#genuinely the hero we needed but do not deserve

[arcane-ish]

I'm not up to date on the timebomb lore, but if they genuinely thought about havig a second montage, I understand why they cut it, that would officially have made look like they are the main couple and not CaitVi.

Has any artist every tried to make a crack at what the moral would look like now after Ekko has made up with Jinx and lost her?

~*~

It's so sad that Ekko never knew Isha. I love the idea of Jinx sneaking out at night amonst battle prep to paint her on there.

Or just generally the topic coming up during battle prep and her trying to explain to Ekko who she was.

~*~

I kind of like the idea of Ekko coming back to the moral after the battle and just painting it black because there's just too many people to put on there.

I like to picture that being the point where he "closes up shop" in the sense that he opens up the Firelights to all of Zaun and encourages the Firelights to go out into general Zaun and do good work out there. And them painting murals all over Zaun rather than just in their location.

(I love the idea that they decide to something with the location of the Last Drop, whether it stays as a dark memorial or they build something new on it, a playground, a hospital, a meeting point)

~*~

Of course in my world Ekko works himseld to the bone, maybe taking over Benzo's shop now, helping everybody build up, having meetings with Sevika telling her what she would bring up at the council meetings.

And then one day Scar tells him "dude, you need a vacation. No really, you are fucking yourself up, you deserve a vacation. And we all know you really want to see if you can find her". And then Ekko starts traveling the world, going to Ionia, going to Shurima. Always following all the stories of a strange blue haired hero girl. And then he tracks her down Bilgewater and they smooch.

(or in Demacia where she pulls him right into her current rebel scheme and he just facepalms but of course he comes along)

Since apparently the cut Timebomb scenes in the finale included a montage of them working together as a parallel to the montage in 2x7, I’m imagining a parallel to this part of that scene, except they’re at a little shrine for Isha

[miss-interpretations]

Con O'Neill constantly having an Instagram story of 70% horny Izzy fanart is endlessly funny to me. Misha Collins could never. Jackles is screaming crying throwing up.

[burningtheroots]

A common question and critique, both in feminist literature and in (online) feminist spaces, is ”Why aren’t the good men doing more for women? Why are they still so passive despite being the 'good' ones?”

Okay, so the answer is actually pretty simple.

At best, these self-proclaimed or so-called "good men" don’t care as long as it isn’t inconvenient for them personally.

At worst, they either secretly or openly enjoy women‘s oppression, humiliation, violation — both due to mere sadism and due to the fact that they actively benefit from it, personally as well as systemically.

That‘s why "good men" are nearly non-existent. Some might be allies when it comes to certain topics (though probably not for genuine women-oriented reasons, and yes, intention matters), however, they‘ll still be misogynistic and oppressive in other ways, or tolerate those who are.

And the concept of a "good men" who‘s "passive" is completely ridiculous. If you, as a member of the oppressor class who‘s advantaged by our systemic & worldwide oppression all the damn time, think that not doing anything makes you "good", you‘re merely a bystander, and hence a (silent) enabler. Not a "good man who‘s just being passive".

Silence is complicity.

They don’t deserve to be labelled as "good". Not harming us with their own hands is the barest minimum. And we deserve to raise our standards, and we also deserve that our sisters raise theirs.

Women for Women. That‘s it. That‘s the only way.

[lord-squiggletits]

Part of why I hate this fandom's take on Autobots vs Decepticons is ppl (mainly 'con fans honestly) who can't have any nuance of the situation whatsoever and love to write plots like "oh the humans are racist and abusive towards Cybertronians so this is how Megatron is right" no actually I don't think colonialism/imperialism and racism are justified so long as you can point the finger and say "they were the aggressors first" or "their hands are no cleaner than ours bc their society sucks too" sorry. Please come up with better sociopolitical narratives in your war story.

[revoevokukil]

Addenum

I find the message particularly significant, because while its workings are relatively obvious between our protagonists, it repeats among many significant characters and gives varied results.

Evil, in this framework, is what happens when wounded people refuse to heal and instead perpetuate cycles of pain. Evil isn't an inherent quality but rather a series of choices made in response to pain. The question of how much agency we really have in the throes of pain though, is a difficult one: (when) can we say "it's your own fault that you refused to heal" to someone?

When Vilgefortz says "I couldn't cope with the feelings I felt for that woman," there's raw honesty there that deserves consideration. "Couldn't" - not "wouldn't." Genuine incapacity rather than simple refusal. Similarly, when he says "she didn't try to help me with them," there's an implied need for support that wasn't met. Particularly likely if the other party has their own issues (as we see with Yen, too).

It adds tragic irony to Sapkowski's "villains"- they may be caught in a double-bind where healing requires vulnerability, but their wounds and present situation make vulnerability feel impossibly dangerous. Like a person with a broken leg being told they need to walk to heal - the very thing they need to do is the thing their injury prevents. Insofar, I think the difference emerges in the amount of scaffolding the characters have to support them in making the choices that could facilitate healing. Geralt had some. Vilgefortz? Hmm.

Or consider the Rats. They built their own scaffolding. Their capacity for choice had been compromised before they could even develop a full sense of self, but they did reach out to others like them. Except, of course, this need for connection, born in trauma, twisted into more destruction and more trauma. Their found family, which does show an innate drive toward stabilizing one's existence somehow, through some connection, is still a medicine concocted of the same patterns of violence that wounded them.

When we look at Rats this way, asking whether they genuinely "chose" anything becomes almost meaningless. Trauma shapes one's very understanding of choice, of love, of healing. They are not even choosing wrong instead of right, rather, by the time they are again able to make their choices, their options have already become severely constrained by their experiences.

In this way, I think, The Witcher really does not portray simple victims or perpetrators, villains or heroes. In the antagonistic figures we can see the shadow versions of our protagonists, and in the healing journeys of our protagonists we can see the hope for our antagonists. In the antagonists' failure we see the consequences of refusing to engage with their wounds and humanity, but we should also see the conditions which made doing so really hard. It's only fair toward Sapkowski's gift for characterisation. There is no hero's journey, there is the human journey—choices made in response to universal human experiences—and it applies to everyone. I'd say this too is subversive of traditional good v evil fantasy.

(born here)

Reflection on Andrzej Sapkowski's Thoughts on Le Guin & the Healing of the Waste Land

In re-reading Pirog, or There’s No Gold in the Gray Mountains (1993) by A. Sapkowski—perhaps one of his more well-known essays on the state of fantasy, and the genre’s reception in Poland in particular—I cannot help but get stuck on how he analyses Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series. It resonates with one very particular strand that Sapkowski plucked on at the heart of his own books: the duality of human nature. Good and Evil, yes, but also: male and female. As psychological and symbolic polarities balancing the psyche.

‘Already the Archipelago of Earthsea itself is a deep allegory - islands scattered across the sea are like lonely, alienated people. The inhabitants of Earthsea are isolated, lonely, closed in on themselves. Their state is such, and not otherwise, because they have lost something—for full happiness and peace of mind…’

The loneliness and alienation, the Waste Land of the human heart, is a recurrent motif in The Witcher. Its influence is felt not only in the plot threads of our protagonists, but also in those of such characters as Emhyr var Emreis, Vilgefortz, the Rats, the Alder King, Avallac’h, anonymous elf who burned down Birka, and humanity and elves in toto. It is just that antagonists rarely reveal their hearts to the protagonists (and to the reader)—if only to have a blade struck it through.

‘Ged’s quest is an allegory, it’s eternal goodbyes and partings, eternal loneliness. Ged strives for perfection in constant struggle with himself and fights the final, symbolic battle with himself, winning by uniting with the element of Evil, accepting, as it were, the duality of human nature.’

Le Guin broke out of the Tolkienian mould, in Sapkowski’s words, by focusing on symbolism and allegory; on the inner journey, as a reflection of, and as affecting, the external world. It is in the recognition and healing of the Waste Land that Evil, or potential Evil, could ever possibly be undone.

In ”The Tombs of Atuan”, the allegory takes us into the Labyrinth of the Psyche, which Sapkowski compares with the Labyrinth of Crete. The Minotaur within is not a monstrous beast, it is ‘pure and concentrated Evil, Evil destroying a psyche that is incomplete, imperfect, not prepared for such an encounter.’ Evil gets close to a psyche in conditions of imbalance, loss, alienation, abandonment, incompleteness.

And then Sapkowski gives the entire thing a gendered spin, bringing Le Guin’s writing closer to the archetype he himself uses.

‘And into such a Labyrinth boldly steps Ged, the hero, Theseus. And like Theseus, Ged depends on Ariadne. Tenar is his Ariadne. Because Tenar is what the hero lacks, without which he is incomplete, helpless, lost in the symbolic tangle of corridors, dying of thirst. Ged thirsts allegorically - he's not after H2O, but after the anima - the feminine element, without which the psyche is imperfect and unfinished, helpless in the face of Evil. … he is saved by the touch of Tenar’s hand. Ged follows his anima—because he must. Because he has just found the lost rune of Erreth Akbe. A symbol. The Grail. A woman.’

Be it the loss of the Alder King (Shiadhal), or Avallac’h (Lara), or Emhyr’s (sacrificing his wife Pavetta, and having been sacrificed by his own father), or Vilgefortz’s (abandoned by his mother, falling in love with a sorceress and coming to hate her for the power she held over him via his feelings for her), or the wartime children of contempt (written off and abused by everyone and everything), the wound remains archetypal and notably alike.

(Not to speak of The Witcher’s protagonists into whose hearts we do see, and in whom we witness the transformation of the Wasteland of the heart in ways which eludes—or only with the very first fleeting steps is beginning in—the rest.)

Love is the essence. Love and lovelessness walk hand in hand at the heart of everything in The Witcher, and with them the good and the evil. What matters in the end, as in all good fantasy, is heart—knowing it, seeking it, letting the spirit flourish in its presence. To gentle the heart. To remain human.

As Tenar to Ged, in Sapkowski’s reading of Le Guin, so Ciri to oh, so many characters, in my reading of Sapkowski.

‘Now Tenar grows into a powerful symbol, into a very contemporary and very feminist allegory. An allegory of femininity. … Tenar leads Ged out of the Labyrinth—for herself, exactly as Ariadne did with Theseus. And Ged—like Theseus—can’t appreciate it. … he gives up, although he likes to enjoy the thought that someone is waiting for him, thinking of him and longing on the island of Gont. It pleases him. How ugly male!’ … ‘After an eighteen-year break, Ms Ursula writes “Tehanu,” … the broken and destroyed Ged crawls to his anima on his knees, and this time she already knows how to keep him, in what role to place him, to become everything for him, the most important meaning and purpose of life, so that the former Archmage and Dragonlord stays by her side until the end of his days…’

---

Marginalia

This motif is universal in how it explores the psyche, but it is also very particular, because Mr Sapkowski’s influences include Bettelheim, Freud, and Jung, as well as Campbell, the Wicca movement, and the feminist current in fantasy. It is evident then, I think, how the balancing between the male and the female is seen as essential for the flourishing in either’s soul.

As seen in ”The World of King Arthur” (1995):

‘The wound of the Fisher King has a symbolic meaning and refers to the beliefs of the Celts - the mutilated king is unable to perform a sexual act, and the Earth he rules cannot be fertilized. If the king is not healed, the Earth will die and turn into La Terre Gaste, the Waste Land. The wounding spear is a phallic symbol, and the healing Grail is the vulva.’

Or as in Joseph Campbell (1988):

'...when the center of the heart is touched, and a sense of compassion awakened with another person or creature, and you realize that you and that other are in some sense creatures of the one life in being, a whole new stage of life in the spirit opens out.'

The word "compassion" means literally "suffering with." Nobody ought to remain alone in suffering. Evil happens so very often as a consequence.

In Excalibur (1981), sick Nature comes alive again when Arthur touches the Grail and wakes from apathy. Of the Grail stories, however, it is Wolfram von Eschenbach’s which speaks to the Witcher’s author’s own sensibilities the most.

‘Let's look for the Grail within ourselves. Because the Grail is nobility, love of neighbor, and the ability to have compassion. True chivalric ideals, towards which it is worth and necessary to look for the right path, break through the wild forest, where, and I quote, "there is neither road nor path." Everyone must find their own path. But it is not true that there is only one path. There are many of them. Infinitely many.’ - The World of King Arthur

Only then does the land bloom again in snow-white blossoming apple trees.

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

Mel for the unhinged character bingo!

yessss YEEEESSSSSSSSS

[tvxcue]

i understand the urge to bring marina into modern aus bc her relationship with colin was an important part of his life that really affected him but the thing is that in order to preserve her role and what she actually meant to him and to penelope you have to actually try to understand her as a character. she wasn't lying to and using him for fun or bc she hates him or penelope, she was doing that bc she was desperate and she felt like he was the best option she had.

also one of the core components of her character in canon is her pragmatism and if modern marina was in the situation of being a pregnant teenager she would not act the same as 19th century marina. 19th century marina had incredibly limited options and she still tried to induce an abortion with little knowledge abt it, modern marina would be at the abortion clinic the first chance she had. what possible use would a relationship with colin have for her in that situation? if anything, the only reason she would have for involving colin would be if she needed him to drive her to the clinic and that would only happen in truly dire circumstances bc she did not actually know him like that. she would ask penelope before she asked colin. she would ask PORTIA before she asked colin.

[prncssguya]

on hwang in-ho/front man, seong gi-hun and their dynamic.

first, idk why people are getting so upset at other people calling gi-hun dumb, we were told that in the first season. lol being bright is not his strongest trait but he has a good heart and we love that about him. however, he is still an idealistic gullible idiot with a gambling problem. except this time his gambling addiction is backed by a sense of justice and righteousness and he no longer gambles with money, he’s gambling with people’s lives. front man asked a good question at the end of the season, “did you have fun playing the hero?” can we even call gi-hun the hero of the story anymore? he gambled with people’s lives and front man showed him the consequences of his moral heroics.

front man only agreed to help gi-hun with his revolution when he mentioned about "small sacrifices for the greater good". i think he reveled in the fact that the “good guy” was willing to allow a few innocent people to die for the greater good to stop the games, which is exactly what the entire VIP theory is to rid the world of 'trash' to improve the world. notice how gi-hun's moral code and belief also changed, from being "nobody should die" into "yeah small sacrifice is okay as long it's for the greater good" at this point, he just proved that front man's belief is actually valid. AND he gets more of his own people killed in the pointless battle with the soldiers that they had no chance of winning. now he gets to feel responsible for all those deaths and the death of his friend and for whatever additional torture they cook up in the next games (as punishment for the escape attempt).

now on hwang in-ho, i believe he was once a good man and the story he told gi-hun was the truth. but in the end he lost a kidney, lost a wife, a baby, lost his money, got fucked over by the wrong people and got into serious debt and had to play this game to help his wife and probably it was too late to save her. he might have played the games like gi-hun but saw how ruthless and greedy people are and resolved that they don't deserve help

i don’t think in-ho wants/will kill gi-hun, but he wants him to understand things from his perspective and show him that his compassion for the people in the games is foolish. you can tell the frontmen (the old man and in-ho) are extremely fond of gi hun. not only did he protect their original front man when nobody else did, he then won the games and thus their respect as he is now as rich as them. he's no longer "trash", he’s an elite like them. i think they both actually kept tabs on him after he won (i wonder if they do that for all winners? inserting them with gps chips?) because they knew he had not used his reward money and in-ho wanted gi-hun to get on the plane and be happy with his daughter

there’s one interesting aspect of the games that makes front man such a complex character. the fact that they’re operating a organ transplant trafficking network. in a way, he’s creating some good to come from a really fucked up situation. but is it really for the good of others who desperately need it, people like his wife, like his brother? or is it just a money making scheme?

either way, i don’t think there is going to be a redemption arc for in-ho, he’s too far gone. we may get to see more of his human side if he manages to see jun-ho again. the only time we’ve seen genuine emotions from him was when he shot his brother like he seemed distraught

the real cliffhanger for me, is will gi-hun stay true to his belief that people can be good, or will he be forever changed into a villain and become the next front man…? after the events of this season i don’t see how his will doesn’t shatter. he’s witnessed how humanity consistently chose money over survival, he’s lost two close friends, his mother, abandoned his daughter. he has gained nothing from wanting to stop the games and this clearly feels like an origin story for the next front man. it’s clear the front man has won this round and i think squid game will either die with 001 or continue with gi-hun as game master

another thing i find funny that i don’t see many mention is how gi-hun is like the luckiest guy in the fucking world. but i don’t think him being alive this long is plot armor, it makes sense. the games exist for the entertainment of rich sadists who have so much money they don't know what to do with it (remember what old 001 said in s1 about life being no fun for both people with no money and people with too much money). and i’d imagine killing hundreds of poor debt-ridden fools year after year gets boring. especially when said fools are desperate enough to gamble with their lives because they think they can beat the system by playing better than everyone else and surviving and getting the money.

gihun is different because he got the money, got out, and still came back. not because he's unfeeling or because he wants more money, but because he's still convinced he can beat the system.

if you're a rich bored gazillionaire, would you rather watch some randos die or would you rather watch this exceptional idiot fail again and again until he learns that his ideals are meaningless and people are inherently greedy and equality is a myth and people at the bottom of the barrel don't get to question the system?

if you're an asshole gazillionaire, you don't want someone to challenge you and just get away with it. you want to hand them 45.6 billion won and make them go away quietly, traumatized, after breaking them psychologically by making them do horrible things until they understand they're just powerless "horses". if they insist on challenging you and your system and your beliefs (money = boundless power), you teach them a lesson and show them their place in the most manipulative and cruel way possible. if gihun dies right away, that's boring. so he can't die, he needs to suffer. he needs to concede defeat.

also, i find it funny how people are comparing hwang inho and gihun dynamic to hannibal and will graham. makes sense, their whole cat and mouse game, front man hiding his true nature from gi-hun the same way hannibal does, trying to corrupt the righteous protagonist, sowing chaos, testing him and observing his behavior like a lab rat, the crazy tension and staring contests, the gaslighting and manipulation. and with the fact that they think lee byung-hun looks like mads mikkelsen. i never put the two of them together but now i can’t unsee it lol

[cvnt4him]

Do you think you can write something about Tenya Iida as a husband, where he comes home too tired after a mission and we as a reader decide to help him by giving him all the love and care he needs because this cute big baby deserves it. 🐝💕

(If possible, end it with soft NSFW, if it is not possible and it becomes uncomfortable, ignore the latter or alternatively the entire request)

Yes yes yes yes yes. I love this and I love tenya and I love you for requesting this. I hope it is to your standards and that tenya iida isn't ooc<333

It was a long shift for your husband. You instantly knew by the sound of his groan the second he walked through your front door, you were in the kitchen cooking, the smell of sweet food going through his nostrils. He sighs at the pleasant smell and wraps his arms around your waist.

You hum and sway your body with his. You turn around abandoning the food to hug your husband tightly. He sighs into your neck and holds you as closely as possible, you were his home, the one thing in this world that was worth fighting for. He loved you more than he did himself and wasn't afraid to show it.

Once he pulled away from the hug you looked up at your tall muscular man to see the slight bags under his eyes, the smile he put on his face was forced and half hearted. It didn't even meet his eyes. It broke your heart to see him this way, tired and stressed out. You wanted to make sure he knew that here with you was his safe haven. You were going to help him relax if it were the last thing you do.

Tenya kisses your forehead before exiting the kitchen, his boots thudding in the floor with each step of his heavy feet. You hum and put a tip over the food, turning it off to let it cook down. You follow him to see him shedding his hero suit, he scratched at the back of his neck and tried to massage his fingers into the tense muscle, a wince and a groan leaving his beautiful lips.

His back was well toned and very muscular, it looked so nice in the correct lighting, hell he looked nice regardless. You take in the sight for a little longer before walking towards your man unbeknownst. Your small hands trail up and down his back causing him to jump and shiver underneath your touch. You palms on his bare back as you rub and scratch at it. Tenya loved when he had little marks on his body because of you, he loved everything that involved you. He just loved you.

He hums and smiles genuinely, you kissed lightly up his back while still putting your hands all over his body. You put your hands on his shoulders and gently yet firmly tried to massage the muscle there. The tension built up in his back and shoulders was terrible, he groaned deeply at the painfully pleasured feeling. You had managed to get a tension kink out of his shoulders making him relax a bit, he was so thankful for that yet you weren't satisfied. He deserved to relax really well. You were going to make sure he felt nice and calm tonight.

A shaky breath left him, his eyes hadong closed underneath your warm touch. He hummed in content, perfectly fine with the way you were touching him. He was always so thankful for you. You never let him go a day without telling him how much you love him, same for him as well. It's like some sort of unspoken policy between the two of you. He adores you and is assured to tell you every day that he can.

"why don't you jump in the shower, love. I'm going to do a little something for you. A little surprise once you get out, perse."

He sighs and turns to kiss your forehead, you grab his glasses as he does so a chuckle leaving your husbands throat as he leaves and head toward the bathroom. The second you heard the shower sprite spray against the bathroom tiles you ran through everything you had to find every little candle you could.

You had lots of candles believe it or not, some time inside of your marriage you became rather infatuated with candles. It's not like you were a collector or anything but sometimes they were so pretty or smelled so nice. This little detail about you reminded him of his mother, he loved that about you. A little part of you is so alike his mother, it made him happy.

You had heavenly scented candles spread out across your room, safely of course. However you were sure tenya would reprimand you either way. The thought alone made you chuckle. You had some of tenyas lotion and body oil from the closet set so you could use it to massage into his muscles. You were no natural masooce or anything but you had seen the movies where they use these kinds of things.

Tenya took very good care of his skin and ushered you to do the same so there was no problem with finding a good body oil to do his skin justice.

You look around the room and sigh, you were pleased with what you've done. Just as you were about to pay yourself in the back the shower stopped, you hadn't even changed into anything nice! You quickly zoomed to the closet like you had tenya's quirk, and picked out something nice. Midnight blue lingerie, a color tenya always thought looked nice on you. It had a sheer robe that went along with it which you thought was a very nice detail!

Once tenya got out of the shower with a sigh, calling you to you, you surprise him by hopping into his point of view so he could see you. His eyes widened and he slowly took in the sight, looking you up and down nearly drooling. Tenya wasn't one to call you 'pretty' or 'cute'. Think more of 'gorgeous'. 'divine'. 'enchanting'. Things that would make you feel like royalty. He knew how to do that.

A little scoff left tenya's mouth, a small smirk appearing on his features as his eyes finally trailed back up to your beautiful face. The smile that was plastered on your adorable features were too entrancing to deny. He bit his lips opening his arms for a hug. You instantly ran into him giggling, he chuckled and held you close. You felt little water droplets still on his skin and bleed through your see through robe, you didn't mind though.

You were so short compared to him, the height difference always made you feel so tiny compared to him. You weren't that short, he was just insanely tall.

You basked in the feeling before being snapped out of your loving haze. Your thigh was right up against his bulge. Your smile grew wider at the feeling, his thick cock managing to make a print through the thick towel. It was taking over your mind completely.

Tenya looked at you closely, observing your state and the way you looked at him. except you weren't really looking at his face. Your eyes had trailed down to his waist and the towel that wrapped around it. A slight blush dusted his cheeks as a smirk had found itself on his lips.

"my love?" He questions, he knew exactly what you were looking at. He knew exactly and he couldn't wait to give you what he knew you needed.

"I did a little sum' sum' for ya!"

You exclaim excitedly snapping out of the daze his thick cock out you in..

He hums as you pull him out of the bathroom so he could see the room, how it was littered with candles that smelled so beautiful. He looked around to see the gorgeous setting you had set. It was perfect, he couldn't ask for anything more. You truly were the best thing that ever happened to him, you cook for him, clean, do laundry, make sure he's well and okay, you even help patch up new scars he comes home with. You were perfect.

The smirk that once took over his face was soon replaced by a look of fondness, love. He looked at it all before glancing down at you, his lovely eager wife. You had a smile on your face the entire time as you watched the way his face changed expressions so smoothly. You were bouncing up and down while giggling to yourself. You could tell he liked it, you just didn't know how much he loved it.

"this is.... Perfect, my love."

"i want to treat you right. You deserve it big boy, now lie down."

You say pointing to the bed with an evil glint in your eye, he hummed with squinted eyes he didn't trust you but wanted to see where this was going. He did as he was told and laid down in his stomach and chest. He rested his head in his hands while he sighed. Within an instant you followed and sat on his lower back, your weight making him with once more. He was so comfortable with it, your warmth being near his body and the thought of your cunt being so close yet so far away from him. He'd be patient however, he wanted to see how this would play out.

You grabbed a pair of gloves and slipped them on. You didn't want your hands to be extremely oily, the feeling was quite uncomfortable. You applied a shit ton of oil on your gloved hands and rubbed them together before gently putting your hands on your husband's back. The cold liquid and the rubbery feeling of the gloves made him shiver underneath you. You rubbed his back up and down before you went straight into the massage.

You dug deep into his muscles, trying hard to soothe them with the way you moved your fingers and hands with expertise. Tenya was surprised with how amazing this felt. You both had couples massages before and sure they were amazing but this was better, his wife trying hard to do her best and make him feel nice.

He was in heaven. Your movements and the way you pressed your hands into his muscles deeply was pleasuring. He groaned and tried to stifle his moans with his hands, but of course no matter what sounds he made you were happy.

A smile was pasted on your face as you continued your movements, he let out a loud groan as you managed to pop one of his muscles the loud popping sound made his body tense before relaxing again the both of you laughed as you hopped off of him and he rolled onto his back.

Tenya looked up to you with love in his eyes, you had managed to make him feel amazing and so relaxed. He couldn't believe someone as giving and loving as you were really, truly his.

He pulled you back onto him this time you straddled his lap, he gave a love filled smile before pulling you into a sweet kiss. You hummed into him pulling yourself closer by his shoulders, you leaned down onto him and held onto him tight. Tenya held the back of your neck attentively trying to hold you as close as possible.

One of his large hands went to hold onto your waist, the other still on your neck. The way his mouth moved against yours brought you peace, he was so gentle yet firm with his soft lips. He occasionally let out little breathy hums while he squeezed your hips. You held on tight and began slightly shifting your hips down into him, grinding against him while you try to stick your tongue in his mouth.

Tenya happily allows your tongue to enter his mouth, your tongues glided and danced together softly little breaths being let out while you two had this moment. Tenya let both of his hands grip onto your sides tightly, you jolt into him at the rough squeeze of his hands. His brows furrowed while he grinded your hips into him more, more breathy grunts flowing from him while you open mouth kissed each other.

He pulled away to put his forehead to yours, he sped up your movements while he shut his eyes. Tenyas cock was right up against your warmth and the friction he was getting was delightful, the rough towel chafing against the tip of his sensitive cock head while you grinded down onto it creating a pleasant pool of warmth where he needed it most.

His mouth fell agape and breathy moans started to leave his mouth, he sucked in through his teeth before biting his lip, he wasn't one to really moan unless he was really sensitive, you knee how much he needed this.

"I've got you baby.. I love you s’much."

You whispered to him, your foreheads still being pressed together. Sweat started to trickle at his while he let out quite a whimper-y moan that was muffled well due to him biting his lip as he came against the towel unbeknownst to you, you kept grinding down in him thinking he was close. Little did you know he'd already came.

He winced at the sensitivity that came from the friction of you still grinding down into him after he came, a whine left his lips before he harshly gave your hips a squeeze signaling for you to stop. Your eyes widened as you pulled away from him, rubbing his shoulders with your thumbs soothingly to assure he was alright.

Tenya sighed heavily, sucking in shakily before exhaling just as. You hum and move one of your hands up to his cheek and rub it, his head finds itself leaning towards the soft feeling of your hand, your skin against his. This little intimate moment helped his realize he craved it. Tenya craved to have his skin touching yours, so close you could practically melt together. It was an odd thought but it alone had tenya shivering and his cock rising again.

Tenya picked you up by your waist holding onto you tightly as he flipped the two of you, he was now on top of you peering down at you with those beautiful ocean eyes. His kids were slightly squinty due to him not wearing his glasses, he was used to not wearing them and honestly at some points didn't even need them, but he wanted to assure he could see you in this dark candle lit luminescent room. The same room you two laid in together, where you two made love countlessly, he'd bury himself so deep inside of you while you held onto him tightly begging for more. That was exactly what he wanted tonight.

You give him a warm smile with welcoming eyes as you opened your legs for him, he smiled back down at you before removing your shorts and lining himself up with your already wet hole. He teased your cunt by running his cock head through your folds, up and down your slit slowly, the agonizingly slow pace making his already sensitive cock twitch and jump against your clit the rubbing made you shiver. You slap his shoulder making him laugh before he leaned down to plant a soft kiss atop of your head, he then put your foreheads together once more and pushed himself into you.

You both moan in union, his ending with a sharp grunt that he choked on. You pulled him closer to you, your face burying itself into his neck while you squeezed your eyes shut. He was still pushing himself inside while he winced lowly, the stretch was always so good making you feel nice and full while giving you a moment to adjust. No matter how many times you take him you just can't seem to shake that intense stretch he gives you. A divine at that.

Tenya assures you're alright before he begins to move, the deeper he pushed the more you gushed around his cock slickening his length with your seeping arousal. your walls hugged him tightly as if they never wanted to let him go, you did the same as you held him close to you, your sweaty skins touching and rubbing together while his hips slowly shifts up into yours.

You let out a moan that goes straight to his cock, making him moan as you tighten around him when you feel it twitch. Tenya knows a lot about traditionally feminine bodies, he studied them in college for the fun of it. He knows that once the vagina is being penetrated it makes more room for the length it takes, having it bury the cock deeper into its fluttering path. Once he felt his cock sink deeper inside of you making you gasp sharply, nearly choking on the air, he knew you were bound to cum soon.

"ngh~ tenya.. fuck yes!— give me more please.. I'm so close, baby..."

You began getting rather chatty once you got closer to your impending orgasm. He knew this and was ready for it,vhe held you closer and started thrusting deeper into you a rather lewd sound had erupted from the sheer force of his hips slamming inti yours the slapping of skin against skin bouncing off your four walks and falling back into your ears, his mind was being taken over by your sweet sweet moans and the dirtyness if the plapping.

"fuck fuck fuck...."

He let out a chant of curses, they were laced with such need in his voice a whine could be heard at the end of his sentence. He squeezed his eyes shut tears brimming at the corners, he groaned deeply before speeding up again. Tenya's movements were fast yet tender, he wanted rough with you unless you asked him to be. He knew that you only wanted him to feel good in this moment but he wanted to assure to you and to himself that you gained at least some form of pleasure from this experience. He only wants the best for his darling.

Your eyes rolled back and a small smile fell onto your lips, your nails dug themselves into tenya's skin scratch marks formed deeply into his skin causing blood to rush to the surface of his skin painting his back red, his skin was flushed not just from the heat and intensity of this moment but also because of your scratches.

His hips stuttered into yours as he almost came from the pain and pleasure of your nails digging into his back, you felt his muscles tense underneath your touch and rubbed the stingy scars that now littered his back. Your touch was beginning to be too much for him, he had already fucked you some kind of dumb. Making the sweetest love to you in such a loving way, you'd came like twice already, going unnoticed to him because he was too busy trying to make sure that you came.

He tried so hard to hold out but he couldn't help his hot cum spilling out of his tip. It squirted out in long spurts reaching deep inside of you leaving calm and feeling good. You closed your eyes and just laid there trying to regain your composure. Tenya caught his breath and pulled out of you, grabbed the towel and gently cleaning up what dripped out of you.

He loved to watch his cum deep from your fluttering hole, it always made him feel some type of way. However as of right now he just wanted to hold you close and thank you for being his, and that's exactly what he did, he closed your legs to try and keep whatever little was inside of you inside bedside getting up and grabbing a pair of boxers, blowing out all of the candles then sliding back into bed next to you, his designated spot waiting for him.

Tenya scooted as close to you as possible, pulling you closer to him your face fell against his large chest and his muscular arms wrapped themselves around your body. A smile went to your face which triggered his own. He loved you so much. The fact you went through all of this trouble just for him made him feel so special and loved.

AN: this was written like weeks ago n I just finished I'm kind of exaggerating but wtv I haven't written in a while so I enjoyed making this! I've been in a bit of trouble with my family. Things haven't been good and I've been doing lots of things to try n comfort myself but nothing else is working. Everything feels like a chore. Even writing felt like a chore but finishing this and thinking about how much tenya loves his s/o js makes me so so happy

I've been going fucking feral for shoto bro he js does something to me, he's so sweet I just know he can fix me

[i-yap]

MY FAVORITE IS DICK GRAYSON FORVER WILL BE DICK GRAYSON AND HERE IS WHY

DICK GRAYSON X Y/N ( FRUSTRATED ME EDITION)

- first of all , he is the hottest character in dc (literally the comics have written this line by line)

- he is the real one with communication issues. You think jason struggles with that? NO jason uses any chance to tell me people how much he suffered. But dick? He wears a smile, he hides everything he is feeling

- the only person who gets to see the real him is YOU. The stress, the pressure, the mommy daddy issues...cmon. and bruce prolly was the worst at raising grayson and learned from his mistakes for the rest

- dick is someone who tries to be happy. Who tries to have a normal life. Who tries not to let his issues affect him . But they do which is why he has so many fucked up relationships. But when he meets you he wants to keep you, he needs to keep you with him. So he tries yet again to open up, fix his issues, love you the way you truly deserve.

- AND let us all not pretend we are all not stressed asf in life. He is so joyful and bright and will almost never dull the mood. Car karaoke ? Done. Skinny dipping in some random lake you drive by? His suggestion. Amusement parks? He is excitedly pulling you to all the rides and WILL 100% WIN YOU THE BIGGEST TEDDY

- he is deep, he js in touch with his feelings and he knows how to take care of you. Idk abt u guys but I have issues . I want a man who gives you those words of affirmation, who makes it super obvious he likes you.

- he needs you just as much as jason or tim or damian do. He also never had genuine love, he also has been a soldier a leader the person responsible all his life. He needs yo hold you, he needs that peace and quiet away from everything he has to deal with . He wants someone he can come home to and just show how drained he is .

- he is so kind to the world but he WILL BURN IT FOR YOU . I refuse to believe any other opinion on this. No matter how big a hero this guy is...remember how he killed joker for jason? Someone he said he hated? Broke the no kill rule?? Yea imagine what he will do for you.

- and how dare u suggest he isn't jealous/ possessive. He gets so cranky..not insecure and u don't have to coddle him and avoid all other men ...but u do have to give him extra kisses

-HE IS THE REAL GREEN FLAG fuck the whole " a hero will sacrifice you for the world but a villain will burn the world for you" NOT HIM NO HE WILL KILL EVERYONE OKAY cuz how date anyone suggest taking you away from him after everything he has done for the world. You are his reward and you better remember that.

- slow waltzing in the kitchen while he sings you his favorite love song, giggling in a pretty cafe while sharing a piece of cake( he is feeding you the whole thing and will kiss you when u Ask why he isn't eating any himself) , getting tipsy and walking back home all sweet and drunk and in love. He is adventurous and wants to experience everything With you.

- best part, everyone around u will love him. I'm sorry but I like it when my bf is liked by the old ladies and my parents and my boss. He will make you the power couple, even if you aren't as "powerful". He is your biggest loudest supporter always. Always introducing you to ppl as if you cured world hunger , telling everyone just how smart and kind you are taking any opportunity to talk about You. And dancing with him at galas makes you feel like a princess

- he will get the best gifts, say the sweetest things, be the most supportive kind eyes only for you guy once he genuinely falls in love.

I love jason a lot too, and tim and bruce too. Like yes I daydream about all of them But I just hate how underrated my boy here is.

[toournextadventure]

a novel life pt.2

Summary: You're trying to make nice with Sam's little sister, for everyone's sake. Maybe it leads to an interrogation. Maybe it leads to more. And maybe you end up sucked into the unusual events that follow Legacies

Word Count: 4.3k Warnings: swearing, distrust, mentions of past trauma, mentions of blood, mentions of Scream typical violence Pairing: Samantha Carpenter x GN!Reader A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Yule, and whatever holidays y'all all celebrate 🫶 (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5)

“Are you sure this is okay?” You asked as you nearly tripped over your feet.

Sam gave you a look that was both sweet and condescending. “Yes, because I said so.”

“That doesn’t seem like solid reasoning,” you mumbled, but nonetheless continued following her up the steps to her apartment.

It was nearing Halloween, with the cooling air finally allowing for the use of jackets. Which you had few of, since Sam had decided to keep them for herself. Not that there was anyone to blame but yourself; it was what you deserved for offering her jackets every time she forgot one. She had simply decided it was rather nice to have an unlimited selection of jackets, both too-large and just right.

In all her wisdom, Sam had suggested the two of you, and Tara and her partner have a movie night. Tara got to choose the movie, and no one could object. All in all it should have been a win for the younger Carpenter; she could make you suffer if she truly wanted, and you couldn’t say a word about it. Which was going to cause the night to be very, very long.

Oh, the things you would do for her.

“Is she going to pick something scary?” You asked before you both approached the door. “Because I don’t like scary.”

“I have no doubt it will be scary,” Sam said with a barely-concealed smile. “I’ll hold your hand to keep you safe.”

“You’re my hero,” you said as you leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to her lips. She tasted strongly of the cigarette she had smoked on the way from your apartment to hers.

You tried to pull away, but she quickly followed, keeping her lips pressed against yours. Every sense was enveloped by her. Her smell, her taste, the feel of her body pressed against yours so tightly it was as if you would float away without her. There was nothing you could have ever wanted more than your Sam.

“We shouldn’t give Tara something to be upset about,” you mumbled against Sam’s lips when she finally pulled back just the slightest distance.

“Tara’s always upset,” she answered before sighing, “but you’re right.”

“Baby steps,” you said with a smile.

“For the big baby.”

“Samantha.”

“I’m kidding,” she tried to argue as she grabbed your hand and started finally moving into the apartment.

You both knew she wasn’t kidding.

“My dude!”

You had barely walked through the door when Tara’s partner called out to you, a genuine, toothy grin visible on their face. They had asked you to call them J, which you had happily agreed to. Sam teased that it was short for Joker - you assumed because of the scars - but the look on Tara’s face told you not to ever bring it up. Ever.

It was a rule you could oblige by.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” you said as you hung your coat on the back of one of the chairs at the dining table. It had only taken you dropping your coat once before you realised the Carpenters saw no need for a coat rack.

How utterly uncivilised.

“They think it’s a pleasure to see me,” J said to Tara, who rolled her eyes almost instantly. 

You would never say it aloud, but you noticed the small smile she sent their way. So, she wasn’t as heartless as she wanted you to believe. Exactly like her older sister. It would be simple enough to chalk it down to their past experiences with the world; it had taught them nothing but hardness. But maybe they both just needed a safe space to let those walls come down.

“What did you choose?” Sam asked. She very quickly made her way to the couch opposite Tara and J.

“Depends,” they said.

“On?” Sam asked.

J turned to look at you and held something up to their mouth. “What’s your favourite scary movie?” The voice came out almost robotic, sounding similar to… something you possibly recognised? Vaguely?

“That’s not funny,” Sam said quickly.

“Lighten up, Sam,” Tara said even though she pushed J’s hand - and the voice changer - into their lap. “We’re watching Hellraiser.”

“Thought you didn’t like that one,” Sam said. She reached over and grabbed your hand the moment you sat down beside her on the couch.

Tara’s eyes darted to where your hands were joined and lingered. “I don’t.” She looked back up at you with a hard gaze. “I picked it out just for you.”

“Oh,” you said, perking up instantly. “Thank you.”

You turned to look at Sam with a stupid smile on your face, missing the look J sent Tara. Well, this was turning into a lovely evening! Tara had picked out a movie just for you! Surely that was progress to the finest degree, was it not? If all it took was watching a movie with them every month, you were more than happy to do so. This was turning out to be a rather lovely evening.

At least you thought so until the movie started and you realised just exactly why Tara had picked the movie out just for you.

It was… well, it was a movie. Filled with hooks and needles and… blood. Oh gosh, so much blood. There was a singular blessing amongst it all; you hadn’t eaten before coming over. Thankfully the popcorn sat untouched between you and Sam as your stomach twisted and turned and tried its best to embarrass you.

Sam squeezed your hand as you did your best to keep your cool. Not that it was such an easy thing with all the… you couldn’t even think the word without feeling queasy. Surely there was no way they all enjoyed this kind of thing, right? It was grotesque! The creatures on the screen, the inhumanity of it all, how was it an enjoyable movie?

The room started to shrink around you. Oh, that wasn’t good, you didn’t want to feel claustrophobic, you were trying to be tough. You couldn’t let anyone know that you had an, um, aversion to blood. What would they say? They were all horror fans, how could you ever possibly mention that you just… didn’t enjoy it? Quite frankly, it made you sick to your stomach, like all those science experiments you had to do back in grade school.

The credits couldn’t have rolled a moment too soon. If anyone were to ask you what you thought, you wouldn’t have been able to answer. The only thing you were aware of was your heart beating loudly in your ear and the saliva that continued to fill your mouth. Maybe it would actually be better if you didn’t try to answer anyone for a few more moments.

“So, Professor,” Tara asked all too soon. “What did you think?”

“I-”

-You cut yourself short. There was a part, a rather significant part of your mind that said you should lie. Tell Tara it was a wonderful movie, and you would love to see more if it existed. But lying had never gotten you anywhere in the past, had it? It certainly wasn’t going to assist you in winning over Tara, not when she was already sceptical of you. How was a lie going to assist you?

It wasn’t. 

“It’s not my cup of tea,” you finally said before swallowing the remaining saliva in your mouth. “I don’t really enjoy scary movies.” You nodded to yourself. “Or blood.”

“Oh my god,” Tara huffed, “why can’t you just lose your shit about something?”

“Tara,” Sam warned.

“No, this is ridiculous,” she continued as she stood up from the couch, ignoring J reaching for her hand. “Why can’t you lose your shit?” She pointed at you. “Nobody is this level-headed about everything.”

“That’s enough,” Sam said as she followed suit, standing up from the couch. Similarly, you reached out for her hand but she moved just far enough away.

“Get out,” Tara said before promptly looking Sam dead in the eyes.

“Excuse me?” Sam asked.

“Get out,” she repeated.

“Hey, T-”

“-You too,” Tara interrupted J, who froze with a comically shocked expression on their face. “Both of you get out so I can talk to them-” she pointed at you “-alone.”

“Absolutely not-”

“-Sounds reasonable,” you interrupted Sam. She looked at you like you had grown a second head. “I would love to talk.”

“Come on, Baby Ghost,” J said as they stood up. You were starting to feel left out by being the only one still sitting. “I’ll buy you a new pack of cigs.”

Sam looked like she wanted to argue, but both you and Tara gave her a look. Differing looks, of course, but still. While Tara seemed to get her a death stare that was almost permanently etched onto her face, you tried to go the more convincing route. If Tara wanted to talk, who were you to tell her no? Talking was key, that’s what your family had always done and it had never ended poorly.

“Fine,” Sam finally said. She seemed resigned. “But you have 15 minutes and that’s it.”

“Deal,” Tara said. “Now get out.”

You stayed as still as a statue when Sam leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips. A little more forceful than usual, but you wouldn’t complain. Any kiss from her was perfect. A sigh came from behind her, and you both knew who it was from, but she took her time before pulling away and standing back up.

“Don’t let her bully you,” she said.

“Sam,” Tara said forcefully. “Get out.”

“Fine,” Sam said, throwing her hands up. “But I mean it,” she said as she and J walked to the door together. “15 minutes.”

You and Tara both watched your partners leave the apartment, practically abandoning you to the force of nature that was the youngest Carpenter sister. It shamed you to admit you were a little afraid of her. You knew there was something going on deep down that she either wouldn’t or couldn’t accept, and you wouldn’t dare fault her for it. But she let her internal frustrations out in a very external way.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tara asked the moment the door shut behind the two. You stayed silent. “You don’t yell, you don’t scream, you don’t even freak out when I put on a movie I knew you would hate.”

You waited a moment to make sure she was finished. “I was raised by two very… pacifistic parents,” you said, gesturing for her to sit on the couch opposite you. “We talked through our issues, we didn’t yell about them.”

Tara opened her mouth as if she was about to argue, or complain, or something. Slowly, her mouth closed and she pursed her lips. She kept looking at you, but slowly took a seat opposite you. There was something going on behind her eyes, you could see it, but you knew better than to question her just yet. Just like your mom had taught you; let them lead the conversation.

“I don’t trust you,” she said slowly. Her eyes stayed locked with yours. “You’re too understanding and too kind.” You stayed silent. “Sam only ever falls for freaks.”

“Didn’t she date an FBI agent?” You asked. You could vaguely remember what Sam had said about her, but she had seemed nice enough.

“Kirby is cool, I’ve always liked her,” Tara said with a dismissive shake of her head. “But she was attacked by Ghostface twice,” she said, “so she’s a freak by proxy.” She looked back at you. “So what’s your deal?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know,” you said, “ask your questions and maybe you can find out.”

It had initially been your idea, but before Tara could even open her mouth you started to second guess yourself. Perhaps allowing her to ask whatever questions she wanted without any repercussions was… not the smartest idea on your part. You had nothing to hide, but what if she really started to ask unusual questions? What if your answers weren’t what she wanted to hear?

But when you thought of Sam, and being with her, you felt that, without question, it was worth the gamble.

“Have you ever used a knife?” Tara asked quickly. It seemed she wasn’t going to wait.

“Not outside of cooking,” you answered just as quickly.

“How about a gun?” So, it would be a rapid fire interrogation. Game on.

“Never.”

“Ever hurt anybody before?” A tilt of her head.

“Not on purpose.”

“What about animals?”

“No.”

“Not even in science class?”

“I-” you attempted to clear your throat to buy a bit of time “-I fell ill that day.”

Tara paused and narrowed her eyes. “Because of blood.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” you said anyway. “It makes me sick to my stomach.”

“You’re pretty pathetic,” Tara said as she leaned back on the couch. For the first time in… well, ever, you thought you almost saw her smile at you. “That’s exactly Sam’s type.”

“I thought you said it was freaks,” you pointed out.

“Pathetic freaks,” she corrected quickly. That quirk near the corner of her mouth rapidly disappeared. “Why did you choose Sam?”

You paused. It was uncertain what exactly Sam had told Tara about you both meeting. Surely she wouldn’t have overdramatised it, but had she told her the truth? The truth was… well, it was pathetic as well, but you weren’t entirely convinced Tara would approve. Not that it was entirely her place, but the two were the only family each other had. They both had a right to be cautious of anyone new coming into their lives.

But perhaps you could answer the question a little differently.

“She’s kind,” you said with a subconscious nod of your head. “And bold, and intelligent - god she’s intelligent - and brave.” You averted Tara’s eyes. “And she’s really pretty too.”

Tara nodded once. “What are your intentions with her?”

Another question that you believed was potentially a trick. You couldn’t very well say you loved Sam just yet; you hadn’t even told Sam that little piece of information. But there were other intentions with her even if you didn’t necessarily use the word “love.” There were other things that were just as important.

“I don’t want to sound overly self-important,” you started off, looking back up to meet Tara’s eyes. “But I would very much like to be the one by Sam’s side as she continues on this path she’s created for herself.”

Tara looked at you; really looked at you. She was so very difficult for you to read. Unlike Sam, Tara did a better job at hiding her emotions. While Sam would give it away with her facial expressions, Tara did not. No, her feelings came out differently, whether in the slight twitch of her fingers or the impatient tapping of her foot on the rug. You hadn’t been around her long enough to know what exactly those feelings were, you simply acknowledged they were feelings.

“I’ll give you a chance,” Tara finally said, her voice far softer than you had ever heard. At least when it was directed at you. “But if you do anything to hurt her, or upset her, or lie to her, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” You gulped. “I’m not afraid to kill again.”

“I forgot you’ve both killed someone before,” you mumbled to yourself before speaking up louder. “Those are acceptable terms.”

“Good,” she said with a single nod of her head. “But don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you.”

You could both hear the other two finally approaching the door, bickering in a way that mimicked biological siblings.

“I would expect nothing less,” you told Tara as the door opened and the moment ended.

—---

The rest of the semester went by without incident. Tara had stayed true to her word and gave you a fair chance to prove that you could be trusted with her sister’s heart, and it wasn’t something you had taken lightly. You knew how important the both of them were to each other, and you had done your best to prove that not only did you care for Sam, but you cared for Tara too.

She had finally eased up during classes, allowing you to properly teach without an ounce of disdain for you personally. In fact, she had even dared to come to office hours on more than one occasion to discuss certain pieces you had offered as optional readings. The Carpenters were immensely intelligent, no matter what the subject matter was.

You and Sam had fallen into a rather comfortable routine, always going for a date night on Thursdays to whatever new place your colleagues had recommended, and movies with Tara and J on Saturdays. You would spend the night at her place Thursday through Monday morning, and she would stay at yours Monday through Thursday morning. It was comfortable, and you were more than content.

But with school finally over for the semester, you could focus on the real gem; Christmas.

Both Carpenters - and J, for that matter - had been nonchalant with their decorations. A minimal Charlie Brown tree that had, at most, four ornaments on it. It was awfully quaint, and if they hadn’t been so blase about it you would have been content to leave it standing. Nevertheless, they had made it clear they didn’t care if there were any decorations, and you had taken that as a cry for help.

Your own apartment had, of course, been decorated since the day after Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful gift from your mother, learning how to decorate for the holidays, and you weren’t keen on squandering the skills and letting them fall off the wagon, so to speak. Sam had made a few comments, though you hadn’t taken her for a non-believer.

“It’s okay, really,” Sam tried to say when you and J finished bringing in what had to have been the seventh box of decorations from your apartment.

“Oh no, I insist,” you said with a smile. “Besides, my mother would be downright dismayed if she knew the decorations were sitting in my apartment unused.”

“Great,” Tara mumbled as she walked by without even offering to help, “we get to live at the North Pole.”

“Isn’t it exciting?” You said with a smile. “These are more neutral, so you shouldn’t feel too out of place, but they still embody the holiday spirit.”

“Well I think it’ll be fun,” J said with their own smile. “Do I get to hang the ornaments?”

“Why-”

“-the ornaments won’t be the only thing hanging this Christmas,” Tara said, tossing a mini marshmallow into the air and catching it in her mouth. “Especially with those blinding lights.”

You looked down at the ones in your hand and frowned. “I thought they were rather tame.”

“And they’re lovely,” Sam tried to cover, even though you could see the fake smile she had on her face. “You’re doing great,” she continued as she left a simple kiss on your cheek.

The decorating ended up being a one person job, you quickly realised when you discovered J could not, for the life of them, listen to instructions. More than once, the lights had been blown and you had to find the faulty one to fix it. Normally you would chalk it down to bad luck, but when it was only the ones that they were installing? You became a little suspicious.

At least they were all eager to help with the snacks and desserts, and that was something you could live with. Surprisingly, Tara was the one who had the most ideas. You knew you weren’t the best cook; you could follow instructions but that didn’t necessarily mean they would turn out nice. But with Tara at the helm? They were almost as good as your mother’s! Though obviously you would never dare to tell her that.

You also rather quickly discovered that they were not gift giving people. Understandable, you supposed, they had much more important things to worry about in life. It was still unacceptable. The moment you had found out, you had called your parents and told them the tragic news.

Gifts for all three of them - plus a gift each for Mindy, Chad, and Anika - had been delivered to your house within the week. Express shipping to be certain they would arrive before Christmas.

Which led to yet another tragedy; they had no stockings.

“It’s really not worth buying,” Sam attempted to persuade you over the phone on one of the rare nights you two weren’t spending together. “Just stay home tonight.”

“It’s no trouble, Sam,” you argued. “I’m heading out for a bit anyway.”

You didn’t admit you were already at the store, trying to decide which one would fit each person best.

“Just stay safe,” she said. You could hear car horns in the background but thought nothing of it. “I mean it.”

“I’ll be safe,” you insisted, “I always am.”

“Call me when you’re back home,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” you said with a smile that she couldn’t see.

She hung up first, and you continued your search without any second thoughts. In the end, you had decided on a Santa stocking for J, a reindeer for Tara, and a snowman for Sam. They would look lovely hanging underneath the mounted television in their living room. But with the stockings, you needed things to fill them with.

Santa’s work was never finished.

It was dark by the time you finished buying everything you believed you needed. Stockings, fillers, and some snacks to make for a lovely evening. That should surely be enough to give the three of them a very merry Christmas, would it not? Your mother had already sent their Santa presents, and their other presents were underneath the tree, so as far as you were aware of at the moment, everything was taken care of.

You were still going over your mental checklist when you heard a commotion down one of the alleys on the way home. Every cell in your body told you not to bother looking; people got desperate around the holidays and it would do you no good to go poking your head where it didn’t belong. But if someone was getting hurt, then you needed to attempt to help.

Or at least make enough of a scene that someone else would come help.

“Excuse me?” You called out foolishly as you started down the dark alleyway. “Is everyone alright out there?”

You pulled your coat tighter around you as you continued walking. It hadn’t been raining or snowing recently, and yet something started to soak through your shoes and socks. The shocking cold that normally came from liquids in December wasn’t present; it was warm.

There was another noise. It almost sounded like something solid, but it was overshadowed by something metallic. You did your best to see something in the dark, even as your body continued to tell you to move along. But something didn’t feel right; you were feeling queasy again.

Something hissed in front of you, but it wasn’t a snake. No, you knew what those sounded like and this wasn’t even close. This sounded much more human, though that sound would only ever really happen in dire circumstances like if-

-a large white mask faced you. It was the only thing you could see in the dark, thanks to the lights behind you causing just enough radiance to make the mask almost seem luminescent. You weren’t a movie buff, especially not scary movies, but you weren’t stupid. Everyone knew what that mask was.

Ghostface.

All those cells that had been telling you to run? They were silent. Frozen in fear, just like your mind. The killer wasn’t moving toward you, simply facing you, almost as if it was the very reason you were stationary. Which, it was, but not in the typical way that most would be privy to. You felt like a deer in headlights, and if you moved then you died.

You supposed that was how all the movies went.

“Aren’t you going to run?” Ghostface asked, in that same voicebox that J had had during the movie night.

You swallowed the saliva filling your mouth. “No,” you said in a trembling voice.

“Why not?” He continued. “I like when they run.”

“I’m not very fast,” you said. “You’ll catch me before I get to the street.”

He still didn’t move, and your eyes finally adjusted enough to see the silhouette of a body slumped at his feet. Your throat constricted at the sight; you were going to be sick. The very image started to worm its way into your brain; there was a very simple explanation for what was still soaking through your socks. It wasn’t snow.

“You should get home, Professor,” Ghostface said.

You nodded, even though you weren’t sure if he could see you. “Yes I should.”

“Stay on the sidewalk next time,” he said.

“I- I believe that’s sound advice,” you said with more frantic nods of your head. Your palms were starting to get clammy.

Ghostface lifted up a hand - holding a knife - and waved. “Good night, Professor.”

“Good night,” you said with your own shaky wave.

You walked backwards out of the alley, keeping an eye on the figure until it was completely out of sight. Your feet were frozen on the ground once you were under a street light. There were no more sounds coming from the alley, not even the sound of someone leaving. Wherever Ghostface had gone, he hadn’t followed you.

In an incredibly brave moment, you leaned over and vomited directly into a storm grate before going back home. You called Sam the moment you got back into your apartment.

You couldn’t find the courage to inform her of the night’s mystery encounter.

[iamluzgar]

Okay I have thoughts on Veilguard and why I liked Rook and the whole positivity thing. Hear me out.

Spoilers:

One of the main topics of Veilguard (it has many imo) is the question of leadership (which is connected to the question of identity too). It's a question that is asked through Solas at the beginning as to why Rook should be given information regarding the gods.

None of the reasons are "because I'm special". None of them are "because I killed an Arishok" nor "killed an archdemon" nor "because I was blessed by whatever god you want". The purpose of Rook is that they're a rando, so far away from what heroes look like in Thedas. The only stuff you can answer to Solas is "I'm good against odds" or "there was nobody else to do it" and a third one I haven't picked yet that's probably as underwhelming.

Rook did one good deed Varric saw and was like "uh unpredictable and defending people, neat". Solas has been dealing with politicians/politics/big names all of his life, they are assertive people, leaders in the sense of leading faceless soldiers to war for a cause. Rook is none of that, they're the antithesis of this actually and that's the whole point of Varric choosing them.

What IS a good leader actually? The purpose of Rook as a character was to grow and make players wonder. If we look at how "Varric" treats them during the game, and the options, it becomes kinda obvious that Rook is meant to be unsure/not feeling like they deserve to be there/not in their right place. I saw many criticisms about the game for that, but it is MEANT to be like that. We see other leaders, through Solas, Elgarn'nan, etc etc... Every time we see what they do, what they think regarding their faction, how they treat their people. The whole game explores what the fuck is a leader.

I think Veilguard wanted us players to wonder, if we got into Veilguard tomorrow recruited by Varric etc, who would we be as a leader? I think anyone, and even people with leadership positions IRL, would feel awkward and unsure once in a setting to fight gods, having the weight of the whole world on their shoulders. We weren't meant to play "any" character like we used to in other DA (and even then I'd argue Hawke is always kinda the same dude too but I digress), we were meant to play Rook: the rando who got there by Varric and who is unsure about leadership because wtf is happening. This is an honest characterization, what would genuinely and obviously happen. We'd feel inadequate and useless. But the game doesn't tell you "ah you're shitty for feeling inadequate and useless because you have none of what makes a great war leader", it tells you "okay, you have nothing giving you an advantage against your enemies... You're average. What's the best you can do with what you have?"

How would you deal with the rest of the story, with all the understandable vulnerabilities and insecurities you have? Rook dealt with it by supporting the people they thought were better/adequate/fit the hero box they didn't. Because they do, all of them have something narratively special about them. Rook supported them so they realized themselves as heroes, so that they didn't die in the final fight. Which... All comes back to the positivity thing. I know I would do my pep talk to my team, because that's probably the only thing I'd think I'd be good at, and I know they would certainly need it considering the weight on our shoulders. It is what I do in my daily life in the face of struggles.

Rook is meant to be that. They're meant to be the supportive leader, because they have an absolutely disastrous view of themselves and, as a character, fit none of the boxes meant for Heroes. But in dealing with the hands they had, they made heroes out of special people. And those heroes saved the world. And Heroes could include Solas depending on your ending imo.

Veilguard tells you that's the kind of leader you can be, even if you don't think you're adequate in your life, even if you have vulnerabilities, even if you're facing enemies who have a tremendous advantage over you. You, as an individual, can support the special people around you so that they realize themselves and become heroes, even if you're average yourself.

NGL I can't wait to be in 2034 when people realize Veilguard is actually a great game.

[layraket]

THERE WAS AN UPDATE SLEEPING? WHATS THAT??

first of all we start with this beautiful shot

god thats some cool architecture i have no words clapping

Wind is so ready to kick that lizard's ass i love him

this confirms the fact that theyre in the same place but in a different era (also i swear im convinced that this place takes place at least no far from Hyrule's era, the statue behind Legend and the corridors inside are almost the same as in Zelda1 and 2)

that was the worst joke i have heard today good job rulie lots of kudos /lh

the boys entering a place where they could find the most dangerous shit in all Hyrule, and then there's my girl who is having the best lunch ever

when i first read this i almost spit all my water on my phone cuz. Wars my man these people are like. crazy with dungeon crawl. you can't say that and expect a normal reaction.

their expressions are gold no notes

TIME'S SIDE EYE LMAO

Sky looking concerned, and Wars with the most "i dont know what is everyones problem but alright" face i love him

In a war there's no time to explore or search for things that can be useful, or even search for clues, less with the fact that youre leading an army. There was no puzzle, no mistery to solve or objects that needed to be obtained, just plain fight and confrontation, not leaving space for investigation or even a good rest in town

They have a point, without exploring they wouldn't have the arsenal that they carry; powerful items that can kill a whole army of monsters, a gift left by the hero before them to help, shinies. All that is really useful when you want to save the whole kingdom

lets not forget all the weapons that you can get on HW, there are some that are like, crazy powerful, and the materials get from the enemies are also really helpful

guys i think youre the only crazy people who love to enter a random place full of monsters and maybe a demon lord or smth

OK THIS IS THE PANNEL WHERE I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE ABT

This reminds me of this short comic where Wild was almost grabbed by a wallmaster, do this takes place some time before this scene?? or just from another time?? I find possible the first option cuz Wild looks more wary the whole update, like if he already found out what will happends if he puts his guard down

Also the fact that the closest thing that he had as a dungeon were the Divine Beast and the shrines, which both of them lacked a lot of things that were usually in the clasic zelda's dungeons, like keys, mini bosses, special object and pots.

Hyrule my guy you dont. have to scare him like that. i hate these things too but calm down.

fucking gremlin /pos

taking this as an opportunity to talk about how Legend's behaviour has been seen changed in the past updates, he's more relaxed and playful, taking a moment to just have fun and prank the rest of the chain

this reminds me

here is left clear that he's still young, maybe not even on his twenties, and now after that stressfull time with Twi being on the verge of death it makes sense that he feels the need of just, goof around to cope after all that

Yes he's the most experienced, yes is maybe the most powerful of them, but he's still a young boy who was dragged to all this, he deserves to have some fun

happy guy :)

and then we have Time, he looks like Not Having A Good Time™

Messy hair Warriors <3

also i know we all put Sky as one of the adults, but cmon he's a little shit as much as the rest, thats why he finds funny Legend's joke

Wild my man you good? like im genuinely asking at this point, it is weird seeing him so serious

god thats such a cool design of a skulltula, its so scary 10/10

Wild has never seen in his life a spider of this size, so it makes sense him just, straight up getting surprised by that thing

OUGHH I FELT THAT

Sky being right-handed looks like a problem in this closed space, soon or later it would make some troubles

Legend no offence but did you see the little accident they had right there. like. that really hurts if you ask me.

Okay Time is really at his limit here, the past days has been hell for him with the stress of almost loosing the one that he might see as his son, and seeing all the boys just playing around is not helping. Theyre all heroes, they should take this danger seriously if they want to stop all danger.

He wants to protect the ones that he cares for, even if he has to snap for it.

Here he might be planning to team up with Twi and Wind? The youngest seems to have gained his attention as his second successor. He will make anything it takes to not let all of them get hurt, and with everything he means it

Just wait when he learns that Legend is also his successor, automatically adopted

NOW MY FAV PARTS WITHOUT COMMENTARY!!!

SOMEHOW I GOT THE IMAGE LIMIT???? I DIDNT THOUGHT THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE ON WEB

anyways have confused warriors as the last one pls aprecciate him

tumblr pls let me eat the art i beg you

art credits as always towards @linkeduniverse! always feeling blessed with all this fantastic work!

[sillylittlecharacters]

Isabeau, Siffrin and Mirabelle are very fun to consider in relation to each other because they're all characters who have - for different reasons and to different extents - crafted their identity for the benefit of others.

Warning: Spoilers and gratuitous theatrical metaphors below! They're light (the spoilers, not the theater imagery), but this analysis is really only for those who've finished the game.

Siffrin and Isabeau play the roles of the Funny-Jokes-Person and Team Himbo respectively - the comic relief duo, needed to keep the journey's tone light and moral high. This 'Act' is genuinely part of their personalities, but - and this is made clear in the Loops for Siffrin - they both rely on it to avoid expressing their genuine thoughts or feelings. I mean, there's a reason why it took until the DAY BEFORE THEY FOUGHT THE KING for Siffrin and Isabeau to have an 'important conversation' - these two are professionals, after all, and nothing less than a country ending catastrophe would make them break character. The difference between their performances is why they made those characters for themselves in the first place. Isabeau crafted his personality actively, to make himself as different as possible from the person he used to be. On the other hand, Siffrin, like Mirabelle, accidentally, or passively stepped into his role. (more on that in a moment)

Ah, how could we forget Mirabelle? Now, the nature of Mira's 'Act' is slightly different from our dynamic duo, as it's less to do with her personality and more to do with her status as a Saviour. Or more specifically, as the Change God's Chosen One. It's a lie she maintains, a part she plays, to give hope to the people of Vauguarde, but it wasn't one she chose. It was an accident that she was blessed, an accident that people assumed it was the Change God who did it. She's similar to Siffrin in this way: His performance is also based on how other people perceive him, only the 'other people' in his case is the party. Before Siffrin met them, he was effectively a blank slate, and he used the parties' expectations and reactions to his actions to build an identity. Take this dialogue from Act 4, fittingly found in Isa's friendship quest:

(That you didn't know how to describe yourself, you didn't know who you even were, until you said a bad pun once and he laughed so hard you thought he was going to pass out.)

Neither of them were looking for the role, but they both got type cast.

And in terms of the beauty alliance? Their biggest similarity is that they're both unsatisfied with their roles. Mirabelle hates being treated like the hero: hates the attention; the free gifts she feels like she doesn't deserve; the weight of the entire country's hopes and dreams she feels unable to carry. And Isabeau says that he hates being treated like he's stupid, hates that people assume he's brainless just because of his friendly demeanor. But they feel unable to step out of their roles, because that's what everyone needs from them, right?

(I guess this last point technically applies to Siffrin too, but that's after the Loops. Before they start, it seems like he's more than comfortable and even enjoys his role. It makes sense that he'd enjoy the feeling of having a concrete identity when he's so used to vague emptiness that comes with no memory.)

It's so fun ~!

[sapphicmuppet]

unresolved things still in my brain post fhjy finale

okay hihi this is not me trying to nitpick I just have a lot of unresolved thoughts!! okay here we go

Buckys arc:

I don’t have a ton of stuff to say just generally his arc being unresolved, being counted as a follower of Cassandra but that never being formally gone over, him still living with Mac and Donna, him skipping class, the drama with his adventuring party etc.

Bobby Dawn:

another self explanatory one, Sandra Lynn never finding out he was teaching at school, him escaping scot free, the drama in the sol pantheon, him never finding buddy etc. Just a lot of unanswered questions

Mazey Graduating:

for having a finale that has a lot of emphasis on the Fabian/Mazey relationship I wish they went over that Mazey IS a senior and graduated at the end of the year and is presumably going to college in the fall, and just the logistics of her being a college student still dating someone in highschool, just interesting having them get together when they’re already going in separate paths. I wish they went over it!! because now in my brain I have to justify it as a summer thing because they’re actively going to be doing other stuff the next school year.

Kipperlilly (and Jace):

okay so. Kipperlily was never rage starred or she willing took on the ragestar whatever I NEED TO KNOW MORE. Ik the point is that the ratgrinders suck and are inexperienced heroes but the realization that she essentially took all of The Ratgrinders down with her and gave them up to Porter, wasn’t being controlled by him in the way the rest of them were, had an even more direct hand in Lucy’s death, but also was still being manipulated by Porter for years?? I need it to get gone over. Also Kipperlily staying dead? to be clear it shouldn’t be The Bad Kids’ jobs to have to deal with the moral question on if the ratgrinders deserve being revived but there’s so much unsaid about Kipperlily and so much she didn’t get to do ugh. And in her final moments her absolute hatred towards Riz just being justified? In her eyes. Idk. Lots of thoughts. AND JACE!! Porter ADMITS to killing Jace himself and shatterstarring him and says he will do it again, but also Jace is clearly under Porter’s control to a degree and wasn’t revived too. I wish we knew more about him because as of what we know right now it seems crazy to keep him dead without questioning him and with him being Porters partner in this whole thing he could fully reveal everything Porter and The Ratgrinders had been doing the past three years.

Bakur:

idk just minor stuff with Bakur. He never regained his elf status which was interesting? We never saw the resolution of his fight with Lydia etc

Kalina:

Okay the acknowledgment in the finale that Kalina seems to genuinely have her own free will and moral compass outside of Cassandra is making me crazy because I just assumed she was tied to Cassandra so when she was good Kalina was too by default but there’s so much not cleared up about her. She DID lure Cassandra to the synod where she was weak and fostered the rage in Cassandra about Kristen’s treatment of her. She killed herself and was trying to communicate to Riz about Porter. Ankarna has NEVER trusted her. She had the spies tongue with Porter. She’s escaping with Buddy at the end. WHATS HAPPENING WHAT IS SHE DOING AGGHHHHH

[xxskyethetiredemoxx]

Look, I love MCR. They're literally my favourite band, and I'd fucking love to see them live (I live in the UK anyway, so :p). And I'm not going to be like some people and talk about this in the notes of every post I see about them.

I'm genuinely so disappointed that they're not doing anything about those goddman ticket prices. Other bands, bands THEY LOOK UP TO, like The Cure and Iron Maiden, did something about ridiculous ticket prices. So why can't MCR? Why fucking can't they, when they're meant to be standing up against shit like this? Why are people acting like this is OK?

As other people have said on here, they seriously need to communicate with fans more. Because their fans are the only fucking reason they have a career in the first place. And this is what they do for us, this fucking lack of interest in the people who got them to where they are, and who kept them there this whole time? Fuck that. We deserve better.

We're really watching our heroes sell a car on TV. And it actually makes me sick. So much for not just being a money grab. It could be the best fucking show on the planet, and still I'd say this is ridiculous. This is genuinely disgusting. They worked their way up to where they are today, they started out from nowhere really. They started out from small shows in New Jersey. They started out in a place where they'd be outraged if their favourite bands cost $800 for one show. Genuinely what is this, and why are we not holding them accountable?