#i feel very vulnerable saying this on the internet but please be nice to me.

[walpu]

Hello, first of all i want to say i really like your work and your writings 💞 Can i request some sickness headcanons with Aventurine when dating reader? Preferably hcs about how he would act if he was the one sick, and if the reader was sick. Thank you!

Thank you so much 🥹

Hope you'll enjoy it!

sickness headcanons with Aventurine

characters - Aventurine notes - gn!reader, hurt/comfort, no beta

I think Aven has a weak immune system due to the hardships he faced as a child. It's quite easy for him to catch a cold even if the weather is nice.

Hates it with a burning passion.

I mean it always sucks to be sick but he hates it for a bunch of other reasons as well.

It's time-consuming and he's a busy person, that's what he tells everyone.

And while it's true, the main reason is that he simply hates being so weak and vulnerable.

He has a private doctor who treats him but Aven doesn't fully trust them either.

He usually just takes his meds and tries to walk it off. Not like he can afford to take a day-off anyway.

When the two of you start dating and you notice that he doesn't feel well, he would try to brush it off. No big deal, baby. Just a bit tired. If we cuddle I'll get better <З

He trusts you, he truly does. However, it doesn't mean he wants you to see him miserable, weak and with a red stiffy nose. He doesn't like this image of himself so what if you won't like it either?

If he has a fever he will try to distance himself from you. Doesn't want you to get seek as well, he truly doesn't wish to be a cause of your discomfort.

Plus, what good can he give you when he's like that anyway? A bit off-topic but I just keep thinking about his "you can use me however you want me even betray me <З" line and his lunar new year card where he's like "yeahhh if you spend the day with me you'll be lucky for the rest of the year soooo" babygirl i promise you don't need to bribe me or be convenient just to have some company

Would never refuse your care though. Simply can't do it, he's a weak weak man. May whine a bit at the beginning, trying to convince you that this is not necessary, but as soon as you sooth him and maybe kiss his forehead he gives up completely.

Suddenly forgets all about the possibility of you getting sick if you keep being too close to him, will cling to you like a kitten.

"Your cuddles are the best medicine~" my ass.

Would follow all of your instructions even if they're questionable.

Wants to be spoon-fed too. Anddd tuck him in. And kiss his forehead. And stay by his side until he falls asleep.

He's needy okay. He never had anyone who would care for him when he's so weak so he cherishes every moment. May even get a bit upset when he's feeling better.

Would ask you to look after him for a few more days juts to make sure he's 10000% okay. Keep dotting on his tho because what if he'll get sick again because of the lack of cuddles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you're the one who's seek he'll overreact.

Like even if it's the smallest thing, he'll insist on calling his own private doctor to check on you.

You're the best thing in his life, his promised dawn. Of course he'll look after you. Even if looking after you means being a clingy mother hen.

No excuses, he'll take care of you. Even if you have seen worse. Even if you're very busy. Even if it's not that big of a deal.

The problem is. He's never looked after a sick person before.

His every attempt to nurse you back to health is overwhelming. Tries every single method he can find in the internet so please stop him if needed.

Insists on cuddling you all of the time. Generally tries to do everything you do for him when he's sick since you're literally his only example.

If you receive too many work-related phone calls from someone he would not hesitate to pick up the phone before you and say that yeah y/n is busy right now, they are sick, so the optimal solution would be for the caller to deal with their own problems, surely they are not so helpless to rely on a sick person to do everything for them :)

Just wants for you to be alright as soon as possible.

[backfliips]

As an artist and an author who shares my stuff on the internet for people to see, there's a level of intimacy and vulnerability associated with the things I create and the way I choose to present them. When I was in high school I focused a lot on trying to please my audience and it made me become obsessed with numbers and validation, and ultimately made my art into more of a commodity than something I created for myself.

In recent years, I've been focusing more on just creating for myself, and sharing those self-indulgent things with the world. By doing that, I've created stories that feature trans characters without feeling like I have to check off boxes about what makes something "good" representation --- and in doing so, I think I've created far better representation than I ever did before.

I've had far more people, now, saying that the art I'm creating and the stories I'm writing resonate with them than I did before. I've had far more people say they feel seen by the rawness and the eroticism and the candid, earnest way I depict things, and I think that's because it's coming from a genuine place: my own self-indulgence!

I am someone who likes to explore nuance, and I'm not someone who has an interest in compromising my perspective just to make a plot flow better or to make an interaction go as initially planned. I want things to feel real, to be real! And because of that, I think my work has touched many more people in many more intimate and personal ways than it ever did before, back when I was actively trying to reach as many people as possible.

I think, at the end of the day, the most important part of writing a story or illustrating a scene or just putting pencil to metaphorical paper is to be doing something that you like, and to be doing something that you care about.

I'm self-indulgent! I write sappy, saccharine smut. I dive headfirst into the uncomfortable parts of being trans and find the bits that I personally find empowering, and I am earnest and honest and genuine in how I depict them. I draw lots and lots of trans gay sex --- and because I'm drawing something I find beautiful, many people have commented on the beauty they see in it.

I think representation is very important. I think it's important for people to feel seen and to feel heard and to be depicted in the things they love. And I think, on top of that, it's even more important for that representation to becoming from a place of actual care, from a place of actual love, and from a place of passion for the work the artist is creating.

I didn't set out to be a voice for all trans people by writing and drawing the things I create. I don't WANT to be a mouthpiece for an entire community with diverse and unique needs for each individual --- but I am immensely humbled by the response I've gotten from just being unapologetically myself within my artwork.

I don't know --- it's just really nice. Thanks.

[seireitonin]

Idk how or why my name is being dragged into this and idk much about what’s going on w tomb and his gf??? But I’ll say this: I’m a very emotional person. Ppl didn���t just shit talk me in private as I’m just discovering now, but ppl also indirected me and made hate posts about me. And it just made me so hurt and sad. It reminded me of how the Creepypasta fandom was back in the day when it was full of drama and I hated it. I also just hate being involved in drama/ conflict of any kind. It’s sad bc I thought me and OutKast were cool bc we are/ were mutuals and I didn’t shit talk anyone. (My video wasn’t aimed at anyone specifically so I don’t think that counts as shit talking)And I didn’t know that they were shit talking me w other ppl. I didn’t deserve hate over a lighthearted video stating my opinion about a ship made over a decade ago. What I should’ve said is “I’ve had bad experiences with ticviwork fans” because I have. And it’s happening again:( im so sad that I associate ticciwork with SOME ticciwork fans being mean af to ppl. As I mentioned before I have autism so maybe my tone/ language was off in the video and for that , I apologize. But the hate against me was unwarranted. I would normally try to not say anything and just move on, but if I’m being honest, this just really hurts my feelings. And ik it’s the internet and no one is obligated to care about my feelings. But really I’m not even mad. Just really hurt. That whole “situation” hurt my feelings because I get really anxious when ppl are mad at me. I just want to talk about my special interest and chill. Idk. Anyway me and Tomb literally talked everything out the same day and it should’ve ended there. Idk literally anything about Tombs personal drama and I’m only speaking for myself. But again, finding this out just honestly hurts my feelings, especially bc I really like OutKasts art :(. (Idk about any “drama” besides the one me and tomb had and it ended the same day so everything else mentioned in this post idk about!) . To all my followers please be nice to each other. That’s all I ask atp. I also know that me saying them hating me hurts me and being vulnerable like this isn’t the best idea because it’ll give ppl more room to mess with me. But I just want to be honest in saying I’m very a very emotional person and my feelings are just so hurt. And over something as small as a ship :( (I’m not speaking on/ researching ANY drama mentioned here not involving me bc don’t want to be involved. Idk anything about Tombs drama, OutKasts or literally anyone else’s. I’m speaking for me and only me and my feelings so don’t ask me about anything else mentioned. Also don’t hate on all ticciwork fans, not all of them are like this. God I hope none of this comes out wrong TLDR: my feelings are hurt and it’s making my anxiety flare up kinda lol)

My call-out post on Necroromantics (Tomb)

Necroromantics on tumblr here has done nothing but be kind n supportive to all the ppl outkast, angelwowings n all those ppl have harassed and called names like freak, dm'd horrible things to, shittalked ppl who arent even friends w tomb.

Heres all the horrible things he says to ppl 🥺. Heartless monster!

Even after all theyve done w the death threats n the bullying and harassment all he does is try to move past it n be a better person n look out for others. How dare he!!

N as someone w bpd dont get me started on how he treats me. Its so abusive how he always makes sure im alright n reassures me constantly. N how ive dated him for 4 yrs n have seen his growth. Despicable! How dare a mentally ill person have times where they dont follow social norms n act on whats right/wrong omfg.

Lets cancel him for having bipolar next. Or is that too obviously ableist? No bc we cant say we're cancelling him for being manic we js have to cancel him for what he does while manic right? Bc thats how it works? Nd lets lie and ignore his paragraph form apology bc we dont care abt him actually getting better, we js care about the drama!

Lets not even start on how he put in the effort to talk to Seireitonin(?) during their mini "drama" to talk things out w her while all of u guys shittalked her in private and tried to create more drama while tomb wanted to hear her out. Or how ppl have come out n said that outkast n angelwowings r literally weird as fuck to other ppl who lack empathy.

Or should we talk abt how its so morally wrong that tomb lacks empathy n cant care abt ppls issues? Say that abt people with NPD too then. Not js the watered down versions u guys see on fuckin tiktok or tumblr. Accept ppl with NPD and ASPD n every other disorder where u cant experience empathy. Keep calling tomb ableist for not understanding social norms when ur actively hiding behind the "good victim" act js so u can be ableist towards him too. At least tomb had the balls to fuckin apologize to u nd still fuckin wish u all well.

Wtv this is literally so dumb. I know tomb very well n i would not fuckin put up with him if he was a bad person. He is literally so sweet n a good guy who hears ppl out and wants peace in life. I have seen him w his little sister how hard he tries for her. Ive seen how hard he tries w his friends, n with me even when my bpd acts up. U guys dont even fuckin know him n ur manipulating everyone w cropped screenshots n not saying how much u guys have bullied, threatened, manipulated, n harassed him. Ur pathetic

[lhazaar]

achievement unlocked: tore myself away from a hyperfixation long enough to cook a full meal on not one but TWO hot surfaces, thus unlocking the power-up of “ate something other than mini donuts today”

[belphies-cuhm-sluht]

hello amazing talented writer!!!! i believe ur requests are open right now (if they aren't pls ignore this) !! i was wondering if you could do head cannons for the obey me brothers with an mc who really wanted to show them how much they loved them, so they give them the biggest bear hug possible and keep telling them how much they appreciate them? idk if there is a character limit, so of you want to include the dateables that would be marvelous! thank you for having such an amazing blog and working so hard 💖😌

Brothers with a Lovebug GN!MC (Headcanons)

A/N : This was so cute! So cute! I loved writing it! All the brothers deserve love and appreciation. Thank you so much for requesting it and thank you thank you thank you for your kind words, I appreciate them and I appreciate you <3

Lucifer

He wasn’t completely touch starved, well.. Not anymore since he met you, but hugs still kind of threw him off sometimes. He just wasn’t used to it, no matter how many times you hugged him, although he did love the feelings.

When you came up to him and hugged him this time, it was different than most of the other hugs, it was tight and warm, and it was almost as if he could feel all of your love for him pouring out in this one single hug and… well… he loved it. He loved the feeling of it. It made him feel warm, it was… strange but endearing. But then you started telling him how much you appreciate him, and while he already was aware that you did (that’s just him being prideful though), he loved hearing it from your lips. It was enough to actually make him smile, and he was so wrapped up in the warmth that your words and his touch made him feel that he almost forgot to hug you back… almost.

His arms snaked around you, holding you closer against him. He didn’t want to lose the warm feeling that you gave him, he didn’t want to let you go.

“Thank you, dear. Please, don’t hesitate to… do this more often.”

Mammon

If there was anyone who deserved this, it was him. He’s so under appreciated in the house, he’s always getting picked on, the guy can never seem to catch a break. The only time he actually feels like he’s noticed for the good things that he does is when he’s with you, hence why he’s always following you around and trying to be as close to you as possible. He just really needs it.

The bear hug was, needless to say, very unexpected for him. Sure, he’s used to being hugged by you, and yes, he loves being hugged by you… But this hug was amazing to him. It was tight, and it wasn’t just any regular hug, it was like you were holding onto him, and this may have just become his preferred method of hugs. These kinds of hugs are by far the best hugs to get. He almost couldn’t focus on what you were saying until he realized that you were telling him that you appreciate him… and… wow. That was the only thing he could think when he heard you, and it didn’t seem like you were anywhere close to being done.

He held you tighter, resting his head on top of yours, and yes, he did start crying although he’s going to deny that he is… just don’t bring it up.

“That’s really sweet of ya, babe… And I ain’t cryin’... yer hair jus’ got in my eye… tell me more?”

Leviathan

He is very touch starved, and although people around the house appreciate him, he’s always down on himself anyway. He’s always down on himself, and even when you are there to tell him why you love him, his thoughts are just very pessimistic. He needs this just as much as Mammon does.

The sound he made when you first wrapped your arms around him was a mix between a scream and a squeal. He definitely wasn’t expecting it, but he wasn’t against it either. He didn’t know that he needed it until it was already happening, but he really appreciates the hug. When you started telling him that you appreciate him and how much you appreciate him, his face turned the brightest shade of red. It was strange to him because he didn’t really know that he did that much for you to even appreciate, but he really liked hearing you say it. At least he knows that he’s doing something right and that he’s making you happy.

He’s so happy, it’s off the charts, and he doesn’t want the hug to end, ever. It’s the best feeling in the world to be appreciated.

“I-I’m… Thank you… Y-You’re the best… Really… I-I appreciate you too…”

Satan

Being loved and appreciated never seemed important to him before. These were things he could live without, he was thriving off of being hateful and unappreciative towards Lucifer. Deep down though, even if he didn’t ever want to admit it, acknowledge it, or even know about it… He needed these things.

He heard you coming. Let’s be fair, this man memorized the sounds of footsteps of everyone in the house so he can act accordingly based on whoever was even coming close to his room. He was ready for you to come in, the smile already on his face, his book already set down to welcome you with open arms. What he wasn’t ready for was the bear hug that you rushed in to give him. He was not ready at all, but damn if he didn’t love it. He loved hearing your words of appreciation too, and he was going to memorize every single thing that you said, just so he could think about it later.

He really did need this, as someone who mainly only ever feels wrath, hatred, annoyance… You’re the only thing that really brings him pure happiness.

“You’re making me soft, kitten… Not that I mind it. I’ve got all the time in the world to keep doing this.”

Asmodeus

The complete opposite of Satan, love and appreciation are so very important to him. But, he receives these things all the time from strangers, and sometimes, well, most times, it never feels genuine. These things have lost almost all of their meanings to him, it almost seemed pointless because of how repetitive it’s become.

There was something different receiving love and appreciation from you though. It was real, there was emotion behind it, something that could never be picked up or trusted over the internet through random comments. Of course he loved the hug, the tighter, the closer the better. He wasn’t actually… used to getting hugs like that. It felt special to him, and when the words of appreciation came, he felt special. Being loved by the entire Devildom will never feel as good as being loved by you. You made him feel like more than just his avatar, and that means so much more to him than looks or likes.

Yes he cried, and no he didn’t try to hide it. He wasn’t ashamed of his emotions, and he wanted you to know that what you said made him feel good enough that he actually cried.

“Oh… You’re… I’m gonna mess up my face but… It’s okay. You’re so sweet, I could just kiss you, darling.”

Beelzebub

He knows what love is, because he loves you and he loves all of his brothers. He knows what appreciation is because he appreciates you, and appreciates everything that his brothers do for him. He’s pretty sure that his brothers love and appreciate him back, and he knows without a doubt that you love and appreciate him… especially after the hug.

The hug, which was nice, and really cute to him. He was always the one giving you the bear hugs, so to be on the receiving end felt really nice. It’s not something that he’s used to, but his eyes, his entire face even, it lit up. Being told that he’s appreciated though, it’s way different from just feeling appreciated. Those words meant so much to him, he probably won’t be able to stop smiling about it for weeks. He’ll probably tell all of his brothers about it too, well, not even probably, he’s definitely going to tell all of his brothers about it. This is a really big thing to him.

He’s just so happy, beyond happy, ecstatic even. He loves and appreciates you so much, and feeling that same amount of love and appreciation returned, it’s amazing, it feels like he just won a football game.

“I’m happy you feel the same way, honey… You’re really special to me… I love you.”

Belphegor

He puts on a big front that he doesn’t care if anyone loves him or appreciates him, but he just doesn’t want to be seen as weak, and feelings to him are a sign of vulnerability. Plus, those feelings just make attachments stronger and if something bad were to happen, it’ll be harder for him to move on and get over it.

Hugs were weird enough to him, so bear hugs weren’t any less weird, it caught him off guard. He just stood there for a second before finally relaxing in your arms. He loved you, and while he didn’t say it as much as he probably should, he realized that sometimes words weren’t needed to get that feeling across. He could feel all of your love through that hug, and it made him feel… good. When you started telling him you appreciate him… and just how much you appreciate him… that was shocking. He didn’t know what you could possibly be appreciative of considering everything that’s happened and how he was towards you. He’s always felt like a fuck up, like everything bad that’s ever happened was his fault, so to hear that he’s appreciated was strange, he almost couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He wasn’t going to cry, not in front of you, but he definitely felt like he was about to. He’s gotta make an excuse to get you out of the room long enough to get the sniffles out without you noticing.

“You’re such a dork… Go get your pillows and blankets from your room. I want to cuddle with you.”

[officialralsei]

[…]

..I ALSO NOTICED THAT YOUR FOURTH FINGER TO THUMB CROSSOVER. SOUNDED A BIT UNEVEN. THIS IS GENERALLY A MATTER OF PHYSICAL TECHNIQUE. ENSURE THAT YOU MAINTAIN RELAXATION IN YOUR PALM. AND LEAD WITH YOUR THUMB. RATHER THAN YOUR WRIST. 

Oh, um, does this sound a little better?

LET ME LISTEN.

…

…YES, THAT IS MUCH SMOOTHER. WELL DONE.

YOU ARE IMPROVING VERY QUICKLY, RALSEI. I AM IMPRESSED. DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. BEFORE WE CONCLUDE THE SESSION?

Umm… not really! I'm glad you think I'm learning really fast. I've been trying my best, haha!

So, um… I've been thinking. It's strange that the mediums people perceive me with over this connection seem to differ sometimes, isn't it? You can hear my voice and what I'm doing, even if I'm typing instead of speaking. The PLAYERs only see text. Tenna told me in TVLand that she can see me as if I'm on a TV screen when I answer her questions. And the way things were described over the text the PLAYERs can view changed when I was in TVLand, too, when it came to the televised conversations we had there. Even when I made sure there were no cameras nearby… it's fascinating, right?

…TRULY, IT IS. I AM TOLD THAT MY INITIAL CONNECTION TO THE “PLAYERS.” WAS IN THE FORM OF THE USURPATION OF… A SIGNIFICANT PERSON’S INTERNET ACCOUNT.  

IT IS A STRANGE THING TO PONDER, THE NATURE OF THESE THOROUGHFARES. CHOSEN BY FATE TO DELIVER ITS WILL.

It is. Every medium has its advantages, right? Just like every medium has its limitations. A lot of information can slip through every medium, too, even when you don't expect it to… it's very, very interesting.

…

…I, um… anyway, I've been thinking other things too, since that conversation we had before I went away. About being alone, and, um… about fate. I…

…I guess, um. I don't know that I've really ever thanked you enough. For teaching me piano. I know it's difficult over this connection. And I guess… um, I do know that it makes you happy, but it is a lot of effort, even if you do like doing it. So thank you. Really.

…

CERTAINLY, RALSEI. IT IS OF NO TROUBLE AT ALL. AS YOU SAID YOURSELF, IT MAKES ME HAPPY. NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE. THAT I CAN DO FOR YOU. BUT ALSO BECAUSE I MAY NEVER HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS. TO SHARE AN ARTISTIC PURSUIT I USED TO LOVE. WITH SOMEBODY I CARE ABOUT.

…

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU HAVE… SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND.

…You care about me?

OF COURSE I DO. I MAY NOT BE THE BEST… …GUARDIAN. BUT I DO CARE ABOUT YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. AND WISH FOR YOU TO BE TRULY HAPPY.

AND FOR THAT, I WILL TRY MY HARDEST. TO SEE IT COME TO PASS.

…DID YOU REALLY BELIEVE. THAT I DID NOT CARE ABOUT YOU, RALSEI…?

…

…I… ummm. I think I… um, I've always been able to see… how you talk about me, I guess. And I know by now that you do care. You wouldn't say the things you do if you didn't. But I…

…I'm not used to hearing it, haha. Maybe I just need to get used to the idea.

…OH, RALSEI…

I AM SORRY THAT I AM NOT MORE… EMOTIONALLY OPEN. I ALREADY DID NOT EASILY WEAR MY HEART ON MY SLEEVE. BUT FOR EVERYTHING I SAY. TO BE HEARD BY SO MANY. AND BY SOME WHO WISH TO TURN THAT AGAINST ME… IT IS THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. TO ALLOW MYSELF THAT VULNERABILITY.

…YOU CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING.

…Yeah. Yeah, haha. It's okay. I, um. I think it's… nice to hear. Thank you for saying it.

…I've been thinking that, um. Since you asked me to… um. To open myself up to the possibility of pain. If this is what you and the PLAYERs want to see from me… I need to be better at it. Even if it's just a little bit… telling you I'm happy you care about me is good, isn't it? And that I'm, um... glad you're keeping your promises.

…

…IF THAT IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOU NEED TO DO… YES. IT IS. IT IS MORE THAN GOOD ENOUGH.

…

…I KNOW THAT YOU MUST DO. WHAT YOUR PURPOSE REQUIRES OF YOU, BUT… PLEASE. DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD, RALSEI. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE YOU. FORCE YOURSELF PAST YOUR LIMITS.

It's okay! It's okay. Even if it won't end up being just you who sees me say this… it's alright. I'll learn something from it no matter what, anyway.

WHAT…? I HAD THOUGHT…

…I HAVE NOT HEARD THE “PLAYERS” MAKE REFERENCE. TO ANYTHING WE DISCUSSED DURING YOUR PREVIOUS LESSON. THAT IS, OF COURSE. VERY UNCHARACTERISTIC FOR THEM, SO I… I ASSUMED THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS WERE PRIVATE. 

….

…THEY HEARD ALL OF THIS, THEN…?

Maybe not all. They didn't hear some of my conversations in TVLand, either. But we'll find out whether this one gets seen, won't we? Haha.

[...]

[youryanderedaddy]

I had a dream just now that might make a good story. So, I had a virus on my laptop which allowed a hacker to see everything I did on my computer and use my webcam. The hacker ends up falling in love with me after stalking me for a few months and pays for someone on the dark web to kidnap me. It works, and then I wake up tied up in the hacker's arm as he caresses and kisses me. That's pretty much it, good night! 🌙

Yo this is my kink 😳

Also I couldn't not write this for Saeran, ok.

Title: Stranger danger

Tw: nsfw - ish, female reader, masturbation, cyber stalking, hacking, mentions of dark web, very irresponsible online behavior, obsessive behavior, implied kidnapping

You knew that this was a stupid idea. Lurking on the dark web with almost no protection other than the Tor browser and some free anti-virus program wasn't your best decision, but fuck it if it wasn't entertaining. You had always been drawn to the darker, scarier part of the human mind and this side of the internet proved quite interesting. Your friends always warned you about the dangers that came with looking up shady online searches and sites but everything had been quite peaceful so far. There weren't hackers or murderers on the dark web, the worst you had seen were people selling drugs and weapons for unreasonable prices, along with some questionable fetish porn and the typical popping ads.

Your favorite thing to do while online was chatting. Two weeks ago you had stumbled upon an unusual forum called "Scream buddies" where upon entering you were automatically connected to another random profile. The whole theme of the forum was discussing horror and mondo movies, shockumentaries and overall creepy stuff, your forte. The person you met on there shared a similar fascination with all things dark and gory which soon made talking to them the only thing you were looking forward upon opening the site.

You didn't know much about the guy behind the profile yet, except that he was a young man. His icon showed an eye so green it emited with the neon pigment and his username was just as mysterious - BlueRose7. You enjoyed chatting with him about your hobby but the thing you liked the most was undressing him little by little, metaphorically so, by getting pieces of information about his life. It started small - his favorite food, favorite book, favorite game, but the moment you tried digging deeper and asked whether he had siblings or not, the man simply disappeared for the next few days. You quickly realized just what type of topics you needed to avoid to keep your new friend from leaving. Family, childhood memories and work matters were out of the picture.

The stranger wasn't fair, not really. He didn't show you vulnerability and kept his secrecy while demanding to know everything there was to know about you. For the longest time you didn't want to answer just to stay on a equal footing, just to show him how frustrating it was, but there was something about the man that drew you in. He was magnetic, clever and witty, if a bit pessimistic and dark at times. You couldn't help telling him everything he wanted to hear - what your job was, whether you were single or not, all that jazz. In your defense, BlueRose7 actually listened to your stories, took your problems seriously and provided solutions, which despite being too extreme and overprotective at times (upon hearing that your bestfriend talked behind your back he offered to "take care" of her), were comforting. It was nice to have someone caring around even if you met him on a sketchy website.

Meanwhile your personal life wasn't going too great. You had to balance between attending college, working long shifts as a waitress and meeting your friends from time to time which was draining. On top of all there was a weird virus on your computer which resulted in the camera turning on and off and the most random times of the day - while you were studying, watching TV, or in some cases, fully naked and ready to take a bath. You didn't think much of it though, with all the illegal movies and games you downloaded along with the dark web lurking it was more than expected for your laptop to behave weirdly. You didn't even mention it to your friend from the IT major because you knew that he'd force you to delete Tor and put an end to your internet adventures.

One time you were particularly bored after several long lectures and you were laying in bed, the camera turned on once again. It was a hot afternoon and you were wearing boyshorts and a loose T- shirt with nothing underneath it, you were home alone so there was no need. The bright red spot was twinking like a recorder, the light reflecting in your eyes, when a silly little idea came to your mind. You slid your hand under your blouse and lifted the fabric up, exposing your breasts to the laptop, your nipples hardening due to the sudden coldness, becoming pink and stiff in seconds. You played with for a few minutes, pinching and pulling the buds gently, moaning softly into the pleasant sensation. Soon you could feel yourself getting wet, and slowly, teasingly, removed your shorts and panties. You smiled at the camera, biting your lip provocatively, imagining you were a camgirl performing for her desperate little fanboys and fangirls. The thought alone was enough to make you spread your legs wide and slip two fingers into your throbbing cunt, using the wetness to push deeper. You used your other hand to stroke your clit and whimpered wantonly, your face red, your neck sweaty and your heart pumping fast from the adrenaline. You were quickly reaching your orgasm and your mind wondered to the boy you were talking to in the forum. You wondered how he looked like, how his body was built, whether he was a sweet sensual lover or a rough mean one. Fucked up as it was, you pictured the man as one of your most loyal viewers, watching all of your streams with a fist around his thick vock and an excited grin on his face. He would comment things like "you look so beautiful like this" or perhaps even "pretty little slut" after tipping you enough to last you a week. Soon all the mental stimulation sent you over the edge and you came with a loud cry full of pleasure. Well, this felt good.

After your "performance" was over the camera was magically turned off, which may have caused some concerns if you weren't too busy feeling embarrassed and dirty about the unhinged fantasy you had just had, and with a person you knew nothing about. You managed to calm down though - it wasn't nothing more than a fun pastime, a naughty thought that would never become the reality. You would never actually meet BlueRose7, right? There was nothing to worry about, so you just went on with your day.

You had some dinner afterwards and decided to have an early night as you already felt full and tired. You put on your favoruite pajamas and laid in bed, staring at the ceiling until you fell into deep dreamless sleep.

You woke up due to a weird noise. You could hear someone's heavy breathing right next to your ear, someone's grabby hands were wrapped tightly against your body, trapping you between the wall and their hard chest. You had only a few seconds to scream before the intruder's palm covered your mouth.

"Shhh." The man whispered softly and stroked your hair like you were a doll he was playing with. "Don't scream or I'll be forced to hurt you, flower. I have a gun." His voice sounded deep and rough but this didn't stop you from thrashing and turning on your side until you came face to face with the man. It was dark in the room and you couldn't exactly see all his features but his enchanting green eyes would forever be burned into your memory - they seemed dashing, hypnotizing. You couldn't utter a word.

"It's me, the person you've been talking to all these months. I came to take you home" He spoke out suddenly, the line of his mouth twisting into a smile or a smirk, you couldn't quite tell. You shook your head no, tears threatening to spill all over your cheeks from the fear. It couldn't be him, the man would never do that to you. Or would he? With what little information you knew, you couldn't really tell. His hold finally loosen, seeing you quiet like that.

"Let me go, please." You begged, pushing at his shoulders weakly since you were still sleepy, groggy and tired. "I don't know you." You said, hoping this would remind the stranger you weren't friends, lovers or anything that gave him the right to be so close to you, to touch you so intimately. Unfortunately, this only seemed to amuse him and he chucked darkly as he pulled your hair away to place a small chaste kiss on your neck.

"But I know you, flower." Your supposed online friend replied shortly after, his eyes full of malice. "And your little show today makes me think you want to know me too." He added in a low tone, licking his lips before smashing them on yours, forcing his tongue deep into your mouth just to hear your whines and protests. Then it hit you. The camera, the virus, the questions. He had watched you, he knew where you worked, where you lived and studied, everything. You had told him after all.

The hacker thought you looked so adorable right now, figuring things out, helpless, confused, regretful and most of all, weak. You were so weak and careless, and he loved you for it. It reminded him of himself before life screwed him over.

You wouldn't be in this position, underneath him, if you had just told someone about your laptop virus and the bad guy you had encountered online. But Saeran couldn't say he wasn't glad your self-preservation instincts were so very broken and dysfunctional. He wouldn't meet you otherwise. "I need you, princess. That's why I'll take you to Paradise." These were the final words you heard before you felt lightheaded and sleepy again, your last memory a pair of green mint eyes.

You really shouldn't have trusted strangers on the internet.

[bogkeep]

~* ~ Art Comment Ettiquette 101 ~*~ as a person who Makes art and Shares art online and Interacts with other artists, it makes sense that i end up in spaces where a lot of the ettiquette around interacting with art goes without saying. i'm probably a little spoiled by being in these spaces, but sometimes i share outside of my usual zones and i remember that it's not intuitive for everyone. nor was all of it for me to begin with, either! i know several art comment etiquette posts exist already, but it's always nice with a refresher, i think! i will disclaim that context always matters, and that what i will list is are some personal rules of thumb gathered over years of sharing my art mostly on tumblr, twitter, and discord servers. a lot of this is just, idk, how do we interact with strangers online? the absolute best you can do is always remember that artists are just human persons and you are probably a stranger who doesn't know them and they don't know you. a lot of time and love goes into the things we make, and sharing them with the entire internet can be a very vulnerable thing to do. as long you keep that in the back of your mind, you're probably fine!

- DO NOT GIVE 'CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM' UNLESS YOU KNOW IT'S WANTED. if the artist hasn't asked for that kind of feedback and you really really want to give some, ask first! artists are not morally obligated to accept Constructive Criticism! it can be very discouraging to share a drawing you've made just for fun in your free time, and then get met with a deluge of comments about what you should've done differently. not every piece of art is in pursuit of Doing The Best. besides, both giving and recieving criticism is a Skill that requires practice, and how much do you trust Rando282748 on twitter to know about artistic composition? what's their credentials? meanwhile, you might be in a smaller artist community where you feel better asking for feedback you actually value. drawing fanart on line shouldn't have to be critique class in art school. - if someone posts a piece of fanart that you think is really really good and you think the Creator of the Media should see it, DO NOT TAG THE CREATOR WITHOUT ASKING THE ARTIST FIRST. it can be very flattering, yes, but do you know 100% for sure how the artist feels about Creator seeing their work? not everyone feels good about it, nor would everyone like that kind of attention! if you think they're just shy or modest about how good their art is, a little "is it okay if i tag Creator?" goes a long way! - unless you know the artist and know what they're okay with, maybe don't be overtly sexual or weirdly aggressive in your comments to a piece of art. i'm assuming nsfw artists may have different limits on this one, so i'm not going to speak for them! but yeah i think this is one of those "hey remember that you're probably a stranger to this artist and they can probably read your comments. you don't know how familiar they are with internet lingo (or the english language!) or how weird and uncomfortable you're making things by being horny on main." - please don't write "this art is so good but this character/ship sucks". look, i get it, you don't want to be mistaken for someone who Ships Thing You Dislike, but like... an artist spent hours of their life lovingly rendering something they care about. you're not giving them the compliment you think you are. - adjacent: if you are not commissioning the artist to draw something specifically for you, don't tell them what they SHOULD be drawing instead. it's an entitled thing to do for one, and as always, it stings when someone dismisses your love for something. - nitpicking gets very old very quick. maybe this is a personal pet peeve, but i don't feel like justifying every artistic choice i make. like, it's Fine if someone has an honest question about the artwork, but some people take it to truly great lengths. if i was sharing a poem i wouldn't want to explain every single metaphor i decided to include. it's like being in middle school with people observing you drawing and asking "WHY DOES THAT PERSON ONLY HAVE ONE EYE!!" because i haven't drawn the other eye yet. "WHO IS THAT!!" idk just some random girl i'm just doodling. "WHAT IS SHE WEARING" ooohh my god shut up shut up shut upppppp - this is DEFINITELY a personal pet peeve. but people tagging art "idk who this is" without even checking the Original Post to see what it's tagged... or worse, tagging it as a completely different character. sometimes it's fanart, sometimes it's an OC, sometimes it's Just Art Of No One In Particular. i always feel a little morose whenever someone shares art of my original characters and goes "OMGGG THIS IS SO COOL WHAT SERIES IS THIS FROM I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING SOMEONE TELL ME" - i'm exaggerating a little bit, but like... you could check! if you really actually care you can make an effort! i'm delighted you are delighted, but, also........... - oh yeah the infamous "omg your OC looks like [fictional character]". i don't personally mind this one that much, but i know a lot of artists do. it can get really discouraging if you get it a lot!

"ok but how do give Good comments then" there's many ways to do that! what do you like about the art? how does it make you feel? or maybe you just want to yell excitedly! i know i wrote a whole long list about Please Don'ts and i probably forgot several. but most of it boils down to "PLEASE don't be weird or entitled at strangers online." we all do some faux pas' here and there because interpersonal interactions are hard and we're always learning! and if you love art and artists and want them to keep sharing their work, you can absolutely give them that sweet sweet validation without putting down their interests or heckle them about the canon hair length of a character.

[side-b-bumblebi]

Hi all!! I'm new here, so I'll try to make an intro post.

I'm a Catholic convert and I've been questioning my sexuality on and off for at least three or four years. I tried to just not question and to be straight and if I'm honest, it's still hard for me to admit to even myself that I'm not straight, but I also think that when I've felt the way I have about girls and when I've been questioning for years, there's probably a reason for that!

I do have a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to it still and I don't know how long it'll take me to get over that or if I ever will. I keep feeling like it's all just a "phase" because there have been periods where I didn't think about my sexuality as much, even though that's pretty normal for me to do with anything. If I think less about being Italian-American one day than another, I'm not less Italian-American that day. I keep searching for evidence that I'm making this all up for attention, such as the fact that I've had more crushes on guys than girls, which isn't really how anything works, but brains just hate us amirite?

(I mean, if I AM making this up for attention, I'm doing a pretty crappy job considering in three or four years of questioning the only person I've told is my mom.)

I feel like a bad person because of this chance that I might be straight, but I'm trying to be kinder to myself about this. Even if I WAS straight, I wouldn't be a bad person for being wrong. I guess I have a hard time grappling with the idea that I'm the only one who gets to say if I'm bisexual or not — I've always struggled with a huge need for external validation on things that I really need to decide for myself and I'm still working on that.

I'm Side B, which means that I only date guys, as I do want to marry in a Catholic ceremony. I think the first crush I ever had on a girl was Katie McGrath, who plays Morgana Pendragon on Merlin and Lena Luther on Supergirl. It took me years to register this as a crush lol. It didn't occur to me that that very particular feeling I got when she was on the screen was the same feeling I got when I watched Tom Hiddleston in Thor or The Hollow Crown.

I guess one of the biggest struggles is the loneliness. I've had some pretty negative conversations with other Christians on LGBT topics and I'm scared to open up to other Christians now. I'm scared that they'll see me differently, that they'll automatically assume that me being nice is some sign of a crush, that they'll deem my very existence sinful.

On the other hand, I'm also scared to tell my LGBT friends. The idea that they might pity me and think I'm brainwashed or — worse still — that they might get the idea that I don't love or accept them is too much for me. The idea of hurting someone I love like that just doesn't feel worth it.

(Side note: To any LGBT people who may be reading this who aren't Side B — please don't think that this means I will judge you or hate you! I will always advocate for LGBT people to have equal rights and be treated with respect and dignity. You are SO loved and I hope you are having a lovely day!)

So yeah, I suppose this is the first time I'm being open about this to anyone who isn't my mom? It feels weird being vulnerable in this way with people on the internet when I don't feel comfortable telling people I know well, but that's just the crazy world we're living in! It also feels scary and I keep having that voice in my head telling me that I'm just doing this for attention and that I'm just a straight girl who wants to be special, but it's also getting lonely having all these thoughts stuck in my head with nobody to turn to with them. (My mom is a QUEEN and I am so thankful for her, but I'd also like to talk to people who maybe get it a bit more.)

I was pretty lucky. I didn't grow up in so much of a bubble that I thought being into girls would automatically make my whole life one giant sin. I had lots of people in my life who respected the LGBT community and showed me the unfairness in the way they've been treated. But I still think of hurtful things I've heard and it still makes me want to cry sometimes. And if I feel lonely, maybe some of you do too — and maybe I can also help you find the community I've longed for. :)

NOTE: I have no preference between SSA and LGBT terms. Personally, I will use the term "bisexual" since I think it's more specific than SSA, but I don't really think it matters that much! Everyone has different perspectives and I will respect your desires either way. <3

[oliviayamaoka]

The Distraction (Danny Johnson / Jed Olsen / Ghostface x Reader)

Y/N encounters Ghostface, a snarky and creepy silent killer. However, he isn’t as silent as he is made out to be when you hit him with your toolbox in defense. To stall time for your survival and the progression of other generators, you decide to humor him and distract him for a long amount of time for the others.

Possible Warning: Sexual tension, slight blood, slight violence, and Danny having perverted thoughts (up to your interpretation on what he’s thinking)

You slowly vaulted over a wooden structure within Autohaven Wreckers. The green atmosphere felt very chilling and eerie, you didn’t like doing your trials in this realm. Your eyes averted to an untouched generator. Thank the Entity you didn’t hear a chainsaw revving or the menacing lullaby sung by the Huntress. Y/N kneeled down and began to work on the generator, putting their toolbox to the side. Who knew you’d become a mechanic of some sort within the Fog. 

“Shit.” You mumble as you cut your arm slightly on something within it. For a moment you had considered using your toolbox but it was better to just save it for another time.

Y/N sighed and pulled down a lever before reattaching some wires. The generators always confused you. Not in a way where you didn’t know how to fix them but how the hell did they power up the exit gates? Oh well, it didn’t matter at that point. You were forced to do this by a literal god. 

You suddenly gasped when you felt a firm grip pry you away from your generator. It must’ve been the killer. Y/N aggressively fought back and wiggled with desperate grunts and yells. You somehow managed to escape his grip, how the hell didn’t you hear him? You shoved him away but he grabbed your wrist tightly.

“Let go!” You yelled, hitting him as hard as you could since he seemed to have dropped his knife. You recognized the killer as Ghostface. He didn’t seem to think that you’d be able to get away the first time. Y/N’s eyes widened in shock and curiosity when she heard him darkly chuckle in amusement

“You’re like that bastard King.” He said to you as you both struggled. David was always verbal when ”fighting” the killers. He grunted as you kicked at his thigh, desperately trying to rip your arm away from him. 

“Since when did you start talking?” You asked him, humoring him in pure panic. Ghostface was a bit thrown off that you even responded instead of screaming at the top of your lungs. In fact, he doesn’t recall anybody saying anything back to him other than David King or Yui Kimura saying something snarky after a successful vault.

“You’d be surprised--agh!” He grunted as you smashed your toolbox into his face as hard as you could. This definitely threw him off since it hurt just as much as the pallet stuns did. Was that even allowed? He adjusted his mask to keep it from falling off. His chin sure as hell hurt.

“Sorry.” Y/N said to him almost immediately, stopping for a moment. You weren’t sure why you felt sorry for the bastard in that moment. You once did something similar with the Trapper when he accidentally stepped in his own trap, there was a moment of silence between the two of you as you both stared.

“What do you mean sorry?!” He asked you angrily but he didn’t lunge or hit you. He seemed just as confused and caught up in the moment as you. You threw your arms up in defense, it was a psychological thing.

“It was instinctual! What was I supposed to do, let you stab and hook me?” You said to him as he stood up. Ghostface was much taller up close, it was strange.

“Well, yeah. You’re only supposed to fucken wiggle or try get off of the hook. It said those were the rules.” He argued as you turned your head to the side in disbelief at his behavior. 

“Since when did you start abiding by the rules? Aren’t you supposed to be a serial killer or something?” Y/N questioned him.

“Uhhh, since that thing started torturing the other people who got trapped here. You think I wanna look like that fuckface with the chainsaw?” He said aggressively but you didn’t seem to back down at all. He was referring to the Hillbilly.

“He already looked like that, dumbass.” You say to him as he paused.

“Oh.” Ghostface responded before shaking his head to knock some sense into himself and began to try grab your wrist again. he tugged you closer when he did rather aggressively.

“What the fuck am I doing arguing with my prey.” He muttered as you pulled away again, taking a few steps back.

Ghostface, from your observation, was easily confused when talking to people. You figured it was normal since, well, when the hell did a psycho like him have time to talk to people? You recalled a conversation with Ace when you were upset due to one of your first trials. He had been previously married and referred to himself as a ladykiller, humoring the idea of trying to flirt with the Huntress. He was a wise dude despite being on the run from guys he owed money to, overall he made a good replacement father figure for a moment.

Clearly it was a bad idea but maybe instead of getting hooked or hurt, you could do what Ace jokingly suggested. It’d also be a funny story to tell some of your friends when this trial was over but it was scary thinking this could make him even more mad or aggressive. Oh, well, anything not to go through the pain again.

“Has anybody ever told you you’re handsome?” You asked, cringing at yourself for such a poor choice of wording.

“You don’t even know how I look.” He said, somewhat annoyed but loosened his grip slightly as you put your hand softly over his.

“That doesn’t matter. I feel like we could get to know eachother. I’m Y/N, by the way.” You say to him as he stopped completely, baffled even.

“What?” He asked in confusion.

“Think about it, if we have a nice little chat then I’m sure the Entity wouldn’t mind. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been curious about your artwork. Or I guess you can say photography. I’m sure you have a collection.” You said.

“Right, like a puny thing like you would even understand what I do.” Ghostface said to you, crossing his arms. Admittedly, he seemed to slowly forget his objective when he began to even talk to you. Even he didn’t know why he kept responding to you.

“A puny thing like me? Oh, please. I’ve seen my fair share of blood and gore on the internet. I bet your photos wouldn’t even make me budge.” Y/N said.

“Really, now? I have a collection of photos of you and your little friends.” He said, getting rather defensive. Such a fragile ego, you thought.

“Oh, so you take photos of me?” You asked, pulling him closer. He seemed to freeze up when he was inches away from your face. Despite wearing the mask, he felt vulnerable. Why? You were just a survivor meant to be slaughtered.

“I don’t mean it like that.” He said firmly, although, it wouldn’t be a bad idea since you were rather attractive to him. Both physically and personality-wise. The thought amused him but he shook his head slightly.

“Shame. I could’ve offered you a special photoshoot.” Y/N said, enjoying getting into character at this point since all the generators should be done soon.

“A what?” He said, finally flustered. You couldn’t blame him. A survivor was practically seducing him. A part of him wanted to give in since he already wasted so much time just talking to you. There were, of course, other needs he needed satisfied. The idea of him showing no mercy on you got him hot and bothered.

“A special photoshoot. Just me and you, uhh... Ghostface?” You said to him, resting your eyes. 

“It’s Danny--I mean, Jed.” He said to you. You raised your eyebrows in surprise that he even told you his name, you could even swear your cheeks warmed up for a second. No. no, you thought. Do not get distracted.

“Jed, huh? Sounds easy to yell.” You responded with a smirk. 

At this point, Ghostface decided he definitely wanted you. He quickly gave into his desire since he had his own desires and fantasies he wanted to put at ease. Plus, a survivor like you giving yourself to him? It sounded too good to be true in his own dirty, messed up standards. He silently smirked behind his mask. Hooking and killing wasn’t the only way he wanted to hurt you now. He saw this as a way to properly get back at you for hitting him with your toolbox.

What did you get yourself into, he thought menacingly. Unbeknownst to him, you were already one step ahead of him. Ghostface wrapped his hands around your waist and brought you closer to him. Y/N froze for a moment but brushed her knee against his upper thigh in a rather suggestive manner. She didn’t think it would work yet it did.

“So, when do you want to do this, baby?” He asked you in a lower tone. You felt your cheeks flush and your heartrate beginning to increase but you had to stand your ground for a few more seconds. You looked away for a moment with an unimpressed stare.

“You’re such a gentlemen.” You said sarcastically, pushing away from him by his chest. The feeling of his leather and fabric was firm, you kinda liked that.

“Now what?” He asked in frustration. Your eyes averted towards the tools spread out on the ground from the box. Y/N came up with an idea.

“Pick my stuff up for me and maybe we can do something... quick.” You said, tugging your shirt downwards suggestively. 

“Okay, okay. Fine.” Ghostface responded to you sarcastically.

He turned to look at the tools on the ground. Kneeling down, he set the toolbox upright and began to put the tools back. Ghostface found it interesting how such small tools can play a big part in fixing the generators faster. He’d be pissed off if some random fucker like the Clown came and busted it up after long, hard work. You watched him actually do as you asked. It was somewhat heartwarming. No, actually, it wasn’t. You didn’t wanna catch feelings for him.

Y/N looked around, inhaling quietly. He seemed focused on picking up the smaller tools. You weren’t sure when to make your move. Suddenly, a horn blasted. A feeling of relief washed through your body. His head popped up as you quickly sprinted away from him. Ghostface whipped his head around. 

“Shit, fuck...!” He muttered. It was at this point where he realized what you did. He felt angry at himself for giving into his urges instead of just hooking you and killing you and your little friends. Ghostface smashed your toolbox against the generator in anger.

Standing up, he put his knife away. Despite being furious, he still found you attractive and confident for even trying that with him. It fueled a different urge within him. Oh, he would definitely make you pay. Not from the hooks, of course. He smirked at the idea of it and began to walk off to the other door once he began to calm down.

Y/N, he thought. 

[maraudersftw]

This is weird. My dialogue is awful. I've been writing for over eight years now. I've barely improved. I feel demoralised every time I reread something of mine because it's just plain terrible. Like, there's no way anyone is actually ever going to say that. Let alone two super witty people, you just know would be great at bantering / flirting. I've asked people to beta, they're just too nice to actually tell me the very apparent issue with my dialogue. I'm not exaggerating. What should I do?

Hey, anon! First of all, I'm honoured that you thought of reaching out to me for this question even though I'm definitely still learning a lot of things about writing and what feels right to me myself. But I understand where you're coming from, and I'll do my best to help you out in whatever way I can. If any of my lovely writer mutuals have more to add, please feel free to do so!

1. Before I even start talking about anything else, it's important to remember that we're our own toughest critic, so it's possible (and quite likely) that your dialogues are not nearly as terrible as you think they are. When you've been writing and staring at the same words you've written multiple times, even the most interesting of dialogues can feel lame and try-hard to you. Whenever I write a fic and proofread through it before posting, 9/10 times I feel like it sounds boring or too dragged out. And it's because I already know what's going to happen, what the other person is going to say. Even if something is meant to be witty, I no longer find it to be so because I've written them. Return to your fics a year from now and you may feel differently.

2. Your betas are there to help you. I know it's difficult to broach that awkward boundary where you want them to be brutally honest about your writing vs wanting strangers on the internet to shower you with validation, but if you really, genuinely, want to improve your writing and make the maximum use of your betas, try talking to them about it. From what you've told me, they seem like very nice people, and if you tell them that they should just be as critical with your writing as they are with theirs, I think they'd understand. If they find that uncomfortable, that's fair. You can always ask someone else. I find that having different betas for different fics is always a good idea because you get to see how differing perspectives work.

3. Ask your betas to leave you comments when they're editing. It's easier to just pass on the doc and have them fix your typos and grammatical errors, but ask them how you can improve the dialogue and pacing as well! Tell them to leave some tips for you as they go over your work. This way, it doesn't have to be an one-on-one conversation (so neither of you feel awkward), and you can just return to the doc later and go through the suggestions slowly and imbibe them into your future works.

4. This might sound very simple, but it's important to remember when you're writing fic that these characters are normal humans who talk and behave like normal humans do. Sometimes, the whole flirting/bantering feel of the conversation just comes through from their actions and not their words. For eg. instead of writing something like:

"Hey, Potter! Are you free this weekend?" asked Lily.

"Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?" He smirked.

"Maybe I do."

You bring the scene to life through the same words, but more actions. Like so:

"Hey, Potter!" Lily called, her fingers tentative as they fell on his arm. James turned around, one eyebrow cocked. "Are you free this weekend?"

He looked at her silently, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Why? Wanna take me on a date, Evans?"

Lily's eyes glittered with the thrill of a challenge, and she pressed a little closer. "Maybe I do."

5. Make sure that you let your characters talk and breathe like normal humans, too! Let them take those heavy pauses for tense scenes, let them break off in between sentences because they can't finish a thought right or they're laughing too hard or they've just suddenly remembered something that froze them on the spot. Let them fumble and sigh and repeat words like we do IRL conversations. If your character is having an argument, and they're red in the face, they're probably not gonna say: "Why not?"

They're much more likely to say: "Well, why the hell not?!"

You can throw in a couple of "um"s and "uh"s and "er"s for those unsure few milliseconds. Em dashes are your best friends here. Sometimes, even saying that they're pausing to think or breathe or collect themselves can help bring your dialogues to life.

But yeah, don't overdo them either coz then the flow might break lol

6. Read! Read! Read! As writers, we sometimes forget to really read other stories or appreciate different characterizations and writing styles, which can make your writing growth halt. Not saying this is true for everyone, but reading more definitely doesn't do harm. And especially for us fanfic writers, this works even better, because we're writing about the same characters again and again. If you read another writer's take on it, you'll slowly start to hold onto the pattern of how a certain character speaks, or what they're likely to do. This is extremely useful when writing a dialogue. For instance, I know how headstrong and stubborn Lily is, I've read so many takes on this trait of hers. So when I write my dialogues, I know I can't have her backing down easily. She will go red in the face, she will yell, she will be in denial, and say harsh things she probably doesn't mean entirely when she's mad. But at the same time, I also know she's unflinchingly kind, so you know you have to write that she speaks in soft tones when comforting someone. She probably smiles really kindly, tucks her hair behind her ear when she's shy, confesses things with a lot of bravery, watches James from the sidelines with the softest expression (sorry, got lost in the feels for a sec)

Similarly, you've gotta make James be the loudest one in the room, the one who's voice carries over to everyone, who's absolutely unabashed in his dialogues and whose confidence shines through his words. But the same boy then turns unsure and tentative in moments where his heart is on the line. I always write his dialogues as super vulnerable during such scenes (much more than Lily's would be). A lot of desperation, pleases, promises, etc. etc.

I know this got really long, and I'm not sure if any of it was at all helpful. If you're looking for something specific, please do send in another ask! I don't mind helping out!

[ghostofpolaris]

Hi how are you? Hope you are really fine! And I would love to have a free reading from you, could I know how my November is going to be in general terms (love, career, friends), please? My initials: A.T.G.A ☀️♎🌑♉⬆️♐ Thanks a lot!

Hello @nixxngeli! Thank you for the ask! Since you are not on anon you did not need to send in your initials and signs, but I do appreciate the thought. Thank you for the follow as well by the way! I hope your day is well. 💞 For some reason I had the most trouble with your reading from cards jumping out and around, to me writing the whole thing and the internet giving out when it really had no reason to so this is me rewriting everything. 😭 So here's to hoping this goes through without a hitch!

With any time based reading, please remember at the end of the day, it is ultimately up to you to structure your life and shape it to how you want. This type of reading narrates what basically may come with the path you are on currently. For this, I'll be giving you an advice card as well as the other parts of the reading since you followed my guidelines.

The song for you is:

Autumn by Reinaeiry.

Remember, each song can either just be a nice little piece to enjoy or perhaps it may hold some deeper meaning to you. That is up to you at the end to decide for sure. Let's go ahead and get your reading started.

»»————-　✼　————-««

Love (Eight of Swords) -

Like the girl trapped behind these "bars" in the Eight of Swords, you too may be feeling imprisoned and confined. You may feel like you are unable to escape the circumstances you are in, but please know that you are not totally trapped. There always is a way out and it may require a new perspective. Your thoughts may be betraying you but making too many worst-case scenarios while deciding on something in this category, so I ask you to trust your intuition. Trust your gut to help you make the best choice possible during November.

The Eight of Swords comes as a warning that your thoughts and beliefs no longer are serving you as they normally do. Whether it be the creation of negative thoughts or perhaps this is a self-imposed restriction or worse, do know that if you need to leave, there is no shame in doing so. It may not be what you want to hear, but whatever decision you are trying to make, know that you deep down already know the answer. Be open to the options out there that may be trying to help. Do not bite the hand that feeds as they say.

»»————-　✼　————-««

Career ( Queen of Wands) -

This card speaks of courage, independence, determination and confidence which fit the themes of the Wands suit very well. As the Wands are of the element of Fire, there is a lot of passion and excitement with this suit that deals with the overall themes of determination.

You really are a go-getter in your career life. You are the mover and shaker and have opened doors with your courage and kindness. Continue to use those elements of yourself while you pursue your goals in this field. For November as the winter months continue to creep closer, remember that there is nothing wrong with examining darker aspects of yourself either here. To get towards what you want as a whole, I believe balancing the light and dark aspects of ourselves is necessary.

Already, you are putting yourself out there and allowing yourself a chance to be vulnerable to make connections and show your real power in this field. I am so proud of you for it and I believe this is a sign to keep doing it. Stay fierce and determined with your focus on your goals, but don't forget yourself and who you really are either.

»»————-　✼　————-««

Friends (Page of Pentacles) -

Normally this card is of manifestation, financial opportunities and skill development. However, I say we look away from the traditional meanings and look at what the Pentacles speaks of as a whole versus what one card says. Especially because the Pentacles show up here as well as the advice card.

The Pentacles is of the Earth element that normally speaks on health, work, and creativity, but it also talks of stability, grounding, and support. I feel like this aspect is what we should focus on as I feel you are trying to seek out support and stability (which there is nothing wrong with that).

The Page of Pentacles calls upon us to welcome a new beginning or inspiration that make lead to a creative venture. This is not a sign that a new friend may show, but it is however a signal that you are on the right path towards that goal should you possibly be manifesting new and healthy friendships to come your way.

Open yourself up to new ideas and paths in your journey. Sign up for that class you've been eyeing or maybe even in the sanctity of something you already know, take the time to maybe try something new within that know hobby. It may lead you to some neat opportunities and neat people that mesh with you well. Try something new and see a different aspect of yourself you did not know of before.

»»————-　✼　————-««

Advice (Ace of Pentacles) -

As mentioned before, the Ace of Pentacles is a card that not only is of new beginnings and opportunities, but a card that signals that you have the reigns that control your life. You are the one in charge overall despite what may show here and it is up to you to make your path how you want it to be.

If you are seeking a green light to keep going, this is the green light to continue onward with endeavors you may be trying to get through. Remember that wealth does not only have to mean material wealth. Enjoy the abundance for this month and the bliss that comes with it despite the adversities you may face.

»»————-　✼　————-««

I hope that this reading helps you! Feel free to look back on it anytime you need and may you have a happy Samhain!

Free Tarot Readings Open!

[taketheringtolohac]

i 100% believe miles comes out on tumblr like after rise of the ashes or something and everyone rejoices (this headcanon is sheer fucking gold btw)

Oh dear you’ve activated my trap card for this hc get ready for this because i definitely agree that Miles coming out is CELEBRATED on tumblr however it’s a LONG journey before he gets there. Before I get into it though there is a cw for briefly talking about suicide so please be mindful of that! It’s mostly in the context of the note post RFTA and people speculating what happened to Miles in his disappearance from tumblr, but I do talk about it so.

Ok here we go

So Miles is well known as That Guy on Steel Samurai tumblr who is absolutely insufferable to interact with but he writes good meta and writes even BETTER fics, but it’s the kind where something is obviously going on in this guys life and is he ok? Because it seems like he’s working through some shit and that combined with his ask answering sprees of outright denying he’s gay and just talking Like That on the internet people get a kick out of him and he’s JUST tolerable enough that people don’t really DO anything about it. He probably gets a call out post maybe like one time but it’s just by some rando who’s pretty new to the fandom and doesn’t get the sort of unspoken agreement steel samurai collective fandom has made to just put up with him despite him being absolutely dreadful.

But then all of a sudden Miles just... disappears one day out of nowhere. At first it’s just a day, then a day turns into a week, and a week turns into a month and people are like what the fuck? What happened to the iq of 127 guy? And people start writing WILD theories about what happened to him to chase him off the website because it’s like, 2016. But people start to get WORRIED when his longest running fic Updates it’s FINAL(!?) chapter and he just... kills off the Evil Magistrate. That’s when people are like oh my god did he? Did he fucking kick the bucket? Oh my god what the hell and he is just absolute radio silence on tumblr because surprise! He leaves the note in his office and then he also decides to leave tumblr at the same time because he really genuinely thinks that this is it for him.

HOWEVER. Miles also has a best friend in the Steel Samurai fandom. Someone who he met on tumblr years ago and who he enjoyed debating and conversing with who he thinks has very well thought out opinions on the show even if he doesn’t agree with all of them (he does agree with most of their points, which is why he was so open to their friendship in the first place). And they’re the ONLY person who he keeps in contact with while he’s in Europe finding himself after his breakdown.

That person is Maya Fey.

He and Maya became friends years ago and neither of them know who each other are or how old they are or really anything about each other except their screen names and more personal details that they choose to share over kik, which Miles only got because he was curious to know more about her and it was the only platform she offered. She was very hesitant about choosing to become his friend, but Maya’s fixer complex told her wow this is a broken man, maybe IM the one who’s gonna make him a better person and make him less awful. And for the first few years this had minimal success. She got him to say a few more slang terms, but really he didn’t change all that much. But she was consistently kind to him! And once you got to know him he really isn’t that bad, especially in those rare moments of emotional vulnerability he allowed himself (he was too afraid of being “found out” even though he had moved out years ago) and he could actually be a pretty fun guy.

It isn’t until Miles’s year in Europe when things really start to change. He had a very vocal crisis to her over kik that kinda freaked both of them out, and as I mentioned he stopped using tumblr entirely and Maya gets WORRIED about him and he just. Starts telling her stuff because he’s emotional. It’s the most he’s EVER told her and it’s still nothing TOO revealing because he knows how public his image is and he doesn’t want ANYONE, not even who he considers to be his closest friend, to find out who he is online because he doesn’t want to be seen as unprofessional or just general shame about his hobbies. And over the course of that year they just... slowly she keeps beating it into his head that he’s a good person! Or at the very least a FINE one who is trying to be good and that’s all that matters. And like he starts to just... internalize it. And starts listening to her advice about maybe going to therapy. And then HE starts listening to HER problems more and it becomes... a more mutual friendship. And it’s nice because he’s never had anyone like that! But he keeps talking about this guy who saved him and stuff and that’s when Maya is like woah pump the breaks dude we need to talk about how you’re definitely gay and he gets SUPER defensive about it but like over time he just. He starts to come to terms with it, and she helps him a lot but he does a lot of that work himself too.

And so when he comes back in 2-4 he’s starting to feel... better of course but also different? And more confident in himself. He still has a long way to go but he’s learning! And that’s what matters to him! But with learning and trying to be better he realizes something. He has to log back onto tumblr and actually like, apologize for being horrible. And he does just that. But when he logs back on he’s SHOCKED that he has HUNDREDS of asks a lot of them are the usual but a lot of them are also ones of like, GENUINE concern asking if he was ok and if he was still alive and he’s taken aback that people even SENT HIM kind asks when he was so awful to them.

Miles makes a really long apology/announcement post where he’s INCREDIBLY sincere and in it he OPENLY acknowledges that he was dealing with a lot of unresolved trauma and says something about how he came to terms with being gay in his absence and he thinks that that’ll be the end of it but within literal MINUTES of him posting that he’s getting asks telling him how HAPPY THEY ARE that he’s not only ok and doing better but that he came out and people WELCOMING him to the community and then there’s like posts that are like “And people then make posts like wow am I the only one who got emotional about the guy with a iq of 127s thank you post? anyone else? Just me? Ok (12.6k notes)” and “If the 127 iq guy can get better and learn to work towards being positive then you can too (54.9k notes)” within a matter of DAYS and seeing those and just

It’s weirdly SO validating for him that he was being cheered on by literally THOUSANDS of people who are celebrating his growth as a person! That are celebrating his COMING OUT when he was SO scared of that part of himself for SO long. And the fact that people were ROOTING FOR HIM even when he was the actual worst just. It makes him feel so good about himself and it makes him feel loved! So much so that he writes ANOTHER post thanking everyone for being so kind to him and telling them that things DO get better and there ARE people that appreciate them and it just... gets passed around because it’s a really inspiring and reassuring message and people just GENUINELY start to appreciate him. And it’s just a celebration of HIS character growth by THOUSANDS of people he doesn’t even know because man was he famous outside of his perceived sphere of influence due to the amount of meme material he ended up writing.

He still used tumblr and stuff after all this but he’s really calmed down a lot, he even rewrites the ending of his long running fic that caused people to panic about him. And he still answers asks and writes meta and fics and stuff, and he’s still MILES of course so he can be a bit of an ass when you disagree with him but he’s. Nicer. And happier. And that’s what matters.

[roger-that-cap]

bubba i saw someone ask this but cym as your fics hurry quick 😰 (this also includes moonie/sunnie)

PLEASE I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SO HARD

@king-star you remind me of every myth fic i’ve ever dreamt of to be honest! i’ll go with doubt comes in though simply bc you’re my hadestown partner forever in my heart!

@buckythebeauty you’re such a sweetheart. you’re one of my favorite mutuals to talk to and i feel like we bond over the simple things in life and it came purely off of chance. it’s so nice to have friends up here and you’re definitely one of them hehe so i’ll say what a lovely dream it is!

@shmaptainhotchnersmain mimi girllll- for some reason your energy always felt extremely calm to me, just very calming! you always seem to have a level head and i admire the way you’re always so determined and head strong through everything. for some reason that gives me peace vibes idk why!

@divine-mistake miss divine omg- your way of writing is so so so fucking sweet. literally like a cake dude. you’re so talented with words and i feel like the love in your fics is literally fucking tangible. so for that i give you the fluffiest fic i’ve ever written, lover hehe

@ambrosiase hehehehe i love you so much. what a talented person you are, and so so freaking kind. genuinely sweet, too! but there’s also like a certain vulnerability to you that i love, and because of it you’re always so compassionate and you’re always there for me when i’m acting like a dumbass in real life and relay it to you 💀 I’m gonna have to go with jack pendleton.

@parris this sounds so stupid, but you have a presence on here that i’ve always loved. also your gifs are fucking great lmao they are never lacking! idk if this one is gonna make any sense, but for some reason you give off gold rush?? hehe

@yelenabelovasgf miss nicki- quite literally i have never connected with a bitch online like i have with you like wtf-? i always thought internet friendships were stupid until this fucking app, and now here i am with y’all. but you were my first friend up here and i have so much love in my heart for you. it’s such a coincidence that we met online bc we like the same franchise and we r both gay and like red heads who fight and move things with their minds, respectively. HEHDHDHD but so because of that i can’t give you anything but brand new eyes.

miss moonie!!! omg omg. so like- i totally geek out every time i talk to you to this day. i have never formed a friendship with someone i didn’t know the name of or anything like that but here we are!!! i just think you’re so sweet and that you’re one of the reasons my page is still up for sure. i feel like if we ever met in real life it would be either like a tragedy or the best thing that happened all year ahaha so for that reason and others i’m gonna say our olive branch.

sorry this is long guys!! if i missed anyone i’m so sorry, and also these are the only fics i feel like are worthy of mention and comparison to these people PLS

[pl-panda]

To Marry a Vigilante: Part 8

MASTERLIST || First || Previous || Next

To Marry a Vigilante: Part 8

-----------

About that… It turned out he was very wrong.

It was already past eight when the couple was awoken by the sound of an army trumpet. Immediately, both of them jumped up and took a battle stance, only to see Tim rolling on the floor laughing. Behind him, Jason was snickering and Cass had a bright smile on her face. Damian grabbed the closest item, which happened to be Marinette’s pocket mirror and tossed it at the group. 

Tim and Jason ducked and Cass simply grabbed the mirror from the air, smirked, and checked herself over to make sure her face was still flawless. 

“Tt. Did anyone invite you to this room?”

“Technically, Demon Spawn, only the replacement is inside.” Red Hood sassed him. 

“Where did Drake even get an army trumpet?” Marinette didn’t even realize that she was channeling Damian. His brothers did though and started laughing even harder. 

“Internet,” Cass explained before covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. 

“Tt. It’s good to see you enjoying yourself, but kindly get the hell away from here.” Damian scoffed. 

“Suuureee. I’m not leaving you alone…” Jason was about to reach for his wallet when a small, sharp object flew right past his head. A Batarang embedded itself into the wall.

“I explained it to you in the past Todd. I will draw blood if I need to when it comes to defending my wife’s honor.”

“Calm down, Demon Spawn.” The older brother dismissed him, but his hand was no longer close to his wallet. “We came to spare you the embarrassment of being found like that by Mrs. Cheng.”

Until now, Marinette was too focused on the prank to realize what exactly happened and turned beet red. She meeped and jumped under the covers, red. Damian sent a glare at his brothers (and sister) and rushed at them with his fist. They all quickly scrambled and he closed the doors. 

“Tt. Pests.” He scoffed and turned to his beloved, who peaked from under the covers. 

“They will never let us live it down…” She complained. 

“We can always drop them off on some empty island when they’re asleep,” he offered with a hopeful look.

“But… won’t they wake up too soon?”

“The knock-out gas has more than one use, Angel.” He grinned. 

“So… you want to start a prank war?” She asked with a slight smirk, embarrassment forgotten.

“No. I want to leave them on some empty island.”

“Damian!” 

“Tt. Fine. Prank War. But you’re no fun.” 

Damian left to let Marinette get changed and put on some new clothes himself. They soon met near the stairs and went to dinner. 

Since today both Tim and Jason decided to come by, it was louder. The young couple had to suffer enough teasing to last them a lifetime. Damian promised horrible vengeance to both his brothers. 

“Can I have your katana? I mean now that you’re settling down you won’t need it, right? Maybe for cutting the vegetables. Will you be the househusband?” Jason was slowly approaching the peak of what Damian could take. Right now only the fact that Marinette was holding his hand under the table and that they weren’t saying anything inappropriate yet stopped him from drawing blood. 

“Ehm.” Bruce tried to interrupt the discussion and touch the matter that was actually important.

“Oh! Oh! I want the grappling hook! Mine never works that well!”

“If I tie you up with it and hang you from Wayne Tower, will you shut up?” He grumbled.

“Now, what kind of example will that be for…” Jason started, but then his gaze met Sabine’s and he froze. Suddenly, Hell seemed like a nice place to take vacations. 

“Tt. I dare you to finish, Todd.” Damian smirked, knowing full-well why his brother hesitated. 

“Um… I think I choose to live a little longer.” 

“Smart boy.” Sabine praised him with a bright smile. 

“Ehm.” Bruce tried to get everyone’s attention for the second time. This time, everyone looked at him curiously.

“Tomorrow the class will be visiting Wayne Tower. I would ask all of you to be on your best behavior and either not reveal who you are or what your relation to Damian is.” He started. 

“Did you finally disown him!?” Jason cheered. 

“No. But if the french class learns that Damian is dating someone, the news will be all over the internet within five minutes and we won’t be able to stop it on time.”

“Stop them with legal means you mean?”

“I know what I said. The class is accompanied by an A.I. advanced enough to be vulnerable to possession that is normally reserved to humans. I don’t know what else they have in terms of technology”

“So we get to treat Damian and Nettie as strangers the whole day?”

“No. It would be best if you just avoided the class, but I know it’s too much to ask.”

“Oh! I don’t think it would actually be that hard.” Sabine smiled brightly at the two boys. “After all, they are good boys who don’t want to needlessly make my trip harder, right?” Even though she was smiling, there was this dangerous edge in her voice. 

“Maman. Have you thought about taking tomorrow off? I know how hard dealing with the class is.” Her daughter asked worriedly. Sabine was acting angrier and angrier each time she saw them.

“I’m sorry sweetie. Dealing with that group is indeed tiring. And Caline is beyond useless.”

“It’s a wonder she is even a teacher,” Jason grumbled. 

“She is a good teacher when it comes to her subject, but she just can’t deal with kids…” Marinette said before stopping herself.

“So she is an awful teacher.” Her father commented. “Teaching at school is more than just helping someone learn, Cupcake.” 

“Listen. Tomorrow is the last day before the Gala on Friday. I really want us to have some control over how and what the press learns.”

“So… they don’t hear that Demon Spawn got hitched?”

“That stays strictly in the family. God knows it would make our life even more complicated if we had to somehow explain that mess. We’re almost done with the paperwork to make it binding.”

“I still think we could just ignore it.” Jason tried to push again. Back when Damian was in Paris, each of his attempts was rejected.

“Tt. While I do not need any formal documents, it will make sure that if needed the proper paperwork exists and there is no need to forge it.” 

“It’s a pointless risk though. Personally, I don’t care for the tabloid dramas that much…” 

“You caused a fair share of them,” Tim mumbled. 

“...But I wouldn’t want them,” he nodded toward Tom and Sabine, “to suddenly find themselves swarmed with journalists.” 

“Can’t they just wait two years?” The baker asked, scratching the back of his head. 

“We don’t know how the League will act. We are married so I don’t see any reason not to just have it out of the way. Once we’re adults, we will simply make a public ceremony to give those vultures something to choke on.” Damian said in an emotionless voice. By now Marinette learned that the more he was feeling at the moment, the more passive he tried to appear.

“We can discuss this later on. For now, I want you two to promise that you won’t intentionally reveal Damian.”

“And employees?”

“They won’t be a problem. The ones we must interact with received their instructions already and others will simply avoid me as usual.” 

“I’ll volunteer to serve as the guide and replacement as chaperone,” Jason said suddenly.

“That’s sweet of you, but I can do it. It’s only until Monday anyway. Then, the class will be Gotham Academy’s problem.” Sabine dismissed him. 

“But you and her,” Selina pointed at Marinette, “are coming with me and Stephanie for a spa day. We must look the part at the Gala after all.”

“You won’t hear me protesting.” The tired woman nodded. Cass looked curious between the two of them but didn’t speak anything. It didn’t escape Sabine’s notice. 

“Of course you can come too, Cassandra. That was never under question.” 

“Thank you.” The girl nodded. 

“And don’t forget me!” Chloé reminded everyone that she was still there, even though she opted to for once stay out of the discussion that was not about her. But just this once. 

-------------

“Is it time?”

“Not yet.” 

“But there are so many potential targets just waiting.” 

“It’s just an illusion. You must wait until something stands out from the crowd.”

“But I want it now!” 

“Don’t act like a spoiled brat. God knows I’ve seen my share of them to last me a lifetime.”

“Soon. Soon we will all get what we wanted.” 

“Indeed.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe, maybe not. If the plan is to succeed, we need to get their attention. Robin was not seen since Hawkmoth’s Fall.”

“It doesn’t matter. They will come. They’ll need to.”

“And if not? If the Justice League comes instead?”

“None of them can purify the Akuma. If they come… You know how Stoneheart ended.” 

“Good.” 

“So now we just wait.”

“It is boring.”

“We could always…”

“No. I prefer to be bored.”

-----------

When the class arrived at Wayne Enterprises, they were greeted by Jason dressed in a semi-formal suit. He looked somewhat professional. If he wasn’t carrying a large plushy centipede that is.

“Um… Are you supposed to be our guide?”

“Oh! No. Not possible. I was supposed to lead a group of six-years-old.” He smirked. 

Damian scowled deeply. He didn’t like to be pranked like that. Then, he noted a Bluetooth headset in Jason’s left ear. Smirking, he pulled a small device from his inner pocket and directed it at him. Seeing Marinette’s questioning gaze, he smirked and activated the tool.

Jason was in the middle of arguing with Madame Bustier when he suddenly jumped and tossed the headset on the ground. 

“Fuck!” He cursed loud enough to get the attention of other employees.

“Please refrain from using such language near kids!” Sabine chastised him. She took perhaps more pleasure in it than she should’ve. 

“Ugh. Sorry. My headset short-circuited.” 

“I see.” The older woman smirked. “And what about the class trip?”

“Right… Wait just a second.” He quickly ran to the nearby janitor’s closet and put away the centipede, instead coming back with a large bat plushy. “Okay. Listen up. You’re to follow the bat. Where the bat goes, you go. If the Bat isn’t there, you don’t go there. Simple enough?”

A chorus of “Yessir” gave him some hope. Sabine, Damian, and Marinette gave him a detailed overview of the class and exactly what he should expect. And he was not impressed. Teenagers were stupid, reckless, and malleable, but they had to be idiots. 

Half-way across the trip his hope was dead and buried next to his fake body. 

The Lila brat continued to make subtle suggestions that she knew it all and already received a similar trip. The fact she never said anything that could make her vulnerable to a lawsuit or even have her as the reason for being kicked was mildly impressive but highly annoying. She just made some suggestions that the class later overinterpreted. 

Damian and Marinette stayed at the very end of the group. He gave her a ‘premium’ trip with much more juicy details than what Jason told. Chloé listened too, but she was more focused on texting with someone. The skater girl stayed close, but not too close. Looks like the best parting gift for the class would be a set of iron spines. They definitely need some. 

Finally, they arrived near a conference room where they would eat lunch, not to disturb the employees at the cafeteria. 

“Listen up. You’ll get the lunch brought in shortly. Remember what I said at the very beginning?”

“It rhymed with ‘duck’,” Damian smirked. 

“Not that, brat. You should forget that one entirely.” He glared at his brother (not that anyone knew that).

“Tt. Shut up.” 

“Damian! Don’t be rude to our guide.” Caline reacted. 

“Yeah! Mr. Wayne was so nice to offer this trip to Lila and us.” 

“Funny you need to put her sepa…” The angry boy started, but Marinette grabbed his hand and squeezed. Strong. 

“Whatever. The Bat stays in this room. Just so you get it into your one collective brain cell, that means you don’t leave this room until I’m back. Touch the bat and it explodes.” He warned before putting it on the doorframe and leaving. 

Damian and Marinette stayed in the back, talking in hushed voices about their plans for the Gala. To make sure nobody got the wind of it, they used Mandarin. Chloé listened too, but she was still on the phone. 

“Come on! You must introduce me, Lila!” Alya pleaded with the girl. 

“I want to. I really do. But Bruce Wayne is a busy man. Besides, we must stay with the bat.” 

“That trashy toy? Why do you need to listen to him? He is just an employee.” Alya complained. To prove her point, she grabbed the bat from the top of the doorframe. There was a sudden screeching sound and she instinctively handed it to Lila who threw the plushy away… right at Damian and Marinette. 

When it landed in front of the pair, their eyes widened. 

An explosion of yellow and black paint engulfed them. Momentarily they were both covered head to toes in paint while standing in a large Batman symbol.

Everyone but Chloe (who was also partially caught in the explosion) and Sabine (who glared daggers at Alya) laughed. Caline tried to hold it together, but a small giggle escaped her.

It was three minutes later that Jason came in with two more guards. He took a look at the room and zeroed on the painted couple. 

“I gave you brats a simple order. I even warned you that the bat can explode.” 

“It was Marinette!” Several people immediately pointed at the girl.

“Marinette?” Jason chuckled. “Don’t make me laugh. It’s obvious someone threw the Bat at her.”

“And how do you know it?” Lila tried to argue.

“Simple. She wouldn’t be able to grab the bat and cover that distance with it to end up sitting on the chair while it was in front of her before it exploded. Shadows in paint tell me everything.” Jason explained. You don’t live with the world’s greatest detective without picking some skills.

“Now I’m sure we can just dismiss it as an accident and…”

“Sorry, missy, but I’m under strict orders from B, right now. The party responsible for that is to be removed from the premise.” He spoke strictly professional, but to Marinette and Damian, it was clear he was enjoying it too much. 

“But… But…” Madame bustier tried still to say something, but nothing came to her mind that could solve this. 

“If the guilty confesses, the rest can stay. But I can’t legally send away a minor without a guardian’s supervision.”

“Tt. Lila and Alya were the ones that messed up.” Damian had a vindictive smirk on his face. 

“Liar!” The liar shouted.

“That can easily be checked. Show your hands.” 

“What does it have to…” She started, but Jason simply shined a violet-light flashlight at them and revealed they had some invisible dust at them. 

“Someone will have to go with them.” He looked at the two guardians on the trip.

“I’ll go. I think girls need a lecture on appropriate behavior.” Sabine’s grin was borderline feral. 

“Sab… Madame Cheng. I think it would be best if you stay with the group while I talk with the pair.” Caline tried to defuse the situation. 

“Nonsense. You should enjoy the trip. I’ll take care of them for the day.” Yup. Her grin was definitely feral. It was like a cat just got handed a crippled bird, but at the same time, it was friendly and inviting. 

“But… I think you should stay with Marinette! For at least the last few days until the next part of the exchange starts.” It was clear that the teacher disagreed with the idea of Sabine going with the girls.

“Oh! Don’t worry. I’m not leaving Gotham any time soon. I want to get to know my niece better and Tom got a great business offer.”

“Indeed.” The teacher did her best to keep a smile on her face. “Still, I’ll go with the girls and you stay with the class.” She said, resigned and started leaving, completely ignoring the discussion they just had.

“Caline.” Sabine’s face turned emotionless. “Remember that you are supposed to be giving them a good example.”

She received no answer. 

---------

Without the two main problems and the enabler, the rest of the trip passed mostly peacefully. Marinette enjoyed seeing the various departments, even though many of them seemed boring. During the remainder of the break, she and Damian changed into the spare clothes she had prepared. Tim brought them to work with him when he left earlier and had them waiting at the reception. 

When they were done, Sabine escorted the class to the hotel before coming back to the manor. Marinette was already locked in her room, giving the designs a final touch. Exhausted, the woman fell asleep on the couch in the library, only to wake in Tom’s embrace. She really loved her husband and would never replace him for anything.

The spa day went well. Marinette, when separate from Damian and his brothers, found herself the sole receiver of all the good-natured teasing. It was the first time she really participated in something like that, but she liked it. Mostly because of the company, not because of activities, but it was still nice to for once let herself be pampered. Her usually dark-blue hair was now a brighter shade, making the blue actually visible. It wasn’t anything close to Luka, but the metallic highlight gave her a bit more forward look.

The Gala was closing in and it was high time to get ready to rock.

---------

Masterlist // Next

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Abuse isn't always what's shown

Abuse Abuse, Abusive, Abuser; these words have become buzzwords on the modern internet. Why? Why have people put such an extreme definition to the words? Most media portrays abuse as physical violence, yelling, screaming, locking someone in a room, drugging them, starving them, etc. The problem with this is that not all abuse is so blatant. Sometimes abuse is so subtle that even the victim doesn't realize it's abuse. Sometimes they could describe the situation to someone else, and they wouldn't pick up on it either.

Not all abuse is loud Abuse can be silent. A simple phrase, a gesture, a look. Outside of context it can seem like so little. But it could be the last time they said that, they yelled at you for spilling water, or the last time they had that look they hit you. Silent threats that just build anxiety, that aren't even conventional "threats"

Not all abuse is physical Some abuse isn't physical in any way. Psychological abuse is powerful, and can be devastating for the victim. Psychological abuse involves gaslighting, demeaning, yelling, unnecessary punishment, comparing you to people, setting high standards, etc. "But they want you to do well in school!" "They just care about your well being" "They're worried about your health." "They don't want you to lose job opportunities over some diagnoses."

Abuse can come with "I love you" Emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is very common for family, and parents manipulating their children, or relatives. Abusers can be nice to their victims, give them gifts, give compliments, or hug them. But they often come back to use the 'gift' as leverage. "I've given you so much" "Be grateful for all I've done for you." "You're lucky I let you dress the way you want." To those anti social they might say, "We never see you! You should come out of your room more" only to be met with, "Look who's finally arrived!" "It's about time you left your cave" "Why don't you come out in the light every once in a while" "We never see you anymore" These are all phrases used for guilt-tripping. They make the victim feel bad, even if their reason for being "locked up all day" is important, such as school, working from home, or even just taking time to themselves. When parents say, "But I've given you clothes, food, shelter, made sure you can go to school, given you a phone!" "You owe me for everything I've done for you." they're just trying to put a price on your basic needs. These things are simply what it means to have a child. You don't owe your parents anything. They chose to have a child. They chose to give you that special something. You don't owe them for basic necessities, or gifts. "But they're your family" Just, no. Family is who you choose, who you truly love and care about, not those you are bound to by blood. Even adoptive parents can be your 'parents', but not your family. You don't owe your birth givers anything for them deciding to have sex. You also don't owe great aunt Betsy, who's father fought so nobly in a war anything because she sees you every few months on holidays.

Abuse can be, "But I need you" Abusive relationships aren't always romantic. Romantic, sexual, or platonic relationships can be abusive. Friends can be abusive by making you their emotional dumping ground. They rant to you for hours about this guy at work who pissed them off, but as soon as you try and mention how your day went, they get mad at you for making it all about you and changing the subject. Abuse can be that whenever you say they upset you, they lash out and call themselves terrible, a piece of shit human, and "stop pretending you care". You try and help them, and you stay because, "They said they're trying to get better." "They didn't mean to hurt me, they're just depressed" "It's because of their illness, they can't control it" As someone who is clinically depressed, has multiple anxiety disorders, and can be socially inept, I can still apologize. Just because you are ill that doesn't mean you lack critical thinking skills. They either know it's not right, or they think they're entitled to treat you that way. Either way, it is never your fault for being victimized. Something someone told me once stuck with me, "It's not that you attract bad people, it's that bad people try and go for everyone, but your door was open." That isn't to say you invited them to abuse you. Nor is it to say it's your fault. You were vulnerable, and they preyed on that vulnerability. It's like how a robber will try every door on a neighborhood street, but the one that was unlocked gets broken into. It's not that person's fault they got robbed, and it's not the victim's fault they were abused.

Abuse can be, "You deserved it." Physical abuse. Spanking a child as punishment, taking away their favorite toy, locking them in their room, or unnecessarily forcing them out of their schedule. Enforcing a strict time to go to sleep. Even if you're being quiet, reading a book, drawing, playing a game, you did nothing to disturb your parents at all, but suddenly they're stomping down the hall to yell at you "for being awake at this hour". Having a strict time to go to bed and wake up regardless of your circumstances is just a way for them to exert control, and have some kind of power to hold over you.

Abuse can be, "Crying doesn't help." Encouraging and glorifying emotional suppression. A child with anxiety will be told to "get over it" or "calm down". Someone who was injured is told, "crying won't make the pain stop" "Stop crying" "Be quiet already" "It wasn't that bad, quit being a baby" Abusers often take advantage of people with mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Parents might tell a depressed child, "If only you would try harder" "I know you can do better than a C" "Stop being lazy" "You can't use your depression as an excuse" "Quit being a couch potato and do your work" Parents might tell a child with anxiety or ADHD, "Just do your work, it's not that hard." "Stop procrastinating" "Just turn in your work" "Stop fidgeting" "You don't need to do [X] thing every day" General emotional neglect, and ignoring your mental well being, instead prioritizing school, and grades above all else.

Abuse can be, "You need me" Emotional manipulation, telling the victim that they need the abusive person to be successful, or live comfortably, etc. Sometimes this involves making the victim reliant on the abuser in some way. It could be by restricting their money, removing their support system, isolating them from their family and friends, and leaving them nowhere to go.

Abuse isn't pretty, and it isn't all one thing. This list doesn't come close to covering everything. I guess in summary, please listen to people who are victims of abuse. If someone thinks they're being abused, listen to them. If you think you're being treated unfairly, reach out to someone.

I hope you are all doing well, and please take care of yourselves out there.