#i do not see that mention in my notifs <3 i have that blog blocked so i never know when you tag me n you're ACTUALLY talking to yourself <3
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taegularities · 11 months ago
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that's what most unemployed, scared, possibly underage weirdos do, babe. hide behind an icon and roam the internet like bored trolls bc that's what you gotta be to rant on a cheap ass leaf juice blog. always been like that! but thank you, love. for as long as i can endure, i will, and i'm so thankful that you're here and so supportive.
also "most likely super miserable [...] since no one else wants to listen to their BS" HAD ME LMAOOOO 🥹 they're talking to themselves fr!! once again, thank you and i love you so much. please continue being kind bc that keeps the world turning 🤍
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maryland-no-rabies · 3 months ago
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Tumblr (for newbies):
Reblogging ≠ reposting. You aren't stealing content by reblogging it, it's basically a 'group share' button. It also helps give artists/posts attention and you can reblog to interact with people. Reblog things you like.
Reblog bait. You can reblog it, but if a mutual hates reblog bait, you may tag it with 'reblog bait'. Or, find a tag with your mutual to put on posts they don't like, and block the tag under the 'content you see' tab in settings.
If someone reblogs your post, and you like their reblog, you just liked your own post.
(Sideblog section)
See my name? This is a gimmick. If a Tumblr says 'officially-(company/country/state)' then it's probably a gimmick! Check their content first because there are a few actual brand blogs, like Grammarly!
You can only make 250 posts (per email) on an account per day. This is called 'post limit' or 'PL'. I am currently on account 2, because I post too much. You may or may not hit post limit in your lifetime.
You can create as many sideblogs as you want, but you cannot like, follow, or send asks as a sideblog, and if you do so, it'll show up as from your main.
(Gimmicks)
Nobody can see your main from your sideblog, so you can have as many followers on your gimmick and none of them on your main
You will see gimmicks. A lot. It's fun.
You can interact with a gimmick as a non-gimmick
As a tumblr user, you have anon powers. You can turn any/most gimmicks into a pretty princess by typing something like '*turns you into a pretty princess*' into their ask box.
Nobody will be mad at you for making a gimmick. At all. There are like, 4 Jesus gimmicks. And it's great.
(General)
Tag a mutuals post with '10k to me', 'future 10k', '10k', or 'this will have 10k' for some fun chaos :3
Submit posts to PM Seymour's discord for MORE fun chaos
(General controls and understanding of Tumblr)
If you are in a youtube video online, you have broken containment
If you are getting a bunch of notifications from a post, you can hold down a notification from it or click the three dots on the post and click 'mute' to stop getting notifications (other than mentions)
You can also filter your notifications by clicking on the top left of your notifications tab and tapping 'custom'
The 'for you' tab of Tumblr is what the algorithm thinks you'll like based on your interests and stuff
The 'following' tab is blogs and tags you follow
On Tumblr, you can add not only extra notes in the tags but also regular tags. Spaces are allowed
If you get an ask from a Palestinian blogger, check yourself (you may find places where it's vetted/verified in their reblogs. You can also tell by them having no photos/story at all [no name, no information, just a donate link], and scams commonly use photos from Google images. Be suspicious if there's anything other than GoFundMe or something similar. PayPal is banned there.) or send a screenshot to me/somebody who offered to help. Then, you can answer the ask so people who can donate can see it, or donate yourself. DO. NOT. PRESSURE. YOURSELF.
Tumblr has a unique punctuation, in a way. which you will figure out on your own. An example is. periods to show a slight. pause
It reminds me of poetry
You can post whatever you want and you will find your people
Block people who make you uncomfortable and report bots for spam.
Welcome to Tumblr
Do what you want forever
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hwanghyunjinenthusiast · 2 years ago
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✨️1K Followers Celebration Day 2: NCT bias wrecker - Jaehyun✨️
In the a.m.
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AN: I was originally planning to post another fic today but, it got too frustrating so, I scrapped it for another day. Fortunately, my brain seems to have plenty of ideas when it comes to Jaehyun. Also, yay to the first NCT fic on the blog :D
Synopsis: Some harmless scrolling on Instagram takes a turn you could've never seen coming.
Heads up: Jeong Jaehyun x Fem! Reader, friends to lovers, Reader going through it because of her feelings for Jaehyun, Reader mentions wanting Jaehyun to choke her one time, Jaehyun being a little shit, mentions of facesitting, dirty talk, video call sex, guided masturbation of sorts (f. receiving), mutual masturbation, praise kink (f. receiving) and Jaehyun calls Reader pet names a lot throughout this.
Word count: 2989
I will block you if you are a minor and/or have no easily visible indication of your age on your blog if you interact with me in any way.
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You don't expect much when you open Instagram.
It's been a relatively uneventful Tuesday night, all things considered. Your laptop sits on your desk, reminding you that you very much have work you should be attending to, but you try your best not to pay it any mind.
Your mindless scrolling comes to a halt when you notice a post from Jaehyun.
It's honestly embarrassing how much just seeing him affects you. Your heart stuttering in your chest as you take in his carefully dishevelled, dark hair and his handsome, almost apathetic expression. You're probably reading more into a singular picture than strictly necessary, but the way his face is angled makes it look like he's looking down at you, and that only causes you to spiral further. Insides squirming violently.
It definitely doesn't help that you wish his hand was around your throat inside of his phone, too.
You're honestly just speechless. You knew you were really looking for ways to procrastinate if you resorted to Instagram of all platforms but, it's a blessing in disguise since you were graced with this.
However, because you're an idiot and you weren't careful, you like the post without thinking. A post he made months ago.
Would it be too much to hope for the Earth to open up right now and swallow you whole?
Panic takes over then. Maybe you could just uninstall Instagram, and he wouldn't notice or get the notification. Maybe you could just unlike it really quickly and he'd never even know-
Luck is not on your side, however, because you notice a message from Jaehyun, and you've never wanted to cease to exist more than right now.
Maybe you could just pretend you magically passed out seconds after liking his post. That wouldn't seem too suspicious, would it?
However, because you're still an idiot and a curious one at that, you open his message.
Jae💕: See something you like?
The fucking nerve of this man. You resent the way your body betrays you. Your face heating up considerably as you just try to comprehend what the fuck is happening. Is he...flirting with you? It wouldn't be the first time. Jaehyun enjoys flustering you, and it works more often than you care to admit. However, flirting with you when you're pretty sure it's around 3 a.m. in Tokyo seems like a little much, even for him.
You: Shouldn't you be asleep? Isn't it like 3.am. there?
Jae💕: Couldn't sleep. Then I got the notification that you liked my post. Isn't it pretty late over there too?
You groan into your pillow. Jaehyun doesn't need to know about you lusting after him so late at night.
You: Yeah, I was doing some work but, I'm pretty much finished for the night.
Jae💕: And you were thinking about me after finishing your work? I'm flattered, baby
Jaehyun has called you baby before. It's nothing new. Honestly, the pet name would make you cringe if anyone else was saying it, but, as you're coming to discover, apparently anything and everything he says and does renders you a flustered mess.
You: No! I was just scrolling, and I accidentally liked it. Don't flatter yourself
Jae💕: Sounds like denial to me~
You: You're so annoying 🙄
What you don't anticipate, on this already fever dream of a night, is for your phone screen to light up with his name. You only hesitate for a few moments before answering.
"I'm annoying, huh? That hurts my feelings," he teases. You can hear the smile in his voice, and the mental image of his dimples hits you like a truck. Though he said he couldn't sleep, his voice sounds gravelly and, you feel yourself squirm instinctively.
"Something tells me your feelings aren't all that hurt," you retort, hoping against hope he doesn't notice the breathy edge to your voice. Talking to Jaehyun always left you feeling a little lightheaded.
"Now you're calling me a liar too? I was being serious earlier. I am extremely flattered that I was running through that pretty mind of yours,"
Yeah, you're definitely going to uninstall Instagram after tonight. You don't even want to begin to unpack him calling anything about you pretty.
With a heavy sigh, you respond, "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"
"Nope," and he has the nerve to chuckle.
"You really are so annoying. You're lucky I like you and you're cute,"
You were wrong. Now, you've never wanted to cease to exist more. Why in the fuck would you ever say that? Especially tonight? Yeah, sure, some harmless flirting isn't out of the norm between the two of you, but tonight feels decidedly...different. You can't help but feel you're treading a very dangerous line here.
You're half-tempted to just hang up before he responds, "You like me and think I'm cute, huh? If you wanted to ask me out, you could've just said that."
"That's not- I wasn't trying to- I didn't mean to say that,"
"You don't have to get all shy, baby. If anything, the feelings are very much mutual,"
That stops all your higher order functions all together momentarily. What. Jaehyun likes you? Is this actually happening?
"W-what?" Your brain intelligible supplies.
"You really think I just call everyone baby and flirt with them. I'm a little surprised it took you so long to catch on,"
Now that you think about it, he has always treated you...differently compared to your other friends. Johnny and Mark had teased you about it from time to time, but you always thought they were just being little shits. Guess you should learn to take your friends' word more seriously moving forward.
"You could've just been direct with me,"
"Where's the fun in that?" He laughs, but his tone shifts to a more serious one, "I wasn't sure if you felt the same way. I know I joke, and I tease, but you-you mean a lot to me, and I didn't want to jeopardise the friendship we had. I was content to have you in any way you wanted me, even if it was just as your friend."
You were reeling. You couldn't respond to him even if you wanted to for a few seconds. Your brain trying to pull itself together enough to say something.
"You know, this isn't how I was expecting my Tuesday night to go,"
His laugh is warm and throaty and quiet, and all the months of pining finally boil over.
"In case it's unclear, I like you too. Like a lot. Um, yeah,"
"Well that's a relief. I was worried there for a sec," god, you wish you could see his face. You know he's probably grinning ear to ear. Well, you could...
"Jae?"
"Hmm?"
"Could we video call instead?"
"Sure but, do you mind me asking why?"
"I want to see your face,"
You're sure that'll inflate his ego for weeks to come, but you can't bring yourself to care.
You're already proven correct when you see him with the world's largest shit-eating grin and the butterflies in your stomach flutter more violently.
His hair is even more dishevelled than in the picture, and you can see his sleeping shirt cling to his shoulders in a way that heats the blood in your veins.
"Here I am, baby. It's nice to see you too, if I'm being honest," it only hits you when his usually mischievous eyes are heavy with something else entirely as he takes in the sight of you on his screen what you're wearing.
"You're such a perv. I was trying to be sweet,"
"I'm being sweet too! I just have eyes. Also, I saw that look in your eyes. Don't play coy with me,"
"I have no idea what you're talking about,"
"Really?" His grin takes on a more sinister edge, "because I definitely noticed you looking like you wanted to sit on my face as soon as I popped up on your screen."
You're sure you look stupid with how you're gapping at him. Too stunned to speak and your body, once again, betrays you when you feel yourself clench at his words.
He's not wrong but, he doesn't need to just say it like that.
"You can't just say stuff like that, Jaehyun," you whine, and you see his eyes flash so briefly you're wondering if you imagined it.
"Why not? We both know it's true. It's just unfortunate that I'm not there right now to give you what you so obviously want," he drawls, lidded eyes dropping to take in as much of your generous cleavage as he can.
The butterflies shift lower.
"You'd let me sit on your face?" Maybe you're finally learning to just embrace the unexpectedness of this night. You two like and obviously want each other. Fuck it.
He chuckles again, but his voice is already a few octaves deeper, and you feel yourself growing slick. Thighs rubbing together in a way you hope is some level of unnoticeable.
"Happily. I'd do a lot of things to you if you'd let me,"
You're finding it really hard to think straight right now.
"Really? Like what?" You're too far gone for him to even feel ashamed how delicate your voice already sounds.
"And you were calling me a perv earlier," You're not sure if you want to punch him for attractive that arrogant, dimpled smirk of his is or kiss him. God, you really wish he was here too.
He continues before you can butt in, "Well, I'd take my time with you." Your blood feels molten as his lidded gaze takes in every detail of your face, stopping briefly to stare at your lips, "I'd kiss you until your lips were bruised and all you could think about was me."
This time, Jaehyun notices you squirming, and he pounces.
"Aw, is my poor baby already getting all hot and bothered just from me talking about kissing you and letting you sit on my face?"
A desperate whine tumbles out of your mouth before you can help yourself. Between him calling you his fucking baby constantly, what he'd do to you and the gravelly quality of his voice, it's no wonder you can feel yourself begin to leak onto your panties.
"Jaehyun,"
"I asked you a question, baby," his tone is still mostly playful, but you can hear the command clear as day.
"Yes,"
"That's a good girl. Why don't you show me just how hot you are for me?"
Honestly, you should probably feel some semblance of hesitance, but the exhilaration that comes with his praise would likely make you do anything.
You angle your phone as best as you can, the low light of your bedside lamp illuminating the visible wet spot on your panties.
"Fuck, baby," he groans and your pride swells at seeing him just as affected by all of this as you are.
"Can you show me how you touch yourself?"
Your unoccupied hand flies to your panties without much thought, ready to slip a few fingers past the waistband-
"Wait, don't touch yourself directly yet. Touch yourself over your panties,"
"But Jaehyun," you whine, sounding a little pathetic to your own ears, "I'm so wet, and it aches."
He shuts his eyes for a few moments, jaw clenching as he tries to find his words.
"I can't wait to get my hands on you," he mutters, but you don't think he meant to verbalise that particular thought. Either way, the feeling is very much mutual.
"I know, baby, but if you're good for me, I'll reward you, okay?"
You nod almost frantically, and he tuts in response, "Words, baby. Don't make me remind you again."
"O-Okay,"
"Good. Now I want you to touch yourself how you usually would, but over your panties,"
You do as he says. Drawing slow circles against your clit. The brushes of the fabric of your panties and the pressure from your fingers making your eyes flutter. More and more of your wetness drips out of you, making your panties stick to you. Your hips jolt up into your touch sporadically, quiet moans falling from your lips.
"You look so pretty playing with your pussy for me, princess," Jaehyun breathes, his own hand slinking down his body.
You keen at the praise. Adding more pressure to your ministrations against your sensitive clit, "Jae-Jaehyun ah please. I'm so - it's so -" you whimper, your train of thought leaving you with each brush.
"I know, baby. I know. You're doing so well," groans, his heavy gaze intently focused on the mess you're making between your thighs. His cock throbbing in the confines of his boxers with every twitch of your hips and quiver of your thighs.
"Can I see you too?" You ask, clamping down hard around nothing when you notice his arm moving. Putting two and two together and coming to the realisation that he's palming himself.
"Well, since you've been doing so well. I suppose you deserve some kind of reward," he says after some faux deliberation. Angling his phone downwards. Your thighs squeeze your hand hard, never feeling excruciatingly empty as you take in the way his cock strains against his boxers.
Considering the menace he's been all night, you expect him to tease you. Touch himself over his boxers until you're begging to see him properly. However, Jaehyun loves to keep you on your toes.
The air is knocked out of your lungs when he haphazardly tugs his boxers down. His cock smacks against his toned abdomen, flushed and hard and looking good enough to make saliva pool in your mouth.
"Too bad you're not here to sit on it but, I guess we'll have to make do for now, princess,"
Jaehyun is trying to kill you. That's what this is. An elaborate plot to stop your heart right here and now.
"Jaehyun, please. Can I touch myself pr-properly please? I've been so good. Please," you whimper. Slick walls throbbing incessantly when you notice his cock twitch in his grasp.
"I don't know, baby. How badly do you want to?"
"So badly. Please, please, please, I'll do whatever you say. Whatever you want,"
His eyes glint at that, and nervousness and anticipation course through your veins. Maybe he was more calculating than you gave him credit for.
"Since you ask so nicely, go ahead. Take your panties off for me, and let me see you play with yourself properly,"
In a likely incredibly ungraceful display, you impatiently tug your panties off with one hand. Tossing them aside and shoving your hand back between your thighs. Your eyes shutting when your fingers finally come into contact with your poor clit. Whimpers and curses and moans of his name falling from your lips with every circle.
"Fuck, you look so fucking pretty, princess," he groans and, you open your eyes to look at your screen. Fresh wetness gushes out of you when you realise that he's stroking himself. His tip now broaching into an angry red territory, and he's slick with pre-cum.
"I wish you were here," you whine out, increasing the pace of your fingers in time with each stroke of Jaehyun's hand. The obscene sounds emanating from your phone's speaker going straight to clit.
His chuckle is even more gravelly than before, "Me too, princess. Watching you like this...fuck. You're driving me insane," he mutters, hips jolting up to fuck into his fist. You've never envied a hand more than in this moment.
"Th-the feeling is mutual. I'm so-so ah,"
"Are you close, baby?"
"Ye-yes," you whimper, your toes beginning to curl, and the knot that's settled in your core tightening more and more and more.
The moan that falls from his lips is low and drawn out. His hand picking up its pace considerably as he watches you begin to fall apart on your hand.
"You're going to be a good girl and cum for me, right?" Oh god. The whine that's ripped from your throat is desperate and pitchy, your wetness drips down your thighs and begins to pool onto your sheets.
All your brain can manage is a jumbled mess of what you think is his name and 'please' and choked noises of pleasure. You're so close you can practically taste it.
You're distracted from your encroaching release when you hear Jaehyun's own sounds of pleasure. It takes a considerable amount of effort to open your eyes and, you're glad you do.
You open your eyes just in time to watch Jaehyun cum. His cum spurting onto his toned abdomen, parts of his thighs and all over his pretty hand. Strained, breathy gasps flooding your ears and the soft blush on his face, all combining to send you over the edge.
You try your best to muffle your cries as your hips twitch away from your hand. Insides spasming sporadically and even more wetness gushing out of you. Smearing your thighs and adding to the mess on your sheets.
It takes you both very long moments to regain your higher order functions. The stickiness underneath you and between your thighs quickly becoming uncomfortable but, you can't bring yourself to care right now.
"This is probably the most unconventional way anyone's ever confessed to me and asked me out,"
The laugh he gives you makes the butterflies roar once more. Considering you just watched each other cum, you suppose you have no real reason to be shy anymore.
"It's definitely the most unconventional way I've asked someone out. Luckily, the Japanese leg of our tour ends in about a week, so I can take you out properly then,"
"A whole week huh," you pout.
"Unfortunately, princess. Hey, I'm not opposed to more calls like this until we're able to meet in person," he responds with a wolfish grin.
You resent the way your still sensitive walls clench at the suggestion.
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scoonsalicious · 8 months ago
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Unwanted: Chapter 18, Unread - Pt. 3
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader
Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.
Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, betrayal, mentions of sex, mentions of violence, threats.
Word Count: 1.9k
Previously On...: You saw something on Bucky's phone that changed everything.
A/N: Here it is-- the final betrayal. I'm sorry. It can only go up from here, right? LOL no.
NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when I update, please enable notifications from my Blog page!
Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!
Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!
Taglist: (Sadly, tag list is closed; Tumblr will not let me add anyone new. If you want to be notified when I update, please Follow me for Notifications!) @jmeelee @cazellen @mrsbuckybarnes1917 @blackhawkfanatic @buckybarnessimpp @hayjat @capswife @itsteambarnes @marygoddessofmischief @sebastians-love @learisa @lethallyprotected @rabbitrabbit12321 @buckybarnesandmarvel @fanfictiongirl77 @calwitch @fantasyfootballchampion @selella @jackiehollanderr @wintercrows @sashaisready @missvelvetsstuff @angelbabyyy99 @keylimebeag @maybefoxysouls @vicmc624 @j23r23 @wintercrows @crist1216 @cjand10 @pattiemac1@les-sel @dottirose @winterslove1917 @harperkenobi @ivet4 @casey1-2007 @mrsevans90 @steeph-aniie @bean-bean2000 @beanbagbitch @peachiestevie @wintrsoldrluvr @shadowzena43
Tumblr will not let me directly tag the following: @marcswife21 @erelierraceala @jupiter-107 @doublejeon @hiqhkey @unaxv @brookeleclerc
“Care to tell me why we’re meeting in an unused guest suite on a floor that’s mostly under construction?” Nat asked when you opened the door of your borrowed new room to let her in. You didn’t utter a word, just thrust a copy of the text screenshots into her hands and sat down at the edge of the unfamiliar bed, waiting for her to read them.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Just read it,” you told her, voice devoid of any emotion.
Natasha scanned through the messages, her eyes widening in shock and disgust as she made her way through them. “This has got to be some sort of sick trick, right?” she asked you when she’d finished. “Like, Carthage found some program online to make up fake text messages and sent them to mess with you. Barnes would nev–”
“I screenshotted them off of Bucky’s phone, myself, Nat,” you informed her. 
There was a knock on the door and Nat opened it to reveal Wanda. “I came as soon as I could,” the other redhead said. “Why are we having a secret meeting?” Nat handed Wanda the screenshots and came to sit next to you on the bed while she read them.
Wanda’s hand flew to her mouth. “No,” she whispered, looking back up at you. “How could he? There must be some kind of mistake.”
“No mistake, Wands,” you said, standing up to take the pages from her. “It’s all right there, typed out by the man himself.” And then, as if to punish yourself further, you began to read out loud the text between Bucky and Jade:
Vix <3: Hey there, handsome xoxo
Vix <3: Bucky?
Vix <3: You just going to ignore me after everything?
>> How are you texting me? You're supposed to be blocked.
Vix <3: You should keep better track of your phone, then ;) 
Vix <3: Or, at the very least, choose a better passcode.
>> What do you want?
Vix <3: I want to talk about what happened the other night.
>> Nothing happened.
Vix <3: Come on now, we both know that's not true ;)
>> It was a mistake. I should have never done it.
Vix <3: You don't make a mistake two separate times, Barnes.
>> Well, I did. And I regret it.
Vix <3: You didn't seem to regret it when you were blowing loads of cum inside of me.
>> Jesus Christ, Jade. You don't have to be so fucking crass about it.
Vix <3: I thought you liked girls with dirty mouths.
>> Jade, I have a girlfriend. She’s the only one whose mouth I like dirty. Or at all.
Vix <3: That's right, your Perfect, Precious Pocket.
>> Do not talk about her.
Vix <3: Oh please. Don't pretend you care about her now.
>> I love her.
Vix <3: You have a funny way of showing it, sleeping with me just a day and a half ago.
>> She is EVERYTHING to me.
Vix <3: Obviously not.
>> I thought she slept with Steve.
>> I was a fucking idiot.
>> It was a misunderstanding.
Vix <3: Orly? That how she's going to see it?
>> She's not gonna find out.
Vix <3: You think you can hide the truth from her? Please.
>> The last thing I want to do is hurt her.
Vix <3: Should have thought of that before you fucked me. Twice.
Vix <3: If you don't tell her, I will.
>> She'd never believe you. She fucking hates you.
Vix <3: I don't need her to believe me. I just need her to see these texts.
>> You wouldn't.
Vix <3: Try me. You don't want to fuck with me, Bucky.
Vix <3: Tell her the truth or I will.
>> I swear to god, Carthage, you breathe a word of this to her and I *will* fucking kill you.
>> That is not an idle threat.
>> Ending your life would be as easy for me as breathing.
Vix <3: You wouldn't.
>> Do you want to try me?
>> Because I promise you, she is the most important thing in this world to me, and if you threaten that, I will end you without losing a wink of sleep.
>> You know what I'm capable of. Don't test me.
>> Do you understand me?
>> I said, do you understand me?
Vix <3: Christ, yes, Barnes. I understand.
Vix <3: I'll keep my mouth shut.
Vix <3: But you're a real piece of shit, you know that?
>> You're not telling me anything I don't already know.
Vix <3: I'd be so fucking good to you if you just gave me a chance.
>> Not happening. And if I find out you even insinuate to Pocket, or to anyone, what happened in Russia, it will be the absolute last thing you ever do, and no one will ever find your body.
Vix <3: I already told you, I won't tell your Precious Pocket. I'm not a liar.
>> Good. We're done. I'll speak to Steve about having someone else take over your training.
Vix <3: WHAT?! You don't have to do that!
>> I can't be around you anymore. I don't want to be around you anymore.
Vix <3: Temptation too strong? Afraid you'll make another 'mistake'?
>> Fuck you.
Vix <3: You already did, baby xoxo
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Wanda whispered when you’d finished reading. “Pocket, honey, are you alright?” She looked at you as if she were terrified you were going to break. And maybe the old you would have. This new you, the one that was forged under rage and ice, was made of harder, crueler stuff.
“I’ll live,” you said. Nat and Wanda exchanged a glance that didn’t escape your notice. “What?” you snapped at them.
“Hey,” Nat said, “Don’t get mad at us; we’re just worried about you. The last time he pulled something like this, you were a mess. This,” she indicated the sheets of paper you still held, “is way worse, so forgive us for expecting you to not be okay.”
You sighed and slumped down into a nearby chair. “I’m sorry, guys,” you said. “Obviously I’m not okay, and it’s not fair of me to take out my frustrations on you. But this time is different. Before, I was devastated, I was sad. But now? Now I’m fucking pissed. It’s like every ounce of love I felt for him has been turned into pure, unadulterated hatred, and all I want is for him to fucking suffer. I want him to hurt the way he hurt me.” Wanda opened her mouth to speak, but you interrupted her before she could. “And I know that’s not healthy, Wands. Trust me, I know that. I’ve just never been this angry before in my entire fucking life. God, not even at fucking Darren.”
“Who’s Darren?” Wanda asked, but Nat shook her head at her.
“Not now,” she said.
“I don’t even want him dead,” you continued, voice rising, as though Wanda hadn’t spoken at all. “Death would be too good for him! I want him to feel pain, pain like he has never experienced before in his long, utterly useless life!”
“Pocket,” Nat warned. She knew you were dangerously close to saying something you might eventually come to regret.
You sighed, the rage fleeting and leaving you feeling hollow and broken. “I know,” you said. “I don’t really mean it. I’m just so goddamned hurt!”
“I know it’s difficult to believe this right now,” Wanda said, taking a step closer to put a hand on your shoulder, “but he does still love you– he said he—”
“No,” you interrupted, sounding every bit as defeated as you felt. “You don’t do that to someone you love. You just don’t. This morning, he talked about getting our own place, getting married, starting a fucking family.” You choked back your emotions, but your voice still cracked. “I thought he was ready to take things to the next step, to prove how much I meant to him, but he was just trying to distract me, trying to get me out of the Tower because he couldn’t risk me running into her, couldn’t risk her telling me the fucking truth he was too much of a coward to admit.”
Nat and Wanda looked from you to each other, lost in their sense of helplessness, of not knowing how to care for you in your time of need.
“You know,” you went on, “I probably would have forgiven him, if he had just straight up told me the truth. I mean, we weren’t even technically together, so it wasn’t cheating. If he’d said ‘I’m sorry, Pocket. I saw those articles and I went fucking crazy with jealousy. All I could think about was getting back at you because I thought you betrayed me.’ Yeah, I’d have been pissed, and it might have taken a while, but I could have forgiven him if he had just been fucking honest with me. That’s all I ever asked of him. That he just be fucking honest. But he’s lied to me, again and again and again.
“He took away my right to make an informed choice about my own fucking life,” you said, and this time, the emotions couldn’t be held back. “He of all fucking people should know what that feels like,” you sobbed. “He should know how valuable that choice is! How valuable it is to me!” And there it was, really, the crux of the matter. He knew how much you valued the freedom you now had over your own life, after so many years of not having any choices in what happened to your own body, and he’d stolen your ability to make a choice for yourself. He’d had sex with you, knowing you never would have consented if you knew he’d been with Carthage less than 24 hours prior. He’d violated so much more than your trust this time.
Nat stood up and raced over to you, throwing her arms around you. Wanda looked on for a moment, confused, before joining Nat in embracing you.
The entire time you’d been speaking to your friends, your phone had been silently vibrating. You’d turned the ringer off as soon as you texted Nat and Wanda, asking them to meet you. You didn’t need to look at the screen to know that it was Bucky who was trying to get ahold of you. If you’d been in a better frame of mind, you’d have laughed at the irony– here you had spent all day yesterday waiting on a text or call from him that never came, and now he was blowing up your phone and you couldn’t stand the thought of  speaking to or hearing from him. Life was sure funny sometimes.
“Ms. (Y/L/N), Ms. Romanoff, Ms. Maximoff,” FRIDAY’s voice rang through your borrowed room. “Mr. Stark is requesting everyone’s presence in Conference Room C for a mandatory pre-mission briefing to begin in ten minutes.”
“Fucking Tony,” you moaned. A mandatory meeting meant a mandatory encounter with Bucky, and you were so not ready for that yet.
“Don’t worry,” Wanda said, squeezing your hands. “Natasha and I won’t leave your side. He won’t be able to get near you. I’ll put a forcefield up around you if I have to.”
You managed to sniff out a laugh and wiped your nose. “Thanks, Wands. I really appreciate it.” Steeling yourself, you stood up from your chair. “Let’s go see what Tony wants.”
<- Previous Part / Next Chapter ->
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luffyvace · 9 months ago
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Hello first of all- Omg my new fav author I LOVE UR WRITING SM LIKE ???? APBDISBRQKOZ
I found your blog form the author!Reader the anon who ask haz a creative mind I loved the 2 post sm I already got addicted to it I hope u Dont mind me requesting sm form it
Imagine Kusuo getting a notification (he seems like the one has his phone on dnd but has his notification open for his s/o in all media) of her post sm in one of there public social platform saying "I'm turning into my emo phase if this writer block doesn't move on form me " and when checking her private acc (the it's only access for him and her older friend) she is all memes about her writer block and her saying "if I stop writing I give all my books and series to you my friend" just her and overreacting to her block writer
Hiii!! THANK YOU CUTIE!! It always makes me so happy to hear I can share my hobbies with others <3 ahhh I see! Of course I don’t mind dear :)
ohh so if I’m getting this right it’s Saiki finding readers second blog (in which she mostly posts unserious stuff about her writers block) I believe I get what ya mean :}
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*・..°•*:.。:3・.。.:*・..*°.・
Lol if feel like almost every writer has they’re side blogs or blog where they not a writer they just read other’s stuff
and to me this blog seems like a kinda funny vent blog where reader can just complain about her writers block whenever she has it
LOL imagine going inactive on that acc for weeks and saiki’s wondering if you forgot about it or forgot the password but you just simply have had a lot of motivation lately
then all the sudden you come back and your rebloging all types of relatable author memes and making posts about how ‘your going emo because you have writers block’
honestly it’s kinda ironic to him
he likes your posts on both accounts to support even when your do have writers block
cuz who’s likes a guy who ups and leaves when you don’t have motivation?
the first time you threatened to give your books away he knew you were joking but at the same time he was like ‘wait don’t give all your books away they can’t write it as well as you can 😀’
’kusuo I’m joking’
🧍
‘me too I knew that’
(“Thank goodness..her books were the only thing keeping me sane from those nuisances..”)
- In Saiki’s head
he doesn’t get all the writer memes bc he’s not an author, obviously he’s not stupid so he does find some funny
i feel he doesn’t post on social media but if a post of yours does particularly good he’ll repost it
i think I touched up on him being supportive before but yeah I’m gonna say it it again bc it truly is an honorable mention
‘(Name/pen name) has posted!’
- notification
👆💥📲
- Saiki
the emoji combo was terrible but basically that’s him about to break his screen from how hard he clicked
he’s always the first one on your posts and interacts every way possible
except comments..
which sucks cuz it boosts it a lot but he just doesn’t interact online 😭
if it’s a social media where you can see who liked, aiura and torisuka always tease Saiki for being the first like every time
“Dang your a real simp huh? Your the first like on her every post!”
- Aiura
”MAN! You don’t miss a beat do ya Saiki? I can never beat you to it 😭”
- Toritsuka
“wow..you beat me once again. The second the notification pops up you’ve already liked, reblogged and shared before I can even click on it. That’s impressive I must say, but it’s also quite annoying because I would like to be the first one to support (name) one day. In fact you do everything first! You get the books before they publish! You like all her posts first! Satire or not too!- yadda yadda yadda..”
- Akechi
“you don’t even respond to me that fast! Sometimes you leave me on read or delivered for 2 days before you answer me”
- Kaido
Saiki also sees that your friend likes your second acc too
which he would figure since you two are close
ehehe..a bit short dearest but I hope it brings you joy regardless~ 😅💞
I have much to get out..need to be more active..
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sundrop-writes · 7 months ago
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Sundrop's Official Taglist Rules
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aka things you need to know if you want to be tagged in my fics
I am officially starting taglists! So if you want to be tagged in future fics, make sure to read this post first.
1 - Reblog OR Comment if you have been tagged in a fic.
If you want to stay on the taglist, I kindly ask that you leave a comment on the fic OR reblog it within a timely manner.
I understand that everyone has busy schedules, and not everyone is online every single day, but I ask that this be done before another fic for that fandom is posted.
Writing a fic and maintaining a taglist is a lot of work, and supporting fanfic authors in these simple ways doesn't take much time. Leaving a simple comment after reading the fic only takes a few minutes, and even if you don't have time to read the fic shortly after it being posted, reblogging a fic takes less than a minute. Reblogging really supports writers because it puts their work in front of more eyes, and it is a simple thing you can do to show your favourite fics and your favourite writers some love.
I will send you a message reminding you to do these things if I am considering taking you off the taglist, and even if I remove you, I will not block you, and I still welcome you to read my future fics.
2 - If you are uncomfortable with the content of a specific fic and do not want to reblog it, please send me a message telling me so.
I understand that not every single fic is going to be for everyone, and you might not be comfortable with the content of a specific fic. If you are uncomfortable with smut and dark topics, my taglist likely isn't for you. You are welcome to stick around my blog as a more casual reader. But if there is just a specific random trigger on the warnings list and the fic isn't for you this time but you want to remain on the taglist, please let me know, and I will make an exception to the reblog rule for you.
3 - You must have your tagging/mentions turned on in settings in order to be tagged in fics.
If you are new to Tumblr, please make sure that you have this turned on. Otherwise, your username doesn't become a hyperlink when it is typed out with the @ symbol, and my tag for you in the taglist will not come up in your notifications. (And it will be useless for both of us.)
If I see this happening, I may send you a reminder to fix your settings, but if you don't fix it - I will simply drop you from the taglist.
4 - Taglists will be made in the replies of the post or in a separate reblog, so tagging may take a few minutes after the fic is posted. Please be patient with this, as I am a person, not a robotic system making fanfic notifications.
5 - There will be separate taglists for each fandom. (But not for each character.)
If you ask to be put on that fandom's taglist, then you will be tagged in literally everything for that fandom. This includes requests, headcanons, smut, longer fics, etc. I won't tag you in fics for only a certain character or only fics of a certain genre. If you are signing up for a taglist, you are singing up for everything from that fandom. This is because I post longer fics infrequently, I don't want someone to be put on a taglist for them only to be tagged in one fic a year or less.
6 - If you are asking to be tagged, I will assume that you have read through all of these rules, and that you will follow them so that the taglist can be mutually beneficial for both fanfic author and fanfic reader.
7 - You can ask to be removed at any time.
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DC Titans Taglist - let me know if you want to be added!
The Walking Dead Taglist - let me know if you want to be added!
The Maze Runner Taglist - let me know if you want to be added!
Teen Wolf Taglist - let me know if you want to be added!
Harry Potter Taglist - let me know if you want to be added!
(Other fandoms will be added when I post more fics for them.)
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jasntodds · 8 months ago
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Petrichor [19]
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Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader (little bit of fwb)
Words: 12,542
Chapter Warnings: Swearing, angst, blood, mention of abuse, mention of manipulation, mentions of death, mentions of canon characters deaths, mentions of drug use
Summary: ❝Pylades: I’ll take care of you. Orestes: It’s rotten work. Pylades: Not to me. Not if it’s you.❞
Gotham is home, not just for Jason but for you, too. And now that you’re both finally back home, together, you’re ready to see where this next chapter brings the two of you. He’s your best friend and you’re his. And you both might want a little something more with being back home, the place you both feel most comfortable. Surely, nothing could possibly go wrong now.
A/N: We're almost done with season 3 and I am so excited!! You're all gonna hate me later lmao (again happy ending, promise) I have so many plans lol You can add yourself to the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary  and turn on notifications if you prefer that!! I love feedback, I swear it keeps me posting on a weekly basis 😭
series masterlist | masterlist | tag list
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You, Gar, and Rachel are sitting around the Lazurus Pit. Rachel has just finished giving Gar a pep talk about how she's able to do what she does out of love. Gar has been feeling a little bit like a letdown, unable to transform into different animals on command like he can as a tiger. The only times it's happened is when he's terrified, as if there's a block of fear in his head keeping him from transforming into anything else. You stay silent. You don't think Rachel is wrong. Gar could definitely change into other animals beyond being scared and maybe the answer is the love he has for all of the Titans and the love everyone has for him because everyone believes him. But, you're still stuck in your head wondering if that's always enough.
Right now, love doesn't seem like the thing that heals all wounds and makes everything better. It wasn't enough to keep Jason safe. It wasn't enough to keep him out of Crane's grasp. It wasn't enough to get Bruce to kill the Joker before he had his chance. It wasn't enough to bring Jason home. It wasn't enough for Rachel to bring Donna back. It wasn't enough for Sam to bring Jason back. It wasn't enough to keep the Titans at the tower. There have been so many things, especially lately, where it's just not been enough. Sometimes it's not enough so instead of being pessimistic about it, you stay quiet, looking at the pit and hoping it spits Dick out.
"You're quiet." Gar states, moving his attention to you.
"Oh, yeah." You shake your head, glancing back at him. "Just...waiting." You look back at Rachel. There's no guarantee this is going to work. You need another plan if it doesn't. You need another plan if it takes too long. "Do you think you could find the other Titans? Like...at some point tonight?"
"Yeah." Rachel nods her head. "I can feel their energy, too." Rachel's voice is soft.
"Well, that's good at least. Kory will know what to do." You let out a sigh, moving your stare back to the Pit.
"You don't think this is gonna work, do you?" Rachel asks.
"I don't know." You shrug. "I'm just trying to think ahead in case it doesn't or in case it takes a while. I mean, for all we know it takes a few days." You state just as the put starts bubbling. "Or...a few hours." You mutter as the three of you get to your feet, looking into the pit just as Dick's fist punches through the surface and he emerges from the thick and glowing liquid.
Dick starts to swim to the edge while you and Gar quickly meet him there to help pull him out. You both grab his arms, pulling at him until he's out of the pit and leaning back on his hands. He coughs up water just as Rachel kneels down beside him, you and Gar getting back to your feet. You and Gar exchange a look of disbelief as hope has the courage to start to fill your chests.
"Dick?" Rachel asks.
Dick manages to look at her, furrowing his brows in confusion before he falls back onto his back and passes out. Rachel looks back to Gar and you, as if one of you will know what just happened.
"What do we do?" Rachel asks.
"Is he breathing?" Gar asks with hesitance.
The three of you see Dick's chest rising and falling. This whole thing has been weird and it almost seemed like he drowned. Is there supposed to be more to do this? Or is he supposed to just...sleep off the effects and then he's just alive again? The three of you are completely confused by the entire situation.
"Yes." Rachel states.
"I guess we wait some more?" You question. "He's breathing so that's better than the alternative." You shrug your shoulders, wishing you would have pressed Jason to get some answers from Crane about him coming back.
But then Dick snaps back out of it, gasping himself awake as he shoots up. You and Gar both jump back slightly at the sudden movement and sound as if Dick is jumpscare in a bad horror movie.
"Rachel?" Dick gasps for breath, looking more confused than ever. "Gar?" Dick rushes, getting onto one knee. "Y/n?" Dick questions looking to you.
The last thing he remembers to be real is you and Jason kneeling above him, looking lost and panicked. Then there was everything in the pit which only leaves him with far more questions than answers, none of which he has time to get answers to right now. The Pit told him everything he needs to know to take down Crane. That's all that can matter right now if you're all going to save Gotham. He can deal with the rest later.
"It's okay now. You're safe." Rachel assures him. "Let us help you."
"Are you...alright?" Gar asks with worry.
"Yeah, dude. You like...died." You state with the scrunch of your nose, earning a light nudge from Gar.
"What...what happened down there?" Gar asks.
Dick breathes heavily, catching his breath and then completely avoids the question. "Crane can be stopped." Dick states, running a hand through his hair. "There's still time." Dick rushes, getting to his feet.
Dick starts to walk towards the exit as Rachel gets to her feet. He cannot possibly be serious. He just died and drowned and now he's just...going to stop Crane. Suddenly he has all the answers and he's going to go off on his own? He can barely even catch his breath.
"Wait. Dick, man, you need to rest." Gar rushes after him, the three of you right on Dick's heels.
Dick turns around, barely facing the three of them. "Anton and First Street. There's an abandoned control room. Find Conner. Make sure he's okay. Unite the Titans." Dick states in a hurry. "Y/n, with me, let's go." Dick rushes before he turns on his heels and starts darting down the hallway.
"Unite the Titans where?" Rachel calls after him.
"Take them to Donna." Dick states, not slowing down or stopping as he makes his way down the tunnel.
The three of you look between each other in confusion, trying to grasp any sort of explanation to no avail. Donna is supposed to be dead, according to Rachel. And he was in a Pit?
Dick calls your name from down the hall, his voice echoing over the bricks.
You shrug at the two of them. "Uh...alright. Good luck with that, I guess? I'll make sure he's not fucking insane." You state quickly, spinning on your heels before you jog down the hall to catch up to Dick.
You catch up to Dick who is walking a steady and quick pace, his head clearly thinking a hundred steps ahead. You eye him as you match his pace, walking right beside him. He just died? And then came back to life? There is no way in hell this man is just...fine with that. Of course, there are a lot of other things you all need to focus on, especially with him somehow knowing Crane can be stopped. There are more pressing matters than Dick's mental state at this exact point in time but that doesn't bring you any type of ease.
No one should die and then just be fine.
Jason sure as shit isn't. So, Dick can't be either.
Sam follows Dick out of the building, keeping up with him.
"We're going to meet Jason." Dick states flatly once the two of you exit the building.
"We're gonna what now?" You question, shaking your head. "And how do you expect we even find him?"
"He'll be here." Dick states, a confidence that should be reassuring consumes his voice.
How is he so sure about everything all of a sudden? The Lazarus Pit brings people back, and heals them, but...it can't possibly predict the future right? But, Dick also just said Donna is alive which means...if that's actually true the pit brings more than life back to someone. It brings some sort of clarity for things they otherwise shouldn't know. But if he's wrong that just means it's made him crazy which also means the pit did have some sort of lasting effect on Jason, too. This can't be good.
"How do you even know that?" You question, trying to figure out what is actually going on. If anything, he needs to slow down.
"He'll always go back to where it happened." Dick states.
What?
Your face scrunches in both annoyance and more confusion. You did this round-and-round question game with Jason, you're not doing it with Dick. He wants you to go and find Jason so damn bad, he can give you some clarity, too.
"What the shit with Donna being alive? How the fuck do you even know that?" You almost demand instead of asking.
"I just do." Dick says simply.
"That's not reassuring whatsoever." You mutter with more annoyance.
Dick glances down to you, seeing you grow frustrated. "The pit..." Dick says.
"Yeah, no I figured that out but you're not exactly giving out details here." You roll your eyes before you grab his arm to bring him to a stop. "Dude, seriously, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Come on, we can't waste—" Dick starts as he continues walking.
"No, fuck that shit!" You yell, keeping up with him again. "You know, you batboys do that shit all the time. You guys say you're fine when you're not. You literally just fucking died, Dick. You can't just be fine after that. And you know if the three of you would just fucking talk about how not fine all of you are, we probably wouldn't be in this mess to begin with, right? Like that's your guys' entire fucking problem. I hate talking about my shit, too but I'm learning the more I admit how not fine I am the easier it is and I tend to feel a little bit better about it. The three of you are just fucking annoying about it and if you really think that's not your problem, you're being willfully ignorant and we both know that's not a very Nightwing thing to be." You finish with a scoff and the shake of your head.
And maybe a large part of your frustration is that neither of them seem to think they matter. They are sacrifices. Jason always thinks the world is simply better off without him and Dick thinks he's expendable. He can be the sacrifice for the greater good. It's why he's reckless and why he goes off on his own. Jason does the exact same thing. It's fine to them if they die. But, they leave these people in the wake of their deaths with paralyzing grief. This time it wasn't permanent for either of them but what happens when it is? It shouldn't be because they were reckless and decided to sacrifice themselves because they matter to people. The people who love them and they should be considered in all of this.
Dick glances down to you as you keep your eyes straight, jaw clenched tight. Dying is traumatic but you're right. They don't talk about it. Bruce never talked about anything so Dick wouldn't talk about anything and Jason never talked about anything. Batman and Robin could never be scared and they weren't allowed to let their emotions get in the way. Emotions cause blurriness and distractions. On the field, those things get you killed. But, he's not Robin. He's not with Batman. He just died as Nightwing.
"It was a lot." Dick manages to state.
"Yeah..." You say quietly.
"You almost died. I think you know." Dick says, still partially avoiding the question.
"Yeah, it was really scary and traumatizing." You state flatly because even though you were close, you did not die. He saved you. And Jason saved you. Close doesn't count here.
"Yeah." Dick keeps his word short. "I had to face some...challenges." Dick confesses, feeling the very core of his bones ache with guilt over the brutal beating of Jason even though it wasn't real in the pit. "It's hard to explain. It was a test or something." You look at him, seeing the look of distance and remorse dissolve over his face and you don't need to ask what kind of tests. "I understand Jason a little more now, him as Red Hood." Dick lets out a breath. "But I can't focus on what happened if we're going to stop Crane. "
You nod softly. "Right, yeah, got it." You let out a breath. "Your ability to compartmentalize is really something else but you should really deal with it after instead pushing it off." You say quietly, earning a glance from Dick. "Something else will always come up, you're Nightwing. You're a Titan. I'm just saying, look where we stand today like maybe it would have been different if things weren't always compartmentalized. Maybe you need to feel it sometimes."
The words almost catch you off guard. You've been running from your own pain for so long that you think that's your biggest issue. You run and it hurts you and the people that care about you. It's easier to not feel any of it but it makes being a person harder. There is blood on your hands and a part of you wonders if you had just let yourself grieve, maybe there wouldn't be. Maybe most of what happened between you and Jason after wouldn't have happened because you would have grieved. You would have felt all of it. Maybe had you stuck around after your mom died, let yourself just feel it, you wouldn't have ended up with Jerry. Maybe allowing the pain to bleed a little is how people heal from it. Let it scab over and let it mend itself over time with care and attention.
"Are you okay?" Dick asks. "You were there. You found Jason, you were there with Tim. This is a lot for you, too."
"Yeah..." You let out a sigh. "Like...I-I-I don't know. You're like this weird...weird brother I-I never really wanted or asked for and then you died. And that's just...I don't know. I fuck with you but I respect you and ya know?" You look up with honest eyes. "Kind of would suck a lot if you died permanently. You're like good at this and you're important to the Titans." You roll your shoulder, pulling in a heavy breath. "And to me." You mutter so quietly Dick nearly misses it.
"Thank you." Dick says. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." There's the smallest touch of sarcasm in his voice.
You manage to crack a smile. "Eh, don't get used to it, Dickolas. It's cause you died. Gotta be nice to you for at least an hour." Dick shakes his head but you see the subtle hint of a smile on his face. "Why are we going to find Jason anyway?"
"He'll know how to take out Crane and we need him on the inside. He wouldn't tell Crane he's against him, would he?" Dick asks.
"Doubt it." You scoff. "Jason is smart, methodical. He still wants Crane dead for what he did to me so he's not gonna let Crane think they're on different sides just so he can have the upper hand."
"Good. We find Jason and bring him with us. I have a plan." Dick states with urgency but offers no further explanation.
"Yeah...okay. So, uh, where do I come in? The mediator, still?" You almost laugh at the idea. 
"No. You said Jason wanted to talk, let's talk. You're here because I need you with Jason."
While the idea of them talking is definitely enticing, you aren't completely convinced. Jason didn't pull the trigger this time but it is his fault Dick died. And given how Jason has been about Bruce who wasn't even in Gotham when Jason was killed, you can't help but feel a bit uneasy with Dick wanting to find Jason so soon after surviving the Pit. 
"And how do we know you're not gonna kill Jason? I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't want you to kill him and I'd fight like hell to make sure you don't. But...he did kind of just get you killed so you can see why I'm a little confused about you're kind of change of heart, I guess." You explain, eyeing him from the corner of your eye. 
"You'll just have to trust me. I never wanted him dead. He was just giving us no choice." There's something almost sad that trickles into his voice while his expression gives nothing away. 
"There's always a choice, Dick." You say quietly. "You can't say there isn't a choice when you yelled at me for killing and you're mad at Jason for killing. And you preached about how we can't be judge, jury, and executioner. There is a choice."
"Jason was going to kill all of us." Dick defends his stance, not acknowledging the hypocrisy of it all.
"So? And the ones we want dead will keep trying to kill other people. Or worse. Just because we, specifically, aren't their targets doesn't mean they get a pass. The innocent people that are their targets deserve the same amount of care and protection that we offer each other." You pull in a breath, feeling Dick move his stare to you. "We clearly didn't have to kill him, is my point."
This is the most Dick has gotten out about your motive. It's more than it being about the kids left behind. It's the bigger picture. That there is a choice and sometimes it's a bad choice and a hard choice but one that means, in your head, protecting the greater good in the same way Dick wants to protect the Titans. It doesn't mean he agrees with you, but he does see your point of view for once.
"Do you disagree with going after Jason?"
"No." You answer plainly. "I'm just incredibly loyal to him. If it were anyone else, they'd be dead. And I understand that's a bit hypocritical given what I just said. That's why circumstances and background are important when making the decision to kill someone." You shake your head. "I know him. I know him being a cold-blooded killer isn't him. Background matters."
"You're right it does. I do not want him dead." Dick offers a sincere nod towards you before it falls silent between you.
You finally reach the spot from last night where Dick was killed. Dick finds the Red Hood helmet, picks it up and takes it along with him. There's a puddle of blood still on the pavement that makes your stomach twist. It's as if blood stains everything it touches.
You're still unconvinced Jason will be here like Dick says. He's not psychic all of a sudden. But, you stay with him anyway, hoping you run into Jason and of course, you do. Somehow, Dick is right about this. Jason is yelling that Red Hood is back as he fires a gun into the air.
"Jason...it's okay." Dick calls, getting Jason's attention as he spins around quickly. His face is still covered in blood and cuts from the fight the night before. His eyes nearly bug out of his head, this can't be right. "It's me."
He knows the three of you took Dick to the Pit but there is a part of him that still can't believe it worked. Watching the life literally leave someone's body only for them to be alive the following day, that's more than unsettling. It feels wrong. It's the same wrong feeling Jason gets any time he gets a moment of silence and can hear his own heartbeat in his ears. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
But he is relieved to see Dick walking and alive. The feeling of it being wrong, is just the echo in his own bones. Dick should be the one alive. If the Pit were to work on anyone and offer someone a second chance, it should be Dick.
"It worked?" Jason questions, almost losing the breath from his lungs with the words. His eyes land on you as if you're the only one who can confirm if this is real or not.
You nod once. "Yeah, it did."
"You knew?" Dick asks.
Jason nods. "Rachel said that's where Gar was taking you." Jason explains as his eyes start to grow glassy, the guilt thundering through his bones once more.
"We don't have much time. I need your help." Dick cuts the conversation short, knowing they can't discuss this now but he's getting the idea maybe Jason did just want to talk. He looks hurt and relieved to see him and you.
You, on the other hand, are still uneasy. Dick isn't giving you any indication that this is going to go sideways but you feel yourself grip a knife from your belt anyway. This can't go sideways again. You all working on different teams has not helped fight Crane but working together should. Crane, at the very least, won't see it coming. You just don't want to see anyone else close to you die again.
"You want me to help you?" Jason asks, stretching his arms out at his sides in disbelief. He can't help. Not after what he's become. "I'm a fucking murderer."
"You know how Crane is operating. You know how he thinks." Dick starts. "He needs to be stopped or a lot more people are gonna die." Dick pauses for just a second. "You want redemption?" Dick asks as Jason hangs his head. "Do you?" Dick asks more firmly this time. "This is the first step."
Of course he wants redemption for the harm he's caused but his methods now do not align with Dick's. He's almost gotten them killed and he did kill Hank. He betrayed them. How is he supposed to go back now and help? After everything? After what he's become? It sounds hopeless and he almost lets his pity get the best of him until his eyes meet yours.
"We need your help, Jay." You plead with him.
Jason shakes his head. "You can't stop him." Jason answers with defeat rather than snark. He genuinely believes Gotham is lost to Crane. "He's got everything. The police, the Batcave. He's gonna take the whole fucking city down!"
"How?" Dick asks more in a way that sounds like a demand.
"You think I know?" Jason scoffs. "He doesn't tell me shit."
"Jay? You have to know something. You've been with him this entire time and you wanted to talk to Dick last night. You know something." You urge, practically begging him to just say something.
He told you once that he remembers everything. Crane slipped somewhere and all Jason has to do is remember. Think of whatever the hell Crane said that might be a clue.
Jason hangs his head as tears start to come to his eyes. "It was all crazy shit." Jason pauses for a second. "Like waves of anger and fear. The bright and darkened lands of the Earth. Something about an attack you and Bruce stopped a long time ago." Jason states, looking at Dick with confusion knowing Bruce never told him.
"Years ago, Crane sent a poem to Jim Gordon with clues about an attack on Gotham. A chain of explosives to release his fear toxin. We stopped him before he had the chance to set it off. Bruce took Crane's weapons and put them in the Gotham Armory to study them."
"And Crane's in the Batcave." Jason finishes. "So, he knows where those weapons are."
"And so do we now." Dick states as he extends Jason's helmet out to him. "We need to go."
Jason puts the pistol back in the holster on his leg. "So, I'm a Titan again?" Jason asks.
"No, you'll never be a Titan again." Dick states before he closes the distance between them, offering his helmet. "But, you can help us save Gotham."
Jason eyes the helmet as the feeling of being lost hits him like a ton of bricks. He never really fit in being a Titan anyway but...something about the confirmation that even if he were to change back to who he was before, it's over, really hits him. It's something he can't come back from. That part of his life, Robin, is gone. It's lost to the darkness. The Joker took it from him. Crane took it from him. The one thing he thought made him who he is, is shattered with so many of his hopes. It's lost and gone and Jason can't help but feel alone and lost now.
But, feeling that way got him here in the first place so he takes the helmet from Dick.
"How do I know you're not going to kill me?" Jason asks.
"Because now I know what it's like to die." Dick answers harshly.
Jason's eyes glance to you and then back to the helmet in his hands. It's more guilt. It's always guilt that comes back like the bladed boomerang. Jason knows firsthand what it's like to die, too and that didn't stop him. That was never a reason for him to stop. It doesn't matter that he was drugged and manipulated because, to Jason, Dick's reason should have been enough. It doesn't matter that the drug removed his guilt and his fear and the feeling of being haunted and stalked by something dark and twisted. He should have known better and he put death on Hank anyway. He lead Dick to getting killed.
He should have known better than to go after the people who actually cared about him. He knows what it's like to die and Dick does, too. To Jason, that should give Dick enough reason to kill him and yet...he doesn't and he seems sincere.
"Fine." Jason agrees reluctantly. "How can I help?" Jason asks letting out a steady breath as he nods his head.
"Come on. I've got a car around the block. We're going to break into the vault." Dick says casually as he starts walking past Jason.
Jason looks at you before you roll your eyes, trailing after Dick, Jason falling in line with you. The two of you follow Dick to the car he, for some reason, just has. You and Jason can only assume it's from last night. He had to get to Jason some way. Jason takes the passenger seat while you sit in the back, sitting right in the middle. Dick starts the drive while Jason is stuck in the car with his brother. This is not the ideal situation.
"Do you want to explain any of this?" Dick asks after a few minutes of silence. "How we got here?"
"Not really." Jason quips back with frustration looking out the window. He's not even entirely sure where to start. It all feels like this started so long ago and maybe in a way it did. Maybe it started that day he stole the hubcaps. Maybe he should have listened to Dick and you about Bruce. "After fucking everything, I just can't believe Bruce couldn't fucking kill the Joker." Jason lets out a scoff. "He fucking beat me to death with a fucking crowbar and Bruce just...fucks off somewhere." Jason scoffs again, barely able to hide the crack in his voice.
The car falls dead silent as Dick glances in the rearview mirror at you before you lean forward in between the boys. You and Dick are on the verge of exploding. This really cannot be Jason's entire motive. How the hell doesn't he know? You look at Jason who's giving you a confused and annoyed expression. You look back to Dick who is clearly trying to figure out how he's supposed to burst this bubble without it leading to another fistfight.
"I got it." You state before looking to Jason. "Who exactly do you think killed the Joker?" You blink at him with your brows raised, really hoping Jason's motive is not entirely linked to this little bit of information.
Jason eyes you, looking to the side and then back at you. The look you're giving him with Dick glancing at him has him feeling like Crane may have lied to him about that, too. But, Bruce wouldn't throw his morals away, right? Not for someone like Jason. Not for Jason. Bruce didn't kill the Joker.
"Uh...Crane said it was one of the prisoners who dressed like the Bat?" Jason lets out a scoff, playing it off in hopes this conversation is not going where he thinks it's going.
You look back at Dick who looks like he might have an aneurysm. Jason has been deadset on his new form of justice which you agree with but...if he thinks Bruce didn't kill the Joker for him, maybe that's his motive. You always felt his hatred towards Dick was just some weird rivalry amplified by Crane but if Jason thought no one avenged him...maybe that's it. You almost cringe at the idea of having to burst his bubble.
"You hear it, right?" You ask Jason as you look back at him. "Like..." You pause, scrunching your nose. "Crane, inmate dressing as the Bat."
There is no fucking way Bruce actually killed someone, the Joker, for Jason.
"Did....did Bruce actually do it?" Jason huffs as if he expects you and Dick to be messing with him as some sort of cruel payback or even to get him back on the "good" side.
"Walked into my room with a bloody crowbar." Dick states.
He cannot believe of all lies for Jason to believe from Crane, he had to believe that one. Crane is a manipulative asshole who's had Jason drugged and under his thumb ever since coming back, but how does Jason actually believe this? Even though Bruce has always been completely against murder in any instance, Jason should have known it was a lie. All of Gotham knows it was actually Batman.
"He actually did it?" Jason asks but this time, there's a sense of shock and remorse in his voice.
Every single part of him should feel relieved that Bruce would do this for him. Bruce Wayne, Batman, the same guy who has preached about not being judge, jury, and executioner, killed someone for him. Bruce killed The Joker for beating Jason to death and Jason should feel relieved and thankful but instead, he just feels guilty. Maybe wanting Bruce to avenge his death was never the thing he really wanted.
"Yeah, Jay." You nod your head, your voice quiet and sad. "Fuck Bruce, but I told you he loved you."
"Fuck." Jason lets out a groan, resting his head back on the headrest. "I really fucking thought he wouldn't do it."
Jason always thought Bruce would never break that moral code. He said it would be too easy to keep going. It's always just that one and then there would be another who's just as bad. The lines would start to blur and he wouldn't be able to stop. But, Jason did think if he ever were going to break it, it would have been for Dick, not Jason. He had no idea he actually meant that much to Bruce and now Bruce up and leaving Gotham without a trace makes sense. It wasn't that Crane drove him away or some sort of hideaway until things cooled down after losing his son. It was the grief of it all. The blame Bruce has to feel, knowing he led Jason into the road of Robin.
"Was that your only motivation for this?" Dick questions, almost not wanting to know the answer.
"Of course not." Jason sneers. "But...it didn't help." Jason grits his teeth. "I don't fucking know." Jason crosses his arms, not more aggravated over the whole thing than ever.
Crane took everything from him. And Jason trusted him.
"It's okay if you're mad at him for not saving you and thinking he didn't avenge your death." You state softly. "But now you know."
"I'm not though." Jason states as he nearly cuts you off, catching you both off guard. "I'm not fucking mad at him for not saving me." Jason's voice trails off. "I...fuck it. Forget it, alright? Crane lied to me about that, too and here we are." Jason lets out a scoff as he shakes his head before turning to look out his window.
Dick always felt like Jason was the type to hold a grudge, get unreasonable mad about things beyond his control. But, in the time since the tower, he got to know him better, finding out that wasn't entirely true. Jason's statement just now proves that. It was never about Bruce not saving him or even avenging him. It was him being alone. Thrown to the side the second things started to get messy. It was always about him feeling abandoned and less than, not good enough.
And you can see that, too.
You look to Dick and for once, Dick looks worried. "Don't worry," You start, earning a look from Jason. "I'll kill Crane for you." You offer him a soft smile that almost makes Jason laugh.
"Really?" Dick questions with annoyance.
"Don't pretend like you don't want him dead." You chortle.
"Yeah, right." Jason scoffs. "He's too good for it." Jason nearly chortles with you just to mock Dick.
"Hey!" Dick challenges. "Crane is bad, he just needs to remain locked away."
"No, you want him dead." You nod your head. "He killed your brother, drove your adoptive dad away, almost killed me, killed Hank, has been actively trying to get you killed for two weeks, and turned all of Gotham against the Titans. You want him dead. I can tell."
"You got a fucking sixth sense for right now?" Jason quips, this time actually letting a laugh slip from the bottom of his lungs.
"No." You chortle. "Dick isn't as stern when he talks about not killing Crane. He always has this look about killing being wrong and he always says the same thing, he doesn't do either with Crane."
"He's just a bad person." Dick defends himself, not even wanting to humor your theory behind this.
"No shit, man." Jason huffs. "I fucking died and he probably set the whole thing up."
"So did I." Dick states back.
"Gar died, you both died, Donna died and all of you came back. We all just taking turns? Where should I stand in line?" You quip with the intention of not letting them even start an argument.
"Not funny." Jason and Dick say at the same time, making themselves grimace.
You burst into a fit of laughter. "I told you, Jay. You two--"
"Shut the fuck up." Jason hits his head on the back of the headrest, closing his eyes. The last thing he wants to hear is that him and Dick even have one similarity but his voice isn't harsh and there might even the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips.
You lean back in your seat with the shake of your head and a gentle smile. This is going to eat at him for a while but you hope Bruce will come back. Maybe after you take out Crane, Dick will be able to find him and him and Jason can go get him. Maybe Jason getting to see Bruce after all of this will ease some of his guilt. You've had talks about it. You know him being fooled into thinking Bruce didn't avenge him isn't his entire motive. Jason always felt like Bruce could do more and this is doing more. It doesn't make it easy for him or make him feel better, but you know there's always more to Jason's motives than something surface-level.
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Once you get to the armory, the three of you enter with ease. There are no guards this time. There's no one even here, just the three of you which allows you to walk right up to the vault. The entire city is in a bit of chaos, using up any force that might have been here. It's not ideal for everyone else, but it is definitely beneficial to you, Jason, and Dick right about now.
You reach the vault door where Jason takes the lead, lining the door with a sort of liquid that then ignites and breaks the seals of the door, fire almost engulfing the door until it hits the floor. Jason is the first one to step inside, his gun pointed forward with a flashlight on top. You follow right behind him with your own flashlight and then Dick.
"Let's go." Dick says once he gets in front of you and Jason, leading the way to case you need.
Dick opens the case only for nothing to be inside besides a book called Collected Poems by Will Auden.
"I don't get it. There's supposed to be like two hundred ampules." Jason states with frustration. "What the fuck is that?"
Dick reaches forward and grabs the book. "Bright and darkened lands of the Earth." Dick states, looking at the book.
You and Jason look between each other and then back to Dick. Of all things for Dick to understand, a random book of poems is the thing he understands. Of course, he does.
"What are you talking about?" Jason asks.
"Crane's poem." Dick states as he opens the book, flipping to somewhere in the middle. "His war on Gotham."
Jason snatches the book back, you looking over his arm to see the page Dick opened.
"Fuck." Jason groans.
Crane's already beat you here. It has to be some sort of gloat thing he's doing, like he's already two steps ahead of you. He's been two steps ahead this whole time and his war on Gotham is now in full swing. What are you all supposed to do if you can't locate the bombs and disable them? What if Crane is already out there ready to blow up the city?
"What are we supposed to do now?" You ask, looking up to Dick.
Dick pauses for a second, looking to the empty case and then back to you and Jason. "Let's go. I have an idea." Dick says quickly before he turns and heads towards the exit.
The three of you head back to the car, taking back your seats as Dick immediately starts driving. You're watching him and you're fascinated by how quickly Dick can change directions. Not a single part of you is surprised but you are fascinated by it. He was trained by Batman. To be out there, as a vigilante, you have to know how to pivot immediately. Dick is really good at it. So, is Jason. It's something the two of them have in common. The ability to adapt to anything and everything, even when everything is covered in bloody chaos.
"One poem, multiple bombs." Dick starts. "Clues to where the bombs are are placed in the poems."
"What's the plan?" Jason asks, his stare on Dick hoping Dick does actually have some sort of backup plan.
"Find some supers and stop the bombs from going off." Dick says it almost casually as if it's something so simple and easy.
"Titans?" Jason scoffs. "What are they gonna do when they see me?"
Jason knows there is no way the Titans are going to welcome him back with open arms and trust him just because Dick and you say he's safe now. Gar might but Kory, Conner, and Rachel won't. He's been actively targeting them and he killed Hank. They're not just going to forget that and move on like nothing happened. They'll likely try and kill him the second they see him at this point. He got Dick killed.
"They're not." Dick states, revving the engine before pulling over at a curb.
"What's going on?" Jason asks once the car is stopped.
"Get out." Dick states.
"Out?" Jason asks, hurt covering his voice.
"I can't bring you back to the Titans. It'll cause a war." Dick explains. "But I do need you."
"So, I'm your dirty little secret?" Jason quips.
"You want to help us, this is the way it's gonna be. I can only fight one war at a time."
You remain silent, not daring to get in the middle of the two of them. It's the smart decision because there's no way everyone will trust him. Everyone will start fighting and arguing and nothing will get done. Crane will win just because there's a fight between the Titans, which is probably what he wants anyway. It might hurt Jason, but it is the only way this can even work.
"When do you need me?" Jason agrees with a bit of reluctance in his voice.
"If you don't hear from me before, meet me back here in three hours. Got it?" Dick asks.
"Yeah." Jason says quietly.
"You, too." Dick looks back at you.
"Why do I have to get out?" You let out a scoff as Jason quickly looks back at you, wondering what you did this time to piss off the rest of the Titans.
"Safety, precautions, you two work well together." Dick states. "Three hours."
"Got it." You nod your head once before you exit the vehicle with Jason.
Once your doors are shut, Dick drives off. You look over to him and Jason dodges your stare, looking to the side. It's the shame that's eating at him. Falling for all of Crane's lies, getting Dick killed, having to be kept a secret. He was once a Titan and now they can't know he's even helping. Instead, Dick has you here because you work well together, sure, but also to make sure Jason doesn't back out of it. He's not even mad because he'd do the same thing but it hurts and he feels so painfully guilty for everything. He's destroyed everything.
"Come on." Jason jerks his head to the right. "Safe house is close." Jason starts walking, helmet in hand while Sam follows him.
The silence between you builds like a sturdy brick wall. It's in the silence that you have time to process everything. It's always the silence that acts as a marinade for all things fueled with anger and misery. Dick might be alive and Jason might be alive but Jason is the reason Dick died in the first place. He could have stopped. For two seconds, Jason could have called a truce and he didn't and Dick died for it. There never would have been a crowd. The kid with the gun wouldn't have been there and Dick wouldn't have gotten shot. Jason didn't pull the trigger, but he didn't have to. Dick stood there and told Jason the reason Dick won't kill him is because he knows what it's like to die. Well, so does Jason so why the fuck didn't Jason take that into consideration?
You know it was the drug but it bites and gnaws at you anyway because watching everyone you care about die is hacking away at you.
"You alright?" Jason finally asks. You being completely silent never sits quite well with him. There is nothing that sounds more deadly than your silence in moments like these.
"I don't know, Jay. I just watched Dick die and come back to life. What the fuck do you think?" You snap without processing your thought.
"The fuck you mad at me for now?" Jason snaps back. "I didn't pull the fucking trigger. I went there to talk." Jason barks, really not wanting to be reprimanded at the moment. He knows.
"You know what? You might as well have, Jason." You snap, your steps becoming harder against the pavement. "You could have stopped at any point and told him you just wanted to talk and explain it but you didn't. Not one part of you decided to do that. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why. So, Dick was killed because of that. You didn't do it. But that kid thinks he did the right thing to protect you. Dick wasn't even the enemy. So, that's shit." You let your own anger get the best of you, not even to tear him a part for it but just because you need to yell about it.
"It's not my fucking fault." Jason groans. "I didn't ask anyone to do that." Jason defends himself, knowing he's wrong.
"You don't have to!" You finally yell. "People will follow you like a damn cult because you command attention when you walk into a room. You are charismatic and enthralling. They have always been some of your best qualities but in this instance, it wasn't good. They believe in you, Jay." You look back over to him as Jason hangs his head, watching his feet hit the wet pavement. "But, Crane turned the city against the Titans, to follow you." You look forward as you shake your head. "I know I told you to work with him, but it didn't have to get to you and Dick fighting and him dying. It never had to end that way. You could turn them back to the right side." Your voice goes quiet with your last sentence earning you a glance from Jason.
"I didn't think he'd listen, alright? He was the one that set up the flash bang and came in ready for a fight. I didn't think it was any use and I didn't know those fucking people would be there. I..." Jason swallows his own words, not wanting to get into it.
You being willing to die for him is one thing. He hates it. He'd never let you if he could help it, especially having experienced what it's like to die. He would never. But, you love him. You have seen him at his good and bad. You've seen everything in between. Jason has fully exposed all of himself to you in every way anyone possibly could. And you would die for him. You would kill for him. No questions asked because you know Jason Todd better than he knows himself half the time. But these random people? They don't know him. Why the fuck would they kill someone for him? Why would they do that?
"I'm sorry, alright?" Jason's voice comes back down. "I know. I could have fucking done something and I didn't." Jason's saw clenches. "I'm fucking trying." His words are firm but there's a hopelessness in them.
"I know." You say quietly.
"I have a lot to make up for and I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do but I promise, I'm trying. I just...fucked it up." Jason's breath leaves his lips, the fog coming out in a haunting blow.
"I know...I just..." You shake your head. "I'm just really worried about all of you, all the time. You, Gar, Dick. You guys are the closest people to me besides Molly and I just...you're very important to me and this could be something so good and it was." You suck in a breath, the cold air starting to dry out your throat. "And I think we all deserve it. The Titans."
"Yeah..." Jason's shoulders slouch forward. "You do." Jason says quietly, keeping his stare ahead him even as you look over to him.
You've always deserved better than anything Gotham has given you. All this city has done is take everything you care about. And you only even started killing because of him. Even when Jason knows there's more to it, that was your breaking point. You're not shunned from being a Titan and maybe that'd be better for you.
"If you want to be a Titan after all of this, you should." Jason states in his way where he tries to sound really casual to hide his real feelings.
You snap your attention back to him. "Why would I do that?" You nearly scoffs at the very idea, especially coming from him.
"You're good at it and you like it. They like you and you fit in." Jason answers with ease, as if it were something he'd thought about more than a few times. "Why trap yourself here if you don't have to?"
It's as if the air is being pulled from your lungs by rusty hooks. How could he say that? He's here. Home is here. Molly is here. It's not a trap being in Gotham. Coming back, coming home, was a choice you made all on your own and not a single ounce of you even regrets it. You can't regret it. You got to reunite with Molly and while it has been agonizing lately, you had some of your best and favorite moments with Jason here. You got to make a different life again. It felt like home again. Here. Not in San Francisco. Why would he tell you to be a Titan?
"You want me to be a Titan?" You ask, doing your best to hide the hurt in your voice.
"Not up to me." Jason shrugs his shoulders casually, still keeping his stare away from you.
"That's not what I asked." You bite back, keeping your stare on him.
Jason looks back over to you as you reach the building. Jason opens the door for you, leading you in first before he shuts and locks the door behind you. You stand directly in front of him so he can't move once the door is shut. He doesn't get to avoid this conversation when he's the one that brought it up. If he wants you to leave, then he can tell you and then deal with the fact you will not.
"Answer me." You demand.
Jason looks to the right before looking back at you. He always thought you would anyway. After everything, it only makes sense to him for you to leave. You said San Francisco caused you so much pain that you didn't want to be there anymore. But, Gotham has caused you so much pain, you're not even the same person you were a month ago. He doesn't want you to leave but he wants you to be happy and he worries that just won't be here. Not with the track record.
"I always thought you would." Jason shrugs as his voice almost trails off.
"Because?" You search as your brows furrow. "What? I'd get bored of you? Tired of you?" Your eyes scan his face, knowing all of his insecurities. He can't hide from you like he can with everyone else.
Jason looks to the ground and back to you with the shrug of his shoulders. "No." Jason answers. "You didn't come back for me. Thought you'd figure it out and just...go back."
You narrow your eyes. "That's not the full reason." You say softly. "Tell me."
Jason shifts his weight, favoring his bad leg as it starts to ache. He shakes his head with defeat. "Just want you to be happy." Jason says honestly. "This place is fucking shit and you know it. And you hate Bruce but you don't wanna give this up. Bruce doesn't like other vigilantes in the city and..." Jason's heart breaks as he watches your expression fall. "Yeah, I thought you'd leave." Jason nods his head.
"Jay, I told--"
"Because I died." Jason cuts you off with a scoff. "That day on the roof, I fucking destroyed you. I died and it completely destroyed you. When you found out about the drug and Crane, then everything else, I thought you'd fucking leave."
"Yeah," You nod quickly as your eyes turn glassy. "It did destroy me. The whole damn thing hurt but that doesn't mean I want to leave. It doesn't mean I want to be a Titan." Your voice is almost pleading with him to not push without you ever saying it. "This is my home and Molly is here and my mom is buried here and you are here. I don't care if we're not together, you're here. The city is a shitshow so it needs us. It needs us and Batman to help."
"Are you sure?" Jason questions. "I mean, look at this place. I just want you to be happy. I don't fucking know."
You let out a sigh. "You didn't answer the question." You state as Jason opens his mouth. "I asked if you wanted me to. You just said you always thought I'd leave."
Jason shakes his head. "Of course not." Jason lets out a scoff, not even trying to lie or dodge it anymore.
"Good cause I'm not leaving, Jay." You nod your head. "I was always happiest here with you." Your words are barely above a whisper as you look to the floor. "So," You pull in a breath. "You don't have that to worry about. I was gonna stay anyway, no plans to leave again. Tired of running." Your voice turns airy, almost hopeful with your last sentence.
"I don't get you." Jason lets out a laugh that's filled with relief.
"Yeah, you do." You laugh softly. "You're the only one whoever did." You shrug your shoulders, moving past him to the stairs. "You know, you and Dick could probably bond over your whole dying experience now. Probably bring you closer." You offer with sarcasm earning a groan and then a laugh as Jason walks over to you.
"Oh, yeah? We sit down for a family dinner at the manor and tell Bruce all about it? Like a fucking field trip?" Jason quips right back as the two of you make your way upstairs.
"Yeah!" You laugh. "Hear me out, it might freak Bruce out which would be funny."
Jason shakes his head with a soft chuckle. "Us getting along? Yeah, that'll freak Bruce out."
You nudge him lightly. "That'll freak everyone out, actually."
The two of you go upstairs into Jason's makeshift bedroom. You head over to the window to look at the people down below. Everyone is fending for themselves and there are still fires in the streets. There aren't any cars this time. There are always cars.
You lean against the wall and slide down, keeping your head turned towards the window as Jason keeps his distance, watching you closely as he traps himself in his own head again. While you have been on Jason's side, you've also actively been trying to make sure the Titans are at a distance and safe from Jason. You can say you've always been on Jason's side this whole time and maybe that's true, but you also were entirely in the middle. It was never Titans or Jason for you. You were always determined to cut the wire. It was always going to be all of them even if it killed you.
Jason remembers you willing to die for him, how terrifying that was. No one in his entire life was ever willing to do that. Maybe Bruce would have but it's something Jason isn't sure of. He was sure of you. Deathstroke proved that and you confirmed it that night. You would die for him because you love him and Jason always thought that was absurd, even if he'd die for you, too. Dying for you seemed to be the easiest thing he would do if it came to it. But you dying for him? Insane. It had to be insanity but these past two weeks have taught him something else entirely.
You would just die for anyone you loved if that's what it took.
There is not a doubt in Jason's mind that you would put your life in danger for Gar. Of course, you would. He's Gar. Everyone would probably do it. There's Molly and Jason actually feels bad for anyone who would even think of coming after her. You'd die for Tim because of course you would. You care about him and Tim is determined and smart. Krypto is no question. You loved Donna and thought she was the coolest Titan, that's easy. You thought Kory was one of the coolest and most badass people you'd ever met while also being immensely kind. You told Jason once that the Titans need her. So, you'd die for her, too. Jason isn't entirely sure of the big reason you'd save Conner or Dawn or Hank but he knows you would. And then there's Dick. You'd save Dick because he's the leader. Because he saved your life. Because you look up to him. Because he's important to everyone.
It's not that you would die for Jason. It's that you would die for anyone you love if it ever came to it. Jason would be lying if he said he doesn't admire that. Though, he wonders if that's what will be your last straw or if you'll understand one day that you shouldn't have to die for the people you care about. Jason swore he'd die for you. That part was easy but the more time that passes, the more he's realizing he wants to live for you. Living is harder. He hopes you learn that, too. You deserve to want to live for someone and for yourself.
"What's with the symbol?" You snap Jason from his thoughts.
"What?" Jason questions, almost doing a double take.
"The rip off bat symbol. Your idea or Crane's?" You ask bluntly as your eyes dart between his and the red symbol on his chest.
Jason looks down to his chest where the red symbol stares up at him. "Mine." Jason chuckles softly, a devilish grin pushing itself onto his lips. "Why?" He asks and he walks over to the other side of the window from you, sliding down the wall and matching your position.
You let out a soft laugh as you shrug. "Funny that's what you would pick given you thought he didn't kill the Joker for you." You pull in a breath. "Why?"
Jason shrugs. "Fuck Bruce." Jason answers easily as if the answer were so simple anyone could have figured it out, as if he isn't neglecting the entire explanation.
The bat symbol represents Bruce's way of thinking. Inciting fear into the hearts of everyone so they don't do bad things. It works, sometimes. But, it doesn't work enough. The bat symbol represents a certain moral compass where even under the worst of circumstances, killing is still wrong. It represents Bruce. Jason wanted something to almost mock him, a fuck you and watch this to Bruce. Fear doesn't always work. It's not the best way. For Jason, he needed something to spite Bruce, prove his methods will be better because there should never be another Jason. Or Dick. Or any of them. No one should have to suffer the way all of them have. It was to represent everything Bruce refused to do for the greater good.
But Bruce did kill The Joker so Jason feels lost.
But then you offer this warm smile, one that says you understand every single thought in his mind without him ever having to explain.
"Yeah..." You sigh softly. "Fuck Bruce." You laugh softly. "I like it, by the way. Bruce only killed him for you. He never would have under any other circumstances." You pause before you tilt your head to the left quickly, raise your brows. "Well, he might have for Dick, too. But, it would have to be one of you. So...good for you, Jay." You nod your head softly.
"Don't think it's fucked?" Jason chortles.
"Oh, no it definitely is." You nod quickly. "I mean, just when I think I've got some daddy issues, I meet you and Dick. It's definitely fucked. But, like it anyway." You smile but Jason doesn't quite match it. There's a sadness washing itself over his face. "I think Gotham will like it, too." You say quietly.
"Yeah? Why?" Jason repositions, pulling his right leg to his chest. "Because I'm charismatic and enthralling?" A touch of a grin finds itself on his lips.
"Fuck you, no." You laugh softly. "They're brainwashed but...I think it took one video because you've already been out there controlling the drug trade, looking to get into guns. You've taken out some really terrible people and are trying to get this shit under control. They already liked you."
"I also helped get a drug onto the streets and contributed to everything with Crane." Jason points out.
"Yeah, but you've been distancing yourself and you also tried to save Nightwing. I mean, you tried to kill him, too but you just tried to save him and they'll remember that. They'll figure out Crane brainwashed them and see you were also brainwashed."
"I guess we'll see." Jason lets out a scoff. "But, thanks." Jason offers you a nod.
"Just being honest." You pull in a breath as you move your stare back to the window. "You gonna keep Red Hooding after this is over then?" You look back at him with hopeful eyes.
Jason shrugs. "Yeah, maybe." Jason nods his head softly. "Especially with Bruce fucking MIA." Jason gives you a soft smile. "You gonna keep this shit up?"
"Absolutely." You nod with confidence. "You're right, I do like it. The vigilantism, I mean." Your smile turns kind and loving. "You're a good Red Hood. You're gonna help a lot of people, Jay." Your smile is warm and honest, filling Jason's entire chest with hope.
"So are you." Jason matches the smile before the two of you look to the window, falling into a comfortable silence.
You get a text from Dick, apparently, the towers are back and running which is a relief but according to his text, Crane released some of his smoke downtown. He leaves the text with a warning for you and Jason to stay where you are until the smoke dies down or until he says otherwise. So, the two of you seem to be stuck here for the night.
You're safe here, entirely. You don't have to worry about the smoke or anyone coming to kill you. You're safe from it all for the first time in weeks and it's as if, weirdly as it is, you both can breathe freely. It doesn't feel like your very breath can shatter the illusion of peace. You both are allowed to breathe freely and openly.
You let your mind wander anywhere but to the disaster outside. The more you're in these situations, the more you're learning to compartmentalize it. There is no choice in this. It has to be done otherwise it'll eat you. You wonder how Dick is able to do it so well. Surely that's how he's so good at being Nightwing. He isn't heartless, he just shelves what he needs to until after a mission. It's something you need to be better at and so you sit here tonight and try to do it. You focus on anything but the disaster.
And then there's Jason who finds his mind going to your previous conversation a few minutes ago. You think he can be a hero again. He can use Red Hood for good, do it his own way. He lifts his head, looking over at you and how peaceful you look. You really do trust him. You really do just believe in him, after everything, there's something in you that believes in him even when you absolutely should not.
Jason keeps his eyes on you, wondering if you're right. He hopes you are. Jason just wants to help. That's what he wants to do. That's all he's wanted to do. That was supposed to be the plan before Crane showed his true motive. Jason wants to help the innocent people Bruce overlooks. Sex workers, sexual assault victims, domestic violence survivors, children who are put in all of these situations. A lot of them never make it onto Bruce's radar. He's busy dealing with everything else and a lot more of it happens in places like Crime Alley, somewhere Bruce doesn't go unless it's the anniversary of his parents' death. Someone needs to keep them safe, too. He wants to control the crime because he does believe that's the right way. No one can stop crime. That's impossible. But, Jason thinks he can control it. It's worth a shot. Someone needs to try. That's what he wants to do.
Maybe he can do it.
"I can feel you staring at me, Jay." You state as you look back over at him.
"Sorry." Jason mutters, feeling heat rush over his cheeks as he looks back outside.
"What's going inside that head of yours?" You ask.
Jason looks back to you, letting a beat pass before he settles on what to say. "Thanks for believing in me and being here." Jason pulls in a breath.
"Always." You say softly before it goes quiet again.
Time ticks by and it's you that ends up glancing towards Jason. He's holding his bad leg to his chest, seeming to be absentmindedly massaging the muscle of his thigh with his thumbs as he keeps his stare out the window. The white streak reflects off the lights from the window and the bruises are bright red from Dick's fists and enimga sticks. But, he doesn't look stressed this time. He looks content for once. And you always think there's hope for him but his position confirms it.
Which, lets your mind wander back to how you and him were. It wanders back to the night outside Excellent Gotham. It was the right thing to do. There is good, there is bad, and there is all of this grey in between. Something might be the right thing to do, for the greater good, to save someone, but that doesn't always make it fair or just or painless. It was the right thing to do, to save Jason. But, you wonder in the silence of the night, what happens after then. The bell has been rung and you're dealing with it but it doesn't feel good. Being around him feels like you're trying to breathe through water. You don't want to give up on you and him. You're gonna take out Crane, the Titans are going to leave, Bruce will probably come back, and it'll start to fall back into a new normal. And you want to know what kind of new normal that's going to be.
You want the new normal to still be you and him.
But you don't even want to ask about it. You hurt him and it just doesn't feel right to ask even if it'll gnaw at you until you do.
"I can feel you staring." Jason quips, looking at you, saying it on purpose.
You roll your eyes but the smile never reaches your eyes before it falls. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." You mock him, waving a hand haphazardly at him before you get to your feet and stretch before you lean your back against the wall. You look back at Jason and you can tell by the raise of his brows and his wide eyes, he's expecting you to elaborate. You let out a defeated sigh. "Hey, Jay?"
"Yes?" Jason answers expectantly.
"Where do we stand?" You ask bluntly. "I mean....you and me." You nod once. "After all of this and everything. I'll follow your lead." You nod a few times. "Ball's in your court this time."
As much as you would like to go to the roof and scream your lungs out about how much you want to be with him and how much you love him, you know you can't. None of that is fair to him. Jason Todd was murdered and then came back from the dead. He was used and abused and manipulated. He's not fine and he should be able to learn how to live now, rediscover who he is after all of this if he needs to. You telling him you want to go right back to where you were before he died, sounds cruel. It's as if you won't give him a choice, like you expect him to just be normal and you don't. So, you ask him and you let it be his decision because it should be. It was you that ended things anyway and it was you that betrayed him, more than he betrayed you is the way you see it.
Jason feels his heart in his throat. He hates this but he knows there is no other choice. He swears this one fucking time, he is not doing it to push. He is doing it for himself and for you. He owes you more. He owes you more than he has ever given you. He owes himself more.
You have said it over and over that Jason is loved and he is not alone, at the very least, he has you and he is loved by you. There is not a single day that he is not eternally grateful for you. But, that's not enough. It's not enough because, after everything, Jason still feels like he is not enough. He watches the chaos he has brought on all of these people who he cares about and who care about him. Someone who is enough, doesn't do that. And he died. The trauma of that isn't going to go away because you love him and he loves you. He desperately wishes it were so simple, but it's not.
Jason swore he would never hurt you but he thinks about that night outside of Excellent Gotham and how it looked like it was ripping you to shreds to end things and to give up on him, even if you never meant it. You didn't deserve it. He needs to figure himself out and sort out some of this pain in his chest before it metastasizes more. He needs to just exist for a second and work on who he is after coming back. He owes it to himself and then he owes it to you. It's not fair to continue something if he isn't sure he'll be okay in the end of this. That's not fair to either of you.
So, as much as it physically pains him, he knows where you stand.
"Uh..." Jason pulls in a breath and you know. Jason doesn't stutter often. "I really fucking hurt you." Jason nods his head.
"I hurt you..." You hang your head in shame before looking back to him.
"Yeah, deserved it though." Jason lets out a scoff before he shakes his head. "Look," Jason starts as he pushes himself off the wall and walks over to you, standing in front of you. "I don't want to ever hurt you again." Jason states and you know there is a but coming. This is not going to end the way you dreamed it would. "So, I think-think we need to sort our shit out."
You hang your head, feeling the lump in your throat. It was as if the night you ended things, it wasn't quite real. He was high and you were mad. Then you rescued him and it's been kind of weird ever since. It didn't feel quite like you broke up but it didn't feel like you were together. It has felt like this weird state of in-between where you're tripping over each other trying to find the right footing. And now, it seems you've found it in an unknown territory. It's scary.
It's scary because after being rescued, Jason is one of the only things you know. And you know that it's going to be good for you to find yourself without him, find out who you are outside of Jason and the Titans. It's for the best and you know. But, you also know Jason and Jason Todd has always loved to avoid things that are good for him. Good to him. What if he avoids this forever and this is really it?
"I'm sorry." Jason says quietly.
"It's okay." You nod up at him. "You're, uh, you're right. You died."
As much as you saw it coming, you feel blindsided. You are not together. He is not breaking up with you because you did it first. But, it feels that way anyway. He is right. You need time and space to heal and deal with everything that's happened. Maybe you could do that together but maybe you need to figure out who you are now. You are not the same people you were before he died. Jason Todd died that day and so did you. You need to just exist without each other even if it is the most painful thing either of you will ever do.
Jason nods. "Yeah," He scoffs. "It's not fucking fair to you or me if we jump into this shit again."
You nod softly. "Yeah...you're right." You push off the wall, closing the distance between you. "For what it's worth, I'm still sorry for everything that's happened to you, Jay." You sniffle softly.
"Thanks. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you, too." Jason lets out a soft sigh, looking to the floor before he looks back to you. He will find his way back to you because you're everything he's ever wanted and he wants to deserve you one day. "Friends?" He asks, sticking out his hand with the quick raise of his brows.
"For now." You take his hand in yours. "We'll find our way back." You say softly but with certainty.
"Hope so." Jason quips right back with a cheeky grin. "I'll miss you being up my ass all the time."
You roll your eyes as a smile starts to fade over your lips. "Shut the fuck up." You groan,  making Jason chuckle softly. "You're my favorite person, ya know?"
"And you're mine." Jason says simply, without hesitance.
The room falls silent, the two of you still holding each other's hand right in the middle of you. It's as if you aren't sure how to backtrack. How do you go back to being friends? You were never meant to be friends. There was always something more there. Something strong and tender, throbbing and beating like a desperate heart pumping blood through an open artery. You have stained each other with every scar and crumb of yours. How do you take it back? How do you cleanse yourselves and try again? Can you even do it?
Jason's grip on your hand tightens and he doesn't want to leave it like that. As friends. The very idea is bitter and stale. He knows it's for the best. For the first time in his life, he is doing something to better himself and protect you. It's not just self-destruction this time. He wants to be better for himself. He never wants to get here again. And to do that, he needs to do it on his own. Jason won't risk dragging you down with him again as he drowns himself. He's not sure if he'll come out the other end alive this time, but he's willing to try for himself. And then for you. But, that doesn't make this whole thing easier. He still loves you. He still wants you.
You feel it, too. You know he wants to reach forward, pull you into him just for old times sake. You're going to defeat Crane tonight, one way or another, and then you'll go your separate ways for a little bit...as friends. But you think about the last time you had a proper kiss, before you knew you'd end up here. He was alive again. It was a kiss of relief. That's not how you want it to end. You fully believe you will come together again but what if you don't?
The idea makes your stomach twist into knots. And you know Jason isn't going to act on it, out of respect for you. It's the way his hand squeezes yours, the way he won't let go and how he has that dark but kind look in his eyes. The way he is intentionally holding his stance just enough away as if he'll walk into a bear trap with one step forward. He'll never act on it out of respect for your space so when Jason finally starts to move away, you pull him back.
Jason eyes you and then the very corner of your mouth twitches up as you squeeze his hand, pulling him just a little closer to you. You move your eyes up with the raise of your brows before looking back to him and then you shrug effortlessly.
Jason shakes his head. "Fuck it." Jason lets out in a single breath before dropping your hand and cupping your face, slamming his lips against yours.
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series masterlist | masterlist | tag list
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Tag List: @fairyofshampoo // @italiana-20 // @jasontoddsmentaldisorders // @purplerose291 // @lovelessamai  // @makaelaseresin // @lenidaslenchen // @mayfieldss  // @ghostkingblake // @im-done-with-this-im-out // @velvetskies // @lilylovelyxo // @cryinghotmesss // @yesimwriting // @vivian-555 // @stainedstardom // @baebeepeach // @legend-o-zelda // @harleycao // @somehow-lovable-trash  // @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx // @deyja-the-duck // @jasontoddslover //  @captainmarvels-blog // @totallynotkaibiased // @scarlovesyou // @whydoyoucare866 // @littlemeowmeow1000 // @ginger24880 // @urmomsgayforme5 // @septixtrash // @kplatzman // @killxz // @lovefks // @laurelthesimp // @strawberryforks // @mxtokko
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smolwritingchick · 4 months ago
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Hi!! I know I’ve been a bit MIA.
Just a smol update: had a death in the family so I really didn’t make any progress with my stories. I lowkey just went on shut down mode and haven’t turned on my computer in a long while. I’ve just been accepting the death and trying to continue to do things that make me happy while moving forward with life. Video games helped, especially replaying some of my old favorite JRPGs and I got back into the Love and Deepspace game app and that really has helped as I fangirled over the male characters. And I also got some writing inspiration for JenKook from that game so it helped sparked motivation for writing, too as I felt better.
I’m feeling much better now, honestly. Soon I’ll be back writing officially. I won’t force myself if I don’t feel like it but as of right now, my fingers are itching to type. I can’t really give an estimate on when I will update my stories but I still want to take my time with everything and give you the best chapters I can make.
So no the stories are not going on hiatus. Feel free to keep sending asks. I will soon get back into answering them when I feel ready and also work more on the smol requests to hold you while waiting for new chapters. Thanks for being so patient with your smol girl. I promise I’m not ignoring any of you! I’m aware of the asks 💜
Also hi new followers!! I’m Val! Thanks for giving my writing a chance 😁💜 I see the notifications and I’m like “Oh Gawd they’re still reading? They like it?” 😭😭 I always get a little nervous when I see new readers but I like the smol community I’m growing as I remain a lowkey writer on here.
Like always, I tend to stay drama free and mind my business. I literally just post/answer asks and go on this blog tbh. I like for this to be a safe space so I just block out any negativity I get and make sure things remain positive on here. I hope to continue that as I remain on Tumblr. 🙏🏾
Have an awesome day, everyone! I’m OK! 😎
NEXT UPDATE:
4 Bangtan Gal chapters as I mentioned before and Around 3 Forced to Believe chapters
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cindylouwho-2 · 4 months ago
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RECENT SEO & MARKETING NEWS FOR ECOMMERCE, JULY 2024
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If you are new to my Tumblr, I usually do these summaries of SEO and marketing news once a month, picking out the pieces that are most likely to be useful to small and micro-businesses.
You can get notified of these updates plus my website blog posts via email: http://bit.ly/CindyLouWho2Blog or get all of the most timely updates plus exclusive content by supporting my Patreon: patreon.com/CindyLouWho2
TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 
There is a relatively new way to file copyright claims against US residents, called The Copyright Claims Board (CCB). I wrote more here [post by me on Patreon]
After a few years of handwringing and false starts, Google is abandoning plans to block third-party cookies in Chrome. Both Safari and Firefox already block them. 
When composing titles and text where other keywords are found, it can be useful to have a short checklist of the types of keywords you need, as this screenshot demonstrates. While that title is too long for most platforms and search engines, it covers really critical points that should get mentioned in the product description and keyword fields/tags as well:
The core keywords that describe the item
What the customer is looking to do - solve a problem? Find a gift? Feel better? 
What makes the product stand out in its field - why buy this instead of something else? Differentiating your items is something that should come before you get to the listing stage, so the keywords should already be in your head. 
Relevant keywords that will be used in long tail searches are always great add-ons.
What if anything about your item is trendy now? E.g., sustainability? Particular colours, styles or materials/ingredients are always important.  
SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 
Google’s June spam update has finished rolling out. And here is the full list of Google news from June. 
Expect a new Google core update “in the coming weeks” (as if we needed more Google excitement).
Google’s AI overviews continue to dwindle at the top of search results, now only appearing in 7% of searches.
Despite Google trying to target AI spam, many poorly-copied articles still outrank the originals in Google search results. 
Internal links are important for Google SEO. While this article covers blogging in particular, most of the tips apply to any standalone website. Google also recently did a video [YouTube] on the same topic. 
Google had a really excellent second quarter, mostly due to the cloud and AI. 
Not Google
OpenAI is testing SearchGPT with a small number of subscribers. Alphabet shares dropped 3% after the announcement. 
SOCIAL MEDIA - All Aspects, By Site
General
New social media alert: noplace is a new app billed as MySpace for Gen Z that also has some similarities with Twitter (e.g., text-based chats, with no photos or videos at this time). iOS only at the moment; no Android app or web page. 
Thinking of trying out Bluesky? Here are some tips to get the most out of it. 
Facebook (includes relevant general news from Meta)
Meta’s attempt at circumventing EU privacy regulations through paid subscriptions is illegal under the Digital Markets Act, according to the European Commission. “if the company cannot reach an agreement with regulators before March 2025, the Commission has the power to levy fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s global turnover.”
If you post Reels from a business page, you may be able to let Meta use AI to do A/B testing on the captions and other portions shown. I personally would not do this unless I could see what options they were choosing, since AI is often not as good as it thinks it is. 
Apple’s 30% fee on in-app ad purchases for Facebook and Instagram has kicked in worldwide as of July 1. 
Facebook is testing ads in the Notifications list on the app. 
Meta is encouraging advertisers to connect their Google Analytics accounts to Meta Ads, claiming “integration could improve campaign performance, citing a 22% conversion increase.”
Instagram
The head of Instagram is still emphasizing that the number of DM shares per post is a huge ranking factor. 
LinkedIn
Another article on the basics of setting up LinkedIn and getting found through it. 
You can now advertise your LinkedIn newsletters on the platform. 
Pinterest
Pinterest is slowly testing an AI program that edits the background of product photography without changing the product. 
Is Pinterest dying? An investment research firm thinks so. 
Reddit
If you want to see results from Reddit in your search engine results, Google is the only place that can happen now. 
More than ever, Reddit is being touted as a way to be found (especially in Google search), but you do have to understand how the site works to be successful at it. 
Snapchat
Snapchat+ now has 9 million paying users, and they are getting quite a few new personalization updates, and Snaps that last 50 seconds or less. 
Threads
Threads has hit 175 million active users each month, up from 130 million in February. 
TikTok
TikTok has made it easier to reuse your videos outside of the site without a watermark. 
TikTok users can now select a custom thumbnail image for videos, either a frame from the clip itself, or a still image from elsewhere.  
Twitter
You can opt out of Twitter using your posts as data for its AI, Grok. 
YouTube
YouTube has new tools for Shorts, including one that makes your longer videos into Shorts. 
Community Spaces are the latest YouTube test to try to get more fan involvement, while moving users away from video comments.
(CONTENT) MARKETING (includes blogging, emails, and strategies) 
Start your content marketing plans for August now, including back-to-school themes and Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday on August 13. 
ONLINE ADVERTISING (EXCEPT INDIVIDUAL SOCIAL MEDIA AND ECOMMERCE SITES) 
Google Ads now have several new updates, including blocking misspellings. 
Google’s new Merchant Center Next will soon be available for all users, if they haven’t already been invited. Supplemental feeds are now (or soon will be) allowed there. 
STATS, DATA, TRACKING 
Google Search Console users can now add their shipping and return info to Google search through the Console itself. This is useful for sites that do not pay for Google Ads or use Google’s free shopping ads. 
BUSINESS & CONSUMER TRENDS, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 
The second part of this Whiteboard Friday [video with transcript] discusses how consumer behaviour is changing during tight economic times. “People are still spending. They just want the most for their money. Also, the consideration phase is much more complex and longer.” The remainder of the piece discusses how to approach your target market during these times. 
Prime Day was supposedly the best ever for Amazon, but they didn’t release any numbers. Adobe Analytics tracked US ecommerce sales on those days and provides some insight. “Buy-now, pay-later accounted for 7.6% of all orders, a 16.4% year-over-year increase.”
MISCELLANEOUS
You know how I always tell small business owners to have multiple revenue streams? Tech needs to have multiple providers and backups as well, as the recent CrowdStrike and Microsoft issues demonstrate. 
If you used Google’s old URL shortener anywhere, those links will no longer redirect as of August 25 2024. 
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ohh-fiddlesticks · 4 months ago
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pinned post thingo… pt 3 !
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hiii my name is 💥 micah 💥 and this is my selfship sideblog! i use he/him and im a certified transsexual 🔥 aroace and gay as well. its a complex and wondrous thing yk how it is ‼️ i’m also australian 🎉
i tend to see my selfships as more on the fictional side; i like to explore the relationships like any other relationship in fiction, meaning that it wont always be the healthiest, so… keep that in mind i guess 👍
i dont like to associate this blog too closely with my main but if you get notifs from a blog with a url starting with d and a rainbow pfp of castiel, thats almost definitely me! if u wanna know the exact url feel free to ask and i’ll let you know 👍
you can also check out my strawpage for some general info about me and an f/o list, etc. :^)
i draw sometimes ‼️ i tag all my art with “#my art”
my main f/os are dave s.trider & c.handler bing but ive also got a couple more in the bag!
proship and closely associated please kindly don’t follow 🙏 strictly nsfw or 18+ blogs preferably dni too closely also . generally tho i’ll just block people i don’t want interacting
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f/o list, sharing boundaries, etc. below the cut!
for romantic f/os, my general policy is that i’m not particularly comfortable with sharing and while you’re free to follow or interact if we share f/os, keep in mind i’m less likely to follow back— this ofc does not apply if i follow first. platonic, familial, etc. f/os im totally fine with sharing, in fact i think thats awesome
also! i have no tagging system— that being said, if you want me to tag a certain ship for filtering purposes or similar, i’d be happy to do so
characters i talk about in a romantic manner (some are f/os, some not, it’s complicated):
dave strider (homestuck) — f/o. thats my boyf riend . basically my first proper f/o i heart him lots 💗
chandler bing (friends) — f/o. thats also my boyf riend. my beloved sarcastic repressed boring yet not boring guy. this may come as a surprise but i also love him lots
hitch (ruby redfort) — f/o. i dont talk about him as much but i do love him. middle aged secret agent who’s afraid of crocodiles and is secretly silly :-)
prismo (adventure time) — f/o. also dont talk about him as much but i love him i prommy. idc that he’s 2D i will find a way to give him a kiss 🫡
jonny goodman (friday night dinner) — fictional crush or something i dont even know. i was briefly obsessed with him during my fnd interest period and i still hold him dearly and sometimes rewatch some fnd episodes and think of him
bernard black (black books) — i truly dont know tbh i just love black books and am a little obsessed with him. manny & fran too but i dont have gay little crushes on them so
jeremy usbourne (peep show) — practically an f/o atp but im in denial. side effect of my recent peep show obsession was developing a secondary obsession with this freak
characters i have some sort of weird little qpr situation with
foxy (fnaf) — idk how to explain it he was one of the first characters i started selfshipping with in some variety and i like him :-)
the nice cream guy (deltarune) — he’s a developed character 2 meeee. we’re gayass boy best friends
red guy (dhmis) — who knows but it’s not a normal friendship folks
characters that are my friendssss my familyyy etc. you get the idea
toriel & asgore dreemurr (deltarune) — my parents:)
kris & asriel dreemurr (deltarune) — my siblings:)
basically the entire rest of the main characters from the other medias ive already mentioned — my friends:)
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!! THANK YOU FOR READING :^)
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fearandhatred · 8 months ago
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masterpost <3
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hello!! i'm leanne, singaporean chinese 😛🇸🇬, 21 years old! i study sociology (major), data analytics, and literature (minors). to note:
i have a name, please use it!! <3
occasionally i unfollow non-mutuals if my dash gets overwhelming. nothing personal (if for this reason) usually i refollow eventually lmao
this is not a minor-unfriendly account but i do reblog explicit material sometimes. i don't write/draw such things but still my content is more on the darker side
i firmly believe that people should always make an effort to reblog fanworks on here so if you consistently just like art posts in my notifs it may annoy me enough for me to unfollow or block you. this has not happened much but i come close many times
i do not interact with any neil gaiman or michael sheen content
my asks and dms are always open for whatever and whoever + feel free to tag me in anything you want me to see, including (especially) your own work!
(and tony stark is my favourite character of all time. just had to mention him here somewhere)
my fic and poetry masterpost
my tags <3
#fearandhatred: for all my original posts
#fearandfics: for anything related to my fics! ao3
#fearandart: my artworks
#fearandpoetry: fridge poetry and.original poetry
#fearandmeta: my good omens metas. a bygone era
#fearandedits: my legitimate textposts, video edits etc. all the screencaps for my edits are taken from these lovely sources:
kilzolga on instagram
cumberpacks.carrd.co
legorajs on twitter
#fearandtextposts: shitposts basically
#fearandasks: all my asks
#leanne's travel blog: for when i travel and i want to say things
#leanne's dream blog: for my dreams because they are Bizarre
#tag game: self-explanatory i think (if you tag me and i didn't see it i either did it already or i forgot lmaoo not ignoring u promise)
#palestine: for all my posts on palestine and related things. if you don't give a shit about human rights please don't follow me + i will unfollow/not follow back
okay. goodbye <3 will add all these tags into the actual tags of this post for easy access. for me too because searching them doesn't always show all results
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beaunoor · 10 months ago
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well what is any blog without rules?
please read to understand my rules of this blog
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⁘ You can call me author aina!
⁘ Be patient. I work at my own pace and will upload/update when I am available. I am a uni student so I have limited time.
⁘ Though I write lots of sfw, this would be considered a 18+ blog because some of my works may include nsfw/smut elements and while I say MDNI in my works it is not my responsibility to regulate what you consume.
⁘ Regarding requesting, I may be slow with taking them into consideration, but love to hear your thoughts when you give description of what you want.
I am only interested in writing x reader fics.
If I am taking requests, it will most likely be in the format as headcanons or scenarios. Full flushed out fics are reserved for my own writing ideas but, if I like an idea enough I will write out a whole fic.
I do not mind getting questions or comments asked about me or my stories. However, if you are rude you will go unanswered and possibly blocked. I do not have the time to deal with negative energy.
When requesting, please specify the fandom (see what I write for), character (limit of 3 if asking for multiple) and a premise of plot.
I will not be writing extreme topics (deaddovedonoteat, noncon, ddlg/mdlb, anything considered immoral in societal norms I guess, etc.)
I write best with afab (f!) readers and male character pairings as that is what I am most comfortable with; I will try to make some aspects of gender to be neutral and will specify when I do so.
Race or ethnicity features won't be specifically mentioned as I would like my works to be read by anyone, as yn is you the reader; though bc of my own ethnicity I write with what I look like in mind.
What I write for:
blue lock
genshin impact
ikemen prince
jujutsu kaisen
love & deepspace
record of ragnarok
tears of themis
tokyo revengers
twisted wonderland
list will be updated, this is it for the time being. some fics will be in miscellaneous fic section, just ask, I probably can write for whoever
⁘ I appreciate reblogs and feedback in the comments. Any reaction you felt I would like to hear as it makes me happy to hear discourse among a community. Don't be shy babygirls.
⁘ I do not appreciate reposting my hard written work anywhere without my permission.
⁘ I might reblog other fics or art or anything else I like because I like sharing my interests and if you do not want to see those do not come to me telling me not to do and if you cannot deal with it simply turn off notifs or block me.
⁘ I write in dark mode so that may be best to read in.
-happy reading lovelies (✿◡‿◡)
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raayllum · 1 year ago
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Since there's a new sock playbook happening and it's slightly different than the old one, thought I'd nip this one in the bud. In the past week three (3) different blogs have been made to rebuttal my and other's posts about the theory that Callum will free Aaravos. Which, fair enough - people can disagree and if I don't like what someone is adding to my posts, I can block 'em on both my side AND my main.
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But, granted, that only works if the person respects the blocking boundary.
So here are some of the new signs:
Blog has left the old 'three words mashed together' schtick and is implementing a usually 2 word TDP themed mashup
Blogs are all mostly TDP with another fandom worked in
Blog is randomly made, reblogs posts in the other fandom, and then makes their foray onto one of my or other's posts to rebuttal
Known potential socks (in order of apparent appearance):
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Virenhunter. Seemingly made on August 17th, reblogged my posts and others. Lied about wanting to not clog up my notifications since I was OP of the post they were arguing on and I had blocked them (simply because, so they had to make a new post - which is fair - but then offered up a false excuse.) Dragonrecap. The similar naming structure, quick appearance, and reblogging one of my posts to be contrarian in such close order is what initially made me suspicious this was a sock / burgeoning harassment situation.
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Moonabovemoon. Same previous tells, also recently made, reblogged one of my clearly theorizing but also very much joking posts (note my own tags of "tone gets increasingly unhinged" and hordika asking a question of how I have also answered many many times re: Callum doing it to save a loved one).
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As always, I don't really care if people disagree, but it's obtuse to 1) shove it onto multiple posts, 2) ignore blocking boundaries by making socks to get around it, and 3) specifically, repeatedly target things I've made or posted (mocking my "predictions achieved" tag when it's existed since 2019 and has had nothing to do with these theories until they started happening, mocking a post I made where I mentioned s5 being like a victory lap for my characterization of Callum not really caring about being Lied To when 5x01 proved that too, etc). when I tag everything accordingly in multiple ways for tag blocking purposes, I encourage people to block me, and you can use tumblr saviour to ensure you don't see any of my posts unfiltered on your dash.
Either way: PSA for the fandom, the usual old tells of "isn't Rayla so cute and small and Callum is so strong and principled," has a new front. He cannot / refuses to be reasoned with, cannot manage to have a respectful disagreement without either losing his cool or playing the victim when he's called out for it, and has a habit of targeting marginalized creators in particular (which given the sexism towards Rayla makes perfect sense). Best thing to do is just block and not engage as much as you can, and keep on enjoying the various theories and interpretations you like in peace. 👍
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neallo · 2 months ago
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mm i guess i should probably add this info to my pinned at some point but since there have been, like, quite a few new faces in the last few months i feel like i should just quickly mention a few things.
i don't follow people back very often, and when i do, it's not from this account! my main is @/blondiest, though i essentially use this as my main now. honestly i just already follow a lot of blogs!
with the above in mind i really don't take the mutual thing that seriously. you don't need to be a mutual to interact with me, i'm not gonna find it strange or anything! i'm not always thee best about keeping up with notifications and DMs, but i make an honest effort. usually <3 [however: no DMs from minors, and minors do not interact with explicit content!!]
i block people a lot. this is rarely personal. i am always in favor of curating my experience On Here, and i prefer blocking (and therefore never seeing posts from the person in question unless someone i follow reblogs them) over filtering (where the post will still show up for me, just hidden behind the "view post" thing). i very seldom block people from this blog unless i really, really do not want to ever interact with them.
okay i think that's pretty much it!! happy... nealloing... or what have you
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thedoctornumber11 · 1 year ago
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Rules and other things
This page is for my rules and policies.  Rules are mostly what I expect out of you.  Policies are things I do personally when it comes to roleplaying and running this tumblr account.  I know it’s a bit long and intimidating, but I promise it’s not as bad as it looks and I’m not like super strict about these or anything!  Most of these are just the same rules most roleplayers follow.
If you are not a Roleplay Blog, you should read this link by clicking here!
I do not expect anyone to remember these rules 100 percent forever.  There are a lot of them here, and I know when you RP with a lot of people it can be difficult to remember everyone’s rules.  I do appreciate you taking the time to read them and I do hope for some understanding of them upon initial contact.
Rules:
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1. If you want to RP with me, just send me a message!  I’d appreciate it if you told me a bit about your muse (This can include sending a link to your about page), a bit about yourself and make sure to mention you are interested in roleplaying!  I’ll make sure to read your rules before responding.
2. I’m selective, but not mutual exclusive.  I know side blogs exist and all that, plus I don’t always see new followers.
3. Please do not force ships to happen.  I prefer for them to happen naturally.
4. No godmodding without talking to me first.  I know sometimes this kind of thing just sort of has to happen, but I would prefer we talk about it first.
5. I don’t mind a little bit of spelling and grammar misuse, but please try your best to use proper spelling and grammar
6. I generally prefer to stick to the Doctor’s cannon past.  Not a big fan of long lost wife/husband plots or things like that.
7. Please remind me about threads if I don’t get to them within 1 week.  This one is important because I do sometimes miss notifications from Tumblr regarding threads and although I do have a thread tracker, I only actually double check to make sure I’ve replied to everything once every two weeks or so.  The main except for this would be of course if I’m on a temporary hiatus, which I track here.  
8. I’m perfectly fine dropping threads as needed or as desired, but please message me to let me know so that I can remove it from my thread tracker!
9. There are occasionally mature themes on this blog.   I only RP with people who are 18+.  I will check your profile for this and ask if it’s not there.
10. I prefer ask box for IC communication and fanmail/chat for OOC communication.  When we first start interacting, let me know if you check for your chat messages or not, since I’ve noticed some people don’t use them.
11.  I prefer roleplaying through threads and not asks.  What this means, is if you send me an ask, and we decide to turn it into an RP, I would prefer you reblogged my reply instead of sending a second ask.  I’m perfectly okay as well if you decide to make a text post with an ask instead, although please do not expect me to do such a thing since I’m a bit lazy and just reblogging the ask is so much easier.  I don’t notice much of a difference anyway.
12. Multi-muse accounts, I prefer to RP with one muse and stick to that muse through all roleplays.  Please don’t start changing muses on me because that gets confusing.  This also applies to blogs with different verses.  I do prefer to stick with the same verse most of the time to keep things from getting too confusing for me.  It also helps develop the relationship between muses more and I value that a lot.  I just feel like this leads to better stories.
13. I typically try to only follow people who are interested in RPing with me AND/OR Doctor Who related blogs.
14.  If you respond to a closed RP thread I have with someone else, I will probably block you.  There are no warnings.
15. If you spam up my inbox in an inappropriate matter (including but not limited to ads, anon hate, etc.) I can and will block you.
16. Feel free to message me anytime about anything.  If we are already RPing but for some reason your muse randomly feels like talking to mine or interacting, feel free to tag me in a starter or send something through ask.  Not feeling much muse, but you, the mun, are a bit bored and just want someone to talk to?  Feel free to send me a chat message.  I’m here to interact and I’d love to hear from you both IC and OOC.
17. Communication is key with me.  If I’m doing something that bothers you, let me know.  If you want to drop a thread or stop interaction, let me know.  If you want to start something new or different, let me know.  If you aren’t going to be on for a bit or want to respond to a certain start or post, let me know.  I am not a mind reader.  If you need something from me, please let me know.  
18. I generally avoid pregnancy threads.  I’ve got nothing against them except for the fact that they are way overdone and have become generally boring to me because of that.  It also just doesn’t seem like a situation Eleven would find himself in generally, especially given my headcannons for him.
19. When responding to my starter calls, please make sure I’m aware what muse and what blog the starter is for!  Goes especially for multimuse blogs and side blogs.
20. Please do not like my starter calls and/or send memes or send or do anything RP related with me if you are not a RP blog.  If you are a personal blog you are welcome to follow and read my RPs, and like those and reblog my other content but having personal blogs like my starter calls really just fills up my notifications and it’s a bit annoying.  If you want to RP and you are a personal blog, make sure you follow all my other rules and just send me a message.  If you are a personal blog and you have an RP side blog, that’s fine, just specify.  This rule isn’t intended at you.  I’ve had a lot of actual personal blogs like my starter calls lately with no intention of RP and I’m not going to have it.  This is a blockable offense.
21.  I do RP with multiples of the same muse and do not do exclusives.  If you want to make me your exclusive Eleventh Doctor, that’s fine, I don’t really mind (although I also would not encourage that because there’s a ton of other great Eleventh Doctors out there!) however I enjoy doing different threads and different relationships with muses that might be similar so I won’t be doing any exclusivity at all.
My Policies, about roleplaying with me and about how I run this tumblr:
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1. I do tag triggers and I do tag nsfw content.  It’s all hidden under the tag “nsfw” (This does include blood, core, etc.).  I am not always the best about tagging other replies however.  I do not use a read more.
2. I track #TheDoctorNumber11, however if you tag me in something, I do prefer you also send me a link in a message in case it doesn’t show up.
3. I do regular reminder messages to let people know that they owe if they haven’t replied in a week or longer.  This usually happens on Saturdays, although can be as late as Sundays, once every two weeks and I try to only send two messages before I stop mentioning it in case the first message is missed.  Tumblr sometimes messes up notifications and all that.  If you do not want me to message you about threads, let me know!
4. I’m generally willing to RP with you at any point during the Doctor’s time line, but I usually prefer later in his time line.
5. This is not strictly a RP blog.  While it is an RP blog, I will reblog things that aren’t related to RP or Doctor Who occasionally and I do occasionally make ooc posts.  Some people are bothered by this.  I suggest not following if you don’t wish to see any ooc content.  I do try and tag it with “#notdoctorwho”.
6. I will sometimes reblog my own stuff at different hours of the day to make sure it’s seen.  This is usually stuff related to the blog and I try to make sure I tag it “#reblogging for emphasis” so you can filter it out as desired.
7. I do like to get to know people ooc while roleplaying and I try to communicate regularly.  I believe that communication between roleplay partners is vital, and you should expect chat messages from me occasionally just to say hello.
8. Slightly related to the above post, I’ll sometimes tag partners in pictures, gifs, images or video of their muses if I happen to see such things while browsing tumblr.  Just kind of my way of showing I care I suppose?  Anyway, if this annoys you, let me know and I’ll stop.
9. I do have a job, so my work schedule sometimes makes replies difficult.  I generally try to get at least one reply to every thread every week (Usually two or three times a week), using the queue.
10.  Just because my tumblr is posting things doesn’t mean I’m online.  I schedule posts and use my queue a LOT and you should expect that I may not be online a lot.
11.  Please, never worry about length when RPing with me.  I promise I won’t judge you for it.  Right off the bat, I know my replies won’t always meet your’s in length.  Sometimes mine might be longer.  Sometimes it might be shorter.  It all depends on my mood and what makes sense with what’s going on in the thread.  Sometimes you’ll get a really long reply from me, but then your next reply from me will be really short.  Sometimes it’s the other way around.  I don’t expect you to match me, and you probably shouldn’t expect me to try and match you.  Length is irrelevant, it’s the quality of the reply that matters, and sometimes a short reply can get more across than a longer one might.  So I will not expect a specific length of reply out of you at any given point, and you probably shouldn’t expect a certain length of reply from me.
12. I know this might seem a bit odd to place here, but I’m just letting everyone know, that sometimes the Doctor does find things a bit hard to believe.  Whenever he runs into something magical or fantasy, or something he doesn’t think should exist, he generally tends to think it’s caused by an alien.  This is because he’s so used to alien encounters.  So if your muse is a vampire or a ghost or something, and he accuses them of being an alien, please don’t be offended.  It doesn’t mean that I as the mun think your muse is an alien.  I’m totally accepting of all muses and all creatures and all things in RP, but the Doctor isn’t always as accepting of magic and stuff like that, and will usually think it’s some kind of alien technology.
13. I mentioned this in my rules and I want to mention it again here, I do RP with people who play the same muses.  I won’t drop you if you decide to RP with other Elevens.  I’ve seen a few people mentioning this type of thing in their rules lately, and I’m really not picky.  This includes stuff outside the Doctor Who fandom as well.  For example, I may decide to RP with multiple people who play Little Mac from Nintendo.  If this is a problem, and you want your partners to be exclusive to your version of a muse, most likely it would be best we don’t interact.  Likewise, I don’t expect you to be exclusive to my Eleven and am perfectly fine (and encourage you) to RP with other Elevens besides just myself.  He’s a pretty cool character, and if I didn’t portray him, I certainly wouldn’t want to limit myself to just interacting with one Eleven.
14. I don’t expect reblog karma and in fact I kind of like when people reblog memes from me so I can see that they did and then send them the meme myself.  I also know it can be difficult to reblog from the source on mobile.  Likewise, I’m not always great about reblogging from the source when I’m on mobile myself.
15. I have a thread tracker here.  
16.  I do roleplay with multifandom OCs, Doctor Who OCs, crossovers with fandoms that I know or interest me and other Doctor Who muses including other people who play the Doctor.  In general I’m not very selective about what types of muses I interact with.  I do ask that I know a little bit about your muse before hand and if you do not have an about page, please do message me a bit about your muse when introducing yourself.
I think that’s everything.  I hope I didn’t intimidate anyone.  I hope to hear from you soon about roleplaying.  Thank you for reading.
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dukeoftheblackstar · 1 year ago
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Coffee Love
Author's Note:
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I’ve been whumped by my own wip and it has really gotten me in a rut. I’ve had friends recommend I do something like a 500-word limit fic unrelated, but I couldn’t start no matter how much I tried. So, in my attempt of bouncing off ideas with someone, I ended up meeting my unexpected source of serotonin boost.
I’ve taken much of everything from  the thread of our replies, integrated the tags as POV, made some revisions, and I genuinely enjoyed doing this and with this being something I actually want to post on my blog, here goes.
Pairing: Commander Fox as written by @i-need-more-caf and my self-indulgent OC, Duchess. Triggers: Flirty banter. Stressed people. That's the trigger. Two stressed, caffeine-addicted people, and occasional appearance of testicle face, Chancellor Palps.
And so begins the highlight of Duchess’ day as the Chancellor’s secretary — not to be confused by His Excellency’s advisor or any military designation, her role was more administrative. Solely responsible for every appointment and scheduled-based tasks that involved the Chancellor, the Senate, Corrie Guards and staff, and even certain affairs that the Chancellor sees fit to be informed of. Implied authority over any form of document — reports included, to be scanned and reviewed before they reach the Chancellor, and all requests to be evaluated prior approval.
Under the good graces of the Chancellor’s favor — considering her efficiency to ensure all needs of the Chancellor are met, primarily to retain a credible, untarnished, and professional reputation; she gets a pass. Not to mention being the saccharine face of the Executive Suite tends to set the mood for worried allies hoping to get an audience with the Chancellor to be at ease.
Having arrived an hour early for her shift, she hums into the soothing comfort of a homemade brew. The rich scent of hazelnut infused with the natural bitterness and potency of caf was truly a rousing touch to the soul. The abysmally dark tone of liquid in contrast to her clean, white, mug captivated not only silver irises that watched the quaint ripples as she blew onto the pool of heavenly, goodness that is caf; but had withered her resolve to not only scream into the void at the sight of erroneous reports that she has to fix  as presented by her the monitors on her desk — but to also rob her of any desire to fulfill a shared dream with her work-husband. 
A shared-fantasy that if further mused on of different possibilities is exhilaratingly arousing; crimes of passion in the form of arson, asphyxiation through possible food or drink poisoning, or accidental murder. The thought alone made her squirm in her seat with her knees tucked against each other — which then reminded her that said work-husband would certainly have pulled yet again an all-nighter.
An amused, soft chuckle before blessing her tastebuds with the fine drink that not only fueled her for the day, but fueled her to live on this god-awful planet of hate and misery. Good thing, there’s always one more miserable person than her; her beloved, Commander Fox.
yourcoruscantworkwife: Has anyone ever told you how sexy you look when you're stressed over work with no sleep for 3 days straight? I bet you smell like stale coffee and paper ink.
yourcoruscantworkwife: *dreamy sigh*😩😩😩
yourcoruscantworkwife has forwarded an attachment to your email marked urgent.|| Subject: CT-1010 Report Req fr. OtC. || Contents include: ‘Additional Paperwork marked ‘Discreet’. || Click to open Mark as Spam Block Mute
Basking on the warmth of the mug between her palms, Duchess scanned today’s agenda, scouring  through everyone’s schedule and progression to ensure all is accounted for. It didn’t take long before her sight dropped to the corner of her screen as the notification came up. 
i-need-more-caf: At this point, I just admire someone dedicating their time to me. Not many come to appreciate my work. So why don’t you swing by and let me thank you, ad'ika?
And the man of the hour — the man of every hour, had graced her with a response. And so begin their daily banter to alleviate any form of repressed feelings to align their focus to the work at hand like a proper soldier and secretary. 
yourcoruscantworkwife: If by thanking me entails you painstakingly working on that report that's due later tonight, then yes. I don't know what it is Commander, but I see you stressed and I feel like I just want to jump you.
yourcoruscantworkwife: Anyhow. Here's a treat from me: a potently caffeinated version of java chip iced caf.
yourcoruscantworkwife: ☕🥤🍪☕🥤🍪☕🥤
i-need-more-caf: Oh don’t you worry, darling. This work will be taken care of like any other. ;)
yourcoruscantworkwife: Keep talking like that Commander and I really just might pop back in your office and give you more than a delicious cup of caf. Well.. Apart from anonymous reports that a certain staff of your squad has been quite disruptive...I mean.. Destructive.
“Thorn.” Fox sighed, tending to an itch on his graying crown before finding solace through rubbing both palms over his face, not wanting to add more to his already piled up to-do list. He grunts in sheer surrender, fully knowing that he’d have to check his men and coax them into just admitting a possible fault rather than another charade of poorly concocted lies and innocent excuses. Though that may be so, he loves them dearly —loves them enough to want to– Cut off by not wanting to leave Duch on-read, he types with an amused but tired smile.
i-need-more-caf: Oh? And what else could you offer me, ad'ika? Besides the caf and headache you seem to enjoy giving me?
i-need-more-caf: Perhaps you should come back to my office and tell me.
i-need-more-caf: Maybe you’ll catch me yell at my men. Wouldn’t you like that, sugar? Seeing me all frustrated and stressed out?
“I could get down to that.” She mumbles, biting her lip to suppress a fit of laughter. 
yourcoruscantworkwife: Aww, I give you headaches now too? You spoil me! ~
yourcoruscantworkwife: *Sighs more dreamily* 😩😩😩
yourcoruscantworkwife: I would actually die for that, baby love. 
yourcoruscantworkwife: You're so nasty, it's intoxicating. 
yourcoruscantworkwife has forwarded two attachments to your email marked urgent.|| Subject: CT-1010 Report Req fr. OtC II & III. || Contents include: ‘Additional Paperwork marked ‘SorryNotSorry’. || Click to open Mark as Spam Block Mute
The caf machine broke earlier in the wee hours of morning and he is yet to have his fix. The men knew this and have done right by steering clear of a now sleep-deprived, always - death-starved, easily-annoyed- to- the - brink - of - potentially - committing - a - murderous - spree embodiment of stress and exhaustion in a form of a man.
As he sees the incoming prompt of yet another set of attachments that indicated additional paperwork, Fox groans and seeks the comfort of his gloved fingers tending to massage his temples. He looked at the request, tapping and scrolling, reading and reviewing — with full intent of screaming, crying, and shooting; either someone or himself because the very core life support that retains his sanity and patience remains broken. 
He balls a fist with eyes closed, briefly peeking at the now decommissioned caf machine that would beep occasionally and hiss as if to taunt him for the abuse of constantly brewing as if water and any other beverages didn’t exist. He takes to what the medical team would often remind him — breathing exercises to not assuage the dire need of caf in his system, but to allow the festering rage and fleeting patience to not consume him.
i-need-more-caf: Nasty? 
i-need-more-caf: Oh I am about to become very dirty, darling.
A thud from his head meeting the desk shamelessly. A sight that can be easily pulled up from her desk through the security cameras installed throughout the building — a delightful perk for being an administrator/secretary. 
Trying her utmost best to stifle either a groan of unabashed pleasure or an evenly matched fits of laughter, she bites her tongue and sends an audio through his personal comms in a very sultry manner. “By the way, Foxxy ~ That's due in an hour.” Nearly morphing into a shriek as she gazed at the time indicator on her computer, she adds. “Oh, my bad... Half... An... Hour ~!”
Amidst the chaos that is simply his career and existence, he appreciated the contact as much as the banter and headache. He felt a shiver run down his spine that then merited a fine mix between a growl and a groan. “You do know how to work me up, darling. Have you waited all day to give me these? Waited all day, making me believe that, maybe today was an alright day? Just to ruin me once more?”
Shaking his head, Fox returns to his work. With every two minutes passing, he suppresses the urge to walk into the chancellor’s office to strangle the man with his bare hands. After all, it’s not like the Chancellor had asked him to send some of his men to search for a new Zillo Beast, right? 
Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out.In. Out. In. In. In. In. Oof — Out.
"Oh, kriff!~ I love it when you do that! Makes me exceptionally in the mood to just ~ Unf!" Duchess groans were quite suggestively exhilarated that Fox could hear the sound of papers scrunched — crumpled between presumably her fingers. 
"Baby, you know I did! ~ I had to resist the urge to give it to you six hours ago when the Chancellor asked me to do so. I wanted it to be a surprise since you work so, damn, hard, behind your sexy, little, task-piled desk that smells like fresh paper ink and caf. ~"
This was beyond pleasure; it was sacrilegious.
“Duchess.” 
And as her home-brewed caf was rich with the scent of hazelnut infused with the natural bitterness and potency of caf that truly is a rousing touch to the soul, the guttural sound that fell through his lips was rich with exhaustion that is far from rousing anything from his soul than the sweet release of death — the way her name rolled off his mouth with such debilitation, that it almost sounded ‘soft’.
“Ad'ika. You are driving me insane. Keep pushing and my hair will be completely grey in a few days.”
His voice is deep, rough and yet clear like burning ice. The need to destroy something, anything intensifies — yet he feels so heavy and tired to even lift his arm. It doesn’t help that he’s started seeing everything double either. At least he got the work done. Fox isn’t sure if he would survive the dreaded 'meeting' with the chancellor later, if he hadn’t.
And the caf machine remains broken. 
Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out.In. Out. In. In. In. In. Oof — Out.
Duchess made such an indiscernible noise that one could only associate it to a whore having her fix — and by that, the whore being Duchess and the fix being a very stressy-depressy Foxxy baby.
"Grey is sexy, Commander." She replies with a giggle, sending him a snippet of an email from the Chancellor — purposely cropped to only highlight the task at hand without any context. The cropped image reads; "Please have Commander Fox personally check the ----".
"Do I dare make it more exciting by sending you the... Full.. Uncut... Unadulterated..." With each word, her tone pitches more to a nearly orgasmic tune. "Brimmed with a fine, bulleted list of your to-do-list email for tomorrow, my sweet, overly worked, stressed work- husband?"
Fox stared at the image long and hard — eyes blown wide, dark with lust for death. His tired heart races and his fingers dig into the datapad clutched between hands itching to hurt. Six times had his weary eyes scanned the headline; Duchess’ voice a persistent distraction and root of daggers to his worn out soul. 
“Duch. You know that I don’t beg.” He replies, suppressing the urge to hurl the datapad across his desk and onto the unforgiving wall. Oh, how much Fpx would just love to just jump out through the next window was something of an enigma he would like to reveal. But his men need him. His work wife needs him. The Chancellor needs him. With disgust he taps impatiently on his desk as he waits for his unhinged woman to just end him right here and now.
“Send me the whole thing, ad'ika. I’m sure I will be able to please you just right.” 
"Are you sure about that, my love?" And it now has come to the point of no return. The high of her daily devotion to the Office of the Chancellor — the decadent surrender to having been appointed to ensure the Chancellor's wishes are met in terms of desk work, but to have been given the pleasure of weaving everything Coruscant’s  precious errand boy's day to day requirement is truly a dream come true.
"But where's the fun in tha---" Her voice cuts off to a very familiar, elderly tune. 
"Ah, Duchess. Looking lovely as ever. I take it the reports I've requested about the rumored spice being smuggled under our noses is near completion? " 
Her reply to said voice was sweet, almost without an ounce of stress or protest — innocent maybe, angelic even. "Good evening, Chancellor. You spoil me. I'm sure..." Duchess pauses, mustering all strength from the galaxy to not break as she purposely adjusted her commlink for better sound recognition and volume. "Commander Fox is at polishing its completion. Right... Commander?"
"Ah, Commander. I see you have time to chat up my lovely secretary. Are those reports ready?"
Fox almost immediately jumped on his seat —, back firmly straightened as he heard the Chancellor’s voice; hands clenched to fists. Hearing him talk to Duch, stirs something in his gut causing his heartbeat to take on a faster pace. He remains silent, keeping his breath inside as he listens to Duchess respond. Her voice, ridiculously fake —it was all he could think of. But before he could feel even a pinch of sympathy for her, he gets thrown under the speeder. Now thoughts of her feigned laughter had morphed into the age-old question of ‘How to politely tell the Chancellor to kriff off without getting fired, decommissioned, or killed.’
“Sir. The reports are ready.”
Fox’s own voice switches from utterly exhausted to a monotone deep — one free from any hate, anger or stress. He wanted to add more, but reminded himself that the Chancellor hadn’t asked him for more. So he remains silent with palms cold and sweaty.
"Good. Have them sent over so I may review them. I expected them to be far more detailed this time, Commander." — Not very good, not best, not excellent, just good. And the shared dream of these two work-married, yet-to-meet friends under the pressure of their work-lives continue to burn; the dream being a crime of passion in the form of arson. 
Duchess felt a bit guilty and whined to herself hearing Fox so beaten; beaten to the point of being a monotonous corporate slave. It wasn't fun like how they'd do it; their banter was far from how she'd wish the chancellor would go a bit easy on Fox since he's by far one of the busiest and most efficient clones in Coruscant. 
As the Chancellor bid his farewell with disinterest, as opposed to how peppered Duchess gets with compliments on keeping face (no one would want to hear the esteemed chancellor berating women); Duchess pulled her seat close to her desk and replied. "I'd poison his caf but he makes me take a sip first. Sorry, baby. He'll need you here in fifteen minutes. I can feel it."
Fox has gone  quiet. Quiet, because he knows how kriffed he is. He hadn’t slept for four days. He isn’t worried about mistakes in his work, but rather more worried about the quantity of it. There is no way he had enough time to be 'far more detailed'. He doesn’t blame Duchess; even if she had given him the work earlier, he wouldn’t have had the time to meet the Chancellor’s expectations. Though this doesn’t mean that Duchess isn’t driving him crazy with the way she delays his work and ruins his plans. 
Momentarily lost to himself,  Fox blinks realizing that he hasn't answered back. “Don’t worry about it, ad'ika. I promised to please you, didn't I?” He snorts dryly, exhaustion returning into his rough voice. He doesn’t want to make her worry, doesn’t want to worry anyone. He does a shitty job at that, but he can’t be perfect in everything, can he?
"Come up, baby. I got something with your name on it." As much as she adores testing Fox's patience, she's come to memorize Fox's pattern when it comes to his reports — particularly when he's dead tired. After all, it wouldn't be fun if he gets decommissioned for inconsistencies. 
She takes her phone out and sends Fox a picture of her famous hazelnut, homemade brew; a shy trail of smoke indicating how it's just been made and a sticker on the cup with hearts — the cup with inscription in Mando'a that translates; "Fox's little bitch" — which is a play on their ‘couple mug’ wherein Fox owns with the phrase “Fox’s a little bitch”. 
"And yes, don't worry. He's not gonna lop your head off this time." With confidence knowing his schedule, she sends another photo of a similar report to fox to compensate for certain details he might have missed seeing as his schedule is overflowing. "I've got you, babe."
The kriffer doesn’t even hesitate to leave his office to retrieve the offered caf. He is so dry of caffeine, he can barely think. Quiet and quick, he tries his best to go unnoticed. In his inconspicuous attempt, he doesn’t bother to knock at her office door, and just marches himself right in. Neither a hello, a good morning — Nothing.
“Where is it?” Voice deep and rich with an underlying tone of desperation. Gaze urgently sought about the confinements of her office, only to cease upon meeting her silver irises.
"Maker, you look like absolute shit. I'm in love." Duchess sighs dreamily as she motions for him to come closer. Gently picking the cup of fine hazelnut-flavor caf as to not spill or burn herself, she hands it across her desk to Fox. "It's hot, please don't burn your mouth again. I can't keep telling the medical staff that you purposely chugging hot caf is not a condition, but a personal choice — a lifestyle if you will.”
"I'm almost tempted to file a replacement request for your caf-dispenser seeing you like this. But woe, woe, woe, at what cost?" She feigns a gasp, trying not to laugh through their whispered conversation. 
"Duchess, has Commander Fox arrived yet?" The intercom from her desk beeps with the Chancellor's voice; tTo which she replies, "No sir. Should I pick him up myself?"
"I don't understand the delay. It's not as if I ask too much of him." Came the Chancellor’s remark.
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