#hunter: i am learning how to exist

[ppeasants]

blondeswap!Hunter: I was born and raised to fight. To be a soldier. To be a hero guard. My life has never been my own: it was always my destiny to be a weapon. Nobody would understand what that was like - until now. Now I have met others whose destiny it is to fight. To be a weapon, in service of a goddess instead of a tyrant. Maybe amongst these others, maybe among people who truly understand what it's like to live a life where your destiny is already chosen, but have come out the other side happy - maybe I can learn how to be happy, too. Maybe I can learn how to live.

blondeswap!Wind: what the FUCK is a glyph??? I'm gonna kill Belos

[flwrkid14]

Tim Drake’s Coworkers (ft. The Fenton Family)

It’s not that Tim doesn’t like the Batfamily. He tolerates them just fine. Damian is great for sparring (if you like sparring with a tiny murder machine), and Jason’s brand of dark humor isn’t too bad once you get used to it. Dick’s a bit too much sometimes, but overall? Fine. Totally fine.

But the thing is… they’re just his coworkers.

And it never really clicks for the Bats until Danny Phantom joins the Justice League and everything starts unraveling.

———

The revelation comes during a League meeting. They’re strategizing about some ghost-related chaos, and Danny floats into the Watchtower, bright and glowing.

“Oh, hey, Tim,” Danny greets casually, giving him a little wave.

Tim doesn’t even look up from his tablet. “Sup.”

Superman looks between them, confused. “…you two know each other?”

Danny grins. “yeah, he’s my brother.”

Dead silence.

“WHAT?!” Bruce’s bellow shakes the entire room.

Tim finally looks up, unfazed. “What? Did you think I just spawned into existence?”

“You have a brother?!” Clark sputters.

“Two siblings, actually,” Tim corrects, utterly nonchalant. “Danny’s the younger one. Jazz is the older one. She’s great. Super organized. Kept me alive in middle school.”

Bruce’s eye twitches. “Why—why am I only learning this now?”

Tim shrugs. “It didn’t seem relevant.”

“Relevant?” Diana repeats, incredulous. “You’re the brother of Danny Phantom and it’s not relevant?”

Danny, who’s been munching on some ectoplasm candy, jumps in: “Honestly, Tim’s always been kind of private about his personal life. We just figured it was his way of coping with the whole ‘raised-by-rich-neglectful-aunt’ thing.”

“Yeah, about that,” Tim interjects, glaring at Danny. “Thanks so much for dumping me with Aunt Janet, by the way.”

Danny shrugs sheepishly. “Mom and Dad panicked! They thought you’d get ghost-napped next!”

“Uh, correction: Aunt Janet left me to raise myself, so that plan was awesome.”

Bruce, trying to keep up, interrupts: “Hold on. Your parents left you with Janet Drake?”

“They didn’t know she sucked at raising kids,” Tim deadpans. “And to be fair, they did call. A lot. I just didn’t pick up.”

Jason, who has been cackling this entire time, leans forward. “Wait, wait, wait—so you’re telling me that the Replacement’s entire family is a bunch of ghost hunters?”

“Yup.” Danny pops the “p” with a grin.

“You’re kidding me,” Steph says, borderline hysterical.

Tim sighs, clearly over it. “Look, it’s not a big deal. Jazz keeps the parents in check, Danny handles the ghost stuff, and I… stay out of the way. It’s fine.”

“FINE?” Damian glares. “Drake, you’ve been fraternizing with ghost hunters while working with a vigilante group, and you think that’s fine?”

Tim raises an eyebrow. “Dami, chill. It’s not like it affects work. You’re my coworkers. They’re my family. Separate categories.”

Cue collective Batfamily malfunction.

———

Later, Danny is chilling in the Batcave, feet kicked up on the Batcomputer, chatting with Alfred. The rest of the Bats are still spiraling.

“Tim, we’ve lived together for years!” Dick exclaims, sounding genuinely hurt. “How are we only your coworkers?”

“You’re not my family,” Tim explains, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Danny and Jazz are my family. You guys are my teammates. It’s different.”

Jason throws his head back, laughing. “Oh my god, Replacement, you’re stone cold.”

“I’m not cold,” Tim argues. “I just don’t think we need to make it more complicated than it is. We work together. That’s enough.”

Meanwhile, Danny is wiping tears of laughter off his face. “Oh man. Jazz is gonna love this.”

[uncanny-tranny]

Another thing is believing that what you're "supposed" to do and be outweighs your humanity. A "mild" example is the separation from your humanity you experience when you buy into the idea that "women cook and clean, men Do More Important Things." Part of your humanity, if you're a man*, is stripped away because of what you're "supposed" to do, what you're "supposed" to be, and what is it all for? What purpose does it have to experience and feel that divide of your humanity?

The worst lie you can believe and be told is that women are emotional and men are logical, that men's, essentially, men's emotions are logical and neutral while women's are not, and are in fact frivolous and shallow.

[shaisuki]

CIGARETTE SMOKE

|| the third entry for the series “𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄”

content warnings ─── yandere themes, implied kidnapping, hints of smut, jealousy.

is it bad that you want to take someone just to protect them from this world? aki regretted but doesn't feel bad about it.

we devil hunters don't have the long life to live.

there's a certain annoyance that has been creeping up on me since you joined the division. you clearly didn't belong here and sometimes i would ask myself why are you here? why are you wasting your life in this hellhole for no reason. you're alive. happy. you aren't here for revenge. to avenge your loved ones from the devils. you have no purpose here. you don't belong here.

however it's not my place to dictate someone's choice of being here but you infuriate me to no end that i wished for your demise. i didn't understand why i feel this way towards you. it doesn't make sense. you were a nobody to mine. not the one i should care for but sometimes i can't take my eyes off you.

the gnawing feeling of seeing you so friendly and close to someone like denji makes my blood boil and it's easy to ignore it but i can't not when you're starting to grow on me.

what casual moments between us, i have cherished it. not realizing what effect it could have on me. i started to see you on my dreams. started to crave your presence that i can no longer breath and it hurts me so much that i have started to feel this way to you more than i would like to admit.

then we started to lay on the same bed. where can i hear you breath. feel you under my fingertips. the softness and warmth you provided for simply existing. how it provided the intimacy of comfort and security. drown in the depths of the pools of your eyes that i can no longer swim and sink in to you.

is this what it feels to fall for someone who is close but is distant. how could it be when you're the one who initiated it. how cruel are you but i can't blame you. we simply comforted each other with our bodies and it's my fault that i let myself feel what i wanted to feel.

this would be our last night together. allow me to cherish you. let me feel you. let me sink my teeth unto your skin that you will feel me for days.

the gasps and moans that left your lips breathlessly is the air i breath. say my name the way i like it. say my name as i touch you in places where it brought you pleasure. the stretch marks and scars decorating your skin that i have memorized. the curves and every swell of your body where i have kissed and worshipped. allow me. allow me. allow me. allow me to savor all of it. you won't deprive me of it. i know of it since you're helplessly under me.

that's right. that's how things should be. you and me. nothing else in this world that can stop us. not even the devils.

why won't you be mine?

the thought occured to me. why? we have shared our thoughts. the touch that i came to miss. the kisses that i denied at first and learned to crave. i have touched you. we've exchanged sweet nothings. the string of salivas connecting our lips. my lips on yours and my spent deep inside you. painting your walls white as you came around me. isn't it enough that we belong to each other. you're mine. you're mine. you're mine. you are mine.

so forgive me. forgive me that the last thing you will ever see is the smoke coming from my cigarette as i lay claim on you. protecting you from this cruel world that took the people i loved and i won't let it happen to you. i don't understand myself why i am asking for your forgiveness when i know you won't forgive but it won't hurt to ask. you're too kind and that was your mistake for having me. for letting me in your world that I claimed to be mine.

my thoughts are muddled and the only thing that keeps me sane of my reality is the light coming from the end of my cigarette and your warm body resting beside me. warm. it is a good thing. you're still alive and you'll wake up with me beside you. that's better. is all i can think as i watch my cigarette smoke disappear in the thin air like you were.

[ask-the-pioneer]

"Yes, I am now heading towards Five Pebbles, the local iterator. I find it funny how I was born and spent my first cycles in the shadow of his superstructure, while being completely oblivious to the existence of this demi-god. And now that I came back here... it feels even more uncanny."

"Though, I really... I really wish Hunter did not abandon me like that. I thought we were meant to go on that mission together? I'm not blind, I know something is wrong with him. We used to go on expeditions in the past, but now that he has a very important payload to deliver and could use some help, he suddenly doesn't need it? I don't understand... I'm more than capable in combat, we make a good team, I thought he was happy with my company?"

"We separated earlier at Farm Arrays. Hunter kept insisting he has to do it alone, despite my pleading. Instead, I was told to head straight to Five Pebbles. I thought we had to visit there anyway? Iterators often use slugcats as messengers, I've learned..."

"Sigh... I feel a little lost all on my own. I miss Hunter already. I hope that, despite everything, he's okay and we will return to NSH soon. But first, I need to pay the local iterator a visit. I'm hoping for some guidance in regards to... ahem... rot, yeah. I heard they've been affected by the disease, too. Maybe they've got an idea on how to manage it? It doesn't hurt to try. Maybe I'll hang around this area for a while to collect as many pearls as possible, then have Five Pebbles read them to me? One of those has to have some kind of instruction on how to treat rot, it has to... I refuse to believe that the disease which plagued iterators for countless cycles is untreatable."

"Uh... the Red One?"

[lollytea]

Please, your finale Huntlow thoughts, my liege. We poor peasants beg of you, our bowls are empty and your tables full; if we might have but a crumb of your succulent meal to fill our bellies in these cold December nights.

ASGCDHBDJNK JESUS FUCKING CHRIST OKAY

I got a few asks about this but I guess I'll answer this one cuz it's phrased the funniest. I just wasn't too pressed about giving my Thoughts about finale Huntlow because I am fully a part of the Huntlow hivemind. Like I feel the way everyone else feels. I'm ecstatic, I'm delighted, I'm overwhelmed, I'm emotional, I'm so happy for them, I got everything I could have wanted. I won. We won.

(I HAVE TOO MANY PICS. I'LL RB WITH PART 2)

First of all this scene is so special to me, you have no idea.

It isn't inherently romantic but it's still so sweet and shows how much these two care for each other. Here's Willow, who's spent the last special Atlasing and repressing and refusing to rely on anyone else. But then she had her breakdown in front of Hunter and he realized just how stressed and scared she's been this whole time. She's visibly anxious and upset here, likely worrying up a storm because she hasn't found her Dads yet. And Hunter is right here beside her. He's seen her meltdown, he's felt her pain, he's heard her cry. He knows that Willow is in a fragile state at the moment. He knows she's been holding in a lot. He knows she's scared. I love that he's not only standing by her side and helping her search, but holding her too. It could be that she vocally expressed how worried she was to him, or maybe he just saw it on her face, but he probably placed that hand on her back to comfort her, let her knows he's right here, grounding her. And Willow, who's still learning how to depend on others, is letting him.

The way Hunter lights up when he sees Harvey and Gilbert, thrilled by how happy he knows she's going to be and his soft smile when he points them out to her. And then THIS!

Like Hunter is devastated. He feels alone and out of place here. He really thinks he has nobody. But Willow being happy can still bring a smile to his face. He just loves her so much!!!

And I know I already talked about the grom photo but UGHH!!!

I got a pic in better definition. I'm pretty sure this is Hunter's first grom. So likely a few months after the events of WAD. And it's so cute to think about Hunter and Willow very awkwardly but eagerly navigating a romantic relationship. I love how grabby and flirty Willow looks here, messing with his bowtie. She clearly LOVES the floral suit, thinking he's like the hottest man alive. She needs to smooch him and NOW. Or she's just like "Oh my, what a nice collarbone you have!!" Idk the ambiguity of what exactly Willow is doing here but the vibe and general intentions being very obvious is my favourite part of this pic. You can speculate for years on this. Oh and Hunter's face, I love it so much. His dumb little blush is like an old friend. He's fucking THRILLED that he's getting so much attention from her. He's very excited about where this is going. But he's also like. So nervous he's gonna pass out. But overall he's having the time of his life. Bi rights!

Also epilogue Huntlow....guys....guys epilogue Huntlow....are you guys still listening to me at this point?

God I love this scene. Its so natural and smooth, giving the characters a chance to breathe and exist and providing a glimpse of how they go about their daily lives. It's soft and lighthearted but it establishes so much about where Willow and Hunter are currently at in their relationship. They've been dating for like....3 years at the very least. And they're clearly very happy together!!

The way Willow casually slides on to the scene, giving the impression that she's often dropped in on him while he's working. And why wouldn't she? That's her sweetheart. What if she requires emergency smooches? What then? And of course, there's Hunter beaming at the sight of her. Seems he never gets tired of his girlfriend stopping by to visit. Or maybe he's sick to death of Willow the menace showing up to distract him while he's trying to work and he's just excited about the prospect of Luz's party. Either way, it's an adorable expression.

Something else I love about epilogue Huntlow is how equally distributed the affection is between both of them. Back when FTF dropped I gushed about how sweet it was to see Hunter taking initiative with Willow and the significance of something as simple pressing his backhand against hers during the pinky hold. And God, this sequence here says it all. From what I can tell, as Hunter runs towards her, they both reached out at the same time and linked hands immediately, implying that holding hands has become the automatic gesture for them whenever they meet up. They're in love, you're honor.

I love the huge carefree grins as they skate down the hill (still holding hands). They might have grown a lot since we last saw them but they're still young adults, they still love to have fun doing dumb reckless stuff. And even better, they love to have fun doing dumb reckless stuff together. All the handholding and fluffy cuteness is wonderful but I also love knowing that they seem to genuinely enjoy just hanging out and spending their youth with each other. Zeno was right, they ARE besties. Who knows how much shit Hunter and Willow get up to together? Being a pair of thrill seeking athletes, it's probably a lot.

This part is just so silly and ridiculous. After they go stumbling, Willow's first instinct is to grab Hunter and hold on for dear life. Her intense scrunched up expression is just so funny. "I will protect you, my love. No big dumb hill is going to harm a hair on your pretty head. Your girl is here." And Hunter barely acknowledging it (it probably happens a lot) because his life is currently flashing before his eyes. GOD they're just such nerds.

Oh and this frame is just SO adorable. The way Willow's hold on him lingers for a moment before he walks towards the grave, Hunter's heart eyes. They're clearly still so soft and touchy with each other. And this is after three years. I know they were insufferable when they started dating as teens.

[arjwrites]

Hi there! Found your account through a moot and wanted to maybe request a Sam x nephilim!reader where he finds out that she had been keeping that she was a nephilim a secret to try and protect him, but the truth comes out when they're on a hunt together? Maybe with established relationship?

Heaven Hellbent- Sam Winchester x Nephilim!Reader

Summary: When a hunt goes wrong, Sam discovers a secret you've been keeping for years. Part 1 of the series!

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: F!reader! Canon-level violence and language!

A/N: THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE ON THIS! I literally loved this request so much but really desperately wanted to do it justice, so it took me a little while. Seriously, this was one of my most re-written fics so far. I really wanted to finally get something out to you, but I have a lot more to write on this topic so I AM MAKING IT A SERIES!! This is a bit out of canon context but I really really hope you still enjoy, thank you again for such an amazing prompt and for your patience!

Ever since you had come into Sam's life, things felt lighter. You were this warm, radiating presence that had wrapped itself around every facet of his life. Sometimes, when you lay together late at night, when he would trace your body with his fingers and plant soft kisses on your forehead, he would silently pray- he still did that from time to time- addressing God, fate, the universe, or sometimes simply to whom it may concern, thanking anyone he could for the miracle of you. 

You were one of the most skilled hunters Sam had ever encountered. It felt like even having your presence on a hunt was an asset- when you were around, cases were solved quicker, monsters went down easier, and everyone walked away with far fewer injuries. He expressed this to you once, in your early years together.

“It just feels like everything clicks when you’re around. How is it that you make everything so easy?” He had asked you, eyes so full of admiration and innocence. Sweet, clueless Sammy. 

“Hmm, I must be a pretty serious good luck charm then, sweetheart. Better keep me around,” you had purred, eliminating the space that separated you in a sensual attempt to change the subject. 

Sam chuckled. “I like to think of you as our little guardian angel. My little angel.” Sam ducked down, meeting your lips with a soft, open-mouthed kiss, but not before his words sent a pang of anxiety through your body. It took a moment for you to reciprocate Sam’s kiss- you had to focus all your energy on keeping the lump that had formed in your throat from spilling to the surface.

Hiding your true identity from Sam was the hardest thing you had ever done, and yet the easiest choice you had ever made. You had been with him for years and had watched him and Dean go through so many horrible things. There were so many times you had wished you could step in- so many nightmares that could have been avoided if you had used your powers. But being a nephilim, you couldn’t. Because if you had, you would’ve had Heaven hellbent on your trail. And not just yours- anyone you had ever known or loved. Just the knowledge of your existence was a ticking time bomb, and the last thing you wanted to do was put yet another target on either Winchester’s back. 

It wasn’t without hard work that you had gone unnoticed this long. Keeping under the radar had been much easier before you had met Sam. You had spent more years than you could count traveling, reading, learning, anything to fill your seemingly endless time. You didn’t use your powers, didn’t meddle in matters of Heaven or Hell, you just kept a low profile. That was, until you crossed paths with two of the highest profiles out there- Sam and Dean Winchester.

Falling in love with Sam was the last thing you had ever planned to do. But the more time you spent with him, the more you were drawn to him. You marveled at the fact that anyone could meet him and not fall in love- a man so inherently good, so kind, practically an angel in his own right. Sometimes, it felt as though there were three forces that worked to keep you alive- your soul, your grace, and your love for Sam Winchester, all three intertwined, braided together to tether you to the Earth. 

So you stayed. You fought alongside Sam and Dean through every battle they faced. You did everything you could, finding ways to use your powers that would go undetected- by heaven and by the Winchesters. You could weaken demons and cast protection towards the boys, speed their healing subtly so that they wouldn’t notice. But there would be times when it would be far too dangerous to even let a glimpse of your powers show. Those were times that you would watch in agony as the man you loved faced horrors beyond your imagination. And those were the times you swore to protect him whenever you possibly could. 

Sometimes, however, things wouldn’t go to plan. You and the Winchesters were hunting a demon that had been causing trouble in a nearby town. Dean had suggested the three of you split up to try to catch the demon by surprise. You had protested, but the moment he barked the order, him and Sam had split, leaving you behind. You cursed to yourself, silently willing that you would find the demon first so you could smite him with ease and not risk either brother’s safety. 

Unfortunately, it hadn’t quite worked out that way. It had been well over an hour with no luck as you searched the stretch of abandoned warehouses. And neither you nor Dean could reach Sam’s phone. Fear set into your heart, a cocktail of worry and grace coursing through your veins. Your whole body was buzzing- normally, you would stop to calm it to avoid revealing yourself, but a horrible intuition left you no choice but to use it as fuel.

Meanwhile, Sam’s eyes blinked open, the dull pain in his head sharpening as he regained contact with his senses. There was a rope tied around him, anchoring him to a rickety chair and rubbing abrasively against his biceps. 

“Sam Winchester. Good to see ya, champ. Rare to find you without your partner in crime these days.” Blinking back the spots in his vision, Sam’s eyes focused on the man in front of him- scratch that, the demon, as revealed by a quick flash of black.

Sam, struggling against his restraints, retorted. “Dean will be here-” 

“Who said anything about Dean?” The demon cut him off, cocking his head. “I’m talking about your other little… friend. How’s it been, running all around town with that pet abomination of yours?” His smile was sickening, and there was something sinister about his words. He knew something Sam didn’t, and that was never a good thing.

“What are you talking about,” Sam hissed through clenched teeth.

“Nice try, Sam. Better get talking.” The demon sent Sam’s chair flying back into the wall to punctuate his command.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” The demon pulled Sam’s chair back to him.

“Oh, you really don’t know? Scout’s honor?” He paced a lap around Sam, lurking over him as spite radiated off his every stride. “That crafty little bitch. That’s too bad, I was hoping to ask you a few questions… I guess I have no use for you, but why not break the news before I kill you? Secrets don’t make friends, right?” He knelt, drawing himself eye to eye with Sam, before practically spitting the words. “That pretty little girlfriend of yours is really a-” 

Before the demon could finish the thought, he was flat against the wall and screaming his way back to Hell. Sam, still tied to the chair, had a view limited to the empty room in front of him and the vessel the demon once possessed, now slumped in a pile on the floor. He released a breath, having watched the danger dissipate, before tensing back up. Whatever was behind him was powerful. He could feel every hair standing up on the back of his neck as his pulse began to pick up rapidly. Something was screaming inside him, begging him to get out, get away. 

“Oh, Sammy. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way,” called the creature from behind him. The words hung heavy in the air, tinged with heartbreak. Sam froze. He knew the origin of the voice, but it couldn’t be. He whispered your name and you came running. 

“Sam, sweetheart. Are you okay?” You knelt to the floor in front of him, unsheathing your knife to cut away his binds. 

Sam simply stared in response, mouth slightly agape and confusion nestling into his furrowed brow. He opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off.

“Cat’s out of the bag, I guess. I’m sorry. I really didn’t want it to happen this way.” Guilt weighed heavy on you, as if you had done something horribly wrong. No, it was always to keep him safe, you reminded yourself. 

Sam sat dumbfounded a moment longer. “What are you?” he finally coughed out. It was as if asking the question had triggered his brain to process the situation, and he tensed in preemptive self-defense. 

This was it. No going back now. “I’m a nephilim, Sam.” Saying the words out loud felt like lifting the world off your own shoulders and watching it crash down all around you.

Your confession melted Sam’s expression into a series of reactions. You watched him work through the idea as if he was tossing your heart back and forth in his hands, weighing its pros and cons. 

“Please tell me you understand why I didn’t tell you, Sam. Why I couldn’t-”

Sam’s tone was tense- his lack of reaction almost made things worse. “There’s no way you didn’t tell me about this. I’ve- we’ve known you for-”

“For years, Sam! Before you knew there were even angels, before Dean went to Hell, before you had any idea about the bigger picture! That just goes to show you, Sam- I’m not part of any of this! I’ve kept my head down for thousands of years, not raising any flags or drawing any attention to myself. And then I met you- I met you and I had to love you, Sam, I had to. And then I had to watch you go through so much pain and suffering and all I wanted to do was help however I could but I-”

“But you couldn’t. Because it would put you in danger.” If Sam had landed on a stance, you sure couldn’t decipher it. His voice was soft and gentle, but his jaw flexed and his expression narrowed.  

“It would put you in danger too, Sam. And Dean. And everyone else.” Your response was quick, calculated. You had played this conversation out too many times in your head. Except you never had thought very far beyond the why didn’t you tell me and into the well what the hell do we do now? 

There was silence for a beat.

“The demon knew.” Sam spoke somberly, like he was hand-delivering you a death sentence.

“And now you know,” you contended, defeated. A heartbroken breath wracked through your body, shuddering out of your lungs as you stabilized yourself to avoid teetering over. It was like the wind had been knocked out of you- like you and the man you loved most in the whole world had been plucked from safety and tossed out into open season.

“So what does this mean?” Sam’s tone sat on the fence between concern for your apparent emotions and the fear and confusion that had characterized the rest of your exchange. 

“It means you can’t tell a soul, Sam. Not Dean, not anyone. Anyone who knows is at risk. And it means I… should probably leave.” Your stomach churned as you spoke. All of your worst fears were materializing in front of you. Try as you might, even your powers couldn’t zap them away. Your eyes rose to meet Sam’s, and finally, you could read his expression with clarity.

“No,” Sam shook his head.

“Sam, I can’t put you in danger-”

“And I can’t lose you!” You recoiled at his outburst. “I can’t lose you.” The second utterance was softer, bearing a greater resemblance to the sweet words Sam often shared with you. 

“Sam, if anyone finds out…” you pleaded. As much as it broke your heart, you couldn’t bear to put Sam in any more danger.

“They won’t. Tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it.” Sam’s gaze was intense as he studied you. It was as if he was learning you all over again- like you were someone brand new to him. And yet, you could still see the love in his eyes. You were still you, after all. This was just a new layer of you. Sam had promised to love you, all of you. And if nothing else, he was a man of his word. He lifted a hand to your cheek and ran a thumb over your cheekbone, as if maybe you might feel different under his touch. And when you didn’t, his last scraps of hesitance melted away. Tears welled in your eyes. 

“Just… promise me not to tell Dean until we figure this out.”

“Promise not to tell me what?”

[musedeluce]

Failure to Communicate

Sylus X Reader - (In which Sylus learns the hard way that he must actually tell his partner his plans)

Tags/Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Fluff, slight miscommunication, hospitalization.

A/n: This is set rather early in their relationship. After it becomes cordial but before it becomes openly romantic.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

You were quite good at calculating the outcomes of all kinds of situations. Honestly, it was an extremely useful skill to have, but it wasn’t needed in this particular situation. Anyone paying attention could see that you and Sylus were about 10.9.8.7.6.5. seconds from careening straight off a cliff, into some dark chasm.Right before your determined “point of no return” you grabbed him and wrenched you both off the motorcycle. There was an extremely disturbing crunch as you hit the ground, and seconds later you were cradled in reddish black shadows while sliding forward. The pain in your arm was searing, and honestly this might be the worst break you’ve ever been through in your life. But, you as a hunter have broken bones before, and you were able to keep your wits about you as you slowly come to a stop, not three feet from the chasm’s edge.

Sylus is running up to you, looking uncharacteristically shaken. It’s a relief to see that he’s okay. Immediately, he inspects your arm and makes sure that’s the only thing that’s broken. Then, the two of you are at an impasse, looking at each other silently. The bike, annoyingly, is unharmed.

“Sweetie, if you wanted off the bike all you had to do was ask.” His deep voice is smooth, but the slightly longer pause after he called you that pet name betrayed how shaken he was.

“Sure, because the situation was totally under your control.” You clutch your arm, and his eyes flicker to it as he winces ever so slightly. “It genuinely looked and felt like we were about to careen of a cliff! What the actual fuck? Even if you’re pissed, I. Do. Not. Care. That was the only action I could take to make sure you didn’t plunge five stories downward.”

“Sweetheart...” Sylus switched to using the full version of the pet-name he usually called you. Well, that and Kitten. “The fact you got hurt is what pains me the most. While I am mad at that stunt, I failed to communicate what was going on, and you acted on the information you did have.” His smile now is somewhat insolent. “I’m flattered you were so worried about me, to the point you ignored that you’d be going down with me.”

“What even was going on?”

“I was going to use my evol to maneuver over the edge of the chasm. It has the benefits of being a shortcut, and a surprise.”

“I know you’re used to working alone, and I know you’re used to not explaining your actions but I swear to whatever deities may exist, you have got to start telling me shit like this. Now the mission is a failure.” You’re clutching your arm to your chest, tightly, because every time your arm moves, intense, stabbing pain burrows through the length of it.

“Come on.” Sylus gently lifts you up, providing support as you stand. “Let’s get you fixed up.” The N109 Zone isn't quite known for being an extremely safe and lovely place to live, let alone state of the art medical facilities, but he'd be damned if you weren't going to get the best possible medical treatment he could provide. Hence, how you found yourself expertly bandaged up with your arm in a cast and on a morphine drip in "the finest back alley clinic you'll ever visit.”

“It’s a good thing I used some vacation time for this” you joked, trying to ease the tension in the minuscule room. The twins and Sylus are crammed in as well, making you feel like a sardine. Although you address them all, your gaze catches on Sylus's intense red eyes as he takes your hand, holding it tightly but gingerly. You can see a myriad of emotions swirling in them, worry, relief and anger all conveyed in his intense stare.

"How do you feel?" Sylus has lost is teasing lilt, genuinely asking after your well being.

"Hmmm. Not that bad, I'm in a fair amount of pain but it's more of a dull sort, probably thanks to the drugs. I'm also quite thirsty and hungry, actually." A glance to the twins from Sylus, and they immediately took action. "On it, Boss! We'll bring water and foods gentle on the stomach" Kieran saluted and they both left the room. Sylus still hasn't let go of your hand, and in fact holds it with both of his.

"Sweetie. You surely must know how I adore you. It would be devastating for me to lose you, and because you protected me? All that matters is that You're alive. That you're okay. Why would you do that? "

"Aren't we supposed to protect each other? I was just trying to do that, and there wasn't any time to consider alternate courses of action. Even with your evol, I doubt you'd enjoy being dashed to the ground at terminal velocity. ”

Sylus chuckles, brightening just a bit for a moment. "You know, I'm quite angry at myself for not preventing this. And slightly frustrated with you for your pragmatic thinking." His eyes rove over your bandages. "I will say thank you, as owed though. Thank you for protecting me." A playful smile graces his lips after he finishes speaking and he brings your hand up to his face, pressing it to his cheek and leaning in. "While I do so appreciate your protection, please don't do that ever again. All your efforts to save and protect me would be undone by the simple fact of your death."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

[erollhitchens]

While I do love this show I think its kinda disappointing how the writers would just give major injuries to people and not actually explore it at all.

( I just wanna be clear right off the bat I am a fan of this show this isn't a hate post or anything but these certain writing choices did kinda leave a bad taste in my mouth hence why I made this post )

I'm mainly talking about Eda Hunter and Raine

Eda loses an arm and it isn't really explored at all and Hunter and Raine end up with severe scarring over the faces and bodies yet this is only used for cheap in the moment types of storytelling rather than anything that actually gets explored

maybe to help dive into how the characters feel over these traumatic events but no they are basically just used for different character designs and that's it, which is disappointing tbh and feels pretty shallow of the writers.

also there's Luz's tiny eyebrow scar which kinda baffles me tbh as its there its a design change the animators had to remember

but its so tiny and meaningless it may as well not be there and again it doesn't serve a purpose

I could understand if Luz had a more noticeable scar that maybe served to remind her of helping Belos and tied into her depression at the start of season 3 but eventually she learned to not see it as a shameful reminder of her guilt over belos.

or something like that but that isn't really what happened so well its pretty pointless as well.

like I said it just feels a little cheap giving your characters major injuries that could effect you for life realistically both physically and psychologically only to not actually have them mean anything

Not using them to explore your characters feelings more in depth or something like that, like Hunter's scars could have been used to represent some sorta ptsd over flapjacks death in the episodes afterwards or something

maybe if he kept getting reminded of belos and his control over him or that dreadful night due to the scars triggering flashbacks and it could have tied in to him learning to move past it

and Eda was literally given a life changing disability they could have explored this even a tiny bit in season 3

maybe had her have some sorta arc around wondering if she'd still be able to be the same carefree living life on the edge type of person who she was before and eventually realising it doesn't really matter to who she is or how she sees herself overall

but not doing anything with these things and just having them for cheap shock value and character design changes just rubs me the wrong way tbh

and it kinda bugs me how this fandom lets the writers off the hook for these writing choices so easily.

as these things are kinda the definition of badly done angst in my opinion since they exist solely to get a sad or shocked reaction out of the viewers in the moment

but they don't actually serve a purpose in exploring the characters more and helping their overall arcs like I said I love this show but this aspect I find very disappointing tbh.

[zmediaoutlet]

spn20rewatch, 1.06: "So you lie to them."

A lot is made of the way that the Winchester boys grew up isolated. Raised to be soldiers, moved from town to town. That should lead to a particular kind of raw-edged unsocialized set of feral outsiders -- but Sam and Dean are thoroughly not that. A large part of why, I think, is that they were always enrolled in school (until Dean aged out). They actually had lots of opportunity to engage with normal people, even if the relationships they formed weren't necessarily deep. To borrow from Fight Club, they had plenty of 'single serving friends' -- good for a short time, but not for a long time. This practice is how they're both so good with people -- they don't come off as all that strange in normal interactions when they're not working, because they're just... not that strange, at least on the surface. They're good with people. They're just not good long-term.

When Sam goes to college, part of the stated goal is for there to be a normal life -- or a life at all, because he doesn't seem to include the rambling hunting existence as a valid option. A big part of that normalcy included finding a girlfriend and making friends. Makes sense, especially since he must have passed through dozens of schools with pre-established friend groups that he could see he'd never really be part of. After a while he'd know there was no point in trying to integrate, if they were only going to be in that school for a few months. Stanford gave him the opportunity to put down some roots, to really engage, and it seems from what little we see that he made a good effort. ...But.

DEAN: You’re kidding. You still keep in touch with your college buddies? SAM: Why not? DEAN: Well, what exactly do you tell them? You know, about where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing? SAM: I tell them I’m on a road trip with my big brother. I tell them I needed some time off after Jess. DEAN: Oh, so you lie to them. SAM: No. I just don’t tell them��� everything. DEAN: Yeah, that’s called lying. I mean, hey, man, I get it, telling the truth is far worse. SAM: So, what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life? (DEAN shrugs.) You’re serious? DEAN: Look, it sucks, but in a job like this, you can’t get close to people, period. SAM: You’re kind of anti-social, you know that? [...] DEAN: Dude, what kind of people are you hanging out with? SAM: No, man, I know Zack. He’s no killer. DEAN: Well, maybe you know Zack as well as he knows you.

We'll learn in a later episode how well it went for Dean when he shared the family secrets with someone, so his attitude here is understandable. That said, when Rebecca finds out that something monstrous is happening with Sam, she doesn't completely flip out -- the evidence is in front of her, and she appreciates Sam's help. So, maybe Dean's wrong about this. ...But we never see Rebecca again, and there's no indication that Sam actually kept up with her or Zack after this hunt.

Sam also never told Jessica the truth about his life, and he doubles down on that choice when he tells Dean in episode one that Jessica was never going to know. He thinks there can be a partition between the hunting life (that doesn't even count as life, and is dangerous and bad and must be kept secret) and the "real" life in the daylight, and sees no issue in closing his entire past and large parts of himself away. It's safer, and better, and he'll be able to get through it and have that normal life he always said he wanted.

It doesn't work that way, though, and not only because the plot intervened. We've already had the moral structure of this universe established and it is not acceptable to ignore those things you could have done something about, with your knowledge and skills. Sam's a hunter, got trained that way for ten years, and the pretense that he can be wholly in these friendships (or romantic relationships) while partitioning away a massive part of his history and personality is a farce that was doomed to end. His friends didn't know him because he couldn't let them know him. He says himself, he never really fit in. The 'normal life' he was after wasn't ever going to be an option. He understands that, by the end of the episode; accepting it will take a little longer. At least he and Dean are freaks together.

[dangerpronebuddie]

Tease Tidbit Tuesday!!

Tagged by @tizniz @daffi-990 who both shared AMAZING stuff y'all should show some love!! 🩵💚

The writing beans just aren't here right now. I have a lot of asks for the Make Me Write game and I am so grateful for y'all, I promise I'll answer them as soon as the beans return... Whenever that may be. I don't know if I've shared this snippet before, and even if I have, I am again because it's one of my favorite parts. So, have some of Madney and Buck's conversation from Everything Comes Out Teenage Petulance:

“So there's a mistake you need to correct,” Chim says. “What do you keep doing that makes the week reset?” “I don't know,” Buck exclaims in frustration. “If I fix an earlier mistake, does it make the week reset? If I fix the one mistake that hasn't happened yet, does it do anything?” “Wait,” Maddie says, holding up a hand. “What mistake hasn't happened yet?” Oh shit. She's going to kill him. She'd have every right to. “Each Thursday I've been through, there's this basketball game I talk Chim into going to with me because Eddie has been going with Tommy,” Buck begins. “Every time I… end up hurting Eddie.” Chim frowns, wide eyed, like it's the most absurd thing he's ever heard (which is impressive considering he just learned time loops exist). Maddie's brows draw together. “But… it's an accident on a basketball court. It happens,” she shrugs. He ducks his head. “Evan,” she says in the same way she used to when he was a kid and did something spectacularly stupid. “You didn't mean to hurt him, did you?” Buck shrugs helplessly. “I don't know.” She blinks and the beginnings of a scowl take over her expression. Buck scrambles to explain himself. “I was pissed, you know? Seeing him and Tommy being such good friends after only two weeks, I felt left out.” She half tilts her head, her eyes wide and horrified. Buck might just puke. “And I guess I was trying to get his attention,” he adds feebly. “Well that's not how you get someone's attention,” she snips. “You clear your throat, you tap them on the shoulder, you don't hurt them.” “I know,” Buck says, “Maddie, trust me, I feel awful.” “Good. Don't do it again.” She gets up to refill her coffee. “In this loop or any other one you end up in, Evan.”

(tags below the cut! As always, please let me know if you want to be added/ removed):

@lover-of-mine @loveyouanyway @kitteneddiediaz

@ronordmann @steadfastsaturnsrings @inell @exhuastedpigeon @hippolotamus @diazsdimples

@thekristen999 @monsterrae1 @actuallyitsellie @diazheartsbuckley @wildlife4life @theotherbuckley

@rainbow-nerdss @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @lunarspark-cos @idealuk @shipperqueen6 @slowlyfoggydestiny

@misshiss727 @lin27 @jshadow01 @orangeboxfox92

@thegeekcompanion @emilybahu @lemotmo @awolfnamed-nyx

@kaseysgirl86-blog @darkrose6578 @totallynotagoraphobic @dandelioncasey @bibuckbuckgoose @whatsgoodinthehood22

@lady-elaine @buckley-diaz-rules @buddiedaydreamer911 @monroemary @pirate-hunter

@tofanasmuse @gnoeltop @keynb @cassi-brooks @-syrup-sue @punkrock00 @shannonhutchins @lasagnatheory @aroqueerfandoms and anyone else who wants to share!! 🥰🩷

@nonspeakingkiku @eddiedisasterdiaz @drunkandsupportiveeddie @traumabuddies @epicbuddieficrecs @disasterbuck

[restricted-on-13th]

How to Train Your Ghost (still trying to find an appropriate title)

Low-key inspired by a lot of fanarts and highkey inspired by areaper au I found that's pitch pearl in the fanfiction.net. This is my 2nd time writing this idea (since ive been thinking of it for the.....past 18 hours), my draft got accidentally deleted and I am mad (wrote the first draft sleep deprived and running on 30 minutes of sleep, still is running on 30 minutes of sleep, I'll visit this idea back after I get at least 4 hours of sleep and not low-key delirious, yes I still am low-key delirious) forgive me if i dont explain well or my horrendous punctation and grammas, i know. ill just word vomit/narrate/write my prompt/story/thoughts. ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

Tags: Human Danny (more like liminal but hes not a halfa, he does have powers though but much more altered and weaker for his squishy human body but if its a more ghost power, well, he doesnt have it), Danny Fenton is a ghost hunter, Danny Fenton has a scythe, No trio trio-ing here (Sorry, Sam, Tucker and Danny aren't friends, maybe yet), Pitch Pearl (minor, slight, if you squint, platonic, Idk) Phantom is a dork, Phantom is a sin-ammon roll (.....), Phantom is learning all about Life and Humans (mostly humans), Secret Identities, No One Knows

I found the fic I took inspo from! Do mind that while it may look very similar (probably at the first) I have different plans for mine (ques the clues I left behind and the glaring title) but still feel free to check out their work!

Just Like the Story by Kitsune's Dark Shadow

___________________________________________

Danny probably didn't die in his parent's portal last week on Wednesday, he thinks. He was pretty sure that he was still breathing when he crawled out of the portal, feeling the warm breathe he feels his lungs exhale on the cold ceramic tiles of the lab's floor bringing no comfort to his charred flesh as he stares at the swirling green of the portal, feeling hollow inside as he felt that something was taken from him.

Even though he could feel phantom pain on every nerve of his body all the way to Monday, the first day of school, he chalked it up to being electrocuted by at least a million volts in his body when he unwittingly slipped and press the on button inside the machine. Why there's an on button inside a portal? Danny unfortunately knows how it was mistakingly built inside.

But aside from the near death painpainI'mscaredhelpHelpMe, it stands to reason that for a teenager, such triffling matters were thrown into the metaphorical trash bin for more important matters. Like the A-listers, his studies, space and finding friends cause he's so terribly lonely, just wanting to not be seen as a freak. So it really isn't Danny's fault that he forgot about that one Wednesday noon, he was and still is busy trying to find his place in Casper High, determined to find one friend who would like him. Who wouldn't leave him due to him being Danny Fenton, son of deranged scientists believing ghost exists, the local freak of Amity and the lonely loser of Casper High.

He would have forgotten about it until he woke up floating from his bed, face first in the ceiling. Doing the approximate of a reverse dive into his week and remembering that one Wednesday brought the memories fresh, clear and crisp back to his newly (already) traumatised teenaged brain.

___________________________________________

Soft moonlight streamed down from the covered moon as the dewy grass below is disturbed, a floating glow of a silhouette dashes through the forest. Panting as blobs of green dripped from its wounds, gripping its sluggishly bleeding arm. It muttered "No...No...No.....No" as it ran for its afterlife, scared at something that was following it. Blue lights hallowed in green with little flecks of it across it iris narrowed as it captured and saw its target.

The ghost immediately ducked, the wind whistling as though something flew through the air. The ghost screamed in fear as they came into a clearing, sudden whips of air came and dropped in front of the ghost, effectively blocking it from its escape.

A large black scythe stood in front of the ghost, nothing of note to its design but only the tiny flecks of dark green stars across its blade. The ghost stared at the weapon in fear and apprehension as the moon sifting to the forest below slowly peeked around the clouds.

A shadow hovered and blocked the moonlight as the ghost stilled. Green eyes slowly looked up, following the handle of scythe and stopped at a figure above. Foot firmly placed on the handle of the scythe while still holding it, a boy looked down at the ghost.

Black whispy hair framed the boy's face, wind swept and frazzled from the chase. A long single white tuff of hair was partially hidden by a crocheted black and white headband, a striking difference to his dark hair. Blue eyes hallowed in neon green with flecks of different shaded oof green dancing in his eyes like stars as he stared the ghost down.

His face was framed by the moon as he slowly moved and pointed a modified ecto-gun to the ghost's head.

The ghost whispered "Azrael..."

___________________________________________

Notes:

Danny goes by 'Azrael' while Phantom is Phantom, the only one with a secret identity here is Danny and Valerie. No one knows who Danny moonlights as or that Danny for one is ghost hunting, so no Jazz, his parents and since the thrio aren't friends, they dont know too. I dont know about Valerie, Vlad or the ghost population yet as I haven't planned that out yet. The No One Knows tag can be applied here and his...accident too.

I have plans on Phantom but treat him as an independent character from Danny, while he does have a correlation with Danny (soul bonded) other than his looks being an invertion of Danny's (likes Danny therefore copied his human looks), they're not the same person.

___________________________________________

Phantom: We're soul bonded! :D

Danny (holding a gun and his scythe while staring at the local hero of Amity): ....

*silently cocks gun at phantom*

___________________________________________

Notes:

Anyways, Danny being a ghost hunter doesn't mean he doesn't sympathise with ghost. (He's liminal) that's also where the 'Azrael' name comes. He guides the dead, like a psychopomp, and also protects humans from the ghosts and vice versa.

I have more ideas for him but.... I won't share :)

All in due time.

___________________________________________

Danny was slowly stalking down the road near the forest, brushing his upper lip and his hand coming away bloody. His hands tightly clenched as he gritted his teeth and gave a low snarl.

"Fucking Dash Baxter and his stupid-" he hissed lowly as he kicked a can to the bushes. He huffed as he clutched his bag when suddenly he heard something. He looked around, a bit confused and wary when he saw nothing, he clutched his bag closer to him as he quickly opened it and took out a modified ecto-gun.

One of his latest projects in his sudden venture into ghost hunting, he was proud of how much he was able to customised it to his liking. He heard another sound and quickly aimed at where he heard it, the same bush he kicked the can at.

He slowly creeped up to it, prickles of unease all around his skin. He knew he wasn't a professional ghost hunter, he's still new to the whole thing. The world of Ghost hunters is a cruel and cold place, its either being lucky enough to not find a quack to ally with or lucky enough to survive until you changed careers. It's especially much more harder for an aspiring un-allied ghost hunter that sympathises with ghosts to learn the ropes. No back up and No supervision means that Danny has to always be in high alert in case for a ghost attack.

A melodic tune came from the bush as Danny crept closer. Using the muzzle to nudge the bush to the side as Danny immediately aimed.

He stared down at the wide green eyes of an amorphous blob ghost with a little white tuff of hair on its head as it gave a tiny squeaky tune.

"Beewp?"

[hadesoftheladies]

FEMALE MOVIE/TV RECS (PART 7 / YA & COMING OF AGE)

got inspired from a recommendation post so decided to make a list of movies and shows with female-centric stories/female protagonists. since i can't post all of the genres in one post, i'll split it into multiple posts and y'all can save or add to the list as you wish. (disclaimer: i have watched most of these, but i only know about the existence of others. not every movie/show on these lists will be my recommendation. my recommendations will be beneath the list with reasons. also some of these are way better than others in terms of storytelling/performance--which is why i'll list my faves separately):

Common Themes/Tropes:

-Girls fighting with their parents

-Crushes and romance (and love triangles)

-Strong friendships

-Exploring sexuality (most of these have scenes of a sexual nature)

-Finding herself (or learning how to grow up)

-A lot of (oftentimes comedic) blunders

-Enemies/rivals to lovers

-Girls getting up to no good (or girls getting up to good but getting derailed)

ONES I HAVEN'T WATCHED:

Darby and The Dead

Girlhood

Blood & Water

Eighth Grade

I Am Not Okay With This

Skate Kitchen

The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants

Ladybird

We Are Lady Parts

ONES I'D RECOMMEND

Derry Girls (9/10) (GOATED SHOW!)

Bottoms (9/10) (hilarious and insane in the best ways!)

Paper Girls (7/10) (the chaos that happens when adult you meets preteen you)

Everything Now (8/10) (actually deals with eating disorders appropriately, the most humanizing teen show i've ever seen)

Booksmart (8/10)(a calmer version of Bottoms, but still pretty unhinged and witty)

PERSONAL NOTES

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is the more sober version of But I'm A Cheerleader, where two lesbians get sent to conversion therapy camps. I found both entertaining and refreshing, full of nuance and oftentimes clever about the writing. The performances were also quite good.

I remember My First Summer being bittersweet, but I think there was one scene that made me a little antsy (because the girls in this are pretty young). If it was done tastefully is better left interpreted by those who decide to watch it.

Do Revenge is a whole bag of everything. Mean Girls meets Bottoms. Funny, cruel and unhinged (yet also a little sweet). It was overall fun stuff.

Skate Kitchen has a spin-off show by HBO called Betty.

I barely remember the one episode of Blood & Water I watched, but I know there were things I found to raunchy too be tasteful, yet there was also quite a bit that was still pretty solid and sweet. Not sure I can recommend because I don't know enough except it's about sisters.

If you like sweet and simple teen love stories, Rafiki and The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love are right up your alley.

I only watched one season of Never Have I Ever to emotionally support my sister who had started it. I have never felt such visceral second-hand embarrassment in my LIFE.

First Kill is Romeo and Juliet with vampires and monster hunters. I liked the actors/actresses but you can tell that the budget for this show wasn't that big. If you like Warrior Nun, though, you may like First Kill.

[inbarfink]

Alrighty, so a second season of ‘Fionna and Cake’ is now Officially Confirmed! I was being very cautious about speculating and getting my hopes up until it was Actually Announced, but now that it has, I can’t say I am necessarily shocked that there is going to be a continuation. Looking back on what we can now confidently call ‘Season 1’, there are a few peculiar threads which seem like they are probably meant as a set up for this second season.

Now, everything in this post is going to be very speculative. This is just me going over aspects of Season 1 which seems weird from a perspective of set-up and payoff or just feel like they need more elaboration and thinking what might be done with them in S2. With basically nothing to go on for what will Actually Happen in Season 2 save for the fact that it will exist, just remember to put a huge caveat of ‘I don’t actually know anything yet!’ next to everything I type lol

Fionnaworld Stuff

I wanna start by talking about the one part of Fionna and Cake’s Season 2 we can be pretty certain about - which is that it’s going to feature Fionna and Cake and probably the rest of the Fionnaworld gang. Although, to be perfectly honest… Right now, I am struggling to think of a clear ‘loose thread’ that can hint at where these characters will go in future. Season 1 seemed to have left everyone fairly content. 

I’m not saying that there’s no place to explore these characters further - obviously I’m sure Season 2 will find whole new unexpected angles to develop them. I’m just saying that Season 1 doesn’t really have any clear threads you can point at as a basis for a prediction. At least nothing I can really see myself. 

Perhaps we can give more focus to the Fionna/Hunter stuff we hinted at during Season 1, but wasn’t really given center stage? Or something about Fionna learning how she can be an adventurer on her own terms, after her Season 1 experiences kinda convinced her she couldn’t at all? Or maybe since Season 1 was kinda Fionna-focused, we’re going to get a more Cake-Focused Season 2?

That’s all I got for now, at least. I guess with ‘Fionna and Cake’ being a very character-focused show, and the idea of a renewal probably not being certain when S1 was developed - it makes sense to prioritize giving a strong sense of closure for the main characters and keep the ‘sequel teasing’ stuff to just Lore/Plot hints. Like, if there’s a little Hint of Things to Come that doesn’t amount to anything because the show got canceled that’s just like a Little Weird, but leaving the main characters’ arcs/relationships feeling unresolved forever would be a much bigger problem for the show’s legacy. And speaking of which…

Prismo Stuff

And here’s the real Interesting Stuff that inspired me to make this post in the first place. I think the most notable potential ‘sequel tease’ in F&C Season 1, the thing I always noted as Odd before the second season was confirmed, the main reason I suspected a second season was probably in the works -  is definitely this little moment with Prismo during the ending…

Where he seems to ‘glitch’ for a moment.

What could this possibly mean? I am not sure, but I feel pretty confident that it’s Plot Relevant. It’s a quick but pretty noticeable Moment that doesn’t really seem to have a clear explanation within the first season, especially as it happens just as everything is wrapping up. Perhaps this is the first sign of Prismo becoming sick/malfunctioning/infected, and Season 2 is going to be about unglitching him?

Speaking of which, going into more character-related stuff… while Prismo's grief-induced-depression-spiral from Jake’s death is constantly hinted at throughout the first season - it’s never really confronted directly. I mean, we can assume that between helping out F&C and having Scarab around as a personal assistant - that could’ve helped him get a new lease on life… But maybe a second season could explore Prismo’s grief more deeply?

And then there are also these two

That’s another thing I always found very peculiar in a “hmm, are they planning on making an S2??” sort of way. Like, they spend a minute-and-a-half establishing the Core and the way it works... when I first watched it I was pretty certain it was going to come back later. Like, Simon is going to try to fuck with Time Itself to get Betty back or something. But then they just… loop back to it. It was just a piece of Lore Trivia and a background for the Actually Lore Relevant Infodump.

It might indeed be just that. Just an extra bit of Worldbuilding and a neat change of scenery in the middle of the chase scene. But I still suspect that these Time Titans will become plot-relevant at some future point. 

Multiverse Stuff

Well, out of the myriad worlds that F&C have already visited, it seems like the one that has really left a lot of lingering questions in the minds of the AT Fandom is Farmworld, and those questions are primarily…

HEY!? What the FUCK??? Is he okay?? Is he dead??

So yeah, some sort of confirmation of whatever or not Farmworld Finn is/isn’t dead, and if he is dead - some sort of confirmation of how his kids are getting by considering that their eldest brother just fucked-off to another universe one day… that would be nice and give a better sense of closure on the Farmworld segment of F&C Season 1.

But personally…I think the Multiverse Moment that really rings to me the most as a ‘probable future plot point’, is definitely this little moment in Vampireworld.

The show deliberately emphasizes the moment where the Vampire King saw our Trio use God’s Remote Control to warp to another world. And personally, the vibes here seem… meaningful.

With Bonnie also drawing attention to the fact the Vampires have over-hunted the humans and basically doomed both the world in general and Vampirekind specifically… Could this be the Vampire King’s solution to that problem? Now that he has seen ‘a new thing’, a hint at the existence of the Multiverse - will he try to find a whole new world for his children to feast on?

Well… that’s an alright villain concept and a decent plot hook. My current problem with it is just… the Mainworld Vampire King made for an intriguing and interesting character due both to his compelling dynamic with Marceline and the way he has been changed by the destruction of his people into a very contemplative and complex person. Vampireworld Vampire King doesn’t really have that, as a Vampire King who has never known defeat, he's just a Very Dramatic Evil Vampire. And I feel like Adventure Time aspires to more unique antagonists than Very Dramatic Evil Vampires. 

Now, it’s not impossible to make Vampireworld Vampire King a bit more Interesting if he ever takes center stage - maybe the population collapse of Vampireworld affected him in similar ways to Mainworld Vampire King, or maybe it affected him in a totally different direction, maybe we can give a bit more focus on the influence the Crown has or doesn’t have on him, maybe something else completely out-of-left-field could happen to him.

Or maybe the Star did end up surviving the Doomed Yuri Freefall and she’ll be the one trying out for Vampiric Multiverse Conqueror. She was always the, well, Star of Vampireworld - and she has the potential to be a very fun antagonist with cool thematic implications. I mean, like, Imagine her in contrast to Marshall. He gave up on a comfortable life in the laps of luxury due to wanting some freedom from his over-controlling mom and also it seems some level of moral outrage at her Landlordy ways

And the Star is a Daddy’s Girl Evil Vampire Princess and basically everything he has tried not to be. And yet… will he see a bit of himself in the Star?

Also, I wonder if we’ll see some more of the Alternative Universes Simon stumbled on during his trip back to Ooo. You know, the ones we haven’t actually seen in the main plot.

Simon Stuff

Okay, so… even before the announcement was made official, I have seen a lot of people assume that F&C Season 2 will be just as Simon-Focused as the first season. But personally, I am not sure about it just yet. I mean, I’m a huge Simon Fan, being part of the Petricollective ever since I started to watch the show, so I sure as hell will not complain but… it is important to remember the show is called “Fionna and Cake” and not “Fionna and Cake and Simon”.

I can see the idea being that Simon works as more of a ‘link’ between regular ‘Adventure Time’ and ‘Fionna and Cake’. You know, he’s a fan-favorite and the one major ‘loose thread’ in the original show that can draw old fans into this series which is mostly an all-new cast (considering the Fionnaworld Crew consider themselves to be distinctive from their old magical counterparts).... Kinda like he was the link between Fionnaworld and the rest of the Multiverse, actually. So he’s around as a major character for the first season and from then on he takes more of a secondary role. Since he is a good friend of F&C by this point and their main connection to Ooo, I doubt he’ll disappear completely, but he just might not be as central a character. Or maybe the theme of ‘Fionna and Cake’ is F&C teaming up with different Mainworld characters for different kinds of adventures? 

I mean, it still could go either way. Simon’s arc feels pretty well-concluded to me but the same is true for the Fionnaworld crew and… obviously they’re going to have more Character Stuff in the upcoming season and it’s the whole thing about how it’s important to make your character arcs feel concluded if you don’t know if you’re getting another season. We’ve talked about this already. 

And also… There is one aspect of Simon’s Problems at the start of the show that didn’t truly get to a satisfactory conclusion by the end of the first season. Namely, his loving-but-rocky relationships with both Marceline and Finn.

Like, y’know, he’s generally handling his Stuff better by the end of the season so I guess we can assume he’s also better at communicating with his loved ones but… it is very peculiar that we didn’t actually get to see it. Even as just a moment in his Happy Ending Montage when we see him hanging out and being happy with Finn and/or Marcy. Like, there is certainly a Point to be made about the importance of Simon making friends with people who didn’t know him much as Ice King for the sake of his recovery…

But the total absence of Finn and Marcy from Simon’s epilogue still feels… odd. So that could be something to return to in a future season. Like, I did speculate the F&C ‘format’ might be the Fionnaworld Crew + a different Mainworld character given focus every season. So maybe Simon’s still-not-fully-concluded interpersonal issues could be a launchpad to a F&C season with a primary focus on Finn and/or Marceline.

Finn and Fionna adventuring together would be pretty neat, and if we’re going to give more focus to Prismo’s Grief Problem, it would be very Thematically Appropriate. But also....confronting Finn’s own Jake Grief Problems is actually kinda challenging because we already had a whole special about it.

And that special is happening way way farther in the timeline and explicitly established that Finn never truly got over the grief of losing Jake.

So making an F&C adventure that tackles Finn’s grief in a satisfying manner without feeling it steps over Together Again’s toes… Well, it’s not impossible, but it is quite a tall feat.

Meanwhile, Marceline has less Obvious Issues That Need to Be Addressed right now but also… if we do have the Vampire King and/or the Star as a major threat for this new season, she would clearly be the one to get the Maximum Amount of Drama out of it, so…

Other Ooo Stuff

Okay, so speaking of Finn and things established early on in F&C which then didn’t really come back by the end of the first season, let’s talk a bit about the Heart of the Forest.

So this whole thing could be just a Joke. It could just be a gag about Finn disregarding Huntress Wizard’s warnings and taking his depressed middle-aged friend hiking in the Most Sacred and Ancient Forest in all of Ooo, as a joke. Haha, oh this Finn, so irresponsible! But also…

Finn and Simon were being watched. By a being wearing the same mask as the ‘Evil Bear’

But one that does not quite move like a bear world…

And then of course, this supposedly ‘Evil Bear’ only attacks Simon after he tries to get his little nerdy hands on this peculiar and important-looking tree. 

This really seems to have some implications that the ‘Evil Bear’ is not just one more random ‘evil’ monster that Finn and Simon stumbled across. That they might be some sort of Guardian for the Heart of the Forest, and that their shapeshifting abilities also extend to having some sort of humanoid form, and that they are not quite as monstrous or bestial or ‘evil’ as Finn pegged them out to be.

But all that happens is that Finn kills them, and then the whole matter is not brought up again…. Well, as of Season 1, that is…

So if we are doing some sort of Finn Focused Season, that might be something to bring up. Especially if it’s paired up with some of the Fionna/Hunter stuff I brought up above. 

Again, everything here is just Wild Wild Speculation at this point. This is just a bunch of Stuff that felt Weird resolution-wise in Season 1, and some loose ideas about how they might connect. If you guys have your own ideas and observations, I would love to hear them too!

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Vampire Captures Vampire Hunter to Use as Bloodbag part 27

Warnings: aftermath of escape attempt, vampire carewhumper, recovery whump, suggested blood drinking from the wrist

"If we could learn to... coexist, I think we could both benefit from it."

Mallory couldn't help snorting in disbelief. "And how would I benefit from cooperating?" He sneered stubbornly. "You have everything you want from me, and I get nothing in return. No freedom, no joy, nothing but existing for the sole purpose of feeding a sadistic bloodthirsty freak like you." He quickly snapped his mouth shut in horror after his outburst, bracing himself for the retaliation he knew would be coming.

--But it never came. Instead of the anger Mallory was expecting, Alex merely sighed patiently. "I understand why you would see it like that," he said knowingly. "But if you were more obedient, and perhaps didn't try killing me, I wouldn't have to correct you. And you wouldn't be stuck in this situation right now. Now, I do admit some of what happened recently was my fault too -- I'm still learning as I go. So how about once you're all healed up, we put this in the past, and start on a clean slate, yeah? Start over." The vampire gave Mallory a fang-filled grin.

"I am willing to grant 'favors' for good behavior as incentive. I think if we both put in the effort, life for you could be far less unpleasant here. Deal?" Alex raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Mallory averted his gaze, mulling it over. The offer sure sounded better than being his current situation, but how much of Alex's words could get trust? So far the bloodsucker hadn't lied about anything, but that wasn't to say he couldn't lie.

But could anything really get worse, though? Mallory reasoned with himself. He was already in a gargantuan amount of pain, cuffed to his captor's bed, and unable to do practically anything on his own without outside assistance. So even if the offer was fake, what could it hurt to give it a try?

He couldn't bring himself to say yes -- his pride wouldn't let him surrender -- but he gave a stiff, subtle nod to show his grim acceptance.

"All right then." Alex awkwardly cleared his throat. "With that dilemma solved, we're back to the situation at hand. I'm hungry. Do you have a preference which wrist I use?"

Mallory chewed his lip uneasily. "...My left, I guess," he mumbled half-heartedly. Sacrificing his non-dominant hand was the logical choice. He might need his dominant one later on to escape. Though it still made him squirm to know he was almost willingly giving a vampire blood, even if he didn't exactly have a choice other than where they took blood from. It still felt too much like giving up.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy @floral-comet-whump

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @nevermore-ramblings

[snexy-the-snail]

Into the Dark

Nico wasn’t sure what to think of his dad. At first, he had been thrilled to learn that he had a parent left, that he and Binaca weren’t alone. The orientation video did little to quell that excitement either. It sounded nice, being snugly secure deep within a being who loved you. A safety that couldn’t be ruined, and closeness to family. It sounded more appealing after Binaca joined the hunters.  

Only Hades didn’t come for them. There wasn’t a safe space, no gentle words or reassurances. The orientation video was cheerier than anything that had been happening, his sister died on her first quest, his hero hadn’t been able to stop it so he left.  

Hades didn’t come after that either, he never came no matter what he did whether it was something as simple as an offering or large like speaking with one of the judges. Admittedly his choices slowly turned more reckless, less about getting attention from Hades and more to just prove himself.  

 It wasn’t until after the Labyrinth he finally got some of that attention he had craved.  

“That was reckless.”  

A breath of surprises escapes him before he schools his expression. “It was a calculated risk.” That sounded reasonable right? It wasn’t like Hades would be able to sense any of his inner feelings. He clenches his hand in a fist, hiding it in his jacket pocket.  

There was a tsk behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder. The chill of the weight settling deep in his bones. Much like being in the shadows or underground it was..comforting. The grip only tightens as the silence falls over them. Nico finds that he has to bite the inside of his cheek from leaning closer to the god, the pain a nice distraction.  

“Not calculated enough. Messing the realm of death is never an acceptable route.” Hade’s voice soothing despite the rough edge to it. He sounds almost worried. “Being a child of the underworld does not excuse you from this Nico.” The tone was deceptively light despite the scolding side to it. The grip on his shoulder changed, a sudden movement and he was pulled against his father’s side.  

It’s a motion that brings surprise to him. Nico hadn’t expected the attention on him to be this gentle. This was not the wrathful god he had been taught to be cautious of, this was a soothing parent showing concern, no matter how rusty those skills seemed to be. He stays quiet, trying to resist the urge to lean further into his father’s embrace. The chill of the shadows that curled around the divine being soothing his weary body. Apparently using excess powers of his divine side was a no go. “I swear- are you even listening to me child? What you did was reckless, and you continue to exhaust yourself.” 

A coppery taste floods Nico’s mouth, distracting him slightly. He had been biting so hard he had accidentally drawn blood. Though the brief pain wasn’t what was causing his eyes to water. Tears stinging at the corners of his eyes as Hades continued to speak. 

“I am speaking to you, the least you can do is answer. Must you be this vexing?”  

Before Nico can stop himself, he turns, burying his face into Hades’ chest, a sob drawing from his chest. Part of him expected to be shoved away, instead strong arms wrapped around him, the chill spreading throughout him more fully, shadows blurring the space around them. “I-I’m sorry- I'm...Sorry” he chokes out, his voice muffled slightly by the fabric.  

“What was I supposed to do? I’m not even supposed to exist and the one person I've ever known is gone.” He can’t help the bitterness in his tone. He couldn’t even bring her spirit forward to speak to her. The chill grows, as does the grip on him. “If I had another chance I’d taken it, I’d take it even now. I miss her and I’m tired of pretending that it’s fine.” 

“You didn’t even care enough to check on me! It’s only when I broke your stupid rules that you came.” His voice comes out in shaky broken sobs, his hands coming up to twist in the fluid feeling fabrics. With his anger finally released he feels an overwhelming sense of tiredness, his tears still streaming down his face, soaking his father's clothing.  

He can feel Hades start to run a hand through his hair, grimacing at the touch. Part of him expected the touch to give to pain, but it didn’t. “You’re...Correct. I didn’t visit you, I have been...afraid.”  

Afraid? The idea was laughable, he opened his mouth to voice the thought before Hades continued. 

“Losing your sister was... losing any child for any god is a sensation that none of us find pleasant. I feared if I met with you that I would give into some desires.” Hades’ tone takes a sour tone. Nico had no doubt about what either.  

“Then do it! Do you know how excited I was to learn about you? About the idea of finally having a place safe for me? I was alone and thrown into a world that’s trying to kill me why wouldn’t I want it.” He snaps, shoving back away from the cold embrace of his father. Hades’ expression is unreadable as he looked his son over. It makes Nico squirm slightly, turning his gaze away from his father.  

“It’s not just your fear Nico.”  

“What?” 

“I am afraid. You remember the early stories, I am not fond of my memories of the times. I cannot trap you the way I felt.” Hades’ tone is firm and carries an edge to it. It was something Nico hadn’t given much thought. He had thought the orientation video was meant to ease demigods into the idea. Did the elder gods truly struggle with it? 

“You...I...oh.” The anger left him at once. His father was scared of upsetting him.  

Silence falls over them both before Nico looks back to the god’s gaze. He takes a step forward, leaning back against his father.  

“I won’t feel trapped. You’re my father, my family...and...and that’s what I need right now.” 

There’s a certain softness in his father’s gaze now, shadows dancing around the god almost like a mirror to his emotions. “Please?” He adds on when neither moves. That seems to be the permission Hades was looking for, the god’s hand resting back on his shoulder. “You will not feel trapped?” The question comes.  

“I won’t I swear.” Nico says breathlessly, his heart pounding as he squeezes his eyes shut. Watching gods shift their forms was always so disorienting. He squeezes his eyes shut, the stupid little jingle from the orientation video buzzing in the back of his head. He blindly grasps at his father's hand as it encircles around him. “I can never get used to you just- just being able to do that” He mumbles, blinking his eyes several times before looking his father over.  

Oh- being small was really disorienting. “That’s normal.” Hades reassures, curling his hand more around Nico as he scoops the boy up, keeping his motions smooth. It was appreciative considering Nico was still trying to get used to the fact he was easily sitting in his father’s palm. Nothing could’ve prepared him for that. He had seen gods shift around, changing their forms easily, Poseidon easily being one of the most annoying to keep track of the god was basically just water half the time. Then again, he rarely saw the god, just once at an Olympus meeting, it had been the quest he lost his sister on. 

“I’ll...go slow.” Hades’ voice rumbles now. He could see how people used to worship gods now, if they appeared like this, he would instantly scramble to flatter them too. “Okay...Really father, I’ll be fine.” 

Still didn’t stop his insides from doing a flip when Hades opens his mouth. There wasn’t warmth, and the darkness was intense, much like the shadows he would bend to hide himself. In a way it was comforting. Nico could feel the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, nearly tempted to dive in. He managed to stay composed however, taking a small breath in, as the hand he was resting on tilted slightly.  

He slid in feet first, the god’s tongue quick to meet his descent to safe guard any possible interaction with the pearly white teeth. It wasn’t fear that caused his heart to beat in his throat, but it wasn’t quite excitement. Just the cool sense of bliss as he slid inside further. He steadies himself, wriggling slightly when Hades seemed to pause.  

“Still okay. I promise, this...this is something different for me.” 

It was. His father might see it as a sense of being trapped, of torture, but for him, Nico craved it. The constant buzzing under his skin that demanded he focused started to fade. He no longer felt the need to constantly observe his surroundings, why would he with the comfort of his father all around. The darkness encircled him as he slides in fully, a clack sealing him in pitch black. “No one really talks about their parents doing this...well I mean they do it’s just no one really talks about what it's like.”  

Will only talked about how it was a way his dad showed affection. Other kids speaking about how it was just a quirk of their parents, or simply just a task that needed to be done. Then again, he guessed it would be weird to speak about how each god was different from each other.  

A hum rumbles around him, the muscles twitching under him. There's a brief moment when has lifted up, pressed lightly against the roof of the god’s mouth. “O-oh right. Yes, I’m laying down.” He laughs folding his arms in front of him, resting his head. He had a feeling any time spent mainly in the mouth was due to Hades hesitating himself. The younger gods really seemed to not struggle with this at all. He was pretty sure he saw Apollo stalking his kids more often than not, and even Dionysus had a few times where neither of the twins could be found.  

He closes his eyes letting a breath out as he focuses on the area around him. Gods didn’t need to breathe and in a strange sense Nico found the eerie silence comforting, much like being fully encompassed by the earth. It was a sense of being wrapped in silence and shadows, much like the fleeting memories of when he had been growing up. The world was a lot louder than he had remembered.  

It was off but Nico found he didn’t mind the salvia soaking into his clothing's, most likely making it easier on them both for later events. He mindlessly starts sorta swinging his legs after a moment. Hades wasn’t doing much after all, and while the silence was welcomed, he was getting a tad bored. It wasn’t like the god’s maw was spacious either. With the size he was at now, his legs awkwardly bend more into the god’s throat. “Still alright.” 

That seemed to jar Hades back into reality. Nico can’t help but laugh, patting the muscle under him. His hand sunk deeper than he had been expecting, then against like how his uncle was as fluid as the waters of his domain, his father was as wispy as the shadows themselves. He wouldn’t be surprised if Hades forgot about him one day and he dropped straight through. Will said Apollo had done it once with one of his children.  

A rolling pressure sucked his legs further down, the cool fleshy tube pulling him rhythmically as he slid down Hades' throat. To the belly of the beast in a sense. A smile cracked on his face as darkness swallowing him, rather than a squeeze there was a drop, and he spilled into a larger space. Rather than a plush swinging sensation there was a firm rigidness. It was soft, but Nico felt like he wouldn’t face plant at any given second.  

“Still okay” he says trying to right himself in the dark. It was weird being to stand, though given how small the space was he had to crouch slightly. “I am... very sure this isn't how a stomach is supposed to be.” He muses after a second. 

“What does that mean?” and wow. If Nico thought that Hades had sound regal before, inside it was everywhere. He could practically feel the vibrations. “Well...um first off, it’s supposed to be made out of muscle, I can basically stand in here.” He points out sinking a hand into a ‘wall’ of a stomach. His hand sank into it much like they usually did with shadows. “Then again you’re not very much like a person either.”  

There’s a thoughtful hum, the firmness of the space fading until rippling shadows nearly made it impossible to stand. A small laugh escapes Nico as he’s cradled by the flesh surrounding him. “I wasn’t complaining! IT was just- funny you basically put me in a box.” He laughs at the idea, closing his eyes with a slight smile.  

“I believe we work different than most mortal internals.” Hades points out, Nico closing his eyes as he feels the rumble of his father’s voice. “You do. When Will was describing it to me I was like ‘there’s no way’ because like how could insides even do that!” 

The only reference would have been Kronos, and even then, he was pretty sure it wasn’t exactly the same as a human’s..or maybe it was. There were so many myths on how men were created and he doubted that they had been mashed together with two sets of arms and legs. Who knew, and personally he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. 

“Just..don’t forget I’m in here.” He says after a few moments. The shadows rippled around him, almost like Hades took offense to the comment. “I won’t. I doubt any god would.” There’s pressure against him, cradling him slightly. Everyone was right, this was weird, but not bad per say. It was..comforting almost, to be fully protected by your parent.