#i know they really only do voice lines for attacks but this would be funny i think

[twilightkitkat]

I know people normally brand Wade as The Funny One, but can we talk about how they'd be as a comedic duo? While flirting? While fighting?

People oftentimes tend to stereotype Logan as The Straight Man, the guy who keeps a serious face no matter what. And while sometimes that can be true, if you look at his characterization in the movies and comics, that isn't always the case. I think that because his humor is more subtle and down-to-earth than Wade's they tend to overlook it entirely.

Wade's humor is more obnoxious and in-your-face. He uses a cheerful, dramatic tone to cue you in that he's trying to be funny. He makes pop culture references and rambles on and makes constant, non-stop commentary. He's meant to be entertaining and funny because it's his brand to be insane and nonchalant even in the face of danger.

Logan, on the other hand, has this very blunt, sarcastic humor. The type that requires you to think a second to get it. He'd make little quips and jabs, but either with a straight face or barely there grin, so it's harder to tell he's joking. His tone of voice is more deep and gruff, which we don't typically associate with being humorous, but he does tease enemies and joke and throw their lines back in his face and goad them.

These two together would drive everyone up the wall.

Everyone (the X-men, the enemies, Wade's friends) assumed that their interactions would be Wade making crude, obnoxious jokes and Logan telling him to shut up or acting annoyed but... that doesn't happen? Instead, Logan quietly laughs at Wade's antics or, even more shockingly, joins in.

Logan gets Wade's humor—relishes in it, even. He would find Wade funny when he makes stupid jokes at all the wrong times because he does it too but nobody pays attention because it flies over their head or he's too intimidating for them to really register his words.

(The only reason Logan was more serious in the movie was that he was a grieving, broken man who thought he was responsible for the deaths of his family. He felt completely alone. And yet, even then, he played along to some extent with Wade's jokes and acted baffled rather than genuinely annoyed unless it was a super inappropriate moment. And you could tell he found Wade funny and liked him talking by the end of the movie.)

These two would be sitting across the table and Wade would make some stupid joke and Logan would add onto it, straight-faced.

Wade would gasp and clutch his chest dramatically at someone taking the Ketchup from him before he was done and whine, "How could you!? The betrayal! I thought I could trust you, this is a crime of the highest degree! I should have you canceled on Twitter for the atrocities you just committed."

And Logan would shake his head, stoicly, and reply, "It isn't cool to steal, man. It feels good in the moment but you hurt other people."

And everyone would sit there like what the fuck? Did Logan just... play along with Wade?

(Logan was biting his cheek to not grin at their confused faces and Wade was practically cackling to himself.)

It'd be even funnier when they're fighting villains together.

"Watch out, babygirl! Daddy's going to save you!" Deadpool would scream, as he lunges in to stab the enemy as they have Logan pinned to the ground.

"Well, 'Daddy' needs to do a better fucking job at it," Logan would grunt as he threw the guy off himself.

Logan would be snarky, because that's his personality and sense of humor, but he'd play along. He'd commit to the bit so hard that the enemies would stop attacking for a second just to look at each other like, "Are you seeing this???"

"Wolvie, what did I tell you about your greasy tits? If you wanted to be a prostitute you could at least tell me so we could start an Onlyfans and monetize it," Wade would say after Logan's shirt got shredded in a fight.

"I'm not giving you a fucking cent of my Onlyfans money," Logan would grunt as he continues fighting.

"That's unfair! I'd be the best photographer out there, you need to pay me my fair share! This is a worker's rights violation!"

"Yeah, well, I'm the pornstar. I'm the one doing all the heavy lifting, you aren't entitled to shit."

And everyone would be like???? Did The Wolverine have an Onlyfans? Since when? And where could they find it—

It'd be funny to see them tear down the self-esteem of a villain together as they fought them.

"You look like Simon Cowell got dipped in a vat of acid and then grew out a mullet and got it cut by a 5-year-old on America's Got Talent just because their mom died of cancer," Wade would laugh and point at their appearance.

"That's being generous. At least Simon Cowell was attractive. More like a fucking muppet," Logan would add on.

And then they'd fight over whose interpretation was correct while the villain just stood there and took out a mirror to look at themselves because?? They didn't think it was that bad?? (It was.)

It'd actually give them the edge in fights because they'd baffle the villains so much. They'd either make them pissed off at not being taken seriously and therefore more sloppy, or just make them insanely self-conscious. Win-win.

Eventually, word on the street got around that Wolverine and Deadpool were a brutal duo. Verbally. There'd be villains telling stories about how they were disrespected and maybe an emotional support club "Fought Deadpool and Wolverine and survived on the outside but died on the inside."

They'd be a peak comedy duo that would become notorious for their chemistry (both in their fighting style and commentary).

[coredrill]

read a srwz fanfiction last night where the premise was eiji and shinn asuka fighting over a burger and touga thinking they were flirting and i haven’t stopped thinking abt it. i think they should put it in the next game actually. have eiji just encounter shinn and anti gridknight and bravern and make suzuken act out regular-ass non-action dialogue lines WITH HIMSELF for the sole purpose of the bit while touga gets progressively more distressed and also kamille is there for some fucking reason. LMAO

sorry i’m still insane abt gravion. more posts incoming

[itsonlybaby]

𐙚ᣟ݂﹒𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝 - 𝐛. 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞﹒

◜♡﹒﹒𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭﹒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭﹒𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

playlist ! kinda took ur idea and ran with it, i love getting requests

Bellamy Blake- Arkadia

꒰ ୨୧ ꒱ ⸝⸝ It wasn't uncommon for you to flirt with Bellamy, but it was unusual for him to flirt with you back. ﹒ 　 ⊹ 　⤷ cw: smut, plot, nsfw

Flirting with Bellamy was my forte, brushing me off was his. I had stopped counting the number of times he'd dismissed my advances, not really caring. Most of the time it'd be a joke, and most of the time it wouldn't be.

Today was no exception.

I was walking down the halls of Arkadia to the bar where I 'worked' when I passed by Bellamy.

"Hey, hot stuff." I greeted as I always do with a smile.

"That's not my name, y/n." Despite his words, I could always hear a hint of amusement in his voice.

Bellamy always said it was inappropriate, that we were just friends, but that could never stop me. I knew he'd have to give in at one point, who wouldn't with me?

"Right, where are you off to looking like that?" I looked him up and down, he looked good. Though he looked like that every day. Literally.

Bellamy had a look of confusion as he examined his own outfit before connecting the dots and rolling his eyes, "I don't have time for this," He said before turning heel and continuing his walk down the hall.

"You know you love it!" I yelled before doing the same.

Life at Arkadia was simple, the grounders had stopped attacking around a month ago, and our hunting parties would always come back with feasts, it was how life should be.

And I didn't always flirt with Bellamy or shoot terrible pickup lines his way.

I knew when the time was right to do it, most saw it as a funny bit, most saw me as desperate or wierd, and some saw me as a girl trying to find her way which I found completely unrelated to the situation at hand. People usually made it known where they stood on the pyramid; either by their actions or words. But I wasn't sure where Bellamy stood on the pyramid; I was sure his stance fluctuated as the days passed.

Funny.

Desperate.

Weird.

Lost.

Those were the four trifectas of the pyramid.

There were days when I thought I should find my luck elsewhere- like Murphy or Monty, people who would fold the second I even glanced their way. But that was the easy way out, and Murphy wasn't exactly the cutest tool in the shed. I liked the chase with Bellamy; it was exhilarating. The constant back-and-forth banter on how it was inappropriate, how there were better times for flirting, and how bad the pickup line was.

The chase wasn't the only thing that fueled me, it was not knowing the outcome. Despite my confidence, I was sure how this would end with Bellamy, this could go on for years to come, and he could get a girlfriend. I wasn't sure how that thought made me feel- well I did; I just didn't know how to put it into one word.

Disgust, jealousy, hurt.

For my own brain's sake, it was a less-than-appealing thought.

"Hey, Sinclair!" I yelled, entering the back of the bar.

Jasper was already in his usual spot. He sat there every day for 43 days since they got rescued from Mount Weather, the only time he left was when we called Miller to carry him out.

I always asked Sinclair to just ban Jasper from the bar and save us the trouble, but Sinclair said to just let him cope after the trauma he'd been through, having lost someone special to him. So after the first 10 days, I stopped pitching the idea. I wasn't sure what else he was on, it was a sore sight for the other regulars who weren't drinking their way into the grave. It was a sad sight for anyone, but nobody but me had the guts to say anything to him.

I wasn't sure where Jasper was on the pyramid, when he wasn't drinking he was smoking, and when he wasn't smoking he was drinking. The only time he isn't doing either is when he's sleeping.

I like the think that the old Jasper would find it funny.

"So, what is it? Day 40 already?" I ask Jasper while pouring a new batch into the bar's fountain.

Jasper didn't turn to look at me, he didn't try and do anything, he never did. Though I didn't know how he felt since I've never lost anyone I loved.

"Day 43." His head was resting on his arms as he stared down into the half-empty glass, he didn't even feel like drinking, too consumed in his own sadness.

I didn't try to continue the conversation further, knowing the fun, easygoing Jasper was already drowned out by the buzz and taste of the drink in his hands. And I didn't openly argue with him, I already knew he was arguing with himself.

"Two minutes late, y/n." Sinclair said, appearing from the open door next to me.

Sinclair was like a mentor to me, he was tough on me but it kept me in line when I needed to be.

I knew where Sinclair stood on the pyramid, he thought I was trying to find my way in this burned world; which was only half true, the world was factually burned.

I wasn't lost, I wasn't trying to find my way. I thought people were taking it far too seriously for their own good. And no matter what I said, they would always think that.

"Salvation isn't easy, Sinclair." I joked, directing my attention from Jasper.

"Salvation lies within." Sinclair walked by me, taking a seat on the stool behind the bar.

"Salvation," I look to him, "Can kiss my ass." I smiled.

"Language," Sinclair warned, though a smile showed through his frown.

"Nobody deserves forgiveness," Jasper spoke up, in his self-deprecating pity.

I turned to look at him, his glass was now empty and he tossed me a familiar look.

I grabbed his cup and refilled it under the fountain, "Miserable quote of the day, Jas?" I handed him back his drink.

I joked to keep my own sanity around Jasper, his sadness had a way of infecting people. You could've been the happiest person but one minute around Jasper and you're drinking your way to an early grave.

Did it with half our regulars.

Jasper didn't reply, instead, he gulped down the thick liquor and stood abruptly. It wasn't a surprise, it was his usual routine. He'd drink until he felt tired of drinking, then dance until he felt tired of dancing.

All this sadness got me thinking back to my happy memories, I wonder what Bellamy is doing right now.

"You pass by Bellamy?" I ask turning my head towards Sinclair who was absentmindedly watching Jasper find music.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, resting his head on his palm with his elbow propped up.

"Just curious. Is he on watch today?" With how much I think about him you'd think I'd have his guard days down- but I don't- I'm not desperate.

Sinclair sighed, "For the first half, I think."

I smiled widely at this.

Serving at the bar was great, it meant I could socialize, and learn more about people, but most of all?

I could see Bellamy nearly every day.

Everyone used the bar room as a hangout area and eating area, it's where everyone went when they wanted to chill. It's where Bellamy always goes.

And like clockwork, I saw Bellamy's tall build walking into the bar with Miller and Clarke at his sides.

Miller was a nice guy, despite his total resting bitch face which intimidates most- if not all- people. Though, when it comes down to serious situations he isn't one to joke around. I, unfortunately, learned that the hard way when we were talking defense plans and I had the great idea to hit on Bellamy.

I was on guard watch for a week after that.

It was easy to understand where Miller landed on the pyramid, most of the time, he thought I was desperate. He believed I could get anyone else I wanted, and that I should give up on the delusion of Bellamy.

It really pushed my buttons when people couldn't grasp the joking aspect of it all, but I was too deep in the joke to stop.

I could tell Clarke didn't like me by the way she looked at me and by the way she talked to me. I didn't like her either. I wasn't sure why she didn't like me, it's not like I openly talk about hating her.

And it's fairly easy to know where Clarke stood, she told me every time I brought it up, she thought I was weird. Her words never got to me though, nobody ever did, I was very confident in myself.

Not wanting to suffer through my firting Sinclair patted me on the shoulder and took his leave, sad for him, I've been thinking of new ones this entire time.

Bellamy walked up to the bar while Miller and Clarke took their seats at a table, watching Jasper dance very tiredly.

"Let's hear it," I heard him say, already expecting my antics.

I smile, "Hear what?"

"Don't play dumb, I've been waiting all day for this one." My smile was quickly returned with a grin as he leaned on the surface.

"Why don't we skip the talking and go back to my room." I placed three cups full of liquor on the bar.

I was expecting him to laugh my comment off, return to his friends, and make some witty comments.

"Might take you up on your offer if you keep dressing like that,"

His tone was the opposite of his smile, he sounded serious.

Maybe he was drunk.

But he hadn't even drunk.

This was the first time he didn't brush off my flirting.

I felt all my confidence go out the window, finally not having a witty comeback I stared towards the ground. Feeling my face fog over with a deep red I hoped he didn't notice, I hoped he took the drinks and left.

But the world never worked in my favor.

"Look at me," Bellamy said.

I didn't hesitate to obey his command, looking up at him to be met with a cocky grin.

Bellamy noticed the red lining my cheeks, he didn't know I'd fold this fast.

"That's a good princess." I watched as he took all three cups in his big hands and turned his heel towards Clarke and Miller.

I was left stunned.

"Can I get another drink?" Jasper slurred.

"Shut up..." I breathed out.

I watched Bellamy's figure that entire night, he knew it too, I didn't try to hide it. But I knew he was watching me too, he watched as I interacted with people, while I poured drinks, and watched me watch him.

Why was I so nervous over two simple sentences? I was supposed to be in control.

The night was full of shameless staring, eye fucking each other from across the room. A complete switch from this morning.

My mind imagined what was under his clothes, what was below his waistline. The thought made my whole body shiver.

The hours passed by antagonizing slowly. Jasper got mad and voluntarily left the bar while Clarke and Miller took their leave, and once they left so did the rest.

But Bellamy didn't leave.

He stayed until the bar room was empty and the only thing you could hear was the low hum of music from the bar's old iPod recovered from Mount Weather.

Knowing it was just me and Bellamy left in the bar I felt nervous.

Was he going to leave too? Turn heel and pretend it didn't happen? What did happen? Why am I asking so many questions?

Bellamy was sitting at a table in the middle of the bar, gazing at me as I emptied the fountains into buckets for the night. Thanks, Jasper.

My hands were trembling the entire time, I was too focused on trying to look normal I didn't even notice when Bellamy stood up, I didn't notice when he walked to the bar, and I didn't notice when he leaned on it.

Placing the lock on the barrel I stood up once again, being startled when I locked eyes with Bellamy.

"Got anything else for me?" He asked, looking me up and down.

Confidence.

"I need you..."

That is not confidence.

"Go to your place, I'll be there soon." Bellamy stood up correctly while speaking, his body now towering over mine from across the bar.

I wasn't sure if it was because I felt intimidated or curious, but my chores had been long forgotten. My only goal now was to listen to Bellamy.

He stared with a smile, watching me walk out of the bar and down the hall towards my room.

Thousands of thoughts were racing around my mind.

Maybe he was just pranking me, or standing me up, finally getting payback for all the inconvenient times I've hit on him like a desperate dog.

One thing was for sure.

I knew where I stood on the pyramid.

Sneaking into my room I realized the mess I left it in when I woke up late this morning.

"Shit!" I whisper-yelled, quickly tending to the mess unsure of how much time I'd have.

What was I meant to do in these situations? Undress and look sexy on the bed? Just stand here and wait? Stare into the wall and think about my actions that led to this point? Only one of those options sounded good to me at this moment.

And it was definitely not the first one.

But what if he was expecting that?

I shut my mind up when I heard three knocks.

I didn't need to check to know it was him. What do people do in these situations? Do I wait before answering?

Confidence.

Opening the door I was met with Bellamy looking down at me. He wasn't in his jacket and he carried a serious face.

"Do you, um, wanna come in?" I ask, my voice wavering.

My confidence once again crumbled at the sight of him.

"I wanna do more than that," Bellamy said before walking inside, once the door was closed he pressed his lips to mine.

Something primal took over Bellamy, he kissed me wildly as we walked backward towards my bed. We didn't part once, not even when he roughly dragged my pants down and undid his, or when he tore my shirt to get to my breasts.

The cold air hit my nipple but was soon covered by his big, calloused hands. I moaned into the kiss and he smiled, parting from the kiss to get a full view of my chest.

I bit my lip as I watched him, his gaze shifting from my breasts, down my stomach, and towards my cunt hiding behind my panties.

"You were so cocky this morning," His hands roamed down underneath my panties, "What happened, princess?"

The feeling of him exploring my body made me shiver and let out a breathy moan.

I couldn't believe Bellamy had me crumbling and melting under his gaze and touch. It was everything I'd been dreaming of, I knew I wouldn't last long with his praise.

"Stop teasing." I breathe out, bucking my hips up more into his hand, needing more than his fingers.

He smirked and snaked my panties down my thighs at a teasingly slow pace.

"Careful what you wish for."

He gripped my thighs and spread them apart, my lips parting with them. Bellamy used one of his hands to lower his boxers just enough to reveal his hardened cock.

I shivered at the contact it made with my cunt, "Please."

With a smirk, he lined his tip up with my entrance, and with a light thrust, he only inserted the tip.

I propped myself up on my elbows and watched his tip enter me, despite the little amount he was giving me I still felt the pain of the stretch. I needed more, I needed him; all of him.

"Bell, please, more," I said in a whiny voice staring up into his brown eyes.

"Brave princess, huh?"

I wasn't expecting him to thrust fully into me, but I was glad he did. The feeling overtook my entire body with a shake of my legs causing me to throw my head back with a loud moan, despite the pain a soft smile appeared on my face.

Bellamy let out his own series of groans at the tightness around his cock, the sight of me such a mess over his dick was beautiful to him, knowing he caused this, knowing I could follow his orders so well.

"Good fucking girl." He groaned out, running his hands down my thighs and to my hips, gripping them tightly as he began thrusting into me roughly.

I couldn't keep my eyes open, pain being mixed with pleasure making me shut them tightly.

"Keep your eyes open, princess, I want you to watch,"

I opened my eyes and watched as his cock pounded into me, the wet coat clearly visible despite the low lighting.

Bellamy used one of his hands to start circling around my clit as a reward for listening to him.

I was already reaching my climax, his fingers guiding me to my peak.

"I'm so close, Bell," Lewd sounds filled both our ears.

"Let it go, it's okay," He deepened his thrusts when he leaned forward, ghosting his lips on my cheeks and giving kisses to my jaw.

My entire body shook as my orgasm hit, I grabbed onto his back and dug my nails into the flesh; needing to grip onto anything while he fucked me through my high. The pleasure was unlike anything I've ever felt, him being so close causing me to breathe in his scent- it was intoxicating.

"That's my good girl, just like that," Bellamy exaggerated out the 'just.'

Bellamy pampered my neck with his kisses, leaving surprises I'd find in the morning. But I was too starstruck to care, only thinking about how well he fit in me.

I could tell Bellamy was close, he sounder louder with his grunts, and his hips couldn't keep up with his thoughts. I ran my fingers from his back and into his hair, gripping it slightly.

Bellamy began thrusting more wildly and faster, chasing his high until he finally reached it.

"Princess," He pulled out and rested his dick on my stomach as he came with a loud groan in my ear.

Coming down from his high Bellamy pulled away from me, letting me see his cum that decorated my stomach. Before he could grab a cloth I scooped the cum up with my fingers and stuck them in my mouth as he watched; the salty taste invading my mouth while I bit my lip at his reaction.

Bellamy only smirked at me before zipping his pants back up.

"Want me to stay?" He asked, watching me crawl under the fur covers.

"Of course I do, hot stuff." I scooted over giving Bellamy enough room to slide in next to me.

"That's not my..." He cut himself off, "Alright, princess." He smiled as he pulled me into a small kiss.

I learned two things that night.

Bellamy was amazing in bed.

And I didn't care about the pyramid anymore.

◜♡﹒﹒𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭﹒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭﹒𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

[tlbodine]

Tips for Talking to Conservative Friends & Family

In the wake of the election, with the holidays around the corner, some of you may be wondering how to deal with friends, family members, coworkers, etc. who voted for Trump and/or who espouse his policies.

This guide is by no means meant to be authoritative and won't work in every circumstance. I accept no responsibility for what happens if you use any scripts and it goes horribly awry. But I did want to share some of my personal experience in this vein, as someone with a great deal of conservative people in my life whom I generally love and respect and would like to maintain a civil relationship with (and, hopefully, bring them back to center if not my side). I've had decent luck with these strategies in the past.

First: Only engage if it is safe to do so.

Do not get into political discussions that might endanger your job, your living situation, your access to care, or your physical and emotional safety. However, do engage if you are able to do so safely and your doing so might help someone in a more vulnerable position. What the fuck is privilege for if not using it to protect people?

Second: Identify your goal.

Do you want to de-escalate a situation so someone can get out of immediate danger? Do you want to establish a boundary? Or do you want to actually attempt to convert someone over to your side? Each goal has different tactics. Be realistic with yourself about what you're going to accomplish. If you do not have a close relationship with the person, you are extremely unlikely to change their mind about anything, and it's frankly not worth the effort. Let someone who is close to them do that work. De-escalate, set a boundary if possible, and gtfo.

But if you do have a close relationship -- if this person generally likes and respects you -- then you might have a shot at challenging their views.

We're going to assume a scenario where you're dealing with people you know and who you can generally count on not to be immediately aggressive. Somebody else will be better-equipped to talk about strategies for dealing with protests and people on the street etc.

De-Escalation & Setting Boundaries

This is your first line of defense against family members acting shitty. If someone tries to start a debate, makes an off-color joke or comment, or is otherwise behaving inappropriately, try:

Let's not talk about this over dinner.

I don't think this is appropriate conversation right now.

That's an awful thing to say.

I don't understand that joke, can you explain why it's funny?

I'm sorry, I won't listen to any more of this (leave the room)

That's not okay.

What you want to do here is make an appeal to correct standards of behavior. You want them to feel ashamed for acting out of line. In order to make this work, it is essential that you:

Remain calm and keep an even, light-but-firm tone of voice. It needs to be clear that you're not joking around, but you also cannot sound upset. (Yes, this is really hard. I'm sorry.) Practice your very best "I'm not angry, just disappointed" tone for maximum effect. If you can manage it, eye contact and a neutral or even slightly concerned or sad expression will make it even better.

Avoid insulting or attacking them. Do not say things like, "Stop being an asshole" or "I can't believe you're acting like this" no matter how much you want to. Do not say "That's racist/sexist/ableist/homophobic." These types of replies, no matter how accurate, will make them defensive, and defensive people shut down and stop listening. If you come off as angry, that gives THEM permission to be angry right back. But if you come off as the normal one, them getting angry makes them look like a dick.

Do not laugh. Avoid the urge to chuckle nervously or joke it off. It WILL feel uncomfortable. It WILL be awkward as fuck. That's the point. They are misbehaving by violating a standard of appropriate behavior, and you are setting down a boundary. The awkwardness will fade and, frankly, they'll often start behaving better pretty much immediately.

Follow through on your consequences. If you say, "Dad, if you continue to bring up Trump, I will not call you anymore," you have to stick to it. Holding firm to your boundaries is HARD AS FUCK but if you don't do it then all you do is teach them that they can wear you down. Think of it like training a dog. Consistency is key.

You're not going to change anybody's closely-held beliefs with this strategy, but you WILL make a case for what is allowable around you. If you model this behavior, and encourage and embolden other people you know to do the same, you might be surprised. A lot of times, people's inappropriate behavior is a boundary-testing mechanism -- they tell the racist joke because they want to see if they can get away with it -- and if you shut them down, they often just...stop. Or at least retreat into their little hole to talk to fellow gremlins instead of you.

Challenging Views, Changing Minds

Okay. You actually want to engage them in conversation. You want to challenge their views and help them change their opinion. How do you do that?

Again, it's essential that you remain calm. If you can't have this discussion without getting heated, it's not the time to have the discussion. If they start to get heated, be prepared to de-escalate and walk away: "I cannot continue this conversation with you right now. Let's talk again some other time when we've cooled off."

But if you can keep calm, here is what actually works (sometimes):

Listen to them. No, really. Hear them out.

Help them feel heard by empathizing with them. Repeat back your understanding of what they said and how that must feel.

Remind them that for other people, THEY are feeling xyz emotion, too.

Ask them questions. Instead of telling them they're wrong, ask questions that will lead them to draw that conclusion themselves.

Make appeals to emotion rather than starting with facts and logic. You'll know what kind of emotion to draw on because you've been listening to them and empathizing. Hint: almost always, bigotry (at the personal level) is rooted in fear.

If this is going well, THEN you can start citing some sources, statistics, and facts.

Invite them to share THEIR sources with you.

Thank them for doing such a good job at being calm and discussing this with you, reaffirm your close relationship, and encourage them to come talk to you about this at any time. It's very possible that you are the only person they might feel safe bringing this stuff up to now and you want to keep that channel of communication open.

Very often (not always, or often), conservative-leaning individuals are people who lack the education or knowledge that left-leaning people do. They may be accustomed to being insulted, yelled at, and made to feel stupid. They are conditioned to believe that folks on the left are smug, holier-than-thou, stuck-up assholes. Whatever you can do to poke a hole in that perception will simultaneously make it easier to talk to them AND cause them to question that rhetoric the next time they encounter it.

This tactic won't always work. It probably won't work at all the first conversation. It's something you'll have to chip away at over time. But sometimes, it's worth it.

And if it's not? Well. As they say.

[misty--nights]

So I'm watching the show yet again (usually I struggle watching shows, I don't know how I've managed to watch it twice already and still want to watch it a third time), and here are some things that I've noticed in episode 1, after the read more because it got longer than expected.

Charles calls himself the brawn and the protector of the two, but it's Edwin who goes all serious and says "I would not let that happen" when Charles asks what they'd do if Death came for them. I'm sure/concerned that he'd try to fight her if she ever came to take them...

Edwin knits!! When they are wearing their disgusses to get the demon out of Crystal he knitts while Charles reads the newspaper. Granted, you can only see him doing for a short moment, so I don't know if he's doing it properly, but I like to think he is. I have many thoughts about this, but it would take over the whole post. I'm still willing to make a whole post for it if anyone is interested but yeah. Bottom line is, Edwin can knitt!

The tone of voice that Crystal uses when she first wakes up in the Agency and in her walk with Charles is really different to the tone she uses the rest of the season. In hindsight, it's pretty obvious that is her mean girl tone, but still, I just think it's a nice detail.

Edwin takes Crystal's coffee cup when she takes the mail? We've just stablished he's not going to drink it, so is he just being petty? Is he going to throw it away or hide it just to be a nuisance? Is he investigating what she got? This boy, I swear...

I know people have pointed out all the Clue boards in the closet, but there's also a ouija board there? Hilarious. Maybe some ghosts prefer communicating with that instead of speaking? Or Charles got it because he thought it was funny and then never got rid of it?

I like that the thing that convinces Edwin to take the Becky Aspen case is Charles asking if he's going to let a little girl die. But more importantly, the title card right after that says "three flights". I've had this question for a bit, but what do they do during those flights? Do the boys spend those just standing in the hallway next to Crystal's seat? Do they sit in the cockpit? Do they hide in the bathroom until someone comes to use it? Do they hope for empty seats they can use? I don't know, every possible version of their trip is so funny to me. I know ghosts don't get tired like alive people, but the idea of them just standing awkwardly off to the side for more than 10 hours is hilarious.

No big detail here, I just love Crystal's purple coat thing she wears in this episode. Never really noticed that it has like flowers embroidered at the bottom, and the color of the whole thing is so nice.

"Maybe he's our fucking demon now." Crystal I love you, that is one of the funniest lines in the episode. I also really like that she gets to be angry and scared. Even if later Jenny talks her down from the worst it, it's not her anger that she points out, it's the fact that people are just like that and how the boys act is nothing personal. Her anger is not directly attacked (except by Edwin, but that's just him being petty), because she gets to be angry about all that's happening to her.

The flashback to Edwin's life at St. Hilarion's changes the video aspect (is that the proper term for that? It makes the screen square like in older films is what I mean.) Also he card for that flasback specifies "Edwardian England" even while having the date at the bottom. I don't know, it made me chuckle that they felt the need to clarify the era even while having the date there. They don't put "modern day England" for Crystal's flashback.

With the way the cat reacted to the sardine, I'm willing to bet he would have told Edwin everything without the binding spell if Edwin had a few more fish for him.

When they're talking behind the shop and Crystal says she gets angry, Charles looks down and takes a bit to respond. I think this is the first time he relates to her. The first time he can call that pull twards her something more than mere attraction. He has this very vulnerable look when she says it and then immediately shows her his parents and tells her something he's never told anyone before? This boy saw his anger in someone else and thought maybe it's fine for him to be angry too.

Is it a trick of the light in the scene where she meets Niko, or does Crystal have a septum piercing?

"If you're sticking around, you gotta let us in." Charles, I love you, but you are the last person who should be saying this. Specially after that sad look he gets when Crystal says it must be hard not being able to talk or hug his parents. You just agreed to what she said, as if that were the truth of why you check on them, what do you mean "you gotta let us in"? (I do get that they haven't known each other for long so he's not going to open up about all his trauma, but precisely because of that, it's wild for him to expect her to do it.)

I never noticed Charles quickly returning the mirror to normal when Edwin comes. I'd noticed the audio cue for the mirror changing back, but I never noticed Charles moving to do it and he looks so panicked about it.

Considering how Edwin is about touch, the fact that he lets Crystal take his hand when she tells the that the case matters is huge.

Why are they planning down at the shop when they have Crystal's room all to themselves? Besides the ambiance, of course. I think Jenny's reaction is completely justified.

Esther leaves her turntable on when she goes to the post office. Is it for Monty? The atmosphere? Did she just forget?

Not a new discovery, just a reminder of something I really like. There's this very specific editing thing (like the quick cuts between the instruments and then the opened lock, I don't know what to call it) that they do pretty much every time Charles picks a lock / opens a door, and it makes me very happy each time. The sound they use for it is perfection.

Edwin's attention to detail is insane. The fact that he can recall one cupboard is further forward than it was in the plans is really impressive.

Charles sounds so done when he throws the magic backpack. "Put her in the bag-of-tricks backpack." Man, I can hear the eye roll in that sentence. Good to know Edwin isn't the only bitchy one in this relationship.

And that's it for episode 1. I think I might do this for the others as well as I watch them. It was really fun to do, and it forces me to pay attention to the details, so I think it's worthwhile.

[kaibutsushidousha]

The Hundred Line 1st Impression Session #1

Takumi Sumino

Not much we didn't already know about him before. It's funny how between the original Saihara, Yuma from Rain Code, and Takumi here, Kodaka has repeated what we can "the Saihara archetype" of Kodaka protagonists. I guess that will now be his most utilized protag type, surpassing "the Naegi archetype" (the Naegi siblings and Akamatsu) because Akamatsu only gets one chapter as protagonist. Meanwhile, "the Hinata archetype" (Hinata, Otonashi, and the Death Come True guy) is the most underrepresented due to DR0 and DCT being significantly shorter than his games.

Darumi Amemiya

Another one that was already covered at Tokyo Game Show. Not much new going on aside from the reveal that she's voiced by Farouz Ai (based based based based). She has potential to be great depending on how serious Kodaka wants to be about her manic depression.

One intriguing comment in her gameplay showcase is that Kodaka mentioned her attack animations are based on a Gilgamesh from another series, but he cannot disclose which series this Gilgamesh is from despite both The Hundred Line and the unidentified Gilgamesh's series both being Aniplex productions. Watching the animations, her attack remind me of Boss from Fate/Samurai Remnant, but Boss was never stated to be a Gilgamesh, it's probably not him. I guess it mustn't be from anything I know.

Eito Aotsuki

Komaeda II was also already covered at Tokyo Game Show, but today's display downplayed his Komaedaness and focused more on his pathetic desperation to make friends, and established his place in group dynamics as the one companion no one trusts because he's always making the cheesiest and most fake-sounding friendship speeches. He's also voiced by Sakurai (unbased) which further distances himself from the initial Komaeda impression.

Standout dialogue:

Aotsuki: Right, before discussing that, we need to introduce ourselves to each other. So, what are your hobbies? Any food you don't eat? What's your sign? Favorite manga? What club you're at in school? Do you watch a lot of movies? Play video games? What do your parents work with?

Takumi: Hold on, that's too much to answer at once.

Aotsuki: Huh? Oh... Sorry, good point... I don't really know how to interact with people, as you might have noticed. Sharing self-introductions feels pretty unusual...

Kurara Oosuzuki

Her intro dialogue has her explaining the dumb pun of her name, so I'm already intrigued to see what the localization will do about this one.

The super elite billionaire kid who thinks everyone else is trash is a character type Kodaka already did before with Togami, but they already prove themselves very different in their placement in group dynamics, as Togami is the guy who posed as a killing game player while Oosuzuki is completely invested in supporting the team. Neat stuff.

I hope Kodaka/Komatsuzaki commits to the bit and she never takes off her tomato. Ideally, they never even decided what her canon face looks like.

Ima Tsukumo

I wish authors would stop reinventing Yuri Briar. I already dropped Yomi no Tsugai over this.

CV: Ogata Megumi

Kodaka is trying to bribe me with good voice acting and it won't work.

Ima: Hm, this ketchup & mayo rice soup is banging. The oil levels in the broth rule!

Kako: My rice bowl with chocolate, banana, and chili sauce shrimps is great, too. I can't even tell if it's sweet or spicy.

Kodaka is trying to bribe me with ugly food and it will work. More of this, please. You have a real chance of making me like your creep.

Kako Tsukumo

The other twin. Her special subject is Morality, in contrast with her brother's special subject being Misconduct. We already got the explanation for what Misconduct does in gameplay, so her Morality is the only special subject so far that we know nothing about.

We already have an open statement that her story will be about learning that she can disobey her brother, so that's a plotline with a lot of potential already.

She's also a canonical fan of ugly food and detective fiction, so I can trust completely that if she were real and I hadn't made my Danganronpa V3 ugly food post, she would have done it. Thank you, Kodaka, I feel very personally homaged here.

[googleitlol]

Finally at the Red Boy arc! I'm so excited to release the gremlin child muahahahaha!

I may have taken some inspiration from my own younger siblings (I have like 6 or smt? idk) when it came to writing Red Boy, so I'm excited to finally have him in the fic!

Dove Masterlist:

Feetus Yeeted

A chill sends goosebumps up your arms, the cool autumn air a frosty reminder of the weather to come. Dew shines on the sparse patches of grass on the mountain road you travel, the trees lining the path few and far between. Their branches are bare, some still clinging to the few rust-coloured leaves they have left, those that had already fallen drift through the breeze.

Your group marches up the path, somewhat groggy from your early-morning hike. Wujing guides Ao lie with Tripitaka on his back, Wukong floating by his side on his cloud while you and Bajie bring up the rear.

Pigsy readjusts the group’s luggage in his hold, huffing a bit as he does. “Master, you really should have considered staying in that Black Rooster Kingdom. Think of the luxuries we could have now if we stayed there.”

Sandy looks back at the pig demon with a laugh. “Brother, you know Master would never think of accepting such an offer.”

“Wujing is right, I intend to see our pilgrimage through to the end. Nothing could defer me from that.” Tripitaka hums, keeping his attention on the road ahead.

“Besides, that demon had the entire royal court wrapped around his finger.” You look over to your friend to add to the conversation. “I don’t think I could live there either, not after what they went through.”

You glance up to see what Monkey has to contribute, only to notice his eyes practically glued to the sky. It’s hard not to give him a bit of a funny look. Is he lost in thought? There doesn’t seem to be anything interesting going on up there, what else could he be doing?

Before you can ask what is on the simian’s mind, he gives a shout. “Master, get down! Now!” He leaps off his cloud and tackles Tripitaka off the horse. At his warning, you quickly take your bow into your hands while Bajie equips his rake. Sandy stands in front of the group, ready to defend his master while you search the skies for the incoming threat.

…But there is no threat. Not that you can see.

Your confusion seems to be shared as Pigsy frowns, his head whipping back and forth in anticipation for an incoming strike that never arrives. “…Are we under attack?”

Silence stretches over your group before Wukong looks back up at the sky, frowning a bit as he sees what you all do, nothing. “Huh, looks like we scared them off. It’s okay now.” He shrugs, getting back onto his feet and dusting himself off.

Tripitaka looks up at him from the ground, his expression emitting the same level of confusion you feel. “What did you see?”

“It was like some big ball of fire!” The monkey answers, keeping his eyes on the sky as he helps his master up. “It was coming right for us, it’s a good thing I saw it when I did.”

You share a look with the rest of your friends, disbelief evident on all of you. There was no ball of fire that you could see, and from the looks on his brother’s faces, Sun Wukong seems to be the only one to have seen it. You know he has the best vision in your group, but you’re unsure how all of you could have missed something that would be so eye-catching.

Tripitaka clears his throat, his smile a little worried. “Thank you, Pilgrim Sun… but if it’s alright, can I get back on the horse now?”

“Of course! I’ll just keep an eye out for any more fireballs.” He helps the monk back onto his horse before jumping back onto his cloud.

The monk looks at his disciple from the side of his eye, chuckling with a bit of unease. “Okay, then.”

With the matter… somewhat resolved, your group carries on with the morning, hiking up the mountain while Sun Wukong keeps an eye out for whatever he saw.

Just when your mind is ready to put aside the oddity of the moment, a voice echoes through the mountain. It’s faint, but enough for Tripitaka to look up in response. “Do you hear that?” He asks, looking around in worry. You do the same, a focused frown taking over your features as you strain to hear it.

Pigsy shifts the weight of the luggage around as he joins you in your attempts to find the source. “Is someone calling for help?”

“I don’t hear anything.” Wukong frowns, his cloud slowing to a stop.

You hear it again, the voice almost shrill. “It sounds like someone might be in trouble.” You take a step, but before you can transform to take flight, Wukong grabs your arm.

“Why don’t I go check it out?” He smiles, taking you a bit off guard. The Monkey King, offering to help a stranger without Tripitaka asking him to? “You all keep moving, I’ll catch up in a bit.”

He leaves no room for argument, his cloud soaring up high and quickly out of sight. Once he does, you share a bit of a confused look with the rest of your friends. “I’m not the only one who thinks he’s being weird, right? Is letting him go off right now a good idea?” You ask the group, Tripitaka, Pigsy, and Sandy all mumbling their responses.

“I am too tired to bother thinking about it too hard.”

“It scares me when he acts strange like that.”

“As long as he comes back without any blood on his clothes, we should be fine.”

You sigh, looking back at where you had last seen the monkey, doing your best to put aside your concerns before continuing on the road.

Despite the slower pace you take to wait for your friend, the walk goes by in a bit of a blur. You stay behind the others, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sage as you walk. When you eventually do, he jumps down next to you and dismounts his cloud. The piece of sky dissipates as you take in the lack of blood stains on his person, a good sign.

He dusts himself off while everyone else turns back to hear of his findings. “I didn’t see anything, I couldn’t even make out whatever distress calls you were hearing.” Wukong explains, resting his hands on his sides.

Tripitaka frowns before looking up. You do the same, realising you too hear nothing now. Strange, you didn’t go too far. The monk hums as he realises the same thing you do. “Hm, I don’t either.”

You look back at Wukong, your eyes searching for any tells on his face. You’ve seen him put on acts before, and this didn’t feel like the great sage you’ve spent the last couple of years with. Though, he hasn’t quite been himself for some time now.

Since your time being temporarily engaged to Jian Yu, he’s been… what’s the word, jumpy? It’s the best description you can think of, maybe aside from ‘on edge’. Especially when it comes to strangers on the road. The monkey demon always became dismissive around newcomers, doing his best to end encounters as quickly as possible.

Originally, his behaviour led you to believe he was acting like this because those strangers were demons in disguise, but that was almost never the case. You would ask him after parting ways with these strangers, but he would say they were regular travellers without a single malicious bone in their body! Even after confirming these strangers were harmless, it didn’t stop him from acting– maybe the best word to describe it is protective.

You’ve mentioned your thoughts on the matter to Wujing before, thinking he would have some insightful words to share on the matter, but he seemed almost oblivious to the change in your friend.

You cast the monkey man with a careful look once the group resumes the journey, Wukong now hanging back with you behind the others. His expression seems focused, but on what, you cannot say. His gaze is still fixed to the sky “Are you alright?”

The question is enough to get him to turn his eyes over to you, his focus masked with a smile. “Just peachy, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, I’m just hoping you didn’t find whoever was screaming and kill them.” You hum, looking ahead to the rest of your friends while you talk.

Wukong scoffs playfully. “Please, do you think I would be able to clean all the blood off myself so quickly?”

“I did take note of the lack of stains.” You smile, peeking at him from the side of your vision.

He returns the look to you, but it doesn’t stay long. “Just, uh, stay close to Master, will you? I don’t have a good feeling about this mountain and it will be easier for me if you’re together.”

The request is enough to make you chuckle, what does he mean by that? Does he really think he has to worry over both you and Tripitaka? “You don’t have to worry about me, Monkey-Man. Or, did you forget about how we fought the Yellow-Robe Demon together? Or what about the battle with the Gold and Silver-Horned brothers?” You remind him, watching carefully for his response.

He looks away at the reminders, scratching the back of his head as he does. “I know, but I would still feel better knowing I could protect you both.”

You can’t help but frown a bit. Does he not think you are capable of protecting yourself? His job is to tend to Tripitaka, not fret over you. This is the exact kind of thing he’s been doing recently, you wish you could know why he’s been acting like this.

Still, if staying near the monk would help him to focus on his actual job, then you could deal with his somewhat-offensive request. That way, you’ll also be closer to stop any threats yourself. “Alright, if it helps you relax a bit, I will.” You smile, moving up to catch up with the rest of the group.

Part of you wants to question your friend on his recent behaviour, but you suppose it would be better to wait. With how anxious he seems at the moment, any attempt to prod at him for information will be fruitless. Maybe after you all rest for a meal, or if you find a good place to set up camp later in the day.

It can be a little difficult to understand Sun Wukong. He is incredibly cunning, you actually admire his wit and strategic mind. However, he has this nasty habit of explaining his process of thought after he’s already started whatever course of action he believes is best. He tends to be right, but leaves the rest of you in the dark with little to no context for his actions. Now, with how he’s been acting, it’s been even more difficult to understand what has been going on in his mind.

Before you can delve any deeper into thought, Wukong’s voice snaps you back into reality. “Master, get down!” He shouts, jumping into action yet again and pulling the monk off Ao Lie by his leg. Everyone quickly jumps into position again, and you stand over the two on the ground protectively with Bajie and Wujing at your side. The arrow on your bowstring draws back, ready to fire at any incoming enemy.

But there is no enemy, not that you can see. Wukong looks up with a frown, scanning the skies for whatever he might have seen. “Huh, I guess it was another false alarm.”

Tripitaka pushes his disciple off of him, casting the demon with a sour look. “Wukong, do you have to knock me off the horse every time you think you see something?! I’d rather not taste any dirt in my mouth.”

“Sorry, Master, it was that fireball again!” Wukong explains while standing back up, offering his master a hand to help him up as well.

Pigsy leans over to you and Wujing as Wukong helps the man up. “It sounds like someone is losing it.”

Sandy shakes his head. “Brother Sun has the best sight out of all of us. Maybe he just thought something was closer than it really is.” The three of you look over to the oldest disciple as he looks up to the sky, his eyes narrowed.

“…Maybe.” You hum, hoping for the sake of your group that it must be the case.

You’re not given much time to think about the monkey any more before you hear a voice calling again. “Help, please!”

“I know I heard somebody that time.” You didn’t imagine it. Not only that, the voice sounds even closer now. Whoever this is, they sound young. Really young. With the life of who might possibly be a child on the line, you transform with a leap into the air to find the voice’s owner with an aerial view.

“Dove, wait!” Wukong calls for you, but you don’t bother to wait, not when a child could be in need of saving.

You fly up high, waiting to hear the voice again before flying towards it. Following the cries, you catch sight of a child tied and suspended from a tree. It’s a young boy, wailing for help as he dangles in the air. His dark hair is dishevelled, some of it obscuring his face. He doesn’t look much older than seven or eight years old, and he’s bruised and beaten all over.

Who could have hurt this poor boy?! You act quickly, landing atop his shoulder and alerting him to your presence. Before he can panic, you begin to use your gift to soothe him. His cries falter, the boy’s head turning to look up at you as you calm him down.

“Huh… what?” He sniffles, confusion evident on his face. “What is this?”

Once he is calm enough, you fly up onto the branch he is suspended from and return to your normal form. “It is alright, child. I will get you down from here.”

The boy looks up at you with his mouth agape, his eyes as wide as his open mouth. All he manages to do is stare for a moment. “Wha– what did you do to me? Are you a goddess under the guise of a bird?” He asks, and you can’t stop the smile that spreads on your face from the question.

“I am nothing of the sort, but that does not mean I can’t help a stranger in need.” You answer. Taking the rope in hand, you pull the boy up– he’s surprisingly light– until he is sitting on the branch with you.

Just as you begin to untie the boy, Wukong’s voice calls out in a panic. “Dove, what are you doing?!” You look up to find your friends rushing to the tree you rest on, the others sharing a look of confusion while Sun Wukong narrows his gaze up at you and the boy.

“What does it look like I’m doing?!” You shout back as they approach, working at the knots keeping the rope together before they begin to slacken around the boy.

Once your friends are close enough and you free the boy of his restraints, you’re able to hand the child to Sandy and get him down to the ground. The river demon is careful to set him down gently. “What happened to you, child?” He asks as you climb down from the tree.

The boy rubs his arms, which are covered in red marks from the rope. “My home was plundered by thieves and bandits.” He explains, looking between you and the rest of your friends. “They killed my father and took my mother with them! They wanted to kill me as well, but my mother convinced them to spare me. They are the ones who left me tied to this tree to die from starvation and exposure.”

You frown as he tells his story, your heart aching for the boy. Losing your family so suddenly is something you can understand. He doesn’t even look much younger than you were when your village was attacked. This poor boy has gone through so much.

You look up at Tripitaka, the man looking down at the child with a look of sympathy. When he catches your eye, he nods, almost reading your mind. With his agreement, you crouch down to the boy. “Tell us, what is your name?”

“I am called Red Boy, Miss.” He replies, and you offer him a kind smile.

You pat his shoulder lightly. “Alright, Red Boy, I’m sure we can help you.”

The boy’s face brightens, but before he can respond, Sun Wukong hums aloud. “Are we sure we believe him?”

Your head swivels back to face him, the others all sharing your look of bewilderment as he continues. “I mean, look at him. He’s just been made an orphan and he can’t even bother to cry about it.”

His reasoning earns him wide-eyed looks of shock from everyone. “I already used my gift to calm him down… why would you say something so–” You can’t even find the words, unsure of how to respond. How can you respond to that?!

Wukong’s tail flicks in annoyance as you rise to stand again. “What are we meant to do with him? He can’t join us, and it isn’t as though we can burden the next person we find with some boy.”

“I still have my maternal family!” Red Boy quickly speaks up. “My aunties are just north of this mountain, and I have cousins there as well. If you could take me to them, I am sure they can reward you for your services. They have plenty of food, and can give you jewellery a-and whatever you want!”

Wukong steps forward, crouching down to face the boy directly now. “How do we know what your saying is the truth? Or that your little fable is even real?”

“Wukong!” You shoot the monkey demon a glare, and he glances back with an irritated look.

“What? It doesn’t make much sense to me.” He shrugs. “His mother begs for his life, so they just leave him to suffer a slower death? I would have at least put him out of his misery–”

Even Pigsy steps in at this point. “Brother, why are you interrogating the boy? If he wants to take us to be fed by his family, I say we let him.”

“It is also the right thing to do.” Tripitaka adds on, giving his two disciples an unimpressed look.

Pigsy looks away to clear his throat. “Yes, it’s the right thing to do.”

Wukong rises to his feet with a scoff, and you can’t stop the look you give him. What is his problem? Yes, he’s been more excitable lately, but this is something else entirely.

Tripitaka rides up to the child. “Red Boy, why don’t you ride with me? You must be exhausted after everything you’ve had to endure.”

The boy looks a bit surprised at the offer, but quickly looks away. “Um, I don’t know. I have never ridden on horseback before.”

The monk nods with a smile. “That is alright, would you like one of my disciples to carry you?”

At his offer, the boy’s eyes brighten a bit. Surprisingly, so does Wukong’s. “Master, I can–”

“Can the woman carry me?” Red Boy asks, cutting off the sage before he can finish. “She was the one who found me, I like her.” He looks over to you with a wide smile, either unaware of or ignoring the glare Wukong gives him when he asks.

You give him a bit of a surprised look yourself, not expecting the request. Tripitaka lets out a bit of an awkward laugh. “She isn’t one of my disciples.”

Wukong huffs, very clearly annoyed. “Just let me carry you, boy, I am much stronger than my brothers. Besides, I can carry you for much longer than Dove could.” He offers, and you feel your brow twitch at his last comment.

His little, ‘stay close to Tripitaka for me’ request was one thing, but that hit a nerve. “I can carry you, Red Boy, I don’t mind.” You smile at the child, his eyes lighting up when you do.

You make eye contact with Sun Wukong as you kneel down for the boy to get onto your back. “I’m much stronger than I look.” Pigsy does his best to conceal a snort of laughter, Sandy doing a bit better than him while Wukong flares his nostrils in irritation.

Ignoring his huffing and puffing, you rise to your feet. With the boy now on your back, you continue your hike through the mountain with your friends, Wukong lagging behind while his brothers walk up front with Tripitaka and you just behind them. As you all walk, you find yourself in conversation with the very curious Red Boy.

“If you’re not a goddess, then what are you?” He asks, laying his head down on your shoulder as you walk.

“I am a human, the same as you.”

“What did you do to me in the tree?”

“I only did what I could to calm you down, it’s a gift I’ve been given by my master.”

“How long have you had it?”

“Since I was a little girl. About your age, I think.”

The boy’s wide-eyed look he gives you from over your shoulder warms your heart a bit. “Incredible! You know, Miss, I have never felt such a tranquil feeling in my life!”

“You speak quite well for a young boy.” You note, amused by his excitement.

“I have been told I am very mature for my age.” He beams, making you laugh.

“You sound like it.” You return the look before hearing Bajie chuckle from in front of you.

He nudges Sandy’s arm, and the two look back at you. “It looks as though our feathered friend has found herself a fan.” He muses, and you notice him look back at Sun Wukong. You hear the older disciple grumble something under his breath, and although you can’t make out the words, Red Boy looks back at him and snickers.

Your brow furrows a bit. “What’s so funny, Red Boy?”

“Your monkey friend amuses me.” He admits, and you look over your shoulder at him with some confusion. Despite all the aggression from him, Red Boy doesn’t seem all that frightened of Sun Wukong.

His answer only seems to aggravate the Monkey King even more. “Oh, yeah? What do you find so amusing about me?”

“Your face is very comical.” Red Boy’s blunt answer earns a snort of laughter from you, the response more out of how unexpected his words are. He really does not hold back from saying what he thinks. “I have never seen such a terrifyingly angry expression, it’s almost hilarious.”

Wukong doesn’t seem to find his words as amusing as you do. “Trust me, kid, I can make it scarier.”

“Okay, let’s not fight with the child.” You roll your eyes. Part of you wants to join in on teasing your friend to get a laugh out of the kid, but it’s clear Monkey wouldn’t take it well at the moment. This entire detour with the boy has him in a bad mood.

He grunts at your dismissal, his tail flicking once more. Red Boy watches him for a moment, eyes studying the monkey demon before his eyebrows shoot up in some sort of realisation. “Ohh, I understand. You are upset because you just want the woman to yourself.”

You trip over your own feet at his words, barely catching yourself to stop the both of you from crashing to the ground. Wujing hunches over into a coughing fit when he hears the boy, Pigsy choking back laughter while Tripitaka looks back at him in bewilderment, slack-jawed.

Despite the violent effect of his words on your friends and the violent shade of red on your face, he continues, now whispering into your ear. “My mother always told me that men want only one thing, especially demon men like him.” He looks back at Sun Wukong, who you can’t even turn to for the moment from the embarrassment alone.

Despite the shock of his words, you do your best to regain your composure. “I think you misunderstand, Red Boy.”

He puts his head back on your shoulder, with a face so innocent you can hardly believe such accusations are coming out of it. “You should be careful, Miss. You seem like such a caring person, it has to be a miracle that a demon like him hasn’t given into his evil urges–”

The boy doesn’t get a chance to continue before he’s ripped away from your back. You stumble onto the ground from the action, and before you have the chance to find your bearings, Sun Wukong lifts Red Boy into the air and throws him down the mountain.

“Good riddance.” Wukong snarls, the silence that follows his words are deafening. You stare up at him in shock, at a complete loss for words as he watches the boy fall, the wind howling after him.

When you finally let the moment sink in, you jump back to your feet, wind howling in your ears. “Wukong! What the hell have you done?!”

“Me?!” He looks back at you, clearly offended. “What were you all doing?! That child was a demon in disguise!”

“What?” You frown, the Monkey King grumbling with impatience.

“I would have taken care of him more gracefully, but that brat couldn’t help running his disgusting little mouth.” He rests his hands on his sides, his actions from today now making sense.

A few autumn leaves rush by in the wind as you let out a tired sigh and Sandy steps in. “Why didn’t you say anything before?!”

He scoffs. “Would you have believed me?”

“Yes!” His eyes widen a bit at your exasperated response. “We’ve come far enough on this journey that I trust your judgement, Wukong! If you say someone is a demon, we'll believe you, but you have to be clear and actually say something. Throwing what we think is a little boy off a mountain might give Tripitaka and I heart failure before we reach the scriptures!”

You step back to take a breath, Wukong quiet in response to your lecturing. So many things just happened, you need a minute to recollect your thoughts. You barely even processed what Red Boy was saying before he was ripped from your back. It was all so embarrassing, you can still feel the warmth in your cheeks. Demon or not, that was– gah!

“Uh, guys?” Pigsy pulls you from your thoughts, a frown set in his features. “Is it just me, or is it getting darker?”

The group joins him in observing the sky, the wind picking up even more. You have to shield your face from the gale that pushes past you, your heart sinking as you spot dark clouds circling from above. The sun disappears, shrouding everything in darkness just as more leaves start to pick up off the ground, obscuring your vision. You look to and fro wildly for sight of your friends as the winds grow more violent. It’s a struggle to keep your footing as the invisible force pushes you back.

The sound of Tripitaka’s screams make your heart race. Turning to the source of his cries, you are able to make out a vague silhouette of Ao Lie. Tripitaka is no longer on the horse, his hands barely hanging onto the reins as his body is pulled upwards to the dark clouds. “Tripitaka!”

“Master!” You hear Wukong somewhere to your right before he rushes past you. He seems to be the only one able to push through the wind, Sandy and Pigsy struggling to keep their footing as much as you are. You try your best to move towards the flying monk, fighting the wind at each step.

You’re hardly able to make any progress before ducking your head down to shield your face from loose pebbles and twigs, all flying through the wind haphazardly. Just as you go to take another step, you feel the wind push back against you rougher than before, shoving you off balance enough to make you tumble back.

A shout escapes from you as you fall, but you never make contact with the ground. Instead, you feel yourself lifting higher, twisting and turning with no control over where you go.

“Dove!” Wukong’s voice is faint, accompanied by the thunder of the wind carrying you into the air. You can just make out a figure rushing towards you, Sun Wukong’s hand outstretched. Your hand reaches out for his, so close you can almost touch. But he’s too far.

His fingers just brush your own before you’re thrusted up into the sky. Wukong’s silhouette grows smaller before vanishing completely, obscured by the hordes of debris flying amidst your now darkened world. You shield your face again to protect it before quickly peeking out for any sign of something stable to hold onto. With how much the wind is tossing you about, it’s difficult to maintain any sense of where the ground is.

In the midst of your tumbling through the air, you hear Tripitaka calling out for you and the others. You call out for him, reaching out blindly in the hopes that you are close enough to hold onto each other. Luckily enough, you find a hand to hold, it grabs you firmly the second you make contact. The wave of confidence is short-lived, though, when you realise the hand is too small to be Tripitaka.

It’s too late, you feel yourself being pulled sharply in one direction. In a flash, your surroundings morph, the wind suddenly dropping as you feel yourself roll onto the ground of a hard stone floor. The darkness and debris clouding your vision is replaced with the dim light of torches, the air in whatever cave you now appear to be in is dry and hot.

With a grunt, Tripitaka falls a little ways next to you, landing on his side. “Tripitaka!” You rush over to make sure he’s okay, looking for any injuries as he pushes himself to sit up. He looks at you, confused, and before either of you can say another word, you’re alerted to the presence of another by the sound of their cackling.

“He tried to throw me!” You act quickly, pulling out your dagger and putting a protective arm around the monk as you turn to face your unwanted company. Before you, the boy from before stands with his arms crossed, different than before. His dark hair is now a fiery red that reaches down his back, thick and wild. Bullish horns poke through the top of his head. His ears also now resemble that of a bull, with a thin tail whipping behind him to match. His tattered clothes are now replaced with a dark red kilt, a few scorch marks darkening the material in different spots.

The demon child barks out a laugh. “I knew that ape had to be brash, but trying to kill me before I even did anything?!” His grin stretches from ear to ear and you frown a bit as you look at the boy who stands several metres away from you and Tripitaka.

Yes, this is a demon… but he’s just some kid. What are you meant to do in this situation, fight a child? Put him on a time-out? You glance back at Tripitaka, the monk looking just as confused as you are. Child or not, you can’t imagine the boy has taken the two of you here without malicious intent. “I don’t think you have much room to talk, kid. Haven’t you heard it’s rude to play tricks on people?”

Red Boy snickers. “Not when it comes to food, Miss. Father says anything goes for food. He’ll love that I caught the Golden Cicada!” He beams, eyes practically sparkling as he stares down your friend.

The two of you rise to your feet with your dagger still in hand, Tripitaka frowning a bit at the boy while you scan the area for an exit. “You… you want to eat us?” 

Whatever cave you seem to be in, you notice natural light pouring in from an opening just behind the demon boy. “You sound surprised.” He tilts his head a bit to the side. “I’ve had my underlings tell me all about you, Tang Monk. Word travels fast, and I have heard all about your travels on your pursuit to the Thunderclap Monastery. It’s too bad you’ll never make it.” He shrugs, uncaring for your situation.

“That’s enough.” You keep a hand over Tripitaka’s shoulder as you stare down the child. “If you’ve heard of our travels, you know we’ve taken care of plenty of other demons like you.”

The boy flashes a knowing smile. “Oh, I’m not like the demons you’ve already met.” He giggles, his laughter a bizarre mix of sinister and extremely gleeful. “Besides, you don’t have to worry, Miss. I won’t eat you if you don’t want me to.”

Huh. “What.”

“I just want you to do what you did before! I’ve never felt anything like it!” He exclaims, his eyes almost sparkling with a childish glee that confused your already-overworking head. The way he speaks seems so innocent, but his words are packed with evil intent.

Frowning a bit at the boy, you take a step closer and gesture to Tripitaka from behind your back to start moving towards what you assume is the cave entrance. “…Really?”

“Yes!” He smiles widely, and you take another look around the cave as Tripitaka starts to move.

You lower your dagger a bit and take another step towards the boy. “Where is your father?”

Red Boy’s smile drops a bit, his excitement reining in. “I will have my men send him an invitation once I’ve taken care of the monk’s disciples.”

“And your mother?” You press, and the boy looks away.

“She has business to attend to this time of year, so father and I will be dining on our own.” He explains, his posture is a bit straighter now as he smiles at you politely. “I would extend an invitation to you as well, but I assume you wouldn’t want any of the Tang Monk’s meat. You are vegetarian, aren’t you?”

…Also Tripitaka is your friend. Eating your friend is multiple layers of wrong. You glance over at the monk, now closer to the entrance and behind Red Boy’s line of sight. You intend to keep it that way, and crouch down to get onto the same eye-level as the demon child. “Are you saying you live on your own?”

The question seems to offend him, making the boy scoff. “Yes, and? I am plenty old enough to take care of myself! I’m the king of this mountain! I’ve been in command of my army since I took my first steps.” 

“…I find that hard to believe.” You frown just before the sounds of Tripitaka screaming catch both your ears.

Red Boy quickly whips around to see the monk being dragged back into the cave by two demon guards, and you curse to yourself under your breath. The demon child frowns. “Where do you think you’re–”

Before he can finish, you drape the boy up into your arms, pressing the dagger to his throat. “Release the monk!” You shout to the demon guards, both of them freezing at your sudden action while you try not to think of how strange it feels to be threatening a little kid.

“Let go of me!” Red Boy shouts, squirming in an attempt to get out of your hold, his hands trying to pull at your arm.

You keep your grip on the boy firm. “I will put you down once your underlings let go of the Tang Monk.” You try to reassure him, glaring at the two demons. “Do it!”

The guards remain still, their eyes trained onto their child boss. You see Tripitaka’s face drop, and before you can react to the growing warmth emitting from Red Boy’s hand, scarlet flames shoot from his mouth. “I said, let go!” The fire shoots at your arm holding up the boy, making you shout out in pain before dropping him. Your dagger falls to the ground as you clutch your arm close to your person. The boy scrambles back over to his men, casting you with a look of betrayal. 

“Ugh, that was rude!” He sneers before looking up at his men. “Lock them both up! We have to get ready for when the others arrive.” He orders them, the men quickly jumping into action. One grabs you by your uninjured arm, pulling you over before him and his fellow guard drag you further into the cave.

You wince, looking down at the burn on your arm. A little demon kid that breathes fire, huh? That is a first. You’re gonna have to be smart to get out of this one.

[synnamon-hearts]

𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭

𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭

Pairing: Ghostface!Josh Washington x Fem!Reader

Description: Staying home alone while there was a killer on the loose was a decision that would change your life forever—but you never would have imagined how...

Warnings: Mutual Pining, Dark Fluff, Angst, Talk Of Violence, Blood, Gore, Friends To Lovers, Suggestive Flirting, Implied Smut, Talk Of Mike Being A Creep, Extra Talk Of Characters' Death.

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: Ah, my very first Ghostface fic. It feels nice to finally fix this up and repost it. Josh was always perfect for the role. I mean, he already has that psychotic energy that goes so well with it. 😅 And I always loved this fic too much not to redo it. It's been sitting in my draft for awhile but it's finally done and ready to read! I hope you all enjoy it! 🖤 Oh! And if enough of you do like this fic, I may consider doing more spicy Ghostface!Josh fics in the future... 👀

𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭

I sat in my bedroom on a late Friday night, not doing anything but staring up at my ceiling in complete boredom. My parents didn't want to leave me home alone, but I insisted they go out. After all, it was their anniversary. Though I wanted them to have a good night and celebrate, I didn't really want to be home alone either. There had been a serial killer going around, taking out almost everybody I knew.

Even though the attacks hadn't been directly on me, I still had that grueling feeling that I could be next at any given time. My parents made me promise to keep all the doors and windows locked and stay inside while they were gone, and I had strongly intended to keep that promise.

So I decided to just stay in my room, laying in bed while counting the minutes. Time was going by slowly until I got a call—a call that would change my life forever in the most unexpected way. And I don't know why I chose to answer it, since it was from an unknown number, but something deep inside of me told me to press that green button on the screen.

"Hello?" I muttered simply after answering my phone and bringing it to my ear.

"Hello, (Y/N)." Said the voice of an unknown man on the other end. It was deep and dark—a voice I would definitely remember if I heard it before.

"Who is this?" I asked as I furrowed my brows in confusion. Though it was a very easy question, the man stayed silent for a few seconds. Deep, heavy breaths were the only thing heard on the other end of the line; until the man spoke again in a more sinister tone.

"The question isn't who am I–it's where am I?"

The beating of my heart rang through my ears as it's speed increased faster each second. I wasn't sure if it was just some sick prank or not, but I had a pretty damn good feeling about who it was. Still, I didn't want to accept the horrid truth—I didn't want to believe that it could be the man who had been slaughtering all of my friends.

"This isn't funny!" I shouted into my phone with anger in my tone. I tried to keep my voice strong—to not show how I really felt by letting my voice fall weak and crack. But it was hard not to. "Seriously, this better not be a fucking prank!"

"Oh, what's the matter, (Y/N)? Don't you wanna play with me?" His voice sounded mocking, teasing with a little hint of a laugh at the end of his words.

"N-No..." I whimpered, my voice being just barely above a faint whisper. Tears filled my eyes as I sat up in my bed, eyeing my bedroom door wearily while praying deep down that there was nobody in my house.

"Aw, too bad, little bird. We're going to play regardless of what you say. You won't regret it." He cooed mockingly, sounding as if he was trying to hold back another laugh as he spoke. "Here I come."

Within a matter of seconds, somebody began banging on my bedroom door. I screamed from astonishment and pure terror before scrambling off my bed to find something—anything that could be used as some sort of weapon.

The man continued to bang on my door for what felt like hours, but only turned out to be a couple of minutes. But to my surprise, he stopped... And then there was silence—unsettling silence.

I ended the call with the man—nearly dropping my phone several times due to how shaky my hands were—before attempting to dial 911. But as luck would have it, the screen turned black, and I quickly realized that I had forgotten to charge my phone.

It's crazy how one small, dumb mistake could have such a fatal consequence...

"(Y/N)?" The man sang from the other side of my door. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"Go away!" I cried out, clenching my phone in my hand as fear crippled my body. "I'm going to call the police!"

It was a lie, I know, but I thought that maybe a threat would be enough to get the psycho away from me, long enough for somebody to come find me.

"Oh, (Y/N)." The man chuckled darkly. "The police won't get here on time. And besides, don't you want to meet the man behind it all—the one who killed your little friends?"

I froze for a minute in complete shock and fear. This man—who had taken so much from me within the last month—was just outside my door. The chances of me getting away at this point were slim. So, if I wasn't going to survive, I might as well have found out who this monster really was. But maybe I'd be lucky and survive if I found a way to kill him first? Regardless, I needed to know who this man was...

"F-Fine..." I tried to make myself sound much more confident and tougher than I really was, but failed due to the way my voice cracked thanks to my anxiety. "Come in..."

I grabbed my alarm clock and fully prepared to whip it at his head the second he opened the door, but life had a different plan for me.

To my surprise, the man kicked my door open and there stood a tall figure, wearing an all-black cloak and a white ghost mask. The costume was frightening enough and made me feel quite uneasy, especially with how he cocked his head as he stared at my weak form like a curious puppy—though I knew the rabid beast that hid behind the innocent gesture. There I stood—like a complete fucking idiot—holding my alarm clock in my hand as I stared at this murderer with a look of pure horror on my face.

The man slowly approached me and with each step he took forward, I took one backwards until I hit the wall behind me. After what felt like a century, the killer was finally one foot away from me—the black eyes of the mask drinking me in as I coward in fear before him. But just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, my eyes lowered and focused on the bright crimson liquid that covered his hands and knife.

"W-Whose blood is that?" I asked with much hesitance in my voice. Though it was a question that I did not want an answer to, I figured it was pretty important; since I still had some friends that were still alive, and my family as well.

Without a single word, the man leaned in almost as if he was attempting to pin me between him and the wall. The only sound that could be heard was his breath behind the mask and my beating heart. But then—breaking the silence like a hammer smashing through glass—he chuckled lowly.

"It used to belong to your friend, Emily."

Though the man was wearing a mask, I could tell by the smug sound of his voice that he had a huge smirk plastered on his twisted face. It was at that moment, I felt my heart stop. Without even realizing, tears began to fall down my cheeks as I grieved the death of my friend.

"Oh, come on!" He scoffed. "Why are you shedding tears for that little bitch?! After all, I did kill her for you."

I froze up completely after hearing his words, like time itself had stopped to let the sudden news sink in. I was shocked, but it all made sense. Out of anybody in my friend group, I was never attacked by the killer. So he was killing my friends... For me... Only one question remained inside my mind:

"Why?"

It was the only thing I could think to say. I didn't understand why this psychopath—this murderer was doing all this awful stuff for me. The man only laughed and then, to my surprise; lifted his mask over his face, revealing his true identity.

I audibly gasped and it was as if the shock of who stood before me punched me right in the face. My heart sank and my body grew cold, as my mind refused to accept the truth. I just stood there, with tears in my eyes as the only thing that escaped my lips was a name: "Josh?"

Josh Washington—who I had known for years—stood in front of me with a twisted, psychotic grin on his face as his eyes stared down at me with a lot of excitement in them. They seemed almost gray now, compared to the light green that shone with kindness before. His hair was now disheveled too—strains of it hanging down into his eyes; I had never seen it messy like this before, since he always had it slick back and tidy around me. It definitely added to the psychotic look he had going now.

"Ta-da!" He cheered while he threw his arms up dramatically as if he revealed some positive surprise like a birthday party. "Surprised? Of course, you are! Do you know how many movies I watched to get this right? It was a lot. After all, that's how the best killers learn: watch a few movies, take a few notes; it was fun! And the look on your face now makes all that work even more worth it!"

I only continued to stare at him in silence as tears filled my eyes. He was one of the few friends who made it—other than Chris and Sam—but I had never suspected him to be a killer; it didn't feel real or right in any way. He was always so sweet and kind... It didn't make sense...

"W-Why?" I asked in a barely audible whisper. "Why did you do this?!"

He shook his head as if he expected me to know, while his smile only broadened as he did so. "I told you, (Y/N). I did it for you."

"But why?!" I cried out, raising my voice as I did so, my vocals now scratchy and damaged from my earlier cries. He seemed surprised by my sudden outburst and took a step back as his eyes widened from shock.

"(Y/N), I did it because those fuckers were jerks! They treated you like trash, talked shit about you behind your back, and tried to keep us apart!"

His motive shocked me and also unlocked some realization in my mind: he was right. They were mean to me and treated me like garbage. But killing them just seemed too far. Though... It also ignited another question in my mind.

"What the fuck do you mean by 'kept us apart'?" I asked as I furrowed my brows with confusion. I swore at that moment that if jealousy had been the reason for his murders, I would kill him myself just out of anger due to his stupidity.

He laughed again, but this time his expression held a look of disgust and anger.

"Those assholes kept telling you that I didn't want you—that I was even appalled by the idea of being with you—all over the simple fact that Jess had a crush on me. You call that being a friend?" He scoffed bitterly. "Not only that, but those bitches had sabotaged many of your other relationships, as well as bullied you into thinking you were not good enough for anybody."

I stayed silent, looking down at my feet as the tears finally fell down my cheeks. Merely seconds later, I felt a gentle gloved hand meet my cheek. He caressed it softly with his thumb, to carefully wipe my tears away.

"You don't have to listen to their abuse anymore; they are gone." He whispered softly. "And you don't have to worry about not being good enough anymore either. Do you know why?"

I shook my head as I sniffed quietly, unable to speak due to not fully trusting my voice to form words correctly.

"Because you're good enough for me." He murmured in the softest tone I had ever heard, only making me tear up more.

I slowly looked up to meet his gaze—his soft gaze of adoration. He smiled warmly as he continued to hold my cheek in his large hand. And for the first time ever, I felt truly loved.

"And I know Mike was being a pig with you, that's why I slaughtered him like one." He admitted proudly as his kind smile split open into a prideful, toothy grin. I couldn't help but giggle as I wiped a few more tears away from my other cheek.

"Yeah, despite being with Emily, he would never give up on me. He just didn't understand that I didn't feel that way for him." I admitted sadly.

"I mean, I don't blame the guy because you are a fucking goddess, but he would go a little too far with his attempts to 'woo' you."

"Woo?" I chuckled at his choice of words.

"You know what I mean." He rolled his eyes playfully. But once they gazed back down upon me, they had grown soft and loving again. "So, would you consider being the lover of a dangerous psychopath?"

I smiled warmly as I stared up at the man before asking, "Well, I don't know. Promise not to stab me?"

"Not with this knife." He gestured down at the bloody knife in his hand, while his voice dropped low and seductive as his lips turned up into a sexy half smile.

"Good answer." I chuckled before placing my hands on his cheeks and pulling his face down to mine for a sweet kiss. Then—after pulling away a minute later—I gazed into his eyes with a lot of love and warmth. "We'll get to that later."

He smiled and placed his lips back on mine, while holding me tightly in his arms. The kiss lingered for another good minute and lit a spark within me—a spark that told me that I was in love. Once we pulled away, he stared down at me lovingly.

"Seriously though, I promise to protect you at all costs and destroy anybody who threatens your safety." He declared in a warm tone as he brought his hands back up to caress my cheeks again, the soft fabric of the gloves drying my soaked cheeks.

"I know." I responded as I smiled happily before planting another warm kiss on his surprisingly soft lips. "And I'll do the same for you."

"Oh? Do I have myself a little partner in crime?" He teased and my sweet smile twisted into a more sinister one as I took his knife from his hand, gripping it firmly in my fist and moving it up to place the blade against his throat.

Though the sharp metal was nipping at his skin and painting the ridge deep crimson, he didn't seem to care. His lips stretched into a devilish and seemingly excited grin, as he gazed down at me with a look of adoration in his green orbs.

"Hey, we all go a little mad sometimes. And I may know of a few more people who need to be taught a fatal lesson." My voice grew darker and more evil as his smile broadened with pride for his new lover —me. "I just need to have a mentor by my side to guide my way."

"My lady," he spoke softly as he carefully took my small hand in his big one. "It would be an honor."

𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭~𖹭

[janeyseymour]

La Cosa Nostra- pt 3

Cowritten with @schemmentis

Part 1. Part 2.

Summary: You're interrogated... meanwhile, Melissa worries and heads to the one place that she can usually find comfort.

WC: ~2.85k

You step into the dark and solemn offices that you’re sure you’ll be stuck in for hours on end, and you sigh when you see the two agents from the night before.

“Glad to see you decided to show up,” Danik says coldly. “Almost out of time too.”

“I have two minutes to spare,” you reply cheekily. “And if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to take those two minutes to call my mother-in-law to arrange to pick up my daughters from school today. Since I couldn’t be home last night, my wife had to stay home with the girls instead of prep for her restaurant, and I promised her I’d get coverage for pickup duty.”

“Go with her,” Danik instructs Shaw. The agent follows you down the hall as you dial your wife’s mother.

“Y/N?” the older woman picks up.

“Hey Ma,” you sigh into the phone, speaking English instead of Italian like you usually would. If you had gone into your mother-in-law’s native tongue, that would only look more suspicious to the FBI. “Listen, I have a favor to ask of you... I need you to pick up the girls from school today.”

You silently pray that she responds to your English in English, and for once she does. “I always love an excuse to see my grandbabies, but why can’t you or Lissa?”

“I have some things to take care of with the salon while Mel is handling her restaurant today,” you explain vaguely. “Please, Ma.”

“Okay, okay,” your mother in law chuckles into the phone. “God, you two are such workaholics.”

“It’s all for our girls,” you laugh softly as you think of them. “It’s all for the girls.”

“What time are they done with school again?”

“3:15, but the lines start to get long and the girls don’t like to wait, so Mel and I usually try to get there around 2:50,” you explain.

“2:50, got it,” Melissa’s mother notes softly. “Okay. Take care of yourself, Y/N. I don’t need you overworking yourself to the point of a heart attack and leaving my daughter to take care of those two rascals on her own.”

It’s funny that she says that, because if you die in the near future, it most certainly won’t be because of a heart attack. You let out a laugh that only you know the meaning of. “I’ll do my best, Ma. Thank you.”

“Anything for the four of you,” the woman on the other end of the phone smiles into the phone before hanging up.

You look at the agent who was listening to your phone call. “Was it really necessary that you be here for that?”

“We have every right to be tracing you right now, Mrs. Schemmenti,” Shaw states. Then he lowers his voice. “But I also found it a bit overkill for me to follow you.”

He leads you back down to where you had entered, and then he and Danik lead you and Sammy into the back room.

Try as Melissa might, she’s allowing her worry for you to consume her at work. She’s made a few mistakes in terms of scheduling already today that thankfully her manager on duty caught before the final schedule went out to her employees, her stock inventory was almost entirely all wrong, she almost didn’t balance the checkbook correctly (and that would have only made your family look all the more suspicious), and she nicked her fingers while dicing various vegetables.

“Boss?” Valentina, the manager on duty asks quietly as the redhead curses in Italian under her breath. “If you don’t mind my asking, is everything alright?”

“Just peachy,” your wife replies rather snippily. “Just peachy.”

“If you need to take the day off to regroup,” the meek and mild woman tries to offer. “You know the restaurant is okay in my hands. I handled it all last night, and I can do it again today if you need it.”

“And why would you suggest that?” Green eyes glare into brown ones.

Valentina twists her fingers together nervously. “You just don’t seem to be here mentally today, and I totally understand.”

“You could never,” Melissa grumbles.

“I have off days too, and it’s okay to admit that you need the day,” the sweet woman says. And when she knows that her boss will retort something about being the owner, she quickly adds on, “even if you are the owner of this restaurant.”

Melissa blows out a breath as she expertly wraps the fingers that she had almost sliced off (and thank God she hadn’t. Not only would it be terrible to have to call you and explain that she was in the ER and she would be out of commission for a bit, it would look like someone was targeting her and had her fingers cut off).

“You could have a day to yourself to relax without those little cuties of yours climbing all over you, I know your wife is working at the salon right now... just a nice relaxing day to laze on the couch and do nothing.”

Melissa toys with the idea of leaving the restaurant for the day- she knows Valentina could handle it, and she did handle it last night. She knows too though that the picture perfect afternoon Valentina is painting isn’t at all the one she would have. As nice as it is to imagine returning to your home, and curling up on the couch- maybe with that book she’s been meaning to read; it wouldn’t happen.

She sighs, slowly nodding. “A’right, a’right. You talked me into it, Val.” She mutters, stepping past the other woman. “But you need anythin’, even somethin’ small, you call me, hey?” 

Melissa waits until Valentina has confirmed thoroughly that she’ll call at even the smallest inconvenience before she leaves out the back of the restaurant. Her eyes take a last sweep over everything in the kitchen and storeroom before she fully leaves. She won’t be able to have the relaxing day Valentina convinced her of, but she has more important business she can take care of instead.

She makes the short drive from her restaurant, pulling the car you share into a different parking lot. She puts it into park, taking a deep breath. She hopes Sammy is at least doing his job and protecting you. If he isn’t, she’s going to make sure he learns. She doesn’t care how high up in the family he is. Shaking the thought of Sammy, or you, as much as she can, Melissa steps out of the car and locks it as she makes her way across the asphalt.

She carefully ascends the few concrete steps outside, tugging the glass door open to step into the small atrium. She steps up another short set of stairs before she tugs the heavier wooden door open. The previously muffled sound of the church organ plays fully in the air once the door is open, the scent of incense filling her nose. Melissa steps into the back of the church, her late entrance to this morning’s service lost beneath the noise of music and parishioner’s singing. 

She dips her fingers into the font of holy water affixed to the wall. Her hand makes the sign of the cross over her upper half as she, mostly, genuflects at the side of the last pew. Melissa slips into the seat at the aisle, patiently waiting as the hymn plays out. After another few moments, the organ’s music lowers and slows as the singing ceases. The audience of the mass takes their seats once more. 

“Mornin’, Babs.” She greets softly the woman that reclaims the seat next to her. The priest is summarizing the mass’ lesson for today and giving one last prayer up at the pulpit. 

“Good morning, Melissa.” Barbara returns amicably, though she doesn’t hide her surprise at seeing the redhead. “I can’t recall when you last attended a Thursday service. Even just at the end of it.”

The redhead looks sheepish at being caught out at being present only for the end of this mass; that and the fact she certainly doesn’t attend as often as Barbara does. “Well.” Melissa sighs. “Sometimes a little extra prayer is needed, huh?”

“Is everything alright, dear? With Y/N? The girls?” Barbara questions, glancing at her friend worriedly. 

“As much as it can be.” Melissa hedges. “More, huhm, business problems, guess you could say.” She confides quietly as the final procession begins. The priest and the altar servants making their way down the main aisle beneath another hymn.

Normally, Barbara would be back on her feet. Participating in the procession and singing the closing hymn loud and proud. Melissa and her had had plenty of conversations like this. Paused between hymns and pieces of the Mass. Today, Barb stays sitting. She sees the worry on the redhead’s face. 

“I hope not with the restaurant.” She says as her hand gently grips one of Melissa’s. “I know how much that place means to you. I think you were happier the day you opened than when you married Y/N.” Barbara teases with a half smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

Melissa shakes her head, returning the squeeze of Barbara’s hand and smiling just a little at her tease. “No, the only day I might have been happier than my weddin’ day was the day my two babies were born without complication, an’ you know it. But uh, it’s the salon. I know it’s sort of…our second thing, yeah? I know it wasn’t a dream of Y/N’s like the restaurant is for me but it still means a lot, y’know? Without the salon we would've never met, had the twins��The restaurant would have never happened without it. I just…I dunno, Barb. I don’t know what to do. Y/N is in trouble and…my hands are tied. I hate it.”

Barb pulls Melissa’s hand to her lap, gripping it between both of her own now. She holds it there for a long silent moment. Melissa doesn’t question, having experienced this before. The last time had been when you were pregnant and she was worried something would go wrong with how at risk you were. Barb had held her hand and prayed. For Melissa and you both. She does the same now. The day that she had prayed for you and your unborn babies was over five years ago now, but it all feels so familiar- the sneaking into a Thursday mass late into the service, the back pew, the soft tone that the other woman had used. It takes her back to that day just briefly before she too closes her eyes and prays; she prays for your safety and for you to come home to her tonight alive and in one piece, for your girls to never have their innocence ripped from them and never have to become a part of the side hustle to stay alive. 

Melissa isn’t sure how much or what exactly she believes in anymore. Of course she was raised religious. She’d never speak the doubts she has anywhere where her mother or nonna could hear. Still, with the life she’s found herself in, it’s hard to find much faith. She might not be a man on the streets, a member of the family with more…messy assignments. Even so, she’s seen plenty. Just like she knows you have. Faith is hard to be strong in when you’ve witnessed the darkest parts of the world. 

When you’re in the life; you’re in. Melissa doesn’t need to be a contract killer or a capo or consigliere. She’s family. When you’re family, you’re privy to every side of it and just like blood family; you pick your battles. You pick what is worth really lending your voice to because if it isn’t actually worth it you’re risking much more than an argument over dinner or estrangement at holidays. You’re risking your life along with everyone you love’s lives. Just like blood family; there are things you pretend you don’t see- things that are never spoken about but simply are. 

Melissa sighs, a soft and quiet thank you when Barbara pats her knuckles. A silent sign that she’s finished praying and is here if Melissa wants to talk more. She lightly squeezes Barb’s hand before she’s pulling her arm back to her own space. “I’ll still see ya Sunday. Just figured a check in might help.”

“You know where to find me.” Barbara assures. “You don’t have to wait to meet me at Mass either, you know.”

“I know, it’s just one of the few free times I get.” Melissa answers. She squeezes the other woman in a quick hug before she steps out of the church the way she came. 

Once she’s shutting the car door behind her again, she’s anxiously checking her phone. Nothing. It’s only been a couple hours but she had hoped with Sammy with you he’d manage to get you through the process much faster. She turns the key in the ignition to start the car once more. If she’s stuck waiting hours again, and doesn’t need to worry about your girls, she’s going to do the next best thing she can. Get whatever information she can from each and every one of her contacts.

“No comment.” You mumble, crossing your legs as you attempt to get comfortable in the metal chair. You glance at Sammy, sitting to your right. He’d instructed you to say nothing else so long as agents were in the room with you. Though you both know the room is being recorded even at the moments you’re left alone. 

By now, you’ve rolled through both Agent Shaw and Agent Danik being both good cop and bad cop. They’ve practically given themselves whiplash with each being your friend one moment and then tag teaming with the other to switch sides to being an enemy. They claim they have evidence that you were directly involved with Bobby’s murder- irrefutable evidence.

The only problem with that is you’re not a hitman. You’re not one of the people anyone of the family would call for a kill. You knew the hit was coming; that much is true. Though you don’t admit to that, of course. Yet you had nothing beyond knowledge to do with it. If you didn’t have Sammy sitting next to you, you’d have likely laughed the fifth time they claimed you were the one that killed Bobby. 

You remember the night well. It was near Christmas. The twins were only two years old. You and Melissa had taken them to her mother’s and had watched your large family, both blood-related and otherwise, coo and aw over them both. The girls absolutely ate up the attention, acting as if you and Melissa didn’t always fawn and fuss over them. At the time Bobby was killed, you were on the way to passing out with Mel on her mom’s couch; grateful that there were so many other eyes watching your girls that meant you both could sneak a little rest. And once the two of you had joined the world around you again, Uncle Dominic had informed the two of you lowly that business had been taken care of. At the time, you just nodded sleepily into your wife’s chest, thinking that all of your issues dealing with that man had melted away and you would just be able to enjoy this little life that you’ve built with your wife and two girls. How wrong you had been.

You know you had nothing to do with Bobby. Still, you stick to what Sammy told you. You repeat ‘no comment’ until the two words start to sound like gibberish to you. Finally, the agents step out once again. They play nice, offering water or food for both you and Sammy. You both decline. 

You try to stretch out your legs beneath the table, annoyed by the knot between your shoulder blades. “Sammy,” You say the man’s name, dragging out the syllables to show your annoyance.

“They got nothin’, kid.” He answers. “They’re throwin’ shit to the wall and seein’ what sticks.”

“If I’m here until three am again, I ain’t payin’ you.” You grumble.

“You don’t pay me anyhow.” Sammy shoots back.

“You and I both know that even if my wife and I don’t pay you monetarily, you get paid in something better,” you roll your eyes. “Melissa’s branzino. You’re about two steps away from really pissin’ me off, Gaetano.” You warn lowly. 

His hands raise, both palms outward as if showing he is unarmed. “Ay, don’t bite my head off. I’m here to help you, huh? Just stay patient a little longer. I’m tellin’ ya, they got nothin’.”

What feels like ages later both Agents you can now easily recognize return. They each reclaim their seats across the table from you. A folder of papers set down in the middle. Shaw pushes them across the table to you, flipping the folder covering the papers over.

You glance at the forms, your brow furrowing. “What’s this?”

“Search warrants.” Shaw answers. “For the salon and your home.”

TAGS, and let us know if you want to be added!: @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @dvrkhcld

[greenunoreversecard]

Hi! ^^ Can you do lloyd garmadon x reader? Like literally anything. Im so starved for fics it isn’t even funny 😭

A/N: this came to me in a dream

This is a drabble.

TW: DEATH, SUICIDE.

Each line break to Hamilton means new memory/setting btw

Wait for it

Theodosia writes me a letter every day

The hardest thing about being in love with a huge political and slightly governmental figure is the fact their always gone.

But there was a simple fix; writting each other.

Normally we text, but because he's always in such high altitudes and other dangerous areas, it's been easier to write letters.

I'm keeping his bed warm while he's away

And it's worked well enough. When I do get to see him, we both joke about how our relationship is just 'victorian style'.

Luckily, the other ninja have let me live in the monestary, so I get to see as much time with Lloyd when he's back. The only condition is that I do upkeep- the chores and all that.

Love doesn't discriminate, Between the sinners and the saints

"How did you and Lloyd even meet?" I hear Jay ask from behind me, slurping the last of his drunk from his straw. "I don't think you guys ever really told us"

I feel a hand slide onto my waist, and I startled lightly before realising Lloyd's finally woken up. He hugs me from behind figure encasing me in his post-nap warmth and his head lolls into my shoulder.

"We met at Doomsday. They were a new employee" Lloyd turns his head to the right to look at Jay as he speaks.

"Typically nerd stuff. Should've expected it" Jay replies rolling his eyes.

I can sense Lloyd's eye roll, but don't see it as I'm busy cooking. I do feel his head turn back into my neck, and his soft press of kisses.

It takes and it takes and it takes And we keep loving anyway

The last time I spoke to Lloyd in person there we got into a... Disagreement, of sorts.

I never meant to stir up anything.

I had asked why every ninja needed to go on every mission, instead of just sending 2 at a time.

I mean, all of them are exhausted, and could use the time to themselves, switching out shifts with each other or something.

That was the wrong thing to bring up apparently.

One thing led to another and the debate got heated, to the point I left the monistary and went to go live with my friend for the time being.

I couldn't handle it at that moment.

its been about 3 weeks since then.

We talked over phone but decided it's best to live separately because the close quarters was giving him anxiety, due to the fact their already at risk of being attacked and he didn't wanna drag me into it.

I understand that. It just hurts because he let all of it out onto me, all because of a suggestion. I can understand how worn thin he is, maybe it wasn't the best time. He had, after all, just gotten back.

He told me we would talk in person about everything, we'd lay it all on the table after he got back.

From another mission.

I didn't know its be his last.

Death doesn't Discriminate, Between the sinners and the saints.

Its kind of ironic, it ends where it began.

Doomsday comic.

It has been a normal day, until that point, I'd gone into a shift.

It wasn't until 8 hours into my 10 I heard the screaming.

Our glass windows shattered. Some sort of- monster thing breaks in through the window.

It looks decrepit and I can see the dark red dripping from its mouth, the once blue shirt sticking out of its jaw.

The smell is putrid now, and gets worse as it's ink black body creeps closer. I duck down underneath my counter and press the emergency button.

Im covering my mouth, trying to hold down the vomit from the sheer smell of the eyeless creature, and I hear it's wet patters against the floor. It looked like it was made of tar.

I don't get another moment to think before I hear a crash. It's towering over me now.

"Don't FUCKING touch them!" I hear a voice call from behind me and the creature.

A flash of green.

Lloyd.

The monster teeters where it stands from Lloyd's attack, and I make a dash for it.

"N/n stay cl-"

I don't hear the rest of Kai's warning before I turn around.

I wasn't smelling decay, I was smelling acid.

Beams falls. I scream.

A flash of green.

A gush of red.

Lloyd's arms are caged around me, and his scent would be comforting if we weren't stuck in a pile of rubble.

"Hey, baby. Are you alright?" He asks, eyes gentle and searching.

I nod.

"Ok, just uh- I'm sorry I've dragged you into this. And uh, don't look down, k?"

"Dove, I knew what I was getting myself into by dating you and wha-"

I look down.

There's at least 1, maybe 2 beams sticking out. Of his torso, one lighly impaling my leg.

I feel my bile rise again.

My eyes water. I knew what was gunna happen.

"I- I said dont-"

"No. No. No. No-"

My breath picks up.

"I- this isn't real- I cant- this-"

"hey hey hey, look in my eyes baby? Mkay?"

I look at him through my tears, his figure slightly blurry.

"its-...." he pauses, wincing and forcing another breath to enter him. "don't forget what I say next ok?"

I nod quickly.

"Y/N M/N L/N, I love you more than anything. You are my yin, you are my life. You are my everything. And I need you to know, I will always love you."

"Don't- don't speak like your gunna die, Lloyd, please."

I hear the others calling us.

"it's-" he forces another breath. Can I kiss you, one last time?"

"your not gunna-"

"we both know its give or take a few minutes, baby."

I kiss him, like it's the last time I every will.

Because it is.

Life doesn't discriminate Between the sinners and the saints It takes and it takes and it takes

I don't remember anything after that.

I miss him.

I miss my Lloyd.

It's been 6 months since then. The ninja disbanded. And I'm at the tallest tower in ninjago city, debating if I should take a leap.

Life doesn't discriminate

My left foot dangles precariously.

I jump.

Wait for it

[prettyboypistol]

I love ur mercs x male reader stuff sm!! Don't know if you still do request but if you do, can I ask for the mercs reacting to being courted/flirted on by a male reader?

TF2 x Male Reader- Reacting to Being Hit On!

Scout

Flustered AF, thinks you're joking/insulting him at first

You call him pretty boy, he fucking dies.

Red faced, he doesn't know what to do with his hands, can't meet your eyes, etc. Etc.

"Hey!"

"Hello there, sexy."

"ASKFHTJFKRK SHUT UP"

Tries to hit on you back, but as soon as you open your mouth he melts

"Whoa whoa, slow down prettyboy! What's the rush?" You hummed as Jeremy dashed past you. Almost immediately, the loud and ear-piercing skid of sneaker sole on tile rang through the hall. His arms locked up where they were.

"You talkin to me?" Scout shouts, a hell of a lot louder than he intended. You make a noise of agreement. He turned around to see you, leaned on a wall with a satisfied smile. A snicker could barely be heard as Sniper passed by made Jeremy squeak as his face flushed red.

"What's wrong Jeremy, are you shy?"

Unfortunately, he ran away faster after that, his face red and his body shaking.

Demoman

He'd be caught MAJORLY off guard

He assumes you're drunk

matches your energy bc it's funny

next morning he teases you about it, but you start doubling down

"So, you remember all those nasty things you said last night?"

"Yeah I do, and I remember a certain someone promising me them."

OH SHIT

OH SHIT OH FUCK

"Hey there handsome, you busy?" You asked as you sit beside Tavish. He laughed in turn, his head rocked back as the mug's content sloshed haphazardly.

"Well, if you're here, absolutely not!" He replied in a heartbeat with a mirrored smile.

You two spent the night drinking and had a friendly, fun time together. The morning after however, Tavish strolled up and quoted a particularly suggestive comment you made, to which you winked.

oh. Oh shit.

"Well, you gonna take me up on my offer or not?"

You could nearly see his heart pop out of his chest as he fumbled over a way to respond.

Soldier

doesn't get it

you have to grab that mf by the face and say "I FIND YOU ATTRACTIVE" for him to get the hint

even then he probably thinks its a compliment

RIP, good luck

Medic

He laughs and brushes you off

It's a joke to him- either if you are playing or if you would really hit on him

Medic is one of those people to say "alright, that's enough now" with a smile to you saying "rail me daddy"

He's always brushing you off, unless you're praising him. Then he's hanging off your every word with a prideful smirk and the most puffed chest he's ever had.

Medic will give you extra good care when you're injured, something more tender is there now.

Nobody ever sees that little glint in his eyes as he double checks that you are okay with a glance.

Medic never understood why you made his heart squeeze. Maybe it was a new type of heart burn? A type of non-lethal heart attack? It all eluded him. Then he caught your eye, and the fun really began.

"Helloooo Doctor!" You said, you intentionally dropped your voice as he walked by. He stopped in his tracks before quickly turning on his heel to see you again. Your eyes locked before you clicked your tongue and winked.

"That's quite enough now. I'm a very busy man, you know." Medic responded as he gently smacked your head. You seized the sudden opportunity to grasp his wrist with a sly smile.

"Oh, you must be so stressed then! Won't you let me help with that?"

"I- what? I'm starting to think you're not joking anymore."

Heavy

He deadass can't understand you.

Like, at all.

So, you learn a few Russian pick up lines and try your luck.

"Hey! Heavy! Vy horosho vygladite!"

Heavy thinks you are trying to make conversation but horribly failed.

Well, now you know a bit of Russian and a lot of pickup lines, but not much luck in your actual goal.

You two start hanging out casually and turns out he's not only hot but also surprisingly a cool guy.

You finally get the courage to say the obvious damned words to him, no matter how much your voice clams up at the thought of ruining your friendship.

"Hey Heavy! You were great out there!"

"Thank you!"

"Я тебя люблю!"

Heavy lets his head fall back in laughter. Obviously you were joking, right? Right?! He gently explained the meaning, but that didn't deter you.

"Я тебя люблю!"

Finally, finally! The man showed a kind of reception. His face flushed the slightest bit of pink.

Sniper

He'd probably insult you on reflex

This however, makes you live rent free in his head for days on end.

As soon as he finally evicts you from his mind, you do it again.

He wants to kill you, really, he does.

However, the more he thinks about you and your disgustingly stupid face, the more he turns red and chokes up in his head.

You already know he's not going to face you. Accept it.

Mundy avoids you like the repressed bisexual man he is.

After literally eating himself alive with nerves, he eventually flirts back in a mumble you can barely understand before walking away.

Mundy physically cannot function, let alone able to leave his camper after the stunt you pulled (AKA saying 'hello' in a slightly more sincere way than usual) for at least a week, which caused a lot of trouble for your supervisors and generals. You were avoided, glared at, and were obsessed over by the Aussie for longer than you could fathom.

Still, you persisted. Your subtle lip bites, your prolonged eye contact, you knew what you were doing and loved every second of it.

Finally though, he showed back up and gave you a charming wink and smile. You could have kissed that bitchy little man.

Pyro

homie good luck

you speak fluent pyro as you watch them interact with the world and the other mercs.

They mean well, but just... somewhere else, like a person in wonderland.

You desperately want to join them in their wonderland.

through little gifts and kindness, you try to let the door open, but nothing seems to work. the only thing you haven't done is tell them outright that you love them.

So, fuck it, why not try!

"Pyro, there's something I want to tell you.."

You tell them everything, especially the wonderland allegory.

Pyro just sits there and listens to you go on. You make a tad bit of an ass of yourself as you fidget and fluster yourself with nerves. Eventually though the torture of talking is over, and you wait for their response. They stand up and leave.

You nearly cry before they return with a little teacup.

Spy

Oh he makes you blush like a virgin all over again if he even caught you thinking about hitting on him.

He is a little off guard and amused at your actual attempt.

The response of Spy pinning you against the wall and murmuring the downright dirtiest of things into your ear that leaves you stunned and gay.

Spy suddenly is the recipient of many gifts over the next few weeks. Flowers. Chocolates. Unfettered access to high-powered people when he's on an espionage mission.

Spy returns the favor with looks of flirtatious intent that are meant for you only.

You finally wrack up the courage to give him a gift in-person. It started as a note slid under his door to meet his admirer behind the barracks at 11 PM. Well, he shows up looking too gorgeous to have been incidental.

The blush that overtakes your cheeks refuses to let you look him in the eye as you thrust the bouquet of flowers towards him.

"Mon espion, tu as assassiné mon coeur..." you barely squeak out, cursing yourself for every incorrect inflection on the strange grammar. Spy simply looks you up and down with an amused chuckle.

"Votre français est horrible, petit fleur."

Engineer

You remind him so much of younger him when he was courting a girl back in his schooldays.

Down to the foot fidgeting and sweating profusely as you tried to say the most basic of things, it was downright endearing.

Dell had never considered himself gay, he'd never even thought about another man romantically!

He gently lets you down, but in a way that leaves things horribly ambiguous.

"I'm flattered- really! I just never thought I'd be the one asked to go steady!"

"So- you want me too stop?" You ask.

Dell doesn't answer with anything but a shy smile.

Well, after a few more weeks of old-fashioned flirting and a gentlemanly air, Dell finally gives you an answer.

"Gee, you really are serious, aren't you? I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind- but could we keep it quiet? At least for a while?"

You of course agree.

"Can I hold your hand sometimes?"

Dell's face flares a scarlet.

[fernsnailz]

thoughts on shadow's characterisation in prime?

i think it's great! like obviously the bar is on the floor in terms of what i consider to be "good" shadow characterization (since so much recent shadow writing has been.... Not That), but i think prime does a really good job of conveying three of shadow's most important traits:

tunnel vision for the big picture (idk how else to describe this trait). shadow is all about finding solutions to problems HIS way, which means that his solutions are very efficient and often morally dubious. this is something we see a lot with shadow’s choices - his plan to kill cosmo to stop the metarex, him going after mr. tinker to finally get rid of eggman, his desire to elminate emerl in battle, even his willingness to fall to earth at the end of SA2. he finds the root of the problem and goes for it, because usually that’s the most efficient solution. so when shadow starts taking all of sonic's tech simply because of his lack in trust i was like… yeah, i get it! kick that guy's ass!! because ultimately, shadow isn't wrong - the breaking of the universe can be linked back to sonic, and although it's kinda fucked to just rob him and leave him in the void, shadow is willing to do morally dubious things if it's for the greater good. plus he knows sonic will be fine, that dude has been to space like ten times at this point and shadow even goes “lol see you back home idiot”

a desire to be understood. this is something i think a lot of modern shadow writing misses out on when it leans really heavily into the “loner shadow” style of characterization. when it comes to these large moral decisions shadow has to make, he often takes the time to explain his stance on the situation. sometimes it’s to solve the problem faster, but often it’s because he wants to be understood. he isn’t necessarily looking for people to agree with him - i think it’s really telling (and kinda hilarious) that he only attacks sonic after explaining his stance when sonic replies “ok i can see why you would say that,” because at that point shadow has said his piece and has gotten 1. confirmation that sonic understands his view, and 2. confirmation that sonic’s opinion hasn’t been changed. and that's all he needs! literally like half of the episode is dedicated to shadow just explaining his side of things, which serves as a device to exposit to the audience AND show that shadow wants his side of the story to be heard and understood. however i do think it's telling and also hilarious that he has to beat the shit out of sonic for a little while before actually telling him anything lol

he's kind of a bitch

prime shadow has so much personality and it's really refreshing to see again! i like that he's allowed to be an asshole in a really funny way, it's charismatic rather than frustrating this time around. i think the voice acting and animation/choreography is JUST as important to prime shadow as the writing is, ian hanlin absolutely kills every line and is my favorite voice for shadow in... maybe ever? and you can tell the animators had fun with this hog, there's some nice little character acting moments whenever he's frustrated that i think are really charming.

also this one shot of him flopping around fucking kills me every time it's so fucking funny

so uhhhm yeah. i like it

[ennard-is-near]

Fact checking Michael Afton’s Sister Location monologue

Key:

✅ Entirely or mostly true.

⚠️ True enough but with a technicality

❌ Almost entirely or entirely false

This speech is very funny to me, because it’s very cool but also what is he talking about? And who is he talking to? Like is he on the phone or…just yapping to himself? Anyway enjoy.

Father… ⚠️ He ends this speech with “I’m going to come find you.” So he’s obviously not face to face with William here. And he probably isn’t on the phone with him because there isn’t widespread cellphone usage so he’d need to call a landline? But this is definitely addressed to his father

It’s me, Michael. ✅ Yes it is.

I did it. I found it. ⚠️ Well… he found it in the way that he followed instructions on how to get there, but he was told where to go. He didn’t have to look. This is a place of business, other people work there too.

It was right where you said it would be. ✅ this line makes him “finding” the bunker a little silly, but he was given instructions on how to get there, why else would he say this

They were all there ❌ Evan is missing. So is Charlie.

They didn’t recognize me at first ⚠️ Baby does tell him that she doesn’t recognize him, but I am 100% convinced that she did so I’m marking it as a maybe. He’s not lying on purpose, I think he’s just dumb.

But then, they thought I was you…❌ Why does he think this? They don’t think that he’s William. Nobody ever says anything to suggest this at all. They clearly just are attacking people, they killed those two technicians also.

And I found her. ⚠️ Again, she was just there? You didn’t really. Like other people also knew where she was, she wasn’t hiding.

I put her back together, ❌ Lmao she put herself back together you were more of a vessel. You didn’t do shit, man.

just like you asked me to. ✅ I bet he did.

She’s free now. ✅ Yes she is. Running around in the sewers and living her best life.

But something is wrong with me, I should be dead. But I’m not. ✅ Also true. He is so gross now. Zombie ass.

I’ve been living in shadows. ✅ Lmao.

There is only one thing left for me to do now.⚠️ I mean yeah, like this is mostly true but he could probably do other stuff and I’m an asshole.

I’m going to come find you. ⚠️ Flagging this one because he doesn’t do a very good job. Took him 30 years and he didn’t even really do it, the guys at Fazbear’s Fright did. He was just there.

I love this speech so much. What is he on about??? I’m so serious. And I know I was an asshole with my technicalities but this is his one set of lines and they’re fucking silly. Also PJ Heyword (Michael’s VA. Though for some reason he’s credited as “Misc” or something in the actual game?? He voices Michael and William Afton, at least credit him with “Mr. Afton” and “Michael” because they’re both named in game as that) EATS this up. No crumbs. And his sad delivery of these lines and also his like laugh thing he does at some point are very cool. Boyfailurecore. But I think about this speech so much it’s started to not make sense to me anymore.

[sokumotanaka]

Nah realistically this is how it'd go.

---

I got alot to say about this so let's go down the line.

First and foremost;

The specific lyrics don't correlate on a comparison front. RWBY never showed Adam the light of day, they killed him, could of easily jailed him, fixed the racism in the world no need for it to be like our own. But the white writers were lazy and then tried to blame it on them being white! When they hired expensive voice actors and yes men all the time!

Second; My hero failed really hard in terms of addressing the prejudice they set at the start of the series. Apparently this was better adressed in the manga but I looked at it and it seems exactly the same there. It's very late that they talk about mutant prejudice and it's in the lense of a back flash where all the characters say it sucks but then never talk about it again. I don't know about you but when me and my friends talk about prejudice and anti POC racism, it's never just one time, we discuss it often.

It was weird to think that certain stores wouldn't let Froppy and Ojiro in cause they're mutated. (Despite a quirk being a mutation for everyone but SURE) You'd think the heroes would have opinions on this. And Izuku has the worst opinion on prejudice. In the later arcs people start not letting mutants into places, not even shelters while villains are roaming around! Deku comes across this giant fox girl that's being attacked by random dudes who claim that because she's walking around looking like that it scared them...scared them into attacking with lethal weapons on an unarmed woman.

Now if this were well written you'd have some form of social commentary, but Horikoshi sucks as a writer and Deku tells the woman who was attacked "I'm sure those guys were scared too." Which is horrible to tell a person attacked based on her appearance but SUUURE! That's def what I want to hear from the HERO PROTAGONIST! Then during the great ninja war they have a bunch of mutants turn towards the only black character in MHA and repeat things like "Don't shoot, we aren't looters, you'll never understand!" like black people don't face racism and prejudices....ever!

Quirks are still relatively new to the world, they didn't exist forever, it's not uncommon for your grandparents to be quirkless so it's not like mutants have faced decades of racial segregation (And that's not me brushing aside their suffering but having them turn to a black person and say 'you won't understand' is ...tone deaf.) And not to mention the only villain Spinner fighting for mutant equality by trying to take down the system, gets stopped by Shoji, a character who didn't get to BE one until he had to step in to fight another mutant- then him telling spinner "You're gonna set us back 40 years!" Is so silly and funny coming from a character the narrative didn't want to give and growth to till he had to fight his own people so they can stay marginalized I guess.

MHA has the same issue as RWBY where the narrative and writers think that second class citizens should sit on their hands and just *Wait* till racist and republicans want to give us equality, then, we'll earn in.

Series like these embarrass me, especially when people compare them too X-men cause neither of these shows have a dark skinned poc even in the main roster- Ororo, STOMPS on your all pale skinned cast of fictional races and people with tails who don't get to do crap. That series at least addresses the sigma, the prejudice, the unfairness and people get to be angry and tell off racist.

MHA and RWBY? They'd so much as FAINT if they had to talk about racial and societal issues.

[guster-animations]

Kamen Rider Gavv Episode 21 Production Blog

i don’t have anything funny to say this time (i’m saving it for next week)

taken from this website

TOKU TRANSLATION MASTERPOST HERE

Looking At the Next Episode

A dark Shoma has appeared. Chinen seemed to have a lot of fun preparing for the role. Everything is different from Shoma’s character, from the smile to the voice. He looks somewhat animated. Who on Earth is this bitter Gavv?! He will naturally be very active in the next episode.

Valen… is once again being defeated (cries), but since he’s human, it’s amazing that he’s transforming at all! I really like Shoma’s line where he says, “No, it’s not about whether he needs help or not.”

Shoma hasn’t been able to tell the truth since episodes 9 and 10– that was last year. In this era with a surplus of entertainment (everyone’s busy!), it might be a challenge to see how far a long story can go. I previously wrote that episode 20 “starts while having a lot of breaks”, but there’s also a huge moment in the story at the end of the episode. Everything is tightly connected. Bittersweet… Don’t miss the next episode.

The Episode in Short

Thank you for watching episode 21!

Director Tasaki helped Chinen in the “Gotchard” movie, and Shoji experienced working with him for two episodes in “Kiramager”. The cast members have met him before, but Tasaki’s episodes took on a new feel for “Gavv” (he’ll also be part of a new program in two weeks)!

A bitter new character (?) has appeared, and it seems like the relationship chart surrounding Shoma has not settled down yet.

Hanty’s Confusion

After witnessing a passionate battle (not in the romantic sense!),

(Rakia: “This is awkward…”)

The previous episode ended with Shoma’s secrets bursting out all at once. Hanto impulsively punched him, but he wonders what his situation is like.

His confusion only grows when Suga tells him what he knows about Shoma.

Director Tasaki also directed multiple episodes in “Zenkaiger”, but he seemed to have a great amount of fun filming the scene, saying, “Even though Zenkaiger has the same combination of Komura and Asanuma, his attitude and role are completely different! The way he plays Suga is so interesting!”.

Just as Hanto begins to want to hear Shoma out again, the Dark Shoma/Bitter Gavv appears, and he becomes even more suspicious, but what really is going on here…?!

Now’s the time to show the true value of journalism! Go, Hanto!!

We’re Sorry About Dark Shoma.

Dark Shoma’s identity and origin are a mystery, but the clothing creates a new form for him. The zipper on the stomach is still alive and well. Normally Shoma wears a lot of highly saturated colors, so his appearance changes quite a lot with the monochrome (almost black!) outfit.

Even though he’s smiling, he somehow looks scary…! There aren’t any drastic differences in the hairstyle, to make it more convenient for Chinen to film when switching between characters, but you can feel that it’s “different from how it normally is” with the changes in expression and pose in just this photograph alone.

His love for food and hungry condition seems like Shoma? He ate both oden and pasta with his bare hands.

The steam was created by our machine operating team and not from actual heat, so no one went, “I didn’t hear about this!”, or, “I’m gonna sue you!” (Laughs).

Though not malicious, Dark Shoma does things that Shoma would normally never do. Chinen was challenged by his new role and put all his energy into every scene. Director Tasaki took cuts while smiling and saying, “Interesting!”.

Yasuhiko Imai played the role of the oden stand owner who was attacked.

At the end of the year, he stirred up excitement as the cunning Kani (the Granute Rojo), but here, he appears as a regular human. Dark Shoma attacks the shopkeeper played by the veteran actor Imai, who plays an extensive amount of roles in countless Toei tokusatsu works, from everything from heroes to robots to villains…

I’m so sorry.

The unlucky restaurant employee attacked by Dark Shoma is played by the promising young Shotaro Kajiyama.

He’s stepping on him, but he’s not actually doing that, he’s just hitting a stake that you can’t see (Laughs). I’m sorry!

Now, Dark Shoma finally finds the key snack, cola-flavored gummies.

Similar to the normal Shoma, he can’t give birth to Gochizos with oden or pasta, but it doesn’t work for every snack, either.

By the way, the normal Shoma couldn’t produce a Gochizo when he ate a macaron (and he also seemed to collapse afterwards…), but that was a little different from usual.

The owner of the penny candy store is played by Naoko Kamio.

She’s also a legend among legends, having played everything from heroes to villains to mascot-like characters. Kamio’s characters have a hard-to-dislike cuteness, and boast of a menacing survival rate (in my personal opinion, haha). Kamio, you know how secure the set feels when you arrive…

Oh… apologies. (But I’m glad that you were as strong as you always are after Hanto saved you, haha.)

From JAE’s [Japan Action Enterprise’s] young members to their big veterans, Dark Shoma attacks recklessly! He makes use of everyone’s feelings, and his brutal depiction intensifies.

His expression while transforming and the way he turns the handle are different from usual as well, and somehow seem dangerous. This is a guy who doesn’t want to act stealthy!

He’s slanted down even more than normal…!

The black Gavv’s shape is similar to Shoma’s red Gavv, but the sounds have an entirely different flavor. You should definitely get it for yourself and check it out.

The Too-bitter Gavv Rampages!

This is Kamen Rider Bitter Gavv, which the dark Shoma transformed into using a Sparkin Gummy Gochizo. The “Bitter” in the name is from the show’s snack theme.

Yuji Nakata serves as his suit actor. There are a lot of people on the production team who were in the staff for “Geats”, so we always wondered if Nakata would appear somewhere. After much anticipation, he took the mound as the peculiar character of Bitter Gavv!

He creates action where the character fights without knowing how strong he is, and battles while fixing a joint that was accidentally dislocated. The widely known respect that Nakata and the action director Fujita have for each other shines here.

In post recording, Chinen is challenged by speaking with a tone that’s different from normal, and vocalizing at an un-hero-like tempo.

It’s innovative that the Bitter Gavv Sword that he created seems extremely heavy to wield!

The letters appearing in the action are “juwa”s that weren’t on the “menu”. [??] It’s foaming like a carbonated drink…! There’s a brutal feeling coming from the kanji, too, in its shape and dakuten.

Rakia, who is now in the OP but has his cell phone deactivated, both due to betraying the Stomach company, sluggishly goes into action.

If the jellyfish is here now, that makes it a Rider battle… He’ll definitely target Bitter Gavv, who’s attacking Valen, but how will this end…?!

By the way, Rakia wasn’t just edited on top for the Hapipare shot in the OP; the other three danced for it again! Rakia hasn’t been in this colorful room before (Laughs).

Don’t miss it next week!

(Written by Minami Takijima)

[warrioreowynofrohan]

@potatoobsessed999 oh eyyy you read the scholomance books! talk to me about the scholomance books!!!

Oh, lots of thoughts!

I’ve only read the first and third ones (and read the TVtropes entry for the second), but I enjoyed them a lot! The biggest thing that sticks out to me as a very intentional theme is that, unlike most action-oriented stories, they’re not really about the protagonist defeating a main villain or groups of villains: instead, the antagonist is the status quo, the structure of society and people’s acceptance of that structure. It’s not about defeating the bad people because, essentially, everyone is the bad people, and everyone is the good people: the third book in particular focuses on both the willingness of ordinary people to do and accept horrific things and their willingness to do better when they’re shown an alternative and pushed towards it.

One of the things that the series solidified for me is the idea that ‘there is no alternative’ is the voice of evil. People will do and accept terribly evil things so long as they’re convinced that these things are the only option, or that every other possible option is worse. El’s mother stands out as the character who defies this: she will not live in an enclave, even for the sake of her infant daughter’s safety, knowing what they are built on. She will do and sacrifice anything for her daughter except going against her conscience. This makes her bargain/petition - even though she could not know and did not intend its consequences - appropriate to the story, because it’s flowing from a place of sincerity: an alternative to the evil of the current system is what she cares about most, because it’s basically the only chance for her daughter to live in a decent world. (I was going to compare the low-level use of malia to the carbon economy - pretty sure I did get that comparison off tvtropes - which is funny because if anyone in the wealthy parts of the world is managing to live a carbon-neutral life, it would be El’s mom.)

El’s fascinating because she’s such a cranky jerk while at the same time having such strong principles underneath that, and especially in the earlier parts of the first book is such a great unreliable narrator. She’s not liked, but she’s also terrible at recognizing when people are genuinely being nice to her, and tends to attribute pragmatic or self-interested motives to people who are actually being kind. She starts getting over this over the course of the book, but even in The Golden Enclaves she takes a while to realize that a woman who is willing to cross the world for her is actually her friend. The funny connection is that she also deliberately attributes selfish and hostile motives to herself that don’t line up with her actions - again, mainly in the first book. It’s like she’s deliberately trying to be more cynical than she really is.

I don’t know how much of this is from tvtropes and how much from the books that I read, but there’s a bit where one if the enclaver kids says that the Scholomance isn’t that dangerous and El just boggles, because she and the other non-enclavers are being attacked on basically a daily basis, and I thought that was a solid understanding of how privilege works: all the things you just don’t notice or think about because they’re not part of your life, to the point where it’s strange and confusing to realize that these are things other people deal with every day.

Oh, one more thing. It seems like one of the things that pushes El to be a good person is that, due to the nature of her powers, she can’t make small moral compromises (e.g., regarding use of malia): she can stick to the straight and narrow, or she can topple off a cliff. So much of the rest of the series is about where the choice to make small, apparently harmless or unavoidable moral compromises leads to making bigger and bigger ones (the mals exist because of low-level malia use worldwide, which leads to more low-level malia use to fight off the mals, leading to even more mals, leading to the enclaves with their horrific secret). While El’s dark power is stated as being important in the books in order for her to have the firepower to deal with mawmouths and other mals, I think it’s also a key element in who she becomes, because the path of the ‘lesser evil’ has been effectively closed off to her; she can choose good, or she can choose the ‘greater evil’, and she’s confronted with needing to reject the choice of the ‘greater evil’ nearly every day. This - and her mother, who raised her as someone who would reject evil - is what gives her the foundation to become the hero she does.