#how often does she end up saving a life and how often does she just make a cis guy uncomfortable for 3 minutes?

[billionstarsandhereweare]

mirror, mirror

pairing: matt murdock x fem!reader

summary: moving sucks. matt does not. (well… maybe he does, in a way)

warnings: y’all this is straight smut. 18+ only! mdni! established relationship, oral (f! receiving), tiny bit of edging, lots of kisses, no use of y/n

a/n: this is a dirty little love letter to the glorious work of art that is matt’s back and broad shoulders. everybody say thank you to charlie for never missing back/arm day. this is my first time posting smut, hope y’all enjoy 😊

If there is one singular, universal truth in the world, it’s that moving sucks.

No matter how excited you were to be taking the proverbial next step in your relationship with Matt, you still complained every day leading up to move-in weekend about how much you hated packing. How much you were dreading carting the contents of your life, carefully wrapped in paper and bubble wrap and fit into cardboard boxes and plastic totes, down seven flights of stairs, across New York City, then up six more flights of stairs to their new home. The end result would be worth it, getting to start the next chapter of your life with the love of your life, but the process? The worst. Actual torture. A previously undiscovered tenth circle of Hell.

“Sweetheart, if you’re really that upset about moving everything ourselves, we can hire someone,” Matt had offered weeks ago as you were on yet another rant of why are books so heavy? Do I need plates and bowls? Maybe I’ll just donate everything I own and start over…

“I looked at prices already. For like, five different companies. You don’t even want to know what the going rate is,” you grumbled as you stacked yet another box in the corner of your apartment. “I’ve got a better chance of catching Jessica Jones giving you a compliment than finding an affordable mover.”

He had just chuckled as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, gently kissing the top of your head. “Think of how nice it’ll be to always wake up together. No more running across the city to pick up something you forgot, no more nights apart…”

“No more shitty neighbors,” you sighed as Matt swayed you both from side to side, “and we both might actually get some real rest more often.” Sleep always came easier when you were curled up next to Matt, tucked into his warm chest, safe and secure. He slept better too, knowing you were safe, focusing on the soft beat of your heart and your steady breathing as it pulled him down into deep, dreamless rest.

“See?” he said, lips brushing your temple in another gentle kiss, “All worth it.”

“I know. Still gonna complain though.”

“I’d be worried if you didn’t,” Matt teased.

Over the next few weeks, you had slowly started to bring over boxes after work, ones that were easy to haul or filled with items you didn’t need to survive for the immediate future. But for every tub or bin you brought, three more seemed to take their place. When moving day finally came, you thought they may actually be breeding with the amount you somehow still had left to haul.

Foggy and Karen had joined you in loading boxes and bins into the moving truck, while Matt had somehow managed to convince Frank Castle of all people to help with the heavier pieces of furniture. It was dark by the time all the heavy items had made their way to Matt’s place. By some miracle just a few pieces got scuffed, and only three death threats had been made. Surprisingly, only one had been from Frank.

“Swear to god Red, you ever ask me to do sumthin’ like this again, I’ll hang you from the fuckin’ clothesline on the roof.”

“You owed me from that time I saved your ass from the Italians.”

“Yeah, figured I’d be doin’ recon or sumthin’, not haulin’ an entire fuckin’ thrift store’s worth of shit ‘cross the Kitchen.”

Karen had stepped in before teeth started gnashing, rubbing Frank’s shoulders as she walked past. “I’m proud of you both for not killing each other, but it’s getting late and we have an early morning tomorrow.” She looked your way, a fond smile on her face. “Are you good if we take off?”

“Yeah, I can’t thank you guys enough for your help. Made it… less shitty.”

“Of course,” she replied as Frank muttered something about capital punishment under his breath. “Let’s go, you grump.”

You bid your goodbyes, Foggy trailing behind Karen and Frank as they left your new home.

Exhausted, you shuffled your way into the bedroom before flopping face-first onto the silk-clad bed. Stretching your arms out above you, you groaned, “I’m never moving again. We’re staying here forever.”

Matt huffed out a laugh as he sat down beside you. “I’m perfectly fine with that.” A strong, warm hand ran across your shoulders, seeking out the knots that had started to form from the lifting you had done earlier. A second hand landed on your lower back, slipping under your thin tank top and kneading at the base of your spine. “Staying in this bed with you for the rest of our lives sounds like paradise,” he said, voice dropping into that low, raspy tone that meant trouble as his hands continued to massage the tension from your back. You sighed into the covers, skin warming under his touch.

“Mmm, don’t tempt me, you devil.” His short beard rasped just below the base of your neck as his lips followed the path his hand had been taking across your shoulders, leaving feather-light kisses in their wake. A shiver ran down your spine at the heavenly motion, anticipation curling in your stomach even in your tired state.

“Want to know one of my favorite things about you moving in?” Matt whispered into your ear.

You turned your head enough to peek one eye out from the duvet. “What’s that?”

He let out a soft noise, almost a purr, before burying his face in the nape of your neck. “Everything smells like you now.” A sigh escaped him as he continued to nuzzle into you. “It used to fade after awhile, especially when you were gone for a night or two.” His chest pressed into your back on a deep inhale before almost drunkenly continuing, speech the tiniest bit slurred. “I’ll never get tired of it.”

Rolling onto your back, you smiled at his relaxed form hovering just inches above you, lips curved into a small smile, unseeing eyes bright with adoration. “Probably a good thing I moved here instead of you moving in with me. Mrs. Howard’s candles would’ve driven you crazy.”

He chuckled before lowering his forehead to yours, one hand next to your head supporting his weight as the other slowly roamed down your side to settle at your waist, calloused fingers on bare skin where your tank had ridden up. A peaceful quiet spread through the room as you basked in the warmth of his touch, soaking up the love that radiated from him. You brushed a thumb across his cheek, fingers curling under his jaw as he leaned into your touch. “I’m glad I finally made the jump.”

“Me too. Welcome home, love.”

His lips met yours in a sweet, gentle brush as his hand at your waist began tracing small circles into your skin. You returned the kiss, slow and unhurried, the hand on his face slipping back to weave your fingers into his hair. The graze of his fingers brushed over a sensitive spot of skin above your hipbone, eliciting a quiet moan from you as sparks of heat ran through your core, your hand tightening in the short strands at the base of his neck. Those same sparks seemed to light Matt up like a dried-up pine, because the next thing you knew, he had pulled you upright and onto his lap, his tongue slipping into your mouth, deepening the kiss. You let out a small gasp as he dragged you further onto his lap, your knees on either side of his thighs, warmth pooling low in your stomach. His mouth moved against yours in hungry, passionate laps, his hands roving up under your tank, the electricity from his touch pebbling your skin. With every expert caress of his lips, you could feel that telltale dampness growing between your thighs, hips beginning to rock over his rapidly hardening cock.

Matt was the first to break for air, breathing in deep and exhaling out with a shudder. “God, angel, you smell divine.”

You took the opportunity to grab the hem of his tee, pulling it up off of him, intentionally dragging your hands oh-so-slowly up the broad expanse of his chest. Shirt discarded, his toned chest was now on full display, scars and soft skin almost glowing in the low light of the room. You dragged your hands back down, inching towards the waistband of his sweats, before he grabbed your wrists in an iron grip, stopping you.

“Uh-uh. Not yet, not with how good you smell. I need to taste you first.”

His mouth crashed back onto yours, desperately chasing you as his hands found the edge of your shorts. He trailed down your jaw, to your neck, nipping and sucking at where your pulse thrummed in your throat intensely enough to bruise. A low moan rose from deep within your chest, pleasure building from his lips on such a sensitive part of your skin. He slid smoothly down in front of you, kneeling on the hardwood as he slipped your shorts down your hips. “Please, let me have a taste of you. Can I, sweetheart?”

With those pleading hazel eyes and plush lips saying your name like a prayer, who were you to deny him?

“Yes, Matt, please.”

A satisfied grin spread across his face as you fell backwards onto the bed. A trail of soft, teasing kisses crept up one thigh, then down the other, as he slowly dragged your shorts from your body. The warmth of his breath ghosted over just above the waistline of your underwear as he savored the scent of you, how the soft skin of your hips pebbled with goosebumps as he teased a finger along your panties, relishing in the warm wetness that had already accumulated. You sat up, leaning back in your elbows, to watch the utter rapture on his face, eyes darkened with lust as he took in the scents and textures that were all you. Matt had a way of making you feel not only desired, but so seen, even without being able to physically see you. He knelt in front of you, almost in offering, devoted to you and your pleasure. It was a heady sight, one that captured every bit of your attention.

That is, until he shifted back onto his heels.

Getting comfortable, Matt leaned to the side just enough for you to notice a movement of light behind him, one that your hazy brain didn’t quite follow. Letting your focus drift away from his face, electricity shot straight through you once you realized what that movement was.

The beautiful, broad expanse of Matt’s naked back was reflected in the floor length mirror you had propped against the wall so carelessly earlier in the day. The lamp in the corner of the room radiated out a soft, golden light as shadows caressed the dips and valleys of the muscles in his shoulders and along the ridge of his spine. Even the world collapsing around you couldn’t make you look away from the sight reflected back to you, the devil you loved with muscles seemingly carved from marble, scars painted like brushstrokes across silken ivory skin.

Jesus, this man is an actual work of art.

Matt, ever observant, sensed the stuttering of your heartbeat and the flush that warmed your skin. He ran one hand up over your waist, dipping below your tank to cup your breast over your heart, the warmth of your skin radiating back into him.

“Mmm, you’re burning up. Care to share what’s got you so worked up?” he teased, tone casual but with the slightest edge that said I expect an answer.

You swallowed, throat dry as you struggled to find your voice when lust was clouding your thoughts. “Um, you know that uh, mirror we moved earlier?”

Matt continued his journey he had set on moments earlier, pressing kisses onto your stomach, along your waist, slowly moving lower as you somehow managed to get even hotter under his touch. His thumb slowly circled your nipple, your back arching as you sought out more. “The one that used to hang by your bedroom door?”

“Uh huh, that one. You’re uh- well, it’s right behind you.”

He shifted, rolling his shoulders back so slightly you wouldn’t have known it was intentional if not for the cocky smirk on his face. “I take it you like the view?”

A groan left you as you threw your head back. “You have no idea.”

He brushed a single finger, light as air, up the seam of your clothed pussy, causing a shudder to roll through you, sucking in a shaky breath. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I have some idea,” he crooned before pressing a kiss over the damp spot of your underwear before sliding them slowly down your legs, tossing them to the side. You ran a hand over your face, cheeks heating up. A sudden tug at your knees as he spread you wider made you yelp, your head snapping back up.

“Don’t get shy now, sweetheart. Eyes on me.”

All you could muster up was a soft whine as he left more kisses in a trail from your knee up your thigh, the gentleness in stark contrast with the power that ran through the reflection of his built form you were locked onto. You felt more than heard his dark chuckle at your noises.

“I want you to watch while I ruin you.”

With that, he dove in.

He licked one long, wide stripe up your soaked cunt, swallowing your slick down with an obscene moan that vibrated right through you. Another lick had you spreading even further for him, whimpering as your hands scrambled in the sheets to brace yourself as he started to methodically break you down. You squirmed, hips bucking up before he threw one forearm across your stomach to pin you in place. He teased your entrance with hot, wet laps, nose grinding into your clit, red-hot fire ricocheting through you. That band of pressure in your core had already started to build, tightening with every lick into you.

“Oh–oh fuck, Matt–”

He groaned against your cunt, muttering out “I know, sweetie, you’re already so worked up. Eyes still on me?”

You watched the muscles in his shoulders roll and tense as he doubled down, sucking on your clit, one finger teasing in circles at your entrance. A long whine escaped you, you were so close already, spiraling upwards, clenching around nothing, moaning out his name–

He pulled back.

“Matt no, please, I was right there–”

He kept up the slow circles of his finger, a smug smirk on his face, stubble glistening from your arousal. “Not yet. Want to make this last,” he said, nipping at the inside of your thigh. “You’ll be patient and let me take my time, right? It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

You just nodded, unable to form anything coherent on your tongue.

“Good,” he praised, before sliding into you.

Sensitive from being pulled back from the edge, you jerked up off the bed as he pumped one finger in and out of you, curling just right at the spot that made stars dance at the edge of your vision. He brushed a soft kiss to your clit as he continued, settling into a rhythm that by now he knew better than his own heartbeat. You were already succumbing to the sticky-sweet waves of bliss that lapped at the edges of your body, building and building as Matt worked a second finger into you. The stretch hardly registered, only the sweet sensation of fullness, as he began to lick and suck at that tender bundle of nerves again. You kept your eyes on the mirror, the visual of his back tensing as he rutted up into the mattress adding another layer to the intense pleasure you were slipping under. The friction on your clit, his fingers curling again and again and again at that spot inside you, the delectable view of him knelt in front you with muscles taut and tensed, had the wave of your orgasm cresting, and cresting–

“Matt I’m–I’m gonna–”

He groaned into you, and that subtle vibration from his throat had you coming, falling head-first into wave after wave of burning heat, pulsing through you as you gasped out his name. Your orgasm rippled through your core and out into your limbs, walls spasming around his thick fingers as he worked you through it, pulling back from your oversensitive clit to lap up your slick. You let out a long, shaky noise, part exhale, part whine as he pulled his fingers from you. Only once he was satisfied he had gotten every last drop of you he could did he pull away, bring his fingers up to his mouth to clean the last of you off of them.

Thighs trembling and small aftershocks still pulsing inside you, you could only watch as he stood up, stretching his arms above his head before he leaned back down onto the bed to run his hands up your sides. His mouth found yours, lips parted so gently against yours as he shared the taste of you. Breaking away, you ran your hand through his soft hair, already mussed from his enthusiastic performance. He melted into your touch, your nails gently scraping against his scalp.

You were the first to speak, voice raspy.

“We can’t leave the mirror there.”

That got you a laugh. “No? Sounded like you enjoyed it.”

“I’ll never let you leave this bed if it stays.”

Matt’s lips brushed the tip of your nose, your forehead, and finally your own lips. “I don’t see a problem with that.”

“You might after I wear you out.”

“Oh yeah? How are you and your jello legs going to accomplish that?” he challenged with that cocky little smirk you knew and loved.

“Gimme five minutes Murdock, and I’ll show you.”

[dreamsteddie]

Steve and Eddie who kind of flop in life and end up poor, living in a trailer in a different small town living quiet lives of no import.

The kids, Robin, Nancy, and Johnathan all seem to take the small handful of opportunities offered to them by the government in the aftermath of the Upsidedown to take off and make something of their lives. They're off writing headlines, making news, and living their lives to the best of their abilities, but Steve and Eddie find themselves stuck.

Steve stayed in Hawkins until the kids graduated and left for college. By then Nancy, Johnathan, and Robin are all in their second or third years of college. John and Nancy have their own apartment in New York together and don't reach out all that often, only seeing the rest of the Hawkins crew on Holidays and some vacations. Robin is flourishing at an all-women's college in Maine and has a partner and a cat and plans for graduate school brewing. She's always saying Steve can come out and join her whenever he's ready, but when the time comes it feels like he would just be trying to insert himself in the middle of a life he doesn't know how to fit into, so he turns to Eddie instead.

Eddie is permanently disabled in a number of ways following the events of season four. He struggles with chronic pain, has breathing issues due to the loss of part of his right lung, and lost enough muscle mass in his left leg that walking will never be easy or done without the use of a walker or arm bar crutches. The doctors said he recovered as well as he could have. The kids said he would get better with time. Wayne said it didn't matter if he never got better, he could do anything he set his mind to.

Steve is the only person who tells him the truth.

Steve tells him that it sucks. Tells him that it will probably always hurt. Doesn't give him false hope when he's trying to grieve the loss of the life he wanted to live. The goals he wanted to reach. When he falls deeper and deeper into himself, stuck in the muck of depression, Steve is the only person he lets in. The kids try their best but their lives are moving fast, and taking care of someone like Eddie is exhausting, no matter what they try to say. Eventually, everyone but Dustin gives up on reaching out, the younger boy showing up every Sunday to try and get Eddie out of the house. He always leaves disappointed.

When Steve asks him if he wants to use what's left of their partly government payouts and Steve's equally meager Family Video savings to buy a truly shitty trailer in a town an hour and a half south of Hawkins in the fall of 1990, it feels like the first boon he's been given in almost five years. He'll never be who he could have been if he had ignored Chrissy that day in 86', but he's always thought maybe he could be more than a ghost between Wayne's walls if he could just get out of this god-forsaken town full of people who know too much and too little of what's happened to him.

They get the trailer, pack what little they have, let Wayne hug them close, and leave.

Steve has already transferred to their new town's Family Video, moving up to claim the dubious honor of being the opening manager. Mostly he just unlocks the door, signs into the computer, and makes sure nothing catches fire. Eddie hoped that moving would miraculously make him fit to enter back into the world, but he spends most of his days with a blanket on the front porch, watching people pass by. He does, though, finally accept that he needs to apply for disability to help Steve keep the lights on and the water hot. That last little bit of hope that he could be what he used to be dies, but he's learning to be content with what he does have. He starts taking a walk, just ten minutes around the loop of the trailer park saying hi and trading polite nods with his fellow residents. He's not ok, but he's starting to build a new community of people not too different from himself.

The new trailer only has one bedroom. Eddie sleeps on a fold-out mattress in the living room. It had been a major argument when they first moved in with Steve insisting that Eddie needed the bed. Eddie argued that it wasn't fair for him to take the room when Steve was the one working 40 hours a week to keep them afloat. In the end, Eddie was the more stubborn of the two. It helps that Eddie has absolutely no qualms about crawling into bed with Steve on the nights when the couch bed really won't cut it for his aching body. Steve never questions it, just shuffles over a little and lets the other man in.

Steve doesn't question a lot of stuff.

He doesn't question when all their effects are shared between them with no effort to distinguish between yours and mine, Eddie's and Steve's. He doesn't question it four months in when Eddie starts to get his feet under him and decides to take up cooking, always trying his best to have everything done just as Steve walks through the door. He doesn't question when a good chunk of Eddie's first disability check goes to buying Steve a sturdy, if not very fashionable, new watch for his birthday since his old one went bust almost a year ago.

He doesn't question it when Eddie holds his hand for the first time under the stars hanging above their front porch.

He doesn't question it when Eddie introduces him to one of his new neighbor friends with a hand resting comfortably on his lower back

He doesn't question it when Eddie starts sleeping in the bedroom every night.

Or makes him box mix cupcakes for Valentine's Day.

Or kisses him for the first time on the couch that's never a bed unless they want to spend the day binge-watching bargain bin films.

Because really, isn't this how it was always going to go? Wasn't this exactly what Steve was asking for when he asked Eddie to skip town with him?

Isn't this what Eddie was hoping for when he said yes?

[q8qwertyuiop8p]

Something that has really bugged me about season two is Jinx's hallucinations and PTSD. It magically disappears when Silco dies, save for two scenes. I remember when people on reddit were literally making jokes about the writers going this route because it would be so stupid.

One of the things I loved about season one was the realistic depictions of mental illness that you just don't see often in media. I don't know what it is like to experience schizophrenia, but I have experienced PTSD and paranoia, and seeing how it was represented in Arcane was actually one of the things that helped me through it.

And then season 2 comes around and they just completely neglect this side of Jinx.

PTSD isn't a switch that can magically be flipped off. Recovery is a slow and gradual process. In absolutely no world would Jinx killing yet another family member cure her of her conditions, it would make them 10 times worse. Not to mention just before killing him she has an extremely severe psychotic episode, which would only make forgetting her trauma even more difficult since it was just brought up fresh in her mind.

And what even about the end of s1 was it that healed her? I genuinely have no idea, because she finally chooses Jinx only to once again go back and forth between Jinx and Powder in season two, because apparently all that buildup for her final decision was for nothing.

She does experience two hallucinations (I'm not going to count the jail silco thing in act three because what even was that?) when she sees enforcer Vi and when Sevika talks about the attack at Vander's statue, but suddenly that is all that triggers her?

In season one, just seeing Vi, or even someone who looks like Vi triggers her. But now when Vi is literally trying to capture and possibly kill her she is fine, it's only the mask that bothers her? Wasn't that her worst fear, that Silco and Sevika were right, that Vi only wanted to stop her? And she is constantly triggered by Cait in season 1 but not 2?

And then there was the insulting ending, where jail Silco tells Jinx to 'break the cycle' (something he would absolutely never do) and Jinx finally finds redemption by realizing she is purely a burden and her family would be better off believing she is dead. So she literally kills herself after Isha kills herself in what is framed as an act of heroism (and if Jinx actually didnt, than what even was the point of that scene, besides a cheap fake out?) What happened to Ekko trying to stop Jinx from doing that? What happened to Silco having Singed revive her to save her life after she attempts to take it? Or Jayce and Viktor talking each other out of it? Or Silco choosing to keep fighting rather than give in to the "peace in water"?

On purpose or not season 2 frames suicide as a glorious, edgy, perhaps even necessary thing and it's disgusting.

[comicaurora]

Do you think ethics are just an attempt at being a healthier form of selfish?

In one of your Detail Diatribes where Batman confronts Catwoman and tries to stop her from killing Falcone, you highlighted the fact that his reasoning was not to protect her father, but to try and save her. Ever since, some very strange ideas about the nature of selfishness and selflessness have been rattling around my head.

It only started coming into focus when I tried to put into words why it was a bad thing that D-16 killed Sentinel Prime. My best answer right now is because it made D-16 into Megatron. Orion wasn't trying to save Sentinel, he was trying to protect the cybertronian people. Maybe if Orion focused more on saving D-16, they wouldn't have lost their friendship and all of Cybertron would be better for it. Of course, in the end, Megatron was the deciding factor in making himself, caring more about his pride than his current identity, but this highlights a strange selfish quirk in sustainable selfless behavior.

If you are purely selfless you suffer from spending more of yourself than you have to give. If you're too selfish you can't maintain the human connections that are a requirement for being a complete and healthy person. It leaves the best options as being selfless to make your environment an easier one for you to live in. Where your actions for others are repaid by the selflessness from your community. Or, being selfish with your charity. Taking care of what you care about because their well being positively contributes to your own.

To be fair, the opening sentence now looks like an incomplete thought. It probably should be asking if you think ethics is just an attempt at being a more healthy form of selfish and selfless. Really, just asking if ethics is meant to make you better at being a person, which seems like a question that can answer itself. Still, it feels like an important insight to highlight that to be ethical isn’t about how much of your own life you're willing to sacrifice. It's hard to be a good person when you're not a person anymore.

This is a fascinatingly deep question, and I'm very tickled that our two touchpoints in it are a transforming robot tank and Batman.

My personal opinion is that ethics and morals are not reflections of some universal truth of Justice and Goodness, as they are often framed, but are instead best-practice guidelines on how to function in the big, messy world without causing undue suffering to yourself and others. A facet of this is determining, case by case, how much you need to prioritize yourself vs how much you can afford to help others - in the framing you've proposed, selfishness vs selflessness.

Taking the specific examples we're focusing on - two cases where someone attempts to prevent a revenge killing for the benefit, not of the victim, but of the avenger - I think they reflect this worldview, that the killing is not seen as some innately universally-judged evil act that must be prevented for its own sake, but that the act of killing will harm the killer in a way the person trying to stop them doesn't want to see.

For Catwoman, committing premeditated murder wouldn't solve any of her problems in any way that arresting Falcone and having him legally unraveled would. It'd just park a first degree murder charge on someone who'd up til this point only dealt with petty larceny, and it would potentially weigh her down with misery and regret as she grappled with the trauma of taking a life.

For Megatron, killing Sentinel Prime wasn't a bad action because he deserved to live. They just spent that whole fight scene tearing through enemies. They're warriors on track to spend the next four million years killing each other; the whole "taking a life" ship has already sailed. The problem is that Sentinel is a symbol and a structural part of the political narrative in the founding of the next stage of Cybertron's society. If the first thing the new regime does is bloodily avenge itself on the face of the old regime for the personal wrongs it did them, that proves that the only thing they care about is personal satisfaction of their individual desires - just like Sentinel. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. If they can instead take a step back, think of the good of Cybertron as a whole, enforce a rule of law and a fair system of justice that applies equally to everyone, even on someone they personally loathe, that would signify integrity and credibility and the hallmark of wise, just and fair leadership capable of setting aside personal feelings for the greater good. It's not about Sentinel; it's about whether the satisfaction of killing him is worth the price of enforcing forever that personal vendettas are more important than the well-being of the people of Cybertron. Which makes it really obvious which one Megatron is going to pick.

My hottest take, and I mean this very genuinely, is that most of the human perception of what constitutes goodness and justice is one thousand percent based on vibes, and is extremely susceptible to narrative reframing. We see an unsympathetic victim (Sentinel Prime, Falcone) who has gleefully caused suffering to innocent people (so judged because they are framed sympathetically, not because we've actually enumerated their lifelong actions to determine they've never done anything wrong) and we feel (feel) that it would be right and just for them to suffer consequences (emphasis on suffer) because that would balance the scales on this vibes equation and that would make us feel like justice had been served. Would this suffering lead to any material good? Not inherently. Would it heal the victims? Not usually. Would it remove the source of the problem? Categorically not, what with how negative reinforcement works (or rather does not work.) It also wouldn't do anything about the other people empowered by the same system to be just as shitty in just as many ways that just happen to be offscreen from our POV. But it feels fair. So what is justice, if it reduces down to "I want them to hurt for the hurt they've caused me"? If it can be sated with a spectacle or distracted by a long nap and a good joke to let the feeling fade? What purpose does this justice serve if it is devoted wholly to the satiation of a bone-deep chordate-brain hunger for Retributive Violence rather than towards actually ensuring that the lives of those harmed are healed and supported and built up again after being broken down? (This is the entire core character arc in The Batman, btw, I'm not just monologuing for no reason here. He calls himself Vengeance for a reason, and the reason is he's doing Batman wrong)

That feeling - that white-hot burning core of Righteous Fury - is the unexamined heart of many systems of morality that focus, not on doing good, but on exacting satisfying retribution on Bad People Who Deserve It, categorized as People Who I Can Hurt Without Feeling Bad Myself. It's a very tempting concept for people who have suffered at others' hands. That feeling, that powerful instinctual understanding of "that's unfair," is incredibly strong. In my opinion, most systems of ethics are built, not around relitigating what is Good and what is Bad per se, but in trying to shape and curb that bone-deep, unbelievably powerful desire to rend the flesh from the bones of your tormenters.

But I mentioned that feeling is susceptible to narrative reframing. This is, as I understand it, a huge part of lawyering. Tell the story of what happened using true events and adding no falsehoods, but highlight the parts that make it feel like your client is the one who is being treated unfairly. They're not an unsympathetic wrongdoer who you can punish without personal moral stain - they're a loving spouse, a parent of three adorable children, they have a really cute puppy, they donate to charity, they're a wonderful conversationalist, a kind friend, etc etc. All those things can also be true of people who do terrible things, but thinking about them defuses that White Hot Core by making us sympathize with the sympathetic parts of them.

This is incredibly well-understood in fiction. It's the whole reason the tropes Kick The Dog and Pet The Dog exist. When you want the audience to root for a character's destruction, leave aside any of their potential quiet moments of sympathy - their tragic backstory, their cute pet, their adorable relationship with their mom - and instead show them going out of their way to commit some minor act of petty cruelty, say Kicking The Dog. The audience will infer that this badness is 24/7 and they have no reason to curb their enthusiasm for Righteous Vengeance. But if the writer wants the audience to see a spark of good in them, to sympathize, to believe they can be redeemed, they'll highlight one of those small moments of charming kindness, and allow them to Pet The Dog instead.

Neither of these acts, in the grand scale, have any bearing on the morality of this person's actions. A pet dog doesn't counterbalance a razed village; a kicked dog doesn't negate a generous contribution to the local soup kitchen. Goodness and badness is not a linear scale added or subtracted to by opposing deeds. BUT showing them to an audience reframes them narratively, and THAT is what shapes the judgment of the White Hot Burning Core. In the space of fiction, this form of bottom-shelf emotional manipulation is one of the cleanest ways to get the audience to root for the messy destruction of what is ostensibly, in the universe of the fiction, a wholly complex and living person who definitely has reasons for everything they've done, even ones that could be framed sympathetically when shown.

Meanwhile, in the real world, ethics are an attempt to judge what is best in a given situation without trusting the White Hot Burning Core to make the call, no matter how compelling "but it would feel really good though" might seem. They try to give someone perspective, context, other priorities to consider. The White Hot Burning Core might want you to rip someone's arms off for driving slow when you've got important places to be, but Ethics can present a number of compelling reasons not to do that - even if it's just "ripping their arms off will definitely make me even more late." And yes, this can be a balance of Selfishness Vs Selflessness. You are one of the people whose wellbeing ethics is designed to make you prioritize improving even if it feels weird, and when all other things are equal, your own health and happiness can be the deciding factor. In a world with an overarching Moral Force that weighs the goodness of your soul by sifting through every grain of action and intent seeking negativity to punish you for, absolute selflessness to the point of self destruction would still probably be seen as Morally Wrong, simply because the universe is a better place with you in it trying your best.

Anyway, if doing the right thing was simple, easy and painless, we probably wouldn't have so many thousands of years of arguing about what it looks like. Good luck out there everybody 👍

[thistle-wrote]

Johns Bird

F!Reader X John Price CW: Age gap relationship, kind of Dub-con, major manipulation on John's part, emotional abuse, coercion, explicit sexual content, power imbalance, controlling behavior, JOHN IS TOXIC AND A TOTAL ASSHOLE PLEASE NOTE THAT BEFORE READING.

Pt two to this because one person asked me for it and I give into peer pressure very easily.

John shut the front door behind him, locking it as he entered his home. He knew where his bird was; she’s always in the same place when he got home.

“Hi, little girl,” John spoke, entering the kitchen, leaning against the granite countertop. For a second, he looked down at his feet, noticing he’d tracked dirt through the house. That’s fine. She’ll clean it up.

“Hi,” came her mumbled response as she looked up at him, smiling. She never seems to get tired of his homecoming, never irritated by the prospect of constantly cooking for and cleaning up after a grown man.

“What are you cooking, pet?”

He began crossing the kitchen, standing behind her to wrap his arms around her shoulders, effectively trapping her in.

“Just chicken.” Truth be told, he couldn’t actually care less what she was cooking, it’s always good and as long as he doesn’t have to do it, he’s satisfied.

“Good girl.” She has always responded well to soft cooing and praise. He watched as her little cheeks flushed, and her lips quirked upwards. God, he loved her. He had been so patient, waited so long for her that once he got her, he took what he wanted all at once.

“I wanted to ask.” She began wiggling underneath his grasp, turning to face him.

“Mhm,” John hummed, looking down at her big doe eyes. She’s been so good since he got her. She does what she’s told, she doesn’t fight, she doesn’t argue.

“I want to go out with my friends tonight.” Immediately John felt his mood sour. He hates her friends. Does she not remember how they ended up in bed together all those months ago in the first place? Her friends left her alone in that bar. Stupid girl she doesn’t know what’s good for her.

She, of course, noticed the change, a very perceptive little thing. “Shouldn’t be going out, love,” John added. If he spoke to her too sternly, she cried. If he was too lenient, she didn’t behave. He’d found a way over the last months to keep her where he wanted her, without her babbling or tears flowing. 

“But it’s Emma’s birthday and...” John watched her words die in her throat. She doesn’t typically beg or plead, especially not when John gives her the look he just had, the furrowed brow and hard stare. Doesn’t she realize he saved her? Doesn’t she realize he’s all she needs?

“Now, bunny rabbit, what kind of man would I be if I just let a sweet little thing like you wander around drunk and alone with a bunch of girls?” John has learned a lot of things in his nearly 40 years of life. One of them: you don’t just simply allow girls who look like her to go out by themselves. John may be many things, but he’s not stupid.

“But I can handle myself.” 

“No, love, you can’t.” 

Despite her frustrated expression, she conceded and went back to cooking dinner like a good girl. He hates seeing that little pouty lip she gives him. It’s not that he doesn’t trust her, no it’s not that at all. It’s just he doesn’t trust everyone else. She’s spacey, she doesn’t pay attention to her surroundings, and anything could happen to his sweet thing if he’s not watching her. 

…………………………

As the evening went on, she was quieter than usual, she doesn’t often act like a brat, John Price doesn’t do brats. But despite his authority and desire to simply do what is best for her, she does pout. Although not in the way most do, it’s still pouting. The quiet way she sat on the couch reading her book, not tucked under his arm, not chatting his ear off.

“Birdie girl?” John said, lighting the cigar in his hand, watching her as she sat peacefully. 

“Yes sir?” Her gaze moved from her book to his eyes. Eye contact. Good fuckin’ bird. 

“You going to stop pouting anytime tonight?” The question, while rhetorical, was more of a demand for her to wipe the pout off her face than anything.

“I’m not pouting.” She whined. Like nails on a chalkboard, that tone. He’s not being mean to the girl; he’s just protecting her. She has to understand that.

“Come sit.” He didn't leave much room for argument. He just leaned back further into the couch, manspreading a little bit more, giving her a place to sit.

Despite her clearly being upset with him, she listened, putting her bookmark in her book and setting it down on the arm of the couch. She crawled across the sectional to find her spot on his lap. He took a drag of his cigar before speaking, not bothering to try and keep the smoke from her face.

“You know why I don’t want you to go?” John asked, placing his free hand on her thigh. She simply shook her head. John took that as his cue to explain. As much as he believed she should just trust him, shouldn’t need an explanation, he’d give her one if it would stop her attitude. 

“Your friends aren’t good to you, bird. They leave you alone. Remember when we met, all those months ago? You told me you wanted better friends; you got me instead. I am here to protect you, to keep you away from things that could hurt you. That means away from your little friends, and away from the wandering eyes of the men who’ll no doubt be in that bar.”

“But I…” She started before John quickly interrupted.

“Let me finish, little girl” she nodded, letting her head fall to rest against his shoulder. She may be upset, but she’s still his sweet bunny. John moved his hand from her thigh to her head, resting it against her hair. He spoke again.

“I know you want to have fun, but I have to keep you safe, love.” 

“I know.” She nodded against his shoulder. The resignation in her voice was enough to chub his cock. Such a sweet girl.

“We can have fun at home, you know,” John said, taking another drag from his cigar, this time blowing it directly into her face. She likes it.

…………………………

There was always one surefire way to both keep his woman happy and make sure she’s being good. Who needs friends or birthday parties when you have a bed you share with your boyfriend, pretty girl? 

“J-John.” She tried. She failed. John may be at least a decade her senior but he’s not old; he can hold out a long time if that means keeping her quiet.

“Can’t even talk, huh?” John let out a condescending chuckle as he continued to rut into her. Her knees pushed to her shoulders. God, she’s so pretty like that, overstimulated and tired.

He couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips when, for the fifth time, he felt her walls tighten around him, squeezing him as her eyes rolled back and her body spasmed. 

“There you go, puppy.” He cooed at her, truly like a little pet. She acts out sometimes, but in the end, she always ends up right back here, doing exactly what he tells her. She let out a soft little whimper at the overwhelming feeling.

“Don’t start fussing now, baby. You wanted to have fun, remember? There you go, that’s a good girl.” She was too fucked out to respond; she just babbled some incoherent nonsense. Despite her brain obviously having shut off, her eyes glazed over, and small tears of pleasure pricked at the corners. His pace was unrelenting, brutal. 

She needed a reminder, on occasion, exactly why she behaves for him. “Come on, pretty. You can give Daddy one more.” And she did, two more actually. He continued to push himself in and out of her sweat cunt until he could no longer hold out.

“Gonna fill you so full, sweet girl.” John groaned as he released himself into her. He felt her tight, puny little grip on his shoulder as he did. 

Once his hips stopped rocking into her, he pulled his now softening cock from her pretty hole, watching as the remnants of their “love" leaked from her. 

When he pulled her to lay on top of him, he let out a satisfied sigh as she snuggled into him.

“No more asking to go out, I can give you everything you need right here.” She nodded, he knew she’d heed that warning.

…………………………

CoD Masterlist

[bunnybeaches]

We’re on Air

Pairing: John Price x radio host! reader

or: Johnny and Kyle call into your radio station to help save John’s love life.

cw: swearing, fluff, bad attempt at johnnys accent

wc: 1.1k

part 1!

‘On Air’ has been flashing above you all night and yet nothing interesting. Coffee has gone cold, the blanket has fallen to wrap around your shoulders, and doodles grace your notebook. You love your job, you really do. Just some nights take it out of you.

One lady called and spent almost an hour gushing over her toxic ex-boyfriend, while another cried because the cat favors her husband.

You do quite fancy your job, you really truly do, but sometimes it’s overwhelming. You’ve felt sparks of love. Little bursts yet never that gushing feeling. The feeling where you’d absolutely do whatever you wanted for your person.

People come to you for your advice. Your hot takes on how people should act, or love. Sometimes you don’t feel quite qualified for this job.

What’s a girl doing giving love advice, but she can’t even follow her own advice?

Supernatural by Ariana Grande plays softly on the radio as you spin and spin in your chair. Slow nights like these are the absolute worst. You’ve almost gone through all the songs you wanted to play whilst still having over two more hours of the show left.

A soft sigh leaves your lips as the song ends. One more spin before—

“Hello everyone, Welcome back to Love Notes!” You immediately put on your radio voice. The sugary, soft voice that makes you seem more welcoming.

“Still waiting for any calls! Talk to me about anything. "I’m all yours for the next two hours!” An exaggerated laugh leaves your lips right as the phone rings.

“Oh hello lovely! What brings you here to my show?” You smile even though you can’t see what you assume to be a lady.

“Aye lass? Is this tha’ radio show? Love notes?” A man. That’s a man’s voice. A quite Scottish man at that.

You don’t get men on this show often. Maybe to ask for a suggestion, or advice. This man seems like he wants to have a whole conversation with you. This should be interesting.

“Love? Are you still there?” He has a friend. A British friend. “We need help.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for! Go ahead boys, I’m always happy to help someone in love.”

You frantically flip through your notebook. Trying desperately to find a page without your doodles.

With an inhale then and exhale you say, “Ok, I’m ready. What can I help you boys with on this fine evening?” Radio voice, use your radio voice and make it seem like you’re interested.

“Yes well, it would probably help if you knew our names,” The British one introduces himself first, “My name is Kyle. The other lad here is my mate, Johnny.” Johnny does a little wolf whistle.

“Aye, lass. We ‘ave this friend . He’s been alane fer years. He needs a date. We’re sick o’ him spoilin’ our nights at the pub wi’ his singleness.” Johnny’s voice goes fast. Spilling out any and all details about his friend.

You jot down any details you can pick up from his rambling. His friend's name is John Price. John is in his mid-thirties, and he’s in the military. Those are the basic details you’re able to pick up from Johnny.

“You want me to do what now? Well, I mean…I’m sure I could do that, but I’ve never done anything like that before.” You blank for a moment. Your show isn’t a dating show, and it never will be.

People don’t come to you to find a date, they come to complain or ask for advice on love. You aren’t a matchmaker, nor are you cupid. You’re just someone who’s trying to please the people pleaser inside of you.

“Aye love, we want you to get our lad a date.” Kyle says it slower this time. Like you couldn’t comprehend their ridiculous ask in the first place.

You open your mouth, then close it again, then open it, then close it, before saying, “It’s uh…time for a commercial break.” Never once in your two years on this show have you gotten speechless.

”Stay on the line boys, we’ll be right back!” And with that you flow out commercials for the most useless shit no one will use.

“Find their friend a date! Who do they think I am!” You pace back and forth, and all around your little booth. A few paces and a few jumps up and down should do, or that’s what you think. Right as you go to sit down the booth door swings open.

“Oh my god girl! I can’t believe you did this!” Tina, the office manager and your best friend, storms into the room.

”What did I do..?” You stare at her. She looks ecstatic right now.

“Well this John guy! You have to get this poor man a date!” She shoves her phone in your face. “The ratings babes! They are up like crazy! I’ve had so many calls about this guy already and wanting to date him!”

The color drains from your face, You aren’t qualified for this. Is she trying to make you look like a fool on the radio? In front of 100s, well 20s, of people.

“T, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I can’t do this. I’m not—“

“John Price, from thirty to flirty!” Tina’s smile is gigantic. This is huge for the station. This could finally be what brings you guys back up.

You watch her. Study her. You know how Tina thinks. She’s going to put all her effort into this project till it succeeds. And it will. You won’t let her down. Letting her down is letting the show down, you can’t do that.

“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll talk to John and get his thoughts. I won’t let you down T. I promise.” You muster up the best smile you can before bidding her farewell.

“Don’t let me down gorgeous! I’m counting on you!” Tina spins around with a wave of her hand. Her heels click click click against the ground as she walks away. The same click click click that’s going on inside your head.

You plop back into your chair with a sigh. Radio voice, radio voice, radio voice, they can’t know you think this is ridiculous. They won’t know you think you’ll fail. The radio voice wi—

“Hello and welcome back! If you’re just now tuning in, let me catch you up! We have two lads here, Johnny and Kyle. They are trying to find a date for their friend.” You flip through the notebook.

“His name is John Price.” You smile softly. Maybe you’ll get a shot at him if this doesn’t work out.

“So boys I’m ready! Let me meet John.” You’re followed by silence.

“Boys? Johnny? Kyle? Did I lose you?”

“Ne lass you didn’t we're still here..y’see the thing is..John don’t know tha’ we called you.” Your mouth goes dry.

He doesn’t know. All this shit for a man who doesn’t even know this is happening. What could possibly go wrong.

i’m soooo proud of this it’s the biggest thing i’ve ever written

thank you to allll my friends who supported me but especially @tojisteddy i love you so much girl

tag list: @yshanavocado, @omgfangirlland , @dilf-luvr-4evr

[medusaesque]

Kim's itchy trigger finger

So, Kim reaches for his gun often. Very often. sometimes for the most ridiculous reasons- opening the bear fridge, the experiment in the church, a note from Klaasje.

This one is just from being anxious going into the communist reading group. Kim doesn't want to be the kind of cop who draws his gun constantly, who shoots instinctively, but he is, or at the very least it's very difficult for him to stop himself from becoming one.

Perhaps the most horrifying example is with The Pigs-

Even if he KNOWS the gun isn't loaded, even if he knows it's safe, the instinctual muscle twitch could have ended in an unnecessary death. Kim is very well aware of that fact, and it's horrifying to him. @shufflerock-jam has this really good post about it, where they wonder how many of Kim's kills were unnecessary. "Something about a pair of traumatized cops, one fighting against shooting himself and one fighting against shooting everyone else".

At the end of The Pigs exchange, if Harry says she tried to kill him, Kim begins to interject, but stops himself and agree this situation could've been very bad. Then Empathy chimes in- 'He's trying not to think about how bad it could have been had the gun been loaded.' Which is the heart of the issue, right? that leads us to Eyes-

This is such a fascinating background to give Kim as a character- not just losing his partner, which gives him the trauma and survivor's guilt that lead to this unhealthy relationship with his gun and frankly with death in general, but losing his Eyes, and having that not interfere with his shooting. Kim doesn't need to see well to hit, he doesn't need to think. It's all in his hands, a reflex. A reflex that nearly took an innocent life. That might have taken one before.

His awareness of looming danger, to him and to his partner, is fueling his version of Hand/Eye Coordination to have him constantly on edge, his whole body is like a loaded spring, always prepared to make sure it doesn't happen again. Then it does-

In his nightmare scenario, leaning over his partner's bleeding body, Kim only needs one word to shoot without a second's hesitation. He's never not ready to take that shot. He doesn't need his Eyes.

Harry is distraught to discover he's killed before- his body remembers it. He wants a drink to soften the feeling. Kim however is impressed with how little he's killed- especially coming from the bloody murder unit. He wants to be 'one of the good ones' (Kim's adamant belief in the possibility of a Good Cop is a whole other can of worms) the kind of cop he would think highly of. Kim is disgusted by cops who kill like it's a game. Espirit gives us a vision of a cop exactly like that, who kills so often it doesn't feel like anything anymore. In a way that is completely mechanical- no thought, no feelings, just a thing your body does. Not unlike the way Kim shoots- like a spring unloaded. Kim has 6 confirmed kills before the tribunal, double the amount Harry has. He doesn't react the same way though-

It's doesn't bother Kim that he has killed, even if he declines to elaborate on it, and he seems to frown upon (or worry about) Harry's destructive coping mechanism. If they're unable to save Ruby, he says "Control your emotions. We did our job. This won't be the worst thing that happens on this case… believe me. You can't let this break you." When you wake up after the tribunal, he doesn't dwell on the lost lives on either side. Harry's skills call him a killer, a bloodstained killer, but when he tells Kim he also killed he simply nods. He's smoking though. I'm not saying that Kim is heartless or careless, he's rattled by nearly blowing The Pigs' head off, very sorry for the lives lost during the case, and clearly hunted by death, having been surrounded by it for his entire life. But I do think death is a part of the job for him- not just possible civilian causalities, but his own potential death. He speaks plainly about how he might die in the lie of duty, and he narrowly avoided it more than once, with others dying in his place..

He walked into the line of fire with harry expecting for of them to die, and his quick fingers on the trigger made it so they lived another day. Even if more ghost joined the list that hunts him in his sleep, he is alive. He goes on. He can't afford to fix this habit, as much as he wants to.

So it's so horrible and so touching that when Dros asks "What have you done?" Kim says-

It's a tragedy, really. A wartime orphan who wanted to be a revolutionary pilot and played with Franconigerian knights, who grew up to be a cop, a job that slowly shapes his body into a killing machine. And when you ask what he does, what you both do, he says keep people alive.

[quarterlifekitty]

I just read the baby trapping HC’s… what if it was the reverse? reader baby trapping THEM

I think that depends entirely upon how cleverly you went about it! I’m gonna answer this with the assumption that they match your freak on the matter lmao

cw: dubcon, baby trapping

And as a preamble: it’s literally so easy for you. For any of them. Because quite honestly if they’re hard, and you say you’re on birth control, they’re gonna believe you. And really, most of them probably would’ve just assumed you were if you let them hit it raw. But we’re gonna say you lied about being on the pill for this ask.

Gaz is such a sweet guy. He’s literally just like “I’m happy if you’re happy, love” when you tell him the news. These things happen, and he has no reason not to believe you, right? What does it matter as long as you’re both happy?

Soap has his suspicions about it. But again, it’s not like he was really pressing you for reassurance that it was safe when he came inside you— when he gets like that, the dog in him takes over and there’s no stopping him. And maybe he’s not sure initially, to be honest, but then he thinks about a little bundle that has the same eyes as you, and he just can’t bring himself to be upset. Even if you are a liar.

Ghost, regardless of how he feels on the news, is going to investigate. He can’t help himself. Fucker is nosy. And you would’ve known this! So you’ve got it all set up for him to find. Water glass on your nightstand, the drawer just slightly ajar— not even enough to see inside, but enough to make him curious. He opens, sees the round of pills, and the timing all checks out. All taken right up until recently— when you tested positive. And you’re not careless to leave them in the trash. They were flushed. And from before that— you have drawer in the kitchen where you often shove the stray contents of your handbag. And there are receipts. A few months worth, from the pharmacy, with exactly what you bought. If you have a menstrual/symptom calendar app on your phone, it’s all logged. There are notifications in your reminder app telling you to refill your prescription. A number in your contacts that matches up with the doctor listed on the prescription. It’s the fact that it’s too neat that tips him off. Every piece of evidence he could’ve ever asked for is there, and that’s how he knows it isn’t natural. And it makes him smile. It’s touching— how much care you put into securing him in your life forever. Kid’ll be a terror, with the two of you as the parents. Too capable.

Price had a feeling in his gut when you told him you were on the pill. He thought about pulling out just to see how far you’d take things. In the end, finishing inside of you was like calling your bluff to him. He’d be fine with waiting a month or two to see if he was right. In the meantime, he’ll be looking at paint swatches for the nursery.

König is not looking a gift horse in the mouth. But if he does find out, he’s actually grateful. Saved him the trouble of asking you to have his baby, which was just one of a few questions wracking his nerves when it came to you. And this provides him the perfect opportunity to ask you to marry him! Doesn’t have to torture himself with sussing out your ring size, the kind you’d want, waiting for just the right moment. He asks you when you tell him you’re pregnant— it’s like everything is coming together. It’s a fairy tale ending for him!

Nikolai confronts you when you tell him that you’re pregnant. There’s a sly smile on his face. He teases a bit. Isn’t that just so strange? That you’d be unlucky enough for that tiny little chance of it failing was enough. And he has a way of making you squirm, of prodding you until you tell him what he wants. You can’t help but smile when he smiles, feeling a little giddy. He makes it seem all light and cute— so you do spill the truth. And he’ll pick you up and spin you as he laughs. His malyshka is so naughty, isn’t she? Lying to him like that, like he wouldn’t find out. Like wouldn’t give her a baby just as soon as she asked. Like he wasn’t planning on pulling a similar move in the near future.

[fastandcarlos]

Lucky Charm ~ Lando Norris

Summary: Y/N finally decides she’s ready to brave the chaos of race day at the paddock, and the boys are more than happy to give her the introduction she deserves

liked by georgerussell63, alex_albon, and 51,292 others

ynusername: imola here I come 🇮🇹

2,282 comments

username1: ofc she’s going to support lando

alex_albon: who said anything about lando?? maybe she’s there to cheer for me??

landonorris: can’t wait to see you bby 🔥

username3: I swear these two are complete goals

username4: it’s not fair how one person can be this pretty

carlossainz55: there’s a seat in ferrari with your name on

maxverstappen1: woah there! we’ve already called dibs on having her at red bull

landonorris: um excuse me…I think you’ll find y/n will be spending her weekend with me

ynusername: you lot are the worst 🤦🏻‍♀️

username5: I love seeing all my favourite people argue

username6: this is my highlight and the race hasn’t even begun yet…

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

landonorris just posted

liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri and 728,220 others

landonorris: race day ready with my lucky charm by my side 🍀

tagged: ynusername

83,271 comments

username7: mum and dad 🥺

ynusername: cannot wait to cheer for you tomorrow!! ily

landonorris: ily so much more ❤️

danielricciardo: @landonorris i love you more than y/n does

ynusername: @danielricciardo that’s impossible

username8: how have we survived waiting this long for paddock y/n and lando

charles_leclerc: it was worth the wait tho…right?

username9: can you pls just marry each other now and have lots of beautiful babies

alex_albon: how do you race for 2 hours and still manage to look this good norris

landonorris: @alex_albon you just need a y/n in your life, she always leaves me looking a million dollars

alex_albon: @lilymhe get better

ynusername: @alex_albon oi we do not accept lily slander in this household

landonorris: ahem, aside from me ofc

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

ynusername posted

liked by landonorris, lewishamilton and 39,201 others

ynusername: ready for the race and to cheer for my man! 🏎️🏁

tagged: landonorris

4,926 comments

carlossainz55: if you’re cheering for your man, why are you not wearing my shirt??

username10: excuse me sir?? you are very much mistaken

ynusername: if I was cheering for my favourite ex team mate of lando’s then you’d be my number 1 😍

danielricciardo: 💔💔💔💔

landonorris: did I ever tell you how good papaya looks on you?

landonorris: I just know I’ll win today with my lucky charm watching over me 🩷

username11: pls can we all adopt y/n as our lucky charm

francisca.cgomes: how have you been here 2 days and you’ve still not come to visit me

pierregasly: ha! she’s come to visit me, how does it feel to be second fave??

ynusername: @francisca.cgomes just saving the best til last aye

username12: if we do not see y/n at every race from now on there will be a protest

username13: I just want a love like theirs…is that too much to ask for??

georgerussell63: if you want a shirt upgrade y/n then just lemme know…

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

landonorris just posted

liked by oscarpiastri, mclaren and 1,291,749 others

landonorris: cloud nine ☁️ p1 and an evening with my best friend…what more could a guy want?

tagged: mclaren and ynusername

82,201 comments

oscarpiastri: that reminds me mate, I’m in the room next door, have you got any ear defenders?

ynusername: OSCAR PIASTRI!! SHUT YOUR MOUTH

landonorris: good idea, it’s gonna get loud tonight!

mclaren: another top week lando, well done! this lucky charm of yours might have to show up more often

username14: I don’t want this race weekend to end

username15: pls lord don’t let this be the last time we see y/n at a race

danielricciardo: congrats bud, fully deserved!!

maxverstappen1: a million dollars for y/n to be my lucky charm next weekend

landonorris: no amount of money will ever let me give y/n to you…she’s mine only

carlossainz55: is it possible to love two people more?

ynusername: stop with the third wheel dramatics!!

ynusername: had the best time ever!! can’t wait to do it all again soon my love 🩷

 ˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[hollyhomburg]

Prey Animals (Masterlist)

—  Pairing: Yoongi x reader, Bts x reader

—  Subgenders: Omega! Reader, Beta! Yoongi, Alpha! Namjoon, Alpha! Jimin, Alpha! Taehyung, Alpha! Hoseok, Omega! Jungkook, Omega! Seokjin

—  Genre: Omegaverse, Mafia au, Polyamory au, Found family, Suspense, Eventual Smut, Enemies to friends to lovers, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt and Comfort,

—  Summary: In a world where Beta's are rare, valuable, and often have more than one pack; Beta Min Yoongi does everything he can to keep his mafia heritage a secret from his primary pack. Little does he know he's not the only one who's living a double life.

—  Words: 80k so far

—  Warnings: Violence, Blood, Murder, sexual and physical abuse, PTSD, themes of healing, suspense, mute character's, depictions of eating disorders, healing, hospitals, epilepsy, assassins, spyies,

Before you read:

This is the second version of this story, it's better, edited and longer. But if you want to read the first (near complete) version of this story you can read it on tumblr here, or on Ao3 here. there's like a million words of it lol.

not everything is tagged in this version. there is quite a bit of triggering content. i go into much more greater detail about the m/c and the abuse that she suffered at the hands of Geumjae in this version. if there is anything that doesn't get a tag and you feel it needs it, please don't hesitate to tell me!

This version is a lot longer than V1, and because of that the chapters don't line up, chapters 1-13 cover chapters 1-4.

While there are only a few things that have been taken out/restructured, but yoongi and the m/c get a dedicated slow burn love story in this now. i've also added 60k to what we did have so please give this tons of love!

i will not be reblogging these parts nearly as much as the others, because i want there to be less crowdedness on my feed. i will try my hardest to respond to comments if there are any this time around.

~-~

Prologue: Omens

Summary: you watch your husband murder someone, and try not to make it worse

Part 1: The Beta

Summary: Seokjin meets Yoongi when he's at his lowest.

Part 2: The Funeral

Summary: The death of a king pin makes the whole picture come crumbling down. In 120 days, Yoongi will decide who rules the criminal empire.

Part 3: The Alpha

Summary: Seokjin meets Namjoon when things are finally getting good, will the introduction of an alpha disrupt his and yoongi's little pack?

Part 4: Of Violent Dogs

Summary: Kim Namjoon will kill. That is a fact that you can count on.

Part 5: The Pups

Summary: Namjoon meets Jungkook in the Emergency room. "he's sick Joonie, and you can't make him better." that doesn't mean he's not going to try.

Part 6: Prey Animals

Summary: A death and A dinner party (a woman that yoongi can't take his eyes off of.)

Part 7: Hoseok

Summary: Yoongi brings home a stray, but luckily he's going to stay. (Yoongi won't, Yoongi is going to leave)

Part 8: Just Not her

Summary: Yoongi cannot decide if he trusts you or not. After being followed, he interrogates you to figure out your motives.

Part 9: Ribbons

Summary: A dinner at the Moon house prompt Yoongi to get closer and closer to you. But how close can he get before he pricks his finger?

Part 10: Junk Drawers and Daydreams

Summary: Yoongi just wants to figure you out. Just that. He promises.

Part 11: Warm Monsters

Summary: Yoongi's attraction gets harder to ignore, so does your suffering.

Part 12: The After

Summary: In Yoongi's absence the pack sort of falls apart.

Part 13: Bruises and Butterflies

Summary: One life doesn't equal seven.

Part 14: City of eyes

Summary: Yoongi offers Geumjae a deal

Part 15: Last Dance

Summary: Yoongi is at his core, really really stupid.

Part 16: Three Graves, Two Brothers, One gun

Summary: Saving you does not go as planned.

Part 17: The House

Summary: at the worst of times, Jimin often goes Silent.

~-~

Commonly asked questions:

Why the different name? because i thought it would be confusing to have two series's by the same name on the same page

Why are you editing this story? because i want to put it up for physical purchase either on amazon (ew i know) or some other alternative, the beginning of the story had always bugged me because it was not paced the same as the rest of it.

[dollishmehrayan]

# BATBOYS WITH A CLASSIC LITERATURE LOVER ── .✦ ( batboys with a s/o who loves/majors in literature )

a/n: this is requested by my amazing @kvfkas 🫶💕, I Lowkey for some reason also love literature too but like it’s hard for me to open a new book because I’m like so busy almost everyday but anywayss && I still can’t get over that one of my record players BROKE. So I can’t play my vinyls until I buy a new one which I ordered yesterday. Tags: (batboys x classic literature lover)

© dollishmehrayan — ( all rights reserved to me. These works cannot be reposted, translated, or modified. Thank you for understanding dollies! )

DICK GRAYSON ── .✦

Dick thinks it’s adorable how much you love classic literature. He often finds you curled up with a book that looks like it’s been through several lifetimes, the pages dog-eared and filled with your meticulous annotations.

He loves watching you get animated when you talk about your favorite books, even if he sometimes gets lost when you start referencing ancient Greek tragedies or 19th-century poetry.

“Wait, so you’re saying Achilles was in love with Patroclus? Why didn’t they just say that in school?”

If you major in classics, Dick would try to support you by attending your lectures or even helping you prep for exams. He’d quiz you on authors and historical contexts, even if he can barely pronounce some of the names.

Romantic Moments: On your birthday, he surprises you with a first edition copy of your favorite book, complete with a handwritten note tucked inside the front cover. “I don’t understand half of what’s in this book, but I know it makes you happy, so that’s all that matters.”

He’d ask you to read to him sometimes, enjoying the sound of your voice as much as the words themselves. "You make these stories sound even better, you know that?"

JASON TODD ── .✦

Jason is completely enamored with how passionate you are about classic literature. He gets it; books saved his life, too.

He finds your annotations fascinating and sometimes steals your books to read through them, not just for the story, but to get a glimpse into how your mind works.

“You think Heathcliff is a terrible person, but you still love him? Explain that one to me.” He’d genuinely love hearing your reasoning, even if it ends in a spirited debate.

If you’re majoring in classics, Jason would definitely tease you about it: “So, what, you’re gonna be the next Indiana Jones but with books?” But deep down, he’s incredibly proud of you. (He has dreams of being a literature professor)

Romantic Moments: One day, he surprises you with a day trip to a small, dusty bookstore he found, knowing it’s exactly your kind of place. “Take your time. I’ve got all day,” he says, leaning against a shelf as you lose yourself in the aisles.

He’d also write little notes on scraps of paper and leave them in your books when you’re not looking: “You’re way cooler than Jane Eyre.” “That’s a lie jason.”

TIM DRAKE ── .✦

Tim would be absolutely in awe of your love for classic literature. He’s a voracious reader himself, so he’d immediately start asking for recommendations.

He’s amazed by how thoughtful and detailed your annotations are. He’ll flip through one of your books and go, “You should publish these. People would pay good money for your insights.”

If you’re majoring in classics, Tim would make it his mission to help you however he can. Need to translate something from Latin or Greek? He’s on it. Got a big paper due? He’ll proofread it for you.

Romantic Moments: On a particularly stressful day, he sets up a cozy reading nook for you, complete with your favorite snacks and a stack of books he thought you’d like. “Figured you could use some time to unwind.”

He’d get into the habit of reading the same books as you so he can discuss them with you. “Okay, but why does everyone hate Tess of the d’Urbervilles? I think she deserved better.”

DAMIAN WAYNE ── .✦

Damian would find your love of classic literature incredibly admirable. He appreciates intellectual pursuits and sees your passion as a sign of your depth and intelligence.

He’d be the one to challenge your opinions on certain characters or themes, sparking debates that sometimes last for hours.

“I fail to see why Mr. Darcy is considered romantic. He was insufferable for most of the novel.” But he secretly loves how animated you get defending your point.

(I’m gonna age him up for this one NO NSFW THOUGH HE’S STILL A MINOR BUT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MAJORS) If you’re majoring in classics, Damian would take great pride in your academic achievements. He’d even start reading some of the books you mention, just so he can keep up with you.

Romantic Moments: He’d commission a custom leather-bound edition of your favorite book, embossed with your initials on the cover. “For someone as remarkable as you, only the finest will suffice.”

He’d also secretly annotate one of the books you’ve been wanting him to read and leave it for you to find. His notes are sharp, insightful, and, of course, slightly snarky.

BRUCE WAYNE ── .✦

Bruce has always been a lover of knowledge, so he’d find your love for classic literature incredibly endearing.

He’d be genuinely impressed by your annotations and sometimes ask to borrow your books just to see your thoughts on them.

“You’ve given me a new perspective on The Great Gatsby,” he’d say after flipping through your copy.

If you’re majoring in classics, Bruce would offer to fund any research or study trips you need. “A visit to Greece would certainly enhance your studies. Consider it an investment.”

Romantic Moments: He’d host a quiet evening in the Wayne library, just for the two of you. The fireplace crackles softly as you sit side by side, reading and sharing passages that resonate with you.

He’d also make a habit of surprising you with rare editions of your favorite books, each one more breathtaking than the last.

[dokidokitsuna]

GameSwap!AU #2

Thank @earthykinous for this idea; I saw it in the tags of the first GameSwap and immediately knew I had to give it a try ^^

-Taranza seems like a very ‘devoted’ character, the kind who very easily latches on to personal influences…so as part of the HWC, I think he would be just as involved with the Mother Computer as Haltmann, maybe even more so, just to be able to share something with him. Just in general, he’d be agonized about his father not recognizing him anymore, and desperate to prove his worth despite it, trying to replace familial love with company loyalty in a VERY toxic-positive way. ^^ And besides, if he uses that control helmet often enough, maybe he’ll lose all his painful memories too… And in this scenario…maybe the reason Haltmann dies is because he sacrifices himself to Star Dream to save Taranza somehow, finally recognizing his son when he realizes he’s about to lose him again. OR, maybe he just feels like Taranza is too important to lose without knowing why, leaving only Taranza to bear the true emotional weight of that sacrifice.

-I think Susie is a more mature character than Taranza– despite her sad backstory, she seems to handle her situation well during the game, and doesn’t even seem that affected by Haltmann’s death post-game. If it’s not maturity, at the very least it’s a much lower level of emotional attachment.

So how would she go about dealing with her crush mutating into a tyrannical insect queen? I think she would actually just lose respect for her, and end up turning on her.

Despite staying by her side and aiding in her conquest, she would secretly be plotting her downfall: praising and obeying Sectonia to her face, while trying to undermine her in the background…keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as they say. Rather than mistakenly capturing the wrong ‘Hero of the Lower World’, Susie would’ve picked Dedede on purpose, knowing that Kirby was the ‘real’ hero who would come to save him AND defeat Sectonia. She’d then pretend to oppose him throughout the game, throwing challenging bosses his way to prepare him to face the Queen…and finally, she’d reveal her true motivations once Dedede has been freed.

But maybe, just to bring back the stakes and drama…maybe Sectonia overhears this reveal, and enters the scene. Through the ensuing argument, we could learn a bit about how Sectonia became evil in the actual game, and have Susie basically call her out, admitting to her treachery and daring her Queen to do something about it. To throw away the last shred of their former friendship, once and for all.

Which Sectonia does, of course, and from there the rest of the game could proceed like normal. Only, I think Susie’s characterization as a tough-yet-caring friend and a twist-hero would make her return with the Miracle Fruit a lot more satisfying. Rather than failing to see how evil Sectonia had become until it personally affected her, she knew exactly how far-gone she was, and put her life on the line to try and wake Sectonia up.  And despite losing that gamble, despite witnessing her friend choose to become a monster in more ways than one, she survived and came back to help us end the battle. ^^ I think that would be really heartwarming~

[helslastangel]

RANDOM ASTRO OBSERVATIONS #10

Nobody's safe. That's it. That's the disclaimer.

Libra Jupiter in 11th house can indicate having many opportunities in life that come through friendships and connections with others. People with this placement can often get very far in life simply because they talked to the right people at the right times. This is especially true if they also have Libra in their big 3 or Libra mercury.

Capricorn suns with Sagittarius mercury are surprisingly chill compared to the usual stoic reputation of Capricorn and energetic rep that Sagittarius has. My favorite friends and colleagues have this combination of placements and they are quite easy to get along with and fun to be around.

Very much like Virgo suns with Libra mercury, they can appear quiet and reserved at first, but become lively and chatty once they know you and have decided they like you. However unlike Virgo sun/Libra mercury people (who usually censor their words/tone and think out loud or form their opinions by talking through them first), not only are they a lot blunter (or straightforward, when older), they are more sure about where they stand, or certain of what they want to say on a topic before they say it.

Libra Mercury in the 11th house can have a lot of friends or just make and keep acquaintances very easily. These are the people who always "know a guy" or can say "my homegirl does that!" almost no matter what problem or need you have. They just know someone who can fix it. They are popular people, or at least seem that way to others.

They can sometimes appear to have a much larger network of friends and connections than they do, which is why many of them tend to either keep their friend/friend groups separate or may prefer to maintain superficial/lightweight connections with others over deeper and more intimate connections that would reveal more.

Capricorn Venus in 8th house people can go through a lot of one-sided relationships before landing the right person. They are probably the most caring and attentive of all the Venus sigs, but from my observations they are taken advantage of a lot and often treated very poorly by the majority of their partners.

My childhood friend has this placement (as well as a few of my relatives) and for over a decade I watched her pour so much love and care into men who ended up treating her like an afterthought. I never understood why, as she was very much what you'd think most males would consider wifey material.

She cooked, baked, was organized, and very clean. Motherly instincts intact, had a good job in healthcare and her own place. Knew how to kick back and have fun but could also be appropriately authoritative in the sense of managing a household. Like you could just tell she would be a firm yet loving mother, or even if she did not have kids, you could tell she would be the kind of wife where the husband could hand her his entire paycheck if he wanted and not have to worry for a second that she would blow it on anything foolish. Very capable and responsible woman. I used to get so angry at the way men would come into her life and enjoy all the things she would do for them, including having her manage their money. It was a bit surprising for me how quickly and easily men would put their finances in her hands, only for them to abruptly leave - usually for a woman who was chaotic and stressful too. I did not understand it then, and despite hearing all the talk about how men go for who they are passionate about even if they are the least productive, responsible, or capable person ever, I still don't get it now.

Capricorn in the 8th house can lead to a lot of situations where the native ends up handling other people's money because people can sense their stable energy and innate responsibility. But it can lead to the person feeling like they are nothing but a personal assistant or sentient savings account to others, and over time they can become (100% understandably) bitter if they do not meet someone genuine and kind in time to avoid this.

Aquarius in 6th house can have unusual or eccentric daily routines, or little quirks in the way they go about day to day tasks and responsibilities. I knew someone with this placement who could only brush his teeth in the morning and shower at night. He couldn't really bring himself to do it the other way around and would simply not do the thing at all that day if something disrupted that routine. He also had a job where his # of hours was consistent but his actual shift times weren't and he liked it that way "for the variety." He hated the thought of a schedule where he would have to arrive and leave at the same time every day.

Cancer Lilith in 1st house women can often run into situations where men string them along for a very, very long time. These men sense the stereotypical "nurturing/motherly" essence of Cancer but Cancer Lilith women display a unique twist on this essence where it is very clear to onlookers that her individuality and sense of self cannot be watered down or blended out into others.

Cancer Lilith 1H (and to a lesser extent Taurus Lilith 1H) women are the type who can have a husband, kids, work and manage the home without losing a single ounce of who they always were.

From my observations, they usually don't experience the fate many women meet, where they wake up one day and realize that they haven't even heard their first name in weeks because they're only remembered and referred to in terms of who they are to someone else ("Mom," "John's girlfriend," "Mr. Jones' wife").

Unfortunately, this rubs some men the wrong way, who will then subconsciously try to hang on to the parts of the Cancer Lilith women they like, while searching for other women who don't trigger their fear of women who retain their personality after marriage/children.

Gemini Sun Virgo Rising people can appear put-together and organized in public but could have very messy rooms or just have trouble keeping things in order at home.

People with Pisces in their 7th house might feel torn between going after people they are genuinely attracted to and people they perceive to be a better match, for whatever reason. They could also end up confusing the sense of security they feel with someone for love, or feeling more secure with someone than they should because of love.

Gemini Mars in 10th house does not mind going out of their comfort zone to further their career. They may even set aside their own values and morals if they believe that doing something will produce a good return on their investment (of time, effort, money, etc.).

Taurus Mercury in 9th house enjoys talking to people from other cultures about the foods they eat and what their daily routines and special/holiday ritual are like. They enjoy learning about other cultures on a more down-to-earth level, so they might be less interested in other philosophies and more into sensory differences.

Cancer Moon in 11th house identifies VERY strongly with their friend group and can become depressed or ill if there is too much discord between themselves and their friends, or between their friends with each other. They do not take kindly to any kind of abandonment from friends, real or imagined. If they decide you have left them or betrayed them one too many times, they will simply never speak to you again.

Virgo Mars people can be extremely picky when it comes to partners. One of my childhood friends has this placement and despite being a Sagittarius Sun & Mercury (along with having Venus in 9H), she barely has a romantic interest in anyone. She's not aromantic or asexual; she just gets the ick so easily that it is difficult for her to like anyone enough to date them for long. She didn't go into detail most of the time. She was the furthest from the kiss-and-tell kind of person, she would barely tell anyone even the name or age of anyone she was interested in, much less give details about her specific icks.

I tend to attract Virgo Mars people platonically and romantically quite often though, so I have other examples of the same trait.

My ex-husband is a Virgo sun with Virgo Mars and Leo Venus and the smallest things would throw him off. Like if I made scrambled eggs and all the pieces weren't perfectly yellow (if any got slightly browned, he would consider the entire pot as "burnt" and would ruin his day). If I did laundry and did not strictly separate the colors (I will wash black, dark grey, and bold colors clothes together. He will separate them all. I will wash off-white and very light grey or beige with white clothes. He would look at me crazy and ask me to just do a different household chore and leave the laundry to him. Hea

He also apparently got the ick from my frugality? Lol. I had cheap sneakers and dollar-store headphones when we first got together. A few weeks later he asked where I was and I told him I was at the mall with a friend. He showed up and wordlessly gave me brand-new Samsung Galaxy earbuds before driving home lmao. Then a couple weeks after that he bought me new AirMaxes and made it a point to tell me that my existing sneakers were so cheap. And that he got good ones for me in a style that "makes your feet look smaller." I guess my foot size was not to his liking. Lol. I'm almost 6 feet tall and wear size 9.5/10 women's shoes (for males reading this, that is around 8/8.5 in your sizes, so don't start, pls

A previous ex of mine (Cancer Sun) also had Virgo Mars (and Venus) but he had the opposite ick - he didn't like that I always wore nice jeans and blouses even if we were only going to Walmart or his friends' houses. Apparently, it was "off-putting" for him that I was "too fancy, never just dress down and look comfortable, even in the house." I was like... but I am comfortable? And he would be like, "Nah you're so fancy all the time, it's kinda weird, like do you even own any sweatpants? Your hair is never messy? It's like you're never just relaxed."

Um, as a Scorpio Venus/Jupiter, Libra Mercury person, messy hair will never be in the same room as comfortable for me but we are broken up for a reason, LOL.

Yeah Virgo Mars are just really, really picky. Idk how else to put it. They might be bothered by very different things, but they're all bothered in general! Love 'em regardless, they're also attentive and will know what you like and also what you need.

Leo Mars in 2nd house can have a hard time feeling satisfied with what they own or with their level of skill in certain areas. They don't usually express envy outwardly though. They will happily gas up their friends and colleagues, but implode on themselves in private.

They can have frequent pity parties or episodes of extreme self-loathing that only their closest friends or partners ever witness. It can be difficult to pull them out of these moods as they tend to feel like they either don't have enough or are not enough in some way.

Aquarius Eros men and masculine people are often attracted to women and feminine people with strong or eccentric personalities. They lust after the kinds of people who didn't even bother rocking the boat and jumped out to swim upstream and chill somewhere else.

However, unless they have Juno in Aquarius, Aquarius 7H or some other placements that support long-term relationships/marriages/longevity with unusual people or non-traditional elements, they eventually abandon such love interests for someone who fits better into societal expectations. Ask me how I know. :(

[tillsfan]

“hate is easier than a word as vague as love” cards analysis

seeing sua's card, i immediately got the impression of her putting up a facade. her keeping her mouth SHUT, and holding her throat. i feel this represents sua’s dishonesty towards mizi, her deliberately hiding the truth of alien stage, yet slowly losing her composure because she knows she can't hide the truth forever. she knew her death was coming, yet she continued to force stability.

i also view her covering her neck as her actively hiding the reality, since her neck was where she got shot. she actively hid the truth of death until the end, with her forced expression and hiding the crack. she's also sweating, showing guilt towards her own actions. but sua's selfish. so she continued with her facade to make mizi happy. her extensive blush compared to the others, her lack of tears, the severity of her cracks.. does this make sense. this whole card symbolizes both her dishonesty and her selfish nature

mizi's card is interesting. first of all, her crack is where sua's blood splattered on her. as sua died, she was still smiling, like it took her a second to process what was going on. you can tell she's suffering, she's literally holding herself together, yet she puts on a smile. i feel her card shows that she is processing things later than others, possibly continuing to avoid the reality of sua's death, because ignorance is all she knows. it's as if she's trying to remain positive, to remain that false light of hope, instead of grieving like a normal person. maybe not outwardly, because we know mizi was pretty closed off after sua’s death—but maybe she’s trying to convince herself. convince herself that she can save everyone, giving herself that false hope. sua's deciet did stunt mizi's growth after all.

mizi’s color scheme here is pink, and while it could be said that it’s just because it’s her signature color, i feel it’s something deeper. it can symbolize the “rose-tinted glasses” she had on, as her perception of anakt and alien stage was an idealized/perfected version. we know she never knew the reality of alien stage before it was forced to hit her like a truck. though, her eyes and tears are a very noticeable blue, which i perceive as the reality and grief finally seeping through her perfect world.

i am posting an individual mizisua analysis soon. i want to delve deeper into them outside of just these cards.. so sorry that theirs is quite short

ivan's card is a great contrast to mizi's and sua's. ivan is very visually suffering, he's in severe distress. ivan's card represents his overflowing of inner emotions, as he kept them in all his life. he hid them, let them bubble up inside until they boiled over. we know ivan has learned to keep up a facade, hiding his true childish, selfish and intense nature. he kept his intense emotions for till hidden all his life, and when he was finally about to die, he went all out. his final actions were almost like he was venting, letting everything pour out at once because he never made them prevalent. he let out his affection and hatred he's held for till all his life in the span of a few seconds.

his color scheme is also pure red. colors in alien stage hold great meaning, and red is often associated with intensity and rebellion. the colors here can represent both his intense overwhelming emotions, and his hidden resentment towards till. you can also piece that together with his expression, he seems very clearly frustrated. all in all, ivan's card represents many things. how he hid his emotions until they became overwhelming, and his overall conflicting feelings towards till.

ivan's crack is also across his face, furthering the idea of him holding up a false persona. the hearts are pooling out from both ends, representing the burdening amount of emotion he's had to keep inside. he felt his emotions were different, shallow, therefore he chose to hold them in until it killed him. he's also actively holding himself together, showing the struggle he felt hiding himself.

the first most noticeable thing is the crack placement. his crack is where ivan has always touched him, ivan had a habit of caressing till's cheek, which was the most gentle gesture he ever gave. till is very clearly mourning ivan here, and was well aware of ivan's presence throughout his life. ivan was his stability, in a way. now that ivan isn't there to hold him, he's falling apart. it almost feels like a missed opportunity on till's end, his feelings finally being recognized only after ivan left him.

till's expression is very conflicting, his eyes being unevenly opened and his mouth tilting in difierent ways. this can represent how lost he feels without ivan. this could also represent how he doesn't know how to feel at ALL, seeing as how he had such a small amount of time to even grieve ivan's death, and how he never properly confronted his feelings towards ivan. he has shielded himself from the reality of ivan all his life. this can also be seen with how his hands are LITERALLY shielding his head. till's coping mechanism is avoidance, he deeply fears intimacy, so he chased after someone he knew he could never obtain (mizi). he avoided ever confronting how he truly felt about ivan, because if he did, he knew he had the chance of losing someone close to him again. but avoiding ivan's reality didn't change the fact they were really close. till cares. till cared so much that it led to his demise.

till's color scheme is blue, visualizing the deep sorrow engulfing till. throughout round 7, till was heavily distressed and upset, his feelings overpowering his ability to properly perform, leading to his loss. till does not know how to confront sadness, seeing as how he let it submerge him in round 6 as well. he's very mentally weak DUE to his avoidance + fear of vulnerability in both relationships and his own emotions. he never allowed himself to properly get close to anyone, he couldn't develop the mental strength needed to survive.

[fellulahh]

Diavolo helps MC house hunt in the human world

Hello old friends! Are you still here?😂

I have a routine of coming back on Tumblr once or twice a year to read Obey!Me content for the memories and this time round I delved too deep and it made me want to write something again. I’m still a sucker for Diavolo lol

Anyway I’ll see you in another 4/5 years time! I hope you’re all doing well xx

—

“This one looks nice.” Diavolo commented as his eyes studied the house in front of him and MC.

The Prince of Devildom was visiting MC in the human realm for a few days and had agreed to help her view properties while she sought out a new home.

“It does, doesn’t it? I feel like I could do something nice with the garden.” MC studied while the estate agent was grabbing something from their car. “Perhaps Barbatos can give me some recommendations of bulbs I can plant.” The human joked.

“Don’t, MC.” Diavolo warned, “you don’t understand how passionate he is about gardening.” He quipped with an amused grin, “I made the mistake of asking what one of the trees were in the palace gardens once and then had to listen to the entire history of Devildom’s horticulture.”

“Hm, best not then.” MC smiled at him.

They shared an amused expression toward each other before being interrupted by the estate agent.

“Right!” They spoke up from behind them, “I’m ready when you are.”

After being lead into the small bungalow, MC and Diavolo began taking in their surroundings. They lingered behind the estate agent while they were being introduced to each room.

The pair would steal glances at each other every so often; mostly ending in Diavolo raising his eyebrow at MC with a small grin on his face.

“What?” The human would ask quietly with an amused smile, being completely distracted from the realtor’s words.

“Nothing!” He’d say innocently.

As time went on, MC got to see each room one by one.

“I wanted to save this room until last as this is the real statement piece of the house.” The estate agent informed the human with some excitement in their tone. “I think you’ll both like this.”

“Oh?” MC raised an eyebrow as she followed the woman through an archway: Diavolo close behind.

Entering the final room, MC was surprised when she was met with a beautiful open plan kitchen which lead out into a conservatory with a dining area.

“Oh wow!” She breathed, “This wasn’t on any of the photos?”

“No,” the estate agent shook their head, “the owners decided to renovate this area recently as it was in dire need of some new life; they thought the old kitchen would put off potential buyers.” She informed them, “I think you both would enjoy sitting in the conservatory in the Summer months.” She encouraged, putting on her best sales smile. “Perhaps you could make MC breakfast while she lounges over there in the sun?”

Before MC could correct the estate agent and inform her that the pair were not in fact a couple or moving in together, Diavolo took a step forward.

“Well anything to get into MC’s good books.” He joked with the realtor, earning a look from the human.

As the estate agent turned her back, Diavolo quickly shot MC a cheeky grin.

Amused, the human returned the same expression and mouthed “what are you doing?” With a toothy smile.

“Well,” the estate agent spoke up, “I’ll leave you both for a minute to think. I’ll just be in the entranceway if you need me.” She smiled before leaving the room.

“Thank you.” MC nodded.

Left alone to their own devices, Diavolo and MC began scanning their surroundings.

“Well I have to say, this is a pretty nice place. Seems pretty large for just yourself though?” Diavolo questioned casually, turning to MC with his hands in his pockets.

“Diavolo, it’s a bungalow.” MC laughed, “I’m not exactly going to get lost. Anyway - more to the point - what’s with you playing happy families just then?”

“Can a demon not pretend?” He grinned, “I rather enjoy the fantasy of the two of us living together.”

MC shook her head at the demon, a small warm flush filling her cheeks.

“And what would Lucifer say if he knew you just said that?” She asked, folding her arms as she tilted her head.

“Oh I’m sure he’d just do his usual scowl,” Diavolo chuckled, “I’m sure they all would.” He continued, referring to the brothers.

MC smiled at the thought of them.

“You should come back, MC.” Diavolo suddenly insisted, “We all miss you, me particularly,” he admitted.

MC smiled sweetly at Diavolo, taking a step closer to him. “I have a life here too.” She reminded him, “I can’t just disappear again.”

He looked at her longingly with his big, amber eyes.

Letting out a sigh, he eventually copied her warm gaze; accepting the reality of it all.

Lifting up a hand, MC gently rubbed Diavolo’s large arm. He glanced down at her touch, with a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

“How many bedrooms has this place got?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just the one.” She smiled knowingly, waiting for his next remark. “As you’ve seen.”

“Hm.” He pulled a face, “I suppose we’ll have to share the bed when I come to visit you next.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” MC grinned at him.

[lilia-calderus-pet-goat]

Something of note about Lilia's tarot spread is that—it's hers. The cards she pulls aren't precisely who the characters are to themselves, but who they are and what they represent to Lilia. As her coven, in her life.

Like, I don't really know my tarot that well—I'm just pulling themes from within the episode and my general understanding.

But when she was reading for Billy, he was fittingly represented by the Magician. But for Lilia, he was the “windfall.” He was the tower, reversed. Miraculous transformation. Because she, having put the sigil on him, saved him from the destruction and lead to his miraculous transformation. And to her, he was the windfall, because without him, she wouldn't be here, with her coven. She wouldn't have found herself.

Alice's is very straight forward—“full of fire, fights bravely.” It's how Lilia saw her, what Lilia had once again predicted for her. 'Wound suffered, lessons learned.' Specifically, Lilia wasn't able to warn Alice, but she learned her lesson. So, this time, she makes sure to warn Agatha. “When she calls you a coward, hit the deck.”

And why does she warn Agatha? Agatha represents her 'obstacles,' after all. Maybe so—Lilia's literal obstacle at this stage ends up being the Salem Seven, who merely want Agatha. Yet she chooses to stay behind to save a woman who probably wouldn't do the same for her. And the reason is—for her, Agatha is the Three of Swords. She looks at her and sees Heartbreak, (Rio) Sorrow, (Evanora) Grief (Nicholas). And Lilia is willing to forgive her—to sacrifice herself for her—even if the universe itself doesn't think she deserves it. This is different from how Agatha views herself, or even how Billy views her, since he initially pulls out the Chariot. One might say it's a random choice, but the Chariot is described as representing “determination, success, and control.” It's about overcoming challenges and gaining victory through maintaining control of your surroundings—which, I argue, embodies Agatha pretty well. So The Three of Swords is who Agatha is to Lilia. She doesn't hate her, or see her as a force to be reckoned with. She pities her. After all, the Queen of Cups is defined by her empathy.

Then, of course, Jen. Jen is Lilia's path ahead. Not only because she has a brilliant future of her own ahead of her in the mcu, now with her powers unbound. Because Lilia senses all the trapped light and bound power that Jen carries—“The High Priestess: Immense spiritual power, unable or unwilling to use it--” but also because Jen, the survivor, is the one who will carry on Lilia's memory. All those centuries, Lilia had been alone—there was no 'path ahead.' Everything was a jumbled mess, her “path” was non-linear and twisty. And Jen, after centuries of solitude, was her light in the dark, guiding her through the dark tunnels, as her mind wandered through her timeline searching for answers. Jen was the only person in centuries who bothered to see her as something more, to acknowledge her strength, and to help her fill in the gaps as best as she could. And so Lilia sees so much hope in Jennifer—who won't stop becoming better and better. Because for Jen, the Queen of Cups is her path behind. Wound suffered, lessons learned. “I couldn't save Lilia, I didn't even try to save Alice, I'll be damned if I let you two idiots die.”

Finally, Death, Rio. Well—it's obvious. In tarot, death isn't literal. It's mist often symbolic. Transformation, end of a cycle, new beginnings. Which is why we never see Lilia's corpse, and we never see Rio collect her. Because unlike Alice, Lilia went into the afterlife willingly. And for her, it was a beautiful release. After years of running out of time—she got to start anew—knowing that this time, she managed to save her coven. (I'd also like to think that the reason we don't see Rio collect Sharon is because it was a peaceful death—joining Mr. Davis instead of suffering further. Whereas Alice finally had something to live for, but I digress. I've already made my posts about Alice.)

I think that this is all relatively obvious—but I genuinely can't stop thinking about Lilia and her dynamics with the rest of the coven.