#i love how pretentious this show is and i’m literally not even a little bit sorry. it fucks.

[carefulfears]

the x-files entitling an episode about scully finding out that her illness has progressed to the point where her death is imminent, and mulder being told that he is the reason for it, and nearly killing himself, after…..the garden in the new testament where jesus wept before his crucifixion

[ihavemanyhusbands]

Heaven or New Vegas

PART ONE: THE WHITE GLOVE SOCIETY

Also on AO3

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Courier!Fem!Reader

Summary: Crossover fic (Fallout tv show and Fallout New Vegas), a rewrite based on the “Beyond the Beef” side quest in the game. — You and Cooper take it upon yourselves to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Ultra-Luxe Casino, home to the White Glove Society. There, you get roped into a missing person’s case, and fall into rabbit hole that just seems to get deeper and deeper.

WC: 4.1k

Warnings: canon typical violence (some graphic depictions), some canon divergence (with canon NPC dialogue/actions), mentions of cannibalism, mentions of death, small instances of discrimination against ghouls, pre-established relationship sort of (what they have is complicated okay), Cooper’s a companion (and a little shit), aaaand i think that’s it? But lmk if anything else.

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Whispers about the Ultra-Luxe casino seemed to follow you everywhere on the Strip, though all the rumors were pretty vague. Even Yes Man had no real information about what was going on inside. Still, it told you a little bit about the highly elitist White Glove Society and how terrible their reputation was—but the rest you would have to find out yourself by infiltrating the place. 

You didn’t much like the look of the tall white building across the street from Tops casino. It had an air of malevolent arrogance, but you could still see the ruin underneath that veneer, as if the place had been patched up with great haste.

It seemed even more ominous in the darkness of night, even with all its lighting and the large, pretentious fountain at the front. More like a glittering fortress rather than a hotel casino. 

Cooper sniffed and then spat on the ground with clear distaste, his glare fixed right on it. You let out a small sound of agreement, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Don’t worry, tin can, we’ll take it from here,” he said gruffly. “They won’t even know what hit ‘em.”

You rolled your eyes and turned to the Securitron with a polite smile. “Thanks for the information. We’ll be back at some point.”

“No problem! I’ll be here!” Yes Man replied enthusiastically, his smiling face unchanging. 

You frowned at Cooper as you set off, waiting until you were an appropriate distance away to speak up.

“Be nice to Yes Man, it’s been really helpful so far.”

“You know I don’t trust bots,” he said. “Especially not that kind, even if it does agree with everything we say.”

“It’s literally programmed to do that,” you argued, glancing over your shoulder. “We should try to be quick, though. I’m scared someone else will find it and get it to wreak some havoc.”

“See? Not trustworthy.” 

“It is as long as it’s on our side!” You hissed, exasperated.

He chuckled, enjoying pushing your buttons. “Alright, so what’s our story when we go in there? Still sayin’ we’re a married couple?”

“Oh, sure, I know how much you love to use that old tale,” you countered teasingly, raising an eyebrow. “Though let’s not give them too many details. We’re just tourists passing through, it’s our first time on the Strip and we want to see everything.”

He nodded. “I can work with that.”

As you went up the steps to the main entrance, a looming sense of foreboding grew as you got closer to the double doors. Once inside, a well-dressed man wearing an eerie, doll-like mask approached you immediately.

“Beg your pardon, but could I trouble you to turn over your weapons?” he said.

Next to you, Cooper immediately tensed, his hand instinctively inching towards his holster. You surreptitiously stepped on his foot to warn him against doing anything stupid, then proceeded to hand over your weapons.

“Sure, no problem at all,” you said, emphasizing your words a little to further drive the point across. 

Cooper cleared his throat, composing himself and even attempting to smile charmingly. 

“Of course, nothin’ to be afraid of here,” he said, practically shoving his guns into the masked man’s arms. “We trust you’ll take good care of ‘em.”

“Of course, sir. The last thing we want is to cultivate a violent atmosphere. But you have my assurance that everything will be returned upon your departure,” the man said. “Please enjoy your stay.”

Cooper bowed exaggeratedly, clearly mocking him. You smiled awkwardly and quickly pulled him along to stroll around the main floor. 

The place was just as well kept on the inside, entirely too clean, the recent renovations apparent. It smelled like intoxicatingly sweet incense… or perhaps a strong powdery perfume. You grimaced slightly and tried not to wrinkle your nose, wondering if it was meant to cover another smell. 

There were a couple of security guards posted around the vast room, all of them wearing different styles of creepy doll masks. You tried not to look at any of them for too long, their presence keeping you on edge. 

There was a large, ostentatious bar at the center where a couple of patrons mingled about. A grim-faced, rough looking man holding a rifle immediately caught your attention, and you shared a glance with Cooper.

“Well, ain’t that somethin’,” he murmured. “Lucky I kept one of my knives.”

You decided to let that slide for the time being, having much more pressing matters at hand.

“A hired gun…” you mused, noticing he was standing near an older man seated at the bar. “Maybe we should introduce ourselves? Politely.”

“Darlin’, just what the hell are you implyin’?” Cooper scoffed, pretending to be offended. “I’m the picture of politeness.”

You sighed but didn’t respond, instead making your way to the bar as casually as possible. The hired gun eyed the both of you closely, but he made no move. You sat near the older man, keeping an empty stool between you. 

His clothes and his cowboy hat looked relatively new, and there was not one spot of filth on him. Even his hands seemed in good condition, with barely any calluses or recent looking scars. Clearly, he wasn’t just anyone, if the fact that he had a bodyguard wasn’t indication enough. 

“Whiskey, neat,” you told the masked bartender, who nodded. “Thank you.”

Cooper waved him back as he turned away. “Actually, why don’t you make it two of ‘em? This gentleman here sure seems like he needs it.”

The older man looked up at this, frowning slightly in both confusion and suspicion. You smiled sheepishly at him while Cooper tipped his hat.

“This sure don’t seem like the kind of place one would look so glum in,” he continued. “Thought you could use another little pick me up.”

The hired gun took a step forward, lips curled back in a snarl, but the man waved him off, having decided the two of you weren’t a threat. You relaxed some, letting out the breath you hadn’t noticed you were holding. 

“Sorry about that, my, uh, husband always talks before he thinks things through…” you said with an awkward little chuckle.

The man raised his gray eyebrows. “You married a ghoul?” 

“Yes, I sure did,” you challenged. “There a problem with that?”

Behind you, you could feel more than see Cooper smiling smugly, chin raised high with pride. He was also daring the man to say something, anything, that would give him an excuse to get mean, but you wouldn’t let it get to that.

“To each their own I suppose,” the man said with a shrug, dispersing the tension. “I’m here looking for someone. You ain’t seen a young man with dark brown hair and a white hat on lately, have you?”

“No, we haven’t.”

He sighed heavily. “Ain’t nobody got one darned piece of information about my son? I’m here for an hour and he just up and disappears on me.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Mister…?”

“Heck,” he said, extending a hand for you to shake. “Heck Gunderson.” 

“What is it that you do, Mister Gunderson?” Cooper said, giving him a quick once over. “If I may ask, of course.”

“I’m a rancher, I’ve got a whole mess of Brahmin and Birhorners to my name,” he said. “I run one of the biggest ranching operations east of California. We supply meat to a whole bunch of places, including here.”

“That’s quite impressive,” you said, genuinely awed. “I’m sure that’s why your bodyguard is allowed to have a weapon. Gotta take good care of an important figure such as yourself.”

“Well, I made a special arrangement with the hotel. They want to do business with me, so they gotta play by my rules.”

The bartender came back and handed both you and Mr. Gunderson your drinks. The latter raised his glass in a silent, appreciative toast. You nodded and raised your glass as well. 

Cooper cut in once more. “And so, you said you lost your son?” 

He nodded gravely. “His name’s Ted. I told him to stay put for a minute while I talked some things over with the White Glove folks, but he never was one to stay tied down to one spot. Got that from his mother, that’s for sure. I got a whole lot of people looking for him as we speak, but I’m staying right here just in case he decides to show up.” 

You hummed in thought, giving him a sympathetic look. The gears in Cooper’s head were already in motion, his fingers drumming on the table. 

“We’d sure like to help if you’d let us,” he said, nodding towards you. “The missus here happens to be real good at tracking things down. People, too.”

“I’d be more than happy to have you,” Mr. Gunderson said. “Hell, I’ll hire anybody with a pair of legs and at least one good eye at this point. There’d be a lot of money in it for you if you can get him back to me safe… But if he ain’t, I’ll pay for the names of the sons of bitches responsible.”

“Lucky for you, we’re a package deal. Double the eyes and legs at your disposal,” you said, finishing your drink in one swig without wincing. “We’ll see what we can do, Mister Gunderson.”

He let out an amused huff. “I’ll be here.”

After a few more minutes of polite conversation, you and Cooper stood and excused yourselves. You figured the reception would be a good place to start asking some questions, so you had a masked attendant point you in the right direction. Cooper surveyed your surroundings as you made your way there, hoping to find some clues or see if anyone suspicious stood out. 

“He can’t be very far,” you said. “If he hasn’t been gone that long.”

“No, I reckon he’s somewhere deep in this maze of a hotel,” he agreed. “Real smooth with our story back there, by the way.”

You snorted derisively. “I’m sure he totally bought it.”

“Maybe one of these days we oughta just make it official. We’re in New Vegas, after all, and then it wouldn’t be a lie anymore.”

“You’re really asking me to elope right now? Dream on.”

He laughed. “I’m just puttin’ it out there, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, well, if that were to happen, we would definitely not be honeymooning in a place like this, I’ll tell you that.”

On your way to the lobby, the double doors of the Gourmand restaurant caught your eye. You had a weird hunch that you couldn’t ignore, so you steered Cooper in that direction. He started to protest but thought better of it when he saw the determined look on your face. 

Inside the restaurant, the lights were dimmer and piano music softly wafted out of some unseen speakers, surely meant to give the place a more private, luxurious atmosphere. A refined-looking woman stood at the hostess stand giving instructions to a masked waiter. When she saw you and Cooper walking up, she sent him away and put on her best smile. 

“Welcome to the Ultra-Luxe hotel and casino, we hope to exceed your every expectation,” she said. “My name is Marjorie. How may I assist you?”

“Would you mind if we asked you some questions? It’s our first time here, and there’s so much we’re just itching to know,” you said, trying to sound like an eager, fresh-faced tourist.

“Of course. Ask away, madam.”

“We’ve heard lots of talk about the White Glove Society. Can you tell us anything about who they are or what they do?”

“We are responsible for maintaining the beauty and class of the Ultra-Luxe,” she said. “And as its founder, I suppose it falls to me to decide how we go about it.”

Her words were vague enough that you had to wonder what sort of stuff they were potentially covering up. Cooper’s small hum told you he was thinking the same thing, but you knew you couldn’t press Marjorie too hard lest she completely clammed up. So he let you do the talking, since you’d have a more delicate approach to things.

“Interesting,” you said. “You’ve done a fine job with the place. Mister Gunderson mentioned it when he told us he was here to discuss some business with you.”

“Oh, you are acquainted with him?”

“Why yes, we are helping him look into something. What sort of business were you discussing, if I may ask?”

“His livestock, of course… Though it has put us in a rather delicate position,” she said fretfully. “Our executive chef, Philippe, has transformed Brahmin steak into a delicacy. He really is a genius, you know, everyone wants it. But if everyone can get it, it ceases to be a delicacy. And if the Gourmand only served staples, it would no longer draw the kind of people it deserves. It would just become like… a diner, or a family restaurant.”

“Oh, sure, sure, I understand,” you said, feeling the exact opposite. You internally rolled your eyes at her classist remarks, loathing the place even more. 

“So as much as we’d love for there to be enough steak for everyone, I’m afraid we have more important things to consider,” Marjorie said. “Not that we don’t appreciate his generosity or the trouble he went through to come here.”

“Right,” you said. “Well, you see, we happen to be looking for his son, Ted. Told us he went missing around here pretty recently.”

She seemed genuinely shocked, eyes widening. “Really? Oh my, that is just terrible…”

“Isn’t it just?”

A charged silence ensued in which you stared at each other, challenging, your expressions unchanging. You held your ground and she shifted her weight, hesitating for a moment glancing around to make sure no one was around to listen in. Upon seeing the coast was clear, she let out a resigned sigh. 

“Look, another investigator recently approached me to inquire about another missing person case…” 

“Someone else went missing here?” Cooper interrupted, unable to help himself.

You shot him a glare over your shoulder as Marjorie blinked, startled. You nodded and tried grinning encouragingly for her to proceed. She mirrored the grin as best as she could, though her discomfort still showed.

“Er, yes… A young bride, the night before her wedding,” she continued slowly. “I told the investigator it was likely she got cold feet and ran away. I could not possibly think of another explanation, but I’m sure the groom – who hired him – didn’t want to hear that.”

You tilted your head to one side, thoughtful. “And would he have reason to believe the White Glove Society might have been involved?”

“Indeed, we haven’t always had the best reputation, but all of that is in the past now. Some people just can’t seem to understand that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the White Glove Society has never and will never consume human flesh for any reason. It’s written in the charter.”

You opened and closed your mouth, momentarily unable to form any words in your utter shock. Cooper shook his head slightly, pursing his lips in an attempt not to laugh. Well, it wasn’t necessarily what you’d expected, but it certainly fit the bill. 

“Wait, let me get this straight… The Society was rumored to eat human flesh?” You asked, brows furrowed in consternation. “Now that’s interesting. Very specific accusation to make, don’t you think?”

“I just told you we don’t engage in cannibalism under any circumstance, madam. We weren’t always the White Glove Society. There was a darker time where we went by another name, but I’ve seen to it that those days are behind us.” She glanced at Cooper and then back at you. “But you, on the other hand, might be more familiar with it.”

“Hey now,” Cooper said, his grin easy despite the slight edge in his voice. “We were all getting along just a moment ago. Let’s keep it that way, for all our sakes.”

Marjorie nodded, though her demeanor had changed. Her chin was raised haughtily, and she seemed to look down her nose at you both. You clenched your teeth but didn’t give her any more reason to get riled up. You were not gonna get anywhere else here for the time being, and you all knew that.

“My apologies,” she said, only half sincere. “I already answered all of the detective’s questions as best as I could, but I don’t believe I can be of help in this case. Maybe you could speak to him if he hasn’t checked out yet. I had our maitre d’, Mortimer, give him a complimentary room for as long as was necessary, but it has been a week since we spoke.”

You and Cooper shared a knowing look. If a week had already passed, then the possibilities of him being there were much slimmer, but it was worth a shot regardless. 

“We’ll speak to Mortimer. Thank you kindly for all the information,” you said, promptly heading back out of the Gourmand along with Cooper.

In the lobby, an unmasked older gentleman in a tuxedo – Mortimer – was manning the reception desk. He smiled at you genially as you approached, but it seemed more plastered on when he looked at your companion. 

“How do you do?” he said with that same pompous drawl that all wealthy people seemed to have. “How may I be of service today?”

“Marjorie told us you gave a room to a private investigator. Do you happen to know if he has checked out yet?” You asked.

“A private investigator…” he mused, trying to recall. “Ah yes, I remember the gentleman. Such an awful thing about the missing bride. I do hope he finds her whereabouts… If I might pry, have you found something about this investigation?”

“Er, actually, we just have to speak with him about something else,” you said with a small, nonchalant shrug. 

“I see, I see… Well, we don’t normally give out guest information, but given the circumstances, we can make an exception. Let’s see here.” He glanced over the guest book, seeming to find the name he was looking for. “Ah, it seems he hasn’t checked out yet. Room one hundred eighteen. Once you exit the lobby, you can take one of the stairs up to the first level and find him there.”

“Thank you, Mortimer,” you said.

“You are most welcome, madam. I hope we can finally put these matters to rest,” he said, but his eyes almost immediately drifted to Cooper with a certain curiosity. “Are you planning on staying with us, as well? I’m sure we can find you a lovely room.”

“No, I don’t reckon we will,” Cooper said with a slight shake of his head. “Don’t think we’ll be dinin’ with you, either.”

Mortimer’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. “Ah, so you have heard those nasty rumors. Jealous people say such horrid things… When you can’t get an inside look at our Society, it’s only natural to speculate the worst, I suppose. All we care about is refinement, whether it is through fine cuisine or dressing well.”

“You are perfectly correct,” you interjected before Cooper could say anything else. “Petty rumors and nothing else. My apologies, please excuse us, we’ll be on our way.”

You tugged Cooper towards the other side of the lobby, where the double doors leading to the hotel rooms were located. You felt Mortimer’s eyes on the pair of you the entire way, sending ice trickling down your spine.

“Do you have to stir shit up with everyone we talk to!?” You hissed, gripping his arm as you politely smiled at a masked attendant passing by.

“Gets ‘em talkin’ sometimes, don’t it?” He countered. “It’s like a good cop, bad cop type of deal. Gotta keep ‘em on their toes…”

“Let’s not shake up the investigator, please?” you pleaded. “He might be helpful, and I don’t wanna get off on the wrong foot if possible.”

“You are too nice, sweetheart,” he said with an amused grin, glancing over at you. “You’re lucky you got me to take care of you out here.”

You simply scoffed, pushing the door open and making your way up the stairs. It was all too quiet, not one soul in sight. You’d always found hotel hallways to be sort of eerie, not entirely in touch with reality. Cooper took the lead then, counting the numbers on the doors until he found 118. 

“So what’s our strategy then? We gonna help him find the runaway bride, too?” He asked.

“Maybe, but we have to focus on Ted first. It’s possible he saw something that might help, you never know.”

He stopped right beside the door and lowered his voice. “He will ask for somethin’ in return for the information, that’s for sure.”

“I’ll figure something out.” You raised your fist and delicately rapped on the door with your knuckles.

There was no sound from within. You waited for a moment and figured he might not have heard, so you knocked louder. This time, the door’s hinges creaked as it opened lightly. You frowned, looking over at Cooper as he unsheathed his knife. He put a finger to his lips and nodded for you to quietly push it further open.

You did so painstakingly slow, peering inside. There was still no movement, not even a voice from the bathroom calling out to ask who it was. You saw the mess first – a lamp thrown in one corner, an overturned chair, and slashed curtains. All the signs of a struggle. 

And then, you saw the private investigator… sprawled out on the floor, dead. 

“Holy shit,” you murmured, immediately recoiling from the smell. 

Cooper let out a low whistle. “So that’s how it is, huh?”

“Looks like he got his skull bashed in,” you said, noticing the chunks of bone, gore, and gray matter staining the carpet, your voice slightly muffled behind your hand. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

He walked past you and knelt next to the body to examine it more closely. He tilted his head to one side curiously and hummed in thought. 

“Relatively recent, maybe a few days,” he said. “They didn’t like him askin’ questions, that much is clear.”

“No shit. Anything else of note?”

“Let’s see.”

He carefully searched him for any clues, moving him this way and that. In his left jacket pocket, there was a matchbook. He tossed it over to you and you deftly caught it, opening it up to find a tiny message scrawled within – Steam room. 4 PM.

You didn’t hear them slip in, but Cooper saw them over your shoulder. Two fleet footed masked men menacingly wielding dressing canes, already raised for the blow. Time exponentially slowed down, but there was no room for hesitancy.

“Watch out!” Cooper yelled, springing to his feet. 

You whirled around, just barely avoiding being striked, the cane whooshing past your ear. Cooper got to him first, driving his knife into the man’s abdomen full force. The man let out a gurgling groan, blood spilling from underneath his mask. Cooper pulled out the knife only to bury it once more into the man’s heart, killing him instantly.

Reflexively, you caught the other cane in one hand and held fast to it, struggling against your assailant. You were decently strong, but given his intent to kill, he started to overpower you. You grit your teeth and planted your feet, fighting back even harder, but then Cooper slammed into the man from the side. 

Swiftly, and with a sickening crunch, he disposed of him too. Both of you were panting with both exertion and adrenaline, still not fully processing what had happened. Your mind still spun, but you broke out of your fighting stance, shaking the energy out through your arms. 

“Well, I guess they don’t like us asking questions, either,” you said, looking at the chaos the room had become. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, just peachy,” he said, getting to his feet with a grunt. “You?”

“I’m fine.”

He approached and quickly searched you for any visible injuries, sighing with relief when he couldn’t find anything. You patted his hand in a small, comforting gesture, offering him a little smile. 

“Really, I’m all good, Coop,” you said. “Though we’re gonna have to be a lot more careful from here on out.”

“I’ll bet you it was that asshole Mortimer that did this,” he spat.  “He kinda looked like a starving coyote, didn’t he?”

“Likely, yes, but we can’t be making any accusations. In fact, we should probably pretend it didn’t happen at all. That could buy us some time, if we get cleaned up first.”

“Smart idea,” he said, looking down at his blood soaked clothes. “What does the matchbook say?”

You pulled it out of your pocket, where you had hastily tucked it when the attack had started. “It says we have a meeting with someone at four, so we better start getting ready. Wouldn’t want to keep them waiting.”

------

Part 2 out now!

[snzunii]

YOU BREAK UP WITH THEM.

+ tags. angst, hurtful words (from ran huhu), breaking up, established relationships + characters. sanzu haruchiyo, ran haitani x f!reader (separately) + word count. 0.7k + note. hello. ><

sanzu haruchiyo.

“i’m tired.” 

sanzu looked at you with furrowed brows; the phone that previously got his attention was now discarded on the coffee table in front of him, his brows raised when you chuckled bitterly—you were wondering what would make him look at you—and now, you got your answer. 

“then go get some rest.”

“no, tired of us. tired of you.” you said nonchalantly, as if the words that you were saying weren't hurting him—as if it weren't hurting you. “let’s break up.”

sanzu wasn't surprised at all.

he also don't expect you to say anything anymore; that was enough for him. because that was it; you really became tired of him. 

your face and actions were enough to tell him that you weren't gonna do this anymore. that you were not gonna wait for him to tell you what’s wrong instead of setting you aside.

you weren't gonna wait for him to open himself up to you. he didn't need any explanation, you were simply tired of him. and for the first time you do not expect him to say anything, to finally say his feelings out loud.

you do not expect him to beg for you not to leave because you know that’s not him, he’s not going to do that. you know he would choose to stay quiet and the next, act as if nothing happened and everything was okay. 

you were tired of fighting for the two of you, for the mismatched efforts on your relationship. you were done defending him to yourself that maybe you can still do it—that even though he’s not showing it he wanted you to stay. 

it was the same one word but the impact on the both of you were different. you felt free as he was uttering that word, you felt like the big thing that was weighing you down was slowly getting light but for him, saying that one word was the hardest that he’s ever done.

he didn’t want to. he wanted to say that he would try, but he doesn’t know how to. he just wished that you’d stay a little longer until he figures it out—but he knows that you’ve reached your limit.

that you would crumble and lose yourself the longer you stay with him. 

“okay.”

ran haitani.

“could you give me some fucking space? it’s getting annoying.” ran said that made you stop, your hand that was clinging on his arm was discarded.

it’s been almost a month since you last saw him. this is the only time that you get to see and talk to each other because of your tight schedules and you wanted to cherish it—make the most out of it, but he was acting a bit different today.

“am i doing something wrong?” you asked, a bit teary eyed that made him roll his eyes. his actions feels like your heart was getting ripped into pieces. “i-i just wanted to be close to you. we barely saw each other this month.”

“i know but do you have to be literally on me-” he stopped and sighed, “see. this is why i don’t want to say anything. could you please not cry here. i feel like i can’t do or say shit cause it’ll make you cry like a fucking baby” 

you weren’t really crying but you couldn’t stop a tear from falling. you were getting embarrassed and hurt. though, the pain was much more prominent; your chest was tightening every second you were looking at his face.

he’s different because he’s tired. he’s unhappy. he has been for the past few weeks—how could you not see it? he doesn’t want any more of this. 

you almost begged him to go on this date too.

“then you’ll overreact on the slightest-”

“i wanna break up.” you said and he chuckled.

it took all of your strength to say that to him. to really mean it. this is how much you love him, that you’d want to set him free from you.

“see.” he rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, “fine. let’s break up.”

ran thought that this was just one of your pretentiousness, that you were getting dramatic over the things that he said. you do this often before—break up with him but the next day you’ll text him and say that you couldn’t do it without him.

he was assured that you'll be back and take back what you said but why did it hurt the next morning when there weren’t a text from you? 

[imakemywings]

Below will be fanfic recs for TOLKIEN, HADES, DRAGON AGE, MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA and THE TERROR. Once again, I’ve tried to break the Tolkien recs down by character groupings but you all know what a thankless task that is. Asterisks by particular faves! (〜￣▽￣)〜

(Photo credit to Craig Pattenaude on Unsplash.)

Past fanfic rec lists

Tolkien

Sindar

As a River Flowing Into the Sea by Melesta - E - 3.2k - Elwing nurses a long-standing crush on Princess Idril. Love the symbolism and the characterizations here!

Bitter was Their Parting by Atalantie - G - 2.2k - I can’t speak, I’m crying about Arwen and Elrond.

Different Ways to Light a Path by baby_bat_98 - G - 5.1k - If you are looking for early stages of Gimli and Legolas coming to understand each other this fic is for you! Legolas is having a very bad no good time in Moria and Gimli offers some assistance.

* Chain and Trammels by am_fae - G - 322 - AHHH! It is SO testament to Lark’s writing ability that so much is fit into such a short fic. This speaks VOLUMES about Melian and her choices pre-canon and throughout Silm. And so poetically written, as always!

Hemlock and Niphredil by theScrap_Witch - G - 4k - Absolutely wonderful and crushing examination of Thingol and Elrond in Aman bonding over a daughter who chose mortality.

* A King is He That Can Hold His Own by iddump - I hear you. But Mae, you say, you’ve recced this fic like five times already. but listen. Listen. This week’s new chapter was so good it has to go on here again. Blown away once more by iddump’s grasp not only on the characters but their relationships with each other. This fic is a thesis statement on Maedhros and Thingol and I am here. for. it.

Nothing Beside Remains by TheChasm - G - 1k - Elrond and Elros take a trip to Doriath and everything is bittersweet. Wonderful exploration of their relationship to each other as well as to their family history.

* The Redemption of Daeron by Runedhel - T - 7.3 - Entirely in verse, this dedicated love letter to Tolkien and Daeron in particular blew me away. This author has fantastic talent and I was amazed at how well Tolkien's poetical style was captured. And of course, I love a happy ending for Daeron, even if it takes him a while to get there <3

The Self is Not So Weightless by Alyss_Baskerville - G - 1.3k - Sobbing again over Elwing meeting Thingol in Valinor. Absolutely wonderful fic!

To Speak of Nothing by Alyss_Baskerville - G - 3.7k - Honestly going a little wild over this take on Elrond and Elros’ relationship with Maedhros and Maglor. This look at the twins’ final goodbye to their kidnappers and caretakers is SO good and also shows how each of them views it a little differently.

Noldor

The Beloved by am_fae - E - 7.1k - Lark literally never misses. Once again Finrod and Sauron’s dynamic is utterly transfixing and their growing internal conflict over their feelings is delicious.

* Calma, Lambe, Lambe, Ore by sallysavestheday - G - 656 - Maglor and Daeron both made me laugh here and I loved the tone of this piece. Pretentious Maglor and snarky Daeron makes for such a fun dynamic.

The Chain that Snaps by am_fae - T - 5k - This masterpiece comes to a stunning and explosive conclusion to masterful effect. The emotions here come through so powerfully and vividly you can't help but be on the edge of your seat.

Deliberate by unendingwanderlust - E - 1.1k - Delightful bit of Meladriel smut with Galadriel getting the spanking she sorely needs. Very fun character dynamics!

Ensnared by swanmaiden - E - 749 - Messy messy Celegorm fucking one of his followers. His attitude here is so believable and as usual, Heather excels at capturing self-destructive characters. Nice work!

Hearth Fire by Atalantie - G - 1.4k Lovely little look at a tenderer, if still contentious, relationship between Feanor and Findis as the rebellion of the Noldor draws nigh.

In Fields of Gold by Arveldis - G - 350 - This is such a lovely glimpse of Finwe and Indis’ happiness and love. Beautiful imagery!

Just Call Me Home by sallysavestheday - T - 1k - A sweet moment between Celebrimbor and Finduilas after Celebrimbor disowns Curufin. Very touching <3

Maglor Indebted by SpaceAsthmatic - T - 8.2k - Very interesting look at Third Age relationships! When Maglor is badly wounded, he’s found and nursed back to health by an unlikely culprit–Legolas, only child of Thranduil, former Doriathrim. I really enjoyed the character interactions here!

Most Grievous of Partings by AngelQueen - T - 2.3k - Ahhh this look at Feanor and Nerdanel’s last parting is SO </3 The author does a great job capturing Nerdanel’s perspective.

Sown as Seed in the Dark by Melesta - G - 837 - The flowers are on Fingolfin’s side. Beautiful dialogue, and another angle for us all to weep about Fingolfin.

Starless by ncfan - T - 1k - Wonderfully claustrophobic look at Aredhel’s pregnancy in Nan Elmoth.

Tapestry of Years by NiennaWept - M - 5.7k - Love the dynamic between Galadriel and Melian here, and how despite her best intentions, Galadriel just can’t stay away.

True Wife by spellworth - G - 700 - You know that feeling when you supported someone on something because it seemed right and then later you realized they were totally in the wrong? Nerdanel knows that feeling :’) Fantastic dialogue and I love how the relationship between Feanor and Nerdanel is portrayed here.

Untitled by tanoraqui - This is such a fun look both at Finarfin’s relationship with Earwen as well as his position as Finwe’s youngest child. Great prose and a really sweet relationship between Finarfin and Earwen here!

Untitled by that-angry-noldo - ugly crying about Finarfin and Finrod’s relationship…also Finrod’s relationship with Nargothrond…really great work in using only a few lines to convey so much.

* Wan Little Husks of Autofiction by clovis_unleashed - T - 7.6k - Ahhh this is SUCH a fucking fantastic characters study of both Maglor and Daeron and how they are processing the Feanorian violence of the First Age a long time past. Absolutely phenomenal conceit of the conversation allegedly being about music. Cannot recommend enough.

Who did I suborn to do this piece? by birrdieEdwards - M - 1.1k - Fucking oof, brutal look at the kinslaying at Sirion with a painfully realistic Maglor and just enough canon divergence to make it that much more tragic.

Men

Ease Out the Thorns by myliobatis - G - 1k - Eowyn tries to help her soon-to-be-wife Faramir feel more comfortable in her own skin. A really sweet fic <3

The Horn of Gondor by saentorine - T - 3.5k - Very sweet and yet foreboding look at Boromir in the final days of Finduilas’ pregnancy with Faramir.

Labor of Love by Scyllas_revenge - G - 2.6k - Little Aragorn with his Super Serious crush on Arwen is adorable and poor Bilbo gets caught up in this XD

The Last Queen of Numenor by NevillesGran - G - 2.1k - Beautiful meeting between Tar-Miriel and Earendil at the fall of Numenor. Really captures the mythological energy!

Lavender Fields by Spurandsaddle - T - 507 - Arwen is less-than-subtle with her flirting, but it still takes Eowyn a moment to grasp it.

Rebuilding by bomberqueen17 - M - 7.7k - Excellent portrayals of both Eowyn and Lothiriel. A believable coming-together after the fight for Minas Tirith and good explorations of their feelings about their roles in life generally!

Ride Out with Me by raiyana - E - 2.1k - A really cute Eowyn/OFC fic from Eowyn’s youth!

Terra Incognita by aurembiaux - E - 8.1k - Faramir’s only been with men. Eowyn’s only been with women. They both try to get through their wedding night without having to admit this. Cute, sweet, funny.

With Every Seed You Sow, Let it Wash Away, Wash Away by hexagons - G - 3.9k - A beautiful exploration of Faramir post-canon and his budding friendship with Legolas. Excellent character portrayals!

Hobbits

Come True by Vulgarweed - G - 1.7k - Cute little fic about Elanor Gamgee meeting one of her heroes: Eowyn of Rohan.

Hades

Eternal Reward by cyankelpie - G - 2.3k - A lovely and touching look at the start of Asterius and Theseus' friendship.

Night Sightings by youtomyme - E - 6k - Sexy voyeurism between Hades and Persephone with Nyx's help.

Dragon Age

Anything Worth Doing by @chocochipbiscuit - E - 4.7k - Fabulous look at both Aveline and Isabela and the shift in their relationship after Aveline and Donnic divorce. I really enjoyed how real this felt (but still sexy!) I felt like this captured believable attitudes for women well into adulthood and that was very enjoyable.

Mass Effect Andromeda

Drusilla's Phosphorescent Adventure by drladybird - T - 6.6k - This is SUCH a fun look at Peebee and Vetra's relationship. Their banter fascinated me in-game and this fic does a commendable effort at capturing both the initial tension and the developing friendship.

Not So Recent History by Inquartata - T - 2.8k - Hundreds of years after the Andromeda Initiative arrives, Ellen Ryder awakes and meets Peebee, then a matron. Honestly, this fic convinced me that Ellen/Peebee is a far more compelling ship than Rybee. Let Ellen have some fun!

The Terror

Come Knocking by wildflower_47 - E - 3.5k - Delightful shenanigans when Francis, newly promoted, arrives at Franklin's house with a polite gift and is waylaid by a very intent Sophia. Love the dynamic of their relationship here!

Dark Red by flowermasters - E - 2.8k - Tasty sexy university AU where Francis is a professor at Sophia's university and she likes having a toy around. Really does a great job capturing the physical intimacy combined with the absence of true emotional intimacy.

An Ember, Stoked by Anonymous - E - 3.7k - Did you know "The Terror" has the most fanfics in the "sexual dysfunction" tag? Jopson is here to help Captain Crozier out with that.

Find the Wind to Fill My Sails by mothicalcreatures - G - 1.1k - A really touching moment where Sophia helps transwoman!Crozier explore privately presenting as a woman for the first time.

State of Grace/A Closing Flower by sshysmm - T - 432 - A short, sweet moment between Sophia and Francis before the departure of the expedition.

[btass99]

My review of “The Sword of Kaigen”

Since no one warned me, I’m here for the people! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU HAVE A FULL DAY TO YOURSELF! I MEAN IT!

(Spoilers ahead sweetie)

I started reading this book as I usually do, all happy and excited to enter a new world but then, the worst enemy of any reader came to visit- Life! And this isn't the kind of book you can read while doing your everyday activities , oh no sir, because then you'll find yourself crying your eyes out on a bus on your way to work and trust me, it is as embarrassing as it sounds.

I started the book completely blank, aside from the awesome reviews I had read. They said this book was the best they’d ever read and that it was completely underrated. As the pretentious little book reader that I am, I wanted to judge for myself. Frankly, I think "The Sword of Kaigen" is a really well-made and thoroughly thought-out story!

I saw that the author started writing this series when she was twelve, so it's no wonder she knew her characters inside and out. Each character had unique traits that made them well-developed individuals. None of them were perfect, and I often found myself frustrated with their behavior, but their imperfections made them feel more human to me, rather than just words on a page.

The world-building of the story had some issues. I noticed some plot holes and unrealistic settings that bothered me. For example, the story was set in a place that seemed like the Tokugawa Period but included electricity. This seemed contradictory as I expected the setting to be more advanced and modern. Additionally, there was a TV in the characters' home, but none of them had phones or computers, which seemed odd.

Another issue was with the whole Emperor plot. The Matsudas were the reason the Emperor could continue to rule, yet he still treated them poorly even after they were nearly wiped out. I understand that it was a way to show how the emperor didn't care about his people, but I expected at least a bit of political hypocrisy where they would be publicly thanked, ensuring the soldiers' unconditional loyalty to the government by providing them with goods and services Bluh bluh bluh.

In my opinion, the relationships are the reason this book was so good- the children, the mothers, the newly formed family. The redemption arcs and the bond between mother and child that has shattered my heart.

(I am not lying, I literally cried for an entire hour and couldn't function normally the next day).

It was then I realized that M.L. Wang was no ordinary author. She had a way of tugging at your heartstrings and manipulating them at will. I felt like a puppet in her Avatar-like story, and I don't think I'll ever recover. The grief was so intense that it was agonizing for me to continue reading and see how everyone coped after losing such an important character whom I had grown to love within 200 pages when there are characters I can't seem to like after two whole books!

I want to mention that the fight scenes were incredibly well-written and detailed. I typically skip battle scenes in books because I find it hard to imagine them, but M. L. Wang's descriptions were so vivid and thorough that I felt like I was right there fighting alongside the characters. Amazing writing.

I am genuinely curious about the future M. L. Wang envisioned her characters however, it is uncertain when we will get more books from this world she has created.

In the meantime. I will read the rest of the books she has published and will wait patiently for her inspiration to resurrect.

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

I hope this is alright to ask, but how do you like- do- tarot? I’m interested in it but I don’t know where to start or even what to do-

(I just want to communicate with my deities but it’s so overwhelming cause there’s so many cards TwT)

This is absolutely alright to ask! Fair warning this is a bit of a ramble, I'm seriously wondering if I somehow missed my ADHD med today I won't lie, but I didn't feel like any of it really needed to be edited.

My first advice based off your ask is just... completely disregard the idea that you have to memorize the cards. I'm doing paid readings, literally doing it as a service that people are paying me for, and I don't have the cards memorized. Some people get weirdly pretentious about it, I've seen that on reddit- but the thing is, I personally have memory issues so it was never going to happen anyway. I also use my deck's guidebook as a tool. Certain sentences will feel irrelevant, while others will pop out. I'm a better tarot reader exactly BECAUSE I don't have the cards memorized. The associations I have with the queen of pentacles, for example, are self love and encouragement for that. That's because it's what it typically stands for in my own readings. For one of my readings I did recently, I was inclined to basically ignore that because what stood out to me in that moment was the motherly aspect of it. If I was going only off my memory, that wouldn't have happened and I'd be telling them they need to work on self-care!

Tarot doesn't have to be overwhelming. If you have a guidebook with your deck, use it- or use the internet, there's a bunch of sites with meanings! Pick whichever you feel drawn to, like the format of, or however you want to choose. No need to memorize the cards, ESPECIALLY for personal readings. Literally just google it :D (Also just a little tip here bc I think it's fun; sometimes the art on the cards feels relevant for me! This may or may not resonate, and I only personally take it into account when it feels pointed, I just think it's a fun little thing.)

I personally was stressed out by choosing the card intuitively over a spread out deck. I struggled with the idea of choosing a card and trusting my intuition, so instead I shuffle it* and just read whatever falls out. Since I don't know details about what's overwhelming I can't give a ton of advice, but I'd say identify what feels stressful about it to you and find ways around it! These are just two examples of that, but I'm sure it could be done with whatever you don't like. That's my favorite part- you can find your own style based off what you don't like and what you do like. My favorite example is my friend, who quite literally tosses their whole deck in the air and reads what flips over. It's the weirdest way I've seen anyone read tarot and absolutely fits their whole vibe.

If you have any more questions, since this is a really general post, feel free to send another ask/reblog/shoot me a DM and I can try and help more if you want it. Tarot is one of my favorite things in my craft so I'm happy to answer people's questions about it. Although, I admit I don't always have an answer since sometimes my answer about how I do something is just "... idk man I just do it??? What do you mean I'm supposed to have a process?"

(*If you can't find a video I'll show you the two ways I do it, just shoot me a DM because I'm not super comfortable posting a video of myself! This also applies to anyone reading the post in the future if they want it. It's nothing fancy but just in case someone can't find any videos.)

[apriiciitty]

people of the internet,

the eighth sense has me hooked.

I literally didn’t even know what the hell it is with this bl but I feel so addicted to it.

it radiates so many common feelings and situations that seem to be familiar to todays youth. it’s so fresh, relaxing and comforting the way they portray so many common problems with which we can relate, I just love these specific details a lot.

mainly because I find my own self relating to certain points in an extrem level however, besides that, the whole series’s just so gripping?

you get sucked in it pretty quickly.

let’s talk a bit about jaewon and jihyun because I love their characters so much:

overall, I think we can all agree that both characters carry their own interesting personas right? they are very unique and carry their own stories and weight on their shoulders. they are both pretty commonly written, but also extremely extraordinary at the same time?

Jihyun seems to be a person who just goes with the flow. we saw how he directly got a job right when he moved in Seoul, he tries new things out, he’s ready to explore his environment and I believe he is willing to take chances. He seems to like quiet and peace, is very honest and curious.

I believe that, even though we are on episode 6 already, we still haven’t seen much of jihyun though. And that’s where jaewon jumps right into. I think that we will get to discover jihyun’s sides through jaewon.

as for jaewon,

well.

I think I could write pages and pages on his persona. jaewon’s character is a bit more developed because I think the series’s taking part on his point of view, current me if I’m wrong. That’s why i believe that he is the one who will unfold jihyun’s persona. His story is more detailed and -not so much but actually so much-complicated.

the fact that he wears a different mask on his daily routine in order to please everybody around him, makes me feel sick and tired, imagine being him. that’s just too much. besides that, today we came across his trauma which left many questions behind but also gave us a few answers for some specific points, mainly about jaewons behaviour.

and that’s how we stumble on jihyun again.

I believe that in this case, jihyun is the one to actually make jaewon feel like himself without having to be pretentious and pretty much fake.

both of them are like a puzzle, who only they can place together out of each other.

damn.

i don’t think that we will get a sad ending, that’s not really the vibe we get of the show. I am not very sure as to why the incident with jihyun took place, I guess this will be a break-point where jaewon will overthink their relationship and will have second thoughts? maybe because he wasn’t able to help jihyun when he was drowning and so he’ll feel like he is dangerous for jihyun OR he’ll actually save jihyun and maybe he will find peace within himself, for when he wasn’t able to help his little brother? idk

I am just mentally not ready for anything dramatical to be honest and neither are you.

twt: @o0rageade

[crimsun-n-clover]

i REALLY need a name for new girl now because shits getting interesting

fuck one sec

google said dalia so dalia it is

mildly pretentious vibes but pretty and charming nonetheless?? yeah that will do

anyway i might have a chance

like. a sliver of a chance. i think she might’ve been referring to me with a recent story post

it’s literally SO pathetic but i’ve been keeping track of things she says on her story to get to know her better or like start conversations and shit.

like yesterday she posted a bunch of photos from a shoot she did and she was wearing these bigass platform boots and as a professional on bigass platform boots we talked about it for a bit, exchanging stories about being the “weird kid with the boots” at school

whenever she posts a worrying note or something sad on her story i like to check in with her. even if i’m at maggie’s house babysitting. doesn’t fuckin matter, i’ll keep an eye on the two of our kids who came over (cat and daisy) AND text dalia.

i love talking to her. even though i’m scared of her. it’s been a long time since i’ve been scared of someone in a good way

so today dalia posted on her story one of those like. things? where it’s like. a prompt and you can click it and put the prompt on your own story as like a reply but also as its own thing. anyway. the prompt was “you” and she posted a mirror picture of some really fucking cool butterfly eyeliner she did and i spent AGES looking for a good photo of myself that i haven’t posted recently or didn’t have one of the kids in it but i found an old one maggie took of me shoved into a closet. i was wearing an outfit that was like. tacky and 2014 tumblr but also cool and tastefully slutty at the same time. black turtleneck, leather pants, high waisted skirt with my bigass glasses i wear every day. i was smiling real big because i had just been shoved into the closet to hide me from someone because i was doing sneaky shit.

she likes it almost immediately. and four minutes after i post it, she posts on her close friends. one of those facebook memes. it says “really wanna make out with one of y’all not saying who tho”

bro i’m gonna DIE

i’ve felt insane this whole time like. there’s no way. she’s so out of my league and lives out of the fucking country and NOW? maybe i have BARELY a chance instead of no chance. maybe it’s not in reference to me but it’s sketchy as hell.

and i liked the story. because WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DOOOO

i swear to GOD dude. i was telling mickey JUST THIS MORNING about how into this girl i am. left out the part where i dreamt about her last night but that’s more of a self preservation thing. mickey is already so desperate to find dalias account and that would make her worse.

i just texted her a whole rant. with screenshots. with the username cropped out. obviously.

and it led to this fucking conversation

this fuckin kid kept going after this. i’m an interactive reality show to her.

i just had to stop writing this to go try not to yack my fucking guts up and procrastinate thinking about her by doing my SKINCARE ROUTINE. which is something that i guess i do now, if only to avoid things. poor little pea sized non habit making adhd brain is in SHOCK right now.

i’m gonna like. cook something i guess. it’s almost midnight i need a task goodbye

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 52: Tattoos

When he left the Wizarding World, Harry hadn't thought too much about what would happen to Draco Malfoy after he testified for him at his trial.

If pressed, he probably would have assumed that Malfoy would have continued in his father's footsteps. He would have imagined well tailored suits and robes, long blonde hair, the same aristocratic nose tipped in the air.

So, perhaps his jaw all but hitting the floor when he saw the other man for the first time in five years was understandable.

And it wasn't the fact that he was walking into the muggle bar that Harry worked at that shocked him, it was the fact that Malfoy had trimmed his hair short on the sides and left the top long; it was that he'd dyed it hot pink.

It was the fact that his left arm had a muggle tattoo covering the dark mark that had once been there with beautiful, bright flowers; new life coming out of death. It was the dragon tattoo peaking out of the collar of his shirt, that Harry guessed, was shaped around his namesake constellation.

It was the loose, black v-neck, muggle t-shirt tucked into skinny jeans that were cuffed just above his ankles. And the three earrings in the cartilage at the top of his right ear.

It was that he looked nothing like the stiff, tidy, pretentious twat that Harry would have envisioned him growing into and it made Harry wonder what else he was wrong about.

Malfoy caught sight of him a few second later and literally froze in place.

"What can I get you?" Harry asked, giving him a little smile.

"Sorry," Malfoy said, cocking his head uncertainly, "You look like someone I used to know."

(Read more below the cut)

And that was fair, too, Harry supposed. He didn't look anything like the scrawny, desperate teen he'd been the last time Malfoy saw him, either. Harry had grown a good six inches since then, his shoulders had filled out, he'd grown his hair long because the curls were less messy that way, he'd grown a beard that he kept short and tidy, and he had a few tattoos of his own. "You look like someone I used to know, too," he replied, "But you can't possibly be the same person that I thought I knew and I'm sure that I'm not quite what you thought either." He tilted his head at Malfoy, "What can I get you?" he repeated.

"What would you recommend?" Malfoy asked as he slid into a bar stool with a touch more caution than Harry liked.

"Do you like sweet drinks?" he asked, "I have this cotton candy drink that we make with cranberry juice and raspberry vodka," then he added, "And cotton candy, obviously."

"That would definitely be something I've never tried before," Malfoy replied with a little smile.

"Done." While Harry was making the drink he said, "So what brings you so far from home?"

Malfoy cocked his head, "I left home ages ago," he said. "Disowned, as a matter of fact."

Harry frowned as he reached under the bar to fetch the cotton candy, "What? Why?"

Harry saw him lift one shoulder casually before having to stick his head into the cupboard below to reach the bag of cotton candy in the back, "Apparently, Malfoys are allowed to make all sorts of mistakes and commit all sorts of atrocities, but being gay was just one step too far for them."

Harry bashed the back of his head against the bar in his haste to stand up, "Wait, you're-?" he started before registering just how badly that had hurt, "Ouch, fuck," he said, rubbing the back of his skull.

"Here," Malfoy murmured, holding out his hand, "Let me."

Harry leaned over and Malfoy gently cupped the back of his head and murmured something under his breath. A moment later a warm, tingly feeling suffused Harry's head and all of the pain disappeared.

"Wow," Harry said, rubbing the back of his skull again and feeling for any tender spots, "That was amazing."

Malfoy shrugged and Harry went back to working on the drink. "I was training to be a healer," he confessed softly so no one would overhear, "But then I had one too many people refuse to let me help them because of-" he broke off and shook his head, "Well you know."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Harry said with a frown as he slid the drink across the bar. He was about to say more when Ben, one of his regulars, came up to the bar for a refill, "Hold that thought," he said, making his way over to get him another bourbon.

"This," Malfoy said, pointing to the drink Harry had made him when he returned a few minutes later, "Is actually quite tasty, Potter."

He laughed, "No need for the tone of surprise, this has been my job for nearly five years now. And you can call me, Harry," he added.

The corner of Draco's mouth tilted up, "Oh I can, can I?"

Harry nodded, "And I think I'll be calling you Draco."

"Bold of you," he said but he was smiling so Harry didn't take him too seriously.

"Gryffindor," he replied, pointing to himself with a wink. "So tell me about yourself, Draco," he said.

And to his surprise and utter delight, Draco did. He sat at the bar, sipping that martini before switching over to lemonade, all evening, telling Harry about his life and asking questions about Harry in turn.

One things led to another and by the time Harry was getting ready to leave, Harry was really not ready for the night to end.

"Can I walk you home?" Draco asked, apparently he wasn't ready for it to end either.

Harry smiled at him and nodded toward his house, they set off down the street talking about nothing. He only lived a few blocks away and they found themselves standing at the bottom of Harry's steps all too soon.

"Will you punch me if I kiss you?" Draco asked him.

Harry shook his head with a smile he couldn't quite hide, and leaned forward to meet Draco halfway. The moment their lips met, Harry's veins felt like they'd been set on fire. He reached out and clasped the fabric of Draco's t-shirt in his hands and pulled him forward, crashing their bodies together.

"Come inside," Harry begged against Draco's lips.

Draco pulled back, brow furrowed slightly, "You want this? With me?"

"Godric, yes," he groaned. "Please."

The other man gave him a breathless little smile and Harry dragged him up the stairs and straight to the bedroom.

Afterward, Harry got up to order them some pizza and when he returned, Draco was laid on his back on the bed, his pink hair fanned out across the pillow, Harry couldn't help but think that his body looked more gorgeous than any work of art he'd ever seen. And Harry sat up beside him admire him better, "I thought this one was your constellation," he murmured triumphantly, stroking his fingers over the dragon that curled over his collarbone and up his neck.

"Well spotted," Draco said, a smile in his voice.

He brushed his fingers over the snitch on Draco's chest, "I've got one of these, too," he murmured, leaning a bit so Draco can see the snitch he has on his own hip.

"Yes, I noticed," Draco replied, giving him a little smirk, "What does it say under it?"

"I open at the close," Harry said.

Draco hummed, "You'll have to tell me the story sometime."

"I'd like that," Harry told him, surprised to find that it was true since he'd never wanted to talk to anyone about the war. He trailed his fingers over the flower that had been tattooed over Draco's heart. "For your mum?" he asked.

He gave him a sad smile and nodded, "The black narcissus."

"These are for my parents," he told him, pointing to the antlers adorned with lilies along his collarbones.

"What are these ones?" he asked, trailing his fingers over the Marauder's map style footprints on his bicep and shoulder.

"These," he said, twisting to show Draco that they wrapped around his shoulder and onto his back, "are names of the people who have held me up, some of them still living, and others who live on in me." He grinned at him, "I'll show you the map they're modeled after the next time I have it out."

"Do you have any others?"

"Yeah," Harry said, collapsing onto his back so he could show Draco his ankle, "Deathly Hallows on my ankle."

Draco's fingers brushed lightly over his skin and Harry's spine tingled pleasantly.

"Do you have others?" he echoed

He nodded and rolled over onto his stomach and Harry had to hold back a gasp, "Beautiful," he whispered, trailing his fingers lightly over the wings covering Draco's shoulder blades.

"They're to remind me that I am free. I made my choice to fly instead of staying shackled."

"They're beautiful," Harry repeated.

Draco reached back and pointed to his neck and Harry's eyes followed to a compass. "To remind me that I choose the direction of my life from here on out."

"I love that," Harry replied, flopping back down on the bed next to Draco. "I'm planning my next one."

"Oh?" Draco asked, turning his head to the side and resting it on his forearms so he could look at Harry.

Harry nodded, "A constellation as well, Sirius, and wolfsbane incorporated somehow."

"Are all of yours for people, then?"

"Yeah," he replied, about to say more when the doorbell rang. "That'll be the pizza. Do you want to eat in here or in the kitchen?" he asked as he stood up and started looking for a pair of pants to put on to answer the door

"I should go-"

"Draco," he said, leaning in and stealing another kiss, "Stay. Please."

"For how long?" Draco asked.

The doorbell rang again and Harry stumbled into his boxers, "For as long as you want. Stay forever if you like."

And he was surprised to find that he was only half joking.

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

Please go look at this GORGEOUS art by @pato-roldnart. I'm completely in awe of how talented they are. It's just like I imagined it and I am totally in love!

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

Day 51: Parents | Day 53: First Anniversary

[upside-down-low]

Fuck it I’m gonna put into the void what I had in my notes of linking a main older teen character to a Party member when I was making these two posts (scene redraws + duos), I spent enough time thinking about it, I’ll shut up after lol

TL;DR

Mike -> Nancy

Lucas -> Steve

Will -> Robin

Dustin -> Eddie

El -> Jonathan

Max -> Argyle

Fruity Four -> core four, easy:

Nancy and Steve would be Mike and Lucas: having known each other quite a bit, Steve being the jock Lancer to the nerdier but fiery Nancy like Lucas is to Mike

Nancy is capable of being a de facto leader of the group the way Mike is and to be the kind of person willing to jump off a cliff/jump in the water for her friends’ sake; she’s also unfortunately polarizing in the fandom much like her brother, partly due to how her romantic relationships are being handled

Steve is loyal, has big sibling—not necessarily second parent, but specifically older brother—energy, bit of a romantic, and the closest one of the group to have one foot in the popular circles before ultimately choosing his friends over that crowd; they also both directly faced off with a blond, fandom-polarizing “top dog” type of antagonist at one point

Ironically Nancy is more of the ranger in terms of weapons like Lucas while Steve would be more of a sword swinger like Mike’s paladin

Robin coming from a lower class background, having felt like an outcast, and possessing a similar creativity and sharpness (enough to survive the UD on her own for a week) with a sarcastic streak similar to Will; “Is that why you don’t have friends?” / “He just said he dumped your ass, that doesn’t sound like a break” That’s literally her

Imagine Robin being Will, her going missing, and then Jonathan turning up in the woods around the same time; Steve being suspicious of him + of the way Nancy trusts him to help them find Robin can mirror S1 Lucas’s suspicion towards El and her intentions while really wanting to find Will

I can see Robin falling in love with Nancy like Will has for Mike; meanwhile Nancy was raised in the Wheeler household that’s so famously known for having parents that love each other, and then there’s her relationship with Jonathan

Eddie would join the group later like he did in the actual show S4 + when Dustin joined the Party later; sharp, D&D informant guy, lives with a single parental figure, sometimes boisterous and snarky, a little impulsive, would also probably be the type to foster a demogorgon baby that ended up eating something it shouldn’t

Good natured bickering Lucas and Dustin (especially in the early seasons) to good natured bickering Steve and Eddie would translate so well

That scene in S1 where Dustin enthusiastically tries to get El to levitate a toy spaceship by just dropping it in front of her while she doesn’t react lmao that’s Eddie and Jonathan

Jonathan having limited social skills, complicated father issues, and been raised in an environment neglecting to see him as the kid he is in favor of seeing him as something else, such as a grown adult or a lab subject like El; he can eventually learn to develop as his own person independent of others after years of being depended on by others (as a psychic government tool/as a parentified caretaker for his family)

He too got arrested for busting someone’s face bc they talked shit about his family

People always talk about how he looks like he wants to explode someone with his mind. How can I not make him El

Terry was a fighter like Joyce; imagine Jonathan finding Joyce in the void and calling out “Mama” to her :(

Will and El duo -> Robin and Jonathan duo; Robin and Jonathan are like written in the same font in canon (5’8, nerdy, awkward but snarky pretentious art hoes that like Nancy Wheeler), do you see my Willel/Robjon vision

Do they look alike? Not even close but someone confused Jonathan for Robin on an ST4 poster once so im running with it

Why yes I am implying the Mileven/Byler triangle here would be Jancy/Ronance. I think that’s fun

Argyle is the last to join the Party, originally hailing from CA and wanting to make friends as a lonely newcomer to Hawkins; the supernatural and everything the Party deals with can be a lot, but he goes where the group goes, accepting the risk and rolling with it, sorta like he does with Cali gang in S4, driving all the way to Indiana, and learning his best friend’s little sister has powers

Initially Argyle was being left out of the loop by the group and later, despite being excited to meet him, Jonathan was probably a little dismissive of him at first like El was to Max

But they warm up to each other, and the S3 Elmax bonding where Max helps El experience being a regular kid -> Jargyle bonding where Argyle helps Jonathan experience being a regular kid kinda like S4 Jargyle with Jonathan having been able to have a friend + feel a little more like a teenager

El going to Max for relationship advice in S3 -> Jonathan going to Argyle for relationship advice

Also he’s a good driver; he was the getaway driver for Cali gang that is zoomer behavior

[eremiie]

Hello there how is everything I am a fan of AOT and I wanted to ask you if it okay you can do a headcanon of eren and zeke dating a black s/o

dating a black s/o;

❥ hiii, i hope you enjoy, ty for the request, i’m a poc so this is nice :)

eren jaeger

first of all he fucking loves you, like he’s infatuated with you because you’re so beautiful and just everything you do is like wow.

let’s start with your hair, he loves it so much and he’s always trying to touch it even when you tell him not to lmao

he’ll sit in the bathroom with you while you do your hair and just talk to you while reading the labels of the products you use

he spritz the spray bottle at your hair sometimes just for fun too 

one time you let him try to braid your hair and the braids weren’t terrible but he knotted a lot of your hair ngl😭

he gets so confused when you ask him to buy certain products and constantly comes home with the wrong stuff

“what do you mean this isn’t it? baby, it literally says deep condition creme!” “but it’s not the same, i wanted the coconut oil one!” “well this is the castor oil one, it’s basically the same thing.”

no eren. no, it is not the same thing.

he likes joining you in the shower for wash days sometimes, but he probably leaves halfway through the shower because you’re taking way too long

he hates that sticky feeling of lip gloss but just the way it makes your lips look he finds it so alluring, he’ll peck little kisses on your lips all the time and then wipe his mouth after 

he loves your cooking. he really enjoys it and is always open to try new things, he swears he’s getting the most exotic shit even though it’s literally just baked mac n cheese or something...

“baby what is this? it is so good.” “eren it is literally fried okra.”

you put him onto so many songs and he can probably belt out the lyrics to some of your favorite artists because he’s heard their songs so many times

occasionally if you’re just dancing in the kitchen and getting down, he’ll join you for a few minutes even though he looks like a complete fool (i doubt he can dance, but he thinks he’s doing an amazing job💔)

sometimes he can ask a lot of questions when he’s bored to know more about your culture, heritage, etc because he thinks it is genuinely interesting

he def seems like the type to put #blm in his bio or something, or post a black screen to show his support 

he brags about you all the time to his friends, he just thinks you’re so cool and not in like a weird way, just genuine admiration for you, and he has a lot of pride that he even had a chance with you, it’s endearing

zeke yeager 

zeke automatically thinks you’re the baddest bitch he’s ever seen, i mean he’s all for you 

i mean this dude was like AWOOGA when he first saw you— pls😭

and it’s not that he brags about you, it’s just more of a “you see her? yeah, she’s mine.” but he doesn’t say it audibly, he just flaunts you in a more physical way

zeke actively tries to help with your hair but it’s more to pester you than anything, like he’ll comb the ends of your hair carelessly and you’ll slap his hands away 

not that he’s not trying or anything but he just doesn’t know what he’s doing LMAO

since i keep talking about the lipgloss thing since i find it funny, zeke out of these 3 doesn’t mind the lip gloss at all, he actually probably goes out of his way to kiss you, and ngl he probably licks the lipgloss you left on his mouth or something jokingly—

zeke lets you talk to him about anything, your culture, foods you want to try to make, issues that you have, and he’ll casually pitch in his own questions and stuff like that, he’s a good listener

if you’re at the store together looking for hair products and stuff he’ll just point to random stuff and tell you you should get it, even if he knows it won’t work for your hair

“what about this, sweetheart? i think this is pretty neat.” “zeke... that is tresemme... i need shea moisture shampoo.” “well i use this, it works just fine.” *cue a staring contest between zeke’s beard and you* “yeah... it’s working i guess.”

but in the end he probably understands why you use certain products and why you can’t use certain products, he just likes messing with you.

he really enjoys your cooking and probably tries to be in the kitchen with you and help you cook, he’s good company and he’s not to bad at cooking himself 

he’ll also give you recipes you should try that he’s seen as well, he just thinks that if you cook it, it automatically tastes better LMAO

he’s like a little sugar daddy, if you want him to buy you a $300 lace front he probably will, or if you want him to buy you some expensive ass shoes he probably will

he probably put on your bonnet or wig just to make you laugh or something, it was actually quite funny—

he treats you like a little princess too, like he’ll probably check the weather and be like “honey, we can’t go out today it’s too humid for your hair.” and he’s really just pretentious about little things like that, he goes out his way to make sure you’re okay, and good, especially when it comes to things that are important to you

he asks you if you can comb his hair and oil his scalp and stuff like that for fun, and lets you braid his hair and beard for practice, he just sits back and enjoys😭😭

levi ackerman

i feel like levi doesn’t show his admiration as much but deep down it’s definitely there, he finds you interesting, and an amazing individual

he has probably stuck around once or twice to watch your hair routine but he’s not always there to watch, the funny thing is though he probably remembers it; you’ve had him help you with the routine before and you were surprised when he wasn’t even really listening to what you were saying cause he kind of already knew what to do

“so then you’re gonna— yeah, yeah... how’d you know?” “i’m not stupid, i’ve seen you do it before.” “yeah— like once!”

we love our educated king <3

he’s surprisingly gentle when he’s doing it too, like his hands are so delicate and light and he’s lowkey afraid to hurt you so you have to tell him to be a little rougher when trying to untangle/comb through your hair

he will not kiss you when you have lip gloss on. i’m sorry but he doesn’t like the feeling, and if you kiss him he’ll wipe it off of his lips immediately, he doesn’t like it at all

he rarely brings home the wrong items if you ask him to run to the beauty supply or something. it’s just not hard to get the right thing, he looks at the photo of the product you sent him and scavengers the isles. he hates going for beauty supply runs though because he doesn’t like getting stared at, he’d rather go with you instead of by himself

he thinks your cooking is good but he’s not that surprised to be honest, maybe the first time you could see in his face that he was enjoying it but he never really exaggerates how good it is like eren would.

he does ask for another plate though, and if you tease him about that he rolls his eyes😭

he doesn’t take racism, any of that lightly, i can definitely see him getting immediately defensive over the slightest things that could even come off racist to you. it’s not that he’ll immediately say something but he does get sus of the person and a little more protective of you 

he probably secretly has so many pictures of you in his phone, and one of them is definitely his lock screen because he finds you so gorgeous 

he probably would put your bonnet on your head for you if you forgot it before going to sleep, or wake you up to put it on

he probably knows some hair care tips because he does his own research for your sake, he wants to know as much as you do so he can be a help; so even if you already knows what he’s telling you, act like its new information, you’ll see his eyes light up a little bit when you tell him you’ll try that next time :’))

he complains about your hair being left everywhere though, i also think he doesn’t like to participate in your wash days because he doesn’t like seeing your hair everywhere

but despite this he still is usually the one to clean it up if you’re taking too long to, thank you levi<33

another thing is, if you have beads in your hair, he really likes it because the sound they make is somewhat relaxing to him + it lets him know when you’re around, it’s almost comforting sob sob

[ivyaugustetc]

the dead poets on ice: another headcanon from hell

hey guys!! sooo @pretentious-strikes helped me come up with this idea so big big shoutout to faye ily bestie

uh yeah i had some trials and tribulations over this but it's here :)

also, when i say the poets, i'm including chet and ginny and chris in that. i need to give them a name though. i thought sapphic trio or sumn???

neil: i love this boy but he cannot skate </3 he's got so many talents and yet this is not one of them. he spends the entire time clinging to todd (who also isn't entirely sure he can skate well) and the other half quoting dramatic shakespeare scene and faking his death on the ice HAHAHAHA. can you imagine him pretending to stab himself with a dagger while quoting the end of romeo and juliet? and then he just. fake stabs himself and pretends to die on the ice while todd is like "GET UP I NEED HELP"

todd: the literal definition of "i think i'm doing it right???????" like he kinda knows what he's doing because he skated once two years ago but at the same time it's still a new feelings and he's disoriented?? the fact that neil is hanging onto him for dear life kinda makes him feel like he should know what he's doing, so he fakes it til he makes it because he doesn't have the heart to tell neil he is no safer in his hands than in the jaws of a shark. he leaves better than he was at the beginning, of course, but boy were those first ten minutes absolute hell for him (except for the neil holding onto him part. that was nice.)

meeks: not horrible, not fantastic, but secure in the knowledge that he can skate wherever he pleases without have to worry about falling over. he's just freaking zen the entire time, more of a spectator than a player in whatever chaos is occurring. he makes the occasional sarcastic comment, but spends the majority of the time focusing on his own craft (a.k.a. skating in circles around the edge of the lake). he'll help if anyone gets injured, but otherwise he's perfectly content with his own thoughts and we love it for him :)

cameron: who is a perfectionist? richard. who's good at everything on almost the first try? rich. who's fucking incredible at ice skating? CAM THE MAN RICHARDSON THAT'S WHO. when I say this man has the technique, the style, i mean he has it. he's told approximately no one and yet exactly everyone is in awe of this man's skills. and while he's not showing everyone up, he helps the others that can't seem to go two seconds without falling on their asses. moral of the story: get urself a man who can do both, aka richard cameron.

pitts: he is as tall as a tree and just as uncoordinated as one :) he's the type of person to laugh at how much he sucks rather than get frustrated about it? so every once in a while you'll hear a yell from pitts, followed by a thud, followed by the loudest, most infectious laughter you've ever heard. Like he makes everyone else nearly fall from laughing so hard. He just raises the morale like crazy but is probably also prepared with first aid training if anyone were to fall and break an ankle or something.

charlie: does not know what he's doing, but he's doing it very loudly and badly. he has a baseline skill set that includes standing upright and skating slowly on the ice, but it soon progresses into ZOOM ZOOM GOTTA KNOCK EVERYONE ON THEIR ASSES dalton. he's just zip zoppin through everyone, cackling his head off and trying to push a select few to the ground. he never once succeeds to push cameron down even though that's his main target because cameron has the balance of a flamingo and even though charlie's laughing he's internally thinking "WHY WON'T YOU JUST FALL AND VALIDATE MY CHAOS????" he leaves without having knocked over cameron, but it's fine. he knocked knox over more times than he can count.

knox: um...he's the worst out of all of them. like he is...abominable. he knocks himself and everyone around him off balance whenever he falls because he's the flailing, Not Going Down Without A Fight type of faller. he's definitely frustrated by his lack of skill, especially when Chris skates by and does a little twirl right in front of him. But he's determined to leave that place not totally helpless, but does he? no. charlie made sure he didn't. moral of the story: it could've been better if it weren't for charlie.

chris: I feel like Mrs. Noel would've been the kind of parent to put Chris in gymnastics or something when she was a kid and therefore Chris has great balance and would be a GOD at ice skating. Like, she probably do a few of the little twists and turns that lower-level figure skaters can do. She ends up getting really focused on trying to learn how to do a spin and goes off in her own little world for a bit before she realized she forgot where she was and goes back to hang out with Ginny.

chet: this man is a football player, okay? ice skating is not his thing. First of all it took a hot second to find ice skates that actually fit him, and then when he finally got on the ice he was caught completely off guard by how SLIPPERY IT IS????? so he hangs onto chris like she's a life preserver for a while until she gives him some motivational pep talk that convinces him to let go. he does the weird preschooler slide-walk thing for a while, you know where he's making the movements of walking but his feet are just sliding back and forth on the ice and he isn't getting anywhere because the coefficient of friction is basically in the negatives? but he ends up figuring it out and leaves with one-half of a new skill!!

ginny: queen has never done this before but she does NOT need anyone's help. She is so dead set on doing it all by herself and not allowing a single soul to give her help. When she falls, she dismisses all the hands held out to her and figures out how to get up by herself. Once she gets the hang of it, she allows herself to be dragged around by speed-demon Chris Noel for a bit and once or twice they fall down in a heap because Chris is skating backwards in order to hang onto ginny's hands and therefore cannot see where she's going and furthermore hits every poet like they're bowling pins. But they laugh every time they fall because it's lowkey hilarious and also they're in love <3

[mindibindi]

They are destroying Rebecca’s character this season and this Sam bullshit is the final nail in the coffin for her. What the f*** are they doing to their female lead ??

Well, I suppose this is the danger of offering resolution early in the piece and why so few television writers do it, particularly when it comes to romantic relationships. Because then there is the looming question of What Happens Next. So many writers prove that, while they may have the imaginative juice to create, they don't have what it takes to re-invent.

Whether you understand her as the protagonist or the antagonist of the first season of Ted Lasso, Rebecca's big revenge plot drove s1, gave it a clear narrative arc. This inaugural season likewise gave her character a clear and compelling arc. You could posit that, while Rebecca's pain drove season 1, Ted's pain is meant to be driving season 2...? But whatever Ted is going through does not have as clear-cut an objective so it is not giving the same sense of cohesion or direction. Within her s1 arc, we got to see Rebecca feel angry, frustrated, victorious, smug, thwarted, conflicted, heart-broken and vulnerable. Last season gave Hannah Waddingham so many opportunities to show the range of her skills as an actor and I still hope she wins an Emmy for this performance. But I doubt she will be winning any awards for her performance this season.

Most situation comedies stick to the same situation, snapping their characters back to where they were at the beginning of each episode. Certainly, this formula can become repetitive and dull after years. Ted Lasso received a great deal of praise when it broke this formula by offering resolution at the end of its first season no less. It broke the no-hugging-no-learning mantra of so many sitcoms when it allowed Rebecca to learn from her trauma, come clean and literally embrace Ted as a valuable part of her life. Since her character went on the biggest journey of the season, the question of What Happens Next was always going to be more significant for her than it was for any other character on the show.

Season 1 of Ted Lasso made me fall in love with Hannah Waddingham and the character of Rebecca Welton. But as much as it pains me to say it, in s2 she is nothing like the problematic powerhouse we met in s1. Her friendships with Keeley and Higgins continue on nicely enough. She's had some good moments with characters she had little interaction with in s1, like Roy and Nate. And it was great to meet her mother and god-daughter. But this fleshing out of the character is mostly work around her rather than work that propels her forward in any meaningful way. I understand that some people may be content just to watch Rebecca living her best life after the intensity of last season. But, for me, the pursuit of heterosexual romantic love by a woman to the exclusion of all else is a problematic aim since women have been told for centuries that securing a man is the single most important thing they can achieve in their lives.

Rebecca wants love and doesn't want to be alone. She's stated that, that's canon and that's fine. But romance seems to be Rebecca's ONLY aim, her single focus. We haven't seen her do anything in her role as club owner except make a phone call and look sharp, which I admit she does well. The woman looks INCREDIBLE. But if you are in your right mind (at least in my opinion), you are not expecting this amazing woman to end up with a pretentious windbag, a hot booty call or a wildly inappropriate youngster. So it all seems a bit aimless, purposeless. All of this dithering about with wrong dudes is just a waste of time when we have limited time with these beloved characters. We know we are only getting three short seasons of this show and I don't want to spend a full season watching a previously complex female character stare at her phone, only ever prompted into (questionable) action by her cute best friend. And I DEFINITELY don't want to watch...whatever the fuck they think this thing is with Sam.

Frankly, I am still flabbergasted that they have chosen this path. They genuinely seem to think that their audience will enjoy this as some hot romantic adventure...? And hey, a small but vocal minority are. Some diehard fans are trying to hold onto their faith with white knuckles. And the rest of us are just over here in compete and utter shock at the suddenness of the decline in this show's quality and ethics. The latest justification some fans are rather desperately grasping at seems to be that Rebecca's actions stem from her trauma. Now...okay. Trauma can be responsible for many things. But not this. Trauma can make you act in v strange ways but I don't see the connection here. I can clearly see how Rebecca's trauma from her first marriage dictated her actions towards Ted in s1. That is a very clear line to draw. I can see how, after her disastrous marriage, her judgement may be off and she may go for someone like John Wingsnight: someone safe, solid and appropriate. Again, a clear line to draw. I can also see why she would indulge in fun, shallow sexual relationships with the waiter in Liverpool and her booty call from bantr. All normal, understandable behaviour for a woman in her situation. And a v clear narrative line for the writers to draw. No problems there. Her actions in each of these cases can be traced back to Rupert and his abuse. But I cannot for the life of me draw a line between Rupert and Sam. As a traumatic reaction, that does not make a shred of sense to me.

It's true that sometimes those who have been abused become abusers, not that I'm saying Rebecca is abusing Sam in this scenario. What I am saying is that most trauma survivors will go out of their way to avoid becoming anything like their abusers. Most survivors try their damnedest to break the cycle of abuse, not perpetuate it. Most victim-survivors will act, sometimes even to their own detriment, to spare others from being impacted by their pain and trauma. Trauma and abuse does not break your moral compass. If anything, it makes it stronger. Trauma and abuse heightens your sensitivity to what is right, just and honest. Having seen Rebecca ultimately unable to follow through in her trauma-inspired revenge plot on Ted, it does not make sense to me that she is blindly (without any of the nuanced inner conflict of s1 Rebecca) allowing her trauma and abuse to lead her into a situation that not only emulates her ex-husband's hurtful, unethical behaviour, but endangers what is now supposed to be so valuable to her.

All the press for s2 as spruiked Rebecca as a dating disaster but enthusiastically committed to her club. There is a huge difference, however, between charmingly, comedically 'messy' and inept to the point of self-destructive stupidity. I just don't buy her as this dumb. Yet here she is, after all her dealings with the savage British press last season, endangering the reputation of herself, her club and one of its most vulnerable players. Oddly enough, the Rebecca we saw in s1, with her many layers and nuances, seems to me to be a far more moral (not to mention interesting) rendering of this character. This Rebecca was motivated by injustice, she had an acute understanding of what was and wasn't right. It's why she conceived of her revenge plot and also why she ultimately dropped it. It is one thing for writers to propose that there are multiple steps on the way to healing. It is one thing for them to lead a character into a dark forest full of conflict and complication. But, from what I can tell, some people don't know the difference between a dark forest and straight-up bad writing. And it really fucking shows.

[lazywonderlvnd]

Imagine Harry learning to play the guitar after the war and Draco finds out when they start dating and is obv a slut for it. Anyway what I'm here to beg for is sexy-guitar-player-Harry smut please and thank

first of all nonners I’m so sorry this took me lit rally 59 years to answer!!!! when I saw it in my inbox last week I was abt to answer n be like yes. this. And then realized it needed to be written and got sidetracked w the first himbo harry installment but here it is now and let me just SAY this trope is my new FAVORITE thing in the world oh my goddddd when I tell u the way I’ve been yelling to glows and cielia abt it 👁👄👁

highly recommend listening to wonderwall when it comes up to Complete the Experience. hope u enjoy ❤️

“I’m sorry, he what?”

“Yeah, he’s really good,” said Weasley. He nodded towards the acoustic guitar hanging on the wall; Draco had taken notice of it the first time he’d seen Harry’s flat but never paid it much mind after that, taking it for decoration, or perhaps an unused gift. “He’ll play if you ask him. He doesn’t like showing off.”

“Which is silly,” Granger said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve told him, just because he’s good at it doesn’t make it showing off. I wish he’d play for people more often.”

“He has literally never mentioned this to me.” He felt utterly stunned and completely cheated. He tried to picture it and couldn’t. “How long’s he been playing?”

“Picked it up after the war. It was kind of funny, actually  --” Weasley started saying, but Harry came back into the room -- still pulling his shirt on -- and he broke off, giving Draco a significant look that told him to bring it up.

“Harry,” said Draco imperiously, to which he received two raised eyebrows as Harry fell into his favourite armchair and pushed a hand through his still-damp curls. Draco matched his expression and glanced at the guitar. Harry followed his gaze, looking genuinely confused.

“What, what is it?”

“When were you going to tell me you play?”

“What, guitar?”

“Yes, guitar.”

He shrugged and grabbed for one of the beers on the table, wandlessly magicking the cap off. “I dunno. When it came up, I guess.”

“The way your friends tell it you’re quite good.”

Harry gave Weasley and then Granger a sour look; both of them gave it right back to him, which was, admittedly, amusing.

“I can play all right,” he said vaguely, and took a swig of his drink. It did make some sort of sense, now Draco thought about it -- the tips of Harry’s fingers were far, far too calloused to have been just from casual Quidditch and Auror training. 

“You know, Harry, it actually comes off as more pretentious when you act like this,” said Granger. Weasley snorted. Harry glared at her. “Just play for him, won’t you? And us too -- it’s been ages.”

“Yeah, what’s that Muggle song you play sometimes that I like?” said Weasley.

“I dunno, I’ve played a lot of Muggle songs.”

“He means Wonderwall, Harry,” said Granger, grinning. Harry finally smiled too, and although their little Muggle joke was lost on Weasley and himself he was glad to see that it had apparently been the prodding Harry needed to give in. He set his beer back down and went to get the guitar; something about the way he threw the thin and fraying strap over his head, the way his hands went effortlessly to their places, was unexpectedly attractive. The left one curled easily around the neck of the instrument, heavily-roughened fingers finding their odd positions on the strings, something Draco had always thought looked very painful.

He plucked a few chords and then began fiddling with the knobs at the head of the guitar, tuning it in what was clearly the Muggle fashion, which against his will left Draco completely fascinated. Having no musical inclination himself, he could make nothing of the process except that Harry apparently heard the discordant notes in there well enough to be able to fix them, and finally when he brought his thumb down across all six strings it sounded as sweet and clear as if it had been done by magic.

“Course he likes Wonderwall,” Harry said to Granger even as he began playing, fingers shifting and moving and contorting to create the notes while he strummed softly, effortlessly, and the music crawled over Draco’s skin and inside of him. “I remember Dudley listening to it, like, what … summer before sixth year? On the radio constantly.”

“Sounds about right,” said Granger. 

 Draco had stopped paying attention to what they were saying, though. Either because the music itself had something haunting about its melody or because it was Harry playing it, or perhaps a combination of both, Draco felt a pit of emotion form in his chest to round off the edges of his growing arousal.

And then he started singing, and Draco swallowed very hard. Granger dropped a head onto Weasley’s shoulder and watched with a tender expression, Weasley similarly enamored. Harry had his eyes on his hands for the most part, closing them a few times throughout, looking as comfortable now as he did on a broomstick.

Only three months of official dating had not prepared Draco for the flood of emotions he now felt, yet the most pressing matter had become the semi trapped uncomfortably in his trousers. He wanted those talented fingers in his mouth, to feel the callouses on his tongue and taste Harry on them; he wanted to feel them on the sensitive skin of his inner thighs and hip bones, to have them buried so deeply in his arse that he forgot where he ended and Harry began. 

Of course, he had to keep this to himself for the next hour, until he was able to get Granger and Weasley out of the flat. And once he did, he didn’t bother dragging Harry to his bedroom -- Draco pushed him up against the front door that had just closed behind his friends and hauled him into a kiss that he felt Harry grinning into.

“I thought you seemed tetchy,” he muttered, hands dropping to Draco’s hips. “Oasis really does it for you, huh?”

“What the hell is oasis?”

“The band who does the song.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s the band who does it for me.” He kissed Harry again, maybe a little too hungrily, and dug a fist into his side when he started laughing. “Shut up, why the hell didn’t you ever tell me you played?”

Harry pulled his head back, looking at Draco with an arched brow and an infuriating smirk. 

“What do you mean, ever? We’ve only been together three months, it didn’t come up.”

“God,” Draco muttered, and now he reached down and pressed his palm against Harry’s cock, pleased to feel how hard he was in spite of his ruthless teasing. “You’re so annoying.”

“Well if I’d known how randy it would make you I might’ve played for you a long time ago.”

Having had quite enough of Harry’s particularly sarcastic brand of wit, he ignored this last and reached for one of his hands, removing it from his own hip and bringing it to his lips. It was extremely satisfying to watch the smirk disappear from Harry’s face when he sucked one of his fingers into his mouth. 

“Bit fetish-y, isn’t this?” Harry said breathily, eyes wide as he watched, looking half amused and half awed. In retaliation, Draco took another finger into his mouth and slid his tongue between them, tasting soap and salt, feeling the callouses on the tips of his fingers and letting that sensation grip his insides like an iron fist. “Jesus Christ,” Harry groaned; his free hand went to Draco’s jaw, holding him steady, and with a truly outstanding audacity began fucking Draco’s mouth with his fingers.

They dipped bluntly past his uvula, scraping the back of his throat so he gagged around their intrusion. Saliva built with an excessive speed that had it drooling out of the corners of his lips and coating Harry’s knuckles. Draco closed his eyes and let it happen, opening his throat against the relentless assault and curling his hands in Harry’s shirt just to steady himself. 

They were gone too soon and Harry’s mouth replaced them, much gentler but still with a tangible sense of urgency about it.

When he broke away, he said against Draco’s lips, “Like my fingers, do you?”

Draco merely nodded, feeling their wetness against his cheek. 

“Then turn around,” said Harry, “and I’ll fuck you with them.”

Draco let out a soft, embarrassing whimper and let Harry spin them around and press him against the door, cheek-first. He undid his flies himself and Harry tugged them down his legs and off his feet, allowing Draco to spread them slightly. Harry’s fingers were there immediately, sliding slick between his cheeks and over his hole. The memory of Harry’s hands on the guitar was still so fresh, his fingers changing chords effortlessly, sacrificing them to blisters and callouses and roughened skin for the music they created, and Draco closed his eyes against a fresh wave of arousal and another pang of emotion.

“You really are incredible,” said Draco, biting back a moan as two of those dexterous fingers slipped inside of him. Harry fucked him with them slowly, carefully, seeking out his prostate and angling for it each time once he’d found it. Draco turned his face to press his forehead against the door, eyes still closed, nails scraping wood. “And I like that song.”

“It’s a good one,” Harry agreed. His hot breath caressed the back of Draco’s neck, fingers pumping, his other hand back at Draco’s waist. “I have a million more I’d love to show you.”

Draco didn’t bother trying to find his voice again: instead he pushed back against Harry’s driving fingers, everything that wasn’t the relentless stabbing against his prostate driven from his mind. His neglected cock slapped against the door with every thrust, the red and irritated head dripping pre-come against the wood. Only half conscious of the decision to do so, he wrapped his hand around it and pulled and squeezed and zeroed in on the bursts of pleasure radiating outwards from inside his body until it all spilled over and he came in great pulses, gasping for breath while Harry kept at it. 

The fingers slowed as he reached his peak and began coming down but they didn’t stop, nor was his prostate given much of a break. Harry reinforced his grip on Draco’s waist and kept pumping, a steadier rhythm that nevertheless rubbed and prodded at that little bundle, making his nerves tingle and fizzle and scream out their overstimulation.

“Harry,” he said weakly, knees buckling. “Please …”

It could have been comical the way Harry followed his movement as he slid down the door to the ground, except it wasn’t. It was infuriating, actually, and felt at once like more than he could possibly handle and exactly what he needed. His forehead and his hands went back to the wood, bracing himself as Harry, kneeling behind him, continued fucking his beautiful, merciless fingers and stimulating Draco’s overworked prostate. 

He pushed a third one in alongside the other two and Draco was shocked to feel a hot tear leak out of the corner of his eye. Harry crooked them expertly, with all the confidence and surety of someone who had done this a million times, could do it in their sleep, as if it was not the guitar strings but Draco’s body he was strumming now, an instrument fine-tuned to his own particular cadence and rhythm, which he and no one else could play quite right.

Lips parted, hot breath echoing off the door and back into his face, Draco allowed himself to be taken apart with the same ferocious intensity he’d seen Harry use on the guitar. Each stroke brought him back to full hardness, each stab against his prostate made his nerves sing a tormented chorus, drowning out the pain of the wooden floor against his bare knees. 

“Shit,” Draco choked out, “I’m gonna come again …”

“Well that’s the idea,” said Harry. His voice was full of that same witty and well-meaning sarcasm Draco liked so much, even when it made him feel like punching him. Snatches of the song came back to him, Harry’s voice when he sang it, the expert shifting of his fingers where they pressed and plucked at the strings like he was making love to them. It was all so very much. 

He came a second time without even bothering to touch his cock, because he just didn’t fucking need it. His body thrummed and vibrated like a snapped rubber band while Harry coaxed him along his high and back down again. When he finally pulled his fingers out he leant forward over Draco’s back and kissed the side of his neck, then the corner of his jaw. 

“You know you make much lovelier sounds than the guitar, just so we’re clear,” he said, and Draco, with what strength he had left, shoved Harry and watched him fall sideways laughing. 

[moonlit-han]

stray kids reacting to you having bad cramps ↠ all members

genre: reaction, fluff word count: 3.5k warnings: discussion of menstrual cramps, pain, etc., swearing request: yes (anon)

a/n: hey, anon~ sorry this took me so long to write for you;;;; I decided to try a new style—it was nice to write this because I got to imagine how I’d like to be taken care of. (wow, can you tell I could use some cuddles right now?) I hope this is comforting to you! stay cozy✨

✧ masterlist in bio ✧

bang chan

bad cramps are a normal thing for you

and chan knows this all too well

but sometimes just explaining something doesn’t do it justice

your cramps are so bad that, a lot of the time, you can’t even get out of bed

bad enough that you can’t even scream

chan probably wouldn’t show his concern too much because he doesn’t want to worry you

he would be really concerned the first time you had horrible cramps around him, though

he’d slept over after a movie night and woke up to you curled around a pillow, whimpering

the first thought he’d had was that you were having a nightmare

and so he just gently rubbed your back a little to calm you

but you’d kept whimpering and occasionally curled more closely around the pillow

aaaand you’d finally managed to explain that you were having cramps

and couldn’t exactly move…

chan had quickly drawn a bath for you

(and added a rubber ducky just because he could aljhadfjlkshfjkh)

you’d kinda squeaked when he picked you up, not expecting to be lifted bodily out of your blankets

chan would just kiss the top of your head as he carries you to the bathroom and then gently help you out of your pajamas

the bath would be extremely hot but that was perfect (♡‿♡)

hhhhhh and he’d even add rose bath soap to the water since it was your favorite

(you’d end up with a tiara of bubbles on your head heheheh)

chan would wash your hair and rub your back, massaging your sore muscles

even though the pain is only in your low back and abdomen, you still manage to hold tension in the rest of your body

and then he’d join you in the shower to help you rinse off

he’d hold you because the pain is just so bad and you can barely stand

and if you needed more than just a massage, he’d be happy to oblige

sometimes the release of pleasure helps ease the pain, too

chan just wants you to feel good and to be relaxed

after helping you dry off, chan would bundle you into warm clothes

it was always important, you’d said before, to stay warm

he’d even brush and braid your hair (if you have long hair, that is)

the little tingles that shoot through your scalp when he plays with your hair feel amazing

chan would kiss your cheek and your neck as he works his fingers through your hair

he insisted that you needed to stay hydrated, sometimes having to cajole you into drinking water because you could barely move

he’d want you to be as comfortable as possible

he’d make a blanket nest for you

he’d even put a heating pad or hot water bottle in there for you

pain meds and water would be close at hand

and whatever food you were craving

and he’d be extra affectionate

so many hugs and cuddles

just hugs all day long

maybe it’s just because you’re in pain

but chan’s hugs when you’re having horrible cramps are somehow different from his usual ones??

like he just envelopes you even more than usual and doesn’t let go

you’d just burrow into his arms even further

he’d give you one of his wonderfully big and comfy sweatshirts to wear

it smells like the soap he uses and just his general chan-ness

in other words, the best smell  e v e r  ㅠ_ㅠ ( ◡‿◡ ♡)

and just having him there with you would make everything better

lee minho

he would also be really loving and caring

and totally calm, not at all surprised

he’s just so even-keeled, you know?

would probably insist that doongie, soonie, and dori sleep with you

minho: “cats are totally medicine! their purring will help!”

they’re super snuggly anyway and just hunker down next to you

and minho is just a fourth cat, honestly

he kinda just curls up with you, massaging your low back if you have cramps that ache there

or just resting a warm hand on your belly to help soothe the pain

he’d get you a fluffy blanket and some orange juice (for the vitamin c to help your muscles relax and to reduce the inflammation!)

and definitely a heating pad or a hot water bottle

if you have two hot water bottles, he’d make a sandwich out of you and the water bottles

(so he could eat you up later ;) )

minho would insist that you take naps, holding you to his chest so you’d fall asleep more easily

he’d also queue up episodes of a show or several movies for the two of you to watch if you were home for the day

if you were at work and had super bad cramps, minho would bring you whatever food or pain meds or anything you’d need

he’s the kind of person who would just drop everything to take care of you, you know? (((we know, lee know alfkjafkjshjhk i’m so sorry i had to)))

he’s just a little ball of love and would want you to feel better

he’d kinda rock you back and forth in his arms if you have a particularly bad spasm of pain

like chan, minho would also get you into the shower to help you feel better

he’d have to convince you to even get out of bed, tho...

“come on, y/n. you’ll feel better if you take a shower. i promise”

“hhhhhhh i don’t wanna get up”

“y/n…..”

“mmph”

*minho grabbing your hands and tugging* “sweetheart, please.” *tug* "UGH why do you have to act like dead weight now of all times. geez, y/n.”

“...........”

*tugging intensifies* “get! up! i’ll drag you into the shower, you dork. you know i will”

“fiiiiiiiiiine”

he’d still have to pretty much drag you to the bathroom

AJDFHKGDJFGK

minho gently stripping you out of your clothes would kinda be like trying to dress a baby, since you wouldn’t want to move

he’d just hold you in there, rubbing soap over your body and shampoo through your hair

the hot water and minho holding you, honestly, works as well as any pain med

thank goodness ｡ﾟ(ﾟ∩´﹏`∩ﾟ)ﾟ｡

and at any time whatsoever, minho’s gentle smile would just make your day so much better

and you know he’d pepper you with kisses all over

(i mean all over)

bc it just always make you feel the most contented ever hhhhhh

and you deserve to not be thinking about pain

bc pain fucking sucks;;;;

and he’d just tell you how much he loves you so much you don’t even know how to respond

and it kinda makes you wanna cry

but from happiness

alkfjhskjhsklhjs

VERY SOFT

seo changbin

changbin would be pretty calm and would know exactly what to do

just matter-of-fact about taking care of you

you’d told him you get really bad cramps before

but the first time you had really bad cramps around him, he was a little freaked out

he hadn’t realized that period cramps could be that bad

you’d come home and pretty much collapsed on the couch

he’d thought you were just tired

but when you let out a strangled scream, changbin was;;;; um;;; a bit worried

okay not just worried

c o n c e r n e d (⊙ __ ⊙);;;;

maybe even a little scared??

he didn’t want to let on that he was worried about you

hearing you kinda just whimpering and crying out in pain tore at his heart

changbin would give you all the stuffed animals you have

(gyu would also make an appearance)

just pile them up around you “for emotional support”

and then he’d wrap his arms and legs around you to cuddle you close

definitely your basic case of:

“binnie please let go”

“no”

“binnie i can’t breathe…”

“oh,,,” *loosens hold slightly*

akjfhgaljkhajkhg

he’s literally just a cuddle bug hhhhhhhh

and I MEAN

THE BIGGEST CUDDLE BUG EVER

OH MY GODS

he’d rub your belly or your back, depending on where it hurt

and just want to make everything better

changbin would be the one to give you a full body massage if your cramps are bad

he’d insist on doing it, actually

even if you’re whiny and complain, he knows that once you’re relaxed you’ll feel a million times better

he’d concentrate on your low back, pressing his wonderfully warm hands into your muscles

and slowly but surely you’d feel the pain and tension release

hhhhhh he’s probably really good at giving massages ｡･ﾟ(ﾟ⊃ω⊂ﾟ)ﾟ･｡

ALSO!!! can you just imagine how warm binnie would be cuddling?

HHHHHHHH

you wouldn’t even need a heating pad

he’s all the warmth and comfort you’ll ever need

aldfjkahjlskhsl (♡‿♡)

and his muscles would be the comfiest

they’re all so big but would be so squishy when at rest

hhhhhh just imagine it

laying your head on his chest with his arms around you

the softest oh my god

changbin is so kind and gentle that he’d just want to make sure you’re okay and be really soft

HHHHHHHHHHH

once you were feeling a bit better, he’d probably tickle you a little

just so you’d release your tension

what a cute goofball

UGH HE’S JUST SO SOFT

he’d sing you to sleep while threading his fingers through your hair

and his low raspy voice would be so calming and lovely

binnie’s go-to medicine is just literally just all the cuddles ever ((well, and pain meds, etc., of course, bc cramps are horrible and evil))

hwang hyunjin

this boy would be just a little panicky

ya know, jUst A litTtLE

you’d suddenly doubled over while you were out shopping

for matching couple sweaters

(you know, the horrible kind that could only be worn ironically or by people so pretentious that they don’t know the meaning of irony)

and hyunjin is all 

“OH MY GOD Y/N  (＠_＠) (」ﾟﾛﾟ)｣

BABE

ARE YOU OKAY

HHHHHH

WHAT DO YOU NEED

WHAT CAN I DO;;;;;;;;;”

he’d kinda flutter around you like a moth

all worried eyes and nervous energy

he really wouldn’t know what to do

bc FUCK???!!

CRAMPS??!!!! ┗(｀ﾟДﾟ´)┛ﾟ

not his forte

“i just need to go home, jinnie. i’ll be fine”

((yeah... lie thru your teeth y/n;;;; ))

he’s still panicky as fuck

when you get home you kinda just collapse on the bed

hyunjin’s all “OOOOH CUDDLE TIME YES”

which was okay for like 2 mins until  a g o n y

“jinnie, i need pain meds. NOW” (x﹏x);;;;;

hyunjin would bound off the bed all “I got this, babe!

and then realize that he had no idea where you kept the pain meds strong enough to deal with menstrual cramps

“uuuuh where are they . . .” (⌒_⌒;)

*y/n flailing in the general direction of the medicine cabinet*

so once he found them, he’d get you a glass of water and help you sit up to take the meds

all better?

NOPE

you’d need a hot water bottle and blankets

oh and chocolate. lots of chocolate

hyunjin would be so damn determined to make you feel better

to do anything he could bc you seemed in so!! much!!! pain!!!!

ten minutes later you’d find yourself practically swaddled in blankets on the couch with Hyunjin curled around you like a fucking squirrel or something

just let him take care of you

he’s doing his best;;;

he’d want to make you all the food you’d ever want

but would keep getting distracted

bc all he wants to do is just kiss you a bunch

and tell you how cute you are

bc, let’s face it, y/n, you’re pretty cute aldsjfhgsjfkhalhg

even though he isn’t sure what to do at first, hyunjin is actually quite good at taking care of you

if you’re at his place, you’d definitely end up with kkami on your lap

bc why wouldn’t you want a sweet pup giving you all the love when you’re in pain?!!

hhhh so sweet

han jisung

oh jisung, my sweet precious squirrel boy

jisung would probably be a lot like hyunjin alfjahkjdfh

kinda panicky bc he doesn’t know what to do

really surprised that someone could have cramps that bad

it’s clear to him that, while he’s felt pain before, it was nothing like what you’re dealing with

how the hell do you do this every. single. month.

keeps telling you you’re badass

but,,,,, um;;;;;

Y I K E S

*queue fluttering, panicky hands*

“hhhhhh baby what can i do;;;;;”

y/n: *indistinct pain noises* “i’m fine”

“yoU’rE NOt fiNe!!!”

“ji really it’s okay. i’m used to this”

(you say as you’re curled on the couch, clutching just below your belly with a look of concentrated pain on your face)

“HHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

he’d end up bring you soup and some water

bc soup helps everything, right?

and all the pain meds he could get his hands on

there would be like 10 random bottles of every kind of pain relieving medicine tumbling out of his arms

“i didn’t know what would work;;;;;”

he’s just a sweet lad

what else was he supposed to do?

you’d manage a weak smile before another stab of pain would decide to hurtle through you like a fucking bullet train

at this point, jisung would definitely be feeling sympathetic pain

(not fun;;; )

he’d help you sit up and take the meds

then c u d d l e s

literally just all the cuddles in the world

jisung would hold you tightly, arms and legs wrapped around you, stroking your hair to get you to fall asleep

not that you’d be having any trouble with that, since you would be snuggled by

The Master of Spooning™ himself

even though he’s comforting you and helping, jisung can’t help but be glad that he gets to cuddle you for a long time

and when you felt angry at your body for giving you such horrible pain he’d hold you even tighter

then find some way to make you laugh

laughter is very important in jisung’s world (and, therefore, your world)

and you do find that it takes your mind off the pain, if only a bit

it’s almost like clockwork when you get bad cramps

same time of the month, same kind of pain

(you’ve definitely cursed every single god you can think of for this)

so he knows in the small, secret recesses of his mind, that he’ll get to cuddle the heck out of you at those times

he’d just smother you with kisses to wake you up to make sure you’d take more pain meds

okay;;; he’d smother you with kisses all day, too

and, like a cat kneading, he’d massage your belly and back to relax your muscles

you’d felt a little better after that

resting your head on his chest and hearing his heartbeat would be incredibly calming

by the end of the day, jisung would just hold you on top of him

like you’re a little otter and he doesn’t want to lose you

alkjfghakjlfhahjfgaklhga (●´ω｀●)

lee felix

felix would be amazingly casual about the whole thing and just ready to go

like;;; this boy would just immediately pick you up, kiss your forehead, and carry you to bed

need pain meds?

he’s already put them in the drawer of your bedside table as soon as you’d started your period

need a heating pad?

he’s got like five—all different shapes, sizes, whatever you need

(you’re not quite sure where or when he gets all this stuff, but you’re not complaining)

all he’d want is to just cuddle you

he’d turn those big, soulful eyes on you like you’re the best thing he’s ever seen

((which you are (≧◡≦) ))

and even if you’re curled on the bed in mildly stinky pajamas

he’d still just curl up with you and try to make everything okay

felix would just ramble on about anything and everything to try to distract you

yes, you’d probably be witness to Felix’s Interpretive Dance Time

.....whether you wanted to or not

(you secretly like it when he’s that silly alkfsjhajkfh)

and, of course, felix would make you breakfast (even if it wasn’t morning)

an absolutely delicious meal of all your favorite foods, even if they’re not normal breakfast food

((but honestly, what even is normal breakfast food??? just eat what’s yummy!))

since he’s been practicing baked goods, he’d also make you a lil cake just to cheer you up

and would try to ice it, which would come out really cute

he’d put “to my smol bean: UR CUTE ILY”

bc we all know felix is a cute dork who’d totally put something like that on a cake

hhhhhhhhhh

would probably call chan or changbin just to make sure he’s not forgetting anything for taking care of you

he wouldn’t forget anything for you, anyway, bc he’s just that committed to making you feel better

oh and you’d definitely watch like 15 children’s movies in a row (okay maybe not in a row, but still)

bc what’s better than laughing at the antics of various animated characters?!

and singing along to the songs would be really fun and take your mind off the pain

it would make you breathe properly and relax! 

yay!!!

felix would probably act out some of the scenes to his favorite movies beside the screen just so you could check his accuracy

AALKJFHGAJFH

and if all you wanted to do is sleep, felix would curl up with you on the bed or couch

and run his fingers through your hair and down your back to soothe you

and give you smol sweet kisses before falling asleep

kim seungmin

seungmin is also quite practical

when you told him that you get excruciating cramps, he immediately went and researched everything about menstrual cramps

potential causes for especially bad cramps

what to do for someone who’s having bad cramps

what not to do when someone’s having bad cramps

and he’d immediately gone out and bought what seemed like a year’s supply of pain meds, chocolate, three heating pads, and three hot water bottles, as well as extra pads and tampons

so the first time you were together and you kinda just went “aaghhh” in pain, seungmin immediately ran to his closet to get All The Things

you’d given him a quizzical look when he came back into the living room

he had a bag that looked, somehow, Official

although, most of seungmin’s things look Official~

(he’s just that organized and meticulous alkjfhsjfghsh)

so when he’d opened the bag, you had to stifle a giggle

in the bag, seungmin had put everything you’d need for when you had your period

hhhhhhhh what a sweetheart (✿´ ꒳ ` )

and if you need space, he’d just be in the other room minding his own business until you demand cuddles

he’d just absentmindedly give you head pets while the two of you watch a show or something

or he’d read to you from whatever book he’d been reading

or that you’d been reading  (▰˘◡˘▰)

would make you tea~

you’d probably end up cuddling his little puppy stuffed animal at some point

um;;;; seungmin’s potential fathering instincts would probably come out a little bc he just feels so much affection for you

and is just in CARING MODE

if you’re out together and you have cramps, you’d find yourself whisked back home for a day of rest

if you can’t go home, seungmin would just get you the proper pain meds and some water

he probably keeps meds for you in his wallet (´ω｀♡)

all seungmin wants is for you to not be in pain

bc it hurts his heart

he doesn’t exactly show it a bunch on the outside to other people

but he’s really caring

most of all with youuuu~~~

he wants to ki— kick whoever decided that cramps could be this bad

like what the fuck, man;;;;;

he’d be very encouraging as he talks to you, since he doesn’t want you to worry or anything

he’s knows you worry enough about why you get bad cramps

whenever the pain would get so bad that you want to cry and feel like you’re going to lose your mind, seungmin’s bright smile would bring you back to earth

he’d reassure you that everything’s okay

and kiss the top of your head as he holds you (*/ω＼)

yang jeongin

jeongin’s remedy to cramps is stuffed animals

all the stuffed animals

all of them

e v e r

you both have a propensity for stuffed animals, characters, random objects, etc.

you even have a stuffed strawberry that’s the size of your torso

so jeongin would just pile up all the stuffies and a bunch of pillows

and settle you in them

you’d feel like you were drowning in stuffed animals ajkfshgkjfhg

like felix, he’d probably secretly call chan just to check that he’s doing the right thing for you, too (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)

jeongin would make you tea and bring a pot of it to your bedside table

(just herbal tea, not caffeinated bc he doesn’t want you to get dried out)

he’d bring everything you could ever want in tea:

honey, milk, lemon, sugar

the tea would be reeeeeally yummy

and the warmth would help calm your nerves that had been on high alert since the night before when the cramps had started

jeongin would curl up with you and just stroke your hair

he’d turn on a show the two of you had been watching

a comedy, of course

why would you want to watch anything else while in pain??

okay so as calm as all this seems, he’d be fucking panicked as hell inside

like how is supposed to deal with this???

welp….. might as well just pretend it’s any other day

and you just happen to need more cuddles

he finds it really cute when you are  b a b y

and when you’re having horrible cramps….

yoU ARE B A B Y!!!!!!

the cutest ever

like holy shit

jeongin would be completely floored by how cute you are

you’d just kind of nuzzle into his stomach as you curl up next to him

of course, he’d also make sure you remember to take pain meds and all

sometimes he’d be a little annoying about it but not by much~

just enough to get you to WeAR sOcKs Y/N!!

he’d totally be the one to kinda pounce on you and carry you outside to sit on the lawn

not one but two blankets would cushion you from the grass and any bugs~

he’d probably bring all the stuffed animals he’d piled on you earlier outside

“they’ll get lonely!!”

…….right

definitely not an excuse to throw the radish plushies he got you at your head…..

((you’d get him back, though, with a few well-aimed charizards or something))

but if you needed him to be serious, he would be

bc, really, he cares about you so much he feels like his heart’s gonna burst (*♡∀♡)

[marisandini-chu-blog]

How Shadow and Bones Differentiate Villain and Anti-Hero

Alright, first I need to claim the fact that I love dark, edgy, but misunderstood bad boy in stories with the potential of epic redemption. Loki from Marvel. Jason Todd from DC. Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time. Zuko from AtLA. You name them, I simp them.

So when I watched this new show on Netflix and shown a tall, handsome man in dark clothing, both respected and feared for his power. I feel... nothing. 

WHICH IS WEIRD! Like... he’s obviously my type. Complete with the sad backstory and vicious streak. So I kept wondering why I wasn’t enamored by the Darkling, Alexander Kirigan. I wasn’t surprised he was the main villain, I even expected it. But I usually at least have a bit of sympathy for them. This OOC behavior of mine made me introspect myself and the show, trying to find out which part gave me the red flags before Mother Darkling decides to pop the chosen one out halfway in the season. 

That’s when it hit me; there were red flags! The show had been subtly trying to tell us Kirigan is a manipulative boyfriend not just by great acting and good directing, but by comparing him with the actual anti-hero of the story who I actually love; Kaz Brekker. 

Here’s the list of signs you might not notice of why Kirigan is meant to be a Villain instead of an Anti-Hero. 

1. The Eyes

"The eyes are the window to the soul" is a common saying and and the key to good acting for any good show. Eyes tell us a lot about what a person’s character is like and SaB showed us the difference of a sincere man and a man with a hidden agenda.

Look at him! Look at that little smirk. Look at the gaze. That's the look you find when someone's evil little plan is finally coming together. Not one awed by the power or by Alina. A blatant sus move is what I'm saying. Congrat, first flag planted.

Sure he could still fall in love with Alina, but that doesn't stop his agenda either. All it does is potentially create conflict for him to pick either his plan for revenge or life with Alina.

In comparison, look at Kaz when he said this to Inej; "She isn't like you, no one is." Straightforward eyes. Serious grim. No nonsense tone. Inej is one of the most talented and terrifying rogue-assassin and Kaz just blatantly said that he kept her from 'slavery' because of who she is, not what she's capable of. Like... the man has no shame being known to love her while still trying to be professional (or as professional a thief can be). I can respect that.

This is the eye of a man who would abandon everything to make sure she comes out alright in the end. Do not argue with me on this!

2. Leverage and Status

The moment Alina steps into the Little Palace she was treated like a princess. A palace, by the way, that’s managed by the Darkling. She gets favorable treatment; from the food, Zoya displaced when she fought Alina, a horseback ride just the two of them, asking her to call by his name to make them familiar, a black uniform that might as well be claiming???

Dude is desperate is what I’m saying. 

Sure, this could all be romantic gestures. There’s the problem that Kirigan is superior in status and name, powerful Grisha, and has a vested interest in her power. Pursuing romance while Kirigan has the ability to make her life heaven or hell with a snap of his finger made every single decision be seen with wariness. 

"Beware of powerful men," Genya couldn't put it any better.

Had they pursued romance after they destroy the fold, cementing Alina’s position as a saint more. Then I might have let go of that wariness. 

I’m only proven correct when the moment Alina turned away from him, Kirigan made another leverage by (spoiler!) putting an antler to her collarbone... eeeewwww much?! 

That’s how desperate the Darkling is to be in control of a person and a situation. 

And when no letter came for Alina? That a big red flag because who else in this castle can control the coming of going of letter with the Savior. HMMMMMMMMMMM.....

Then there’s Kaz. My man. There’s no competition. This guy held no leverage on my dear Inej. When she almost decided to leave, Kaz didn't force or convince her to stay but he ask her. Doesn't remind her of her debt whether monetary or life debt to him. In fact, this guy needs money for revenge but instead mortgage his main source of income for her freedom.

HE POSTPONED HIS LIFE GOAL TO FREE HER FROM DEBT ASJHAKFSDJGLDFJ!!!  

What more do I need to say? 

3. Sympathy Card

This is the type of point you want to watch out from your partners, ladies, gents, and others. The sympathy card is the way to go when anyone wants to reach out to you so you can take care of them before they abuse or gaslight you. 

While it’s good to share trauma and eased the burden, sometimes it's healthy to ask yourself whether the person can take advantage of you and to verify whether they lie to you or not.

When Kirigan shared about his past as a sympathetic boy with his secluded fountain and coin. Everything about that scene rang warning bells for me... the part he had requested her to use his color... requesting to horse ride with just them two... sharing sob story that may encourage Alina to help him...

Kudos to Alina to see through the fact she's seen as a means to an end.

It was only when Kirigan showed righteous anger and frustration of a war that's killing his people did Alina finally opened her heart to him.

Kaz however doesn't use the sympathy card. Heck, the man likes to believe he shed away any weakness and threw it in the harbor where it belongs. Kaz hates weaknesses. And garnering sympathy is an admission of weakness for him.

We still know there's a tragic backstory as any decent anti-hero would have... but by not sharing that, this implies that Inej and Jesper stayed because of who he is, and not because of who he was or how he came to be. They don't need a sob story to stay together and that showed a stronger bond between them.

4. Friends

To be frank, I find this the most hilarious because this point is the one that convinced me that Kirigan was secretly an evil bastard.

He doesn’t have any friends!!!

Like... dude had a literal witch army, a wife once, a fuck buddy, and a girlfriend but there wasn’t a single moment in the show where someone, outside of Alina and superior, to speak casually to him. 

You’re telling me this person... the most powerful and influential Grisha in the East Ravka, charming as hell, handsome as fuck, and yet he doesn’t have friends?! 

“I’ve buried good soldiers... friends...” Get the fuck out of here! WHAT FRIENDS?!?! Maybe if you get off your little power trip from your self-made pedestal, you can actually be less of an asshole and make one. 

Sure he excused himself by blaming his ‘ancestor’ for being a shadow summoner. I can see how the fear makes it hard for him to get close to anybody. But all the other characters who are part of his army only ever shown to speak with him respectfully, and the royalty even commend him. No one disrespected him even openly and you’re telling me he doesn’t have one friend amidst all these people?!

In comparison, look at Kaz. He’s brash, crude, and unapologetic. He held true to his moniker ‘Bastard of the Barrel’ and yet this ass has friends. They show Jesper joking with Kaz, and Kaz has shown to banter with him back as well as tolerating his gambling addiction when it could have jeopardized the Job. Inej was shown to actually argue and have disagreement with Kaz when he’s technically her boss. Can you imagine the Darkling doing that? CAN YOU?!

No. Because he's a pretentious ass. That's why.

This is a great example of the use “show not tell” of how Kaz despite his obvious edges has a soft spot shown through his relationship with Inej and Jesper, who have a friendly dynamic. I can attest that while Kaz didn’t create a good first impression, I love Jesper and Inej (they are precious!) so much that I project it to Kaz in extension.

On the other hand, Kirigan’s goodwill had only ever been told by outsiders or himself. None from his inner circle (which he doesn’t have!) other than his mother, who ended up outing him instead. 

So I applaud the writers and showrunners of SaB to actually have subtext signs of a manipulative bastard. The Duckling is a good villain character that's complex but unredeemable. Sometimes, you just have a good ol' charming villain you can't redeem and that's okay.