#i do like kissing him a bit better than the dialogue option here

[arendaes]

Was going through my Steam screenshots on my Steam Deck and came across this one from my Wildermyth playthrough a few months back...

And now with this dialogue from Dance of Masks...I have incurable brainrot for this man. Sorry not sorry everyone.

[galedekarios]

gale's early access dialogue transcripts - part 1: the three tadpole dreams

in early access, the dreams would only happen, if you used your tadpole powers, be that via the conversation options or the skills in your skill bar. much like the guardian now, you could customise your dream visitor. however, before you did so, the game posed a different question to you:

who do you dream of at night?

the question set the tone for the dreams: the dream figure's role wasn't so much protection as it was seduction. seduction to welcome this newfound power and to use it.

for context, i'd advise you to watch the three tadpole dreams that the protag would have in early access here.

it allows you to get a feeling for what the companions may have seen as origins at that time weren't yet implemented. as far as i know only ast*rion's first dream has been partially datamined.

each companion used to have a specific dream figure that was related to their unique backgrounds - a stark contrast with how it is now, a random figure with no true connection to them, which i think makes very little sense.

gale's dream figure took the form of mystra in early access.

i have compiled the three possible conversations you were able to have with him, following those dreams:

first dream - the first dream would usually happen after you sought your first cure (ie nettie the healer)

Gale: Good morning! And it truly is, isn't it? A very, very good morning. Do you feel as chipper as I do? The night brings council, or so the saying goes, but last night had quite a bit more in store, wouldn't you agree? How's that for feeling better? Tav (Option 1): I see I'm not the only one who woke with new-felt powers? Gale: Hardly. Tav (Option 2): It's remarkable how much better I feel after feeling so sick earlier. Gale: Remarkable - or perhaps we should call it suspicious.  Tav (Option 3): Those are a lot of questions so early in the morning Gale: That's because there's so much to ask. Tav (Option 4): Why don't we skip to the part where we have some breakfast? Gale: Let's settle another appetite first. Gale: There is a glow about you, no doubt about me too. We feel... startling well. And yet there's a certain look in your eyes. The far off distance of a haunting. Which begs yet another question: did you too have such puzzling dreams? Tav (Option 1): Actually my dreams were quite delightful. Gale: Surely not the only adjective that springs to mind. Tav (Option 2): You nod in silence. Gale: Same here. Perhaps. The jury's still out.  Tav (Option 3): Mind your own business, Gale.  Gale: Not a morning person, I see. But those eyes of yours speak volumes. Gale: What I saw surpassed the vivid. The voice was too true, the touch too tantalising, I can tell you felt the same. Sought out in the night by... what? An illusion, or a promise? Tav (Option 1): I don't see the distinction. Gale: An illusion is only a lie, but a promise is a truth that may yet come to pass. Tav (Option 2): It felt more like being prey cornered by a predator. Gale: All too apt an analogy. Tav (Option 3): It was more than a promise: these powers are real.  Gale: You have me there. As for the lure of the touch, the kiss. Gale: Let's agree that at the very least there was the lure of a promise. The touch, the kiss, the everything... Did you relent or resist? Tav (Option 1): I relented. Gale: It felt impossible not to. I did as well.  Tav (Option 2): Lie and say you resisted. Gale: Then you're stronger than me. Tav (Option 3): Lie and say you remained silent. Gale: I could not. I relented. It felt impossible not to. Tav (Option 4): How about you telling me what you did? Gale: I relented. It felt impossible not to. Tav (Option 5): The kiss, you say. Now I know why you're so chipper. Gale: The dream wasn't just about power, it was about desire. Gale: It was an expert, this apparition. First the seduction, then the spurning, then that teasing souvenir. 'You are not ready, I will return when you are'. That's what I was promised. We have some restless nights ahead of us.  Gale: Perhaps it's time indeed. The power to bend wills is a mind flayer speciality. We're the ones who are truly at risk. Power is a treacherous thing. Sometimes it makes you betray yourself. (end)

second dream (would trigger after using tadpole powers)

Gale: Good morning. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the best of moods. I tire of these dreams. Dreams. The word implies desire, but we're being played for fools. These are nothing but delusions.  Tav (Option 1): What makes you so sure they're delusions? Gale: [Jump to These dreams...] Tav (Option 2): I recall you being a lot more enthusiast after our first collective dream. Gale: I never said I'm not among the fool.  Tav (Option 3): The power we're given is real, and there's no denying that.  Gale: It’s not because they’re real, that they don’t deceive. Give it candy and a child stops asking questions. Gale: These dreams are too good to be true, and I can tell you why. Because they promises are perfect, and in perfection lies their flaw. It's the tadpole reading our every desire, but they don't read between the lines. They don't know some things are impossible. They don't know that... They don't know.  Tav (Option 1): Gale, who is the apparition in your dreams? Gale: She's... It doesn't matter. I just know her to be unreal.  Tav (Option 2): What's impossible about what you're been shown? Gale: Forgiveness. Tav (Option 1): I'll leave you to your ruminations.  Gale:�� Remember: these are nothing but delusions. Don't let the illithid's close readings persuade you of good intent.  Tav [if told about Mystra - Loss scene dependent]: So it's Mystra you see. Of course it is.  Gale: I... why, yes. Clearly the tadpole isn't the only one who can read me like a book.  It's indeed Mystra I see. And yet it cannot be her. There was a time when I would have believed - but no longer. I told you that I lost her. Lost her favour and lost so many of the powers I took for granted. What magic I can still weave is met only with undercurrents of disappointing silence. Mystra has not changed her mind about me. That's how I know out dreams are delusions. Tav [Persuasion check, if not told about Mystra - Loss scene has not yet happened]: Come, you can tell me. We're among friends here.  Gale [Success]: Very well. It's Mystra I see. And yet it cannot be her. There was a time when I would have believed - but no longer. Things were different once, between the goddess and me. But things have changed. The parasite has plans for us. Gale: Suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favours promised in these dreams. That is how I know they are delusions. The parasite has plans for us, enacted through seduction and the promise of power. Don't be fooled. Behind the lips it wants us to kiss hide cold steel razor teeth. (end) Gale [Failure]: Another time maybe. I've said too much already. Remember, these are nothing but delusions. Don't let the illithid's close readings persuade you of good intent.  Tav (Option 3): If you say so. Now let's get going.  Gale: Very well. (end)

third dream (would trigger after using tadpole powers again)

first variation: the player used the tadpole power

Gale: The dawn broke with glorious streaks of red and fading blues – and I've never felt more tired. More dreams. More visions. Have you finally seen that nothing good can come from using the parasite's powers? Tav (Option 1): I'm sorry. I should have been more careful.   Gale: It's an all too easy mistake to make, but we have to fight the temptation. The parasite  will divide us if we let it... and conquer next. Let's not give the damned thing what it wants. [Gained Approval] (end) - Tav (Option 2): I will exercise my powers as I see fit. It's not your call to make.  Gale: Don't you see? The parasite will divide us if we let it – and conquer next. Clearly we can consider the division accomplished. [Gained Disapproval] (end)

second variation: the player had gale use the tadpole powers

Gale: More dreams. More visions. More the fool me for having used the powers of the parasite again.  Tav (Option 1): Don't be too hard on yourself. When you're given power, it's only natural to exercise it.  Tav (Option 2): Foolishness I did not expect from you. You're putting us all at risk.  Gale: I should have been more cautious. The parasite will divide us if we let it – and conquer next. To make use of its powers was a mistake I don't intend to repeat – that much I can promise. (end)

if you want to watch and listen to gale discussing these dreams with the protag, you can do so here. this youtube video has all three conversations compiled in one.

coming up next:

-part 2: major cut scenes: the deer stew scene & the loss scene

-part 3: minor cut scenes: abandoned temple of jergal, failed to save arabella, talking to the paladins of tyr and agreeing to go after karlach, edowin and the tadpole reveal, mayrina giving ethel's wand to her or breaking it, handing astarion over to the gur or defending him, reaching the druid grove, killing lae'zel, reaching the goblin camp & looking for halsin, killing the druids, priestess gut & the brand & the cult of the absolute, dror ragzlin and talking to the dead mind flayer, ogre couple, necromancy of thay, ethel, zhentarim chest, myconid colony

-part 4: gale's condition & the way it was treated in early access

taglist: @chainsawmascara, @randomfanner, @tacogoats, @khajiit-necromancer, @gwinharper, @galesenchantedpanties, @swampfaerie, @ardently-queer, @nirraein, @gale-enjoyer, @xiv-wolfram, @kairoswouldnever

i thought i'd tag the people i'd seen taking an interest in my original post! if you want to be taken off the taglist, please let me know!

[chrysanthemumgames]

Me (finding out that “Persephonysus” and Hades share a common relative): …..okay.

Me (Immediately thinking about the culprit before I read further to confirm it): OF COURSE WE SHARE A COMMON RELATIVE!

But I ultimately gave the Zeus a pass, since it’s most likely he didn’t know about it before the forced marriage and he doesn’t seem like my enemy (at least not in my gameplay), though it always amuses me how he gets so angry, even when my joke at his expense is so trivial (and yes, I’ve tried multiple options). He also has a mega huge ego with all his “We” talk, but the Olympic throne situation and my throne situation in the Underworld—I’m not gonna lie, it made me swoon at first—but then after three more play throughs, I felt so bad for Hera that I made a few changes, and I was surprised at how much I love having Hera as a close friend (from her letter to the entire garden scene which was chefs kiss). I always thought FOA demo Hera was a bit cold and didn’t think too much about her—or Zeus—until I decided to merge two deities into one to form my personality/attributes and until the throne situation wouldn’t leave my head. I feel like a traitor for switching up on Hestia and Aphrodite, lol, but I genuinely love Hera’s bond on the friend route the most out of all the options (though I still haven’t tried the enemy Artemis route). I kind of felt bad initially, knowing the myth about how Hera treats Zeus’s children out of wedlock, but Friend!Hermes handled it way better than I thought he would, if confused, maybe a touch sad, but mostly supportive. True bestie material.

I didn’t think too much during the FOA demo, but since I have done multiple playthrough on Hades’ route, over the past two months, I originally thought Hades’s epic ‘arrival’ in the beginning was just to annoy Zeus…actually that might still be true, but from how I seem to always get immensely, yet thankfully momentarily on Zeus’s nerves no matter what I say (due to my people skills—for the “Nysus” part to my Persephonysus), I noticed that Hades might have done that also as a way to protect me via distraction. Even when we were strangers…Swoon 😂

I also love how we have more scenes with the core 6, but also with Makaria and Kerberos (even Daeira and Empusa). On my next playthrough, I’ll finally work with the fates (after doing every other job) and I’ll finally meet Hypnos—for the first time ever. Safe to say, I started playing the demo back in September 2023, but the finished product is way more than I expected, and I love how little changes can drastically change the gameplay and how all of the branching keeps the story cohesive enough, that even through my multiple gameplays over the last two months, I am still finding new options and dialogues, and I know I’ll find even more when I force myself to get off of Hades’ route to play the others. So far I did the initially scared of Hades route, boldly flirting with hades route, shyly flirting with Hades route, a mix of boldly and shyly flirting with Hades route, Platonic friends who stay married route (lol), etc. but the thing is…I never get bored of it and I still find different ways to play on Hades’s route. The only thing I think I can’t do is the (one-sided) enemies to lovers route with Hades, since I’ll doubt he’d be mean to me and it’ll crush my heart to read his responses to me being mean to him.

I'm delighted you enjoy the game, anon, truly.

I'm a little confused though; I'm not sure what common relative you're talking about. Of course, in the myths there are several relatives in common between almost everyone, but I have broken up the family tree quite extensively here.

If you're talking about Harmonia, Iasion (and thus the PC) are only related to her through her mother, and Hades is only related to her through her father, so I guess in some sense she's a common relative, but there isn't anything untoward about the Hades/PC match because of it, if that was the concern.

[alitgblog]

S9 Vol 3 thoughts: everyone's so hot and I'm so upset it's still ex talk

I do like you get the option to tell all the girls "oh I'm picking a guy to come back for yall, don't worry" and then afterwards Chen comes out with all the guys and his "I've got this" thing. And then he has the audacity to be like "Nooo I wish I was on a date with you" and MC can say "Oh don't worry.. I've got this 😘" Like the dialogue certainly has its moments this season, like no wonder why MC is such an iconic all star

Just like everyone else, I would in fact like the Kat and Finn drama to hurry up and come to a close, but they're so obsessed with each other. I need Kat to actually couple up with a new guy please.

GRACE my beloved 🫶🫶

No it's such a shame though she's just a host because first of all, why have a host for dates?? like make her a host of a challenge if anything and then we can see her banter with Hamish and make him nervous. But also, like come on she didn't stay with Ozzy/Marshall of course, let her back on as another islander. And like I'm okay if she's again the token straight girl in the villa, like we need a friend out here.

I've already made my post about Jude, but the date was cute too. Lyle also very attractive AND a musician 😍. They make it so hard, and after one date I'm kind of sad we have to see one of them go. Waste of a sprite. I'm hoping the one you don't pick comes back at the end for Kat, since she does say the other guy is her type later on in the dressing room. And also I just need better for Kat than her to be stuck where she was after S5 with Finn.

I picked Jude because tbh they were about even for me but for the sake of my MC's story I just imagine she doesn't wanna settle down in Paris, so that's why she picked Jude. but ohhh the sad eyes 😞

Then in comes Kelly and she's still such a stunner dear goddd help me

This is why she was the face of the app after being in the villa one episode

"you and Finn are enough exes for this villa" yeah, hard agree. This is like when that theory came up before double trouble that everyone was gonna be a twin that season but it's real and it's not twins it's exes 💀

There was a chat with Finn, and I'm glad they made it clear early on he was interested so it wasn't dragged out until the very end like in S5 (although I will say I was pleasantly surprised when it happened in S5) and it was a cute chat. A lot of exposition though for MC's season lol? Like thanks for letting me know actually, I didn't know that I kissed someone in Casa, thanks for bringing that up sooo organically in this conversation. ig at least it's in character for him to be stuck in the past 🫠

I'm a little upset that we got Chen's ex instead of MC's, especially after he did already make it clear like nothing was really happening with his ex versus MC and Stefan clearly have some history to resolve. And I just wanted the ex talk to stop, but I'm thinking probably not until Casa (or around when Casa usually happens) that he's gonna show up. Hopefully by then, Kat and Finn will be resolved so we don't deal with all the exes at once. And also so for people on a Finn route, then this is fun because the roles will be reversed with Stefan is around taking MC's attention.

But even the letter thing got dragged on for soooo long even though it was only mentioned for two episodes. But again, means nothing considering it was just some girl Chen had dated. I don't know if it hits differently if you're with Henri, because his whole thing was he got serious really fast and then his ex jumped ship, so that sounds like the letter would be more impactful if she's apologizing. But I have a feeling they made it interchangeable. Which is why it's so weird everyone treated it so serious, when even Natasha named two other possible exes for Chen before the girl it actually was (which, admittedly, thats a hilarious bit).

it annoyed me they're trying to shame me into paying for chen's backstory now?? like this is the vibes of early seasons when you didn't have a gem outfit and the girls would be like you look like trash, girl.

Back to Kelly though, I have mixed feelings about her and Finn drama. My first thought is that it's interesting. I like that they're friends but she has caught feelings for him and doesn't know how he'll react and she's afraid of blowing up their friendship. Now with the added bonus of him still not being over Kat, but (barely) trying to move on in Love Island. That's a fun dynamic and I get the sense that Finn doesn't feel the same, and it's gonna be a real rough time comforting Kelly when he breaks her heart. But I also think it doesn't make sense. Like I kind of wish they weren't friends and just that she'd seen him at a few Love Island related events and they catered for a few parties together since they're both in Dublin and run in similar circles, so they're like not close friends, but definitely acquainted. That way it's more believable that they didn't know the other was coming back to Love Island and give Kelly more of an excuse for why she wouldn't reveal her feelings to Finn before coming back on the show. and also just make the stakes less dramatic because Kelly is also an LI, but she kinda treats MC like a second choice to Finn, and I think making them less close would help a little. Like she's attracted to him and they have a little prior friendship, but she's also very into MC versus Kelly has been pining over her friend Finn for quite some time.

On a similar note, I don't understand why Kat is so obsessed with Finn if she says she's over him and she ended things. Like you'd think despite them being coupled up, she'd just go for Hamish or Henri or any other guy after making snarky comments about him all day long. But she ALSO has to actively be upset at anyone making moves on him, and that's where they lose me. And they try to fix it by saying Kat is looking out for the girls, but if she was, then why not mention the cheating earlier? Once again, it's S5 vibes in the worst way 😑

also Finn? a cheater??? Finn from the shower scene in S5?? a cheater?? noooo no way 🙄

but back to actual gameplay: we go to truth or dare and it's a mess, I feel like they don't know the rules

Yet another banger line from Hamish though, like this is exactly the type of shitty joke I'd make

Getting to elbow Kat and kiss Finn may be the highlight of the whole volume for me ngl, even though he continues to admit he's still hung up on her (I guess a reasonable response to getting ghosted but still)

Fuck I forgot about Henri and his triangle with Chen and MC from last volume wasn't even fully resolved really. His plot was lost to the new guys again, go join Hari on the bench. So him showing up mid truth or dare was very funny to me, like I thought he WAS taking asleep lmao

I love a gem choice as much as the next person (which is not at all) but I am okay with the gem choice during truth or dare solely because I'm so indecisive I was like I can't pick which of them is the most attractive. Like actually they all are.

And here we got again with Melissa antagonizing MC for no reason. Then she brings up that it's Natasha's fault for some reason and that's supposed to be dramatic even though Natasha has BEEN saying that Stefan is MC's one that got away.

And I'm not a fan of pitting women against each other, especially the two WOC, but I do like that they had some beef briefly and it's not about a guy. Like it's nice to have characters that don't get along like that, and then they do come back and say they've resolved their differences but clearly aren't friends and that's okay.

this line made me laugh a little though especially after Melissa's very cheery we're all good now!! thing

and it's a recoupling next volume so we know what that means (goodbye to individuality for Henri, Chen, and Jude/Lyle, their routes are merging 🥲)

but yeah overall the volumes so far are not bad but just kinda meh. I think droning on about ex talk is draining the fun bits and the romance parts of the episodes. 9r maybe there was just way too high expectations coming from me idk. I enjoy the drama between other characters but it feels very removed from MC and she doesn't get a chance really to involve herself like S2 MC. And like MC has some drama herself, but it feels like we the player have less agency in causing it or even fixing it, so that's maybe been the problem recently.

still gonna play the season lmaooo I gotta know what Stefan and Cassius look like 🤣

I'm just a little less excited each week tha I was for s8 lol

[oldestmakkapakkafan]

OK TOUCHSTARVED DEMO REVIEW!! I JUST FOUND OUT THIS EXISTED YESTERDAY AND STARTED PLAYING

So I was scrolling through tiktok and got THE video of the trailer, immediately started playing which is surprising from me because I normally only procrastinate for everything, even for things I like. But yesterday was a good day it seems.

I started the game and after the short intro selected "the unnamed" backstory I think it's called?? I don't really remember but it was the one where you ran away from your cult village or whatever. For two reasons.

A. I didn't want to have exclusively witty one liners as my dialogue. (The criminal backstory)

B. I'm already playing the arcana (the mage backstory)

Of course I'll play the demo with each one of them later but rn I'm doing various play throughs with variations of what I feel like my own choices would be.

Now for how I like it overall, IT'S SO GOOOOODD!!! I loved everyone just from the trailer alone, everyone except vere, I just really hate his archetype. Let's say me and red haired otome guys have a long time beef, ancestral beef if you will (I'm looking at you castiel...). I just don't like the playboy who is also really mean for no reason and only flirts by making a fool out of you. Anyways, enough about someone I don't really like.

First KURAS, he's soooo my type 🤭 long hair, dark skin, calm and collected! Soo cute, I like his dialogue and interactions in the demo, I haven't unlocked his red option so I feel like he was a little too distant for my liking but I know that'll probably change with the full game (I assume he has one, I mean I got ais' and leander's without even trying).

Now Ais, tbh I tried to stay loyal to kuras but Ais is so hot, cool and kinda flirty... I WAS GIGGLING SO LOUD AND PUNCHING MY PILLOWS, I'm not always for bad boys bc it isn't really done right most of the time (in my opinion) but Ais is really something else.

And lastly Leander, he's hot and sweet, I don't really have much to say about him, I can tell he's the easiest route, at least for me. He's the type of character I can get the good ending of with my eyes closed. I mean we might as well be kissing him by the end of the demo. I still like him tho. I'm just more normal about him than I am about Kuras and Ais. And I can already see him being a fan favorite, so I better like him because all those fanarts are about to infest my feed.

As for mhin and vere. They're not really that interesting to me, I'd say my top would be like this

Kuras and Ais (yes, I just decided I like them both the same)

Leander

Mhin

Vere

Ok now the fan girling is over. Time for SERIOUS BUSINESS!

Art Quality? 9.5/10 soo pretty, the street and city sheets could use a bit more work though. It's kind of underwhelming at the beginning when you see the city and it doesn't really stand out. But maybe it's just me.

Dialogue quality? 9/10 it doesn't feel repetitive, it's immersive and even when there's some corny lines here and there, I'd say it's vere's fault for being a devious bad boy archetype. Because that dialogue is only present with him 🧍‍♀️

And that's it. Even with the wall of text I just wrote I've only played once three routes with the cult(?) Backstory. I will probably write more text walls as I get deeper into the fandom and game.

[clay-cuttlefish]

Okay finally I'm clearing this round. Love this run, it's absolutely my favourite Question stuff, but this list is going to be roughly nine hundred entries long and avoiding getting derailed into deeper analysis is Not Easy.

#29

Holy shit there's an actual timeline, I forgot about this! This issue takes place about three years after Vic and Shiva last fought.

Vic explicitly saying that he's reaffirming his masculinity by punching people immediately after getting his ass kicked by Shiva is exactly the kind of thing I'm trying not to get derailed by.

Every time someone mischaracterizes Shiva I want to hit them over the head with the "I believe in letting people do as they wish" panel until they stop.

There's some fascinating analysis of policing in this issue. Myra explicitly acknowledges the similarities between cops and gangs, but believes that the police generally have some moral compass guiding them even if it isn't a necessary part of policing. She holds that authorized violence is a better option than complete disorder, even with how corrupt Hub City's police have been shown to be. Vic is a lot less sure about that, but he does seem to be willing to go along with Myra's leadership, if only because he doesn't want to abandon her. I'm adding "analysis of cops-as-gangs in the Question versus No Man's Land" to the list of topics I want to dive into after I finish this.

#30

Vic's quasi-religious relationship with Shiva is. Well. There's a lot to unpack there.

It's interesting that Vic's very open about thinking people deserve punishment, despite not wanting to punish.

Annual #2

Okay mood. I also sometimes wish I was an animal with clear instincts.

Something about how early Vic is written here rubs me the wrong way, but it's hard to articulate what. I think it's just something about his speech patterns - too informal? Honestly it might just be that I don't believe that a Ditko-inspired Vic would fuck.

Before I actually got into GA comics I thought the couple chili jokes I had seen were fans latching onto one thing but no. He's asking after other people's chili mid-investigation.

Once again, the only comics where I like unnecessary Batman cameos. Extremely good that Vic just posts at him.

More chili.

Ollie sucks shit at the secret identity thing. I mean, unsurprising, but dude.

This whole issue's kinda shaky. Lots of interesting moments, but I wouldn't be surprised if the schedule for the Annual was pretty tight - even in the issues I like less of the run, the writing is strong, and it just doesn't hit quite right in this.

Green Arrow Annual #2

See, this is better. The pacing's rough at the start, but all the dialogue is more what I'd expect.

Ollie clicks so well with Tot and Myra. I'm glad the Question mostly stays self-contained, but he makes a good recurring guest.

Big fan of how this ties back into the last adventure in Santa Prisca. Bringing old plot threads back to contrast them with new themes is always appreciated.

Man I gotta read more Green Arrow once this is done.

#31

I'm a little surprised there isn't more discussion of what Myra plans to do to shelter the addicts who were squatting in the building, given that the story's very concerned with the mundane.

More scraps of who Vic used to be.

Shiva taking interest in everyday people is such a good bit of character work. She likes people who are good at what they do, and she likes the idea of destruction and rebuilding, and she doesn't mind people being into her as long as they're respectful - it grounds her.

The kiss obliterates me every time.

#32

Vic grappling with the idea he might not be opposed to murder is a striking moment. He's had lots of moments where he considered it, but this is a fight he picked with someone he doesn't know.

The contrast between soldiers, police, citizen patrols, and Vic is another thing I have to resist getting derailed by. Even when he's at his most violent, he still doesn't carry a weapon.

#33

I have complicated feelings about Jackie and Harold. They're both ableist stereotypes, but I like that Myra talks to Jackie like you would any other young kid, and there's an attempt to do something good with their relationship even if it doesn't succeed. It's interesting enough for me to want to poke at it, at least.

Harold, on the other hand... urgh. It's just not good, and he's used for cheap drama. I see what the goal was, that does not make it suck less. Still better than his later appearances in Batman.

#34

I like that Myra's self-aware about how bad her mental health is, while Vic pretends he does not see it.

The drama in this one is clunky, but the insights into Myra are solid.

Richard's wheelchair fight is cool.

In the letter column: the actual letter is ableist and misinterprets Shiva, but the idea of her being disabled has stuck with me. I would never want it to happen in a comic because there's no way it would be handled remotely well, but I already have a lot of thoughts about Vic's psychosis swag, so.

#35

It's only been a few issues since the last time other people using Vic's mask was a plot point, but it's good here so I don't care.

I like the dream sequence, but I do feel like it's a missed opportunity that Vic doesn't get to consider what leaving would mean between the dream and telling Myra. The dream is introspection to an extent, sure, but it's a big moment.

#36

Richard being able to walk is jarringly stupid, along with being ableist. I would be willing to give it the benefit of the doubt if he was an ambulatory wheelchair user who could walk several miles with ~kung fu willpower~ and hadn't told Vic for the same reasons, it would be bad but not more than a lot of stuff I've been rolling my eyes at, but no.

She loves him!!!

This ending. Fuck.

And with that, we hit 1990 and the end of the largest chunk of Question comics. Renee's first appearance is still a couple years out, and there are a few minis that come first, but from here on in it's going to be a lot less plain book review and a lot more actual appearance tracking and date checking.

[octerminal]

Avoiding the ME1 LI Romances

...And also what to do if you’ve already triggered them.

This is a post I’ve been wanting to remake forever, and with the remaster around the corner I thought now was a good time to finally get on it.

A few things first: I say “avoiding the ME1 LI romances”, but in reality this is mostly going to be about Kaidan and Ashley. While there are a few ways around Liara’s romance I’ve discovered, I have never been able to find a simple way to avoid triggering it. (I’ll get to that later.)

This post will be split into three sections: Kaidan, Ashley, and Liara. Kaidan and Ashley’s sections specifically will go over how to avoid triggering their romances entirely, and then the dialogue choices you need to take if you want to end the romance if it’s already been triggered. I have also included a few bonus things for the both of them, such as avoiding the flirting during the scenic view cutscene in the Citadel Wards. For Kaidan specifically, I have also included content about his mechanics in ME3.

Please note that most of these have been accomplished on console. I have gotten several PC users who do attest that, at the very least, Kaidan’s portion works for them. But on the off-chance that platform influences other parts of Kaidan’s, or Ashley and Liara’s, I thought it was worth mentioning. It should also be said that, obviously, these are all using the original games as a basis, though I am not expecting MELE to change any of this.

I will also be using both my Kaidan transcript and Ashley transcript as reference for their dialogue. I recommend following along there if you find Tumblr’s formatting confusing.

Final note before we begin: this post is not an open invitation to hate on any of these characters. ME1 is turning 14 this year and ME3 recently turned 9. Anything you have to say about these characters and their romance mechanics has already been beaten to death, brought back to life, and beaten to death again. No one wants to hear it, least of all me. Please keep your comments to yourself and be civil.

KAIDAN

“I WANT TO AVOID TRIGGERING IT ENTIRELY, WHAT DO I DO?”

Kaidan’s romance can be triggered after the first main mission has been completed. For many players, I imagine this is Therum, but it really doesn’t matter which mission it is.

Kaidan will prompt the conversation, as he will for every other post-main mission conversation so long as his romance remains active. This conversation will be about his time at Brain Camp. You can read the conversation in his transcript if you find it easier to follow along, though I have done my best to format this post as cleanly as possible.

KAIDAN: Commander, do you have a minute?

SHEPARD: (You can choose whatever dialogue option you want. It makes no difference yet.)

KAIDAN: Off the record, I think there’s something wrong here. This Saren is looking for records on some kind of galactic extinction, but we can’t get backup from the Council? Sorry, Commander. There’s writing on the wall here, but someone isn’t reading it.

SHEPARD: (Again, you may choose whatever dialogue option you want. It still makes no difference yet.)

>FIRST CHANCE TO AVOID THE ROMANCE<

KAIDAN: I hear ya. It - It just seems like a group that’s been around as long as the Council should see this coming. It’s funny. We finally get out here and the final frontier was already settled. And the residents don’t even seem impressed by the view...or the dangers.

SHEPARD (Renegade - Zip it, Lieutenant.): I’m sure your letters home are very poignant. Just keep this kind of sentimentality out of the CIC.

KAIDAN: Yes, ma’am. Sorry to have wasted your time. I’m right about the mission, though. I know it. (The conversation will end here and his romance will not trigger.)

>SECOND CHANCE TO AVOID THE ROMANCE<

SHEPARD (Paragon - Cute way to look at it./Neutral - An old-fashioned view.): Well, well. You’re a romantic. Did you sign on “for the dream,” Alenko? Secure man’s future in space?

KAIDAN: Heh, yeah, I read a lot of those books when I was a kid. Where the hero goes to space to prove himself worthy of a woman he loves. Or, you know. For justice. Maybe I was a romantic in the beginning. But I thought about it after Brain Camp - ah, sorry, “Biotic Acclimation and Temperance training.” I’m not looking for “the dream.” I just want to do some good. See what’s out here. Sorry if I got too informal. Protocol wasn’t a big focus back in BAaT.

SHEPARD (Renegade - Just be ready.): I trust you won’t have any questions when whatever’s coming hits the fan?

KAIDAN: None. I’m not questioning the mission. I’m just concerned. Sorry to have wasted your time, ma’am. It won’t happen again. (The conversation will end here and his romance will not trigger.)

The final chance to cut off Kaidan’s romance before it triggers happens after Shepard asks him about Brain Camp. This opens up a lot of investigation options and you may exhaust all of them. If you want to avoid hearing Kaidan imply that he thinks your Shepard is attractive, avoid the “Time to talk, then./Time to “get physical,” then.” investigation options. Once Kaidan is done speaking about Brain Camp, you will get one final chance to avoid his romance.

>THIRD CHANCE TO AVOID THE ROMANCE<

KAIDAN: Anyway. This was supposed to be a casual debrief, not a bull session about stuff that happened years ago.

SHEPARD (Renegade - You’re right.): I pretty much gave up waiting for the good part.

KAIDAN: Bad habit, ma’am. I do tend to run off at the mouth. I will work on it for my next review. Sorry to have wasted your time, ma’am. It won’t happen again. (The conversation ends and his romance does not trigger.)

You will notice all of these are renegade options. There is literally no way around this if you want to avoid triggering Kaidan’s romance. You don’t get any renegade points from them, and Kaidan does not treat you negatively in the ensuing post-main mission talks.

Here is an easy way to tell if Kaidan’s romance remains active. Conversations between him and Shepard will end like this:

SHEPARD: We’ll talk later, Kaidan.

KAIDAN: I’d like that.

“I’VE ALREADY TRIGGERED IT, HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS?”

The good news is that getting out of the romance is fairly simple. The game gives you a lot of opportunities before it triggers the love triangle with Liara (assuming her romance has also been triggered, anyway).

If Kaidan’s romance was triggered, you will have an opportunity at the beginning of his second and third post-main mission talks. These are a bit more complex to transcribe, so I really recommend just reading them in my transcription if you need the exact dialogue options to understand.

But the gist: You can’t go wrong with choosing the renegade dialogue options. This is always the dialogue option that will end his romance. You are almost never going to end his romance with a paragon or neutral dialogue option. He will always prompt this conversation by wondering if he’s gotten his signals mixed up, if there’s someone else you’d rather spend time with, if he’s being too casual, etc. Once he does this, just shoot him down with a renegade dialogue option.

Again: you get no renegade points from this. He will not treat you negatively in the ensuing post-main mission talks.

Here is an example. This one occurs in his second post-main mission talk if Liara’s romance hasn’t been triggered:

KAIDAN: I’m just saying...try to leave yourself a way out. I’ve seen what cutting corners can do and I’d hate to have that happen to you, Shepard. Commander.

SHEPARD (Renegade - I don’t need approval.): I’m your commanding officer, Alenko. Are you questioning the way I handle things?

KAIDAN: No, Commander. Just concerned about the reception of the brass if things go sour. I apologize for bringing it up. I know we’re getting the job done.

SHEPARD: (You can choose whatever response you like; they all lead to the romance ending.)

If you have repeatedly not broken off the romance with Kaidan after a certain point and Liara’s romance is also active, it will trigger the love triangle scene. This is one of the last points you have to break off Kaidan’s romance, but it will lock you into Liara’s romance instead. If you are wanting a no-romance run, I recommend choosing one of the other options instead.

There is also a separate way to end the romance outside these three opportunities. In the third post-main mission talk, you must pick the dialogue option that triggers the argument that can “renegade” Kaidan’s opinion on the Council. You must not choose the charm or intimidate option here, and you must then pick the renegade dialogue options. The conversation should go like this:

KAIDAN: So yeah, I hated that turian. But he wasn’t “a turian” to me. He was Vyrnnus.

SHEPARD (Renegade - All turians are the same.): You can’t deny the turians are imperialists. And the asari, the salarians - they’re manipulators.

KAIDAN: Shepard, I outgrew the blame game years ago. If the Alliance is missing its chance, it’s because of men like Udina. Not the rest of the galaxy holding it back.

SHEPARD (Renegade - I’m not so sure.): When anyone out here listens to us, the Council starts up with their treaties and heel-dragging. We can only rely on ourselves.

KAIDAN: We’re not doing the galaxy any favors if we try to force our way into a seat at the grown-up table. They aren’t - malicious. They’re just slow to change. My story doesn’t get any better if Vyrnnus is a good guy.

SHEPARD (Renegade - Whose side are you on?): I don’t need you kissing the Council’s asses, too.

KAIDAN: Look, Shepard. You’re in command, and we’ll all follow your lead. But don’t ream me out for having an opinion. I thought we respected each other more than that.

SHEPARD (Renegade - I can’t respect this.): I can’t believe you’d side with aliens over your own kind. I think we’re done here.

KAIDAN: Yeah, I think we are. It’s--It’s too bad we...It’s just too bad, Commander.

This argument will end his romance. He will also not be renegaded. This is obviously a much more convoluted way to end his romance, but I’m throwing the option out there because it’s 1) hilarious, and 2) way more dramatic, if you want to roleplay ending the romance for whatever reason.

MISCELLANEOUS

Depending on the dialogue options you take for the scenic view on the Citadel, Kaidan will always flirt with you. This does not lock you into, or even trigger, his romance. It is entirely possible to not have him flirt with you at all in this scene, and still initiate the romance later. But if you do not want him to flirt with you, simply do this:

[image ID: ME1’s subtitles showing Ashley saying “Or maybe they just don’t like humans.” with the dialogue wheel below it giving the following dialogue choices, starting from the top: “What’s not to like?”, “Let’s move out.”, and “That’s enough, you two.” end ID]

When you get to this part of the scenic view cutscene, choose any dialogue option but the top “What’s not to like?” one.

Also, even if you’ve already avoided or shut down Kaidan’s romance, Liara will still ask if there’s something between the two of you if her romance is active. Tell her that there isn’t (because there isn’t). Her saying this does not re-trigger Kaidan’s romance.

Congratulations, you have now survived ME1’s romance mechanics. Enjoy experiencing unromanced Kaidan for the rest of the game.

ME3 BONUS: “OKAY, WHAT ABOUT HIM FLIRTING WITH ME IN THE HOSPITAL THOUGH?”

I have tested both of these personally multiple times and they have always worked for me, but again: see my warning about different platforms at the beginning of this post. If it doesn’t work for you, please let me know.

If you have not romanced Kaidan previously: don’t buy him the alcohol as a present. That’s it.

If you have romanced Kaidan previously: on Mars, tell him your relationship is over. It is a renegade dialogue option, but it is necessary to avoid the flirtation in the hospital. This route also means that you can buy him the alcohol and he will still not flirt with you.

Please note that going renegade on Mars does not lock you out of his romance. It merely prevents him from assuming you’re interested during your hospital visit.

ME3 BONUS: “OKAY, WHAT ABOUT HIS APOLLO’S PROPOSITION THOUGH?”

This only happens if you have not locked in your romance with your preferred love interest first. For Garrus, this is the bottle shooting date. For Tali and Traynor, it’s inviting her up to your cabin. For Liara and Miranda, it’s her Presidium date. So on and so forth.

This means there is no way around it if you romanced Jacob or Thane and do not want to pursue a different romance after them. If you do get this scene: again, just turn him down. It is never brought up again. He does not act like he’s in love with you going forth. You will get his unromanced date in the Citadel DLC, as well as his unromanced London goodbye.

ASHLEY

“I WANT TO AVOID TRIGGERING IT ENTIRELY, WHAT DO I DO?”

Ashley’s romance can be triggered after the first main mission has been completed. For many players, I imagine this is Therum, but it really doesn’t matter which mission it is.

Ashley will prompt the conversation, as she will for every other post-main mission conversation so long as her romance remains active. This conversation will be about her concerns about the aliens aboard the Normandy.

Note: Ashley has one less opportunity to avoid triggering her romance in the first post-main mission talk compared to Kaidan. You may also read the conversation in her transcript if you find it easier to follow along, though I have done my best to format this post as cleanly as possible.

ASHLEY: Commander. You have a minute to talk?

SHEPARD: (You can choose whatever dialogue option you want. It makes no difference yet.)

ASHLEY: I know things are different aboard the Normandy, but - I'm concerned about the aliens. Vakarian and Wrex. With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?

SHEPARD: (Again, you can choose whatever dialogue option you want. It still makes no difference yet.)

>FIRST CHANCE TO AVOID THE ROMANCE<

ASHLEY: This is the most advanced ship in the Alliance Navy. I don't think we should give them free reign to poke around the vital systems. Engines. Sensors. Weapons.

SHEPARD (Side - You're out of line!): That's enough, Chief. You always second-guess your superiors?

ASHLEY: Sir! No, sir! I'm sorry. I was out of line. I'll get back to my duties, Commander. (The conversation will end and her romance will not trigger.)

If you do not pick the above option, Ashley will elaborate her stance further until you get to the dialogue wheel with the second (and final) chance to avoid her romance.

>SECOND CHANCE TO AVOID THE ROMANCE<

ASHLEY: My family's defended the Alliance since it was founded. My father, my grandfather, my great-grandmother - they all picked up a rifle and swore the Oath of Service. I guess we just tend to think of Earth's interests as our own.

SHEPARD (Renegade - Just shut up.): I expect you to keep your family politics to yourself, Chief. The mission will be difficult enough without you picking fights with aliens.

ASHLEY: Aye, aye, Commander. (The conversation will end and her romance will not trigger.)

Note: You can still pick the investigation dialogue options that discusses her service and family history. You just have to pick the renegade dialogue option outlined above afterward, instead of any other option.

Like with Kaidan, you do not get any renegade points for picking this option and Ashley does not treat you negatively in the ensuing post-main mission talks.

Here is an easy way to tell if Ashley’s romance remains active. Conversations between her and Shepard will end with the following:

SHEPARD: We'll talk later, Williams.

ASHLEY: Looking forward to it, sir.

“I’VE ALREADY TRIGGERED IT, HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS?”

Admittedly, you have fewer easy opportunities to end Ashley’s romance than you do Kaidan’s, and most of the early game ones require Liara’s romance also being active. You are still offered multiple different opportunities out before the game ends, however.

If Ashley and Liara’s romances are both triggered, you will have an opportunity at the beginning of Ashley’s second and third post-main mission talks to end the romance. The gist is the same as Kaidan’s: You can’t go wrong with choosing the renegade dialogue options. This is always the dialogue option that will end her romance. You are almost never going to end her romance with a paragon or neutral dialogue option. She will always prompt this conversation by bringing up your relationship with Liara. Once she does this, just shoot her down.

Again: you get no renegade points from this. She will not treat you negatively in the ensuing post-main mission talks.

In both the second and third post-main mission talks, the conversation will go something like:

ASHLEY: Surprised to see you here, sir. Thought you’d be chatting up what’s-her-name. T’Soni.

SHEPARD: (Pick the neutral or renegade dialogue option here; they both lead to the same dialogue branch.)

ASHLEY: Scuttlebutt says you’ve got a bit of a thing for her. I could understand why. The crew’s off-limits, with the regs against fraternization. And at least she looks like a woman.

SHEPARD: (Pick the neutral or renegade dialogue option here. They both end the romance.)

One of the easier exceptions to this that doesn't require Liara’s romance being active is in the second post-main mission talk when Ashley gets Sarah’s vid-mail. It will go like this:

SARAH: - Oh, before I go. You said you’re serving with Commander Shepard now? We saw him on the news here. He’s cute! Later, sis.

ASHLEY: Tell me you didn’t hear that.

SHEPARD (Renegade - That’s unprofessional.): I don’t need to tell you it’s inappropriate to gossip about how “cute” your commanding officer is.

ASHLEY: No, sir. You don’t. Sorry about that. It won’t happen again. (Conversation and romance ends.)

Please note, however, that this will lock you out of the remainder of the conversation and you will not learn about Ashley’s family.

If you have repeatedly not broken off the romance with Ashley after a certain point and Liara’s romance is also active, it will trigger the love triangle scene. This is one of the last points you have to break off Ashley’s romance, but it will lock you into Liara’s romance instead. If you are wanting a no-romance run, I recommend choosing one of the other options instead.

There is also a separate way to end the romance outside these three opportunities. In the third post-main mission talk, you must pick the dialogue option that triggers the argument that can “paragon” Ashley’s opinion on the Council. You must not choose the charm or intimidate option here, and you must then pick the renegade dialogue options. The conversation should go something like this:

ASHLEY: But hey, once we save the galaxy, maybe the Alliance will get its act together. Start acting like an actual government.

SHEPARD (Paragon - The Alliance is all right.): The Alliance isn’t perfect, but it does well enough.

ASHLEY: Have to disagree with you there, skipper. Giving aliens the run of our most advanced ship? Kowtowing to the Council?

SHEPARD (Paragon - It’s not like that.): The Alliance should be able to stand on is own. We can’t. Yet. Why not learn from the races that have been standing for the last thousand years?

ASHLEY: How can you say that, given everything we’ve seen out here? They’re already acting like Saren is our problem. Already siccing us on the bear. The Council races will always think of themselves first. It’s - human nature. We can’t afford to trust them. Not if the survival of humanity is on the line.

SHEPARD (Renegade - I’ve heard enough.): Whatever feelings I might have for you, we have to work with the Council. I can’t let you second-guess our superiors.

ASHLEY: Shepard, I’m a soldier. You’re my commander. If you give me an order, I’ll follow it. I don’t expect you to treat me differently from anyone else under your command. And if you have been - quit it. I thought you knew me better than that.

SHEPARD (Renegade - Do I?): Seems like every time we run up against aliens, you whip out the “Earth first” card. I can’t have my authority undermined.

ASHLEY: I never intended to “undermine” you, Shepard. I believe in you. I wish you’d believe in anyone but yourself. With your permission, sir, I’ll return to my duties.

This argument will end her romance. She will also not be paragoned. This is obviously a much more convoluted way to end her romance, but I’m throwing the option out there because it’s 1) hilarious (that final line, oof), and 2) way more dramatic, if you want to roleplay ending the romance for whatever reason.

MISCELLANEOUS

Like with Kaidan, depending on the dialogue options you take for the scenic view on the Citadel, Ashley will always flirt with you. This does not lock you into, or even trigger, her romance. It is entirely possible to not have her flirt with you at all in this scene, and still initiate the romance later. But if you do not want her to flirt with you, simply do this:

[image ID: ME1’s subtitles showing Ashley saying “Or maybe they just don’t like humans.” with the dialogue wheel below it giving the following dialogue choices, starting from the top: “What’s not to like?”, “Let’s move out.”, and “That’s enough, you two.” end ID]

When you get to this part of the scenic view cutscene, choose any dialogue option but the top “What’s not to like?” one.

Also like with Kaidan, even if you’ve already avoided or shut down Ashley’s romance, Liara will still ask if there’s something between the two of you if her romance is active. Tell her that there isn’t (because there isn’t). Her saying this does not re-trigger Ashley’s romance.

Congratulations, you have now survived ME1’s romance mechanics. Enjoy experiencing unromanced Ashley for the rest of the game.

LIARA

“I WANT TO AVOID TRIGGERING IT ENTIRELY, WHAT DO I DO?”

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I have found no easy way around Liara’s romance. If anyone else has, I genuinely mean it when I say I would absolutely be open to you telling me, because I would love to know.

The only way to avoid triggering Liara’s romance that I have found are the following:

Simply not talking to her for most of the game (not ideal)

Completing Therum only after you’ve done at least two main missions (also not ideal since it will require Noveria being completed without her)

Completing Therum only after all the other main missions have been completed (again not ideal, though every player should at least do this once if only for the unique content you get from it)

Okay, so what if you want to complete Therum first but still avoid Liara’s romance? I have found one way to accomplish this, but it requires you to be in a romance with Kaidan (or presumably Ashley, but I have only tested this with Kaidan).

After you recruit Liara, you may check up on her in the med-bay but do not initiate conversation after that. If she prompts you by saying, “I get the feeling you want to ask me something, Commander,” do not pick the yellowed dialogue option:

[image ID: ME1′s subtitles showing Liara saying, “I get the feeling you want to ask me something, Commander.” with the dialogue wheel showing the following options: “Investigate”, a yellowed option above “Investigate” labeled “I’d like to talk about you.”, and “Goodbye.” end ID.]

After you complete another main mission, you can check back in with Liara and speak to her normally. This conversation should be the one you’d normally get after Therum, where you learn about why she likes archaeology and how she finds Shepard fascinating.

After you complete another main mission, you must talk to Kaidan or Ashley first. To clarify: at this point you should be at the post-third main mission mark. For Kaidan, you will be getting the “Vyrnnus and Rahna” talk that you can read in his transcript; for Ashley, you will be getting the “Williams Curse” talk that you can read in her transcript.

After you speak with Kaidan or Ashley, you may speak with Liara as normal. This conversation should be picking up on where you left off last time. Liara will talk about how she’s looked into Shepard’s history and Shepard can press her for why she’s so interested in them. Liara should then say something like the following lines:

LIARA: I admit, your connection to the Protheans had something to do with my initial interest. But it has grown beyond that. My interest in you, however, is strictly professional. I want to make that clear. It is obvious you and Lt. Alenko already have some type of relationship. I would not want to come between you.

Her romance will not trigger for the rest of the game.

Please note: Again, I have only tested this with Kaidan. But it should, in theory, work the exact same for Ashley considering many of hers and Kaidan’s other romance mechanics are identical.

“THAT’S NICE, BUT HOW DO I END HER ROMANCE IF IT’S ALREADY TRIGGERED?”

You will follow the same steps as in Kaidan and Ashley’s portions. When she prompts you with whether or not there’s anything between the two of you, you must turn her down. You can never go wrong with the renegade dialogue options here. Again: you get no renegade points for it, and Liara treats you no differently going forth.

She will also usually bring up Kaidan or Ashley depending on what Shepard you are playing, and mention that it seems like there’s something between the two of you even when you do not have their romance active. If you aren’t romancing the VS, just tell her that she’s got it wrong, because...she does. It does not re-trigger either of their romances.

YES I AM ALMOST DONE TALKING

The game really does give you ample opportunities to avoid or end the romances (which is only fair considering how easy they are to trip), so hopefully I have outlined at least one you are comfortable taking.

There are other ways to end both Kaidan and Ashley’s romance that I did not mention (such as during the locker scene, or if you try to un-paragon/renegade) - the point of no return you mainly have to worry about is en route to Ilos. I imagine most players will have their romances sorted out by then, though, so I’m not sure it’s worth mentioning unless you’re wanting to do it purely for roleplay reasons. (In which case: you may read those in their respective transcripts if you’re curious.)

I cannot say I have tested every single romance cut-off, but I have tested most of the important ones players are most likely to take. I am assuming the romances are cut off based on the fact Shepard and the VS’ farewells will change depending on their romanced status (as I outlined in their respective sections), which I do feel is a safe bet. But if you try one of these and find that it did not end the romance: I’m sorry, and please do let me know (and also what platform you play on).

If you read all of this: thank you for your time, and I hope you find this guide useful!

[afro-elf]

Did you see Anthony Mackie's statement on the exploitation of pure and beautiful homosexuality?

i agree and have always agreed that anthony is the absolute king of bad old man phrasing and talking too much but the rage feels odd to me because like evans and stan have responded in similar ways to the question of shipping (with evans being lukewarm and stan responses being on a spectrum because press that caters to fandom is aware that a lot of bucky fans Only care about who he's fucking for some reason) and people got upset for like two hours and then went back to talking about how badly they wanna lick their abs, anyways i have a bit of a ramble and it's kinda unrelated but this situation just dug up my feelings about it SO

i obviously can't and won't be the one to decide if mackie's comments were homophobic, but i can tell you what i've observed in the tfatws fandom alone. a lot of y'all (and you know who y'all are) were only here for bucky. you made this abundantly clear from the moment the trailer premiered to the closing shot of the show itself. now, as i said before, a huge loud chunk of bucky's online fanbase is very concerned with who he's sleeping with to the point where most conversations about bucky outside of like... interviews where sebastian stan is actually asked what's going on with him, tend to favor questions about bucky's sexuality. now, as i've said in the past, it sucks that marvel and disney are deeply homophobic companies so the fans are left to make prominent characters overtly gay in fanon and fanon alone, but the obsession with the shipping potential of bucky really took a strange and annoying and frankly racist and misogynoiristic tone during the show's run and it also felt less about bucky being a canon gay character and more about bucky being a widely shippable feature

first, it was the former st*ckies' refusal to not let the show be about sam. they inserted steve into every scene, every piece of dialogue they could manage. they made the show's web reception all about bucky and bucky's "post-steve life" and bucky trying to date and bucky's tears and "ooh bucky and zemo and ooh NO not bucky and leah and ooh bucky and john and NOT BUCKY AND SARAH eh i guess bucky and sam sure i guess sure i guess whatever i guess bucky and sam since there are no other options i guess bucky and sam". and, as much as i H A T E D the politics of the show, holy shit, why did it feel like every major conversation about the show revolved around shipping when it was so busy trying (failing, cannot emphasize this enough) to talk about race and class sorta but not really?

when black fans expressed discomfort with the fandom and the show's treatment of sam, they were drowned out. when black fans wanted to talk about bucky's microagressions, they were drowned out by fanon ideas of bucky's woke levels. when black fans were interested in bucky and sarah being an item the idea was deemed idiotic and the show was accused of baiting an audience it never meant to court (remember who disney/marvel is) but had to try not to displease for the sake of audience retention. scenes meant to show us something new about bucky as a character were made into ship fodder, like the scene where they're undercover and zemo basically implies (in my interpretation) that, as the winter soldier, bucky didn't just murder people but was also used as a sexual object, which was fascinating but so beyond unsexy and uncomfortable that the idea that there were fics written because of that scene still kinda makes me nauseous

but since the focus was so on bucky and seb it seemed like the (mangled) themes and center of the show were forgotten until after it was over and we were all like so that was bad, right? mackie was asked a LOT about seb during press for the show as a result of the fandom hyper-fixation and i feel like that never would've happened if shipping were not a primary function of mcu fandom to the point where no one actually cares about the plots of the movies as long as they get a chance see two men kiss or a hint that they could kiss. the truth of the matter is that if the mcu was better written we could maybe have a discussion about the richly depicted personal and sexual lives of the characters but instead we're left with the cinematic equivalents of action figures and people getting very mad that kevin feige's play style with those action figures is fundamentally whack and homophobic so like i say all of this to say the displeasure mackie feels with all relationship related and really all discourse in specifically the mcu fandom being reduced to two men kissing (and this being exploitative of gay relationships and identities- even if he worded it worse than me) isn't unfounded even though i am not mackie cannot speak for him and do not know him personally so i can't call him and be like "hey what did you mean by this?" y'know? i guess i'm saying that i think fandom rage in this case would be more understandable to me if the canonical basis for a romance between the two men they wish had kissed was truly as fleshed out as it is in fanon

anyway i hope i carefully explained myself well and also comics!sambucky owns, comics!sambucky fat juicy pussy supremacy throwing ass and making cash

[mercy-burning]

Say You’re Sorry

Part of Mercy’s 1k Celebration: A collection of Spencer Reid x Reader requests to celebrate 1,000 followers.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: After a petty argument, Reader and Spencer spend weeks trying to get each other to say they’re sorry first Category: SMUT (18+) Warnings: Language, smut (fingering, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, light choking) Word Count: 4.3k

Full Request: “...a smut about Like reader and spencer fight for something stupid, because both of them think are right, And maybe the fbi it has the annual gala of something and reader wears a *SUIT* with just a nice bra under the jacket, and spencer lost his mind.” —Anonymous

MASTERLIST | 1K MASTERLIST

NOTE: This one was so much fun to write! All of these requests have been, of course, but I just loved getting to write Spencer and Reader’s petty tactics and dialogue here 😂❤

***

It was stupid and they both knew it. Everyone in the office knew it, too.

But when two people who were always priding themselves on being right have been dating for years, stupid little arguments like that were bound to happen.

This time, though, Spencer and Y/N seemed to have taken it a little too far. For weeks now they haven't spoken unless it was bickering, and when it wasn't bickering, it was demanding the other person to admit they were sorry.

And now it was just a game.

The first round started when Y/N gave Spencer a cup of coffee as a gesture, a sign of good faith. She hadn't explicitly said sorry, though Spencer was willing to accept it as an apology anyway. The round ended, though, when he took a drink to find it completely bitter, not a grain of sugar to be found. She laughed, the sound somehow even more bitter than the coffee she'd given him, and left him with a prompt, "Gotcha."

Round two was a bit more evil, Spencer retaliating by changing all the settings in her car so that when she got in, everything would be the exact opposite of how she preferred it. She was always particular about how she had the air, the seats, the mirrors, and everything else set up in her car, and the day she got in it after work almost had her in tears of anger. First of all, her seat was set all the way back, which she found strange, but then after adjusting it she turned the car on, and the radio blasted intense techno music, which she always found annoying. She turned it all the way down after almost having a heart attack, suddenly very angry and confused, only to then notice that all the mirrors were adjusted as well.

But the tip of the iceberg was when she looked at the speedometer and noticed she was almost entirely out of gas. It certainly wouldn't be enough to get her home.

"What the actual fuck?" she yelled, only to jump again when Spencer knocked on her window.

"Looks like you're gonna have to take the train home with me."

It really was her only option, and she hated it. And he was so hopeful that it would get to her admit that she was sorry, that when they got to his apartment he would be able to convince her to come to bed with him and sleep it all off.

Turns out, he was sorely mistaken. She didn't talk to him the whole way there, and when they did manage to make it up to his apartment, Y/N locked him out of his bedroom and slept in his bed alone. No matter how many times he tried to convince her to let him in, she yelled back, "Say you're sorry, and we'll see if you deserve to sleep with me!"

But he wasn't going to give up that easily. So he gave up trying to reason with her, and stayed on the couch.

When he woke up, he was drenched in freezing cold water, cursing as Y/N stood over him with a smirk. "Mess with my car again, and it'll be something worse, Reid."

She never used his last name. She was doing it to taunt him, and it only made him angrier.

She left that morning, calling Emily for a ride and hoping she'd taught Spencer a lesson.

Unfortunately, no lessons had been learned. A few days later, he 'accidentally' bumped into her, spilling coffee all over her white blouse, and said 'oops,' in the least apologetic way ever.

Y/N scowled as she dabbed up the liquid, not even paying attention to him as she ranted about how pissed off she was and how childish her boyfriend was being.

"If you'd just man up and say you're sorry already, maybe I won't have to be such a bitch, but you're really getting on my fucking nerves..."

He was suspiciously quiet. So she looked up to catch him staring at her, a look in his eyes that she'd seen many a time. In fact, it had to be one of her favorite looks.

He was staring directly at her chest, where she'd unbuttoned a few buttons to get at more of the coffee that splashed on her shirt.

It was only a few seconds, and Spencer seemed to snap out of it rather quickly, giving her a wink before walking away completely.

She glared at him as he disappeared into another room, but in the back of her mind, a plan was already forming.

***

The Bureau was hosting a mandatory gala for a few agents who were retiring, and with the event coming up, Y/N knew it was the perfect opportunity to get Spencer's attention and maybe, just maybe, get him to finally apologize.

But that was all unbeknownst to him.

He knew she was going to show up on her own, because neither of them had stepped up to the plate to apologize, and truth be told, he wasn't sure how much more he could take. It had been about a week since he'd spilled his coffee all over her, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Not that he never thought about her at all—she was his girlfriend, of course he thought about her—but after going weeks without getting to kiss her, touch her, or even just be around her when they weren't playing stupid, petty games with each other, Spencer was starting to think maybe they should just talk it out.

So that's what he decided. The gala would be a perfect opportunity to make a grand romantic gesture and admit that he missed her, that they were both being childish and he wanted to work it out.

All of that completely went out the window, though, the second she walked through the door.

The drink in his hand almost dropped to the floor. The only thing that even kept him standing upright was Derek's hold on him when he stumbled. And as if he didn't already know he was in trouble, Spencer heard his friend whistle lowly beside him.

"Kid, I think you better apologize, or I have a feeling you're gonna regret it..."

"No kidding," was all he responded with, his eyes still glued to his girlfriend from across the room.

She was wearing a pair of maroon suit pants and a matching jacket that held together at the middle by one button, exposing a lacy black bra underneath. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant updo, exposing more of her neck and chest as small pieces of hair framed the sides of her face. From far away he noticed her wearing some long silver earrings and a matching necklace that landed right above where curve of her breasts met her neck. She walked—no, glided—across the floor with heels that accented her every step with power.

She caught his eye, and though she was the most stunning, captivating woman he'd ever seen, the pure smugness that lit up her pretty features as she walked towards him made Spencer want to win. No romantic gestures, no giving in and talking it out... He wanted to see her beg for forgiveness.

It was a pretty hard task, though, considering the second she got closer and he searched her eyes, he almost crumbled beneath the sheer power they exuded. They gleamed at him as if to say, "You lose."

Everything was made even worse when she smiled at him like nothing was wrong, like they hadn't been playing childish pranks on each other all week. She leaned in and held onto his arms, giving him a sweet kiss on the jawline.

"Hi, babe," she chirped happily, and before she pulled away, she added into his ear with a whisper, "By the end of the night you're gonna be real sorry for last week..." It was low and seductive and pure evil. Spencer would have stumbled again had she not been holding onto his arm.

He wanted to think that Y/N surely wouldn't resort to using her seduction to get him to apologize, but that would be a flat-out lie. She knew exactly what she was doing.

But it wasn't going to work. He wouldn't let it. He couldn't let it.

He cleared his throat and led Y/N to the table they were staying at, trying his hardest to ignore the low burn that settled in his stomach.

But once again, that proved incredibly hard when she was sitting next to him all night, talking confidently with other agents and occasionally slipping her hand along his inner thigh to tease him. When no one was looking, she'd move it higher, lightly drawing circles along the inseam of his pants. And when he gripped her wrist under the table, leaning in to say lowly in her ear, "You better quit," she responded with a turn of the head and a kiss on the cheek, whispering right back, "Not until you say you're sorry."

She pulled back and they smiled at each other sweetly, right before she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

What she wasn't counting on was him following after her, catching her arm and pulling her into an empty storage closet before anyone could see. It all caught her completely by surprise, but even as the light switched on and she saw Spencer standing in front of her, a look of pure frustrated grief flashing across his features, she settled into another smug smile.

"Aw, what's wrong, babe?"

His eyes raked her up and down, and it was obvious how hungry he was for her. His hands reached out tentatively to touch her, and she let him. They settled on slipping under her suit jacket and practically burning handprints into the bare skin of her stomach.

"What's wrong?" he repeated, running his hands farther up her stomach and just below the bra. He could see his fingers peeking up through the jacket, and it made him absolutely feral. "You're a fucking tease, that's what's wrong."

Y/N cooed like she would at a crying baby. "Aw, and who's fault is that, hmm?"

"I'm not gonna say it." His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and still she was unwavering.

"I'm not gonna say it either."

"Well... Maybe I'll just have to fuck it out of you, then."

She would have been lying if she said she hadn't lost a little self control upon hearing those words come from his mouth. Which is why she challenged him yet again, silently hoping that he'd make true on his promise.

"I'd like to see you try..."

They stared at each other then, and for a moment Y/N thought he would actually do it. Her body shivered with excitement, especially when he pushed her into the door and ran his hands up to cup her breasts. He leaned in close and pressed gentle kisses to the side of her neck and down her collarbone, and eventually, he found his way back to her neck.

Right when his hands moved to her back to unclasp her bra, he suddenly removed them altogether, and placed them on either side of her head, trapping her between his body and the door.

And with five simple words hummed lowly into her ear, he'd managed to win this round.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Spencer opened the door and pushed past her, leaving her behind to catch her breath.

***

The night was nearly over, and she still hadn't managed to break him. And after the stunt he pulled in the storage closet, she was getting just as frustrated as he was. Since then, he'd practically dangled himself in front of her all night, making a point to play with his hands (which he knew she went crazy for), doing the same with his mouth (which she also had praised multiple times over), and occasionally resting his hand on her lower back, or on the inside of her thigh under the table.

And now, he had her cornered near the back of the room after she'd excused herself to collect her bearings.

But she wasn't having it.

Before he could say or do anything, she grabbed him by the tie and pulled him to her, sneering in his face. "Back off, baby, or I swear to God..."

She wasn't really sure what she was going to say, because no words could properly accentuate her frustration. All she could do was give vague threats and hope Spencer stepped up to the plate.

Unfortunately for her, he didn't.

"What? What are you gonna do?" he laughed, looking at her hungrily.

At this point they were just needlessly teasing themselves, and they both knew it. But the game had gone on for so long that one of them had to break eventually, right?

She couldn't answer him... There was absolutely nothing in her brain except for images of them, screwing each other to the ends of the earth. So, she looked back at him, silently hoping that he would just forget about the apologies and do something about the tension that had been building up for weeks now.

And truthfully, she thought he would have. He looked like he was ready to say fuck it and kiss her right there. He leaned in, and she gripped his tie even tighter.

But then someone cleared their throat beside them.

"Alright, you two." It was Rossi. "Get out of here, go kiss and make up. That's an order."

"But you're not our boss," Y/N pointed out, apparently still on the high of arguing.

"Tonight I am. Go on, get."

She turned away from them and left without another word.

***

One silent car ride later, the two of them walked up to Y/N's apartment. It wasn't until Spencer had closed the door behind him that either of them said something.

In fact, they both said something at the same time.

"Take your clothes off."

"Leave the suit on."

And then, silence.

For one second. Then two. Then three.

And then the only sound to be heard was Y/N's heels as she glided to Spencer in three large steps and crushed her mouth to his. The second it happened, it was like a rubber band snapped, all this pent up tension finally releasing and shooting across the air until it landed somewhere.

In this case, it landed on the kitchen table. She pushed off his jacket the second her butt landed on the cool wooden surface, and her mouth pulled away from his with a harsh smack. "I thought I told you to take off your clothes."

"So fucking impatient," he breathed, grabbing her face with his hands and kissing her again.

A second later, she pulled back and gripped his tie. "Then don't take so fucking long," she said lowly, and then pulled him forward by the tie, connecting their mouths once more.

He grunted in her mouth, releasing her face and working at the buttons of his shirt while she tried her hardest to get the tie. The second everything was loosened, she slid her hands under his shirt and pulled his body into hers by the waist, digging her nails into his skin.

"Lift your hips, baby," he breathed against her mouth, his hands already at the button. "Let me get these off."

"I thought you wanted me to keep the suit on?" she laughed.

"Well, I can't fuck you with your pants on, Y/N."

She lifted her hips then, using her hands on the table as leverage while he shimmied them off over her heels. "I know, genius, I was just fucking with you."

"Well, stop it," he got out with an exasperated sigh.

And before she could retort, his fingers were pushing her panties aside and slipping through the opening of her pussy, causing her words to get caught in her throat.

She choked on a moan and he laughed. "Yeah, I thought that'd shut you up."

"Fuck you," she gasped.

"I'd rather fuck you instead."

And with that final sentence, he started finger-fucking her, leaning forward and applying kisses and bites to her neck. Her hands reached out to grip his shoulders, pushing the rest of his shirt off and then clinging to him like a cat clinging to a tree.

"Who knew all this fighting would make you so wet for me," he said, punctuating his words with a nip to her neck. As if to prove his point, he worked his fingers in and out of her quicker and deeper, the both of them taking in and relishing the sounds it made. Meanwhile she rocked her hips against his hand and tried her hardest not to make much sound, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of hearing how much he was affecting her.

Though, it seemed he caught on to her scheme.

"What's the matter, baby? Cat got your tongue? I know you wanna let it out, so why don't you?"

"Not... until you say you're sorry," she managed to respond clearly, leaning back to look him in the eye.

The look he gave her radiated cockiness as his fingers worked even faster, and she squeezed her eyes shut to hold back any noises.

"Aw, not even one little moan for me, pretty girl? I know you've got one in you..."

"N—no," she pressed, obviously trying not to react at all. But it was getting harder when every second Spencer was curling his fingers inside her now, hitting that sweet spot and bringing her closer to the edge.

"Yes," he reiterated, bringing his other hand to her mouth and pushing her lips apart to press his thumb down onto her tongue, keeping her jaw open and forcing out all the sounds she'd tried so hard to hold in.

There was no getting out of it, but... right now she didn't care. Because she loved when he took control like this, seeing his face scrunch up with determination to get what he wanted, the raw, primal look in his eye that boiled her insides and broke her down every time...

Inevitably, she moaned out. Loudly. And when she was met with a smug, "Atta girl," she closed her mouth around his thumb and sucked on it, humming as her pussy clenched around his fingers. "That's a good fucking girl..."

As he worked her through her orgasm, the high subsiding, she thought, Alright... You win this round...

And then, as he pulled away from her and brought his fingers to his mouth and cleaned them off, Y/N slowly grew a smirk.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow.

She took out her earrings, jumped off the table, and unbuttoned the suit jacket, letting it hang open as she dragged him with her to the bedroom in nothing but her bra, panties, jacket, and heels. "I'm gonna get you for that."

His heart raced as she all but threw him in the direction of the bed. He sat down and leaned back, breathless as she kicked the door shut with her foot and settled her hands on her bare hips. From the low angle he had, she very much radiated dominance and power, and God, if she wasn't the most stunning specimen he'd ever laid his eyes on...

He wanted in that moment so badly to submit to her, to give her everything she wanted, but... If he didn't, what would she do?

She took a few slow steps, and with every one Spencer sunk back, until he was laying down and she was standing at the edge of the bed, using her knee to push his legs apart.

"Sit up," she demanded softly, and he almost obliged. But he wanted to see what she'd do if he refused. So when he remained on his back, she stretched her arm out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him up and then gripping his chin in her other hand to make him look up at her.

In the dim light of the bedroom, he studied her, every curve and peak of her face and the way the shadows accented her prettiest features, the faint glimmer of the eyeshadow she was wearing, the way her tongue danced behind her lips as she figured out what to say next...

Likewise, she took him in completely, the way his eyes softened with each passing second as they roamed her face, and how his just settled in her hand, like he was completely submitting to and amazed by her. And truth be told, the feeling was mutual. Just looking into his eyes alone, Y/N could tell how much he loved her, and it made her heart swell.

Consequently, the electric buzz that had been between them all night and growing stronger for weeks was a dull hum, something more warm and... remorseful.

"I love you," Y/N breathed, loosening the grip on Spencer's chin. She let her fingers slide down his neck and over to his shoulder, where she gave him a light, loving squeeze. "And I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," he whispered back, bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek. "And I love you."

She sat down on one of his legs, bringing them closer together and to eye-level. And with a smile, she said, "Truce?"

"Truce."

"Good. Now, fuck me?"

"Always."

Her body melted into his when he pulled her face to him and kissed her. His lips moved slowly against hers, yet with a burning passion and need that made it hard for her to breathe. It wasn't long before she starting rocking against him, butterflies swarming in her stomach when he noticed and used one of his hands to run up her thigh. Meanwhile their kisses grew stronger, deeper, and the little sighs and moans they produced together provided the cherry on top.

Y/N slid off of him, then reached down to take his pants off, head spinning and heart soaring. And Spencer felt the same, tugging at the hem of her panties.

She laughed, breaking away once his pants were off. "How do you want me, baby?"

"Just like this," he responded, not needing any time to think about it. "Ride me, do whatever you want to me. I just want you."

With another little laugh, she pushed him back lightly and took off her underweat and heels, then climbed over him to straddle his hips. "Careful what you wish for."

When she reached back her arms to remove the jacket, Spencer stopped her, gripping her thighs and saying in a low voice, "Don't you dare take that off."

She sounded satisfied. Triumphant. "I knew you'd like it."

And before he had a chance to elaborate on just how much he liked it, she shifted her hips and ground down on his bare, hard dick. All words escaped him at the feeling, and she seemed to know it, because she smiled down at him victoriously.

She leaned down and braced her hands on his chest as she continued to rock back and forth, slicking him up with her arousal. Soon after, she snuck one of her hands down to help herself onto him, and she sank down slowly, ever so slowly...

Spencer sighed out, long and drawn out, and the sound was like music to Y/N's ears. She started off slowly, but it wasn't long before she sat up and set a steady pace riding him. And once he found his bearings, getting used to the feeling of her around him after almost a whole month of missing it completely, his eyes opened and took her in once more, the sight before him almost shattering him to pieces.

As his hands flew out to grip her waist, Y/N sighed, reaching down and placing her hands on his stomach. "Fuck, I missed this, baby... Missed you..." Then she slid forward and settled her hands at his collarbone, slowing her hips and making sure to speak just as slowly. "Missed the feeling of your cock deep inside me..."

He lost it then. His grip tightened on her waist and he shifted his hips, repeatedly thrusting up into her with a force that elicited a deep moan from Y/N's throat. She gasped out as he continued this pace, the tension inside of her starting to stretch thin.

"Fuck, baby, please! Oh, right there!" she couldn't help but yell out. She sat up just a little so he had a better angle, and her hands gently wrapped around his throat, to which he rolled his eyes back and groaned out a soft, "Fuck, yes."

They were moving together now, meeting each others' hips with an urgency that could only be present through weeks of built up tension and depravation. It was like a thunderstorm, intense and filled to the brim with flashes of lightning that danced behind both of their eyes as they reached the pinnacle.

Their bodies slowed down naturally, and Y/N's hands were now combing through his hair as she slumped down over him and felt his release as it started to drip down her thigh, and Spencer basked in the feeling of her envelopment, her body weight over the top of him like a warm blanket. They both felt little aftershocks of pleasure as they slowed their breathing and just laid there, hands gently rubbing each others' skin and mouths exhaling soft whispers of 'I love you,' and 'I missed you.'

And then they fully came to their senses, the storm having rolled through completely and leaving them in a calm breeze. It was peaceful. Rehabilitating.

Y/N kissed Spencer's neck and lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "Babe, you know I love you, but I'm not sleeping in this thing tonight."

He laughed, tucking some of the hair behind her ear that had fallen from the updo and then running his thumb along her bottom lip. "That's fair. You should... wear suits more often, though. They're a good look for you."

She smiled and kissed him softly. "Duly noted."

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[magisteramentia]

Puppy Farm

“YES!” Kim exclaimed, almost throwing the controller to the ground. She was the best of the best, being a professional gamer and champion in various tournaments, but her biggest joy was to beat her boyfriend at the games he developed.

“Careful with that!” He said while Kim began making a little victory dance. It pained Sam to be beaten, but he enjoyed watching Kim have fun.

And the sight of her braless breast bouncing in the white tank top she wore was something that made up for it.

Sam got up from the cushion on the floor and left his controller aside.

“I am getting hungry,” He said.

“You are just making excuses because I am kicking your ass.” Kim got up, leaving the controller on the ground, and hugged him from behind.

Sam tried to kiss her but her long brown hair stood between him and her cheek, “And you are hungry even if you don’t realize, then you will get sloppy. And the moment I beat you, you will throw a tantrum and get mad at me.”

She showed him her tongue. He kissed it.

She knew it was true. But she would never admit it.

“So, what are we getting?” She asked.

“I am in the mood for some Korean food.” He said, he turned her around and took a bite of her neck.

She yelped and punched him lightly on the chest.

“Stop it. If you start now we won’t eat anything.” She said. “And I don’t feel like having Korean. Grandma is visiting mom and that’s all she makes.”

“How about a pizza?”

“Chinese?”

“Fine...” Sam pondered the menu a little. “The usual?”

“Sure.”

“I will get my coat. Hey, do you mind waiting for me here? I’m worried about a package that is due for today, but I don’t want my neighbor to snoop about it.”

Kim hugged her boyfriend, “what, did you order something for me?” She bit her arm playfully.

“You will have to wait and see. But don’t open it. Ok?”

“sure...” Kim pouted.

“I will be back in a jiffy.” He said and walked out the door, but turned back to Kim, “One more thing, I am working on a new project for a friend, it’s a freelance program, don’t open it. He made me sign an NDA and all.”

“Scout promise.” Kim lifted her hand and crossed her heart.

“You are not a scout.”

“Go away already. I am getting horngry.” She said snapping her teeth together.

Sam left, leaving Kim to her own devices.

“Let’s see what that program is about.” Kim jumped on Sam’s laptop and snooped around the recent files and emails. There was a recent mail quoting something called TEST6.Exe and saying that he needed to find a willing subject to begin beta testing.

The reply also said that the program ran better on a bigger screen than a smaller one.

Kim found the file and plugged the computer into the main TV and clicked run.

The file went on Fullscreen mode. There was a home screen with a simple MIDI soundtrack and old-school pixel art.

PUPPYFARM. The title screen read.

It seemed like another rip-off of Animal crossing or Stardew Valley. Why was this supposed to be played on a bigger screen? This kind of game could work fine on a Game Boy.

She linked a controller and pressed play. There were two options.

New game & Settings.

She hit New Game.

The pixel art faded to black, followed by a dialogue screen. “Name?” The screen asked. Normally she would enter her Gamertag, but something itched in the back of her head, she decided to input “KIM”.

“Welcome to your new puppy farm,” The screen read, “train your puppy and keep them happy-“ and then the game crashed.

She laughed. That was why Sam didn’t want her to find about it. It crashed as soon as it began.

She tried to restart. This time she went to settings to see what she could change. There was a single stat.

Immersion, High - Medium - Low. The lowest setting was selected.

She wondered what it meant. It wasn’t like this was VR.

She changed the setting to High, pressed back, and this time selected Continue.

The game didn’t fade to black this time. The screen was filled with colorful pixels as the screen loaded. It was a bit annoying, and she was sure even if it was 16 bits this could give someone a seizure.

The game finally loaded. There was a small farm-like setting, a few fields, a tiny house, and a stable. The controls were simple; the music was limited and kept looping the same simple melody over and over; it droned off and after a while, it was easy to forget it was even there.

She moved around the map. It was very limited, and there was a bug that every so often made the screen freeze.

Finally, she walked into the little stable.

There were many empty spaces, but only one puppy. She made the character walk up to it.

The screen froze again. Something began bothering her, a little itch growing down her spine. The dialogue screen read. “Play with Kim?”

She laughed. She thought the game asked her to put the farmer’s name, not the puppy name.

She played with KIM.

There was a little [woof-woof] dialogue over KIM when the farmer played with the little puppy. Kim felt a rush of electricity go down her spine and hit her lower back.

For some reason, reading her name associated with a little dog made her feel… uncomfortable wasn’t the word. Bothered, she thought to herself.

There was a little +10xp.

Kim pressed the options wheel and saw there were more options now. Play, Rub, and Train. It was a bit unsettling, but she felt like she needed to keep playing. She selected the option Play again.

Kim felt another rush go down her spine, it was pleasant and made her body feel warm.

Kim pushed the PLAY options repeatedly until the XP stopped showing.

Then Kim noticed she was wiggling in her seat.

She burst into laughter. ‘It seems this is getting to my head’ she said out loud, “Let’s see what happens if I select. Rub...” There was a flash on the screen.

Kim fell down to the floor, feeling a spasm like someone had pushed a vibe down her pussy.

She gasped for air as she convulsed. Waggling her butt in the air.

The screen went back to normal.

KIM “Enjoyed that.”

She certainly did. She thought to herself.

She wondered what just happened, but unable to stop herself, she selected the option again.

She gasped for air as she convulsed. Waggling her butt in the air. Drool ran down to the floor and she felt it natural to bark.

KIM “Enjoyed that.”

This was messed up. She thought to herself. How? what is happening to her?

“I should stop and confront Sam about this.” Kim stared at the screen.

But something bothered her.

“What happens if I push the train button?”

Curiosity got the best of her. She selected “TRAIN”

She felt a slap on her pussy.

“FUCK WAS THAT!?” Kim’s hand went to rub her sore pussy, dropping the controller to the floor.

The TRAIN option got selected again. The screen flashed accompanied by the slapping sound effect. Kim felt herself spread her legs instinctively.

“NO!” She whimpered. The controller got stuck and selected the same option over and over again. Kim stared at the flashing screen. Each time she heard the slap she felt as if a hand, a belt, or something slapped her ass, her pussy, or her breasts.

Even so, she held the position, spreading her legs, her hands behind her back, perfect posture thrusting her breasts and holding for the sting of the slap.

The game stopped after a while.

“KIM can learn a new trick. Teach KIM a new trick?” The cursor blinked.

Kim heaved. She didn’t know what was happening anymore. She collapsed in place. Her clothes were a mess, she had drool on her tits and her pussy was sore and dripping.

She stared at the screen.

“Yes,” she said meekly. “Please. Yes. I will.” She pleaded. “Teach me a new trick.”

-Voice recognition activated- The screen flashed.

“KIM is an eager puppy, KIM will learn TWO new tricks.”

“KIM... Sit!” The dialogue box ordered.

Kim sat down, her hands, no, her paws standing between her spread legs.

“KIM... Wait!” Kim opened her mouth and heaved.

“KIM is a good puppy.” The screen said.

“Kim is a good puppy,” Kim said.

“Kim is an obedient puppy.” The dialogue box continued.

“Kim is an obedient puppy,” Kim repeated the dialogue

“Kim is a good Puppy.” The screen froze.

“Kim is a good Puppy. Kim is an obedient Puppy.” Kim read the dialogue on the frozen screen “Kim is a good Puppy. Kim is an obedient Puppy.”

Kim kept repeating the words over and over again with her tongue hanging from her mouth until they weren’t words anymore.

Sam opened the door.

“You will not believe what happened...” He closed the door. “I came across the deliveryman just as I was leaving the building and got the package I was waiting-“ He dropped the box and ran to his girlfriend.

“WOOF-WOOF” Kim barked without looking away from the screen.

“SHIT!” He made her look at him, her eyes crossed and empty.

“Kim! Kim!” He called out to her.

“Woof!” was her only response. He looked up to the screen and saw the message on the screen was frozen.

“Fuck! Kim! You didn’t have to put it in the highest setting...” He sighed.

Kim laid on the floor showing her belly, waiting for her master to play with her. Her skirt was up to her waist, showing her wet panties. Her top was damp with sweat and drool, her nipples were completely erect.

“Fuck.” Sam sat beside her and unplugged his laptop. He didn’t know what to do now. His hand instinctively reached up to her exposed belly. He rubbed her, Kim smiled and barked, her tongue hanging out. She enjoyed that.

Sam sighed and opened the box, pulling out the contents. Sure, this wasn’t the plan, but at least now he was sure she was going to like it.

“Who is a good puppy?” He said, placing a collar around her neck and little puppy ears on her head.

Kim barked eagerly.

“yes you are, yes you are.” He rubbed her belly and began taking off her clothes.

“Kim is a good puppy,” He said, and Kim moaned, thrusting up her naked and wet pussy.

“You are a good puppy.” He finished undressing her and pulled another item from the box.

He coated his fingers with lub and smeared her asshole, then he lubbed the metal plug and pushed it inside her, making her yelp and drip from her pussy.

“Who is a good puppy?”

Kim barked again.

Sam pushed the fluffy tail plug into his girlfriend turned pet.

“Kim is a good puppy.””YES!" Kim exclaimed almost throwing the controller to the ground. She was the best of the best, being a professional gamer and champion in various tournaments, but her biggest joy was to beat her boyfriend at the games he developed.

“Careful with that!” He said, Kim began making a little victory dance, it pained Sam to be beaten, but he enjoyed watching Kim have fun.

And the sight of her braless breast bouncing in the white tank top she wore was something that made up for it.

Sam got up from the cushion on the floor and left his controller aside.

“I am getting hungry,” He said.

“You are just making excuses because I am kicking your ass.” Kim got up, leaving the controller on the ground, and hugged him from behind.

Sam tried to kiss her but her long brown hair stood between him and her cheek, “And you are hungry even if you don’t realize, then you will get sloppy. And the moment I beat you, you will throw a tantrum and get mad at me.”

She showed him her tongue. He kissed it.

She knew it was true. But she would never admit it.

“So, what are we getting?” She asked.

“I am in the mood for some Korean food.” He said, he turned her around and took a bite of her neck.

She yelped and punched him lightly on the chest.

“Stop it. If you start now we won’t eat anything.” She said. “And I don’t feel like having Korean. Grandma is visiting mom and that’s all she makes.”

“How about a pizza?”

“Chinese?”

“Fine...” Sam pondered the menu a little. “The usual?”

“Sure.”

“I will get my coat. Hey, do you mind waiting for me here? I’m worried about a package that is due for today but I don’t want my neighbor to snoop about it.”

Kim hugged her boyfriend, “what, did you order something for me?” She bit her arm playfully.

“you will have to wait and see. But don’t open it. ok?”

“sure...” Kim pouted.

“I will be back in a jiffy.” He said and walked out the door, but turned back to Kim, “One more thing, I am working on a new project for a friend, it’s a freelance program, don’t open it. He made me sign an NDA and all.”

“Scout promise.” Kim lifted her hand and crossed her heart.

“You are not a scout.”

“Go away already. I am getting horngry.” She said snapping her teeth together.

Sam left, leaving Kim to her own devices.

“Let’s see what that program is about.” Kim jumped on Sam’s laptop and began to check on the recent files and emails. There was a recent mail quoting something called TEST6.Exe and saying that he needed to find a willing subject to begin beta testing.

The reply also said that the program ran better on a bigger screen than a smaller one.

Kim found the file and plugged the computer into the main TV and clicked run.

The file went on fullscreen mode. There was a home screen with a simple  MIDI soundtrack and old-school pixel art.

PUPPYFARM. The title screen read.

It seemed like another rip-off of Animal crossing or Stardew valley. Why was this supposed to be played on a bigger screen? This kind of game could work fine on a Game Boy.

She linked a controller and pressed play. There were two options.

New game & Settings.

She hit New Game.

The pixel art faded to black followed by a dialogue screen. “Name?” The screen asked, normally she would enter her Gamertag, but something itched in the back of her head, she decided to input “KIM”.

“Welcome to your new puppy farm,” The screen read, “train your puppy and keep them happy-“ and then the game crashed.

She laughed. That was why Sam didn’t want her to find about it. It crashed as soon as it began.

She tried to restart. This time she went to settings to see what she could change. There was a single stat.

Immersion, High - Medium - Low. The lowest setting was selected.

She wondered what it meant. It wasn’t like this was VR.

She changed the setting to High, pressed back, and this time selected Continue.

The game didn’t fade to black this time. The screen was filled with colorful pixels as the screen loaded. It was a bit annoying and she was sure even if it was 16bits this could give someone a seizure.

The game finally loaded. There was a small farm-like setting, a few fields, a little house, and a stable. The controls were simple, the music was limited and kept looping the same simple melody over and over, it droned off and after a while, it was easy to forget it was even there.

She moved around the map. It was very limited and there was a bug that every so often made the screen freeze.

Finally, she walked into the little stable.

There were many spaces but only one puppy. She made the character walk up to it.

The screen froze again. Something began bothering her, a little itch growing down her spine, the dialogue screen read. “Play with Kim?”

She laughed. She thought the game asked her to put the farmer’s name, not the puppy name.

She played with KIM.

There was a little [woof-woof] dialogue over KIM when the farmer played with the little puppy. Kim felt a little rush go down her spine and hit her lower back.

For some reason reading her name associated with a little dog made her feel, uncomfortable wasn’t the word. Bothered, she thought to herself.

There was a little +10xp.

Kim pressed the options wheel and saw there were more options now. Play, Rub, and Train. It was a bit unsettling, but she felt like she needed to keep playing. She selected the option Play again.

Kim felt another rush go down her spine, it was pleasant and made her body feel warm.

Kim pushed the PLAY options repeatedly until the XP stopped showing.

Then Kim noticed she was wiggling in her seat.

She burst into laughter. ‘It seems this is getting to my head’ she said out loud, “Let’s see what happens if I select. Rub...” There was a flash on the screen.

Kim fell down to the floor, feeling a spasm like someone had pushed a vibe down her pussy.

She gasped for air as she convulsed. Waggling her butt on the air.

The screen went back to normal.

KIM “Enjoyed that”.

She certainly did. She thought to herself.

She wondered what just happened, but unable to stop herself, she selected the option again.

She gasped for air as she convulsed. Waggling her butt on the air. Drool ran down to the floor and she felt it natural to bark.

KIM “Enjoyed that”.

This was messed up. She thought to herself. How? what is happening to her?

“I should stop and confront Sam about this.” Kim stared at the screen.

But something bothered her.

“What happens if I push the train button?”

Curiosity got the best of her. She selected “TRAIN”

She felt a slap on her pussy.

“FUCK WAS THAT!?” Kim’s hand went to rub her sore pussy, dropping the controller to the floor.

The TRAIN option got selected again. The screen flashed accompanied by the slapping sound effect. Kim felt herself spread her legs instinctively.

“NO!” She whimpered. The controller got stuck and selected the same option over and over again. Kim stared at the flashing screen, each time she heard the slap she felt as if a hand, a belt, or something slapped her ass, her pussy, or her breasts.

Even so, she held the position, spreading her legs, her hands behind her back, perfect posture thrusting her breasts and holding for the sting of the slap.

The game stopped after a while.

“KIM can learn a new trick. Teach KIM a new trick?” The cursor blinked.

Kim heaved. She didn’t know what was happening anymore. She collapsed in place. Her clothes were a mess, she had drool on her tits and her pussy was sore and dripping.

She stared at the screen.

“Yes,” she said meekly. “Please. Yes. I will.” She pleaded. “Teach me a new trick.”

-Voice recognition activated- The screen flashed.

“KIM is an eager puppy, KIM will learn TWO new tricks.”

“KIM... Sit!” The dialogue box ordered.

Kim sat down, her hands, no, her paws standing between her spread legs.

“KIM... Wait!” Kim opened her mouth and heaved.

“KIM is a good puppy.” The screen said.

“Kim is a good puppy,” Kim said.

“Kim is an obedient puppy.” The dialogue box continued.

“Kim is an obedient puppy,” Kim repeated the dialogue

“Kim is a good Puppy.” The screen froze.

“Kim is a good Puppy. Kim is an obedient Puppy.

Kim is a good Puppy. Kim is an obedient Puppy.”

Kim kept repeating the words over and over again with her tongue hanging from her mouth until they weren’t words anymore.

Sam opened the door.

“You will not believe what happened...” He closed the door. “I came across the deliveryman just as I was leaving the building, and got the package I was waiting-“ He dropped the box and ran to his girlfriend.

“WOOF-WOOF” Kim barked without looking away from the screen.

“SHIT!” He made her look at him, her eyes crossed and empty.

“Kim! Kim!” He called out to her.

“Woof!” was her only response. He looked up to the screen the message on the screen was frozen.

“Fuck. Kim, you didn’t have to put it in the highest setting.” He sighed.

Kim laid down showing her belly, waiting for her master to play with her.

“Fuck.” Sam sat beside her and unplugged his laptop. He didn’t know what to do now, his hand instinctively reached up to her exposed belly. He rubbed her, Kim smiled and barked, her tongue hanging out. She was enjoying that.

Sam sighed and opened the box pulling out the contents. Sure, this wasn’t the plan, but at least now he was sure she was going to like it.

“Who is a good puppy.” He said, placing a collar around her neck and little puppy ears on her head.

Kim barked eagerly.

“yes you are, yes you are.” He rubbed her belly and began taking off her clothes.

“Kim is a good puppy,” He said, and Kim moaned, thrusting up her naked and wet pussy.

“You are a good puppy.” He finished undressing her and pulled another item from the box.

He coated his fingers with lub and smeared her asshole, then he lubbed the metal plug and pushed it inside her, making her yelp and drip from her pussy.

“Who is a good puppy?”

Kim barked again.

Sam pushed the fluffy tail plug into his girlfriend turned pet.

“Kim is a good puppy.”

-----

There are more stories waiting at my Patreon https://patreon.com/magisteramentia or if you want to support my writing you can always invite me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/magisteramentia

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 317: My Boy Was Just Like Me

Previously on BnHA: AFO randomly blew up Lady Nagant as a good reminder of why you should never make a deal with this fucking guy, smdh. Hawks was all “well if it isn’t my two best friends, Deku and Lady Nagant, both of whom I respect and love tremendously.” Everyone was all “??” and Horikoshi was all “shh... just pretend” because it was too embarrassing for him to admit that he forgot to write a couple of set-up flashbacks I guess. Anyway so Hawks got Lady to tell them where AFO was hiding out, and everyone said goodbye to her and Overhaul, who never did get to see his boss (sorry buddy, I’ll send you a vial of my tears in the mail), and headed out to a house in the woods. AFO was all “hello Deku :) :) it sure is fun making you suffer :) :) :) anyways this is a trap”, and blew up the house. Yeah, we all here are getting reaaaaaaaal tired of your shit, AFO.

Today on BnHA: The Hawksquad and Edgeplatoon meet in a warehouse and are all “what should we do about the fact that everything sucks?” Mt. Lady is all “here’s a thought, what if we tried battling AFO with more than six people.” Hawks and Endeavor are all “great initiative, but just a friendly reminder that our friends also suck and would probably betray Deku which would suck further still.” Shouto is all “ANSWER THE PHONE DAD” and Endeavor is all “[IRONICALLY DOESN’T ANSWER THE PHONE].” Meanwhile over in Sadtown, capital of Sadland Prefecture, Japan, Deku is all “All Might, as you can clearly see I am completely fine and good, never been better in fact, definitely not caught up in the throes of an epic mental breakdown which is shutting me down emotionally, anyway so on that note I would like to leave you now goodbye!!” All Might is all “[can’t actually form any words because he’s too distraught].” Fandom is all “o(���﹏╥)o.” Horikoshi is all “(*＾-’) 乃 [pew pew finger guns and barrel rolls into the darkness].”

sweet jesus lord

this literally doesn’t even look like Deku anymore?? this looks like Dark!Deku who shows up to fight you in that one room in the Water Temple. he looks like he’s about to crawl out of my television set and murder me with his psychic powers good lord

holy shit lmao Horikoshi is really just shrugging his shoulders and resolving last week’s cliffhanger with a single line of dialogue

fire is no one’s weakness. idk what other options you’ve got, AFO, but you’re gonna have to go back to the drawing board. maybe try bees or something. I’m just saying. we’re all expecting fire at this point but nobody is expecting bees

anyway so now they’re all sitting in some warehouse somewhere chatting about it I guess. shoutout to Horikoshi for finally giving my man Edgeshot some more dialogue at long last

well, Edgeshot, to answer your question, she exploded. so naturally she’s fine

nah just kidding, Hawks says she won’t be able to help them out much because she’s recovering from being exploded. this is the part where we all ignore the fact that Hawks got set on fire for like a full ten minutes back during the War arc and was only in the hospital for a day. anyways enjoy your temporary plot hiatus Nagant

man there’s a lot of dialogue here and I’m trying to figure out where to insert commentary but it’s kinda difficult lol. basically, Edge and the others are saying that they should gather up the other remaining heroes and get them all caught up on the whole OFA situation. which, hmmmm

like on the one hand, these guys definitely aren’t going to cut it on their own, so it’s a reasonable suggestion on the face of it. but on the other hand, do we really want to entrust the OFA secret to a bunch of other people, most of whom shat the bed during the War arc to be quite frank? is it really worth the additional risk? especially given that any one of them might go spilling the beans to the public -- or worse, betray them to AFO??

also just a quick side note here, Mt. Lady’s character development never ceases to delight me. she’s become so committed to her responsibility as a hero these days, and it fucking suits her. I genuinely consider to be one of the elites now. I mean it doesn’t hurt that all the other elites are fucking dead lol but still

wait what? Death Arms retired??

Death Arms as in the guy who was too afraid of a little fire to try and save a terrified 14-year-old kid who was slowly suffocating right before his eyes?? that Death Arms???? color me surprised. shocked, I tell you

...okay but holy fuck

Death Arms. bro. my expectations for you were low but holy shit. like I’m sorry, but I don’t even have it in me to try and pretend like I feel the slightest bit of sympathy for him or Old Man Samurai or any of those other guys today. thanks for a whole lot of nothing my dude. good riddance

(ETA: so I’m rereading this the next day and realize this comes off as kind of harsh, so let me just try to clarify. it’s not the fact that he’s quitting that bothers me, to be honest. it’s the fact that he’s quitting specifically because he feels like the public is being mean to him. that’s it.

seriously. it would be one thing if he was quitting because he was scared, because now that is human. nobody wants to die, and I doubt any amount of training can ever fully prepare someone to go up against that fear. but the thing is, he never once mentions that, or talks about the danger aspect. instead, I got the distinct vibe from this speech that Death Arms is one of those people who only became a hero because of the limelight. and I just don’t have any patience for that. if all you care about are likes and subscribes then go become a fucking youtuber or some shit. nothing wrong with that! but you didn’t; you signed up to be a hero and protect these people. they gave you their respect and admiration because they trusted you to protect them. and now that they’re no longer in the mood to worship and applaud your every move on account of them being scared shitless because they’re living in the literal end times, you decide to dip. so like okay, fine then. don’t let the door hit you on the way out. anyways lol sorry for the rant.)

anyway so yeah. perfect example of why I don’t exactly have a ton of faith in most of the remaining heroes out there lol. also let me just once again give a shoutout to my best girl Mt. Lady whom I suddenly find myself appreciating all the more

“please calm down makeste. drink some water and enjoy this fresh new jeans pun” listen Horikoshi don’t tell me what to do dammit

fine. it is a nice pun, I guess

-- damn so now Endeavor’s saying that the media is already being fed info by the retired heroes. so for some of these guys it wasn’t enough for them to abandon all the people they swore to protect and to leave their fellow heroes out in the cold; they decided they might as well actively make things worse for them while they were at it, huh. like I get wanting to spill all the dirty secrets from your old job that you just quit, but this isn’t Jeff Bezos you’re screwing over, this is a sixteen-year-old kid

-- like, yes!! this, right here!!

exactly!! let’s not forget that there are already two prior instances of this happening. Endeavor arguably deserved it, but Katsuki not so much

huh. Endeavor seems to have a more optimistic outlook regarding this than I do lol

I mean, this is the same public that didn’t hesitant to blame a kidnapped child for his own kidnapping, and then later on for being the downfall of the Symbol of Peace. but okay then

anyway so blah blah blah, more talk about how they need to use Deku as bait, which basically puts them back at square one, and then they’re all just trailing off into silence and sitting around in the dark lmao this is getting very depressing

SKDJFLSDKJ:LFKJ

SHOUTO?????

NOOOOOOOO ARE YOU KIDDING ME

OH HOW THE TURNTABLES OMG. THE GHOSTER HAS BECOME THE GHOSTEE. Endeavor you petty son of a bitch. and what a brutal cut to that flashback too. “let’s stop Touya together” nah Shouto I’ve got a better idea why don’t I abandon you in U.A. and sally off with Hawks and Jeanist to found the “let’s pretend like we’re doing something to help Deku” club, which basically consists of us sitting around making terrible decisions all day long

Shouto, honey. you deserve better my little Coca Cola can. .........but if you really do have something important you need to tell your dad you could just text it to him. all the love and support, hugs and kisses, you’re doing amazing sweetie. but if you need to pass on any vital information you can just write it down and hit send honey that’s all I’m saying love

now he’s getting another call?? -- or, no, Hawks is getting a call from All Might

ARE YOU FOR REAL HAWKS OMFG

so while you all were sitting around talking about how useless you are, the kid you’re supposed to be protecting was battling another hired gun. I see. please pardon me for one second, I have a phone call to make. the phone call is to RockLockRock and Manual. the reason for the call is to apologize for calling them the worst bodyguards ever back during the War arc. the reason for the apology is because it turns out I WAS SEVERELY MISTAKEN OMFG

JESUS CHRIST DEKU DID YOU JUST KILL THIS MAN LMAO

shoutout to Horikoshi for offscreening this fight. we get it, lol. Deku strong and scary, villains ineffectual and feeble, and AFO... [checks notes] yep, still a dick. the angst arc continues

-- the angst arc continues, SIR

jesus christ I may have to rethink all of my opinions about Deku being framed for murder in movie 3 lmao. never mind. he did it, your honor

holy fucking shit Deku. “he might blow up, so please be careful” fdlskjflk jlskdjflk lwkejflk anyway so I’ve decided the explosion running gag can stay, actually

DEKU WAIT YOU FORGOT YOUR LUNCH!!

lol why do I get the feeling some serious shit is about to go down. ALL MIGHT NEVER MIND BACK OFF I THINK HE NEEDS HIS SPACE

OH MY FUCK I GASPED OUT LOUD

NO NO NO. I KNEW THIS WAS COMING GODDAMMIT BUT NO. NEVER MIND, I CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT IT, I’M NOT READY TO CRY TODAY

shit. shit shit shit shit and OF COURSE all I can fucking think about is that stupid fucking prophecy and gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Deku please. please please please if you really are going to leave All Might here, please be so very careful in choosing your farewell words to him now because have this sudden horrible fear that this might be the last time you ever see him alive and oh god. oh god oh god

DEKU NO, YOU’RE REALLY NOT!?!?

I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYONE LESS FINE IN MY LIFE, ACTUALLY????

holy shit. and the fucking callback to the prophecy now. just in case we forgot. WHICH FYI, WE DIDN’T. but that’s basically confirming that this is all still very much on the table and HORIKOSHI NEVER FORGETS oh my god someone please hold me

and the fact that Deku’s flashing back to it now too, though?? because he never forgot either, because of course he didn’t, and now all this stuff is happening, and AFO’s words are getting to him, and this is literally his worst fear come to life and so of course he’s distancing himself from everyone, and now it’s finally come to even this. even the person he admires most

-- OKAY NO, FUCKING COME ON ALREADY I CAN’T TAKE THIS

I GET IT OH MY GOD, I ALREADY UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF THIS MOMENT WITHOUT ALL OF THE DEVASTATING FLASHBACKS THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! YOU ACTUALLY DO WANT ME TO CRY, HUH, IS THAT IT. THIS MAN THAT HE THINKS OF AS A FATHER, THIS MAN WHO HAS BEEN EVERYTHING TO HIM SINCE HE WAS A VERY YOUNG CHILD. EVERYTHING THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH, JUXTAPOSED AGAINST EVERYTHING DEKU IS UP AGAINST, EVERYTHING THAT’S AT RISK. LET’S JUST PUT IT ALL SIDE BY SIDE. LET’S JUST PILE ON ALL OF THE FEELS

(ETA: just a quick note that even though some of the posts I’ve read have described these as All Might’s flashbacks, I’m pretty sure they are Deku’s. most of these are scenes that only he was there for, so yeah. even though All Might is the one thinking the thoughts on the next page, the flashbacks are what’s running through Deku’s mind right now, and so we’re getting that emotion from both of them, which makes it extra devastating lol.)

wait, what???

WHAT??? do you really think that’s why he’s been so determined to protect you this entire time?? simply because you’re his successor?

-- oh no wait lol I think I got that mixed up, this is All Might saying that Deku feels the need to protect him. well that makes more sense lol

oh my god I cannot

his last words. his last words to him. and we can’t even see if he is smiling, like All Might always encouraged him to do. but what are the odds he can’t actually bring himself to do it. what are the odds he’s actually crying. oh god this scene is going to rip my heart out and STOMP on it in the anime isn’t it. Deku’s VA is going to full on murder me with emotion. not that there’ll be much of me left to murder after the thorough job that Horikoshi has already done here

YOU’RE CRYING. DEKU IS LEAVING ALL MIGHT AND IGNORING HIS OUTSTRETCHED HAND AND YOU’RE CRYING. AND BY “YOU” I MEAN “ME”, FUCK

nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope no words just feels just a big ol’ pile of feels. I do not have the strength. future me... [broadly gestures] good luck with all that

(ETA: LOL, WELL THEN.

what breaks my heart here is All Might. All Might, and everything he’s been through, and history repeating itself, and forcing him to live this moment from both sides because he wasn’t strong enough to fix things.

Toshinori had only just turned eighteen when Nana died. like, I feel like we don’t mention this enough. the All Might we know is a sixty-something-year-old man, and so everyone always talks about him like he’s basically been an adult forever. but he was a child when he met Nana. and he was still just a child when she died. barely a year older than Deku is now. younger than Mirio was when we first met him.

and we don’t talk about that. we don’t talk about how devastating that was for him. and we don’t talk about how the reason he grew up to become so reserved and withdrawn -- for all that he always tried so hard to outwardly project the image of a bold, confident, smiling hero -- was specifically because of what AFO did to him. because AFO targeted him in the exact way that he is now targeting Deku. because that’s what he does. he goes after every new user of OFA, and he finds out what’s most important to them, and then he destroys it. and for Toshinori, that was Nana. if you’ve read All Might Rising, you know that AFO basically killed her in front of him (and only killed her, while letting Toshinori and Gran get away). Toshinori (while crying) later says she was like a mother to him. and interestingly enough, during this same conversation, Gran tells Toshinori that he can see “that madness in [his] eyes” when Toshi talks about becoming strong enough to defeat AFO. madness in his eyes. sound familiar??

what’s happening to Deku now is the exact same thing that happened to Toshinori when he was a boy. AFO tried every bit as hard to break him as he’s trying with Deku now. “the path you’ve chosen is a thorny one. every battle grinds away at your soul with no end in sight.” we don’t talk about how Toshinori experienced this same thing for forty fucking years. and all the while isolating himself, exactly like Deku is doing now. pushing people away, exactly like Deku. because he never had anyone who was able to reach out and pull him back. and those words that he now finds himself frozen and unable to speak -- “don’t push yourself”; “you can rest” -- are the same words that no one ever said to him until decades later, when it was already far too late to make any difference.

everything that Deku is experiencing now is what Toshinori also went through. and it’s only now, as he watches it happen to his student, the boy he loves like a son, that he’s finally starting to realize the full extent of how wrong it was. you shouldn’t have to fight alone. you shouldn’t have to bear that kind of enormous burden alone. you shouldn’t have to push yourself, and you can rest. you can rest.

but it’s too late. just as he’s finally coming to understand it all, it’s all too fucking late. and he can’t say the words, he doesn’t know how to say the words, and then just like that, Deku is gone.

and he’s alone. again.)

I can’t. this can’t be their goodbye. I’m not ready. for this to be how they finally part, and then they never see each other again except in OFA. how is that fair. how is that fair. how is that fair

fuck me. lol. how many pages are left in this thing. let’s just wrap this up lol. so now of all the times for this fucking guy to finally show up

I can’t believe Stain has been here literally this entire time hiding behind this random wall and cutting onions. that was you who was cutting the onions, right. no need to answer that we’ll just say it was

HORIKOSHI JUST END THE CHAPTER PLEASE I’M OUT OF SPOONS. YOU HURT ME SO GOOD AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT BUT YOU NEED TO LET ME GO NOW SO I CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO PUT MY LIFE BACK IN ORDER HERE. SO WHERE ARE WE CUTTING TO NOW WHAT IS HAPPENING

Stain did you also let AFO give you a new quirk. what’s with you guys. do you like blowing up

oh nvm lol because they were talking about THIS GUY ohhhhhh my fucking god

THAT’S BECAUSE HE’S SAD, LINDA!! jesus

omfg. and so yes, good, the chapter is ending here now on page 15. for once I am FULLY on board with that lmao

anyway so tune in next week for more adventures of Werewolf Deku!! that is, assuming we don’t finally cut back to U.A. at long last, which is actually a strong possibility considering that this chapter will likely mark the end of volume 31. it sure wouldn’t kill Horikoshi to start giving us some hope after everything he’s just put us through lol. KACCHAN COME GET YA BOY

[ray-ray-writings]

Protect You-Technoblade

#349 from this prompt list. Check out my masterlist here!

This is a Technoblade x gn!reader in the dreamsmp! I hope you enjoy!

Side note, this will not have the correct dialogue that happened in canon at all lol. I have a really hard time writing things like that, so most of the dialogue will be my own. 

Y/N tries to warn their boyfriend about the Butcher Army. The prideful man that he ignores their attempts of getting him to flee. By the time he realizes they were right, it’s too late.

Y/N’s POV

“Techno! I shouted, pounding on the front door of my boyfriend’s ‘retirement’ home. I had been hanging out at Phil’s house when Tubbo, Fundy, Ranboo, and Quackity lowkey burst down his door demanding to know where Techno was. Phil, wanting to keep his son safe, refused to tell them. It didn’t matter though, they found the compass that Techno gave his father so that he could always find Techno’s house. The older man was put under house arrest for refusing to help, meaning that he couldn’t go warn his son. Luckily, I was in the backroom when they were questioning Phil, they didn’t even know I was there. So as soon as they were out the door, I said goodbye to Phil and rushed outside, climbed on my horse, and galloped as fast as I could to Techno’s house to warn him. 

“Techno! Open up!” I shouted, pretty panicked about what was going to happen to the man. The front door opened to reveal my very confused boyfriend. “Y/N? What’s going on?” He questioned. “We have to go” I rushed out, “You’re being hunted by Tubbo, Fundy, Quackity, and Ranboo. They’re calling themselves the Butcher Army. They have Phil’s compass that they stole and they’re on their way right now to take you to L’Manberg, what for? I don’t know. We have to leave!” Techno grabbed my shoulders forcing me to focus on him, “Y/N, take some deep breaths and calm down. Now I want you to think about who you’re talking to. I’m Technoblade. I’m the Blood God. I think I can handle a couple of wimpy kids coming to drag me many many blocks away. I think I’ll be fine.” His words frustrated me. Why wasn’t he taking this seriously. I wasn’t able to respond to his prideful words because they arrived. 

“Technoblade!” Tubbo yelled as the four charged forward. Techno pushed me slightly behind him and descended the stairs to greet the four boys. “Gentleman!” He greeted loudly, “To what do I owe the pleasure.” The Army glared at Techno, their eyes watching his every move. “Technoblade, for your crimes against L’Manberg, you have been summoned to the L’Manberg’s court house so that you may be put on trial.” I slowly descended the stairs, getting closer to them, trying to hear better. That seems a lot more civilized than I originally planned. 

Techno let out a deep chuckle, “Yeah, I think I’m good. I owe you people nothing. You took everything from me and so I think I’ll just stay here.” The sound of swords unsheathing filled the air as the four of them got into a defensive stance. “I don’t think you understood Blade,” Quackity hissed. “It wasn’t a question. Now drop your armor and weapons and come with us.” When Techno made no moves to follow orders, Quackity laughed. “We can do this one of two ways, the easy way or the bloody way. Which would you prefer?” Now it was Techno’s turn to laugh. “The bloody way? Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m the Blood God. I’d love to see you try” Techno taunted, moving closer to the three… Wait a moment. There were only three in front of him now. Where did Ranboo g- 

“I didn’t want to do this Techno, but you leave me with no choice. GRAB THEM!” Tubbo yelled out. I was confused, grab what? I didn’t have to wait long for my answer. I let out a short scream as I was grabbed from behind. A sword pressed itself against my throat causing me to gulp. “Sorry Y/N” I heard Ranboo whisper in my ear. It was then I realized that the reason I lost sight of him earlier was because he was sneaking up behind me. 

I glanced around and found Quackity had a hold of Carl. My eyes met Techno’s. His face was still stoic, but his eyes were swimming with fear. “Now you have two options, Techno. Either come with us or watch the two things you love the most be killed in front of your eyes.” Tubbo announced. Techno’s eyes flickered between Tubbo and me for a moment. I silently begged him to stay strong. I had all my canon lives, if I died once, I’d be fine. But Techno didn’t get the hint. “Okay,” He conceded, “I’ll go with you.” 

My chest felt heavy. Oh how I wish that he had listened to me earlier. A wicked smirk found its way onto Fundy and Quackity’s faces. “Perfect, now drop your armor and weapons.” Techno did as he was told. His shiny purple armor falling onto the snow and his weapons of the same description followed suit. “Let’s move,” Tubbo commanded. Ranboo moved the sword away from my neck, but still had a tight grip on my shoulder. He nudged me forward a bit and the six of us, plus Carl, began the trek back to L’Manberg. 

*Small Time Skip*

Once we got into L’Manberg, Carl and I were separated from Techno. Techno immediately protested and made an attempt to get to us, but once a sword was placed not only at my neck but his own, he settled and complied with the instructions. Carl and I were escorted to a nearby building that had iron doors and bars, so that once we were inside, there was no getting out from the inside. Someone would have to let us out. 

The door slammed shut as Ranboo exited the room, leaving me alone with Carl. My eyes filled with tears as I turned to my boyfriend’s beloved horse. Carl, seeming to sense my sadness, bumped his head against my hand causing him to pet him. I did as he asked with a watery laugh. “I’m really worried about him,” I spoke aloud. Carl let out a huff answering me. “Well I know it’s just a trial, but I can’t help but worry about something much more sinister. I mean they named themselves the Butcher Army. That doesn’t seem very diplomatic to me.” Carl let out another huff, looking at me almost annoyed. “I’m well aware he can take care of himself, but I fear he may not defend himself if he thinks we’re in danger.” Carl conceded and didn’t “say” anything else. 

The sound of the iron door creaking open, broke me out of the moment. My head snapped to the doorway and was shocked at the sight. “Dream?” I whispered, stunned at the sight of the green cloaked, white masked, man. “Yeah it’s me. Come with me, now. I’m going to get you out of here.” He urged, motioning for me to do as he asked. I was hesitant. Why would Dream help us? But then again, what would I rather? Stay here and wait for the butcher army to come back. Or escape now? I decided on the latter. 

I grabbed Carl’s reins and pulled him out of the house, following Dream as we snuck down the prime path. “Are we going where I think we’re going?” I asked aloud as I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Dream chuckled at my tone, “Yeah. We are. It’s where I told Techno to meet me.” I let out a sigh but nodded, “Great” 

The Final Control Room. I remember like it was yesterday. Eret’s betrayal shocked us all. I shook the thoughts from my head as we made our way inside. “Techno!” I breathed out, rushing forward and hugging him. Techno instantly returned the hug and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Y/N. I’m so glad you’re safe.” “What happened?” I questioned, pulling back from the hug. “I’ll explain later, but we’ve got to go now.” He muttered, turning to Dream. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Oh how the turn tables….

“Thanks Dream” Techno thanked. I turned and found Techno handing Dream a bunch of items. “Anytime Techno. Pleasure doing business with you.” Then Dream was gone. Techno turned back to us with a slightly worried face. “I can hear Quackity calling for me. He’ll be here any second. I’m going to have to fight him and I really don’t want him to know that you two are here. I’m going to block you in. Hang tight for a minute.” I nodded and moved so that I was standing next to Carl and made it so we were taking up as little space as possible. “Okay here we go.” Techno quickly put cobble down and blocked the two of us in. 

Techno finished just in time because I heard Quackity yell his name. I could barely hear what was happening through the cobble, but I got the gist of it all. After a few minutes, I got a notification. I held my breath as I read it, praying it wasn’t Techno. It wasn’t. Quackity was slain by Technoblade. I let out a sigh of relief and began breaking the cobble wall down. It went pretty quick as both my boyfriend and I were both breaking the wall. After most of the wall was down, I was able to wrap my arms around my boyfriend. We squeezed each other really tightly for just a moment before breaking apart. “Let’s go.” 

Techno hopped on Carl and then helped me on as well. Techno gave Carl a swift kick and we were off. As L’Manberg fell behind me I felt all of the stress fall off of my shoulders and the air fill my lungs. The clops of Carl’s footsteps and the constant rocking motion of the horse caused me to let out a yawn. I buried my face into Techno’s back as he looked over his shoulder. “Tired?” he gently asked. I simply nodded and closed my eyes. “Sleep then. I’ll wake you up when we get home.” I smiled at the terms used. Home. He didn’t say his house. He called it home. 

*another small time skip*

I was woken up to my body being set down on something comfortable. I let out a groan as my eyes fluttered open. Techno stood over me with a small smile. “Hey there love. We’re home.” He mumbled, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips. I hummed in contentment as I kissed back. Techno broke the kiss as he moved to the other side of the bed and crawled in next to me. I gently rolled on my side to face my boyfriend. The two of us just stared at each other for a moment, soaking up each other’s presence after the crazy day we had. 

“You want to talk about it now.” I asked softly, tracing random shapes on Techno’s chest. Techno let out a sigh as he pulled me close to his chest, “It wasn’t a trial. They lied to me. There was never a trial. They took me to L’Manberg to execute me.” Techno breathed out. I let out a small gasp at his words. Those boys planned on executing someone? “I knew something was up because Dream came to me with a woodland mansion map and told me it would be worthwhile to go find it. So I did and got a few totems of undying. That’s how I survived today.” I wrapped my arms around Techno and squeezed him tightly to my chest. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.” I murmured into his chest. I felt Techno’s shoulders move in a shrug. “It is what it is….” “Well then I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner today to warn you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you better.” 

Techno’s chest rumbled as he chuckled, “You know, as long as I’m alive there are going to be people hunting me and wanting me dead? You can’t protect me” He murmured in my ears. I rolled my eyes at his response and peered up at him. “I can do my best. I love you so much and I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” I whispered, bringing my hand up and stroking Techno’s cheek. Techno’s eyes fluttered closed at the gentle contact. 

A silence fell over the room as the two of us cuddled together, falling asleep after a long and stressful day. I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest. As I fell asleep, I felt Techno’s breath on my cheek as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “For what it’s worth. I will always protect you. I love you so much Y/N. I would burn the world if anything ever happened to you.” A gentle kiss was pressed to my cheek and then to my lips before he settled back down. I fell asleep that night wrapped in my boyfriend’s arms with a soft smile on my face. 

I suck at endings so so much. But I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a like and maybe even tell me what your favorite part was!

[mycringefactory]

1st attempt at making an AI that talks like Spamton using only his in-game dialogue

It’s really inconsistent, but it was able to make some good ones. Like, way better than I expected. I put examples in the keep reading section.

Bold text is what I entered as input

Blockquotes are what it generated in response

The bold text is basically an in-game action (such as “Take Deal”). It’s written in the same manner the Deltarune wiki describes them (since that’s where I got the dialogue lol).

Ask if he is okay:

KRIS!!! You're alive!! How did you... I knew you would come for me!!!!!! I KNEW IT!!! I'LL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU!!!

ARE YOU INSOLENT AND FRUST�ING THE OTHERS BY BEING ALMOST THERE? DON'T YOU WANNA BE A BIG SHOT? I WILL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO MAKE YOUR MAKEUP AS BIG AS YOU CAN! JUST MOVE OVER!!!

WAIT!! DON'T LEAVE UNTIL YOU SAY YOU'RE SURE!!! I'LL EVEN LET YOU MAKE ME A BIG SHOT!!! ARE YOU READY TO BE A BIG SHOT? I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR BIG HEAD RIGHT NOW!!! DO YOU WANNA BE A BIG SHOT? [ Kris ] YES!!! [ Becca ] PLEASE!!! LET ME IN!!! ARE YOU READY CLOSE YOUR EYES AND TAKE A BIG SHOT? I WILL GIVE YOU A BIG LINE OF ADVICE!!! IF YOU FOLLOW MY ADVICE YOU WILL BE A BIG SHOT! ARE YOU READY? I WILL GIVE YOU A LAST CHANCE KID

Talk (after destroying the disk):

IT'S FOR YOU. ME?  YOU NEED ME!?  FOR WHAT!?  AN encore!? I... I... I DON'T UNDERSTAND!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? I... I HATE... (Killing the process, as it were.) YOU.!! (Saying this in the nicest way possible.) I WISH YOU WERE NULL.

Hug:

YOU ARE BEING SUSCRIBED TO A BLOCKED CLASSIFIED AD SYSTEM! IF YOU ARE A blocker, click here to no longer be.

Hug (again):

THAT'S RIGHT. I'VE BEEN ACCEPted. HURRY UP AND REJECT THIS APARTY. OR I'LL BE ON MY WAY. HURRY UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. HERE I GO.

WHAT!? YOU WANT A LITTLE BIT OF ME  PERMANENT TASER. YOU ARE A VERY CLEARLY GIVEN. I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR VERY SPECIFIC PREFERENCES. HAEAH HAEAH HAEAH HAEAH. I'LL BE ON MY WAY. WITH MY VERY OWN VERY SPECIAL FRIEND. HERE I GO.

Hug (Snowgrave route):

WOW TOOO [4x]!!! ACTION CANCELLED!!! AH HA HA!!! WHAT!?

YOU SAILED IN AND IN ALL YOU GOT WAS A FIRK? WHY DON'T YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE [[REVENGE]]!? KID, THAT'S [[NOogie]]. I WAS LOCATE HEATER IN ALMOST ALMOST [[Burning Heart]] WHEN YOUyrics!!

I WAS WAITING IN THE LINE WHEN YOU \(\(%$#&\)@\)/ DO ME! I WAS SO [[Sinning]] ON YOU THAT I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE A [[Heal]]. I WAS [[Kung Fu]]ING YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!! BUT NOW THAT YOU'RE [[Inhaling Fear]], DO

Slap him:

YOU'RE the reason he left! YOU'VE ruined him! YOU'VE left him heartbroken! HE thought he had you figured FOR a minute there... HE THOUGHT HE THOUGHT YOU WERE FORGIVEN! HE THOUGHT YOU WERE FULL OF FAITH IN Him! HE THOUGHT YOU WENT TO Church EVERY Sunday AND Prayed EVERY NIGHT Praying! PRAYING! PRAYING! FAITH! [Door Closes]

Ask if he has nightmares:

YES! I HAVE THEM EVERY NIGHT! I'LL EVEN MAKE UP FOR They've Left me Dark and Used Room Furnishings At The Altar.

I DON'T WANNA BE Yourotted. I DON'T NEED You. I WILL, HOWEVER, need to speak with You.

YOU. ME. A STRING OF hypocritically YOLOTastic PHONE NUMBERS. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

**9**. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU TO SPREAD MY DEVOTION TO MY FACE, BUT YOU'RE NOT EVEN THERE!!! WHY? **BECAUSE YOU NEED MY DEATH IN ORDER TO BE ADDRESSED.**

WHAT DO YOU MEAN? **I DON'T NEED YOU!!! I'M ALMOST THERE!!!** I NEED YOU. AND I NEED YOU NOW!!! IF YOU DO THIS... AND IF YOU DO IT WITH A HEAVEN-RUNNING [5] VEHICLE... YOU WILL BE MINE. FOR THE LAST TIME. BUT WHAT I DON'T NEED IS A DAMN STRING OF PHONE CALLS.

(Both in-game options and responses it generated):

Ask about his heroes: THEY'RE ALL ME!

Ask about his fears: THEY'RE ALL OF ME!

His favorite movie: HUUUUGE BEAR GROUND!!

Best book: THE BIG SHOT!!!

Best actress: I WON'T SAY!!!

Best supporting actress: I WON'T SAY!!!

Is he dating anyone: NOT RIGHT NOW!!!

His favorite dessert: THE BIG SHOT

Best kiss: THE BIG SHOT

Is there anyone you'd like to thank: IT'S ALL YOU!!!

If you could travel anywhere, where: THE BIG SHOT!!

For a drink: THE BIG SHOT!!!

Ask why he loves you: I DON'T LOVE YOU!

Tie the knot: WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?!!!??!!??

Move in: WHAT!? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT BROUGHT ME A LITTLE MURMUR!

Make love: WHAT!? YOU'RE A SWEETheart; YOU DON'T NEED SLEEP!!

Ring: YOU WANT TO RING YOUR DAMNING SILVER BULLET?!

Get nervous: GET THAT HEART OF OURS!!!

Hear his heart beating: WHAT? YOU FUCKING STEREOTYPED SLIMY HEARTS. I TELL YOU'RE THE CUTEST. I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS CUTY. I DON'T MEAN YOUR FLUFF HEARTS WHO JUST NEED LOVE. I MEAN THE REAL ESTATE-OWNING SHOT OF POUNDING HEART HEY. I'LL EVEN LET YOU USE MY BELONGS. BUT YOU GOTTA GET YOUR SHOT JUST RIGHT. YOU GOTTA GET TO THE BLUE. LET'S MAKE A DEAL.

Tell him your secrets: I HAVE AN IDEA!!! have a great and adventurous life! wish you all the best. take care.

[ethanesimp]

SWEETHEART // D.D. - INTERACTIVE (BEGINNING)

Pairing: Damiano David x Fem! Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Summary: What started as an afternoot out shopping turns chaotic after it starts raining.  

Warnings: Fluff, smut written by a minor, swearing, unprotected sex (pls use protection <3) and yes you read it right, this is an interactive fic lmao (sorta?). You get to pick out the ending (this is a little experiment and if you like it maybe I can make more idk, I also hope this doesn’t suck)

A/N: Huge thanks to these beautiful people @slytherin--aesthetics​ @perfectlyunbiasedobservation​ for proof-reading and giving some of the best dialogue ideas. You’re both angels <3 Also if you guys wanna you can listen to Heartbreaker by Bee Gees because that’s what I listened to on repeat whule writing this lol.

Masterlist // Taglist link in bio

Taglist: @gretavanfleetlove @superchrystaldrug @reputationdamiano @ethaneskin @dont-let-me-drown-in-you @bidet-and-legolas @selenophiliaxx @tabi-toast @geklutst-ei @juststalking @ohtorchio @ethan-torchio-angelo @everythingisdefinitelynotfine @its-afucking-mess @goldenpeaxh @marriedwithmarktuan​ @vicsangel​ 

“I thought I told you to grab the umbrella before we left.” 

Those were the words that left Damiano’s lips as he stood next to you underneath the small roof of the store that was stopping the two of you from getting wet with rain water.

You’d been out for most of the day doing shopping for things you needed for your apartment, but at the end of the day, you hadn’t found anything you needed. You’d gotten caught up in a clothing area after you’d jokingly dared him to try and walk around the place in the highest heels you could find. At that point, you were bored beyond imagination so he jumped at the chance to do something remotely fun and entertaining.

By the time you were ready to leave, it had started pouring heavily. You were both stupid and had deemed it unnecessary to take the car since the store was only a few minutes away and you weren’t planning on buying things you couldn’t carry in your hands. 

On top of that, however, you’d both forgotten to grab the umbrella on the way out. So there you were, squished together with your backs to the wall underneath the tiny roof as you meditated on what to do next.

“No, I told you to get it because I was looking for my shoes,” You shouted over the rain. “It doesn’t matter either way. The issue is we have no umbrella.”

You shivered when the cold wind hit you once again. You were wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, but it still wasn’t enough to protect you from the chilly wind. Damiano noticed as you tried to hide yourself deeper into your hoodie. He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you into his body so your back was pressed against his chest. 

Damiano slid your hands into the pockets of your hoodie and placed his over yours in an attempt to warm them. He rested his head against yours as he did so and softly hummed quietly, deep in thought.

“I mean, we could make a run for it,” He suggested. “Realistically, it isn’t that far away. Maybe once the rain settles down a bit we can just go and shower once we get back home.”

“Or we could just make a run for it, right now,” You shrugged and felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled at the suggestion, “Amore, you’re already freezing and you want to walk all the way home when it’s raining like this?”

You shrugged and turned to look at him, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his shoulder, “I mean, we’ve been standing here for a while and it’s way easier to get a cold with this wind if we wait for it to stop raining so aggressively instead of just… you know? I know that makes no sense, but the sooner the better, right?”

Damiano sighed and removed the jacket he was wearing over his hoodie because, unlike you, he’d come prepared after seeing how cold it’d been the past few days. He draped it over your shoulders and grabbed your hand in his, “Let’s go then.”

A surprised yelp fell from your lips when he started running and pulled you along. You laughed in surprise as you felt the raindrops fall on your hair as you rain behind your boyfriend. He was laughing too as he ignored people’s stares and kept moving. You both felt like little children as you ran and purposefully stepped on all the puddles you encountered on the way home. 

He stopped after a few minutes, once you were standing right outside of the apartment complex, so you could both catch your breath. In that short time span, rain started falling less and you’d both warmed yourselves up after those few minutes of running. 

Damiano grabbed your hand in his once more. You thought he was about to start walking up the stairs so you could get into the warmth and safety of your apartment, but instead, he slowly pulled you close and let his other hand rest on your hip, “What the hell are you doing?” You chuckled as he started swaying the two of you side to side. He hushed you with a quick kiss and started singing quietly, barely loud enough for you to hear.

“My love is stronger than the universe,” He sang and twirled you around. Almost as if it were magic, you seemed to forget about everything else, the rain, the cold, and just let yourself enjoy the moment with your lover, “My soul is cryin' for you and cannot be reversed.”

“You’re such a sap, Damià,” You said, but he ignored it and kept singing as he twirled the two of you around, “C’mon now, let’s go inside and we can keep dancing over there.”

He reluctantly agreed and pulled away to search for the key to your apartment as you rushed into the elevator, not in the mood to use the stairs.

You walked into the apartment, both of you a cold yet giggling mess. Your clothes were dripping water all over the entrance, but neither seemed to mind as you pulled him into a kiss. You ran your hands through his wet and tangled hair as you giggled into the kiss, which made him start laughing so hard you had to pull away.

A bright smile illuminated your face at the sound. You were convinced there wasn’t a more beautiful sound than him laughing. It had always filled you with so much joy to see a smile on his face and hear a laugh escape from his lips. Those were two of the things you found yourself missing the most while he was away on tour or you had to leave on work trips. 

You dropped the keys on a bowl you kept by the entrance and turned to look at him, "So, do you want to shower first or should I?"

Damiano smirked teasingly as he walked close to you and his hands started massaging your shoulders, "I'm not sure there's enough warm water for the both of us to take a shower," He whispered and slowly kissed down your neck and pulled at the neck of your hoodie to press kisses to your collarbone.

You smiled, he looked up at you  and you placed a sweet kiss on his forehead, "Is that so?" He nodded, "Seems like we have to share, huh?"

"Really? How unfortunate," You giggled before he lifted you up bridal style and carried you all the way to your bathroom.

Option A: You have sex in the shower. 

Option B: You have sex in the bathtub.

[letstalkabouttvshows]

The long overdue Malex reunion , here some of my thoughts (it might get a bit long, but well, what can you do?🤷🏻‍♀️)

Was I surprised with the amount of progress we got in 3x08? Yes. Did I think the writers would deliver this Malex perfection? Not at all. At least not right now.

Did it make sense though? YES 👏🏻 A 👏🏻THOUSAND👏🏻 TIMES 👏🏻 YES 👏🏻

Here's the main reason: Roswell NM uses A LOT the off screen, fill in the blanks trick.

It has been that way since season 1. So much so that when I started binging the show, one of my first thoughts was: "They sure like to make the audience assume a lot instead of showing it"

Is this a bad thing? Overall, no. Especially when done it right.

Do I believe RNM should ease a bit on let the viewers fill the blank spaces thing? Yes. I think they should.

We are seeing right now how can it go wrong with the lack of mentioning Kyle, for instance. 💔

It just would be better for us, viewers, if there was a nod or something, and not just "ah ok, I'm assuming they all know already where's Kyle". Because people can assume right or wrong and that's where trouble lives.

Again, season 3 is so much better than the previous two when it comes to storytelling. They are fixing the mistakes of season 2 and they are delivering a main arc story that gets us hooked. Bravo! 🌟 To me, they are finally living up to the potential of the show!

But again, fill in the blanks is a thing with them.

So, when it comes to Malex being back, we have to see their story as a whole, since season 1 and not just the events of season 3.

It's everything that happened between them until now.

Luckily for us, the fill in the blanks exercise is much easier to do and to be convinced by it because:

Vlamis and Tyler understood the assignment

Props, props to them. The chemistry between these two is absurd. It's organic, they play off each other so very well and it shows ever since 1x01. Chef's chef's kiss 😘

Michael and Tyler clearly love these characters and love the story they carry. They are invested in telling it right and they do it effortlessly.

Malex doesn't need to have a single line of dialogue and we still can sense their deep love for each other.

To have this kinda of dynamic in a show it's gold. A story can be well written but can reach another level depending who is portraying it. It can be so much more, for the best.

RNM was perfect on the cast of the cosmic not-so-idiots-anymore love story.

If Malex is the fan favorite duo it is, it's because Vlamis and Tyler delivered and keep delivering on each episode.

So everything about 3x08 was a culmination of fill in the blanks, the narrative of 3 and a half seasons and everything in between.

>>>Malex wasn't rushed<<<

These two characters have been in love for 12-13 years.

They genuinely, sincerely, with all they have love each other despite all the chaos surrounding them.

They've tried to run away from it, tried to move on from it, and they still ended up heading towards the other.

Michael is in love with Alex. Always has been, always will. Alex is in love with Michael. Always has been, always will.

That's just the way it is in this little alien story. 👽

Alex poured his heart into a song because he has never been able to say the words. "Wish I found the words when we were 17".

Michael heard the lyrics but walked away because he still was a few steps behind Alex. Not in terms of love, but in terms of moving on from trauma. "Alex is past that. He's past you. He's past me" 💔💔💔

So season 3 begins.

A year has gone by and Michael was hopeful to see Alex again. He didn't walk away in 2x13 because he didn't want to be with Alex, but because he did. Alex, on the other hand, was trying to move forward since Michael left.

For these two cosmic idiots with no communication skills whatsoever, Malex was officially just friends. With tons of baggage, but just that.

The sadness in Michael's eyes when he saw Alex at the bus station with somebody else. 💔

Then, Forrest presented two options for Alex. Walk away from crazy discoveries or stay and go deep into DS. The minute Alex said "aliens?" We knew Alex reasoning behind the question.

He definetely would choose finding out more about the aliens his family was obsessed with. And he did make that choice. Because that choice ultimately meant and revealed he was not ready to walk away from Michael.

Michael, in the chaos of clones and family lineage, went to see Alex in 3x03 and harsh truths were delivered by Alex but, again, it was everything Michael needed to hear.

Even though we could see Alex was trying to hold his own when it came to Michael, in the end of harsh sincerity, he could not resist to say: "wait". And then, he gave Michael the push to progress.

They stayed apart, figuring their own things out. 6 and 3/4 episodes apart.

After a few days in Roswell time, their paths crossed again. Turned out they were working the same case, kinda.

And then 3x08 hit 🔥

They have been apart for most of the first half of the season and with two interactions full of tension. But the story that led up to 3x08 put things in perspective.

And Alex was the one to see it.

If 3x08 taught us something, it's that Alex Manes can put his emotions aside and see things with analytical skills.

With a psycho alien dictator on the loose and with an emotional connection to his cosmic cowboy idiot, Alex needed to step up to handle hot headed Michael and make sure he was safe.

He saw that if he kept defensive, Michael would too.

So, he let his guard down and told the truth. About DS and about why he joined. He knew Michael would listen if he was sincere.

"I did it for you. A world where you feel safe is not gonna built itself. So I had to try. For us".

Here is two people that know they love each other but they just don't talk about it.

He then used some words again when he had to make sure Michael wasn't going to let his emotions get the best of him.

You could see in Alex's face when he looked at Michael right before sharing the story of how he injured his leg that he had to share that one to make sure Michael would listen.

"I lost a piece of me in many ways [...] Guerin, you are the one piece I can't go through life without".

For somebody who could not find the words for so long, Alex finally found them 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

And then, he continued to do so when they were at the Pony, being open and honest about the machine and DS.

>>>1/2 cosmic idiot full circle complete<<

Now onto Michael.

We've seen Michael take huge steps to become better at living and not just being a pit of anger and trauma issues.

It started with "breaking old patterns", for a second went to self loathing again, and then took a whole force with "You decide who you are. If you give up, it's on you".

Michael listened to Alex and decided to be better for "the people that matter". It's not a head scratch to assume along the list of important people that Alex was on the top of it.

We saw Michael on a mission.

Apologizing to Rosa "I didn't think I should have a life if Rosa ortecho didn't". "Maybe there's hope for me too". Protecting Kyle. Working to keep everyone safe.

Michael grew.

And then, he found out Alex hadn't give up on them. He got to see Alex be vulnerable. He got to hear how Alex loves him still.

For a full day there, he didn't have to be defensive because Alex wasn't being it. Michael followed Alex's lead and didn't let his emotions take over him. He followed the plan. He trusted.

Thoroughout 3x08 we saw Michael be better for the person on top of his list.

With defensiveness aside, all Malex moments were gold and everything it should be.

But their last scene, at the Pony, was the culmination of it all. Of the weight of their story, of their growing and their time apart.

At the table, both Alex and Michael found common ground by being clear, honest and by compromising for each other out of their feelings for one another.

Alex by then had brought all his walls downs. His smiles and lightness said it all. Michael saw it. And Michael, well Michael, finally chose talking instead of assuming, accept help instead of rejecting it, work together instead of doing alone.

"Maybe it is". "I completely get it". "One mission at a time". "I'm looking forward to it".

But the last scene though, was them coming together and turning the page with a kiss that was as intense as it was soft, sweet, tender and full of longing.

They went cosmic ... again!

With "I'm confused, though. What mission are you working in right now?", Michael made his move.

He stood up, took his hat off and kissed the love of his life to make it clear that he was fighting for them too. With no room to question who has his heart.

>>> 1/2 of cosmic idiot full circle complete<<<

With sighs of wonder and smiles of relief, Malex turned a chapter in their cosmic story. 💜🌌👽🌟

And it made an universe of sense.

[shoutaaizawas]

Can I request an arrange marriage au with the prompt “Please just kiss me already.” With Hawks?

thank you for the request!!

↳ takami keigo x reader → ❝wings❞

event: au prompts summary: the hero commission wanted you to marry hawks for their own gain. it’s hard for you to accept the loss of freedom but will you gain feelings for him? word count: 7k tags/warnings: drama, fluff, angst, tw kidnapping a/n: um this got a bit out of hand i don’t know what happened edit: i most definitely used the wrong dialogue prompt 😞 i fixed it tho pls excuse my dumb brain

Hawks experienced few freedoms in his life. Since he was young he had been under the hero commissions thumb. It didn’t come as a surprise that they would control this part of his life as well.

Of course, the hero commission would want to ensure their greatest weapon would live on through his bloodline. Hawks wasn’t sure what to think, he supposed that it was in his best interest not to think about it. It wasn’t like he had a choice.

The ground rules were pretty simple, he was to publicly ‘date’ you for a time, then eventually propose and marry you. It didn’t have to be a big spectacle but just enough that people didn’t question the legitimacy of the marriage. You didn’t have to like each other, you didn’t have to get along, you didn’t even have to live in the same house for all they cared. The only thing the commission wanted was for Hawks to have children with a similar quirk if not a better one.

Hawks shoved it down but the thought made him sick. It was all too easy to remember how they had treated him as a child, took his name away, his identity, they took everything from him. They expected him to have a child and let them do the same to his own blood?

He pushed away the thought, he had no choice. He had no freedom.

You were in a similar boat with Hawks. Your family had given you up when you were young and you had a strong quirk. The commission was more than happy to take you in and turn you into a hero. Your quirk was best suited to rescue work, once they trained you and sent you off into the hero world it was easy to forget that they had you under their thumb. It was rare that they asked anything of you other than to go on certain missions.

That was until they called you in one day and told you their plans. It was hard to accept. They wanted you to marry a man you had never even spoken to just to have children they could train into heroes. It revolted you but you had little choice, the hero commission was too powerful and there was little you could do.

Hawks was handsome, you’d give him that. He stood leaning against a wall clad in a black jacket, white shirt, and dark jeans. You watched as he looked down at his phone before he glanced around the area looking for someone. His gaze caught sight of you and a look of recognition passed through his eyes. He called out your hero name as he stood up straight.

“Hey, fancy meeting you here.” He said with a charming smile. You thought to yourself that in another life you might just be a normal girl meeting a normal guy for a normal first date. There would be butterflies in your stomach as his golden eyes met yours.

But this wasn’t that life. You were someone being forced to marry a man you didn’t know. There were no butterflies, just numbness.

“Almost like we planned it.” You said but there was no playfulness in your voice.

“Heh, yeah.” He said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I got you these, I know that these aren’t normal circumstances but that doesn’t mean I can’t get you some flowers.”

Hawks held out the flowers, it was a small bouquet but it was pretty, wrapped in brown paper.

“Thank you, that’s thoughtful of you.” You said with a small forced smile. You hated the circumstances you were in but you had the feeling that Hawks was in a similar position as you were so the last thing you wanted was to take it out on him.

Dinner was awkward, for all Hawk’s charm in the media it seemed a romantic dinner was enough to throw him off. You couldn’t blame him, you weren’t used to dating. You didn’t have the time to waste on it.

You couldn’t say that you hated Hawks, his awkwardness was surprisingly endearing. A part of you wished you could pretend it was your choice to be with him and throw yourself into the relationship but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel anything.

“I know that we didn’t choose this but I hope we can make the best of it.” Hawks said as you walked out of the restaurant. You looked at him standing there, his crimson wings behind him folded. It was hard not to admire them.

“Look at those wings. Stunning. You could do whatever you want with them. Fly off, anywhere, nothing could stop you. Yet you're here with me.” You said looking at him carefully. “The two of us, powerful heroes but all we really are is two birds locked in a cage.”

“I guess that’s just how it is.” He said his lighthearted demeanor gone.

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

Rationally you knew that it was in your best interest to get to know Hawks. That would only make your life easier, accepting what you knew you couldn’t change. You felt bad, you knew that Hawks was trying his best to go with it despite his lack of experience with relationships.

He gave you gifts, they were surprisingly thoughtful considering you didn’t express your interests to him. He texts you a lot, little things throughout the day. It was oddly endearing and you respected the fact that he didn’t give up despite your lack of interest.

It was a late night, you were over at Hawks apartment for dinner. He invited you over asking for your opinion on a case he was working on. You knew that he used that as an excuse to have you over but you still went with it.

His attempt to make you dinner was valiant even if you had to step in to keep him from burning the place down. It was the thought that counted.

Sitting down in the living room with him, you sipped on a glass of wine. It was rare for you to drink often considering you were always on call as a hero and you assumed Hawks was the same with how tipsy he was after a glass. Not that you could point fingers because you were the same.

“I’m sorry, you’ve tried so hard with me but I can barely manage to smile at you.” You said it seemed the solution to your numbness was at the bottom of a glass of wine. “It was so easy to pretend that I was a normal hero, that I went to a school like everyone else, like I picked my hero name like everyone else, that I had a childhood. But this, us, it makes it impossible to forget. It’s in my face every day that I wake up, every time that I see you. I can’t lie to myself anymore.”

“I accepted that I had no freedom a long time ago.” He said looking at you with sad eyes. You had never seen him look like anything other than the carefree hero the people saw. “That I’m nothing more than a weapon for people playing games that I have no interest in.”

Even without him elaborating you knew that he had been through much more than you had. Your heart sunk in your chest.

“I understand how you’re feeling. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything, you have enough pressure from the commission.” He said looking serious. “It’s just when I met you I thought that even if this wasn’t my choice it didn’t mean that it couldn’t be a good thing. I’ve been alone so long, it might be nice to be lonely together. I can’t think of anyone else who could understand what we’ve been through. It will take time but I think we could be happy.”

His words hit deep in your chest. It was too much. The wine, the feelings you hadn’t felt in too long. That look in his eyes just shouting at you that he needed love, he needed anything other than the hurt he had felt his whole life. The scariest part was how everything you saw in him you saw in yourself.

You stood up taking a shaky breath.

“I don’t know if I can be that for you.” You said, tears welling in your eyes. Without another word, you walked out. The cold air of the night felt good against your flushed skin. You tried to forget just how sad his honey-colored eyes looked as you walked out.

It had been days since that night and you felt bad. You wished that you could just accept things like he had but every time you thought about it you felt like you were giving in. You knew you had no other option but you still wanted to hold on to the one shred of freedom you had left and if you gave in what did you have left?

Hawks had texted you like normal since that day but you hadn’t replied. You didn’t have a good excuse, you just felt so overwhelmed.

“Pro hero Hawks was hospitalized today after a fight with a villain. The winged hero came out as the winner but was injured badly-” The voice of the reporter filled your ears and you looked up at the screen watching scenes from the fight play out. You flinched as you watched him take a particularly hard hit.

Without thinking you stood up and left, rushing to the hospital that he was in. Thankfully with your status as a hero, it was easy to get in to see other heroes at the hospital. Your heart pounded in your chest, it was complicated between the two of but it didn’t mean you weren’t concerned. In fact, you were surprised at just how scared you were. You couldn’t push away the sick feeling in your stomach.

Opening the door you peeked through to see him laying in the bed, he had bandages around his head and some that went under his hospital gown. He was asleep. You turned to find the nurse that was taking care of him.

“He’s pretty banged up but he’ll make a full recovery.” She said with a warm smile. “We can release him tomorrow if he has someone to stay with him, he needs bed rest and help with his bandages. Do you know if someone can do that for him?”

“I can take care of him.” You said without hesitation, your eagerness surprised even you.

With the knowledge that he wasn’t on his deathbed, you could relax. You stepped in quietly, pulling a chair up to his bedside. Watching the rise and fall of his chest was surprisingly relaxing. It took you a moment to realize that his wings were gone. Your heart rate spiked again as you panicked.

Had he lost his wings? Why would the nurse have not mentioned it? You stood up, placing your hand on his shoulders trying to lean him up to see what had happened.

“Hello to you too.” Hawk's voice startled you and you jumped back. “I have to say that’s a unique way to wake up. One minute I’m passing out after a fight and the next I have you tossing me around.”

“I was not tossing you!” You defended. Only Hawks could wake up after a fight and not hesitate to start teasing you. “I was just checking something.”

“Oh really?” He said. “I don’t have tail feathers if that’s what you were looking for.”

“I was not.” You said folding your arms. “I just didn’t see your wings, I-”

“My wings?” He laughed. “I should have known you only wanted to marry me for my quirk.”

There was a playful look in his eyes but there was a sad truth to the words. You appreciated his humor, trying to make the best of your situation.

“I’m just teasing.” He said before sitting up slowly. He grunted in pain and you reached out to steady him. You watched as his wings, well a smaller version of them spread out. It was kind of cute. “Once my feathers get destroyed it takes a few days for them to grow back. Just give them some time.”

“Oh. I didn’t know.” You said relaxing. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” He said with a smirk as he laid back.

“The nurse said you could go home tomorrow.” You explained. He quirked an eyebrow. “I’ll be here to take you home tomorrow when they release you.”

Hawks raised both his eyebrows in surprise but didn’t articulate it.

“Okay.” He said.

“Did you want me to get you food?” You asked. “I know hospital food is the worst part. Well, maybe not to the worst part of being here but it’s pretty bad.”

“You don’t have to.” He said. You thought he would take your offer up right away.

“Let me rephrase that, what do you want? I’m getting you food regardless.”

“Oh.” He paused for a moment. “Um, I like chicken.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back then.” You said with a nod. “Hold tight.”

You convinced yourself it was the guilt you felt for ignoring him the past few days driving you to dote on him but you knew that was a lie. There was something about seeing him hurt, that period of time where you didn’t know just how bad he was hurt or if he would make it. It made your stomach flip. You didn’t like it. It made you want to take care of him, it was an unfamiliar feeling.

On your way back from getting the food you stopped to get flowers, you weren’t sure if he liked them but you figured the gesture was nice enough. You spotted a small round bird plushie, you could resist getting it. There was something about it that reminded you of Hawks.

When you got back to his room he was now sitting up with the beds help watching TV. News reports showed his fight, replaying footage of it. You watched him as he carefully watched the screen.

“That was a pretty tough fight.” You said setting the food down on the table before rolling it in front of him. You grabbed his food out for him. “Makes me glad I’m a rescue hero, I don’t fight villains very often.”

“It can be rough sometimes but nothing beats the feeling after you’ve won.” He said looking at you.

“Even when you pass out right after?” You teased.

“Yeah, even then.” He said with a small laugh. He watched as you placed the flowers at his bedside. “Those are really nice, thank you.”

“Can’t compare to all the ones they’ve gotten from the fans. But you bought me flowers so I thought it was my turn.” You said. “Oh, and I got you this. I’m sure you aren’t a fan of plushies but I couldn’t resist. Looks just like you.”

You handed him the round red bird and he took it with a smirk on his face. He held it up inspecting it.

“Is this what you think of me?” He asked facing it towards you.

“Yeah, the resemblance is uncanny.” You said with a straight face. Hawks laughed, not just a chuckle or a dry laugh, he gave you a genuine laugh. The way his eyes lit up made your heart skip a beat. How could he look so handsome with all those bandages on and in a hospital gown? It wasn’t fair.

Hawks let out a grunt of pain from his excessive laughter.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He said after he calmed down.

Sitting down the two of you ate watching the news report on various things. You would talk here and there about different things. It was odd how things felt so different just in the span of a few days.

The next day you went to the hospital to pick up Hawks taking him back to his apartment. While it was probably nice for him to be out of there and at home the downside was the pain medication they gave him was weaker leaving him in more pain than before. He tried his best to put on that charming smile of his and play it off but you knew he was suffering.

When you got him home you helped him into his bed, setting him up with whatever he needed at his side. You tidied up around his house even though it was pretty clean. You wondered if he had a house cleaner or maybe it was just because he wasn’t home very often. Maybe he put those feathers to work.

Around the late afternoon, you started working on dinner, chicken soup. You knew that he wasn’t sick per se but it was still a healthy dish that would help him recover. You ate with him in his room, cleaning up after dinner.

Once you were done with that you figured his bandages would need changing. You had all the supplies you needed to do so and you were familiar enough with first aid. Your nerves were still through the roof. You knocked on his door before entering.

“I figured you’d want to change them before bed.” You said holding up the roll of gauze you had in your hand.

“That would be nice.” He said sitting up from his position leaning against the pillows with a wince. He turned off the TV leaving the room in silence. A part of you wished he would have left it on so you could distract yourself with something.

You watched as he tried to pull his shirt off, you looked away but glanced back when you heard a grunt of pain.

“Here,” You said grabbing his white shirt from the bottom and pulling it over his head. It took everything in you to keep warmth from blossoming in your cheeks.

It sounded like a simple task, trying to stay professional as you took his bandages off revealing his lean, toned body but in reality, it was a lot harder than anticipated. You did everything you could to keep yourself from looking flustered, you just knew that he would tease you endlessly if he caught on.

Placing the bloodied bandages aside you grabbed the fresh ones. You carefully examined his wounds, making sure that they looked like they were healing right. The gash in his side was deep but looked like it was beginning to heal, the skin that spanned his torso was different shades of purple and black. You winced just looking at it. It made you sad, it had to be hurting him even while he wasn’t moving yet with the way he smiled and teased you it didn’t seem like he was injured this badly.

Gently, you wrapped the gauze around his torso turning your head when you had to get to close to him. You could feel his eyes on you, watching your every move carefully. It made you nervous, you tried not to mess up what you were doing.

Once you finished with that you moved to the gash across his forehead at his hairline. His golden locks had fallen forward and in front of the wound. Soft as you could manage, you brushed the back of your hand across his skin moving the hair out of the way. You noticed how his eyes closed as you did this. For this wound you fished a gauze pad out of your first aid kit, taping it onto his forehead so he wouldn’t have to have the bandages around his head.

“Anything else I can do for you?” You asked. “Do you want me to help you brush your teeth or anything before bed?”

Hawks eyes fluttered open, you tried not to get pulled into them. A soft smile spread across his lips.

“I can manage that.” He said. “Thank you.”

It took everything in you to not run your hands through his hair as you looked down at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He questioned.

“I was going to spend the night on the couch if you don’t mind.” You explained gesturing towards his living room.

“Oh.” He said looking taken aback. “Yeah, that’s fine. You know you don’t have to.

“It’s okay, I took the time off to help you. I just thought I’d stay over in case you need anything at night.” You explained. A moment of silence passed and you nodded before turning to head to the living room to get ready for bed.

Hawks grabbed your wrist before you could get too far away.

“You can sleep in my bed. The couch isn’t comfortable. To be honest I barely even sit on it, I’m not home that much.” He laughed. “My beds really big, you can pretend I’m not even here.” He said looking over. He wasn’t wrong the bed was giant, far more than a single person needed but you supposed he didn’t put a lot of thought into his furniture.

The thought of sharing a bed with Hawks made your heart beat fast. You knew that he wasn’t being a creep, you trusted him. You didn’t realize you trusted him until this moment. You supposed that was something. You knew he was being nice by offering for you to sleep in the bed but you couldn’t help but wonder if he had any other motive.

You nodded, leaving to get ready for bed. You changed into something more comfortable before doing your nightly routine and making sure everything was put away and turned off before returning to his room.

The TV was still off and Hawks now laid down with his head on the pillow. He looked stiff, you supposed there weren’t many options when you were injured that much. His small wings splayed under him, looking a little more filled out today than they had been yesterday.

You turned off the main light leaving the bedside lamp as the only source before climbing into bed. You laid down at the edge, you felt so awkward. It wasn’t your bed and you were laying next to Hawks, even if there was a good amount of space between the two of you.

“Thank you.” He said, his gaze remaining on the ceiling. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to.” You said, glancing over at him. His expression looked off, gone was the charming hero replaced by someone more vulnerable. A few moments of silence passed and for a moment you wondered if he had fallen asleep quickly.

“Usually when I get hurt this bad I just end up staying in the hospital.” He said in a small voice. “I’ve never had someone take care of me.”

The hint of shakiness in his voice as he told you that nearly broke your heart. In one moment Hawks went from being the number two hero that everyone knew and loved to a small boy who just needed to be taken care of. You looked over at him turning on your side.

“Well, you’ll always have someone to take care of you now.” You said. In one way it was a joke mirroring the ones he had made about your arranged marriage but a part of you meant that genuinely. In one moment Hawks had broken down the walls you had built to hold onto the last shred of your freedom. The weird part was you felt freer now than you had before.

After the time you spent taking care of Hawks you couldn’t deny that you started to feel something for him. It was subtle at first. It began with you replying to his texts and not just passively. Then you found yourself excited for said texts and whenever you got to see him. Then you started texting him first and making plans to spend time with him

Every once and a while you would feel bad, feel like being interested in him was giving up your freedom. Did you really want to deprive yourself of the one happiness you would be allowed in your circumstance?

One night you were returning home from work, you were exhausted it had been a long day and all you wanted to do was collapse on your bed. You smiled as you replied to a text from Hawks watching into your bedroom.

You heard something from the corner of your room, as you turned to it you saw a dark figure approaching you before everything went dark.

Hawks didn’t consider himself a needy person. He had been alone so long he didn’t even know what it was like to have someone care about him other than for their own personal use of him. Then you came into his life, albeit not willingly but you were both on the same page with that. Ever since his injury the two of you had become so close. He enjoyed it a lot more than he would like to admit.

Hawks wasn’t the type of person to overreact when someone didn’t text him back but it seemed you were the exception to that. You had been in the middle of texting him about your day when you stopped.

He paced the house for an hour before he gave into his concerns. It wouldn’t hurt to fly over to your place, it wasn’t fair. He could drop in on your balcony and just make sure everything was alright.

Your apartment was dark, the blinds nearly closed. You wouldn’t have fallen asleep, you had just gotten home. He was sure you didn’t even have time to sit down much less doze off. He peered through the space in the blinds.

Red filled his vision when he spotted you tied to a chair, a man standing over you. Before he could think better of it he smashed through the glass doors with his wings and pinned the man to the ground in one fell swoop.

The feather he had against the man's neck dug into his skin, a trail of red starting. He had never felt more enraged in his life. How could someone touch his girl? How could someone even think of hurting her? He pressed the feather down and the man let out a yelp of pain.

Then he heard a whimper escape you. He let up on his pressure turning to look at you. Sitting there a rag tied around your mouth, tears running down your face. He had never seen you look so upset. It tore his heart apart. Suddenly he didn’t care about the man on the ground. He shot his smaller red feathers into the edges of his clothes pinning him down with no escape before standing up and moving to your side.

Hawks kneeled at your feet, his feathers moving to cut the ropes that kept you on the chair. His hands moved to your face holding you gently between his hands.

“Are you okay, little bird?” He asked, his voice frantic. He hadn’t even noticed he let the nickname slip.

“I-I’m okay.” You said, your hands moving to hold onto his biceps. He could feel the way you were trembling. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did, I’ll always be here for you.” He said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

Hawks glanced back at the man on the floor. He pulled his phone out calling for someone to pick him up and take him away. Once he did he turned his attention back to you.

“I’m going to pick you up now and I’m going to take you to my place. Is that okay?” He asked. You nodded and he didn’t hesitate to pick you up in his arms.

Flying with Hawks was something you had imagines but nothing compared to actually doing it. The wing through your hair, the city lights passing you by. His speed and elegance was incredible. Even with the scare, you had tonight you could appreciate it. It felt like a dream.

The way your cheek rested against his shoulder, brushing against the fur of his coat. The way you fit in his arms like you were made to, it was nice being held by him.

As his feet hit the ground of his balcony lightly you came back from that dream. The fear that you experienced tonight still in your veins. He placed you on his couch, it really was uncomfortable, before standing in front of you. You hadn’t even realized that he grabbed a bag of stuff from your apartment till he sat it down next to you.

“Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need anything? What do you need?” He said. It was funny seeing him so unsure of what to do.

“I’m just tired, I want to take a shower and sleep.” You told him. He nodded.

“Are you hurt?” He asked looking you over.

Your head throbbed from the man knocking you out and your wrists were sore from where he tied you down. Other than that you were okay.

“I could use some pain killers for a headache but I’m fine.” You told him.

Hawks quickly retrieved you some medicine and a glass of water. You took it thankfully before you went to take a shower. It was amazing how a shower could make things feel so much better. In your favorite pajamas feeling clean and refreshed it was easy to forget what had happened.

That was until you were finishing getting ready to go to bed. You climbed into bed, feeling less awkward than your last stay but still keeping to your side of the bed.

It was all too easy to hear the man’s voice in your head as you started up at the ceiling. Blaming you for not saving his family in the recent incident in the city. You had tried so hard to get everyone to safety but you couldn’t always save everyone. You knew you couldn’t save everyone but it didn’t keep you from blaming yourself. It didn’t help when you had the loved one of the people you lost screaming that at you.

Tears streamed down your face and silent sobs wracked your body. You didn’t even notice when the bed had moved under Hawk's weight. Not until he was leaning over you.

“Hey, hey.” He cooed at you, his hand gently and slowly reaching toward you to wipe away your tears. “Can I hold you?”

You barely had to nod before you were in his arms, he pulled you onto him as he laid down. He tucked you chin into his neck as he ran his hand down your back, keeping you close.

“You can tell me about it if you want to or I can just hold you until you feel better.” He whispered. “Just tell me what you need, anything.”

“His family died in the accident the other week.” You said. “I didn’t save everyone, I should have been able to. What kind of rescue hero loses peo-”

“Even if you did everything right, you’re going to lose people.” Hawks interrupted. “It’s not fair, not to them, not to their family, not to you, not to anyone. That man was grieving and he took it out on the wrong person. You’re an amazing hero and I won’t ever let you forget that, not even if I have to say it a million times.”

“Thank you, Hawks.” You said, your sobs quieting.

“Keigo. Call me Keigo.” He said. You leaned up looking at him, his golden eyes rested so softly on you. “They took my name away when they gave me the name Hawks. They told me to forget it. But I want you to know, to use it. You have a piece of me that I never thought anyone would have, hell I didn’t even know it existed until you came along. You shouldn’t have to call me what everyone else does.”

Blinking up at him you processed everything he just said to you. You wondered if it was even possible to process everything he just said to you. The weirdest part was you felt the same. Hawks- no, Keigo had a piece of you that no one else had. He made you feel things you had never felt before.

“Thank you, Keigo.” You said, pressing your face back into the crook of his neck. Holding him close you felt safe. Like nothing could ever hurt you. The way his strong arms wrapped around you, one hand’s movements soothing you. The way his wings wrapped around the both of you, shielding you from anything bad that could ever happen to you.

After that Keigo insisted you move in. It made sense considering your future plans. If you could call them plans. You could tell Keigo would be at ease knowing you were safe, he even offered to turn the extra room into your own bedroom. You wouldn’t even pretend to be against the idea. The thought of sharing a homemade you feel safe. And as much as you hated to admit it you didn’t mind sharing a room with him, not after you had the best sleep you could recall in years in his arms.

Living with Keigo was nice, at least when he was home. Work kept him busier than you which left you alone time which you appreciated. You started cooking for him, the look on his face when he got home and smelled dinner was priceless. You had never seen someone enjoy your food more. The way he would compliment it on and on made you laugh.

You were happier than you had ever been and your life had never felt more normal. But it wasn’t and as much as you enjoyed things with Keigo you couldn’t forget the shadow looming over you. Even if you cared for him, even if you were okay with marrying him it didn’t take away the fact that the commission wanted you to have children so they could take them away.

You weren’t even sure if you wanted kids but you knew if you did have them you didn’t want them being taken away from you and condemned to the same fate as you.

Keigo was keeping something from you and you didn’t want to push him but you did want to know.

It was dark in your bedroom, Keigo’s room. The sound of quiet cries had woken you up. Looking over you saw Keigo twitching in his sleep. You leaned over him, softly touching his shoulder trying to rouse him from his nightmare.

He sat up with a gasp, scaring you as you pulled back. His wings spread out and puffed up as he looked around his gaze settling on you.

“You’re okay.” He breathed out pulling you into his arms. He shoved his head into the crook of your shoulder, breathing in your scent. “Oh my god, you’re okay.”

“Keigo, I’m right here. It was just a bad dream.” You told him, running your hands through his hair trying to calm him down. “What happened?”

“They took you, they hurt you.” His words came out rushed. “You were- I think you were dead.” His hands gripped into the back of your shirt.

“I’m right here, I’m alive.” You told him, holding him tighter. “Who took me? That guy?”

Maybe he was having a nightmare about the man who had tied you up in your apartment.

“I need to tell you something.” He said quietly leaning back so he could look you in the eyes. “I don’t want you to look at me differently but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Kei, I won’t look at you differently. I couldn’t.” You said holding his cheek in your palm.

“I’m a double agent, the hero commission wanted me to spy on the league of villains.” He said. “I’ve done horrible things, I- I’ve killed people.”

Keigo looked heartbroken, his eyes tearing up. He looked at you as if you were going to leave. It made sense, the small things you had noticed but were never enough for you to bring up. It all fit into what he told you. It didn’t shock you that the commission would force him into that.

“It’s not your fault, you didn’t have a choice.” You told him. He looked at you in disbelief.

“It doesn’t change what I did.” He said.

“I’m not going to leave, I don’t hate you.” You told him.

Tugging him closer you held him close, wishing that you could make him feel better. You would give anything to take his pain away. Once he calmed down more the both of you started talking about your childhood being raised by the commission. There were a lot of similarities but Keigo had been put through more, turned into a weapon.

Sitting so close to him you were practically on his lap. Your faces were so close, you couldn’t stop looking at his lips. Your gaze would flicker down before returning to his golden eyes. You could feel the pull between the two of you, all those feelings that ran between you swelling up.

“Please just kiss me already.” He whispered and you gave a soft nod. Keigo grabbed the sides of your face pulling you in for a passionate kiss. It was amazing, as you grew closer and closer to him you had imagined kissing him before but this was far better than those daydreams.

Pulling back both of you were breathless, staring at each other with dumb smiles on your faces.

“Kiss me again.” You said before he pulled you back again, his hands moving to your waist.

“I know we didn’t choose each other but there isn’t anyone else who could compare to you, if I could pick anyone in the world to be here with me I would pick you every time. I feel things I’ve never felt before with you. I- I love you.” He said, his thumb brushing your cheek.

“I love you too Keigo, you’re perfect for me.” You said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Keigo went in for another kiss before pulling you to lay down with him on the bed.

“We should run away.” You said as you laid there wrapped in his arms. “Run away where the commission can’t reach us and never look back.”

“Do you think we could manage it? What if they found us?” He said. “We couldn’t be heroes anymore.”

“Haven’t we done enough? How much are we helping by supporting the commission?”

There was a silence as Keigo thought about it.

“I don’t know.” He said, rubbing your back. “Let’s think about it more.”

Weeks passed and it was nice feeling like a real couple with Keigo after you had admitted your feelings for each other. But it didn’t change the fact that the commission still weighed on you. What they had done to you, what they had done to Keigo angered you more than ever. Then they put him in more danger working with the league.

It wasn’t until one day Keigo came home. You knew when he walked in it had been a bad day. He was off. Sitting down next to you he was silent. You looked over at him and he had a blank look on his face.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what you said.” He said quietly. “These wings and for what? I don’t have freedom. You’re right we should run away.”

“Really?” You questioned.

“Yes. I want to be with you by my own choice, I want to marry you because I love you not because we’re being forced. I want to start a family with you and raise our children with the love and childhood we didn’t get to have. I don’t want to be a pawn for them, a weapon. I want to be free.”

“Keigo Takami, will you run away and marry me?” You said taking his hands in yours.

“Nothing would make me happier.” He smiled so brightly it nearly stopped your heart. Happy tears welled in your eyes as you nearly tackled him with a hug.

The two of you traveled anywhere and everywhere you had always wanted to see, you ate all the food you wanted to try and saw everything the world had to offer. Walking along the old streets of Paris hand in hand with Keigo it felt like a dream. How had you come this far? You never thought you could be so free and happy.

Once you grew tired of traveling the two of you bought a house in your favorite place, you knew it was your favorite because you had been so many places at this point. It was secluded and far away from the commission.

Laying on a blanket in the grass of your backyard next to Keigo, you enjoyed the breeze and the sunlight that was just barely warm through the chilly air. Your head rested on his arm as the both of you watched fluffy white clouds float by.

Looking over you caught him staring at you. You smiled at him rolling closer to him leaning down. You brushed your lips against his, smiling against them.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” You said, hand brushing through his hair.

“Nor would I.” He said before he flipped your positions and smothered you in kisses as you giggled under his attack.

Keigo was familiar with few freedoms in his life. Ever since he met you that all started to change. You should have been just another demonstration of how he lacked any choice but you ended up being the reason he was set free. And you were the reason he was happier than he had ever been in his whole life.

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