#i know i make this joke a lot and it's partly because it's a quick and easy tag to use

[sarahreesbrennan]

Quick Evil Note

To all my wicked darlings, I have now received rather a lot of messages asking me about the influences of Long Live Evil. And I wish to get messages about LLE and truly appreciate the ones I do get! And I wish to answer them. But answers about influences are tricky.

The book has been out in the US for a little over two weeks, and it’s going so well so far, I couldn’t be more delighted and appreciative about its reception.

But also I’ve been informed (not asked) that two of my characters are obviously somehow both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy of Harry Potter, and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. (Very puzzling as I don’t think these pairings - and one isn’t a pair - have much in common with each other or with mine. Vague hostility against a vaguely academic backdrop for a bit? For the record… in the book everyone is an adult and I don’t even have any academic backdrops to be vaguely hostile in front of…) This hasn’t happened to me in a long time, because I haven’t had an original novel out in a long time due to illness, and it is upsetting to always be discussed differently than writers who didn’t openly link their real names to their fan identity.

I have very different feelings and new appreciation for fandom than I once had. It’s been amazing to see and meet people who have stuck with me for decades. People are generally way more open and affectionate to and within fandom than they once were. Love matters to me a good deal more than hate. But getting death threats in your early 20s for excitedly telling your Internet friends you were going to publish a book does mark the psyche, and so does having your characters dismissed as other people’s characters.

And we can say there is nothing wrong with fanfiction or writing fanfiction and there isn’t! Fanfiction is great and can be genius. Terry Pratchett wrote Jane Austen fanfiction, and didn’t (and shouldn’t) have people saying Captain Wentworth = Captain Vimes. Still, when a TV show is discussed as ‘like fanfiction’ or when Diana Gabaldon said she didn’t like fanfiction and many said ‘YOU write fanfiction’ it isn’t intended in any kind spirit, even when it’s fannish folk saying it. And it’s just generally odd to have everyone call your apple a tomato, and has had professional consequences for me in the past.

However! All the asks I’ve received have been very kind, and I do want to answer them. I do want to talk about my influences because they are manifold and because I actually think it’s important to always talk about influences. I don’t believe stories exist in isolation - we tell tales in a rich tradition, and also a story doesn’t come alive to me all the way until it’s heard or read.

Long Live Evil is a love letter to fandom: it’s chock full of references to many many stories I’ve loved, to fairytales, myths and legend and Internet memes and epic fantasy and meta. My acknowledgements are endless partly for this reason. I do owe a great debt to many portal fantasies and archetypes and musicals and jokes about genre and plays through the ages, though I do think of my characters as themselves and nobody else.

I was frankly tempted to go ‘Yes I stole EVERYTHING! Bwhahaha!’ But while I am thoroughly enjoying and finding great freedom in my villain era, I do want to talk sincerely to you all as well, especially when asked sincerely interested questions.

But I’m a little scared to do so and have people say ‘AHA! Now we know what it’s fanfiction of’ (it’s happened before) or ignore me and go ‘we know the truth!’ (it’s happened before) and to feel like I’ve injured my book. Long Live Evil means more to me than any other and I really want to get talking about it right, and make sure it has the best reception I can give it.

So. Questions on all Evil topics very very welcome but answers to influence questions may come slowly. Bear with me. I am working on this!

[kalixora]

Bumblebee x Autobot reader

Bay-verse | Revenge of the fallen

Quick one-shot

“Sam…” you spoke up, watching the boy pace back and forth, his steps erratic and his breathing heavy.

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” your optics softened as you kneeled down beside him, your servos gently resting on his shoulder.

Sam looked up at you; you could see the tears in his eyes streaming down his face. His skin was dirty, smudged with grime, and his clothes were partly torn.

“I don’t know what to do…” His voice was shaky, filled with despair.

“We stick together, Sam,” you nodded, offering a reassuring smile on your face plate.

Hearing more footsteps, you lifted your helm, seeing Bumblebee back with the twins, Skids and Mudflap, who were bantering as usual.

“Welp, no punk-ass cons followed us, so we all good,” Mudflap said, a hint of bravado in his tone.

“Good,” you hummed, feeling a slight sense of relief.

“Sam— you okay?” Bumblebee said through the radio. Sam sniffled and wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to compose himself. “Yeah… I’m okay, Bee. Just… overwhelmed.”

Bumblebee stepped closer, his optics softening. “We’re here for you, Sam. We’ll get through this together.”

You stood back up, placing your servo on your hip, hearing Sam’s friend Leo walking over to you all in a panicked frenzy.

“Literally, I can’t believe this—this shit is insane!” Leo exclaimed, his voice cracking with fear.

“Ah, here his punk ass go again,” Skidz groaned. “Fucking pussy.”

“Hey, hey! I shouldn’t be here—literally should not be here right now, man! I can just go back and tell them I had nothing to do with it because technically I didn’t—Simplemente corrí hacia donde tú corrías. Esto no tiene nada que ver conmigo, soy inocente!” Leo rambled, his words spilling out faster and faster.

Switching your servo to a gun, you commanded, “Shut it.”

Leo’s eyes widened as he put his hands in the air, shouting, “Woah woah woah! Don’t shoot! I’m just saying—this isn’t my fight! I’m not cut out for this! I can’t handle this kind of pressure! And you—oh my god, you were a Decepticon! How do we know we can trust you? How do I know you won’t just turn on us? This is crazy!”

Bee quickly stepped in front of you, waving your gun away from Leo’s direction. “No need for that, let’s stay calm,” he urged.

“Oh oh, you done pissed off one of the old ones,” Skid began to holler. “Nah uh, imma stay right here.

“Old one? What do you mean old! You’re a bad one—MAN! What the fuck—” Leo stammered, “I can’t do this! I can’t do this shit! I don’t want to die! I have a life, I have plans, I have—And now we have a former Decepticon on our side? How is this supposed to make me feel safe?”

Sam cussed to himself as he shoved Leo back slightly. “She was one. Was! Keyword, remember that, alright?” Sam looked up at you his eyes giving a pleading stare. “N/N, please—”

“Sorry,” you said, switching back to your servo. “Old habit.”

“That’s that Megatron training right there,” Mudflap joked.”

“Mhm, from Destiny’s Child to Beyoncé, she’s glowin’ now, look at her,” Skid laughed, nudging Mudflap.

“You two— fucking shitheads think this is funny?” Leo snapped at the twins.

Leo, still catching his breath and visibly trembling. “This is all just too much. I mean, how are we supposed to trust her? What if she goes back to the Decepticons? What if—”

Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Shut up! Jesus! We fugitives! We’re ALL fugitives— doesn’t matter anymore. Shit is gonna happen, more shit is gonna get ugly! You wanted to be apart of it now you’re in the middle of it.”

Mudflap chuckled. “Well at least we look good.”

“Right, cause we sexier than a mother fucka,” Skidz said nodding his helm. “Got shit twisted, we gonna come out looking like hero’s. Leo’s gonna come out with no clothes and a thong.”

“I can fucking hear you two!” Leo shouted.

You walked away towards Mikaela, who was sitting by a fire. Transforming into your vehicle mode, you opened your door. “It’s a lot warmer in here,” you said, using the radio to communicate with her.

Mikaela looked up, her eyes reflecting the flickering flames, and gave a small smile. “Thanks,” she said, standing up and walking over to you. She slipped into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her.

Settling into your warm interior, Mikaela sighed in relief. “This is much better,” she admitted, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.

You adjusted your internal temperature to make her more comfortable. “I know it’s been a rough day, but we’re all here for each other,” you said through the radio.

Mikaela nodded, her expression softening. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… a lot to take in. Y/N….?”

“Yes?”

“What’s gonna happen to us?”

“…get some sleep Mikaela.”

. . .

You felt a tap on your hood, waking up from your recharge. You slowly scanned the area, picking up Mikaela’s body near Sam on a broken couch. Transforming into your alt mode, your optics opened and adjusted, seeing Bumblebee standing near you.

He tilted his helm, swaying his servo for you to follow him. You followed him a little ways out, not too far where you couldn’t see the fire.

“What is it, Bee?” you asked him. “Everything okay?”

“Losing… Optimus made me think about losing Sam and you… I can’t lose you,” Bumblebee said, looking at you intently.

“Bumblebee,” you chuckled shyly. “What are you saying right now?”

“You and I—have more chemistry than I thought. I love you, Y/N, more than the world could ever know,” Bumblebee said, stuttering slightly with his voice box.

Your optics widened in surprise, the sincerity in his words and the vulnerability in his stance taking you a little aback. “Bee, you and I we—“

Bumblebee took a step closer, his servos gently reaching out to you. “I’ve felt this way for a while. I just never found the right moment to tell you. But with everything going on….”

You processed his words, feeling a mix of emotions. “I love you too. Always felt it in my spark.”

A relieved, happy sound emanated from Bumblebee. “You do?”

“Yes, I do,” you admitted, stepping closer and placing your servo on his. Bumblebee brought you closer, his helm touching yours gently. You hummed, closing your optics. “Even with a con, you still want this?”

“More than anything,” Bumblebee replied, his voice steady and full of conviction.

You felt a warmth spread through your circuits. “We’ll be okay…”

[princelylove]

Dear prince,

I have come again because I cannot ignore your callings any further. (I'm the anon that requested the jotaro hcs and prosciutto with model darling) sorry they were a bit tame, I have so much I wanna ask but don't. Partly because I get so nervous and giddy while thinking of sending them and partly because I forget to.

Anyways, I've been thinking of sending you an ask about the more doting yanderes e.g. Bruno, Jonathan and whoever else comes into your mind with a little 'miss independent' darling. They get so offended and pouty when their captor tries to help them or do something for them, thinking it's an act of underestimation and thinking they aren't capable enough and have to be babied. (How will the yanderes handle this? Maybe even a bit of brat taming?)

– 💝🪤 darling

There's no need to be shy about it. I'm fairly happy to humor requests, even if they're on the tame side. I do wish I'd receive some odd ones, though. Variety is fun.

Wellll. Do you like to be restrained? Because this is like begging to be given less and less privileges, assuming their darling is already safe and sound in their 'home.'

Bruno loves you a lot. He wishes he understood what he's doing wrong- spouses are supposed to relax when their man is home!

He gets fairly frustrated early on. It's agitating, if he's being honest. Bruno doesn't know how to punish this kind of behavior- his instinct is to bend you over his knee and make you count how many times he spanks you, but that's probably just going to give him more problems long term. You won't relax in front of him if he's hit you before, and the goal is to make you want to roll on your back for him...

Maybe he can't hit you, but he can scold you. Bruno exists to help you, please just let him handle the dangerous things, even if it's just cutting up some fruit. Knives aren't a joke!

He goes through a few stages before he lands on proper scolding. First, he tries to bribe you. Then, he tries to reason with you.

"Come on, amore. This is for your own good. What can I do to help you through this?"

Since neither of those work, it seems he has no other option than to chide you.

Jotaro wishes you would just shut up and behave. You're such a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that? He regrets how he handled taking you home. Maybe if he were nicer, you wouldn't behave like a spoiled brat that acts out for his attention.

Yeah, he's fully convinced it's an attention thing. You're just fucking with him. Obviously you're pouty and whiny because he's been busy lately, so... sorry. He'll be around more, ok? No need for all of this whining and screaming and crying shit, it's annoying as hell.

Yeah, sure, you can take care of yourself. He's not doing that. He's checking you. You're not a baby, sure, he never said you were. Can you just lift your shirt up already? He needs to check for bruises again.

You can expect any verbal resistance to be met with.... verbal resistance. Jotaro is unsurprisingly quick witted, and can be pushed a little before he starts to find it annoying. He'd prefer you to be docile and happy about it, but Jotaro can see a little back and forth as fun. Maybe. It depends.

When you really piss him off and aren't cooperating in the slightest, he's less fun about it. His ability to stop time comes in handy when his favorite brat thinks they can get away with not humoring his paranoia checks. If you're not going to play nice, Jotaro will just violate any sense of privacy you were clinging to before this. Fine, ok. Make him be the asshole because you don't want to do something simple like let him see your arms or stomach.

He offers no comfort afterwards, because he didn't do anything wrong. Maybe if you listened to him, you'd understand. The house rules aren't up for debate.

... Yes, he still wants to sleep with you tonight and to tuck you in nicely. That isn't up for debate either.

[xxxnightcorequeenxxxv3]

More Lore Stuff magical girl AU

I had a back-and-forth with @dannyphantom-justiceleauge on Discord. I got some more video recommanations for more stuff. And we chatted a lot about lore stuff they were curious about after my first post, so here is the summary of what we discussed + some extra bits. Their magical forms Regarding their magical forms, they do gain a bit of heightened flexibility. But they have to train in it to unlock more power-up forms. They do not change with them as they age; they are in the limbo stage at almost adulthood. (Insert joke about Tim forever being 17, blaming the magical girl curse for his stature. p.s it's not the curses doing) It's a curse and not a blessing, so why? First of all, the curse is all about self-preservation over the well-being of its Robins; it will heal them from lethal wounds as it needs them to be as strong as it is, but their mental healing is neglected. It is partly self-aware to the point that it wants to grow stronger. How does it get stronger? by having more people cursed into magical girls. But it can't curse people in quick succession. It has to recharge. It heals by forcing the Robin to transform when they are not in view of interference. the magical veil kicks in hard drive. So, the only one who can see her for the rescue portion is a fellow Robin. And the cursed has stay as magical girl form for the duration of the healing prosses. As the curse comes with an unwanted genderswap for everyone. it takes a toll on some of them harder than others. Can't exactly reassure the family you're fine when you're not you; they are lucky they can text. (Good thing Dick got a big apartment) The side effects of healing are also no joke. They are felt as phantom pains for every Robin, sharing the burden of hurt and taking energy to heal. In magical form, this manifests as a white streak on the individual who has had a prolonged stay in their magical form to heal. Babs, Jay, Tim, and Dami, I'm pretty sure, are in Got streaks club. The curse is also a danger magnet. The stronger it's Robins, the stronger it gets, you know. It also comes with the side effect of not being able to speak about the curse or warn anyone about it. The only one they can communicate about the curse freely is a fellow Robin. This is part of the magical veil I talked about. It makes people unable to connect the dots on who the Robins are as civilians. but it can also hide them from detection if they get badly hurt for eveyone but thier fellow Robins. Or for shorter times when to be in public as normal is needed. The Curse also makes them forget where they got the powers from. So, they have a hard time keeping track of the cursed music box. However, it usually stays close unless it wants more Robins. Living situation. They are more spread out, such as Cass staying with Babs. Tim gets smuggled into the manor under the pretense he can stay until his parents return from their trip. (it's been months) Dick gets his apartment still as they need some to go, not under Bruce's watch. How did it get to that point? Well, someone accidentally took the OG cured box with them to school on "accident". That's how Tim found it after it got " lost". Bruce is a bit of a better parent in this AU; got therapy for kids, as he saw them struggling and them "not" being vigilantes meant they could make use of therapy, unlike him. Though the Curse's Gaise is keeping them mum about their identity. So, they have to speak in metaphors if they want help from the therapists. So I read this book, I had a nightmare, on the news, scary game. Not to mention the body dysphoria. But that one is a bit of a sliding scale for who took it worse.

as @dannyphantom-justiceleauge put it; "I could see Tim being more fluid, and Cass being agender. Dick isn't as bothered by it as he feels he should be but that's more because he has a healthy relationship with gender than because he's comfortable with the.. changed parts. Hes him no matter the body even if its a bit weird Tim and Cass are fully in the, eh it doesnt matter camp. Babs, Jason, Damien, and Steph are having struggles tho

Duke also strikes me as less bothered by it. He has different priorities."

Jay may not have had to deal with voice cracks for his extended stay as a magical girl, but the growing he did, but not know it, it was a bit of a shock to him. bigger body and different voice when he finally got turned back into a guy really rocked his mental health. But on the positive side of things where, they could adapt the coping skills they learned in therapy. Bruce don't know what the kids are up to with the magic thing. He just thing they got close sibling bonds and likes to hang out. Alfred knows the kids are up to something but can't say for sure what they are up. His best guess is they are hanging out with friends doing gymnastics with friends as a sort of club thing. Bruce's thoughts on the Magical girls. Of course, he is worried for their safety, as he has been repeatedly saved from peril by them, who would jump in the way of lethal attacks to protect him. He is under the misconception that they are using tech and not magic. He made the mistake of commenting on the white streak in someone's hair. And got the explanation that it's a side effect of them kinda dying for a bit. causing him to jump to the conclusion that if their hair turns all white, they'll die. (They won't, but he doesn't know that) all in all, causing him grey hair. He likes that the use non lethal attacks, and kinda has a mini freak out when he learns they got a lethal mode. Who are they fighting? Rouges, mostly, But they are trying to Cleanse Gotham of curses cuz that's the only way to break their curse. We talked about weapons having 3 forms. The initial one you see in the first post is an alt mode and their lethal mode. Because i planned on doing power ups. The weapons also come with sound effects. Think Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's weapon with voice effects. Also, on a side note, Dami was not happy with his base form weapon, only to be likewise annoyed when a long time after he found out the lethal version of his weapon is a sword. The first one to unlock lethal mode is Dick after what Joker did to Jay and Babs. (when the gloves come of their is penance to pay clown) Think escrima sticks with eclectic blades attached. His alt mode is just bigger flags. Babs i've also fully wotk out it starts as a hula hoop, turs cyr wheel in alt mode then a Giant Shuriken for lethal mode. But to make it up to you, I'll tell you Tim's full weapon sequence.

Base form twirling baton, alt mode is a more extended staff, and lethal mode is a scythe. and a bonus vids for @dannyphantom-justiceleauge suggestions that gets included in the AU.

[haveyouanytime]

nsfw alphabet - tommy miller | minors + ageless blogs dni! it's my 19th birthday today (6/2) and i wanted to share this quick little thing i did for tommy both as a study and a way to get my groove back lol

౨ৎ daily click to help palestine 🍉

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) He’s sweet. He’ll just smother you in kisses, and for sure has accidentally started himself up again just from the amount of kisses he gives you. TBH he’s not the rush and clean-up guy, he’ll prefer to lay down with you and just chill with the vibes. Like, fall asleep naked type of chill. 

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) He takes care of his hair, I just know it. He lives by “look good, feel good,” and he knows his effort makes it look good. Extra bonus, he knows how good it feels when you run your fingers through his hair. On his partner, I feel like he loves hips. He just loves to hold and grab them. Whether they’re full or have some dips, he’s grabbing onto them. Steering you with them, both in and out of the bedroom.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) He absolutely refuses to cum before his partner does. Takes it seriously like it’s his life’s mission. You joked once saying he was edging himself when he did this, and he just chuckled it off, internally knowing it was partly true LOL! I think he prefers to cum inside of his partner, partly because of the intimacy of it all, partly because there’s no mess. 

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) Methinks his dirty secret is that he kinda wants to fuck you in the woods post-outbreak LOL!!!! Of course, if he knew there were no infected in the area and nobody on patrol would catch you, yeah, I think he’d be down. 

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) I feel like he’s moderately experienced— he hasn’t slept with a crazy bunch of people, but he definitely had a mix of short and long-term girlfriends. (maybe a few one-night stands?) BUT when he’s with you it feels like he’s a sex god, just because of the dedication he has towards you and your body. We’re talking hours of dedication to finding what scratches your itch. 

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) I think it depends, same with his seriousness. If the sex is for pleasure and just having a good time, I think he likes doggy style. If it’s more a serious, loving, intimate manner, I think he likes anything where he can see your face and give you some kisses. 

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) He can be reaaaally sweet and loving and intimate, but oh my god he is such a tease. Pre-outbreak, he’s doing anything to get a smile on your face. Maybe the same post-outbreak? Just a bit more of the serious. 

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) Preoutbreak, I can see a shave a little more often, but majorly trimming. Postoutbreak, I can see a trim, maybe a little shave just to keep it from going crazy. 

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) Pre outbreak, he can be romantic, but he’s a lot more fun. Post outbreak? I think he just uses it as a time to pour all his love out, to remind you that you’re his one. Everyday is a risk when he’s out on patrol, and he uses it as a grounding tool to feel your warmth when he’s back. 

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) Very rare. I mean veeerrryy rare. Only if you’re apart for a while, or he’s really pent up or frustrated while you’re perioding or just not in the mood. 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) Breeding. He loves his niece, and he loves the idea of being a dad-- almost as much as he loves the idea of you round, carrying his child. And I don’t think he’d keep it a secret, I think he always tells you how much he loves the idea of starting a family. 

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) Bed, for both pre and post-outbreak. Pre-outbreak, I feel like he’d be a little adventurous and get you into the backseat of his truck as most. Post-outbreak, I think he’s a little (a lot) more cautious and prefers the confines of your house. 

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) YOU! Quite literally everything about his partner. From the sway of your hips, the curve of your neck, your eyes, lips, nose, hands, thighs, voice, tone, words, EVERYTHING! 

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) I think he goes as far as his partner is comfortable, so anything that makes you feel uncomfortable is a no for him. Also, scorching-hot take apparently, but he would NOT share (especially with his brother tf.)

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) He’s such a man so he loves to receive, right, we get that, but when he gives…? Stars. Five stars, actually. Tens across the board. Gold metal. Top of the chart. And like I mentioned before, he’s practically studying your body and your reactions to see what to do correctly, so every time it’s like he gains more and more power. 

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) Depends? Depends. Pre-outbreak, he’s such a killer and prefers to pick up the pace and have fun while also mixing in slow and sensual nights. Post-outbreak, like I said, I think it’s majorly slow and sensual. But, maybe if he’s stressed or frustrated with the commune, or just needing a little quickie, then he’ll pick up the pace. 

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) Like I said before, quickies are rare post-outbreak. Maybe pre-outbreak they were just as rare? A little more often in comparison, when he just can’t get enough of you before he has to leave for work or something like that. 

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) I think I’ve clarified what I think already, Tommy had to mature a lot post-outbreak. Not saying he wasn’t already mature, he was a grown man, but his want to experiment is gone. Like before, maybe he was down for a quickie in the backseat of his truck. Now, with the infected, his number one priority is keeping you safe. He can’t do that when he’s caught with his pants down, y’know? 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) He’s a military man, he’s a carpenter, he’s got some stamina. He can go a while, depending on the night. Some nights after long days of working with Joel on framing a house, he just wants to rest. Other nights, you seem like one of those Super Mario 1-Up mushrooms because he’s sprung back to life (in more than one way). 

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) He’s such an ass omg— If you had any toys and he found them, he’d be so fussy and pouty saying that he can do even better than the toys do for you, and he’s right! 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) Oh. My. God. If there’s one thing that stayed, it’s how much he teases. He’s so the type to be walking past you, pull you in for a kiss, and keep walking past while you’re itching for more. Once he’s got you in bed, he’s even worse me thinks. And when he sees you weak in the knees, holding onto him, he just calls it his “southern charm.”

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) He groooaaannnssss. I just know it. Source: trust me and my delusions. I feel like certain moves or flicks of tongues could drive a whimper out of him-- which he will sternly deny ever happened. 

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) He got painfully hard when he taught you how to shoot his guns. He took you out to the range, set up his sniper rifle, taught you the proper position, and just the sight of you made him stiffer than a board. 

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) Call me Goldilocks because I can’t can’t explain it other than just right. His size isn’t too big, nor too wide, but I know he can steer that ship. My source? Trust me. 

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) He could go on a while without any, he is a military man, after all… but why would he? LOL! But yeah, he can’t go long without it before whining but could go on a while longer without it before becoming SpongeBob thirsty. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) Preoutbreak, he’ll stay awake just as long as you do. He’s not a stranger to staying up later, just watching some TV, eating some food, bathing or showering, or just talking. Post Outbreak? My old man, he’s out like a light. He’s tired, okay!

[sponfawn]

MTH meta - The Gifts That Keep on Giving (me feelings)

There has been a lot of gift giving in the past few chapters, between the Girls' birthday, Christmas, and the Boy's "birthday".

The gifts I want to touch on first are the shoes. When I realized that Blossom and Butch both received shoes in very different ways, I ttried to think about where else shoes might have been significant in the fic. With the publication of Modern Girl magazine, we are given a reminder about the shoe ad that didn't show the Girls' faces, just their bodies and shoes. Professor Utonium specifically says that he much preferred their (Brick's) magazine photographs over the shoe ads, because he could see their faces. The shoe ads are obviously an example of the physical objectification of the Girls, but it also reinforces the idea that they are a symbol and idols for Townsville (everyone immediately knows it's the Girls, even though their faces aren't visible. There are v few celebrities with that kind of recognition). To the point where Brick gets sick of seeing the ads all over, after seeing their promo. Many of the people of Townsville don't seem to see the Girls as full people with their own needs and wants, but as figures who exist for their safety and/or convenience (as seen when the Boys fill in for the Girls during the parade).

So how does this relate to Blossom and Butch? Brick gave Blossom shoes. This gift shows an appreciation for her talent and passion, beyond her looks - something she talks about after the photoshoot for MG. She's ok with people thinking she's pretty but she does all this other stuff. It is also a gift specifically for her, in contrast to Mrs. Morbucks' "gifts" (bribes) which involved money to Blossom's charity of choice and a scholarship in her name. Both of which target what she values but were a tool of manipulation, and played to Blossom's habit of putting others before herself. Brick has expressed that she also needs to think about her needs, because she is so quick to limit her opportunities for the (perceived) sake of Townsville. We know all the Girls got a lot of presents from the people of Townsville but I suspect that few if any were as personal and For Her as the shoes. Brick chose a gift that relates to her passion, to the activity that he begrudgingly started to admire her for, to the activity that they most often do together (the shoes are specific to ballroom), and that can't be interpreted as being for anyone but her. I'm sure she has also gotten gifts from close friends that were just for her. But given that Brick is adamant that she needs to recognize that her wants are important and that it's ok for her to want and have things for herself, I think this is significant.

Buttercup and the guys' gift to Butch is a practical group gift showing care and affection from his friends, but she signs the shoes last in a physically close and comfortable way. Did she actually procrastinate just to put it off? Did she just have a hard time figuring out what to write, as much as she has feelings for him while trying to deny it to herself? Did she want the last word to make it more special? She waited until he had the shoes on to write something, so I think it is at least partly the latter.

She and Butch are first and foremost friends, but they are undeniably special to each other compared to their other friends (whether they recognize/admit why or not). Buttercup's other gifts for him (pot popcorn balls) are undeniably for him as well, and that is significant for Butch who is so used to being overlooked in favor of Brick. We know that the other field agents at JS like the Boys. They helped them move in, no strings attached, and joked around with them. But it's unclear if they relate to the Boys individually or relate to them more as a unit. The shoes are for Butch only, from a group of people who care about him just for being their dumbass friend. And I think that's why he thinks "No one's ever done something like [that] for me before". Penny clearly cares about the Boys, but I think they all know there's a degree of obligation in it too. It's ultimately her job to take care of them, even though she likes them.

It doesn't have as direct a connection to the shoe ad like Brick's present does, and this is probably a stretch, but I think there's something to be said about how shoes are a symbol of genuine connection and care in these scenes - seeing the recipients of these gifts as whole people rather than simply objectified uncomplicated symbols of love and beauty vs fear and evil.

In Butch's case, he gave Buttercup the jacket partly out of feeling territorial, but it was also based on a prior vulnerable conversation. While I think jealousy was definitely a factor, he also knows how thinking about her relationship with Mitch makes her sad and uncomfortable, and Butch just wants to make her happy (even if it means getting his dick pierced to make her laugh). Penny knew that it was for Buttercup after their first meeting when she seems to measure Buttercup's shoulders with her eyes. Meaning it was likely procured by Penny but with specific instructions (more than just her shirt size would convey). The fact that it fit her so perfectly suggests Butch's intimate platonic knowledge of her body (platonic in terms of the fact that their physical contact has usually been "just friends being pals", not in terms of their feelings).

Mitch's jacket was important to Mitch, something he loved that was his dad's. It was sentimentally very important, but oversized on Buttercup. A bit like his desire for more PDA - it didn't fit her well despite their genuine love for each other and the fact that she liked wearing it. Butch's jacket is a perfect fit, perhaps even made just for her (much like Butch was literally made for her but in a different way). It isn't obvious on sight exactly who gave it to her. It's more discreet, which suits Buttercup's more private nature and is perhaps another way sbj shows Butch's ready interpretation of her wants and his eagerness to meet them.

Blossom's scarf required time and energy. It is practical but sentimental and thoughtful. Red is an obvious choice, but the gray is perhaps symbolic of his shifting priorities and/or her perception of him. Things aren't so black and white anymore. I love the little bit of pink at one end. It is a bit more forward than she has been in the past (except on their date), and I love it. I don't think it was her being territorial in the way that Butch and Boomer were with their presents, but more of a hope that when he wears it, it'll make him think of her. So a bit like Butch in a way, but not in an effort to replace or erase anyone else's connection, just to assert herself in a small way.

She describes it as "all she can give him", and it is a humble gift compared to other "gifts" he has gotten in the series (most of which were bribes or supplied for official events). This gift is all Blossom can give, and it is given with nothing expected in return. Just the hope that he'll wear it. It's a show of care for his physical well-being, something that I'm not sure anyone else has ever given him. The Boys have smoked with him when he was upset, but that's about as much as we've seen in terms of care. He's Brick. He's the leader of the RRBs, he was specifically made and brought back to put himself in physical danger with the hopes of defeating the Girls. Of all the Boys, he is seen as the most competent, the strongest, yet here Blossom is worrying about the fact that he doesn't have a scarf in the cold. There's something so tender in that.

In Boomer's case, the necklace was from a desire to give something unique from others, and a way to show that she is his. He was going to give it to her on her birthday and it was a symbol of his devotion and commitment to her, but he suddenly decided to wait to give it to her until he could confirm that none of her exes had given her a necklace. He is so desperate to be unique and special to her like she is to him, that his insecurities actively get in the way of expressing his love. It is a gift that can be worn all the time, regardless of occasion (as opposed to shoes or a leather jacket), in a heart shape that is more typically indicative of romance.

I sort of wonder if sbj was intending to show the lack of emotional intimacy or lack of Boomer's growth in their relationship. Lemme explain: all of the gifts in this post are wearable, but 3 of them needed to fit well. The 2 pairs of shoes and the jacket. All 3 fit perfectly, requiring the giver to be very attentive to the other party's size (especially considering it's unlikely that Brick has ever seen the inside of Blossom's shoes, the guys were unsure if the shoes would fit Butch, and Butch apparently gave pretty precise measurements/sizing to Penny. The 4th gift, Blossom's, doesn't need to fit well, but it required recognizing a need that Brick had and time and effort to make it. The necklace, while sweet and definitely something that Bubbles liked, didn't require that much thought or attention to her on Boomer's part. Which reflects how he relates to their relationship, I think. He focuses a lot on how she makes him feel, and while he's been trying to be "good" for her sake, his insecurities and jealousy have gotten in the way of their connection. He is so caught up in them, he doesn't realize that she is feeling uneasy because he's hiding things, and didn't really think about how it would make her feel when he decided not to give her the necklace initially.

The only person who hasn't given one of their counterparts a special wearable gift so far, is Bubbles. That could change in the future. But it is interesting. I might discuss this in a different post on other gifts that have been given.

[simplydnp]

Regarding jealousy, do you think those ‘jealous Dan’ compilations are Dan genuinely being jealous and not doing a bit/playing up for the camera to be funny? But then again most of those moments im thinking of at least, occurred during peak no homo eras so would be strange to joke about that when you’re trying to be perceived Phil’s platonic bro

Knowing more about dans backstory and stuff and how much he treasures what they have, it really does make sense why he’d be so protective of what he and Phil have, and jealous of anyone/anything that he thought was a threat to it and be jealous sometimes. Wonder what it’s like now

i think there's kernals of truth in most things they do/say. and i also think that while dan is habitually an entertainer, he's also extremely quick-witted and has a sharp tongue. as you mention, a lot of it occurred during That time, and i see it as a defense mechanism. put it this way, he's worried about losing everything because of this--especially phil. cause they can't be like their usual selves on camera anymore. i think it's fair to say dan is fairly possessive (not in a bad way). so he can't help but react. especially when they're only three years into it. he was twenty-one. barely legal to drink in the USA. of course he's still holding on tightly. he doesn't want things to be like this, he wants it to go back to how it was. but he also knows it can't. so he clutches the only thing he can--the one thing in his life that matters. so if you mess with the bull, you get the horns. even though it seems counterintuitive given the era.

i think dan's jealousy is different now. it presents differently than it used to. particularly post-WAD. in a way, i think it made things worse--in a grossly in love way. for lack of a better term, dan's always loved marking his territory. and since 2018, he hasn't really done that--but the start of the revival it ramped up significantly, and it's continued from there. and from what i can tell, phil likes it. he likes when he's goofy and loud about them as a pair. so there's less opportunity for jealousy to occur, since dan's flashing a neon sign that says 'taken'. it still happens, just look at the game of life videos this year. salty, petty, jealous dan is on full display. is part of it playing into the bit? absolutely. but it didn't start off as an exaggeration, it just grew. partly for comedy, partly for real.

[dorotheataylor]

Begin Again

Pairing- Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader

Summary- Based on Begin Again (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift <3

Warnings- Slight angst, kissing, a lot of Fluff and as always my poor english :)

Word count- 1.6k

A/N- Long time no see people. So here I am with a Fred Weasley fic coz I love this dork sm. Also this happens after the war and yes Fred is alive coz he never died (im delusional)

It was Wednesday, probably your least favourite day of the week. You were getting ready for work, deciding to wear heels for today.

“Don’t wear them, they don’t look good on you.” Your ex-boyfriend would have said if he were here. You sighed and looked into the mirror.

“But I look good in them.” You smiled at yourself before leaving. You decided to walk to the ministry for today rather than apparating, stopping by a cafe to grab a quick morning coffee for a head start for the day. Your headphones played a song you loved.

“I don’t get this song.” Your ex-boyfriend would’ve commented if he were here. You shook your head and smiled through the song.

“But I do.”

As you walked towards the cafe, you suddenly bumped into someone who was much taller than you. The things they were carrying dropped on the floor as you quickly bent down to pick them up, removing your headphones from ears to your neck, apologies never stopping to leave from your mouth.

“I’m really sorry for not paying attention, hope I didn’t break anything.” You said, finally looking at the stranger’s face as you gave them the last thing you picked.

It was a man. A really good looking and tall man. He had red hair, which were perfectly messed up, his smile looking genuine as he smiled at you.

“It’s alright.” The handsome stranger said, “I hadn’t been paying attention as well. Reckon its partly my fault too.”

Damn, you could listen to his voice forever if you could. It was as clear as crystal water, as smooth as silk.

If it had been your ex-boyfriend, he would’ve gotten mad. Mad that because of you he dropped his things. He would’ve cursed at you, maybe even yell. You shook your head and quickly came out of your thoughts.

“Guess we’re both sorry then.” You said, trying not get awkward. He chuckled and extended his free hand.

“I’m Fred, Fred Weasley.”

-

Three weeks later on a Wednesday, you walked inside the same cafe, half expecting that Fred wouldn’t arrive. But you were immediately proven wrong when you saw him, already standing near a table, waiting for you.

He waved at you when he saw you and gestured for you to sit across from him. You walked towards him, sitting down as he pulled out the chair for you. He didn’t know how nice this gesture was but you did.

You small talked about everything. You attempted to make jokes about things to which he responded with throwing his head back laughing like a little kid. “That was the funniest thing someone has ever said to me.” He said.

You were surprised at his response. “It wasn’t even funny, why do you even try to be funny when you’re not?” Your ex-boyfriend would’ve said if it were him instead of Fred.

As your conversation went on, you thought that maybe not all relationships are the way your previous ones were. Maybe some included this. Happiness. Because today, on Wednesday, in this cafe, you watched your feelings begin again.

-

“I’ve never met someone who has the collection of all the chocolate frog cards.” He had said laughing a little when you showed him your card collection. “Well except my brother Ron of course. This is impressive.”

You had smiled and responded, “thanks. I’ve liked chocolate frogs since I first ate them on my way to Hogwarts, back in first year.”

“I kind of figured, it’s cute if you ask me.” He had smiled, making you blush.

He had been telling you about himself and his family. You had been listening intently and laughing every time he told you about the pranks he had played on other students along with his brother George, back when he was in Hogwarts.

You told him about yourself, getting shy occasionally which he couldn’t comprehend why, but you did. He was the sweetest man you had ever talked to.

He eventually took you to meet his family. You were a nervous wreck, to which he had assured you that there was nothing to worry about and his family especially his mother were going to love you.

And he was right. His mother, Molly Weasley who was also a redhead welcomed you as if you were her own. His father, Arthur Weasley was also genuinely interested in knowing about your work. He had asked you many questions related to your work field, making you smile a little as you didn’t really have anyone who was interested in what you did.

His siblings were all friendly towards you. You had immediately gotten along with George, which made Fred smile to himself. You had even given some advices on how they can improve their shop works. Ron showed you his chocolate frog card collection and told you how he still had some missing. You offered yours to him to which he smiled and agreed happily. Ginny treated you as her sister, very much interested in getting to know you more.

You liked the Weasleys, and the fact they accepted you made both you and Fred happy. He had kissed your forehead once you reached your doorstep, after he had insisted on walking you home. That night neither you nor Fred slept, replaying the moment you spent together.

-

Christmas was around the corner and snow had started to gather everywhere. Everyone you could see were busy shopping for holidays.

You were in a shop, buying gifts for Fred and his family. You smiled when you saw the things that Fred had talked about many times and how much he would love it if got it. You made your way to pay, the cashier surprised to see you buying gifts.

“You’re buying gifts for yourself?” he asked. You and the cashier had been friends for many years as you were a frequent customer in his store.

“No, they’re for my- friend and his family.” you had hesitated because you two hadn’t made anything official. Hell was there anything even to make it official? You thought.

The cashier smiled, “explains why you look better than before since last few weeks. Finally got someone right?”

You smiled and nodded back at him and said, “I’m giving love a chance to begin again.”

-

You and Fred were walking back to your house, hand in hand as he small talked about everything. You hadn’t been paying attention, your mind going back to your ex-boyfriend.

You didn’t remember anytime when you and him were like this, peaceful and most of all- happy.

You decided to tell Fred about him so you said, “I wanted to-”

“I wanted to-” he said at same time as you, making both of you laugh.

“You first.” You said.

“I wanted to tell you that my mother wants me to invite you home for the Christmas dinner.” He said sheepishly rubbing his neck.

“I don’t know, Fred. Christmas dinner is for families and-”

He interrupted, “But you’re a part of the family now. Please come, Y/N. I’ll feel better if you did. Plus we’ll get a jumper knitted by my mother herself with our initials on it. It's a family tradition for every Christmas."

"Okay, I'll be there." You said with a smile. Fred grinned widely and kissed your cheek in excitement making you a flustered mess and you thanked Merlin for the cold.

You forgot all about your ex-boyfriend as Fred went on to tell you stories of pranks he played on Ron with George. You had a small smile on your face as you listened to him, and for the first time you thought 'what happened in the past stays in the past'.

-

It was New Year's Eve and you and Fred were decorating your house for the party later tonight. He watched you as you were focused on shaping the cookie dough to bake. Your tongue was grazing your upper lip, ounces of flour around your forehead.

He blushed and looked away when you caught him staring and resumed his work, smiling to himself.

Night came on and the party was in full swing. Fred and George were entertaining the guests with the products from their joke shop. Ginny and Hermione helped you serve the drinks as Ron and Harry small talked, drinks in their hands.

And the time came for which everyone was waiting. The new year countdown. Everyone gathered around near the clock as it ticked. Suddenly, Fred took you by your hand and led you to the balcony.

People started counting backwards as Fred took your hands in his. He looked nervous and your heart couldn't help but pick up its pace.

"10!"

"Y/N, I've known you for almost an year now and I don't think I can deny it any longer."

"7"

"You have always been so kind to others but never to yourself. So I want to be the one to take care of you. You have showed me many times what I'm worth of. You showed me a new way to view life."

"5!"

"Fred, what are you saying?" You asked, quietly.

"3!

"I'm saying that I love you, Y/N. All of you. And I'll never get tired of admitting it. Be my girlfriend, Y/N."

"1!"

You didn't say anything as tears fell down your cheeks. You grabbed him by his collars and attached your lips with his. He immediately wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer when you heard everyone screaming.

"Happy New Year!"

Fred and you smiled into the kiss as he sealed the promise of never hurting you by deepening the kiss. Surely you have had some bad relationships but it was all worth it if it had brought you to Fred Weasley, the redhead which made your belief in love begin again.

______________________________________________________________

Ah I loved writing this. Thank you for reading!

[chelseachilly]

how deep is your love

pairing: reader x ben chilwell summary: ben's drunk and can't stop telling you how much he loves you 🩵 warnings: none :) word count: 1.4k

author’s note: written based on this post from @benchilwellx bc it was such a cute concept, just a quick fluffy little one-shot to get the writing juices flowing :) sorry i haven't updated this love in a couple weeks but life has been crazy! hoping to get the next chapter posted in the next week but enjoy this in the meantime 💗

also for the sake of this fic let's pretend chelsea didn't have a game this weekend, tbh would rather forget the one they did play lol

-

In the two years you’ve known Ben, and just over a year since you’ve been a couple, you could count on one hand the number of times you’ve seen him truly drunk. 

With the football season preventing him from indulging too much for most of the year, and fitness at the top of his mind even in the off-season, he rarely gets the opportunity. Usually, when you go out, he either drives or makes sure to get you home safely in an Uber, and if you’ve had a really fun night, he’ll help you take off your makeup or even hold your hair back if necessary. 

So it’s an interesting turn of events when you show up a bit late to his best mate Harvey’s birthday celebration at a fancy club in Soho and find your boyfriend clearly tipsy already. 

He’s sitting in a booth next to Tom and Harvey singing along to some 90s R&B song, a drink in hand that is definitely not his first, or even his second or third. He’s a bit of a sight to behold, as he so rarely drinks this much, but you can’t help but smile at the sight of him letting loose - you know how much pressure he’s been under lately with the captain duties. 

“Babe!” Ben exclaims with wide eyes and an even wider grin as soon as he sees you, stumbling a bit as he gets up from the booth. “You’re here!”

He quickly makes his way to you and pulls you in for a sloppy kiss, and you can taste the liquor on his tongue. You sink into him nonetheless, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms after a long day of work.

As soon as you pull back, he rests his forehead against yours and takes a deep breath, his thumbs drawing circles on your waistline.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, babe,“ you smile back at him warmly, enjoying this affection, no matter how much tequila is playing a part. “You pretty drunk?”

“Mhm,” Ben says with a slightly dazed expression, his eyes still focused on your lips. “The boys were making me take shots since there’s no game this week.”

You chuckle slightly, rolling your eyes at Ben’s - and by extension, your - good friends at the booth behind him, dancing and ordering another round of shots. You’re glad Harvey’s having a good birthday.

“I’m happy you’re having fun, baby, you deserve it,” you say sincerely, cupping his face with both hands before leaning in to kiss him again. “Now, it seems I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

“Go sit with the boys, I’ll get you a drink,” Ben offers, pressing another quick kiss to your cheek before heading to the bar.

You nod with a smile and go to sit next to Harvey, pulling him into a quick hug and wishing him a happy birthday.

“Now, which one of you is responsible for my drunk boyfriend?” you inquire, raising an eyebrow as you glance back at Ben, who is still smiling lovingly at you from the bar. 

“That would be the birthday boy,” Tom chuckles. “He’s bloody entertaining though, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but I’m the one who’s going to have to deal with him hungover tomorrow,” you joke.

The last time he was hungover, after one fun night on the yacht in Italy this summer, Ben had forced you to spend the whole day in bed cuddling with him. You pretended to be annoyed for about five minutes before giving in - partly because you can never turn down his cuddles, and partly because you were pretty hungover too. 

Speaking of how adorable your boyfriend is, within minutes he’s headed back over to you with that same dopey grin on his face and two vodka sodas. It’s your favourite, and his go-to during the season when he’s watching his calories.

“For you, my darling,” Ben says in an overly posh accent as he hands you the glass, making you giggle.

He then practically shoves Tom over to make room for himself to sit next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders protectively and kissing your cheek. You can feel yourself blushing from the unusually overt PDA, as he typically reserves this kind of affection for home, but you don’t mind.

“I love you,” Ben whispers once again against your temple, burying his nose in your hair. “So, so much. Missed you today.”

It’s amazing the way those three words still give you the same butterflies as the first time you heard them, making you smile like a lovestruck fool.

“I missed you too, baby,” you murmur, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make dinner. You know how crazy work has been.”

Ben and the boys had been a bit disappointed when you weren’t able to join them for dinner earlier, mainly because you’ve been so busy at work lately due to a recent promotion that your friends have hardly seen you. Even Ben’s time with you has been limited, especially with him also putting in extra time at Cobham as captain while Reece is out. 

It’s been an exciting time for both of you career-wise, but it’s also meant spending less time together, which is probably why Ben is being so clingy right now and why you’re welcoming his clinginess.

“S’okay, I’m just glad you’re here now,” Ben says, kissing your cheek a few more times before returning the conversation with the boys.

You contently settle into Ben’s side, his arm still firmly wrapped around you, and sip your drink while they talk about football and the girl Anish is seeing. When Ben interrupts the other guys�� suggestions of playing it cool and waiting to text her back by telling his friend to be honest and just tell her how he feels, your heart swells with pride that your boyfriend is the most emotionally intelligent guy you know.

“Since Ben’s the only one successfully in a relationship, I’m gonna take his advice,” Anish laughs, raising his drink to you. “Unless he just got lucky with Y/N.”

“Nah, he won me over fair and square,” you say, turning your face to meet Ben’s eyes and smiling lovingly at him. “I’m the lucky one.”

The way Ben’s eyes shine and his lip quivers slightly at your words makes it impossible for you to resist leaning in to press a quick peck to his mouth. It’s not your fault he’s so adorable, nor is it your fault that Ben deepens the kiss and pulls you closer.

“Alright, we’re going to get more drinks, we’ll leave you to it,” Harvey says with an eye-roll as the rest of your group gets up and starts to walk over to the bar.

You pull back from Ben’s kisses, feeling a bit embarrassed by how touchy you’re being, but he only takes the opportunity to grab your waist and hoist you into his lap.

“Baby,” you sigh, really enjoying the warmth of his arms and the little kisses he’s leaving on your neck. “Don’t you think we should cool it a bit? It’s Harvey’s birthday, doubt he wants to watch us do this all night.”

“Can’t help it,” Ben mumbles into your neck, sending a shiver up your spine. “I just love you so much.”

Ben never shies away from reminding you of this fact, often the last three words he says to you before bed or when you’re leaving the house, but he tends to tell you how much he loves you even more than normal when he’s drinking. You’re not sure if he forgets that he already told you multiple times or just that he feels particularly lovey when intoxicated. Either way, you love it.

“I love you so much too, Benji,” you smile, kissing his forehead and adorning the way his eyes flutter shut in contentment. “Why don’t we stay for one more drink and then go home and have sex on the couch and fall asleep watching Love Island?”

His eyes light up like a child who’s just been offered ice cream before bed, and he nods eagerly.

“Alright, but you’re gonna have to let me off your lap, babe,” you chuckle, ruffling his hair. “Unless you wanna get roasted mercilessly.”

“Don’t care,” Ben grumbles into your hair, but when you pull back and give him a warning look, he sighs and gives in. “Fine, but we’re dancing.”

You squeal slightly as you’re lifted off your feet, Ben dragging you to the dance floor. You might be exhausted and ready to go home at this point, but you’re content to spend the next few minutes dancing to some Calvin Harris song in the arms of your drunk boyfriend, him whispering how much he loves you between the choruses.

[iifishizzleii]

sibling johnny mactavish includes

unedited😛

having eight sisters.

this man has ‘younger brother’ energy written all over him. he’s the middle child, but by the time his parents got to having johnny, they were already at the ‘eh, i don’t care what you do just don’t die’ phase parents get at with their kids. which meant that it was up to his four older sisters to raise the boy right.

johnny knows how to read women. and while it’s partly because his sisters taught him well, it’s also because living in a house full of that many women meant learning their language or fucking perishing. this man is fluent in eyelingual. he knows every eyebrow raise, side-eye, narrowed gaze to a pointed look. who needs morse code in the military when you got eyelingual?

being a big character

because when you learn the language, of course you’re going to want to learn the culture as well. and johnny mactavish has been submerged in women culture all his life. which means three things:

one, he knows how to play the long game. whether it comes with petty revenge or simply asking for something from a higher power (his oldest sister), johnny is the king of waiting it out, finding the sweet spot of those moments and taking it. it’s the reason why only he, out of the entire task force, can get away with so much shit when it comes to laswell.

two, johnny knows how to be mean without being rude. thanks to the second and third mactavish daughters, his sisters (bless their heart), johnny knows how to kiss a person’s cheek while stabbing them with verbal cues. his sisters would do it all the time to each other and to guests that came over that they didn’t like. and it paid off being the brunt of so many passive aggressive comments because johnny’s work sometimes requires being civil, but that doesn’t mean he has to be a gentleman.

and three, johnny knows how to play dumb. really. it’s almost scary how quick this guy can go from playing with sticks and making dumb jokes about mud, to building a bomb made of sticks and mud. and it was his younger siblings, surprisingly, who taught johnny that being as pretty of a family that they were (because let’s be fr, soap is gorgeous), nobody expects them to know how to think. it makes getting out of certain situations and receiving special treatment so much more easier, too, when all you gotta do is give a charming smile and bat your eyelashes (ghost has been at the receiving end and has fallen for this act far too many times to let anyone else know).

having really thick skin

a lot of people think having an older brother is tough. and hey, it is! ghost would argue its a lot meaner than having a sister, because sisters are naturally more nurturing, nicer, and kinder than brothers are.

and for the most part, that was true. all of johhny’s sisters are good people. they’re kind, yes, and helpful and overall worthy of their spots through the pearly gates. but they’re not fucking nice. the fuck.

the amount of times johnny was dragged out of bed to take out the trash at the crack ass of dawn is ridiculous. he should have brain damage now from how many times his head hit the floor. but, he was the only boy, so all the ‘manly’ jobs like mowing the lawn, washing the cars, bringing in the groceries, all of those were johnny’s chores. (but, even then, most people would pass their home and see several girls—blondes, brunettes, and gingers— washing the porch, the family truck, and tending to the yard. johnny was j

and that’s not even to mention the psychological warfare. mactavish’s are infamous for their temper, so when you’re living with eight other land mines dressed in heels and lashes just waiting to be stepped on, everyday was a different fight blowing up in the house. and when you got insulted by your sister, johnny learned that the only way to deflect is by hitting them with something meaner a lot more quickly or you’d cry.

like that time johnny blamed the wet floor in their bathroom on all of the leg hair his younger sister kept shaving and getting stuck in the drain so the water flowed out the tub and soaked the tiles. and she automatically replied with, “or maybe it’s all the grease from the back of your fat fucking neck dragging on the ground that’s making the tiles wet”. (it was their other sister’s fault it turned out.)

loving the hard times

because as much as johnny could give his family shit for all of the bad days, none of them could compare to the good ones.

the mornings where he woke up to the smell of sourdough pancakes and sizzling bacon.

when his sister would pull him out of school early to go shopping at the mall, and she’d buy him a new toy or cool shirt.

when he did one of them a favor and later that week she’d taken johnny to get some greasy fast food with her to eat at a park because she wasn’t trying to buy food for the whole house.

when his younger sisters spent their first daddy-daughter dance standing on his church shoes and holding his hands because their real father wasn’t around anymore.

when they spend the rest of the day outside spraying each other with the water hose after washing the cars because the house was too hot, and sandwiches with premade lemonade under the tree was lunch.

when the winter winds were so strong they broke the heater, and the family spent a week having a slumber party in the living room to keep warm.

when they all got matching tattoos on the ankle, a roman numeral for each sibling.

when johnny went off to join the army, leaving his sisters for the first time, they all went to the airport to see him off.

[natequarter]

A mad soothsayer told a story. He claimed to have been at the final, awful dissolution of the Insoluble Ancients. He met an old man dressed in white, standing under a white umbrella (to protect him from the acid rain). The old man was holding a cocktail in one hand and something else in the other. The soothsayer really only noticed the cocktail.

‘That looks nice,’ he said, for he spoke only the sooth.

‘It is,’ smiled the old man in white, regarding his drink pleasantly. He seemed to be regarding most things pleasantly. He handed his to the soothsayer. ‘I can always make another,’ he said, his eyes twinkling in a way that suggested they always twinkled. He invited the soothsayer under his umbrella.

The cocktail tasted marvellous. It made the acid rain bearable as it ate into his shoes. Very improbably, a dove flew past, making its startled, agonised way through the air. Perhaps attracted by the umbrella, or by the only bit of shelter for miles around, the bird drew close. It flapped around, tapped its beak against the cocktail glass, and then settled on the wise old man’s head.

‘Oh dear,’ said the wise old man in white, ‘perfection can’t last forever, can it?’ He chuckled and the soothsayer laughed along, partly because he liked to be seen to be clever, but mostly because, well, you know, the man in white had a dove on his head.

Whilst trying not to look at the dove, the soothsayer’s eyes alighted on the other thing that the man in white was holding. At this point, he did some quick mental arithmetic and failed to reach an answer as to how exactly how the man in white was managing with just the two arms to hold an umbrella, a cocktail, and a large square crystal.

‘What’s that?’ the soothsayer asked.

‘Oh, I’m afraid I can’t give it to you,’ chuckled the wise old man, with the annoying chuckle of someone who enjoyed a lot of private jokes. ‘I can’t make another, you see. This is the Key To Time,’ he announced. ‘It brings balance to the universe.’

‘Is such a thing possible?’ asked the soothsayer. The dove gave him an ‘Ooh, you’re brave’ coo.

The old man in white held up the crystal, turning it around until it caught the reflections of the distant burning cities.

‘I should say so,’ he declared. ‘Today’s a rare day. I’ve brought perfect balance to the universe.’ He tossed it up into the air and the crystal vanished. ‘Don’t mess it up,’ the old man said to no one and everyone in particular. He walked away.

The soothsayer found himself holding an umbrella and an empty cocktail glass.

this is maybe the only thing i've read that successfully captures the mystique of the white guardian outside of his introduction in the ribos operation

[salemshotspot]

SLASHERS WITH A READER THAT PICKS AT THEIR SKIN:

Includes: Chop-Top Sawyer, Bubba Sawyer, Luigi Largo, Otis Driftwood, Freddy Kreuger, Doomhead

WORD COUNT: 2k

DESC: How slashers/horror characters would react to their partner picking at their skin

No use of gendered pronouns/anatomy

WARNINGS: Skin Picking//Anxiety//Drug Use//Slight Self Harm//Not Proof Read//Swearing

Enjoy!

——————————————————————————

Chop-Top Swayer:

I feel like he would notice your scalp picking pretty quick but not really say much at first; not because he didn’t care but more of the fact he picks at his scalp a lot [because of his plate] so he assumes it’s normal and nothing to worry about, he’ll just assume your head has been particularly itchy lately like his plate from time to time.

However one rare evening where no one had any pressing matters to attend to you sat with the Sawyer’s to have dinner and afterwards you all sat and watched the television.

Drayton had absolutely no interest in the television because “tv isn’t as good as it once was" so he just kind of looked around the room aimlessly and it just so happened that his eyes landed on you as you were picking at your already damaged scalp.

Drayton goes in a partly joking tone "fuck y/n has chop-top been rubbing off on you that much, you’ve been picking at that darn head more than him lately.”

You just awkwardly laugh trying not to bring more attention to the matter and move your hands away from your head, feeling yourself grow more anxious about the fact attention was brought to the matter.

After a few minutes you make up an excuse along the lines of “I’m tired I’m going to head upstairs” and quickly rush to the bedroom which you share with Chop-Top.

Chop-Top would notice you left when he went to place his arm around you and he couldn’t feel you there.

He would be confused as to where you were because he wasn’t paying attention because he was focused on the tv after it caught his attention, however when Drayton explained in a slightly annoyed tone that he made a, slightly, joking comment and you upped sticks and went to what he assumed was sleep for the night Chop-Top was puzzled to say the least.

He decided to make his way to the bedroom which he shared with you to see if you were ok, however when he walked in on you close to tears, struggling to breathe as you was trying to hold in your tears, he could tell you wasn’t holding up too well.

He isn’t too familiar with people expressing feelings around him as due to his nature and the whole family business he never really formed bonds with anyone, let alone him comforting them.

It’s safe to say his first thought would be to freak out, threatening to kill whoever upset you [very aggressively.]

I feel like he’d also just kind of stand in the door way while he tried to work out what to do, he hates seeing you like this but he also hates knowing that he doesn’t know how to help.

He’d eventually land on just holding you, still freaking out inside.

When you finally calm down and regulate your breathing he would 100% try and break the silence with a joke.

”We all bored you to tears down there y/n?” He anxiously jokes.

“No it’s not that” you trail off and take a deep breathe; you then explain everything to him from how anxious you’ve been feeling to how you’ve been stress picking at your scalp.

He feels immediately guilty because he noticed it happening but said nothing about it.

It’s safe to say after that you both lay in each other’s arms for a long time.

As he is also prone to picking at his scalp Chop-Top knows how you feel better than anyone and in turn has a long list of ways to try and help you stop, or at least reduce how frequently you pick at your scalp.

Chop-Top would definitely be one to advocate getting high whenever you were stressed {and he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to getting high with you, apparently it’s "good couple bonding.”

Despite his best efforts, he shows his support in the most round about, ‘Chop-Top’ way possible, for example he’d tell you that “your scalp is far too pretty to hurt” [he thought it was endearing.]

Most importantly he’d want you to know you can talk to him, even if he’s not the best with his words.

I also feel like he’d pat your head a lot to try and comfort you whenever you were stressed so you would be less inclined to pick at your scalp.

Bubba Swayer:

He wouldn’t notice the scalp picking but he’d notice the cuts on your head; basically he’d just start seeing more cuts and marks through your hair and royally freak out.

Immediately wants to, violently, kill whoever kept hurting your head.

This idea was very quickly put on the back burner once you explained that you did it yourself.

I don’t think he’d fully understand it, like he finds hurting others, when deserved, very therapeutic because it’s what he’s always done but he can’t wrap his head around the idea of self-inflicted pain.

Although he doesn’t understand it he wants to listen to you talk about it to try and understand it better so he can support you the best he can.

Would most likely end up hugging you so tight that you thought you was going to die after you explained everything in detail.

If he ever saw you picking at your scalp or looking anxious he would just place his hand on your head and kind of just leave it there? You found it very comforting all be it confusing at first.

Luigi Largo:

Luigi isn’t the world’s most observant man so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t notice your nervous habit straight away.

I feel like he would find out in the most unconventional way, not because he’s oblivious, he’s just so focused on work that he pushes everything aside.

I feel like him finding out would be something along the lines of Pavi bringing it up, like casually asking Luigi how you was doing with the whole thing [because let’s face it, pretty much everyone else has noticed you picking at your head once or twice when you was stressed because you’re too overwhelmed to try and be discreet about it.]

This would cause Luigi to become, even more, short-tempered declaring “if something was going on he’d know.”

On the outside he’d become much more hostile but he would be internally freaking out because he’d feel awful for not noticing if this was happening and convince himself that you’re going to leave him for ‘not caring enough’ or something like that.

He’d eventually psyche himself up enough to go find you and try to talk to you about it, however he’d do it in his own round about way.

"I’m going to kill Pavi” he shouts as he enters the room.

”It’s nice to see you too Luigi” you’d chuckle.

Part way through his rant he’d explain that he was mad because Pavi had essentially made him feel like a bad boyfriend for not noticing that you’d be struggling.

You’d have to get him to backtrack for a moment because he’d miss a few key points such as what Pavi had meant by “you’re struggling” as he apparently put it.

After he explained everything you’d probably have to reassure him that he isn’t a bad boyfriend; despite his demeanour he’s really insecure because of the lack of affection from his dad growing up.

Now he is aware of your problem he’s really observant, like scarily observant.

Your hands move? He’s looking to make sure you’re not stress picking your skin, he’s been busy and hasn’t seen you all day? When he sees you he checks to make sure you have no cuts on your skin from picking.

If you have been picking at your skin he would be concerned; he isn’t the best at talking about feelings but he’ll listen to you and try his best to understand.

If he noticed you were getting anxious and picking at your skin he would definitely be the type to just grab your hand and keep hold of it to comfort you and stop you picking at yourself.

He’s very protective of you as it is but he would probably get more protective; like if he even thinks someone or something might be stressing you out he’s resort to violent means instantly [which isn’t anything new.]

Otis Driftwood:

I feel like he’d either be exactly like Luigi Largo in the sense he’s oblivious and wouldn’t notice without someone bringing it up or he’d notice straight away, I feel like he’d be in a bad mood and notice you picking at yourself and it would annoy him so he’d tell you to stop [which would in turn make it worse.]

When you didn’t stop he’d go to question it but when he noticed you were stressed he’d be confused; “what the fuck is up with you?”

I don’t think he’d completely understand what was the matter when you explained how you felt but he’d understand enough to know that he should probably keep an eye on you.

I don’t care if you agree with this, I will die on this hill, if you were really stressed and started picking at your skin, he would just swat your hand away from your head.

However, I feel like Otis would also kiss your head, when no one was looking, and I will not take arguments on this one.

Freddy Kreuger:

Freddy would be surprisingly observant of you, so when you start picking at your head when you’re stressed or anxious, he will notice.

He wouldn’t try and be gentle and ‘walk around the topic’ he’d just ask you about it straight up.

I feel like he’d be really sympathetic and understanding of the whole situation.

After you spoke about it he would probably try and cheer you up afterwards and take your mind off of it to cheer you up by telling really shitty jokes.

I feel like if he saw you getting really anxious and start picking at your skin his first thought would be to kind of prompt you to stop by gently pushing your hand away from your head and try to take your mind off whatever is making you anxious by completely removing either you or whatever is making you stressed or anxious from the situation.

If that failed to work he would take matters into his own hands, quite literally, by keeping hold of your hands until you’ve calmed down.

He would probably just talk to you until you felt better, whether it be about the situation or talking about something completely random to try and take your mind off of it; he’s definitely a talker.

Doomhead:

He would without a doubt notice your habit straight away, he seems like the kind of person to notice *everything* for no other reason than paranoia; he needs every element of his surroundings to be in his control all of the time so he himself doesn’t become stressed so in turn he pays attention to everything all of the time.

He would try and make you feel better and, at first, make you feel worse.

"Can you stop doing that, there’s better things to be doing” was meant to be endearing and meant to show you that you don’t have to hurt yourself but it came across as him calling your habit stupid.

When you started crying at his comment it’s safe to say he’d be confused as fuck; “what the fuck are you crying at now.”

Once you explained it he’d fee quite bad but he wouldn’t want you to know that; he’d just explain that that’s not what he meant.

If he ever saw you getting anxious or stressed I don’t think he’d try and physically stop you he’d just shoot you a look or say something to you.

If you didn’t stop picking at your skin after he brought it up he would then physically move your hands and give you a long ass talking to about why you shouldn’t do it.

TLDR; if he sees you picking at your skin he will give you a lecture.

He cares about you, he just doesn’t really know how to show it so it manifests in him acting like a pissed off parent or teacher.

——————————————————————————

A/N >> God I wrote this so long ago, drop writing requests in my inbox!

[jumpywhumpywriter]

"The Lost Hero" - Crippled Hero Presumed Dead part 2

Warnings: crippled hero, hero with disabilities, retired hero, reluctant hero, near-death experience, reluctant rescue

The next morning Logan woke up bright and early, and with a plan. He just needed to find something to give Hero her fighting spirit back, right? And what better way to do it than to fix her disabilities. And he knew just the person to help.

He locked the door to his bedroom and spent an hour pacing, thinking his idea over before finally mustering the courage to pull out his phone and dial a familiar number.

And after only a few rings, a well-known voice answered. It was Noah, his college-age friend who was studying medical engineering courses. He might be able to help.

"Hey man, what's up?" Noah's chipper voice sounded through the phone.

"Yeah, so I've got a quick for you," Logan started. "You've studied in the medical field for a while now, so do you think that hypothetically you'd be able to help someone walk straight again if they've suffered a severe crush injury in the past?"

"Well, it depends on how bad it truly is, I guess. There's a lot of different ways to fix things, everything from braces to casts to limb replacements or complex surgeries, but I would need to see and assess the damage myself to be sure. I'm assuming this is no longer hypothetical, correct? Why do you need to know this stuff?"

"...Is it really that obvious?"

"I mean, knowing you, it kind of is," Noah laughed through the phone. "You out there making friends with kind older disabled folks or somethin'?"

"Not exactly. This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out..." Logan explained everything that had happened yesterday, how he'd almost been hit by a truck, which led to discovering that Hero was alive--and in less than an hour, he was meeting Noah outside his house.

"I swear, if this is some wild prank--" Noah's eyes were huge when Logan answered the door with a blizzard of emotions ranging from outright disbelief to hopeful excitement. He had a large bag slung over one shoulder. Logan had requested that he bring a field kit with him.

"This isn't funny if this is a joke, telling me that Hero is alive--"

"I'm not lying, if that's what you're suggesting, " Logan said quickly. "I guess you'll have to see it for yourself to believe it. Come with me and I'll show you where she lives." He led Noah down the maze of city alleys for several blocks, each stride full of purpose and determination, until they finally reached the right place.

Logan noticed that the blue dumpster was already shifted to the side away from the hidden entrance -- which meant Hero must be home. "I have to warn you in advance, she's... not going to be what you're probably expecting," Logan said grimly.

Noah nodded, lips drawn in a tight line as he hefted the big black bag higher up on his shoulder.

With a deep breath, Logan knocked on the brick wall until there was a more hollow sound indicative of a false barrier. After glancing both ways to make sure no one was watching, he leaned close to the barrier. "Hero? Are you there? Can I come in?" He whisper-shouted. He waited for several minutes that stretched for an eternity, before the false wall moved and was taken down, revealing a wide-eyed Hero with a surprised look on her face, partly hidden in the shadows of the entrance. Clearly she hadn't expected to ever see him again. Then her gaze darted to Noah, and her eyes instantly narrowed to twin slits, as her fingers reached up to press against her neck so she could speak.

"I'm pretty sure I made it perfectly clear that I didn't want anyone else knowing of my existence," she growled through gritted teeth.

"No, wait! It's not what you think! My friend here is a skilled medical engineer, he thinks he might have a way to fix your leg."

Hero scoffed in disbelief, unconvinced. "I already told you, I'm retired. I don't want your help, because no amount of help is going to put me back in the fight. Period. End of story."

"Even if that's true, wouldn't you like to be able to walk properly again?" Logan pressed. "It could be a gift of gratitude for all you've done for the city! The least we can do is fix your limp." He held his breath hopefully as Hero scowled, but didn't immediately shoot down the idea. It felt like forever before she nodded stiffly, seeming to mull it over.

"...Very well," she reluctantly growled after hesitating. "Come in." She turned and stalked down the stairs into her hideout without another word, and Logan followed along with Noah.

"To be honest, I thought you were on drugs when you said you met Hero and that she was alive," Noah whispered into his ear from behind.

Logan choked on a laugh. "Glad you had faith in me," he drawled sarcastically, and gave his friend's shoulder a playful nudge as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

In the light of the hideout, Hero's face was fully visible, and Logan could hear Noah's breath hitch as he saw the mess of scars marring it. He pointedly stepped on his friend's foot to get him to stop rudely staring, and Noah's gaze snapped guiltily to the floor.

Hero raised her hands up in a 'well?' gesture. "So, how's this work? What bound-to-fail sort of plan do you have?" Her voice lasted any enthusiasm whatsoever, and it looked like she might only be entertaining the idea out of slight curiosity, nothing more. "And before we start, I never caught either of your names."

Logan mentally slapped his face. Of course he'd forget to properly introduce himself in all the chaos of yesterday! "Right! I'm Logan, and this is my friend Noah."

Noah smiled pleasantly and held out a hand to Hero in greeting, but she only eyed it like a piece of roadkill, making no move to shake it, and he eventually dropped it back to his side with an awkward cough.

Hero jerked her chin at the bag he was carrying. "What's in there?"

"Uh, some supplies, for, you know, taking measurements and... stuff." Noah tripped over his words, nervous sweat beading his brow under Hero's intense stare. It didn't help that he was one of Hero's biggest superfans, or at least he was, before she was presumed dead. He was getting too flustered.

"Noah, you told me earlier you might be able to make a brace capable of helping?" Logan prodded pointedly, snapping him out of his awestruck state.

"R-Right!" Noah dropped his bag on the floor with a heavy clunk and rifled through it, pulling out a few strange metal medical instruments along with a measuring tape. "So, um, I-I'm going to need to examine your leg to assess the damage and get measurements... can I just...?"

Hero crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl. "I feel like you two young gentlemen are just wasting your precious time on me and--"

"Hero, please," Logan interrupted, and Hero blinked in surprise that he'd had the guts to do so. "Please... let us help. Or at least let us try."

Hero waffled, conflicted, but eventually decided to give in, limping over to sink into a chair and pulling up her pant leg to reveal her damaged leg.

Noah sucked in a sharp inhale at the sight, coming over to crouch in front of her. "Yeesh, Logan told me it was rough, but your leg is chewed up bad."

"Thanks, I managed to do it myself," Hero said dryly, her voice dripping with exasperated sarcasm.

"Is it okay if I touch...?"

Hero snorted and waved a hand at him. "By all means, go right ahead. If you want to waste your time on a lost cause like me, who am I to object?”

Noah winced at her harsh wounds but reached out and placed his hands on her thigh, feeling around the muscle tissue and tendons and working his way down to her knee, mapping out every flaw and imperfection in her bones.

Hero gave no reaction other than to sigh wearily, but as soon as Noah worked his way down to her shin and calf, Logan saw her visibly twitch and tense up, intense pain briefly twisting her expression before she schooled it back into a cautiously neutral mask of stoicism. And it looked like she was holding her breath, gritting her teeth against whatever pain she was in.

Noah pressed his fingers into her skin, massaging areas and mumbling to himself as he examined her leg all the way to her foot before standing up and stepping away.

Logan could have sworn he saw relief fill Hero's eyes that the examination was over, and she let out a shaky breath.

"Some of these wounds appear inflamed, and I think your ankle is badly sprained," Noah announced with a frown. "Did you do anything to re-open your old injuries recently?"

Hero's eyes flicked up to lock directly on Logan. "Yeah. Saving that lunatic right there from an untimely demise," she growled, and Logan felt a sharp stab of guilt and shame in his gut.

"I haven't had to move that fast in a long time," Hero added, "guess my body wasn't ready for it."

Noah bent down and picked up his measuring tape, coming back to crouch in front of Hero again. "I have some ideas of how we can give you your mobility back, all I need is to take some measurements and take them home with me. I'll see what I can put together for you."

Hero snorted. "Where did you learn all this stuff, anyway?" she inquired.

"Oh, I'm a medical engineer in training. Going to college for it."

"Great. So I'm trusting my health to an amateur?" Hero rolled her eyes, and Noah flinched at the barbed words, faltering as his confidence deflated a little.

"Just give me a couple days, I'm sure I can fix this," Noah croaked sadly.

"I'm not a machine to be fixed!" Hero suddenly snapped in a burst of rare anger. "I don't know why you two are so committed to helping someone beyond saving! Even if by some miracle you fix my leg, I'm not going to save this city. My time as Hero is long over. I know that's what you're trying to convince me to do by offering me help, but it's not going to change my mind." With a growl, she snatched up a throwing blade from the table next to her chair in frustration, and with the flick of a wrist, sent it skillfully whistling through the air to embed itself right into the leather Hero mask pinned up along with the suit against the far wall.

Then Hero let out a groan, rubbing a hand across her face in obvious distress. "I'm sorry for the outburst, I'm just... so tired of receiving false hope. I can't do it again." Her voice cracked.

"Why can't you believe it if we said we didn't have any ulterior motives?" Logan asked softly. "Why can't we help you merely for the sake of helping you?"

"Because you do have ulterior motives," Hero said coldly, her eyes suddenly sharp and assessing as they pinned Logan to the spot. There was so much pain in her gaze, more than just physical wounds lingered there. The toll of the years hidden away and suffering present in every taut line of her face.

"You are young, and naive, to think I can't see through your intentions, read them like an open book," Hero continued quietly, though her voice lost all its anger, replaced with bone-deep weariness. Logan's heart sank at the heavy knowingness in her expression. "I am many times your elder, kid... I know a lie when I hear one, and I can see it in your face. Even if it's not intentional, a small part of you came here in hopes you could get me back in action, help me become the mighty hero the city once knew. Save you all from New Supervillain." Hero leaned forward in her seat, her gaze intense and meaningful, searching. "Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong," she challenged, her voice going quiet.

Logan instinctively opened his mouth to argue, to defy it, but no sound came out.

Hero gave him a half-hearted smile. "I don't blame you for it, kid, I hope you know that. Heroes are supposed to be people you can look up to, who will always come in the nick of time to save the day... but once you live long enough you'll realize that the good guys lose too." She leaned back in her chair as Noah finished taking measurements of her scarred-up leg.

"Are you done?" Hero asked flatly. Noah nodded slowly, and she waved a dismissive hand at him and Logan. "Good. Be on your way, please, and let me return to the solitude I've come to exist in." Her tone brokered no objection, it was clear that the two civilians' presence was edging on her nerves too far.

Logan watched as Noah packed up his things, slung his bag back over his shoulder, and wordlessly headed back up the stairs.

Logan followed him, but paused halfway up to take one final glance back. He saw Hero still in the chair, but the mask of coldness she'd displayed so openly was gone, leaving something hollow and broken in her face as she stared blankly off into the distance with a vacant look in her eyes full of sorrow and grief.

Then Logan tore his eyes away to follow his friend out of the hideout.

"You weren't kidding when you said she'd changed," Noah said grimly once they were out of earshot of her.

"Do you really think you can help her?" Logan breathed hopefully.

"She doesn't seem to want my help."

"But can you do it?"

"...Yes, I think I can. Give me three days, I'll use my free time to work on possible prototypes for braces or other mobility assistance devices."

"Thank you, Noah. Seriously. I owe you one."

Noah smiled broadly and ruffled Logan's hair. "What else are friends for? I'll keep you updated on my progress." He departed then, leaving Logan to ponder his thoughts as he trudged home. All he could do was hope that Noah would be able to find a fix for Hero. They had to succeed… right…?

⏪️ Back Next ⏩���

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things

[corellianhounds]

Toro Calican Lives AU — Behind-the-Scenes Character Analysis

Words: 2k

Antiheroes like Madmartigan from Willow and Han Solo and Toro Calican in Star Wars face hardships and problems because of their choices. We like them because they’re fun and funny and dynamic and interesting to follow, but they’re underdogs specifically because their flaws lead to the mistakes and choices that land them in hot water, and the narrative doesn’t reward them for the problems they get themselves into. Madmartigan is stuck in a cage and left to rot because he was a criminal, and the rest of his problems before he chooses to do the right/heroic thing come from his own bad choices and abrasive personality. Han Solo was frozen in carbonite and hung up as a decoration indefinitely because he was a drug smuggler who dumped his supplier’s shipment in the lake when the cops showed up and had bounty hunters sent after him, and his absurdly good luck just happened to run out out when that criminal history caught up to him at the most inopportune time. Toro Calican, in canon, gets killed because he chose to double cross a master hunter in the pursuit of fame and glory, despite the fact he was young, inexperienced, alone, and because he arrogantly— incorrectly— thought he had the upper hand.

Though I’ve tweaked his character enough to make him more of a good guy in the Toro Lives AU, I was never going to erase his flaws and I never wanted for Toro and Mando’s dynamic to come across as every movie with a young and cocky rookie apprentice accompanying a stoic and taciturn supervisor as he learns the ropes, but the rookie doesn’t actually have the skills he boasts and is more of an immature comic relief who has to mature and learn his lesson from the father-figure type mentor (who leaves the narrative in some way) in the end. I think that’s overdone and runs the risk of falling into clichés that we’ve seen a thousand times already, and it does these characters a disservice by not showing more complex depth to their characters and histories. Mando already HAS a kid, so to split that focus by having the same character relationship with Toro takes too much away from the main characters of the story, and frankly I just don’t find entirely immature adult characters funny or interesting in the first place. I want for all of these characters to feel like people, not a pile of stock character clichés anybody could have written

If Toro’s going to be funny, it has to be because he or the situation is genuinely funny, and he can’t be the butt of the joke every time or he’ll either become a pushover if he lets it happen, or he’d logically become contentious after a while if he doesn’t. Things people get teased for have to be partly rooted in truth, or it’s just pointless antagonism that doesn’t work as humor anyway because there’s no joke to be had, it’s just an untrue statement at their expense, and for him to keep up with other people’s teasing (or genuine mockery, as will be the case when we get to The Prisoner), he has to be just as quick-witted or clever right back.

That dynamic is true of any interaction he has in this universe because he IS sort of characterized as the underdog and antihero type, so there are going to be things a lot of people have or can do that put them at an advantage over him in some way (age, experience, resources, authority, skills, physical strength or prowess, people on their side), and to balance the cast out and make him interesting and not just along for the ride, he needs to have resources or skills or qualities they don’t (youth, energy, money, connections, skills, daring capabilities and a better chance of recovery should he fail) to keep from the disparity being too great and taking too much focus away from the adventure

So really he’s closer to Jay in the first Men In Black movie, in that he’s already coming to the table with some skills and know-how, but he’s being introduced to a setting foreign to him where he now has to use those skills in different ways and figure out how to apply them based on new information. In the one episode we have of Toro, he IS able to recall Fennec’s last known location by memory, his observation skills have potential but just need more experience and polishing (not noticing the Tuskens right behind him vs remembering the briefest moment he saw the kid and making the connection while Fennec talked), he’s a quick-thinker and has good reflexes, he’s capable of finding/acquiring resources and knows how to handle them, he’s got a decent poker face, and he does actually hold up against Fennec for a little while in a hand-to-hand fight AND proves to be quick on the draw against her at the end. He’s honestly not entirely dissimilar to Han Solo in a lot of ways (the biggest difference being their class background and the influence those had on them)

Giving him some depth and history isn’t hard, and it makes him more interesting for Mando’s character to interact with and bounce off of because if Toro DIDN’T have any skills, knowledge, or potential, Mando logically wouldn’t have agreed to bring him along. He shouldn’t have to babysit a capable adult guy if Toro was just a whiny kid with zero life experience, and there’s no reason he would agree to give this kid room and board (and training) if Toro is ALSO annoying on top of that

Jay in MIB is as much an active participant moving the plot along as Kay is, and he’s interesting to watch and listen to because he has a different perspective than Kay and Kay genuinely likes him. He specifically chose Jay to train him not just to be his partner but to be his replacement. They’ve got different backgrounds and abilities that complement each other’s and allow the story to focus on the bigger adventure, their dynamic being the background/interpersonal character development part of the story that makes us care about the bigger picture. Jay’s own jokes, teasing, protests, and arguments, humorous or otherwise, are always grounded in something true and come from understandable motivations behind why he says or does them in the first place. Jay’s funny but more importantly he’s smart, and he’s able to justify everything he says or does. There’s never a moment where he’s annoying just because the writers wanted some comic relief and didn’t know how else to get that across. There is also humor that comes at his expense, but he’s not there for everybody else to dogpile on him. None of the teasing or treatment he gets from others feels mean-spirited or puts him at an unfair disadvantage in the scene— He can dish it out as much as he can take it, and the narrative allows him the freedom to do so without punishing his character for it (ex: Being called nicknames he said he didn’t want, but getting away with calling the other characters by nicknames too, pushing back against or reproaching authority when they’re out of line and frequently being objectively right or justified, his instincts or hunches or initiative being rewarded with the desired result, etc.)

Toro’s still more of a rookie in this universe, he’s not the exact same character as Jay (because Jay is already a seasoned cop), but giving him more depth based on what we DO see of him and grounding him and his background in something still understandably human hopefully sets him up to be dynamic and interesting, driving some of that forward momentum in the story. Stories are always more interesting when the characters are the ones driving it based on internal motivations and choices, not just being moved around by the plot. The circumstances Toro will end up in will almost always be because he made decisions that got him there, even if that decision is to go with what Mando decides. It’s only interesting to watch their dynamic develop if both of them are still making those choices.

What further differentiates Toro from Jay’s character is that I do give him more of the antihero qualities like I mentioned above. Right now he’s in it for his own self-interest. The areas where Toro’s character is immature are rooted in selfishness (a quality responsible and mature adults work to manage because being an adult usually means having other people relying on you); my own headcanons and background I’ve come up with have him established as a rich kid who set out on his own to make a name for himself, but who is still young and privileged without the boots-on-the-ground life experience of having to be self-sufficient and know his way around the galaxy.

The rich kid background means he’s got the money he left with and some connections he can pull later, but a life of privilege also means he’s been afforded an education, has had opportunities to diversify his skills in specialized areas other people don’t even have access to, has resources or knows where to gain said resources other people don’t, and most importantly, he’s had a lot of leisure time at his disposal growing up where he could just choose to go do or learn something whenever he wanted. (In Toro’s case, that meant doing the equivalent of drag-racing, stunt-riding motorcycles, learning how to shoot and familiarizing himself with firearms, and general mischievous/daredevil antics one can get away with when you both have the money to afford it and aren’t paying your own health insurance).

But this means that what he lacks is in not quite knowing how to relate to working class people, not being accustomed to being unable to just BUY stuff whenever he needs it, not having the kinds of wilderness or survival skills born from necessity, and not having had to refine his interpersonal skills so he doesn’t come across as rash, arrogant, impatient, rude, and annoying. Regular people don’t have as much money or resources and are more likely to rely on one another, which means learning how to navigate personal relationships and conflict so they don’t lose those connections and the resources/knowledge those people provide. Disposable income and a life free from the stress of simply surviving allows you the freedom of choice and the freedom to leave at any time, which means you may have less legitimate problems in your life but you’re also less likely to have deeper long term connections or patience with people/circumstances in general.

Toro’s used to instant gratification, but because of his particular upbringing (backstory for later) he was ALSO pushed to develop the sharper skills he does have; however, that means he’s more likely to be impatient and individualist by nature, and since his whole objective was striking out on his own to make a name for himself because bounty hunting seemed like a cool choice of profession, he’s selfish and stubborn almost by default because he doesn’t have the life experience that would have curbed that impulse sooner. He wants to do his thing, his way, and he wants to do it now.

That being said, I wanted Toro to be smart. He’s not a spoiled prince to the point of Kuzco in Emperor’s New Groove (because he wouldn’t have left a life of luxury otherwise)— Mando wouldn’t have the patience to tolerate him if that were the case. Part of Toro’s intelligence is in being able to see reason when it’s provided. He’s willing to listen to other options or explanations provided they’re good enough to justify why something has to happen how or why or when it does. He’s not so arrogant as to think he already has all the skills he needs to do this job— If he were, he wouldn’t have asked Mando for help in the beginning or admitted to the job with Fennec being the very first he’d ever taken with the Guild. Sure he’s prideful and wants to save face, but what 25 year old guy doesn’t?

The interpersonal conflict comes in because his flaws and traits collide with Mando’s less talkative, less sociable nature, meaning Mando’s not always going to tell Toro every detail of a plan at first, which sometimes causes Toro to protest or ask more questions than Mando may have patience for himself. He wants Toro to follow instructions when they’re given and stop questioning everything (partly because Toro DOES just need to learn to listen and not insist on his way all the time, and partly because a lot of what Mando does is second nature to him by now and he doesn’t always have a gauge for what other people may or may not know). Their conflict isn’t necessarily because they dislike each other, it’s because they’re just different. That's what makes them interesting and compelling to watch.

[callofdudes]

hello, sorry if this is rude, but I wanted to ask why you write Ghost the way you do?? I haven't played the games yet but I've been seeing some people debating on others writing him different ways.

Hey anon, I don't think it's rude. Now, if I understand this correct, yes, there are people who have been debating and even aggressive toward some people who write for different characters.

But I'll break down why I write Simon why I do.

First off, for those who haven't played the games and haven't looked into a character further than their sex appeal; Simon isn't heartless and rottenly cold.

He's not. Nor would he push around and hurt people who are in his circle on purpose. Going back to 2009 when Simon was shown in the og trilogy he was very close to captain MacTavish and made jokes and comments all throughout the game. While he's still very much professional, he has that balance.

It's shown, even in the new game that Simon cares deeply. One reason I think people want to think he's so cold because that's how he likes to present himself. But in the military, being particularly scary is probably favorable. That and being in the military as long as Simon or Price has, they have probably learned not to get too close to soldiers.

Since the sad part it, there's a very high chance they won't make it long.

And an intimacy issue. I've seen people getting upset because some people write Simon to flinch at every little touch. And while I think part of that has truth, Simon 100% has intimacy issues.

And this is partly me projecting into him, because Simon wouldn't be raised how he was and not have issues or extremely negative views and experiences around intimacy. And I doubt the military encouraged any different.

While I don't think he would flinch at every single thing, certain things are completely beyond his limits. I personally had a very abusive relative who always wanted hugs and I was always forced to hug her and be close to her. And since getting away I am extremely careful and particular about who hugs me.

I am uncomfortable hugging people who aren't in that selected little few, and really I'm still only 100% with hugs from my dad.

So does Simon have intimacy issues, absolutely he does. He doesn't know affection, and for someone who hasn't known a lot of a affection it can come off like a red flag or a trigger because they aren't used to it happening so in their mind; something must be wrong.

And a lot of affection can take Simon out of things. Like myself, if he's love bombed he is out of it and needs to step away because... Like what does he do? That's too much in one place at one time. Big boundaries.

But Simon is also gentle. Just because all of these things have happened to him doesn't mean he's always nasty. He's very gentle toward someone who shares an up bringing or even just a situation like he had. He's gentle with hostages and with kids when he finds them on the field. While he may not like children, he doesn't do anything to openly show that.

Touch-starved. All I need to say. When Someone like Johnny, or Reader gives Simon affection that he likes, he wants it all.

Like snuggles, when Simon comes to the realization of how much he just genuinely and innocently likes the company of a close body with warm arms wrapped around him, he wants more. He wants what they can give him. He needs to trust them though.

Simon is very closed off only until he's with those he is close with.

And yes, Simon is strong, but that does not mean he can't have mental struggles. Simon, in my world has had struggles with food because I have.

Simon can have anxiety and still be able to throw out quips and quick remarks like when johnny and him were bantering in the alone mission about his mask. He can have both.

You can be both confident in your profession and lacking confidence in another field. I see this a lot with König as well. They are both firm and know the drill and are very, very confident in their field of work because they know it.

But taken out of that head space and thrown into something casual of domestic for a bit and it completely takes them out and gives them anxiety.

Simon can be self conscious of his body and his stretch marks and still have confidence in other things.

And this is just how I personally like to write Simon. There is probably a lot more I missed but off the top of my head this is how I write him. And I enjoy writing him like this, and I'm glad others do as well.

[nientedenada]

Scouts-Many-Marshes for the character ask thing! I am looking for some inspiration considering that he will have a big role in my wip.

First impression: A friendly face in Windhelm!

Impression now: One of the most interesting guys in Windhelm. He has things to say, ranging from his usual cheerful disposition and openness to all people, to his pretty caustic remarks about Ulfric Stormcloak's death. (I hope in his next life, he's reborn as an Argonian forced to live in a slum because of some bigoted Nord dictator. I'm joking, of course, but I'm a lot happier seeing the Empire running things in Windhelm.") He also seizes the opportunity to get better wages for the Argonians, via the Dragonborn, and hints that they've been taking some of the unloaded goods to make up for the unfair pay. He's a quick thinker. His good nature doesn't mean he's fine with being treated badly.

Favorite moment: My favourite Scouts-Many-Marshes moment actually never happens in the vanilla game. Since he never comes inside the city, he doesn't meet and talk with Ambarys Rendar at the corner club. Which is sad because their conversations are there in the files and they're marvelous. One line showing off his dark sense of humour. Ambarys Rendar:"Look around you. Don't you know what their little war is about? They want all non-Nords out of Skyrim. That means you and me." Scouts-Many-Marshes:"Oh, I doubt that very much. Who would load their ships, then?"

Idea for a story: Ulfric Stormcloak for some reason is tagged as his friend in the game files. I wrote a post about this and the resulting story idea: The Mysterious Friendship of Scouts-Many-Marshes and Ulfric Stormcloak (I'd also like to see him take on Suvaris Atheron who is a horrible supervisor who denies Argonian workers their rations.)

Unpopular opinion: I don't know if this is unpopular or just unusual. I don't imagine the law banning Argonians from the city is quite as straight-forward as it sounds. On a practical level, having dock workers and porters who can't enter the city is possible, but I think it'd make more sense if the law is that they can't enter except on work. They definitely can't stay there. Is this partly so I can still have Scouts-Many-Marshes dropping by the Corner Club to chat with Ambarys after he's brought up stuff to the city? Yes.

Favorite relationship - Hanging out with Ambarys Rendar, tolerating that grump.

Favorite headcanon - He really was friends with Ulfric Stormcloak once. See story idea.