#genuinely I get so much out of it and you might too!

[drdemonprince]

How do you get communities to want/accept you?

I was very active in my local queer community, just volunteering my time to help people do stuff, making sweets and tidying up after events. I helped out wherever I could, but I also wasn't very well, so I didn't take on as many responsibilities as might have been fair.

Soon it became too painful to see how much they accepted and embraced others but I was always left on the fringes in the cold. I was having really distressing breakdowns hiding in their bathroom. Just being around them hurt. Seeing the love and receiving none of it made me feel like a feral animal.

What did I do wrong/miss/needed to do better??? Please /genuine

I'm so sorry to say this, but when your goal is "making people like you"/accept you, it's very difficult for people to get to know the actual you and for you to form relationships based on mutual respect and compatibility.

You need to reframe your goal entirely. The real question is "how do I find people I respect, who treat me well, and who I want to spend more time around?" Or, within the spaces that you are already visiting and participating in, "Who do I like here? What do I like about them?" and then making a specific effort to get to know them better and invite them to do things with you. Introduce a little friction. Ask them their opinions! Ask them to help you with something! Put some of your real personality, feelings, and preferences out into the world, and something with more depth can begin to form.

[snail-day]

You got this, Nerdjo!

Part One // Next Part // Masterlist

Gojo Satoru was not stalking you. He just happened to be standing in the board games aisle of the popular bookstore near campus. At the same time you were. For the third time this week. Total coincidence. Really. He was just hear for an expansion pack. For Dice. Okay maybe he is here for you. He's been thinking about you since the moment he saw you checking out the Gundam section last week. Really. He wanted to give you his opinion but...he didn't want to seem like a total dick. A mansplainer of sorts.

Oh god, there you are again. Picking up a game. Oh you look so focused. So beautiful. So smart. Wait, is that - oh no. Not that one.

You were reaching for a notoriously convoluted board game, one even Redditors have many complaints about, and before he could stop himself, his feet were moving. Mouth was moving. Everything was moving except his common sense.

Okay, Satoru. Tap the shoulder. Speak. Be your usual charming self. It's just a girl. A very pretty girl. Say something. Be normal.

He tapped your shoulder. Lightly. You turned to look at him with the kind of expression one might give to a stranger who had absolutely no business tapping them in a bookstore. Which, honestly, he didn't have the business to do. Then cleared his throat - loudly, awkwardly - and blurted out:

"Ireallydontthinkyoushouldpickupthatgametherulesaredifficultactuallytherulesdon'tevenmakesenseImeanwhoevencameupwiththem - "

Oh my god. Oh my god. Did I just say that out loud? What did I just say?

First, your brows knit together slowly as you blinked, turning towards him with a touch of confusion and offense on your face.

“You don’t think I can understand… the rules?”

Shitshitshit

His heart dropped straight to his ass.

Going to throw up. Going to throw up. Going to throw up.

How am I fumbling this bad?

He could practically see the social bar above his head draining to zero. As your very pretty, bright eyes stared up at him. He wondered just where did you get those eyes from? His future mother-in-law or father-in-law? Wait no don't be fucking weird.

“No, oh god no! I didn’t mean - uh, that’s not - I think you could totally get it! I mean, you probably solve logic puzzles for fun! You look like you’re really good at thinking! Wait, not that you look like a nerd, but - uh - like, in a hot way - shit, no, I mean - "

End me. Just smite me down right here between Settlers of Catan and Uno.

Waving his hands now, panicking in real time. You, somehow composed, just turned the game box over and calmly read the back, letting him spiral like a dying Beyblade.

“I just meant - it’s a bad game,” he added weakly. “Like, the win condition is unclear and the rulebook has typos and there’s no official errata - it's just, um… bad design.”

You finally looked back up at him. “So what game would you recommend?”

For a second, Gojo just stood there.

You're still talking to me. Oh god. Oh no. You, beautiful and stunning, want my opinion. My professional opinion. I can’t screw this up

“S-Splendor,” Satoru blurted, voice cracking at the edges. “Or maybe Wingspan? No wait. Cascadia? Or - do you like deck-building mechanics? I could make a whole list. I actually have a spreadsheet. A whole reddit. ”

You absolute loser.

But you were… smiling. Just a little. And nodding like you were genuinely interested.

Gojo, poor nerd Gojo, practically short-circuited on the spot.

You ended up leaving the store with a board game you didn’t plan on buying. Not because of the game, really. But because the tall, twitchy, white-haired guy with far too much enthusiasm had somehow roped you into a monologue about probability mechanics, game balance, and “that one time my friend Nanami rage quit a co-op dungeon crawl.”

He was… weird. But kind of charming. In a feral raccoon digging through your trash for affection kind of way.

“So, uh,” he said, hovering beside you outside the store, practically bouncing on his heels, “if you ever want to, y’know, play a game or something - like, totally casually, not like, a date, unless you want it to be, which - no pressure - uh - I just thought maybe you’d be into - um…”

He trailed off. Heart thundering. Couldn't even ask Reddit for Advice You stared. He swallowed. Blinking rapidly, those pretty-blues darted anywhere but you.

“…I run a D&D campaign,” Satoru said suddenly. “Every Friday night. Very low-commitment! Very chill! High-level story arcs. I made all the NPCs. I do voices. I - it’s cool. I swear.”

What are you doing what are you DOING you weren’t supposed to tell them about the campaign yet they’ll think you’re weird this is why you don’t have a girlfriend Satoru you idiot -

But you smiled. Then handed him your phone - little charm dangling off the case. Something cute. You probably picked out without a second thought. God, he’d kill to have matching phone charms with you.

“…Add your number,” you said. “Text me the details.”

He blinked at the phone, questioning how he is worthy enough to text you. Then promptly fumbled it, typed his name with three emojis, deleted them, re-added one, panicked, backspaced everything, and tried again.

You mentioned you had class.

Right. You're busy. That's fine. Yes. He has your number. Oh god why is his heart pounding so loud. Can you hear it? Could you feel it when his hand brushed against yours?

Satoru nodded too fast. Rushed words as you trailed away with a wave. He was left there wondering what your major was. Who you knew. If you'd actually show up next Friday. If he’d just imagined all of this.

When he finally texted you later, it read:

Hey it’s Gojo from the bookstore 🧠 I asked my party and there’s a spot open in the campaign 👀 you’d be perfect. Unless you hate fun. Then we can just play Wingspan lol anyway let me know!! pls 🥺

And before you could even respond, another message came in.

also pls ignore any typos i'm at the gym 💪getting ready for all those monsters we're going to be slayin ⚔️

Friday night. Gojo’s apartment. He had cleaned. Like, deep cleaned. Scrubbed corners no one would ever look at. Decorated the bathroom. Lit a candle that smelled like vanilla and cedar. (He may or may not have spent an hour on Reddit reading forums titled “What candle scents make girls fall in love with you?” and this one had the best upvotes.)

He had set the scene. Maps unfurled like ancient scrolls of destiny. Dice sets lined up in a neat little rainbow offering to the gods of chance. Snacks meticulously arranged in what was supposed to be a dragon shape, though now it looked like a pile with tiny wings. Still. It was the thought that counted.

Everything was ready.

You're coming. Oh god. You're really coming. You're gonna sit here. With me. Maybe next to me. Or maybe not. No - no, no, you can sit next to Shoko. Or Nanami. Shit. What if you like Nanami? Oh my god, what if you like Nanami and not me? He’s got that broody thing.

He paced.

Screw it. Just play my campaign. Laugh at my jokes. Please. Just - please think I’m cool. Just once. Please don’t see through how desperate I am.

He adjusted his glasses. Then adjusted them again. Re-checked his rulebooks even though he wrote half the notes inside them himself. He’d already rehearsed your character’s intro fifteen times. But he did it again.

“…and as the tavern door creaks open, a figure steps through the mist. Cloaked in shadows, yet - no. No, too dramatic. They’ll think I’m trying too hard. Which I am, but like, subtle. Okay. Again - ”

His voice cracked mid-practice. He flopped down into his DM chair, then stood up again two seconds later, muttering, “Nope, can’t sit. Gonna combust.”

They’re gonna be here soon. They’re gonna walk through that door and I’m gonna die. Literally die. Headlines: Local Dungeon Master Dies When Pretty Person Shows Up.

The doorbell buzzed. Satoru physically jolted. Then stood there frozen in front of the door, hands out like he was about to catch a falling star. Or a live grenade.

Okay. Okay. It’s fine. Just breathe. Be normal. Don’t say anything weird. Don't tell them about the custom soundtrack you made for their backstory. Don't confess anything emotionally compromising in the first five minutes.

He opened the door. A stupid smile formed on his face.

Is he blushing? Please don't be blushing. Oh no. They’re even cuter than I remembered. I’m so screwed.

Wearing the coziest hoodie. Carrying a dice bag. Smiling. Beside you - because of course - was Geto Suguru. Satoru’s longtime friend. Fellow player. Tall. Cool. Calm. Hair tied back in a lazy bun that somehow made him hotter. That bastard. Satoru barely had time to panic before you laughed at something Geto said. A soft, amused laugh that curled around Gojo’s ribs and squeezed.

Then it happened. You looked at Geto. Blushed. Just the faintest pink brushing your cheeks. Just a second too long of eye contact. Just enough to punch Satoru square in his already fragile, overly romantic, nerdy heart.

You don’t like him. Right? No. It’s just warm. It’s almost summer. The hallway’s probably stuffy. Your hoodie’s too thick. That’s it. That’s all it is.

“Hey,” you greeted, blissfully unaware of his internal collapse.

“H-Hey!” Satoru yelped, voice cracking at a completely unnecessary octave. “You made it! That’s so cool. That’s - you look. Uh. Dice. You brought dice. Awesome. Good job.”

What the hell are you saying? Shut up.

Geto smiled at him. That smug, easy smile that Satoru had seen melt hearts and start trouble since freshman year.

“You didn’t tell me your new player was cute,” he said, tone maddeningly casual. You blinked. Satoru stopped breathing.

“Oh,” you said, voice softening, eyes flicking away. A little flustered. “Um. Thanks.”

You’re just being polite. That’s not real. That wasn’t real. Right?

Satoru forced a smile that came out more like a grimace. His brain was melting. His heart was clawing against his ribs.

“Haha! Yeah. So anyway! Let’s, uh. Go. Sit. Down. And have a drink. Or a seat. Or both. Whatever people do. When they enter rooms. With other people.”

Oh my god, please shut up. Please shut up. You’re going to die here and your ghost will be a virgin forever.

a/n: if you see any mistakes...no you don't totally not editing this while getting ready for wicked...totally not

[moonstruckme]

Perhaps ¹³⁾ skinned knees and/or ¹⁵⁾ frozen peas pressed against a fresh bruise with Spencer, Steve, or Peter? 🙏💛

Thanks for requesting!

cw: recounted violence, hints at our poor Peter's trauma </3

tasm!Peter Parker x fem!reader ♡ 773 words

Peter’s quiet the whole way back to your apartment. You try to be quiet too, though you can’t help a small gasp when he swings onto the side of your apartment building and every instinct in your body is telling you you’re going to hit the bricks. 

“It’s okay,” he says, opening your window with one hand. “I’ve got you.” 

You crawl inside clumsily, envious of the way Peter hops over you with practiced effortlessness. He closes the window and heads for the kitchen without a word. You’re caught between feeling guilty and wanting to repair things, but ultimately you follow him. 

He’s closing the freezer when you enter, mask on the kitchen counter, a bag of peas in his hand. “C’mere,” he says, flicking on the stove light. “Let me see.” 

You go, letting him take your face in hand to tilt your right eye towards the light. Peter inspects you carefully. His eyes are dark in the low light, disconcertingly serious. After a few seconds he sets the peas to your cheek. 

“It’s gonna bruise pretty bad,” he says. 

“It doesn’t even really hurt,” you try, throbbing. 

Peter looks tired. Hardly mad, more exhausted than anything. “Why would you do that?” he asks, his tone genuine. “I had it handled.” 

It was a freak thing, you stumbling upon Peter on your way home. You’ve seen him as Spider-Man before of course, a few times before you knew it was him and plenty more after, but you’ve never seen him get hurt. It was him versus six guys, the late hour casting shadows but Peter’s suit bright as a beacon. Nowhere near a fair fight. Peter had two of them webbed to a dumpster within five seconds of you spotting them, but another landed a blow to his stomach with a tire iron that had him doubling over. You saw one of the guys coming up from behind him and moved without thinking. 

You didn’t even really get into the thick of it. A thrown elbow caught you in the face, half a second of startling pain in your cheek and the corner of your eye, and then Peter had the rest incapacitated before you could get your bearings to punch back. He took you straight home. 

“I’m sorry.” You set your hand over the bag of peas, meaning to take it from him, but Peter doesn’t let go. “I got scared. It looked like you were losing.” 

“I wasn’t losing. I had it handled, I just—” He pushes out a breath. “You can’t freak out like that.” 

“I saw you get hit.” 

“It was just one hit! I get hit sometimes, that’s the job, but it’s not your job.” Peter’s voice turns raw. “You can’t do that. Okay? You can’t. I have powers and you don’t, I’ll be fine, but you can’t put yourself in danger like that, okay?” He looks at you, expression taut with worry. “Say okay.” 

“Okay,” you say.

He breathes out. Leans his forehead against yours. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“No, I’m sorry.” Peter kisses the bridge of your nose, his tone softening. “I can’t believe you got hurt.” 

“It was my fault,” you murmur. “And it’s just a bruise. You got hit with a weapon.” 

Peter makes a breathy, amused noise. “Weapon is a stretch. It was a tire iron.” 

“Are you okay? Did they break anything?”

“No, no. I’m fine.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He backs up a little so you can see his face. Both of your hands are still on the peas. “I’m fine, baby. I’m good. Don’t worry.” 

You know Peter doesn’t lie to you—not anymore, not since he told you about what he does—but you’re still not entirely comforted. “I want to see.” 

“Later,” he promises. “How does your face feel, really?” 

“Fine, really,” you say. “It hurt the most when it happened.” 

Peter nods, brows sewing together as he lifts your makeshift ice pack to see underneath it. You can’t imagine the appearance of your bruise might have changed much since he last saw it, but you don’t object. 

“Do I look pretty?” you tease. 

His smile is soft as he puts the peas back in place. “Beautiful,” he says genuinely. 

You bite your lip to suppress your own smile. “I can hold this here on my own, you know.” 

“I know,” says Peter. His finger strokes gently up yours, the material of his suit glove smooth. “Just let me for a while, okay?”

[natsredbra]

me when you write professor lottie : 😍😍😍

do you think you could write a little blurb for your latest rough sex professor lottie??

Thank you!!!

anon i need her; cw: smut, rough sex!! watch out

Lottie sat at her desk, frustrated. Nothing short of it. She had a fucking day, and on top of it class and grading exams. At this point, she was brainstorming possibilities ways to just let it all out, until she read your name on the paper

Her face softened a tad bit, though it hardened right back up once she saw your work. A fucking 54%? Seriously? As if she hadn’t worked her ass off to help you.

She groaned in frustration, rubbing her eyes before grabbing her phone and dialing your number.

“Hey Lot! What’s up?” Your chipper voice called out from the other side of the line.

“Hey. I need you to come in earlier.” Lottie said in a bitter tone, one she never used around you.

“Uh- okay. Everything alright?” You questioned, munching on some snacks on your couch as you lowered the volume of the TV playing in the back.

“Yeah. Just make sure to be here on time.” She drawled out before hanging up.

—————

You expected many things, though this was not one of them. Lottie did sound upset, but you didn’t think much of it. A little concern washed over you when she looked almost annoyed at the little teasing “Hello professor Charlotte.” you quipped once you walked in.

And a lot of anxiety washed over you when she just dropped your good-for-nothing thesis on the desk before you. She looked genuinely pissed about it too.

After a stern conversation, the last thing you, in fact, expected her to do is stand over you and pull you in for a rough, hungry kiss. You also should’ve known that it wasn’t gonna end on that.

With immense ease she picked you up before dropping you to your feet again, backing you up against her desk. Spinning you around she bent you over, wasting no time in dragging your underwear just under your ass, enough for her to have access to whatever she desired.

And no, in all the hustle you did not notice the straining bulge under her pants, up until she pressed it up against you, leaning over.

“You’ll let me use you, won’t you?” She spoke softly into your ear, lips brushing up against it ever so slightly. At this point you were dripping. (You definitely did not get squirmy when she yelled at you in the first place…)

As soon as you nodded your head, the girl wasted no time pushing her strap inside you, inch by inch, tauntingly yet carefully slow.

Her thrusts were fast and rough, skin slapping while she provoked the nastiest noises out of you, all muffled by her hand.

“Feel good yet? You better convince yourself it does, baby. Don’t have much time.” Lottie hushed, checking her watch.

Finally your bliss was on the brink of full release as you let your head drop to your forearms, resting on the wood beneath you. But just as you were about to finish, she pulled out abruptly.

“Wait- what are you doing?” You questioned frantically, turning around to sit up. In one swift motion, she swiped your panties over your thighs, collecting them, though you were too hazy to realize it.

“I’m done, sweetheart. Thanks for helping me out.” She said, putting her clothes back in place as you sat there dumbfounded. She pointed to your own bottoms on the floor.

“But-“ You stammered, mouth opening and closing again.

“What? Didn’t get to cum?” She inquired with fake sympathy, plopping down on her chair.

“No!” You exclaimed, putting your pants back on with shaky hands.

“Oh, well that is frustrating, isn’t it? You might get to later.” Lottie deadpanned, back to staring at whatever papers she was checking.

Minutes after, other students filled up the classroom as she started giving her lecture. All throughout it you felt an ache that needed to be taken care of between your legs, until you realized she stole your underwear too. Fucking pervert.

[lostinlovingrevery]

hi vannnnnn!!

first off how was your day!! i hope it’s been going well

secondly.. any worst!logan headcanons? particularly any filthy ones? (i’m feral 🫣)

a logan for you <3

HIIII CAS

My day HAS been going well, I finished my planter build (minus painting and actually planting it but!!) and I got the fattest, cheesiest pizza for dinner mmmmm

My grandma dropped off some v late christmas gifts and mine was a super cute new bag! A pocket heart charm AND a tiny lil vintage jewelry box with a REAL authentic two dollar bill in it. Pretty sure it belonged to my late grandfather :) <3

and that gif...mmm. yeah

Worst Wolvie headcanons? Don't mind if I do! (nsfw below!)

GENERAL:

I have this thing that he'll go into construction once he's settled in the new universe. It's easy to get a job with construction companies for the most part- and he's hella strong and looks it too, with a potty mouth and likes to drink- he'll fit right in!

SO polite and respectful to Althea. He'd be screaming at Wade one second, and the next be like "you need anything ma'am?" and get her a glass of water and everything else. No he does not support her cocaine habit.

PHEW I have a lot of trouble deciding how Logan would be after the events of D&P. I think he'd be struggling a lot still. He's such a hothead throughout most of the events of the movie, and I think that wouldn't stop being the case. I feel he'd probably simmer down a bit, but he would likely appear tense and awkward to some outsiders. He's not quite used to people being polite to him anymore.

when he meets you though, i think you'll capture his attention like no one else has

FLUFF (and a lil angst):

Oof, this is tricky too.

So I feel he'd be a bit rough around the edges when it comes to a relationship with you- at least in the beginning

He's not sure what to do. He has the capability of being soft, but he spent so long hardening his shell he's not sure how to be soft exactly.

His touches are intended to be gentle, but may feel rough as he tries to learn how to be with someone

His words are the same. I feel like sometimes his affection might come across sounding a lil angry

Once he gets comfortable though he'll be a complete lovebug

Initially put off by physical touch, he won't be able to get enough of it soon. Kisses, hugs, snuggles, booty smacks.

Hes a lil rough with the romance, but he'll try! Flowers brought home, remembers the little things about you- favorite snacks, drinks, etc.

As rough around the edges as he may be, he'll always be honest to you in how he feels. You may not initially feel like the man is heads over heels- but then after a cute and quiet date night he just looks at you all deadpan like "im so in love with you"

VERY protective. like over the top. Doesn't even like to see a man glance in your direction. Gets very nervous about you going out on your own too even if he hides it- he just doesn't want to lose you too :(

I feel in a way that he might be a little more settled down than his past self/variant. Kinda like Origins. More willing to get a nice house in the country, live a quiet peaceful life. He's been through a lot and somehow got you in the end. It's all he needs.

Not sure where to put this exactly, but I said in the past that I think he's a lot meaner than Old Man Logan- who I think is mean in a "i'm tired and sore and cranky" mean, while Worst Logan is mean in a "I don't fucking care about anything anymore " mean.

It comes out, when he's in a bad mood. He acts like he doesn't care but he does, things just hurt too much now and he's gotta shut it down

when it comes to being with you though, he begins to soften a bit more. You're able to listen and support him. His moods are never taken out on you

but you might get a sassy comment here and there

he genuinely loves you, wants things to work out. Will cut back greatly on the drinking.

won't think he deserves you, at all. will say that a lot.

everytime he looks at you it's the same lovesick face that origin logan has

I think im playing up how rough around the edges he is but I honestly think with you he'll still come off as a big sweetheart.

He'll still speak softly around you- even if you aren't together yet.

You'll catch him looking at you, an expression across his face you never seen him carry before. Something that looks like yearning

He'll melt in your arms. Hes like so much bigger than you but no one would realize by the way he just sinks into your embrace

i feel once you get to a certain point of your relationship, he'll be straight up worshipping you like the god/goddess you are

domestic life

cleaning the kitchen with him, late at night. Hes finishing up the dishes while you're wiping the counter down. You come up behind him, your hands untuck his shirt from his jeans, and your wrap your arms around him underneath the shirt, pressing kisses to his back before smushing your cheek against him and waiting for him to finish his dishes

he'll really wonder then, as he looks out into the window above the sink, over the city where your small apartment resides in- how did he get here?

will become a blushy mess when you do sweet things for him, like getting him flowers, or bringing him lunch at work, lil things like that

call him pretty. see what happens. ;)

SMUT:

Back to him being mean :)

BIG on control. He lost control of his life for years, so regaining it is def gonna show up in the bedroom

orgasm denial is a big thing with him

will mock you for begging and crying over it

sex can get really rough with him. He could be a complete sweetheart in the beginning, and the something snaps and he's choking you out with his cock, bruising the back of your throat as he pounds your mouth like a sextoy

Likes to pin you. In every way. likes seeing you squirm and struggle.

Likes to tie you up too

Smacking. Your ass and tits and cunt are going to be SORE.

Fucking into you rough and hard, you can't take it, your eyes rolling back- he smacks your face to get you back into reality. Not hard- more like a lovetap. "You with me bub?"

will give you a big wet kiss after

growling and grunting

very animal like this one

likes to spit in your mouth, feels like he's claiming you in a way

BITER!

You're gonna have bite marks!

The claws come out a lot with this one. All of them do it- but he just doesn't even try to control it, very conscious of where his hands are though

BIG on being praised

you praise him and hes gonna turn into a whimpering puppy

the switch up happens SO FAST

has probably immediately cum a few times the moments you praised him for being so good

if you want to have control for the night, just give him some praise and it's all yours

you can tie him up all you want, tease him, anything and everything long as you call him a good boy, and that you love him and he'll behave nicely as long as you keep going

he'll be a whining mess, thrusting into the air bc he needs you so bad to take care of him. he only ever needs you now.

like literally this man is two sides. fucking evil as hell in bed or the most subby whimpering man you'll ever know

dont worry, he does like praising you too

even if he's being a mean motherfucker he'll still be calling you gorgeous, talking about how good you are, how you're always going to be his

i feel like he can get pretty nasty too. Like remember the scent thing I talked about before? He'll straight up dig his nose in your armpit during sex just to get high off the pheromones and sweat coming off you.

pins your head down with his foot while fucking you (i...may have a request for this in the works....)

now i need to watch deadpool and wolverine....

[multifandomlover01]

His Person

Spencer Reid (S1, early stages of relationship) x chubby!fem!reader (I’m basing this off myself mostly)

WC: ~2.5k

Summary: Spencer reassures his girlfriend that she is the only one for him and that she's beautiful to him no matter what she's wearing

Warnings: body talk, insecurities about body (specifically a pudgy tummy) and relationship/worth/value, one (1) intrusive thought, concept of a safety dress that one feels comfortable in, a mention that reader might be comparing her body to the bodies of others, uh dresses? little rusty writing so early seasons Spencer may be a little OOC but he's a sweetie

-

You tugged at the dress that you wore. It didn’t fit right. That’s all you could see, all you could feel. It didn’t look right either. No amount of tugging would crease out the pudge that was your tummy. You sigh and start looking for your safety dress that you were sure would still fit fine (or at least it might be looser).

You didn’t even hear Spencer come into your bedroom. He already had his suit and tie on, looking as uncomfortable as you felt. His gaze flits over your body before refocusing on the back of your head.

Neither one of you was particularly excited about this FBI Gala but the presence of every member of the BAU was mandatory. And being Spencer’s girlfriend, naturally he’d asked you to be his date so he could at least have his comfort with him at this stuffy event.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Looking for something…dear?” He was still trying out terms of endearment for you, determined to find a set of ones that felt right. Dear felt very formal and safe. He never imagined himself being able to call you "babygirl".

You sigh and look back at him. “This one dress.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, squinting for a second as his mind processes that information and his response. “What’s wrong with the one you have on?”

It was a simple question. So why did it make you wanna shrink? You pause for a long time. Too long, because he speaks up again.

“Have I said something wrong?” He had taken to asking this question when you paused for a long time. He knew you were probably just trying to articulate your thoughts but he very much was afraid of offending you. He wasn’t used to relationships. Professional relationships were difficult enough for him to navigate on some level so a personal, romantic relationship was still mostly uncharted territory where he’d rather not veer into choppy waters.

“No…I just…wanna try a different dress on.”

“That one’s fine.” He still doesn’t understand why you need another dress when you’d already put one on.

Fine. The word echoed in your mind. You knew he hadn’t meant it condescendingly. You knew he was being honest. And you loved him but you yearned for a moment when a man saw you in a dress and his brain just went “gorgeous”. Spencer, of course, hadn't gotten a good enough reign on the sails just yet to be there in the relationship. And you recognized this and loved his genuine awkward charm. But you still wished he wasn’t so…clinically honest sometimes. Because it didn't always hit as sweet.

“It’s just one other dress.”

He switches gears. “Can I help you look?”

“I swear it was in here.”

“If you just-”

If I were just thinner, I wouldn’t need my safety dress. Fuck off intrusive thought!

You huff louder than necessary (cutting Spencer off) and you stop searching.

“Is something wrong?” Spencer is getting more concerned now. He takes a step towards you. He was pleased that he could fairly easily switch to “my person’s sad, must fix” mode. He thought he’d blunder more when it came to that particular aspect of a romantic relationship.

You don’t answer right away. He assumes the answer is "yes" but has also learned not to say that he assumes that.

“Can you tell me if something is? Please?” His voice softens like it does sometimes and he looks at you with those stupid hazel puppy dog eyes.

You look at him and know instantly that he sincerely just wants to know what’s up with you. You’d already had a very deep conversation about honesty in the relationship so you know it doesn’t do either of you any good to maintain that you’re fine.

“I don’t want you to think I’m being…” you trail off.

“Hey, I won’t think you’re anything you’re afraid of, ok? I promise.”

“You don’t know what I’m gonna say.”

“You’re not "stupid". You’re not a "child". You’re not "too sensitive". I promise what you feel is valid. And I intend to treat it as such.”

You knew he was right. You knew he’d never make fun of you.

“I don’t like this dress on my body.” That was both harder and easier to say than you thought it would be.

He processes for a second. And then asks the simple question: “why not?” which has a simple answer…right?

Your first instinct is to say “because I look fat in it” but you stop yourself from saying that because you think you sound “like a complaining woman”. Your next thought is that Spencer’s first thought will not be: “Jesus, I don’t wanna hear anymore.”.

“I don’t like how my stomach looks.” You rephrase and clarify.

He looks down. That’s simply his first instinct. Your stomach looks like it’s looked like the entire time he’s known you (a year or so at this point). He doesn’t want to keep asking the same question over and over again. But he knows “you look fine” isn’t generally accepted by women as an answer so he knows that won’t fix the problem.

“What’s different about it?” He asks instead.

This gives you pause. “N-Nothing…” you’re forced to answer/admit.

“Does it not fit right? Does it feel too tight?” Your comfort. That’s what he’s concerned about. You were so afraid he’d just say “yeah? You’re fat.” even if he didn’t see it as a bad thing, that still might be triggering to hear. But his line of thinking is so far from that.

“It just…shows too much,”

“But it’s covering…” he pauses, knowing that line of thinking isn’t correct. “you don’t like how you look..” he reaches a hand out to almost touch your stomach but he stops short of it. “I still don’t understand what’s wrong with the dress.”

He hated unsolved mysteries (the mysteries themselves, he had nothing against Robert Stack personally) and he hated not having things figured out. He hated being confused but trying to navigate a relationship often left him feeling like he was up a creek without an oar.

You cup your stomach, hoping he’ll understand. He does not.

“That’s your stomach…”

“The dress is too small.” You try to clarify for him.

“Is it? Is it supposed to fit so…snuggly?”

“Who knows? I just know I’d feel better in my safety dress.”

“Safety dress?” He questions.

You freeze. You’d never told him about it.

“What’s that?” He asks, inquisitive as ever.

“It’s uh…a dress I look…and feel good in.”

“As opposed to…the dress you have on now?”

You avert your gaze and nod. He isn’t the type to grab chins and force people to look at them so he doesn’t do that.

“Sweetie? Can you look at me? Please?” He instead requested softly. Sweetie made sense because you were so sweet.

You meet his gaze and it’s as soft and warm as ever.

“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll help you find your safety dress but I need you to know that you look beautiful as you are now.” He swapped fine with beautiful because he felt the emphasis was necessary.

“You’re just saying that.”

“No. I’m not. I could walk out that door right now with you and be happy to have you at my side. You don’t need to be wearing any particular dress. I don’t care about the dress, I care about the person wearing it.”

“Th-Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. We both know we’d both rather be in comfortable clothes watching Star Trek tonight than going to this…Gala. I wouldn’t have asked you to suffer it with me but…I really want you there with me. It’s so many people and so much…pressure.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“You’d be in fuzzy pj pants right now if it weren’t for me.”

“Hey, no. It’s not your fault.”

“I kind of feel like it is. I don’t want you to go if you’re just gonna be uncomfortable all night.”

He starts to search for the dress, very determined to help you be comfortable.

“Could you describe the dress to me?”

“I-It’s uh…black…short sleeves, it’s got a satin body with a ruffle on the end and lace details over that.”

He looks back at you quizzically. “That’s your safety dress?”

“It doesn’t look like what you’re imagining.” You joke lightly.

“How do you know what I’m imagining?”

“Some sexy little number?”

“Some…cute little number…” He clarifies.

“There! Don’t move your hand! That’s it!” You point.

Spencer pulls the dress out. It’s black. It’s got short sleeves. It’s got lace details all over and the “body” or main part under the lace is black satin or silk. It’s knee length.

“Do you feel more comfortable in this dress?” He asked as he passed it to you.

“We’ll see.” You struggle to unzip the dress you currently had on. “Help? Please?”

He puts the dress on the bed. He comes up behind you to unzip the dress. You shimmy out of the dress. It falls to pool around your ankles. You pop the safety dress over your head. 

You look at yourself in the mirror. You sigh. "No...it's too short...and it's not fancy enough..."

Spencer is just looking at you. He isn't saying anything. He's just admiring how you look in the dress.

"What do you think?" You ask Spencer as you run your hand over your stomach in the dress.

Spencer doesn't immediately respond. He's distracted by the skin that's showing.

"Spencer?"

"Hmm?" He meets your gaze.

"I asked you a question."

"Oh...sorry." He smiles, shaking his head. "What was your question?"

"Do you think this dress is appropriate for the Gala? Or should I find something longer?"

"Well I uh..." He trails off, not really knowing what is and wasn't Gala appropriate (he hadn't been informed and assumed you'd know so he hadn't asked).

"Oh! Wait! I know...I have this longer green dress..."

You look through your closet again to find it. Spencer distracts himself from checking you out while your back is turned.

"I found it!" You proclaim. "Size 10, ok...should be ok..."

"Size 10 is fine." Spencer hears himself say.

"Wish it were a 12."

"Hey...don't say that. Try it on. I bet you look just as pretty. Because...you always look pretty."

You smile before you change dresses. Spencer respectfully averts his gaze so he isn't checking you out in your underwear. But he looks back when you're situating the green dress out.

"Wow...definitely more...Gala. I especially like the um...outer layer? Is that what it's called?"

"I wouldn't kn-"

"Overlay!" He interrupts. "Sorry." He says sheepishly.

"That's a good word for it." You smile.

"It's really pretty. Y-You're...really pretty. The dress is pretty on you. You look pretty in the dress." He blushes slightly like he's embarrassed he seemingly couldn't settle on what to say, so he'd just said every variation he could think of (because it was all true).

"You really don't have to say all that, you know."

"Why not? Why can't I? Why shouldn't I?" He was genuinely curious as to why he couldn't compliment his girlfriend. That's what a boyfriend did, wasn't it?

"You can just say I look nice."

"But what if I feel more and I want to articulate that to you?" It was a simple question.

And it makes you pause, because you’d never before considered that he might want to wax poetic about your beauty.

"I'm not lying to you." He reassures.

"I-I know..." You nod.

"Do you?" He queries, but not in a condescending way. "Do you truly understand that I'm not just saying nice things to make you feel good? Do you comprehend that what I tell you is truly how I feel?"

"I guess I'm just not used to receiving compliments."

"Not used to receiving them or unwilling to accept the genuine ones as being genuine?" Because there was a distinction.

"Th-The latter, I guess." You say softly, averting your gaze to the floor.

"Can you look at me please?" He requests softly.

You look into his hazel eyes and see nothing but genuine admiration and affection for you.

"Do you believe that I love you?"

"Yes." You hesitate for only a second.

"That's good." He doesn’t mention the hesitation. “And would you believe me if I told you that I believe that you look beautiful in any dress you put on?”

“Yes. I believe that you believe that.”

“What do I have to do to make you believe that?” He asks softly, genuinely.

“I-I don’t know…”

He sighs. He steps closer to you. “You have looked beautiful in all three dresses I’ve seen you in.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Just be on my arm and look pretty.”

We share a look. That sounded weird coming out of his mouth to the both of us. We share a smile.

“Arm candy.” He muses. “That doesn’t do justice to all that you are to me.”

"It doesn't?"

"Not even close."

"What do I mean to you?"

"So much. I could have a million years and I still would not be able to find the words to describe how much you mean to me, or to describe what you mean to me."

"What am I to you?"

"I truly believe you are my person. I walk into a room you're already in and nothing else matters. All I see is you. And you are...beautiful to me. Does that help explain why it doesn't matter what dress you wear or no matter how many other women are around you, I only focus on you? No one compares to you. I enjoy your company. You enjoy mine. Being with you just...feels so easy and effortless. From the minute we met, you were just...easy. You're easy to talk to, easy to be around, easy to touch. I had never warmed so fast to a person. And you know what it was that hooked me?"

"What?" You manage to ask after being awestruck but his words.

"Not your body, well, nothing below your face. It was your eyes, your smile. So...kind and sweet..."

"Spencer..." You say softly, tears beginning to well up in your eyes.

"You're my person, my perfect puzzle piece."

You hug him and he hugs you right back, adoring the way your body fit against his. His arms wrap around you as he holds you to him, his chin tucking in on your shoulder.

"I love you." He whispers softly.

"I love you too." You say back.

"We should go. We're gonna be late." He goes to pull away from you.

"Can you hold me for just another minute? Please?"

"We can be late. Five minutes."

"Thank you."

He buries his face in your neck, smelling your hair.

"You smell like home."

[svtiddiess]

Toast

Pairing: human!Minghao x ghost!reader

Genre: fluff, non-idol! au, fantasy! au, drabble

Rating: sfw

Word count: 461 words

Warnings: none!

Note: This drabble is about the Haunted couple!

This was originally written for @chugging-antiseptic-dye, she bullied me into it

@iwannakisspoutycheol I hope this brings you some kind of closure!

Click here to join my taglist!

Read on ao3

Reblogs are appreciated ♡

.ᐟMinors/blank/no age indicator blogs will be blocked.ᐟ

Humming to yourself, you focus on the task at hand—making breakfast for Minghao. It's been months since he moved in, and the two of you have grown pretty close. Not only has your relationship with him changed, but you've also noticed some physical changes, too. You can now touch and move things—something you weren't able to do before. You have no idea why you're slowly becoming corporeal, and neither does Minghao, but honestly? Neither of you seems to care.

Biting your bottom lip, you do your best to spread butter onto the toast. It might not be a Michelin-star breakfast, but hey, it's been a while since you've cooked, okay? By your standards, this is top-tier culinary excellence.

Minghao yawns as he trudges into the kitchen, drawn by the sound of banging and cursing. He finds you completely focused on your task, brow furrowed in deep concentration—possibly the most focused he's ever seen you. He chuckles to himself as he watches, amused by the way your tongue peeks out in concentration as you meticulously spread butter over the toast.

"I've never seen someone look so concentrated while making toast," he laughs.

You whip around, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. For some reason, you hear, "You are toast." Your mood immediately drops as you carefully set down the toast, lips forming a small pout.

"I'm sorry," you mumble.

Minghao blinks. "For what?"

"For disturbing you. You don't have to threaten me over it," you whine.

"…I never did?" His brows furrow.

"But you just did!"

"When?"

"Just now!"

"But I didn't."

"Didn't you just tell me that I'm toast?"

Minghao stares at you for a moment before letting out a long, tired sigh.

"I think becoming a ghost gave you hearing loss," he says flatly. "I said I've never seen someone so concentrated on making toast—not you're toast."

"Oh," you blink before breaking into a sheepish smile.

Minghao rolls his eyes at your dumbassary before chuckling. He walks over and peers at your handiwork, genuinely impressed. He expected everything to be burnt to a crisp, but only half of it was. He picks up a slice and takes a bite—immediately regretting it. There is way too much butter, but with the hopeful puppy-dog eyes you're giving him, he doesn't have the heart to tell you.

"It's good," he lies.

"Really?!" Your eyes sparkle like you've just won a Michelin star. Let's be honest, Minghao's compliment is worth more than a thousand of them.

"Yup," he nods. "You did really well. Good job."

Beaming, you eagerly go back to making more toast, determined to get every single one perfect. Minghao watches you with a fond smile, already mentally preparing himself for another mouthful of butter and burnt toast.

Taglist: @tinyelfperson @gyuguys @stay-tiny-things @unlikelysublimekryptonite @miyx-amour @iamawkwardandshy @codeinebelle @brownbunnyb @do-you-remember-summer-127 @sclovreina @theidontknowmehn @toplinehyunjin @gyuhao365 @mysticfairies @cherrylovescheol @cookiearmy @4shypotato @lxnnrobin @sashaaahh @xueisaaa17 @aeriyell @eshia16 @dreamingofpcy @archivistworld @kyeomiis @foxiesgf24 @livelaughloveseventeen @kwanniehae @ateez-atiny380 @junnhuisworld @horangipower17 @aliiikareed @jennwonwoo @smiileflower

[kiyo-cant-write]

hello, tis i, the one who sends jade requests. requesting jade with a reader who joins the mountain lover’s club bc they just like hearing him yap about mushrooms. if you ask them why they joined, they say they just like nature, but it’s so obvious when jade starts talking that it’s all they’re listening to

reader joins the mountain lovers club ✧･ﾟ

Hello, Jade anon! Sorry for the long delay; my health is terrible at the moment. I have been eager to write this, however. Jade's clubwear card is my personal favorite in the entire game, and this last EN banner for it...

Well, let us just say that I, uhm, may have spent a bit to get it to save my mental health. It's just so cute! He is currently level 83 or smth sdfshdk 😍 💕

I hope you like this request. Please let me know if I need to redo anything to your liking! ^^ ✨

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Summary: Jade's Mountain Lovers Club gets a new member after the VDC, Ramshackle's Prefect. During a hike, Jade asks why they joined and learns something new about them.

TW/CW: None

Notes: the reader is Yuu/Ramshackle Prefect, pre-relationship, explicitly book 5 timeline, ignores books 6-7 for fic timeline

Guest Stars: Floyd Leech (mentioned), Azul Ashengrotto (mentioned)

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"Why did you join my club in the first place, [Name]...?"

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Jade Leech

Jade is used to being called weird by Floyd and Azul.

He has always been quirky and interested in odd subjects.

He is the nerdier one between himself and Floyd.

He did not expect to get someone else into his club.

Jade had accepted being a 1-man club on the NRC campus.

He thought it was even more peculiar than the Ramshackle Prefect joined, but he never said anything about it. That would be rude.

He wouldn't deny that talking to someone about his interests was nice. And they seemed so happy listening to him. Were they?

If it was a joke, he would handle that later. Floyd might laugh.

Floyd had told him that no one would ever join his club, after all.

He didn't think Azul would put anyone up to it.

Azul was annoyed by the mushroom obsession Jade had :(

But sitting in silence for too long doesn't do much to help.

A few weeks later, Jade gears up to ask why they joined.

There totally is NOT a bet between the OctaTrio about the possible outcomes of this. Not at all. And the betting pool is not around 50 madol either. But that is a decent sum of money to some.

How exactly does one ask a question like this?

At the very least, it seemed like it would be rude to just turn to them and question them, weeks later, about why they had joined his club. It was not as though they had done anything wrong, either. They were always dressed in outdoors wear, they helped him forage, and they listened to his instructions. They were... a good club member.

In that vein, seeing as they were a model Mountain Lover and Azul hadn't instructed any more acts against Ramshackle, there was no reason for Jade to do anything. He was but a right-hand man to the Housewarden of Octavinelle and a foraging hobbyist on the side.

There wasn't much he could have done in the beginning. Even if it was an attempt at a "joke," so far, nothing like that had happened. So, was he really able to make the claim that this was a prank?

This was far beyond anything Floyd or Azul was willing to do, given they hated his mushrooms and foraging lectures. And [Name] seemed to genuinely enjoy them at times, a refreshing thing.

As he walked down the path they had hiked many times, he pointed out a few new additions to their walk, things that had not yet grown the last time they had ventured out onto the mountain path.

[Name] kept pace with him, looking where he pointed.

"That one's new, right?" they asked him.

He nodded with a sharp-toothed smile.

"Yes, [Name]-san, you would be right about that!" he told them.

As they stopped to examine the specimen, Jade found that [Name] was crouching down closer to him than needed, staring at him expectantly, waiting... This was new.

They were always eager, but this seemed to be... a change.

"Yes, did you need something, Prefect?" he asked a moment later, heterochromatic eyes finding theirs.

They just smiled and laughed gently.

"I was waiting for you to go on one of your Jade lectures."

At that, he blinked. What?

"Oya? My 'Jade lectures'?" he questioned, surprised they seemed so joyous about the matter. "You wanted me to explain this? I do believe we spoke about it last time, didn't we?"

Most people only wanted to know what was necessary about his hobby and only once. Once was more than enough. Azul often said that to him. Whereas Floyd said simply thinking about a mushroom was a cause for a fight in their shared room.

"I don't mind if it's the same as before! Maybe I'll learn something new I didn't realize before," [Name] continued, "So?"

Jade wasn't sure what he wanted to say, hesitating for a moment in a way unlike him before he sighed, a smile coming to his face as he laughed lightly, a pretty melodic sound. The usual intimidating air he had about him was nowhere to be found.

"[Name]," he got their attention, "Why did you join my club?"

He didn't comply with their request, offering a question to their own.

"Why did I..." they thought for a moment, "I guess I joined because I like... hearing you talk about something you like, Jade-senpai."

He didn't expect such an answer. Part of Jade was holding onto the idea that it was a joke or a prank. He thought they would confess that they didn't really want to be in the mountains with him.

"You're here just to hear me talk?" he questioned, "My, that's a rather bold statement to make. Though I am pleased to have captivated your attention with my own passion project."

They smiled at him.

"Joining this club allowed me to see a different side of you."

He supposed they were right about that. There was much more he could say about things, about feelings, but it wasn't needed. So, why bother? Things would unfold as they did. And he suspected if he did too much, he might rock the boat that was the delicate balance of NRC inter-dorm politics.

"Shall I explain this specimen, then?" he offered.

Their smile grew ten times brighter.

"Yes! Please! Tell me!"

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Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

[chrysanthemum-gigi]

meeting his parents for the first time and them loving u 😽

hiya!!! :) his parents seem like the nicest, most polite people you'll ever have the chance to meet. You and Luigi travelled to Baltimore during his birthday weekend and just arrived to his childhood home. When they opened the front door, they greeted Luigi with hugs and kisses. Showing him so much affection that he starts to get some secondhand embarrassment, thinking you might get a little weirded out since you grew up with a smaller, less openly affectionate family.

this has the opposite effect on you. your heart swells with happiness at seeing your boyfriend be so unapologetically loved by his mother and father. once they finish greeting Luigi, they turn to you.. "Mamma Mia, this is must be the wonderful y/n. It's such a pleasure to meet you. All my son talks about when he calls us is 'y/n this and y/n that', I'm happy I finally get to see what the fuss is all about" Luigi's father says beaming. His mother drapes you in a warm, cozy hug, "Oh my dear, welcome. Make yourself at home ok? Could I offer you a cup of tea to get you settled in?". Luigi's mother is taken aback by your beauty, immediately seeing why her son is so obsessed with you.

Luigi's mother spends that first night latched onto you, wanting to know every detail about your life but it's never in a way that's invasive. She genuinely wants to know your life story, your dreams and ambitions. She gently drops nuggets of wisdom in her responses, she keeps eye contact and nods her head delicately when you say something she can relate to. (a/n: seriously his mom is so cute and to me has the perfect balance of being classy and sophisticated but warm and sweet). His father made some espresso and laid out some biscotti on large plate post dinner whilst the four of you sat at the dinning room to continue talking. Luigi declined the espresso, opting to have milk with the biscotti. His dad goes off on a funny monologue about how Luigi never liked caffeine which in true Italian American monologue style naturally evolves into talking about how Luigi was as a child. Next thing you know, three brick-like photo albums are sitting on the dinning room table with his mom and dad both taking turns looking at his childhood photos, his mom next to you, angling the album towards you so you could take a better look.

"Oh jeez, I remember this one with the fish. He must've been nine or ten here. I've never known a kid to want to touch a fish with his bare hands.." his mom says, reading glasses on the bridge of her nose. To his credit, Luigi takes all this talk about his childhood pictures with grace. He's too busy being absolutely moved with how quickly his parents took a liking to you, how attentive and kind they were to you especially after you told them that your family wasn't all that physically affectionate.

"Honey, I'm always here if you ever need someone to talk to. Even if it's about my son, I'm going to be here for you. Take my number.." is the last thing his mother says before you and Luigi retire to his childhood bedroom for the night 💕

[zarvasace]

I have been tagged by @batrogers!!

1. How many works on AO3? 241

2. Total AO3 word count? 1.25mil. Almost to my 3rd AO3 anniversary :D (that's around 1,170 words every day for three years, not counting nonpublished words! Proud of that rate, even if it's slowing.)

3. Top 5 fics by kudos:

Status? about Four. I think this one hits the sweet spot for a lot of people: not too long, a bit angsty, but sweet.

so i admit that the mud didn't do much for me, about Hyrule. Actually the first fic I ever posted on this account, it's silly and I'm surprised to see it so high

incandescently happy, a post-LU happy ending. Posted little chapters every day for like a month which kept it in people's feeds so I think that's why it's so high

what is a stump supposed to do, a random Hyrule & Four one, honestly baffled why it's up here

Rise and Shine and Fall, my successful (by that I mean actually wrote and posted every day on schedule) Whumptober 2022 extravaganza compilation. I posted it all in one work, so it's higher than most other whump fics of mine, but there's a lot in it!

4. What fandoms do you write for? Zelda. In the past I wrote a tiny bit of Danny Phantom and a fair amount of FE3H!

5. Do you respond to comments? Always!! I admit to being SO VERY BEHIND right now, a couple months' worth. I'm trying to keep up on new ones, but I've had some beautiful wonderful readers going through my catalog and I can't always keep up!! XD

6. Fic with the angstiest ending: I don't write a lot of negative endings, so I think this badge goes to Counterbalance, my LU Darks AU. I'm actually fully in love with this fic, it's probably the best mix of silly and angsty I've ever written. It's full of what are essentially OCs but they're all my babies and I love them.

7. Fic with the happiest ending: incandescently happy, post-LU. The whole fic is essentially a fix-it ending, though LU doesn't have an ending yet. XD

8. Do you get hate? A couple silly comments trying to tell me I'm doing things wrong, but not really no! Oh, also can't forget the ask I got that was "Remember that Jesus is your first reader." I think that was meant to be passive aggressive but there's a chance it was meant like, genuinely? Not sure.

9. Do you write smut? Nah. And I don't plan to. Not my thing! Closest I get are vampire bites XD

10. Do you write crossovers? I swear I've done more but the only ones on my AO3 are a Vidow fic done in an original world (Nothing New Under the Sun (crystals, dumplings, jewelry)), and Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School, a Vidow retelling of a very fun vampire novel.

11. Ever had a fic stolen? Nope, but I did have one of my Vidow fake fic book covers stolen for someone's fake fiverr listing. Got it taken down with a DMCA but I was like, why

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? Oh plenty. @enrolio and I spent most of 2020-21 lockdowns and beyond cowriting, mostly original stories (1.7mil) but a lot of fic, too (nothing published, but almost 400k worth.) We're currently in the process of working on a big epic original fantasy series, though that's a long-term project. @batrogers and I have done a few alt-POV-type projects too, which have been super duper fun!! Hope to do more.

In that vein too, I feel like the Bad End Links kind of qualify here—so much of the characters and their stories were brainstormed collaboratively and so many friends have contributed details and fics and art, it feels like a fun group project! I've really enjoyed working on it. :D (the encouragement and hype for it also helps a lot!! I'm really hoping to finish this big project out!)

14. All-time favorite ship? Ahhhh a harder question than you'd think, tbh, even if you're limiting it to fic. I've written the most for Vidow, and they're definitely up there (same with Fourdow though I've done less with them.) I do have to admit that Linhardt/Byleth might take the cake, though. They were the first ship I was ever actually obsessed with, and the first romantic pairing I wrote in fic.

I just really adore Linny in general, and I love how the pairing continues and closes off some of the themes in the Crimson Flower route of FE3H. That's the only route where Byleth doesn't become archbishop-slash-dictator, and I think choosing to live life in a small cottage, not particularly contributing too much to the government, builds nicely upon the themes of becoming human and choosing your own destiny, themes that are really missing from the other routes.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My old AO3 account (a couple FE3H fics and not much else) has a series where I wrote the beginning of a fic and then had several different endings planned, each a different ship with Linhardt, but I only ever wrote one. I'd love to read the rest but I have too many other fics calling my name!

16. Writing strengths? Um... Volume and speed? Also AUs. I think I can call myself good at fitting characters into new settings. Also fight scenes are fun and I think I do them well.

17. Writing weaknesses? I feel somewhat weak in the plotting and style realms.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? You can't count on a reader to know not-tagged languages, so that has to be accounted for in the text.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Danny Phantom, in high school or maybe just after. That's late for a lot of fic writers but... there are reasons for that, and a different discussion!!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? This is an extremely rude question, because I love so many for different reasons. I write things I want to read!! Counterbalance (for the tone) and Blood-Sucker's Guide (for the finished novel plot) are up there but I linked them above, so I'll take the chance to call out a different few—Marvelous Misadventures is way up there, a Wind-focused modern with magic AU. I promise I'm still working on that last chapter (and the epilogue), I just gotta throw everything else aside one month and buckle down. Maybe June, I don't have any fic events planned and 06/23 was the last update. I think some earlier chapters need a refresh as well, once I have the ending written.

I'll also toss White Walls (medwhump, "non consensual body modification: the fic") into this category for how long it is and how proud I am to have finished even a collection this long, and a long walk, a Linked Nexus fic where I did so much math and had so much fun with it. :D

Tagging: @silvrash-797 @toyouhellohowareyou @nopenototdaysatan @skyward-floored :)

[qoldenskies]

never seen much analysis of donnie and april and their dynamic and like .... i think they should bond more over their intense feelings of isolation from other people and their blind, desperate desire for outside approval more. april CANNOT actually judge donnie for his dumb decision-making trying to cozy up to the purple dragons when she was doing the exact same thing in hypno part deux 😭😭😭 but i actually imagine that's something they would find a lot of solidarity in

like more appreciation for how april is The Fumblerrrrr when it comes to other people. she tries so, so hard to fit in, to make things work, to fit herself into a shape she doesn't actually fit into, and she always seems to fall a little short. its why she keeps getting fired from jobs, doesn't seem to have many friends, and has criminally low self-esteem despite her unending tenacity. it speaks to a lifetime of feeling like she always falls behind because she's so intense and because she has such a fascination for the weird.

and originally i always saw it as kind of strange that she'd be insecure about not "feeling like she's not one of them" because it wasn't set up properly as an insecurity of hers, but now that i think about it, of course she'd feel that way. she doesn't feel like she fits in with other people, even though she tries, and when she finds other people who are weirdos just like her she doesn't fit in completely with them, either. it might be easy to parallel that kind of feeling with donnie and his soft shell too (+ his autism)

and also like. to draw a parallel more directly

i think them gravitating towards each other makes a lot of sense .... they are neurodivergent girlies who Cannot Mask and they are TRYING but they CAN NOT

and also something to be said about how respectful and careful april seems to be when she's shown working or sucking up to someone that she wants approval from, and the way that donnie repeatedly will swallow down his anger when his family do something that frustrate him (shell in a cell is a very obvious example, but he does it at a point in mind meld and you can argue like a third of witch town is just that before he also becomes The Fumblerrrr-- not to mention how he's swallowed down his reluctance about mystics genuinely all the way up to this point)

AND ALSO they are both shown to kind of lash out at each other and feel frustrated when they feel like the other impedes their goals of social acceptance,,, it would be interesting to take the angle of them kind of accidentally projecting onto each other, and being cruel unintentionally as a result. im just sayinnn

[andy-wm]

How to speak without words

a simple guide, by Jikook

This post is all about context, so for context 31 March is Trans Day of Visibility.

Its a day be your authetic and true self and to show the world that trans people exist.

I'm also going to use it as an opportunity to talk about something that comes up over and over, especially with Jimin & JK.

How do we share our story if we can't speak directly?

In the spaces around Jimin & Junkgook, there's a lot of discussion about the messages they are or aren't sending.

For some people these messages aren't significant enough to validate or even to make them wonder. They don't see the broader context or the cumulative effect of the many small moments. Its easy to dismiss it all as isolated incidents.

But for those of us who are seeing the whole picture, nothing is lost or ignored or dismissed.

We understand how these small moments fit together to create a complex story because we see the wider context. They are individual threads in the tapestry of their lives.

When JK goes live on Weverse on White Day wearing a white shirt and not much else and has a drink with ARMY, and we know Jimin is not around, we get what's happening. When Jimin posts a photo of the two of them wearing white on White Day, he doesnt need to say anything else.

When JK sends a thirst trap birthday message for Jimin and ends it with a clunky 'happy birthday bro', we know why.

When he uses the sign language for love on a stage in front of the whole world and directs it at Jimin, we see what hes doing.

When Jungkook presents himself as the vampiric stereotype - lusting for the forbidden - in his photo folio and Jimin parallels this with his own mythic themes and darkly sensual imagery in the same project, we can't misunderstand the symbolism.

When Jimin says "hurry up and be me soon", when he presents feminine for one concept and masculine for the next, when he stands on the Miss Dior red carpet in a cape and full face of make-up but with his bloodied knuckles on full display, we can't pretend we don't see it.

When Jimin & Jungkook wear matching outfits, even even when they're not together...

When they publicly conform to couple stereotypes - off stage and outside of BTS...

We know. We see it all as a single woven story and we know.

And like any truly committed couple, they're there for each other in good times and bad. They celebrate their successes, comfort each other, and stick together when times get tough.

And no, they've never verbally confirmed or denied. The context of their lives makes any such declaration incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Regardless, they owe no explanation. But being so visible would be confirmation enough for almost any other couple to be acknowledged.

They tell us over and over who they are.

Showing so undeniably that they are always there for each other is more than enough, honestly. If you can accept all the things you cannot see, how can you look at these two and not see love?

💜💛

That's essentially what the Trans Day of Visibility is about.

Showing that you exist.

Being seen and believed.

You don't needs to make a speech or an announcement. You can if you want to of course. You can go to a rally if you want to be with the trans community, and in the current political climate that might be safer if you want to be seen.

Maybe you just want to drop a hint ... iykyk

But you don't have to be seen at all if you choose not to...

Shout out to all the trans, gender diverse, gender questioning, and gender non-conforming humans in the world and all our allies and supporters too.

On this year's Trans Day of Visibility, I understand more than ever why people might prefer to remain invisible. It's dangerous out there.

Nevertheless, celebrate yourself today and every day. Being authentic and living your life as your genuine self in a way that makes you happy is your right.

If you aren't there yet, take your time, be brave where you can but be safe, and know that you are amazing.

Trans right are human rights.

And in case it's needed, here's a message for the haters: You will never win. We've always been here and we will always be here. Just like every other human, we belong here too 🏳️‍⚧️

[thezombieprostitute]

Would you ever revisit the shy reader and give her a happy ending without Ransom? Maybe she meets Jake? Or Steve? Or Curtis? Or Cole? Really anyone who would be genuine. She deserves to feel safe and loved.

You know, she really does deserve those things.

Summary: Another meeting but with a better outcome. (Follow up to Ransom Drysdale x Shy!Reader)

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Anxiety, Shyness, Stalker behavior (not from Chris!). Please let me know if I missed anything.

"Chris, look at me," Mace grumbles. "I don't care what you say to her, I don't care if it's just asking about a book, just talk to her! Let her know you actually exist, okay?"

"Right," Chris nods a little too much in his nervousness. "I can do that. I can...ask where the astronomy section is or something, right?"

Mace fights the urge to tell him she'll likely think he's an idiot since the astronomy section is clearly marked. Instead he closes his eyes and counts to ten.

Thankfully Sam comes to his rescue. "I mean, maybe go for biology or something? Might ease the conversation into how you're a doctor?"

"Keep it simple," Joaquin interjects. "We know how Chris can get, especially around the cute girls."

Chris's cheeks turn pink. Yale Medical School? Air Force? Nothing compares to getting himself ready to talk to you. He's grateful to his air force buddies for helping him out.

"Right, simple," he reiterates. "I'll just...um...maybe I can ask for a gift recommendation?"

"Ooo! Good idea!" Sam nods.

"Might encourage a conversation," Mace agrees.

"And that's all you're looking for right now," Joaquin assures.

"Yeah, okay. I can do this," Chris tells himself.

It's been several months now since you finally broke things off with Ransom. In some ways you miss him. Life with him was a lot less lonely. But everything else was so uncomfortable. Everything else made you feel worse about yourself than usual. It's for the best that he's not around anymore. You'd tried sending the gifts back to him, but they all got returned making you feel guilty. Not wanting them around anymore, you gave them to friends or dropped them off at second hand stores. Anything to get them out of your apartment and stop reminding you.

You shake your head to stop thinking about him. You're at work, just focus on that. These books won't shelve themselves.

There's a gentle cough behind you, followed by a soft, "excuse me?"

You turn around, customer service smile on, "how can I help you?" While you can't bring yourself to look him in the eyes, you can tell he's very handsome. He seems almost as nervous as you. Maybe he's the type that hates to admit needing help?

"Um...I was...I just...um..." he stutters, also not looking you in the eye. He starts rubbing the back of his head, his cheeks turning pink. "I need a gift for a friend. Could um...could use some help?"

"Of course, sir," you say with as much reassurance as you can muster. You're wondering if you look the same when you're feeling shy. Well, you can't look as adorable as him, but you're sure you've got similar mannerisms. "Um, can you tell me some of their interests?"

"Right, yeah, that...that would probably help. Um...aeronautics?"

It takes a moment for the dictionary in your brain to connect the term to the appropriate section of the bookstore. "If you'll follow me, I can show you where we keep our books about flight. Would they prefer something about the history of it? Maybe the engineering itself? Or rockets?"

"You...you know a lot about this stuff!"

"Oh, um. Not really." Your face drops slightly as your cheeks start burning. "I just know the subject headings, related topics kinds of stuff. I'd never have the brain for the actual taxonomy."

"I um...I'm...I mean, not to toot my own horn but--" he stops himself and you can hear him quietly muttering "toot my own horn? Who the hell says that?"

"So here's where you'll find our books on aeronautics," you interrupt his self berating. "Those shelves are more history focused, those ones are more space focused. If you need further help, please let me know."

"Thank you," he smiles as he fidgets.

It took a lot more visits to the store than Chris would have liked but he did, eventually, get the courage to ask you out. You surprised yourself when you said "yes" with almost no hesitation. In all of your "conversations" he'd been so polite and understanding. He put you at ease, made you laugh, and respected your boundaries. If you told him you were on your break, or helping someone else, he backed off and he never made you feel bad about it. And he never tried meeting you outside of the safety of your work space. Plus, he was really cute, soft-spoken and encouraging.

You're still nervous that things could go south. That he'll turn out to be another Ransom. That he'll make fun of how shy you can be. But for once, you're hopeful.

O'Malley gave Ransom the file on Dr. Chris Beck. "Let's face it, you can't compete with this guy."

Ransom's cheeks turned red as his jaw tensed. "Why not?"

O'Malley scoffs. "The guy's got med school cred, Air Force connections, and even friggin' space programs. The only thing you've got that he doesn't is money."

"Air Force reserves," Ransom counters as he reads the file.

"Still more than you ever did."

Ransom grabs his phone and types a few things. "Your payment, as promised. Now get the hell out."

O'Malley confirmed receipt of the money and headed out.

Ransom looked over Beck's file and his heart falls. He really can't compete with doctor. Ransom pours himself another drink. He hasn't been happy since your breakup, waiting for his opportunity to prove himself. But with this guy in the picture?

He looks at the photo of you he keeps on his phone and raises his glass in a toast. "At least you finally found someone worthy of you."

Previous

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly

[sunnylovesgirlythings]

I’ve seen those stupid g2 budget cheerleading dolls way too many times in my life so you know what? Fuck it I’m rating them. Out of five. Worst to best.

At fifth: Draculaura 2/5

The one you always see, the horror, the myth, the infamous. And I get it. Definitely the weakest of the group.

If you’re doing a molded on top it’s kinda important to… see the molded details? Which thanks to the super glossy black I’m struggling to.

Also the skirt is ever so slightly a different shade of pink to the shoes and skullette on her chest and that’s bothering me.

And the skirt top hem being blue. Because of course. Can’t have g2 Draculaura without the ugliest shade of blue possible somewhere on the design. Stop trying to make blue on Draculaura a thing. It’s never gonna be a thing.

Hair is completely unstyled which i expect on dolls this cheap but I appreciate them blending in a little pink. Thought they’d just make it completely black.

That and the molded on shoe design being kinda cute pull it up from being a straight up one to me.

Those do be shoes I wouldn’t mind her wearing forever. Which she will. Cause they’re molded on.

At forth: frankie 2.5/5

This would genuinely be higher if it wasn’t for the shade of pink they used for the molded on top.

Because their face is genuinely quite cute as g2 faces go. Think it’s the blush and lip colour pulling a lot weight but still. Praise shall be applied where applicable.

But that pink top… it’s so garish. Especially contrasting the blue. It becomes hard to look at. Pink isn’t even g2 Frankies mandatory extra colour! That’s yellow!

Which as much as I dislike it? Might have genuinely been the better option here (core g2 Frankies bag for colour reference. Make the top itself the blue and make the top’s emblem and the skirt yellow. It’d re contextualise the jagged skirt as a lightning themed skirt with no added budget change.)

The shoe mold is nothing to write home about. They tried to do a lightning shape to the heel but since it’s unpainted it doesn’t read clearly. But it’s nothing awful or offensive.

Same issues as Draculaura honestly. But put slightly above due to an admittedly pretty face.

At third: cleo 3/5

The one I always forget is in this line. Which makes sense as she’s the most… inoffensive?

She’s where they actually started to try doing something interesting with the molded on tops though. With it only having one strap and having a mummy wrappings texture to it.

Which gives her a unique vibe to the others I guess?

She’s in the middle for a reason I don’t have much to say.

G2 cleo almost always is the most average of a line to me. Her aesthetic was probably the most neutered in g2 but it’s also an aesthetic that’s easy to simplify so it never usually looks bad.

At second: lagoona 4/5

Lagoona is one of the main ghouls I’ve always said looks the best in g2. Her aesthetics actually work quite well when softened as you begin to fall into pastels.

She probably has the best molded top design for me. Lagoona looks good with a halterneck (fashion tumblr forgive me if that’s the wrong term. I tried googling it and every guide gave a different name that was just the most common one.) and the bubbles/ scales pattern is cute!

Her hair actually has a light curl to it which puts her above the others hair wise and her molded on shoes detail reads clearly!

It would genuinely be my favourite if I didn’t have an admittedly very biased first pick.

At number one!: clawdeen 5/5

I’m sorry I know on technical merit lagoona is better.

But I have such a weak spot for clawdeen in green. I really do.

It’s always been my favourite colour to see on clawdeen and they don’t put her in it nearly enough.

But g2 actually made it her mandatory extra colour! So a lot of g2 clawdeens have green and this one does too!

I also do really like the mold of the top itself. I like the way it’s cut up into sections with the animal print cleanly placed into each one. None of her colours clash which is a relief.

It’s a biased pick for sure. But it’s also my list.

How would you rate the dolls in arguably the most infamous line in monster high?

Any other g2 lines you wanna see me analyse?

G2 gets dunked on a lot so I find it interesting to look it’s design work with an unbiased eye!

[ranting-writer]

"Do you think he hates you?"

"Fuck, I don't know. He certainly likes to avoid me at seemingly any cost. He fell trying to skateboard away from me yesterday."

Rose hummed as she jotted down some notes.

She and Dirk sat across from each other on her purple velvet couches while she listened to Dirk talk about how Dave was avoiding him. He'd come over, something he rarely if ever did, and he'd plopped himself on her couch, bold as brass, and simply stated that Dave was avoiding him and he didn't understand why. Normally the two Striders were thick as thieves, had been since the game's end and Earth C was created, but of late, Dave had started avoiding Dirk. Which was very out of character for him, at least from Dirk's perspective.

Dirk's lips twitched briefly into a frown. "Stop taking notes," he demanded. "You're not a real therapist. I only came to you specifically because you're his friend and you might have insight into his behavior."

Rose sighed a bit, giving Dirk a wry smile. "Dirk," she said. "I know Dave, very, very well. But I need to take the notes so I can remember what to hassle him about at a later date."

"Jesus fuck, Rose. This is supposed to just be a talk between us. You and I. We. I didn't say I wanted you to talk to him. I just want insight, at the present point."

Rose rolled her eyes. Striders... Always pushy and griping and whinging about something. This wasn't the first time one of them came to talk to her about the other. Although, in Dave's case, it wasn't technically about Dirk, but rather about Dave's feelings around Bro that simply happened to be stirred up by Dirk. Not that Dirk would ever make the distinction himself.

"What if you don't like what I have to tell you?" she asked.

Dirk shrugged. "Then I cope and push on I guess," he replied, arms resting on his knees. "I just need to know if I did something wrong or hurt him somehow. So I can apologize."

Rose hummed, sipping her drink. "Well, it isn't necessarily you," she said blandly. "More about who you remind him of. Superficially of course." She watched as Dirk tensed up and clapped his hands together. This might be more delicate than she thought, but she continued. "As we have aged, we have begun to look more like our alternate selves. Roxy has plainly told me that she can easily see, for lack of better phrasing on my part, her mother in me.

"However, I do find it interesting that, despite having been the one to point out at one point that you look really nothing like his Bro, Dave has apparently begun to recognize his guardian in your face more and more. While on the other side of this, you have continued to see less and less of your own Bro in him. It's very peculiar."

Dirk rubbed his temples, groaning a bit. "And so far all I'm getting out of this conversation is that he's scared of me and you actually did inherit the propensity for professional yappery," he grumbled.

Rose sighed softly, watching Dirk agonize. She and Dirk hadn't exactly been close before, and they weren't now. In fact, they outright confided that they reminded each other too much of one another in some uncomfortable ways. Especially after one particularly uncomfortable incident where, in trying to emulate Dave and Roxy's weird mom-son/ bestie bond, Rose had called Dirk dad. That had certainly put a brief wedge in their communication...

Despite that, she truly didn't like seeing Dirk so uncomfortable and distressed. Dave was one of her best friends, and Dirk was very, very important to Dave, thus, Dirk was important to her. She wanted to at least try to help. Smoothing her dress, Rose spoke again. "It must feel odd," she said. "To hear Dave talk to lovingly about someone that he acknowledges hurt him."

Dirk shook his head, leaning back into the plush couch. He sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Yes and no," he said.

"Could you elaborate?"

"It's simple, in my mind. Bro wasn't entirely a monster and Dave genuinely believes the guy did the best with the tools he had available, emotionally and literally. He was also the most exposed to the bullshit paradox space, Lord English time nonsense compared to his fellow guardians in your timeline. And thinking of the portrait Dave drew, the guy was severely mentally ill with a lot of baggage.

"However, despite the abuse Dave endured, he is also able to recall plenty of times that he and Bro cooked together, went to events, went to fun locations, and had bonding time. It's difficult to separate the good and the bad when it comes to your abusers, especially if it's a parent. You should know this, Ms. Psychologist wannabe."

Rose smiled softly. "I do, know this," she said cooly. "But I was after how you feel about it, not your own clinical examinations of their relationship."

Dirk went quiet, staring at the ceiling after apparently deciding it was more interesting than the conversation. He sat like that for a long time, and Rose simply allowed his silence. She knew this topic had to be difficult for him to address, especially with her.

Eventually, Dirk spoke again, sounding unusually small and sad. "I worry that he talks about me like that. Dave, I mean."

Rose looked at Dirk, the tone of his voice piquing her interest. "As in... Saying that you've hurt him but loving you anyway?"

Dirk nodded slowly as he tried to reign in his control of his voice and face. Body language was whatever to him, he knew control of that was like trying to get an engine block to swim, but he wanted back some control over his body, even if it meant just his voice and facial expressions. "I worry I'm just gaslighting him into liking me. I did it with Jake and I think Jane."

Dirk sat back upright, leaning forward on his knees again. "Roxy was going to like me anyway, there's hardly a soul she doesn't like," he said. "Jane... Jane was sort of isolated too, but she was naive and she's always sort of been a baby sister to me in a way. But Jake..." He looked up at Rose, face finally schooled back into an expression of blank indifference. "I feel like a pressured Jake into a relationship," he continued to explain. "And that's why eventually our relationship broke down so hard. Because he started to realize I was being clingy and manipulative."

Rose raised an eyebrow. Could Dirk be manipulative? Absolutely. It was a trait she herself and even Dave to a lesser extent had. They liked to mess with people. However, in watching Dirk, she hadn't noticed much in the way of malicious manipulative behavior, or even abuse, that couldn't be chalked up to simply not understanding people and control issues. Dirk had lived alone his entire life, his only reference for body language was films and the put on facades of his version of Dave and whatever prefilled content he could get his lonely hands on. On top of that, Dirk had exceptionally minimal control growing up.

Dirk had spent his developmental years alone in the middle of the ocean, everything bad that had happened to the world was mostly far in the past already, and all he had was his robots, movies, music, sendificator, and a computer with an internet connection. He'd only had control over his machines, and even they had whims of their own eventually.

Dirk was also a problem solver. He was intelligent and quick to find and understand what he needed to do in order to get a desired result, even if he had to go to extremes (like sendificating his own decapitated head to Jake to kiss) to get it. It made his skin crawl and his mind itch when others couldn't see past themselves to the solution.

Of course, perhaps that last bit was due to his nature as a Heart player. Despite struggling with his sense of where he ended and his other versions, or "splinters", began, he still had a very good sense of who he was, what his values were, and where his loyalties lie. To him, it was frustrating that others seemed so oblivious to the fact that their own personal pondering on their identities was obscuring the real issues at hand. This, of course, led to him trying to take control from others at times.

Jake, for example. Jake was a bit cowardly early on, if excitable about adventure and the prospects of a good rough housing. Jake wasn't a strong fighter, if at all. So, to try and help Jake improve and better himself, Dirk took control of the situation and made Brobot for Jake to train with. He'd given it a variety of settings and an affection for Jake so the thing wouldn't kill the guy. He hadn't really given Jake much of a say in the matter, just started sending him the pieces as they were completed.

When they all needed to get into their session and the Medium, Dirk had taken every bit of control in the situation, resurrecting Roxy, getting his head to Jake, resurrecting Jane, and flying himself and the girls back to Jake's island as their session properly began. He hadn't waited on his friends to try anything, not that some of them could have anyway, he simply took action and saved them all.

Rose hummed in thought. "Dirk..." she queried. "Where exactly in your relationship with Dave do you think you're being manipulative and hurting him?"

Dirk hummed and shrugged. "I dunno," he admitted. "Maybe when it comes to things like... I guess everyday things? He isn't good at prioritizing tasks or getting things done, so I tend to take over and I believe that I steamroll what he wants to get my way. I tend to shut down his rambling arguments and I tell him what I view things to be in a... In my mind, manipulative manner and he just... Placidly accepts it."

Rose had a smile slip onto her face, even as she tried to force it down. This made Dirk frown deeply. "What?" he snipped.

Rose giggled. "Dirk," she said. "Has it ever occurred to you that Dave might have issues with ADHD?"

Dirk blinked rapidly behind his shades as he tried to process the question. ADHD? Wasn't that an attention disorder? Dave paid attention to things just fine, especially his interests and conversations with his friends. "That's... No. He pays attention fine."

Rose snorted and shook her head. "No, no, no," she chided, scooting to the edge of the seat. "Dirk ADHD is a dopamine disorder. Dave's brain doesn't produce enough dopamine causing problems with, yes focus, but also balance issues, sugar or caffeine cravings, sleep, overall mood, emotional regulation, executive function, memory, and honestly, so much more. It's part of the reason a good rooftop strife still makes him excited because he's getting a rush of adrenaline and dopamine. He's struggling badly when it comes to things like grocery shopping or organizing chores. He's actually probably grateful when you take things over."

Dirk stared a bit at Rose. That actually made quite a bit of sense, shifting how he viewed Dave. He had never gotten the sense that Dave was as bogged down by his perception of himself as much as other (sexuality and actual emotional expression aside, anyway), so it always baffled him that Dave seemed to struggle to get shit done as much as someone like Jane or John, or even Jake and Roxy. Dave felt weirdly self actualized in many ways to him.

Rose shook her head while Dirk thought. "Back to the original point of your visit," she said. "Dave being a mess of dopamine problems aside, I think you're just looking more like Bro than even he expected, so he's avoiding you. Presumably to try and spare your feelings on the matter."

Dirk huffed in annoyance. That made no sense to him. This was way more hurtful! He wanted to rap with Dave, play video games with him, drink coffees together, laugh at their favorite films... He missed Dave's closeness immensely.

Rose hesitated then murmured, "I recommend simply confronting him. Not aggressively, but simply ask him what's going on and if you can help or fix it in anyway."

Dirk nodded slowly. "Yeah... I can do that."

Before Rose could utter another word, Dirk was on his feet and swiftly walking out the front door. Shrugging, she gathered her things and headed to her office, awaiting an update from either of the Striders.

[cyucya]

Building off of what anon said, I was also thinking that maybe Sonic and Shadow had SC as a way to ‘fix their problems’ (I actually sent this quite a while back, but it may have been buried XD)

But if we’re really thinking about, it could make sense, I mean, Sonadow are ALWAYS at each other’s throats, if they were divorced by the time SC came around, then chances are they were already having quite a bit of trouble in paradise, so what’s *usually* the number one thing that keeps people together? A Family!! Wow Sonadow, you’re so smart, that is exactly what we need. A kid to have that kind of connection to each other again, to remind them of why they fell in love in the first place.

And so SC is born, except, he’s not what they thought they would be. While they were looking for someone more along the lines of how *they* were, the perfect combo of both of them, they instead got a sickly, low energy, powerless kid. How can this be? Sonic’s the fastest being in the universe, speed perfected, and Shadow’s the ultimate life form, how is it that they created something so utterly powerless?

Now instead of fixing their problems it only made them worse. Now they’re playing the Blame Game, because “he couldn’t have possibly been that way cuz of me!” And because “I’m the Ultimate Life Form, I don’t produce people like this” and lo and behold they’re at each other’s throats again. What was supposed to be the solution to their problem actually became the cause of their problems hence causing the divorce. Obviously this takes a toll on our poor SC.

HOWEVER! Let’s take this a step further ( >:) ), and let’s now include Spark. Few years pass and Sonadow are missing each other because for all their problems and fights, they are still the only ones who can keep up with each other, and despite everything they still technically love each other very much. So they start trying again, just to see if it works out. Now I don’t actually know if Spark was planned or not, but it sounds like initially at first she wasn’t, but once they realized she was on the way, they were like ok, let’s give this another shot, maybe it’ll be better this time, and they officially get together again.

Spark is born, the most perfect little girl, who is *exactly* what SC was supposed to be. SHE is the one with the abundance of chaos energy, SHE is the one meant to continue Sonadow’s legacy, SHE is what they were going for the first round with SC. And so obviously this is not a good thing for our dear lovely SC.

Because for the first time it looks like he might be seeing what his parents were originally doing for him. Because now he’s realizing that Spark is the one that fixed their relationship.

Spark became the very thing Skylar-Chilli was supposed to be, and that shit is SEVERELY messed up. Poor SC, free my boy.

~Love, Evie

Oh wow, this message is absolutely incredible—I love seeing such deep, thoughtful takes on my AU! The way you’ve broken it all down and connected the dots is just plainly awesome. It makes me so happy to know that people are thinking about these dynamics as much as I am!

That said, I don’t want to comment too much on it just yet since I’d hate to accidentally spoil anything, but just know that I really appreciate this message and the effort you put into it. It genuinely made my day—thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!