#i played story mode when i first got it and then. never again

[p0th]

cant decide which one i like more so both r gonna be posted!!!

[killjoy-prince]

SECOND BAD RELATIONSHIP END GET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[illbegottenfaith]

BAD REVIEWS (a Bad Reviews by Sabrina Carpenter inspired fic)

you've heard more than your fair share of bad reviews about theo nott. that doesn't stop you from becoming the newest addition (theo nott x reader) [best viewed in dark mode]

a/n - i did NOT realise this fic was turning out this long which I think speaks to how much fun I was having writing it, planning it out carefully and setting the slow burn justtt right ahh I truly think this is one of my best pieces of writing ever? at least I rlly like it hahah so enjoy :))

tropes/warnings - tw toxic r/ship descriptions, lovebombing, unhealthy possessiveness, angst

word count - 6k! whoo!

taglist - @kandralice @justme989898 @iamheretoread1234 @allie-sturns @hzdhrtss @friedfreyfries @bushnellswife @rose-of-the-grave @thaliashifts @pariahsparadise @babene-e @fratbrochrisgf @user089167

Little Miss Formerly Delusional ★★★★☆ He’s charming. Too charming. He will reel you in just so he can ruin your life. I gave him my time, my life, my youth, and where do I end up? Crying in his shower - NEVER. AGAIN. He's so good at making you feel special. Scratch that - he's so good at getting what he wants.

It started at a picnic.

The kind that got cobbled together last minute with leftover snacks and a secondhand deck of cards, bodies strewn across the grass in lazy clusters, all chatter and sunshine and no plans beyond the hour.

You hadn’t planned to stay long. You almost left twice. But then someone pulled out a pack of cards, and everyone had gotten paired up for a game - you with Theo Nott, of all people - so you stayed.

You were seated opposite each other, cross-legged on some thin picnic blanket, knees knocking every so often every time one of you leaned over the card deck between you. Some slap-happy mess of a game that had rules no one followed properly but left everyone’s hands red and stinging from all the shouting and reflexes gone wrong.

Theodore Nott - teasing, long-limbed, annoyingly pretty - watched you with his sleeves rolled at the elbow, tie loosened. His eyes locked on yours with a lazy kind of intent. You'd seen him around plenty, and heard about him even more, but this was the first time you'd actually talked to him. Up close, he was worse. His vacant grin too self-assured with a rich, arrogant voice that promised all sorts of unscrupulous things.

Theo flirted, of course, in the way boys like him always did - bold, rehearsed, shameless. Fixing you with unabashed, unrelenting eye contact. Leaning over to you closer than what was strictly necessary. Playing the role of injured loverboy for every round he lost.

You rolled your eyes through most of it.

You'd heard the stories. Everyone knew the way he moved from girl to girl, leaving miserable shells in his wake like it was nothing. That boy didn’t even have a heart to break.

Three rounds in, he spoke up when you won. Again.

“You’ve got quick hands.”

You shrugged, sweeping up the cards.

“You’ve got a slow reaction time.”

His grin widened. “So modest.”

You finally deigned to return his gaze, your face as impassive as ever. “I don’t usually play nice.”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I like girls who make me work for it.”

You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes. Was that supposed to flatter you? Impress you?

"Do you?" you mumbled instead, dealing the cards out once again. When Theo didn't move to pick up his, still intent on watching you, you gave him a look and sighed.

“Look. You don’t even know me.”

“I’m trying.”

You looked bored.

“And why is that?”

“Because you look like you’ve already decided I'm not worth your time.” He rested his chin on his hand, unbothered. “Now I need to know if you’re right.”

You hesitated. That was...unexpected.

But you recovered almost immediately.

“Well,” you said, eyes flicking to the deck, speaking quickly, “I'll have to warn you. I’m not the kind of girl who gets affected easily.”

“‘Affected,’” he echoed, amused. “That's adorable.”

It wasn’t what you actually wanted to say. What you meant was: I’ve heard what you do to girls. I’ve seen the aftermath. And I’m not anywhere near stupid enough to be next.

But you didn’t say any of that. You just kept her expression level and glanced at the cards, seeing what Theo had missed. You slapped your hands on his.

“4 - 2,” you said, with a thinly veiled smugness.

Theo looked at your hands, then up at you, and smiled slow.

“You like this, don't you?"

“I like winning.”

He didn’t let you win the next round. Or the one after that. Or the one after that.

Later, when everybody was cooling off with some iced butterbeer, peeling grass off their sleeves, Theo glanced your way with a look that gave you a bad feeling in your gut.

He raked a hand through his hair with a careful air of nonchalance that was fooling no one, and said offhandedly, "You know, I let her win one of the early rounds, by the way.”

For a moment, you gaped at him and his slimy audacity. Then you sat up, affronted, nearly upsetting your butterbeer. “You what?”

He gave you a lazy blink. On another day, you might have considered him somewhat endearing. Today, he was getting on your last nerves.

“Thought it might soften you up.”

“You did not let me win," you said hotly, a strand of hair stuck to your uncomfortably sticky cheek. "You just couldn’t keep up.”

“Didn’t say you weren’t good. Just not as good as me.”

Oh, you could punch him. “The score was six to three - ”

“Yeah, and that third one? That was a gift.”

You turned to the others, scandalised. “He’s l - liar. Liar. He’s lying, I sw-.”

Theo just sipped his drink effortlessly. “I thought you didn’t get affected easily?”

That shut you up immediately. You turned away, face hot with something dangerously close to flustered. You'd walked into that one. Hard.

They'd only formally met a couple of hours ago and he somehow managed to already get under your skin. Just a little.

And he knew it.

When he leaned in a little closer to murmur something to someone beside him, you swore he was still smirking.

You weren't supposed to be caught off guard. Not by him. You knew boys like Theo Nott. Knew their tricks and charms and the revolving door of names on their lips.

Unfortunately, knowing didn’t make you any less curious.

Little Miss Territorial by Proxy ★★★☆☆ He’ll be possessive. And you'll like it. It feels flattering at first. I mean, why wouldn't it? Who doesn't luvvv being loved? It's always nice to feel wanted.

That's not what this is, though. Theodore Nott, erm, 'wants' in the way a hunter 'wants' a deer head stuffed and mounted on the wall.

The courtyard had that lazy kind of energy that lingered on warm afternoons - bodies stretched out, butterbeer bottles dusty and half-empty, faint music straining through the thick, heavy afternoon air from someone’s wireless. It was easy. Drowsy. Like no one wanted to be anywhere else.

Theo was already there when you arrived.

You noticed him from across the throng, lounging in one of the stone archways, a little separate from everyone else. He met your gaze. You looked away. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

Eventually, someone pulled out a deck of cards again. Out of the few of you who could tolerate the smacking and getting smacked on such a hot day, you partnered up with a Ravenclaw named Liam - broad-shouldered, painfully chatty, cursed with the unfortunate affliction of not being as funny as he thought he was.

When you beat him - again - he let out an exaggerated groan and slumped back dramatically.

“Alright, alright. Clearly I’m no match,” he said., as he poorly reshuffled the cards. Over the deck, he shot you a smarmy look that left you feeling icky all over. “Maybe you could teach me sometime.”

The line was lame. And obvious. You picked up the cards he dealt, not bothering to look up.

“Sorry. I don’t usually train the hopeless.”

Liam winced. “That’s cold.”

You shrugged. “It's true.”

Laughter buzzed through the few who were listlessly paying attention. Theo didn’t laugh. Didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Only stared.

His eyes had sharpened the moment Liam started talking. He hadn’t said anything yet, but you could feel the heat of it - the weight of his stare digging between her ribs.

You shifted slightly. You took a sip of your butterbeer to cool off and calm down. The saccharine drink had begun to sour in the relentless heat.

Liam nudged your foot with his own - light, playful. Theo straightened and sat up.

“Careful, mate,” he said, voice steady and too smooth. “You’re one bad joke away from a nosebleed.”

A few chuckles sputtered. Nervous ones. It didn’t sound like a joke. No one knew whether to laugh or move on.

Liam blinked, uncomfortable now.

“Relax, yeah? Just playing.”

Theo tipping his bottle at him languidly. “Just warning.”

Before it could stretch into something uglier, he abruptly shifted focus.

“I’m in,” he said suddenly, "the mood to play now.”

There was a shuffle as the group moved up a little to make room for Theo where they were all scattered across the floor.

You didn’t hesitate. You switched your partner to Theo before anyone else could move. Your knees bumped. His smirk twitched higher.

The game began. Slaps. Feints. Barely restrained grins. She won the first round. He won the next. By the third, she was half a beat faster. Or maybe he was just a beat slower.

He let her win. Or maybe she let him.

When he looked at you afterwards, head tilted, lashes low, he gave you a look of some quiet approval. Like you’d passed a test you hadn't even known you were taking.

You looked away first. Unexpectedly, you felt a flicker of pride. From there sparked an obsession with this most cursed type of validation, one that you had never known to be greedy for.

You took another sip of you drink, relishing the way your face warmed in the heat of the day under the intensity of his stare. Still, you should have known what you knew now - those days in the sun would only last so long. Not even a week later, the fights began.

Little Miss Made Excuses For His Anger Issues ★★☆☆☆ He plays dirty, so it's only fair you do too. When the fights begin - god, they'll never stop. He'll never listen to you, you'll go blue in the face trying to get him to change, he'll whine about you never getting off his back, you'll snap at him for breathing too loud, it's nuts.

Okay, fine, the last one wasn't exactly provoked. He was just in too good of a mood that day and it was pissing me off. But honestly? I was so valid for that. He needed to learn to shut the fuck up once in a while.

It wasn’t even about the cigarettes.

At least, not just about them.

You were poring over your books in the deserted Slytherin common room, trying not to think about Ivy had been telling you about a girl Theo had been getting pretty close to - some Romilda Vane. He lit one the second he walked in - like it was a reflex, like he was doing it on purpose. You could feel the now-familiar irritation bloom in your chest the moment the smoke hit the air, bitter and acrid and reeking of bad memories.

“Really?” you muttered, not bothering to look up from your notes. “In here?”

Theo exhaled slowly, deliberately.

“I'll open a window.”

“That’s not the point.”

He leaned against the window frame, posture relaxed, jaw tight.

“Then what is?”

You huffed irritatedly and slammed your book shut.

“The point is, you said you’d stop. Five days ago. In the hallway. After that disaster of a duel. Or did you forget that too?”

He had the audacity to sigh like you were being difficult for even bringing that up.

“For fuck's sake, Y/N, it’s one cigarette.”

“It’s your third.”

Now he looked at you properly, something dry and tired in his gaze.

“You're keeping count now? Are you keeping tabs on me?”

Maybe I should, the angry thought flashed in your mind. Who the hell was Romilda Vane anyway? You gritted your teeth. “I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t go through them like water.”

“It’s not a crime,” he muttered, but he stubbed it out anyway - carelessly, more like a challenge than a concession. “There. Better?”

“Sure. Until the next one.”

He laughed humorlessly.

“Sorry, Mother.”

That did it.

You stood suddenly, the legs of your chair scraping piercingly across the floor.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Turn me into some controlling shrew just because I care about your health - ”

"Oh, so now I'm supposed to thank you for breathing down my neck all the time?"

You seethed. “Is that supposed to be funny? Because it isn't. It's not. It's really not.”

“I’m not the one making a scene over a cigarette.”

“Forget the bloody cigarettes. That's not the point.”

“No,” he said, standing now, tone flat. “I think I get the point just fine. You’ve had a shit week, and I’m the easiest thing to pick on.”

The corners of your mouth tightened.

“You think I like picking fights?”

“Sure seems like it.”

You could hardly hear or think coherently over the sound of blood roaring in your ears. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And you’re relentless,” he shot back. “It’s always something with you. First it’s me leaving my notes in the common room, then it’s how I ‘don’t take things seriously,’ and now it’s - ”

“Oh, I’m sorry - am I not supposed to care when you act like nothing is worth your attention?”

He scoffed and looked away, as if dismissing you, as if you weren't worth any more of his Wednesday night. You gathered up your books with more aggression than was strictly necessary, feeling embarrassingly close to tears with how crazy Theo drove you.

"I don't know why I bother with a degenerate like you. You always do this. I bring something up, and you turn it against me, or you twist it into me being dramatic, or overbearing - ”

He exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“Well, if the shoe fits...” he muttered.

“God, fuck you.”

He never seemed more unattractive you than he did in that moment - caustically insensitive, sarcastic and selfish. You spun on your heel, grabbing your bag off the floor before storming out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

Theo didn’t follow. He just stood there for a beat, unmoving in the silence of the night. Then he leaned against the windowsill and lit another cigarette.

Little Miss "He Knows I Can Take It" ★☆☆☆☆ He'll Make You Feel Special Enough To Tune Everyone Else Out The man's arrogant enough to act like he's God's gift on Earth and he's shameless enough to act like the yelling and the screaming and the shit he gives you is a blessing. But after a while, if you're not careful, you'll go right on believing him. Twisting his abuse into some fucked up declaration of love because man does he sell the pipe dream of being his favourite punching bag well.

And the thing is - you're not his favourite. You never will be. That won't stop you from making an arse out of yourself trying anyway. The things I did? Ugh, embarrassinggg. Skipping parties, for what? Giving him all my time, for what? Cutting out the friends he didn't like, for what? A guy who needed a training broom till he was ten?? Be soooo fucking for real right now.

You didn't notice the glance Ivy and Melissa exchanged when you walked into your dorm. Your bag slid off your shoulder with a dull thump onto the floor, your shoulders aching.

“Hey.” Melissa said from her spot near the desk. “You missed lunch.”

You distractedly tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “I was revising,” you muttered, toeing off your shoes. “Didn’t realise the time.”

Ivy wrinkled her nose from where she was sprawled on her bed. “Merlin, you’re one of those. Don’t go all Ravenclaw on us now.”

You gave a faint smile. You hadn't realised how little you had seen of your friends over the past week. You missed them. “Too late.”

There was a pause. Melissa twirled a strand of hair between her fingers. You stilled, recognising that nervous tic of hers.

“Were you with him?” she asked casually. “Theo?”

You hesitated. So what if you were? “Yeah. So?”

“Right,” Ivy said, not unkindly. “He wouldn't have anything to do with you disappearing every other day now, would he?”

You were at a loss of words.

“...I’ve just been busy.”

They didn’t say anything.

You glanced up, feeling the air shift into something more worried, anxious.

“I don’t want to do this right now,” you muttered.

“We’re just talking,” Melissa said gently.

You shot her a look. You weren't dumb. Ivy sat up a little straighter. You could feel the both of them closing in on you.

“Look,” she said carefully, “I know you don’t want to talk about him. But Melissa and I think we should. You’ve changed. And it's...not good.”

“I’m fine,” you said tightly.

“You say that a lot lately,” Melissa said sadly. You scoffed. “It’s getting harder to believe.”

You exhaled sharply, massaging your temples.

“Can we not do this now?”

“You never let us do this,” Ivy said, brows drawing together.

Your stomach twisted.

“Because it’s none of your business,” you snapped. Your friends looked taken aback.

“I just - ” Ivy blinked. “We're not trying to - ”

“I know what you meant,” you cut in, voice rising. “You don’t like him. You think he’s bad for me. You think I’m stupid for being with him.”

“No one said that,” Melissa said slowly, frowning. “No one's saying that. We’ve just never seen you like this. We're not the enemy, Y/N.”

It sure felt like it. Melissa reached out, and in that moment of blind rage, you couldn't tell if it was to hug you or hurt you. You flinched out of her reach. You didn't miss the brief flicker of hurt that passed over her face. Even Ivy looked mystified.

“Y/N," Ivy said, getting up now. "Enough of this. We’re worried about you. He’s getting to your head, and you're so wrapped up in him that you can't even see it.”

You crossed your arms.

“I'm not a child, for Merlin's sake. I know he’s complicated. I’m not blind.”

“Then why are you defending him like he’s perfect?”

“Because you’re making it sound like he’s evil,” you snapped. “Like I’m too dumb to realise I’m being treated badly.”

You opened your mouth to continue, but no words came. Just heat. Frustration. Guilt twisting into something bitter.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Ivy said quietly. “Not over anyone.”

Looking at your friends, their hostile postures and mutinous faces, you felt terribly alone. “Well,” you said, “maybe I’ve changed.”

Melissa stared at you, looking angrier than you had ever seen her. “Yeah. You have.”

You sighed.

“I don’t need a lecture right now.”

“And we’re not trying to give you one,” Ivy said. “But you’re making it really hard to not say something when you’re hurting yourself like this.”

“I’m not - ” you started, but stopped short.

Because you were hurting. You knew it. You’d known it for a while now. But hearing it sfrom someone else's lips made it feel like an accusation.

“We’re just trying to help you,” Ivy said, quieter now.

“I don’t need help," you said, chest tight. "I need you to back off.”

A listless kind of quiet descended in the room. Melissa’s jaw tensed. Ivy uselessly smoothed down her sheets.

“Well,” Ivy said, voice flat now, “I guess that's we’ll do then.”

Melissa wasn't as forgiving. “Whatever. It's your life to ruin, L/N.”

She drew her hair up into a ponytail. "Dinner, Ivy?"

The silence they left behind was deafening. You refused to dwell on the fight. You refused to acknowledge how damning their condemnations felt.

And still - when the dust settled, like a woman possessed, your thoughts drifted back to Theo. To that lopsided grin. That lazy smirk. Pulling you in, and in, and in, and in.

Little Miss Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me ★★★★★ He always knows when he's about to lose you And that's when he's the sweetest. He'd have to be - it's his last ditch attempt to distract you. He'll have you wondering how you could ever think of him as selfish or mean-spirited or anything other than the world's most-loving, most-devoted boyfriend. Boyfriend? HA!

It started the way most things with Theo did - loud, dramatic, and entirely unnecessary.

You stepped out of the Transfiguration exam room, clutching your wand, still mentally arguing with yourself over you shaky answer to question seven, when someone near the doors let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh.

“What the hell - ?”

Students were crowding toward the entrance of the castle, whispering, staring. You followed the noise, shielding her eyes from the sudden sunlight. And then you saw it.

A car. A bright red, shiny Muggle convertible, parked just off the stone steps, looking entirely out of place in front of Hogwart's gothic architecture. And leaning against it like he'd walked straight off the poster of some pretentiously obscure, too-slick indie film was Theodore Nott - sunglasses perched cockily in his curls, sleeves rougishly pushed up, charm turned on.

“Oh, my god,” you muttered under your breath, walking faster now, heat creeping up the back of her neck.

He caught sight of you and grinned. Not a smirk, not his usual self-satisfied half-smile. A grin.

Like he hadn't been a complete dick to you just two nights ago.

“What's all this?” you asked as you stepped up to him.

Theo straightened with a practiced laziness. “It’s a getaway car.”

You blinked at him.

“Weekend trip,” he clarified. “We need a break. You need a break.”

“I have two exams left.”

He shrugged. “Two is practically nothing.”

“Theo.”

Before you could continue your protests, he took your hand and kissed your knuckles in full view of half of your year, completely unbothered.

“Your stuff’s in the boot. Packed it this morning.”

Your mouth dropped open. How did he manage to get into the girls' dormitories?

“You what—?”

“There’s snacks,” he continued, unrepentant. “I even charmed the glove compartment to keep your disgusting fizzy drinks cold." Traces of the Theo you knew started resurfacing. He sounded pretty damn proud of himself. "You’re welcome.”

“You’re mental.”

“And you’re exhausted.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Come on, Y/N. You can revise in bed with me and a view of the sea. There’s a fireplace. I booked the biggest suite they had.”

He pressed a chaste kiss to your palm. Your face burned.

"Please? For me?"

You should’ve walked away. You meant to walk away.

But he had that look again - the one he used to reel you in after every fight. The one you couldn't bear to tell off. That soft-eyed, unwittingly innocent look like he wasn't even capable of doing anything wrong, let alone on purpose. Behind him, the sunlight hit the car just right, glinting off the chrome like some surreal, too-good-to-be-true movie scene.

It was stupid. And ridiculous. And maybe that was the point.

So you went.

On the drive down, Theo's hand casually resting on your thigh, wind whipping through your hair, you told yourself you weren't impressed.

But then you saw the room - two floors, a balcony, a charmed bath bigger than her dorm - and you maybe slightly let it go to your head.

He ordered room service like you were royalty, feeding you chocolate-covered strawberries by the tray, worshipfully kissing the tips of your fingers like he’d never once raised his voice or made you feel small.

He lit candles. Bought you a new jumper at one of the quaint, homey shops by the pier when you'd offhandedly mentioned feeling a little chilly. Got up to make you tea in the mornings and made it right - not the way he liked it, but the way you always complained about no one ever remembering it.

He let you pick the station on the wireless. Spoilt you relentlessly. Had the nerve to call you pretty in the midst of you lounging in the utter bliss of what was turning into the most indulgent heaven.

Maybe it was the wine. Or the way the fire flickered inches from you where you laid tangled up on the rug, breathing slow and even and in sync, like the world where you were constantly at each other's throats never existed.

Or maybe it was just the way he was looking at you again. Like you mattered. Like you were special. Like he was choosing to be good. Like he was choosing to be good for you.

You caught yourself smiling at nothing. You let him pull you into his lap. Let him press kisses down your neck, murmuring all the right things.

On the last night, your head was resting on his chest, his fingers tracing slow, thoughtless circles into your back. You should've been long asleep, but you couldn’t stop thinking about how different he felt like this. Like this version of him had always existed, but you were only just now being allowed to see it.

“I don’t get you,” you said, barely above a whisper.

Theo glanced down at you.

“What’s there to get?”

You propped yourself up on your elbow, looking down on what little you could see of his face not obscured by the dark or his soft curls. You tilted your head, considering.

“You’re just…different, sometimes.”

His hand paused.

Then he shifted, rolling you both over gently, lips brushing against your jaw, collarbone, shoulder.

“Maybe you just make me better,” he murmured.

You almost laughed.

Because it was such a good line. But that's exactly what it was - a line.

You drew Theo closer to you almost anxiously. He obliged, hands wandering to your hips. Distantly, you wondered if you carved open his heart, would you find anything remotely genuine inside?

It was late. You were tired. It made your head hurt to think of such depressing things.

So your eyes fluttered shut, and you let yourself succumb to Theo's ministrations. Let yourself believe it.

For one more night.

Little Miss Egg on My Face ★★☆☆☆ It Never Lasts It's almost a slap in the face, really - he could do it all for you, and more. He just doesn't want to. He doesn't care enough to even be halfway decent, especially once the glow wears off. So a week later, he goes back to his old ways, drinking and philandering, and you - well, you stayed, didn't you? Now who's the idiot?

For a few days, it almost felt like things truly had changed.

Theo had stayed soft, sweet, attentive. He sat with you during meals without you asking. Laced your fingers together under the table in study hall. Let you sleep in his bed, no questions asked, when you showed up exhausted after a double-length Potions exam. He even gave you his last chocolate frog during a study break and shrugged, saying you needed it more than he did.

And you started to believe it. That maybe the trip really had saved their relationship from ruin. Maybe this time, he meant every kiss, every touch.

But, like all good things, it didn’t last.

By midweek, you started noticing it again, despite your best efforts.

The way he brushed you off in the corridors with a distracted nod, not even slowing his pace. The way he left your group hangouts without saying goodbye. The way he started treating you like an accessory he wanted only sometimes.

It was subtle. Like he was slipping out of a persona.

One night, you watched him lean towards another girl a few tables over, heavily wrapped up in whatever riveting conversation they were sharing, all low laughs and half-lidded glances, his mouth tugged up at one side. The same smirk he’d used on you—only now it felt recycled. Contaminated. Revolting.

He didn’t even glance your way as you left the Hall.

You waited until you were alone. You found him near the back stairwell, the one they used to use to sneak up to the Astronomy Tower. He was lighting a cigarette. Of course. Something about this was beginning to feel destructively futile.

Your voice was quiet at first.

“Hey.”

Theo glanced over, eyes unreadable in the gloom of the night. “Hey.”

You hesitated.

“Can we talk?”

He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, then shrugged. “Sure. Talk.”

There was a beat of silence. Then she said, softly, almost apologetically, “You’ve been different. Since we got back.”

Theo looked away.

“Have I?”

You could feel him beginning to shut you out. You panicked. “I’m not trying to start anything," you said, hurriedly. "I just…noticed.”

“You always do,” he muttered, flicking ash onto the stone floor.

You frowned. “I’m not accusing you.”

“Not yet, you're not.”

Something about the way he said it - flat, unaffected - made you feel ridiculous. A laughingstock. Overly emotional. Wholly irrational.

Still, you pushed on. “You were great this weekend, Theo. Really. Till now, I didn’t want to say anything because I liked that. I liked you. And now - ” You swallowed. “Now I don't."

He raised a brow.

“Because I sat at a different table?”

“It’s not just that.”

“Then what is it?”

You worried your bottom lip.

“You’re pulling away again.”

Theo laughed condescendingly.

“Well, forgive me if I don’t feel like being your emotional support boyfriend every minute of every day.”

You stared at him.

“Is that what you think I want?”

“Sure seems like it.”

You stepped back, your frustration mounting.

“God, you’re unbelievable. I’m trying to talk to you, and you’re acting like I’m some clingy, nagging -”

“Well, aren’t you?”

Your mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”

“I’m serious that this, is getting old,” he said, not even bothering to look at her now. “The whining. The melodrama.”

You hated the way your voice was beginning to shake.

“You always do this, Theo. Every time we get close, you run the other way. You pretend none of it ever happened.”

He turned to you now, finally meeting your eyes with that cold, dead gaze of his.

"We had a nice weekend. We had one nice weekend. Newsflash, princess - it's not that deep."

Your chest tightened, your breath catching in your throat.

He didn’t stop there. “You act like I’m supposed to worship you like some lovesick puppy all day every day. Don't you get exhausted by how much you want all the time? Do you really need to be wanted that badly?”

There was a long pause.

Then you exhaled, sharp and cold.

“Fuck you.”

He didn’t blink. “That’s more like it.”

All this while he'd been trying to buy your infatuation. Meanwhile, you couldn't pay him to offer you a shred of respect.

You shoved past him, your nails digging crescent moons into her palms as you walked far, far away from him. The echo of your footsteps hit the walls too loud, too fast, like you couldn’t get away from him quickly enough.

He didn’t follow. Not that you expected him to. But the worst part was that it hurt exactly the way she knew it would that afternoon you first laid eyes on him. Because he didn't care - not really. Not enough for it to actually mean anything.

Still, some sick part of your heart pulsed with the worry that you'd go back. That you weren't strong enough to truly stay away from him. That you'd go crawling back to him on some cold, miserable night.

When your hands stopped shaking. When your voice stopped cracking. When you convinced yourself again that maybe he half-meant it that one time. That maybe he could change. That maybe he already had.

But for now, all that you could do was walk, and walk, and walk, until the halls swallowed you whole. Until he was little more than smoke curling in the wind.

The only thing heavier than your silence was the weight of still wanting him.

It’s always worse at night.

When the castle halls are quiet. When your bed’s too big. When there’s no fight left in you to battle the waves of want.

It was late—so late that even the stars seemed like a distant memory, hanging somewhere far beyond reach. It was a stupid hour, one where you should have been asleep, or at least pretending to be. But you weren't. You never could sleep the same without him anymore. Not when he’d been the one to fill the void inside you, even if it was with something corrosive. You hated it. And yet, there was no escaping it.

You missed him. How could you not? Despite everything, despite his flaws, his temper, his habits you loathed, you missed him. Even when he was the last person you wanted to think about, your mind wandered back to the way his lips felt against your neck, the way his eyes softened when he thought you weren't looking.

That stupid half-smile. The ominous smell of smoke clinging to his collar. The way his voice softened when he said your name like it was something precious meant only for him.

It was exhausting. This back and forth. The way he could make you feel like the most important thing in the world one minute, and a burden the next. Every time you thought you had him figured out, he flipped it. Changed the rules. Changed the game.

And still - still, you chose to love him.

You were too tired to care about what was “right” anymore. You'd been walking around in this fog of longing and resentment, trying to convince yourself that you deserved more, that you needed more. You needed to be more.

But you weren't. Not without him.

You'd told yourself you wouldn’t do this again. Had said it out loud, even. Had whispered it like a promise into your pillow the night you walked away. But the resolve didn't hold under the weight of your chest caving in from the loneliness.

You tried everything - busy days. Cold showers. Long walks. None of it worked. You couldn't help slipping.

And tonight, you're slipping fast.

Your bare feet carry you down the corridor before you can think. You don't react to the chill of the floor. Your head is vacant of any plans, any rational thought - just the sharp pulse of want, of need, of him.

You hesitate outside his dorm. But it's too little, too late. The time to turn back was months ago, when he was little more than a stranger on a picnic blanket you had enough sense to not get involved with.

The door creaks open.

He’s awake. He doesn’t say anything. You don't leave. He doesn’t ask you to.

He lifts the covers. Makes room for you without question.

You climb in.

His arms wrap around you like muscle memory. Like forgiveness he didn’t earn.

And you let him.

Because the thing about loving someone like Theodore Nott is, it’s never a fair fight. It's an affliction of the worst kind. It's a habit you can't quite quit. It’s knowing better. And choosing him anyway.

You closes your eyes and shift closer, pretending you don't know how this ends.

Little Miss Disillusioned ★★★☆☆ Would Not Recommend But Merlin...I always come back.

[captain-bubble-wrap]

Broken Glass was SO GOOD!! Could you write something like that but with Auston?😯

Did this slightly different than Broken Glass just so it wasn't a duplicate post with Auston copy-and-pasted in place of Quinn.

Still high drama, still a hospital moment, still copious amounts of hurt/comfort! But thanks for the compliment, babe! 🩷

Also, I wrote this in one sitting to try and keep things more fluid. Apologies in advance for proofing.

That being said: C|W : implied alcohol use, physical trauma, minor depictions of bodily injury, mentions of blood W|C : 2k

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'm not going that far, just the next block over or so. You guys are good!"

Girl's Night plus a best friend's birthday had made for an evening full of an over-abundance of laughter, stories, and alcohol. Auston had been on the road the last week and a half but was due home in the morning. His absence had flared your depression the last few days, so you were thankful for the welcomed distraction. The night was finally coming to and end and it was time to say goodbyes and go home, however hard it was.

"Are you sure?" Stressed one of your friends, the mother hen of the group.

"Yeah, I promise. I'm not leaving Auston's car downtown over-night. I'll be fine."

She sighed, her breath like smoke against the cool Canadian air. You could tell she wasn't convinced about you walking alone at night back to the car, but there was nothing to be done about it. He had been nice enough to let you drive it while he was gone, and you were going to make sure nothing happened to it.

"Text me when you get home, please."

You had to laugh, "Yes, mom."

Waiting around until all of them piled into the cab, you waved goodbye before starting off on your own. By now, Auston's game was long over and you were eager to talk to him if even just for a few minutes -- if he'd answer his phone.

"Hey mama," he said smiling when he answered your video call. His hair was wet and his eyes expressed his exhaustion but you were happy to see him regardless, and he seemed just as pleased to have you light up his phone.

"Hi, handsome," you replied, stopped at a crosswalk. "I saw you guys got a win! I had the game on at dinner."

Auston laughed, running a hand through his hair while never breaking eye contact with you. "We did yeah, we needed it. How was tonight?"

The light changed.

"It was good. The girls just left to go home.”

Auston’s expression narrowed slightly, “Are you alright to drive home?”

“Yes,” you whined. Deep down, you knew everyone was just showing that they cared about you, but sometimes you wished they had a little more faith.

“Just making sure you’re safe, mama.”

“I know,” you sighed, feeling regret over giving him the subtle attitude. “Trust me, they all but pulled me into the cab before they left. I only had a few glasses of wine, and like I told them, I’m not leaving your car parked all night.”

“You’re more important than a car.” By now, Auston’s brows were pulled in, sharp wrinkles forming beneath them. He didn’t show you his serious expression very often, but when he did, you knew it was for a reason.

“Baby, I’m fine. I knew I had to drive home, so I was careful. I’m not even giggly!”

You had the ability to melt his stern demeanor so easily, and this moment was another of those times. Almost instantly, his brown eyes were warm again as was his tone, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I need you safe -- always. Who else am I going to hold at night?”

His wink killed you. “Oh stop! You’re so dramatic!”

“I love you, mama.”

“I love you, too,” you confessed, feeling everything return to a normal playing field. “Are you guys flying home in the morning still?”

“Yeah, we’ll head to the airport first thing in the--”

Your phone would fly out of your hand, somersaulting across the pavement. On Auston’s end, he initially thought you had simply dropped it, but after he heard your screams he immediately flew into panic mode. Three teenagers had just jumped you from behind, one hitting you on the back of the head with something heavy which had taken you knees out from under you. You’d crumple into a ball on the sidewalk, but that was right where they wanted you. There were forceful kicks to your ribs as well as punches to your face. Never had you ever felt such intense pain in your life. This was a literal nightmare.

The taste of copper in your mouth was strong; the lack of air in your lungs made you think you were going to die. You couldn’t hear Auston’s yelling through the phone for the ringing in your years. You attackers wouldn’t see it either, as the phone had fallen screen down, up against a store front.

They were laughing at you; that you couldn’t unhear.

The beating felt like forever, but in reality only lasted a couple minutes or so. They took your Gucci bag Auston had just bought you for your birthday, as well as his keys before running off, leaving you laid out against the damp concrete. With shallow breathing and heavy eyelids, you’d feel the world fade in on you. It wouldn’t be until the ambulance’s sirens and personnel got to you that you’d be painfully reminded of the night’s turn of events.

Everything was a blur.

You were in and out of consciousness on the ride to the hospital. The bright, white overhead lights stung your throbbing head too much to bear. Every bump, every turn of the vehicle made you wonder if your bones were made of glass, and if all of them were shattered. Misery. All of it, every feeling.

- - -

“It’s going to be a long road. She’s going to need someone who can be around her consistently for some weeks. There’s no way she can take care of herself in this condition, and I’m sure you know that.”

You weren’t sure if you were in a medially induced coma or having some sort of out-of-body experience. You could hear the nurse speaking, and you thought you had heard Auston’s voice a time or two, but then again, maybe that had just been wishful thinking.

“I know it’s hard to see her this way, but the surgeries went well. We’re just keeping her here because she had so much trauma. The doctor will come up with a timetable on her release time over the next few days. There’s a lot of swelling we’re keeping an eye on, and we don’t want to send her home too early.”

Halfway through the conversation you found yourself counting the beeps coming from your heart monitor instead of who was talking in the room with you. You were alive, somehow, but you couldn’t remember getting here.

“We’ll be back at the top of the hour to check on her again, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

The door shut softly, but your eyes rolled to the left, beneath swollen and closed eyelids. Someone had sat down beside you.

“Baby, I love you,” you heard Auston mumble, voice pained like he was on the verge of tears. “I love you so much. So, so much.”

With whatever strength you could muster, you forced your eyes open. “Auston,” you could only whisper.

His ability to speak was gone. Just seeing you in that hospital bed had crushed him, let alone hearing your attack happen in real-time. You couldn’t ignore the tears silently rolling down his cheeks as his chin came to rest on the edge of the bed.

“I love...you.” Speaking was hard for you, the tubes down your throat for anesthesia had caused the hoarseness, making each word labored.

“Don’t speak, baby. It’s okay.” He was trying so hard not to break down, at least not in front of you. His eyes were red, either from not sleeping last night or from previous emotional episodes. Either way, he was losing the battle of being strong in front of you. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. I-- I--,” he closed his eyes, trying to collect himself.

With your left hand, you moved it away from your body to touch his hand. Auston seemed reluctant to touch you, likely from fear of causing you more unnecessary pain, but you reaching out to him, he swallowed up your hand with both of his. His touch was warm, so soothing against the cold nature of hospitals. All you wanted to do was crawl into his arms and let him hide you away from the nightmares of your reality.

“I called the police as soon as I heard what was happening,” he confessed, trying to shake the sounds of your cries that were replaying in his mind at the mention of last night’s chain of events.

“Your car!?” You remembered the boys stealing your bag, and everything you had in it.

Auston did his best to shush you concerns, rising to his feet to give you a much needed kiss. Your bottom lip was split, but you needed to feel him against your lips. This accident aside, it had been over ten days since you had seen him. What unfortunate circumstances you had to reconnect on.

“Don’t worry about anything but yourself, sweetheart, please. The police are working on it. Like I said last night, you mean way more to me than any car. Those are so easily replaced-- you aren’t.”

Your eyes were both blackened, swollen, and stinging against the light of the room, yet Auston looked at you like you were the most beautiful woman in the world, because to him, you always would be. He knew your heart, making the inside always more stunning than the out.

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Okay as much as you can be,” he stumbled. “When you went quiet I thought I lost you, baby.”

You were both crying now. Fuck, if you could just have him hold you.

“I’m going to call my mom later and see if she’ll fly up and stay with you while you recover, okay? I caught a red-eye last night so I could get back to you sooner than this morning. I just knew I couldn’t sit in that hotel knowing what had happened. I used Mitch’s phone to call the police. I couldn’t bring myself to end the video call, even though you didn’t have your phone. They recovered it, though. So...there’s that,” his voice dropped off. There were a lot of memories on that phone.

“Auston?” Again, your words were whispers, but he heard you easily.

“What is it, baby?”

You had never seen him look so sad -- ever. He knelt back down, his elbows now resting on the bed as he looked at your broken body before him. As carefully as he could, he touched your face with the back of his fingers.

“I’m sorry.”

Fresh tears pours down his face at you’re quiet apology. There was the sharpest pain in his chest, but he would hide it for you. He was already ashamed that he had allowed himself to cry in front of you, with you dealing with so much already.

“Baby, no, please-- please don’t apologize. You didn’t do a single thing wrong. None of this is your fault, okay? You didn’t deserve this.”

You couldn’t help but think that if you had just gotten in that cab, you’d be in bed with Auston, back at home, instead of laying in the ICU wing in the hospital with numerous broken bones and healing wounds. If only... As you looked at him, you had a feeling he knew what you were thinking.

“You had no way of knowing, sweetheart. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes things just happen, and I hate so much that it had to be you.”

Every gasp for air burned pain across your whole chest, and Auston did what he could to calm you down, although he felt like he was running blind in the situation.

“I’ve a few days off, okay? I’m not going to leave your side. I’m not leaving you here alone. I can’t,” he paused for a moment before putting his forehead to your temple. “You’re safe now. I won’t let anything happen to you. Never again.”

[trina864]

Late Night Drive | J.JK

Summery: You and your boyfriend take a late night drive through the city where you met, it starts out with love, ends with a round of fuck and love. Paring: Jungkook x F!Reader | Est. Relationship Genre: Fanfiction, Romance | Fluff, Smut Word Count: 2.2k Warnings: Mentions of attempted r*pe. Boyfriend Jungkook. Making out. Smut. Sex. Unprotected Sex. N*pple play. I would say the smut part is quite vanilla. ‣ A/N: Sooo, Jungkook again. Finally finished this, it actually wasn't planned to be smut, but I got carried away, have you guys seen the new video from CK with Jungkook?! Jungkook in a tanktop is my new favorite, and omg I haven't even mentioned seven on the blog yet, but shit I'm dying. I'm working on something with seven, but you know me, I'm not sure when I'll be able to finish it, and it's a pretty big project, so we'll see what happens. Anyway enjoy the fic! (:

"Catch!" You yell to your boyfriend, throwing the keys to his black Mercedes. Jungkook caught them, standing on the other side of the car.

He looks from the keys in his hand to you opening the door to the passenger seat. He opens the door and asks "You don't wanna drive tonight?"

"Nah, I wanna admire the city and my beautiful boyfriend tonight." You say as you click yourself in. Jungkook smiles his cute bunny smile before he too clicks himself in.

When Jungkook turns the keys, the car comes to life with a roar. The lights in the car, LED purple and blue, turns on together with the roar.

He takes the car out of park mode and starts to drive out of the very filled parking lot.

The roads are lightened up by the streetlights in contrast to the parking lot which was completely dark, only the lights from your apartment's windows shined across the dark parking lot.

The leather seats in the car are reflecting purple and blue light onto Jungkooks face. He’s concentrated on the road giving you lots of time to admire him.

His hair newly washed still damp, the strands too reflected the lights. Both hands placed on the steering wheel, one cowered in tattoos. His legs clenching the faster he drives. His shirt hugging his strong figure.

His lips lifts in a smirk, he feels your eyes on him in a longer period of time. Jungkook has always loved your attention, you are one of the few were he doesn’t turn shy.

With you it’s confidence all the way, because he knows you, and loves you.

“Like what you see?” He asks all cocky.

“Nope not at all.” You say playfully making a small pout form on Jungkooks lips. It isn’t long though before he gets an idea.

His tatted hand slowly creeps down the steering wheel, over the gear lever, and over to your thigh where it rests comfortably.

A shiver goes over your spine as you feel Jungkook’s hand caress your thigh with utter love.

Unable to hide your smile you look out the window to the moving city, remembering all of the old memories you built with Jungkook.

Your first tattoo, the time you met each other’s parents, the day Jungkook asked you to be his partner.

One strong memory keeps popping up into your head, and you decide to share it with Jungkook as you think he never actually heard your feelings on the story.

“Do you know when I started loving you?” You ask quietly. He looks over at you, trying to catch your eyes, but you keep them on the moving city outside.

He gives you a soft squeeze with the hand on your thigh, and he sees how comfortable and content you seem in this moment. As if everything is just good right now. “No I don’t think I know that.”

“Well, do you remember our third date or something, that one were I thought it would’ve been a good idea for us to go to a club.” You ask looking back to Jungkook with anticipating eyes.

He gives you another squeeze, remembering exactly which night you’re referring to. “I would rather want to forget that night, but yea I do.” He manages to chuckle it out, not as much for his own sake as for yours.

That night had been a real nightmare for you. He gets shivers just thinking back to your trembling body walking out of the restroom with a dress torn in the side and mascara running down your face.

You ran into his arms that night even though you still didn’t know each other that well.

You explained how a guy had tried to do things to you while on the way to the restroom. He had almost succeeded before you got your hands in your pepper spray and you ran out of there.

Two minutes passed where Jungkook tried to calm not only you but also himself. How he wanted to smack that guy's face into the floor and kick him unconscious.

But he could sense that you needed something steady and strong in that moment, not someone who couldn’t control their anger. So he stood with you and hugged you.

“That night was both the worst and the best night ever.” You say. Jungkook looks at you with a frown not catching on to how it could’ve been a good night.

“I’m not following.” He says looking back to the road as one lonely car passes by.

You smile fiddling with your hands. “The moment the guy came running out from the restroom and walked up to us, I knew you wanted to fight him.” Jungkook clenches his jaw, hand tightens around the steering wheel.

This shows just how right you are, somewhere in his eyes there’s a look of regret, for not having punched the guy.

“Of course I wanted to fight him. I wanted to punch him so hard that he wouldn’t be able to walk again.” He says, and he gets surprised by your answer.

“I’m glad you didn’t.” You clear your throat and Jungkook looks over at you, your face like his illuminated in purple.

“I felt how angry you were, but you calmed yourself for me, do you have any idea how rare that is? I needed you to let him go, and you did. That made me feel so safe, you have no idea how good I felt in your arms when we got home. I never felt so at ease before, as if there was nothing in the world that could hurt me, because I had you.” He doesn’t know how to reply in this moment, he is speechless.

You can’t contain your emotions tonight, they shine on your face with every smile and breath. Especially the smile you have now is showing Jungkook more than anything else could.

“That’s how I still feel. I feel safe with you Jungkook, at home. And I very much believe that is how love feels. I started loving you in that moment, and never stopped.” You say.

Both of you watch as the light from the same club’s sign shine through your windows and adorns the car in turquoise blue.

Jungkook pulls over not too long after and turns to you with his whole body. Like he had seen emotions in your eyes, you see emotions in his.

The small unsheat tears at the corners of his eyes, and the lifted shape of his eyes from the smile he adorned.

To you he is as euphoric as the heart of a field filled with pink and white flowers.

He feels like the luckiest guy in the entire world sitting in front of you like this and showing his emotions without being scared of what you would think.

No words are needed between you two, the love for each other is evident for both of you. All that are needed is to let silence do its part and sit long enough for the emotions to lick up your body and embrace you in a warm hug.

It's you who makes the first move, crawling over the gear lever, and straddling Jungkooks lap. He smiles looking up at you and you wipe the tears in the corners of his eyes.

"I love you more than words could ever describe." He says and leans into your hands.

You bend down and kiss him, pressing your lips hard against his, just to try and show all the affection. Jungkook returns the kiss just as passionate as you, opening your mouth, and licking his way into your mouth.

You start grinding down into his lap, pressing against his dick. Jungkook moans into your mouth, loving the way you move on top of him. His hands wander down your sides and lay over your hips were he guides them.

You sit like that for quite a while, making out, Jungkooks dick grows hard under you and for every time your cunt presses against him you have to hold your moan.

Even with his small whispers that he wanted to hear you, and you shouldn't hold back with the sounds, you have to keep some in to not seem too desperate.

Suddenly Jungkook gets enough of your 'holding in your moan policy' and he stops you.

You whine quietly, but he shushes you as he starts leaning the seat back. When the seat is as leaned back as it can get he switches places and pulls his shirt over his head.

You almost drool, looking over his abs and feeling them over.

He smirks down at you as you too get rid of your shirt and your shorts, leaving you in only panties. You left the bra at home. He is over you in an instant, grabbing and twisting your nipples in between his fingers.

You're in bliss, Jungkook switches one of his hands out with his mouth, and the noise his sucking and licking makes is sinful, you don't even notice Jungkook getting rid of his own pants.

It's first when his bare thighs tangle against your own that you notice the lack of clothes from his side as well as yours.

From there it all seems to go a bit quicker, you getting rid of your underwear and Jungkooks his. He bends your legs up so your thighs are resting over you. He pumps himself a few times before he lines his cock up with your pussy entrance.

Your eyes meet, and again no words is needed as the love and sexual seduction shows itself.

It's almost as if your moan and Jungkooks groan harmonizes, both coming out equally loud as he pushes his dick into you.

You lay still for a few seconds as your pussy adapts to Jungkooks seize. He kisses you, and whispers sweet nothings between small kisses.

It's first when you tap his abdomen twice he starts to move, just like you had agreed.

He starts out slow, still letting you adapt to his seize, but slowly as your moans gets louder and the windows gets more fogged the pace quickens.

It doesn't take long before Jungkook is hammering into you, pulling the filthiest moans from your mouth, and making the seat beneath you squeak as if it's in pain.

Your wet sounds are not half as attractive as Jungkooks grunts and whimpers. His cock hitting into your g-spot, plus him whimpering with his whiniest voice "Fuck yea." is so filthy, so dirty and nasty that you feel your orgasm bulid up in turbo mode.

"Ah, Jungkook I'm so close." You whimper with closed eyes and tears in the brim. He looks down at your beautiful squinted face, sweat on your forehead as well as your inner knees were his grip is starting to slip.

His own sweat drips from his neck down to your neck where the two substances mixes. The windows are unable to be seen through.

"Fuck, ah!, you look so good, a mess all because of my dick. Are you gonna cum on my dick huh? Is that what you want? To milk it into your cum?" His words is as sinful as the car you're in, and you whimper a series of 'yes'.

Jungkook quickens the pace. If his pace was fast before this is rapid. It's almost animalistic how he grunts and fucks into you, even you feel how your walls clench harder around him. Your nails dig into his back, you don't scratch scared you'll actually scratch through his skin. "Oh- my- go- od, Jungkook!!" You manage to get out through each thrust.

Your orgasm hits you like a train, running all over you as your body spasm. Jungkook doesn't slow down, he keeps the same unforgiving pace through the whole of your orgasm. You feel used in the best way as your orgasm is over. Jungkook is still not finished, but you feel his dick twitch inside you.

You help him on the way, you have to make him cum so you can get a break. You do the thing Jungkook loves the most, and dirty talk to him. "Shit, my cum is all over you cock, it's on the seat. You're gonna get stained by my pussy juice when you drive." You say and Jungkook has to rest his head on you as he falls weak for your voice.

"You're covered in my cum kookie, you have to cover me too. Cum inside me baby. Paint my pussy white with your cum, kookie." You moan. It doesn't take long from there till Jungkook is loosing his grip and cumming into your tight pussy. "Fuuuuck! Yea, ah." He moans as his load shoots into you and mixes with your own sticky cum.

You almost get another orgasm just by how good it feels to get coated by Jungkook, how good it feels when his body takes over and he has no control of how he hammers into you.

When he is done he collapses on top of you, dick still wrapped in your warm walls. "I love you Y/N." He says as he feels your fingers run through his hair.

"And I love you Kookie." You say and smile as Jungkooks arms sneaks under you and he hugs you with his face nuzzled into your neck.

Shit, you love car drives with Jungkook.

[tryandbehappy]

Let’s be real.

This is classic. Absolute classic.

Emotional rollercoaster storytelling 101.

The writers are doing exactly what they always do when they want us to lose our minds (in any show)

They’re turning the volume up to maximum pain

so we feel everything.

Because how else do you make the audience care?

You take us to the lowest low.

You give us a moment that feels like the end.

You hit us with that brutal injustice.

He loves her.He risked everything for her.

And now she thinks he betrayed her?

It’s so unfair it makes you scream.

He didn’t want this. He was cornered. And she doesn’t know.

And that’s the whole point.

The audience is supposed to yell:

“How can she not see it?!”

“Why is he being punished for loving her?”

“Doesn’t she love him back?”

“If she does she’ll forgive him.”

But let’s not forget something really important:

This is not the end.

If it were, they would have saved this for the final episode. They didn’t. They broke them right before the end.

Why?

To raise the stakes.

To make our hearts race.

And now they’re releasing all these doomsday interviews,

so we’ll cry, spiral, scream at the writers.

They want the drama.They want the social media chaos.They want Twitter and Tumblr and TikTok in full meltdown mode.

Because this level of emotional destruction?

They only do this with the main couple.

The one that’s central.

The one that matters most. Because they know we care the most about them.

They’re pulling us to hell

so that when they give us heaven we feel it ten times deeper.

They’re doing this because they need us to care.

To scream, to sob, to want it so bad we can’t breathe.

And yes, they did make it brutal.

But honestly?

It could have been worse.

Because we know Nick didn’t mean harm.

We saw what he was going through.

He’s been under insane pressure the past few episodes😭

Threatened with death.Risking himself over and over again to help June, her husband, her missions, her people!!! Had to kill people, had to lie, had to be under enormous pressure of the high commander.

And now he’s being punished?

Come on.

Add to that (what we learnt):

This is a boy who was abandoned by his mother.

Abused by his father.Came from nothing.

No safety. No legacy. No protection.

(Classic!!!)

Just a quiet, loyal heart.

Loving deeply, endlessly, without ever asking for anything back. Wishing he’d take her to Paris 💔

He’s not a soldier for Mayday.

He’s not a true believer of any cause.

He’s just a man who’s been saving her and loving her for six seasons.

Let’s sum up what we got only in that ep:

1. The Flashback

We learnt about Nick’s childhood lonely, unloved, emotionally starved. + their dreams about Paris

2. The Almost-Happiness

He confesses his love.She says “yes” like Luke doesn’t exist.For a moment, it feels like everything is finally aligning. They are getting their Paris

3. The Vulnerability

Nick opens up completely.He chooses her.

He asks her to come with him. He’s ready to run away with her. Finally.

4. The Collapse

It all falls apart. He’s forced into an impossible position.

She is devastated, not knowing the whole truth.

5. The Final Scene

Shot like a ghost story when he disappears. June stands alone.

Lana Del Rey plays a song of loss, It feels like grief.

Classic emotional structure:

give us almost-everything, then take it away

so when the payoff comes, we feel it twice as hard.

I’ve seen a lot of shows.

And sure, you never know for 100%.

Sometimes they mess it up

like they did with Peter Quinn in Homeland (still not over it). My god that was soooook brutal and I can’t even… bitches I hate you

But most of the time?

This is just the build-up.

This is what they do to make the happy ending feel earned.

This is what they do so that when they finally give us joy,

we cry harder.

Because we bled for it first 💔♥️

[datusaguy]

All TMNT Shredder’s Revenge Color References - Mona Lisa

Other Color Reference posts are linked at the bottom of this post.

I made some posts back when the first Shredder’s Revenge dlc came out detailing the references of all the additional colors (to the best of my ability). As there’s 2 new characters out, that’s plenty of new colors to detail and I’d feel wrong not checking them out again. Feel free to give me any additional info/corrections you might know and I hope you enjoy checking this out.

The focus of this post is of course Mona Lisa. I would say to also check out the Mondo Gecko post especially, but I unfortunately don’t have that finished yet. I have since put out a Mondo Gecko post linked at the bottom of you’re curious.

And on a side note, I think she’s really fun to play. I don’t really know how accurate the stars for stats are but she feels like the best combination in the game without feeling like a boss character (which Karai and Usagi did). I did grind out Survival as her already but I’ll probably do story mode as her soon.

# 1 - Default (1987 Show)

# 2 - 1992 Playmates Toy

# 3 - IDW Comics

# 4 - Venus de Milo - Stumped me for a little while as all I could think of is how this just looks like Leo’s colors. Then realized when comparing that her blues here are lighter than Leo and it immediately reminded me of Venus, the 5th turtle from the infamous TMNT Next Mutation

# 5 - Y'Gythgba (2012 Show version of Mona Lisa)

# 6 - Lita (IDW Comics) - I don’t think I’m even close to the section where Mona Lisa nor Lita appear in the IDW comics yet but from what I skimmed online, it seems like Lita is quite connected to Mona Lisa in said comics which seems to be why they chose this outfit. It definitely looks quite close visually as well which makes me confident it’s correct.

# 7 - Quarry/Sydney (2003 Show)? - Pretty unlikely it’s her as Sydney is much closer to color 5 (although I’m pretty confident that’s referencing Y'Gythgba already). The only other character I can come up with currently is Zak although I feel that would make even less sense to reference and while the hair and some of her body matches his general outfit, it also feels off.

Edit: Slash (2012) - 2 Commenters (o4o4 and kisshufan4ever) mentioned this and I’m surprised I hadn’t seen it sooner (I do recall skimming over Slash designs) but on second look, they do seem quite close.

# 8 - Red Fox? (ROTTMNT) - It seems like an odd reference to me but visually speaking, it does seem decently similar.

# 9 - K'Vathrak/Newtralizer (2012 Show) The chest doesn’t have the fading effect like the actual Newtrailizer but otherwise it seems close enough.

# 10 - Mirage - She doesn’t originate from the original black-and-white Mirage comics but she probably got this skin to be in-line with everyone else.

# 11 - NES - Basically same situation as Mirage, she’s never looked like this before but she got it to be in-line with everyone else.

# 12 - Gameboy - Same as NES

All other Color References posts:

1. Karai

2. Leonardo

3. Michelangelo

4. Raphael

5. Donatello

6. April O’ Neil

7. Splinter

8. Casey Jones

9. Usagi

10. Mona Lisa

11. Mondo Gecko

[opheliachoii]

¿ The Villain ?

MICHAEL KAISER X READER ( as Elisse Noa )

ABOUT : a story taking place within the field itself. Whereas Michael Kaiser, and you compete end-to-end over a stupid bet that the emperor made himself. Who would conquer the game? The blue rose devil or the villainess herself?

PART 1/3

— The crowd goes wild as Bastard Mūnchen's star player scored their final goal, that kick echoed the whole field.

"GOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL" Ness screamed as his most praised person scored "Tch, I should've scored that goal.." Kiyora scoffed "Hey, at least we won" Hiori added.

Isagi ran towards Kaiser as he was grasping for air after that goal he just executed "Well, that was "our" goal you just did there! Give me five—"

"Yeah you helped me, but who scored? ME. So who's the clown now?" Kaiser interrupted "Rude much- but at least we are the official team to match up for the world cup, I will surely score during that moment." Isagi smirked.

"As if" Kaiser said as he ran his hand through his hair.

— Timeskip —

"Congratulations Bastard Mūnchen, you devoured the field out there, I am impressed.." Noel praised.

"But.."

"Can you absolutely beat the team you are against with the World Cup?" He finally paced his intimidating look. "Of course we will, right team?" Yukimiya confidently spoke which everyone agreed.

"Especially when our dominating striker is on our team!" Ness proudly stated, which Kaiser just scoffed, "What do you mean "dominating", are you making a joke out of me?"

"No never!" Ness nervously defended himself. "Enough with that." Noel said in a serious tone "I'm being critical here everyone! Because.." He sighed.

...

"I know one person playing in that team.." 

"You "know"? If so, who is he? We're ready to crush him." Isagi fearlessly said. "Yeah? What's so critical about it?" Kiyora questioned.

Kaiser was just observing his team curiously asking questions towards Noel. "Yeah, why bother Noa?" Kaiser drastically added.

"ENOUGH!" Noel slammed his fist on the table, everyone became silent. "I know her because she's my SISTER!"

"Her—!? Sister?! What in the fuckery is this!?!" Kaiser furrowed his eyebrows "Noel... What do yer mean sister?" Hiori curiously asked.

Noel sighed, "My sister is playing against you everyone. You might be wondering "why is there a woman in soccer?" Excuse you! Soccer is for everyone. I mean EVERYONE. I've been waiting for this moment to come." He said with relief in his tone.

Kaiser couldn't understand the situation, and thought of it as a joke, so he let out a loud sarcastic laugh "You're joking Noa. There's no way, we're competing with a girl in the field, what is this? Practice mode?"

"Enough Kaiser. You don't know how me, and my parents raised her. I cannot even imagine—she's a whole different person on field.."

What's with the hype? Tsk.

"Wanna bet?" The first words Kaiser sput out. "If we could win, your sister will never ever, play soccer again."

"Kaiser, that's.. T-too far.." Ness stuttered.

"And what do you do if her team wins?" Noel raised his brows. "One question, is this a women's team?" Isagi asked.

"No. She's the only female in the team."

Shit.

The word that synced with everyone's alter ego.

"Even Anri, and Ego knows. Supposedly she was going to enter Blue Lock. But, due to personal reasons, it was best she wasn't here." Noel stated which send shivers down their spine.

"Fine. If her team wins, I'm asking her out." Kaiser bluntly spoke "I'm sorry?" Noel leaned closer "You? Dating my sister? I don't see it. She's way out of your league kid."

Kid. Kaiser snapped "I can show you we can beat your sister, old man. I don't see the hype here anyway. I'm going to train, I don't wanna hear stupid shits about this woman." He spoke with arrogance and left.

Noel's phone suddenly rang.

"She's calling, everyone, take breaks, we'll have intense training tomorrow, we got two weeks to prepare until the world cup tournament. Dismissed."

— Timeskip —

The same noise surrounds you as people were chanting and cheering from the arena all the way to the inner arena.

Ahh, it feels so good to be back.

As you were doing some stretches before the game starts, your brother Noel suddenly called you. You groan since you hate being disturbed during your warm-ups.

"Bro? What now? I'm stretching." You spoke with annoyance on your tone.

"Sorry 'bout that, I just wanted to say 'good luck' to my one and only sib y'know?" Noel chuckled on the other end of the call "What are you on? We're basically rivals in this game-?" "Oh come on kleine Schwester, we're family! Of course I would support you more—"

"Cut it with the act bro, get straight to the point."

He sighed. "Fine, look.. Someone, ugh! Someone from my team made a bet.. About you, and I HATE IT!" He continuously explained the bet Kaiser made.

"Oh? Why bother? Simple task. Don't worry, I'll handle this "Kaiser" dude you mentioned. Leave it to me." You boldly stated.

"Good luck indeed." You ended the call and proceeded with your stretching with more determination now.

Michael Kaiser, you're going to be ruined as fuck.

To be continued..

[artebris]

I miss talking, no, ranting about my literally deep and (seems so) undying passion, and I really need a little breathing out. So why not the hell throw some headcanons brewed somewhere in the subconscious or gained with learning the fandom.

✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭

Ominis Gaunt. Origins Headcanons:

➻ Ominis was born in late October/early November, early, cold, rainy and misty morning, when the light blind rain was falling at the early dawn.

➻ His birthing was actually very quick and rather harmless and smooth, his mother had an easy time with him. He was born a very small and light weighted infant. Ominis remained silent for a very long time before his first cry.

➻ His mother was accused for his blindness, and she was almost about to refuse to accept him as her son. The first woman who hugged him with warmth was actually Noctua.

➻ For all his childhood Ominis was mostly alone or abandoned, exploring the mansion with little hands and careful steps. All help he’s got was mostly from servants, House elves or his aunt.

➻ He was a victim of his elder siblings scary pranks and evil jokes all the time. That included the tales about monsters under his bed or in his wardrobe and sudden screams from the corners Ominis was approaching to.

➻ When he gained his wand, which happened much earlier than to other kids, he started to play little revenges to his brothers, but they were mischievous and secret, because Ominis knew, his siblings would hurt him if they know. He never got caught.

➻ He was a little scared, introverted and mostly silent, but curious, smart, mischievous and playful kid before the Cruciatus episode. Mostly opened to his aunt, he also had his way with animals and insects, not knowing how they look, he trusted his senses mostly. Usually he liked to play alone in the morning garden, his own room in rainy days or listen to stories Noctua used to tell him.

➻ Ominis liked to steal the forbidden sweets from the family kitchen while everyone didn’t give a damn what he was about to do. His favorite were little lemon drops.

➻ He had a small hiding place for things. A box with his finds from the garden or home, old favorite toys and memorable things, where he put things that were dear to him. However, one day he did not find it in its original place under the floorboard. It disappeared. Someone from his family stole it, and Ominis never knew its fate again.

➻ Ominis’ habit of sleeping on the floor always was with him from his childhood. His siblings used to stumble on him in corridors of their manor from time to time. Ominis’ blindness led to confusion between the time of the day, so sometimes he fell for nap wherever he can. Gaining his wand helped that a bit, but the old habit lasted.

➻ He was born a hypotonic with incredibly low blood pressure, so he is usually pale, his skin is colder and he is mostly slower in movements than a regular person.

➻ Due to his blindness and uncommon behavior that coming from it, he was mostly avoided, accused or ignored by most of his family members. The way he walked, dressed, played, ate, slept or explored the world was irritating to others.

✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭ ❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜ ✭

[lil-dragon-rawr]

FNaF x DC: Signal Befriends the Missing Children

Or: a bunch of possessed animatronics aggressively packbond with Duke and he makes it everyone's problem.

Masterlist

The Batfamily gets called to investigate a series of unsolved murders in a pizzeria halfway across the country. Due to a series of scheduling conflicts, Signal draws the short straw and has to investigate the place by himself. Who knows, maybe his powers will help him see what happened all those years ago.

So Signal walks in, ready for this to be a boring cold case from the 80's...and is immediately proven wrong because the restaurant isn't empty like it was supposed to be. No, there's a child standing next to the animatronic at the end of the hall. A child he happens to recognize because it was in one of the many obituaries he'd examined.

Well.

He found the missing kids.

-

Meanwhile, the kids are ecstatic. There's a teen here, a teen who can see them! No drawings or electronic interference required. This is their new brother. They are going to show him all the games they play.

Fritz practically drags Signal over to Foxy Fighters. There's a multiplayer mode. Signal is handed a controller. Two minutes later, he's sandwiched in between Bonnie - Jeremy, if he recalls the kid's name correctly - and Foxy. Fritz is surprisingly good at the game despite one of his hands being a hook.

"This is great and all-" Signal starts after round 4 of Foxy Fighters, "-my siblings are going to be so jealous when they all get back from their missions and find out I got to play video games the whole time - but I did come here to figure out what happened. And stop the person responsible."

Oof. That hit a mark. All the kids' faces sullied into grimaces.

"Just trying to help," Signal says softly.

Chica taps his shoulder, and Signal follows her.

Susie takes him to a different arcade game, Fruity Maze. At first, Signal thought she just wanted him to play a different game, but then Chica opens her beak and speaks in a scrambled voice.

"ÆI wa§ the f1Rst."

And Susie points again to Fruity Maze.

-

Duke is learning. These ancient arcade games don't offer many details, but the detective training in him is piecing together the story one bit at a time.

Midnight Motorist takes him a few tries. He missed the gap in the bounds the first time around, so he had to replay it. But something isn't adding up. Who was the person who broke out of the room? Who was the figure in the chair? And why did all of this seem to occur before Susie even though she'd said she was the first?

The banging in the vents starts up again. He had yet to meet whatever was inside, but the kids didn't seem worried.

Then what was in the vents came out and climbed across the ceiling like a giant deranged spider.

Okay. Toy Foxy. Or, as some of the memos from previous employees called it, the Mangle.

Mangle leads him to a box stashed in a back room. There's a music box of some sort playing. It stops, and whatever's in the box lifts the lid and rises.

Duke realizes that this is the Security Puppet, the Marionette. This is Charlotte Emily, the one found dead outside by a random act of violence. Susie was the first to go missing, but Charlotte was the first to die.

"There is one more before," Charlotte says through the voice of the Puppet, like she knew what he was thinking. "And one who he should not have killed."

They take him to meet Golden Freddy. The animatronic is slumped over, no power or endoskeleton - but there are lights in his eyes. Two lights. And two children curled up beside the bear.

-

Duke learns a lot from the kids. He learns that the one who killed them is gone - they killed him in return. He learns that that man can never come back again - Cassidy, the vengeful spirit, made sure of it. He learns that they cannot leave - they are bound to a life they will never get to live.

He also learns that they find great joy in terrorizing whatever idiots wander into their restaurant. They make it a game to see who can be the most frightening. Duke supposes that if the Amazons can spend their eternity getting really good at shooting arrows while doing a backflip off a moving horse, then the kids can spend their eternity learning how to scare people. They know they're ghosts, after all. What eight-year-old wouldn't want to be the spookiest ghost on Halloween?

Then they find out he can manipulate light, and it's all downhill from there.

-

Signal returns to Gotham with a new vibe in his step and the mission report to rule them all.

Batman opens the report and starts reading.

Mission Status: CLOSED

Involved Parties: Charlotte "Charlie" Emily, codenamed MARY; Dave "Davey" Afton, codenamed GOLDIE; Susie, codenamed FRUITY; Fritz, codenamed SPARROW; Jeremy, codenamed DEADPOOL; Gabriel, codenamed BOSS; Cassidy, codenamed VENGE; William Afton, codenamed POPULATION OF LOSERVILLE: 1

Mission Summary: Perpetrator, known to be POPULATION OF LOSERVILLE: 1, went on a killing spree and "only targeted kids 'cause he was a lame-[REDACTED] brick". Affected children enacted revenge. Perpetrator discovered the Golden Rule via experiential learning. Perpetrator then found the light at the end of the tunnel; unfortunately that light was hellfire.

And however bad Bruce thinks all that is, it's nothing like what Duke's about to unleash on the poor unsuspecting criminals of Gotham.

-

It's common knowledge that unless there's a city-levelling event, Signal's the only one who patrols during the day. One of the newer mob families thinks this "weakness" is a good way to kidnap Signal and figure out who the Batfamily is. They had a whole plan and everything! Unfortunately, they did not count on...anything that happened.

Attempt One: some very well-trained muscle actually manages to capture Signal and handcuff him to a chair in a locked room. Said room has a vent. Aforementioned muscle did not think Signal could reach that vent, nor did they think he could mimic a dead child's laugh as well as he did. Then they got flashbanged, rushed, and beat up by the guy they just took hostage because handcuffs? Really?

Attempt Two: sniper on a roof who gets spotted before he's even in position. Signal pretends not to see. Sniper lines up the shot, only to find Signal's armor distorting, flickering like the shadows have chosen him even beneath the light of the sun. Signal turns slowly to look up at the sniper, and wow okay the sniper does not get paid enough to deal with glowing eyes that pierce his soul from a hundred yards away. The mob doesn't need a hired gun; they need an exorcist.

Attempt Three: mob family forgoes asking permission and hires Deathstroke to do their dirty work. Deathstroke gets the job done. However, Deathstroke did not know that Signal made a friend and ignores Signal's taunting of "ooooo psychic friend Fredbear is gonna be sooooo maaaaad when he finds out-". Deathstroke gets jumped by a bear that doesn't exist and barely escapes with his life.

Attempt Four: the mob has been plagued by shadow monsters and glowing eyes in the darkness for weeks. They make a public apology to Signal. Signal smiles at them (oh good he's going to forgive us), and suddenly he has bloody fangs and shadow monsters prowling around him. The mob family leaves town before nightfall.

Attempt Five: there is no attempt five because nobody's stupid enough to run fades with the day shift.

-

Duke is the nightmare now, the one criminals fear when the sun rises instead of when the sun sets. He's more cryptid than Batman is. Bruce isn't sure how he feels about that. The kids, however, are loving it. Duke regularly sends them compilations of mask footage featuring tricks they taught him. They all agree he's the best ghost this Halloween.

[thisgirlnamedblusy]

heyyy, i hope you're having a nice day! could i request a story about an insecure reader who had a relationship before donna, but got dumped by her partner for being too "boring" so she thinks donna will leave her too so she asks one the dimitrescu sisters for help to try to be more "sexy" or "fun" for donna. the result is reader giving donna a lap dance, although donna, who very much enjoyed it, sees through her insecurities and comforts her after learning about reader past partner and how they made her feel. also jealous and possessive donna mode on after knowing reader's been asking for help to the dimitrescu sisters on how to be sexy.

hope that's okay, thanks!

Yess!!! Thank you for your request!!! I hope you like it and sorry about the language mistakes!!! :))))

Boring

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem! Reader

Warnings: Fluff, suggestive themes, Donna being Donna

Word count: 8,055

Summary:  You don't want to repeat your failures...

N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!! :))

“Um, Donna…” you said.

The nights of passion were a comforting routine, the symbol that your life would never be the same again. It could never be the same with the veiled lady, Lord, doll and nightmare, Donna Beneviento.

After a relationship that still tormented you, your mind didn’t consider starting the journey towards another love again, to let your heart search for a place, a different chest in which to beat.

Your past love affair was a disaster, one of almost catastrophic dimensions. You had no desire for anything. You didn’t believe that anyone could notice a loser like you.

Unintentionally, you attracted the attention of the least expected person, the doll maker.

Meeting her was a journey full of obstacles that she herself placed between you, a dance of blushes, shy questions and funny reactions from the lady's doll, the irreverent Angie.

Your lack of spirit, your innate shame and your shyness were responsible for that previous failure. At least, that's how you saw it, that stupid village girl did see it that way.

When you repeat something many times it gets closer to a real statement, to a truth that sounded more and more convincing. That was what happened to you; part of your insecurities was marked in everything you did, turning the small conversations with the lady in black into pathetic babbling and embarrassed laughter.

Apparently, your reluctance to fall in love again wasn’t the least of a problem for Donna, finding the charm in what you believed to be your greatest flaws, seeing in that shy smile the prettiest one the Lord had ever seen.

That patience, that desire to discover gave you enough courage to unlock the chains that kept your heart imprisoned inside you, allowing it to fly free towards that black dress, to allow yourself the luxury of loving again.

Donna wasn’t the dangerous woman everyone talked about. She was not the monster that, according to the villagers, was hiding behind that black veil.

A beautiful, sensitive, sick but intelligent woman became the new target of your damaged heart. Lord or not, she was the place you wanted to be, the old mansion became your home and her perfume was the veil that served to protect you from harm, from pain, from suffering again.

“Mm…” A lazy murmur came out of her body as she covered herself with the sheets.

“Wait, don't fall asleep yet,” you insisted, shaking the brunette's body, forcing her to look at you uncomfortably. “I have to ask you something.”

“What's wrong, tesoro?” Donna asked, sitting up without being able to hide her expression of disgust.

“Nothing really, but… I-I was wondering if… If you had enjoyed it,” you finally said, playing with the sheets, also covering your body and looking away.

“Mm?” she asked again with a yawn, frowning at your strange question. “Of course I enjoyed it, (Y/N), as always.”

“Oh, okay…” you sighed, but not relieved.

At first, the relationship with Donna was almost perfect. Dealing with her problems, her jealousy, or her insecurities was a complicated task, but one that you quickly mastered. The concern of obtaining something similar to a perfect relationship made you, unintentionally, forget about your own demons.

Your insecurities had been hidden under the concern of being what Donna was looking for, of understanding her past, her sometimes erratic attitude or her exaggerated jealousy. Your way of being modified by the contempt of your former girlfriend became more present as your relationship calmed down.

“W-Wait,” you said hurriedly, turning back on the light that the lady in black turned off, thus ending that pathetic conversation. “Wait a moment, Donna.”

“Ugh, (Y/N), I need to rest, what do you want?” the brunette protested, rubbing her eye with tiredness and discomfort.

“I-I'm sorry... it's just that...” you murmured, moving away from her accusing gaze. “It's just that I haven't felt that... Well, that you've enjoyed it.”

“(Y/N), why do you say that?” she asked, leaning towards you, moving your head with two fingers so that your eyes spoke for you. “Hey, look at me, what's wrong with you?”

“It's probably nonsense but... it's that I've barely heard you and... well, that's something that...” you said with blushing cheeks, intimidated by Lady Beneviento's excessively worried reaction.

“Oh, that's it,” Donna said, her voice soft, with a sad and tired smile. “You shouldn't worry about it, tesoro, you know I don't like to yell,” she said to calm your fears, as if she somehow knew about them.

“I know, but before you… well… you moaned…” you explained nervously, playing with the sheets. “Have I done something wrong?”

“What? No, of course you haven’t,” she answered quickly, shaking her head and grabbing your hand under the sheets. “No, amore mio, you're perfect.”

“Well, thank you…” you whispered, resting your head on her shoulder, letting her arms wrap around your body, serving as a warm remedy for your absurd worries. “But, but…”

“Shh… now let's go to sleep, okay?” the lady said after a brief kiss on the lips, caressing your ruffled hair in a loving way, drawing a finally calm smile from your lips.

Resigned to being left without resolving your doubts, you let her naked body manipulate yours and embrace it in the darkness of the old bedroom. Her warm skin was comforting, but your mind was unable to calm down.

With your eyes open, your mind wandered through that habitual act of passion. Donna wasn’t an expert in love.

Even so, it didn’t take long for her to master the curious art of making love, to give you all the pleasure you didn’t believe you deserved and to receive the one that you were willing to give her. Kisses, moans, gasps, labored breathing, words soaked with desire…

That routine adventure always gave a spicy touch to your life, a moment where silence didn’t dominate the old room, where Donna wasn’t afraid to speak, to say what she thought, what you made her feel with your kisses, with your hands…

But, with the passage of time, that routine began to fade, to become a silent and wet dance. The moans slowly mutated into whispers and discreet gasps, and the end of that sinful act didn't result in many more kisses, in praises, only in a chaste and quick kiss before falling into the arms of Morpheus.

It could simply be the fact of turning those encounters into a habit, into a task to end the day and not as an act of love and passion.

Any rational thought, a logical explanation for that decline in the intensity with which the lady in black claimed you as hers, wasn’t present in your confused mind.

You had already experienced something similar. You had experienced that fading of passion, that passivity when it came to doing something so intimate. Experience told you that this wasn’t a good sign.

The deep breathing you felt on your neck warned you that Donna had already fallen asleep, that there was no danger in rambling about the causes of this different behavior.

One by one, you remembered the kisses, each of the decisions you made that night, each of the places your hands caressed. You didn't notice any change, you never wanted to change your functional way of making love, you never dared to change. So... that lack of enthusiasm on Donna's part... What was the reason?

Yes, the lady in black wasn't particularly communicative. Getting words out of her mouth was still complicated, but much more common than at the beginning. That special way of loving filled your heart, but maybe, just maybe, the way you thanked Donna for that affection, that opportunity, wasn't enough.

Routine always gave you a certain peace of mind. It was the sign that indicated that everything was going well, but you had been wondering for some time now if you were really right. Without wanting to, you remembered your ex. You remembered every insult, every protest…

“You're boring, (Y/N)… You're useless, (Y/N)… You're not funny, I don't like you anymore, I don't love you anymore… No one could love someone as boring as you…”

You had repeated those offensive phrases so many times that they slipped through your mind without difficulty, but doing the same damage to your heart. It took you too long to forget that stupid village girl, but you never really succeeded.

Your heart belonged to Donna, only Donna, it always would, always. You certainly didn't miss that stupid girl, but her passage through your life not only left disappointment and love, but also new worries.

Life with Donna was very calm. It was based on the small things: romantic dinners, walks in the woods, hours and hours of quiet reading on her lap… Everything was perfect for you, everything, but… Was it for her too?

You couldn't help it, for a long time now, every night you fell asleep thinking about the same thing, that apparent lack of interest on the part of the brunette, asking yourself over and over again: Will Donna always love me?

The nights had become a hell of worries and doubts but, luckily, every morning they disappeared with the brunette's lips waking you up in a loving way.

Cuddles in bed, a childish and fun laze, a hot shower next to her... No, nothing had changed between you and Donna.

“You look beautiful this morning, (Y/N),” the lady whispered, lovingly drinking her coffee, looking at you over her cup, masterfully getting a blush on your cheeks.

“Donna...” you said laughing amused, making a gesture with your hand to reassure yourself. “You know I'm very sensitive.”

“Mm, that's why I like you,” she said, winking at you and sighing deeply, without losing that beautiful smile, the one you fell in love with the day she lost her black veil.

“What do you want to do today? We could go for a walk and…” you proposed in a passive way, waiting to know what would be the perfect plan to spend another day with your beloved.

“Good idea, (Y/N), but you'll have to wait for me to come back from the meeting,” Donna commented, lowering her gaze.

“Oh, do you have a meeting? I didn't know,” you said with a disappointed tone, finishing your coffee with an elegant gesture.

“Didn't I tell you?” she asked, frowning and wiping with a napkin.

“Um, no,” you said with a dry voice.

Normally, she had nothing to hide from you. No matter how irrational her thoughts, her worries were, she always talked to you, she told you everything that happened in her life and, of course, she would tell you anything that would break your pleasant routine.

 “Sorry, (Y/N), I must have forgotten,” she said, apologizing for something she somehow knew you didn't like.

“Oh, it's okay, I guess walking in the sunset is romantic too,” you said with a fake smile as you saw the tension build up in the lady's body, the strength with which she held the spoon.

“Hey! Why don't you come with us?” Angie asked, appearing by surprise, as always, to scare you.

“Angie…” Donna hissed, annoyed by her doll's insistence on making your stay in the mansion a bit more uncomfortable. “Leave her alone.”

“Shut up, silly Donna!” the puppet protested, causing both of you to shake your heads, laughing amusedly. “I'm talking to her.”

“Mm,” the lady murmured, lowering her gaze, elegantly moving away from the conversation.

“What do you say, silly, silly? Are you coming with us?” the doll asked, comically tugging at your dress. “It will be funny.”

“Oh, no… I’ll stay here,” you said, rejecting Angie’s proposal to accompany them to the meeting, one that wasn’t the first time she made you. “I don’t want to bother.”

“You never bother, tesoro,” Donna said, tilting her head romantically. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea. I’d like my siblings to see how lucky I’ve been with you.”

“No, no, I…” you said, shaking your head again, looking for a place to hide from that proposal. “I’d rather stay.”

“I’d rather stay, blah, blah, blah…” Angie mocked, making unpleasant gestures that imitated you almost perfectly. “Come with us.”

“Angie, I said no,” you said in a harsher tone, thus revealing the fear you felt of the siblings of your beloved and Donna's adoptive mother, the priestess sent to the village by the Black Gods, Mother Miranda.

“Why not?” Donna asked, with an intriguing tone, with one eye shining with disappointment at your unchanging answer. “I want you to come with me.”

“I know, Donna but… I don't think I'm ready to meet… well, to meet them all. B-Besides, I have no business in a meeting.”

“You're my girlfriend,” she said, darkening her voice little by little, studying each of your cowardly gestures. “Come with us.”

“Donna, I…” you said sighing, looking for an excuse that wouldn't betray cowardice. “It's just that I… prefer to stay at home, reading.”

“Reading,” she repeated, crossing her arms abruptly, pressing her lips together to say with her look that you couldn't lie to her. “If you don't want to come, just say it.”

“That's what I'm trying to do,” you whispered unsurely, camouflaging the trembling of your legs.

Feeling despised, feeling that you were ashamed of her was one of the most dangerous things that could happen to Donna, one of the few things that still triggered terrible crises.

“You don't want to come? Well, okay, silly,” Angie said, breaking that tense moment between you two with her shrill voice. “Stay here with your stupid books, you're boring.”

“What? What did you say?” you asked, startled by that accusation.

Angie had called you many things: stupid,  cheesy, Donna-stealer, intruder… But she had never, never said that you were boring, she had never said that word that, just by hearing it, made you invoke all the ghosts of your past.

You didn't know perfectly well the relationship between Donna and her doll. You knew that in some way Angie was part of her, that they were part of the same conscience. If Angie said that you were boring… Donna thought that too, didn't she?

You would do anything so she wouldn't think that way, so that your relationship wouldn't start that sinister path, the one you already knew and that didn't have a happy ending.

“I said, silly, that you are boring,” the doll repeated, with her hands on her hips, enjoying that word that caused your abrupt reaction.

“No, I'm not,” you said, clenching your fists.

“Prove it, come with us to the meeting,” the puppet challenged you.

You, confused and hurt, looked at Donna, who kept her gaze fixed on you, with a serious expression, surely waiting for an answer, waiting for you to reconsider your decision.

“D-Donna, I…” you stammered, seeking help and understanding from your lover. Her face didn't change. “I…”

“It's okay, do whatever you want,” said the lady, getting up from the chair and picking up the breakfast.

“W-Wait, don't be mad, Donna, please,” you said, grabbing her wrist tightly, keeping the upset and offended lady next to you a bit longer.

“I'm tired, (Y/N), tired of you refusing to meet my family,” the ventriloquist scolded you, breaking away from your grip with an unpleasant gesture.

“Are you… tired of me?” you asked with an evident tremor in your voice, bringing your traumas to light.

“No,” she said, with a cold voice, looking away, but trying to soften her nervous attitude. “I just don't understand why you don't want to…”

“O-Okay,” you said, before the pressure led to a pathetic cry. “Okay, Donna, if that's what you want, I'll go with you,” you said, closing your eyes, sacrificing your fears for a greater good, because Donna, as she hinted, won't get tired of you.

“Mm, I appreciate it, (Y/N)…” the lady sighed, regaining her smile and bending down to kiss you softly. “It's very important to me.”

“I know,” you said, relieved by her lips on yours, by the tender smile that replaced the darkness of her gaze.

Reluctant, accompanied by Donna's silence and Angie's mockery, you walked with her through the forest. The black veil indicated that this walk was not just that, it was a journey into the unknown, a horrible, sinister journey for you.

You never wanted to know more about Miranda than you already did. The Lords made the village tremble. They caused nightmares in each of their followers. Yes, you fell in love with one of them, but that didn't mean you wanted to be part of that... strange family.

“Come, sit here,” Donna whispered, bringing you closer to a chair she put next to hers while you avoided by all means meeting the eyes that looked at you with curiosity.

“O-Okay,” you murmured unsure, looking away from the deformed monster of the swamp and the strange and dangerous man who guarded the old factory.

“It's about time, Donna,” that man, Karl Heisenberg said with a sly smile, not wanting to take his gaze away from yours. “I thought you lied about your girlfriend...”

“Shut up, you fool!” Angie shrieked, walking mockingly towards the Lord.

Donna, even more reluctant to speak, defend herself, or make the slightest gesture of communication, stood her ground, bringing her hand closer to yours.

“What a cutie!” Karl squealed, drawing your attention again. “What's your name, cutie?”

“Um, I… M-my name is…” you stammered, noticing the hand of the lady in black in yours.

“Don't answer him, dear. A lady should not communicate with vermin,” a seductive voice interrupted that awkward moment.

Luckily, not all the Lords were so fearsome or distant. You knew that voice, Alcina Dimitrescu.

The lady of the castle seemed to despise the rest of her siblings, but with Donna… with her it was different. Pity or female complicity, you didn't know exactly why, but it wasn't the first time you were dragged to the old castle to spend the afternoon with the tall lady and her… daughters.

“Hey, fat ass! I'm not talking to you!” Heisenberg protested while you took advantage of that defense to get a little closer to Donna, to feel protected by her side.

“Don't pay attention to them, tesoro,” Donna whispered, running her hand over your face, showing her siblings the conquest she had made in your heart, saying with those vague gestures that you were hers. “You are with me.”

“I know, thank you, Donna,” you said with a grateful smile while the discussion between the two siblings became much louder.

Luckily, Mother Miranda wasn’t long in appearing, eclipsing the yelling completely, creating in that sinister place an atmosphere of obedience, of blind faith.

The priestess barely noticed you, wielding a sinister smile when her eyes met yours, but nothing else, nothing that made you think that it had been a bad idea to accompany your lover to those tedious meetings with her family.

“Well, I hope to see you next week, dears,” Alcina said, getting up like the rest of the Lords, talking to the silent Donna, who refused, the whole time, to let your hand go. “You needed wine, didn’t you?”

“Yes, yes,” Angie said, speaking for her owner as usual, making a seductive smile form on the tall woman’s face.

“Mm, great, oh, and bring that pretty girl, my daughters always ask me about her,” Alcina commented before turning around and disappearing, winking at you awkwardly.

The old cathedral fell silent. Donna didn’t move from her seat and you, at last, could breathe easier.

“How are you, darling? Did you have a bad time?” she asked behind her black veil, gently drawing you towards her and sitting you on her lap. “You seemed very nervous.”

“I was very nervous,” you said amused, looking with your eyes for some trace of terror among those walls. “But it didn’t go as bad as I thought. They barely noticed my presence.”

“Mm, do you think so?” the lady in black asked, placing you in a more comfortable position. “I think they did, (Y/N)… I'm sure they're jealous.”

“Jealous? Come on,” you said amused, feeling Donna's veiled lips on your neck, quick and playful kisses.

“Yes, jealous…” the woman confirmed, following her trail of kisses to your lips. “You're so beautiful…”

“You're just being accommodating because I've accompanied you,” you joked, giving her a soft punch on the shoulder, which she countered with a movement of her hand, moving the black fabric away from her face and kissing you wetly on the lips, barely letting you breathe.

“Maybe. But I was taught to be grateful,” she whispered in your ear, bringing her hand to your leg, lightly digging her nails into your skin. “Come here, tesoro…”

“W-Wait, wait,” you said among amused laughs as little by little, the brunette's kisses seemed to deepen more and more. “Donna.”

“Mm? What's wrong?” she asked, with a slurred, marked tone, one that revealed intentions that you wouldn't imagine in normal circumstances.

The kisses had lasted too long and the possessiveness that Donna always showed when the light was dimmer was quite evident in that seemingly wild, out of place attitude.

“Donna, what are you doing?” you asked when the tickling of her hand on your leg slowly moved up your dress.

Uncomfortable, nervous and amused, you moved on her lap, struggling to escape from that sudden passionate attack. You didn't really know what the reason was, but you didn't give it too much importance either, at least until your annoying brain remembered where you were.

“Shh, don't say anything,” she whispered in your ear, sailing relentlessly towards your underwear. “It will only be a moment.”

“A moment… but… but…” you protested, moving more obviously, avoiding the contact of her fingers from touching your skin and ignoring your clothes. “Here?”

“What's the problem? I want to make love to you…” the lady sighed, not struggling with you, but holding you tighter. “You're so good…”

“Yes, but, but, here…” you stammered unable to resist that outburst so uncharacteristic of her.

 Surely that possessive and wet attitude had some explanation that had to do with jealousy, but that wasn't what prevented you from continuing. “Here…”

“There's no one, we're alone,” she said impatient, also playing with her dress, elegantly and discreetly leading your hand under it. “Don't worry about Angie. She's not going to bother us.”

“Angie is not the problem, Donna,” you said, finally getting off her lap, avoiding another of her intense kisses. “It's just that... hey, what's wrong with you? What's this about?”

“I have a wonderful girlfriend who hasn't been influenced by my siblings. She's been good, quiet, obedient... you know that seeing you like this...  It turns me on...” she said, scared by your reaction, with her brow furrowed by your imminent rejection.

“Oh, well, I've already told you a thousand times that I love you, only you and...” you stammered, scratching the back of your neck, avoiding the brunette's attempts to return you to her lap.

“Well, come here, let me show you how grateful I am to the Gods for the opportunity to meet you, come on,” Donna said with a dangerous smile, making a sensual gesture with her finger, one that made you move away, shaking your head.

“No, I can't, not here,” you said with a timid voice, having made the decision long before verbalizing it. “Why don't we go home? We'll do whatever you want there.”

“Mm, home,” she said, leaning back in the chair and crossing her legs. “As always.”

“Yes, well, I'll be more comfortable there,” you explained with a tender, sweet voice, which countered the disgust on the doll maker's face, one she couldn't hide.

“You're so boring, tesoro,” she murmured, slowly getting up and adjusting her veil.

Those words pierced your chest, leaving you frozen as the lady passed by you with an air of arrogance, picking up the inert doll on the floor.

“I'm not boring!” you screamed irrationally, thus emitting a small cry for help, a pressure that you had been feeling for some time and that you couldn't avoid. “I-I'm not…”

The lady in black turned around, probably surprised by your outburst.

“Qual è il tuo problema?” she asked in a dark, but soft, calm voice. “Why are you yelling at me?”

“I'm… sorry,” you said, head down, running to be at her level. “It's just that I've gotten really nervous.”

“Mm, you've been really irascible lately, really, how do you say? Nervous,” she said, walking out of the cathedral next to you, next to your sad and embarrassed body. “If something happens to you, you have to tell me.”

“It's nothing, just, just my stuff,” you said, getting a little closer to the lady as you walked, trying to make the grip on her arm mutate as always into an interlacing of hands, something that didn't happen.

“There are no your stuff, (Y/N), you are mine, I am yours, your problems are mine, do you understand?” the lady in black commented in a calmer tone, after a few minutes of walking in silence.

“It's not a problem, it's just that…” you said, finally getting your fingers to join together and Donna's steps to slow down so she could hear you better. “I'm sorry about rejecting you.”

“I'm not mad because you didn't want to make love,” she said, looking away, but keeping her hand in yours.

“It's just that I don't want you to think that… that I'm boring,” you said murmuring, not wanting to say those hurtful words. “It's just that I felt uncomfortable in that place, you know, I prefer something more romantic.”

“Mm, I'm listening, what do you propose?” Donna said, apparently free of any resentment, a shame that your paranoia prevented you from noticing something like that.

“We could have a dinner like the ones before, you know, a romantic dinner with candles, some wine…” you said, leaning on her shoulder, taking refuge from the cold in her arms. “It's been a long time since we've done something like this.”

“I thought you weren't interested anymore,” she commented, making you frown. “But I'm afraid there's a problem.”

“What problem?” you asked curiously.

“We don't have any wine, (Y/N), I told Alcina I'd go to the castle in a couple of days,” Donna explained, stopping walking and turning to face you, stealing a kiss from you. “What an obstacle, isn't it?”

“You're right, without wine there's no romantic dinner,” you said amused, grabbing her waist. “We could go to the castle now for it, what do you think?”

“And when do I work on my dolls?” she asked, separating elegantly, placing her veil and shaking her head. “I can't.”

“Oh, okay, but... W-Well, I could go to the castle for it, so you could work on your dolls in peace, what do you think?” you proposed, seeing in that next romantic dinner the opportunity you longed for to rekindle the flame of what you believed was an extinct passion.

“Mm, do you want to go to the castle, by yourself?” she repeated, with a distrustful sigh. “No.”

“I'll be fine, I promise, besides, I already know Alcina and the girls,” you said with an enthusiastic smile, wanting to take those steps, to be the one to improvise, a role you always refused to have.

“That's what worries me,” she said, coming closer again.

“But Donna, it's our romantic dinner…” you said, clasping your hands, with eyes shining like a helpless puppy. “I want that dinner…”

The lady seemed to hesitate but, after a last kiss, she nodded, walking away from you.

“I'll give you an hour. If you take longer, I'll come find you and you don't want that,” she murmured, moving away from you amid impertinent questions from the doll.

“You're the best,” you said, jumping on the ground and hugging the brunette from behind. She growled in annoyance, but couldn't hide an amused laugh. “Ti amo, Donna.”

“Go,” she said, turning around, making the sparkle in her eye peek through the black fabric of her veil.

The smile at your victory disappeared as you walked. The cause of that improvised plan was a problem you could no longer ignore. Boring, dull, lacking passion... Those adjectives haunted you like the sounds of footsteps in the snow.

Your previous girlfriend was crazy. She always wanted to be with you everywhere, enjoy you and your body anywhere, anytime. You kept up that frenetic pace for a while, but the pranks and love affairs took away part of your health.

You weren't like her. Your modesty, shame and shyness contrasted with that unbridled, lack of coherence attitude. Maybe if you had thought that way you wouldn't have taken that breakup as something deeply personal, as something that you were guilty of.

Donna was calm. She liked to be at home, not to go too far from the normal, from the… boring life. That life had its ups and downs, and had its moments to be wild and to be romantic.

The lack of spark, of that passion at the beginning reminded you dangerously of your previous relationship. The refusal to give yourself to her in such a sacred place, the rejection, her reaction, made you live one of the many situations with that stupid village girl.

Lack of enthusiasm, lack of moans, of words of love… They were subtle signs that something was very wrong.

Maybe with that dinner, with a night of real passion you could get rid of your demons forever, although, to be honest, you didn't think so. Donna was everything to you, you couldn't lose her. You couldn't be the one to blame for the lady in black abandoning you.

Without knowing exactly how, turning over all those thoughts, you arrived at the castle.

“My dear, I wasn't expecting you so soon,” Alcina said as she welcomed you into the castle, passing an uncomfortable hand over your shoulders. “Without Donna...”

“Donna is busy,” you said, clearing your throat to try to dispel the little tension that always appeared when the lady of the castle was nearby. “I've come for the wine.”

“Well, what a disappointment, I thought you were coming to see me,” said the lady in white, feigning something like a sad sigh, but without removing that sinister and homogeneous smile from her face.

“I'm sorry, my lady,” you said, looking away from those bright eyes.

“Mm, Donna is very lucky,” she commented, sighing again and pointing with her head to a small room. “Wait for me there while I go get the wine. The castle is cold…”

“Well, thank you, my lady,” you said, nodding and sitting down in one of the armchairs, with a somewhat nervous gesture.

“You’re welcome, dear…”

Loneliness brought back your paranoid thoughts, although, luckily or unfortunately, you soon realized that you weren’t alone in that warm room. An annoying buzz reached your ears, followed by many more, from a black cloud that formed in front of you.

“Hello, hello, hello…” Daniela Dimitrescu's mocking voice alerted you before she had fully obtained her form and her sinister and bloody smile. “It's (Y/N), Donna's girlfriend.”

“H-Hello,” you said, nervous.

You knew the Dimitrescu sisters perfectly, but whenever you had been with them, Donna was nearby, as was their mother. Being alone with one of them was a bit… disturbing.

“Where's Aunt Donna? Didn't she come with you?” the young vampire asked, looking around you exaggeratedly.

You timidly shook your head.

“N-No, Donna's at home with her dolls, I came alone,” you said in a small voice.

“Ohh, so you've come to see me, right?” she asked mockingly, in a funny way, sitting on the arm of that chair, taking advantage of the absence of the lady in black to get a little closer to you.

“I'm afraid I haven’t,” you said, laughing softly at the audacity of the family. Mother and daughters, they were all the same. “I've come for wine.”

“Wine, oh, of course, yes…” she murmured, looking at her nails. “What for?”

“Well… to drink,” you said in a whisper.

“That's what everyone says,” she snapped at you, putting a thin finger on the tip of your nose. “You're hiding something.”

“Me?” you asked, pointing at yourself, blinking in confusion. “I'm not hiding anything.”

“Save your lies, I can smell it…” the young Dimitrescu hissed, making an unpleasant gesture towards you. “Your thoughts are so loud that my head hurts.”

“Oh, it's nothing,” you said, demonstrating your lack of ability to lie, much more diminished thanks to Daniela's imposing presence. “T-The wine is for a romantic dinner.”

“That's much better, it's not right to lie to your family,” she said, amused, patting your back, perhaps too hard.

“Yes…” you sighed, putting on a face that the vampire found somewhat strange, as she approached you, observing you so intensely that you had to step back a little. “Um, um…”

“A romantic dinner… I envy you so much, (Y/N)…” she finally sighed, leaving your personal space alone.

“Yes, well, it's not that big of a deal, or well it is, or not, I don't know,” you stammered, revealing your nervous attitude, something that made Daniela laugh in a disturbing way.

“What do you mean? Hey, Donna's girlfriend, you're really weird,” she accused you again, with a more formal, serious tone. “Do you and Donna have problems?”

“What?” you asked, startling . “No, no, not at all… I don't think so…”

“You don't think so? Hey, Donna's girlfriend… if you have any problems with my aunt, get ready to have them with me,” she said threateningly.

“I don't have any problem with Donna,” you said, trying to reassure yourself of the truth of your words. “I-It's me.”

“You? What's wrong with you?” Daniela asked curiously, sitting back down on the arm of the chair. “You can tell me, we're friends, right?”

“Oh, are we?” you asked amused, arching your eyebrows.

“Sure,” the vampire said, in a serious, confident way. “What's wrong?”

“Oh, no, I don't know if I could talk about this... with you... don't be offended,” you said, making nervous gestures with your hands.

“Would you rather talk about it with my mother?” she asked in an ironic tone, crossing her arms just as you suspected, offended.

“No, no, no, no,” you said quickly. “Don't say anything to your mother, please.”

“Then spit it out, what's wrong?” she insisted.

It’s not like you had any other choice, besides, what could you lose by asking for some advice from… your friend?

“It’s okay,” you said, speaking quieter, causing Daniela to move uncomfortably closer again. “I’m scared, I think, I think Donna doesn’t… she doesn’t love me anymore.”

“What nonsense, Aunt Donna is crazy about you,” she said, laughing as if you had said something absurd.

“It’s just that I… we don’t… oh, forget it,” you said, regretting telling Dimitrescu your personal problems.

“Now you'll have to tell me... if you don't want me to tell Aunt Donna,” Daniela sang, threateningly. “Spit it out, problems in bed?”

“No,” you said quickly, maybe too quickly. “It's not exactly that.”

“So, I got it right,” she said, satisfied. “I'm the best.”

“Yes, yes... it's just that... it's just that Donna isn't... well, what she used to be. It seems that she doesn't like the way I love her anymore, you know what I mean. It's like she thinks that I... that I'm boring,” you murmured confidentially.

“Boring? You? You've managed to win Aunt Donna's cold heart, I don't think you're boring at all,” Donna said, dismissing it with a gesture of her hand.

Well, you didn't expect Dimitrescu to know your past either.

“But what if she thinks so? I don't want to lose her, Daniela,” you said in a whisper, looking away to hide your anguish. “I need to do something... I don't know, something that gets her attention, that shows that I'm not... boring.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, patting your back hard again. “You want to rekindle the passion, huh?”

“It's not exactly that, but maybe it'll help,” you said, looking at the door impatiently.

 You wanted that wine and to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Well... I'm not an expert in long-term relationships, but if you want some advice, I know something that Donna likes, a lot,” she said, feigning confidentiality.

“Do you know something that Donna likes? What are you talking about?” you asked curiously, extremely curious.

Daniela laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

“Okay, I may not know that Donna likes it, but... it's something that drives men crazy, and women too, I assure you. It never fails,” the young woman acknowledged, awakening your interest.

“Oh,” you gasped, looking away from the door and looking into those bright eyes, which seemed to enjoy the conversation. “What is it?”

Daniela Dimitrescu's advice was something absurd, something you had never considered and that you found terribly embarrassing.

You knew that Donna was a strange woman, with strange tastes. You weren’t completely convinced that this strategy would attract the attention of the lady in black, but your fears were beginning to make you desperate, seeing that option as the only one that could save your relationship.

The day passed slowly, in the middle of clumsy rehearsals for your plan, rehearsals that only managed to make you blush.

Was this really a good idea? Would Donna stop thinking you were boring after that?

You couldn't wait and at the same time you wished that moment wouldn't come.

Dinner passed in silence, a romantic silence in the warm candlelight. The wine made you gain courage, and Donna's gaze slowly dispelled your fears. She deserved it, she deserved your attention, she deserved the funny and sexy (Y/N), not the boring loser you thought you were.

“It was delicious, my love,” you said in a tender voice, distorted by the wine, but firm and sure, grabbing her warm hand with yours, holding the penetrating gaze of her bright eye, of that silent lady you were terribly in love with.

“Mm, grazie, tesoro,” Donna said in a soft voice, not wanting to disturb the comfortable silence that was around you. “But maybe… well, maybe you’d like to thank me properly… under the sheets.”

Her words were sensual, eager due to the especially erotic atmosphere you had created with your choice of dress, with your somewhat exaggerated makeup and the exposure of your slightly shameless curves.

“Oh, yes, but, but first…” you interrupted, with a completely different tone of voice, hitting the table awkwardly as you stood up. “I have something to give you.”

“Do you have a gift for me? You’re so sweet, (Y/N),” Donna said while you were guiding her hand away from the table to the small corner where you used to read. “What is it?”

“Um, wait a minute,” you said with a fake smile, finishing the glass of wine you brought with you in one gulp and turning on a lamp that was behind you, creating a perfectly rehearsed effect.

“I'm intrigued,” the lady in black commented, leaning back on the couch with an impatient gaze, running over your trembling curves.

“Can you...? Can you deactivate Angie?” you asked with a broken voice.

Donna looked at the doll and then frowned at you. Your gaze must have been an open book because, moments later, she guided her hand towards the protesting doll, which begged for mercy.

“No, Donna, Don’t...!” the doll's cries disappeared when it fell limp on the floor.

“What are you up to?” the lady asked amused, leaning forward.

The moment had arrived and, somehow, the confidence you had in yourself rose to its highest levels, placing a hand on the brunette's chest, pushing her back.

“Just watch, darling...” you whispered in her ear, pulling away from her kisses seductively, looking at her intensely before beginning your display.

Little by little, your hips began to sway supported by your hands. Your whole body began to dance to invisible music, making slow and sensual movements, playing with your tight dress, with the parts that the clothes allowed you to show.

“(Y/N)…” the brunette sighed, unable to look away from the leg you were caressing, slowly making the fabric disappear, resting your heel on her knee, letting her see a bit of your exaggerated intentions. “Mamma mia, (Y/N), you're not wearing…”

“Shh, silence, my love, you can't talk, just look,” you said with a hoarse voice, getting a little closer, just enough to make it impossible for her to devour you, pushing her back against the sofa again. “Not even touch me.”

“You're cruel,” she whispered, melting with your hypnotic movements, with your sly smile as you turned around and almost dropped on her lap, almost.

With grace, with a skill impossible for you, you rose before you made contact with her, patting her impatient hands, which tried to grab your curves.

“Silenzio, Donna,” you ordered again, resting your hands on either side of her hips, moving yours and bringing your cleavage closer to her reach.

The sound of the fabric being torn by her nails was the sign that this was working, that an lap dance for Donna was all you needed to prove your worth, to show that you weren’t a boring. It wasn’t a bad advice, after all.

Your hands ran over your skin, framing your figure the way hers would if you let yourself be invaded by her touch. You knew it, she knew it, she couldn’t resist the temptation to look at your tight, covered breasts, to watch the indecent path of your hands.

The lady in black, open-mouthed, followed the movement of your fingers, the swaying of your hips, your teasing approaches, the desire you were provoking with your movements, clumsy in your opinion, but extremely sexy for Donna.

Imagining Donna devouring you, running her lips over the skin your fingers grazed was like fuel for your actions, making you moan discreetly, the same way you did when her lips, when her tongue was on your skin.

The zipper of the dress fell under your hands, briefly leaning on her lap, lifting you up to let the fabric of your dress fall in front of her. As if hypnotized, uncomfortable, Donna followed the path of your dress to the floor, slowly raising her gaze, swallowing to assimilate the lack of your underwear.

“Look at you... I'm sure you're dying to take me,” you purred in her ear, running a mischievous hand over her legs, grabbing her thigh, squeezing her skin.

Poor Beneviento could only nod.

“That’s it? Are you that easy?” you joked, moving closer to her lips, brushing them without actually kissing them. “Mm, Donna…”

“I-I don't know what's wrong with you but... Gods, (Y/N)...” the lady moaned when she felt the cold that your hand left on her leg.

You stopped for a moment, feeling the cold, a confusion. Donna was definitely enjoying this new facet but... Would you be pretending to be someone you're not all your life?

The doubts came at the worst moment, when you also succumbed to temptation and kissed her lips, letting yourself fall into her lap. You tried to separate yourself from your doubts with the warmth of her kisses, but you were unsuccessful. Your body caught your attention trembling and her firm hand on your thigh loosened, pushing you away, looking at you with a strange expression.

“(Y/N), you're shaking,” Donna whispered, looking at you with concern. “Amore mio, what's wrong?”

“Nothing, darling, everything is fine... shall we continue?” you said with a sad smile, with an insistence to kiss her that, once again, revealed the poor ability you had for lying.

“No, I can't, tesoro,” she said, picking you up in her arms to sit you next to her, covering you with a blanket. “I see you're uncomfortable.”

“No, I really don't…” you said hastily but thanking her for covering your body.

“What you were doing to me… it's, it's incredible, (Y/N), I, I was really enyoing it but…” the lady commented, lifting your chin while you struggled to keep your dignity intact.

“But? Did I do it wrong?” you asked scared, seeing how her drooling expression changed to concern.

“No, but, I know you didn't want to do it,” she said, caressing your cheek. “I know you, (Y/N), you're not like that.”

“What am I like? Huh? A boring girl who can't be sexy for you? Is that what I am? Tell me, Donna!” you said, taking out your frustration, yelling at poor Donna again, senselessly, for no reason.

“What are you talking about? Boring? I-I don’t understand you,” she said, frowning again, annoyed by your attitude. “You yelled at me again.”

“Yes, I yell because I’m fed up, Donna…” you said in a calmer tone, clenching your fists tightly. “If you want to leave me, just say so.”

“Leave you? Have you gone crazy?” she asked, in a disrespectful, abrupt tone. “Why would you say something like that?”

“Because maybe… I’m not what you’re looking for,” you whispered, letting a tear stain your cheek. “I’ve seen this before, Donna, I saw it with my ex. It didn’t matter how much I smiled, or pretended everything was okay. It wasn’t, nothing was okay.”

“Your ex? What does that stronza have to do with this?” she asked again, grabbing your shoulders so you would look at her face.

“Everything, Donna,” you said firmly, holding her gaze as best you could. “She, she said that I… that I was boring, that's why she left me. I can't stop thinking about the things I did wrong for her to say something like that to me but… I-I guess she was right.”

“No,” Donna said, blinking nervously, holding back her jealousy.

“Yes, I…” you interrupted. “She always wanted to, well, make love anywhere at any time. She pressured me to steal from the craftsmen and to commit mischief that I wasn't ready for. When I agreed, it was all praise, but when I failed… she abandoned me, telling me that I was boring and that I had nothing worthwhile.”

“She was stupid.”

“Maybe, but I see that our relationship is going down the same path. I see that you don't make love to me like before, that I'm not able to please you as you deserve... that I don't give you the life you want, that I bore you.”

“Stop talking nonsense. You don't bore me, you never would,” she said, kicking the coffee table, holding back her rage. “Do you think I want a mean person next to me, a sexual addict? No, (Y/N). I love you because you're calm, good, because life goes by slowly with you, letting me enjoy every moment... I don't think you're boring, for me you're not.”

“Donna,” you sighed, looking into her sincere eye, at the hand that ran over your face, warming it. “Do you really love me... just the way I am?”

“More than my life, tesoro,” she said, grabbing your hands, kissing you tenderly. “I promise I'll tell you every day, every minute. I love you, amore mio…”

“Wow, that's… reassuring,” you said laughing, relieved, feeling the weight of your previous relationship disappear from your shoulders. “I've been stupid…”

“No, don't say that,” Donna said, laughing on your lips, shaking her head as she pulled you closer to her. “By the way, was that why that dance? I have to admit that I liked it, you know?”

“Really? W-Well, at least Dani's advice was of some use,” you said amused, hugging the brunette for a short time, as she abruptly let you go, looking at you with a frown.

“Dani? Daniela Dimitrescu?” she asked hastily, with her eye wide open.

“Um, yes, I…”

“Have you asked Daniela Dimitrescu for advice?! Did she teach you this?” she asked, pointing at you with contempt.

“No, of course not, she just gave me the idea and…” you said, covering yourself better with the blanket. “Donna, where are you going?” you asked, reaching out your hand towards the lady, who was hastily moving away from you.

“I have to make a threat. Stay there, I'm dying to know the end of that dance…”

[itsyouch]

something happened while I was playing TR:UD.

Everything was normal, one player even asked me how to play the game so I took them through it all and stuff, we played a couple rounds.

BUT ONE ROUND...ooooh that one round...hold on ill get to that soon.

The round started yada yada, and I was getting jumped by Coolkid, in the pumpkin map, then I'm seeing the chat go off and when I check it, people were saying that there was TWO Coolkids! THAT WERE JUMPING ME >XC the round ended really fast, no one had a chance lol.

So eventually, the person who asked me how to play became the killer, BUT as I was choosing my character, I was hearing a chainsaw??? And guess what, IT WAS SAW NOOB! I WAS BAFFLED. The person, who I'm gonna call Kogi (not their FULL user name) didn't even know about Saw Noob (at least thats what they were saying), AND ALSO. everyone in the game was confused, and thought they brought him back, I was so exited (but now I realize that was kinds dum of me lolz)

right after Kogi's turn, it was my turn to be the killer, so I went to pick 1x1x1 (cuz I was so blinded by my fav character that I forgor to check if saw noob saw there) BUT GUESS WHAT. 1X1X WAS BLOCKED. SOMEONE ALREADY CHOSE HIM?? I was so confused but just picked Guest 666, and turns out that there were two killers again, me and 1x1x, I thought this was a new game mode, double killers or smth. I was chasing a player when I pasted JOHN DOE, then in the distance I see DRAKOBLOXER?? FOUR KILLERS AGAINST LIKE...3 PLAYERS?!?!? It was really crazy and at one point there was a guy being cornered and accused of being a hacker lolz. one round the killer was John Doe, and he was not doing soo good, but that's also because Builderman kept spam attacking him, it sounded like a automatic gun whenever he attacked John Doe, well I think John had enough of it cuz 1x1x literally got summoned and killed us all, AND I WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PORTAL TO.

Um I'm gonna say it probably was a hacker, but I'm not familiar with what roblox hacks look like

also when I joined a new server everyone was really sweet and so nice, literally the first thing I see in the chat when I joined was someone saying something along the lines of "it doesn't matter if anyone of us loses a round, there's no reward and were just doing this for fun!" and when I left they told me to have a nice day and that I was really nice too >` '< I just wanted to mention that CUZ THAT MADE ME SOOO HAPPYYY I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH SWEET PEOPLE BEFOREE!!

ESPECIALLY with TR:UD, one server I was in, someone told me to quote on quote "learn how to help" lol cuz I was busy collecting pieces of wood while they were getting jumped but 3 people (before the "hacked" server) yeah kinda my fault they died, I was the last one left and everyone was LOCKED IN on me. had 5HP and running to the portal with zigzag moves no one has seen before, I had Guest 666, Brickbattler, Shedletsky, AND Builderman all on me, It lowkey started feeling personal lol

the jumping was so bad I got a badge called "last hope"

now that I'm re-reading what I wrote, I cant help but read it in Evbo's voice, the first person, story telling, and also the capital letters remind me of the vine booms he adds when something crazy happens

[muffinrecord]

I know you've been getting lots of asks, and I know it's only been a couple of days, but what are some little improvements you think have been made in Exedra so far?

The first one isn't an improvement, just my favorite thing: being able to play the game and understand it and look at the translations without going onto youtube. I have an iphone so I was never able to use the fan translation patch there; I had to use it on an emulator. There's something about actually playing on the phone though that made me feel a lot more connected to it, so being able to play again and have that direct experience made me really emotional.

Okay actual improvements:

Your portraits (memoria) and girls (kioku) auto upgrade when you get dupes. I don't think the memoria auto-upgrading in magireco would have worked because it would be better sometimes to have a bunch of memos spread out as single copies over one copy (or a half ascended copy), but it works out great here. No forgetting or spending a lot of time going back and ascending characters/portraits.

Speaking of portraits, I like that they're tied to gameplay and not the gacha. You don't need to worry about bad luck in not getting some of the best memoria in the game; just if you can defeat a boss or an event.

I like that there is a gallery section devoted to showing CG portrait art, witch labyrinths, and music.

There is a "streamer" mode for the game and you can also choose to play licensed music or not. This will be great for recording and uploading videos to youtube (or streams in general).

Main Story, Battler, and Nightmare modes do not cost action points! You can play as much as you like.

I really like that some events will be permanent (and that so far the two presented have been voiced!). I think this is great, especially for newer players down the line who don't want to miss out on materials or portraits. I'm not sure how likely it'd be, but it would be super cool if, after a year, events would come back permanently and just be there. That way folks don't miss out on story content either!

A huge quality of life improvement is that you can use the single-use keys as a tenpull. It doesn't give the guaranteed 4* nature of it, but it's still great and I wish Magia Record could have done that.

Tanking (and healers in general) is MUCH improved. Fuck dude! I can't believe that Magireco went out with tanks/defense who couldn't actually draw aggro to themselves without using a damn memoria! NOT ONLY THAT BUT THEIR CONNECTS WOULD DRAW AGGRO AWAY FROM THEM ONTO OTHER UNITS. HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?? And yes, tanks could use Provoke/Taunt on their magia/doppel, but you first need to hit that magia/doppel, and tanks in MR got less MP unless they were hit... which is going to be hard when you don't have a native passive way of generating aggro.

Not only that, but tanks felt straight up useless if they weren't fully slotted. You needed at least three slots to make sure you had an on-demand aggro memoria and some passives to keep you from dying.

BUT EVEN THEN. Tanks just... Why use them when you can kill the enemy? The best offense is a good defense and yeah that applied to magireco.

But finally, tanks and healers feel like they are actually worth a damn. It's possible this will change later in the game (LET'S HOPE NOT) but at the moment you do need some sort of sustain. And there are a ton of options! You can use tanks-- Kirika, Kokoro, Sana. You can use healers-- Yuma, Leila, (unsure of who else if any). And even some of the debuffers count! Felicia in Magidora for example can stun the enemy, protecting your team.

Making defense have shields apply to the team is great, and having the strength of those shields being tied to the unit's DEF stats is also great. I think they also did a good job making the units have their own strengths and weaknesses. Sana has stronger shields than Kirika, but Kirika's last for three turns and Sana's last for two. Kirika's shields also increase the rate of mp you gain when you're hit (meaning that in some cases, you actually want your units to take attacks) while Sana gives buffs to her team. I'm not as familiar with Kokoro because I use Kirika all the time, but I've heard she's viable and helpful. And that's the thing-- all three units have slightly different niches but you hopefully don't feel punished for using one over the other.

Those are my thoughts thus far on improvements!

[thebroccolination]

But that is the magical joy of Be My Favorite, isn’t it?! That Kawi learns how to choose himself and joy instead of what Kawi thinks will make him happy because it’s what the world values. And then he’s told Pisaeng about the time travel but Pisaeng doesn’t quite believe him until Kawi is sick and maybe dying and tries using it. And Pisaeng wonders if Kawi is compromising his dreams for Pisaeng’s happiness, but they’re just choosing their own happiness. And I want to cry just thinking about it.

This is from a Be My Favorite post I made last month that still makes me emotional.

Like!!! One of my favorite parts of the series in terms of the writing choices Waa made is that Kawi doesn't actually see dozens and dozens of potential futures. As a writer, I think that would be tempting to play with. But instead, the story is framed so that Kawi doesn't know how many times he can use the crystal ball, so he has to be extremely cautious. Structure-wise that heightens the stakes, but that also means that Kawi as a character has to think very deeply and thoroughly about everything he does that might have repercussions.

Which, as we see in the series, drives him into Panic Mode about possibly fucking up everyone's lives around episode 10 after seeing The Worst Timeline in episode 7.

I love love love that he and Pisaeng don't actually talk that much about Kawi's whole time-travel experience because 1) once Kawi has what he needs (a loving relationship and found family), he doesn't want to look back, and 2) it leaves Pisaeng to grapple with his own insecurities about their relationship.

Like, the Pisaeng we see in episode 12 who offers to be a Dirty Little Secret if Kawi wants to pursue a publicly famous life is not the same Pisaeng from any of the Terrible Futures that Kawi saw. He's the fortunate one, the one who crushed on Kawi for a few months in their first year of university, confessed to him, got an initial rejection followed by a reciprocation a few days later, and then dated Kawi consistently for the next twelve years.

What I love about that is that the Pisaeng in episode twelve, the one who won by all possible metrics, still has the seeds of self-destruction in him. He would closet himself and their relationship for Kawi, and Kawi knows from experience that 1) he really doesn't want the fame, but also 2) he's seen Pisaeng destroy himself for his sake before, and he promised never to let that happen again.

And he doesn't tell Pisaeng that either!!! Adult Kawi who has Learned Things from time travel doesn't want or need credit for the person he's become. He doesn't tell Pisaeng how horrible fame was on both of them, how selfish it made him. He doesn't want to relive it for himself for sure, but I also think he wants to spare his Pisaeng any sliver of the pain he put another version of him through in another life.

So what we get is that Pisaeng sees Kawi put aside singing professionally, which he seemed to love, and become a lyricist instead. He thinks Kawi could have a better life and he's denying himself for Pisaeng's sake. …WHICH IS WHAT PISAENG DID FOR KAWI IN THE WORST TIMELINE.

And when Pisaeng goes back in time and limits changing the past to just correcting their terrible amusement park date and nothing else, he does so without all the information Kawi could have given him. He only has Kawi's word that he's happy with the life they have, and he doesn't want any more than that. And he trusts in Kawi, because they've been together for twelve very happy years. :')

I'm never gonna get over this show.

~The End~

[bomber-grl]

Hiro Hamada x Gamer! Reader

Pairing(s): Hiro Hamada x Gn!Reader

Honestly you can’t tell me he isn’t also a gamer

He is

It’s canon because I said so

When u first mention how much you game and stuff, well let’s just say you both hyper-fixate on your own favorite games together

And then you two finally discuss what games y’all play

Tbh Hiro gives Minecraft vibes

It’s simple and if you like to play Minecraft too then he’s more than happy

Either he introduced it to you or you already played, either way the day ends with a server created for the two of you

Hiro is the absolute worst

Not even an exaggeration

He’ll spend most of his time in survival mode as he’s “actually playing the game” and he’ll go mining too

While you stay behind and decorate your guys house

The worst part, is how Hiro just doesn’t gaf and puts tnt everywhere and sets it on fire

Like Wth???

Gets to the point where eventually you’re both just in survival mode after that and are just continuously killing each other over and over

You were mad he’d blow stuff up and you’d attack, and then he’d attack, and so on and so forth

Honestly the best time is when he’s not being a turd

There’s no point in trying to build cute houses or trying to redecorate the villages cuz then you’ll see fire and go to see what’s going on and it’s just Hiro destroying everything

Hiro would probably either build those diamond, emerald, and iron houses or just pure dirt ones

And if you put your bed next to him? He’s either moving it out of spite or letting you

No in between

But if u say anything? Never again

Best believe that he had a pet wolf and if you ever spawn animals, yea…

he’s killing them all

Then there’s games like Detroit Become Human, Stray, Little Misfortune, Sally Face, Undertale, Fnaf, etc etc

These ones you play together

You’re either making choices together or completely fighting over what choice to pick

You may or may not get the bad endings (depending on if they’re story based)

Anyway

Believe it or not he likes to play Yandere Sim

Mostly to just kill ppl just to get caught

He unfortunately also plays Fortnite, and COD (not so unfortunately)

Anywayssss if you’re one of those ppl that play otome/dating games/sims

Well… he got nun to say man

He’s honestly a bit concerned but then gets curious and asks what’s so appealing

I don’t ever see him getting into them unless they also have a plot with the romance

Otherwise, it’s a pass

I also like to believe he likes Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Mario Cart

He’s so competitive on that last one it’s not even funny bro..

Well for the Stardew Valley one you’d probably marry someone and then he’d take it personally and marry someone just to spite you

Either way you two end up getting married in game after you put away your differences

He’s obsessed w fnaf

Which isn’t surprising it just seems so canon

He’ll tell you the lore too, whether or not you already know it couldn’t matter less to him

[veliseraptor]

Top 5 favorite moments in your favorite villain's stories!

the counterpoint to this ask because there was a slightly distinct flavor to these two options! okay okay let's go, limiting this to one per character for challenge mode and this is obviously an incomplete villain selection, just the ones I thought of first

1. I could've put down the final confrontation between Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen again for this because it is legitimately one of the scenes of all time, just, globally, but I think for some variety I'm going to go for the scene right afterwards, specifically the CQL rendition with Xue Yang setting everything up and making dinner and sitting there with a lovestruck expression waiting for Xiao Xingchen to wake up and...everything to be fine again, I guess? Oh buddy. And then the inevitable meltdown when that isn't what happens. It is so painful in the best possible way. CQL gets this one for a few reasons but bonus mention to the way the novel scene specifies that Xue Yang also remakes A-Qing's bed and the fact that he doesn't tend to his own stab wound until after he's got Xiao Xingchen all set up for resurrection.

2. The entire goddamn pool scene (Kinnporsche). I mean, scenes that have me lying on the floor making pathetic noises for 500, cycling around in my brain, thinking about on the regular. There's so much happening there and as one of the several !!!! vegaspete moments for me this is a scene that regularly punches me in the face. Also delivered choice painful whump on about five different levels but didn't actually kill off my fave (for once). Incredible.

3. I feel like this is rich of me given I was just complaining about Brandon Sanderson but I have to flag the bit with Moridin in The Gathering Storm where Rand intrudes on his brooding time and he is so clearly Tired and Done with everything. @neuxue wrote an incredible write-up on that whole scene that pretty perfectly explicates why it means so much to me, so I went and dug it up so I could link to it for someone who can talk about this better. My (possibly inordinate) affection for Ishamael/Moridin is well fed.

4. look, I'm still embarrassed about this but he did sort of rewrite my brain so I'm going to include it regardless of my vague sense of shame: Loki's death(ish) scene in The Dark World made me feel so hard and continues to be very emotional for me even knowing that it was, ultimately, a fakeout. It still doesn't read to me as a scene where the character who is(n't actually) dying knows that they're. not actually dying. The way the whole sequence plays out is great, but in particular "I didn't do it for him" is one of those lines that like. I felt that. Still feel that, little bit. Loki died (ish) three times and this one is my favorite. The Dark World is objectively not a very good movie but! it is near to my heart.

5. Had to think about this one for a while because there are so many options and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch, but I think I'm going to hand this to the moments immediately after Jun Wu has been beaten at the end of TGCF, because as I've gone on record saying before, it never ceases to drive me completely insane and while he is a villain I don't talk about as much as some others he is one who gives me a whole lot of feelings.

Bonus mention to Maeglin's death in The Silmarillion though because I'm a big fan of narrative circularity and characters who doom themselves while also possibly being inevitably cursed as well. Also thought about (most recently) giving this one to a bunch of possible Rasten moments in North Star Guide Me Home but I feel like at that point he only barely qualifies as a villain so.