#i couldn't decide which one i liked better

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I think one of Stede's biggest strengths, genuinely, is that he's really really good at conflict resolution. Like he's brilliant at it.

We can see this starting in the pilot - like, one of the very first things that happens, Wee John describes Stede's pirating career so far as a fucking disgrace and Stede immediately and smoothly pivots into a "let's reframe that as a suggestion, what's one thing you'd change" approach without taking it personally. Immediately he's able to get the crew doing something constructive that they all enjoy (and yeah they're still planning on mutiny at this point but honestly it speaks very highly of him that he's able to get everyone doing arts and crafts while they're actively planning to murder him).

Pretty much every time Stede is in an argument with anyone throughout the show, he is just so very good at listening to their viewpoint, considering, and actively taking it into account, and all without taking things personally even if they're upsetting things to hear. His response to his argument with Ed in s2e7 is another of my favorite examples, because Ed's gunning for a fight and he's already decided to blow it up, but Stede is still just so patient and calm throughout. He correctly and sympathetically identifies that Ed's panicking and blowing things out of proportion, and even when Ed telling him that "maybe last night was a mistake" clearly hurts him, Stede is still so gentle with trying to reassure Ed, telling him "this can be whatever we want it to be," trying to help Ed see his own agency when Ed's freaking out. The only reason that argument ended so poorly was because Ed had already decided it would; for his part Stede couldn't have responded better.

Stede can be bitchy and sometimes selfish and he can get so caught up in himself that he can fail to consider the feelings and needs of others. But he's also very strongly emotionally intelligent, and he is amazing at de-escalating arguments and remaining calm, patient, and gentle throughout. We see so many times throughout the show that he's very good at choosing his battles and remaining calm and polite even when he would've been justified in getting upset or angry - like in the s2 pilot, when one of the guests at Spanish Jackie'z is rude to him, Stede is so unbothered when he just decides that guy's beneath him and he can calmly smooth over the situation. He's genuinely amazing at it.

(Of course, like any good character, this strength is also a weakness in a different light. We also see over and over again in arguments that Stede is prone to allowing all the blame to fall on his shoulders without defending himself, which isn't just unfair to him, it also denies the other person the chance to hear Stede's thoughts and rationale and get that closure.)

[beuxwhoyouare]

Bewildering

The Skreat escape pod crash landing on Earth one night caused chaos in more ways than one. Several people’s lives were altered forever by the events that immediately followed the ships blazing destruction. It was dark as sirens blared through the night heading towards the blaze.

I woke up by the shrieking sounds of alarms approaching. We crashed on some foreign planet after the sudden attack. My biggest fear was being captured on this planet, what if they were the ones that attacked us? What if they took me and tortured me for species secrets. I couldn't let them know about Skreats and began slithering as fast as I could through the area lined with bark lined towers.

2 figures approached in the night, but I couldn't focus on identifying features and chose to hide. Suctioning my way up a bark tower, I chose to use my observation skills to determine if they were friendly organisms or foes determined to take me in for experimentation.

"Raph I don't think we should get closer. We should go back to camp and evacuate. It looks like it could lead to a big wild fire," the shorter of the two pleaded with the bigger one.

"Alex, dude. There's no way it wasn't like a giant secret ship or something insane that caused it. Didn't you hear that crazy crash? We gotta see this thing first hand," the taller and much more statured of the two said with a boomy resonance.

The two were going towards the ship crash at a rate faster than I could slithering on this planets gravitational pull. I decided they were my way to observe the site and get there faster. I dropped my suction and aimed to fall on their bags. After detaching, I aimed to fall on the broader one since it seemed like my size would be negligible on him.

After falling onto his bag, he turned around as if he heard something behind him, but by that point I had slid into an opening on the enclosure. We Skreats are very pliable and I made my way into his bag.

The pair of earthlings made their way closer to the ships crash site but by the time they got there bright lights and tape marked off the region. Curiosity struck many trying to get a sight at the alien ship. I peaked out of the bag only to see the blaze. There’s no way any Skreats could have survived such a blast.

Numb. All I felt was numbness as this earthling unknowingly carried me away from the scene. Was I the last Skreat? How does one internalize the idea that you’re the last of your kind? The bag shook and then got flung onto a nearby soft surface after a loud door shut. I flew inside the bag which rocked me back to cognizance. Where am I now? I peaked out of the fabric cage I resided in and saw the taller one walking around a room.

He peered into a doorway that emanated light before pulling out a round red sphere and taking a bite.

He appeared to be preparing earthen sustenance…I should become more accustomed to this if I’m the last Skreat I’ll need to blend in with the earthlings. I left the soft seat the bag was thrown onto and slid my way closer to get a better look.

He threw things into a hot cauldron item over a flame. After a few time sectors he was done and put some of the substance into a bowl, that’s when I lost my grip on some steam and fell into the bowl when he wasn’t aware.

I hid among orange, green, and tan bits of sustenance in the hot salty broth. I stung but I couldn’t risk being caught. Eventually a colder metallic platform came into the bowl and lifted me up to his front facing orifice, despite my protests I got swallowed again without his notice.

I refused to be defeated. I mustered up the energy and detoured before meeting the earthlings digestive acids and headed to his core. I guess you call it a heart.

Once there, I began inserting my tendrils and began spreading myself through his bloodstream. It’s a large task for such a small Skreat like myself to attempt a takeover of a creature this large but I was desperate to live.

The large creature began to notice and clasped hard at his chest. But it was too late for him. Pulse pulse pulse. I could feel his heart pumping and eventually I synced up with it. We were becoming one. It’s a skill of the Skreats but it was my first time doing it. I was scared to do it wrong or worse…kill the host.

I began trying to use my new lungs. A phenomenon that like sounds like gasping for air from those who normally use lungs. Eventually I calmed down and brought the heart pulsing down to a normal seeming speed. All the internal systems seemed to normalize as I calmed the body down.

Except one part of the sizable earthling….

I used the body’s messaging device to take an image for further research later. Then I continued to calm the body down leading the appendage to become more restrained. But a message appeared from someone named Babe. I opened it up to see a slimmer earthling with longer hair. They appeared unclothed with a message saying “can i come over?” I replied with my new fingers “affirmative”.

I continued to try enjoying the sustenance the human made before. Wow these sensations from my new mouth were so vibrant and exhilarating. I wonder what else I can figure out. My new thick fingers fiddled with the bag I came out of nearby. An item flopped out with a bunch of cards, I picked up one with this bodies image.

Raphael James Conrad Lee. Was that his identification? That seems very long and superfluous. Must be why that other human called him Raph before.

A knock came to the door of the housing unit I was in. I approached the door and instead of investigating almost as if the host was on autopilot it turned the knob and a tiny earthling stood there in a see through top piece of clothing and a frilly bottom one. I believe this must be the opposite gender, a woman.

She lunged at me piloting the host and placed her mouth on to mine introducing her anatomy to mine. I reciprocated before she yanked my bottom clothing down. My previously hard appendage revived itself with a mind of its own as the woman placed her mouth on it.

All I saw was her eyes as she moved swiftly. One she placed her mouth on it, it felt like all I could see was colors. Oh my what is this phenomenon. Ohhhhh unhhhhhh. What are these sounds escaping my mouth. Before I knew it, the feeling became overwhelming. I felt something coming. My hosts feet previously firmly planted on the ground, curled its toes. My abdomen contracted and then a RELEASE. I opened my eyes as she wiped something. She placed her mouth on mine again and said “thanks”. Before immediately fleeing.

What was that? What is this experience. And why does it feel so good?

I need to understand more about what this appendage does. I wonder if that tiny male human that was with “me” earlier might want to do the same activities with his appendages. I try to recall his identification. Cmon I knew I heard him say it. Lex, Ale, Alex….Alex? Yes.

I picked up the messaging device and snapped an image. I copied the text the woman sent me. “Come over”. Maybe that’s how humans that want that activity communicate it to one another.

Almost immediately the device buzzed.

“Oh bro I didn’t know you rolled like that too?”

What do these words mean? I don’t want him to out me for acting outlandish…okay I can do this.

“Yeah bro. So are you cuming?”

A hand with a thumbs up appeared above the message appeared? What does this mean? So much to learn about this planet. I better start learning if I want to blend in.

The door was never closed after the woman left and a one pound happened on the already opened door. Before I could approach it to see who it was. Alex was there at the door. I could see the same energy the woman had in his eyes. He slammed the door behind him and unclothed himself with haste. He also had an appendage hard like mine, but smaller. Was my body considered an alpha amongst men?

He approached with eagerness but also a tenderness, unlike the woman. I put my mouth on his like she did to me. I was about to show Alex everything I’ve learned about earthlings.

[miya-cs]

A little courage and good communication.

Reader x Max Verstappen

In which the reader always blames himself for any uncomfortable situation, but is learning to deal with it.

Warnings: none very serious. The reader thinks too much, is a little anxious and pessimistic, but everything works out in the end.

(Yeah, I'm dealing with my traumas through fanfics, my psychologist will never know)

Traduzido do português pelo Google tradutor (tentei revisar, mas, ei, sempre dá alguma coisa errada, desculpe)

***

Tension fills the Redbull motorhome. Your hands are clenched as you keep your eyes steady, watching the Team employees from one side to the other.

Max has barely spoken to you today. From the morning when he woke up early and came to the garage alone, to the fact that he didn't even come to see you after you arrived.

You see, it's not that you depend on his attention, but… Your anxious mind starts to remember every action you've taken in the last few days, trying to find something in which you could have hurt your boyfriend.

Was it because you didn't wait for him for dinner? But Max himself said you could have dinner because he would be late. Was it because you didn't do anything after he had bad times in free practice? When Max arrived, upset about the race, you didn't even know why, but, as always, he always said everything was fine.

You believed him and left him alone in the room, because you knew he liked that so he could reflect on what he could or couldn't improve in the race. But… he was fine, wasn’t he?

You keep watching. Maybe you could get him a drink? Or maybe just go talk to him and wish him luck in the race? What to do?

You feel your eyes watering, and it irritates you. You’ve always been very sensitive and, due to some situations in the past, you’ve learned to hate that side of you.

Why cry over something so silly? Just because your boyfriend hasn’t paid you any attention all day? What an idiot.

You remember Christian’s words, after Max introduced you to the Team after a few months of dating in private.

“Do you really think she” – his gaze took in yours completely, a little cowering next to Max – “will be able to handle all this? Formula 1 isn’t just a sport, Max, you know that”.

Max vehemently defended you, and so you were made official on Redbull and Max’s Instagram. But, after more than a year together, you wonder if, perhaps, Horner was right.

You take a deep breath, remembering your psychologist's words: the best way to stop thinking too much is to get things straight. Talk. Ask questions. Face it. You're not psychic and not everything you think is correct.

Right.

Your eyes scan the garage again, finding Max on the other side, analyzing some screens with graphs. The grading will start soon and then you'll only be able to talk to him later.

You wonder if it's better to resolve things first. What if something happens and he's still upset? What if he's just waiting for an apology from you?

Finally, you decide to go to Max. Your steps are hesitant, and they get even worse when one of the mechanics points at you, Max's eyes quickly finding you.

He frowns as you approach, noticing your hesitation.

"Is everything okay?"

"Can we talk?" You say, and Max nods, his features serious. You follow him to the corner of the room, away from the noise of the garage and the employees.

“Um, I… I wanted to know if I did something to upset you?” You get straight to the point, knowing Max prefers things that way. “It’s just that you didn’t talk to me right today, and you were acting weird, and I wondered if I did something wrong? If I did, I’m sorry. You know I can be inattentive sometimes and…”

“Schatje,” Max interrupts you. His hands come up to your face, resting on your cheeks as he lifts your gaze to his. “Why the hell would you think you did something wrong? The car has been a mess since the last race last week and I’m trying to improve my time before the race tomorrow. That’s all.”

“Oh…” You blink, his words melting over your mind and washing away all your worries. “So it’s not me?”

Max rolls his eyes, before placing a quick kiss on your lips.

“No, Schatje,” he murmurs, and your shoulders slump as a sigh of relief leaves your lips.

“That’s great,” you smile, and Max can’t resist kissing you once more. “Get back to work then, Maxie. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll still be able to get the best out of your car in qualifying today and in the race tomorrow.”

Your words make him smile. “Have dinner together later?” your boyfriend asks.

“Room service. I don’t want to go out anymore today.” You answer and he just nods, before saying goodbye.

You keep smiling as he walks back to the mechanics. Your therapist would be so proud.

But before her, you were so proud of yourself for having the courage to solve things by talking instead of allowing your mind to create all the worst possible scenarios and suffering for something that only existed there, in your head.

Sometimes, to solve things, all it takes is a little courage and good communication.

[mrs-kodzuken]

early christmas ⟢ rintarou s.

synopsis: you get an early christmas gift from your boyfriend and love it beyond no end, timeskip!suna x fem!reader, christmas time, fluff, short fic

“You've been on that thing forever, at this rate you’re likely to forget me soon.” Rin deadpanned, almost regretting buying that damned thing for you.

Almost.

He could see how happy it made you, especially now that when he got on the game with his friends, you weren’t completely lonely with your new switch lite.

Of course, Christmas was coming up but with being stuck in the house for days due to snow and not being able to make it to work, he knew the best solution for his dear girlfriend.

He watched carefully as you concentrated on digging perfect holes to place trees in, your face was definitely one to remember. He loved seeing your joy filled face as you explained the animal crossing terms to him, even though he'd probably forget half of them within the next hour.

"Uhh, nuh uh." you retorted, not even looking up at him from where he was standing. After Rintarou surprised you with an early Christmas present, even though the big day was less than a week away, you could not stop playing. It was like an excitement that was slowly becoming an addiction.

You took your nintendo lite with you everywhere, to the bathroom when taking long, relaxing baths, to the bar in the kitchen where you both eat breakfast.

And even so far as playing it in public during downtime if you both were able to leave the house. You loved every minute of your new game console, especially since it was in your favorite color too.

However, Suna had to draw some lines when you pulled an all-nighter playing your game because you 'just had to get something done'.

"I think it's mostly your fault though, you let me open it early, so." you trailed off, sticking your tongue out wherever you thought he was from your peripheral.

Your eyes stuck to your little character as she ran around the plaza trying to talk with every villager. You couldn’t help but to get so happy when you saw the Christmas decorations around your island. As well as hounding on your game for so long, day and night, you were able to make lots of progress.

You barely noticed that Suna sat down beside you on the king sized bed, his PS5 left on and if you really paid attention, you could hear his friends calling for him.

"Love, at least give me a kiss before you leave off into the island of Y/n." he joked, you tore your eyes away from the screen and started to feel bad in the way that you were ignoring your boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Rinnie, I just really love the game, but I'll be sure to take breaks and spend actual quality time with you." you promised, saving and putting your game console away.

The relief basically melted off of Suna, now he finally understands the other side of the story when he used to not pay enough attention to you when gaming.

"Thanks, love." he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to your lips, relishing in the fact that he could taste the leftover dark chocolate crumbs on your lips from when you snack as you play.

"You're such an angel, you know that right? My angel." he couldn't help the smile that broke out across his face when you laughed and rolled your eyes. You were such the purest sight ever to him, this is what he missed. Of course he loves when you have an enjoyable hobby but physical contact was so much better in his opinion.

"Want to ditch the games for the rest of the night and watch a Christmas movie with me?" you giggled into his black sweatshirt, it smelling of his fancy body wash that you gifted him as a 'just because' gift.

"Obviously, anything to spend more time with you love." he hopped up, turning off his own gaming console and sending a text to his group chat before lounging with you in bed.

After a small discussion on which streaming service, you both finally decided on Hulu to watch Elf.

As the movie played and the lights were dimmed in the bedroom, you got sentimental, watching Rintarou’s handsome features being lit up by the movie.

"You know, I'm really grateful for my gift. I love it." you said quietly, hiding your face even though you both have been together for almost four years now.

He squeezed you tighter to him, loving your small confession, his heart felt unbearably warm at the act.

"I'm glad love, only the best for you." he kissed your temple knowing that his small confession would ring true when he got the balls to get the ring box out of his sock drawer and pop the question.

But for now, he smiled and watched your reactions to the movie, wondering how he got so lucky. 

a/n: hihi! i've been obsessed with animal crossing lately, so sorry i've been inactive!! i hope you enjoy, and requests are open! <3

[ellouchi]

Jimmy x reader working on Tulpar (suggestive elements/gn)

Warnings: Jimmy being Jimmy, mild nsfw elements (at least I think they are mild), reader death.

Side notes: honestly, I could finish this earlier, but I gave it a bit more time which is for the better. I wish I could write more but I always feel that way so whatever. Lmk if there are mistakes!

— first things first let's establish if you had already been in the relationship prior to Jimmy joining Pony Express because that's important!!

— unless you have dog awful relationship, Jimmy would want you to work for Pony Express alongside him. Come on, wouldn't it be ideal: you two working together on the same ship, you can see each other all the time, you wouldn't miss him or wait for him to come back no fear of you cheating or leaving him when Jimmy is back from space hauls. He just wanted you to see his success first hand, Jim finally having worth, he wanted you to fawn over him so badly, to be proud of him even, though Jimmy wouldn't register it.

— if you didn't know each other when either of you joined P.E. and by extension Tulpar, Jimmy really wouldn't care about you (at first). Just another coworker, the man hoped you would do your job properly and wouldn't bother him too much. Your attitude and relatability would play a huge role in how fast Jimmy would fall for you.

— whether it's you two having established relationship or him just immediately taking a liking to you, Jimmy would be the one showing you around and teaching the ropes. It's captain's duty, but co-pilot can manage just fine (he definitely didn't press on Curly and sarcastically underplayed the importance of captain's involvement). Jim would want you to see how competent and well versed he was. He wouldn't miss the chance to fool around with you while on the tour (maybe give some... remarks with "double meaning"). Jimmy would boss you around, however, if you were already together it would be nothing new for you.

— I feel like Jimmy wouldn't slack off on his tasks to the detriment of his position. He was at work, though it didn't mean he had to do everything timely or put that much effort anyways. Jim would quickly get his tasks done and wander "aimlessly": you innocuously made your way through the ship, passing through Jimmy when all of a sudden he decided to smother your body with his, trapping you between himself and a stray wall. No one was there to professionally reprimand Jimmy's roaming hands, squeezing and caressing you through your uniform, dry lips kissing, licking and biting at your neck near your ear, whispering filthy things in between. Make any noise or accidentally grind against him and he would take you right there and then.

— other than those instances, Jimmy is surprisingly tame. He was never on the showy lovey dovey side of things, the fact that you two were dating may come as a surprise to some of the crewmates. Curly, however, noticed instantly. The way his friend looked at you, tired eyes glowing with something affectionate, the way he stood near you leaning in ever so slightly, the way he addressed and talked to you, and how his mouth tugged into a smile when you looked at him lovingly....

— designated rooms for each employee? What? You were sleeping together, in one bed, period. Your and Jim's work schedules most likely wouldn't sync but it didn't mean you two couldn't find an hour or two for lazing in bed. You can be doing anything (though it's preferable you focus on Jimmy), as long as he gets to have you curled on his side or caged in an embrace, with his face nuzzled against your exposed skin. His stubble itches and scratches, his brunette locks twist funny in between your fingertips and you have five hours of rest in total with an hour to yourselves, and even then, this right here, is something worth living for.

— you guys have sex all the time. Jimmy doesn't care if anyone hears or complains, they can cover their ears if it disturbs them. To give credit where it's due, he keeps quiet, but absolutely sabotages any attempts you make. Jim's sex drive might have actually increased with a new job, which he fucking loves, finally feeling self fulfilled. If you play your cards right like using praises and specific titles, this would drive Jimmy insane: he wouldn't stop until he passes out from exhaustion.

— Jimmy would say that it's the best time of his life. Stable, respectable job, a fantastic lover on his right side and best friend on the left side. When you get back from hauls, he can't stay on Earth for long, the man becomes easily irritated and restless. During this period, Jimmy gets huge tunnel vision and idolizes everything about his new lifestyle. He will get hurt immensely if you "criticise" Pony Express, or worse, him and his behaviour especially if you two go back before Tulpar. You expressing your unwillingness to continue working at Pony Express would be seen seen as betrayal and Jimmy would take it extremely personal. Good luck! Even when the glow dispels, you'd be lucky if he acknowledges your words at all.

Game scenario

— sometimes, even love is not enough and Jimmy is not an exception. Maybe you weren't in the picture just yet. Maybe he didn't think it through beforehand, assumed it was nothing to sweat about, deluded himself into thinking he was the one manipulated by her, or just acted on his darker, more disturbing and disgusting urges but Jimmy assaulted Anya while being in the relationship with you. It's a sad truth — it's not uncommon for perpetrators to be in the "healthy" relationships while committing SAs towards others.

— Jimmy would go through different stages of guilt and denial. He would think it didn't get to him but unknowingly he became paranoid of you finding out, maybe Jim even had to go out of his way to indirectly threaten Anya to keep quiet. This all came crashing down when he learnt of pregnancy. The mental image of your face upon hearing the truth flashed before his eyes for a split second and it was enough for Jimmy to head to the cockpit..... it was better to end everything now while it was on a positive note.

— you become a much needed mental anchor for Jimmy post crash, even if the accident took a toll on your mental wellbeing. With you around, he could still make it better, he could fix the mess he was thrown into. He was your only hope, your only comfort and salvation, he couldn't let you down. Jim was the captain now and you were his trusty right hand, his "co-pilot". You believed in your partner, right? He tried his best for everyone, for you, you did know that right?

— but no matter how much Jimmy tried, he was still slipping down and down further into the abyss. His hallucinations would get more persistent and deranged: now Jim had to keep his eyes on you constantly, afraid of you suddenly disappearing or finding out about his actions. Bans you from visiting Curly, as he was the sole witness who saw Jimmy crashing the ship, what if he revealed that to you somehow? Previous captain didn't deserve your pity too, it was Curly's fault for putting all of the crew into this situation.

— Jim begun isolating you even more, insisting on following you around or you being close to him, holding you tightly from behind when you slept, too tight sometimes. Would eavesdrop on your conversations with the crew, on a lookout for anyone threatening to take you away from him or tell you most ridiculous lies about him. For each of the crewmates, Jimmy would find a reason for you to avoid them. Would get annoyed if you protested or refused to believe him. Jimmy just wanted the best for you always, why were you so uncooperative and ungrateful?

— why?? WHY?? His fingers slipped, he didn't meant to-- You were beyond horrified when Jimmy emerged from the med bay with a gun in hands, pointing it at Swansea. Previous shock from Anya's and Daisuke's demise hasn't worn off just yet, nothing could prepare you for two gunshots bouncing off the steal hollow walls of the ship, deafening you for a moment. --If only you listened to him just this time, gave him room for explanation, nothing like that would happen-- When you recovered, you turned and run, run, run to anywhere the ship's constraints allowed you, away from Jimmy. The sound of his boots, heavily landing on the metal grates, getting closer terrified you more and more. Deranged yells, cries and scream resounded in the empty dark hallways in a grisly cacophony.

— ...until --he will fix this, his aim was off he didn't mean to shoot you there-- A loud "bang" made you shudder — you fell forward from an acute pain in your back. Like a spear piercing your ribcage, suddenly you couldn't breath -- just stay alive for a little longer, please god just give him some time-- You didn't notice how you were turned and gathered into Jimmy's arms, his hair tickling your face with how close the man got to you. The last face you have seen before your death was of the person you once loved, now wearing expression of sadness, anger and pure desperation, his hands painfully pressing into the gun wound he himself left. The nightmare was over, it was time to wake up-- don't leave me... I love you...you said you loved me too...you said so....you can't leave me now.... please....

[vaguely-concerned]

insane actually how this entire conversation is recontextualized once you know what has actually happened, and the perspectives both people involved are working with. these two are Not having the same conversation and they have no idea. they have no idea!!! I'm going to throw myself into the ocean.

I couldn't decide if I like the stoic or purple option for the last dialogue choice better -- in the purple one it seems like harding thinks rook is deliberately if unusually clumsily trying to cheer her up and take both their minds off varric's death, and her reaction is so warm and quietly charmed and protective; she's looking directly at rook as she says 'I could focus on the people I can help now, *looks away* instead of those I couldn't'. but I think I have to go with the stoic one for rye, if nothing else then for the dramatic irony of having the mage go 'I'm just saying that no one is safe forever, even with magic' and not consciously know what he's actually saying -- what harding is hearing, that this conversation is maybe what makes her think that the subject is still tender enough that rook doesn't want to talk about it yet. 'oh. he does blame himself too he is feeling it even though he doesn't show it most of the time :('. (he IS feeling it and maybe that's what's shining through but he doesn't understand that he is. sick and twisted.) and so they never talk about it. because she's so kind that she takes what she thinks is a signal that it's too much for now seriously and then she's dEAD and they'll never get to talk about it. howling with grief of course in case you were wondering this is awful. and the first time around you have no way of knowing the many levels this conversation is working on at all. I knew the big twist already at this point in my first playthrough (I love a spoiler spoilers give me emotional security), but I still didn't get half the subtleties going on here because some of them are so specific and only make sense when you've been through the whole context. aaaaah

(of course the stoic option could also be read straight in a different setting/with a rook of a different temperament as 'neither of us could have done anything, shit just happens sometimes', depending on your read! but with a mage rook saying this and especially with rye it does very easily take on an undertone of 'well, I already had magic in that moment. and I couldn't protect him either'. which like. fucks me up ngl)

[multific]

My Venus

Dmitri Kravinoff x Reader

Burlesque!AU 

Summary: He was drawn to you.

From the moment his eyes locked with yours.

He knew he had to have you.

You loved to tease men.

It was what you were paid to do.

You had a show, quite popular, they called you Venus Sherry. 

You worked in a bar as a burlesque performer.

Many people, men and women enjoyed your show to the fullest.

At the beginning of each, you would come out of a beautiful shell. Your routine was specifically designed to entertain all. 

But it seemed like you had caught the eye of a young man more than anyone else's in the bar.

Not much younger than you, he always sat at the VIP table with a glass of whiskey in front of him. 

Or could it be that he caught your eye? 

For the last few months, he has been coming to see your shows. He never missed one. 

"Frank? What's the name of the man at the VIP table?" the bouncer looked at you and shrugged his shoulders.

"Some Russian guy. I forgot his name... It was something with the letter D."

Mr D. You decided to call him.

He never gave you the vibes of other guests. They came to enjoy the show, some turned out to be full creeps but not him. He was mesmerized.

His eyes were filled with passion and admiration.

You liked that.

It wasn't only lust.

It was something new.

Something different.

Something exciting.

And it got more and more exciting as the days passed.

Each show you pretended there was no one else, only him and you.

You danced for him. You teased him.

And you smiled at him. 

You never smiled like that at anyone else.

"Frank?" you asked as your door opened.

"Mr D wants to see you." Frank said as you got up from your chair.

You were fully dressed, ready for your show but you had better things to do now.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you approached his desk, he quickly stood up to greet you.

He was short. 

Not like that mattered, but he was handsome, which did matter.

"Ms Venus Sherry, my name is Dmitri Kravinoff. It is a pleasure to meet you, I have been a huge fan of your... work." You handed your hand to him to shake but he kissed the back of it instead. "Please, take a seat."

And you did.

"So, Dmitri, nice to put a name to the face I have been seeing so often."

"May I know the real name of My Venus?"

You smiled at his request but you ended up telling him your name.

There was just something about him.

You needed to know more.

---

Dmitri Kravinoff is possibly the man of your dreams and desires.

He sent you flowers after all of your shows.

Red roses.

To show his love for you.

And you danced for him. 

You feared he only liked you because of Venus. You feared he believed in your illusion too much.

But he didn't.

His eyes said it all.

His eyes looked beyond the costumes and make up.

And so, it didn't take you long to quit your career as Venus Sherry. 

"I will take care of you. I promise." he whispered and he didn't lie. 

Dimitri asked you to move in with him and quit your job. You could see the jealousy in his eyes. 

He only wanted you for him.

"Others get Venus, but you have me as a woman, as Y/N." you told him.

You weren't sure if it was good to fall in love so quickly. But it was so easy to love him.

Not his name, not his business and not his money. But him, Dmitri.

You could tell he did everything to win you over with his money but in the end, it was he who captured your heart. 

You stood out on his balcony, looking over London with a cup of tea in your hands. It was morning, people were going to work as you watched them.

The arms that wrapped around you made you jump and almost spill your tea. 

"You scared me."

"What are you doing up so early?" he whispered into your neck.

"Couldn't sleep." 

"Didn't I tire you out enough?" you smiled at him as he turned you to face him.

"You did. I just have too many thoughts."

"You and your clever mind, My Love. I told you to let them all go."

"I know. And I will." his hand was placed on your cheek before it moved to your temple, he closed his fist as if collecting your thoughts and threw them away. 

"I love you so much." he said to you with a beautiful smile.

"I love you too Dimi."

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~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

/YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE, TO STEAL ANY OF MY WORKS/

[lanawinterscigarettes]

Eager Transaction (Chuck Bass x gn reader)

Summary: you give Chuck a blowjob in order to get him to buy you something

Warnings: SMUT, blowjob (Chuck receiving), light praise kink, swearing, cum swallowing, could be seen as sugar daddy/sugar baby dynamics if you look at it in a certain light

A/N: I feel like Chuck would adore lavishing his partner with all kinds of gifts in general but there are probably certain things you can do to guarantee you'll get what you want quicker if you catch my drift 👀

You were lounging on your bed in the penthouse you shared with your boyfriend, spending the evening by doing some last minute holiday shopping (for both your friends and yourself). Every time you found the perfect gift for them, you looked at getting another for you as a job well done. Who said the season of giving couldn't involve giving a few things to yourself?

Clicking out of your previous tab after another successful order, you scrolled through site after site until your eyes caught onto it. There it was. You'd finally found the one thing you'd been searching for all week.

It had unfortunately been out of stock every time you'd previously checked, but now it was back in. You didn't want to risk waiting to purchase it, but you also couldn't afford to buy something else on top of all the other stuff you'd bought so far, which left you with only one choice left: you'd have to ask Chuck to get it for you.

Picking up your laptop, you left the bedroom and headed into the lounging area of the penthouse where he was looking over some forms for one of the hotels he owned. He didn't even look up when you entered, already suspecting that you wanted something from him. "Yes?"

"Buy this for me," you demanded while placing your laptop down in front of him so he could see the website you had pulled up, not even bothering to say hello first.

The thing that you wanted wasn't really expensive compared to the outrageous amount of wealth he had, but you knew if you made an order and not a request it was a lot more likely he'd comply. You'd learned that the hard way after the last time he strung you along for two weeks straight because you wouldn't stop begging for him to buy you something (hearing you beg was one of his favorite past times so naturally he couldn't resist).

He didn't seem fazed in the slightest by your tone, though you knew if anyone else spoke to him that way they'd be on thin ice immediately. "What for?" He questioned just to mess with you and not out of any real interest, an amused smirk toying with his lips as he glanced up at you.

Not in the mood for his teasing, you blurted out the very first thing you could think of that would definitely sway him in your favor. "Buy this for me and I'll give you head."

When you spoke, it was at the exact same time he'd chosen to take a sip from his glass of whiskey, causing him to nearly choke as he allowed your words to fully sink in. His eyes were wide with shock, but the second it registered in his mind exactly what you'd just said they narrowed with a look of oncoming lust. "Get on your knees," he practically growled.

You didn't need to be told twice, dropping down to the floor on your knees as soon as he told you to. Your hands moved out to unbuckle his belt, but he lightly smacked them away, needing to be in full control of the situation.

"Wait a second first."

A pout formed on your face at his words, but you knew better than to act bratty. He set the laptop off to the side, balancing it on the armrest of his chair before moving his hands to undo his pants and push them down far enough to pull out his length. You could feel yourself already beginning to salivate at the sight of it.

"You know what to do," he lazily drawled before turning his attention back to the laptop so he could view the other things you currently had in your cart. Maybe if you were good he'd decide to get them all at once.

Licking your lips, you leaned forward until your head was level with his crotch and slowly took his cock into your mouth, letting out an eager moan for good measure. Your hands moved to rest on his knees as you began to bob your head up and down, growing a little smug at the groans he was already starting to let out at your current actions.

"Fuck, sweetheart-" he swore under his breath as his legs spread a little further apart, giving you the space to move in closer as your hands traveled from his knees up to his thighs.

You could already taste the salty precum in your mouth, which caused you to moan again, taking him in a bit deeper. One of his hands moved to rest on top of your head, gently guiding your movements.

"That's it, baby, there you go, just like that-" he muttered in a slightly breathless voice, clearly affected by the way your mouth was moving around him.

That wasn't enough for you, though, as you noticed him still glancing at the laptop every now and then. Call you an attention whore, but you wanted him to be focused on you and you alone, so you gripped onto his thighs and dug your fingers into the sides of them to get his attention.

A soft grunt escaped him at the action from you, and he looked down with a stern gaze. "Behave, or I'm not getting you anything at all," he lightly warned, evidently not too fond of what you did.

You whined around his length, the vibrations coming from your mouth causing his head to tilt back some. Once he was distracted again, you took the opportunity to suck a bit harder, your hands gently rubbing his thighs where you'd dug your fingers in as a form of an apology.

"God, baby- Don't stop-" His voice was a bit lower than usual, his hand moving from your head to clutch onto the chair's armrest as he tried to contain himself. You knew from that he was getting close, so you took him in a bit deeper and teased his cock with your tongue, trying to get him to finish.

Your plan worked, because he came not long after that, his hot seed erupting into the back of your throat without any warning other than him letting out a quiet string of swears. Not wanting to waste a single bit of it, you greedily swallowed down every single drop before pulling your mouth off him with a pop.

"Open and let me see," he commanded while reaching his hand down to hold onto your chin so you couldn't move away just yet. You obediently opened your mouth in response to his words and stuck your tongue out, proudly displaying that you'd swallowed it all. He let out a hum in acknowledgement. "Good job."

Beaming at his praise, you simply observed as he tucked his now softening cock back into his pants and zipped them back up. You turned your head and pressed your face into his thigh, giving it an affectionate nuzzle.

"It'll be here sometime next week," he suddenly spoke while helping you up from off the floor and handing you the laptop back, referring to the thing you'd wanted him to buy for you. Somehow he'd managed to purchase it even while you were giving him a blowjob.

You leaned down and gave him a tender kiss, smirking somewhat as you were certain he'd be able to taste himself on your tongue. "Thank you for the gift," you purred out in appreciation before taking the laptop and turning to head back into the bedroom.

His eyes wandered down to your ass as he watched you go, letting out a low whistle that caused your face to heat up slightly. There was definitely going to be a round two later once he was done looking over the hotel forms, he was sure of it.

End notes: this was written purely because I'm a whore for chuck and that's it lmao

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[a-caramel-addict]

I have watched War of the Rohirrim. I have slept on it. It's time to make my unpopular opinion everyone's problem!

Repeat after me:

Wulf didn't deserve to die like that.

Don't get me wrong. I hate him from the bottom of my heart. But he didn't deserve to die the way he did.

He forced Hera to kill him like he tried to force her to marry him.

He got what he wanted ultimately. He was obsessed with Hera. He couldn't be loved by her, he couldn't be satisfied with being her friend. He decided that negative attention was better than being her friend. He chose to be her enemy. He chose to try to kill her whole family. (Not for revenge for his father, no, for attention, for Hera's attention)

Because if he had reached out she would have been his friend, she tried to look for him. But he didn't reach out. He didn't want to be her friend, he wanted to be more. To be one of her most-s. Most hated, most loved, where's the difference.

And this is why I hate him. He didn't deserve to be killed by her. He didn't respect her choice not to marry, he didn't respect her choice to not kill somebody she had called a friend as a child. Even when it was in his interest to respect it. He deserved to be killed by random rider, he deserved to be captured and judged for his crime against the people of Rohan, crimes among which his attempts to get Hera to marry him is unimportant note. So repeat after me:

Wulf didn't deserve to die the way he did.

[pyxrin]

All In Against the House

Aka: A demigod runs into the Task Force 141 while on an undeciphered quest. Unbeknownst to her, she rapidly becomes the only wildcard able to give them the chance to win as the underdogs they have yet to realize they are.

AN: This is my cod/pjo crossover fic I got an itch for, so I started writing this and couldn't stop lmao. Didn't edit, and didn't play the games. This is also my first full blown fic, expect errors. Also haven't decided how long I want chapters to be, but expect them on the longer side. Enjoy! ^-^

4330 words

Chapter 1: Lucky Hates Mexico, but the People Trying to Kill Her are Worse

Not here either.

Lucky has decided that she doesn't really like Mexico. Las Almas at least. It's dusty and brown, but not brown in the way that movies portray Mexico. It's brown in the rotting wood way. In the hundreds of pounds of dirt that coat her already shabby clothes way. In the grimy windows that are barred by similarly brown rusty bars way. However, she can live with brown. Lucky has been everywhere, continental US at least, so she's used to all kinds of colors.

What she isn't used to is not finding what she's looking for. Or rather who. This is the tenth mostly abandoned building she's searched, and her dad wasn't in any one of them. Lucky doesn't know how much longer she can take it. The anticipation of the mostly silent night, broken by the incessant wind, and the knowledge that there are people with guns is killing her.

With every passing minute, she sweats more cold sweat, her hands shake more, and she is this close to crying. This whole town is terrifying and Lucky can't wait to leave, but she can't leave without her dad. She has no clue why that stupid prophecy led her here in the first place!

Lucky has never been unlucky enough to not find something or someone. Normally she doesn't even have to try, so that must mean that her dad isn't here. As such, she should definitely, totally, leave. The gunshots only work to cement her rapidly forming plan to get the hell out of Dodge.

She yelps as the distant sound echoes and crouches down below the windowsill. Lucky's heart pounds as she feels the adrenaline course through her veins. Everything becomes sharper, and the world becomes clearer. Demigod senses and all. 

She takes a moment to collect her very limited nerves before peeking through the window. The coast is clear. Lucky cracks open the door and pokes her head through. She looks both ways before dashing out, instinctively going left. Lucky doesn't need a plan, she just needs to follow her gut, which has never steered her wrong before. Maybe she can steal a car or something. This is as good a time as any to learn how to drive, yeah?

 Lucky sprints through the alleyways, doing her best to be quiet and stick to the shadows. Even if she has weapons, she's never been good at fighting, especially when it's bronze knuckles vs guns. She sees a couple guys down the alley she just turned down. Big fuckers with big guns. Lucky panics. Sure, they're not monsters, but they're just as scary.

She ducks behind the corner of the building. They didn't see her, but if she doesn't do something soon, they will, and they will try to kill her, and Lucky really really doesn't want them to try to kill her. She will cry. And if they kill her, she won't be able to find and possibly save her dad, and if she can't save her dad, whatever stupid fucking cartel that's coming after him will kill him, and they will both be dead and forgotten by everyone who knew them and doomed to spend eternity in the worst, most boring ass afterlife in Hades, who is probably already mad at Lucky because she fully thought he was gray with blue fire hair. Was the other side of the alleyway always as close as it is now? It feels like no matter how deep a breath she takes, she can't get enough air. Shit. She can't be doing this now! Lucky thought she was getting better! That was the whole reason why she thought she was ready to go on this stupid quest! She can't just freeze up and stop breathing every time she encounters an enemy she can't run away or hide from. Fuck! What was that thing that Chiron taught her? Senses! Focus on her senses!

She tastes saliva and dirt, which is wholly unhelpful. She hears the wind whistling through the city, the pounding of her heart, her labored breathing, small chatter, and the crunch of boots on ground that is steadily getting louder. Wait, louder!? Lucky is fucked. So incredibly fucked. What's next? Lucky feels the chill of the night wind, the sweat on her palms, and the roughness of the wall she's pressed up against. Lucky sees very little, but there is a pretty rock right by her feet, about the size of her hand. 

Wait, a rock!

Lucky picks up the rock, leans around the corner where both men are thankfully distracted and not looking, and chucks the rock as far and as hard as she possibly can. It sails over their heads and crashes into some unseen pile of what sounds like metal cans. The two soldiers whip around and immediately race off to find the source. She hears them say something something soap and something something ghost. Are they giving a ghost a bath? Weird.

She doesn't pay it any more mind as she's too busy slipping by into another side street. She takes a moment to catch her breath, leaning against the wall. Her heart rate finally starts going down. That thing that Chiron taught her actually really helped, even if she totally forgot what it’s called. Lucky was actually able to find and solution to her problem instead of just running away. Maybe she can actually do this whole quest thing, even if there's bumps along the way.

Once back to a relative baseline, Lucky stands back to her full height and glances around for an idea of what to do next. She turns to face back just as the soldiers she thought she properly distracted come around where she came from. They look at her. She looks at them. Lucky takes in a large gulp of air.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Soap perks up, dropping the body he just took out. The entirety of Las Almas should've been under military control, and that sounded like a girl's scream. What the hell are civvies doing here? Soap doesn't have time or opportunity to worry about whatever war crimes Graves and his men are committing when he and Ghost were minutes away from joining the list of casualties. Hell, it could even be a trap. Who knows what that wanker's thinking?

The girl will have to be one of the many who haunt Soap after he's gone back to his bed and everything's gone quiet. When he can't help but think about the decisions made and the roads not taken. He grabs anything of use from the bodies before moving in the direction of the church. Ghost is waiting.

He doesn't get far before the girl he was seconds away from abandoning comes flying at him considerably faster than he expected her to. She's just a wee thing. Mousey. Or maybe more rabbit-ey with that pink bandana on her head and the edges of the bow bouncing like that. Certainly a civilian currently being chased by close to a dozen Shadows. It's a wonder she isn't dead yet. All of this passes through Soap's brain in an instant, interrupted only by the girl shouting. “RUN, BITCH! RUN!”

It may be the group of Shadows hot on both of their tails now, but he does exactly as she says.

Lucky doesn't know why she trusts Mohawk, but she does, despite all previous experiences giving her a major distrust in any body that upholds the law. She doesn't know where she picked up the extra soldiers either, but it doesn't matter. They just have to find a place to hide. Hopefully their now bad luck will kick in soon.

She follows Mohawk past a lost car and into the alley just by it. She hears the bullets fly by her to hit the car, as well as a small hissing that she ignores. Lucky glances around and gets an idea, and with how she's slowly catching up to her new friend, she can share the plan too. “Boost me! Left wall!” It's a sheer wall, but the building is low enough that she can scramble up there with a boost.

Mohawk doesn't immediately show signs of hearing her, but he does turn on his feet and interlock his fingers, a perfect jumping pad. Lucky continues her sprint, hopping into his hands and leaping to the edge. The soldier doesn't so much as grunt. She pulls herself up and over in an instant. However, she ain't gonna leave him hanging, so she leans over the edge and holds out her hand.

Mohawk looks suspicious, but the sounds of the rapidly approaching other soldiers changes his mind fast. We'll, as far as Lucky can tell. He jumps and grabs onto her hand. “HO-ly shit! What do they feed you?” This bitch is heavy! With a considerable effort, she is able to tug him up enough for him to grab the ledge.

He's just able to get up there when an explosion echoes in the area, followed closely by screams. Lucky steels herself enough for a peek and finds that that car exploded, the fire and debris blocking the area, as well as a few bodies. An event surely caused by misfortune. She cringes and flops back onto the roof. She didn't think that she would enjoy the feel of shitty gravel digging into her back as much as she is, but clearly a near death experience was enough to give her a fresh perspective on the subject. 

She turns her head to Mohawk who looks like he's buffering. She's used to that look. She sees it a lot when people hang out with her. Demigods or not, none are ever really prepared for her, as Dionysus lovingly calls them, ‘batshit crazy, loony tunes ass shenanigans.’ She can only imagine what a mortal would think. Lucky decides that now is as good a time as any for introductions, if only to distract from the sorta magic she just used.

“Hi, I'm Lucky, well, my real name is Lucille, but everyone calls me Lucky! Nice to meet you. Probably would've been better if we weren't getting shot at, but nothing to change that now. Sorry. I talk a lot. At least I’m entertaining! Most of the time; I’ve been told to shut up a whole lot over the past couple years. It kinda sucks, but I understand, not everyone likes listening to a yapper. Actually, I think I’m gonna take their advice now and shut up. Sorry.” Lucky talks even more than normal when nervous,and the more she talks the more likely she is to overshare. Lucky doesn’t want to give away her life story to this stranger, for a multitude of reasons, so being quiet is definitely the best option, despite how she itches to speak and words bubble just below the surface.

Mohawk decides on what to say, for some reason. Introductions aren't that hard, and she knows that he knows English because he did what she said earlier. Her musings are interrupted when he finally huffs. “Steamin’ Jesus, Ahve ne’er bin on a op this weird. Ahm Soap.”

She takes a moment, asks him to repeat what he said. He does, the last part at least, but that doesn’t help at all. Lucky frowns. She... didn't understand a word of what Mohawk said. Like. At all. She's been in life and death situations before, and her ears worked perfectly fine then, and it doesn't feel like she's having a stroke. Aren’t you supposed to smell toast when that happens? Lucky smells nothing but gunpowder, dust, and the burning car. Not that she knows what strokes feel like, or smell like, for that matter. There's only one possibility left. "Did my dyslexia move to my ears?" She asks herself quietly.

He must've heard her because Mohawk bursts out laughing. It makes Lucky jump and her heart rate spike for a moment before she calms. Mostly. She thinks he's much too loud when there are other big ass soldiers on the hunt for them. He's doing like a full-on belly laugh, and Lucky didn't even make a joke! "Ahm Scottish, ye wee lass!" She stares blankly at him for a full minute before she’s able to figure out what the hell he just said. It dawns on her. Lucky’s eyes widen and her mouth drops. She points at him.

“Oooh! You’re Scottish! Fuck!” She exclaims. This is bad. Lucky is very stupid, and even if her dyslexia hasn’t officially migrated to her ears too, yet, the ADHD that comes with the whole demigod thing makes piecing anything that takes more than a modicum of effort incredibly difficult. Wait. what she just said probably sounds really insulting now that she’s thinking about it, and she really doesn’t want to make an enemy of her new friend. “Wait wait wait! I swear I wasn’t trying to insult you or your heritage. I think Europeans are cool! Not that I’ve met all that many, but still! Really it’s my bad because I’m kinda dumb and really bad at words and shit, so it can be hard for me to know what people say sometimes, especially with heavy accents. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean anything bad! Please don’t try to kill me!” She waves her hands wildly in the hopes of conveying her sincerity.

Lucky’s panicked rambling causes Soap to panic. He just got this girl, and they are in an incredibly dangerous situation; he does not need her freaked out and likely to add to the already very high risk they’re in. He puts his hand over her mouth. She quiets and blinks at him owlishly. “Relax. Ahm Soap.” Lucky finds that his accent isn't as thick this time. Thankfully, she can actually understand him.

After a moment, he removes his hand, but not before staring at her intently to make sure she doesn't restart her tirade. She doesn't. Instead Lucky spouts the first thing that comes to mind. “Like the thing you should never ever drop in the prison showers?” 

Soap sighs heavily and holds his breath to keep his chuckles at bay. It is criminal how good Lucky is at disarming situations “Aye.” She nods with a grim expression. Lucky thinks it's a very unfortunate nickname. Poor guy, he seems like a very nice person, and having a silly nickname is an easy way for people to make fun of someone. She could also see people making fun of his mohawk. 

Lucky figures that this is as good a time as any to ask the important questions. “So what now? Do you have a way out and can I come with?” She prays to her mom that he says yes to both questions. She can’t wait to get out of this fucking city.

“Maybe and aye. Ye were coming with me anyway. No place for a civvie.” He seems to say that last part quietly, but it doesn’t escape Lucky’s ears. She doesn't know what a civvie is, but it feels insulting. Whatever it is, she doesn't want to be it. She can ask him about it later, when they aren't hiding from soldiers who want them dead. 

She peeks over the edge. The coast seems to be clear, and Lucky knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. (Are gift horses prone to biting?) She waves Soap over, who pokes his head over the edge beside her. He jumps down and looks up at her, holding out his arms as if he wants to catch her. As if!

Lucky has fallen down larger heights before, imagine her getting help for going down a building that's barely two stories tall? Insulting. Lucky sticks out her tongue at him and jumps down herself. She lands in a perfect tuck and roll. She didn't have to, but she wanted to show off. Lucky has to impress her new friend. They can be hard to find when it feels like every third person who shows interest in her is actually a monster who wants to eat her or some shit.

She dusts herself off and gestures for Soap to go ahead of her. The flaming car blocks the way they came, so the only way is through the maze of alleyways. Soap walks ahead, murmuring something about a lost bird. Lucky couldn't hear him all that well over the ambient noise. Are all military guys this weird? She kinda hopes she doesn't find out. 

Lucky follows Soap, yapping the whole way. “Y'know if every town in Mexico is like this one, I don't wanna come back, but I kinda have to stay in the country for a while until I find my dad. Or I guess I figure out what my actual quest is. I have the prophecy written on a paper, but I'm not very good at figuring out riddles. I think it means that I'm supposed to find my dad. I hope it does at least. I miss him.”

Soap occasionally replies, but his focus seems to be split between her, finding their way, and talking to the demons in his head. He doesn't tell her to shut up though, which is nice. Lucky does earn herself some very weird looks, which makes sense considering that she's talking about demigod stuff, which she really shouldn't, but it's not like it makes a difference. He won't understand. 

“I feel like we totally should've just stuck to the roofs. They're more fun and it's not like anyone looks up anyways. It's safer. Besides, then I can do some cool flips and shit. I know how to do a back-flip and a front-flip. They honestly weren't that hard to learn, but you have to just fully commit to it-” Soap has gotten really comfortable with just putting a hand over her mouth. Lucky is tempted to lick it in retaliation. Not yet.

She learns the reason he did that when she hears the chatter. Lucky freezes. She hopes that Soap knows what to do. She assumes that he does when he pushes her into the shadows, and the wall that is a foot or so inside them. Normally, the brunette girl isn’t quite so happy to be manhandled, but given that she is in mortal danger, she is more than happy to be pushed around if it makes her safer. He gives her a stern look before slipping away.

Lucky doesn't bother to ignore the sounds of flesh being cut into and the soft splatters of blood on the cobbled street. As long as the blood and gore isn't her blood and gore or the blood and gore of people she cares about, she's okay. She comes around the corner, stepping around the bodies with a little “Excuse me. Sorry. Coming through. Good stab? Yeah, good stab, Soap.” She also ignores the weird look Soap gives her. What? Is he not used to fully grown, and most definitely mostly matured adults being desensitized to viscera? Whatever. “So where are we even going? Are we gonna jack a car or something?”

Soap clears his throat and starts walking again, Lucky picking up the pace to keep up with his long ass legs. “Aye, we probably will. We're meeting up with a mate o' mine at the church over there.” He gestures vaguely in the direction they're going in. 

“You were talking to someone!? Not gonna lie, I kinda thought that you were going crazy or something, not that I would've minded. … Okay, I would've minded a little. I just don't wanna get axe murdered! You know what I mean? Is your friend a ghost?” Lucky asks amongst other things. To his credit, Soap doesn't seem surprised in the slightest, and after a moment of what seems to be intense concentration, he replies.

“...Aye, kind of. How did ye ken that?” He stops walking, turns around, and eyes her up and down. Just a quick glance, but it's more than enough to set Lucky’s nerves of edge. She must've said something to upset him. Lucky hopes it's not to the point that he wants to kill her.

“Sorry! Don't be mad! Before I ran into you I heard some of the soldiers talking about finding some soap and a ghost. Since you're the soap, I figured your friend would be the ghost.” She explains hurriedly. Soap nods and resumes walking. Lucky breathes a sigh of relief. She passed the test. She bounces after him.

 In an unspecified amount of time which could've ranged anywhere from five minutes to 45, Lucky has actually gotten Soap to open up to her a little! He even asked about her deck of cards that she had pulled out during that time to fidget with. She said that it's a gift from her dad and her most prized possession, great for magic tricks too! They’re coming up on the church. She can see it over the roofs of some of the buildings, and they haven't even encountered any more of those bitch ass soldiers who suck at taking out two guys and her. She legally gets to make fun of them because they're not here and can’t hurt her

Maybe the real missing dad, and the object of her quest, were the friends she made along the way. Actually… maybe Lucky doesn't really want Soap to be her dad or missing. Soap would probably be one of her older brothers if anything, the kind that would throw her head first in a pool, then Lucky would flail around uselessly, he would immediately panic and jump in to save her. She would bleach his hair while he sleeps in retaliation.

They resume their journey to the unnamed church to meet with Casper and get the fuck out of this shit town. Maybe she can take them with her? Being at camp has gotten her used to having people around and not having people around for the past few months has been hard. No matter what happens, Lucky will follow Soap.

Lucky almost curses again upon seeing the amount of soldiers just idling about. Waiting for them certainly. “Shadows.” Soap murmurs. Lucky wants to correct him because those are people and that's an edge lord ass name if that's what their group is called. He leads her off to the side, they jump over a white car and over a fence. They slip into a shop where Soap scrounges around for… stuff? Lucky doesn't know, but he finds something he likes. She respects the stealing grind regardless.

Lucky watches his piece the stuff together quickly. That look in his eyes really reminds her of the kid who made her brass knuckles. She taps her fingers on her legs anxiously. Even if her nerves weren't as high as they are, she needs something to do. Not even a minute passes and Soap finishes with his tinkering. Oh she really wants to talk right now, to cut the tension which feels electric. She walks over to the side by the counter, drumming on it.

Soap starts opening the door, and her senses sharpen again. The world slows down, and the glint of a gun flashes in the low light. A gun just past the door Soap is opening. He's going to get shot. Cold fear freezes her core. It isn't like her normal fear, which is jittery and overwhelming. That fear causes her to run for her life. This fear causes her to act. Lucky can't lose anyone else, certainly not someone who she's only just got the chance to know. 

Her body moves before her mind does. Lucky drives forward, ramming her shoulder into Soap's gut. With adrenaline, demigod strength, and her own musculature behind her, she has enough strength to tackle him to the side just as the door bursts open. Lucky feels a pressure in her side as a shot goes off. They both hit the ground with a thud. 

Lucky pushes off of his chest and whirls around, digging her toes into the floor to take out the monster before it can take them out. Before she can change her rings into their bronze knuckles form, another shot rings out and the monster collapses. Her chest heaves, but Lucky knows it isn't over yet. Those gunshots surely alerted the other monsters in the area. 

She stands as Soap does. He claps her back with a quick, “Thanks, lass,” but his gaze is sharp and she hears a muffled voice through his earpiece. Before she knows what's going on, he tugs her into a full sprint. They burst out of the door and Soap throws what he was working on. It explodes and smoke billows out.

Chaos erupts. She can't see shit, but she hears every last shout and firing of a gun. Lucky feels Soap's tight grip on her wrist as he pulls her, her legs are pumping and she keeps pace, her head ducked. 

They leave the smoke, dodging and weaving between any cover they can get to. Lucky's luck keeps bullets away, but they still have to be on their toes. Soap fires back some of his own. Lucky looks to their destination, a truck idling.

A bullet whizzes by her and smacks into the truck just as they get in arm's reach of it. Soap pulls the door open and all but throws Lucky in before jumping in himself, shutting the door as the driver peels out.

Lucky looks up at the incredibly large man, larger than Soap even, from her sprawled out, partially pinned state. Even his side profile is intimidating. This must be Casper. Soap turns around to keep shooting behind them, at the Shadows trying to stop their getaway, and Lucky tries to scramble out from under him, only to hiss in pain. She glances down to see a bloody hole in her side only partially hidden by her large unzipped jacket. 

“Fuck!”

[realcube]

dilf december

day twenty ⭑ yaku morisuke ⭑ free!

tags: fluff & dilf!yaku

there was a particular leisure centre that yaku liked to frequent during his retirement, for both it's abundant amenities and salacious eye-candy.

as an ex-athelete, he wanted to remain in peak physical condition for as long as possible, since retirement was not an excuse to let himself go. thus, he was up at 6AM sharp every morning and was always one of the first people to arrive at the centre. today, this meant he had the pool all to himself for a while.

bar you, of course, the lifeguard who was being paid to oversee a basically deserted pool.

despite the fact he was the only person in the water, he expected you to be a bit more subtle while watching him, but instead your pericing stare was fixed to him the entire time, following his every move. it was as though your eyes were boring holes into the side of his head. it was quite distracting, and being watched with such scrunity wasn't a pleasant so after around ten mintues, he hauled himself out of the pool and sauntered over to your tall lifeguard chair, holding his towel under his arm.

"is there a problem, hun?" he wasn't typically one to refer to women he doesn't know with pet names, but he did so deliberately on this occassion so his inquiry didn't come off as abrasive.

"no, sir." you shake your head, looking down at him from the top of the chair. "sorry, i didn't mean to stare. it's just that i think i recognise you.. you're a pro volleyball player, right?"

his brows knit together, forming a skeptical expression, "former volleyball player, yeah." he was unsure at whether you were just trying to toy with him, but his lips couldn't help but pull into a slight smirk, not only at the fact he was recognised as an athlete, but at how you are the one who acknowledged him.

meanwhile, your eyes light up and a bright smile spreads across your face as your theory is confirmed and you realise it's really him. and though you were a bit far, from what you could see, he looked even better than you remembered. he stood at the bottom of your chair, clad in a pair of red swimming trunks, with a towel tucked under his arm. he was shirtless, which revealed his toned phyisque, only accentuated by the droplets of water clinging to his biceps, giving him an alluring sheen.

"mhm, i remember you were in the russian volleyball league. i used to be a massive fan." your legs sway with excitement in your chair, which made yaku truly suspicious of whether you were just putting on an act to flatter him or if you genuinely are just so damn cute.

"used to be?" he quirks an eyebrow, shifting his weight on to one leg.

"well, after their amazing libero left, i wasn't so interested anymore." you say with a hum of laughter.

"are you working for tips or something?" he asks, only half-jokingly.

and you heartily chuckle in response, brushing off his comment as though it was complete nonsense, "tips as a lifeguard? i wish."

"what else do you want from me, then? if not money." he insists, light-heartedly. perhaps you weren't just trying to appeal to him for a tip; he developed a tendacy to doubt his own success and impact since his retirement and retreat from the limelight, so there was a chance that you really were a fan of his work at the russian volleyball super league. still, you decided to tease you.

and you played along with the joke by pursing your lips and tapping them with your index finger, humming and pretending to think hard before asking, "could i maybe get an autograph, please?"

yaku's eyes widened, but quickly masked his surprise with a veil of confidence as he gestures for you to come down from your lifeguard chair, "how could i say no to such a well-mannered girl?"

you titter to yourself, until you realise he is being serious. then, with a loud gasp, you swiftly push yourself off your chair and climb down, gracefully landing on the edge of the pool and rushing over to yaku's side. you clasp your hands together in front of him and with starry eyes, you ask, "really?"

"yeah." he nods, crossing his buff arms over his chest, "do you have a pen?"

you pat around in your pockets and managed to find a black sharpie in one of them, so you hand it to him, "could you sign the back of my hand, please?"

he tilts his head, somewhat bemused, and he questions, "are you sure you want me to write on your skin?" he gently takes your hand in his much bigger and damper one, grazing your soft skin with his thumb, "i can do it if you're really sure. it's just i have two kids so trust me, i know how hard it can be to wash sharpie off skin."

you blink, your cheeks growing hotter with each passing second with how delicately he was holding your hand in own. "uh, you're right." you stagger, not wanting to disagree with him, "could you do my phone case instead?"

"sure." he shoots you a warm smile.

with a massive grin plastered on your face, you scamper oover the wet tiles to pull out your phone from your bag which was laying nearby, at the foot of the lifeguard chair. once you got it, you dash back over and hand it to yaku, who scribbles his signature over the back in one swift motion.

when you hands it back, you cling to it happily, and chirp, "thank you so much, sir! this means a lot to me; you were always my favourite volleyball player. you're kids are so lucky to have such a talented father to teach them how to play." until now you were able to contain your incessant fangirling, but now it seemed to come pouring out of you all at once.

not that yaku seemed to mind, in fact he was quite appreciative and thought your rambling made you even cuter. "thank you, sweetheart. but my kids aren't that interested in volleyball." his voice trails off as he speaks.

"that's a shame." you pout, tensing up at the shift in tone from upbeat to sombre. none the less, you try your best to sympathise with him, "i'm sure when they grow up they'll realise how lucky they are. plus, if they don't like volleyball, that means they will introduce you to a new sport that you can learn together!"

"right. my oldest is into swimming at the moment, which is why i am here."

"oh, are you going to teach them how to swim? that is so cute!" you place your hand over your heart, and swoon over how adorable that sentiment is.

yaku chuckles at your reaction, and assures you, "i'm trying, but i don't think i am good enough yet to teach."

"well, i actually happen to run swimming lessons here at the lesiure centre on tuesdays and wednesdays."

your innocent comment ignites something within yaku, and gives him an idea, "do you offer private lessons?"

your eyes widen. although you never originally intended to do private lessons, you found it hard to say no to him, "i could."

"perfect. let's start." he says with a wink, turning on his heels and diving into the water, catching you in the splash-zone in the process.

[verycoolusername1]

But I'm So Blue

Summary: In which you see Jamie with a woman and you get the wrong idea...

Track 4 of fruitcake - cindy lou who

A/N: Cindy Lou Who breaks my heart every time I listen to it but fear not this has a happy ending!

And my first jamie imagine, so happy he made a full recovery :)

There's another upload for fruitcake later today and for those that have sent in requests, I haven't forgotten about them I swear!!!

You've only been talking to Jamie for a couple of weeks. The two of you never had a chance to meet up due to his conflicting schedule and for you to not live in the US.

Jamie was on holiday break now, so he was able to come to Canada to see his family and finally go out with you.

Your heart raced as you saw his name pop up on your phone, a short text.

Jamie: Just landed :))

You smiled at the text and turned your phone off. Who knew waiting in line at a coffee shop could be so time consuming.

You decided to let Jamie settle in and hang out with his family for the day before you two go out. Being on a plane for hours is bound to make someone extra tired.

You got your coffee and went on to do your errands for the rest of the day, spending your day off not doing the one time you wanted to do: rest.

You laid in bed as the night light up the sky, feeling bored you decided to text Jamie.

You: how has your day been?

Jamie immediately texted you back, you chuckled at the fact before reading the message.

Jamie: it's been good! Always nice to see the fam :)

You smiled softly at Jamie's text, he began to type leaving you wonder what he's gonna say next.

Jamie: wanna go out for coffee tomorrow? I'd love to see you in person.

Your breath hitched at the text, your heart racing as you struggled to come up with a response.

You: I would love to! How does 9am sound?

Jamie: Sounds good!

You smiled softly as you turned your phone off before drifting to sleep, excited for what to come.

You woke up several hours with a huge grin on your face, today was the day and you couldn't help feeling like you won a golden ticket.

You got dressed and was out the door in seconds.

You reached the coffee restaurant and you felt your heart shatter in two, you saw Jamie with someone... a woman. You couldn't see her face as Jamie laughed to whatever she was saying.

Jamie saw you and his eyes light up which definitely did not match the fire burning in yours.

You began to walk off before Jamie ran out of the restaurant after you.

"Wait Y/n, where are you going?" Jamie asked.

"Oh really you don't know what I saw in there?" You turned around and laughed sarcastically.

Jamie looked at you in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You could have told me you were seeing someone else! I mean really jamie!" You exaggerated.

"Y/N let me explain, it's not what you think." Jamie tried to reassure you.

"Oh really tell me then Jamie, go ahead!" You were fuming.

"That woman... that you saw me with. She's my mom." Jamie explained.

Jamie opens his phone and showed you a photo of the two of them, you immediately relaxed and you grew embarrassed.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry-" "No you don't have to apologize, just a little misunderstanding. You had every right to get mad at me. I'm sorry for not telling you about my mom."

You nodded slowly. "Right."

Jamie smiled softly as he held your arms. "So we're good?"

You smiled. "Yeah, yeah, we're good."

Jamie pulled you in a hug. "God, you look even better in person."

You laugh softly in his embrace. "Can we go on that date now?"

Jamie grins. "Yeah, yeah, we can."

[rekino2114]

Snowball fight with arei nageishi

Holiday post #7

Pairing:arei nageishi x gn reader

A/n:I don't really know what to say here but I wanted to fill the space sooooo arei is great....that's it

"Hey look it's snowing!"

You turned towards arei who was pointing at the snow outside through your window

"Oh yeah it is"

"Can we play outside?"

"Like in the snow?"

"Duh"

"Why?"

"Cause it's fun"

"We aren't children anymore"

"Oh what so only children can play in the snow now?"

You giggled and grabbed your coat

"Calm down I was joking, just make sure to dress warmly, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry"

She put on her winter attire, which consisted of a blue jacket, a beanie, and a scarf and gloves, and you did the same and went outside

"It looks beautiful"

Arei didn't answer you as she immediately feel into the snow and started making a snow angel while laughing

Seeing her so happy warmed your heart, so you decided to do the same. You went near her and started making a snow angel, too. Until you saw her get up and run towards the other side

"Hey what are you doing?"

"Having fun"

You smiled and got up, dusting the snow from your jacket. You were about to look back at arei when you heard her speak

"Hey babe, catch!"

"Huh-"

Before you could even respond you were hit with a snowball right in the face, when you shrugged off the cold sensation you looked up to see arei giggling to herself

"Hey no fair"

"Eh, did you think I was only good at bowling?"

"I was distracted, that's against the rules"

"Too bad, we didn't set any rules"

"Two can play at that game"

While arei was busy laughing you picked up a snow ball and threw it at her face instead

"Hey!"

"It doesn't feel good does it?"

"Tch"

She got mad and started throwing more snow balls. You tried to run, but she got you with her good aim, so you retaliated by throwing even more snow balls

The situation soon developed into a full-on snow ball fight, but your irritation very soon turned into happiness, you started laughing while hitting your girlfriend and being hit.

As you launched another snow ball you felt yourself getting tired, arei hit you once again and you decided to end the fight, falling in the snow in the same position you and the blue haired girl were in before the fight started

"Hey what's wrong tired already?"

You saw her face smirking at you as she held up a hand to help you get up

"Yeah, it's cold too"

"It's snow, what did you expect?"

"How are you not cold?"

"I dunno, I guess I'm just better at you"

"At handling cold temperatures. That's a very specific thing to brag about"

She giggled and laid down on the snow next to you

"Come on you know I'm just teasing you"

"Yeah, I know"

You closed your eyes and let the cold breeze and snow hit your face for a bit, you then felt a hand wrap around your gloved one, you opened your eyes and looked to your right where you saw arei giggling at the fact that she could see her own breath. When she noticed you looking at her, she turned towards you and stared back at you

"Oh yeah, thanks for letting me spend winter break with you, by the way?"

"Did you seriously think I'd let you go back to your family?"

"Fair"

You felt arei's gaze on you soften as she was thinking

"........still thanks"

"Don't thank me, it's the least I could do, you're the girl I love after all"

"......yeah, I love you too"

She kissed your cheek and licked a bit of the snow off your face

"Blergh! It's cold!"

You couldn't help but laugh at that

"It's snow, what did you expect?"

She laughed a bit too and sighed

"......hey you wanna go back inside and cuddle?"

"The cold is finally catching up to you?"

"Nah, I just miss you"

"OK, just remember we also have to do our homework"

"Eh? They gave us homework?"

"Yeah obviously, it's winter break,....you didn't know?"

She just stood up and started running towards the door, you sighed but smiled at her as you started following her

[dotthings]

The Sam v Dean drama in Torn and Frayed -- Dean apologies for the fake text, Sam has yet to apologize for how he's behaved about Benny, and while I understand Sam and his insecurities and why he's being a controlling little brother with a 'tude...Dean is much more able to admit when he's wrong. And Sam has yet to give a solid reason why it's so impossible for him to give Benny any benefit of the doubt at all, while Dean is telling the whole truth about Benny and his innocence, as Sam just keeps brick walling Dean about it.

When Sam is being honest and communicating effectively is when he tells Dean exactly why the fake text from Amelia was so upsetting to him and it's because of the fear of losing people they love and something that Sam knows Dean has a fear of as well, so for Dean to do that to Sam, Sam felt that was too much. Which is fair. Note that this is the reason--the fear of losing loved ones, which is very real for both brothers.

Amelia insists Sam give up his other life entirely--without her knowing anything about it. And I think that's what doomed it. Note by contrast, Lisa offered Dean an inbetween, she dismissed the absolute, the either/or. They can make their own rules. Dean and Lisa did make that work for a time and had a better chance therefore than Sam and Amelia because there was no in between or compromise offered.

Sam on his part could also have told Amelia the truth about his life and given her a chance to respond and decide if she wanted to give it a try. But I think how Amelia spoke about Sam having to be all in or all out signaled to Sam that Amelia wouldn't have handled the truth well. I don't think he was guessing wrong on that, because Amelia seems like she wouldn't be able to handle bringing that into her life. Lisa seemed more willing to make adjustments and try to roll with it so long as there were some boundaries. Remember that the reason Lisa kicked Dean out wasn't because they couldn't make that balance work, it's because she didn't know Dean had been turned into a vampire and was protecting Ben from himself when Dean shoved Ben away. If Dean had told Lisa the truth, they would have had more of a chance. But Amelia...she doesn't seem in any way ready for all that. Even though she does love Sam.

So Sam and Amelia needed each other when they found each other but it isn't something that was sustainable.

With Benny, I cannot a single reason why Dean had to cut Benny off fully except there had to be drama for plot reasons. It's straining credulity a little, tbh. Benny fits in Dean's weird hunting life, he doesn't ask for much, he's not demanding Dean give up anything, he just wants a friend to talk to once in a while.

So I don't think Dean made the right call there and Sam was in fact pressuring Dean so hard about it and being so controlling and rigid about the Benny issue, so Dean felt like he had to give up Benny as a concession to Sam, while Sam dropped Amelia. It doesn't feel right. Sam going with Amelia would have fully upended their lives. Dean keeping Benny as a friend would not. It's not an even trade.

Torn and Frayed is the most depressing episode of S8. Cas in the wind back to Heaven, Benny cut off, Amelia ditched.

I don't think canon intends this to be the bestest thing ever. The last moments of the ep are depressing--even the music is conveying misery, and Sam and Dean look deflated and grim. I don't even feel like they chose each other for each other, they chose each other for the sake of the mission. Duty. Because of the high stakes of what they're up against and so they have to sacrifice everything for the team. And Dean gets pressured and boxed in to an absolute when it wasn't even necessary, to prove...what. That he loves Sam? He's loyal to Sam? How much more chunks of flesh does Dean have to rip off to prove that?

Nothing about this is saying they're happy, nothing about it says they don't care about Cas or Benny or Amelia. I'm not going at canon here, the canon intent is to explore these issues and is being self-critical and showing the costs. It's not that it's wrong for Sam and Dean to remain a team, but the canon is absolutely not showing this as their only happiness or that the only thing Sam and Dean care about is each other. It's sad because it's supposed to be sad. It's complicated.

[dirthamen-enjoyer]

please remember that this is all my personal thoughts and i might be wrong about some of the things. it is critical. this started off as one specific topic about solas and then ended up turning into more of a ramble. i guess? anyways spoilers for veilguard under the keep reading line.

i wish my brain worked properly sometimes because i really want to know why i feel like they didn't write solas cohesively enough. to me, he is the best part of datv. and no, it's not because i romanced him in inquisition. actually, i could never finish his romance because he was such a know-it-all and it would annoy me lol. (it's because i'm a know-it-all and know-it-alls tend to clash. i plan on forcing myself through it one day though.) despite him annoying me, i liked him as a character. i liked his reveal, the moral greyness of him.

i think mainly my problem is how they presented his morals and why he wants to tear down the veil. it feels like they couldn't decide how to focus him. so originally he's tearing down the veil because it was a mistake and wants the world to go back to the way it was so the days of the ancient elves - specifically after the evanuris are gone - could return, at least that's what i got from it.

then at the beginning of veilguard, it suddenly it feels like tearing the veil down is just a byproduct of him needing to move the last of the evanuris to a better prison. huh? in my head i always thought that solas was ready to fight the evanuris when the veil is brought down because he's willing to take the risk of dealing with them just to bring the old world back. maybe that's too headcanon-y? also i never got around to reading the books or comics fully so i might have missed some details.

then at the end it's "i must do this for mythal or her sacrifice would be for nothing" or whatever he said. huh? i don't get why it's suddenly about mythal, even with the regret murals showing how close they were. it should be about him and all he sacrificed, only for it to not go the way he wanted. without even talking about what was revealed in the regrets murals, he sacrificed the world he knew to lock the evanuris (and forgotten ones) away to try and make life better for the common elves, the slaves.

i don't know how well that last paragraph comes off. i'm just saying that it felt like it didn't belong. his whole story is about regrets, yes. makes sense. he regrets the events that happened because of the veil mistakenly happening. he regrets what's in the murals (which i might talk about in another post because :/) but the game acts like him tearing down the veil is just selfish. there's no other nuance there, it's just selfish. huh? there is so much nuance to this position, in my opinion, that i can't even figure out how to write it.

okay so i've officially lost my train of thought about this original topic, which means i don't know what else to put. i'll just say that i feel dumb that i don't understand it while it feels like everyone else does. also i don't understand why i dislike how everything ended for him. it was like someone punched me when lost elf started playing because this ending didn't feel right. and i don't know why. (that one ending... "i am a god!" bffr he would NAWT FUCKING say that.)

also let me just quickly state that i do not think they should have made the evanuris, and elves, originally spirits. it takes away the fantasy in a the fantasy story, is the best way to say it. i know it sounds weird, but... mysteries are good. not everything needs an explanation. we could have had the mystery of "what were the evanuris?" if they kept them as just gods instead of explaining them. just have the reveal be that the gods weren't good to their subjects and are all-powerful. no need to explain all the time.

this has nothing to do with how much i wanted to fight actual gods (i did. i wanted to go up against actual gods other than the archdemons. and we know that reveal :/ ) or even how much more impactful it would have made solas's history.

[all-pacas]

the houseswapped au is fascinating to me. how do you think chase hires his fellows in this au, and how do their interviews go?

@ppthsworstlapdog has gone into this a bit i think - but here's my take, because i agree, this au is incredible, the universe that keeps giving:

Chase probably had a couple fellows before House (much as House had a few before Chase in the 'real' world). He's less abrasive, but his apathy and less-than-involved teaching style made him shed fellows pretty quickly: Chase didn't really want a fellowship; Foreman probably foisted it on him, and Chase passive-aggressively ignored his applicants until they quit or found other jobs. House interviewed because, hello, diagnostics? Mystery cases? It-doesn't-matter-if-you're-nice-it-matters-if-you're-right? and Chase hired him because why not, he doesn't really care.

House's interview did not go well. He more or less interviewed Chase; is his reputation bullshit? Is he really that cool? What happened to his back? What's his deal? Anyone else would have been offended, and it's not like Chase loved it (or answered any of the questions), but… I think he understood the nosiness/curiosity as a form of caring and passion; House wants to know things, he's interested, he's engaged, and it's been a long fucking time since Chase did. He never really wanted to be a doctor, he never even really wanted to start a Diagnostics department, and House's blatant excitement was… nice. Genuine.

For a while it was just the two of them, but House was naturally a problem child from day one, starting the tradition of breaking an entering and really pushing Chase down the road of Malpractice Medicine (not that Chase was all that inclined to not break the law beforehand, of course. They just made one another Worse.) Foreman wanted House fired almost from day one, Chase by this point likes House and is passive-aggressive at the best of times…

He hires Wilson.

Chase was theoretically always hiring, although again in practice he never had a single interview or was all that interested. (Sometimes, okay, if there was a female applicant and she wasn't too young… but he wasn't interested in hiring, just using it as the world's laziest dating service.) House had thrown Wilson's application into the pile and Chase had figured out it was House's doing (House only has one friend, and why would an oncology resident even apply for this?), but he still couldn't be bothered to hire him……… until he did.

Wilson's interview went okay. Wilson was trying to impress and it worked, but Chase had already decided to hire him and didn't really care about him or what he said. But… actually, he gets along with Wilson in this universe. Wilson's great at the manipulation and smarm school of malpractice, and just off his first divorce, and Chase is kind of like………oh, same hat. Oh, a romantic disaster who likes to pretend to be nice to people. I can deal with this. In a way, he probably gets along with Wilson better than House, which is in its own way a weird fucking love triangle situation: House and Wilson have only been friends a couple years, are not fully intertwined and obsessed, Chase is House's mentor, thanks, lay off Wilson, it gets kind of weird.

House actually looks up to Chase in his own weird stalkery House way (going through Chase's trash, etc.), and Wilson isn't actually here to undermine his boss; Chase is also really good at his fucking job and gets to use all his perceptive asskissing powers to keep the kids in line. That said, there are definitely moments where the two of them sort of… overpower Chase with force of personality, not least because Chase is not super interested in being a boss, being any kind of leader; he's here to do his job and try and teach and what the kids do in their time isn't his problem as long as they don't undermine him. Which means that often House kind of acts like he's in charge and gets away with it because he's the strongest personality in the room.

This probably led to a The Mistake or even a Nobody's Fault type scenario, where House goes too far, does his House thing and gets someone killed. Chase goes to bat for him, but the whole thing is a mess and gets written off as failure to supervise; Chase gets a brief suspension… and more than that, it drives him to realize that maybe the dynamic is a bit fucked.

So he hires Cuddy.

Again, he was "always" "hiring," just not actually doing interviews or reading resumes. Chase is assertive and sticks up for himself, but he also doesn't care or really want to overrule his team when it's not medically necessary; he sees Cuddy and her medical administration degree and goes you know what could be interesting. She's a completely strategic hire, he hires her to balance out the teams and provide a counterweight to House so he doesn't have to be one. (Chase is a good strategist and a lousy leader.) He doesn't know that she and House are already acquainted at the time, but when he finds out he thinks it's absolutely a plus. Cuddy sort of struggles with the medical/diagnostic elements of the job, but she's really good at dealing with people — difficult patients and House — so she slots into the group really nicely. She's furious when she finds out Chase didn't hire her for her medical skills, though. ("What medical skills?", House asks.)

Once House leaves the team, hiring gets much easier, because he doesn't have to hire based on group dynamics anymore lmao. And, you know… he likes his team. He likes his weird dysfunctional kids. He even gets better at mentoring/teaching after a few years. Kutner and Thirteen are just normal hires who Chase picks because he likes them and thinks they're smart. Amber kind of doesn't work out — he picked her for her House-ish qualities and then realized he doesn't love those qualities when they're not on his favorite student — but by the time he hires Park, Chase is basically just going out of his way to hire misfits who are struggling in other jobs and grooming them into deeply capable doctors, so he does eventually learn.