#fathers and sons and feeling the need to provide or to be a certain way

[etheries1015]

Etheries hello! If you're open to requests right now, could you write something for twst where they find out (gender neutral but presumably afab) reader is pregnant with their child? I'd love to request for Azul, Vil, Malleus, and Rollo specifically but any others you think would be fun to write would be fun to read too. Thank you!!

YYYAAAA!!! I LOVE THIS CONCEPT Twst men with children make me so giddy inside hehehehe. Especially the non-humans for some reason, like Fae and Mer folk aosiefjlskadjf

You're pregnant!! Their reaction?

you know what, I decided to throw in how many daughters/sons I'd think they would have, too. For shits and giggles.

Featuring: Azul, Vil, Malleus, and of course I need to add my baby girl Lilia <3 I'm sorry, I really can't write Rollo, I sat here for an hour trying to think of something, but I suppose he is where my creativity halts... my apologies. I hope you like this nonetheless!

General warnings: Afab reader, but no pronouns are used. I feel like there is obvious malleus favoritism because I think he's a huge simp that wants a bunch of babies LMFAOOO, there's so much to write on him. And Lilias is a little bit more on the angsty side of things...but overall fluffy! Not very proofread either <3

Azul

He is BEYOND anxious. More anxious than he had ever felt in his entire life. You? His lovely significant other, pregnant, with HIS child? His offspring?

Almost faints at the news. When you tell him the news, he just stares at you with wide eyes and jaw ajar.

He is happy, truly, but he's honestly a mess. Will this be a mostly human child? Will you be giving birth to an octo-egg? Will they need to be birthed in the water of the sea? So many uknown variables and questions swim in his mind, but his first plan of action is to hug you tightly and sob into your shoulder.

CONSTANT doctor checkups. He's asking you to go more often than they would recommend, but he can't help it. He needs to be 10000% certain that you are going to be okay and find out what form his child will be taking.

Imagine if it's twins, oh my gosh. He would actually faint.

his children will have a never-ending supply of love from Uncle Jade and Uncle Floyd

Weird presents, probably ingesting food from the sea by his recommendation, prenatal potions, and bed rest. If he read it, you were doing it. Your health was his number one priority.

Azul is probably leaning towards a traditional father, going to work and getting as much profit as possible to support you and his children. But of course, he will take a significant amount of time off to help you and any obstacles that come with having a mer-folks child.

On the sweeter side...

His hands will be trembling ever so slightly, with tears in his eyes every time he feels your stomach. He will kiss your stomach, and lay on your lap to be close by. He can't believe he has come so far in life- to the point where he has a beautiful significant other such as yourself and a child on the way.

He worries about many things, finances, being able to get the most out of life, if he will be able to provide for you and this child, and the kind of life his child will have.

Kind of hopes that his child is mostly human. He was bullied for his species, being slow, pudgy, and whatnot. That's not the life he wants for his children if they end up looking more like him.

You're able to calm his nerves, though. All in all, he is incredibly excited to meet his new baby, and will be doing so by his beloveds side <3

I personally see him having one child. Probably a boy, probably an easy baby. I don't think Azul would want more than one child.

Vil

the moment he saw that positive pregnancy test, he had a conflicting wave of emotions.

Of course his outward reaction was to hug you, stroke your head, and pepper your face in kisses. Of course, the news elated him, he seemed calm and collected enough, but there were many worries in his mind.

He doesn't want to accidentally "ruin" his child.

Vil was always in the face of cameras, the face of the public's wary eye, and was hyper-focused on his image and how others may perceive him.

He would hate to accidentally subject his child to the same watchful eye of the public and create this whole image that he needs to be perfect. He wants this child to grow up how they choose, with good values, instead of fearing what may come out of the public opinion.

always hiding you and shielding you from paparazzi. He wanted to hide the news that you were pregnant until later down the line. There are some crazy fans out there, and he would never risk something happening to you. Face masks and disguises were not unknown to you from dating him already at this point, but it was almost as if it came out tenfold.

Rook and Epel = sweetest most doting uncles ever!

Vil had to slap Rook on the head when he felt like Rook was getting a little too handsy with your baby bump.

Epel made sure you had the best batch of apples straight from the farm! Good for the baby, he says!

Vil loves playing music for you and his child, piano, singing...he loves it. it's great bonding for the both of you. He'd hum and sing songs to your stomach while rubbing it gently.

Finances will never pose a problem. Another thing that was never a problem, was Vil going out of his way to take off work and make sure he was there to properly take care of you. You never felt abandoned and alone despite his busy schedule and the fact he was always out doing some sort of movie shoot or commercial, he would never hesitate to take off or call in if you were having a particularly rough day.

Overall, he's excited! He hopes the baby grows up in their own skin and individuality, making choices for themselves when it comes to their career path. And a little side note...he really liked how cute you looked waddling around pregnant with a baby bump. Heuehue.

I can envision you and Vil possibly having two-three children, pretty even in age difference. Depends! I think he would like a big family, get a home with plenty of space. I can see him with both boys and girls, I think I see Vil being a really good "girl dad" tho.

Malleus

absolutely ecstatic. He wanted this so so so bad. He was over the moon. He held back an embarrassing display of giggling and fangirling over the fact he impregnated you, instead opted with a smile and a "Wonderful."

You sometimes wonder if he purposefully did something to result in your pregnancy because I like to think he's a little bit insane like that, but it's okay! You don't mind!

This man wants so. many. kids. Half-fae Half human children run around the castle bringing it to life and showing off the world the unity between humans and faes. He doesn't care if anyone else doesn't agree with this, he on the other hand is absolutely bemused by you and the fact you are bearing his children.

Will they come out as eggs needing to be hatched? How long will it take to hatch with your nonmagical side? Will they have mostly human attributes? Will his fae genetics be so dominant that it's like a bunch of little copies of him? Will his child have your ears and his eyes? and vise versa? will his child come out looking just like he did, in a full dragon form, or will his child come out like a normal human? He has asked ALL of these questions and more. He is so excited.

Buys a lot of clothes, builds rooms in the castle (yes, rooms. because he knows you will have more of his children and wants to be prepared.) "Can never have enough to be prepared for all outcomes," He says. Whatever floats his boat, I suppose!

Appoints the most skilled doctors there is in the Valley. You are always, without a doubt, taken care of. He reads piles upon piles of parenting books, he's always by your side, to the point where sometimes he brings you into important meetings just to be sure you were in his sights.

He vows his children will never feel the crushing lonliness he did as a child. He vouches to always be availble to have meals with his children, to play with his children, and be active in their learning process. He will allow them to travel all over and gain knowledge, and be certain they will never feel like they are missing out on anything.

He LOVES your baby bump. At night in bed he will press his ear up against your stomach, rub it, kiss it, talk to it. He is so infatuated with you and your body. Kisses every single stretch mark, and his hands are all over you. Seeing you pregnant with his child stirs up some sort of desire to keep you that way, but he tries to...push down this part of him. For the most part. Heuheu.

And when you two are sleeping, his dragon tail always comes out to wrap around you protectively. It's his way of making sure both of you are safe through the night because sevens forbid anything happens to his beloved and their child(ren).

Honestly, I am a firm believer that Malleus would have twins, for some reason. Two hatchlings! Together! A boy and a girl. (I have a whole fic idea for this...you'll probably see it one day. heuheu.) or two boys. I think it would be super chaotic with two twins with big draconic features and attitudes, alot of running around and mischief in the house!! He would of course go on to have more children with you. I think it may become an addiction for him. Or not! I can also see him being content with two.

Lilia

Honestly, when you first gave him the news, he was uncertain how to feel. He inquired if you were serious,him raising a child at his age? He wasn't certain he'd be able to do it. He raised Silver, and now that his magic reserves were dwindling, he was worried he wouldn't be able to fully be there for you and your baby.

"Lilia...i'm pregnant." Once those words left your lips, his normal silly demeanor dropped slightly. He had a thoughtful look upon his face, eyes wide staring at you. He asked if you were certain, and it was initially a long and deep discussion about your future together and how things will pan out.

After talking it out, a few tears and heartfelt moments, Lilia smiled brightly and gave you the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek. He started to become a little more excited! And once you shared the news with Silver, Malleus, and Sebek, they were more than happy to pitch in a helping hand.

Honestly, I think as he saw your baby bump grow, so did his excitement. He of course loved the children he adopted more than anything in the entire world, but something about looking at you holding your tummy full of his very own blood, it felt...different.

He was nervous, for sure. This was a child that was going to carry his lineage, his very own DNA coursing through that baby. He wasn't sure how things would turn out but prayed that this baby would have a life of peace and acceptance, unlike his war-filled days and alienation for being a lesser type of fae.

He was OBSESSED with how you looked pregnant. He could get used to this sight, you waddling around, swollen feet... for more in-depth details about how he felt about you being pregnant, you can take a read at this fic I wrote a while ago about it. All in all, he pampers you to death. Rubbing your feet, kissing your stomach, tracing your stretch marks with his fingers...oh he could truly get used to this.

He does fear what the future may hold. He wants all of his children to see him at his strongest, not to see him slowly give into old age as his magic fades to nothing. You may have to reassure him a few times throughout your pregnancy that you and this child will love him no matter what, and remind him that YOU are magicless as well. And Lilia would make an amazing father, with or without his "power." It's his personality and determination as an amazing, child-loving figure that will give this child a life to look forward to.

Once he gets over the insecurities about becoming a father to a new half-fae, half-human baby, he starts to dig up old parenting books he used to have.

He will give this baby, and you, as much love as he possibly can <3\

I can see Lilia with a girl! Probably just one baby, because he can only handle so much anymore! He would be an AMAZING girl dad. He would be a great father regardless of the gender of the baby, but I can really see him with a daughter for some reason. The visions are strong with this one.

[oatlystrawberryicecream]

the way that some people talk about jason and batman and the joker is so jarring to me because it relies on some unspoken assumptions that i will never buy into

1. the assumption that taking a life inevitably always makes the person who did it worse. killing someone isn’t always this earth shattering thing that harms the person who does it and fundamentally changes their outlook on things. i guess if you have never met a veteran or someone who survived an armed robbery or any number of other things you might make that mistake, but like some of the people who fought in wwii came home and were normal members of the community and the times that their bullets hit the mark were not necessarily the parts of the war that kept them up at night. these assumptions that once you kill you are wicked and have to feel bad and do this whole show of repentance are insidious. if you are gonna look at all this through the lens of christian morality you should at least be aware that that is what you are doing but you cant have just one character be wicked and unclean because of his actions when the bible says that everyone is wicked and unclean by our nature and all sins are equal. a lot of people object to that view but if thats how you see it batman and jason and the joker are all sinners and are all as bad as each other so at least be consistant about how you apply that moral framework.

2. the assumption that being robin or being taken in and trained by bruce means full agreement with and acceptance of every part of bruce’s personal philosophy on justice and morality. jason was a homeless child and even if all this was explicitly laid out for him he could not have agreed since he needed bruce as a matter of survival. bruce’s ideology is extremely important to him and he can teach it to his children all he wants but they are not beholden to it above all else the way he thinks they should be. jason has to live according to his own beliefs regardless of how unacceptable bruce finds it and it is unfair and hypocritical of bruce to get bent out of shape about it.

3. the assumption that killing is always bad. maybe i have listened to too many episodes of behind the bastards but some people will do significant and appalling damage to others no matter what unless they are dead. those people can’t be allowed to keep causing harm. it isn’t glorious and there is no honor about it but it is right and just that they be stopped. there is no reason to strive for purity or ideological high ground when you can provide a measure of safety and justice to victims and prevent future harm instead.

4. the assumption that bruce didn’t have to answer to jason. parents have a duty to their children and it is my opinion that that duty does not end when the child dies. bruce adopted jason and made himself responsible and accountable for everything that happened to jason under his care. that responsibility was ignored over many instances. i am not going to detail the things that led to jason’s death here but it was not good or effective parenting. after jason’s death the disrespect starts pretty immediately with bruce compromising evidence of his murder in order to preserve his ability to continue as batman and continues with bruce getting rid of pretty much all traces of jason’s presence in his life. he is only spoken of as a mistake, a lost cause, or a cautionary tale and is assigned blame for his own death, a death that batman never bothered to fully investigate since he was buried next to the woman who led him into the trap. a new kid is endangered and the joker and batman both continue doing whatever they want as if jason’s life only matters for the way it affects them. bruce needs to answer for all of this, as his son jason has a right to expect more from his father. now the extent to which that extends can be debated but it is clear to me that jason deserved better from bruce.

conclusion: killing is accepted in society in certain circumstances, you may or may not agree with this but self defense laws and even things like jury nullification exist because people knew there should be some wiggle room since no one could have the full context of every situation that would ever arise. ending a life is not normal or ideal but it is not an unfathomably rare experience and it does not always weigh on the person who does it. bruce has never to my knowledge killed someone so he has no idea how he would actually respond but that still isn’t even what jason was asking him to do. all he had to do was be present and not move and he would have been the only parental figure who didn’t let jason down.

[missyvani]

PECULIAR ─ .✦

Invincible x Starfire (Short Story) PART ONE

Summary ─ During a week of silence and freedom from his duty, a flying subject entered their solar system, driven by greed. It invaded Earth in a search for a certain alien, and that alien is a Viltrumite.

WARNING ︴Blood and Violence, Power Struggle, Profanity, Death, Sexual incourse and Heartbreak (included as the story goes on)

AUTHOR’s NOTE ︴first post. Very nervous. I’m welcome to any tips. I am new. T-T. BUT I hope you enjoy this short story. I apologize if some details of Starfire and Invincible are inaccurate or if the grammar and spelling is incorrect.

‘I need you mark!’

Earth’s fierce hero. A title he had craved since a young age and since the half-told lie of his father’s past. That title meant everything to him, even if the reward seemed little like a kid had earned a sticker.

To be Strong. Brave and rousing like his father. That’s what it was supposed to feel like.

After countless times of watching his father save Earth LIVE on NEWS channels and arriving home untouched to remind Mark’s potential appearing anytime soon, the title became part of his life.

Yet little did Mark know that his life would take a different route once his powers were exposed. All his brutal battles and rise practices weren’t as smooth-going as he thought.

“Don’t overthink it, Mark. You’ll get it,” said Nolan, levitating over his son, who failed his 20th landing attempt. His thumb skates beneath his chin, resting his tensed features from worsening.

Hours into Mark’s training—his repeated failures made no difference. No progress whatsoever except for how he should be flying. Like relaxing his muscles mid-air and using the build-in momentum to travel faster.

“You make it look easy. I don’t know how to slow down or even land the way you do.” frowned Mark, springing his body up to stand in the massive hole created by his landing.

His brows narrowed low, eyes burning in vexation. This practice had started toying with his nerves, and knowing Mark—Nolan had to save it for another day.

“You will, son. You keep practicing, and soon you will.” Nolan casually lands beside Mark, resting a palm over his shoulder for comfort, and cracks a small smile. “Let’s end it here for now.”

“Right.”

Ever since his father fled Earth, Mark has been nothing but the planet’s most valuable hero. This wasn’t as bad at first until his college attendance and grades dropped like flies.

Even his relationship with Amber. Who would’ve thought, Cecil would call him numerous times within a week. Such as bodyguarding a certain somebody or saving stolen money from a bank.

There are other heroes available, yet he is the first to dial. ‘Mark! Hello?! Answer me Goddammit!’

In outer space, surrounded by its tranquility, Mark laid on the moon alone, his unfazed gaze exploring the bright dots of stars with Earth in his left-side view.

For an hour or two, it’s all he’s been solacing himself with. A need away from traffic noise and constant chatter. (Mostly people) So he may reconnect with his inner self.

Mark lifted an arm from beneath his head, tracing lines of every bit of star his eyes laid on. Under the mask of his pensive features, memories of life before his world tore apart flooded in a flash.

Chasing what’s left of his happiness.

‘Earth to Mark! We need you back now! Get to New York, I assume it might be another invasion.’

“Can’t you call other heroes? I’m quite busy right now Cecil.” sighed Mark through his clear helmet. (Provided from past missions)

‘Yeah? Like what? I can see you kid.’ said Cecil in his earpiece. ‘I have a bad feeling about this. We didn’t spot this when it entered our planet and I need you to check it out.’

“I could really use some alone time.”

‘No! Get there now!’

(Tamaranean language translated to English.)

Viltrumites. A monstrosity species to every living civilization that has known of its existence. Especially the Tamaranean people.

Since she was young and understood what others spoke around her, Kori’s family tree and people told stories of Viltrumites, their frightening abilities, and plans to conquer planets, including theirs.

And because their race had been considerably threatening to possibly defeat a Viltrumite, her whole society jumped from one welcoming planet to another to avoid extinction and proceed with colonization.

Yet, despite her years of combat training and repeatedly reviewing escape plans in case Viltrumites ever discover them, Kori refuses her given lifestyle. She finds her learning to be an act of weakness, not of protection of its people.

An Tamaranean should not defend its people by hiding in its empire or run away for centuries till someone or something brave enough faces the Viltrumites.

Driven by self-determination in defeating her yearly threat. Kori focused her training on refining her abilities and bettering her thought process in combat.

Till her coming of age near adulthood, Kori felt that it was time to depart from her people and begin her journey. Without a proper explanation of her reason for leaving home, her kind was under the impression that Kori wished to find their savior and bring them back to their planet to share a belief that a war could be avoidable.

Upon her arrival on Earth, its vibrant green and blue ocean, smearing a shine in her eyes, compelled Kori to inspect past its atmosphere, where the living congregated in all corners of its areas.

Weird building’s appeared tall, rectangular, and unrefined, unlike every other tower she’d seen. Its people resembled Viltrumites yet were powerless.

An Viltrumite can lift an object twice their size without an issue but this man—Young looking. Dropped an item beneath his vehicle, resulting to him kneeling down to reach under instead of simply tossing aside his vehicle for his item.

To be strangely alike, are these people weak? Slow? Vulnerable? It was unlike anything she had encountered. With unsolved questions stacking her mind, it only furthered her curiosity about Earth.

As Kori flew close enough to better her view, her ear caught their speech, communicating in a language she couldn’t speak or understand. ‘A problem she can resolve later on when needed.’ She thought.

Further down the road, admiring their way of life and unique features, which are different symmetrically and by color. Earth had begun earning a place in her heart.

ZAP! ZAP!

Kori swung towards the familiar noise. (ZAP! ZAP!) ‘Was it the Viltrumites? Have they come to claim this planet?’ She wondered. Without wasting more precious time, she boosted herself closer in the distance between the sound and her, only to find three massive portals swirling wide an entrance.

“Flaxans.” She gritted, lowering her heels to be inches from touching the cement. Her posture arched forward, clutching her fingers in peroration for battle.

Her empire spoke of their society. Their civilization was reduced to a small community because of their reckless greed to rule a planet guarded by a Viltrumite. Whatever planet it may have been, Earth won’t be their next.

A small army of Flaxan’s stormed out in groups of four, gun blazing in all directions and tongues snarling in their foreign language.

“I will not allow you to claim this precious planet!” Kori's green eyes enhanced, shaping a circular mist on her fists as her heels dashed to separate their army.

The Flaxan’s nerves sunk in a puddle of dread, their palms shaken upon Kori’s arrival. Her kind on planet Earth? No mind has enough process to know why she’s here. Only flooded with revenge, they attacked uncontrollably like animals, sought for tasty justice.

“Flaxan’s? Again? I can’t believe they’re back and in a much smaller army. I think I can leave this one out; someone’s already taking care of them.” Mark’s arms fold over his chest, eyes watching Kori’s every move yet not noting her peculiar existence.

‘You helping will have them back in their dimension faster.’ said Cecil. “Was that why you had a bad feeling? They have something up their sleeves to conquer this planet?” A brow raised.

‘No it’s not them. It’s the girl. Help her first then bring back to my fortress for questioning.’

“What if she doesn’t want to come.” asked Mark. ‘Force her.’

“I’m not fighting her.” His jaw clenched in irritation, narrowing his eyes along Kori’s figure, who seemed far from the idea of being a threat.

'Mark. There's no time to negotiate. I don't care if this thing is helping us—she's not from here.'

“She has a name, I’m sure.” Mark murmured to himself, knowing Cecil will eventually hear. ‘Just do what I say.’

Kori kept her guard composed, blocking their shots as her heels veered for cover. She could have ended this within a minute and furthered her exploration. Yet, there was no opening with the Flaxan’s shooting at once. Only ceaselessly in all directions.

“Hey! I fought these guys before. I got your back!” Mark’s knees dropped beside Kori, holding his position behind a vehicle. His masked face caught her somewhat off guard, baffled mostly. Did he think he could take the Flaxans on his own? He had never fought them before—his kind is useless against them.

“Stand back! I can finish this.” snarled Kori, beaming out of cover, crushing the cement beneath their feet as a display of her annoyance while attempting to send the Flaxans back into their portal.

“So you don’t speak English. This might be a problem.” Mark simply tore off the vehicle’s door, slamming the Flaxan’s with its metal surface with his free fist denting their eerie features.

Both gain their chance of victory, demolishing what’s left of their army. Few Flaxans retreated, tossing spider-like drones as their final defense. The drones scattered in their surroundings, some strolling directly towards Mark’s feet and others launching mid-air as a surprise attack.

“What the fuck?!” Mark dodged, capturing one of its devices, and crushed it in a single grip. As for Kori, distracted by their victory, her lungs extended, taking in her biggest breath to ease her fiery vigor.

“HEY! Watch out!” warned Mark.

Unaware of what his warning meant, Kori’s head swung in the direction of his voice—meeting the face of one of the spiders. Its small metallic legs latched onto her skin like a magnet, suffocating her airways with its massive stomach and muffling her panicked scream.

Her legs lose its balance, dropping on the cracked cement, fingers swiftly scraping against its metal rear. Her muffled screams grew in seconds, shortening the air she had left.

“I’m here! Hold on!” Called Mark, hovering over Kori, yanking the spider off to crush it between his fingers.

Not even a second passed of freedom. Kori swiftly beamed off the ground, tackling Mark along the way and through a building until both made land on a busy road, traffic built from both lanes.

More destruction was created. Cars were tossed over the sidewalks, shattering the glasses of high-priced stores. The road crumbled after the hard landing. Its horrific sight forced civilians to evacuate the area without a second look.

As for Mark and Kori, she had him pinned down with a knee, forming a mist to finish off what she thought was a Flaxan. “Hey! Hey! I’m not the bad guy!” Mark waved his forearms over his face for cover.

“Oh. You.” Her inflame expression softens, lowering her palm and knee beside his hip. ‘Great. Now take her in.’ Spoke Cecil.

“Give me a second, will you?” exhaled Mark, soothing his fretted nerves after enduring Kori’s attack. ‘You have plenty of time to rest; bring her back to the fortress so I can get this questioning over with.’

His arms lay restless on either side, forgetting that Kori still had him pinned beneath. Her flourishing pupils hiked his features—which wasn’t much to see since it was hidden by his mask—then down his stiff abdomen that shaped his side muscles and abs to understand his costume's appearance.

‘What a strange attire.’ thought Kori. Is he Earth’s defender? What makes him so different?

Her fingertips surface Mark’s chest, his warm ambiance radiating through hers, so solid, so rugged. She embraced over his nape, closing the gap between their bodies.

“Cecil, you don’t have to remind me. I got this.”

She had to thank him. She wanted to. Somehow. Without awareness of what Mark got himself into, Kori brought her lips to his, her fingers sneaking their way through his black layers smoothly.

The kiss was chaste and soft. His lips flinched at her sudden touch, unrecognizing it since he only connected with Ambers. Resisting is to be his motive.

Yet he could feel a hunger coursing through his veins, from her hand exploring his hair and the other tracing from his nape to the jawline. It's almost like it’s been something he wanted all this time besides being a hero.

After all, humans have needs. To be satisfied. Desired. Distracted. For Mark, it was what he wanted with Amber.

As Kori casually unbinds their kiss, Mark leans in. Warm and desperate this time, like he was dying for a kiss that wasn’t as sweet and melting as Kori’s. His hand slips below her ear, running his fingertips through her red hair, and his other over her outer thigh to grip her hip.

The vitality she felt radiating off him was no longer the same. He’s all heat and impulse. Their mouths intertwined like ribbons, drowning Kori with the lack of air, flushing her lips and cheeks.

Tasting her breath, lips and touching her soft skin felt goddamn good. He completely had lost himself in the moment, forgetting the world surrounding them.

Mark sensed her fingers slipping along from his kiss overpowering hers. His grip digs her skin, holding her head in place as he separates her lips by slanting his mouth. And without hesitation, in a whimper Kori surrendered to his control.

With tension and thirst crowding them in the air, Mark wasted no minute by switching positions. His body hovering over hers, legs curled over his hips and hands exploring every inch of each other’s body as if they had touched no one.

Behind his mask, his eyes were wild and feral. Losing itself by her alluring appearance. Shimmering green eyes, orange skin, and fiery red hair. She was unlike any alien he encountered. Too bad english isn’t her language.

‘Mark what are you doing?’

Cecil snapped him back to reality, breaking their kiss with a hiss, and separated himself from her touch. “Shit. Fuck. I’m coming, Cecil.” Mark lets out a breath, regaining the lost air he had.

Kori smiled with her cheeks. Her fingers barely touching her lips as the kiss still felt present to her. “I admire your boldness to copulate. But I’m unsure if I’m ready to mate.”

“Huh?” A brow lifts. Unsure if he was daydreaming or not.

"I'm Koriand'r of Tamaran. Our kind can learn language by the acting of kissing. And you are?"

[gffa]

Okay, so it was a month since my last BATFAMILY fic recs set, but in my defense a) huge life changes and b) I did a quick count up of how many recs I had built up and it was literally well over a million words. A million words! In one recs set! And this is like the seventh one of these that I've done! And I still have at least a thousand fics on my reader that I haven't started! Because this fandom has seriously not just consumed my brain, but given me absolutely amazing stuff to read that scratches all the itches I desperately have--well, okay, scratches the itch I have for my Dick Grayson Problem, but same thing.

I've really needed some escapism lately and being able to laugh or cry or just sink into a nice, long novella or even novel-length fic has really been a godsend has done a lot to soothe me and help me process feelings that sometimes otherwise can feel too overwhelming to deal with. All while also giving me the exploration of issues or decompression time with the characters' issues that the canon itself doesn't have the space for. So, I hope this list can give others something to read in the way it has given me so much that I've loved and brought me joy or emotional catharsis, because fandom has been really incredible about Bringing The Good Stuff and I want to repay the favor!

BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST FERAL ROBIN I'M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ The Halfway Point by Sugarcookie222, dick & bruce & alfred & clark, 5k     After a miscommunication with Bruce, a 13-year-old Dick runs away. He makes it as far as a diner in a nearby state. Bruce had left to finalize the adoption papers but clearly needs to work on his communication skills. He calls Superman in a panic to help him find Dick.

✦ be safe, they said (be good) by deargalileo, bruce & dick & alfred, 4k     there's a tree in the wayne's backyard. a very specific tree, one that seems to attract daring children like bees to honey. unfortunately for the children, it is not a tree that is suited for climbing. fortunately for the children, they have fathers who are there to stitch them up.

✦ a haunted ballroom by lothIoriens, bruce & dick & alfred, 11.9k wip     When Dick stumbles across the ghosts of Wayne Manor dancing the night away in an abandoned wing of the house, he thinks that, finally, something might be normal again. But the ghosts are nervous, and he doesn't know why. Something is brewing underneath the surface of Wayne Manor, and it's up to Dick to find out what it is—and it's up to Bruce to make sure nothing happens to his charge in the meantime.

✦ Straight On Til Morning by audreycritter, bruce & dick, 1.2k     Bruce wakes Dick up on a school night to show him the sky. It dredges up memories for Dick, and it would be a disaster, except it’s Bruce. And Bruce understands.

✦ (More) Pressing Matters by Syl, bruce & dick, 39.2k     Dick Grayson arrives at Wayne Manor, a cold empty place, shortly after his parents' murder: A re-telling of the Boy Wonder's well-known origin story.

✦ First Action Hero by Goldmonger, bruce & dick & clark & cast, 3.5k     “Jerkwads,” Dick said darkly, taking Clark’s hand. He looked up at him then, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, and wearing converses with Sonic the Hedgehog on them. “You okay, Uncle Clark?”

✦ Lil Birdy Wants to Fly by lil_taair, bruce & dick, 3.8k     Bruce would have usually appreciated the cheeky smile that was directed at him if his son wasn’t 25 fucking feet off the ground

✦ World's Finest: Fortress of Friendship by WingFeathers, bruce & dick & clark & diana, 6.9k     Finally, Dick talks Bruce into letting him see the Fortress of Solitude – provided that Dick stay safe and out of the way while the Trinity discusses some Secret Important Business about a certain young Amazon. Clark promises that the Fortress will be safe, but is that a promise he can make?

✦ Stolen Son by springfox (dallystrings), bruce & dick & jim, 8.6k     Dick is excited to visit an American mall for the first time, and Bruce struggles to understand the difference between 'guardian' and 'dad'.

✦ Comfort Food by motleyfam, bruce & dick, ~1k     Dick struggles to find his appetite in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths.

✦ The meaning of justice by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & babs & cast, 4.6k     As Bruce drives toward Gotham Academy, he tries to imagine all the possible reasons for the principal to call him. He has a lot of imagination. Especially when it comes to bad things happening to Dick. Still, his ward being a suspect for attempted murder hadn’t been on his list.

✦ The Question Game by Santana2, dick & bruce, 1.3k     Basketball can be a very enlightening game if you play it right. Little expansion on Robin's part in Downtime

✦ Cat's Eat Birds by Nightwing_DC_2112, dick & bruce & selina & cast, 12k     After a run in with the Scarecrow Robin is separated from Batman fighting off the effects of Crane's Fear Toxin when an unlikely ally steps in to prevent him getting into further trouble.

✦ World's Finest Mini Issue: Happy Birthday by WingFeathers, bruce & dick (& minor clark/bruce & alfred), 1.8k     Bruce hoped for an emergency to get him out of his birthday party. He just didn’t want Dick to be the one in need of help. BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Truth Serum is the Worst by JackHawksmoor, dick & bruce, 3.1k     Batman gets dosed with a truth serum and unexpectedly spends most of the time talking about how desperately he loves his children, how awesome they are, and how he wishes he was better at being a father.

✦ Holy Time Travel Fuckery, Batmen by That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl, dick & bruce, 4.4k     Batman is dead, and Dick has reluctantly taken up the mantle. So then why are there four Batmen, all clearly Bruce, standing in front of him on this rooftop?

✦ The Waking World by Fairy527, dick & bruce, 2.2k     This isn’t the first time Dick has gone to Bruce after a nightmare. However, this is the first time his nightmare has involved Bruce's murder at his own hands, and it doesn't settle well.

✦ More Alike Than You'll Ever Admit coffeeandchocolate, dick & bruce, 1.2k     Dick Grayson has always been there alongside Batman. So if no one else is going to acknowledge that his first year wearing the cowl was harder, well, he's just going to have to do it himself. After Bruce returns from being lost in time, he and his eldest argue.

✦ Almost, Nearly by CKBookish, dick & bruce & jason & cast, 8.1k     Dick was just supposed to go with him to lunch. He wasn't supposed to get shot. He wasn't supposed to be bleeding out in the pouring rain on the steps of Wayne Enterprises. But then Bruce hadn't expected that sniper and he had seen it far to late. BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ Behind Granite and Lime by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & jason & tim & barbara & cass, 14.5k wip     Cassandra had noticed. Of course, she noticed. That was the problem, she couldn’t turn it off. She always had to see, always had to know. So she knew when Dick came back from his mission that something was wrong. Or something is off with Dick. Hopefully, it doesn't have anything to do with those murders.

✦ Soup's On by HoodEx, dick & donna, 2k     Taking care of Dick never feels like a burden, it feels like an instinct. And Donna's really good at following her instincts.

✦ to dream away a sleepless night by waffle-wonder (cosmic_croissant), dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & stephanie & duke, 2.7k     Dick was fine. He was fine. Sure, he was having a little trouble focusing on unlocking his apartment door, but that didn’t mean anything. Or- Dick is exhausted. His family catches him when he falls.

✦ Temporary by daringyounggrayson, bruce & dick & alfred & cast, 14.8k     The double homicide at Haly’s Circus is not Bruce’s first case involving a child, and while there's no overt indication that Bruce should react differently to this case, he supposes that his previous cases did not involve the witness known as Dick Grayson. On the surface, the Grayson case seems like any other gang case, but the more time Bruce spends with the boy, the more he begins to doubt his own instincts.

✦ To the Moving and the Strange by SilverSkiesAtMidnight, dick & bruce & alfred & tim & cast, 6k     Thankfully, Alfred tips his head in acknowledgement. “I do,” he agrees. “I remember a great many things. But I have forgotten things too, and I expect as time goes on, more of them will slip away from me, and it’s entirely possible that I won’t even notice they’re gone. My memories of them will simply be… less.” Dick looks at him, studying the lines of his weathered face. “Does that ever make you feel like... like if you loved them more, you’d remember them?”

✦ better luck nest time by ScarlettSwordMoon, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & duke & cast, 47k wip     Feeling as if Dick’s family does not appreciate him enough, an alternate Earth version of Babs turns Dick into a bird. Now each member of the Batfamily must confess something to him if they ever want to see Dick as a human again. AKA The tale of a family and their birb.

✦ deep roots (are not reached by the frost) by fanfictiongreenirises, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, de-aged!dick, 85.2k wip     Dick gets reverted to a younger self after being kidnapped on during a case. But this is far from a routine de-aging.

✦ Bludhaven Police Department by Lady_of_Lorule, bruce & dick & jason & tim & barbara & amy & donna & wally & cast, 31.1k     Sgt. Amy Rohrbach learns that her partner, rookie cop Dick Grayson, is not what he seems. Or how Amy finds out that Dick Grayson is the heir to the entire Wayne fortune, the vigilante Nightwing, the leader of the Titans, and meets some of the Batfam and the Titans along the way. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I'M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ Too Many Walls and Not Enough Bridges by CamsthiSky, dick & damian, 3.7k     There's something bothering Damian. Dick's determined to help Damian feel comfortable enough to share it.

✦ All The Small Things by Geeves, dick & damian & bruce & cast, 20.1k     After Bruce's return to the Bat, Dick and Damian have to deal with just being brothers, but things are just a bit too messy to be that easy BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY'RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ Do-over by mx_chrx99, dick & jason & todd & damian & steph, 6.2k     Jason never really got to do the "family vacation" thing. Neither did Tim, Steph, or Damian. Dick did, but that was ages ago. Now's their chance to make up for lost time.

✦ pick up off the floor by deargalileo, dick & jason & bruce, 3k     there was a lump on Bruce's office floor. a Dickwing shaped lump.

✦ the trials and tribulations of fatherhood by InkpotSprite, bruce & dick & jason & tim, 2k     Dick, Jason and Tim compete to see who was the worst child. The answer surprises them all. On an unrelated note, Bruce is wondering if adoptions are a lifetime deal, or if they can be undone.

✦ A Time To Reflect by Experimental_Muse, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & duke & alfred, time travel, 14.5k     Bruce finds himself stuck in the past, and while waiting for the league to pick him up, struggles to get along with his past self. Plus being in a practically empty manor is a bigger adjustment than he'd like to admit. BATFAM FIC RECS - SOMETIMES YOU JUST THINK BRUCE AND DIANA SHOULD KISS IT OUT: ✦ One equal temper of heroic hearts by victoria_p (musesfool), bruce/diana, nsfw, 1.5k     Bruce and Diana reconcile at Nanda Parbat.

✦ Thanksgiving at the Kents by starknjarvis, bruce/diana & cast, 8.9k     Clark convinces Diana to come to the farm for Thanksgiving, and Diana finally gets the chance to meet Bruce's kids. There are far more of them than she had expected.

✦ Escape Artistry by David Hines (hradzka), bruce/diana & cast, 24.2k     Wonder Woman is eager to learn new things. Batman, less so. Primarily JL animated continuity; some comic elements from as far back as the Golden Age. Complete. BATFAM FIC RECS - I WILL DIE ON THE HILL THAT TIM DRAKE'S TRUE LOVE INTEREST IS CONNER KENT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME, NOT EVEN GOD: ✦ Will you die for (marry) me? by Ididloveyou_once, tim/kon & cassie & bart & cast, 7.8k     Tim sacrifices himself on a mission and lives. Conner hates that. They struggle through the aftermath.

✦ A Saturday Evening by malcyon, tim/kon & clark/lois & jonathan kent/martha kent & kara, 13.8k     Kon invites Tim over for dinner. Tim's not sure if he should have accepted that invitation.

✦ Sending all my love to you by Paintedqueen, tim/kon, 10.9k wip     Conner and Tim get blasted into New Earth where they meet an old friend.

✦ Composed of Us by starlikeknight, tim/kon & bruce & dick & cast, 37.1k wip     Or, a spiralling Tim clones a baby without thinking about the consequences. And there are many, many consequences. BATFAM FIC RECS - I SAY THIS IS A BATFAM REC LIST BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA SHOVE THOSE ASSHOLES OUT OF THE WAY AND READ SOME SUPERFIC: ✦ All these things (that I'll never know) by Paintedqueen, conner & clark & kara & jonathan & implied tim/kon & cast, 12.7k     Kon-El's journey on what it means to be Kryptonian.

✦ birthday bash by yeeyee123, conner & clark & jon & tim/kon, 11.8k     Kon’s pumped that Clark has brought him in to help put together Jon’s 8th birthday party. No really, he is! Just don’t ask him directly about it, or he may need to go leave the room and take a breather. Inhaling helium gas from all those balloons isn’t good for you, you know?

✦ Catching Icarus by Fantasyfire, conner & clark & justice league, 24.8k wip     A bad encounter with magic banishes Superboy into another world. Stranded, the Kryptonian clone must deal with a whole new league and a much different Superman.

✦ Nobody's Child by Kizmet, clark & conner & lois & ma kent & pa kent & cast, 18k     Superboy is deaged. While Young Justice looks for a cure Batman sticks Clark Kent with babysitting duties. BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR: ✦ Adeamus by miss_aphelion, bruce & dick & stephanie & damian & jason & tim & clark & cast, 32k     I'll always be there to catch you, Bruce had promised him once. Dick would like to believe it hadn’t been meant as a threat at the time. (or; Bruce takes over Gotham to keep his sons safe, but he’s already trained Dick too well to always protect others first)

✦ Gorgon’s eyes by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, 9k     Dick will give time to his family. He’s just came back as Nightwing after being undercover in Spyral; he understands that they won’t forgive him immediately. Except, when an encounter with neurotoxin leaves him completely paralyzed, he has no choice but to rely on them.

✦ bad signal by prismatical, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, 38.4k     The rescue mission went well. Nightwing is safe. Everything should be alright. Right?

✦ And The Crown Will Sing by ScarlettSwordMoon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, read the tags, 84.7k wip     After an encounter with alien technology, Bruce re-evaluates some previously held ideals. Gotham doesn’t need a Knight, she needs a King. Bruce will do whatever it takes to secure his rightful place as ruler of Gotham. He will do whatever it takes to keep his sons by his side. Even if it means breaking them in first. [Dark Bruce Wayne, eventual Dark Batfam]

✦ borderline by TheResurrectionist, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph, 22.7k wip     A mysterious force connects the Batfamily's minds together.

✦ Parting is all we Know of Heaven by Sword_Kallya, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & amy, suicidal ideation, 11.9k     Three months after Batman returns from the timestream, Dick Grayson has disappeared.

✦ Behind Granite and Lime by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & cast, read the tags, 18k wip     Cassandra had noticed. Of course, she noticed. That was the problem, she couldn’t turn it off. She always had to see, always had to know. So she knew when Dick came back from his mission that something was wrong. Or something is off with Dick. Hopefully, it doesn't have anything to do with those murders.

✦ A Little Out of the Ordinary by dizarys, tim & dick & conner & slade & cast, 1.5k     A boot scraped against stone at the same time pain seared through Tim’s chest, radiating from one sharp, jabbing point. With a gasping wheeze, he tried to grab at it. But his arms refused to move.

✦ Override Two: Family Protocol by zombiesbecrazy, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & cast, talon!dick, 78.3k     When faced with an impossible and inescapable situation, Dick does the only thing left that he can do to save his family. Surrender himself to the Court of Owls to become their Talon in exchange for their lives.

✦ Weekend Commute by CKBookish, bruce & dick & jason & tim & donna & wally & cast, 7.4k     Dick Grayson makes his way home during the first snow fall of the year, when he finds himself confused and cold, miles from home.

✦ What These Hands Have Done by WinterSky101, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & alfred & cast, 14k     Dick is mind controlled into attacking his family. Unsurprisingly, he takes the whole thing very badly.

✦ birdsong by ScarlettSwordMoon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & steph & cast, 22.7k     After getting a face full of Scarecrow’s newest toxin, Dick isn’t haunted by his typical nightmares. No. This one has little green pixie boots. AKA Batman: Ego but make it Robin.

✦ New Krypton by Hawkstout, dick & clark & bruce & cast, read the tags, 15.9k wip     Robin is captured by the Kryptonians and put under the care of Kal-El, the man he has known as Superman. Kal-El wants to do his best for Robin and keep the boy safe and healthy. He's fond of him. They were friends once. He hopes that once Robin understands the invasion of his home is for the best that he will grow to see him as a guardian, maybe even as a father. But Robin doesn't need another father. He needs a way to escape.

✦ i was not born to drown by daringyounggrayson, bruce & dick & tim & damian & donna & wally & roy & cast, 25.2k     Or: After getting shot by Doctor Hurt, Dick develops chronic migraines.

✦ Running Headlong into My Arms by gleesquid, bruce/selina & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & steph & alfred & cast (& some minor pairings), 54.2k     Bruce doesn’t like to credit one thing for saving his life, but if he did, it would be Haly’s Circus that Friday night in September, just as summer was beginning to die. (He'll always be a sucker for kids with sad eyes, no parents, and more fight than the world knows what to do with.) Or: in a universe where superheroes don't exist, Bruce Wayne finds his family.

✦ Waking In The Night Light by I_Have_To_Get_Off_This_Planet, bruce & dick & jason & tim & cass, 7.1k     Aside from the soft pitter-pattering of rain against the window, it’s quiet in the room. Tranquil, Bruce thinks. Or at least, as tranquil as a hospital room can get. BATFAM FIC RECS - THROW BABY DICK AT BATTISON, C'MON DO IT, IT'LL BE HILARIOUS: ✦ take these broken wings and learn to fly by fishingclocks, dick & bruce & alfred, 49.2k wip     or, How Dick Grayson Burrowed His Way Inextricably into the Heart of Bruce Wayne

✦ A Bat and his Birds by SalParadiseLost, bruce & dick & jason & tim, 3.1k     Bruce Wayne adopts a child on impulse... and then another... and then another. He doesn't know what he's doing, but somehow it doesn't end up too bad except for the fact that his kids think he's a vampire.

[milswrites]

The world belongs to dreamers

~ Rhysand X Reader

Summary: Whilst struggling to cope with the loss of his mother and sister, you show Rhysand what it means to dream once more.

Warnings: Serious angst (loss of family) but a fluffy/hopeful ending?

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you.”

You spoke the words softly, afraid to startle the young High Lord as you slowly approached him from behind. Rhysand providing you with no sign of acknowledgement as you came to sit beside him on the roof of the Town House.

Rather, the males expression remained as cold as stone. His empty violet eyes free from the shackles of human emotion as Rhysand icily stared off into the vast oblivion of the night sky.

You were sat beside a broken man.

One who had lost everything; everyone. He was a male who had nothing left to live for and yet that was exactly what was expected of him - to continue living. The sweet kiss of death being a mercy that Rhysand would not be allowed to receive, not whilst he had his duty to the court.

It was impossible to know what to say in the face of grief and you were certain that whatever meagre words of comfort you could provide Rhysand would fall deaf upon his ears. Besides, what was there to say that hadn’t already been spoken?

And so you offered him the only thing you could think of; your company. A silent companion in Rhysand's time of need. You wouldn't allow yourself to be the one to lure him into a false state of happiness with empty hope and useless reassurances. You would be a grounding presence, an open ear. Silently shouldering your friend’s burden to help carry the weight of his sorrows alongside him.

It took an hour for Rhysand to notice you, a seconds glance in your direction accompanied by grunt of acknowledgement before he cast his chilling gaze back to the stars. Then another hour of silence was needed before he could find the words to speak to you and when he finally did, it was difficult to ignore the way your heart shattered at the rawness of his vulnerability.

"They're really gone, aren't they?"

It was a question with only one answer, yet it was one you couldn't speak. Rhysand needn't hear the truth because he had already seen it. Your friend having witnessed the unthinkable, having seen things that no son - no brother - should ever have to see.

Rhysand's brows knitted together at your failure to answer him, turning his violet eyes back to the stars in defeat. A low growl rumbling in his chest as he finally allowed his festering anger to consume him, the darkness which plagued his splintered soul breaking free from its constraints.

"It should have been me" he hissed, a bitter mask of fury marring his handsome features. Rhysand's usually bright eyes now dark and unforgiving. Despite the fact his wings were hidden, you didn’t fail to notice the daunting presence of shadows which commanded your attention in their absence.

All you could do was helplessly shake your head in disagreement, tears beginning to sting your eyes as you pathetically replied, "You don't mean that Rhys, not really."

An empty laugh escaped from his lips, the rolling of his eyes a stab to your heart as he retorted, "My mother is dead. My sister is dead. My Father. . . Are you going to stand there idly and foolishly believe that everything is ok? There's nothing left for me now but ruins. I have no one.”

“You have me” you answer, pained eyes meeting Rhysand’s own lost ones, a hurt whimper leaving your mouth before you continued, “And Cassian, Azriel, Mor. Rhys you’re never alone, not as long as you have us.”

His shaky sigh and wavering shadows gave you the confidence to continue, “This isn’t what she’d want Rhys. What they’d want. Feel, allow yourself that. But don’t allow your emotions to destroy you.”

The violet glow began to return to his eyes, the anger now seeping away as a heart wrenching wave of devastation took its place.

Rhysand’s hollow voice replied, “But we’ll never know what she wanted because of him. We’ll never know what she could have become or what she might have offered the world. Every night I look to the stars and all I can think is that it’s a sight she will never be able to see again, all because it was stolen from her, and it’s not fair.”

“It never is” you comfort, coming to rest a soothing hand on the males shoulder causing his rising tide of shadows to finally dissipate, “Rhys she needn’t look to the stars anymore because she is one. They’re up there, your family, watching over you, all you have to do is look up.”

“And what if they don’t like what they see. What if they look down and only see the broken High Lord and his broken court” Rhysand consciously asked, spitting the cursed words out as he cast his eyes to the glowing city before him.

“Is that what you see?” You questioned, wondering how Rhysand could look down upon the illuminated streets and see anything but hope, “a broken court?”

“All that’s left after the war are crumbling foundations and hollow people” he bitterly scoffed, failing to see the embers which still remained.

“Foundations can be rebuilt. . . Rhys I look at you and I fail to see how our future could be anything other than bright. Build a court of dreamers Rhys, build it from hope.” You encouraged, fighting the desire to drop to your knees and beg for the future you knew only the male had the power to deliver.

“I don’t think I know how to dream anymore” he quietly spoke, words releasing as a whisper, Rhysand afraid that his lack of dreaming made him unworthy of being your High Lord.

“You really see no future for your court?” You ask, probing eyes searching his thoughtful expression for answers.

“I used to. . . Before all this. But I’ve never had to dream of a future without my sister” he gulped, pearlescent tears beginning to run down his gaunt cheeks.

You lifted a comforting hand, gentle thumbs working to brush away each tear as they came, a sad smile taking its place on your lips as you spoke, “You really think she won’t be there Rhys? Your family will never leave you, they’ll always be right here,” your hand moves to rest against his chest, delicate fingers pressing right above the steady beating of his heart, “carry them with you and they’ll never be far away.”

“And the dreams?” He presses, seeking more reassurance from you, “when will they return?”

“You never stop dreaming Rhys, not whilst there’s still hope. . . Take a breath” you order, entwining both your hands with his own as Rhysand did as you asked and drew in a deep breath, “Then just close your eyes and dream.”

“Dream? Just like that?” He nervously queries, not quite believing in your unusual methods, yet fearing he’d break the spell by opening his eyes.

“Think of everything you’ve ever wanted to change about this court, about your life. Every stupid rule you’ve never liked, every choice of your fathers you’ve disagreed with. The world is yours to mould now, every wish, every dream, they’re yours to chase after. Dreams are the foundations for our future Rhys, you just have to have the courage to make them a reality. All you have to do is believe in yourself.”

“And do you?” Rhysand asked, opening his calm violet eyes to look deeply into your own, “. . . Believe in me.”

“The world is full of dreamers Rhys, but there's only one I’d choose to follow" you answer honestly, your reply bringing a small smile to the new High Lord's lips.

"And if I tell you I dream of building this future together, what then?" he asks hopefully, his steady gaze overflowing with anticipation of your response.

"Then who am I to deny you of your wishes? You just let me know when you're ready to start."

You grin at the familiar face smiling back at you, the face of your High Lord, of your friend. Failing to quell the fluttering which grew in your stomach as Rhysand answered you, "I think we've already started Darling, my first dream just came true."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes: Every time I write Rhysand I always say it’s going to be smut next and it’s always angst… anyways, smut next time?

Big thank you to @illyrianbitch and @sarawritestories for their help with this one, they saved me from describing Rhysand’s eyes like aubergines 😬

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Rev. 22:20 - Chapter One: Confession

Warnings: Mild angst, talk of religion, unhappy family circumstances, male masturbation. Word count: ~1.6k

Summary: Aemond accompanies his mother to the Sept and notices someone he hasn't seen before.

Author's note: I do not have a tag list. Please follow @fics-by-ewanmitchellcrumbs and turn on post notifications to be updated when I post a fic. Community labels are for cops.

Aemond looks across at his mother, Alicent, as their carriage rolls over the cobbled streets of King’s Landing. She seems pensive, almost sad, her large brown eyes gaze wistfully out of the window as her fingers fidget nervously in her lap. His own tap rhythmless against his thighs, and he can’t help but wonder if she feels as lonely as he does. He would never dream of asking her though, he has never been one for words of affirmation. Aemond shows his love for his family by being a dutiful son, actions are far louder than words could ever be.

Part of this involves accompanying his mother on her weekly visits to The Grand Sept. She is a pious woman, a devout follower of the Seven; she prays before meal times, before bed and goes to the Sept every week without fail. He is unsure if she has always been unhappy, if it’s something he has been oblivious to before. He has never not accompanied Alicent to the Sept, but as a child he would busy himself playing chase with Helaena around the huge stone pillars while their mother lit candles and knelt in prayer.

The urge to play chase left him when he lost his eye, and Helaena grew more withdrawn too. As they got older, he stayed quiet, allowing mother and daughter to bond, acting as a silent, unmoving presence in the midst of their conversations. When Helaena’s pregnancy with the twins advanced to a stage where it was cumbersome for her to move around too much, she stopped joining them, and when the babes were born, it was too much of a fuss to get them both dressed and bring them along. Their ceaseless wailing would have been an unwelcome presence anyway, so it became just the two of them.

His father, Viserys, has been in ill health for as long as he could remember, and has never joined them. His grandsire, Otto, hasn’t either, always too busy with his duties as Hand of the King. He is certain that if neither of these things were the case, that they wouldn’t come along anyway; they are not men that care about their families, as much as they claim to be.

Aemond asked his mother once if Aegon had ever been to the Sept with her. She had sighed and said that it had last been when she was still able to carry him.

“If I’d have known the last time I put him down that that would be the final time I’d ever pick him up, I’d have held on a little longer - to all of you.”

Aemond had said nothing, swallowing thickly around the uncomfortable feelings that arose within him, and leant forward to light a candle, an action he hoped she found comfort in.

He does not share his mother’s belief in the Seven, he is a proud Targaryen and, given the choice, he would prefer to worship the old Gods of Valyria, but he observes the Faith of the Seven for Alicent’s sake. He sees the way her mouth shapes his brother’s name in her quiet pleas for the Mother’s mercy; he would never allow her to shoulder the burden of a second disappointment for a son.

While Alicent prays, Aemond bows his head in quiet reflection, thinking about his studies, his training, when he might next ride on dragonback. His mother never asks him what it is he prays for, and he’s grateful that she spares him the need to lie, although he suspects she knows he doesn’t bother, and that’s why she elects not to pry.

The sept feels more draughty than usual today when they enter, and Aemond’s knees protest uncomfortably as he kneels beside his mother, despite the cushion beneath him. He squirms irritably, silently cursing both himself for not wearing thicker clothing and for the lack of support the cushion provides on his aching kneecaps.

Alicent’s head bows, her eyes close as her hands clasp together in front of her, so she does not notice her son’s quiet grousing beside her. He is glad she is not able to see his discomfort, but he cannot possibly fathom the idea of shutting his eye and losing himself to his thoughts when he’s shivering with cold and in pain.

He is grateful for having kept his eye open when he sees her, his painful joints and gooseflesh long forgotten as he drinks in the sight of her, his lips parting involuntarily. The refracted sunlight through the Sept window dapples in her hair and illuminates her graceful features. She is a vision of the Maiden herself and Aemond ponders if perhaps she is one of the seven faces made flesh as she descends the staircase, replacing candlesticks as she goes. He has never seen a woman more beautiful.

His eyes linger over the white robes she wears. She is a Septa - no - a novice; she is missing the seven colour corded belt and crystal pendant that Septas wear, she must still be in training. Aemond wonders what curves he might find hidden beneath the layers she wears, lamenting the fact he will never find out, she will have taken a vow of chastity. This does little to quell the fire that has been stoked within him, however, as he continues to stare at her, willing with all his might for her to look back at him.

He strains painfully against his breeches as she sweeps across the chancel, utterly oblivious to his presence. Could a Septa refuse a Prince? He is uncertain, but he knows that the divinity that the Seven preaches now makes sense to him. If there were ever a creature worthy of holy reverence then it would be her, he is certain of it.

Aemond’s mind races with thoughts of what her voice must sound like, how she would smell, how she feels, tastes–

“Finished already?”

His head whips around to his mother, startled out of his impure thoughts. His right eye blinks rapidly and he exhales a shaky breath through his nose. “Mmm.”

“Very well,” Alicent sighs, rising to her feet and dusting off her skirts with her hands.

Aemond stands with her, though his eye remains fixed on the young woman that moves about ahead of them. He cannot tear himself away, she is ethereal, and worse still, utterly forbidden.

Alicent follows Aemond’s line of sight before speaking. “Oh, there’s a new novice,” She says cheerily.

He feels the tips of his ears grow hot at having been caught staring and clears his throat, eager to disguise his indiscretion. “I have never seen a Septa that is not near death before.”

His mother clicks her tongue. “The Grand Sept is a center for religious training. I expect she’s from a noble family and has been sent here to take her vows.”

As they walk towards the large double doors of the building, Aemond spares a glance back at her over his shoulder. It’s only then that she looks up. It is the merest of glances, before she turns away again, yet to Aemond it means absolutely everything. She has noticed him.

He is filled with nervous energy, with no outlet for it, as the carriage makes its way back to the Red Keep. His leg bounces impatiently, a far cry from his usual stoicism. 

“Sometimes I wish I’d given myself to the Faith and become a Septa,” Alicent muses quietly, picking her fingernails absentmindedly. “Instead of…”

Her eyes go wide with realisation at what she has said, her tone immediately becoming apologetic. “Oh, Aemond, I am sorry. I did not mean–”

He shakes his head, his lips quirking slightly. “I know you would never wish away my existence, Mother, you simply long for a better one for yourself. I am sorry that your circumstances are not happier.”

She smiles gratefully at him, lacing her fingers with his and giving a gentle squeeze. When she eventually lets go, Aemond withdraws his hand back to his lap, allowing himself to become lost in thought again.

Were her family circumstances unhappy? Is that why she’d decided to become a Septa? He was desperate to see her again, to speak to her. He needed to go back.

“Do you ever think about visiting the Sept more frequently?” He asks his mother, attempting to sound more casual than the question feels.

“I think once a week is often enough,” She replies softly.

“You wouldn’t wish to go more often?” He asks.

She raises an eyebrow at him. “Why? Is there some great sin you’re looking to atone for?”

“Hm. No, just curious,” He says, deciding to let the matter drop.

That evening as Aemond lays atop the bedclothes, his hand finds its way to his cock, fisting around it for relief. He hasn’t endured a moment where it hasn’t been painfully hard since visiting the Sept, and thoughts of her flood his mind as he rapidly strokes the length of himself.

Her pretty face, her beautiful eyes, her luscious lips and lustrous hair, the way she carries herself. It all drives him to near madness. He grunts as he feels the familiar pressure building at the base of his spine, imagining pushing her robes above her hips and burying his face between her thighs as he inhales deeply.

Aemond groans loudly as the thought pushes him over the edge, pulsating as spurts of hot spend coat his fingers and lower abdomen.

He is sure of one thing and one thing only, however; if he has to sin to see her again then he’s going to lie, lie, lie… 

Chapter two || Series masterlist

[astropookie]

Sun houses and fathers pt2

Yoshitomo Nara

take what resonates, leave what don’t 🎀 you don’t have to necessarily identify with it.

*I use whole sign system -house system- for more certainty

1H: he could be narcissistic? or really confident in how he is or approach to things. In some point of your life he could have been wanting or controlling your life on some way. his family roots have something to do that impacted in your life. he could be described as intelectual and somehow formal, polite? these people could have been raised or influenced by someone who has a strong personality and who’s unpredictable; that’s why suns 1H are more conscious about their environments -and how their attitudes impacted in others-.

4H: your dad could seem distant when’s about to a understanding your mental health or aspects of your life that are seemed as untraditional for him -too specific-. he could be seen as someone who provides for his family, your mom could be a housewife or someone who’s not the “principal provider” -idk how to explain it, someone who doesn’t bring a major amount of money to the family?-. he could be distant and if he observes a problem in the family dynamic, he’ll play dumb? he would only act as someone who provides economic resources. lack of emotional intelligent? or approach to solve an emotional problem. the mom could have being not present in certain way, that’s why your dad could have tried to be both OR your mom could be the one that’s seems more affected by your behavior -take it how would like to-.

8H: he’s a very important and influential person in your life. you could be were you are bc of him -economically, geography, social life, etc-. for example: he moved to the country you were born or he was friends with a family and that’s how you met your wife -too specific ik-. it seems that bc of him you have “everything” in your terms. you could be really thankful and if he died you could smile and laugh while you’re remembering him. he has a unique personality, in every aspect. he may seem secretive, mysterious? there’s something they don’t talk about or they have a serious and intimidating aspect?

2H: the one thing you admire about him is how he manage money, that’s for sure. you could have grown up seeing how your dad works and manage things, his attitude towards material things. your dad could have give you stuff so he won’t feel bad about not having quality time or a continuous son-father dynamic. that’s why the main characteristic that caught your attention was the ethic of work and money management? that he seemed occupied? you lack an emotional security but you have financial security? or you seek security in every aspect bc you felt insecure and your father has something to do with that?

3H: screams something to do with communication. he influenced the way you think/mindset and how you communicate. his siblings are important to him or his family. he could have thought you about brotherhood? about union. also, you could be really perceptive and conscious about the words you use or just conscious about how you can influence others bc of the example you had. your dad could have supported you on the artistic stuff you were interested. also his love language/how he shows he cares is words of affirmations? or does he needs constant reaffirmation or reminders?

7H: your relationship with your father could be really tight. he influenced how you act and think towards relationships in general. that’s why you could think they’re really important or the base of life/your philosophy? you dad could be a dreamer or idealize things continuously or something he did/how he is makes you like that. you could feel pressured by your dad of having ideal friends and partners, to have a balanced life. he could not tell things straightforward/not being direct. he could have a thing for looking presentable and he thought you that constantly.

♡ Based on personal experience and I’ve analyzed in my surroundings.

♡ English is not my first language.

♡ I’m not a profesional astrologer.

Thank youu. baibaiii🫣🫶🏼💋

Do not copy. Please give me credits.

[ballerinaangel98765]

Epiphany chapter 1

The early morning sun leaked through the window of Gina Nicoletti's bedroom. It was 7:30am in New York. The world was waking from its slumber and the symphony of the city began to grow. Gina sat on the edge of her bed, as if she'd been placed there and told not to move. She let the golden rays kiss her skin, rejuvenating her from her sleepless night. Her head hung low, she allowed her eyes to shut for a moment to feel the warmth.

To feel.

Her peace was cut short by her phone buzzing and emmiting jarring sound alerting her it was time to leave the bed. Slowly she peeled herself from the soft yellow sheets as she cursed at her phone to stops screaming at her. Once she gained a bit more consciousness she grabbed the pack of pills from her bedside table, with a water bottle to chase them down with. She took a moment. Staring at the booklet presented neatly.

Benjamin Evans June 12 2001 - December 21 2027

Gina's step brothers picture stared her down as she popped the pill out of the packet and gulped down her water.

''morning benji'' she muttered tossing her medication and bottle onto the bed. His face following her as she swiftly exited her bedroom.

She made her way down the narrow stairs of the house beelining to the kettle in the kitchen. She moped into the kitchen, manoeuvring her body around the chair her father, CilIIian was slumped at.

''Good morning ginger'' CilIIian announced as he rose from the creaking chair. He place his cold cup of tea in the sink where Gina was refiling the kettle, and kissed the top of his daughters head.

''morning'' Gina grumbled back as she put the kettle on and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. She placed it down, moving towards the cabinet containing tea bags and sugar. She opened the box and plucked a tea bag out placing that and a teaspoon of sugar in the mug. ''we're running out of tea'' she declared as the kettle reached her desired temperature. She picked it up and filled the cup of boiling water giving it a stir and turning to face her dad.

If one thing was certain neither of the father daughter duo were morning people.

''We need to get auntie sal to bring some more over when she comes next, I don't like the tea we get here.''

Cillian glanced up from his laptop ''theres nothing wrong with the tea here ginge"

"it's gross and watery" Gina scoffed we she marched to the fridge, retrieving the half empty carton of milk. "Bedsides if auntie sal is coming over anyway she might as well make herself useful and supply us with good tea"

"Auntie Sal does not fly 7 hours each way just to provide you with tea" cillian responded as gina unscrewed the carton and poured a splash of milk into the mug of British heaven. "You've become such a tea snob" saying it in a high pitch accent mimicking his daughter stood Infront of him.

"I don't sound like that" Gina huffed as she moved towards the aging couch in the living room.

"yes you do" cillian stated still mimicking his daughters voice.

Gina rolled her eyes as she slipped her tea staring at the blank TV.

Gina never wanted to leave the English countryside, she lived the happily and content until her father met Gina's soon to be step mother at a work conference that they attended. Gina's step mother Jessica Evans, worked as a photographer for the same magazine that Gina's father worked as a editor for. They has met at a conference about a potential collaboration of the US branch and the British branch. Neither told the other that they had a child from a previous marriage, but they were both in awe when Cillian accidentally let it slip that he has a 8 year old daughter at home. Jessica quickly revealed that she had an 11 year old son from a previous marriage too. Almost fuelling their relationship more. Before Gina knew it she had gained a mother, and to her dismay a brother. But it also meant that she would be trading the serene English countryside to downtown Brooklyn before her 10th birthday.

Fast forward 10 years and Gina is sat with one of the last teabags from her aunties last visit, staring at the blank TV .

"I'm off darlin'. I'll be back for 6" cillian shouted from the hallway, he circled back to the living room looking at his only living child sat on their sofa. "I'll bring dinner?" He asked.

"I'll be here for dinner" Gina said returning to her tea.

"I love you" he said waiting for his daughter to acknowledge his reminder.

"love you too." Gina responded turning her head to give her father her best simile.

Content, cillian left the house, softly closing the door as he departed for work.

Gina paused for a moment. Thinking about the words she just said. Her family have been through so much these last few months. With Benji's death, and Jessica leaving. Gina and cillian try to have a bit of normality in their mundane lives.

Shaking off the complicated thoughts she flicked through the TV channels landing in the news.

An old clip being shown of a woman with a streak if white in her pristine hair stood stoically at a podium.

"I give you the new avangers"

Gina sighed, placing her tea on the coffee table Infront of her. She settled back and reached for her phone in her pyjama pockets. Peeling back her yellowing clear case she flicked through the contents of credit cards and learning permits to find an black sleek business card. Embossed on top in in silver declared the initials of the woman on the screen

V.A.F

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

Gina flipped the card over, something she's done countless times before. where a note is scribbled on the back in pencil.

"come see me when you've changed your mind... You are the brink of something extraordinary!

END OF CHAPTER ONE

Okay so it's kind of a slow start but I promise things will move quicker next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed let me know if you want a chapter 2 !!

[guildwuff2]

Routine

((Hey hey! I've decided to post some old drabbles! No warnings for this one <3))

You wake up.

You do not linger in bed long. You rise, you stretch. You tidy up your bed sheets. You fix yourself a simple breakfast. You dress. Routine so fixed it feels like breathing, unconscious until you put thought to action.

You check the herbs that are drying and strip the ones that are ready, carefully grinding them down in your mortar and pestle. You check the medicines that have a cure time, testing their readiness with myriad of cues you've grown so familiar with you don't even need to think about them twice. You check the mead you've got brewing in Aelfgar's old room, making sure it was fermenting properly. You grab one jug of the mead as well as the medicines that are ready into a pack, and sling the heavy thing over your back.

Outside, you step over the beginnings of the stone fence you do not need but are making Trixy build, because she asked you to help her get strong. You head west.

The stead there is helmed by a younger norn man and his husband, whose mother had pain she needed managed. You trade a potion that reduces inflammation and a salve that soothes soreness for the fruit and vegetables they canned from their harvest earlier this year.

To the south, there's the lone charr woman who raises dolyaks. You spent most of your spring here during calving season, but now you're here to remove the stitches on a calf that had been attacked by a wolf. She'd healed well, but is shy with you, so you wind up holding the calf still between your knees while you work. You rub a healing and guarding salve over the old injury and the stupid thing nearly knocks you over when you let her go. The charr woman laughs, and thanks you with some cured meats and cheeses. You move on eastward.

Here, an old retired skaald lived and raised their grandkids. Their son, the kids' father, had died a Son of Svanir and the mother left to find her legend. You bring them some of the food you've been traded, plus some medicine that soothes the upset stomach their youngest often deals with. The old skaald thanks you with a woven blanket, marked in beautiful geometric knotwork patterns, spun from dolyak wool no doubt traded from the charr.

And finally, north, there's a norn woman and her brothers who keep her stead like a tavern, taking in travelers on the road and providing food, drink and a bed. You trade your homebrewed mead for some pelts a hunter had given her for lodging.

Each time, you don't linger long. You've known these people for decades, but you were never one to talk much anyhow.

You bring your things back to your hut, trying not to stare at the wreath on your door, but the scratch of dry twigs against the weathered wood calls your attention anyways as you close it behind you. You set your traded food in your larder, and the blanket and pelts in the medical cot situated across the way from Aelfgar's room.

You sit in your quiet hut a moment, giving yourself some time for reflection, before it's time to go to the Canyon, where your Sector in the Priory was based.

You have the evening shift at the Infirmary. You stop at the Archive first, it's become a habit. You grab a couple books cataloguing skaald songs in certain decades and geographic regions of the Shiverpeaks. You then stop at the tavern keeper Nathan's for lunch, and the silent norn knows what you like by now. A simple dolyak stew and fresh quick bread, you rarely deviate from this. You eat your fill, hand over the dishes, and go to relieve your fellow medics from their shift.

…And now find yourself sitting in an empty infirmary.

This was meant to be a good thing. A healer who was not needed was the best-case scenario, but it nonetheless left you with nothing to do but sit in a place that, for better or worse, had at least one other person in it for the last several weeks.

It's fine though. No doubt Bethan was fine. She could handle herself.

Besides, you think, you didn't mind the solitude. You've already done it before, haven't you?

You sit at your desk and sneak a magnifying glass out of one of the drawers to read through one of the books, wondering if this time, a name you had been looking for would finally turn up.

[hellomystraightlacedfriend]

The Osborns' 'Weird' Relationship: An Analysis

◇ Spectacular Spider-Man #146 - Gerry Conway/Sal Buscema ◇

Okay, so I know it was awhile ago that I said I might write an analysis of some of the emotional dysfunctional aspects of 616 Norman and Harry Osborn’s relationship, but I really struggled with the format and how I was going to present this.

One thing that I ended up having to do was throw out any speculation on the writers' intent. With comics, you have so many different writers - especially with a long ongoing, popular series like Spider-Man - that I decided to focus a lot more on the patterns I was picking up when I was reading.

But before I go any further:

CW: discussions of child abuse, mental illness, and suicidal ideation

Disclaimer: In this analysis, I am trying to provide an explanation for why Norman might behave the way he does. However, this explanation of Norman’s abuse is not meant to be a justification of his behaviour.

Also, before we start, you are absolutely allowed to disagree with this analysis! Every reader sees/interprets things a little differently, but I've seen other people pick up on the Osborns' relationship being well, strange, so I decided to examine that a little closer.

There were certain things I kept noticing in Norman and Harry's relationship that I found abnormal (you know, apart from Norman's extensive verbal abuse). Things like: Harry's really intense and misplaced loyalty to his father (that interfers with his other relationships.) The way in which Harry feels responsible for his father. The way Harry doesn’t have a strong identity outside of his father, and how his father doesn't allow (or think Harry needs) any emotional privacy. Also, just some of the ways Norman talks to his son don’t make it feel like a normal parent-child relationship.

In particular in this analysis, I did want to talk about emotional incest and enmeshment, which I am going to define now.

The psychological definition of emotional (or covert) incest is when a parent relies on their child for emotional support that they should be getting from another adult. They treat their child like a friend or partner, instead of well, a child.

And

An enmeshed family is one where there is a lack of boundaries, and often, the child isn't allowed to have an individual identity.

I think we see a lot of the after affects of this kind of emotional abuse in Harry as an adult, and while we don't see a whole lot of Harry and Norman's relationship dynamic when Harry is growing up, I do want to start from there, using what flash backs and other information we have.

Actually to give some background on why this kind of abuse occurred, I will go back a bit further than that and talk briefly about Norman’s childhood and his relationship with Harry’s mother.

Norman definitely didn't have a great childhood. His father was a bitter and abusive alcoholic who blamed all of his problems on other people, including his son. And while Norman's mother wasn't abusive towards him, she did fail to protect him. This betrayal from an early age from both his parents would have been a huge contributer to Norman's extensive trust issues (and his drive to be in control so he's not hurt again.)

Norman didn't get the emotional support and attention he needed while growing up, so that's really what he was seeking as a young adult, and he found it in Emily Lyman aka Harry's mother.

Now while I don’t think that Norman and Emily's relationship was perfect like he presents it to be, I do think from his point-of-view this was a great time in his life. He was finally out from under his father's thumb. This beautiful woman believed in him. They had their whole lives ahead of them. The possibilities were endless, and then - she died.

Or faked her death and left him because he was so controlling.

Either way, she was gone, and he still a young man was left to go on as a single father.

Interestingly, Norman both blames Harry for Emily's death and compares him to her. Much later in his life, when talking to Harry's grave, Norman says that he tried to be fair to Harry 'even though you were so much like your mother in so many ways.' In this scene, Norman is angry at Harry for dying and thus 'abandoning' him to be alone. And I think that's what Norman felt when Emily died too, this deep sense of abandonment.

◇ Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin #1 - Roger Stern/Ron Frenz | Peter Parker: Spider-Man #44 - Paul Jenkins/Humberto Ramos ◇

(Later, it's revealed that Harry is not dead. Or maybe he is. I am NOT getting into the whole post-OMD-Harry-is-a-clone mess. For the sake of this analysis, they are the same person. They would have the same memories anyway.)

Now I am going to be piecing some things together and doing a bit of speculating. One thing that always stuck with me is that Harry keeps saying that his and Norman's relationship used to be different, that they used to be 'pals,' and then something changed. While I know a lot of people dismiss this, become Harry is delusional about his father at other points, I do think when Norman became the Green Goblin, there was a shift in their relationship dynamic, and Norman stopped opening up as much to his son.

I still absolutely think Norman was a neglectful and preoccupied father, but I also think that Norman was an emotionally needy person, and once Emily died, Norman (who was most likely extremely depressed and lacking a support system) tried to have Harry meet some of those needs. I say tried to, because Harry was just a little kid, a baby, and he wouldn’t be capable of doing that.

I think a lot about a panel from Spectacular Spider-Man #178 where Harry is talking to his own son Normie Osborn. Normie is a very young child/toddler. While Harry is talking to Normie, and Normie is watching TV, Harry starts hallucinating that his father is in the room. (Both Harry and his father have had psychotic episodes.)

Norman tells Harry that Normie should be listening to Harry, and when Harry says that Normie is just 'a little guy' and 'doesn't really understand all this,' the Norman Sr. hallucination becomes angry and says that Harry was just the same. That Harry was lost in his own head when he was young, and couldn’t hear when Norman talked to him.

◇ Spectacular Spider-Man #178 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema ◇

It's interesting the way Norman and Harry differ here. Harry wants his son Normie to be able to enjoy these early years and have this chance to be carefree. Whereas Norman doesn't seem to really understand the concept of childhood and childhood innocence.

I also find it interesting (because I'm obsessed with word choice) that both Norman and Harry use 'pals' to describe their relationship.

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #39 & #40 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. ◇

And just in general, Norman and Harry's relationship doesn't seem to fall into the typical parent-child relationship - where the parent takes care of the child and meets the child's emotional needs. Instead, it's more complicated and codependent.

Norman and Harry both view Norman as Harry’s provider and protector. Norman is abusive towards Harry, but he does show deep concern about Harry's safety and worries about what would happen if he (Norman) suddenly died - because he's afraid Harry wouldn't be able to fend for himself.

On the other hand, Norman really doesn't give Harry any tools to become independent or encourage a separate identity, and I think part of that is because subconsciously - as much as he keeps saying he wants Harry to be strong - Norman actually wants Harry to be dependent on him.

Like on one level Norman does want Harry to be strong and be able to think for himself, so that he can take over the company and continue the Osborn legacy (and he is angry at Harry and verbally punishes him for not living up to this). But on a more personal - and like I said before subconscious - level, I do think that Norman wants Harry to have to rely on him. Because Norman doesn't want Harry to be able to leave him. Because he doesn't want to be alone.

And that's the thing, I do think that Norman is also dependent on Harry.

Harry is the nurturer to his father's protector and provider. He cares for and worries about his father a lot, and as much as Norman does not like to be seen as weak, there are quite a few moments where we do see Norman be vulnerable around his son.

Why this happened is probably largely circumstantial. Norman is a very paranoid man, who constantly fears betrayal from those around him. Even with the other adults in Norman's life who he is 'close' to - like J Jonah Jameson and George Stacy, he is not open. He does not trust them. He thinks that people are conspiring against him. However, he doesn't see his young son as a threat, as someone who could turn against him and hurt him. And he pulls Harry into this emotional isolation with him by telling his son not to trust anyone but his family (anyone but Norman.)

◇Amazing Spider-Man #62 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Amazing Spider-Man #47 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Amazing Spider-Man #67 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. || Spectacular Spider-Man #200 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema◇

That puts Harry in a very difficult position, because he has deal with these adult concerns at such a young age, and he also can't fully open up to anyone else. This strain, along with Norman's exacting standards and scathing criticism, puts a lot of pressure of Harry.

However, Harry is used to being his father's confidant, and he becomes extremely anxious if his father shuts him out - or worse if he doesn't know where his father is. In a way, as much as Harry says that his father is strong and great, I think (at some level) Harry must also see his father as (emotionally) fragile.

This is especially noticeable in Amazing Spider-Man #121, where Harry is supposed to be resting because he has just overdosed, but he can't because he's so worried about how his father will react to possible financial ruin. He goes to him, tells his father that he doesn't need to worry about him, that he can take care of himself, that he's just worried about his father. He then proceeds to collapse in Norman's arms because he is not well.

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #40 - Stan Lee/John Romita || Amazing Spider-Man #61 - Stan Lee/John Romita Sr., Don Heck || Amazing Spider-Man #63 - Stan Lee/Don Heck, John Romita || Amazing Spider-Man #121 - Gerry Conway/Gil Kane ◇

This collapse leads Norman to want to rid Peter Parker/Spider-Man from his life (by killing Peter), because he falsely blames Peter for Harry's drug overdose and also the collapse of Osborn Indistries.

Now Peter’s involvement in the Osborns' personal lives is interesting. Peter is the first person that Harry really opens up to outside of his father - when Harry breaks down and complains that his father had been very distant in the last few years. When Peter responds with the emotional support Harry had never gotten from Norman, Harry draws Peter further into his life by asking him to be his roommate. Harry’s demeanour toward Peter also becomes similar to his attitude towards his father, submissive and eager to please. (He even calls Peter 'sir' at one point when he's trying to get his attention - an address he uses towards his father.)

Peter, however, is so caught up in being Spider-Man that, like Norman, Peter often neglects his relationship with Harry. This leads Harry to be rather passive-aggressive. At one point, Harry offers to make Peter breakfast, but when he hears Peter locking his stuff up, he becomes insulted that Peter would think he would steal from him and storms off to see Norman instead.

This becomes an ongoing element, Harry being torn between Norman and Peter, and seeking love/support from both of them, but seemingly unable to get it.

Now I want to make it quite clear that Norman and Peter are not equally responsible here. Peter is Harry’s age and has troubles of his own. Norman should be acting as Harry’s father, but he really isn't, not emotionally anyway. He is meeting his son's material needs (to an excess), but he is emotionally neglecting his son while also emotionally burdening him with his own troubles. Plus Norman is constantly verbally berating Harry for failing to live up to his impossible expectations - leaving Harry feeling worthless and extremely depressed.

Harry takes drugs to cope with these negative feelings - first abusing prescription medication and then moving on to street drugs. There is even already a note of passive suicidal ideation here, as when Peter asks him how many pills he's taking, Harry's response is 'What’s the difference? Who counts?' (Amazing Spider-Man #97 - Stan Lee/Gil Kane.)

Now I refuse to believe that Harry doesn't understand that there's a possibility of overdose here: he's a chemistry (and business) major with a father who sells drugs for a living. He knows that it is a possibility. So, while he's not actively seeking to end his life, he also doesn't really seem to care if he lives or dies - as long as he can escape from his pain.

Harry does eventually overdose - and it's an overdose that leads Norman to go after Peter & also Peter’s girlfriend (and Harry's friend) Gwen. Norman blames all of Harry’s friends for his condition, but especially Peter. And Norman blames himself for failing to protect his son from them. He threatens to kill Gwen if Peter doesn't end his own life, and when Peter doesn't comply, Norman goes ahead with his threat - throwing Gwen Stacy off the George Washington Bridge. (Amazing Spider-Man #121 - Gerry Conway/Gil Kane.)

Peter (as Spider-Man) goes after Norman in revenge, and Norman ends up dying (albeit by his own glider and not Peter’s hand.) Harry eventually figures out that Peter is Spider-Man, and this leads him to think that his and Peter’s friendship wasn't real, that it was entirely a ruse on Peter’s part. That Peter was just getting close to Harry to close in on his father.

Harry ends up forgetting about Peter Parker’s secret identity after his first attack on Peter though, and so for years the threat of Harry's revenge remains dormant. However, even from 'beyond the grave' (Norman, um, kind of faked his death, but Harry didn’t know that) Norman still had a hold on Harry’s psyche.

One early warning sign of the return of Green Goblin might have been that Harry names his child both after his father and himself (Norman Harold Osborn), keeping their names (and identies) close together. Harry also tells young Normie how special a man his grandfather Norman Osborn was. Then Harry begins to hear his father's voice telling him to revenge his death, to kill Spider-Man/Peter Parker.

Harry goes back and forth on how he sees his father. At times, he is able to see his father as who he really was/is, a dangerous criminal who ruined his own life. However, at other points, he calls Norman 'wonderful' and 'the greatest man this world has ever known.' He claims that his father's spirit is in him fuelling all his efforts, and blames Peter for both Norman's and Gwen's deaths.

Of course, it would be hard for anyone to admit that their father killed one of their closest friends, however, I think with Harry it goes even beyond that. Because Harry doesn't have a solid identity outside of his father, he is unable to fully see himself and his father as two separate people. So, in his head, Harry can't admit that his father killed Gwen, because then he would also have to think that he killed Gwen - something I don't think that Harry can wrap his head around doing. It's easier then to blame someone else - Peter/Spider-Man.

When Harry does finally admit that Norman killed Gwen, he still absolutely thinks (pretty understandibly) that it was Peter who ended Norman's life. Because of this, Harry decides that both he and Peter would be better off dead - and that their deaths would protect their loved ones from further harm.

It is only an outpouring of unconditional love from Peter (something Harry had never really felt before) that sways Harry from ending Peter’s life. He carries Peter out of the building where he had set up a timed bomb, but then seemingly dies himself (from side effects of the serum he'd taken to make himself stronger.)

🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻

Break!

🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻🌷🪻

Okay, this is here because this is getting long, but I don’t want to make it a two-parter, but also sometimes people need to take a break and breathe, you know?

I will also be concentrating more on post One More Day Harry in this section, though referring back to earlier comics as well. I will also be talking more about sex and romantic relationships, and how Harry's focus on his father (and Norman seeing himself as the most important person in Harry’s life) complicates things.

The Dan Slott and Joe Kelly runs leading up to and during Dark Reign were the first Spider-Man comics I read, and these were the issues where I first got to see the Osborns' relationship on page. What really struck me then about the relationship was how Norman talks to Harry more like a separated spouse than his grown child: 'I need you,' 'the world could be ours,' 'come home,' 'your place is here, by my side.'

During this period, Harry is pulling away from his father and trying to be independent, and Norman does not like this at all. He mocks Harry’s business ventures, then bombs Harry’s place of business - almost killing Harry’s then girlfriend Lily Hollister in the process. When Harry goes to confront him, Norman says that girlfriends are replaceable and tries to win Harry back. This, however, does not work, and shortly following this, Harry goes no contact.

Norman will not accept this boundary, however, or any boundary really. He admitted earlier to recording and listening to all of Harry’s therapy sessions, and when Harry won't answer his calls or letters, Norman has people spy on his son and report to him on everything Harry is doing. He then gets himself invited to a wedding that Harry is attending.

This is when he tells Harry that he needs him, something that does visibly affect Harry. Peter steps in between Harry and Norman, and tells Norman 'and that's what therapy's for.'

This scene is interesting because Norman does not like admitting that he needs other people, but also because Peter doesn't consider this (entirely) as a ploy on Norman’s part. He does think that Norman is being honest about 'needing' Harry. He just thinks that the way Norman seeks support from his son is unhealthy.

There is also an 'us'-ness in the Norman-Harry relationship, that is more typical of couples. This along with how Harry is thrust into this nurturing role with Norman, makes him (at times) seem more like his father’s spouse than his son.

And when Harry and Norman do end up cutting ties, Harry even says: 'I was never your son.'

◇ Amazing Spider-Man #573 - Dan Slott /John Romita Jr. || Amazing Spider-Man #595 - Joe Kelly/Phil Jimenez || Amazing Spider-Man #598 || Writer: Joe Kelly/Artists: Paulo Siqueira & Marco Checchetto || Amazing Spider-Man #599 - Joe Kelly/Stephen Segovia, Marco Checchetto, Paulo Siqueira ◇

This relationship with his father - before the eventual break up - does also lead to problems in Harry’s romantic relationships.

Because Norman basically sees himself as the centre of the universe and because he is very possessive of the people around him, Harry grew up internalising this idea that he belongs to his father and that he should prioritise Norman above everything else.

And because of this, Harry does tend to elevate and choose his father over his other relationships. Like how when he was seeing Mary Jane Watson, that relationship ended because Harry wouldn’t unlock the door for her - choosing to be alone with his dead father's costume over being with her. His marriage with Liz also deteriorates as Harry obsesses over avenging his father's death and continuing the Osborn legacy.

Of note, in these moments Harry isn't exactly thinking clearly - there are definitely signs of psychic breaks, with Harry having delusions and hallucinations. Still, a huge part of Harry's psyche is consumed by his father - to the detriment of other aspects of his life.

Even after Harry sees Norman as a bad person (acknowledging that his father was Gwen's killer and knowing for sure that Norman has committed countless other heinous crime), Norman still has a hold over his son. Harry still holds out hope for winning his father's love and approval - and completely dismisses his then girlfriend Lily Hollister's encouragement and support. Instead focusing entirely on his father's criticisms.

◇Amazing Spider-Man #595 - Joe Kelly/Phil Jimenez || Amazing Spider-Man Family #4 - J.M. DeMatteis/Val Semeiks || Amazing Spider-Man #390 - J.M. DeMatteis/Mark Bagley◇

◇Amazing Spider-Man #126 - Gerry Conway/Ross Andru || Spectacular Spider-Man #189 - J.M. DeMatteis/Sal Buscema || Amazing Spider-Man #569 - Dan Slott /John Romita Jr.◇

Another thing involving Lily Hollister - a rather controversial decision - was to have her be in sexual relationships with both Harry and Norman Osborn (with the timing being so close together that the paternity of her child was called into question.)

I actually don't think it's so surprising that Norman would go after someone his son was seeing. He is very self-centred and delusion enough to think that he could somehow get away with it.

Also, back in Amazing Spider-Man #96, there was this whole thing about Harry bringing along Norman to watch the girl he was then seeing - Mary Jane Watson - dance. It kind of comes across like Harry is trying to impress his father with how hot his 'girlfriend' is, and Norman is quite publicly enchanted by her.

There is something similar in the Raimi adaption where Harry Osborn wants Mary Jane Watson to dress in black (like Harry’s mother/Norman’s wife used to do) because he wants Norman to be impressed by her/find her attractive. Which people have pointed out is kind of weird/creepy.

Also kind of weird is just how much empathy Harry has towards Lily Hollister after she ditches him for his dad. Like yes, I think it's a coercive relationship, and Norman is much more to blame, but I still think most people would be a little more angry in this situation. And what Harry does say to Lily at the start of her and Norman's relationship is very interesting to me:

'He's an amazing man, Lily...I know, and he takes very special care of his "nice things"...until he doesn't.

I hope you see him for what he is before that happens...

Because when Norman Osborn is through with you, no one gets to have you.'

One) because it's really quite strange to call the father you suspect is sleeping with your ex-girlfriend 'an amazing man'

Two) because the way Harry is saying this makes it seems like it applies to both her and him. The 'I know' in particular stands out, because what he seems to be saying is 'I know exactly what you are feeling/going through right now.'

Which given that she is in 'romantic' relationship with his father certainly raises questions.

◇Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #3 - Joe Kelly/Dale Eaglesham || Amazing Spider-Man #96 - Stan Lee/Gil Kane◇

In any case, I could probably write more, but this post is already more than long enough. I just find the dynamic between Norman & Harry Osborn fascinating because I don’t think it's one we see as often in fiction, and I love reading about dysfunctional families/relationships.

I also find post-OMD Harry really interesting, because I think it's even rarer to see a person, who was in a relationship like this, have to move on, fully cut ties, and figure out how to build a life for themselves without this person (who they had such codendency with.)

[only-the-shippers-can-bully-nrmt]

(Original Japanese on the left with translations under the break, Fan Translation in the middle, and Official Translation on the right.)

Saw some things flying around that have (unintentionally or otherwise) been giving people the wrong idea, so here are the comparisons to show that, yes, Miles was referring to Phoenix near the end of the second Miles Edgeworth Investigations game. Miles does bring up Gregory too, but Gregory being "that man" during the famous "shines brilliantly" scene was actually a change in the official English release that does not line up with the original Japanese version (even MTLs will get across the Wright meaning).

Also, "shining brilliantly in one's eyes" can be both how a son might look up to his father but also how a ruffly prosecutor might strongly/romantically see his courtroom partner; the line is simply intense enough to not easily carry the label of an "average" relationship. We don't need to elaborate when we tell family members/friends/significant others "I love you" (even if it's at the same time) for similar reasons, and I don't see anyone arguing that this means that Miles must see Phoenix like a father because he grouped them together in some form.

TL;DR: The official translation mucked up some context and stuff happened because of it. Keep shipping and feel free to use this as a reference post because the shippers did not misinterpret anything. We can have a conversation about how the change affected the moment, but the original context is still important and Phoenix was part of it.

Besides the translations, there are other points under the break as well, including a bonus of one of the nice and harmless additions the official translation changed/added with the "saved me from myself" line:

Translations (provided by a friend of mine who knows Japanese; edited at times to sound more natural in English or help get across the intended meaning)

........以前、 ある男が言っていました。

……..In the past, a certain man once said:

被告人の唯一の味方になって あげられるのが弁護士だと。

the only one willing to be the defendant's ally is their lawyer.

依頼人を信じることで、《真実》に近づいていく････

By believing in the defendant, the truth draws closer....

その男の姿は、私の目にも まぶしく映りました。

The image of that man was so bright in my eyes, it was engraved into my mind.

There's a bit more added here for clarification's sake and people like me who have a habit of taking metaphors too literally; essentially, the first part that's in the game is saying that the sight of "that man" was so blinding that it stuck in Miles's mind/memory eternally, so the translation in the fan version is correct in a direct translation and what it means is closer to the official.

(fun fact that if you go for an MTL, a translator may translate what in English was "image"/"sight" as "appearance" or "figure" which is technically accurate but obviously not the intent when translated, just as "so bright"/"shining brilliantly" may become "dazzling"; doesn't mean I won't mention it for people to imagine/have fun with though :3c "That man's figure was so dazzling in my eyes." my god)

法廷で戦う父と、同じように････

In the same way my father fighting in court does….

(without the clarification it's more like "In the same way my father fought in court...." but as above, message is clearer this way)

しかし、それはあくまで その男や父の生き方です。

However, that's just the way that man and my father lived their lives.

This is the big one since it makes a clear and blatantly obvious separation between "that man" and Gregory himself.

Here's another translation in a reblog of the post I linked, which follows even closer to the fan translation and is more straightforward.

My asks are open for any further translation clarifications people may want to make (don't want to bog down reblogs when edits can simply be made) but this was a long-winded way of saying that the fan translation was super on point with accuracy and the only thing of note is the "burning into memory" that the official one has to help get the point across (though I think more was definitely lost the way it was done).

Other Points

1 - Staying on the official translation, its use of "that man" is rather... bizarre, even if one hasn't seen the original. Such a use is typically for:

someone the game wants the audience for figure out on their own (so the character knows it but the player needs to go talk to the person themself once they figure it out)

someone who the character speaking isn't really familiar with (like, "oh yeah, that guy, I kind of remember now")

someone the game tries to keep secret a little longer for the sake of mystery (example being the fan translation where Ray refers to Gregory without a name drop for the build up that Ray worked for him)

Miles using the phrase and then saying "my father" in the very next sentence made me do a double take because I was totally caught off guard by how it was done.

The shot of Miles sepia toned in the courtroom (the fourth shot) doesn't even make sense anymore if he's only talking about Gregory since obviously he's never seen Gregory from across the courtroom while Miles has been behind the prosecutor's bench (nor do they do a camera slide as if Miles is only imagining himself across the courtroom from him; it flashes to white instead). It only makes sense if he's taking about Phoenix.

2 - Looking at it from a fan's perspective, it makes 150% sense why "that man" would immediately be associated with Phoenix in the context of the moment. Not only did the last case of the first game have that exact thing too ("In a situation like this… what would that man do…? What would he who can turn any desperate situation around do…?"), thus making it a near-perfect continuation of that, but "a defendant's only ally being their attorney" was a huge part of the original trilogy.

In fact, the official translation actually actively makes it weirder to leave Phoenix out of that bit because of the change "a friend to the friendless" it did, which catapulted me back so violently to Turnabout Sisters - the first serious case in the entire series - that it could've put me in a coma.

This is even disregarding how important the whole "trusting clients" and "finding the truth" stuff was in cases, especially 2-4.

It's like, "ah yes, Mr. Fender, that was yours and my father's life, not mine and also no one else's; honestly, not a single other important person in my life who I could have mentioned comes to mind" lol)

3 - From my own personal perspective, I'm not stirring up a fuss over shipping, it's not about that (though shippers getting thrown under the bus absolutely sucks). I'm far more baffled that it takes the already-not-around Phoenix and chucks his mention away for later.

4 - Anyone lamenting the loss of "shining brilliantly" for something else without the context has every right to be confused and should not be criticized for it. Shipper or otherwise, most wouldn't imagine for a second that the end of Miles's arc/self-reflection would have a significant change that takes 50% of the original meaning out.

This taken into account with my comment about the visual aid of Miles behind the prosecutor's bench in sepia during that very line furthers this. Obviously people will (still) think it's about Phoenix.

5 - I only linked to one of the comments/posts I saw in case I was accused of making things up. I don't actually recommend approaching/confronting anyone because I don't think it's worth the time/effort, so this is more for anyone who felt gaslit/like they'd gotten it wrong or wanted the actual evidence. I did check the blog of the person who I linked and they made a long answer to a person who was complaining about the people complaining about said post, but hadn't made an edit to their original post telling people that there were misinterpretations being made.

That's not actually me being aggressive in any way (it's their business and their blog), but pointing out that it's not something important to people like that. I'll also grant that some might simply not know enough about the fan translation/original meaning to get it, so don't stress about it is all I'll say. :)

6 - Here's the "saved me from myself" line as promised, congrats on listening to me babble and making it all the way down here~

[muiitoloko]

Like father Like Son

Summary: After all, Eli and Barkley had more in common than Eli realized.

Pairing: Eli Michaelson × Fem! Reader

Warnings: Neglectful father, obsession, betrayal, manipulation, forbiden love and seduction.

Author's Note: ⚠️ PLEASE READ FOR CONTEXT ⚠️ In this one-shot, I've taken some liberties with the plot of the movie "Nobel Son." Certain events from the original storyline have been omitted or altered, particularly regarding the relationship between Sarah and Eli. In this version, Sarah and Eli separate shortly after Eli's Nobel Prize win, and Eli's subsequent efforts to improve his relationship with Barkley take precedence. Please, if I forgot to mention any warnings, let me know.

Second part here.

It had been a year since Eli parted ways with Sarah, the divorce coming on the heels of his Nobel Prize win. While some might have mourned the loss of a relationship, Eli couldn't care less about the divorce itself. Sure, he missed the morning sex, but the freedom to pursue his affairs without the need for secrecy outweighed any sense of loss he might have felt.

Sarah had taken half of his possessions in the settlement, but Eli didn't mind. Material possessions were inconsequential to a man of his stature. What did bother him, though, was the occasional pang of loneliness that crept up when he found himself alone in his grandiose home. Despite his vast network of acquaintances and lovers, there were moments when the emptiness of his surroundings felt suffocating.

His son Barkley's visits provided some semblance of companionship, but their relationship remained strained and fraught with tension. Eli made an effort to connect with Barkley, to bridge the chasm that had formed between them over the years. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment and frustration that accompanied his interactions with his son.

"Barkley is so idiot," Eli would mutter to himself, his tone dripping with disdain and resentment. In his eyes, Barkley was a disappointment, a failure who couldn't measure up to his father's lofty expectations. No matter how hard Eli tried to instill in him the values of ambition and success, Barkley always seemed to fall short.

But finally, Barkley seemed to do something right in life. One day, he announced to Eli that he wanted to introduce his girlfriend to his father and asked if they could go out to dinner. Eli reluctantly accepted, not at all interested in the prospect, but he went anyway, just wanting to have some semblance of fun amidst his mundane existence.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Barkley welcomed his girlfriend with a kiss, and Eli couldn't help but be enchanted. You was stunning, absolutely breathtaking. The dress you wore clung to your curves in all the right places, accentuating your beauty in a way that left Eli momentarily speechless.

"Oh, fuck," Eli muttered under his breath, his gaze lingering on her with a mixture of desire and admiration. You was his type, completely and utterly, and he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from your.

Barkley smiled proudly as he introduced you to his father, Eli Michaelson, the Nobel prize winner. You blushed, feeling a rush of excitement and nerves at meeting such a renowned figure in the field of chemistry. For someone passionate about science like yourself, the opportunity to converse with a Nobel laureate was nothing short of surreal.

"Doctor Michaelson, it's an honor to meet you," you said, your voice tinged with genuine admiration as you extended your hand to him. Eli studied you with keen interest, his gaze piercing and intense as he took in your shy demeanor and flushed cheeks.

"The pleasure is mine," Eli replied, his voice smooth and confident as he shook your hand with a firm grip. "I must say, Barkley has spoken very highly of you. It's not often he brings someone home to meet his old man."

Barkley chuckled nervously beside you, his arm draped casually around your chair as he sought to bridge the gap between his father and his girlfriend. Despite the tension that lingered between them, Barkley seemed determined to make the evening a success, to prove to his father that he was capable of making his own choices in life.

As the three of you settled into dinner, Barkley made a concerted effort to keep the conversation flowing, ensuring that both you and his father were engaged and included in the discussion. You found yourself relaxing in his presence, his easy charm and infectious enthusiasm putting you at ease despite your initial nerves.

Eli, too, seemed to warm to the conversation, his usual air of arrogance giving way to a genuine interest in getting to know you better. He peppered you with questions about your academic pursuits, your interests, and your aspirations, his sharp mind probing for any hint of weakness or vulnerability.

But to Eli's surprise, you held your own admirably, your passion for chemistry shining through as you spoke animatedly about your research and your dreams for the future. Despite your shyness, there was a quiet confidence about you, a strength of character that intrigued Eli more than he cared to admit.

And as the evening wore on, Eli found himself increasingly drawn to you, captivated by your intelligence and charm. He couldn't understand how his idiot son had managed to find someone like you, someone who was clearly out of his league in every respect. You deserved better, someone who could appreciate you for the remarkable woman you were.

Eli's mind wandered, consumed by vivid fantasies of you writhing beneath him, your soft moans filling the air as you whispered his name in ecstasy. He could already picture the way your body would arch beneath his touch, the way your skin would flush with desire as he claimed you as his own.

But his reverie was abruptly interrupted by the sight of Barkley leaning into you, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered something that made you blush furiously. Eli's jaw clenched with barely concealed frustration as he watched the intimate exchange between you and his son, a surge of possessiveness coursing through him at the thought of Barkley touching you, whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

Though he couldn't hear what Barkley was saying, Eli didn't need to. The way your cheeks flushed and your eyes darted nervously around the room spoke volumes, betraying the intimate nature of the conversation. It wasn't difficult to guess what Barkley was up to, most likely whispering something dirty in your ear to make you squirm and blush with embarrassment.

Eli's grip on his fork tightened involuntarily, the metal digging into his palm as he fought to suppress the surge of jealousy that threatened to overwhelm him. He had never been one to tolerate competition, especially not from his own son, and the thought of Barkley encroaching on his territory filled him with a primal rage that bordered on madness.

But even as his anger simmered beneath the surface, Eli remained outwardly composed, his expression carefully neutral as he observed the exchange between you and Barkley with detached interest. He didn't even notice when his grip on his fork tightened, the metal bending under the pressure of his fingers as he struggled to maintain his composure.

In that moment, all Eli could think about was you, and the overwhelming desire to possess you, body and soul. He would have you, one way or another, consequences be damned. For in the twisted mind of Eli Michaelson, nothing and no one would stand in the way of what he wanted most.

As the days passed, Eli found himself consumed by thoughts of you, the object of his desire. Your image lingered in his mind, haunting his waking hours and infiltrating his dreams. He longed to have you, to possess you in every way imaginable.

On the days when Barkley visited, bringing you along with him, Eli's anticipation soared to dizzying heights. Every moment in your presence was a precious gift, one he cherished and savored with every fiber of his being. Your laughter, your scent, the way your eyes sparkled with mischief—all of it fueled his insatiable hunger for you.

In the privacy of his lavish bathroom, Eli succumbed to his fantasies, unable to resist the temptation to indulge in the pleasure of imagining you with him. His hands roamed over his body, tracing the contours of his desire, as he conjured vivid scenarios in which you were his and his alone.

But with each passing day, Eli's longing intensified, morphing into an all-consuming obsession that threatened to consume him whole. He cursed the cruel twist of fate that had bestowed upon him such forbidden desires, lamenting the fact that he and Barkley shared the same taste in women.

It was during one of Barkley's visits that Eli finally made his move, unable to ignore the primal urge that pulsed through his veins. With a calculated blend of charm and cunning, he began to plant seeds of doubt in Barkley's mind, subtly sowing discord in the relationship between his son and you.

Perhaps, Eli mused, he and Barkley were not so different after all. Both driven by their desires, both willing to do whatever it took to claim what they wanted as their own. And as he watched the cracks begin to form in Barkley's facade, Eli felt a twisted sense of satisfaction wash over him.

As Eli entered the living room, his frustration simmered beneath the surface. He watched as you and Barkley engaged in lively conversation, your laughter filling the room with warmth. But his annoyance at being left to handle dinner alone gnawed at him, threatening to overshadow his growing infatuation with you.

"Hey, Barkley," Eli began, his tone tinged with irritation. "Could you lend me a hand with dinner? It seems I'm flying solo tonight."

Barkley shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry, Dad. I'm not exactly a culinary expert."

Eli's lips formed a thin line, but before he could respond, you intervened, your voice soft and apologetic. "I can help, Doctor Michaelson. I'm sorry for not offering sooner."

A flicker of amusement danced in Eli's eyes as he handed you an apron. "Ah, none of that 'Doctor Michaelson' nonsense anymore. Call me Mr. Michaelson. I've earned it," he teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

You chuckled, the sound like music to Eli's ears, as you tied the apron around your waist. "Alright, Mr. Michaelson. What can I do to assist?"

Eli grinned, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of working alongside you. "First things first, we'll need to chop these vegetables. Care to lend me a hand?"

You nodded, following him to the kitchen and standing next to him, with graceful and fluid movements, Eli couldn't help but feel a wave of admiration for you. He took the opportunity to address the issue that had been weighing on his mind.

"So, how are things going between you and Barkley?" he asked, his voice casual yet tinged with curiosity.

You hesitated for a moment, your expression guarded, before finally admitting, "We've been... having some disagreements lately. But I'm hopeful we can work through them."

Eli studied you intently, sensing there was more beneath the surface. "Are you sure about that?" he pressed gently, his gaze searching yours for any sign of deception.

You sighed softly, your shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "Honestly, Mr. Michaelson, I'm not sure. But I'm willing to try."

A flicker of sympathy flashed in Eli's eyes as he reached out to squeeze your hand reassuringly. "Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. And who knows," he added with a playful wink, "maybe we can make this dinner a regular occurrence. Just you, me, and a whole lot of vegetables."

You smiled, almost all your shyness disappearing around Eli. With each visit, you were starting to get more comfortable with him, but there was still a lingering sense of bashfulness. After all, Eli was a brilliant man, particularly in chemistry, and you couldn't help but admire the feats he had achieved so far.

As you continued cutting the vegetables, oblivious to how Eli was leering at your ass whenever he had the chance, you focused on the task at hand. But suddenly, he interrupted you, claiming that you were cutting them wrong. Before you could protest, he stood behind you and took hold of your hand that held the knife, instructing you on how he wanted the vegetables to be cut.

His presence so close behind you sent a shiver down your spine, and you couldn't help but blush at the sudden intimacy. His baritone voice rang in your ear as he guided your hand, his touch igniting a flurry of conflicting emotions within you.

While Barkley was tall with an athletic body, Eli was still tall but carried more weight, giving him a thicker, more robust appearance. His hands were large and thick, a stark contrast to Barkley's leaner physique. For a moment, you couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have those hands caressing you, those thick fingers sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

But as quickly as the thought entered your mind, panic set in. What were you thinking? Eli was Barkley's father, and these thoughts were entirely inappropriate. With a sudden jolt, you pulled away from Eli, the knife slipping from your grasp as you stumbled backward.

"Oh my god," you stammered, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I-I'm so sorry, Doctor Michaelson. I didn't mean to... I mean, I..."

Eli's expression softened, a knowing glint in his eyes as he reached out to steady you. "It's alright, my dear. Accidents happen," he said reassuringly, though there was a hint of something else in his voice, something that made your heart race.

But as you regained your composure and resumed chopping the vegetables, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. The momentary lapse in judgment had left you shaken, and you made a mental note to keep your thoughts in check around Eli in the future.

Little did you know, however, that Eli had taken notice of your reaction and was already concocting a plan to exploit the newfound vulnerability between you. For in the twisted game of desire, there were no rules, and Eli was determined to emerge victorious at any cost.

As the days passed, Eli's subtle seduction of you continued, each encounter filled with tension and unspoken desire. He made it a point to subtly undermine Barkley, painting him as immature and unworthy of your affection, while positioning himself as the mature and understanding figure you needed in your life.

With each passing interaction, Eli's charm and charisma wore down your defenses, until finally, one fateful evening, the dam broke, and you found yourself succumbing to his advances.

It had been a particularly tumultuous day, filled with heated arguments and simmering tension between you and Barkley. As you sat alone at the restaurant, abandoned by Barkley after yet another fight. You sighed tiredly and paid for dinner, the weight of the evening's events pressing down on you as you gathered your belongings and headed out into the cool night air. The streets were eerily quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of streetlights casting long shadows across the pavement.

With each step, your unease grew, amplified by the solitude of the deserted streets. The decision to walk home seemed increasingly ill-advised as the minutes ticked by, and you couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

Your pace quickened, heart pounding in your chest as you glanced over your shoulder, confirming your worst fears. Two shadowy figures lingered in the distance, their menacing gazes fixed on you like predators stalking their prey.

Panic surged through you, propelling you forward in a desperate bid to escape your pursuers. Every instinct screamed at you to run, to find safety at any cost, and you darted down side streets and alleyways in a frantic attempt to lose them.

But they were relentless, their footsteps echoing ominously behind you as they closed in with each passing moment. Fear gripped you like a vice, squeezing the air from your lungs as you raced against the clock, praying for a miracle to save you from the impending danger.

And then, just when it felt like all hope was lost, you saw him. Eli emerged from a nearby grocery store, a bag in hand, his imposing figure a beacon of hope in the darkness. Without a moment's hesitation, you rushed to his side, seeking refuge in his reassuring presence.

"Eli!" you called out, relief flooding through you as you practically threw yourself into his arms. He looked at you with confusion, concern etched into his features as he took in your shaken state.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern as he wrapped an arm around you protectively. You explained everything in a rush, the words tumbling from your lips as you recounted the harrowing ordeal you had just endured.

Eli listened intently, his expression darkening with each passing moment as he processed the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, he guided you to his car, a silent vow to keep you safe burning in his eyes as he ushered you inside.

As the engine roared to life and the car sped off into the night, you couldn't help but feel a profound sense of gratitude towards Eli. In a world fraught with danger and uncertainty, he had become your unlikely savior, a pillar of strength in your darkest hour.

But as Eli drove, you didn't expect him to scold you, as his stern words catching you off guard. "Why the hell were you walking alone at a time like this? Don't you know how dangerous it is for a woman to walk alone at night?"

Your cheeks flushed with embarrassment as you stammered to explain yourself. "I-I wasn't alone. I was with Barkley earlier tonight. We went out for dinner, but we ended up fighting again, and he left. I decided to walk back to cool down instead of picking up a taxi."

But your explanation only seemed to fuel Eli's frustration, his jaw clenched in anger. "I should teach Barkley better," he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with disappointment. "I don't understand why you're still with him."

You looked at Eli in surprise, taken aback by his harsh words. "But... Barkley is your son," you protested weakly, unsure of how to defend yourself.

Eli shook his head, his gaze piercing. "That doesn't excuse his behavior. What kind of man leaves his girlfriend walking alone at night?" he demanded, his voice brimming with righteous indignation.

You opened your mouth to retort, but Eli cut you off with a sharp gesture. "Don't you dare defend Barkley," he warned, his tone icy. "It doesn't matter if he was angry or not. He should have at least had the decency to put you in a taxi before leaving. That's what a real man does."

Silence descended upon the car, punctuated only by the hum of the engine as you mulled over Eli's words. His conviction was unwavering, his belief in what constituted acceptable behavior resolute. And yet, despite your initial resistance, a nagging doubt crept into your mind.

Why couldn't Barkley be more like his father? The thought lingered in your mind, casting a shadow over your already troubled relationship with Barkley. Perhaps, deep down, you knew that Eli was right. Perhaps you did deserve better.

But as you glanced at Eli, his profile illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights, you couldn't help but wonder what lay beneath the facade of charm and charisma. For all their similarities, father and son were cut from different cloth, each harboring their own secrets and desires.

"Eli," you began tentatively, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you... for looking out for me."

Eli's expression softened, a flicker of something akin to warmth in his eyes. "Of course," he replied, his tone gentler than before. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

And as the car continued on its journey through the night, you couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope flicker within you. Perhaps, in Eli, you had found not only a protector but also a confidant, someone who understood you in a way that Barkley never could. And for the first time in a long time, you allowed yourself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was light at the end of the tunnel after all.

Eli stopped in front of your apartment, and you thanked him for the ride, grateful for his timely intervention. As you expressed your gratitude, Eli turned off the car engine and faced you, his expression serious yet tinged with a hint of concern.

"Be careful out there," he said softly, his hand resting on the passenger seat where you sat. "Tonight, you were lucky I was around. Thank my addiction to cigarettes and my sudden craving for ice cream, or who knows what could have happened to you."

You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest at the realization of just how close you had come to danger. "I... I don't know what I would have done without you," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Eli's gaze softened, a mixture of emotions flickering in his eyes. "I don't like to imagine what could have happened to you," he confessed, his tone tinged with genuine concern. "God, when did I start to care so much about you?"

Before you could respond, Eli leaned in, his lips capturing yours in a tender yet intense kiss. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as you melted into his embrace, the heat of his touch igniting a firestorm of desire within you.

But as quickly as the kiss began, you pulled away, your cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry," you stammered, mortified by your own audacity. "That was so wrong..."

Eli's expression softened, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Don't apologize," he murmured, his voice husky with emotion. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Before you could protest further, Eli silenced you with another kiss, his lips capturing yours in a passionate embrace. This time, you melted into the kiss, surrendering to the intoxicating rush of desire that pulsed between you.

As the kiss deepened, you felt yourself getting lost in the moment, consumed by the overwhelming sensation of being wanted, of being desired. And in that fleeting moment of bliss, you couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, there was something more between you and Eli than mere attraction.

But as reality came crashing back, you broke away from the kiss, your breath coming in ragged gasps as you struggled to compose yourself. "I-I should go," you muttered, fumbling with the door handle in a desperate bid to escape the suffocating intimacy of the car.

But Eli stopped you with a gentle hand on your arm, his eyes searching yours with a depth of emotion you couldn't quite comprehend. "Stay," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just for a little while longer..."

And as you gazed into Eli's eyes, the lines between right and wrong blurred into obscurity, leaving you with a single, undeniable truth: that in the tangled web of desire, there were no rules, no boundaries, only the relentless pursuit of pleasure at any cost. And if that meant succumbing to the forbidden allure of Eli Michaelson, then so be it.

With a silent nod, you settled back into the passenger seat, allowing yourself to be consumed by the intoxicating heat of the moment. For tonight, at least, you were content to lose yourself in the arms of the man who had unwittingly captured your heart.

Eli wasted no time in continuing kissing you, his lips hungry and demanding as he explored every inch of your mouth with a fervent passion. He savored the taste of you, the intoxicating blend of sweetness and spice that lingered on your lips, driving him to the brink of madness with desire.

As their kiss deepened, Eli felt a surge of arousal coursing through him, his body responding eagerly to the forbidden pleasure of your embrace. He traced his tongue along the curve of your lips, teasing them apart with gentle insistence as he sought to devour you whole.

With each passing moment, Eli felt himself growing more addicted to the heady rush of euphoria that enveloped him whenever he was with you. Your touch was like a drug, igniting a firestorm of need within him that threatened to consume him whole.

As he trailed kisses along your jawline, Eli couldn't help but marvel at the sheer intensity of his desire for you. He had kissed many women in his lifetime, but none had ever elicited such a visceral response from him, none had ever made him feel so alive.

And as he lost himself in the dizzying whirlwind of sensation, Eli found himself wondering if perhaps this was why Barkley was always so drawn to you. Maybe, just maybe, there was something inherently addictive about you, something that left men like Eli craving more with each passing moment.

Yes, it was no wonder Barkley was always eager to kiss you. You were sweet and addictive, a tantalizing temptation that beckoned him closer with every breathless moment. Eli found himself almost amused by the realization that he and Barkley had more in common than he liked to think. After all, they were both drawn to you like moths to a flame, unable to resist the magnetic pull of your allure.

In that moment, as he reveled in the intoxicating bliss of your embrace, Eli couldn't help but acknowledge the undeniable truth: you held a power over him that he couldn't begin to comprehend. And as he surrendered himself to the irresistible pull of desire, he knew that he would do anything, risk everything, for just one more taste of the ecstasy you offered.

[jkl-fff]

Obsession in a Good Cause

Since I finally watched Season 4 of "Lego Monkie Kid" today (MAGNIFICENT!), I feel the need to extol and ramble a bit about something deeper I noticed. A profound, recurring theme that really elevates the series in yet another way I wasn't expecting from silly lego people having magic, kung fu adventures with monkeys and such (gods damn, this show really has no business being this good).

And it's how characters with noble intentions and even kind hearts repeatedly fall to an obsession to make things *better* in some way. They can never leave well enough alone, they can never settle for good. And then ... in pursuit of making things *better*, they end up succumbing to a mentality of "The Ends Justify The Means" that winds up making things so much worse AND costing them everything they held dear.

Spoilers below.

Season 1 starts off with Demon Bull King, an archetypal bad guy, especially for a cartoon; he's big and strong, he wants to rule the world, he wants revenge for being trapped under a mountain, he's even cruel to his son. But a funny thing happens after his Season 1 finale butt-kicking: He spends some time bonding with his son (who he now sees grew up without him yet still only wants his love and approval) and worrying about his absent wife (while also being pretty sure his kickass wife can kick the ass of anyone who comes after her). Then, after being saved by people he ought to consider his enemies, he just ... goes home and mellows, watches some cooking shows, and spends more time with his family. Just being happy with them.

Everything we learn about DBK after that is practically a flashback to his pre-imprisonment days at minimum more than 500 years ago. And it makes one thing clear: he loved his family with a fierceness that would face down armies. Literally. He fought the Celestial Realm with his sworn brothers ... and I'm pretty sure he tried to conquer the Mortal Realm originally to build what he would consider a fitting kingdom for his wife and son. (Before he became obsessed with conquest itself, thanks in part to Lady Bone Demon's influence--obsessed enough even to lash out at the two people he was doing it for). That last one, I admit, is speculation, but I think it fits with how tenderly he was shown to love his family in the past and how mellow and domestic he becomes after letting go of conquest and just deciding to live in the moment. It was principally for them, like a father who spends too much time at work to provide for his family. Arguably a noble cause, but he became so obsessed with it that he lost 500 years of his life (and nearly the rest of his life) with them.

(Princess Iron Fan and Red Son both demonstrate it to a lesser degree, I reckon. Their relationship was not really loving at the start of the series, probably having suffered as a result of their obsessive drive to free DBK at any cost. Then to please him after his return. At least until he crossed a line--under LBD's influence--and lashed out physically at them, prompting them to leave him ... until he came back to them.)

Next there's Lady Bone Demon ... She's as terrifying and seemingly inevitable as death itself (fittingly, even Sun Wukong is scared of her), and her goal isn't to conquer the universe, but to destroy it.

Why, though? To make a better, perfect world free of the pain that plagues this one. Because she sees this world as fundamentally imperfect, and that imperfection at its very heart is the reason for all the pain in the world. From a certain perspective, she champions a very noble cause ... It's simply unfortunate that the world and everyone in it needs to be mercy-killed for her plan to work. But what's a little pain now to prevent greater pain later, right? It'll be over quickly, and then everything will be better for everyone ... somehow. Never mind the pleasure and happiness and joy people find in their lives despite (or even because of) the world's imperfect nature; she knows better so she will make things better, even if she must make everything worse first.

(Likewise for Spider Queen. She's so obsessed with reclaiming power she once held, that she loses the good thing she has left with her three loyal subjects. Instead of moving on and starting over and living a good if humbler life ... she dies.)

Then we come to Azure Lion and Yellowtusk (not so much Peng, as he seems to have always been more self-serving, but whatever). Two former warriors of the Celestial Realm who rebelled after seeing its corruption and indifference to mortal suffering. Where LBD was cold and nihilistic, they are warm and reformative. Their ideological position is that the flaw isn't with the world itself, but with those in power who care more about their own wealth, position, glory, and appetites than the needs of the common people. Replace the current leaders with ones who actually care about good governance--who have compassion for mortals--and they believe things *must* get better.

And GODS DAMN that's a sympathetic cause. How do you argue against it, given everything that's shown of the Celestial Realm's inactivity and isolationism? How do you argue against it when that's the story of real world politics? How do you not admire their courage and perseverance to try a second time after getting beaten down?

But it isn't enough for Azure Lion to reunite with Yellowtusk and Peng, just like it wasn't enough to form his own utopic kingdom where he could make a real difference (Note: A region they seemingly drained of life to form?). He could've had a good thing and walked away, but it wasn't enough. He was obsessed with casting down the Jade Emperor and replacing him to make *everything* better, so it was worth every dishonorable act he had to commit along the way. Lie to MK and Mei, let the others suffer through the scroll, imprison a sworn brother (and his family) when he chooses not to join yoir fight, slay a celestial army (and it seems a good deal of the palace staff), and risk the cosmos tearing itself apart? Strike preemptively at a potential threat even to the point of levelling mountains and slaying innocent mortals? All justified to keep his power, because he's the only one who will use that power responsibly and honorably. Ironic and tragic.

Finally ... Sun Wukong himself. What I love about Season 4 is how we see him before and druing that pivotal Journey to the West. And we get the perspective of several people who were very close to him before it--his sworn brothers. Azure and Yellowtusk admired how deeply SWK cared for his monkey subjects enough to be inspired to rebellion against the Celestial Realm, and even enough to choose SWK as their original replacement for the Jade Emperor. Macaque arguably loved him as more than a brother (if you interpret their interactions that way) and was prepared to follow along despite believing SWK should just stay on Flower Fruit Mountain and live happily ever after.

But Macaque gives us a fascinating insight into SWK's character before even that--insight into why SWK went to train with Madter Bodhi and raided the peaches and pills of immortality and so on. He feared death, he feared the good times ending, he never felt secure enough. He always needed more immortality, more power, more of a guarantee that things would stay wonderful for himself and those he cared about. Which eventually saw him imprisoned under a mountain, alone; which eventually saw him indentured to Tang Sanzang and forced to combat his sworn brothers; which eventually put him right back on Flower Fruit Mountain without any of his old or new friends. He was obsessed with things being *better* than they were ... and that inevitably cost him in the past, and threatens what happiness he does have in the present.

Thankfully, like DBK, he is capable of learning to move on. Hopefully, he'll be able to do so (and can help MK learn to do the same) before it's too late.

[lost-inanotherlife]

The Hydra or the looking glass👍👍

hello hello hello! thank you for the ask! <3 I'm replying here and not on my main ;)

I've already replied to "the hydra" and you can read my answer here!

So let's see the looking glass...

the looking glass: this station takes Charlie's life after he bursts in with Desmond to find two isolated Others working in it. what characters do you wish had died, what characters are you sad died, and who do you think are the most underrated characters in the fandom?

It's really difficult to say what characters I wish had died because... well, without spoiling it too much let's just say that characters' death is quite the feature, not a bug in this show. Also, personally, I'm very against characters actually dying in stories, most of the time it's used as an "easy" way out to kill someone off and I'm like meh. This is not the case of LOST where "Life and Death" is a foundational theme so we know that characters be dying like flies on this damn show :D. But back to the question: I don't know, nobody really?

Apart from some of the "big" names, I'm sad about Shannon's death. It's just wrong and I simply hate it with a passion. I hate how it happens, I hate why it happens, I hate when it happens... I just hate it. She got fridged for Sayid's manpain right after having sex with him, it's awful. Shannon is used like an object in the same episode she also dies and it really feels like she's been disposed of or discarded. Awful, awful way of writing the death of a character.

The most underrated character in the fandom is Jin. First of all, let me be vain and say it: he's one of the hottest men on the island, let's all take a moment and recognize that. Daniel Dae Kim is PHENOMENAL in that role and together with Terry O' Quinn (John Locke) is one of the top actors in the series. It's just a joy to watch him act and bring life to this character. Finally, Jin's storyline is, imo, one of the best because it lingers between the fairy tale (the poor hero who marries the rich princess) and the real (although they're a bit stereotypical, the obstacles to his love for Sun also feel more "adult" compared to Desmond and Penny because we actually see the couple's internal struggles and why things reach the boiling point they reach).

A bit unrelated to the ask, but I want to say it: I'm fuzzy on the details so take what I say with a grain of salt but I think Jin-as-Father storyline would've been better if they hadn't focused so much on the certainity of his fatherhood. The way it's presented in the show gives very puritanical vibes as if the child's life could've been "validated" only provided that Jin is its father. Although it makes sense wrt the island "curing" people of all of their health issues before the crash, I also hc Ji Yeon as not being Jin's biological daughter.

I think it's a more respectful way to see Jin's story because he's a son who has abnegated his own father only to enter into another family where his father-in-law basically has got him by the balls (pun intended). And Jin accepted the abuse because of the love he felt for Sun which, in turn, started "rotting" precisely because of the very reason that made it possible.

And here they are, Jin and Sun, on the island, away from their families, away from their society, away from anyone, finally "free" to love each other as they should and they're this close to the dream and BOOM! Jin discovers that Sun is pregnant and the child might not be his. I think it'd be cool if Jin were like: I choose to love this child if you allow me, Sun. Because I love you and because I feel like I myself can be a good father to this child. Like, we didn't need confirmation of paternity, it'd be enough for me and it'd be a cooler characterization of Jin as someone who has real agency and actually gets to decide something in his relationship with Sun.

Thank you for your ask!!! <3

[ultimateissuessimp]

Hook's curse

One shot

Word count: 3,048

Warnings: Slightly depressing

Notes: This bitch LOOONG. Like I definitely had even more ideas to write in this bad boy, but I feel like that woudl be too much. Like this is already big and chonky.

Everyone knew they couldn't rest, even with Pan kept in the trap Gold, or rather Rumplestilstkin, kept in his possession, just to make sure his father didn't accidentally come out and run free again.

Yet they all longed for a moment of peace and quiet, so the group walked into Granny's and settled wherever they found it comfortable, Emma with 'Henry' and Regina at one of the booths, in the next booth Mary Margaret and David while the two pirates sat at the counter, feeling the need for a drink, maybe a heavy one at that.

While they ate, drank and conversed, Pan in Henry's body thought out his plan. Since the pirates have been reunited after the Evil Queen's curse, he felt as if it was his job to break them apart again, just to wound further on one of his longest enemies. He decided on adding one more thing to his curse, just so it provided him the wanted effect. He needed Felix to find something that belonged to Y/N and Killian, something that proved their love for each other. He hid the smirk behind his hand as he looked around before settling his eyes and ears back onto Emma and Regina.

Some time later, the curse was almost done. Yes, everyone found out about Henry being in Pan's body and Pan in Henry's at some point, but that didn't matter. His plan was perfect and he was ready to set it into motion. He was back in his own body, he had more freedom of action.

Everyone stood frozen in place in the middle of the street while Pan walked around them, the scroll with the curse in his hand. Snow and Charming close to each other, Neal, Henry and Emma next to one another while Killian hid Y/N behind himself, wanting to protect him from the flying forever young maniac. Peter did not care for Hook at the moment, but rather that somebody behind him. He observed Y/N and the drop of nervous sweat that ran down the side of his forehead and he smirked devilishly, but not in the good kind of way, no. A way that only spoke of harm.

-Well, since we're all gathered here like a good old family… No. We're not a full family, certain people are missing - Peter said, looking around with a smug smirk on his face. He knew eventually the coward that was his son had to show up. What he didn't expect was how exactly he would show up and with what.

-Looking for somebody, father? - Gold said, saying the word 'father' as if it was a disease and it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. Maybe it did, but what mattered was stopping Pan from completing the curse. He took a step forward, knowing that there was no other way for ending this whole fiasco.

They talked for a brief moment before Rumplestiltskin took one more step towards Pan, acting as if his whole deal was to hug his father, yet he manifested out his dark one dagger and stabbed Pan's back, at the same time piercing his own chest, ending both of their lives. Belle's cries and wallowing could be heard as he saw her lover's body drop.

Regina swooped in and took the curse, putting alterations to it. She changed it as much as she could, but omitted one little thing that she at that point didn't notice. She put in that a true love's kiss would still work if needed and made it so that everyone from the Enchanted Forest would go back there. Well, not everyone. A certain pirate will be left behind, but they'll get to know about it when the curse sweeps them away into their world.

That meant that Emma and Henry had to leave. They'll forget everything that had happened, but Regina made sure to give them the best of, while fake, memories with each other. As much as it broke everyone's hearts, the two packed and got ready on the line of Storybrooke for departure from the town that held so many memories, literally and metaphorically speaking. They said their goodbyes with the green smoke on the horizont, swallowing everyone on its way and sending them back to the Enchanted Forest, before they got into the yellow beatle car and drove off over the line, forgetting everything and everyone but about themselves.

Y/N and Killian stood there, holding each other in their arms as they awaited the cursed green smoke to take them too. They shared a one, literally, last kiss before they too went back to their realm. Or so they thought. Everyone landed on the grass, not far away from where Aurora and her prince. They all stood there and thought what to do next since they're back again, go back to their old lives? Find a way back to Storybrooke? They needed to somehow get to Emma and Henry, they just needed to.

Killian looked around when he didn't find his husband next to him after appearing in the Enchanted Forest, calling out his name, hoping to hear his response and thinking, hoping, that it was just a minor separation due to the curse being chaotic and he was somewhere near, but when he didn't find him or hear his voice calling back to him, he started panicking. He ran up to Regina.

-Where the bloody hell is he, Regina?! - he questioned the woman that stood there on the side, back in her Evil Queen outfit, clearly standing out from the others. She looked at him weirdly. She didn't expect him to just shout at her when she saw him approaching.

-First of all, stop yelling at me or I'm going to deprive you of another part of your body, more specifically your tongue, second of all who are you talking about, pirate? - she asked him, a scowl on her face as she put her hands on her hips. Killian looked at her angrily, raising his hooked arm and pointing it Regina's way.

-Hold your threats, witch. What did you do to him, where's Y/N? - he questioned her further on, his voice raising more the angrier he got. He needed to know where his husband is otherwise he would to lose his mind. They got separated once and now they were separated again, he couldn't take it anymore. What if villains really couldn't have a happy ending?

-He's not here? He should be, I made it specifically so everyone who was from the Enchanted Forest would come back here! Did you look for him properly? - she asked the pirate, now getting anxious herself, but she couldn't help but still hold some snark to her tone, thinking that the man probably didn't look well enough and is creating chaos for nothing.

-Of course I bloody did! You think I'd come here if I hadn't done that already? - he snapped back at her, the scowl on his face deepening as he once more looked around in blind hope of seeing the face of the one he loved.

-Fine! I'll try and do a locating spell. Got anything of his? - Regina asked, pulling her palm in front of her towards the pirate, silently asking for the said thing and when he put the golden chain necklace with a matching in colour band caught through it into her hand, she inspected it before doing the spell as she said she would. The thing is that the spell didn't work.

-Why isn't it working? It should work, shouldn't it! What does that mean? - he started another series of questions, his nerves getting the better of him as he worried for his husband. What if he was all alone somewhere dangerous? Obviously he knew that Y/N could defend himself and kick some serious ass. That was one of the main reasons why he fell in love with him so hard, but he still couldn't help but worry for his lover. He wouldn't know what he'd do if something happened to his badass, but also sweet lover.

-It can mean a couple of things. I'm really hoping to cross one of them off. Are you sure this belongs to him and not you? - she asked, turning the chain around in her palm, observing it for any sign of the magic spell answering her call. Nothing.

-Obviously it's his, I've got mine here. He gave it to me during the trip to Neverland, he always does when we go to knwon to be dangerous adventures, saying that he 'would lose it during fighting or running' so I could keep it safe for him. I was supposed to give it back to him but I kept forgetting about it because of the whole situation with Pan and his damn shadow - Killian explained, frustrated out of his mind, he was so close to pacing around like a mother hen worried for her children. If the damn spell didn't work, he'll find him himself.

-Hook… You know that leaves only two options… He's either still in Storybrooke, not sure how, or he's dead - she said carefully. Despite not really being close to Y/N or to the one handed pirate, she didn't hold any grudges against him, he had never done anything to her, for a pirate he has been… Nice. She could also see the distressed look on Hook's face and certain memories came back to her. Memories she wanted to leave behind, she had to focus on Henry. That's why she told him a quiet and quick "I'm sorry" and left toward the forest that surrounded them.

Killian stood there, not believing even for a second that Y/N was dead. He just couldn't and would not, ever. Y/N was too strong of a bastard to just leave the mortal plane like that, leave HIM like that. Despite that, he couldn't help the feeling that told him that something bad had happened and that even if he thought of his husband so, even his headstrong lover wasn't able to fight and win with everything or everyone.

Months have passed as Killian continued his search for Y/N. He first searched the Enchanted Forest. No sign of his husband. He visited many kingdoms that they have ever traveled to together. Nothing. He even went back to the damn Neverland and he still came out empty handed. He was on the brink of tears as he held tightly onto the chain necklace that he so wished he could return to Y/N right now while leaning over the railing of his beauty of a ship. That's also when he got that bottle with a potion and a message to get it to Emma. He hesitated for a long time if he should be the one to find the saviour but his reasoning was that if he found her, maybe she would be able to help him in finding Y/N. So he traded his ship for a way to get to the other world where Storybrooke still existed. Oh if only his husband were to hear about this. Killian Jones selling their damn ship. He would probably murder him, but also understand that it was for 'the greater good', even though Killian thought that Y/N was the greatest good he could ever even get.

When Hook landed back in the realm where everyone he knew were just fairytales, right in the middle of some alley, but exactly where he needed to be since he just saw a flash of blonde coloured hair pass through one of the high story building's windows. Then he saw it again and sure enough, the saviour herself, while not remembering she was one, stood close to the glass pane, clearly talking to somebody, more likely Henry. He estimated what floor and which apartment they could live on before quickly getting inside into the building and knocking on the doors as quickly as he could.

He didn't know what he was expecting but getting kneed into his crotch area definitely wasn't it after he tried explaining everything of what happened and what needed to happen, adding the fact that he needed her help in finding Y/N. He didn't let that stop him though. He had to find you and Emma was his only hope.

-Swan, could you please just listen to me? And don't hit me! Your name is Emma Swan, your parents are Mary Margaret and David other known as Snow White and Prince Charming. You have a son, his name is Henry, but Henry also has an adoptive mother Regina who's the Evil Queen, but everyone right now needs you back in the Enchanted Forest. Please, you're the only one who can help, I'm not sure with what exactly, I just know that it's urgent - he explained quickly, putting his arms up in defeat and as a meaning of 'no harm', the dark blue bottle held tightly in his hand.

The woman looked at him before threatening him to call the police and slamming the door in front of his face. He sighed in annoyance and frustration but he didn't give up. He couldn't. So when he encountered her outside this time, he didn't waste time in trying again, but was baffled when Emma actually did notify the police and they took him to an arrest. Yet after some time, she came back and bailed him out, saying that she changed her mind when it came to pressing charges. He was surprised that she actually came back for him, but he still couldn't help from his salty remarks about it.

She agreed to drink the potion and when she did, regaining her memories back, she immediately pulled Hook into a tight hug and asking where Y/N was. When the man explained the situation, she had a mortified look on her face before quickly stating that they have to go back to Storybrooke. Emma and Henry packed, going back to the little town with Hook and even though nothing helped to break the new curse that has brought everyone back to Storybrooke, they didn't lose hope. Killian couldn't lose hope, he couldn't lose Y/N, he had to find him.

While Emma tried to regain Henry's memories, Killian looked everywhere for anything that would tell him where his lover could be. He had searched and searched, he had even read the kid's damn book with fairytales. Nothing. If he was able to, he would make a deal even with the Dark One himself if it meant finding you. And one day he did.

Regina broke the curse that was put onto the citizens' of the town, kissing Henry on his forehead, a sign of true love and when everything was back to normal, well, almost back to normal, they decided to help the pirate in his search for Y/N. They searched high and low, wanting to use the traditional methods first but when nothing worked, they decided to use magic first. This time Emma performed the locating spell.

-Killian, give me the necklace. I don't promise any results, but I'll try my best to help you find him - she said to the pirate as she took the necklace from him, trying to lift up his spirits after seeing that he truly was wearing himself thin while trying to get his husband back. Again.

When she used the spell, the necklace started levitating and quickly left Emma's hands, flying off into the direction of Gold's pawn shop. Everyone ran after it but nobody understood why it would go over there. They've already searched that place and there was no sign of you. Yet when they got inside and the necklace dropped into the case were they kept Pan, or rather Henry in Pan's body, everything clicked. Regina quickly opened the case with magic, letting Y/N's unconscious body fall to the ground.

-Y/N! - Killian shouted out, quickly dropping to his knees next to his husband, taking him into his arms and pushing away strands of his hair from his face. A face that he had missed so dearly. A face that he'd love to have staring back at him and not just rest under the sleeping curse.

-You know what you have to do Hook. I've already undo one curse. You have to undo yours. Let your love for him win over that fear of not being pure enough. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but I believe that even if we're the villains, we can have a happy ending. So get yours while you can - Regina said to him, oddly sympathetic of her, saying out loud what he feared the most. He was scared that he wasn't good enough, that he wouldn't be able to wake Y/N up, but he had to try, even if it would hurt if the kiss wouldn't work, he still had to give it a go.

That's why he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to Y/N, pouring all of his love and longing for him into it, a tear even slipping from underneath his closed eyelids, landing right onto Y/N's cold oddly warm cheek. When nothing happened at first, he was heartbroken and his soul was crushed but after a second, a ripple of magic went through the whole town and the man of his life that he currently held in his arms opened his eyes. Killian felt a big surge of relief wash over him as he grinned with teary eyes at his husband who weakly smiled back at him before, not quite understanding why he was crying. Y/N put his hand on top of Killian's cheek and rose up a bit to press a sweet kiss of his own against his husband's quivering lips, wanting to calm him down and when he succeeded, he broke away from the kiss and sent him another loving smile, stroking his cheek before looking around and seeing the whole group containing Neal, David, Mary Margaret, Belle, Regina, Henry and Emma staring at them with equally relieved and happy smiles on their faces.

-So what did I miss? - he asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

[fun-sized-owl]

The Devil and the Servant

Part LXIV – Dress Up

Warning: adult themes, sexual themes

    Elspeth looked at her reflection as she stood before the mirror. She hardly recognised herself. A woman that she once was, covered in gorgeous fabric. Raphael, even though a prisoner, had gone above and beyond to make her feel as if she were at home. Her true home, that was. Or at least, that's how she saw it. She was also certain that there was some kind of reason behind his acts. She had to remind herself constantly that her son was a devil, that every move he made had a sense of purpose, had some personal agenda behind it... and that reason was not kindness.     It was difficult to try and keep her walls up. For so long, she had wanted nothing more than to break them down and allow Raphael into her life, to allow herself into his. The fear had caused a solid ice wall between them. Until now, at least. If Raphael had never become a prisoner of his father's, then none of this would be happening. She, selfishly, had to thank the Archdevil for this moment in time, as she stood there with gorgeous Calimshan robes touching her undead skin.     The dress was light, linen, and left her shoulders bare. Her father had had darker skin than her, but her mother had been even more pale in comparison, with her Cormyr heritage. Her skin was more like Raphael's in that regard, and her hair the very same. Unfortunately, with her sickly looking pallor, she no longer had such a sun-kissed bronze anymore.     Against her arms, she now wore jewels she had not set her eyes on since centuries long ago. Anything that she had owned from home was long gone now, and Mephistopheles made sure of that. But Raphael made her beautiful, as he watched the other servants gather the linen and jewels and place it all around her until she was positively stunning.     Despite her beautify, It lingered still, that feeling of disgust as she saw the discolouration in her skin, her eyes that were paled over. Dead. Undead. Her curse. Her punishment. She deserved it, she told herself.     The bath had left her clean, and thankfully, she no longer needed to sweat, but there was always the concern of her very slow decay. A devil could smell it, and up close enough, she was certain everyone else could, too. Her position in the infirmary meant she would smell more like herbs than anything else, and that was fine with her. But today, she had used the oils provided, and she smelled sweet like citrus fruits, like the blood oranges from Calimshan.     Raphael had done this for her. He had made her human��again. Beautiful. Alive...     With her hands to her chest, where her skin still showed, she could not contain the smile. Her hair was brushed and free of matts, wavy and long past her shoulders, curling at the tips just like Raphael's.     "You have made me beautiful again, my child," she said through a smile she knew would be fleeting. Eventually... it would wither, like all things inside the Hells. Despite how brief it would be, she would cherish it. All of this.

    Raphael, who was standing patently in the room, making certain that Elspeth was fixed and fitted perfectly, clapped his hands together when she finally turned to face him. Indeed, she did look absolutely beautiful... if she wasn't a lich, anyway. But in her more traditional robes, instead of those utterly dreadful servants rags, she looked far more powerful. Her body was slim and curved, with those child-bearing hips of hers she'd had. He did not see her nudity when she bathed, but he was certain her figure would have been pleasant on the eyes—or perhaps he could not say otherwise because it would mean insulting himself along the way. After all, they greatly looked alike, Raphael and Elspeth.     "There. Much more fitting for the mother of a devil, wouldn't you agree?" It was not a question he needed answered, as he moved forward and adjusted one of the trinkets around her neck. It complimented her shape, and sat perfectly between the beginning of her breasts.     "But you are no stranger to finer things, my dear. The life of a noblewoman, house small or not. You would have known riches compared to the slaves of Calimshan."

    That was true, yes. Raphael was correct, but of course he was. Her son tended to speak what he knew (or believed) was true, and anyone who disagreed would be met with that dangerous stare, or perhaps the look of disappointment, like an upset father to a child. Did Raphael father children? She didn't know... Something she would need to ask. She knew that Haarlep existed to please him sexually, and no doubt provide a sense of companionship along the way, but that didn't mean Raphael hadn't shared himself with some poor woman and the cycle continued.     Conversations for later, perhaps. Right now, he was focused on her appearance, and she felt like a star beneath his gaze as he fussed. She should have been the one fussing, considering she was his mother, but her son had a penchant for finer tastes.     "A life long ago, my boy," she said, feeling the first genuine smile she had felt since her death. Gods, it felt wonderful to feel her lips move that way, to feel her cheeks lift. She felt bubbles inside her, to be able to merely spend time with Raphael, but there was the ever-lurking dread that continued to hover over her as well. This would all be short lived, she knew. Deep down, she just knew she couldn't expect anything more from a devil. Son or not, Raphael was still a devil, and she knew that she had to prepare herself for the inevitable turn.     Until then... let her embrace what she could. Let her heart feel like it was thumping in her chest again, dancing with glee.     "My father had servants, they were well paid and well looked after. But you are correct. I had privileges above many." She would not deny that. She never had, and it was one of the reasons why she had wanted to aid those less fortunate. Unfortunately, that also made her see the ugly side of her people, when they would take advantage of her. Her sister was always there to protect her, though. Always... until she saw power too great to deny and threw her very soul in the mix.     "This was kind of you, Raphael, to let me see the reflection of who I once was." She looked back at herself in the mirror, her hands moving to feel the soft linen beneath her fingertips and the jewels that the other debtors had put around her.     "But why?" She turned back to him, her expression falling, serious, and perhaps a little hard. "You hurt for what I did, I know. I am your mother. I know when you hurt, no matter the years between us." He had grown inside her belly, and they had a connection that was supposed to be severed the moment he was born. She may not have been able to press her boy against her naked skin, covered in blood, to imprint upon him, but that didn't matter. She had loved him every moment of her undead life, even though he believed her to be gone.

    Raphael's expression was schooled, and he hummed softly, pressing his hand beneath his chin, the other holding his elbow. "A life lived amongst devils, one can hardly blame you for your paranoia. There is much time lost between us, dear Elspeth. I already told you, that I will not have the mother of a devil look so drab."

    Could she believe him? Her gut told her no, but her heart said yes, and she hated that there would be an eternal war between them forever now. Just as Raphael would always fight between his human and devil side.     She lowered her hands. "Haarlep told you, didn't he? Your incubus..."

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