#he’s average ugly and its fitting to be honest

[bbbbbbbbbbruce]

do whtvr. make miraak into this handsome squidward guy behind the mask. but always to me he will be bald, and have a receding hairline old man style. dgaf

[starshiningsirius]

Happily ever after (Yandere Overblot Vil x reader)

I just want to post my poetry about them at this point.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR NEW CHAPTER

Thank you to @flowerofthemoonworld for the gif

The graceful little prefect as you were titled in his head. Looks were above average in his honest opinion. Your hair would gleam in the sunlight one day as you sat by the base of the tree, and your eyes have a docile look in them that'd make your innocence more apparent. Rook was with you during that time which was when he first saw you up close, before any of this mess with the VDC arose.

When he finally caught the attention of both students, Rook was the first one to speak up.

"Ah, Roi du Poison were you in need of my services?"

"Pardon me to interrupt but I need to borrow my vice dorm head for some important matters."

"Ah, it's fine Vil-senpai. See you later then." With that the two were off to Pomeifore and Vil couldn't help but wonder.

"Rook what were you and the Ramshackle prefect conversing about just now?" He only asked because he knew Rook would occasionally behave in a way that would bring trouble and with that prefect with him more than likely it would.

"Curious? Mademoiselle Trickster and I were discussing the art of poetry of which she partakes in! Isn't it wonderful to write your feelings down with such passion it truly is magnifique!" After that Vil stopped listening and confided himself to his own thoughts.

'Poetry?'

That contradicted all of his thoughts on the prefect. He had caught word around the school about the prefect who hanged with two troublesome first years and always would be caught up in trouble. To hear him say poetry of all things definitely changed his mind a fraction about her overall personality. Not to mention her visage while she sat there in depth with whatever she was writing was one that someone would think brought out of a painting.

When the VDC training camp started he noticed more of her small quirks. She was neat and tidy, even if the whole dorm wasn't clean the used areas were. She was polite asking to help set the table or clean dishes with him. They didn't talk much but he noticed all of them. He definitely misjudged the prefect. She was a nice person. He understood why Epel got along with them. She wasn't a particularly bad influence on him.

There was something that annoyed him though.

The sparkles that would appear in your eyes. Just yesterday you complimented Jamil on his voice not only that but everyone else too. Except him.

He heard you talking once about Epel and what he did was wrong and wasn't right in your eyes. Yet you know nothing about what he's been through!

Just once he would have loved to see his effort noticed by her!

Is that too much to ask?!

He's always made out to be the villain in the stories!

He's never heard you compliment him before not only that but those poems. Rook told him that you write them for people your fond of and say them to that person.

Why hasn't he gotten one yet? Is he not good enough?!

All those sorts of thoughts kept piling up in his head. That is until his prayers were finally answered.

She heard him asking his phone the same question yet again.

"Mira, mira who is the fairest one of them all?"

With the same response he was about a second from crushing the phone in his hands. His anger growing from the lack of acknowledgement of his own hard work for the world to see. That's when she spoke up.

"Villains and heroes are fantasy.

This is reality.

And from what I see, the fairest one of all is beautiful blonde in front of me." It was a short poem, but one that spoke a thousand words despite its simplicity.

He turned to see her determination in her eyes. The spark in them did ignite something in his heart.

"It's not finished yet but I thought you might need to hear it now." She said it with such sincerity it caught him off guard a bit.

Why would she do that for him?

He couldn't answer the question himself but it did strengthen his resolve to over come the challenge and become the fairest. Because he had realized on that very day that he fell in love with you. Maybe he hadn't realized those words were to stop him from going on with the silly goal he yearned for.

The VDC was supposed to be his chance. If he could best him then he could prove himself worthy then he could confess and all would be well when you said yes. That comment on Neige's commercial didn't slip passed his ears. He had to prove he was better and winning would do just that.

But when his plans fell apart and you stood against him with a look of what was slight disappointment, and betrayal mixed into one, he couldn't help but to let his mind fall apart from losing one of the things he had tried so hard to gain.

Neige surpassed him again. He was tired of it, sick of it. And the outcome of it was showing her his most ugliest side, well that just won't do will it?

He'll just have to make you see how lovely he can be for you, how beautiful he is and that will be all of what you see.

Increasing the cloud of smoke within the coliseum more of his former team and managers coughed, trying their best not to inhail the smoke that would bring them their untimely demise. It didn't matter to him those who saw his ugly side needed to die and not tell anyone else.

That's when he swept her away, off her feet into where the backstage room was located. Just like a hero was supposed to. With a wave of his hand the purple smoke disappeared within the area and went back outside to the stage. Her coughs died down and Vil smirked down at the beautiful sight before him of someone he longed for.

"What's wrong my darling doll?" He had a smirk on his face seeing his efforts not be wasted for once felt overwhelmingly good to him.

"I'm sorry you have to suffer like this," he floated toward, her coughing fit was slowly going away and she gazed at him backing away from him in fear.

He noticed this of course what didn't he notice about her.

"Glancing at this ugly side you see before you, it's okay I understand. But don't worry, such a beautiful flower will never have its petals plucked again, for I will make sure of it. You won't have to remember seeing such an ugly side of again." Gently grasping her chin and touched the crown placed on his head aa he started to speak.

"To the first who looks into the wearer's eyes will fall in love until they die." Within the seconds he finished his chant her gaze was no longer of fear.

Nothing but admiration and adoration was visible in her eyes. It was perfect to Vil. Placing a gentle kiss on her lips which she returned eagerly. He had a gentle smile on his face a complete contrast to his current form reeking an aura of darkness and pure evil.

"You won't even remember seeing me, cause now all you'll see is my beauty and mine alone, my darling doll." Seems being a villain was far more worth it than he had actually made it out to be. The results of it were better than trying to play nice. He finally got his happily ever after.

Masterlist

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Come As You Are

Summary: Dean takes Y/n dress shopping for a hunt, both of them blissfully unaware of where it will lead. 

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Plus Size Reader

Word Count: 3.9K+

Warnings: Language, self-esteem and body image struggles, public intercourse, unprotected intercourse (wrap it before you tap it)

Author’s Note: This was written for an anonymous request, 

“Hey babe I don’t know if your taking requests but I had a groovy idea dean x shy plus reader where they have to get the reader nice sexy clothes but she feels really uncomfortable in them and refuses to leave the dressing room and dean confess how he feels and they have sex in the dressing room ? Fluff and smut” 

I truly enjoyed writing it so I hope it lives up to your expectations anon. Remember, feedback is like crack to writers, and we always love to hear what you thought xoxo Alex

Consider checking out a book from Alexandra’s Library!

A frown etched itself on her face as she ran her hand over the fabrics hanging from the racks. All of it felt foreign underneath her fingertips. Satin, chiffon, and everything else that was far more expensive than she was used to. Y/n’s wardrobe mostly consisted of denim and polyester blends that tended to fray after two washes. It was all that a hunter could afford, after all. 

“How in the hell are we gonna afford any of this crap?” She whispered to Dean, who was eyeing the rack behind her, the gowns in front of him all a deep shade of red. 

“Charlie’s miracle card, remember? There is no limit,” Dean raised his brow at her, a grin etched across his perfect face. 

“Fine,” she groaned. “I still don’t see why I even need to go dress shopping, I’m sure I could find something in my closet.” 

“I’ve seen your closet, and none of it is right for this case. You’ve got to distract the coroner for the night and you can’t do that in baggy jeans and flannel.” Dean huffed as he picked a dress off the rack. Y/n’s eyes went wide as she took it in, the hem was short for anyone’s standards, then add in the plunging neckline and this dress left nothing to the imagination. 

“That is so not happening,” Y/n pointed at the offensive garment, her stomach fluttering at the simple idea of even trying to slip into it. Every spot on her body that she hated would be on full display in that thing. Her thick thighs, the roll that sat on her bra just under her arms, and don’t get her started on her abdomen. 

“Come on, just try it. You never know ‘till you try it on.” 

“Ugh,” Y/n snatched the dress from his hand before stalking off to look at more dresses. There were a couple more options that she grabbed to try on that were closer to her comfortability level. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be caught dead in any of the items in her arms. But Dean had this way about him, always able to convince her to do anything without question. Maybe it was the way his skin crinkled around his eyes or the brightness that always seemed to live behind those deliciously green eyes? Who was she kidding, it was all of that and then some. The huntress had fallen hard for him from that first meeting. Sometimes she wondered why she chose to torture herself. 

Dean Winchester was the cream of the crop when it came to hunters, as was his baby brother, Sam. The whole world knew who they were, including heaven and hell, so how could she be expected to resist him when he smiled at her the way he does. Or even when he made her coffee in the mornings just how she liked it and picked up chocolate and pain killers for her when he knew it was that time of the month. He was exceedingly attentive to her, something that she was sure he only directed at Sam. It was just another thing that surprised her about the legend of a man. 

Yeah, like an idiot she fell for the eldest Winchester. There was no stopping it even though she was certain that her feelings would never be reciprocated. Y/n wasn’t like the other woman that Dean went for when he was on the prowl at bars. It’s not that she was ugly, it was that she was plain at best. People didn’t turn their heads when she walked in the room, men’s gazes didn’t linger on her from across the bar, no, Y/n was merely average. That’s how she knew that Dean would never see her as more than a friend because he had never looked at her in any form of want. 

“Are you ready to try those on?” A sales woman’s voice broke her out of her unrelenting train of thought. Dean answered for her before she could process the woman’s words. 

“Yes, please.” He smiled brightly and Y/n watched as the woman’s face flushed under his gaze. Y/n almost felt bad for the woman who was now just another victim to his charm. The saleswoman at least would be able to relish in his attention, wondering about what could have been had Y/n not been there with him. Y/n on the other hand already knew her fate. But mostly, if she was being honest, she was jealous. 

Dean put his hands on her shoulders and guided her along behind the boutique worker who took them into the back of the store where the dressing rooms were located. The area was mostly quiet, just the music from the speakers could be heard in the space. Three large mirrors sat in front of a stage on the far wall, the rooms spaning out on either side of it. In the center of the room were three plush chairs for those waiting for others to sit in. 

The worker unlocked a door for her as Dean plopped down in one of the chairs. Y/n slipped behind the door, letting out a deep breath as it closed behind her. If there was one thing she hated it was trying on clothes. Nothing ever seemed to fit her right or look anything like what it did on the hanger. It made the task a constant battle with her self-consciousness. 

Y/n had always carried extra weight on her body. It wasn’t that she didn’t live an active lifestyle, she was a hunter, after all, it was the diet that hunters were accustomed to. It was fast food and dives in every small town in America. Not many mom and pop places tended to offer an egg white omelet, and it wasn’t her inclination to eat them either. So, she had always been bigger than most, and if she was being honest she had grown used to that. Maybe she used it as a shield to protect herself. Making connections with people as a hunter only tended to end in heartbreak, so this was easier. 

The hunter hid the scary red thing Dean had selected behind all the rest of her haul, hoping she would find something before she ever even got to the thing. Y/n stripped from her flannel and jeans tossing them on the bench in the corner. She also added her bra to the pile, knowing all of these garments necessitated that she did not wear one. That left her in her favorite pair of panties. They weren’t anything special, but they made her butt looked its best.

The first dress in the line up was a straight black dress that hit just above her knee. The neckline wasn’t anything too crazy but the sleeves rolled off the shoulders a strip of fabric wrapping around her bust. Y/n was able to slip it on and tug up the zipper on the side. With a slide of her hands against the fabric, she frowned at her reflection. Not that it would flatter any figure, in her opinion. 

“What’s taking so long in there?” Dean called out from his spot in front of the mirrors.

“I’m not coming out in this thing,” she called back as she began to take the dress back off. 

“Oh, come on sweetheart,” 

“Nope, next,” Y/n heard him huff even through the door and she imagined he rolled his eyes as well. 

The next dress was a deep blue color. It had a wrap and pencil skirt, with an asymmetrical shape between the hem and the neckline. She supposed it was pretty but it also kind of looked like she had wrapped herself in a towel. Mostly, she felt like the point in the neckline was going to stab her in the throat, and she was not sure how to be sexy when she was trying not to die. It was another pass for her. 

There was only one dress left, and at that moment she was wishing to whoever was listening that she had picked out a few more choices. Dean was whistling now, some Zeppelin tune she couldn’t exactly identify and she knew he was getting impatient. Y/n swapped the fabrics on her body, pulling the thin straps of the red satin piece up onto her shoulders. The dress clung to her skin, the fabric lightweight. 

“Y/n/n,” Dean’s voice was just outside the door, the new proximity of it startling her. “Come on, you have to show me at least one. I know you and you’ll just try vetoing them all.” Y/n swore under her breath because he was right and it pissed her off that he knew her that well. The zipper was out of her reach on her back and she supposed she wouldn’t be able to truly see what it looked like on her unless she zipped it up. 

“Fine, I need help with this zipper anyway,” she sighed and held the fabric against her naked chest while opening the door with her other. Dean was beaming when he came into view on the other side of the door. He snuck inside faster than a flea, the slamming of the door startling her again. 

Get it together woman, you kill monsters for a living, Y/n cursed herself. 

“Turn,” Dean instructed her with his fingers, and the woman obliged as she faced the mirror. Dean brushed her hair off her shoulder with his fingertips, the action barely distinguishable but it sent the hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention. With one hand holding the bottom stop, he used the other to tug on the pull tab, sliding together the teeth in one fluid motion. 

“Thanks,” Y/n’s words were soft as she made eye contact with the green-eyed hunter in the mirror. He ran his tongue of his bottom lip, pulling the plump flesh between his teeth as his eyes wandered over her exposed skin. 

Y/n visibly cringed as she looked at herself. Unfortunately, this was her favorite out of the three, but that didn’t mean she felt like she could venture anywhere in public in the thing. “Sweetheart, if that coroner hadn’t already been eyeing you up today, he would not know where to start when he sees you in this.” 

“Shut up,” Y/n scrunched her nose as she spun around to whack Dean’s shoulder. “You are so full of it.”

“Am not,” Dean scoffed, his eye softening before he continued. “Y/n, why don’t you see how beautiful you are?”

Y/n whipped around to stare at him, her arms crossing over her chest, not believing that those words come out of his mouth. Surely, he was playing with her…

“Have you looked at me, Dean?” Y/n slapped her hands against her thighs, emphasizing their jiggle upon impact. “I’m nothing special.” 

“I have looked at you,” His gaze traveled down her body again, his breath hitching slightly as he did so. “I’ve been looking at you for a while now.” The drop in Dean’s voice sent heat rushing through her body, the gravel undertone making her shiver. 

“Dean--” words escaped her as the hunter stepped into her personal space, pushing her back against the mirror. Dean’s left hand came to rest against the reflective surface just beside her head as he chewed on his lip. 

“I don’t think you know how hard it is for me to keep my eyes off of you,” he leaned into her, his nose brushing alongside hers. “And now, seeing you in this dress, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.” 

A rush of confidence coursed through her blood as his hot breath fanned over her face and Y/n slipped her hands behind his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers. The movement was anything but smooth, though the action sent both of the hunters into action. Dean growled as he nipped her lower lip and she opened up to him, allowing his tongue to invade her mouth. 

A moan involuntarily came from her as his hands moved to her hips, the heat of his skin seeping through the thin material where his finger pressed into her flesh. He stepped back, pulling her after him as he backed up and dropped to sit on the plush bench. Dean bunched up the material to her hips as he urged her to straddle his lap. Y/n used her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, the new bulge in his pants a surprise to her as she settled in his lap. 

“Yeah, and you thought I was kidding,” Dean took in the slight rise in her brow, leaning forward to run his lips across her jaw, taking note of the places that made her shiver. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she allowed Dean to explore her body and let herself just feel him. Dean raked his teeth along with the shell of her ear, causing her to buck her hips and both of them to groan.  

“Fuck,” her words were a breath on her lips as she repeated the action, the roughness of his jeans just enough friction on her aching sex. 

“That’s it, beautiful, take what you need,” Dean sat back and used his hands to keep her body moving against his own, watching the way her brows scrunched together in the center of her forehead. With a shift of his hips, he had her pushed back and straddling his left thigh, his hands still in their place on her hips. “Can you come like this, sweetheart?”

“I don’t--” a jolt of electricity had her halting her denial, instead she chose to just nod and place her hands against his chest to balance her movement. She could feel Dean’s heart hammering in his chest under her palm and the quick rise and fall of his breath. Even at this moment, she was disbelieving that he was that turned on watching her get herself off on his thigh, but she had the proof hammering under her fingertips. Y/n was biting her lip to keep quiet in the small room. “Dean, I’m so close.” 

“I’ve got you, come for me, Y/n,” he husked as his grip tightened, though she wasn’t sure how that was even possible, seeing as there was already gonna be bruises there later, that she was sure of. The sound of his voice reverberating in her head had the coil snapping inside of her, heat flooding her body as every nerve sparked and faded out. A rush of air left her lungs, her body slumping as her muscles relaxed post-orgasm. 

“Oh my god.” As her arousal ebbed from her body and the reality of what just happened came to her sense, Y/n clammed up and she tried to climb from his lap. Blood rushed to her face and her hands flew to her cheeks to hide the heat settling there.

“Woah, where are you going?” Dean stopped her from making a hasty exit, his eyes searching hers in question. 

“Dean, what the hell just happened?” 

A smirk replaced the confusion on his face as he leaned forward and nuzzled his face in her neck, tracing his tongue up her pulse. “You just got yourself off on my thigh while I tried not to cream my jeans,” he breathed in her ear. It was like he already knew every button to push on her body, his dirty talk doing everything she needed it to for her body to already be aching for him again. 

“I--”

“Shh, sweetheart. That was hot as fuck, and all I want now is to be buried deep inside that pretty pussy of yours.” 

“Jesus,” her eyes shifted to his, taking in the mischievous glint shining behind his iris. “You aren’t kidding.”

“Nope,” he popped the ‘p’ at the end of his word and Y/n nodded as she climbed off him. She turned her back to him so he could undo the zipper, and it took a second for Dean to catch on to her silent action. He jumped to the edge of the bench and tugged down the zipper before sliding the material down her shoulders. Dean hooked his fingers into the edge of her panties, placing a kiss on the dip in her lower back before pulling the soaked material to pool at her feet along with the dress. He stood then as she turned back to him and pushed his jacket and flannel down his arms, adding it to the pile of discarded clothes in the room. 

“Come, on we don’t have a lot of time before someone gets suspicious.” There was a quiver in her voice as she lifted the hem of his tee and tugged open his belt. It was taking everything in her to quell the shaking in her hands. Dean’s fingers came down to wrap around her wrists, halting her movement and she looked up at him. 

“Y/n we don’t have to,” he was trying to read her mind as he examined her face. The trepidation was seeping through her pores, but not because she didn’t want this. Hell, the painful ache between her legs told her how much she wanted this, but her brain couldn’t help to race through the million thoughts about what it all meant. 

“No, I-- God do I want this,” Y/n began chewing on the inside of her cheek as she tried to come up with the words to explain to him what she was thinking. But the longer the time passed the more nervous she grew, standing there stark naked and he’s still basically fully dressed. “I think I’ve wanted this for a long time now, but I’m just scared.”

“Of?” He urged her to continue.

“That this doesn’t mean the same thing to you,” Y/n cast her glance down, her eyes fixated on the way the fluorescent light glinted in the metal of his belt. 

“You think that this is about getting my dick wet for me.” It wasn’t a question, because she had all but spelled it out for him. “Y/n,” He put his fingers under her chin and turned her head back up to his, brushing his lips against hers, the action soft and unhurried. “I told you, I’ve been watching you for a while now, trying to learn everything I could about you. I would have done this the first night I met you if I hadn’t thought about what it would do to you. But I’m done being scared because I think I fell for you a long time ago and no amount of whiskey or other women could make me forget that. So I’m done fighting it.” 

“Yeah?” Her eyes were swimming with unshed tears now, and Dean answered her with another kiss, pulling her body flush against his own as he invaded her mouth. The pair only pulled apart when they could no longer fight the need for air. “Dean--”

“Yeah,” he breathed, dropping his grip on her to finish what she started with his belt. Y/n watched his movements, her breath getting caught in her throat as she watched him pull his length from its cotton confines. Dean signaled for her to turn with one hand as he stroked himself with the other. She obliged, of course, and Dean pushed her gently between her shoulder blades until her hands were pressed against the mirror. He nudged her legs to open a tad wider, meeting her gaze in the mirror. 

“Do we--” 

“I’m good if you’re good,” she told him, knowing where he was going with his question. He nodded to her before lining himself up with her entrance. Dean held her gaze as he entered her from behind, both of them sighing together as he became fully seated. Y/n closed her eyes as she tried to compose herself, her head falling between her arms. 

“Fuck, open your eyes, look at yourself,” Dean was biting his tongue as he swatted her ass to get her to lift her head again. She indulged him, looking at herself in the mirror before turning her eyes back to his in the mirror. “There you go,” he praised her, the words like music to her ears as he pulled back out and slammed into her hips. 

Dean set up a steady rhythm, careful to not shake the walls of the dressing too much with his movement. The couple kept their eyes on each other in the mirror, the moment the most erotic thing she could ever remember doing, but for the life of her, she couldn’t be bothered by it. Even from her vantage point, she could see how blown his pupils were, the black of his iris’ all but drowning out the green that she loved so much. To be honest, she wasn’t sure which she liked more now. All she did know was the feeling of him moving inside her and the way her muscles were shaking. 

A small knock had Dean stilling his movements, and Y/n stood up, pressing her back against his chest. He slipped an arm around her chest as she signaled for him to be silent. “You doing alright in there?” 

Y/n swallowed the lump in her throat and let out a breath, “Yeah,” she called back, afraid her voice would be too wrecked if she said anything else. 

“Is there anything else I can get you? Maybe some different sizes?” The saleswoman tried again. 

“Nope, I’m all set, thank you.” 

“Okay, just let me know.” The sound of her footsteps could be heard retreating from the dressing room, and Dean pressed his face into her neck, the pair of them chuckling. 

“Come on, sweetheart,” he adjusted their position, resuming the movement of his hips as he snaked his free hand down to rub against her clit. Y/n jolted in his arms at the contact, this time closing her eyes as he built her back up. “I’m right behind you. Can you come for me again?” Y/n nodded against him, her hands flying to his forearm as she felt herself jumping over the cliff, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her knees buckled and Dean had to adjust himself to keep her from falling, still fucking her from behind as her fluttering walls milked him to his own orgasm. He bit into her shoulder to keep himself from groaning out loud. 

“Sweet Jesus,” her body went limp in his arms as the pair of them caught their breath in the now muggy space. 

“Yeah, you are so not going out with that coroner tonight. We will find a different way.” Dean admitted as he pulled his now softening cock from her. Y/n flinched at the feeling and the subsequent rush of his release inside her. 

“What?” She turned to him as he began righting himself, not understanding why he didn’t want her to do her job.

“‘Cause you are all mine now,” Dean tugged her into his chest, his fingers around one of her biceps. “And I want to spend all night making sure you can’t walk tomorrow.” 

“Oh,” Dean laughed as she blinked at him, clearly lost for any sort of coherent answer to what he just told her. 

“Get dressed so we can get out of here and kick Sammy out of our motel room.” Dean tapped her ass again and she pushed him away from her, a stupid grin on both of their faces.

Forevers: @22sarah08​ @akshi8278​ @anathewierdo​ @atc74​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @callmekda​ @dawnie1988​ @deanwanddamons​ @ellewritesfix05​ @emoryhemsworth​ @flamencodiva​​ @foxyjwls007​ @hobby27​ @janicho88​ @jensengirl83​ @katehuntington​ @lyarr24​ @malfoysqueen14​ @mrsjenniferwinchester​ @msmarvelouswinchester​ @polina-93​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​ @smol-and-grumpy​ @superfanficnatural​ @supraveng​ @talesmaniac89​ @tranquility-or-chaos​​ @waywardbeanie​ @winchest09​

[sugar-petals]

♡ Levi Dating A Tall Girl

warnings ⚠️  some innuendo, possessiveness, jealousy, skinship

↳ NOTE. short captain ftw 

You don’t fall backwards the first time he hands you a big ass gun to practice target shooting. Finally someone who doesn’t act like a wobbly fool. Long legs. Better shooting stances. No questions asked. Levi likes that.

You can get the emergency supply tea box from the top shelf. He is jealous, this is cheesy, but still. Levi likes that.

You are hard to overlook. For pragmatic reasons since he lives in sheer chaos and needs to collect his squad from the most unholy places, Levi likes that.

But also... he has to confess he finds it fascinating to see you walk and talk. So, Levi likes that.

You can clean the ceiling. For obvious reasons: Levi likes that.

Paintjobs are easy to you. Levi likes that.

You can carry more weapons on you. Knife here, knife there, knives everywhere. Levi likes that.

Without even knowing or trying, you have a natural bold appearance. People don’t start trouble. The squad is peaceful and diligent in your presence. Him, too. He doesn’t say it, but he admits to himself that he feels protected. Levi likes that. A lot.

It might be outdated in the Survey Corps, but Levi enjoys calling you Madam. You really look like one in your Sunday outfit, just so you know. The height difference makes anyone buy into it. So, you go by „Ma’am“ wherever you go, knowing who addressed you that way first because he respects you. Levi likes that.

The advanced Trojan horse: You can smuggle him almost anywhere when you wear a dress. Levi is kinda going crazy with your legs being so up close though. My, my. What an interesting undercover mission. Levi likes that. You, too. Wink wink nudge nudge.

When cooking, you fool around planting your underboob on Levi’s head while the oven does its thing. He’s cursing a bunch of things. But he can’t deny you’re funny and he really fits in that spot, too. Levi likes that.

Your height means more to scrub in the shower. Levi does not shy away from grabbing a sponge for the ladies as we know. Only select people he will foam up personally, so, this is a knighting. If you can shave him, he can shampoo you, it’s tit for tat. A very cleanly exchange. Levi likes that.

In the comfort of your room, not in his, nor his office or elsewhere, really when nobody is watching — Levi sits on your lap. Plenty of space, so. He fits snugly right there. Levi likes that.

You look great when you ride a horse and handle horses well in general. You can get on there in two seconds without delay. Speed is key. Levi likes that.

And I mean.

What’s not to like, anyway? Levi’s captain crush on you equals your height in terms of intensity.

Technically, you, like all other people, qualify as a brat. A tall, noodly brat. But you’re nice to him and vice versa: Don’t deliberately nor accidentally get on his nerves. So the most he’ll do is grumble at you where others would get a speech. If you make a mistake with the equipment, he won’t let it slide for obvious survival-related reasons, but his tone is noticeably gentler, a crucial tinge.

The whole squad — especially the rowdy members who tease him the most ironically — spirals into envy, but doesn’t say anything lest they want Levi’s frown and explanation on how they were messing around while you worked. The guy’s proud of it and wants to deservedly hype your ethic to be honest.

So let us just note that special fondness he has and let it sink in.

Under the guise of “establishing order”, Levi has an excuse to make his schtick for you heard: Indirectly.

Levi scolds anyone calling you bigfoot or titan girl. His supposed reason: They didn’t clean well. In reality, he’s mad they pick on you but he can’t say it.

The captain is concerned that people don’t ruin your day and he’ll do something about it. That’s pretty damn astounding. Levi hardly bothers getting into other people’s mood management and personal things.

Armin thinks it’s adorable when Levi casually walks between you and Hanji, likely headed somewhere to buy conveniences because Sasha is dying to get food. Connie calls it the ‘Levi Sammich’ and laughs his ass off every. Single. Time.

Mad titan scientist she is, Hanji’s latest experiment involves a two-person battle maneuver where you have to carry Levi piggyback. He initially declines, but it looks adorable indeed, actually. You don’t really have to put efforts into holding him in place awkwardly, his legs are strong. So much about two-person maneuvers, the two of you fight well as a duo, your bodies complement each other. Best believe the same feat applies to what happens between four bedposts.

In more casual settings, he dons his usual scowl when he stands next to you, but he thinks it's sexy that you look at his shoulders from above. You can see the weight on them.

He wishes he had your shoulders. But then again, he wouldn’t want to change bodies at the end of the day, as surprising as it sounds. Levi knows he needs to be a compact little unit to do what he does.

A lot of people taunt you as a couple, but after some time of always reacting with anger right away, he becomes cooler about his self-worth. Levi realizes — man, he knows who he is.

Should you ever faint, he can catch you with ease. Levi Ackerman is the last guy to get crushed by his gf, that we all know. He’s not afraid of your body or your weight. No cowardice, no shame, no questions asked.

And as we know. He got a thing with your legs, don’t even try. Legs legs legs leggy legs, that’s all there is on Levi’s brain when you don’t wear a uniform but skirts during leisure time. He tries to block out that thought, unsuccessfully.

Titans he can go without, but you are his irreplaceable sexy goddess you know. Levi admires you.

Whenever you hit your hip or limbs at an awkwardly set-up table, Levi will position it elsewhere immediately. Low door frames he can’t do anything against, but he will tug at your sleeve twice every time you enter a room while walking behind you so you remember to stay alert. It’s... really cute how he’s tugging at you from below. I need a moment.

In the mornings, an even cuter thing happens: When his legs are too short to reach the ground while he’s sitting on an improvised barber chair of yours. You’re cutting his neck hair while he’s pouty about his tininess. You do your best to organize a smaller chair with Armin’s help later on.

But your height difference also causes some upheaval at the start or the relationship and brings up some deeper wounds.

You can easily help tie Eren’s man bun way up there and that makes Levi extra jealous. In fact, he feels like imploding to the point of creating a black hole. Even Mikasa is fine with it because it’s all on a friendly basis with no thought behind it. Like it’s just helping Eren get his hair under control for squad practice. But Levi sees red:

Out of sheer Ackerspite, he will grow out the top part of his undercut and ask you to tie up his hair, too. This guy is on fire. Like hello, he wants your hands in his hair like that as well!

He orders Mikasa to take care of Eren’s “brat mop on his head” every morning “for the sake of the cleanly survey corps dress code” without exception. Eren is totally confused, Mikasa likes the idea, and you are shocked.

Damn, this guy doesn’t play.

He wants you to stroke and tie only his sacred hair if he’s entirely honest with himself. Best time of the day for him. Levi ends up looking like your smol samurai bodyguard with his new hairstyle. You could fancy that in the long run.

And... you know he is insecure. You always know. And, if you’re honest yourself, are glad to have permission to give him such deliberate affection because he values it so much.

Levi hardly builds any romantic bonds and if he does, he easily feels left out because the truth is, he’s needier than the average person. It’s difficult if there are only few people close enough for that, since Levi needs a lot.

Eren is no viable competition, but you decide you gotta make that clear to the touch-starved little guy. Since... In reality, the man bun discussion is not about Levi being petty just because. It’s about wanting to have that connection with you. And: Your attention. Levi doesn’t look like it, but he needs it. A metric ton.

In fact, Levi is the biggest love-deprived attention whore on the entire island and that’s a hard fact.

So, what to do about it. First: Clean slate needed, because you’re a bit annoyed, too.

You sit down for dinner and talk to Levi about how you are not interested in stealing Eren from Mikasa, nor do you think Levi looks ugly or invisible compared to Eren because of the height. You want to be a helpful squad member and he has no business imposing his brat hair rules to make himself exclusive out of fear, as if you would jump Eren as soon as he doesn’t look. And that he should say when he’s envious or wants something, point-blank. You’re very willing to give him all the attention to the moon and back alright.

Levi, grumpy at himself, apologizes for wanting to control the situation instead of saying that he wishes for time with you and makes tea.

He’s feeling mighty called out but owns up to all of this having been a knee-jerk response. Guy’s hard on himself, but that’s how he adapts his behavior.

The whole truth is, he knows that Eren is a lot easier to be around while he, Levi, is a complicated guy that is arguably hard to approach in random matters, even for loved ones.

He beats himself up for that and wants to be more emotionally and physically accessible to you so you can shower your affections on him the way you want to. That’s what it really boils down to.

That means fishing for old parts of his youth he didn’t allow. Levi wants to challenge himself to be more open to receiving. He knows he keeps his appeal on lock and it’s time to change that because he sees that you enjoy such closeness. Just the way he does, but secretly.

He also says to you that you can always touch him the way you desire after work.

Levi sees how you like being hands-on and how you do it, and makes it firm that you don’t have to walk on eggshells, hold back, or ask like it’s a delicate matter.

Levi sees relationships in simple terms: Since you’re together, of course you can touch him. It’s part of the whole thing by default to him and he even assumed you took it for granted like there’s telepathy going on.

In fact, brace yourself: For the lack of a better word, it’s even his expectation that this happens. Not like an obligation but as in, that you take opportunities is a given to him, he anticipates it.

You reply that it’s good he communicates this, it’s got to be outspoken. His views on how this whole thing goes has to be out in the open. It gives you a lot more clarity on his boundaries, too.

Before another bout of jealousy unearths more taken-for-granted things, Levi realizes he has to make up his mind that he has to talk about his limits.

So, he also says he entrusts it to you to find the very right moments for skinship.

That entails kissing and pinning and sitting close to another. And sex. Which is pretty damn enjoyable with him, the real fucking deal. So steamy. My God.

And he makes it clear he does his paperwork fast and you can always ask, he’s never too busy to postpone things entirely. He’d rather die the next day after winding in the sheets than handling paper. Levi can’t sleep anyways so it gets his mind off. It’s always welcome and he tells you not to be hesitant.

Levi is the type to absolutely pick up the cues right away — and proceed to really make out against a wall really intensely — so you’re under no obligation to wave a giant red cloth in front of him like he’s a Spanish bull or whatever. He gets the hints and goes along. Not to worry.

You also ask Levi what he thinks about you initiating romantic things and he shrugs — „Do what you want.“

The brand of romance Levi is out for you can already guess anyways. Tea and more tea.

For now, that’s where you agree to “leave it at that” after he thanks you for being straightforward.

You launch your first affections before bedtime. He lets you sleep in his bed, damn right. You really have to be a priority to be able to reside there, I’m telling you. Levi rests with one eye open and in his harness, you have all the blanket for yourself to cuddle up in. That won’t stop you from peppering his face with a few very deliberately placed smooches.

Levi can’t deny he’s a sucker for getting forehead kisses. He drops his hygiene protocol just for that. Safe to say his man bun jealousy from earlier that day cools off in no time. Not to say it shatters completely when you go for the gold that is his pretty little mouth. He’s so overwhelmed emotionally, he almost cries. Levi never thought someone would do this with him.

You repeat the same thing next day, behind the barracks after sunset. Levi holds you real tight. He’s so addictive in the best way. Going by how breathless it all winds up to be, he doesn’t want the kisses to end.

What your height is handy for here? He can gaze up to the night sky when he locks lips with you. Levi, as we know, likes seeing the moon and training his neck flexibility anyways. But that’s not the purpose behind why he’s so down to kiss you so passionately, rest assured.

If he tiptoes a little, he can park his pretty face under your chin after you both ran out of air. Levi’s drug... your long neck. He thinks it smells so good.

He murmurs in response, but he actually wants to be gently cooed at and petted when he rests there. Just a little. He’s humming. Ah, so satisfying. Guess you aced the „Do what you want“ part. You’ll do this with him Lord knows for how many times.

Levi cuddles up at your chest later. Plenty of space for him, and he loves how your voice resounds from there.

Oh— by the way. Since Hanji installed one between the two apple trees outside: It’s always nice to sleep in a hammock with a tall girl. The fabric doesn’t fold him in, he can watch the stars with you off duty. You give him a reason to be content, and that’s the sweetest thing. Levi’s all in love, he’s really grateful. You go, Ma’am.

— more levi writings: sub!levi hc | levi’s happy end/tea shop hc

[destielfanfic]

My First Destiel Fic, vol.5

Thank you guys for sharing your memories! My First Destiel Fic is a nostalgic survey open to any destiel fan and has a simple goal - to celebrate fics that were our gateway into a wonderful world of destiel shipping. Thank you, fic writers, you are our heroes! 

from @chamomilecas

hi! i joined this fandom in mid 2017, so just before season 12 came out! the first deancas fic i ever read was actually t&s (ik ik) but since it’s v.ooc imo id like to suggest the second and third fics i ever read! 

shortskirts verse - twentysomething (on ao3) first hs/college au i read and tbh i don’t remember much apart from it being super sweet and well written!

waves - wormstaches (on ao3) i think everyone has heard of this au tbh and my god it is amazingly written! also features pan!cas in a lot of ugly sweaters (which i love sm and reminds me a lot of myself eheh) basically these fics made me addicted to the college au genre till this day lolol - as well as pan!cas representation !!

All fic titles link directly to the fic, when possible, we have added link to our review or submitted rec post.

Twist and Shout by gabriel & standbyme [NC-17, 97,500 word count, posted 2012] (our review)

What begins as a transforming love between Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak in the summer of 1965 quickly derails into something far more tumultuous when Dean is drafted in the Vietnam War. Though the two both voice their relationship is one where saying goodbye is never a real truth, their story becomes fraught with the tragedy of circumstance. In an era where homosexuality was especially vulnerable, Twist and Shout is the story of the love transcending time, returning over and over in its many forms, as faithful as the sea.

Shortskirts Verse by twentysomething [NC-17, 22,400 word count, posted 2011] (our review)

So, they're in high school, and then they're in college, and it's mostly not about Taylor Swift, except when it is.

Waves by wormstaches [M, 54,100 word count] (our review)

Dean Winchester is the average guy: football, college, kid brother, nice car, girls and beer; his life is black and white, that is until he meets Castiel Collins: pretentious, slutty, sweater-wearing genius, who won’t even take the time to look up at him from his obscure novel while he insults him. And then everything is shades of gray and Dean is drowning.

from @candy-gothic

My first fic was 300 Things by cautionzombies. I can't remember when I read that but im sure it's not that long since I only started reading fanfictions around 2013-2014. It was my gateway in the world of fanfictions. I started watching SPN around that time too. Such shame it's not in ao3 anymore (or is it?) bc i really want to reread it again.

300 Things by cautionzombies [NC-17, 76,500 word count] (our review) NOTE - the fic is indeed deleted from the hosting platforms by the author. This is our gentle reminder to always download your favorite fic and leave nice comments to the authors! 

Dean’s life at twenty-four makes him feel like he’s forty–he works two jobs to help pay bills for his house and put his genius little brother through private school, and has spent six years (on and off, let’s be honest) working on his mechanical engineering degree at KU. With so much of his life devoted to his family, Dean has little time in his schedule for class and no time for social interaction. Then, while getting his classes together for the fall, he finds himself in a do-or-die situation: He must take his last literature class now, his spring already filled with those left for his major…except that none of the English classes will fit his schedule.

from @obsessedkuroi

So, hey, saw the request. I've sorta been hovering around the fandom since...maybe 2009? 2010? I know I caught up on the first 4/5 seasons in a blitz of a couple weekends of binging and crying during my college days, and then went sobbing to ffnet (ah, AO3, not yet around at the time) to find Destiel fics to comfort myself with. After all this time, Tripping by Hatteress is one fic I still come back to reread. That, and the little additions. It's one of the few fics I think did an insane amount of justice to Dean as he is in Canon, repressed emotions and all. A second one...I suppose, as Christmas has just passed, this short gem of emotion is perfect for the season. It's called Where The Sea and City Meet by RC_McLachlan and it still makes me tear up reading it.

If you ever want any more old school Destiel fics (like, back from 2008-2010, when I dived headfirst into the fandom) hit me up. I have an entire google doc filled with just Destiel recs I made for a friend eight years ago. Thanks for all the fic recs! I'm way out of the loop on Destiel fics these days, I dropped out of being an active member of the fandom some six years ago and just recently got dragged kicking and screaming back in (and rewatching the series from the beginning cause I'm a masochist)

Kuroi

Tripping by hatteress [NC-17, 49,000 word count, Tripping Verse has 6  works and 76,600 word count, posted 2012] (our review)

What do you do when the Universe itself seems to have decided you belong with your very stoic, very angelic, very MALE hunting companion? Dean’s about to find out.

Where the Sea and City Meet by RC_McLachlan [M, 3,000 word count, posted 2010]

Castiel risked his life by going back to 1982 to find Dean's Christmas gift, and all Dean got him was a coat.

If you enjoyed the fic, please drop by the archive (AO3) and let the author know with your comments and/or kudos! And if you found our recs useful, let us know by Liking and/or Reblogging our posts!

You can find all My First Destiel Fic posts under this tag!

[bunnirs]

Scarlet Crossroads:

Chapter 2: Breaking The Ice

Previous/Next

Scarlet Crossroads Masterlist

It felt like hours before most of the exam contestants arrived. Of course, you happened to be exceptionally early, being only examinee 113.

You wish you could’ve said waiting was boring, but a few of the other examinee’s made it extremely difficult to settle down.

There was a wide variety of other characters, their personalities most likely to clash further into the exam, dragging you into the crossfire.

One man stood out to you. He was short, rather full looking, and had an ugly ass beard. Maybe he was a child… seeing as he certainly acted like one. This child of a man was Examinee #16, Tonpa the Rookie Crusher.

It was obvious to you that he was bad news. I mean, he reeked of mold and broccoli. (Well, you thought it was broccoli, but you could’ve been wrong on that. You were hoping, no praying, that it wasn’t the case.

He shifted uncomfortably underneath your stare, somehow growing nervous as he tried to speak. It seemed your aura was suffocating him, how typical.

Anyone who isn't strong enough to withstand it seemed to have that reaction. This just proved he was up to no good.

Your Nen Ability was something close to a Trump Card of sorts. No one would know it existed until it was too late. This poor man had already succumbed to it though, seeing as he was choking on his words.

With a quick inhale, your aura dispersed, leaving the short man to choke on the air that shot into his throat.

“You run a mile or something? Asthma?” You said curiously, a sly smirk seemed to pick at your lips, a laugh growing in your throat.

“No, no! I’m just thirsty! About that, what about a drink? You must be thirsty from your way here? What about we become pals? My name's Tonpa! How about you girly?”

Ew, okay gross. Did this man just call you.. girly? Yeah no, he’s not worthy enough to hold your drink, much less give you one.

With that conclusion, you gave him a forced smile, your eyes narrowing as you stared him down. “That’s really nice of you to offer, but I don’t take things from strangers.”

“Oh huh, really? That’s too bad!” He thought aloud, his expression faltering as he paid close attention to your expression. With each second your eyes got darker, the sides of your mouth twitching as you grew aggravated. Damn, something was up with you. “Your mother must be proud! The whole ‘Stranger Danger’ lesson worked huh?”

“Ah.” You paused, your smile dropping. Looks like the muscles in your face were sore now. Just great. “I didn’t have a mother.” You spoke calmly as you shifted your weight to the other leg, looking down at your fingernails.

With that realization, his eyes almost poked out of his head. He began to spew apologies, falling to the ground in a bow. It was painfully obvious that it was a forced reaction, but you took pleasure in watching him kneel. Okay maybe that’s coming off as too strong? Yeah, maybe it was just funny to you.

With that, you turned on your heel, signaling him off with a mere wave of your hand. Damn old men, they really did freak you out. Usually Chrollo or the Troupe would’ve killed him on sight, but they weren’t with you. The familiar faces began to run through your mind, distracting you from the small white blurr standing in front of you.

In a split second, you could feel your aura activate itself as you collided with another examinee. As if it didn’t startle you, the small kid seemed to be falling off his board. Everything seemed to slow down for you, his surprised face turned into one of anger, and his pupils locked with yours.

You quickly shot out your hand, grabbing his wrist, holding him up so he wouldn’t fall on his back. His skateboard flipped in the air, but it seems he had already caught it. You thought to yourself, ‘Hey that was kind of cool’, and let go of his small wrist.

He shifted uncomfortably, his hair covering his blushing face, his hands clamping up into small fists. “Hey why don’t you watch where you’re going?! If I was someone else, you would’ve been dead the minute you touched me! But you got lucky this time, I don’t really want to pick a fight with anyone just yet.” He smiled confidently to himself, laying his board back onto the ground, his left foot pushing it back and forth. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t come after you, you old hag! Man, people like you won’t ever pass this exam! Especially when you can’t even walk without bumping into people?!”

You didn’t even get to open your mouth before he jumped back on his board, weaving through the crowd, blowing the small strands of hair from his face.

What a spoiled brat. Who the hell does he think he is? Telling you that you won’t pass the exam? Hell, you’d blow through this thing like it’s nothing. All you had to do was get your hunters license, and then shove it into that kids face.

Yeah, sounds simple enough.

That declaration of yours was made almost an hour ago, and now, waiting was getting old. For said hour, you’ve been sitting against the wall, playing with a small rubix cube. Instead of its natural colored squares, small little pieces of duct tape covered the surface. What was written on said tape, were the names of each troupe member.

You remembered Pakunoda spending an hour just writing the names down, wanting them to be spelled perfectly so you could read them correctly. This was years ago, probably when you were nearing age 5, the withered adhesives almost giving up.

Seeing as there were no school opportunities for you, Pakunoda mostly took charge of your education, wanting you to be as smart as possible. She really was motherly in a way, even when she denied it.

Her teaching certainly worked its wonders. Even though you came off as an idiot, your mind worked faster than what was natural. You could tell peoples moves before they even acted them out, which seemed to help greatly in the troupe’s line of work.

It seems they raised you to be a Phantom Troupe member, the spider tattoo being embedded in your mind, almost like a nightmare. It was truly Ironic, considering that you hated the very idea of joining the Spiders.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the elevator, and the doors slowly opened to reveal a group of three.

They were oddly fitting for a friend group. One of them was obviously a child, his innocent face matched his horrible sense of fashion. Next to him was a rather greasy... business man? He looked to be at least in his late twenties? It was an understatement to say that his limbs were of average length, because damn, those arms were long.

Your eyes then glanced over to his other partner. He was shorter, but much younger looking. He looked to be your age, which was very exciting for you. You never had a friend that was actually close to your age. Maybe you’d sneak in a word or two during this?

The longer you stared, the more you noticed about him. He had blonde hair that stopped right behind his ear, his eyes were soft, a calming grey color. If you stared at them any longer you were sure to get lost. It sounded cheesy, but you ignored that thought.

To be honest, everything about him screamed Mom friend, almost reminding you of Pakunoda in a way.

You watched as Beans, the Secretary that approached you not too long ago, gave them their badges. They were numbers; 403, 404, and 405.

They were likely the last ones to get here, which was good news in your book. Finally, the Hunter Exam was about to begin!

A few more minutes passed, and you shifted uncomfortably as you watched Tonpa walk up to the group. You didn’t necessarily care about the two older ones, but the kid seemed to bother you.

That’s when you decided to take your chances and try to rescue the trio. As you thought to yourself, you figured you most likely wouldn’t make it in time to stop them from drinking it, so you did the next best thing.

Your mind spewed apologies as you looked down at the rubix cube that resembled your childhood. With one last glance, you lined it up with the kids' drink. With a strong over handed throw, it spiraled towards the can, completely tearing through the thin metal.

Juice had sprayed all over Tonpa’s face, it’s orange contents seeping into his clothes. Maybe, just maybe, that would help him smell better.

With a quick smile, you cautiously jogged over. You held up one hand, waving as you came in peace. The closer you got, the more you noticed the blonde boy’s eyes. They seemed empty almost, like they were hiding something behind them. Tough childhood huh? You could relate.

You stopped as you got in front of them, rubbing the back of your neck as an act of nervous behavior. Good act. Keep it up. “So sorry guys, sometimes I forget I’m surrounded by other people! I kinda just threw it y'know?”

“That was… so cool!” The smaller boy piped in, his eyes adorned in admiration. “My names Gon! Gon Freccs! What’s your name?”

“Oh.” You were generally surprised by his positivity, seeing as you just knocked his source of hydration from his hands. “The names Y/N.” You held out your hand, taking the kids palm in yours. “Sorry for spilling your drink.. but I can’t say it was purely an accident. This guy has been trying to mess with people, I just felt like I had to warn you.”

With that, the blonde boy and his accomplice poured their drinks out, a disgusted look on their faces.

“Oh really? I thought it smelled weird! I’m glad to know I wasn’t having allergies or something!” Gon muttered the last part, rubbing the surface of his index finger underneath his nose, as if to wipe something off.

You nodded, a small smile reaching your lips. “Well Gon, and his…” you paused for a minute, your eyes meeting the blonde boys. “Accomplices? Besties…? Caretakers?”

“Friends is a better word.” The grey eyed boy said quickly. “My name is Kurapika, and this?” He gestured with his hands, pointing at Leorio’s stomach. “This is Leorio.”

“I think I can introduce myself, you damn blonde!” Leorio interrupted him, yelling in his face, his finger pointing into Kurapika’s chest.

“Oh, it’s quite alright. Seeing as I got it the first time” You said quickly, not wanting to hear it again.

You ignored the taller man as he started to spew nonsense, most of its contents having to do with insults directed towards you. Your small smile seemed to falter, suddenly remembering the very item you had used to save them was not in your hands.

That’s when your eyes dropped to the floor, searching for the old rubix cube that contained most of your memories of home. You felt your heart spike, the feeling of disappointment taking over.

On the outside you remained stoic, your shoulders merely shrugging as you let out a small groan of annoyance. “Damn, I lost that old thing again?”

“What thing?” Gon interjected, standing on his tippy-toes as he rocked back and forth. “You mean that toy?”

You cringed, your teeth grinding together as you glared him down. “That ‘thing’ is not a toy, it’s something very important to me.”

“Must not be ‘very important’ if you throw it at people.” Leorio retorted, rolling his eyes as he adjusted his suit sleeve. Why he wore it to an exam was beyond you.

“Well, no matter how important it is, I’m sure you’d like it back?” Kurapika cut Leorio off, trying to prevent whatever fight was about to break out between the two of you.

“Huh?” You broke your gaze with Leorio, only to meet the cold, empty eyes of Kurapika. “Well of course I’d want it back. It is mine after all.”

Leorio started to grow annoyed, most likely with the fact that you were ignoring him. “Hey! Don’t give him that crappy attitude! We’re being nice to you, so don’t overstay your welcome!”

“..You make it sound like I’m at your house.” You looked to him, your face forming into a scowl.

This sent the overdressed man into a blushing mess, his words coming out as broken stutters, his hands fumbling with the hems of his suit. It seems he did that a lot.

“Please ignore him.” Kurapika sighed, obviously embarrassed by his friend’s behavior. “But regarding the object of discussion, I think you should have it back.” With that, he reached his hand out, your rubix cube in his hand.

Your eyes quickly rushed down towards it, your hands quickly snatching from his own, scared that if you touched him, he’d know everything about you.

You let out a soft sigh of relief, putting the cube back in your small bag. Unbeknownst to you, the tape that once held your brother's name, was now somewhere along the ground.

“Thanks.” You muttered, your fingers tingling from where they had brushed against his. “..So, why not break the ice a little? Why are you guys trying to become Hunters?”

The small child opened his mouth to answer, but it seems it was cut short by a blood curdling scream.

You all turned your heads to the noise, being greeted by the sight that was Hisoka.

It seems someone had bumped into him, seeing as they were now in a fetal position on the ground, their arms missing as they disintegrated into little flowers. At least the flowers were pretty.

If matters couldn’t get any more interesting, the large door that you presumed was a wall opened, revealing who looked to be an Examiner.

He wore an all purple suit, his white hair almost looking like a soft lavender. His mustache seemed to cover his mouth, hiding whatever lurked inside of it. His name didn’t matter to you, frankly, none of these people did.

Atleast, that’s what you kept telling yourself.

TYSM FOR READING GUYS!!!!!! ALSO WHAT DO YOU THINK READER’S NEN ABILITY IS????? WGAJDHJWdAJDHkjshdkJhd

I HOPE THIS WAS ENOUGH tO SATISFY YOU THIS WEEK UMMMMMM!!!! LUCILFER READER AND KURAPIKA JUST HAD THEIR IINTRoDuctION TO EACHOTHER SO!!!

[platinummice]

This was a lot more that i thought for some reason, the answers are pretty short and to the point so if you want me to elaborate on something a bit more feel free to ask :)

@rockshortage

What of the Meyers-Briggs personality types they most fit into? INFP, ENFT, et cetera…

Did a take a test to figure this out? Why yes, yes I did. ISFP-T, or Adventurer is what I got for Archer.

Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it?

He sure does, but he doesn’t really know what it is. He mostly just thinks he’s going literally insane. It’s a pretty big reason for him not sticking around people very much even though he craves affection.

Are they good at handling change in their life?

No not really, Archer has a hard time, now more than ever trying to keep his simple life together, he’d prefer it not change as much as possible.

Is your OC a martyr?

He tries pretty hard not to be, or at least to not show that he is. He sees the truth though.

Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others?

Archer is pretty straight forward, if he fucked up he’ll say something. But he’ll make things up for others if he like them enough.

Does your OC compromise easily? Too easily?

I guess it depends? If its not something that matters very much, compromise will be easier, but if he thinks it’s important then he’s going to be harder to bargain with.

Does your OC put others’ needs before their own?

Only his dogs and his friends needs get put before his own. Anyone else? so sorry.

Does your OC have any addictions? If so and problematic, have they admitted it to themselves?

He’s addicted to taking in animals? Seems harmless, but in truth he does it so he has a reason to keep living, which isn’t healthy. I can’t say he’d still be alive if he hadn’t taken Ranger and Fletcher with him the day those raiders killed the rest of his dogs. 

Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

He’s terrified of needles. Thanks mom and dad.

Is your character empathetic?

He is, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to care.

Is your character observant?

Yes, very. Probably because he works with animals a lot, and its very important to notice their body language, so he can read people and situations pretty well. Plus he’s more of a sniper so being observant is important.

What’s one of your OC’s proudest moments of themselves?

He was really proud when he finished building his house, and all the furniture for it.  

Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

He doesn’t get jealous very easily, but even when he does he doesn’t bring it up. He’ll sulk around a bit, and when asked he’ll say he fine. He wont really feel bad about if? Its just an emotion, it happens sometimes.

What instantly irritates them or puts them in a bad mood?

Seeing people hurt animals for no reason. He will throw down. Might not win, but its the thought that counts.

Are they harsh on themselves?

YES.

Do they make excuses often?

Nah he’s pretty fast to admit when he’s doing something wrong.

Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

I mean i didn’t make him like super ugly? But i wasn’t going for amazingly attractive either, so average i guess?

Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

He wears a mask all the time so he really doesn’t care. I mean at one point he had tore most of his hair out and just had a few scattered clumps clinging to his head, but people couldn’t see his face so it didn’t matter to him.

What are some of your OC’s biggest personal obstacles? This could be emotional, physical, social… Are they aware of it? Are they trying to overcome it?

He got some damn big emotional problems, and he recognizes some, like his slowly diminishing will to live. But things like his urge to have someone else control his entire existence he doesn’t really realize are problems. 

Do they believe you have to give respect to get it, or get respect to give it?

Everyone starts off with a set amount of respect. You either get more or have it taken away depending on your actions.

Is your OC considered funny? Do they believe they’re funny?

Arch can be pretty funny, if he has anything its a sense of humor.

Does your OC find any “bad” or “mean” humor funny? Do they wish they didn’t?

Yeah he does, what can you do. No guilt will stop him.

Do they have a large or small group of friends?

He has two dogs and sometimes he works with a stinky man. He thinks Gage is a friend but does Gage think he is a friend? Who knows if Gage will ever tell him.

Do they have people they are genuinely honest with about themselves?

....His dogs?

Does your OC enjoy social events, such as parties, clubs, et cetera..?

He likes talking to people, but if there are too many people around he gets overwhelmed pretty fast.

Does your OC like to be the center of attention or more in the mix?

More in the mix, he gets anxious.

Do they consider themselves superior or more important than anyone else? Lesser?

Arch considers himself less important then most people, thats mental illness babey. 

Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

He’d throw everything to the wind for his dogs. Sorry friends, but they’ve helped him through too much.

Do they believe people change over time? If so, is it a natural process or does it take effort?

Well he knows that he has changed a lot, so why not other people too?

How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

When he was in the Mojave, Joshua taught him about Mormonism, but he didn’t really understand. He remembers some stuff, but after he left he didn’t try to keep up with practicing it. 

Do they believe in an afterlife?

It’s not something he takes time to think about really. That kid of a ‘ill cross that bridge when i get there’ type thing

Would they like to be immortal? Why, why not? If they are immortal, would they rather not be?

He would definitely not like that. He can barely manage his mental health as it is.

Would you say that your OC is intelligent? In what ways? Would your OC agree?

Smart when it comes to plants and animals, just about everything else? Not so smart.

How many languages do they speak?

Speaks exactly one(1) language.

Do they enjoy learning? Do they actively seek out sources of self-education?

He likes learning things, its just getting that knowledge to stick in his head that’s a problem. He doesn’t really seak out knowledge but if he has the chance to ask about things he will.

What sort of home do they live in now, if at all? How did they end up there?

Its just a little shack like building, but he built it and he’s proud.

What’s their ideal home look like? Where is it?

A big ol’ farm house, lots of room for lots of dogs/friends

Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

I dont think so, but it’d be funny as hell.

How handy are they? Can they fix appliances, cars, cabinets, et cetera?

He can fix simple things, cabinets, chairs, dressers. Nothing too much more advanced than that.

How much do they work? What do they do? Do they enjoy it?

He works really all the time. From when he wakes up to when he goes to bed. He basically runs a mini zoo by himself, its a lot of work but he loves it.

How often are they home?

Pretty often, he has animals to take care of.

Are they homebodies and enjoy being home?

Not really, he likes being out and about.

Do they engage in any of the arts? How good do you intend them to be? Would they agree they are?

Archer is actually pretty musically inclined, he’d never admit it though. You might be able to catch him singing to his dogs, if you're lucky.

Would they enjoy a theme park?

Maybe if he could somehow go when there aren’t any people there. That might sill be pushing it. He gets overwhelmed easily.

Is your OC close to their family?

Nope.

Who makes up your OC’s family, at least the more important members to them?

He only ever knew his mom and his dad. If there was anyone else in his family he never met them.

Does your OC find their family supportive? If not, what would be an example why not?

Nah he really doesn’t think they’re supportive of him. They definitely wanted him dead.

What kind of childhood did your OC have?

:)

Did they go through any typical phases growing up?

He went through a lot of things, but never got the chance to be emo.

What is your OC’s orientation, romantic and/or sexual? Has it ever been a source of stress for them? Have they always been pretty sure of their orientation?

I know i said he was strictly gay yesterday but im thinking he’d actually probably be Pan and he’d just lean towards more masculine partners. He hasn’t really thought about his sexuality so he’s never had a reason to be stressed over it.

Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Any space in his mind that was supposed to be used for math and literacy etc. is now storage space for little facts about the people he cares about. He will remember. Oh you said you thought this flower was pretty six an half years ago in passing and i found one so i thought id bring it back for you.

Does your OC believe there’s only one ideal partner (or multiple ideal if not monogamous) for everyone, or that there are many people who could be right?

Probably that there are multiple people who could be right.

Does your OC believe in love in first sight?

He barely even knows what love is, really.

Does your OC believe in marriage (or their culture’s equivalent)?

He doesn’t really understand the point of it but if his S/O wanted it, he’d agree.

Has your OC ever cheated on anyone or been cheated on?

Nope :)

What’s your OC’s idea of a perfect date?

Climb to a really high place, lil picnic, watch the sun set, (maybe hold hands?) look at the stars.

What are some things that your OC finds to be an instant turn-off in potential partners?

Not liking animals. They’re literally his entire life, you cant be with him and not like animals.

What are their favorite kinds of flavors– Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, creamy, et cetera?

Umami. But he’ll literally eat anything, especially if he’s desperate.

Are they vegan/vegetarian (if their overall culture/species generally aren’t)? If so, why? Do they think animal products are wrong in all circumstances?

He doesn’t really eat a lot of meat cause he wants to hurt as few animals as possible. He uses most of the meat he hunts for his animals, and only eats it when there is nothing else, or if there’s the possibility of it going to waste.

How often do they cook? Do they order out a lot?

He cooks pretty often, that being said do NOT eat what he makes! I dont know how he is still alive!

Could they eat the same thing they enjoy over and over and not get bored of it quickly?

Yep, in fact that's basically what he does already. Food is food babey.

Did you create the character to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

Archer wasn’t ever supposed to be like me, and he’s not really, which i think is a good thing?

Would you hang out with your OC if you could?

Yes he needs hugs and I will provide.

What’s the longest you’ve had an OC for?

I’ve technically had Archer for 5 years thats a long time :)

[inspirationdivine]

The Masque of the Red Death || Lydia and Winn

Timing: 27 June Parties: @inspirationdivine @packsbeforesnacks Summary: Winn is invited to a fancy dress auction, but doesn’t realise just how exclusive that invitation is

Boy, rich people sure moved fuckin’ quick. The ink hadn’t even dried on all the documents Nate had had Winn sign before the werewolf was gettin’ letters slipped under his front door. Despite the house’s age, and Winn’s plans to gut the place, he’d decided to move in, not really needin’ more than a mattress and a kitchen to keep him happy-ish. And he really, really needed to get the fuck out of the same house as his dad. He’d left him Denny, for now, and it had been nice, bonding or whatever, but Winn was a goddamn adult, and maybe had, like, an almost-boyfriend now. He refused to bring Noah into the same house that Daniel ‘let me tell you all about my original Chaucer’ Woods lived in. But thinkin’ about Noah did bring a smile to his masked face. 

The carved wooden mask of a wolf was a bit on-the-snout, but funny as hell, to Winn. ‘Sides, no one would guess. They’d all be wearin’ masks from all over the animal kingdom, if the invitation was anything to go by. Why you needed to wear a mask to a silent auction was beyond Winn — and, God did he hate these things, but makin’ a good impression was important, with rich folks especially, he knew from years tailing his mother at charity dinners. But the vibe felt… off, as he made his way through the crowd. Like he’d broken one of those stupid unspoken rules, somehow. It wasn’t his suit — there were people wearin’ far more outrageous (he assumed?) colors than purple here — so what could it have been? He stopped at a painting, pretending to understand the abstract shapes and what he (again, totally just guessin’) he took as a bold color choice. It looked messy, and a bit ugly, given his color-blindness. Maybe he really wouldn’t ever get art.

Lydia had never lived in so small a town that had such a thriving elite supernatural community. She’d never lived in so small a town, either. It wasn’t too surprising that so many of the rich and wealthy were supernatural beings, with their longer lives, lack of needs for conventional expenses, extensive networking skills, and all the other ways that put them above the average human. It was even more lovely to be surrounded by people who felt the same, in one way or another. These events, for all their glamour and fun, had oh so many rules. A costumed silent auction with no allowances for pheromones, compulsion, or other unsavory reality distortions. Then again, in a hall where the only humans were the waitstaff, was it really a necessary rule? 

Lydia wandered around, holding her champagne in a white gloved hand as she mingled and chit chatted with the crowd, especially anyone that made her chest hum. Oh dear. Lydia paused, eyeing the young man by a Wassily Kandinsky piece, with a wolf mask. She winced, and hoped that he was either a fool or altogether much too new to these things, and not some human trying to sneak in. Surely the outside guards had already checked him, but still… the mask was incredibly tacky. “Making quite the statement there, aren’t you?”

Hearing a woman’s voice from behind him, Winn turned, regarding her own mask with interest. It was a bit hard to tell through Winn’s colorblindness, but he could tell the shape of a hummingbird. Long, elegant, and very, very fancy. Winn wondered if those were real feathers. He didn’t know anything about the woman, but the mask… suited her, Winn decided. He looked down at his outfit, then back up at the woman. “I’m not quite sure I know what you mean? No one has ever told me I don’t clean up well, though, so I hope it’s not the suit.” He winked through the mask, grabbing a flute of champagne for himself from a passing waiter. “I’m— Ah, I only just moved to the East End, so you’ll have to excuse me if I’ve made some sort of mistake. Never been one for following the rules.” He grinned, wolfish and self-sure. “I’d ask your name, but that probably defeats the purpose of these,” he tapped the mask on one of its carved ears, “and what’s in a name, really?” 

“Oh, not at all, the suit fits you like a glove. You look positively dashing,” Lydia replied with a grin, looking him up and down. Maybe not necessarily new money, but certainly young money, in both his appearance and attitude. Although, some species ended up rather frozen at a certain age both physically and mentally, did they not? “Oh, I’m not so sure the masks are for secrecy. I’m Lydia, just so that you have something to call me by. I was only commenting on your mask. Wearing another species as costume is rather passe, don’t you think?”

“Uh,” Winn said, intelligently, “I thought that was the whole… point? I mean, unless you’re secretly a hummingbird, right? No one’s wearing a human mask, so we’re all breaking that, right? It was on the invitation. Wear an animal.” He scanned the crowd, trying to figure out if there was anyone without a mask, but the only exceptions were the waitstaff. “I’m Winn. Call me Winn. So…” He grinned. “This is the part where you tell me you are a hummingbird, I take it?”

“Winn,” Lydia repeated with a smile, offering him a faux curtsy. Although, her smile was entirely quizzical as she looked around the room, at the shining floor and glittering diamond chandeliers, and all the kinds of people around them, wondering if somehow they hadn’t come to the same event. “Darling, do you not… realise that no one in this room is human, spare a couple of spellcasters and the waitstaff?”

Well, fuck a duck. “Oh,” Winn said, a soft syllable in the air. He gestured to his wolf mask, dumbly. “So, does everyone know I’m a…” The question hung in the space between them. “Or do they just think I’m an asshole?” He started laughing, ‘cause, really? It was funny as hell. First non-wolf supernatural shindig he’d been to, and he’d already managed to fall face first into a stupid rule. “I— Wow, okay. Alright. So, guess I should’ve thought this one through a little more. Y’know, I was wonderin’ how they got my address. I’d literally just signed the papers.”

“Well, now I do, which is ever so slightly less tasteless than dressing up as someone else’s species. Not all that original, either,” Lydia said, but it was with such a soft smile that it was obvious she was teasing. “No, not that, but you do rather stand out like a sore thumb. If you’re new to all this, though, I’m sure all will be forgiven quickly. Besides, I’m talking to you now, we’ll have a crowd in a hurry.” Lydia smiled, offering her arm for him. “Let me get you a drink. Are you planning on bidding on anything tonight?”

“Oh boy.” Winn huffed out a sigh of relief. “That would have been awkward, huh?” He took Lydia’s proffered arm, setting his downed glass of champagne — ugh, he really hated that shit — and letting her lead him to… assumedly the bar? Lydia wasn’t wrong, though, a crowd did seem to flit about them, seemingly drawn into Lydia’s sheer force of personality. “Um,” Winn said, thinking through much of what he’d seen, “if I’m bein’ totally honest, I’m a little worried now that anything I buy would end up cursed?” He raised his free hand to the back of his head, running it through. “How, uh, about you?”

Lydia smiled, ordering a drink from the bar and gesturing for him to do the same, ‘on her tab’.  “Well, some of the items in here are cursed. Some bewitched, some haunted, some just have attitude.”  She smiled, gesturing around the room. “That one, there, the painting of the lady at a cliffside, can you see the markings on the ceiling above it? Warding signs.”

Sipping his new (and extremely fruity) drink, Winn followed Lydia’s gaze. “Attitude?” Winn questioned openly, taking in the painting that Lydia had pointed out. Glyphs, sure enough, were dotted on the ceiling in, what appeared to Winn to be, nonsense shapes. “And warding from what? Are there, like, ghosts in the paintings?” He got the sense that question was dumb, maybe, but Lydia had to know he was, somewhat, new at this.

With their drinks in hand, Lydia led him along the gallery, speaking lowly even though she knew there were plenty around that could overhear, no matter how quietly she spoke. “Yes, that one is haunted. This sculpture of a face in pain contains vampire ash, and has a bit of an attitude. Then these coins, believed to be from Roman Aos Sí, are entirely fake. So, tell me, what do you want to know?”

“Oh, Lydia,” Winn said with a lopsided grin. “I want to know everything.”

[hollyhomburg]

HOW DO YOU SLEEP? (KTH X Reader)

Tags: Friends with benefits to lovers au, bad behavior, Taehyung is kind of a dick, mentions of the reader being unattractive, insecurity, sex/ hook ups mentioned. 

W/C: 1.5k

Taehyung has a one night stand with a girl, and it’s the best night of his life- literally makes him almost pass out from how good good it is, but the girl...definitely doesn't fit the normal standards of beauty. 

You’re aware of this, you know that you’re not idol attractive, but Taehyung never makes you feel bad about it or insecure. at least not when you’re having sex.

Though in the industry would call you ugly and anyone else would just call you average. taehyung can’t get enough of you especially once you start hanging out as regularly as he can after you blow his mind (sometimes literally). 

and it’s not just the sex sometimes, its the way you play with his hands after he’s done, the way that you sit with him in his studio, the way he genuinely has fun with you feeling lighter than he does like- ever, when you occasionally do something that's not sex- and meet up more frequently with explicitly non-sexual things planned.

And Taehyung is like an inch away from saying he’s in love with you. But here’s the thing, you haven't met the boys yet. And Taehyung is a little bit worried about the judgement from the rest of his group and the media. i mean it's just a natural thing to be worried about right, natural to be afraid of the judgement of who he’s with? 

He’s used to ushering you out in the early hours of the morning which definitely isn’t a kind thing to do-he knows that. Hates himself every single fucking time he does it and makes sure to text you back after. taehyung has lost track of how many times he’s said he’s sorry. 

He makes up for it in better ways, like treating you to fancy dinners in delicious restaurants that it usually takes years to get reservations in, and more than a few designer handbags in exchange for his less than okay behavior. 

Taehyung is a little too good at apologizing, and you’re a little too- maybe not in love with him yet, but sometimes when you have a spare morning, when you can linger and brush his bangs back from his forehead- you think one day you could be. 

most of the time- you and taehyung have so much fun together, you’re always giggling and laughing and being ridiculous even in the middle of sex or a convenience store after he’d forgotten to buy condoms and made a stupid joke about blowing them up into balloons. 

on the bad days when he can’t sleep- you’re the one he calls, sometimes you don’t even have sex, sometimes you just go on long walks with taehyung holding onto your hand like its the only thing keeping him tethered to earth. 

He’s about to introduce you to the guys, to ask you to come out with them to a family dinner. but he happens to but dial you at the worst time when he’s talking to the others about you- just jimin- his best friend for ages. confessing all of his fears, how much he thinks he loves you how happy you make him. 

but you don’t hear any of the good parts only the bad, listening in with taehyung unaware, “she’s obviously not the best looking, but man, you have no idea, sometimes at night it’s like i dont even want to sleep because it’s so good. obviously i’d already be dating her if she where a little prettier, and i know it’s going that way anyway- but i’m just unsure about the judgement minnie,” 

“Can you show me a picture- oh tae” his sympathetic voice, and then taehyung's “oh shit for some reason i accidentally called her” where he listens, says your name a few times on the other side of the phone before he registers that there must be something wrong with the phone and hangs up himself.  

That night when Tae inevitably booty calls you, you’re very careful to make it the best night ever for him. bringing out all the stops, giving more than you get. But also to detach yourself from the situation, this- this isn’t about love or wanting, with every roll of your hips, with every inch that taehyung falls apart- it feels more about getting even. About proving something to him. 

When you’re done, you get up right after, you don’t linger in his arms even though they look so so inviting. You know the strength they hide and how safe you can feel in them but you don’t want it anymore. Taehyung’s so hazy and fucked out that he only really realizes you're not coming back to bed when he watches you stumble back into your high heels. “aren’t you gonna stay and cuddle?” 

 “Nope, see you around taehyung,” he pouts, a little upset, his arms feel vacant without you in them but yeah- he understands why you wouldn't want to say when he has to leave so early in the morning for practice. you’d barely be able to sleep before he had to wake you up and sneak you out. 

He lies awake in bed, thinking about how you only ever really call him tae and not by his full name, not since you’d met almost a year ago. and he suspects something might be wrong, but goes to sleep he has a full schedule tomorrow after all. maybe he can take you out for coffee tomorrow or something, or maybe dinner the next day. 

On the way home in your car, you have to pull over and stop because of how you're crying- because really- fuck kim taehyung for making you feel insecure, for making you feel like you where only worth sex. you’re 100% certain that you never want to see his face again. 

he knows something must be up when you start dodging his calls, when he gets left on read night after night, but Tae can’t stop trying, can’t stop double and triple texting.

 I need you so bad baby maybe he really was addicted 

Are you just going to leave it like this? at least tell me if we’re through so i know if i should be hopeful or crushed. 

and then the inevitable begging, won't you just talk to me? please tell me what i did wrong so i can make it better

but you dont respond, not for the first month, you’d intended that night to be the last, and you know that you’ll just fall back into him like all the other planets and girls in his orbit if you see him again. (You don’t know that taehyung was just seeing you, only hooking up with you through the entirety of your relationship- if you could even call it a relationship.) 

then you accidentally run into each other and he accuses you of ghosting him, kind of a little sad and a little petty. And you blow up about how he never treated you right and there are cameras and videos of you screaming at each other in lotte mart from a bystanders and it goes to the media and viral almost instantly. 

And suddenly your social media accounts are blowing up with people wondering who you are and criticizing your appearance, which is exactly what taehyung didn’t want to happen. 

Call him shallow about being honest about your looks but he knew what the media was like. how it could pick apart even the best looking and most genuine people out there and he didn’t want that to happen to you.

Taehyung goes on vlive to confront it, and manages to talk through it all without specifying anything, without addressing you. 

“Would you guys believe me if I told you that I’ve grown over the past year? in the last year, I've realized that love isn’t just about late nights or looks, but it’s about intimacy and another person's soul matching yours. I strongly believe in soulmates and I think i've met mine.  

“I think maybe in the past, i've acted in a bad way because of my predispositions and by what i was taught was important. looks- looks aren’t important in a relationship, and i know that now, what’s really important is who a person is, and how well their soul matches yours. i want to teach you guys this. Maybe you won’t make the same mistakes as I did, and you’ll fix how you think before it’s too late.” 

You watch the vlive- of course you do, you need to know what he’s saying to his fans, and you’re surprised as the broadcast ends. And suddenly, you're reconsidering it all, reconsidering taehyung, even as your phone next to you dings, with a text from taehyung. 

I know it’s too late for us, but i believe that if you love someone then you owe it to them to say it and tell them... so this is me telling you i love you okay? you understand that it’s him telling you that. you fiddle with your phone for a minute. After a second you send something back to him, and shoving your phone away from you on your bed hoping you don’t regret this. 

Where are you right now? we need to talk. 

[razorblade180]

Sparks Fly (crumbling purity prequel)

[Beacon, JNPR’s dorm] *cough* lewd *cough*

Nora:*listening to music on her bed and reading. Shoes off but in uniform* 🎶Now it’s time to say goodbye! To the things we love, and the innocence of-

Jaune:*walking in disheveled* Hey Nora.....

Nora:Woah, hey there Jaune. You look....barely put together.

Jaune:That sort of somes up my life at the moment. Where’s Pyrrha and Ren?

Nora:Ren is teaching Yang a new style of fighting and Pyrrha went to a play with Blake.

Jaune:.......Really?

Nora:Yeah it surprised me too. Guess the two have something in common.

Jaune:The more you know. *takes off shoes, tie, and blazer before plopping onto his bed* oh bed how I’ve missed you....

Nora:.....Are you okay Jaune? You seem uncharacteristically out of energy. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen you out of energy.

Jaune:I don’t want to talk about.

Nora:*pouting* Jaune let’s not play this game. With a single press of a button I can tell Pyrrha that you’re sad. Then she’ll rework her entire day to make sure you’re okay. Do you really want to steal Pyrrha from Blake when you can just talk to me.

Jaune:*flips onto his back* Wow that’s very tactical, devious, and caring all at once. Maybe you should be leader hehe.

Nora:No one is prepared for my time to rule. You were definitely the safe decision.

Jaune:*smiles* I’ve just been feeling down in the dumps is all. Average grades that aren’t improving, training is a snails pace, flirting is a nightmare, and I’m just sort of feeling like not really being of use that much. I’m spinning my wheels over here.

Nora:Hmmm sounds like you’re in a serious rut. Honestly same, not leaving as many impressions as I thought I’d be. Maybe I should branch out more or something. Who knows, maybe find a date.

Jaune:*sits up* Wait.....aren’t you and Ren-

Nora:I wish!!! Sadly though my advances mean nothing. Can’t really blame him though; must be boring looking at the same girl your whole life.

Jaune:*throws a pillow at her face* Never speak negative about yourself like that. You’re wonderful and we both know Ren would think that.

Nora:*hugging the pillow* Thanks, maybe I’m just trying too hard. Recently I’ve been easing off and just letting the day go by. How’s talking to Weiss?

Jaune:.........

Nora:I’m sorry I asked.

Jaune:Don’t be, we talk a little. I can tell she’s just being nice so I don’t really start conversations anymore.

Nora:Ouch, if you ask me you’re too good for her. Nice, handsome, and sincere. Totally a loss on her part.

Jaune:You think I’m handsome?

Nora:Duh, I’m starting to think it’s a requirement to even attend here. I haven’t seen one ugly person; you’re definitely near the top.

Jaune:I think you might be the only one with that opinion. For the record, you’re definitely really pretty. How are we the ones doing the flirting!?

Nora:*laughs* we’re caught up looking at other people that are equally or better looking.

Jaune:Makes sense; not to mention I don’t scream “perfect boy” really.

Nora:You could get laid if you wanted too.

Jaune:Pfft yeah right. I wouldn’t know the first thing to do.

Nora:Of course not; you’re a virgin. Hell, I wouldn’t know what do either if things did happen with Ren or anybody. I’m just as clean as you are.

Jaune:Guys are sort of into stuff like that though. From what I seen, a clean slate isn’t too attractive around here for girls.

Nora:.....I shouldn’t tell you this but I feel like you should know that if you really needed a girl to please you then Pyrrha would-

Jaune:Can’t do it; she’s into me way too much.

Nora:YOU KNOW!?

Jaune:I’m not dense, I just don’t know how to deal with that level of stress. I do appreciate her but I can’t date her knowing the amount of effort she’d put into the relationship is just beyond something I feel. It’s not right.

Nora:....That’s some deep stuff.

Jaune:Looks like I’m back to square one.

Nora:We need people that are on the same page when it comes sex

Jaune:Intimate but not too intimate....

Nora:Easy to get comfortable with. Like....

Jaune and Nora: A friend......

Nora:......

Jaune:......

Nora:What’s with the silence?

Jaune:What’s with your silence?

Nora:Just...had something cross my mind. It’s a bit crazy though and totally-

Jaune:Risky? What are the odds that we’re thinking similar things?

Nora:I’d say....pretty good. Question is, are we just talking about? *clearing her bed*

Jaune:Nora.....

Nora:I mean can you think of a better situation than this? A better person than someone who knows what it feels like to want to be....enough?

Jaune:No protection....

Nora:I’m safe....

Jaune:This is sudden.....

Nora:Extremely, I’m nervous too

Jaune:What if it’s weird?

Nora:Oh it’s gonna be a bit weird.

Jaune:What if-

Nora:What if this is just what we need? Hunting grimm and dealing with teenagers our age is stressful. If there’s any guy besides Ren that I would feel safe with it’s you. *red* I....would be happy if I could do this with you.

Jaune.....*red* We should set up ground rules just in case.

Nora:*eyes widened* Seriously!? You’re in!?

Jaune:Well....I would be happy if you were the one I’d did this with too.

Nora:C...cool. So, ground rules?

Jaune:Anything I should know not to do? Like is kissing allowed or are our clothes staying on....

Nora:*snorts* If I’m about to let you do me then do you really think I wouldn’t allow kissing?

Jaune:Hey it’s a serious question! That’s very intimate for some people.

Nora:Jaune your mouth will be allowed anywhere unless I say otherwise. *gestures to her body*

Jaune:*blushing* Same to you....

Nora:As far as clothes go, you might want to remove yours and grab a towel from the restroom.....

Jaune:Why?

Nora:*blushing* You know.... because of reasons. If all goes well then something may or may not happen to me that will.....ruin sheets.

Jaune:Oh....*red*Ooooooohhhhhh! Really? That happens to you?

Nora:On occasions....can we please talk about something else?

Jaune:*grabbing a towel* Just be honest with me about anything. Pain, stopping, preference, etc.

Nora:*smiling*

Jaune:What?

Nora:Nothing, you’re just raised really well is all.

Jaune:Yeah well, I’m not trying to make this a mistake we’ll regret. Especially if I end up doing something that wrongs you.

Nora:Jaune, walk over here for me*

*he sits right next to her on the side of the bed*

Jaune:Yes?

Nora:Have you ever kissed anyone?

Jaune:N....no.

Nora:Neither have I....*carfully cups his face and kisses him gently for a minute*......

Jaune:Umm woah, that was really....really... *leaning in*

Nora:Yeah it was....*giving him another kiss*

This was definitely a new experience for them; one that they didn’t know could be so feverish until Nora found herself putting Jaune on his back for leverage. He certainly didn’t mind as she then got on top of him to continue their first ever make out session. Surprisingly, her body fit rather nice pressed up against his.

Jaune:I think I’m starting to see why people make a big deal out of kissing.

Nora:*giggling* Is someone finally loosening up? Don’t be afraid to get a little touchy with me if you want. *kissing his neck*

Jaune:*flustered* (I shouldn’t be surprised she’s taking the lead and yet......)

He tries not to overthink everything and follows her example by showing her neck some affection; earning him some interesting noises as a reward. Instinctively his hands gravitate towards her upper thighs and above. Honestly all of his actions are being played by ear. However, there’s one trick he’s eager to try from his his sparring sessions.

Jaune:Uhhh Nora? Might be a good time for us to get a bit more comfortable.

Nora:Sounds good to me. You look like you’re still caught up in your own head.

Jaune:Nah, I was focusing. *holding up a pair of white panties*

Nora:Wait are those....how did.....I didn’t even feel your hands.....what!?

Jaune:Pyrrha says I’m naturally light handed and it lets my sword glide and flow with my movements. So she taught me how put weight on them if I need to. *his other getting more firm and making Nora yelp. Letting her know exactly where it is*

Nora:*Dark pink* That’s....*huff* a very useful skill to have. T..too useful!

Jaune:As much as I’m enjoying this, my clothes?

She reluctantly gets off of him and let’s him stand up. They both notice his school pants are slightly damp.

Jaune:*red*.......

Nora:*covering her face* Ooops....I’m sorry.

Jaune:It’s fine it’s just...woah. *chuckles* should I have to worry about drowning today?

Nora:*hits him with the towel* Not funny! Not my fault my body likes your hands. Just hurry up and get undressed. *lays towel down*

Jaune:I’m just teasing a bit. I actually don’t mind at all. *undressing*

Nora:You’re lucky I appreciate you. If anyone else said that then-.......

Whatever her comeback was got derailed when she saw him in boxers. Sure in a coed dorm you’re bound to get peeks of each other but an unobstructed view was another thing. Toned but lean; it was nice.

Jaune:I know...I’m not really bulky or anything like that. I’ve been working out more but I’m still-

Nora:Jaune, get that toxic masculinity out of here; you look just fine. *kissing him again* Ren isn’t exactly the buffest around but I think he looks just fine. You’re no different. I’m only annoyed you stopped at the boxers.

Jaune:*smiling* Says the girl who’s still has mostly everything o-

Nora:*Topless* You were saying? I wasn’t gonna let you be the only one putting on a show. *playfully swaying towards him and rests her arms on his shoulders* So....am I doing anything for ya? I’m not exactly Yang or Pyrrha but-

Jaune:You’re beautiful....gorgeous even.

Nora:......*leans on his chest* good grief....

Jaune:Uhhhh Nora?

Nora:*overwhelmed* You’re gonna make me think some things with compliments like that. I was expecting physical satisfaction, not emotional.

One of his arms snakes around her waist as the other continues to make her flinch by continuing its exploration under her skirt. Taking it off would be easy but it sort of made things more interesting. The thrill of feeling rather than simply seeing. Only one thing was obvious, that towel was a good idea.....

Jaune:*devious smile* Not to ruin the mood but it would really suck for your semblance to go off right now.

Nora:*giggling* Oh my gosh....

Jaune:I’m just saying getting electrocuted already hurts when a person is dry. My hand is far from that right now; I’d say pretty soaked.

Nora:Don’t act you’re not proud of it you dork. *kissing his chest*

Jaune:*gets her back on the bed and pins her* Yeah, feeling good about myself right now.

Nora:*slightly sweaty* You know I’m ready for things to get serious right? *huff* I could make you feel really good about yourself in other ways if you’re ready?

Jaune:Not nervous at all are you?

Nora:*shakes her head* Should I be? I trust you, I know I’m safe with you here. You lead me in battle; this bed is just another battlefield right?

Jaune: “No fear, no surrender.” *smile*

Nora:Now you’re catching on. Let’s get the real fun started already fearless leader; it’s not nice keeping a girl all flustered like this. *attempting to slow her breathing*

Jaune:As you wish. *takes off boxers*

Nora:.......*dark red* (Weiss, oh if only you knew how badly you messed up right now) C...can you do me a favor?

Jaune?

Nora:Gently please? Like as much as possible?

Jaune:*kisses her gently* Of course...

*25 minutes later*

Nora embarrassingly sits on the floor in her workout clothes as Jaune removes a now severely damp towel and skirt that might as well be thrown away. He’s just wearing shorts and a tank top.

Nora:In hindsight, that skirt should’ve really came off.

Jaune: I’m really glad you told me to take my clothes off. At least a skirt is faster to replace than an entire uniform.

Nora:Sorry for making you clean up alone. I’d help but my legs don’t feel like moving; they’re not feeling anything right now actually.

Jaune:You gonna be okay? I wasn’t a fan of seeing you tear up.

Nora:Don’t worry about me. I just really want to sleep right now. Is my bed ready?

Jaune:*bridal carriers her* No problem oh Queen of the castle.

Nora:Consider the castle officially stormed; by a knight no less. Thanks for doing something like this with me. It was fun; I felt like I was....

Jaune:Enough? Same here...*kisses her forehead* Now gets some rest before-

Pyrrha:*walks in* I’m ba-.... hello?

Jaune:....

Nora:Sup Pyrrha!

Pyrrha:.....What am I looking at right now?

Nora:Jaune and I did some exercise and I overdid it. I can’t tell you how sore I’m already feeling. My legs are totally worthless right now, so our wonderful leader decided to carry me to bed.

Pyrrha:Must have been really rough if you’re like this.

Nora:I’m honestly surprised that I took everything it had to give. Definitely gonna have to do it again sometime.

Jaune:Wait, really?

Nora:Definitely, just until something happens and it’s no longer really viable or needed anymore. Is that good with you?

Jaune:*smiles*Sounds like a plan.

Pyrrha:Hmmmm well don’t push yourselves too hard. I’m gonna go shower, bye guys *leaves*

Jaune:Laying the gym jokes a little hard don’t you think?

Nora:You were “laying it on me” a little hard just awhile ago. *wink*

Jaune:*blushing* Why are you like this?

Nora:All’s well that ends well.

Pyrrha:Have either of you seen my towel?

Jaune and Nora:........crap, wrong towel.

[aion-rsa]

The CW’s Coroner is the Quiet Contemplation of Grief We Need Right Now

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In one of the pandemic’s pop culture gifts, The CW is now airing CBC’s 2019 drama Coroner, which has already aired 2 seasons in Canada and has been renewed for a third. Serinda Swan plays Jenny Cooper, an ER doctor who, when we first meet her in the premiere, has lost her husband suddenly to a brain aneurysm that occurred at their teenage son’s swim meet. Jenny quits her job and becomes a coroner, moving her son Ross (Ehren Kassam) out of the city to a ramshackle home of one of the first deceased people she examines, a home that comes with its own handyman, Liam Bouchard (Éric Bruneau, in a rare English-speaking role).

Is the title a bit on the nose? Yes. Is the title card perhaps the most CW thing I’ve ever seen? Sure. Do I wish Ross hadn’t said “obvs” in the pilot when talking about how he wished his father hadn’t died? I think you know the answer to that is also a resounding “obvs.” Is the use of a black dog as a symbol of grief, whether it’s a reference to a hellhound, a grim, or the hound of heaven, quite obvious? Absolutely.

But there’s something distinctly Canadian in the show’s quiet, contemplative approach to grief that we need right now. There’s a stillness to it, an unwillingness to flinch from reality coupled with a touch of gallows humor that makes it feel like a show about death and grief made by people who actually know what it’s like. At a time when so many of us can’t grieve as we’d normally like to, and when there’s a dearth of national mourning that’s so badly needed, pop culture can be something of a release valve, holding some of the space we don’t have elsewhere in our lives. 

Too often, televised grief is all gnashing of teeth and histrionic fits, public spectacles at climactically inopportune moments and graceful breakdowns, crying that’s just the right amount of funny or authentic without ever tipping into true ugly-cry territory. But on Coroner, grief isn’t convenient or pretty or even something the show can wrap its arms around in a few episodes or, presumably, a season. It’s something Jenny and Ross are swimming in, and likely will be for the rest of their lives, like so many of the people Jenny meets through her job, the loved ones of the deceased people she examines.

Unlike many other takes on women’s grief and trauma, the show doesn’t rely on the usual obvious visual cues. Jenny doesn’t drink giant goblets of red wine in the tub or cry in the shower. While she does do “the dramatic chop” and cuts off all her hair after her husband dies, the show lampshades it with her son and his boyfriend joking about it and how she’s coping.

At a time of global mourning that is anything but ordinary, there’s something comforting about a show that acknowledges how deeply weird and inconvenient grief can be. Death has always had a weird side, something we strive hard not to acknowledge here in the U.S., and the pandemic has only exacerbated it. Transporting bodies is suddenly more complicated as states censure one another for their COVID-19 levels, and there’s a cap on how many people can attend funerals, causing some to opt for gatherings over zoom or hold off until some unknown future time when we can all be together.

The only thing stranger than grief is grief delayed, and in their own way, both Jenny and her son attempt some version of it. They flee the city. They often tiptoe around talking about him and the impact his death has had on their lives, including the immense financial toll his hidden gambling addiction took posthumously. Jenny goes to therapy and is on some form of medication, but it’s clear she’s uncomfortable opening up and mostly just trying to keep her head above water.

Jenny retreats from her entire life and especially her profession, unable to face what it means that she, a doctor, couldn’t save her own husband, laying an immense burden at her own feet. Ross retreats from the swim team – his father died at a meet, but more than that, his father was the overly-involved parent who harangued his son toward greatness. Without his father, the sport feels empty and scary.

Coroner leans into the weird in its most extreme with Jenny changing her job and moving them out of Toronto into rural Canada, but the smaller moments of strangeness are perhaps more recognizable to the average viewer. Jenny accepts an offer from Liam, the kind, hot handyman (a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who clearly has his own trauma to process) to grab drinks, and then vacillates between treating it like a date and therapy. When Jenny meets other women who have lost their spouses, she often hesitates to tell them how acutely she knows their pain, still unsure of her new identity as a widow – even more so when people see her wedding ring.

To be clear, Jenny isn’t the weird one here – it’s the situations that arise in a society that is simply ill-equipped to handle an adult woman straightforwardly saying, “my husband just died, but I haven’t stopped wearing my wedding ring yet.” So usually-matter-of-fact Jenny stutter-steps, contorting herself around these strange situations, never sure when to tell the truth and when to shield everyone else around her from her grief. Far too often, other people’s comfort is just one more burden laid at the feet of the grieving.

One of the moments that plays strangest is also one of the best – when a fellow widow calls Jenny lucky because her husband died of an aneurysm. She must realize how she sounds because she looks back at Jenny and says, “I’m sorry, but you are!” There’s something so deeply honest about her saying so, even if we, the audience, know that death-by-aneurysm actually made his death uniquely painful for Jenny.

It’s the kind of thing only another widow would say, and for just a few conversations in that episode, Jenny isn’t bending to polite company, trying to cry in her car so her new coworkers don’t see it. She’s just one widow giving it straight to another widow – and I doubt Jenny would’ve solved the case without that clarity of insight.

Early on, multiple characters question Jenny’s fitness for her job, assuming she can’t handle so much exposure to death and the darkest of humanity, in spite of her experience as an ER doctor. It’s an odd assumption – after all, what does an intimate knowledge of trauma and grief even look like? But they don’t know that Jenny lives and breathes death and despair, because she has what Stephen Colbert has called his “secret name.” In an interview with Oprah about the loss of his father and two older brothers, he explained:

“For years, I sort of thought that was my secret name. That that loss was my name. I like the idea that you have a secret name. You have your name but then you have a secret name, and that’s a name that no one can ever really pronounce because that’s who you are. And there’s a magic to your secret name. And that was my secret name, the loss of my father and my brothers.” 

Jenny very much has a secret name, one she protects fiercely. Whether or not you believe losing her husband changed her from the person she was meant to be, she’s certainly not the person she once was. After a loss, none of us are. But Coroner allows us to watch – both in real time and for the long haul – as grief changes Jenny and Russ, and as they remake themselves around their grief. At a time like this, there’s something uncommonly comforting and even hopeful in that honesty.

The post The CW’s Coroner is the Quiet Contemplation of Grief We Need Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/33978Rt

[leximpwrites]

Seeker 1

The first part of my current project! Please bear in mind that this is still a work in progress, and these may or may not be the final versions. As always, feedback is appreciated and encouraged! Also an fyi, these chapters will probably average between 1,500 and 2,500 words each, so I’ll be sticking them behind page breaks. Also just so you guys know what you’re getting into. Lol

@officialleehadan​ @kitvinslakte​ @nox919​ @dierotenixe​ @stuck-in-theclouds​ @gyvorn12​ @apenvssword​ @wildforestferret​ @krceramics​ @starsdreaming​ @wordsdreaming

The musical ringing of a sword clearing its sheath is actually the first sign of trouble, though to be completely honest, I'm really not paying attention to the rest of the bar. I'm intent on the map in front of me, and the places the owner is marking on it. 

I turn to look over my shoulder and see three toughs, blades drawn, facing off against a pair of personal guards who are escorting a young noble boy, and who is currently hiding behind them. 

"Ye spilled mah drink, ye stupid cur!" snarls the largest of the three. He has the rolling burr of the mountain tribes to the north, and a face only a mother could love, nose clearly having been broken in three places, several ugly scars, and a large wart on his left cheek. 

"Back off, commoner!" the older of the two guards growls back, a short sword in one hand, a long knife in the other. He has the air of an experienced fighter, and I would bet good money on him being able to handle any two of the three in front of him without too much effort. "I'm no fool! You were trying to lift milord's purse!"

"Liar!" the northerner yells, and lunges forward. 

He doesn't even get close.

I'm always impressed with how quiet my apprentice can be when he has a mind to. Even I'm slightly surprised when Jax seems to materialize out of nowhere behind the three thugs. He catches the leader almost out of midair, and tosses him halfway across the room. The thug lands on a table, which was never made to take that kind of abuse, and crashes to the floor. Before the other two can react, he grabs each one by their collars, and slams them into each other. Stunned, they collapse in a heap on the floor.

The situation dealt with, Jax looks up and catches my eye, before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, sir."

"No, good job, Jax," I tell him approvingly. I turn back to the barkeep and hand him several gold regents, and then several more. "These are for the mess and table, and those are for the information." 

He bobs his head gratefully and pockets the coins. "Thankee, Sir Seeker," he says with a genuine smile. "You an' yours are always welcome 'ere." 

I nod my thanks and signal to Jax to pick up the two at his feet while I retrieve the northerner from the wreckage of the table. The young noble and his two guards take that as their cue and quietly slip out the door. I make a mental note of the house sigil on one of the guards sleeves. I’ll pay them a visit tomorrow and make sure the boy is alright. It never hurts to cultivate goodwill amongst the upper class.

"We'll drop this trash off at the Guard house on our way back to the barracks," I say, both to the barkeep and to Jax, before we turn and head outside. It's raining lightly, typical for this time of year, and it rouses the three miscreants from their semi-conscious daze. They struggle briefly, dismayed to find themselves in the custody of two Seekers. I keep a close eye on them, wary of any tricks they might have. A hidden blade, or some other unpleasantness.

"So, what did the barkeep give us, sir?" Jax asks, shoving the two men ahead of him roughly as we head down the stone street. Imperial Engineers are truly masters of their craft, the road paved with broad, triangular stones.

"Some good, solid information, and a worrying pattern," I tell him, retrieving the city map from the belt pouch I had stuffed it into. The bartender had marked a number of spots, and I point them out. "Look at the number of sightings there have been in just this district alone."

"What do you think, a nest?" he asks after looking it over, sounding a little nervous. Sometimes I forget that despite his size, Jax is still a lad. 

"Most likely," I reply as we round a corner and spot the Guard house up ahead. The soldier on duty salutes us smartly, and hands our prisoners off to one of his subordinates after we explain what happened.

I resume our conversation once we head back out into the rain. "Probably a new queen in the catacombs under the city trying to stake out its territory."

I suppose I should introduce myself before we get any further into my tale, huh?

My name is Zepara Alchanic, and I, along with my apprentice Jaxus Luteno, are Royal Seekers currently stationed in Throne City, the capital of the Human Empire. 

And what are Seekers, you ask? We're monster hunters. Damn good ones, too. Tailor made for our job through a series of alchemical and magical transformations called The Proofing. It gives us the physical traits we need to fight monsters, and years of training gives us the skills.

Sometimes, in my darker moments, I wonder just how much we give up to become what we are. 

But usually, I feel the trade is worth it. I am very good at what I do. Technically my oath is to serve the Eternal King, but I see it as less loyalty to the crown, and more loyalty to the nation and its people. My job is to hunt down and destroy monsters that threaten the lives of everyday citizens. 

But back to my tale. 

I give Jax's shoulder an encouraging pat, despite the fact that I have to reach well above my own head to do it.

 "Don't worry, lad," I say, careful to keep my tone light. No need to worry the boy. "Even a full nest isn't much of a threat to a pair of Seekers who know what they're headed into. Just stick by me, remember your training, and you'll be fine." 

That seems to lift his spirits, and he nods, then begins studiously checking over his gear. I watch him for a moment, making sure he’s doing it properly. Satisfied he’s going about it just as I taught him, I follow suit. A Seeker relies on their gear. If your gear fails you in a fight, you’re dead, pure and simple.

Taking on a shade nest would actually be a good challenge for Jax, now that I think about it. He’s been progressing well since I became his mentor four years ago, but he tends to underestimate himself, and it holds him back a little. This will be a good way to show him what he can really do, and give his ego a healthy boost in the process. 

We finish our gear-check just as we reach the entrance to the underground portion of the city. There are thousands of miles of tunnels, galleries, and cellars under Throne City.

Originally it was just the mines under the dwarf fortress-city that is now the Imperial Palace, but over the centuries each generation dug their own underground portions and linked it into the already existing network, The end result of that, of course, being a complex labyrinth of truly staggering size. 

It can be very, very easy to get lost down there. 

I dig out a key that every Seeker is given when they complete their training. It gives us access to places like this. I unlock the steel gate that bars the stairwell down, and lock it behind us once we're through. We have to bend almost double to fit, as these ceilings were not designed with a seven foot Seeker in mind. Twice I hear Jax mutter a curse behind me as he bumps his head on something, and I have to bite back a laugh. I might be having a hard time, but the poor boy must find it almost unbearable. 

It isn’t long before we reach the bottom of the steps, and I straighten gratefully, in what appears to be a storeroom for one of the restaurants or inns above us. The walls are lined with sacks, crates, and barrels filled with various foodstuffs, all neatly organized and clearly labeled. 

I sniff the air, catching the rotten-meat stink of our prey almost at once. I hear Jax doing the same a moment later, and I nod my approval when he points down a nearby passage.

"Over that way, I think," he says, and grins when he sees me nod. We draw our paired ton-filar, heavy long-bladed fighting daggers with brass knuckles built into the grip, and a short four inch spike at the other end. They’re vicious weapons, specifically made for close in fighting, and designed to give us as many ways to hurt an enemy as possible with a single implement.

Most Seeker gear and weaponry is designed this way. It gives us an edge. And believe you me, when you're fighting the kinds of beasties we do, it always comes in handy. 

We move off in the direction of the scent, careful to keep our blades up before us. The passageway is narrow, so Jax leads the way, and I follow closely, walking backwards to make sure nothing tries to sneak up on us.

We continue down the tunnel, following our noses, until it opens up again into another wide room. The smell is horrendous, and I hear Jax gag a little. 

"Breathe through your mouth," I advise him. "It helps."

I scan the room, taking everything in all at once. Trash, rotting food, and less identifiable detritus litter the floor, and the far corner of the room is buried under a mass of reeking filth that rises to the ceiling. I curse myself for not thinking. As soon as they hear my voice, shades come pouring out of the nest, chittering angrily, eager for a meal.

Shades aren't big, about the size of a cat, and aren’t especially threatening. They look like a hairless rat with an odd, bird-like head. They're not even hard to kill. A good solid kick from a normal human is enough to put an end to one. 

The problem is, there's never just one. 

They breed fast, in clutches of seven or eight, every three weeks. They carry disease, and spread rot wherever they go. Nobody knows how they came to be, but we know that dark magic spawned them, because all our monster hunting tricks work just fine. 

"Grenades!” I snap, following my own advice, withdrawing one from the belt pouch I keep them in. 

Grenades are expensive kit, but absolutely priceless when dealing with swarms of creatures like shades. A small sphere packed with gunpowder, enclosed within an outer sphere of cold iron plated with silver, and the space between the two filled with a mixture of rock salt and holy water. 

We light them with a flick of the thumb against the special alchemical fuse, and then toss them into the middle of the pack. They detonate with a surprising level of force for such small weapons, shaking some dirt loose from the ceiling. Between the explosion, holy water, and rock salt, dozens of the little beasts vanish into puffs of dirty smoke. Dozens more are killed as shrapnel scythes into the massed bodies.

The remainder of the pack, their numbers thinned by the grenades, rush us. Jax and I spin around each other, years of training giving us the skill to fight in such a tight space against a swarm of enemies. I skewer a pair on my ton-filar, turn, and catch another mid-air in the chest with one of the pommel spikes. Jax ducks around me and punches down the two that are trying to leap on me from behind, and boots another in the face when it tries to bite at him. It careens back into its fellows and takes them down in a tangle.

With a chattering shriek that makes us both wince, the queen and her nest guard emerge. 

Easily three times the size of their smaller fellows, the nest guard are huge, slavering beasts with glittering red eyes, long, sharp beak-like mouths, and wicked claws. The queen is even bigger and nastier, her belly swollen with her current clutch. 

"Blast her!" Jax calls, and I nod, quietly impressed. We whirl with skill and speed that no human could hope to match, as we trade blades for the coach guns, safely secured across our backs. Jax's is the typical, blunt-nosed, over-under variant favored by most Seekers. 

But mine…

Mine is a work of art. It was a gift, made for me by the master weapon-alchemist Argius Cratona of Wavedancer, after I rescued his daughter from a lich during my apprenticeship. It has six barrels, twice the length of a standard coach gun, arranged in a circle around a single larger barrel at the center. The steel barrels are polished to a mirror shine, and ornate, curling scrollwork is etched into each one. The solid cherrywood grip and stock is chased with brass and burnished to a deep, warm glow. The gun's name, Sophia, is inscribed on a small brass plate embedded in the stock.

It has three triggers. The first two are tied to three of the six outer barrels each, so that a single trigger pull fires three bursts of cold iron and silver shot at once. 

The third trigger goes to the center barrel, which fires a specially made bullet created by Cratona. Called a Decimator Round, it’s a solid slug of cold iron coated in silver, and infused with powerful alchemical compounds that detonate once inside a target. Every month he sends me a box with thirty of the hefty, hand-sized shells, along with notes from him and his daughter. I’ve kept a steady correspondence with them both over the years, and never once in all my time as a Seeker has Sophia failed to kill the monster it was aimed at.  

But I digress. 

We fire together, then fire again, the booming report of our guns thunderously loud in the enclosed cellar, filling the far side of the room with a blizzard of shot that tears the queen and her guards to bloody shreds. Jax and I deftly snap open the breeches of our guns, ejecting the spent casings and replacing them with fresh, though I take a moment longer due to the extra barrels.

Silence descends for several long minutes as we wait to see if any more shades come out of the darkness, but either we had killed them all, or the remaining few were smart enough to scatter.

"I think we're done here," I decide at last, holstering Sophia, and Jax follows my example. I wave for him to follow, and head back the way we had come. "You did good work back there, Jax, very well done. I'm impressed."

Jax ducks his head, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Thank you, sir, but I only did what I thought was best."

"Which is exactly what you should do," I tell him firmly, with a smile. "You acted as a Seeker should, and I'm proud of you. You have solid battle instincts, and you don't have any lack in terms of skill. You've learned everything I've taught you so far, and learned it well. You do me credit as your mentor, and yourself as a Seeker."

Jax is left speechless. I stifle a small twinge of guilt. Perhaps I’ve been a bit sparse with praise up until now. Well, that can be fixed easily enough. 

"Come on, lad," I say, ducking low to head back up the stairs. "Let's go get something to eat. I would say we've earned our supper tonight."

[thoughtsofhem-blog]

(This is for the people who love reading, who is philosophical, who is a deep thinker and people who loves me😊)

• I bet you, you are going to enjoy this article in a beautiful way.

• Definitely, you will get positive vision about something that is unknown.

• I knew there are plethoras of grammatical errors if you’re going to judge me on the basis of a perfect writer which I’m not😊.

• My purpose is always expressing my thoughts through the magical words and convey a right message to right audience.

• Keep patience and read it fully

My New Article on:

Spirituality Vs Religion:

I know its a sensitive topic to be discussed or write about, but being a writer too, I always have advantages for using ‘freedom of speech’ . Still, I personally don’t want to hurt anyones sentiments related to this topic but I still want to express my perspectives on this topic.

I born in a Hindu family, and now I am following spirituality, which is helping me to perceive something deep & raw information about the Holy Spirit or god or infinite energy who runs this entire universe. Therefore, I want to say that I born as a Hindu, Currently, I am not following any religion. Its like; Either, I don’t follow any particular religion or I follow all the religions equally. Following a religion or being religious is not a wrong thing but it has many consequences like religion can mislead people from true realisation about god, Religion create categorisation among humans and it spread hate more than love and tranquility. If I talk logical, religions created for believing in god with different concepts of different religious views, We all should beautifully respect & accept those differences instead of fighting who is the best among all of them. None of religion teach us to spread hate or create any negative chaos or superiority ! for example many people stupidly believe that they are following most superior & best religion else are fool whose following another religion. Without any true knowledge and any deep research about such existence people blindly follow all these false perceptions about god in the name of religion and spread hate.

Firstly, god never set any kind of rules & regulations to follow him, its all human made perspectives, myths & rules which they had added on such holy books and smartly, they created a kind of fear in others mind to strictly follow those concepts in the name of religion.

On this earth, many Holy Spirit born as a great spiritual leader to spread brotherhood, love, peace among humans and saving them from all the evil deeds, healing them with their pure energies and inspiring them to follow a right path. You must concentrate on my words, `I said, ‘spiritual leaders’ None of them are god but still part of god, a shred of his pure & infinite divine energy for example ShriRama,Krishna,Jesus,buddha,mahaveer,gurunanaka,Saibaba,J. Krishna murti, Swami Vivekananda,Osho,alike more great souls.

A human never can be a god, God is an infinite energy which is so divine and pure who hasn’t any shape,colour,size or gender. God is a light. This pure energy exist everywhere, ‘whereas we impure humans never can met him unless we get enlightened. Such holy spirits never wrote any books to fix any rules to achieve god. If you research you will find that they all had similar purpose to take birth through this human body and given similar messages to us. Even an average human can be like them by working on his/her own mind & soul for years by deep levels of meditations,yoga,self control,balancing three levels of minds(conscious, subconscious,unconscious)by knowing self existence & self-realisation.

It doesn’t matter what kind of person you have been yesterday, It was a past and its already gone, when you start to work on your own energies it will change your entire existence. Everything here is in a form of energy if you will deeply analysis it.I won’t go so deep because few people only get what I’m trying to say, other will take it for granted or misunderstood me because their thought process are so limited & they can’t accept beyond their limited thoughts. Truth is we’re not only a part of our physical body, we all are souls, which is existing as a form of energy and this human body is just a temporary outfit for us to do our Karma’s in this birth. This physical Body, this world is an illusion, there is an another world which known as a molecular world, that is our real world where all energies have to return from this illusionary world to molecular world. People get mad if I start to go deeply into this. I’m very grateful that I’m working on something exceptional which people realise in their last phase of life,sometimes not even in this birth, sometimes they realise truth after several births and then start to work on it. When we get true knowledge which is existing in ourselves, we just need to realise it but we spent our life on superficial things which never help us to grow spiritually and mentally.

Being religious has one beautiful benefit !that is, it helps you to concentrate on that divine energy by consciously imagining & focusing on that particular image through pray method. Pray is a technique which heal our soul and it helps our subconscious mind to work in favour of our great desires. If anyone think that by following some myths & rules blindly and worshiping god all the time you will get god or peace I mean 'Moksha’ It will never going to happen. Usually, You connect to god with your own good karma’s, we all can fool each other but not that great father, he sees everything, he hears everything, he knows everything, infront of him we all are nude, we human fake ourselves too much infront of another human to get any kind of validation, neither we are perfect nor another human.So there is no need of impressing another human, let people judge you, spread rumours about you, let them hate you, let them do whatever they want to but you do not contaminate your own soul with such negative energies, any bitter experiences or people.

If anyone has desire to discover how to find themselves, endless joy, peace then I can give few suggestions here which I had acquired through my inner strength and self-realisation. In my opinion, no one is bad, I really pray for such souls who is damaged, in pain, in jealous, in guilt, in hate, in anger , in regret or in any kind of negativities. If I talk personally about my experiences then I would like to say as a human I was never been perfect, not even now and not in the future. I never can be perfect because a human never can be perfect one but still I can minimise my negative sides by consciously working on it. I am very expressing individual and I love to do it for those who follows me as their inspiration or who seeks anything through me, who doesn’t like me they definitely can ignore anything related to me, there is no hard feelings for anyone. For example : as I said I was not perfect and not even in present & not in the future but I worked a lot on my soul which has changed my life. In the past, I also made wrong choices, worse experiences, judgments, being revengeful, went through traumas & depression, drastically manipulated byhaters,heartbreaks,beingbetrayed,humiliated,isolated, bullied by others for my outer appearance like my dusky complexion, body shape or my English ascent, specially when I was a teenager. If I talk about study, I always have been an average student sometimes below than average 😂, people who can relate this, I want to tell you for your own motivation that research, history and google 😂are the evidences of datas of most successful people in this world most of them are school drop outs, whether they’re an eminent scientist, a successful business icon, or a great player or a worlds top writer, brilliant actors, a great politicians. Intelligence is nothing related to profound in particular language, getting good ranks or scores,many certificates. Intelligence is beautiful weapon which we can transform in any field and getting enormously successful in that field. It doesn’t mean education is not important.

We often get bullied by our peer groups or by our relatives or teachers or sometimes from our own parents for not getting fit into their expectations. That is perfectly fine. I strongly say, never follow crowd, never copy anyone, your uniqueness make you exceptionally beautiful and it does separate you from the crowd to create your own history. But still people can’t be so insensitive, they never understand by cornering a growing adult how much it can affect them psychologically. Not everyone enough brave to mould their life in a positive manner after experiencing all these mental traumas. To be honest, I also got affected by all these things and became a frustrated, extremely aggressive and a bitter person with low confidence whereas I was completely turned into a negative person. I’m sharing all this because may be it will help someone like me to change their life by having a true example. I always been courageous and after experiencing hell I took a decision to live for myself, working on me, I never had a quitting attitude in my life. it was not about working on outer appearance only, Honestly, your outer appearance never matters, it only judged by sick people with narrow mindsets. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, because god never creates anything ugly, its we human who sets parameters for everything even about religions. You have to be your own hero in this journey, being honest to yourself help you to evolve spiritually. Accept the way you’re, you don’t need to change for another human, you only need to change for yourself. Appreciate who is better than you and motivate who is lesser than you. With this attitude and acceptance you never develop any kind of jealousy or an egotistical competition inside you.Never compare your self with another people or with their life, if you do you are insulting yourself. Whatever made you hurt or bitter in the past let it go, forgive yourself and forgive other people who were the reasons for your pain, you need to be healed and moved on in life, in this healing process you need to pray, you need to be positive, be with more good people who will help you to evolve. Embrace nature. Be grateful for all little things you have. Learn to appreciate good things. Replace all your negative thoughts by your positive one’s with the better intentions.Be your own motivation. Read good inspiring books 📚. Work on your hobbies. Meet new & positive people. Ignore & eliminate people from your life who is not good for your soul & mental health. Never indulge yourself with negative gossiping. Leave people behind, who is not good for your growth, people who take you for granted, avoid people who take your advantages. Stop having evil thoughts for others. If we focus on right and positive things in our life, our life miraculously get changes. And just ignore whole world if they giving you any kind of negativity or demotivation. I can give you a simple formula to never get affected by others judgement on you, that formula is 'whoever judging you is another imperfect & fool human like you’ and their opinion about you or your life never ever matters. Make your aura so strong that you will not get affected by any negative energies. So it need a lot of work, patience and compassion within yourself for yourself.Be kind to yourself in the processing of healing.

Now come to the point, here I would give one more suggestion in order to make it easier for people about spirituality. Although,Humans are extremely greedy that after deeply working on their mind & spirit, having powerful concepts about spirituality, meditation and god or any kind of deep intelligent knowledge, They use to play and fool other people through marketing it by taking advantages of people’s weaknesses instead of healing them. They knew that its all mind games and how to take benefits from people by giving them false beliefs for their insecurities. I must say, a genuine spiritual leader or guide never pretend themselves as a god and make it a business to earn money or boosting their ego by pretending themselves as a god, or enjoying adoring themselves by huge number of followers. for example I can see many advertisements even on social media’s like - contact for healing from the past experiences, for psychic remedies,how to get back your ex😂, how to make love failure work, how to improve infertility,how to keep in-laws in your favour, vashikaran,for getting succeed in career, your dream partner, marriage/love solutions, or any kind of solutions bla,bla,bla😂... never fallen into their trap for your solutions its all mind games they’re playing in the name of religion or spirituality or magic or whatever. There are two things with such marketing,either its fake or has a power acquired through negative energies like black magic or something like that and I aware you all ..you guys believe it or not but everything has its opponents. By jumping into such shortcuts it will make your life worse. We all have to face our own karma in this same life so let it be like that. Never play with nature and its pace. Thus, never go for them. Another thing is, I’m on my spiritual journey and I don’t follow any particular organisations or guru related to spirituality for example I grasp good or knowledgeable things from everyone but I don’t follow anyone blindly. Anything that is related to god, about spirituality never can be paid or for personal benefits. We humans are blessed with lots of talents for earning money to spent a better life, but for money we don’t need to be so greedy to harm another beings or chose a wrong path to earn it because such money never give you peace ✌🏽. When we are so talented, hardworking, educated and smart enough to achieve anything then why we tend to believe that its ok to do anything for money even if you know that is wrong. So never follow anything blindly, awake your own intelligence & conscious, use your brain and keep faith in yourself. To recapitulate it, I would say for getting god you really don’t need to be aggressively religious or walking into a tough spiritual path with all the sacrifices, its a choice not anything forcefully to follow or do with. Never indulge in anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Being in your domestic lifestyle you can achieve it through your good karma’s,honesty, pure soul, empathy,compassion, justice for truth,good intentions. for example whatever you’re doing suppose you’re an employee just do your work honestly, you will get god. You’re a spouse or a parent just take care of your family with all the honesty, you will get god, whatever you do, do it with pure heart, loyalty and good intentions you will get god. By,Writer Hema .P

[thesportssoundoff]

When the inevitable happens, these will determine who the Cowboys next coach is.

Joey

December 2nd, 2019

When Jerry Jones stood outside a shouting and volatile Cowboys locker room, media onlookers said the proud owner had tears in his eyes. He spoke with absolute confidence in Jason Garrett and uttered the famous line that the only man who could take them to where he believed this team could go (That's the Super Bowl, fellas) was Jason Garrett. That's....actually true. If the Cowboys have any chance, as slim as it may be, to win the Super Bowl it's not going to become an actuality with an interim head coach. It's especially not going to come with no obvious choice on staff as Kris Richard's defense has fallen apart, Rod Marinelli has an endless loyalty to Jason Garrett (and his defensive line is not wowing anybody either), Kellen Moore is in his first year calling plays for a slumping offense and no obvious other choice on the offensive side of the ball. If there's any chance of any sort of post season success, it will lay with Jason Garrett and Jason Garrett only.

Having said that, understand that that comment is less about a faith in Jason Garrett and more about an obvious lack of options. If Jerry Jones or Stephen Jones or Will McClay felt as though they had an option in house, Garrett is probably gone around the Minnesota game when he held a private meeting with the players to fend off a potential revolt. Jerry Jones spoke of his confidence in Jason Garrett but it almost reeked of past tense. It came off like a guy whistfully battling reality while embracing the painful truth. Like a friend in a coma, Jerry spoke optimistically but with the pangs in his voice that this was over. From 2009 until 2019, Jerry held a belief that he had found his own homegrown head coach who would be the successor to the Landry and early 90s era of consistent coaching. Jason Garrett wasn't the guy and no amount of willing, no amount of coddling and no amount of firing him up will get him to where Jerry believed he would be. This marriage is just about done and it's all over but the crying, the paperwork and figuring out who gets to keep the dog. The Garrett Era will be a complicated one; underrated in terms of actual results (he has one season under .500 and led the Cowboys to their first actual success in the playoffs since the Chan Gailey one off in 1999 or so) but one where the gaffes, the post season flops and the inconsistency on a year to year basis will outweigh whatever successes he might've had.

So what now? In January the Cowboys will officially announce their desire to not bring Jason Garrett back and will embark on their first genuine coaching search since the end of the 2006 season. Coaching searches are complex and often times messy, especially with an organization as big and leak heavy as the Cowboys. What factors might determine or shape the coaching search? Well.....

Dak Prescott

Simply put, any head coach will be sat before the QB of the largest franchise in the world and will have to get the approval of the man who is about to be written  a 30 million dollar plus a year guarantee each season. This team asked Dak Prescott to take his game to the next level and thus far on a whole he has despite the chaos around him. The Cowboys will not (and honestly nor should they) hire a head coach who cannot answer the most obvious question that'll be presented: What can you do to further elevate Dak Prescott? Every coach who has had Dak Prescott from his college day until year four in the NFL rave about his work ethic, lack of an ego and adaptability so I have a hard time imagining anybody NOT wanting to work with him. If we can be year five into Jameis Winston trying to figure things out, coaches will be toppling over one another to work with Dak Prescott. Hiring a coach who will hold the QB accountable but also embrace his strengths as a leader and as a developing pocket passer will win out over everything else.

Is it a rebuild? Or is it a reloading?

This will almost entirely be determined by the end of the season. How things end and what the Cowboys do over these last four games (or longer) will dictate where this goes. If the Cowboys finish it up at 9-7 or 10-6 and do SOMETHING in the playoffs, there's a fine chance the Cowboys will look at this team and determine that the ship is fine and the problems are entirely related to the captain and his first mates. If this is about Jason Garrett, Kris Richard, Kellen Moore and company not maximizing the potential of this team then the offseason can be dictated in finding a better captain. Maybe it's as simple as finding a stabilizing hand as a head coach; someone who has been here before, been successful at it and is just in need of a new place to operate. Maybe it's not the sexiest hire like a wacky college guru or a superstar college coach but a guy who has enough real time NFL successes to garner respect from players and not try to re-invent the wheel. Think of hiring a guy like Gary Kubiak in Denver a while ago or more recently Matt LaFleur who was essentially given the same parts and pieces that Mike McCarthy had and then went to work utilizing them better. Hell speaking of Mike McCarthy; maybe the Cowboys look at him, assume his failures were from a collision of egos and figure a guy who won a Super Bowl, flirted with a few more and simply ran into a Seattle juggernaut he couldn't figure out would be of interest. Maybe it's just about changing the guy wearing the captain's hat.

If this team craters then it could get ugly. Real ugly. If the Cowboys ownership and the brass who makes decisions determines that this team simply wasn't good enough then you're looking at potentially wholesale changes. Your veteran OL with a lot of money tied up in it could all be potential dead money inducing cap casualties. Your big money linebacking crew that has underachieved could be stripped and sold off. The Cowboys could tempt fate and let the likes of Amari Cooper go, not wanting to tie up a serious piece of their offense over the concerns of the fit. A LONG term rebuild; often painful in NFL years could be on its way. That also opens up your coaching candidates. If you assume for the sake of argument that a first year head coach needs at least one solid year to implement his own parts and brand his own identity as a coach then you're probably more willing to burn a year of the primes of Dak, Zeke, Amari and company IF you believe you're a ways away. That would in turn open up the Cowboys to maybe a few more "growing pains" options.

77.

When the Dallas Cowboys take the field in 2020, Jerry Jones will be 77 years old with his 78th birthday waiting in mid October. This will be in all likelihood the last head coach he hires with his own influence. 5-10 years from now, the role of being "the decider" for the Cowboys will belong to Stephen Jones likely with Jerry's son in law Shy Anderson or John Stephen Jones (Stephen Jones' son currently playing QB at Arkansas). My guess is that Jerry wants to nail this hire not just for the obvious reasons of the Cowboys success but to leave the Jones family set up with a head coach who will make the transition as seamlessly as possible.

Kellen Moore

Even if you account for a complete shutdown of the offense for the past two games, Kellen Moore's Cowboys offense is off to a really fine start. They've got the most yards in the league, average the 2nd most yards per drive, fourth most points per drive despite being last in the league in average starting field position so on so forth so on so forth. The Cowboys offense under Kellen Moore is actually bordering on prolific if we're being 100% honest. The Cowboys will have Dak Prescott in the midst of a career year, they've got a really good running back sort of kind of, they've got three wide receivers having fine years and are getting more production than recent years out of their tight end spot despite so-so production from Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin being mismanaged. As much as people want to shout from the heavens about hiring an offensive guru, maybe you'd like to give your 31 year old potential guru a chance to keep developing what he's doing? The Cowboys could easily give Kellen Moore a few more years to work his magic offensively while hiring a steady hand head coach to be a reliable proven presence while Moore continues to get his on the job training as a coordinator. The same could be said for QB coach Jon Kitna and ascending WR coach Sanjay Lal. They've all produced in various ways.

The Familiars and the influencers

Let's start with the familiars. Jerry Jones has been in charge of this operation for over 30 years, he's had multiple players eventually become coaches, multiple coaches become friends and advisors. There's a real good chance that with so much riding on the line, their first move will be to try and see if somebody they know, trust and respect might be up for the task of manning this ship. If you're an optimist, your eyes may light up at the fact that the Jones family is very familiar of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley or that they have a very close relationship with New Orleans head coach Sean Peyton or that they have a great trust and admiration for Mike Zimmer. Dan Campbell was once a member of the Dallas Cowboys and the team tried to corral him to coach their tight ends after Campbell was let go in Miami. He wound up in New Orleans where he's been the figurehead for their impressive running game. Perhaps the fact that Mike Tomlin and Stephen Jones serve on the competition committee together excites you should the worst case scenario happen for Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Not sure if he excites anybody but the Cowboys have a close familiarity with Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. If you're a pessimist, John Fox and the Jones family are very close with one another. Jack Del Rio and Jerry Jones go way back, so much so in fact that Del Rio was called by Jerry Jones to discuss Amari Cooper before the Cowboys made the Cooper plunge. The Cowboys interviewed Ron Rivera for their head coaching job and he was apparently in the running up until the end when the finalists were Norv Turner, Wade Phillips and Mike Singletary. If one truly wishes to swallow some bile, the Cowboys have long had a respect for disgraced Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Haley was a Bill Parcells disciple who coached wide receivers and apparently was one of the few guys who could keep TO in check.

Then you have the influencers. For better or worse, Jerry Jones has always been known to be rather...receptive of information sent his way. He has people who have his ear and considering he's been around for years on end, he's pretty much the most accessible owner in the NFL. And so the likes of Larry Lacewell, Bill Parcells, Nick Saban and others will play a heavy part in this process and will be sure to chime in with suggestions. How good of a salesjob would Pete Carroll do for Ken Norton Jr? Will Sean Payton stick his neck out for former head coach and current D-coordinator Dennis Allen? Will John Fox also do the same for his one time defensive coordinator? What's going to happen if Jerry Jones calls for an accurate assessment of Josh McDaniels from Bill Belichick? Who are the influencers outside of this organization who will find a way to impact the coaching search.

The decay of the NFL coaching tree

It's a copy cat league as they say and so coaches from successful teams are often poached away. After all if it's working elsewhere then why not snag and pick it up for your team? The problem with this philosophy is that eventually you'll run out of guys worthy of the spot. Case in point; Sean McVay has been poached to the point where there's nobody who immediately jumps out as being HC worthy. Shane Waldron? Well that's great except he oversees the passing game that has completely collapsed on itself. Wes Phillips or Skip Peete do anything for you? The general rule of thumb was to just raid whoever was on Andy Reid's staff but that too has been picked pretty much clean depending on your stance on Eric Bienemey (who should garner an interview in Dallas). The Doug Pedersen staff? That's just about done too as Frank Reich is in Indy, Jon DeFilippo is trying to figure things out in Jacksonville and the current core of Matt Groh and Deuce Staley have clearly fallen out of favor. You willing to take a bet on Josh McDaniels actually showing up to his next head coaching gig? Can any Saints coordinator be relied upon to run their own team given how much control Sean Payton has? With so many new coaching staffs in play, you're pretty much stuck with a decaying coaching tree to pick from.

[letterboxd]

Run, Brittany, Run.

“It has changed my life. It’s changed the way I look at myself, the way I speak about myself or even think about myself. I feel like I’m a much kinder person to me.” We talk to stars Jillian Bell and Lil Rel Howery, and playwright-turned-director Paul Downs Colaizzo, about his debut feature film Brittany Runs a Marathon.

Transformation stories, makeover movies, ugly duckling tales: Hollywood has long been awash in them, but usually they’re steeped in fantasy (average girl discovers she is princess! Princess reveals she is ogre!). Brittany Runs a Marathon is the very real story of a woman who is transformed not by any magic spell or deus-ex-machina, but by the words of her doctor, warning her to follow a healthier diet, get some exercise and lose some pounds.

The real-life Brittany ended up running the New York Marathon, inspiring her friend, playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo, to write and direct a feature film about her journey. It’s a great vehicle for Jillian Bell, who racked up her own running miles to prepare for the title role. Playing Brittany’s wonderfully supportive brother-in-law Demetrius, lending moral support via video-chats, is Lil Rel Howery (Get Out TSA agent Rod Williams).

While Brittany Runs a Marathon is being heavily marketed as a comedy, “there’s something deeper, more serious and heart-wrenching lying at the heart of this film” observes Letterboxd member Nina. “Sticking to regimens and coming off of setbacks is hard,” writes Michael. “It was refreshing to see growth portrayed in all its fits and starts.” “A really beautiful story of someone trying to better themselves and how that doesn’t mean you have to do so alone,” Claire agrees. “Jillian Bell is excellent and really raw as Brittany.”

We spoke to Jillian Bell, Paul Downs Colaizzo and Lil Rel Howery ahead of the film’s US theatrical opening.

Jillian Bell (Brittany)

What was the first thing in the script that you related to and made you feel that you could be Brittany? Jillian Bell: I got the script from my manager and I was very nervous [laughs]. She said, “You’re going to be a little scared while you’re reading this because I think you’re going to relate to the character and then you gotta keep reading because the script is really beautiful and powerful.” I read it and I remember thinking the exact same thoughts: ‘This is going to be very different to take on than most things I’ve done’. It was different in a good way. Something I wanted to try and go out of my comfort zone. I just related to the characters so whole-heartedly. There were moments where I thought ‘someone is taping me right now’ because I’ve thought the exact things and now they’re in a script I’m reading.

What were some of the conversations you had with the real Brittany? How did meeting her affect your approach? The script is inspired by her story but there were a lot of other characters in the film that were not in her actual life story. Paul and I decided to create a character together and Paul had sent me early on a video of the real Brittany when she was making a tape to raise money for the marathon. I completely got her essence from that. She is so inspiring, smart, and funny, sometimes very silly.

Paul and I worked together on creating a character based off all these other characters and it informed us about X, Y and Z. But the first time I met the real Brittany O’Neal was when we were shooting a super emotional scene. I was concerned about making sure she was okay. It’s one thing to know that your life story was about to be told; it’s another thing to see an actor trying to portray all of these things you really went through in your real life.

What were the other types of preparations you did for the role? I decided I was going to do the actual physical journey of the character. I decided to lose 40 pounds for the shoot, 29 pounds before we shot and eleven while we were filming. I just thought it would inform me on certain approaches the script took that I didn’t quite connect to emotionally. There was so much that I did connect to with Brittany, and then there were moments in certain scenes where I thought ‘why is she acting that way? Why is that her response?’ Once I had done the physical journey I completely understood. I had never experienced what it was like to plateau, for example, and focus on a number so intensely. That was part of the script that I didn’t really understand.

You’re known more as a comedic actress and this was a fantastic opportunity to show off your dramatic talent. How did you want to subvert expectations of yourself coming into the more dramatic scenes? I think there’s always a lot of pressure when you try something that is different than people expect to see when they come to see a movie that you’re in. I was just so drawn to the script and I wanted to protect the character. I know I told Paul that I didn’t want anyone else playing her, not that anyone else couldn’t do it, but I wanted to make sure that the way I read it was the way he was going to shoot it, and he was so on the same page.

I felt like I was in really good hands. We were both taking a chance on each other. He was a first-time writer/director and this was my first time doing something that had dramatic elements, and I was playing the title character which I’d never done before. This is the first time where I was in a movie where I was in every single scene. I had no idea if I was going to enjoy doing something that was such a departure of things I had done in the past, but I truly loved it and I hope I get to do it again.

There’s a fine balance between the need for people to live healthily in order to avoid lifestyle-related illnesses, versus the need for society to accept everyone for who they are, no matter their appearance. What conversations did you, Paul, and other creatives have about this line? We had several conversations and talked basically every day for seven months before we started shooting. We wanted to make sure that we were being honest about these conversations: what it’s like going to the doctor and have them say to you: “You need to lose weight to be healthier” because of some health concerns; and the difference between that and the friendship that you have where somebody is saying: “You’d look better if you drop a few pounds” and how unhealthy that is. And how you can have self-hate and lack of self-worth and [how some of that] is society-ingrained ideas and some of that is of your own making. I think Paul did such a beautiful job with the script. We hit on everything without being too political or too shy.

We just covered Sword of Trust and had the delight of chatting with its director, Lynn Shelton. That’s another fantastic, funny movie you’re in. Can you talk about the different pleasures you get from working from a script versus the type of freedom you have in improvisation, as you did on Sword of Trust? I’m definitely more comfortable with things like Lynn’s film, where it’s not as scripted and you get to be extremely loose and bring whatever you want to it, and Lynn was so open to any ideas we had. I remember Michaela and I, the night before we shot, we were sitting in a hotel room together talking over who our characters were and what they wanted, what their goals were. We approached Lynn saying “this is what we’re thinking” and she said “great!”. It’s very different from doing a role like Brittany, where all I got was the script and I fell in love with that. I decided to stick more to the script than I’ve done with any other film. But I definitely wanted to make sure I was telling the story that I received and was so moved by.

Jillian Bell, Micah Stock and Michaela Watkins.

It’s awesome that in both these movies you’re opposite Michaela Watkins. It’s wonderful for me. Michaela Watkins is one of my favorite actresses. I just think she’s so strong, and honest in her performances, and she also makes me laugh harder than most people in this world. I would really love to work with her again. I’ve worked with her twice in one year so I’ve felt very lucky.

Paul Thomas Anderson has said he’s gearing up for a comedy with Tiffany Haddish. He brought you onto The Master and Inherent Vice because he thinks you’re very funny. You must be on his speed-dial for this project, right? I don’t know about that. [Laughs]. I may not be on speed-dial. I’m definitely a huge fan of his and I love that him and Tiffany are working together. That’s going to be amazing. If I hear nothing more than it coming out, I’ll be very excited to go see it.

Brittany has a life-changing experience and your hard work to demonstrate that really shows. How has working on the film changed your life? It has changed my life. It’s changed the way I look at myself, the way I speak about myself or even think about myself. I feel like I’m a much kinder person to me. It made me examine what I was putting out there and how negative that can be and I think that happens, not to all women but to some, and I’m definitely one of those women.

I feel like a movie like this really inspired me to look at that and have a deeper look at how I would talk about myself. I think this is the movie that I wanted to see when I was thirteen, about a real woman who was struggling with these things and how hard it can be to make the first step, how amazing it can be to really choose yourself first over everyone. It’s a hard thing to do, making that first step.

What was the film that made you want to be in film? Clue was the movie that made me want to be in films. I watched that when I was a young girl; it was one of the first VHS tapes we had and I watched it on repeat. It wasn’t just because I loved comedy and mystery and anything that’s a little dark and twisted; I also loved how all these funny character actors were the leads. I still love watching that movie and it’s still my favorite movie to this day.

Jillian Bell with writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo.

Paul Downs Colaizzo (writer/director)

The film is based on your best friend and roommate Brittany. What was the moment you realized her story could be a movie, and how was she involved in shaping her own narrative and the tone of the film, if at all? Paul Downs Colaizzo: It was after a conversation she and I had after I first moved in with her, where she decided she was going to turn her life around and take control of what she could control and find some structure in her life. So she went for a run. It was when she was out for her first run that I thought this could possibly be a movie. I outlined it without telling her I was working on a movie that was inspired by her life and then a few months later I let her know. She was surprised and flattered and excited and interested and intrigued.

The character of Brittany is different than my real-life friend Brittany in a lot of ways but her DNA is all over it. She was incredibly supportive, and now she’s at a point where she’s excited that people are going to be inspired by something that was inspired by her.

Which aspects were fictionalized for the movie? I took some milestones from her journey and there were elements of her personality that I incorporated into the character of Brittany, but none of the characters is really based on anybody. The character Brittany is different from my friend and really none of the scenes from the movie is a recreation of anything that happened in real life.

What was it that convinced you Jillian was right for the lead? How did you identify the dramatic potential of the comedic actors you selected? [With] Jillian, I’d always been a fan of her comedy and her comedic acting; when she was in 22 Jump Street I fell in love with her. When I met with her about the role she really had this connection to the character. She wanted to tell the story and she wanted to protect the character in the way that I did. Her brain is naturally funny so we got the opportunity to play with the comic genius that is Jillian Bell and also expose this well of untapped emotion that most people had never seen her access. She’s never done a dramatic role before, I had never directed a film. We had to place bets on each other. That drove both of us to work as hard as possible to not let the other one down. 

The idea of the film is that we’d take a character who is typically a sidekick, start with the archetype of her as someone we know how to laugh at and create actually a really deep, personal pathos-filled human that we also empathize with and relate to. We wanted to do that with Brittany but also with all the other characters in the film. Luckily we got incredibly talented comedic actors who are normally playing supporting roles and also have these other elements of their personality that we were able to expose and illuminate for the world to see.

Do you feel there are films or plays that have done justice to body image issues before? What did you want to bring to the topic you felt was lacking? I never really approached this as a body-issue film. I started working on this in 2011 and that wasn’t really part of the cultural conversation at the time, at least in the way it is now. Her relationship to her body was always a big element of the film as far as her trying to understand what her own value system was, not the value system that the world put on her. But I would consider it a story of a person coming into their own.

I think we all can relate to this idea that we’re not living the lives we want to live and that we’re maybe not taking ourselves as seriously as we could because we’re afraid that if we try we will fail. I think we’ve been ingrained to feel that failure is a bad thing. For me this was a story about a person who learns to help and dream for herself and pursue these dreams in a way that’s earnest, without losing her edge and irreverence in the process.

I like how you kind of utilized the “friend-zone” in a way most rom-coms don’t know what to do with. What were some of the genre clichés you deliberately resisted? Again, you know, I never really looked at it that way because I come from theater. I really am just looking at the characters and their journey and the story we’re telling and how it all relates back to the theme. It’s not quite how I look at the construction of a story; I’m not starting with the genre. The one thing I was starting with here is I was starting with the archetypes we were familiar with and allowing the story to decidedly go in a different direction by deepening the characters and seeing where the story would go as we deepen the characters.

How do you feel your instincts as a playwright and experience in television informed your approach in making your first feature film? What were the different satisfactions in the process? The good news about theater is that it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation. You’re making things work, you’re solving problems because there are limitations in the space in which you’re telling the story. In an indie film, there are also a lot of limitations. So getting creative with your surroundings and figuring out how to multi-purpose environments so they can be several different settings so your film can have a feeling of scope and a change of scenery, but also be filmed in a certain amount of time, was a technical thing I brought over from theater. But beyond that, it’s all storytelling and it goes back to Aristotle and the poetic and finding heroes with flaws that we can relate to. It’s just, in this movie, I’m just asking that the sidekick is the hero because she deserves to be one too.

You filmed at the New York City Marathon. That sounds very challenging. Can you talk about your experience filming there? Did it go smoothly? It was incredible. There were six of us from the crew permitted to be there. We had three units in the race. It was a monster of a day. And also, the action you see in the marathon is easily one of the most emotional days of the city in the year because everybody is so supportive and lovely and kind to their fellow man. We could feel it that day, and I think you ultimately feel that energy in the film. It’s a magical day to experience in real life and we did our best to honor that.

What was the importance for you of depicting an LGBTQIA+ family in the film? I’m a gay man. I think this story is about giving depth and relatability and asking for empathy for all of the people in the film, many of whom are “others” in our society. I wanted to subvert the idea of the gay best friend as a trope, which is usually in a lot of ways the comic relief or kind of a hot mess, sort of the character Brittany would be in a typical big comedy. I wanted him to have a full life that honored where our culture is headed and made the gay storyline as relatable as any other storyline.

What are the types of films you’d like to make moving forward? Do you see yourself making more personal projects/dramedies like this or maybe adapting your own plays? I’m gonna go wherever the inspiration takes me. One thing a friend of mine observed about my work recently: I tend to like to unfreakify people we freakify. My guess is that thread will remain in my work but I’m going to do it in a whole bunch of different ways I hope. I’m working on something right now that’s a historical thriller but I’m not done with it yet. I’ll let you know.

What was the film that made you want to be a filmmaker? The first film that made me realize that films had the amazing potential to break through to people all through the country in all sorts of situations and make them feel excited by the idea of insight was American Beauty. I grew up in Georgia in a conservative area in a religious home and the idea that my life could be subverted in a way that movie depicted made me excited to understand more about myself and the world about me and the lies we tell ourselves.

Great choice, it was formative for me too, I resent this backlash it’s been getting. American Beauty? Fuck that! It’s great!

Lil Rel Howery as TSA agent Rod Williams in ‘Get Out’.

Lil Rel Howery (Demetrius)

What did you connect with most about the script? What was it that stood out to you? Lil Rel Howery: How honest it was and how Paul did a good job of writing the human experience on an aspect of you know, “you lose weight, everything becomes peaches and cream” but you have to get your mental health together too. I thought it was dope. Brittany’s character really showed all the different processes of getting it together. She would be running and losing weight and it’s like “everything’s going great now” but then here comes an obstacle. It’s not about the weight, it’s more than that, and I thought that was very deep. I love how, also, he wrote all these stereotypical characters in such a human way without a political agenda to it. He made these beautiful families look like real people.

Most of your scenes you’re acting in front of a computer. What were the challenges of acting without your co-star present? How did your scenes work? I always joke with people, like, “I’ve done more than Get Out”, and they’re like, “Have you ever acted with people before?” I’m joking. It was acting, man. I think one of the things I love about what Paul did a good job of was each of us got our one-on-one with Jillian. And not just one-on-one, especially for us funny people, very dramatic one-on-ones. It wasn’t hard, it was a beautiful well-written movie and for me, that scene with me and Jillian was one of the coolest things I’ve ever filmed because it was filmed with honesty and emotion and I think we did a good job of filling that.

Do you feel eager to show that dramatic side of yourself? How will you reconcile that after establishing yourself as a comic relief? I’ve never put myself in that box. Unfortunately people just love to do that, I guess. With Get Out, as funny as I was in that, I was only funny to people because it was so intense. It wasn’t like I was just telling jokes. I wasn’t doing anything silly. My character Rod was just being honest: “This is what I think is going on.” It’s just funny the way I was saying it because the rest of the movie is insane. I even look at Bird Box, that character, I threw in a couple of jokes in there just because I felt like it, but that was a dramatic character. 

Even the scenes in Get Out, most of those things were dramatic. Even doing Uncle Drew, I made sure they didn’t make me the funniest person in that movie, especially with a movie with everyone running around with prosthetics. I thought that was crazy. I made sure I was the one who brought the heart into the movie. I’m very specific about what I pick. So I think with my next few films, the ones coming out this year, along with Brittany Runs a Marathon and the stuff I’m filming now, I just think you’re not going to put me in a box. You’re just going to have to call me good at one point.

You are good! [Laughs, generously.]

What are the different pleasures for you working in a scripted format compared to the freedoms you might have on other projects where you can improvise jokes? The crazy thing is, when people hire you they want to hire the best of you, right? I can improv drama. When I met with Paul it was about playing a love interest. We had a conversation of how I loved the script so much and I was talking to him about how I wish the father figure would be aggressive with her and he ended up making me that character where I played the father figure. He created this character based on our conversations. This character didn’t even exist at first.

I’ve worked with directors so far that trust me, and I trust them along with the creative process. I’m one of those dudes who’s a control improv-er. Maybe some comedians go off the rails. I know what the story is, I know what the moment is, I never go off what we’re supposed to get. My only thing I like to do is make a scene real. Even if the scene is funny, I don’t like to do nothing funny if it ain’t real. If it’s too silly, I don’t want to do it. I’m very big on keeping it real.

The same goes for my standup. My standup always comes from a real place. I try to make sure, everything I do, every project, every role, even the stuff now, I’m working with some great directors and I’m like, “can we get on the phone today because some of these lines are too stupid. Let’s think of something better and dramatic and I’ll make it funny” [laughs].

Get Out is a bonafide classic. It must have been exciting two years ago when it was being lauded and discovered, but in hindsight, it’s a key part of a movement that’s defining Hollywood right now. How does that feel to be part of? It feels great, man. I feel like I’m a part of so many different versions of that. I’ve been lucky, I’ve been able to do some cool stuff, man. I think with Get Out and what that did. I think about even Bird Box, you can do whatever you want, that was a fun time and I loved the script. After that, Netflix said they were breaking all these records. “This is a record-breaking movie.” There are a lot of interesting things I’ve been able to do, which I’m not done with.

I think for me, Brittany Runs a Marathon falls under that category with Get Out where I don’t think people know what they’re about to get into. I remember telling people that about Get Out and they were like, “Oh, okay”, and I was like, “Naw, you have no idea what this is about to be”. I think Brittany Runs a Marathon is like that too, I don’t think people have any idea how special this movie really is until they see. That’s why I think it’ll do well word-of-mouth more than anything.

Did you get to keep the hoodies for your character’s birthday? That’s the best piece of costume in a film for 2019. [Laughs]. Naw, I didn’t. It’s so funny you say that. I don’t know why I didn’t keep a t-shirt. Damn, I should’ve. I’d keep anything.

What movie made you want to be in movies? Let me tell you something funny. It’s not a film that made me want to take this on at first. It was an episode of Family Ties. It’s the episode where his friend got killed by a drunk driver [season 5, episodes 23 and 24; a two-parter titled A, My Name is Alex which won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1987]. Michael J. Fox performed in a way, you know, you watch things to be entertained at first? But that was the first time I watched an actor and I was like, “Yo, this is crazy good”. Then he did like a one-man show in the second part, like a play where he was walking on different parts of the set and it was different parts of his life. Man, I thought that was brilliant. I thought, ‘Whatever job this is, this is what I want to do!’ [laughs].

‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ is in US cinemas now.

[dear-dr-kenzo-tenma]

Doctor Kenzo Tenma - TV Tropes 

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/Monster

An Aesop: In-universe, he gives some of these.

Action Survivor: Dr. Tenma is initially an average person, insofar as a well-known brain surgeon can be average. The series' circumstances force him to become a hardened survivor.

Adaptational Attractiveness: In the manga, he starts off plain and downright funny-looking. The anime takes its cue from the later chapters' more adorable Tenma◊.

Adorkable: Before his badass upgrade made him stop being a doormat.

Adrenaline Makeover: Ahem.◊

All-Loving Hero: This is both a large advantage and similarly a large disadvantage to him because of the complex location on the Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism that Monster inhabits.

The Atoner: As kind-hearted as he is, he sees his absolute biggest mistake as being something he alone can fix. And despite numerous opportunities he gets where he could abandon his self-set mission, he refuses every time. Johan: (Seconds after killing Junkers in front of Tenma) I was supposed to die that night. You're the one who resurrected me, doctor.

Badass Pacifist: He can take a beating, jump off a bridge to avoid confrontation, and save people's lives while avoiding the police and criminals alike.

Beware the Nice Ones: Tenma is kind and righteous, but false accusations force him on a path to become much more assertive.

Barbarian Longhair: Subverted, he's not, by any definition, a barbarian. But by most persons in the series, his long hair is perceived as ugly.

Beard of Sorrow: He is normally beardless, but after he learns about Johan's true colors, he attempts to grow a beard and overly disregards his appearance.

Beware the Honest Ones: Tenma's idealism turned out pretty bad for his money-grubbing boss.

Big Good: This is particularly evident in arcs where he is offstage or not the main character. In keeping with his nearly messianic role, by the end, nearly all the characters would do anything to protect him.

Break the Cutie: By all accounts, he's sweet and adorable, but his entire life was ruined by the actions of a former patient.

Care-Bear Stare: He frequently does this, illustrating his initial idealism.

Celibate Hero: Post-Eva, although there is some subtext involving Nina that may avert this. In Another Monster, it is explained that he was still quite the celibate during his high school years and even purposely didn't get together with a girl who liked him (and the feeling was somewhat mutual) merely because he was friends with her (cheating) boyfriend.

Character Development: He begins as a well-respected, compassionate doctor. Over the series, he becomes more driven and relentless.

Cheaters Never Prosper: Averted, though not soon enough for poor Gillen's complex. He cheated on a test in medical school, which made him excel, and caused jealousy in one of his classmates. This acquaintance later becomes an important character.

Chronic Hero Syndrome: Despite his goal of hunting down Johan, he'll never turn down helping a stranger, even if the person's a criminal.

Clear My Name: Averted. His reason for hunting down Johan isn't to clear his name, but rather to correct the error he made in keeping Johan alive.

Combat Medic: "This is the carotid artery. Even a ballpoint pen could kill him, if you pierce it in the right spot."

The Drifter: Justified, since he was a murder suspect and has to be on the run from the police.

Expository Hairstyle Change: Starts off clean-cut, but gets progressively more disheveled.

Extreme Doormat: He used to be very submissive to his boss and his fiancee.

The Fettered: His beliefs frequently make him question his mission.

Forgets to Eat: Quite frequently. At other instances, he'll bemoan the lack of soy sauce in Western cuisine.

Friend to All Children: The good doctor loves children, and he is perfectly willing to help them. He even formed an Intergenerational Friendship with Dieter, a kid.

Friend to All Living Things: He saved a hurt bird in the time he was training as a gunmen. Later, when he was talking with a former friend to all living things, a finch landed in Tenma's arm.

Gentleman and a Scholar: He is a highly-accomplished brain surgeon and an incredibly caring and selfless man.

Good Is Not Dumb: Well, he's good, and intelligent. Heck, he's a brain surgeon. Beyond fitting the literal trope title, however, Roberto underestimates him at one point because of his goodness and pays for it by losing the use of his right arm.

Good Is Not Soft: While a genius neurosurgeon, he is nice, humble and compassionate. When Johan becomes a threat, he takes a level in badass and takes a journey to stop him. Also, he doesn't hesitate to threaten people with his pistol if their actions endanger one or more lifes.

Grew a Spine: He decides to stop being the doormat of his fiancee and his boss after seeing the immorality of both (the fiancee is not that evil, but this counts).

The Heart: Tenma is the moral center of a morally complex series.

The Hero: He is inarguably the protagonist, and he's very heroic, motivations and rumination aside.

Heroic Resolve: Kenzo has one in his battle against Roberto.

Hero with Bad Publicity: Wanted for the very murders that he keeps trying to stop.

Honor Before Reason: Though he cares about the "right thing" rather than any type of personal honor.

Hospital Hottie: He has a cute appearance, be well-groomed or not.

Humble Hero: He never takes credit for his good deeds and maintains that all people are equal despite conspicuously being better than everybody else in every imaginable way.

Hurting Hero: He's haunted by the actions of a former patient, who destroyed his life.

I Can't Dance: According to Eva, Tenma claimed to not be able to dance. They stood and held each other on the dance floor instead.

I Just Want to Have Friends: According to Eva in Another Monster, he was chronically lonely and thanks to his workaholic tendencies, he was unable to make friends other than Dr. Becker.

Intelligence Equals Isolation: His medical capabilities make him isolated among peers.

I'm Not Hungry: When he was captured by the police, he refused to eat for so long they had to put him on an IV. Which doubles as Fridge Brilliance, as he was trying to end up in the infirmary in order to get in touch with Gunther Milch.

Inconvenient Hippocratic Oath. All the more so (or not) for being an integral part of what he comes to be about after the first episode.

Incorruptible Pure Pureness: One of the rare examples of this trope being pulled off successfully. No matter how complicated things get, he retains his idealistic views on humanity.

Just in Time: He saves Reichwein, who came VERY close to being killed by Roberto, just in time in episode 30.

The Last DJ: Both played straight and averted, in short succession. His integrity makes him lose his job.

Last-Name Basis: People tend to call him by his last name rather than his first name, even when they've got to know him well—including Nina and Eva (though the latter is the one that does it least).

Looks Like Jesus: His long hair and stubble look make him somewhat similar to Jesus.

Magnetic Hero: He's kind, charming, and persuasive.

Manly Tears: He does cry, but it doesn't make him appear weak; it showcases just how horrible his life gets, in spite of how much he tries.

Married to the Job: Noted constantly, one of his fellow physicians tried to hook him up with other loves, but he was more focused on his job.

Messianic Archetype: To counter Johan's Antichrist

Nice Guy: He's very nice and will help even his enemies. This is both a blessing and a curse, considering how dark the series is. It gets him a lot of friends, but it also gets him into difficult situations.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He helped Johan, and then he's framed for murder. Johan: I was supposed to die that night. You're the one who resurrected me, Doctor.

Parental Favoritism: It's mentioned in Another Monster that his father favored him, his youngest son, over his other brothers. However, his mother favored his two older half-brothers (who are unrelated to her) more than him.

Perma-Stubble: He grows one during his Expository Hairstyle Change.

Save the Villain: At first unknowingly, in the case of saving the young Johan from his asked-for bullet wound to the head. By the end, [spoilers] he does it again, this time intentionally, to defy Johan's point.

Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Thoroughly believes this, when he decides to operate on Johan's brain-bullet and disobey the director's orders to ignore the kid and work on the mayor's cerebral-thrombosis. He starts doubting himself, when he sees what Johan has become.

Skilled, but Naïve: Tenma's a surgical prodigy, but it's not his relative inexperience with a scalpel that gets him into trouble in the beginning. It's his inexperience with another aspect of being a doctor: hospital politics.

The So-Called Coward: "Tenma the Weenie! Tenma the Weenie! He peed his pants, too!" Even more so considering the full story given in Another Monster. After the first time the other boys scared him during hide-and-seek, Tenma decided to go through it again in order to conquer his fear. What ended up happening was that they couldn't find him and thought that he just went home, so when one of the mothers told them it was time to go home, they left Tenma by himself. When they found him still hiding in the abandoned yard at night, they probably stopped picking on him simply because he had the guts to do all that.

Technical Pacifist: Although he has no problem pushing, kicking, shoving, and threatening with violence, he has a hard time causing harm to others even if it is to defend his own life.

Think Nothing of It: Does not like to take credit for his achievements, e.g. denying that he'd saved the Turkish district.

Thou Shalt Not Kill: A personal philosophy that looks especially interesting when pitted against his initial tantrums of, "These people need to die."

Took a Level in Badass: Early in the series, after receiving weapons training from an ex-mercenary.

Trademark Favorite Food: Heckel notes that Tenma thinks that any recipe can be improved with soy sauce. And if the fandom on Tumblr has anything to say about it, sandwiches.

Turn the Other Cheek: Constantly, over and over again. He does this to his fellow doctors, as well as his enemies.

Übermensch: By the end of the series, although he starts out as a very clear-cut Last Man. His personal beliefs evolve over the course of the series. He becomes less conflicted, and more willing to do what's necessary.

Unkempt Beauty: He looks like a hobo and still looks very well. Even most fans think he looks better with the hobo look.

Unwitting Pawn: Used, reused, and subverted. A lot of his actions, even his goal are propelled and encouraged by Johan.

White and Grey Morality: How he sees the world.

Wide-Eyed Idealist: Determinedly and stubbornly so. Tenma is convinced that all life is equal, and that everyone can be saved. His beliefs put him at odds with nearly everyone, as he's one of the few idealists in the series.

Wrongly Accused: The whole plot is to save Johan who framed him in the first place, though he's more concerned about saving him and less concerned about being proven innocent.

source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/Monster