#i can't stress this enough but it doesn't just go for my own ugh

[vanmarkus]

.

[aayakashii]

WARNING: *BANGING POTS AND PANS* THIS HAS VERY EXPLICIT SEXUAL NSFT THEMES AND LANGUAGE! Very explicit femdom, Sub!Leo, Brat!Leo, dubcon, reader is afab, very little to no romance, just pure extreme horny. I cannot stress enough that THIS IS PORN. Do not engage if it makes you uncomfortable, please! <3

collared

"Hey." You entered Leo's room after knocking twice on the door, not bothering to wait for him to let you in.

"Ugh. What do you want?" He glared at you through his vanity mirror as you made your way towards his bed and sat on its edge. "Just because I use you on my social media doesn't mean we're actual friends, you know." Leo didn't turn around from his spot at his vanity, not even to look at you.

You sighed heavily, already expecting the verbal abuse, but you had to face it if you wanted to go through with your plan.

"I just wanted your opinion on something. It'll be quick." You said, fidgeting with the hem of your skirt right behind him, noticing how he made eye contact with you through the mirror right after you said those words.

"A favor, then? That'll cost you, honor roll." He applied a bit of his skin care oil while smirking, already enjoying the idea of getting you to follow one of his many whims.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not a big deal though? I just have this gift I want to give to a friend of mine. He kinda has a similar style as you, so I wanted to ask you to test it for me so I can see if it looks good."

"What friend is this?" He quickly said, closing the oil bottle with a sharp pop and spinning on his footstool to face you.

"What does it matter?" You quirked an eyebrow.

"It doesn't. I just wanna know."

"It's just a friend I made in Sinostra" you bounced your leg restlessly.

"A boyfriend?"

"No."

"A hookup?"

"No..."

"Oh my. Dont tell me he's an unrequited love. That's pathetic, you know."

"No! Leo! Look, will you help me or what?" You snap, your patience that was already spread thin seemed to be fading quicker and quicker, while your anxiety rose to unimaginable peaks.

"Hmmm..." he pretended to think, pouting with a finger over his lips "Okay, since I'm such a good guy. That WILL cost you even if it's an easy request, you know?."

You nod, rolling your eyes.

"Okay, gimme the gift, let me try it."

Your hands quickly shot to your loyal purse, fishing an intricately decorated collar. It had studs and chains all over its leather base, with one big hoop attached to the front piece of the collar

Leo whistled. 

"So you're saying he isn't anyone special, huh? Sounds like bullshit to me" He smirked, grabbing the collar from your hands.

You shrugged. "He likes this kind of stuff, what can I say?"

Leo hummed, opening the latch after turning back to face the mirror

"I'm kinda surprised you got the money to buy something like this though? You look like you have no money nor fashion sense, so that's interesting... Hm…” he hums, after securing the latch. “It looks good, but let's be fair: it's kinda easy for things to look good on me. Don't know if we can't say the same for your mysterious boyfriend."

Leo rambled after putting on the collar, failing to see how you got up and walked closer to him, your eyes darkening at the sight of the collar hanging on his neck.

You stood awkwardly behind him as he ran his fingers through his hair, admiring himself on the mirror, until he acknowledged your presence.

"What is it? Did you like it so much on me that you're regretting giving your horny gift to someone else, Honor Roll? Wouldn't blame you."

You licked your lips and gulped harshly, while he kept on admiring himself.

"Stay." You murmured quietly, but loud enough for Leo to hear.

As soon as the word left your lips, Leo's arms moved to his sides straight away. His body stuck in his seated position, almost unmoving, in the blink of an eye.

"H-huh...? What happened?" His eyes widened at the strange feeling of his body moving on its own accord. He locked eyes with you through the mirror again, seeing your pleasantly surprised expression. "Wait... what the fuck did you do, bitch?"

"Q-quiet." You said, a little louder this time.

Leo's mouth closed instantly, shutting him up.

"Haha... hahaha!! It really did work!" You laughed in disbelief, walking even closer to him once again, your gaze running through his body, checking thoroughly whether your plan had worked for real or not.

Leo only managed to follow you with his widened eyes as he stayed quiet and unmoving on his seat.

You sighed, satisfied with your work and shimmied yourself between him and his vanity mirror, sitting on top of his desk. Your feet rested right beside his thighs as you looked down at him.

"Ah Leo... I've been wanting to do this for a while, you know?" You murmured, pulling out a chain from your back pocket and leaning closer to his face. He was breathing heavily, nostrils flared and angry and wide eyes darting to your every movement.

You tugged on the hoop of the collar, snapping the chain on it with a satisfying click.

"You act so high and mighty, so proud of how badly you treat everyone around you... it's so fucking annoying. But you know that, don't you?"

You dragged a finger slowly on his cheek as you spoke.

"You think the whole world is supposed to answer to your whims when you don't give anything back to anyone. You treat people like trash even though your soul is the dirtiest of everyone around here, but… you also know that, don't you?"

You squeezed his cheeks with one hand, puckering his lips as he kept on breathing deeply and loudly.

"You know what I think?" you asked him, leaning towards his ears.

"I think a bad boy like you needs to be punished" you whispered, watching as goosebumps formed on his skin once you licked and bit his ear lobe, pulling his earring with your teeth a little too harshly.

All he could do was groan wordlessly.

"So, to do that, I managed to sneak away this collar for you. It's for anomalies, you know? To make them act like well behaved puppies. Everything that you're not." you leaned back, pleased to see the slightly red tint on his cheeks

"But I'm not a demon like you, obviously. I think you know quite well what kind of punishment I want to give you... but if you don't want it, I'll be happy to just make you obey me like a good, well behaved dog for a little while. Now that I got that collar on you, it's easy."

You pulled the chain towards you and hovered your face mere inches from his own, your lips barely brushing against his, but not quite kissing him.

"Speak."

As soon as you said the command, Leo puckered his lips, closing off the distance between you two, with his pierced tongue quickly pushing its way between your lips.

You smiled triumphantly, breaking the kiss before he could try to feel your tongue against his

"Ah-ah." you waved your finger in a negative motion. "Did I say you could do that?"

"You're a sick bitch." he breathed out, looking flustered.

"Oh my. Good boys don't say such bad things like that, Leo. I guess you do need some proper training." You said, pouting, feigning shock over his words.

"You're... you're sick." he repeated, shaking his head.

"Keep quiet or I'll silence you again." You said bluntly, pulling his collar tightly as you lifted your hips to pull down your panties.

Leo's eyes followed the way your underwear was haphazardly discarded on his bedroom's floor. Suddenly, however, his gaze snapped back to the way your skirt still hid your intimacy, as he licked his dried lips.

You were sick for sure, but since his heart kept beating a mile per hour and his stomach churned in awful anticipation, what did that make him, then?

He shook his head, fast.

"No way. No. That's disgusting. I won't fucking do that."

You cocked your head to the side, genuinely caught off guard.

"Disgusting?"

He avoided looking at you, as you raised an eyebrow.

"How many girlfriends and boyfriends have you had before, Leo?" you asked, mockery dripping from your tone "Are you telling me you never gave head to anyone just because you think it's disgusting?"

Leo flinched and kept avoiding your gaze, lips sealed as if you commanded him to be silent again.

"Oh dear. Are you telling me you never made any of your exes cum, Leo? Are you telling me you've never even satisfied someone?" You said, the smile sounding clear in your voice as he furrowed his brows deeply.

"Now THAT's pathetic. But it's okay, baby."

His eyes twitched at the petname.

"I'll make sure you'll eat me out properly" you tugged the chain to make him look at you. You opened your legs and lifted your skirt, allowing him to see the puffy lips of your pussy, and his eyes widened, as if he was seeing one for the first time in his life.

"You're so selfish you never even cared to please your exes... I feel so sorry for them. Do you even know what a clit is? Or do you just know about dicks since you have one between your legs?"

"Of course I know what a fucking clit is” he spat defensively and way too quickly, making you smile deviously.

"Then won't you be a good boy and suck mine?"

Leo's eyes were locked into the sight of your pussy in front of him, his ears burning red after hearing your bold command request.

You had read him so quickly, it was frustrating.

Indeed, he always avoided servicing his exes, way too focused on just achieving his own high.

Sex was nothing more than a way for him to get a bit of pleasure from time to time and nothing else. He never cared much about who allowed him to orgasm, he didn't care if it was a man or a woman, as long as he could get his own satisfaction quickly – and then it was back to his influencer grind. If his partner was left high and dry, it was none of his problem.

So, yes, as soon as he came, he would simply turn around and either leave to clean himself up, or nap. 

At that moment, however, he couldn't look away from the sight of your folds in front of him and the way you clenched around nothing, anticipating his ministrations.

He had nowhere to run, truly, but he wasn't fully convinced that he wanted to run – what with his heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears.

Leo approached you slowly, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth before he sunk into you, tentatively licking a long stripe on your pussy.

Your breath hitched on your throat and the little gasp you let out made him flinch and look up at you.

The taste was weirdly astringent and the smell was strong and musky, which didn't really appeal to him. But when he looked into your eyes, glazed with lust, he dived in deeper once again.

Leo explored you with his tongue, giving long kitten licks on your entrance, his piercing grazing against your most sensitive parts, making your legs spasm.

"A-ah... the piercing... fuck, it feels good..."

Much to his dismay, he felt his chest swell with pride at your praise.

"You... you are allowed to use your hands..." you said, half moaning, half murmuring.

At that, Leo felt himself gain control over his arms once again, which immediately moved to open up your folds with one hand, as he inserted one long finger inside you with the other.

While he kept your pussy spread open, his lips curled against your clit, sucking it harshly as his pierced tongue swirled around the sensitive bud, which elicited a loud moan from you – half pain, half mind-numbing pleasure.

"Ohhhh fuck! Slow down! You don't have to suck so harshly..."

His yellow eyes locked on your face and he began flicking his tongue against your clit instead, making sure to have his piercing graze against it.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck oh my fucking god  yes... Yes, keep doing that, that's perfect" you ran your fingers through his hair, pulling it tighter, feeling the dampness of sweat on his scalp.

"You can put one more finger now" you murmured, and he complied after a little pause, consciously thinking about which movements he had to make next.

"Look at you being a good boy and doing so well for me" you panted, smiling down at him. 

Leo despised the way your compliment went straight to his groin.

"Now curl your finger up like a hook." you commanded, legs and hips spasming once he managed to do as you said. 

With a loud moan, you pushed his head closer to you, grinding against his face while you rode the orgasm that had washed over your body with his ministrations.

Leo lifted his head up to look at you, lips glistening with your cum. You panted and smiled, satisfied, a sheen of sweat covering your body, making you shine under the warm light of his bedroom 

"See? Was that so bad?" you asked, once you managed to catch your breath.

Leo looked to the side, doing his best to look as annoyed as he could.

"It was disgusting, just as I thought it would be."

"Oh? Really?" you asked, sarcasm loud in your voice "Funny, because I could swear this thing here means you liked it a lot" you finished, pressing one of your feet against the bulge that had formed in his pants. He couldn't control the gasp that escaped his lips as you rubbed him, his hips bucking forward, unconsciously seeking the friction.

"Look at that, you're leaking… Now, now, no need to hump me so desperately” you shimmied your way out of your position, standing right beside Leo as he was still unable to move properly.

"Get up and go lay down on your bed."

The command resounded, loud and clear, and Leo couldn't keep himself from fulfilling it. Cursing under his breath, he clenched and unclenched his fists, the only thing he could do to protest.

He laid down, widened eyes following you as you stood beside him. 

"You don't need to look so scared. As I said, I'm not a monster. I'm not going to hurt you." you said, as you began fiddling with the buttons of his shirt and pants "I'm just going to show you how meanies like you should get punished."

Freeing him of all his clothes, you licked your lips, looking at his nude body splayed on the bed and vulnerable, all yours for the taking. Leo's cock stood half mast, the tip wet and an angry red, much to his chagrin.

Leo clicked his tongue, still doing his utmost to sound as repulsed as he could about the idea of you touching him.

He just didn't know anymore if he was trying to convince you or himself.

"I didn't know you were such a perverted bitch." he spat out.

"Perverted?” You barked out a laugh “I guess I can't expect you to have explored anything if you didn't even eat out your exes." you ran a finger over his abdomen, ignoring the razor sharpness of his words.

"You know, if you were a good boy, things would be so different." you pouted dramatically, nails digging a bit deeper into his skin, making the muscles in his abdomen tense up "If you were a good boy, I'd be rewarding you right now. I'd take my sweet time kissing your body, I'd praise you and run my hands all over you and then I'd ride your cock until you came inside me."

You smiled as you saw him gulp.

"But you aren't a good boy, so you get none of that." you finish, flicking one of his pebbled nipples and making him gasp.

"I- I didn't ask for you to do anything.” he stuttered in spite of himself.

You tilted your head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"I know. Just like I didn't ask for you to call me useless and then use me as your fake girlfriend online, but you still did it anyway, right?" 

Leo stared at you, anger still flashing on his face.

"That's why I'm doing this.” You shrugged. “I think it's about time I get my little revenge, hm? And what better way than to have you moan like a whore for me" you winked, grabbing a bottle of lube from inside your purse.

You could hear his sharp intakes of breath, chest heaving up and down while you sat beside his hips. A thick glob of lube fell from the bottle and onto him and you smiled when he flinched against the sensation of you clumsily smearing his cock with the sticky liquid.

After you deemed it properly lubed, you circled your hands just almost near his tip and stopped. Leo groaned in anticipation.

“Go on” you said, a sickening sweet smile gracing your features at the sight of him already so flustered when you had barely touched him.

“W-what?” he breathed out.

“If you wanna feel good, you're gonna have to fuck my hand.”

Leo widened his eyes for a second and then shut them tightly, turning his head away. He hissed like an angry street cat being denied food.

“What, you don't want to feel good?” you tilted your head, mockery clear in your voice.

“This is so fucking embarrassing” he spat, a scowl distorting his pretty features.

“Well” you shrugged, but still kept your hand in place “If you don't want to feel good, it's okay.”

“Why don’t you just order me to do it then? You can make me do anything with this fucking collar”

“I'm not gonna do anything you don't actually want to do.”

He was silent for a second, before he scoffed, loud and sarcastic.

“Well, I didn't want to be in this situation.”

Your mouth opened into an ‘o’, like what he said was a groundbreaking revelation, and you nodded.

“Fair enough. Then we'll stop.” you retracted your hand and began moving away from him.

Leo's head snapped towards you and he wiggled his body as much as he could in protest.

“N-no!” he yelled, still squirming in place, unable to actually get up from the bed.

“Hm?”

Leo opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Was he really going to ask that perverted, gross NPC to keep going? Was it even worth it to think too much about it?

His mouth moved before his mind could come to a conclusion.

“Don't leave… Don't- don't stop.”

A wicked smile slowly spread across your features.

“Then ask for it” you said, matter of factly, drinking in the sight of his flustered face.

“Fuck you.”

You tutted, pouting.

“That's not asking.”

“Okay, goddamnit, fuck. Please put your fucking hand there again.” he growled, through gritted teeth.

“Hmmm… That doesn't sound super nice.” you slid your hand down his shaft once, tightly. Leo choked out a moan, eyes fluttering shut.

“Please. Please.” he murmured, voice frantic and desperate.

“Please what?” you asked, gently rubbing the pad of your index finger against his tip, smirking when his cock twitched.

“Please, let me fucking cum.” he finally begged through a whisper.

“See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?” you put your hand back on its spot, and the sensation of your palm and fingers firmly encircling his head already made him gasp. “Now go on. Move your hips for me.”

Leo begrudgingly moved his hips upwards, moaning at the feeling of your hand squeezing his length.

“Is this good enough?” you asked, trying to make sure he wasn't uncomfortable despite it all.

Leo nodded frantically, hips beginning to move at a faster pace. His mouth parted open, short mewls spilling out as he fucked himself into your hand. He hated to admit that it felt like a perfect fit. 

Your mouth watered. Wasn't he such a pretty boy when he was cumbrained and dumb.

“Look at you, fucking yourself silly into my hand. What would your followers think of this if they saw you being a slut for me, hm?” you murmured, and his pace began to quicken after your words, the lewd sound of lube squelching between your fingers and his hard cock making him curl his toes.

You murmured encouragements as he kept on bucking his hips up, fully forgetting about any decorum while loud moans came out of his mouth and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

When you began to feel his dick twitch in your hand, however, you let go, a crazed smile on your lips as he kept rutting his hips upwards and onto nothing, chasing the release you deprived him of.

“Hu-huh? Whyyy…” He asked, pathetic and needy, with a few tears glistening at the corner of his eyes.

“Don't want you to cum on my hand.” 

He still looked out of it when you positioned yourself between his legs, not truly processing what you were planning on doing.

Your hands glided under his sweaty thighs and you pushed them towards him, giving you a better access to his leaking length.

When your tongue lolled out and you sucked his angry red tip, Leo's back arched completely out of the bed, his arms and legs spasming at the feeling of your warm mouth swallowing him deeper and deeper.

“N-no, that's, noooo…” he hiccuped, tears now falling freely down his cheeks, overwhelmed with the sensation.

You let him go with a lewd pop.

“Don't want it?” you asked, breathing heavily.

He had his eyes closed, brows scrunched upwards in a pained expression. Like the pleasure was too much for him to handle.

“I-it's disgusting… I'm gonna end up cumming…” he whined.

You arched an eyebrow.

“That's the whole point. I want you to cum while I suck you.”

He whimpered at your crass words.

“Do you want me to suck you or not?” you opened your mouth, letting your tongue hover next to his tip.

Leo fluttered his lashes, blinking away the tears, and arched his back, rutting his hips towards your lips, refusing to actually answer. 

When you wrapped your lips on his cock again, he let himself plop against the mattress, legs stretched and taut as a bow string.

Who would've thought Leo would become so whiny and needy, you thought, smirking to yourself.

You swirled your tongue around his angry red tip, feeling the salty taste of his precum before slurping it softly and letting it out with a pop, as if you were just sucking on a lollipop.

Leo squirmed against the bed, chasing your lips unconsciously with a needy whine. Every single nerve ending of his body was alight. Everywhere you touched seemed to frustratingly send him closer to an edge he never actually explored. 

You smiled against the feverish skin of his length and let him inside your mouth once again.

You bobbed your head slowly, up and down, cheeks hollowing as you sucked him and felt the hard throb of his heart in the veins of his cock – the satisfying thump thump thump of his painfully hard length pulsating inside your mouth.

One hand held his bucking hips down while the other fondled his balls, already heavy and tightening, begging for release.

“Mhmmm! I'm gonna- I'm gonna-” Leo mewled and gripped your hair, trying to push you away from his body. You grasped his wrists to keep him from effectively pushing you, finally letting his hips move freely.

He immediately moved his hips upwards, thrusting rapidly into your mouth and desperately chasing his orgasm, fully forgetting how he was trying to get you off of his cock just mere seconds ago.

His cock touched the back of your throat and you gagged – your moans of protest sending vibrations through his length. He rolled his eyes back and gave one final, stuttering thrust, spilling his cum onto your tongue and down your throat.

He groaned loudly, abs tensing as he saw explosions of white behind his eyelids, shaking from the shocks of his orgasm. You relaxed your throat, allowing his load to spill down the corners of your mouth and swallowing whatever managed to reach your throat.

Leo exhaled loudly, relaxing his body against the mattress.

You weren't done though.

Your lips wrapped once again around his reddened head and you gave him short, harsh sucks.

Leo gasped, stifling a scream, and his legs spasmed around you, kicking the bed as you overstimulated his half-mast cock.

You licked and swirled your tongue, focusing on the bruised tip, sucking him until he couldn't keep his loud sobs to himself. Tears ran down his cheeks again while he squirmed and flailed, mind turning into mush at the overstimulation.

He arched his back, whole body spasming while you coaxed him into another orgasm, massaging his balls and suckling on his dick without allowing him a moment to breathe.

When he finally came again, letting out a high pitched moan, he barely managed to burst out into your mouth – instead, he squeezed your head between his thighs and grasped your hair with both hands, abs contracting painfully.

Once you finally let him out of your mouth, Leo looked ruined. His ears were ringing and he could barely register his surroundings. He had no strength to his limbs, feeling like a melted puddle of himself, way too focused on his own pleasure to remember he was supposed to be angry at you – not thankful for the sweet torture you just had made him go through.

You got up, watching Leo's chest heave up and down and his sweaty skin glimmer against the low glow of his room with a maniacal smile.

“Felt good?” You asked, sitting down beside him and picking up your purse. Leo blinked slowly, eyelids heavy as his cock still twitched. He was still coming down from his high, sniffling and blinking his tears away, unable to answer you properly.

You smiled and grabbed a bottle of water. Putting a hand under his head, you tipped it up and placed the bottle against his chapped lips.

“Drink it. You don't want to dehydrate now.”

He groaned and opened his mouth, drinking in large gulps. After he finished, he eyed you with curiosity as you popped a few mints into your mouth.

You raised an eyebrow at him.

“I might or might not kiss you later. I don't think you wanna taste your own cum in case I do kiss you, do you?” 

Leo looked away, scrunching his eyebrows.

“N-no.”

“Yup.” You drank a few gulps of water, with the mints in your mouth. “Porn isn't very accurate to real life after all”

“I know that!” He spat, defensively.

You chuckled.

“I'm not saying you don't.” you threw the now empty bottle inside your purse, while fishing out two items and Leo’s heavy lidded eyes went wide as saucers.

“W-what is that?” he mumbled, watching you crawl close to him with two small hot pink cups in hand.

“Why am I not surprised that you don't know what these are?” you smirked.

“Can’t you just fucking tell me?” he barked, a crease appearing on his forehead.

“Oh, what a foul mouth.” You shook your head. “But okay, I’ll enlighten you.”

You leaned forward and squeezed the cups, placing their lids over his nipples. 

“These are suction cups.” you let go of the silicon and smiled as Leo gasped when the cups stood firm against his skin by sucking his nipples.

“W-why?” he whispered.

“They’ll make you more sensitive, baby” you explained, as you absentmindedly fondled his soft cock. “I’ll be able to suck on them, you’ll feel good and I’ll get you hard for me again, just the way I want you.”

He breathed deeply, feeling a strange and pulsating heat where the cups were placed.

Why the fuck was he even looking forward to that? Why the fuck was he so eager to get his cock stiff for you? Until when was he going to be able to pretend he wasn’t loving that sugar pain?

After a few moments, you noticed the strange, pained look on his face as his thoughts raced a million miles per hour.

“Is it hurting?”

“N-no…” he blinked, focusing on the sensations once again. “It just feels weird.”

“Good. Let's see how you look then.”

Leo groaned when you pulled the cups out with a pop, cheeks bright red as he watched you bite your bottom lip once you saw his pink, perked nipples.

“Aw, look how cute they look, all puffy!” you cooed before leaning down and licking one of them while your hand pinched the other.

“Haaah?!” he gasped, arching his back and leaning into your ministrations.

He had absolutely no idea he could feel good from something like that.

In the back of his mind, he knew he should be spewing venom, telling you that you were a disgusting pervert for doing those types of things to him, mocking your preferences and any previous partners you might have had before.

But at that moment, Leo could only feel the shock of pleasure go straight into his cock.

You suckled on his puffy, perked nipple while your hand rolled the other between your fingertips, switching sides and relishing on the vibrations of his chest as he groaned.

Leo's head shook from side to side, with his eyes shut – he didn't know what to do with himself as he felt aroused from having you pinch and pull and roll his nipples around your fingers. He didn't even know he could feel any pleasure from that.

“Look at that, guess you're coming to life again, huh?” you asked, and Leo opened his eyes, heavy lidded and watery, to see what you meant.

Between his legs, his cock was already chubbing up.

“A-ah…” he whimpered, rubbing his thighs together and shaking his head.

“Do you wanna stop?”

He snapped his eyes towards you, wide and desperate, as if the whole notion of stopping could absolutely break him.

“Okay, okay” you huffed out a laugh “Just checking.”

You grabbed your bag and crawled back towards his waist, sitting between his legs once again. Meanwhile, Leo's amber eyes followed your every movement, tongue darting out of his mouth to lick his chapped lips in anticipation.

He had completely forgotten to pretend he hated it all.

“We're gonna use this now” you announced, holding out a fleshlight for him to see and pumping obscene amounts lube inside it.

Leo was quiet as he observed you, and the sudden silence weirded you out.

“What, don't tell me you don't know what a fleshlight is!” you smirked.

“Of course I know!” he yelled, cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment.

“Then what is it?” you raised an eyebrow while you wiggled in place, trying to find a comfortable position between his legs.

He opened his mouth, yet stayed quiet. You patiently waited for him to say whatever was on his mind.

“You… won't- um.” he cleared his throat. “You won't, uh. We won't- we won't have normal sex?” he murmured, avoiding your eyes.

Your face lit up, as you understood what he meant.

“Oh, you mean to ask if I'm gonna let your cock inside my pussy?” you said, enunciating the words clearly.

He flinched, but nodded.

“No." you said, matter-of-factly and blunt. "You don't deserve it. Maybe once you become a good boy.”

Leo was about to complain, when you placed the fleshlight against his dick and, with a swift movement, pushed it down, squeezing the gooey toy around his member.

“Wo-AH!” Leo moaned loudly, back arching and toes curling right beside you. “T-that's tight! That's too tight!” 

“Yeah?” you smiled “And that's all you're gonna get, baby. So think about how I'd be so much more tighter while I fuck you with this, how about that?”

You observed his reactions, almost drooling at the sight of Leo squirming and twitching while you jerked his cock with the toy.

The loud squelching sounds of his cock spreading the soft walls of the toy went straight to your pussy, and you could feel a wet puddle forming under you – but you had your mind set. Leo wasn't getting any rewards. You'd have to deal with yourself once you got back to your dorm.

Leo's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he clenched his teeth, muffled mewls escaping his mouth as he met your movements with clumsy thrusts.

“Feels good?” you asked, voice loud through the plap plap plap of the fleshlight against his sweaty skin.

“Mmhhmm! So good! So good!” he answered, tongue lolling out as he couldn't control the high pitched ah! ah! ah! in time with your ministrations.

Suddenly, one of his hands found your wrists, and he grabbed it, nails digging on your skin.

“Let me- hnng- ah! let me be inside” he said, breathlessly, through his moans.

“Hm?” you eyed him, almost laughing as he whined when you stopped your movements.

“Let me be inside you.” he repeated, voice raspy and lips chapped. You rolled your eyes and began moving the toy again.

“You aren't giving any orders around here, baby.”

“Fuckkkkk” he gasped, throwing his head back and you bit your lips as you thought about how sensitive he was.

“Can I please- ma-may I please be inside you? Please? Please? Let my dick inside you?” he whined, glittering tears rolling down his cheeks as he closed his eyes to be able to beg and ignore the gaping wound in his pride.

“Awww” you cooed, rubbing salt onto the wound “Look at you, being so polite! But no, you can't.”

His eyes snapped open, wide.

“No, noooo, whyyyyy…” he groaned, still pounding the toy, sweaty skin sticking to the silicon that was overflowing with lube and precum.

“Because you don't deserve it, remember? I'm doing this to put you in your place, you should be plenty happy I even let you eat me out.”

He whimpered and mumbled incoherent words in protest, hips jutting upwards in an erratic pace.

“It's okay, you can spill everything here, baby. Look at that, you're all clumsy! You're about to cum, aren't you? Go ahead, fill this up.” you encouraged him, squeezing the fleshlight a bit tighter and torturing him with a faster pace.

“Ghhhnnnn-! Aahhh…” his abs went rigid as he curled into himself and spilled his cum into the toy with a pornographic moan, hips stuttering against your hands.

You rode him through his orgasm, the squelching sound louder as his cum dripped down his shaft and onto the mattress.

“That's right, you did great” you praised him while your movements slowed down until you stopped and watched him pant heavily, fully relaxed against the mattress.

Leo's eyes were heavy lidded and his breathing was beginning to get deeper, but you lightly tapped his cheek with your hands.

“I'm gonna clean these up in your bathroom.” you lifted the suction cups and the fleshlight and he blushed at the sight of his own cum. “Don't go to sleep. You need to clean up. But before that, take these.”

You handed him a candy bar and another water bottle before moving to pick up your panties, long forgotten at the corner of his bedroom.

“How did you fit so much stuff into that ugly bag?” he muttered, voice heavy with tiredness, while he opened the snack.

You raised an eyebrow at him, while you walked to his bathroom.

“You have to be prepared when you do this sort of thing” you answered, after you finished cleaning the toy and stuffed it inside your bag “Like I said… porn isn't accurate to real life.”

“I know that.” he said again, the bite in his words barely there this time around, and you laughed.

“Well. If you're a good boy from now on, maybe I can show you other stuff you need to be prepared for.” you winked, throwing the bag onto your shoulder.

Leo blinked slowly, digesting your words. And then a devilish smirk spread out on his features.

“Or I can still treat you the same and get punished like this again. I would mind at all. And I bet you wouldn't as well, perverted honor roll."

You rolled your eyes.

Leo would never learn.

Please reblog this if you liked it because it legit took me so long to write this, it was SO HARD and I need some words of affirmation fr thank you xox

[neverfilth]

"Bloberta made Clay drink so-"

OKAY, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHY?

Let me explain

'Help'.

A very important word when describing Bloberta.

First, it is integral to understand that Bloberta feels torturously alone and unwanted. Her friends are all getting married while she has no one.

She isn't clever enough to help Censordoll.

Her own family leaves her out of the family choir. 

And the only crumb of validation she is offered is from her mother.

“Why don't you help me out and… Clean your room?” Note even the slight pause her mother has, as if she doesn't even know what to do with Bloberta.

Next, we see her trudge to her room. And what does she hide under the covers of her bed?

A flask.

She turns to alcohol when she is confronted with how unwanted she is. But where did that draw to alcohol come from?

We know she comes from a home where she is ultimately ignored and seen as valueless by everyone except one person.

Her Father.

I have a lot of thoughts about Bloberta and Raymond's relationship (the one scene where they interact just UGH LIVES IN MY HEAD) but the main thing to get away from it is that she associates the act of drinking with her Father.

A man who, without alcohol, is unable to speak his mind at all. He drinks to better tolerate his situation and his wife, who clearly doesn't value his words or opinions.

But Bloberta is very receptive to her Father, she greatly values his company and his thoughts and she finds comfort in being around him. She feels like someone cares about her and values her even if she knows he can't change anything.

Notice that despite her desperation to speak with her father, to form that connection that would validate her, she can't even touch him because she knows doing so would break the frail connection they have currently. Her Father is so reserved that at this point, any unexpected emotional reach would immediately cause him to shut down and retreat. Demonstrated just by him closing up immediately after she told him she loved him.

So how does this affect Blobertas perception of alcohol?

Well she says it herself.

"I think it helps us to be better people".

This rationality was reinforced by the small acts of kindness her father would show her.

And we don't have any reason to believe she is lying about this because up until the night of the reception, she's experienced nothing that contradicts this belief.

Bloberta's reliance on alcohol can be seen as her reaching for a solution to her need to feel wanted. She knows she's left out, both by friends and family. But if she believes drinking can make you become a better person? Then of course she would drink, because maybe then someone will want her.

What does she say directly after that?

"My Father drinks.”

Further insinuating her belief that he is good and he is the main reason she sees alcohol as a positive force.

She thought it would genuinely help Clay.

There's that word again.

Importantly, notice her clear anxiety and tenseness in her beginning interactions with Clay. From her first question, their conversation began falling apart.

So what happened?

Just after the wedding, she was almost suave in the way she invited Clay to the reception.

Why was she so nervous now?

Well, in her eyes, this was her chance.

After an undisclosed time of having no luck she finally convinces a handsome single man to have some semblance of a date with her.

She NEEDS this to go well.

So she's obviously anxious and stressed, and that's showing, but she figures that some drinks will make it easier for both of them. She's full panicking because she feels it's just so normal to drink, especially socially, and she can't understand why he wouldn't drink. She has no frame of reference for that mindset.

Things are already awkward between them once they settle in, and its not getting better. So of course she is going to fall back on what makes things easier for her.

And initially things are looking up.

Suddenly Clay's more talkative, and more receptive to what she's saying.

He's complimenting her.

He says she helped him.

The one thing she wants more than anything is to feel useful, she wants to be able to fit into that role that everyone expects her to so that she can be of worth to someone.

She isn't worth it to her peers,

she isn't worth it to her family,

but she could be worth it to him.

This only reinforces her resolve. 

This is it.

She is going to finally find her place to fit in, and everyone will welcome her with open arms as she finally finds her place in the role society has chosen for her.

But it's not that simple.

Things go south quickly, Clay doesn't want these things that Bloberta has to have. 

But she needs them.

To Bloberta, those things are proof of your value. The value society, friends, and family place on you.

Who would she be if she couldn't attain that value?

We again recognize that Bloberta has a fixation on being helpful. Helpfulness is the clearest indication of one's value, after all.

After being turned away by Clay, she immediately returns to a default ‘helpful’ act, cleaning. Just like her mother would tell her to do. But this was still her only chance, and Clay had already told her she had helped him. If she could only help him again, then maybe she had a chance at the real value she craved.

Once her anger passes and Clay sobers up, she returns to him and paints herself as ‘helpful’ as possible. She's desperate for that validation again, and if he would agree to her help then everything would certainly be fine.

She is practically begging him, help becomes a plea for him to save her from the pain of her day to day.

She hopes more than anything he will accept her and make all her pain go away.

He does accept, but in exchange, her previous world view is shattered.

Drinks don't help you become a better person.

They just help your true nature come out.

[weebsinstash]

As much as I want to have children by this man, let's take a moment to sip our platonic yandere Miguel juice

-i can't decide which sex he'd be more partial to in a 'child'/you since in the movie there was Gabriella but in the comics he eventually has a son who becomes the next Spiderman but--

-as a girl i just naturally think of a lot of those sorts of gender specific ideas 👉👈 he's this big scary hulking intimidating threat and his "daughter" is the one melting his cold exterior

-doesnt matter if you're a grown ass woman, Miguel sees you struggling to braid your hair and suddenly here he is, full dad mode, doing it for you,and depending on how close you two are, maybe he disguises it with "ugh, stop spending so much time messing around with that. If I do it for you will you get back to work? 🙄", but really it's just your new self proclaimed dad/tio wanting to help braid your hair and help you feel pretty and, oh, how he can fondly remember the last time he helped braid "his daughter's" hair...

-of course this evolves to him just loving to do things with your hair. Braid it, wear it natural, style it, use products on it, hes got you. you were just trying to put your hair in a lazy updo like a ponytail or bun and this man doesn't let you leave until he's got you completely combed out, hair braided with ribbons, and of course this entire time youre awkwardly sitting there in a chair in his absolute cave of a workstation with this gargantuan 6'9 man there, "so how was your day? Staying out of trouble?"

-really I mean. Is stealing other people's kids NOT technically in character for him. You're unfortunate enough to trauma bond with this man and you're never getting rid of him

-you hear Miles Morales call him tio (as in the tio meaning dude) and you jokingly teasingly start calling him tio, which Miguel secretly pretends is the version that means uncle. You're just constantly joking around or looking up at him with these big pouty eyes, "but tio 🥺 can't I PLEASE--" and its like. Lmao people know that if they need to ask Miguel for a favor, that it increases their chances to have you ask in their stead

- I mean, as a female adult abused as a child by my own father, raised by a single mom myself, like...

Reader flinches away when Peter B goes to give you a supportive pat on the back or comes in for a high five after a mission and you force yourself to laugh because you're feeling more than just a little awkward and in the spotlight. "Oh, sorry, that was dumb!" And they eventually get you to kind of anxiously word vomit "my dad used to just kind of, rough me up sometimes when I did something wrong! It-it could've been a lot worse honestly, but, it-it just makes me kinda jumpy around guys sometimes! It's not a big deal, or personal or anything. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad 🥺"

Peter B, Jessica, and Miguel all there as older parental figures and also literal parents, immediately exchange looks and agree like "oh hell naw, don't like that" and you get silently adopted by all three of em right then and there

-if it's a physically abusive father and you're still the victim of abuse, I imagine your dad had some suspicious figures suddenly show up in the middle of the night to terrify and threaten the shit out of him and suddenly you aren't getting as manhandled anymore

-can you imagine, like, you show up to Spider Society one day with a black eye "oh, this? It's, it's nothing. My dad is just, he's about to make police captain and he's really stressed about it is all" cue all your friends mentally high fiving around the table because your abusive piece of shit dad is going to die and you don't even know. When it happens they'll all be "oh no, sweetie, I'm SOOOO sorry :(" meanwhile they're thrilled bc now you don't have any parents and they can weasel in there as your new family, schedule your birthday parties, monopolizing more of your time, things like that

-goddd I just imagine it could become some kind of weird fucked up enmeshed scenario where the structure it's providing for your life is actually good for you meanwhile Miguel is like, retroactively kind of soothing some of his trauma both from his own childhood and what happened with the second universe he broke that it's just like. You're a grown ass adult and this man is tucking you in goodnight and saying "te amo, mija" at the doorway and you bet his ass is going to stand there and not let you sleep until you say it back. He knows you're just absolutely seething at him and he'll still refuse to leave without a grumbling "te amo, papá 🙄"

-He eventually just has you doing so much shit and depending on him so much that it starts to become second nature to you. one day you're in the Society doing one of the odd jobs you're allowed to help with and suddenly you're thinking, "Ugh I actually don't know what to do next, I wish Papá was here to-- WAIT SHIT NO I MEAN MIGUEL--"

-lmaooooo as a non Spanish speaker I keep thinking of how awwwwwful it would be if he actually forces you to learn Spanish. Not inherently because there's anything wrong with Spanish, but, I'm not always smart, and I can just SEE him quizzing your ass, forcing you to have entire conversations in Spanish, always clicking his tongue or chuckling at you when you make a mistake and he just thinks you're so cute struggling to learn 🥰 man hears you're trying to take extra lessons from Miles and he instantly drops everything he's doing to go track the little scamp down. Insert meme "I can forgive being an anomaly but I draw the line at teaching Reader bad Spanish"

-siiiiiiigh eventually the day comes when you're in big danger and you need his help, maybe you disobeyed him and was hanging out with some other Spiders in another dimension when there was a sudden villain attack, and he comes to your rescue as a villain does something dramatic like has a gun to your head or a knife to your neck and the second you see him you're just overwhelmed wirh a sense of relief, calling out for him, calling him dad/tio/papá whatever, and he's just like 😭❤️ pumping his fist internally, like YES you are so grounded when you get back home but also 🥰 you finally called him dad without him having to twist your arm 🥰 nevermind if the "villain" who kidnapped you was actually a Spider who owed him a favor, and this whole thing was to teach you a lesson about listening to your Papá, that's not important ❤️

-Miguel who forces you to learn Spanish vs Miguel who forces you to be Catholic. I can excuse kidnapping and forced adoption but I draw the line at making me practice religion 💀 no but seriously, he probably does have certain morals and values he instills/forces upon you if he thinks you need them, and he'll probably be one of those fathers, "are you leaving the house dressed like that? Go change" and orders you not to hang out with certain people he doesn't approve of or thinks have bad character (like hobie lmao)

-bruh you two will be on a super serious important mission and this man will be like "it's dark, hold my hand so we dont get separated"

Eventually it comes to a point where you're, not perfectly behaved but, just about. If someone finds Miguel, it means you're not very far away, or vice versa. Members of the Society quickly learn not to make any advances on you or make any "adult" comments unless they want to get suspiciously hurt during a personal training session by the big boss himself. You think you're safe just cause Miguel isn't around? Nah, cause then you have Peter B and Jess keeping an eye on you, and, not that YOU'RE aware of the extent, but, if Miguel ever gets worried, he can just ask Lyla what you've been getting up to, since your modified little daypass has her installed into it and she can track your every move ❤️ helicopter parent? Oh honey, you have NO idea...

[saladmix]

can we discuss totmnt? we get a bit more insight into them as characters which is great! i like that donnie & mikey got a bunch more moments to shine! also! leo saying hes nothing without his brothers, raph's insecurities being touched on with the whole "your bros are in danger because *you* couldn't protect them and aren't strong enough" DUDE its the best. i like how this show added some aspects of their rise versions in that way & i enjoy it bc i liked how they were represented there. leo being anxious & insecure as his role of leader, raph's tough/aggressive veneer bc he feels like its his job to be the protector. + those little chunks of info we got from their character descriptions where they say raph is sensitive and "wants someone to talk to." more realistic & less one note for them!

ugh YES! we sure can it's all I want to talk about anyway I sit at my little corporate job answering my little corporate emails but inside I am like DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

Anyway, that's embarrassing! Thoughts below the cut so I don't clog up a dash with spoilers and rambles <3

I'm going to address these in (as Jenny Nicholson says) an internet-friendly numbered list! And also adding that these are just my opinions, as I am but a nobody on a rock floating through space.

Also these thoughts are SO HALF BAKED this is like stream of consciousness if you ask me what I said here I may not remember I'm just living a turtle life.

Leo saying he's nothing without his brothers ugh you are so right that was such good content! This strikes me as such a core Leo trait, maybe not shared across iterations in 100% the same way but I really do see that sentiment under the surface frequently. I found it so charming that in Leo's little re-telling of what happened with Bishop and the ambush, he basically made all of his brother's seem like these useless side fools, bolstering up his own role (even lying and saying he was the one to check out the hologram), but then we quickly see that he doesn't at all feel that way. In fact he feels the opposite, and it just felt like such a young growing teen thing to do, try to make yourself the hero. It's also my personal interpretation of why specifically this version of Leo wants to be a leader so badly! He's not the muscle, he's not the brains, he's not the charm. So what is he? He has to find a way to make himself feel important when he feels like maybe he has no other stand out qualities to contribute. But I also happen to think it's the right role for him! He shows his bravery again and again, and his ability to put together a plan, when other people are in need. He can't seem to muster that same courage for himself yet, that's part of his growth, but for the people he loves he comes out in front. I think TotTMNT did a great job with that aspect. <3

Raph! Raphael! What a lad! I really latched onto Raph in this iteration more than I have in previous ones, I really enjoy how he's written. I've always found Raph's anger across iterations to actually really make sense. Of course he's angry, he's a mutant turtle living in the sewers with no real sense of place in this world and no way to interact directly with it! And Rise Raph, while not displaying that direct explosive rage that Raph is known for, kind of showcases it in the stress and responsibility he feels for his family. Anyway, all this is to say we get both of those aspects here in this version along with the flavoring of what appears to me as some real teenage excitement for a little bit of chaos. And that scene was extremely telling I super agree with you!! I mean Raph sees all of his brothers as little shaking chihuahuas, particularly Leo which was VERY charming to me. He definitely sees himself as the protector, but even more, honestly, I think they do to. I mean Leo basically assumes Raph can handle four mechazoids on his own, he's got a lot of faith in his brother's ability to be that brick wall for them. And even though Leo is still the oldest, I do feel like they brought some Rise Raph energy to his character with how responsible he feels. Typically we see Leo as the character who is two seconds away from blowing his top off with all he takes on, but I see that a lot in Raph here too.

Donnie's interpretation of the ambush actually made me so so sad. Like it was basically how he thinks his family views him, as the one who has to save the day but gets no respect of it and doesn't have the tools to do it. He thinks they view him as this megamind that should be able to handle it because what else is he good for? All the others had flashback sequences that kind of center them as a hero, and while Donnie's did have him the last one standing, it didn't have that same kind of vibe. And in all the brother's flashbacks, we see that while they do see him as this dorky nerd, it's never said with any anger or annoyance. I'd call it more of a silly little fondness. But I think this insecurity is an important aspect of Donnie's character that we see in a lot of iterations. The big change here is that Donnie really does feel like just a kid. He's not out here ready to build high tech weaponry or distill medication. He's just a kid who is into coding! He's still learning! And I really enjoyed that. And in that second arc, we get another taste of how level-headed Donnie can be in a crisis situation, which for me tied back to how in the Mutant Mayhem movie, Leo kept looking to Donnie for help and answers. Leo is a frazzled lil man, and Donnie seems to be his source of stability. So it really did break my heart that this poor sassy and sweet boy thinks his family doesn't value him. It's a different flavor from Raph's and Leo's, both of whom have insecurities but they're mostly internal reflections. Donnie seems to feel that coming from the outside, and has twisted that into his own self-image.

Mikey is such a fun character like what a scene-stealer he's so funny in every part of this show, his VA is K I L L I N G it I find his voice acting so charming as Mikey and it brings such life to the character. But I really love how this version of Mikey is so dynamic. Mikey has always, always been a really dynamic character but I think it was a little more hidden, if you know what I mean. Rise Mikey flipped a big script and I like how this version really feels like a true combo from the rise version of Mikey to the traditional core Mikey energy, if that makes sense. I LOVE....this Mikey. He might be my favorite Mikey ever and I am a huge Mikey fan I am probably the only 2007 Mikey Super Fan out here in the world. Anyway, I love how his episodes had him forcibly shaken out of his comfort zone as lil bro. In the first arc he's suddenly in charge of a whole new mutant and Useless Man of the Year Rod. In the second arc he's got to save a whole store of people and a cat! It's A LOT of responsibility for this lil child! And he does a great job! All while expressing the whole time that he doesn't really know what he's doing, and he's afraid he's going to mess it up. It reminds me a lot of how other version of Mikey were often thought of as the weak spots by their respective families (intentionally or not). It was always Mikey the goof. TotTMNT Mikey is a HUGE goof but he's also got this energy to him that PROVES how I always felt about Mikey: I CHOOSE to be a goof, but I can and will step up if I need to! And it makes sense that he looks up to his big brother, that Leo is the one he tries to emulate in times of stress. When the going gets tough, Mikey has to get going, and Leo is his framework for how to do that.

boy was this a ramble and a half. I just had a lot of thoughts. Was any of this coherent? Jury is still out. Thank you so much for sending this in!! And listening to me ramble. I really agree that this show did a good job of bringing in a lot of different traits from different iterations it's so much fun and leads to really dynamic versions!

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

so I just listened to Florence+the machines Cassandra and ts Cassandra one after the other and like…listen I know i don’t like ts but I’m trying to give her the benefit of the doubt and judge her music without letting my dislike cloud that judgement the worst part about that experience is that it’s genuinely an ok song. Like I write poetry(cringy poetry but it’s a good outlet and over the years I’ve learned the difference between actual poetic devices and just spitting out words that rhyme) and it sounds like something I would write?? Like not in a rude or patronising way but when I need to journal or whatever and I just write out the first thoughts I have and think its an absolute masterpiece and then a few hours later I look at it and go oh so I was delusional lol but by then the emotions have passed and I don’t feel like working on that poem anymore. That’s what her lyrics make me think of😭 like it’s an ok song but the references to her life actual ruined it for me I was trying to enjoy the song but then there’s a line about filling her cell with snakes or smth and it took me out of it immediately I was like ugh this drama again?? Really?? And without the Easter eggs the song is…boring?? Like she sings a portion in the beginning then the rest of the song is lines from that portion rearranged and sang the exact same way again?? And musically like there’s nothing?? With Florence’s Cassandra the music builds and makes you feel something for yourself whereas ts is meant to make you feel smth for her. Florence’s lyrics and melody were like a breath of fresh air after listening to ts. Florence feels like she truly has something to say and embodies that character she’s created for the song idk maybe that’s my own personal bias getting in the way tho sorry for the long ask I just wanted to get your thoughts because I really enjoy your analysis of her music it helps me feel less insane lol❤️❤️

Hello dear!

Hope you are doing well, and if you are not- I hope that you will be doing well soon.

I cannot express enough how awkward the placement of Taylor Swift's "Lore" interjections has become in her music. Sometimes I truly feel like I am listening to two different songs every time she breaks the flow of the music to add so throw-back call to old drama. It's maddening- because on one hand I know that Swift wants people to think she is a great artist- yet she cannot stop acting like a preteen with a popular gossip blog by interjecting cheap-shots at her enemies at every possible turn. It's so- bad.

I am going to explain in a different post by Swift's "confessional" style of music doesn't actually live up to the precedent standard of the confessional poets from the 1960's- just because I want to clear the air in stating the literary difference between what Swift does (writing hit pieces against people she hates) and what true artists do with their confessional poetry (think Slyvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Robert Lowell- Etc.) wherein often the poets express dislike, hatred, messiness of human experience and the like. However, it's a remarkably different tone, and effectiveness, compared to Swift's rapacious, barbed insults towards her fellows in the industry or in life.

She really just can't ever let anything go, huh? It must be terribly stressful and lonely to live like that.

To the point you mention above- on how Swift's writing is so continuously self-reflexive that it no longer elicits any empathy in the audience- so that, yes, we do only feel something "for her." She does this by design. I think you are quite clever to see the rhetorical difference here. Swift is writing for herself- for her own "woe," but other writers are capable of writing from a broader perspective- one that elicits empathy in the audience- that builds on our common humanity. More detail on what I mean here will be posted in the "Cassandra" post soon. :)

Anywho, I quite enjoyed reading your perspective on the two songs. I feel a little bit more based seeing that other people key into the innate difference between the two texts- much like I do.

I enjoy much of Florence's work- though not all of it. I do, however, respect that she, unlike Swift, actually seems to understand the Cassandra archetypal pattern. All I'm really after here- is just some artists who know how to think and create!

Swift's work is just cringy self-effacing "poetry" meant to pull sympathy and pity from people. It's actually giving me second-hand embarrassment. I think everyone at some point in life seeks pity and sympathy from others- yet most people grow out of this impulse somewhere around the teen years. Because it's just dreadfully juvenile to always being seeking pity- it's like when toddlers whine to get something they want. The proper thing to do is to tell the toddler- "Hey, use your words to tell me what you want, because I cannot understand you when you whine like that."

I wish someone would tell Taylor Swift to grow up and stop whining like a toddler who never learned how to properly express themselves.

But- I think you are right. Without the odd interjection of "lore," she wouldn't be able to write a full song. She's completely dependent on her audience's juvenile interest in gossip.

[emovulture]

Dear parents.

( this is a rant, but please read it anyways )

If your child is showing or has showed VERY OBVIOUS SIGNS OF A MENTAL ILLNESS, wether that be ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, BPD, whatever - for the love of God, please dont ignore them.

That child is going to grow up, and they're going to realize they're different from everyone else, and it could very well affect them mentally.

I'm not a phycologist, I don't have any degrees, I'm just a teenager going on a rant, I bare with me adults, please. But I've been showing very clear signs of ADHD and also social anxiety my whole life. No, I'm not going to say stuff like "Oh I'm forgetful, I have must ADHD!", or "Ugh, I just hate people, I'm so shy, I must have social anxiety!". I've done research and I've asked people with ADHD what it's like, and I relate very heavily to them (more specifically inattentive ADHD). Plus, my dad said he's gotten diagnosed, and ADHD is hereditary.

Some symptoms I have of ADHD consist of forgetfulness, lack of motivation, daydreaming frequently, easily distracted, appearing withdrawn, I very often blurt out things without thinking beforehand, I'm sensitive, I fidget A LOT, can't seem to stop moving (finger tapping, leg bouncing, etc), my thoughts are an endless stream of words and noises, and there's more. I also struggle socially, and I pick up phrases that I'll say constantly for a few months, I'll get 'obsessions' that last for many months or even years that I can't seem to stop thinking or talking about. It makes my friends annoyed. My interests affect my learning (and life in general), to which gets me in trouble. I get called lazy, or get told I'm "not trying hard enough", or at home I'll often forget to do chores or something and I'll get told that "I'm difficult", or "just need to focus on the right things". I get really frustrated and snappy when people interrupt something I'm doing, such as drawing, playing a video game, or just watching something on my phone. It's a genuine problem, and I know for a fact that I'm not 'normal' like everyone else.

And I'm not sure if I need to be properly diagnosed for me to say I have social anxiety, but I've been "shy" my whole life and I never grew out of it. I'm not shy, I'm scared of people. I need to be by someone's side (my mum or friends) if I'm out in public (either school, or shops), or I'll get upset and really nervous. I don't like talking to strangers, even if it's just my mum's close friends, and I HATE ordering my own food. I hate eating in public, because I feel like everyone is just watching over my shoulder, judging every tiny movement I make. I worry about my looks way to much, and if my hair doesn't look the way I want it to, I'll be insecure the whole day, thinking that everyone also thinks I look terrible, and wonder why I stepped foot out of my house that that. It all makes me want run away and hide from the world.

My fingers look bad because I unintentionally bite off my nails in stressful situations, and rip off my skin until they unfortunately bleed. I excessively pick at my face/pimples until it's red, and my acne gets worse from that. "Just stop it", I can't. I can't help these urges, because once I'm doing it, I can't stop, no matter how much I scold or degrade myself for ruining my face or fingers.

I struggle in many topics in school because they just don't appeal to me, so my mind wanders, and I tend to just stop doing a lot of the work in those classes, all the while telling myself that I'm just lazy or to dumb to understand. I can't raise my hand and ask for help, because otherwise I'll be a bother to the teacher, and since everyone else gets what we're doing, they'll all snicker and make fun of me. At least that's what I tell myself. I've been trying to tell my mum about my worries about mental illnesses I might have, but I can't get the words out of my throat no matter how hard I try, and its like I go mute. (It's also hard to mention my dad having ADHD, because my parents aren't together.)

This has affected my mental health for years now, and I'll be honest, I had to go to a counselor a few years ago because I slipped into depression for a long while. (I'm much better now, thanks to a lot of help from professionals)

So parents/carers, if your child is showing signs of a mental illness, do some research and find ways to help them. It's hard for kids to speak up about this face to face. Even if you for some reason can't get them diagnosed because you don't have enough money (or there's a different problem), please don't call your kid "lazy" or "not enough". None of that jazz. That won't help your kid, and it'll make them feel like they're not good enough, or that they're stupid or something. It's your job as a parent to care about your kids, and make sure they're safe and loved. Mental health is sososo important, especially for kids/teenagers, because if they don't get the help they need if their mental health is declining or they have mental illnesses, it can lead to some really serious stuff down the line.

Please spread awareness about this, reblog and share so it can reach more people. I apologize for rambling, but I need more parents to actually care about and recognize their children's behaviors, because sometimes it can save lives.

Feel free to add onto this, because I don't think I did the best job at listing all of my concerns.

Thank you.

[mayisgoingnuts]

“ Healthy way to calm down “

-> ROSIE TICKLE FIC

Summary: Roy's solution to relieve stress is... quite aggressive, to say the bare minimum. But now that he got a conscious girlfriend, he's practically forced to let go of such habit and find a better one, seeing that it only causes MORE damage. In the end, Susie's idea can be pretty "dumb"... but works surprisingly well.

———————

Disclaimers: Angry Roy (duh), Brief "Teenagers of opposite sex alone in a room" kind of talk/vent, fluffy tickles, A LOT OF TEASES /silly ;; nothing else :]

Author's Note: Holy shit it's been so long since I've written a tickle fic kwhdjshdw LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES!!! Hope you guys enjoy!!

Tagging my dearest pookies for criticism/silly /hj @clownazon @merwynsartblog

“ What the hell are you doing?! ”

Susie yelled, pulling Roy back almost as instinct. He leaved for a moment, A MOMENT to go talk to his parents because they called... and he's already like this. Pissed, almost throwing a glass (that is inside his bedroom for God-knows-how-long) on the floor.

The boy just groaned, holding the glass tight and turning his head towards her with a louder tone.

“ Let go of me!! ”

“ Then answer my question, dammit! ”

Roy scowled, rolling his eyes and finally letting his grasp loose slightly. “ TRYING to calm myself down! Are you blind?! ”

Susie just stood there for less than ten seconds, sighing and taking the cup out of his hand, now showing more worry than before, although not letting it too explicit. She placed it on the bedside table again.

They just stayed quiet, Roy with his arms crossed as he looked away. Susie fidgeted her fingers, giving him some time before speaking up.

“ ..they said some messed up bullshit, didn't they? ”

She asked. Roy just looked down, frowning even harder.

“ It's not even that damn serious.. my dad just complained again about staying alone with you and all that... old people talk. ” He huffed. “ That's getting fucking annoying. ”

In a way, she's glad that it's not anything too deep... but if it's enough to get him like this, then looks like reason enough to not just laugh it off.

“ Yeah, that really sucks. Kinda makes me feel like some sort of wild animal or something. ”

“ Hmph. I can control myself... actually, it's not like I even want anything! ” Despite being glad that he's being understood, the anger is slowly building again. “ Just because those old ass people didn't had TV and had kids like if it was a sport, it doesn't mean I will! ”

“ Mhm! ”

“ Just... UGH!! I can't do ONE thing without them complaining about it! Letting you come by was already a pain, now I got another whole ass problem! ”

“ Mhm... ” She's slowly noticing his voice getting stronger.

“ What's next? Making me stay with you in the living room? Because THEY WOULD! ”

“ Mm..? Roy? ”

“ Can't have one fucking thing inside this damn house, never fucking ever! ”

“ Roy. ”

“ I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW THEY LET ME HAVE A GIRLFRIEND STILL-! ”

As Roy began to pull his own hair, Susie stopped decided not to just agree with a nod anymore, grabbing his wrists and approaching his face to hers.

“ ROY! ”

The boy finally woke up to reality, having his eyes widened for a few seconds before frowning again.

“ You have to calm down, at this rate you'll try to break something else- ”

“ That's how I calm down, dammit. ”

The comment caught her off-guard, raising an eyebrow. “ ..by breaking things? ”

“ Meh. Or like, hitting my pillow until my hands get tired or start to hurt. Whatever shit that works. ”

This is definitely not a good sign, and now just more than ever she's up to change that. She looks around, trying to find something that could help.

“ Maybe we can play some games? ”

“ I'll lose. And then I'll just get even more pissed. ”

“ Uh... then what about watching TV? ”

“ No. ”

She thinks a little more, visibly struggling. All the options she gave didn't received any positive reactions, but giving up is definitely not happening either. Tired, Susie decided to just jump to the old, clingy options.

“ ..cuddles? ” She muttered, not used to saying it outloud just yet. They're not the type of being explicitly lovely.

Roy's eyes finally show any interest, but hiding it right afterwards. “ What, are you that desperate to make me shut up? ”

“ Yes or no, idiot. ”

He just stared in silence for some more seconds, now blushing lightly. “ ..yeah, dumbass. ”

The both of them just quietly moved to the bed, laying down as Susie decides to be the big spoon this time, hugging Roy with his back turned at her. However, despite being comfortable, she could still see some annoyance on his face. Not that it was bad, but his mind is still thinking about it regardless.

“ Can't stop thinking about them? ”

Roy clenched his fists. “ Mhm. ”

The girl sighed, squeezing him once as an attempt to be more affectionate. This isn't working... sure, he's not aggressive anymore, but that's just not enough. She wanted him in a good mood, not just... quiet. If she just wanted him to stay quiet, she would've just told him to shut up or smacked his head, which is definitely not the case.

This is all too complicated... nothing comes to her mind, at all. All she can do to express support is leave a soft kiss on the back of his neck, pulling down the collar of his sweater to do so.

For some odd reason, his head went back slightly along with a low hum, trying to intervene her peck.

“ Hm? ”

Roy slowly returned to the old position, resting his arms on Susie's once again, not paying much attention to it. Which is the opposite of Susie's case.

Just to check it again, her lips once again touched his skin. It sent a shiver down his spine, and his knees discreetly moved up, already prepared to just curl up onto a ball.

“ Quit it. It tickles. ”

He finally revealed, not even looking back at her. Those words sounded like a click to her brain. Of course! That's the same technique she uses with Pump when he's upset! Well, kinda... either way, she could easily try that!

If he doesn't get annoyed with tickling, that is...

And once again, Susie repeated the same movement as before, this time not letting go immediately, but still not doing it so consecutively. It can be considered a test.

“ H-Hey, I said it tickles. ”

Susie simply hugged him tighter, and it was enough for him to get the message: she's more than aware of such fact. Roy bends his neck backwards once again, trying to frown even harder to contain the reactions she's trying to force out of him.

“ Are you serious? I thought y-you... wanted to help me- ”

“ And I do. ”

“ Well, t-this is not helping! ”

And for his own unluck, his body decided to betray him. Roy's words were contradicted as soon as that same smile slowly revealed itself, along with a quick 'pfft' noise.

“ What? I didn't got it. ”

Roy innocently tried to repeat. “ I said- ”

Before the realization could even hit, he's already feeling her kisses back to his neck, this time a bit quicker than before.

“ Motherfuhucker! ”

Is the first thing that comes out, now hearing his own chuckles starting to be more and more frequent.

“ Don't be so whiny, I'm calming you down! ” The girl teased, now having to keep him closer to not let him escape.

There's nothing he could do but giggle, trying to push his body away and failing miserably in the process. But it's not like he's actually trying.

“ Lehehet go of mehehe! ”

“ Mwah! ”

“ Dohon't 'm-mwah' me, yohou jerk! ”

Susie gave a brief pause on her little talk for the dramatic purposes, only to say it outloud again. “ Mmmwah! ”

His breathing hitched for a moment, finally managing to atleast turn his body towards her. It made it easier for him to push her ticklish kisses away, putting his hands on her mouth to get that pause he's been craving for (?) ever since she started.

“ Hehehe.. you suck... ”

Now that he's finally facing her, the smile glued on Roy's expression is way more visible. How did he expected her to let go or stop so quickly while looking like this? So adorable and, specially, happy? Yeah, definitely not happening.

“ Ooh, I do? ” Asked, her voice slightly muffled because of the palms covering her own mouth.

He smirked cockily. “ Y-Yeah, you d- EEK! ”

If the boy was planning to return to his previous state, he can already give up on it. A hand suddenly crawled to under his shirt, making him arch his back as the same mentioned spot now had Susie's fingers taking care of it.

“ Suhuhusie!! ”

“ You're too ungrateful. I help you, and then you say that I suck! You're an ass! ”

He tried to pay attention to her playful words, but her nails softly going up and down made it way more difficult than it should be. “ Shuhuhut up! ”

“ AND tells me to shut up! ”

“ You're sohoho lucky thahat you're my girlfriehehend, you fuhu- ” Any words afterwards just turned into a bunch of gibberish, covering his face as an awful attempt to hide.

It just made him notice how hot his own cheeks were getting, what not only didn't helped with the embarassment, but also worsened it.

“ Uh-huh... it's more like the opposite. You are lucky that you're my boyfriend. ”

“ And whahat being yohohour boyfriend hehehelps here?? ”

Susie's fake composture broke slightly, but she kept trying to look angry or unbothered. It's still pretty obvious what her true intentions are, but this is way funnier regardless.

“ I mean, if you weren't, I would've just done... this! ”

For demonstration, Susie's fingers suddenly jumped from his back to his ribs. It was more than enough to get him to absolutely lose it, laughing and wiggling his legs around as they sometimes kick the air out of instinct.

“ NOHOHO!! SUHUHUSIEEE! ”

“ See? Then I would be a bastard. ”

A few snorts began to escape Roy's lips. Should he be muffling his own laughter to not let it get too loud? Trying to stop her? Pushing her? Keeping her close? At the same time that he had a lot of options and thoughts, he also didn't had anything going on there. Just... tickles, and laughter. And Susie's face.

“ I GET IT, I GEHEHET IT! ”

“ And I would also say stuff like- ”

“ DOHON'T YOU DARE! ” Susie did nothing but giggle and keeping on.

“ Wow, you're so ticklish! Or: Wow, you can't even take a few kisses on your neck! ”

Gosh, it only worsened his situation. His face soon is turning crimson red, she can hear his stupid ass laugh loud and clear, and probably anyone close to the door could too. Roy just continued to hug himself, trying to lessen the sensations.

“ STOHOP TALKIHIHING! ”

“ Oor maybeeee... wow, how stupidly cute your laugh is right now! ”

Without even thinking, Roy covered his mouth, now being nothing but a bunch of muffled noises. This only turned into more fuel to Susie's teasing.

“ How red your face iiis... ”

And just like expected, Roy buried his hot face onto Susie's chest. Her fingers didn't got any slower, her body didn't got any more distant, the damn tickling didn't got any less effective.

And if you think that returning her fingers to his back would solve the last 'problem'... it didn't. He may be back to the giggling and weak kicks, but it still had the exact same impact.

“ I- hmphh- hehehehe- ”

Roy had to wait a little before finally speaking again, unable to not hold anything. He wanted to squirm, but it'd end up pushing her away. As a solution, he just grabbed the collar of his sweater and pulled it up, hiding most part his mouth still and with his grasp so tight that he already felt his own nails through the clothing.

“ I hate yohohou so damn much..! ”

Said the same boy who willingly stayed on her arms, not doing anything about it while his precious girlfriend continued to tickle and help her boyfriend in need.

[magicicephoenix]

Hoax - The Ink Demonth 2024 (Day 3)

In which a particularly heavy rumor takes the studio by storm. And they take… interesting measures in the face of it.

ao3 link

-----------

went for more of an "audio only" type style here, mostly for my own sanity ^^' and yet this still ended up rather long for a day-long prompt… oh well. had a blast writing it, at least!

btw this takes place in my The Silent Demon AU, which is essentially just: everyone is happy, the studio is thriving, and Bendy is alive! he's also mute and deaf.

enjoy!

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"Another special? So soon? Honestly, Joey, it's like you want everyone to quit."

The sound of papers being shuffled. "C'mon Henry, it'll be great for business! I mean, it's not my fault that Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all go in a row!"

"But it is your fault that Bendy, Boris, and Alice are celebrating all four." An amused huff. "Couldn't we just do a short for New Years or something?"

"But the vision! The prestige!"

"Now you're just saying words."

An offended scoff. "I'm just saying, this'll be good for the studio! A step up against the competitors!"

"And the best way to do that is to work everyone to the bone?"

"You know I'd never let it get to that point."

An acknowledging hum. "Alright, fine, whatever, you're the boss. But you better not get any ideas about Valentine's Day."

"Ah! Now that you mention it—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. I'm leaving."

"Wait, but- Henry! You haven't even heard what I was going to say!"

"Nope. I'm not hearing another one of your far-too-complicated ideas today. I'm making like Wally and getting outta here. For real this time!" The sound of decisive shoes on wood, a door opening.

A pause—skittering of hidden footsteps rushing away, staying unnoticed—and then… the laughter of two good friends joking around.

The shuffling and bustling of employees on break.

"Did you hear? We're starting another special."

The crinkle of a lunch bag opening. "Geez, again? What's this one about?"

"New Years."

"And we need a whole special about that?!"

"Jesus."

"Mr. Stein reacted the same, I heard."

The thump of a cup being put down. "Really?"

"Yeah. Told Joey something about quitting if stuff like this kept happening."

Stirring of a spoon in a bowl. A laugh. "Mr. Stein would never quit."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Are you kidding? He'd never leave the studio. Not to mention Bendy."

A chuckle. "Ah, you're right."

"Then why'd he say he was leaving?"

A spit take. "What?!"

"Who told you that?"

"Overheard. He said he was leaving, for real."

"No way."

"Yes way. That's exactly what he said!"

"That can't be true."

"He'd never actually leave!"

"You've seen how exhausted he's been recently! What if this was too much for him?"

"…he has been here longer than anyone else."

"And Mrs. Stein would be happy that he'd stopped working late."

"Where do you think he'd go, though?"

"Doesn't matter where he'd be going, what matters is that he might be leaving!"

"The department wouldn't be the same."

"Yeah, it'd be so empty!"

"We'd have to get another department head!"

"Augh, it'd be so weird reporting to anyone other than Mr. Stein…"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"But… it's only a maybe, right?

"I mean, I guess. But what if it's true?"

"I can't imagine what would happen if he left for good…"

"Then let's just hope he won't."

"Yeah, fair enough."

A door slamming open. "Henry might be leaving."

The crash of a chair falling down. "He's what?"

"Wait, what-"

"Heard it through the grapevine."

"Susie, you can't just believe every hint of gossip that comes your way…"

"No, no, she's right."

Another chair hitting the floor. "She is?!"

"What, you're tellin' me that you haven't felt the stress from the recent specials? Imagine how brutal it must be in Animation!"

"Ugh, even thinking about all that drawing makes my hand cramp up…"

"He's been working late more often, too. What if he's reached a breaking point?"

"Henry doesn't have a breaking point. He's crazy when it comes to work."

"Everyone has a breaking point."

"Well, of course you do, you break just about every day, you perfectionist."

A scoff. "I am not a perfectionist."

"Oh, yes, when you scream at the band every day, that's not due to any undiscovered need for only the best take possible."

"I do not scream, I instruct, and it's only because all the fools on the instruments don't understand the basic principles of—"

"All I'm hearin' is that you have unreasonable standards."

"Well, Joey hired me for a reason—"

"Ladies, ladies!" The rush of banter dies down. "Calm yourselves. We have a problem on our hands, and we're going to address it."

"So what do we do about it then, Susie? Beg him not to leave?"

"Well, hold on. If he's already decided, there's not much that can change his mind. He's stubborn as a mule."

"Linda could!"

"If he's leaving then Linda knows and approves."

"…right."

"But he hasn't decided! It's only that he might leave."

"So we have a chance to stop him."

"Exactly."

"So what's the plan?"

"Maybe we guilt trip him."

"Norman!"

"I'm just sayin'."

"Well, actually, he might have a point."

"What? Guys—"

"How would we, though? If he's really thinking of this seriously, he must've already considered all the factors."

"True… so what else can we do?"

"What if we can't do anything?"

A somber silence.

"Well, then… we plan long term. Just in case he leaves. A safety net."

"I guess that's… reasonable. But I still think we should—"

"Who would be the next head of Animation, do you think?"

"Eugh, tough break. No one's as good as Henry."

"But someone'll have to step up!"

"What about Bill? He's been around for a while."

"Really? I don't think he's management material."

"Maybe Phil, then."

"Oh, that's not a bad thought. He can handle stuff in a pinch, for sure."

"Yeah, he helped time the frames for the latest song, you remember? When Henry was busy fixing the misplaced lighting debacle."

"Don't you dare speak a word about that, I swear to God, animators in here every second of the week—"

"Wait, hold on, everyone shut up." Everyone does. "We're thinking too complicated. Quick answer, what's going to happen if Henry decides to leave?"

"Um, Animation will lose a capable artist?"

"Joey Drew will summon more demons."

"Sammy'll blow a fuse."

"I will not— "

The sound of someone stomping their foot. "Ugh, honestly! You men are so dense. Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

"Maybe for some of us."

"Hey!"

"I didn't say it was you. What, you outin' yourself?"

"I- You annoying—"

"Bendy, you guys, Bendy! What'll happen to him?"

"What'll… happen?"

"Yes! If he can't be by Henry's side all the time, where will he go? What will he do?"

"Who will he choose instead, you mean."

"Well- I mean yes, obviously."

"Won't he just go with Joey?"

"Maybe if you think simple. Don't you realize? This is our chance!"

"What are you talking about? He already spends plenty enough time here."

"Playing piano with you, maybe, but the rest of us are woefully starved of Bendy time!"

"Bendy time?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Um, I honestly don't think this what-if warrants this level of—"

"So you're sayin' there's a chance of him pickin' someone else?"

"I think it's in the realm of possibility."

"Then we'll have to figure out who."

"And how will we do that?"

"I'm sure I could think up a few contests… see who he picks…"

"We'd have to go get him first."

"Well then, let's do that."

"Guys, seriously! Can't we just… I don't know, talk to Henry before jumping through these crazy hoops?"

A pause.

"Stick to lyrics, Jack."

"Yeah, Jack."

"Alright, let's do this, team!"

Amid the clambering of shoes leaving the room, there's a long suffering sigh. "I'll be in my office, I guess…"

"Did you hear? Henry might be leaving."

"Really? Always thought he'd stick around 'til the business sank."

"So did I!"

"So, see, the Music Department's been running around addressing things. Possible concerns."

"You'd think Joey would be the one doing that."

"Nah, haven't seen him all day, actually. And I have a script waiting for review…"

"Anyway, they've been gathering everyone in the band room."

"Everyone? What, they're doing a concert?"

"Bendy's in there. Norman says he's 'up for grabs.'"

"…what?"

"Bendy's super attached to Henry, right? So they're trying to figure out where he'll stay if Henry decides to leave."

"Isn't Joey the obvious choice? I mean, he is the guy who created him."

"I guess… but maybe he'll choose someone else."

"I don't think 'up for grabs' is the best way to put that…"

"Don't blame me, Norman's the one who said it!"

A pause.

"I mean, we're going, right?"

"Oh, of course."

The sound of a door easing open. "Hey, Mr. Drew?"

"Ah, Buddy, yes, hello! Come in, come in! What's on your mind?"

"Um… you're wanted in the band room."

"Oh, alright." The scratching of a chair being pushed back. Footsteps on wood. A door closing. "What am I needed for? Did Sammy finish that theme I asked him for?"

"Um… no, sir. It's for a contest."

"Pardon?"

"A contest. Everyone's there in the band room waiting for you. All the animators and writers, too."

"I… why are they there?"

"That's where Bendy is. And people are hoping he'll pick someone new to follow around."

"And they're hoping this because…?"

"Because Mr. Stein might be leaving."

One pair of footsteps stop. "…what?"

"Mr. Stein might be leaving."

"I… Henry isn't leaving."

"He isn't?"

"Of course not. Whatever in the world gave everyone that idea?"

"Um… it's what everyone's been saying, sir."

"I told you, Buddy, you don't need to call me sir."

"R-right."

"Anyway… do you know where they heard this?"

"Someone said they overheard him talking about quitting. And he's been working late a lot, so maybe he's tired."

"That… doesn't sound like Henry. I-I mean, I know things have been stressful, but not that much. Right?"

A noncommittal hum. "That's just what I've heard."

"Huh…"

An anxious silence.

"W-well, they still want you in the band room for comparison."

"I… comparison?"

"To see who Bendy likes more."

"Ah… I-I see… so they think this is really happening?"

"I guess so."

An unnerved clearing of the throat. "Right… well then… I suppose… it only makes sense…"

"Are you alright, Mr. Drew?"

"J-just peachy, Buddy. C'mon, let's get going. There are many, many people waiting for us!"

"Hey, Henry?"

Silence.

"Henry."

"Oh, hey Abby. What is it?"

"You’re not leaving, are you?"

"Leave- do you need help with something? I can stay. I was just finishing up with—"

"No, I mean… leaving. The studio. Y'know… quitting."

"What? Of course not. What gave you that idea?"

"Everyone’s saying it. Joey, too."

"…Joey thinks so?"

The rustle of a nod.

A long sigh. The sound of a pencil being put down. "Oh, man… alright, where are they?"

"Band room. They’re doing a contest to see who Bendy will take to if you leave."

The sound of a chair scraping against wood. Another sigh, this one more fond. "Of course they are."

Everything goes silent when Henry Stein enters the room. Everyone freezes on the spot, stuck with their hands in the cookie jar. Well, the cookie jar that is an elaborate mashup of toys, instruments, and other objects in an attempt to get a certain cartoon demon's interest piqued.

Bendy is the first one to move, of course. He jumps down from the table he’s been placed onto and weaves through the crowd of people to get to Henry, to whom he raises his hands expectantly.

In a clean movement, Henry bends down and scoops Bendy securely into his arms. He surveys the room silently, taking in a range of emotions from surprised, to confused, to worried, to amused. Then he sighs, exasperated, like the weight of the entire studio is on his shoulders. "I’m not leaving," he announces, much too tired.

The room erupts in noise. Disbelief and accusations hit the air, with everything in between ringing out into the big space. Above it all heaves the loud, mirthful laugh of someone who knew this all along and played into the insanity, and the similarly loud but very different cry of someone who knew and dreaded this very result from the start. And, quieter, between the shouts and yells, there's the blessedly relieved exhale of a man too paranoid for his own good.

In the chaos, Henry looks down at Bendy. Bendy blinks back, completely out of the loop, and Henry chuckles.

"Don’t worry, bud," he says, even though he knows Bendy won’t hear it. "I’ll never leave you. No way in hell."

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thanks for reading! :)

after this Henry has a very long talk with the entirety of the studio about jumping to conclusions. and a separate, more stern talk with Joey about letting his doubts get the best of him. and then another talk with the entire studio about just talking to him if they hear rumors like this, jesus christ.

[fiddler-sticks]

I really don't get my aunt sometimes. This is the gist of what I got out of a conversation with her and my mom and grandma tonight:

I think my 15yo daughter's acne is from stress, so I read a book about screentime, and the book says to not let your kids have social media 'til 18, and to only give them around 1hr a day. So we're gonna do that so she can focus on her advanced schoolwork (including being in algebra 2 as a freshman), several hours of homework every evening, at least 5 extracurriculars that she doesn't eve like doing and just does them for socialization, and a job at a fast food place, because freshman year of super elite private high school isn't as rigorous as 8th grade of super elite private grade school, and my daughter doesn't seem stressed about high school at all, and she can't possibly be hiding anything because she doesn't have social media, and that's how teenagers hide stuff, right?

UGH, JUST LET YOUR KID CHOOSE WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO, FFS, AND SHE'LL PROBABLY BE DOING HALF THE WORK SHE'S DOING NOW AND HER ACNE WILL FUCKING GO AWAY BECAUSE SHE'LL HAVE GOTTEN RID OF 90% OF HER STRESS

Her 13yo son also hates school and only gets away with doing the bare minimum. He'll do enough to get an A, and that's it. He does sports, but doesn't even like doing the sports and is just there for the friends. Like, my guy probably has some sort of childhood depression because he's being pushed and burnt out at super elite private school

She literally said today that he can't understand why his cousins won't play sports with him, and only want to expand the world and lore of their pet rock Dwayne The Vegan Rock. LIKE, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO PLAY WITH DWAYNE THE VEGAN ROCK!! I'M A 20YO FUCKING ADULT WITH A RETAIL JOB AND I LOVE DWAYNE, THESE KIDS SUFFERING THROUGH SUPER ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOL PROBABLY NEED DWAYNE MORE THAN ME

And she said her 10yo daughter needs downtime in between every task she does, like she'll practice piano, and then need to play with her dollhouse for 15 minutes before she's ready to do flash cards or something, and SHE DOESN'T GET WHY. She doesn't get why she can't just get all this work done from super elite private school first, and then have the rest of the night to play dolls. BECAUSE THEN THERE WON'T BE ANY TIME AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE WHAT DOWNTIME YOU CAN GET, AND BECAUSE SHE'S FUCKING GETTING BURNT OUT, THAT'S WHAT

And then you go and give us dirty looks for homeschooling. My siblings get all their schoolwork done in a few hours in the morning, and then they're free to do what they want. They're either right where they should be with the public school, or in the case of my middle brother, a whole year advanced based on his age. And also, because we all have our own screen and unlimited access to it, screens aren't a novelty anymore, and we don't feel the need to constantly have screen time because we know what it's like to be on a screen constantly, and we'd much rather do stuff out in the real world

Anywayyyyy, now that you know what I had to put up with listening to, how was your dayyyyyyy lol

[bunbeeplays]

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 32 - Five Finger Flop

After everything is confirmed, Ophelia calls Penny to tell her, and to check in on her friend. She's furious, more for Miko's sake than her own. The poor thing hardly needed something else to stress about.

Penny thanks Ophelia and the team for their hard work and says goodbye.

Ophelia can't remember the last time she was this angry. Tiff had no right to ruin Penny and Miko's wedding day just to spite them for not letting her sing.

Hector can't protect Tiff from Hilary this time, so maybe that knowledge clouds Ophelia's judgement.

Ophelia storms into the dressing room, targeting in on Tiff's perfumes. It's not like Tiff's ever seeing this room again. That can be her overtime payment.

Her usual perceptiveness is gone, and she reaches to take them without even bothering to notice the incoming footsteps.

Xander: Hey, do you want me to make- What are you doing?

Ophelia: Huh?

Xander: Were you… trying to steal Tiff's perfume?

Ophelia: What? No, of course not! Come on, only a kleptomaniac would do that!

Xander sees right through her attempt to walk around the truth.

Xander: That’s your third trait, isn’t it? Kleptomaniac?

Ophelia: I…

Xander: Have you been stealing other stuff from here too? This place is what keeps a roof over my sister and her kids!

Ophelia: No, I would never!

Xander: Kleptos can steal autonomously! They don’t even think about it, they just swipe with no regard!

Ophelia: I don’t need your judgement, Mister Good, Self-Assured Goofball. Not everyone is lucky enough to have all nice traits.

Ophelia: I didn’t grow up with parents that support me! I did the best I could, but I have this one little vice. I’d never steal from my friends, or anyone I cared about. If I could change it, I would!

Xander: You can change it. It just takes some work.

Ophelia: Well I was a little busy working to get where I am to worry about that. Stealing a soap pump from a community lot every now and then is a victimless crime!

Xander: The people who uploaded those builds on the gallery worked hard on them and every little detail counts!

Xander: Look, I know you’ve had a rough week, but you make good money now. It’s not like you need to steal to survive. Maybe this is a wake up call for you to reassess some parts of your life.

Ophelia: Ugh, you sound like Father Winter

Xander: …what?

Ophelia: Why do you even care if I swipe something from Tiff? You hate her too!

Xander: That doesn’t make it okay! Tiff may have crossed the line, but stealing from her isn’t going to fix anything.

Ophelia: Her not having her perfume would make me feel a lot better, though!

Xander: So someone pisses you off, you take their stuff? What if you played for a bridezilla, and you got caught trying to steal from her? Not only would Hilary have to fire you, that looks bad on her. I’m not going to stand here and let you jeopardize my sister’s career.

Xander has a point. What was she thinking?

Ophelia: Xander, I’m sorry! I’m sleep deprived and frustrated and- you’re right, I shouldn’t have even tried it. Please don’t tell Hilary. I would never do anything to hurt your family, I swear. Not after everything they've done for me.

Xander: I’m not going to tell anyone. You were already in a bad place, tonight made it worse, and you made a mistake. Everyone deserves a second chance. I know you're a good person. But you need to work on this. It’s not cool. I expected better from you, Ophelia.

Xander leaves, and Ophelia has never felt so humiliated. She doesn't think he's ever called her by her name. This feeling isn't worth all the highs she's gotten from swiping in the past.

Ophelia thought the day she got dumped was the worst day of her life, but no. Today is.

[sakumasmut]

(cw unhealthy relationship?)

Reiiiiiiiiiiiiii i'm having Tatsumi thoughtsssssssssss. I want to make that man do so many unholy things. I want to make him vie for my attention and do everything he can to please me. I want to string him along with little bits and pieces of love and affection, enough to make him crave more but not enough to make him satisfied...

but i also want to do the same to him. I want to sit on my knees in front of him, face on his lap, while he tells me explicitly what he wants to take from me. I want to give him complete obedience and do whatever he says without questioning. I want to worship him like a god and not a holy man

UGH i typically find possessiveness annoying but like. ok hear me out here.

It starts small; meeting Tatsumi, you would never expect him to be the obsessive type. He probably doesn't even realize it either, he just thinks that you're a nice person and that he likes you as one. Then as time goes on and you both develop a bit of an interest in each other, things start... changing.

Tatsumi thinks of himself as a tainted person, he willingly lets himself take the brunt of things so as to let other people feel better and get let off easier. It's a martyr complex he has. He wants to reach out to you and claim you for his own but he feels unworthy of doing such a thing. His nature and problems come in conflict whenever he has wants and desires. In the end, he can't bring himself to taint you as he is, but he can't back away either.

He gives you compliments and gifts, he feels a bit lighter every time you smile at his words and it satiates the unholy desires within him every time he sees you wearing something he gave you. He offers to help you out with work, letting yourself get further than before. He gives you a listening ear whenever you seem troubled, making you lean on him in your times of stress. It's all these little things that entrench him as a person in your life and catch your attention. It his own little selfish way of satisfying his craving and want of you, without ever putting his hands on you or making you truly his.

He truly thinks he'll be content like this, being of use to you as a holy figure despite his unholy desires. Of course things don't go as planned though. With as lovely a man as him giving you so much attention, it's almost inevitable that a bit of interest be sparked in you as well. Unfortunately, it ends up being almost as arduous a situation to you as it is to him. Every single one of your advances reaches almost a brick wall, with him refusing to meet you half-way. Yet you refuse to push the full way yourself, not wanting to cross the barriers Tatsumi has set up by force and instead wanting him to push past your own first.

You try incessantly to bait and tempt him into doing something, anything to indicate his interest in you, to make sense of his constant attention on you, and it is torture to him. He wants you so, so badly, but he can't allow himself to be with you.

At some point, the tension becomes too much and it finally snaps. Someone's hands get a little too adventurous, a little too past what can be considered "friendly", and the careful balance you and Tatsumi have curated falls apart. With you desperately trying to make him stake his claim unto you and Tatsumi desperately trying to be of use to you. It feels oh so good to finally have your hands on each other but it leaves you oh so unsatisfied when all is said and done and it seems like you're no closer to making your goal of making him want you. If only you could tell how much he's holding back and if only he could tell how much you actually want to be made "dirty" by him.

Of course, this situation is only going to escalate further and further. Both of you refusing to fold and push to reach the other, but refusing to give up on what you want from the other. Every physical encounter gets more intense and more serious and in the aftermath, gets harder to play off. It's harder to resist the urge to spend the night afterwards and harder to resist the softer, more intimate, more vulnerable aspects of aftercare.

It all probably reaches a crescendo one day where one of you finally can't resist a forbidden temptation anymore. Whether is be something like him finishing inside amidst a fleeting want to claim you, or you finally snapping at him and refusing to stop holding him down until he finally spills what he thinks about you. Either way, there's no chance either of you are getting out of this dynamic unchanged, whether it be for better or for worse.

Tatsumi... I want for both of us to crave each other so intensely but not know how to control ourselves and communicate that to the other. ohhhhhh.... to have an unhealthily codependent mutually worshipping relationship with that man

ok i'm not rereading this to make sure it's all coherent but like, i think I got my message across. Tatsumi, ykwim?

- @sucrows

good lord crow. call me a professor the way I’m reading over essays.

tatsumi definitely kind of cucks himself with how much he thinks he doesn’t deserve things, so him being simultaneously selfish-ish by lavishing you with gifts is sooo in character of him. and even when you give him so many signals and hints that hey, maybe you do share the sentiment, he just keeps. I say cuck a lot but that’s literally what he’s doing but with feelings. even if you got to the physical touch part he would avoid really labelling your relationship and. augh that’s a lot to think about

personally if I saw you and tattsun with all that sexual tension I would lock you two in a room until you fucked/talked about it

[pesterloglog]

Harry Anderson, Vrissy Maryam-Lalonde

Page 208-209

-- thespiansGlamor [TG] began pestering adamantGriftress [AG] --

TG: alright, i'm back in my room.

TG: there's just one small problem.

TG: i don't think i own any weapons?

TG: there's the prop swords in my closet...

TG: but they're all made of foam and plastic.

TG: argh, this is so hard.

AG: Hey Dum8ass, why are you messaging me from your 8edroom.

AG: We are Literally in the Same House.

AG: We were just in the Same 8RGUMENT.

TG: yes, i know, i know.

TG: um.

TG: sorry about that.

TG: the argument, i mean...

AG: It's Wh8tever.

TG: i didn't mean to get so mad at you and tavros.

TG: well maybe i did mean to get mad at tavros.

TG: but i still feel bad about it.

TG: everything's just been so stressful today.

AG: Harry, I said It's Wh8tever!!!!!!!!

TG: ok.

TG: but...

TG: i need your help here.

TG: i only have a minute, and i can't think of ANYTHING to assign to the strife specibus.

TG: can't you ask vriska if she has any ideas?

AG: No.

AG: I'm not going to 8other her with such a Pointless Question.

AG: And 8esides, I think she's 8usy right now.

AG: She's sort of huddled in a corner, muttering to herself.

TG: huh.

TG: maybe she's nervous?

TG: either that or...

AG: I don't think she's nervous.

AG: 8ut it reminds me how You get sometimes when you're Practicing your Lines over and over.

TG: huh.

TG: ok.

TG: weird.

AG: Time's Ticking, Harry.

TG: fuck.

TG: i'm still all out of ideas.

AG: Ugh, Come On. There's 8ound to 8e Something up there.

AG: Anything can 8e a weapon if you know how to use it.

TG: that's easy for you to say.

TG: on account of all the ACTUAL WEAPONS you have in your room.

AG: Look Harry.

AG: Just 8ecause I Happen to own a lot of Incredi8ly Deadly Armaments, doesn't mean I couldn't improvise if Necessary.

AG: It's part of what m8kes Me 8adass enough to 8e a mem8er of the Rebellion!

TG: blah blah blah.

AG: Anyway.

AG: You've got a 8unch of Sewing Stuff in your room, right?

TG: yeah.

TG: feel free to skip the part where you make fun of me for it.

AG: No, Dongface, I wasn't Going to!

TG: oh.

TG: then i don't understand.

AG: You need a weapon, remember?

TG: OHHHHHHHHH.

AG: /ROLLx8

TG: ok, there's a bunch of sharp things here.

AG: Pity You aren't one of them! Lol.

TG: oh har har.

AG: So, Wh8t are we Working with?

TG: it's mostly just pins and needles.

TG: i doubt they'll be much good.

AG: Are you Kidding????????

AG: Needles are awesome!

AG: They're wh8t my Mom uses.

AG: She could pro8a8ly skin you Alive with a pair if she w8nted.

TG: well, i don't doubt that.

TG: but maybe not this type of needle.

AG: Come on, you Know you want to.

TG: no, that would be so dumb!

TG: these things are way too small.

TG: i'd be the world's worst acupuncturist or something.

TG: i think i'll just go with this pair of scissors instead.

AG: 8oooooooo.

[ladyazulina]

August 10th

I'm surprised at the overwhelming amount of time that took me to post... one advance in my campaign.

Hours.

How horrendous.

If you don't know, I'm talking about this. I just posted this part and updated it on the page I made and I kind of don't want to do it again... At least not under today's emotions and circumstances. Because I love that page, it's beautiful. It just took time.

And talking about time... I'm starting to think that 4theWords isn't going to stick with me. I remembered I haven't gone there yet and I don't want to. It feels soooooo dragging. And that makes me sad, but it's no one's fault. I really like some of its dynamics, but I can't force myself every day to go there to keep it updated. It's draining.

I have other things to do.

So I'm going to kind of... abandon it until I really want to use it.

Or until I feel less stressed, I don't know.

So, today. I wasn't sure if I wanted to start promoting my being live on Twitch, but I did so anyway. Though it kind of seems... inconvenient, so I'm not sure how I will let you all know here that I'm on live if I'm attempting to go live Mon-Fri from 9am EDT to 3pm EDT.

Yeah, I started one hour 'late' today.

And I had to finish two hours 'early' also.

So when I finished, it didn't seem like... something, to come here to let you all know I finished. I doubt someone even noticed I was live, so why bother?

'Why bother?' is being an uncomfortable mood lately.

Worked in: AngelDemon. Words written: 1.590.

The difficulty is starting. I wasn't sure what really was going to happen in today's chapter. Had to look for a lot of future info because the chapters I should be using were already left behind in the new outline. Had to write a lot for a background event to know how is everyone doing about it now. It helped. It's also the majority part of that amount of words. Not really surprising, somehow.

I'm not really sure what that past me was trying to strike, it just seems a lot of nonsense and bullshit now.

Worked in: Twitch's Event - Second Hall of Fame in Discord Server. Words written: 324.

Yeah, today was my stream no.44, so according to my own rules of doing a check in every 22 streams to announce the MVP's Bingo Chasers and Bingo Slots (because yes, I have a Bingo Card in my streams) along with the 'First to arrive in stream' three places. It's fun to make, honestly, so... that was also something for today.

Total words: 1.914. Lower daily goal: 100 ✅ Higher daily goal: 300 ✅

I'm so, so tired. And I wanted to play a bit of Iron Valley... I guess I had enough of updating that part. I'm thinking about going to post it also on Wattpad and Inkspired, but I'm not completely sure yet. I was trying to set up a Ream account, but they're linked to Stripe and Stripe doesn't want my country yet. I have a Patreon, but... I hate the idea of marketing myself, that's why I deleted my Instagram.

Ugh, anyway. Stop talking now, yeah. That does seem like a great idea.

Tagging: @aziz-reads

[loorain]

Sims 4 Fontenot Legacy - Stay-over Day 2

Day 2 of the stay-over is underway, and a big moment for the twins is about to happen!

Robin: You girls ready to get your first taste of real food? Trust me, it's a lot better than just plain milk!

Sigrid: Don't talk about my milk like that!

The two laugh.

Robin: Sorry, Mommy's sensitive.

Sigrid: And Daddy's itching to get himself in trouble.

Alma goes first.

Sigrid: Okay baby, how do we feel about some yummy rice porridge?

Alma takes a big mouthful of the concoction, squishing her fingers in her mouth immediately and covering herself in the contents. Alma is an enthusiastic eater, and her parents found that out the hard way 😅

Sigrid: Think that means she likes it!

Robin: Okay Audrey, now's your turn! Here comes the airplane!

Robin: Uh... what's that face mean?

Sigrid: Not sure...

True to Audrey's personality, she's not as immediately enthusiastic about this new taste and texture. More research will need to be done 😆

While Juno takes a nap, Sabrina makes a call.

Nyla: Well hey there stranger!

Sabrina: Hey Nyla! I know, it's been some time.

Nyla: I understand, you've been busy being a parent. Welcome to the club by the way. How's he doing?

Sabrina: You know, doing what babies do... which is practically nothing.

They laugh.

Sabrina: No, but seriously, he's great. How's my little guy doing over there?

Nyla: Driving me and his father crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't wait for Juno to get bigger so they can be the best of friends.

Sabrina: That is if Roddy isn't too cool to hang out with little Juno!

Nyla: You might be right about that! His age-up day is coming up, right?

Sabrina: Yeah, tomorrow actually.

Nyla: You're going to have your hands full!

Sabrina: I know, but enough about all that! How are you and Alex doing?

Nyla's mood shifts some.

Nyla: Things are... okay.

Sabrina: "Okay?"

Nyla: We've hit a plateau. We're just so focused on Roddy... If he's not caring for him, he's doing work around the apartment, and if he's not doing either of those things, he's not home. We don't really see each other much these days...

Sabrina: Are you worried about something?

Nyla: Well...

Nyla: Alex was out late one night, and my jealous trait got the best of me... I snooped through his stuff. I found a ring in Alex's bag. I think he's going to propose to me. I don't know what to do! If he does, I've ruined the surprise by letting my jealousy get the best of me, and if he doesn't it's only going to make me more suspicious.

Sabrina: Nyla, listen to yourself! You found a ring! Alex is definitely going to propose! Sure, you've kind of ruined the surprise now, but this is big!

Nyla: Well what should I say?! Yes!? No!?

Sabrina: Do you love him?

Nyla: I... I care about him. He's a great dad to Roddy. We're lucky to have him.

Sabrina: But do you love him?

Nyla: Marriage is a big commitment Bina! I can't go into it solely on love.

Sabrina: Well I'm not hearing anything negative factoring into saying no either. I think you're just scared. Don't run from this, Nyla.

Nyla gets a little defensive.

Nyla: What do you mean by that?

Sabrina: Well, when you found out you were pregnant and things between you and Alex were rocky, I tried to be there for you and you ran. Disappeared without a trace.

Nyla: I left because I didn't want to bog you down. You had goals. I was getting in the way of them. And frankly, you had your own drama to sort out.

Sabrina: Drama-- ugh, look, all I'm saying is really think about this. Does Alex make you happy? Or is this relationship more stressful than it is enjoyable? Are you looking for an out, or are you self-sabotaging?

Nyla takes a deep breath.

Nyla: I... I gotta go.

Sabrina: Okay, talk soon?

Nyla: Yeah. Bye.

Sabrina thought the conversation took an odd turn, and they feel bad that the first time they talk to their best friend since before they gave birth ended in such a way, but they let it roll off their shoulders. Meanwhile, Nyla obviously feels a lot different, but is it because of something else?

[warriorsofsplatsville]

"I can smell it...they're going to attack again." Salomon grunted, sitting down in a chair, head in hands.

"Darling, don't become too stressed. If we were able to push them back last time, we can do it again." Coquina approached her grumpy husband and rubbed his back. "You said that you smelt their scent in the waters of Inkblot? The art academy?"

"Yes. It should be impossible for them to get access there, even if there is water on the campus. So I'm inclined to believe that they will continue to use the sewers to invade Inkopolis as many times as they feel necessary."

"Mep..." Salomon and Coquina looked over to the side to see one of the Salmonid advisers looking disgruntled.

"If you have something to add, adviser, I suggest you speak up."

"Forgive me, my lord, but...why should we involve ourselves if they're only attacking the city? It has nothing to do with our kingdom..."

Salomon's brow furrowed. "What a foolish question! Just because we are no longer a direct target for the rebels doesn't mean that we will allow them to attack the city! We have an allyship, a treaty with Princess Millie of Inkopolis! Besides, Inkopolis is your very queen's home. How dare you disrespect her?!"

"Eep! S-Sorry..."

"Salomon, calm down." Coquina scolded softly. "If you feel it does not involve us, think about it this way, adviser. If they start to take the land from Inkopolis, that's one step closer to them having a place full of resources that they may reside in. Which could result in a harder time pushing back if and when they attack the Kingdom next. We mustn't let them have that advantage."

"O-Oh...fair point..."

Mirage sighed, walking away from the entrance of the throne room and walking down the hall. Another Big Run, then? They barely caught it the last time, and this time they may only have mere days to prepare. They can't afford to keep doing that...

"I want to help!"

Mirage looked up to see Cruesa standing in front of them. She looked serious. "Isn't there another Big Run approaching? Allow me to fight back with you guys! I can do it!"

Mirage paused for a moment before shaking their head. "No, Cruesa. I want you to stay home for this one."

"Wh-what? Why?! I have every right to be out there, and plus, that's my family that's attacking Inkopolis! I know them, and maybe I can stop their atta-"

"That's exactly the reason why you need to stay in hiding." Mirage rebutted. "I don't....I don't want you to have to face your own family, Cruesa. Even if they're family, what if....what if they hurt you? Even if they didn't mean to?"

"Mir, I...How do you know that will even happen?"

"Just- Just stay home. I want you to stay in the house and lock the doors and windows. Don't come out."

She puffed up her cheeks. "How come you get to run out there and fight and I can't?!"

Mirage quickly took her hands into theirs, looking into her eyes intensely. Cruesa gulped and felt small under their gaze.

They lean over and place a small kiss on her forward. "...Maybe I'm also scared that they'll try to take you away from me."

"...Mir..."

"So stay home, got it?"

"...Alright."

-

"Ohoho~ So you come running to me now that you've failed? I find this rather humorous..."

"I don't want to hear it." Cinnabar sneered. "I just want to know if you're in or out."

"Mmm....what's in it for me, love? Why would I care about your silly little affairs?"

"You can have jurisdiction over that area, if you want. And don't call me that. I don't want to be affiliated to you."

"Hmmm.....land isn't enough. I want...riches, and true power. I want a place in the rebel army."

"That's too much to ask for."

"Phooey. Fine. I'll just settle on land and money then. We have a deal, Cinny-poo?"

"Ugh...yeah, fine."

"Ehehe...then I'll do my very best just for you, my lovely."