle at his foolishness before pulling him into an attempted kiss, one filled with laughter and teeth equally spilled from the two of you underneath the falling water :)

its far from the oh-so-dreamy scene seen in The Notebook, but lets be honest, this version of you and your husband is way better than what Hollywood could ever win awards for.

[yanderenightmare]

Mahito

TW: slight NSFW, degradation, dehumanization, Stockholm Syndrome, Mahito in and of himself, platonic to romantic yandere

fem reader

Mahito makes it a point to treat you like an animal – his human pet.

Ever since he first took you. The cage, the collar, the petting, and the treats. 

Most of the time, when he talks to you, he acts as though you’re incapable of understanding complex conversation, using only a few words and simple commands – a smile stretching his face, stroking your head when you do good. Other times, he acts as though he’s forgotten you can even speak at all. The worst part is – you don’t really know whether he’s faking or not. 

He takes you for walks and plays with you – letting you off the leash for a game of hide´n´seek in the forest where he chases you down barefoot – he doesn’t really care about the rules or that he’s breaking the basic premise of the game. He just laughs, liking the way you pant and wince against the mossy floor after he’s hunted and tackled you down for the umpteenth time, sweaty while you beg him to take you home with teary eyes and puffy cheeks. Home – being where he keeps you.

You used to refuse, you used to run away and fight him when he caught you – with scratching and clawing and biting and barking, but you soon learned to behave. He told you he had no use for rabid pets and threatened you with transfiguration, warning you not to bore him, and ultimately – after having seen him twist enough people into mockeries – you stopped doing much more than obey.

You’re constantly blue with bruises and stinging from scratches – but you wash in the hot springs when Mahito brings you along – soaking your aching muscles in the warmth while he cheats in playing Marco Polo, sneaking a peak and tagging you with a laugh – awfully resembling that of a child. You swear you often have to shake the feeling of mothering him out of your head before doing something regrettable.

Other times, he’ll take you to the beach. You asked him once how it was possible, but he’d just booped your nose with a smile and told you it was something you wouldn’t be able to wrap your little head around – and, looking towards the horizon of the never-ending sea, inside what you could have sworn was a concrete building, you couldn’t help but agree with him.

Sometimes you see his friends and hide behind him. He thinks it funny and excuses you, laughing out that you’re shy. And you suppose he’s right. 

You used to be shy around him, too. You don’t know when you accepted it – being his pet.

Lately, he’s been inviting you to sleep with him in his hammock instead of your cage. And everything except your left brain betrays you as you lie snug against his side, with his arm softly holding you around your midriff. He’s so warm, and your whole body feels cottony at the pleasantness of another’s embrace after having gone so long without it. Actually, you almost cry, resting your head atop the rise and fall of his chest, closing your eyes to the steady beat of his heart thumping just beneath your ear. In the moment, you even forget he isn’t human. It just feels nice. 

You don’t even mind when he dances his fingers up your arm in ticklish touches. Instead, you nuzzle into him with something so vulnerable as a moan leaving your lips. 

His eyes travel from reading the pages of his book to the blissful look on your face and the way your smaller hand grips his tunic – but he doesn’t make much of it aside from raising a brow.

He’s seen scenes like this at the theatre – sappy love stories Junpei used to cry his eyes out over – awkward teenagers in dark silent bedrooms and clothes on the floor, then kisses and hugs and naked flesh and sweat and heavy breaths and moaning. He can’t deny it makes him curious despite never having felt any personal need to truly understand any of it. It's a human thing after all.

Your warmth makes him wonder, though. He’s always enjoyed the soft feel of your skin on his fingertips, whether you’re trembling or not – it has an interesting texture – warm and doughy. He could imagine it would feel good pressed against his body, too.

Without a word, he tugs your shirt up your torso, pulling on it until you raise your arms and allow him to remove it entirely. You became a little tense then, hiding your naked chest from him by folding your arms. 

He takes off his tunic just as casually, and you don’t understand it, but suddenly you feel a little blushy. But you don’t say anything – almost as though you’ve forgotten you can speak just the way he pretends.

His skin’s ashen and pale – but his torso is just like a normal guy’s – toned with muscles, two nipples, and a belly button. Oh, and stitches. Like a patchwork.

He lifts his arm, and you take the cue, laying down again – now skin to skin. He’s even warmer now, you note – and something about the feel of bare skin makes your head hot. And you can't help how that heat spreads between your thighs – but you keep it to yourself.

He lifts his book and begins reading it again, turning the pages with the same hand he holds it up with. But his free hand travels from resting on your hip to your chest.

You suppress a shudder by biting your lip, and he cups your tit with absentminded curiosity – paying you not a glance while his eyes lazily skim the words in front of him, giving your breast a firm squeeze.

He keeps track of your small shufflings despite you trying to keep them to yourself – charting what touches elicit your reactions. Soon, he finds your nipple, feeling it stiffen with yearning beneath his thumb, pushing it like a button only for it to bud out again. You stifle a sound he hasn’t heard from you before.

He reads his book finished, then lets it drop flat on the floor beneath you. His statement is like a resolution. “Let’s play a new game.”

You peek up at him from the nook of his arm. “Game?” You ask, but he's already maneuvering your body despite it causing an unsteady swing in the hammock.

He ignores both it and your question. Giving you those very curt commands one would say to a trained pet. “Up on my lap.”

You follow. “Okay-”

You’re straddling him next. Bare-chested while he lifts both hands to cup each tit.

You’re fully flushed now, face steadily getting dewy from the heat as you look away – bowing your head off to the side with your teeth sunk into your lip.

He’s playing. Groping the pillows with fingers now swallowed in the fat before releasing again, twisting the perky nips with eyes feeling a little foggy at the sight. His mouth suddenly waters, thinking about how it looks as though they were made to be eaten – no, not eaten exactly, but something else, something similar...

Indulging the thought, he leans in and envelopes the sensitive things between his lips, sucking on them with his warm wet tongue circling and flicking the point.

Old instincts resurface at the pleasant feeling and you grind your hips down on his lap without thinking.

He falls victim to it, too – taking your hips in both hands while grinding whatever it is that’s gaining weight between his thighs up into that place between yours.

The feeling is more than nice, forcing his entire body to be both mellow and tense with a hunger for more all at the same time.

He presses his face entirely against your chest, nuzzling between the soft mounds there with his cheek. Hands slipping from your hips to pull you closer and grind you harder down on his lap, slithering his arms around the small of your back and hugging you hard.

And you don’t want to think about how fucked up it is when you need it so badly – rolling your hips down, riding that bump you feel nudged against your crotch – like it's the only source of comfort you've had for months. You think about its size – it feels big – you can’t help but picture it – long and pale, probably with a curve and a sharp spine – fuck, you need it – want it pounding your guts, want his pelvis slapping against your clit as his fat cock shoves against your womb – filling you up with thick and filthy warmth-

You still with a shudder when you climax, breaths heavy and shaky. In the blind chase, you’d caressed his head and held it to your chest like a lover would, hugging him close with your body pressed flat against him.

He’s also panting, hot and damp huffs dewy against your skin.

There's something sticky in his pants… and he could have sworn your souls had merged there for a moment...

He’s never felt that before.

[tanadrin]

I would love to hear the rant about social media doomerism and conspiracy

I’m on my phone right now but the summary version is something like:

Humans are bad at integrating information into their worldview accurately bc of various cognitive biases

Social media incentivizes us seeking out content that excites fear or anger or irritation

Social media thus causes us to form negative impressions of the world bc it mediates so much information consumption and discourse these days

This general negative affective impression is subject to high confirmation bias and ppl in general are really bad at divorcing an affective impression of a thing from their dispassionate reasoning abt a thing

(Bc one of the functions of an affective impression is to “cache” our conclusions about a topic to save time and effort later)

(In general if you are a cynic and pessimist you can fall prey to these biases w/o social media but I think social media makes more ppl susceptible to them)

People don’t want to be dupes so they seek refuge in cynicism. We treat cynicism as wise or worldly when in fact cynicism makes you a dupe and an easy mark for grifters. Cynicism and low trust foster conspiracism, paranoia, and antisocial politics

(This is why so many congenitally contrarian folks seem to flit effortlessly between the far left and far right; it’s not horseshoe theory, they’ve just cooked their brains on this stuff)

This is a world where populist anti-social politicians like Trump and the AfD thrive, bc they will lie about how everything is terrible and people will nod along, bc it explains why their social media is full of awful stories of, like, immigrants eating pets and shit

But it doesn’t just have to be insane lies only a moron could believe. It can be any impression about a fact in the world that it is difficult to personally check and which is vulnerable to being swayed by anecdote

This is how we get a word where people think crime rates are higher than they’ve ever been when in fact crime is falling

Or child predators lurk around every corner when in fact children are safer than ever

Or the American economy is in a recession when in fact it’s doing historically well by just about every available metric (now with full employment AND low inflation!)

Because in a big world even where things are in general good and getting better you can always produce infinite individual examples of shitty things and pipe those in a steady stream into people’s eyeballs, and then point to that and leverage people’s low trust attitudes and their cynicism which tells them they are smarter than the experts and go “statistics is just a fancy way to lie! The world is secretly terrible! Every bad thing is even worse than you thought and every good thing is a lie!”

(Nevermind the whole phenomenon where anything that is complicated or that someone does not themselves understand gets treated like it’s actually secret and a conspiracy.)

And here I know I have to include some disclaimer about how this is not to discount individual cases of suffering or struggle, which are real, or that there are indeed some really awful things happening in the world right now, which there are, but you know what?

I’m tired of doing that. People with reading comprehension operating in good faith ought to be able to deduce that general statements do not obviate particular exceptions, and people who cling to their doomerism as a kind of emotional life raft do not generally argue with me in good faith.

Sometimes doomerism is a load-bearing pillar of their politics, which I think is dumb—I think you can be a leftist or a progressive without being a doomer! In fact I think doomerism is antithetical to useful politics!

Sometimes they are just depressed and treatment-resistant. Sometimes they are just angry misanthropes who want to feel justified in their misanthropy. Some doomers are themselves in bad circumstances and feeling hopeless about that—to them I am enormously sympathetic. Though a lot of doomers will admit they personally are doing OK—this does not seem to be most doomers.

But I think in general cynicism and doomerism and a worldview dominated by a general nebulous air of Everything Is Awful and by abstract nouns with threatening auras is not conducive to wisdom or understanding or useful politics or leading a happy and fulfilling life.

[aptericia]

Not proud to be here.

--

Ok, here goes draft like 5 of this fucking post. I spent 4 hours tossing and turning in bed last night thinking about this, and then this morning I found a tumblr post that really helped me understand what I was trying to say.

The post talks about how aromantic "advocates" claim that "aros don't take up resources, so there's no reason not to include them!" And if that's actually what people believe, I think I can finally articulate why it is that I feel so alienated in queer spaces.

It's because aspecs in general aren't "welcomed" by much of the queer community. We're tolerated. We perhaps get the luxury of not being contradicted on our own identities, or not being specifically kicked out of LGBTQ-only spaces, but that's the whole point: what we get out of the queer "community" is people NOT doing things, not actually doing things FOR us. And that, frankly, is not enough. We deserve conversations about us. We deserve to have others consider our feelings, even when making lighthearted jokes. We deserve varied, respectful representation in media. We deserve the active deconstruction of amatonormativity in society. We deserve to have space made for us, rather than at most being told we should "go take up more space!" ourselves.

Of course, the reality is that my being aspec is a personal matter that does not inherently affect anyone else. But the same can be said for literally any queer identity. Your being gay doesn't say anything about me, so of course I shouldn't hurt you for it, but why should I help you either? Because your happiness and comfort are important. The same goes for aspecs.

And most of the time, I don't even need anyone to make space for or expend resources on me; I can live fine in everyday, non-queer-specific places without mentioning my identity at all. But it's the queer community that claims it will make that space for me, doesn't, and then acts defensive and morally pure if I call out the hypocrisy because "we're queer too, you can't erase our identities to advocate for yours!!!!"

Again, this post isn't about specifics. I have queer friends who are incredibly thoughtful and supportive about my identity, just as I have non-queer friends who are. I find more solidarity in aspec-only communities, as well as trans/genderqueer ones, although there are still many exceptions. This post is also not about amatonormative ideology, which is extremely common from queer and non-queer people alike. This post is about the reason I've felt so betrayed by the queer community.

--

On a personal note, I remember being so excited when I started identifying as aromantic (and later asexual). Fitting myself into labels has been a lifelong struggle for me; to this day I still can't confidently say if I'm White or PoC, neurotypical or neurodivergent, abled or disabled, cisgender or not cisgender. I continue to struggle making friends because I don't fall into social cliques. To discover that I officially, certainly, was LGBTQ+ lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. And now I'm just so sad to find that despite that, I'm still stuck in the middle. I didn't get rewarded with a community. I still feel alienated from both queer and non-queer people. I know it was silly to get my hopes up when there's such vast diversity in both groups, but it really was a disappointment. Going to my first Pride parade last year was really the moment where I realized this.

[itsclydebitches]

Just finished Good Omens 2 and I'm honestly boggling at the Aziraphale hate because yes, his decision led to the angsty cliffhanger, but it makes SO much sense for his character. Not just in a "Religious brainwashing and sunk-cost fallacy" kinda way but also a "Aziraphale has no reason to believe this isn't the perfect solution" way. That scene among the nebula is crucial because it establishes that Crowley loved being an angel—reveled in his ability to create and allow his creations to grow kinda like plants—and the only problem was that someone else was calling the shots, someone who wouldn't listen to his criticism. Aziraphale has also spent 6,000+ years watching Crowley do good, all the while forced to deny the fact that he's "nice" lest embracing his original nature get him into trouble with hell. Now, Metatron comes along with an offer that fixes everything in one fell swoop. Crowley can be an angel again, be nice without censure, his ideas and criticisms will hold weight because he'll be answering to Aziraphale, and they'll be together.

It strikes me that Aziraphale isn't there when Crowley sees Gabriel's trial, ergo he likewise doesn't see the (non)acknowledgement that there's an institutional problem up in Heaven. There just happen to have been two archangels who called it quits. Same when Gabriel blurts that phrase out to Crowley. Aziraphale has always been more blind to the ways in which Heaven is "toxic" (for very understandable reasons) and this season he's continually sheltered from new evidence of its structural problems. The plot just preaches to the choir: Crowley. He likewise wouldn't see the conflict Gabriel and Beelzebub have caused as evidence of an underlying problem because that's a problem he and Crowley will no longer share. Why would they be worried about Heaven still being unable to accept partnerships between angels and demons when Crowley will no longer be a demon? And that's something he presumably wants based on Aziraphale's memories of him and the ongoing admission that he's lonely.

The way I see it, they got what they thought they wanted at the start of Season 2. Heaven and Hell are keeping an eye on them, but functionally they're left alone. Crowley can spend all the time he wants with Aziraphale and nothing comes of that except that they're both continually named traitors and the higher-ups grumble about it. If Gabriel had never shown up, things should have been perfect based on Crowley's "Let's just run away and have each other's company" standards. Better, even, considering that they get to be together on their beloved Earth, rather than being bored out in Alpha Centauri without any sushi, plants, books, or Bentleys. And yet... Crowley doesn't strike me as particularly happy. Because, you know, based on that kiss he wants to be with Aziraphale, not just literally be with him, but the point of this post is that his "Let's run away and be an 'us'" falls totally flat when he doesn't explain that specific desire to Aziraphale; the desire to change what an 'us' means. From Aziraphale's perspective they're already an 'us.' That was the entire point of "our side" in Season 1 and now they can continue to be 'us' up in Heaven. Plus, Aziraphale likely sees this as a sacrifice on his part. He will give up his bookshop, his Earthly indulgences, take on the responsibilities of leadership (which I don't think he actually wants for a variety of reasons), and spend the rest of eternity in a place where he's felt so small because he thinks that's what Crowley wants. Crowley was happy as an angel. Crowley wanted them to be together without risk of permanent discorporation. They were able to achieve that after not-Armageddon and he still wasn't happy... so surely those two things together will do the trick. Crowley never actually articulates how he wants their relationship to change and the kiss comes much too late, when he's already rejected what Aziraphale must see as a perfect, selfless solution he's secured for them. Even if Crowley wasn't always moving too fast for him, an overture of romance isn't going to go well after that.

Is this crushing and angsty and devastating as a hiatus? Damn straight, my heart it breaking. But it's a good setup. More importantly, it makes perfect sense for their characters, particularly when they're still talking past one another. Aziraphale is someone who has always moved more slowly as a matter of course, as an angel he has remained immersed in the rhetoric of Heaven, his main avenue of breaking free of that (Crowley) has a huge communication problem (to say nothing of his own denial. He only made headway with the help of Nina and Maggie, seconds before Aziraphale shows up), and Metatron (in a no doubt incredibly manipulative manner) has just offered Aziraphale a job that presumably makes him happy AND Crowley happy AND allows him to maintain the moral this-is-how-the-universe-works perspective he's had since he was literally created. Of course he's going to say yes to all that!! And sure, there are problems in Heaven, Aziraphale isn't completely blind, but he can fix them now that he's in charge. How? Well... he'll figure that out later! Kinda like how he's been making plans on the fly this entire season. That seems logical from his perspective, right? It's not like he's gotten a crash-course in the concept of the master's tools never being able to dismantle the master's house...

[theonlyhonoredone]

Yuji BF Headcanons

Pairing: Yuji Itadori x Reader

Warnings: none

Summary: my idea of how Yuji is as a partner

Masterlist

bf!Yuji is crushing hard, he’s down so bad it’s actually pathetic. He fumbles his words in front of you, stutters when he tries to compliment you, and is the first to like any and everything you post. He thinks you’re the funniest person alive and sticks to you like velcro. He’s always asking if you want to hang out or train or anything else he can do to get you in the same room as him. He waits for the absolute perfect opportunity to ask you out, either taking you to some big festival or saving up for months to take you to some fancy restaurant.

bf!Yuji who fakes being totally confident when he asks and then freaks out when you say yes. He’s gasping and asking if you really mean it and then hugging you so tight you almost pass out. Things fall into place quickly after that, you two are a natural fit.

bf!Yuji always keeps you on your toes. He likes for dates to be really special and exciting so he always wants to do something grand. He won't admit it to you, but he knows he's going to die young. He's living on an extended death sentence which means he won't get the long happy life he truly wants with you. He hopes to create as many special and lasting memories with you as he can, hoping that he'll be able to relive them on his death bed and you'll be able to find comfort in them when he's gone.

bf!Yuji does not consider nights in or casual hang outs as dates because they aren't special enough. That doesn't mean he loves those moments any less though, in fact nights in with you are one of his favorite things on earth. The man is glued to you 24/7 so of course he’s excited for any chance to cuddle. He needs every part of his body to touch every part of yours, he’ll smother you any chance he gets. If you have to get up to pee or anything really he’s whining and asking you to stay. He gives you the sad puppy eyes whenever you escape from his arms and pouts until you return to him.

bf!Yuji uses his crazy athletic ability to show off to you any chance he can get. He’s always telling you to watch him do something he's sure you'll find impressive. He'll offer to carry you everywhere you go. He gets butterflies every time you call him strong or tell him how cool he is. If you go to an arcade he will drag you over to every game that involves any amount of athletic ability and make you watch him set a new high score. You always love it, except for the time he broke a machine and got you kicked out.

bf!Yuji is constantly coming up with new pet names for you. They are sometimes sweet but more often over the top and totally ridiculous. He’s constantly changing your name in his phone too, and he spends hours editing pictures of you to make your profile picture. He likes adding all sorts of little stickers and drawing little hearts around your face.

bf!Yuji also loves to post these and add a long caption calling you his little schmoopy schnookums pie while he declares his undying love for you. His over the top gestures are how he shows you that you’re always on his mind. He doesn’t care if anyone else thinks it’s embarrassing or cringy, he just cares that you know how much he loves you. He loves you so much that he sometimes feels like he might explode if he doesn’t express it. 

bf!Yuji is clingy to the point of annoyance. You do have to remind him that you need space and time alone and while he might not understand (he wants to spend every moment with you), he respects your needs and wants. He wants you to be happy all the time and if that means leaving you alone for a few hours then he will.

bf!Yuji tries his best to let the two of you have quiet moments together too. Even though he is a yapper at heart, he manages to sit for hours without saying a word, sometimes. As time goes on he starts to treasure these moments and find a lot of comfort in just sitting beside you, not talking about anything. It’s enough just knowing you're right there with him.

bf!Yuji is not the kind of person to get insecure. He's more nervous in the begging of your relationship, but once you tell him you love him the first time that flies out the window. You love him and he loves you and to him that’s enough to know things will always work out.

bf!Yuji gets incredibly anxious anytime he has to buy you a gift. Birthdays and holidays are a nightmare for him. He never knows what to get you and will spend hours pacing around countless stores to find the perfect gift. He tries to remind himself that it’s the thought that counts and that you’re always happy with what he gets you, but it never settles his nerves. He’ll second guess himself until the moment he hands the gift over. Watching your lips curl up into a big smile as you open it up is what finally makes him relax.

bf!Yuji is never possessive and almost never jealous. The only thing that really makes him jealous is when you go to the movies without him. It doesn’t matter who you’re going with either, he's jealous. He loves the movies and he loves you so of course he loves going to the movies with you. He’ll never admit he's jealous, but he’ll definitely pout and tell you how much how much he wanted to see the film. Of course you can see right through him and will always offer to go see it again with him. That always brings him back to his usual chipper self. 

bf!Yuji turns into the biggest baby when he gets sick. The common cold is a death sentence as far as he is concerned. The only possible cure is you feeding him soup and rubbing his back. He will beg for snuggles and kisses but dramatically tell you not to come near him so you can’t catch whatever deadly virus he has when you actually try. As soon as he’s better though he’s expecting you to help him make up for lost time by letting him smother you to his heart's content. 

bf!Yuji will do literally anything for you. He’d figure out how to rearrange the planets if that was what you wanted, and he'd do it with a smile. If you need help with anything at all he wants to be your first call. You want to redecorate your room? Call Yuji. You want a late night snack? Call Yuji. You want to rob a bank? Call Yuji. He's the definition of ride or die and he never lets you forget how treasured you are.

[erinwantstowrite]

THE CIRCLE MYSTERY!!!

in case you're unfamiliar with my page, here is some context for this post:

a few months ago, i wanted to try my hand at a mystery plot, and began looking for a circle mystery plot diagram that i had written down a year or so prior... but i couldn't find it. i SWORE i had it somewhere. i knew that i had left the notebook on my shelf along with all my other notebooks. it was a little black journal that i didn't use very often, but it still had some important notes inside. but it wasn't there on my shelf, or any other shelf in the house. it was like it had vanished, and i started to doubt my memory.

i figured not all was lost. sure, the journal was gone, but someone would be able to help me find this circle diagram.

NO.

no one could figure out what the hell i was talking about, not without lack of trying. many tried to help me, to figure out this mystery with me. "the circle went outwards" i said, but all i could find was the rotating clockwise circle plot diagram that was not mystery specific.

no matter what i did, i couldn't find the original source online. i phrased it in many different ways, but it was a dead end. with no journal, no online source, and no one understanding what i was talking about, the circle mystery formula... remained a mystery. many concluded that i likely made this circle diagram myself and then forgot about it entirely, but that's up in the air.

well, a couple weeks ago, i found the circle mystery plot i was looking for.

it was not the actual physical note, but a picture i had taken before seemingly losing the notebook/journal that it was in. it showed only the circle diagram with a couple of minimal notes on the sides. i have yet to find that journal, it remains missing to this day. one day i might find the physical copy with the notes that were underneath it but alas, at this point in time, i only had the circle to work off of.

but it was enough!!! just having the circle was enough for me to make this beauty, of who i will share with you now:

as you can see, it's not all that complicated. it breaks down only a few simple key elements of figuring out a mystery, not plot wise, but investigation wise. "crime and victim, motive, method, opportunity, and suspects." CVM and MOS is what i call that for short but that might be lame

basically, it's the 5 w's.

that's it.

this whole time, it was the 5 w's "Who, What, Where, When, and Why" (except with terms that would be used in an actual investigation), laid out into a diagram that extends outwards where you put your points on the circle rings to connect. this could also easily be a venn diagram, but i remember liking that it extended outwards and was in a line rather than in groupings.

it's extremely simple, too, so it's been annoying me that i could forget it when i needed it most. that being said, it's in the past, now, and it's here, and now i want to talk about the points

CVM and MOS

crime and victim. this is always where you start.

look, you might start your plot right in the thick of it with a suspect having already been revealed and the entire plot is that your character has to prove why and how they did it. but it's up to you, the writer, to explain how they got to this point. which means you need to know how it works in the original order before being able to write this plot that way.

a crime has been committed- what crime? murder? robbery? this is your first question, or statement. what i mean by that is are you telling your readers "This has happened." or is the plot/character/reader asking "What happened?"

and victim- who was it that was affected? if it's a murder, you have to identify the person that was killed before you can get into anything. if it's another crime like a robbery, then what was stolen? this is the phase where your investigator goes looking into the details of the victim. which means you need to know your victim.

your investigator and you are on the same side here. both of you need to know their daily ins and outs, you need to have character witnesses from friends and family, you need to get a glimpse into who they were when it was just them around. maybe a diary or look at their bedroom to give a statement as to how they were feeling and how they occupied the space they were in. maybe online records, because their activity can give you pieces of the puzzle. even if this is not completely revealed to readers (though in my opinion, this part is very needed in order to have your reader feel for the victim), you as the author need to have that mindset. you need to know who they were and what their life was like even if your investigator never gets around to knowing this.

because it leads directly into your suspect pool.

mystery plots are all about the connections, the drama, the details. your victim is dead, and your investigator is looking into their lives. you could, honestly, play it really well with the victim and the investigator being the main focus. a good example of this is that one episode of Bones where Temperance Brennan is listening to the voice recordings of a murdered woman she starts to see a lot of herself in. Brennan is seeing the bones of this woman and trying to find out what happened to her with all that is left, and she's also listening to her voice, and we don't see a lot of the suspect in this case (for good reason).

((honestly, this might just be me saying you should go watch Bones.))

but, in most cases, your suspects are the main source of entertainment. so you need to know your victim, and by extension, know your suspects.

all of your potential murderers (or whatever plot you're writing) go on the outside ring not because they are last in your investigation, but because you would work inside the suspect pool. kind of a visual aspect to show they're connected to the center, which is your crime/victim (which, again, could be changed for a different type of mystery. this section is just the Big Reason for the mystery to get started. or the Big Question.)

you get your suspects through the character reveal phase of your mystery, though they can also be revealed because of the setting. like in Clue, or in that new show, The Residence (go watch it), where a murder has happened in a house where only a select few people could have done it.

who are the people that had bad blood with this person? who are the ones that have something to gain from that person's death? or, even, who are the people that just wanted to do it?

motive.

if you want your mystery to be solved, you have to have a motive. a reason as to why this happened, even if it was a fit of unplanned rage. this part is crucial not just from an entertainment standpoint in your story, but for later on in a prosecution phase in real life. a jury might find it hard to convict someone if a prosecutor can't give a motive for why they'd do it. in this case, you are the prosecutor and your readers are the jury. if you want your reader to believe that this person could have done it, you have to give a motive.

but it's not the most important part. the most important is the how.

the method of the crime tells a lot about the person that did it. take a look at Criminal Minds, and how they make a profile for the killers. granted, they have more to work with because there are multiple murders. but you can get a basic idea with just the one.

from an investigative standpoint, you have to figure out how something happened to get a clue into the character of the murderer. which of your suspects has the ability not to get sick at the sight of blood? which suspect is smart enough to plan it out? which suspect would have the temper to grab the nearest heavy object as their weapon?

so you look at your crime, you get an idea of the method, and you can eye your suspect pool to match who is the most likely to commit in this way.

and last, opportunity.

this is where an alibi comes in. "I couldn't have done it because I was at my son's birthday party! ask anyone!" sounds pretty good. until you find out the suspect mysteriously was in the bathroom at that party for a couple of hours and came back wearing different clothes.

your suspects have to have the opportunity, or they have to have the alibi. were they there around the time? do they have a key to the house? do they know that the window on the first floor never locks? did they have the time to do it? even if they have something that looked like an opportunity, they might have an alibi.

from there, it's all about putting down your dots. which character has the motive, could pull off the method, and had the opportunity?

however... you could have multiple characters hit the MMO. what happens then?

you could drill these characters in an interrogation (could or could not be in an actual interrogation setting) and get a confession out of one of them, OR you could have your characters go looking for that sweet, sweet key evidence that cinches it all together and ties one of the suspects to the crime. or, maybe in a plot twist, ties both suspects to have committed the crime together.

(in real life, though, having a confession and key evidence is for the best. it makes it hard for a defense team)

this is your standing out point, and would definitely be your last big crescendo for the story. this episode of Brooklynn 99 is honestly the best example (in fiction) i could come up with right now for an interrogation where you get a confession out of someone. oh, and legally blonde! can't forget elle wood's breakthough (if you haven't watched legally blonde and you click that link and get yourself spoiled instead of sitting down and watching the whole thing, i am frowning at you in disappointment right now. shaking my head and everything).

when it comes to both evidence and interrogation... go watch The Residence (Netflix... or pirate). the last episode is brilliant and it's well worth the watch. Detective Cupp was so much fun and it sucks more people aren't talking about it.

i think i should stop yapping now, because that about covers what i came here to write. hopefully this stupid circle helps somebody out

[revelboo]

oguh dude youve got me on a starscream kick, i love how you write him so much. not a request (cuz im not sure if you take them) so much as it is a brain dump but godddddd he seems like he'd be such a sucker (affectionate) for a tender touch. running your hand along the back of his, over his knuckles. affectionately headbutting his lower jaw/just in general bc i think he'd think cuteness aggression is adorable, once he figures out what it is and that you arent actually trying to do any real damage so much as its just... processing. in a very cute, very strangely human sort of way. akin to those harmlessly angry kitten videos, maybe- like the one thats wiggling its paws through the bars of an open crate. oguh but on the more romantic side of things?? kissing his knuckles. or his finger tips, either or, and maintaining eye contact while you do. im not sure how to feel about him but youve got me feelign some kinda way (affectionate) about him, thats for sure

Yes! I love the idea of big, powerful Cybertronians being undone by a little softness or affection because they’re just so unused to it and don’t know how to react.

Everything is Alright Pt 21

Starscream x Reader

• Venting in bemused affection, he flexes his servos, tapping the end of one against his berth. You scowl up at him. Such a dramatic little thing. He’d only set you down to retrieve a clean drying cloth and you’d run straight for that old polishing cloth he gave you. Now you’re backed into a corner, shivering and so thoroughly wrapped in the cloth only your face is visible. All because he’d destroyed your soiled coverings. Hadn’t he told you he’d replace them?

• He means well. He does. You have to keep repeating that in your head as you smother the urge to just scream as he crooks a finger at you, expecting you to come to him like an obedient, little pet. And despite yourself you want to, you’re wet and cold. Curling up against your giant alien space heater sounds wonderful. Except you’re naked under the blanket and as stupid as it is, you’re embarrassed about that fact. He probably couldn’t care less, but you do. “I need clothes.”

• Optics narrowing, he presses his palm to the berth and leans forward. It’d be easy enough to just grab you. Wings flicking, he can’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about this. Hadn’t you told him cold was bad for humans? “Come here,” he growls, letting some of his annoyance at your little rebellion color the words. And there it is. Face reddening, you sullenly walk toward him and he’s able to carefully curl his servos around you, lifting you up so he can sit with you. As soon as he tries to tug that cleaning cloth away, you frantically swat at his servos again and he smiled despite himself, because really?

• Really?! Grip going white knuckled on your pitiful cover with one hand, you slap at his servos. Not that you can really stop him, but it’s the principle of the thing. And the not being naked factor, because you’ve reached your humiliation limit for the day. “I’m fine,” you hiss through your teeth, shoving at his hand. Venting so hard, you feel the blast of warm air, he actually growls at you. And then the world drops out from under you.

• “For Primus’s sake.” A scream lodges in your throat as you suddenly fall without actually falling. An arm hooks around you, fingers gripping your chin to turn your head. “You’d think I’m trying to skin you, the way you act,” snarls a gruff voice right in your ear and your stunned brain just can’t. Because your giant, alien robot isn’t so giant and you really just can’t deal with it. Or the fact that you’re sitting across his legs as he uses the end of your blanket to rub your hair dry a bit too roughly. You wonder if this is what having a heart attack feels like, because you can’t breathe and your heart is rabbiting against your ribs. Trying to get your brain to work, you crane your neck to stare at his face as he scowls down at you. He’s still much bigger than you, just not giant and you can’t manage anything besides staring dumbly.

Previous Next

[kerink]

‘Fucked up that Bill is HAPPIER in Margaritabill than he is in Bill Wins lmao’ PLEASE ELABORATE!

one core feature of bill's character that is stable and consistent in my characterization of him is that bill does not compromise. he wants what he wants and he wants it exactly when he wants it and exactly how he wants it. i've said it before in another analysis but it's apropos so i'll repeat it: bill grew up hearing only no, being only ever denied and rejected, and now that he's the one in charge he refuses to ever hear anything other than yes ever again.

this is important for understanding how i conceptualize what is actually happening for bill's story in each au.

margaritabille follows canon exactly up until the next summer. this means bill has already enacted weirdmagedon, regained control over ford, begun evacuating the nightmare realm, had been defeated, and died. bill wins, however, only follows canon up until gideon makes his final deal with bill. in bill wins, bill is able to do all the things margaritabille is able to, except more. so much more. he doesn't just enact weirdmagedon, he successfully subjugates gravity falls and prevents any rebel faction from forming. he doesn't just regain control over ford, he is able to get ford to submit with minimal fuss and complaint, taking his family hostage to ensure ford is more or less compliant and amiable. he doesn't just begin to evacuate the nightmare realm, he makes tremendous progress doing so.

in margaritabille, bill has lost everything. he has lost the nightmare realm, the henchmaniacs, his kingdom, his control, his influence, his capture of those with the ability to harm him. he is vulnerable. but in bill wins, bill has everything he wants. (well, not everything, obviously bill has bigger plans than just coming to our dimension. but outrunning entropy and gaining a physical form are required for him to achieve the rest of his goals. and now that he's done it, he has no reason to doubt there's anything left standing in his way but time.)

this, however, means that in margaritabille bill has nowhere to go but up, while in bill wins the entire story revolves around not just dethroning him but killing him for good. bringing entropy to him.

in margaritabille, bill has a lot more than he actually thinks he does. he's on earth and out of entropy's reach. he has a physical form. the pines tolerate him and ford is sometimes even nice to him. bill may think he's hit rock bottom, but he hasn't! and maybe, this time, on his rise to power, ford really will join him willingly, maybe the pines will understand his goals and won't rebel against him. maybe there's a way for him to have his cake and eat it too.

while in bill wins, even though bill has peaked more than margaritabille ever did, it's not the life he envisioned. they're still trapped in gravity falls and it's hard to fit all the nightmare realm citizens into one tiny place. even if bill had been king of the nightmare realm there are still other gangs and warring factions that butt heads and challenge him. he needs to manage all the big personalities until he can break open the rest of the dimension and give everyone their space back. ford may play along with him but he's dead-eyed and bitter, obviously puppeteered, reciting the lines he's memorized. if bill had wanted ford this way he would have just rewired his brain in the first place! no, he wants ford to want it, and he can't figure out how to make that happen. the pines are constantly rebelling against him, so he's having to play 5-d chess and mind games with each of them in different ways at different times and it's a headache to keep up with it all. this isn't the party he wanted, he's on-call 24/7. (although, dw, he's still doing a lot of partying, but it's more coping than celebrating.)

there's a light at the end of the tunnel in margaritabille. in bill wins, bill is rapidly hurtling towards the ground without a parachute.

in margaritabille, bill is grieving a future he never really had. he didn't take the massive loss that he will in bill wins. he will never lose as much in the first as he does in the second. margaritabille is about how no matter the hardship, no matter the struggle, no matter the suffering, there is always a tomorrow for those willing to watch the sunrise.

in bill wins, bill is grieving a present he never got. it's a be careful what you wish for situation. he is fucking around and will soon be finding out. the more he tries to force things into their proper place the more they warp and misshape and try to wriggle from his grasp.

in acceptance and commitment therapy there's a framework for understanding acceptance that i think characterizes the two story lines well. in order to accept something you must be willing; we experience suffering because often we are instead willful.

willingness is the ability to say yes to life, however it comes. the example i give my patients is marriage: you know you and your partner will fight, you know you will both get sick, you know one of you will die first, but you marry them anyway because not having them at all is worse than having them bad parts and all. you are willing to live through pain in order to live through joy. i recently told a patient in order to have memorable experiences with friends you will also have funerals.

willfulness, on the other hand, is living life conditionally. it's trying to draw a perimeter and put up walls between you and what you will and won't accept. one metaphor for this i like is the shoe problem: you buy a pair of shoes online, they arrive and you discover they don't fit. if you are willing to accept the pain and frustration of this experience, then you're able to move forward to resolve it: can you return them? can you exchange them? if not, do you know someone they will fit you can give or sell them to? can you sell them online? can you donate them? if you are willful, however, then you will not admit there's a problem. in avoiding the disappointment of not getting something you really wanted and were looking forward to you force your feet into shoes that don't fit, you put them in your closet to collect dust.

in margaritabille, bill is moving towards willingness. not intentionally, not purposefully, but simply through conditioning. he's squatting in the shack and is unwelcome, he is aware of this. ford still has the means to kill or banish him, he is aware of this. if he toes too much out of line, the comfort and safety he has taken for himself will be his undoing. in order to live at the shack and be tolerated by the pines and build rapport with ford, bill must be willing to give up some of his control. he has to stop attempting to dominate the world and subjugate the pines, because if he does ford will just shoot him and that'll be the end of it. bill knows he has a good thing going here and he's not going to jeopardize it. he knows there is a future for him, he just has to grieve his loss and get back on his path.

in bill wins, bill is willful to a T. he will only accept the dimension, earth, gravity falls, the pines as he wants them. he doesn't understand why the nightmare realm citizens are behaving in ways that cause him headache, he doesn't understand why ford is faking it, he doesn't understand why he's trapped. he knows why, but it's not how this story was supposed to go and he will keep slamming the pieces on the table until they fit in the puzzle where he believes they're meant to be.

and he will lose everything, and he will suffer the whole time he does.

[pauline-sunshine]

Suchwidate

Part 1, Part 2

Part 3

Pairing: Min Yoongi x female actress reader

Summary: After being a guest on Suchwita something bloomed

Genre: fluff (like tooth rotting fluff…I warned you), slow-burn (maybe?)

Warnings: cringe awkward flirting, they are shy and idiots but kinda adorable

Word count: 1,2k

Author’s note: I apologize for any errors! English is not my first language. Sorry, it took me so long to write it, had an existential crisis… Two more parts are left! Thank you so much for reading, for reacting!! You are the best!!!

The room was crowded. Everyone seemed to be having a great time except you. You felt like a doll that had to be perfect, had to be liked by everyone you were introduced to in order for them to be interested in you. That’s what you’ve been told to do. Stealing glances across the room and exchanging smiles with Yoongi were the only things that were saving you but even this wasn’t helping at some point.

Yoongi looked around the room another time to catch a glimpse of you but he didn’t succeed.

“Hey, have you guys seen Y/N?” Yoongi asked and all of them started to look around. “I think I saw her talking to one of directors…”

“Go find her!” Jimin encouraged him. Yoongi looked a little bit hesitant because he didn’t want to let his friends alone in case someting happened.

“Seriously, just go! If anything, we will cover up for you. Go!” Jimin slightly pushed his back so Yoongi would move.

‘Y/N this, Y/N that, Y/N let me introduce you to…’ your mind was racing and replaying bits of endless interactions you’ve just had. The hardest thing for extrovert is the desire to be liked by everyone, and sometimes it just gets too much… and right now was exactly that moment. You liked being around people, it was a part of your job, but when you felt the pressure to please everyone you meet, to make a good impression, it got harder to be in the lime light. So you thought of nothing better but to escape. You’ve hidden in an empty hallway, the light was dim and good enough to give you an opportunity to pass some time unnoticed. You were blindly staring at the floor, going in circles, trying to calm down the nerves until you’ve hit a wall, or at least it seemed like it.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” You moved your head up and realized that “the wall” you hit was actually Yoongi.

“You shouldn’t be here all by yourself. Are you okay?” he frowned.

“What- me? Uh, I’m just tired, I didn’t want to be there. What are you doing here?” you were drenched in your worries and that obviously influenced your mood.

“I just thought… you’d like some company. Tell me what happened.” he led you to a small sofa in a corner.

“I don’t know,” you let out a big sigh as you sat down. “Sometimes it just feels so overwhelming to be around people. I’m sorry that you have to see me like this… again.” Indeed, it was the second time he was there for you when you needed help.

“Don’t apologize, Y/N, it’s okay, I can sit here with you for as long as you’d like.”

“I think I don’t feel like talking right now,” you admitted. Yoongi nodded, understanding without judgment.

“It’s fine…” he hesitated for a moment, “I crave your attention, but I crave your silence even more.” He whispered shyly. If the light was brighter, you would be able to see his blushed cheeks.

Your palms were slightly touching but neither of you moved them away. For some time the space was filled with echoing sounds from the party and silence until the moment you suddenly bursted laughing. Yoongi gave you a concerned look.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just, uhm, I haven’t felt this introverted in a while,” you turned in hope to see if he remembered this phrase that he used on your first encounter. He did and the proof of that was a smile that appeared on his face. The slight tension between you disappeared. You felt better and he was the reason.

“Sorry, can I just,” you stretched your arms, “I was looking at it the whole evening. I wonder, why didn’t anyone tell you?” Yoongi eyes widened for a moment until he understood what you were doing.

“There you go,” you were very pleased with your work because now the man’s tie was fixed.

“So, you’re saying, my tie was a mess the whole time, not to mention a thousand photos were taken, and you’re telling me only now,” he wasn’t angry, he was teasing.

“Oh, please, no one noticed… except me, I guess.” You patted him on a shoulder.

All of a sudden he stood up. “Come walk with me. Let’s get some air.” He offered you his arm with a playful grin.

“Are you suggesting that we- oh, that’s wicked.” You placed your palm at his.”You know what, I trust you, Min Yoongi, with parts of myself I’m afraid to show anyone else. Beware, I might get used to this.” You uttered in a low flirty voice.

“Maybe, that is exactly what I’ve been plotting.” He responded in the same manner.

KBS Hall was left behind. You decided to head to the Seogang bridge.

You walked side by side, each step was like a reaction to the excitement bubbling just beneath the surface of a casual conversation. Wind was playing with your hair, fingers intertwined. Yoongi was gently stroking your palm with his thumb.

“Wow, I forgot how beautiful the night sky can be.” You looked up at the stars.

“It really is. Much better than whatever was happening back there.” Yoongi chuckled.

“Agh, don’t even bring that up!” You laughed.

“At least we made a great escape,” he was grinning.

“You’re just lucky I needed fresh air,” you playfully nudged him.

“Lucky? I’d say it’s destiny!” The mock seriousness in man’s voice made it sound even funnier.

“Destiny, huh? That’s a bold claim for a late night bridge stroll”. You raised your eyebrows.

“Just stating the facts.” He shrugged and continued with feigning nonchalance, “Besides, who else would I want to be here with?”

“Well, I’m glad it’s you. I feel like I can actually breathe out here.” You blushed slightly.

“Same here. It’s nice to just… be ourselves.” Yoongi glanced at you, his heart was racing.

“Exactly. No pressure, just us and the stars.” You smiled softly.

“You know, I’ve been thinking…” He paused and looked at you, “maybe we should do this more often?”

“I’d love that! Just us and the night.” Your eyes were sparkling just like stars from the night sky.

“And maybe someday we could make it a regular thing?” Yoongi asked hesitant but hopeful.

“It sounds perfect, Yoongi.” You felt your heart fluttering.

You shared a shy smile, both feeling the warmth of possibilities as you continued walking side by side. But Seoul wouldn’t be Seoul if it left you without a sudden shower. Laughter erupted as raindrops began to fall, adding a sense of spontaneity to the moment.

“Here, take it. No objections.” He took his jacket off.

“But you will get all wet.” You took a step back but he took two forward.

“And you won’t?” He gently put the jacket on your shoulders.

“You will get sick,” you parried.

“I won’t, and even if I get sick, I will survive.” He gave a playful grin, his hair already starting to dampen with the rain. “Let’s get you home. You must be tired from the night, and I don’t want you to catch a cold,” he said while taking you into his warm embrace.

[luneariaa]

ᯓ★٠ ࣪⭑ PIECE OF ART. ✧ KENJI S.

✰ — you and kenji being at the museum for plot reasons, kenji being sweet, pure fluff, might be ooc kenji, not much proof-read.

tagging : @xxladyballadxx @jinwoosungs @madeimoisellesoleil 💕

— ✩ m. list.

. dividers by @/strangergraphics 📜 !!

A LIGHT grin is present upon your features, further observing the scattered paper arts close by— passing it in an unhurried pace. Dressed ever so casually, to say the least, yet perfectly fitting to the current location you were in. A sight to behold that still manages to go unnoticed within the sea of people.

It is just the beginning of the eventide, and the museum still continues to open and welcome new visitors as always. Your sole figure remains there, blending in with the several other people with dexterity.

The romantic time of the day, some may say. The mere location itself has given it away fully.

Due to the amount of passing minutes that you've been inside, you started to feel quite chilly all over— causing yourself to mentally curse for not bringing a coat along with you, blaming yourself for your small mistake.

It doesn't take long for you to endure with a slight shiver, when a certain someone suddenly covers your form up with a rather sizeable coat; warming you up almost instantly without fail.

Admittedly, you got startled from the gesture and the sudden appearance, before deciding to turn around to face the said person.

And of course, it didn't take long for you to be able to fully register upon the familiar sight altogether— eyes instantly widening with a beaming smile.

"Ken, you actually came!" Without wasting any second of hesitation, you pulled him into an embrace— burying your face onto his chest with pure joy.

"Mmhm," Kenji hums, adding more to his words further with an equally happy expression, along with a mellow tone. "Of course I do."

He gradually encircles his arms around you, returning the embrace with equal fervor. Lowering his head ever so slightly, he silently allows you to burrow your face further against his chest for the time being— relishing within one another's mere presence.

Everything about him screams security, allowing yourself to drown into him without any worries; starting to feel more addicted as if he's some sort of a drug that made you hold onto life itself.

He's a famous person that is loved by many, and you're almost.. Nothing, like him. It's what keeps you questioning sometimes, and the way you're able to establish a rather special connection with him.

The difference between you two is like day and night itself; one that is vast and perceptible. Yet if only you knew— that Kenji never once is bothered by any of those existing statuses, not even the slightest. He appreciates you for being who you truly are.

"I figured that you'd be quite busy. I mean, I understand if you're unable to stop by earlier, y'know."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Just like that— he's able to dispel the existing anxiousness within you effortlessly so, still keeping his hold around you with just the right amount of force; not too assertive, and it just felt right.

"I'll always make time for you, my love."

His simple response made you beam in delight; noting the truth of his words alone.

No one is around the area that you both are in, does it-? It's as if nothing much mattered at this present moment, shielding yourselves with the makeshift reality that you both have unconsciously created— lost within your own little world without a care.

The stillness around the both of you, except for the occasional breathing sounds, makes the moment special somehow. You could clearly feel the heat radiating off from him and his coat alone; his warm breath brushes past your ear.

"Feeling any better now?"

"Yeah," you nodded with a grateful smile of your own. "Thank you, Ken."

Has he ever told you on how much he loves it whenever you call him Ken? It just hits different whenever you call him like that. He would lose his damn mind if he wants to.

"I appreciate you a whole lot," you added. "You don't usually go to places like this, that is."

"I just can't help myself but to come and see you.." A velvety chuckle slips past through his lips— planting a small kiss upon your forehead before gently pushing you away for a bit, just so that he could gaze at you.

"Honestly, I just— yeah, I missed you, a lot. I know I've been busy lately, but still.."

Kenji is speaking nothing short of pure honesty lacing his words. He misses the feeling of your frame against his own; letting his thumb tracing the contours of your face with such delicacy— every detail of your features none left untouched.

"What if I told you that I feel the same way too?" A cliche answer, but it works every single time.

Your gaze now darted towards the large painting ahead, which ostensively have shown a pair of lovers— holding onto one another as the life of the other gradually withers away.

He simply chuckled over your statement, immediately taking notice of the shift of your gaze; following your line of sight after.

"The painting looks a bit depressing, to say the least," he remarks, paying close attention about what the artist is trying to convey through the art.

"Yeah." You approached closer to the aforementioned painting, and the coat— his coat, still settled snuggly around your figure, trying your best to discern the details as well.

"I wonder what goes through the artists' mind while making this."

Kenji now stood beside you; the height difference very much noticeable. His eyes seemed to be observing it in every angle possible as well, placing his chin atop of your head from behind— no longer standing beside you.

"I'm curious about it too."

"Maybe it was meant to portray, you know— some tragedy?"

"Well, that definitely worked." He agreed along with your words, accompanied with a quick nod.

When he's sure that you're not looking at anywhere else but the painting alone, Kenji took the opportunity to glance down at you, secretly— or not-so-secretly, admiring the way his coat hangs around you almost loosely; yet fittingly so. You looked so beautiful to him like this, and he didn't dare to let his mind wander too far.

At this point, you didn't have to bring him along to the museum to see the arts, when you are the whole art itself.

A precious piece of art that he would love to keep with him for as long as he's breathing— if you would let him.

Every single part of you screams divine perfection to him. The way your eyes would light up whenever you see anything that interests you, or the way you would bite your lip in pure concentration unknowingly.

The way you speak, and the way you walk— God, don't get him started on the way he would always, successfully so, getting any sort of reaction out of you. The list is endless, and it felt like a personal reward, one that he's not-so-willingly share with anyone else.

No one can truly blame him for doing so, honestly. Kenji couldn't help it— he cherishes you so much that it almost hurts so good. Not out of obsession, but damn, that man loves you a little too much.

Nevertheless, nothing is truly too much for him to love you just the way you are.

Yet rightfully so, you never minded even the slightest. Kenji could never get enough of you; his love for you is always, and somehow, endless.

You smiled lovingly underneath his soft gaze, rubbing his own arm that's currently encircling around you so tenderly. You know that stare, but you just didn't want to point it out and simply wanted to relish within that feeling.

The people might see him as the arrogant, boastful person in the public eye— a mere facade that he puts up every so often when it deems necessary. But he acts so differently whenever he's around you, daring himself to let his walls down and be completely vulnerable with you.

With you, he has nothing to hide, shamelessly showing and proving his devotion to you alone; showing you a side that only you get the privilege of seeing it.

Kenji Sato will never cease to treasure you.

@luneariaa. do not repost; reblogs are welcomed. all rights reserved.

[pomefioredove]

Hiii!! I was wondering if you could “I can’t stop thinking about you” with Jade? If ur prompt things are still open of course! If not that’s totally okay too!!

o7 anon

summary: "I can’t stop thinking about you" type of post: short fic characters: jade additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is not specified to be yuu, not proofread and maybe a little ooc a part of this event

"And don't forget to lock the doors when you leave,"

Azul sighs, hovering in the doorway of the Mostro Lounge with his hands on his hips.

"Luckily, nothing was stolen last time I let Floyd take the closing shift, but luck is fickle,"

He pauses, turning to you. "I'm sure you, at least, will be able to handle something so simple."

You salute the tired-looking merman before the soft swoosh of the kitchen door interrupts the conversation.

"My, you have such little faith in me, Azul. I'm wounded," a smoother, much less tense, presence follows it.

You'd always wondered how Jade is able to sound imposing without ever actually raising his voice.

Azul huffs. "I clearly was not addressing you. Good evening to the both of you... Don't stay up too late,"

And with that, he's gone.

As soon as the door is closed and Azul's inky silhouette has vanished, you turn to look at the gentleman behind you.

"I didn't even know you were here,"

"I'm not supposed to be," Jade smiles, offering little explanation.

By now, you're sure he does that on purpose.

You don't feel like being baited into a conversation, but when your only other option is silence with Jade...

"So?"

"I was taking stock," he says. "Both metaphorically and literally. We're short on limes."

His strangeness radiates off of him like a mist. You narrow your eyes at him; he's hiding something, you're sure. But what are you supposed to do- interrogate him?

"I'll leave a note," you mutter, turning your attention back to sweeping.

This is your very first closing shift at the lounge; no customers, no Azul, no sounds except for your own breathing.

And Jade's.

He smiles again. "Shall I help? You'll be done faster with another set of hands,"

He could just leave. He's not even on the clock... if this is him looping you into some ploy to get overtime, you swear...

"If you would like,"

"Excellent,"

Jade disappears into the kitchen, taking that strange air of tension with him, and returns with a rag and cleaning solution.

He's completely silent, perusing the lounge as if it were an art museum, admiring the specks and stains on each table before wiping them down.

"You seem nervous," he says merrily, not even looking at you. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No," a half-truth. "I'm just tired." a lie.

"I've read that many human children develop a fear of the dark. What's more, is that it's not considered irrational. How fascinating,"

You focus on the bristles of the broom in front of you. The Mostro Lounge does get rather dark at night... all of Octavinelle does.

"It's not irrational," you mutter.

"Perhaps for you. But in the sea, a child being afraid of the dark would be as silly to us as a child being afraid of sunlight would be to you,"

You pause to look out one of the windows in the lounge, the thick pane of glass separating you from the inky depths. It's almost pitch black at this hour.

Ugh. You're letting him get in your head.

You hum. "Is that why you're here, then? Protecting me from the dark?"

Jade smiles, watching you out of the corner of his eyes. "No. I was only making conversation. You seemed uncomfortable with my presence,"

"I just was expecting to be alone,"

"So was I,"

You pause, turning to him with a questioning glance.

As vague an answer as ever, you think, though there's a certain gleam in his eye that's daring you to find out for yourself.

He meets your gaze. "You interest me,"

Jade says it plainly, his tone soft, as if he thinks he might scare you away with any sudden movements.

"I can't stop thinking about you," he hums. "And I hope you understand my meaning... I do not seek to make you uncomfortable."

You set the broom against the wall. "You're not,"

He mimics you, setting the rag and bottle aside. If you didn't know any better, you could've sworn you caught a look of relief on him.

"Good. I have no malicious intentions... This time,"

You take that as a joke. It's not very funny.

Jade chuckles. "Ah, don't roll your eyes at me. I'm only lightening the mood... I would like to get to know you better, after all," he pauses. "As a confidante."

There's something oddly genuine about this.

He's as calm as ever, but you can tell there's a current of vulnerability hiding beneath the surface.

You can't help a smile at the thought.

"Not an informant, then?"

He smiles back. "Not with you, no,"