#if I were his underling I'd be asking why

[superwholockian93]

Seo Doyoung looking at Shin Hakyun's character

"This pathetic scaredy old man has bewitched me mind and soul"

[hitomisuzuya]

hey Suzu!! I just had an idea 😩😩

A fatui!scara x agent!reader where he’s coming back from a mission and we welcome him by being his Christmas gift, wearing his fav lingerie 🤭 idk if it’s really clear, I hope so..

Scaramouche x fem!reader. Comfort smut. Cunnilingus. Praise. Soft Scara.

It was perfectly clear😳😌

Scaramouche had told you no when you asked to go with him on his mission. It was too cold outside for yo, humans got cold easily. But, after he'd kissed you goodbye, he'd promised that he would be home to spend Christmas with you.

Honestly, he thought you were going to be pissed at him. The usual incompetence from his underlings made the mission go on longer than it should've. He was determined to keep his promise to you.

"I'm home," Scaramouche called out, taking off his hat to brush the snow off of it as he closed the door behind him. Huh? He was confused when he wasn't greeted with the usual hug and "I missed you." that you always graced him with.

You were nowhere to be found.

"Wait, wait, don't come in yet. Why won't this stupid thing tie?" He heard you say. He blinked. What was this nonsense?

He could hear you sighing in an annoyed manner, and was about to come into the bedroom to help you because it obviously sounded like you were struggling with something. However, a few moments later, you appeared in the doorway of the bedroom.

Scaramouche immediately saw what you had been struggling with. There you were, standing in the doorway wearing his favorite purple and black lingerie with a red ribbon tied like a bow around your wrist.

"I was going to be waiting by the Christmas tree, but you came home before I was ready," You admitted, looking away with a shy blush on your cheeks.

A smirk tugged on the corners of Scaramouche's mouth as he reached from your wrist. "If you don't mind, I'd like to unwrap my gift now," He said, tugging on one of the ends of the bow.

He scooped you up bridal style and carried you over to the bed. Gently he set you down in front of the bed, his hand already reaching back to unclasp your bra.

Scaramouche pressed gentle kisses down your neck as he dropped your bra to the floor. You let out a shaky sigh, goosebumps dotting your skin. He kissed a line from your throat to your breasts. "Purple always looks so pretty against your skin," He said, sweeping his tongue out to kitten lick your nipple.

Hearing praise from Scaramouche sounded as good as his lips and tongue felt on your nipple. Bolts of pleasure went straight to your clit, your nipple hardening as he swirled his tongue around it. He sucked until soft moans sounded from you.

To further stimulate you, he gave your other nipple the same attention, dipping his hand down between your legs to rub and stroke your cunt outside your panties.

He rubbed slow circles on your throbbing clit, moving your hips flush with his so you could feel his hardening cock press against your thigh. He gently put more pressure on your clit when you started to roll your hips into his fingers.

Scaramouche kissed you, swallowing your moans of protest when he took his fingers off your clit. He backed you up towards the bed, gently laying you down on your back.

His thumbs skimmed lovingly on the insides of your thighs, pulling your panties off and spreading your legs. "Let me show you how much I appreciate my gift," He said, brushing his fingers featherlight over your hips.

His tongue darted out to lick slow lines up and down your cunt. He moaned loud in bliss, his tongue eagerly soaking up how good you tasted as he swirled it around your clit.

Your hips jerked up when Scaramouche latched his lips around your clit. Your hand flew to the back of his head, pressing his mouth down onto your cunt. He caressed your hips, watching your face contort in pleasure.

"My good girl," He vibrated a moan on your clit, pushing two fingers inside of you, "my sweet girl, giftwrapping yourself just for me." He nudged and curled his fingers into your sweet spot, his tongue relentless as he lapped and sucked on your clit.

His pleasure was secondary tonight. He would gladly ignore his aching cock all night to watch you shake and writhe, drawing the sweetest moans from your throat while he slowly built up your orgasm.

Scaramouche increased the pace of his fingers, hearing your moans turned higher in pitch. "S-Scara.." was all you could manage to say, tugging on his hair as you bucked your hips into his mouth.

"Shh, relax and cum for me," He purred encouragingly, scissoring your walls apart when they clamped around his fingers.

He knew all it would take was a few more nudges into your sweet spot for the knot of your orgasm to break apart. He withdrew his fingers when he felt your release gush on them, replacing them with his tongue to taste your release.

Scaramouche nursed you through your orgasm, kitten licking your clit, leaving you breathless as you shook from the intensity.

[mondaymelon]

actually... im fine with it. (yandere!pantalone x gn!reader)

warnings! yandere implications, mentions of kidnapping and being tied up (not sexually), fluff

(a/n) requested by an anon!! tysm for requesting ♡ reminder that requests are open!!

˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚

"Are you awake?" A gloved hand reached out and grasped you chin lifting it up to give the holder a closer look of your expression.

Slowly blinking open your eyes, you surveyed the room quietly, noting that there were chains on the wall, along with a bed, and there were no windows. Your wrists burned, too, from where they were tied up behind you on the chair you were sitting on. The only source of light in the dimly-lit room was the small, singular chandelier that hung on the ceiling, seeming oddly out of place considering how grim the entire scene looked.

Finally, you focused your gaze at the man in front of you, still holding your chin and giving you a close-eyed smile. "Where am I?"

The black-haired man in front of you didn't skip a beat, only taking his hand of your chin and instead gesturing to the area. "A special place I prepared just for you."

"Why am I here?"

The man laughed. "My, you're taking this awfully calmly. You're here because I brought you here, of course."

well no shit. even i could make out that much.

"Who are you?" You questioned, although almost immediately regretted it after seeing the man's expression darken.

"Hahah... of course." Laughing, he stood up, from which he had originally been bending down to match your height. "You never even noticed me."

Thoughts ran through your head as you tried to put his face to names, but none matched until something lit up in your brain. "Pantalone?"

"Yes, that is my name." Pantalone sighed sorrowfully, his gaze never leaving your face. "But to you, I was just the kind man who you helped give directions to."

"How- Why-"

"Because I love you, my angel. More than you will ever realize."

You stayed silent at the sudden confession, although considering that you were the one that was restrained in some unknown place, it would be unwise of you to decline. Archons know what he would do to you.

"I've been watching you for weeks. Not through my underlings... I can't trust them. You're too lovely, they'd fall in love with you too, and then I'd have another problem to deal with. No... I watched you out of my own love, saving you from whatever trouble you had encountered behind the scenes and always making sure that you would be okay." Pantalone didn't seem to care whether you were listening or not, but rambled on anyway, his voice only becoming more and more desperate.

"But then some guy came to your house and saw me, and then began asking for you. Who does he think he is, asking to see you so casually??" The man's voice broke off into a low growl as his expression contorted into one of rage. "So I took care of him."

"You... killed him??"

"Darling, come on now, don't be mad at me. It was for your own good. After that, I knew it was much too dangerous to be living alone in a world of predators, so I generously took you in. This is where you'll be staying from now on. With me until the end of time."

"..."

"You answer? You can't refuse, but I'd still like another opportunity to hear your beautiful voice again."

"...Actually... I'm fine with it." You had come to the conclusion in the matter of seconds, but from what little knowledge you knew, you concluded that Pantalone had to have been powerful in status, careful with his plans, and also dangerous enough to have anyone look the other way to what he was doing. And considering the jeweled chandelier that dangled about five feet away from you, you also concluded that Pantalone was considerably wealthy. Not only that, but during his speech, you couldn't help but feel... moved. He had gone to such lengths just to make sure that you'd rest easy.

Not only that, he was also quite the looker himself. With that curly, soft black locks and fair face, every time you looked at him, you could feel your heart skip a beat. And if you really were to live here, then wouldn't that mean you wouldn't have to pay rent? And you'd get free meals everyday?

If he was shocked, he hid it well. Nevertheless, he wasn't able to stop the utterly confused expression flitting across his face. "You're... okay with it? I mean- that's good- but I expected at least a little resistance." He didn't seem disappointed per say, more just startled that you had actually agreed from what free will you had.

"Well... yeah. I mean... sure, you're a pretty dangerous person, but you do seem to actually care for me. Not only that, I wouldn't have to pay rent, get free food... not to mention that you're quite handsome yourself." Attempting to explain yourself, you winced as the tight ropes cut into your skin. Immediately, Pantalone rushed forward, uttering you quiet apologies as he cut the ropes off your hands with a knife that he had hidden in his sleeve.

He cleared his throat as you watched you settle into a more comfortable position, remorsefully noting the reddened bruises on your wrists. "I'm... handsome to you?"

As you nodded, he turned away, but you were able to spot his flushing ears that his hair was tucked behind.

"Aha... You really are too kind." The black-haired man smiled at you. "This is for the better. If you really are agreeing this steadily, then it means you won't try to run away. And if that doesn't happen, we can live together. Happily for the rest of our lives." And just like that, he swiftly leaned forward, holding your chin up with both hands as his soft lips met yours and engulfed you into a kiss. You felt your face burn warm, but you didn't resist, nor did you want to. Sensational fireworks seemed to light off from every inch of your skin, diving your consciousness in a sea of warmth. When Pantalone finished, he pulled away only slightly, giving you a smirk that played on his lips.

"You can expect more of that later."

masterlist ✩

[summer-nights19]

Omertá part 3

Romeo Scorpius Lucci x fem reader Part 2

As you were eating breakfast in the cafeteria the morning after your deal with Romeo, your phone buzzed from a message notification. Trying not to sigh, you opened it. Who could be bothering you this early in the morning

Unknown number: This is Romeo. Come to my office immediately after finishing breakfast so we can discuss your work for the next week.

You: Ok. How did you get my number ?

Romeo: I'll explain later. Stop wasting time and hurry up.

You put your phone back in your pocket, growing increasingly exasperated. The day had barely started and you already had a feeling it wasn't going to be an easy one. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped, so after finishing up your coffee, you headed back to Sinostra and straight for Romeo's office.

Once you reached the door, the usual guy standing on guard waved you in dismissively. You assumed Romeo had informed him you'd be coming ahead of time.

"You're late, Y/N. In the future, if I call you to my office, I expect you to be there within five minutes of me sending the message,"

You tried to keep the irritation out of your voice. After all, this was still the man who could technically decide to kill you at any point.

"Mr Lucci, this campus is enormous. Unless I somehow develop the ability to teleport, how am I meant to go from one place to the next in five minutes,"

Romeo glared at you. Looks like you weren't the only one who was irritable in the mornings.

"That's not my problem. Also, it's Fico. I despise being addressed as Mr Lucci- it was my father's title, and I share nothing in common with that WTWUT,"

"WT what ?" What was it with this man and abbreviations ?

"Wall to wall useless trash, obviously," Romeo rolled his eyes at you as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and you sent a sharp glare in his direction.

"From my experience, Mr Lucci, all men of your ilk are the same. If you want to be called by a different title, you'll have to prove that you're different,"

Gritting his teeth, Romeo scowled. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him clenching his fist around his expensive fountain pen.

"You'd do well to remember that I can still do whatever I want with your life, Y/N. Keep talking back and you'll see what happens,"

Glowering at him, you took a seat at his desk and decided to leave it at that.

"Why did you call me here ?" You tried to keep your tone as calm as possible, which was no easy task. Apparently, the Sinostra vice captain could get under your skin just as much as you could his.

"I'm here to discuss your work for today. If our agreement is to amount to anything, you should try to become familiar with how the Casino works. We still have an hour before we open officially, so read this,"

Romeo reached under his desk and took out a thick, leather bound notebook, which he thrusted in your direction. As you skimmed through it, you frowned.

"What is this ?"

"The full record of business activities, investments, costs and profits for the last six months. I'd recommend you read it before you start working,"

"Before ?? You mean I'll be doing something other than studying this tome all day ?"

Romeo sighed, and he glared at you as if you'd just asked the world’s stupidest question.

"Obviously ! You will experience all the positions in our casino. In the morning, you'll do all the front of the house work - that includes card dealers, cleaning, and waitressing. Then, in the afternoon, you'll experience some of the less ... public positions with a few of my underlings. You'll just be picking up cargo and dropping something off to a customer, so even you could manage that,"

You looked at him, trying to work out if he was joking or not, but when you met his gaze, his face was completely deadpan.

"You're trying to say that I need to do all that work today ? That would take like eight employees !"

Romeo slammed his hand down on his desk, causing piles of documents to collapse and flutter to the ground.

"Be silent ! If you want to live, you'll follow my orders,"

Taking a deep breath in, you looked down at the notebook and started to study it. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. You saw Romeo smirk to himself out of the corner of your eye as you started skimming the notebook, but you decided a reaction wasn't worth the effort.

After about half an hour of silent study of the records, you cleared your throat.

"Mr Lucci, I think I've located a potential issue. A lot of your slot machines have people winning too frequently, so you're not really making much of anything from them. If I had to make a rough estimate, I'd say halving the odds would maximise your profits. Also, with the roulette table-" you completely lost your train of thought as you noticed how Romeo was looking at you. His face was almost the same unreadable mask he'd worn last night, but now, he looked kind of interested, maybe even a little impressed. You could see a smirk forming on the corners of his lips.

"Keep going, BB. For once you're saying something of value,"

Deciding to ignore the jab, you resumed your explanation of how he could tweak the casino games to maximise his profits,trying to give him rough estimates where possible. By the end, he was fully smirking, and his face almost seemed to have lost some of that coldness.

"I knew you could be useful if you tried hard enough. Good girl,"

You felt your face heating up as he praised you, so you decided to avert your gaze. Maybe you were coming down with a fever after the stress of the last few days.

"Also, Y/N, you should take this. I can't stand seeing your hands in such horrible shape," This time, Romeo took out a jar from one of his desk drawers and placed it next to you.

You looked down. It was luxury hand cream, imported directly from Italy. Trying not to laugh, you thanked Romeo and put it on your bag. He did seem like the kind of person who would want to get everything from back home, no matter how expensive and impractical.

"Maybe I do have a last bit of advice, Mr Lucci. You should stop spending so much of your earnings on fancy trinkets and reinvest some in your casino," this time, you were the one smirking, your eyes glinting with silent laughter as you finally looked up at Romeo.

"I also have advice, BB. Keep such useless and ridiculous insights to yourself. Now leave, they're expecting you at the roulette table in five minutes,"

Rolling your eyes, you slung your bag over your shoulders and walked out of the office, mentally preparing yourself for the start of what was sure to be a very long day.

Masterlist

[xxlemon-chanxx]

Ok, what about if philip/belos has a partner toxic as him but they still love each other?

Now—there are a LOT of relationship dynamics that fall under the general “toxic” umbrella. I'm going to go ahead and explain the one my mind went to first when I initially read this ask, so it might not be the same version of “toxic” that you're thinking of. I'm sorry in advance!

Also, this is going to be more or less the same between Philip and Belos, so I'm not going to do two separate sections, and I'm just going to explain the one that I'd find more interesting narratively.

So—here’s the “toxic” relationship that I first imagined:

⚠️⚠️TW for suicide baiting and general emotionally abusive behaviors!⚠️⚠️

overly dependant, insecure SO who constantly needs reassurance and hangs off of Belos’s every action because they worry he’ll grow bored of them and leave them, and is overall very possessive of him to the point of being incapable of wanting to leave Belos’s side for even a moment + overly-controlling and manipulative Belos who revels in the idea that his love is too desperate to ever want to leave him despite his flaws.

S/O can barely stand it. Their husband constantly talks to countless people every day—its part of his job description as the annihilator of an entire populous! And there are so many talented, intelligent, and attractive witches that make up the castle staff. They can't help but feel that rush of anxiety in their chest when one of said witches needs to talk to their husband—seriously, why not give the news to them? They'd be more than happy to pass along the message to their husband if it was really THAT important.

Even when Belos tells them countless times that he'd never trade them for a witch, no matter how much venom is in his voice as he practically spits the word, there's that lingering doubt. They're so much prettier. Does he think those witches walking the halls are prettier than them? His gauntlet lingered by that coven head’s hand for a few moments too long for their tastes, surely that means he's having an abhorrent love affair with that witch.

Whenever their anxiety flares up like this, it inevitably ends in a freakout and breakdown. They’ll fall to their knees at Belos’s feet, clutching letters that were strictly business but had just enough reverent language from an underling for S/O to misconstrue as romantic or intimate feelings between them.

They’ll scream, they’ll cry, initially demanding to know why he'd trade them for a witch, after all they've given him. What do they have that they don't? What could they possibly offer him? Is it their body? They're prettier than me, is that it? Are they smarter than me? What is it, damn you? What? What? WHAT?

Then, after Belos manages to calm them down, that rage turns to sorrow as they realize that they snooped through their husband's possessions, his private, confidential letters to find evidence that didn't even exist. They’ll apologize incoherently, clutching at his robes, spewing promise after promise that this was going to be the last time, that they were never going to snoop again and please don't leave them because they can't imagine a world where he doesn't want them, and please, if he doesn't want them, they might just die. No, scratch that. They WILL die. They. Will. DIE. If he tosses them out like trash.

And as they fumble out their apologies and half-baked, empty, rehearsed promises, Belos simply wraps them in his arms, tucking their head under his chin as a soft, tired smile graces his lips. He knows this will not be the last time, but he can't bring himself to be too annoyed by it. After all, he does partially enjoy a few of the behaviors his beloved exhibits.

He loves the way they're practically attached to his hip. He loves the way he never has to worry whether or not they're truly loyal to him or if they genuinely love him. That desperation is so thick he could cut it with a knife and spread it on toast. He doesn't need to constantly have his hand in them like a sock puppet because they follow him around like a lovesick puppy, staying quiet and out of the way while he does the important work and then swooping in during down moments to squeeze in some affection and much-needed fishing for reassurance.

He still lies to them, obviously. His dishonesty is probably the biggest trigger for S/O’s insecurity. Nevertheless, S/O would never leave Belos because—well…who else would willingly put up with that level of inconvenience? And Belos would never want them to leave because that's the most loyal and devoted to him someone could possibly be, and they're a human who accepts him despite his issues. Why in the Hells would he ever give that up?

[chuuya-fan-page]

How different do you think Chuuyas would be if Verlaine had gotten his way and taken him as a child to protect him?

I like to think he gets a relatively peaceful life, but something tells me his meeting with the Port Mafia and especially Dazai is inevitable

(sorry if I said something wrong, English isn't my first language)

Ok so, to be honest these questions are real hard for me bc it's like "hey what would x character be like if you completely changed every aspect of their life?" y'know? Like I don't know, what would Ranpo be like if his parents had lived and he never met Fukuzawa? That uproots the whole plot, y'know? I could try and puzzle it out using their base characteristics but there are infinite ways that could go depending on when in the plot their story shifts, bc that would affect which characteristics they'd retain.

For example, meeting Dazai and the PM. Is it inevitable?

Verlaine is French. He would probably take Chuuya back to France or at least out of Japan, where he stole Chuuya from. Chuuya is now removed from the narrative. He never joins the sheep, they never rise to power and never challenge the PM, Dazai never goes to Suribachi to investigate he never meets Chuuya Skk never forms.

I could go down a path of is Dazai even alive bc Chuuya made him give life another shot, who's to say if he would've survived without that boost, but let's say he lives.

Is Dazai as relevant without Skk? Maybe not. Maybe he fades into the background as one of Mori's underlings. Maybe he is he's still a genius, still makes perfect plans and still pulls the strings as Mori's right hand but without his partner he might not be sent on the same missions he might stay more to the shadows, does he still tople organizations? Maybe not. Maybe the PM is defeated and he dies. Maybe he does, he'd have to do it differently, slower, less flashy, would the PM have survived the Dragon Head Conflict without Chuuya?

But before that, would Fyodor have taken any interest in Dazai at all if he wasn't in the spotlight? Would the ADA have survived against the Guild if Skk didn't beat Lovecraft? Would they even have the prison arc if Dazai didn't plan for Chuuya to help get him out?

These questions are very very hard w/ just an event change and no additional details. Even just the Characterization. Like Verlaine. We have 1 book to draw character from, where he is presented as the antagonist. We know his motives and what his goal is. He seems unstable. Can I get a clear idea of what he would be like if he were stable? Maybe we do have the notebook, but would he be stable? He'd probably have to kill Rimbaud, his partner, to get Chuuya. Would he be ok after that? He'd likely be overprotective of Chuuya, how overprotective? I'm not sure but he sure does kill a lot of people in stormbringer so maybe murder on a whim overprotective? How would that affect Chuuya? He's 7 or 8 experiencing everything for the first time, either he goes numb to the violence around him and what would have to be near constant moving or it royally fucks him up.

TLDR: I don't know, I don't have enough to work with to give you a good solid answer. I'm not upset about the ask at all, I'm just trying to explain why I don't have a good answer for you. If you wanna send me another ask w/ more specifics I'd be happy to answer it for you

[danieyells]

"Lulu~!" Taiga called out cheerily as the doors to the VIP room were pulled closed behind him. Romeo glared up over the corner of one of his security laptops at the sudden intrusion, but he couldn't truly be angry at his underlings for letting Taiga in without question. No matter their factions, Taiga was Captain at the end of the day and they all listened to him. Except Romeo, of course.

"What is it now." He returned his eyes to the Eyes In The Sky on his screen, carefully monitoring the cameras for any foul play. Despite that he was paying close attention to everything happening, somehow what Taiga said next was a surprise.

"Ran out of cash again!" The boss laughed, throwing himself carelessly onto the couch nearest Romeo, as he snapped his head towards him with fury in his eyes. Taiga only grinned in response. "Gimme some more money and I'll pay you back, eeeh, before tomorrow morning!"

"Are you serious, you BTH!?" How Taiga's luck worked never really crossed Romeo's mind--he assumed it was part of his stigma or his pact--but he knew he was being honest about getting the money back to him eventually as Taiga always wound up with more than enough. It didn't make his frivolity regarding wealth any less annoying however. "How did you lose all of it!?"

"Gyahaha! If you keep yelling like that, your pretty voice's gonna get all raspy, Lulu!" As if paranoid, Romeo reached for the drink on the table. "You've been watching the cameras, you shouldn't have to ask me how I lost. That's just how gambling is. You win some you lose some."

"Why should I give you more money if you're just going to lose it all!?"

"Because you know I'll make it all back." He wasn't wrong. He always paid back what he owed, usually with interest Romeo hadn't even asked for. Taiga put his arms behind his head and made himself comfortable, watching Romeo try and bring some semblance of calm to himself before he started getting wrinkles. "You know I don't lose in the long run."

"And what happens when you don't." Romeo sounded tired. He returned his attention to the cameras, not wanting to be distracted. "What happens when someday you lose it all and I'm not there to give you more?"

Taiga rolled over, resting his cheek on his hand. His eyes never left Romeo's face. "All you've gotta do to make money in this world is get your hands a little dirty."

His sharp grin widened as Romeo cringed. "I'd prefer not to have to get dirty at all."

Taiga reached a hand out towards Romeo's scrunched brow, to which Romeo leaned far out of his reach, judging his filthy hand. "That's what you've got me for, Lulu." He took his hand back and smiled at him. It was almost gentle, as sweet a smile as someone as vicious as Taiga could manage.

"I'm here so your pretty hands can stay pretty and clean." Taiga crossed his arms under his chin, resting them on the armrest. "I made you a casino so people would hand you everything they've got for a chance at fortune, and so you could see people who judged you feel just as bad as you did when you lost everything. You've got me so you'll never lose everything again, not for long."

". . .and why do you do all of that?" Why do all of that for someone he fights and terrorizes and hurts and hasn't gotten along with for months, if not a year? Why do all of this, saying it's for him, then give him more problems? Taiga's sweet smile turned toothy again. It was still a little sweet even with the row of fangs in his mouth.

"I do all this so someday I come home--to my own place, not to this place--" Taiga scooched closer to Romeo, draping his arms over the arm of the couch to loll comfortably. Romeo glanced at him to make sure he wouldn't try and touch him again before returning his gaze to the EITS. "I come home, a mess of blood and shreds of someone else's life. And you look up and tell me to stop tracking blood on your floor."

Romeo blinked and looked back at his grinning captain. ". . .why am I there?"

"And I drop a stack of cash in front of you and you stop being mad for long enough to say 'good job, BTH. Your dinner's in the kitchen BTW.'"

"This little story of yours sounds one trip to Mortkranken away from me being KU."

". . .'Knocked up?'" Taiga cackled after giving the acronym a thought. "Gyahaha! I mean if that's all it takes to get you to sleep with me, we could go to Mortkranken right now and take the rest of the week off!"

"It's Sunday."

"It'll be a long week." Taiga rolled over again, and Romeo snapped at him for putting his shoes on the couch. He was ignored, as always. "You wouldn't be the one cooking, by the way. You pay people to cook and clean. With the money I give you."

"And the Institute?"

"Eh. Jin calls me if he needs something or someone dead. Sometimes I still help out because anomalies taste better than just about anything else I can eat."

"And what's the timeline for this little prediction of yours? If that WNP is in charge it must be a ways off."

"Not sure yet. Just making my plans for the future." The ideal future. One he won't want to abandon. It won't be this one, he's pretty sure. But it's nice to think about.

"And what exactly am I doing in this future?"

"Whatever you want, Lulu!"

"And you think I want to spend the rest of my life with you!?"

"I think you'll want the sure thing. And you and I both know I can be the sure thing. And I don't think anyone else will be able to afford," Taiga rubs his fingers together to emphasize the monetary meaning, "to give you the life you want without asking for anything in return."

Romeo watched Taiga silently, trying to banish a blush from his face. Taiga watched the EITS, occasionally criticizing the choices of customers, the behavior of dealers, and the casino overall, insisting Romeo make changes he knew he wasn't listening to.

The distant thought of returning to a carefree and wealthy life like in his youth, the only payment he had to make being that he would see Taiga every day, didn't sound bad at all. The only bad part(aside from that he would ultimately be relying on Taiga of course) was that it sounded like Taiga imagined him staying home all day.

He didn't particularly want to work hard--he would happily lean into the brand influencer lifestyle, or perhaps become a socialite and do nothing but attend parties and events(the thought of attending an Institute event and matching fake smiles with Jin for photos crossed his mind making his eye twitch--perhaps not that)--but he couldn't imagine himself not getting restless after a while.

Perhaps he would find a creative outlet--get into fashion design maybe--or. . . .

He imagined himself doing what he does now. An unassuming front business hiding illegal activities. Perhaps he wouldn't have to handle the more sensitive things himself, in such an ideal world--Taiga would give him trustworthy people who would dirty their hands at his command--but the ones with debts would grovel at his feet and be at his mercy nonetheless.

The thought of losing everything again crashed the rising high of this shared daydream.

". . .There are no sure things." He finally sighed, trying to get a grip on what he'd missed on the cameras while zoned out. "Least of all with money. And gambling."

"Yeah, yeah." Taiga agreed, of course. Anyone in their line of work would have to know how fragile wealth and power were. "But do you really think I won't be able to make back what I'm asking for? C'mon, help your boss out~!"

"You already lost everything I gave you!" Taiga laughed and admitted that was true. Nonetheless, Romeo pulled his wallet out of his pocket and fetched a decent amount of yen to offer to him. "Your interest is double the total. Per day!"

"I'll give you triple by tomorrow afternoon!" Taiga cheered, hopping up and snatching Romeo's whole wallet and heading out the doors before he could do more than aim his rifle at him in protest. "Thanks, Lulu~!"

"YOU BTH, GET BACK HERE--!" Romeo yelled after him, slamming a fist into the table and starting to rise. He grit his teeth, hearing Taiga laugh through the slammed VIP room doors, but didn't want to abandon the cameras in case there was more trouble than Taiga out there. Tucking the intended loan away in his pocket, he watched Taiga exchange a large amount of his money for chips and make his way to a table and put a stack down and play. He cursed his name and resumed security, occasionally glancing at wherever he caught Taiga's red head, counting the chips as they increased with every win.

By the time it was time for him to take a break(watching screens all day would do terrible things to his eyes, for one thing) and a certain 'BB' had arrived to keep an eye on the cameras for him, Taiga had made enough to pay him back. His luck was the only somewhat reliable part of him.

He kept playing anyway, perhaps set on that triple repayment. Taiga didn't think of money as strictly as Romeo did--he made it, he threw it away, if he lost it the biggest problem was hearing Romeo complain, not having no money. Romeo envied that lackadaisical mindset. Once upon a time he felt similarly--money was something to be spent, and he would always have it.

Taiga had no problem getting money one way or another, even if Romeo wasn't fond of his methods.

If not for Darkwick he'd likely never have to borrow a cent from Romeo.

Taiga's little fantasy crossed his mind again, the idea that he was the closest to a 'sure thing' Romeo could safely get. Of a life as cushy and privileged as he could want, his only payment that he would have to deal with Taiga for the rest of Taiga's life(because he most certainly would outlive that buffoon.) Essentially the sugar baby of a yakuza.

Well, sugars didn't usually live with and care for the houses of their benefactors.

He'd jokingly called the imaginary future version of himself a housewife, but that was the closest thing he could imagine between them in such a scenario.

That Taiga would be his Blundering Thoughtless Husband.

He slammed his hand in frustration against the bar, cursing Taiga's name and finishing his drink before demanding the laughing Rui make him another.

"It really is good to hear about you guys spending time together again, though!" Rui chimed, sliding Romeo his spritz. He hadn't told him the whole story though, just that Taiga had taken his wallet but he had enough to pay. "It's like all's right in the world when you two are together, y'know? You were together when we all got here, so it doesn't feel right having you apart!"

Somehow that only made him feel more embarrassed. Him being with Taiga being right.

It had always felt right.

Taiga had also proved right about his gambling, passing Romeo his wallet and several stacks of ¥10,000 notes when the vice captain returned to Sinostra a little tipsy, before making his way to the depths of the ship where his own room was, complaining to one of his guards about being hungry again.

Romeo counted it once he'd returned to his own room. Exactly what had been in his wallet times three.

A shower and a lengthy bedtime beauty routine later, and Romeo lied in bed, drifting off after a long day.

He hated it when Taiga was right.

But he hoped Taiga might be somewhat right about a better future.

[thewertsearch]

Asks Comp 4/8

The thing is, Davesprite's situation is more complicated than an unfulfilled time loop. His timeline isn't an irrelevant offshoot - in fact, it's integral to the existence of the Alpha Timeline, and presumably always was. Davesprite forms part of a weird, fully intact time loop which spans multiple timelines.

And since this is a future Dave, you have to assume he knows about Bro. The two clearly had a complicated relationship, but he's surely shaken by his death - if nothing else, it's a sign of how serious things have become.

That'll be a fun thing to check out when I've finished the comic! It reminds me of those Hunger Games simulators that were doing the rounds a couple of years ago.

That's true. Dave knows how strong the Underlings have become - and yet, he's still confident that Jade can stand up to them. Presumably she finds some sort of workaround for their First Guardian powers?

Sunslammer is so good! A standout song, even in a comic with as many bangers as this one.

Honestly, part of why I'm dragging my feet on the album reviews is because I want to hear these songs for the first time in context. If I'd heard Descend before watching Descend, I feel like it would have robbed the song of some of its dramatic weight.

I assumed it was just because witches are associated with frogs.

That would have explained why they're part of her Land, but I'm pretty sure that Kanaya's glitched planet was also a frog Land, and she's not a Witch, so...?

*The rest of Sal's response has been redacted, lest we fall once more into the Frog Theory Black Hole.*

I'm pretty sure that's a statue of Echidna, the mother of monsters and Jade's Denizen. Dave's probably close to LOFAF's Palace!

The Seer sees all - and sometimes, she understands the implications before we do.

It'd certainly be interesting. I just reread that conversation, and the biggest takeaway would have been that the kids were going to befriend the trolls, and get involved in their personal drama. This would certainly be consistent with the tone established by an Act 1 Hivebent!

Yup. Vriska was only able to 'create' Perfect Jack because Becquerel didn't object.

Really, he could have prototyped anything he liked, no matter what Vriska did. Even if she tried to shut the Entry down by incapacitating Jade, he could simply have activated the piñata himself.

I mean, that's basically what happened!

If any Aspect is geared around survival, then it's Feferi's. There's no breath left in her body, but our girl is still in the game!

Getting back to the trolls will be interesting, especially since - I assume - we'll be zipping back to when Feferi was still alive. The Veil is a much less friendly place, now - but does Feferi know this? What, exactly, is about to happen to the trolls?

I suppose. I guess there's no reason for every Carapacian to be created with knowledge of the Rings.

Actually, Sburb might not want them to know - Jack's probably not the only one who wouldn't respect the Ring's rules. There could be potential ringwielders out there who are far more dangerous.

Thank you! I feel like I've been doing a lot more character analysis in Act 5 versus previous Acts, where most of my speculation was about the lore. It's a fun change of pace.

Damn, I didn't think we'd actually be explaining these!

It's moments like these which really enhance the comic for me - justifications for things that I genuinely thought were just nitpicks on my part. It's really gratifying, honestly.

@thelegendofgreg asked: Here's some commentary from the jade enter flash, theres uh. alot to read but its all neat stuff "I talked about this way back, maybe even in an earlier book? Well, here I go again, so hold on to your ass. There are four entry items: Apple of knowledge, Bottle of wine, Crow's egg, Dog piñata. A, B, C, D. All of them are related to new life or new beginnings. You bite the apple, you fall from grace, enter a new world, begin this wild journey. You smash a bottle to christen a ship. An egg hatches, creating new life. You break a piöata to celebrate a birthday. Each involves breaking or puncturing something. Each involves a form of sustenance, or something to consume (piñatas have candy inside). Two are vessels for the substance (bottle, Piñata), two are the food items themselves (apple, egg), and one arguably counts as both (egg). Two of them drop from the same basic tree template (apple, piñata). They ramp up in complexity. John's is a simple test: bite the forbidden fruit. Not much to it. A single unit of departure, almost conceptually elemental, like an apple, as Rose goes on about later. The challenges get trickier. Rose has to break a bottle. Easy enough idea, but things go wrong, and she has to take a blind leap to get it done. A sacrificial gesture, and one of faith in a friend (Jaspers). Dave's is even more obscure. A simple test of patience, but one that's not clear. He isn't told what to do and just has to wait. Non-action is the key, and in a way it's another gesture of faith under dire circumstances. Finally, Jade's challenge incorporates a lot of these elements. It's another "blind faith" situation. She has to take a shot in the dark. There's a sacrificial gesture, but instead of risking herself (like Rose), Jade must symbolically sacrifice her friend via effigy and cannot complete the sacrifice without help from that friend. (Bec must redirect the bullet. There's no way this works if he doesn't.) It is also a signifier that the pet she knew as a friend her whole life is about to, in a way, become her enemy. Like a good dog gone bad, who now must be put down."

So they are all intended to be foodstuffs! And, apparently, alphabetical - although I think 'Crow's egg' is a bit of a stretch.

There are also themes of sacrifice and faith that I didn't really think about before. Choosing to enter Sburb at all, knowing the stakes, is absolutely a leap of faith - and it's a game which sacrifices your whole planet. Skaia's been telling us the score this whole time.

Homestuck absolutely deals with dark themes - but they start out buried under the surface, and even now, are still in the process of revealing themselves. This makes sense for Homestuck, a coming-of-age-story whose protagonists are slowly coming to terms with some dark truths about their lives.

Awful Hospital, however, immediately says: here's our protagonist. Her baby is dying. She just woke in a strange room. She doesn't know how she got here. Her baby has been stolen. There are monsters inside her brain. By the way, here's a quip, because this is actually a funny comic. It just felt... dissonant, and not in a fun way. I don't really know what it's going for, tonally.

Don't take this as a negative review, though! I only read a couple dozen pages, so I'm really not qualified to rate the comic - I just wasn't feeling it at the time, so I shelved it. I enjoy a lot of Bogleech's writing, and Awful Hospital's lore sounds pretty interesting, so I'll probably give it another shot at some point.

Not for the most part! I'm super into time travel stories, though, so I'm well-Primed to understand their intricacies.

So there might be intermittent stages between the four we've seen in the kids' session? That'd be interesting - I'd love to see the intermediary stage between John's 2D chessboard and Rose's 3D cube.

There are, at this point, too many awesome songs for me to pick favorites. Umbral Ultimatum and Sunslammer are excellent, but what songs aren't, at this point?

I can't imagine what we're in for when we reach the Act 5.2 finale...

Ooh, interesting. Considering how many accidental references Hussie seems to make, it's honestly up in the air whether that was intentional.

That said....

Jack is looking awfully divine these days.

I suppose Tavros has probably logged the most rocket-hours, yeah.

I'm sure all Breath Players probably learn to fly, unless there are some oddball classes which don't let you interact with your Aspect.

Anonymous asked: forwarding this message to you from someone who doesn't have a tumblr account. ~DJ "Important fact. Dave and Aradia both use musical instruments for time travel, but different ones. Aradia’s is a music box, it has a single prerecorded music, the only way to “play” it is to turn it so it plays the music that was always in it. Dave’s is turntables. They contain a preexisting music, but what you do with them is to jump, cut and shuffle this music, creating something new, having full control of it. - RM"

I like it! As Time Players, they both follow the set path of the Alpha Timeline - but Dave gets a little funky with it, multiplying himself with a complex series of time loops.

Aradia, ever the fatalist, instead turns to doomed clones for reinforcements. I don't think we've ever seen her make a stable loop.

[elizart5]

Adam is honestly very interesting to contrast from Charlie.

She is nice because she genuinely hate being too assertive or even agressive.

Meanwhile, Adam love reminding that he can still tear to shreds any overlords stupid enough to want the smoke, but he can't just go out and kick asses to get what he want, because this violence is why he was kicked out and would just convince overlords to join forces to kill him.

And if he become an Overlord, it mean denying the possibility of ever returning to Heaven.

And unlike Charlie, Adam's redemption program is obviously something that is self centered, so he need to convince the sinners that he's genuine.

Also, the thing with Katie show that Lute became less keen on Adam's carnal shenanigans, is that because she's a demon, unlike the winners and Heavenborns of before (which we see she doesn't seem really bothered about from her reaction regarding the drummer and that Virtue woman) or because they've grown closer so it feel worse than when they simply were a mix of best friends with benefits (they clearly were the closest to each other, and I doubt there was no such physical stuff between them) and boss-underling?

Or both?

Adam is a hot mess in this situation, because yes, he doesn't care about redemption or even believe in it. the only reason he went through with it was because ate the heaven embassy when he met with Charlie she told him this selfless act could get him back into heaven, of course Adam took this opportunity and ran. The building he gets for his project was a gift from Charlie who has been really excited about redemption. When he went in to pitch at 666 news he had no plan despite Lute staying up all night to make talking points, he wanted to show off and bluntly turned them down saying "Chill your tits, I got this! I'm Adam the first man, who wouldn't listen to me". He goes up to talk and isn't very clear, saying things like "Our rehab center can, I don't know, make you good and shit? To get me- YOU into Heaven. shit i should have planned this..." He turns to song because he is better at coming up with things on the fly that way, interrupting Katie and Tom mocking his poor delivery,

Let me stop you right there, just give me some time

So what I'm suggesting is letting you climb

up the Ladder 'cause I'd rather cross the pearly gates

Sorry bitches there is no defying your fates

because Hell is forever whether you like it or not

As you can see he almost tried to sell his idea, but fell a little short and started speaking his mind. Adam has no filter and won't hesitate to say what he thinks. Of course Lute is absolutely seething that he messed this up for them and is very annoyed with the cameraman hitting on her whilst simultaneously mocking Adam.

Adam and Lute are a lot closer in this AU because they are the only ones they can trust. As ex-exterminators the population of Hell hates them and there have been multiple attempts on their afterlives. An example of needing protection is Lute, as Adam and Lute aren't sinners and are fallen angels they have freedom to go to any ring they want. Lute has been in Hell longer than Adam, 12 years to be exact, and the only being that would make it so she didn't have to fend off the furious population of Hell all the time was Mammon. In exchange for her protection she would have to become one of Mammon's clowns, which of course she hated, but it was her only option. When Adam comes and offers her a way out she goes for it with no questions asked. Adam on the other hand came down and was dead set on finding a way out immediately, he was to cocky to assume that sinners might actually want to harm him. When he finally finds Lute it's at one of her performances, and he recognizes her instantly as one of his exterminators. He likes her from the get go but doesn't want to tell her, she starts off as seeing him as a kind of savior for her but than as he gets more affectionate in his own way she starts liking him to. Being in a situation with only one person you can really rely on defiantly makes any bond stronger, Lure gets jealous easier now and so does Adam. Unlike Lute though Adam doesn't handle it as well as lute does and he will openly voice his distaste for another.

[notbecauseofvictories]

a brief list of people I talked to during my vacation, incomplete:

the woman who kindly escorted us to her favorite pubs in Dublin. I'd guess she was in her late fifties/early sixties, and she was very kind about squiring several jetlagged/semi-drunk tourists to her favorite bars. She talked about her daughter and her holidays and kindly left us to soak in the beer, atmosphere, and local music, before floating back to the hotel on a cushion of sleep deprivation and alcohol.

the tour guide who took us through Cork to Killarney, who was extremely chatty---but it was invaluable local color, in my opinion, since I think it's rare to find someone so willing to talk about their childhood with complete strangers. She told us about how her mother would send them out to pick blackberries for jam, the weekly washings, the annual Medicine Taking in the spring (it was horrible and completely useless, according to her), and how her father would load up their milk to head to the processing shed and collect town gossip there. Apparently, there was a Traveler family that used to park their wagons in her family's yard, and the family would share leftovers, help the Traveler's daughter to school in exchange; she remembers when the daughter died, and then there were no more visits.

the other tour guide, who was very polished and professional---he had lots to say about the extant education and healthcare systems, as much as history, and only teased me a little bit for mispronouncing "cairns." He ruefully admitted he hadn't understood Banshees of Inisherin, even when I mentioned it had inspired my trip to Inis Mor. (I was quietly in love with him.)

the staff at [redacted] in Galway, which is where I and my family hung out after our long days ended. I loved their bartenders specifically, the cheerful woman who kept (not so subtly, but amusingly) needling us to buy more, and joking with us; the uni student who wanted to know what "Notre Dame" was and told us she was studying education; the man with the thick Russian accent who went into detail about the Prigo/zhin crash and why it had occurred; the young man who talked about the bars in Dublin, and how he'd just returned from because he'd forgotten his ID at one of its best ones.

the fellow traveler, who I also sat with at that bar---he was only there to pick up his wife for a mini-vacation, but he was charming and I loved listening to him talk about Dublin, about what he remembered as the best spots, comparing notes with the bartender to see whether certain bars were still "cool" or if that was 10 years in the past.

the owner---as I later found out---of The Bar on Inish Mor, who is competent and capable as any manager I've ever had. When I first saw her she was pulling pints behind the bar; only after an hour or two of observation did one of the underlings mention that, oh no, she wasn't just a manager, she was the owner. But of course anyone quietly instructing staff to clear tables or wash dishes, making sure that food arrived on time, and exchanging charming banter with customers, has to be the owner. I don't know her name, but I admire her intensely.

(sidenote, the guy who wiped out on the biking path, who rose up laughing at himself, and his friends who gathered around him taking the absolute piss out of their mate even as they catalogued his injuries---I love all of them.)

the staff at the Little Museum of Dublin, one of whom asked if I was a history student (I'm not, but was charmed) and then talked about the creeping horror of bog bodies and the museum's planned expansion until they had other duties to attend to.

the curators at St. Auoden's, who talked to me about the function of the church, its graves, and also discovering headless bodies beside the churchyard.

that curator at Marsh's Library, who gamely entertained all my questions about Latinate titles and preserved skulls. I still need to know more about the Irish book of prophecy prohibited by the Vatican but benignly ignored by the Dublin clergy; I guess I'll email them directly.

the woman I helped across the street in Dublin. She had vertigo, and was not confident she could make it by herself. A lovely woman, with sere white hair and blue eyes, and she thanked me so profusely afterwards. I hope she's having a good day.

the kindly night manager of the hotel, who asked whether I was okay when I showed up at 3am in the hotel lobby. (My bus to the airport left at 4am.) He told me about his family and the rhythms of the job; I told him about Chicago/what I'd seen in Ireland so far.

Obviously there was a lot of notable history and peerless attractions, but there's something about the people you meet on vacation that's just....well, it's like lightning, in that it doesn't strike twice and it fills you with awe every time.

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Thank you for offering your askbox. I've been thinking that Izzy being just a side character whose story wasn't main plot thread makes even better proof that not everything was well planned? If I was a writer and this would be easily the most discussed topic about the finale, I'd reflect on storytelling decisions I made. There's a good reason why Izzy's fate overshadows everything despite that he wasn't the point of the show.

(Post posted 10/31/23) Feel free to comment below if you agree or disagree, we're all here for discussions.

Thank you so much for this amazing question!! [If you're seeing this and want to discuss some aspect of S2, or my thoughts on OFMD overall, SEND ME AN ASK! I love doing this]

TLDR: Vague characterization from historical records means Jenkins is free to bend history without a lot of guilt. During early days of casting and during scene changes Jenkins got inspired by Con's audition tape. Con was told to play this shit as a Jesus/Judas relationship. An amazing performance in S1 keeps the character relevant in fandom spaces in the hiatus, and in Jenkin's mind for S2. The S1 season finale accidentally reveals a really interesting dynamic in Ed/Izzy's relationship. [Speculation from this point on] Jenkins feels like he needs to explore, with little plans to fully explore it. Fleshing out both Ed/Izzy abuse and love.

Jenkins realizes 'Oh shit, Izzy wasn't supposed to be this' midway through S2. But he still follows his original plan in killing him off, because he's not needed for the story in his outline, leading to him accidentally killing off a character as they're growing and healing. Leading to what some consider a move SO off-brand for the show, they are leaving the fandom.

[*Tin Foil Hat On*] I expect the original cut of S2 to include more scenes of the crew. I bet for every other Izzy scene, we got a crew scene. So when 'extra' not plot-relevant scenes had to get cut, they kept the Izzy scenes due to Izzy's stable arc, the fact that he'd die at the end either way and Con's amazing performance.

EXPLINATION AND DEPTH BELOW! It's a long one. A lot of this post will be speculation, interviews from Jenkins, and highly dependent on if you were in fandom between seasons 1 and 2. If you need me to hunt for sources, I can do that for you.

I'll separate everything into a chronological timeline as much as possible.

Before we touch on why Jenkins wrote Izzy to stick out in the story, we need to assume how he outlined this entire show.

Pre Con O'Neill:

I am of the personal belief that Jenkins likely wrote out an imagined arc for Ed and Stede. Including a lot of cool set pieces, fights, etc. for the three seasons he wanted vaguely based on the real lives of Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach(watch a YouTube vid documenting their history, it's a wild ride) turning it into something explicitly romantic. This is easy enough to do, as most of what we know about them was written YEARS after their deaths.

Next was filling in the cast. This is where we get our crew, mostly characters Jenkins made up, as very little is known of the men either sailed with.

Izzy Hands being a pirate under the age of 18 whose notable actions with Blackbeard include- Captaining his own vessel, running a ship aground, being Blackbeard's first mate, and getting shot by Blackbeard maybe on accident.

[THEORY] So. If you're any writer you see that and think 'cool a side character we know almost nothing about'. You slot him in as being Edward's one thing keeping him to the pirate lifestyle. Not necessarily romantic, but a serious Boss/underling relationship. This is a bit of how Izzy was written in S1 UNTIL-

Con O'Neill is cast as Izzy.

In interview, Jenkins has admitted that Con's audition tapes influenced how he wrote Izzy. As a writer, this shouldn't necessarily be ringing red flags. But he has gone on record as admitting to changing the script before shooting to suit Con. IN SEASON 1. My guess is Izzy at the end of episode 10 was meant to be more of a side character. Another Frenchie, or Wee John, who serves their purpose and then gets pushed to the side by the plot.

But at some point, Jenkins wrote how important the dynamic was between Ed and Izzy. Describing Izzy/Ed to Con before filming S1 of a 'Jesus and Judas' relationship like in Jesus Christ Superstar.

If you tell a (then closeted) queer actor who has been playing queer roles since the 1990s that his leather daddy character was having a Jesus&Judas JSC dynamic in a TV show that respects and celebrates queerness? 🤩 MY GOD.

[Speculation] That's how we get an Izzy Hands who is watching the man in front of him slip away, trying to dig his heels in. Hell, if I were Jenkins, I'd be adding a few more lines for Izzy to be pissed just to see Con have fun in the role. Let him be mad. Let him be in the background of scenes just glaring. Let us see a man slowly lose something he's built up his whole life.

[As mentioned from Comic Con- From Con O'Neill] This was important for me to bring up as Jenkins could have said 'henchman' but he didn't. Hell, when Taika and Con did hair and makeup they'd listen to the JCS cast album. It was a choice on both their parts.

[ovservation from here on out] Con plays it up, and a lot of queer fans saw this and grabbed hold of a man so desperate to keep the man he loved close that he sacrifices almost everything for it (Izzy also signs the Act of Grace to get Ed out of there).

Izzy, in a show full of openly queer people, is still on the fringe of society. SO MANY queers saw this and said 'OMG me'. ME INCLUDED. With a super supportive actor who genuinely is respectful of the fandom? Of art, and fic and meta? The Izzy 'Canyon' became so loyal because Con is a Queer Elder we didn't know we all needed in our lives!

Jenkins accidentally wrote into what could be an amazing story of a queer character living in a homophobic society where he learns to open himself up. All without ever writing a 'coming out' scene for Izzy. Jenkins knows this. Hell, since S1 Izzy fans have been telling him how cool that type of arc would be.

Now here comes the issue of where to take a side character, when you have loose plans for them.

S1 IS TIGHTLY WRITTEN ONTO ITSELF... S2?

Something we might forget now is HOW tightly written Izzy's falling out with Ed is tied into Stede and Ed falling in love. Beat per beat, Izzy is shoved away as Stede takes his place. That's really fucking smart. So smart, it was planned in the writer's room. The fact that some took it as romantic, that Ed could ever really love him back? Well...this is where Jenkins had a decision to make.

So he dips his toe. Let's make Ed even more violent than at the end of S1ep10. Let's include the bit where Blackbeard shoots Izzy Hands. Let's have Izzy confess his love for Ed and have it not be enough for Ed to change his mind. Let's show Izzy rising like a phoenix reborn after a failed suicide attempt where Izzy chooses to mutiny on Ed to protect the crew. Let's see Izzy growing. Because Jenkins loves Con's performance. Everyone in the cast enjoys him as a person. Let's give Izzy one last hurrah.

Jenkins knows this character meant a lot to Con. It's obvious in the way Jenkins recently confessed he told Con about Izzy's death midway through shooting. Sadly we likely will never be told when Con was told. But imagining Con filming the AMAZING character change of S2eps 1-2, then AFTER being told Izzy would die anyway? Oh. I wouldn't be alright. Not after all his fans had spent the last year telling him how much seeing a character like Izzy 'being accepted because they are worthy of love'.

This is the 1 thing that fucks me up. Not telling Con until midway through shooting, Versus his belief that writing Izzy's death was a fitting way to end his story. BOTH CAN'T BE TRUE. Right? If Jenkins felt the need to take con aside and go grab a meal to announce Izzy was dying but then market the ending as a 'Good Idea'. Then...What? If Con felt it fit the character, then he would have likely guessed Izzy would die. But that wasn't the vibe in the fandom at the time. It feels like a decision Jenkins made this season.

Because yes, some general audiences predicted that Izzy would die. But when your core fanbase for a character don't expect it, you didn't plan the death correctly. Fuck, I thought Izzy was trying to RECOVER this whole season. Not that Izzy was hiding how hard he was struggling. That's not a good sign when I've ALWAYS called Izzy as some brand of suicidal/depressed.

[Quote from Jenkins Entertainment Article: Oct 26 2023] 'What's the best journey we can give him(Izzy)? And what's the most interesting thing we can do with Con, who can do just about anything?'

That is not the quote of an author who has planned everything out. That's a writer who knows points A and E and is fighting to find everything in between.

The Fly in My Ointment

There's a point most writers know when a character or story slips out from under you. You didn't mean for this to happen. Hell, I write Scene by Scene outlines. My stories change. When Izzy Hands' growth arc became the most interesting part of S2, Jenkins had a choice.

How far was he willing to bend his idea to keep a character that wasn't 'essential'? Not that fucking far apparently. Because for some reason, Jenkin's labeled Izzy in his mind as 'Blackbeard' and tied Ed and Izzy's fates together. Ignoring how this season Izzy died to separate his old life with Ed from his new life with this crew.

Your question poses it perfectly- If I was a writer and this would be easily the most discussed topic about the finale, I'd reflect on storytelling decisions I made. There's a good reason why Izzy's fate overshadows everything despite that he wasn't the point of the show.

That's a trick they teach you in some writing podcasts. That in the end, you are telling one story. You can have twenty side characters and a romance arc, but in the end, you are telling one story. Each side character is going to show what happens when you fail or succeed at the central thesis.

What do we have in S1? What does Frenchie sing to set up where our story STARTS-

"A pirate’s life, [it’s] short but nice,” -“we won’t live long,”  AND “to death we go, a certain death we go.”

Our characters expect a short simple life of what most pirates EXPECT. In my mind, this story has ALWAYS been about survival. From the extravagance of Stede's ship, and a crew ready to throw him overboard, to the barebones Shark eats Shark type of survival described in Ed's own fleet. OFMD is about living in a world that doesn't want you there. About surviving and thriving. About these two men from different worlds coming together and forging a life of kindness for them and for their family.

Saying fuck you, I'm here, I'm still alive, and I'm going to THRIVE. I deserve kindness, happiness, love, and a fully lived life. I deserve to spend my short time on this Earth happy.

IN S2? The ONLY character that matches this thesis is Izzy. After scenes of Izzy struggling. Of finding himself. Of crawling up from his own personal hell, Izzy dies. He dies from a random bullet wound in the same spots that didn't kill Stede or Ed in the previous season. Breaking the one established rule for wounds in this universe that the left side is the safe side so that Izzy can die.

Even if Izzy spent this entire season wanting to die, he tried to live. For a few days after a breakup of over 20+ years of casual intimacy. Of a bond where Izzy was the murderer, the brawn. The dangerous right hand. Where Izzy dying meant not just his death, but likely that of Ed. Given the man's constant depressive moods, crews that didn't like him, and reoccurring suicidal tendencies. Ed didn't need Izzy Hands anymore. Ed had Stede now. He was ready to finally leave Izzy for good. What will Izzy Hands do now?

He gave up. He tried to move on. He listened after being told he was too rough, too loud, too mean. He tried. He tried to survive this new way of life surrounded by people who supported him. But he was tired. After so many years of putting up a mask, tearing it down was too much work. So he wanted to die. In the end. Izzy died in the arms of Edward surrounded by his family.

Buried on a plot of land Jenkins has already told us Stede and Ed will leave when things get boring. Left behind like the corpse of a pet the family has forgotten. Buried without his ring and cravat, items Izzy is only seen without when he's naked. Without the prosthetic gifted to him by a family that cared about him.

Izzy wasn't mourned for more than five seconds, before Stede and Ed were making jokes on his fresh grave, and then the episode moves on to a wedding.

RIP Izzy Hands- a man who loved more than he was ever loved in return.

Was this the right message? FUCK No. But for those of us who believed that theme of queer survival and community- We saw framing Izzy's death like this as a fucking betrayl.

Izzy Hands isn't buried with his most prized possessions- they're left out to be stolen or rot in the front yard. With only one man crying over his death and a silent funeral. He leaves this world without more than a 'he was intense'. Which...isn't great coming from the man Izzy loved for most of his life.

The reason why we're mad about Izzy isn't that it's Izzy. It's that when we boarded this flight we were given a set of rules to follow. It's a comedy about men falling in love on a boat that sometimes gets serious. That's it. To watch a character start to grow only to die for NO PLOT SPECIFIC REASON. Is insulting. If your death has no tie to the narrative (sacrifice or it comes with a revelation) it's a death just set up for shock. Izzy and Ed could have had that deathbed confession talk at the start of episode 7.

A REASON WHY I'M MAD BEYOND THAT SPECIFICALLY. [Very Personal Gripe]

A SALUTE TO CON O'NEILL -AGAIN!

I had the privilege of hyper-fixating on this show from the entirety of S1 ending to S2 beginning. During this time I explored the catalog of Con O'Neill's work on Tumblr under the tag 'Conography'. I watched this man play queer roles since the 1990s. Genderqueer/somewhere on the Trans spectrum, Gay, Bi. This man loves to play a queer story, even if it's sad. If it's tragic. He will breathe new life into their lungs and express their moments of Joy. Of love. Of community.

After the filming of S2 at a con, Con he felt comfortable publicly coming out due to the love and support he felt from our fandom. Do you know JUST how crazy that is? That Con KNEW Izzy was dead, yet he loved our fandom so much he let himself be vulnerable, and come out as queer? It's fucking INSANE to me, and shows just how much this show means to him.

He's not just Queer. He's a Queer fucking elder whose been protective of this entire community since S1. This 57-year-old man has proudly stood up in the name of Trans rights this entire time. Treating everyone, but especially Trans Izzy fans with so much fucking respect. Trans Izzy is a common headcanon partially because of how comfortable people feel knowing they won't get harassed because they interpret Izzy a certain way. That trans people feel at home seeing themselves as a misunderstood character with a chip on their shoulder.

I'm pissed for every in universe thing listed above AND NOW THIS. Because our Queer Elders are dead. There is a generation of Queer people we can never get back. They died from a mix of society pressuring these people into the closet or an early grave. Of disease running wild in communities unchecked. Of media ruining the careers of anyone who dared to come out. To see Con O'Neill So Fucking Happy and having it cut short because Jenkins thought Izzy was better dead than being an actual background character makes me see fucking red.

No. Jenkins probably didn't know Con was Queer when writing S2. But I'm assuming he still saw how happy Con was at Izzy fans before S2 was written which still makes it feel shitty.

Sure. Give Izzy all the amazing speeches about family and belonging and rip that right from his hands as soon as Izzy realizes it's something he might want for himself. Let's have Con O'Neill say all the prominent lines that are a blatant metaphor for why the Queer community needs to stick together.

Izzy's arc isn't just overshadowing the conversation because it was mismanaged and feels unplanned, it also just feels cruel to the central arc of this series. Add that to an actor who was so vocal about loving this community, it feels pointed to give him a tragic ending.

Jenkins doesn't need to consider why people hated this finale. Because there are SO MANY Ed/Stede fans who just don't care. They put Izzy in the box with every other side character and decided to put their effort into the protagonists and point and laugh when we suffer. Jenkins won't rethink anything because he can just say the 'Izzy community was passionate and are sad their favorite died'. Ignoring how this season made Stede into a shittier, less sympathetic captain and gave Ed an interesting arc only to give up before the finish line.

[jinx-on-mars-19xx]

We'll Go On

🩸Previous Parts Here🩸

Dom x Colson (Yungblud x Machine Gun Kelly)

Warnings: ABO dynamics (knots, slick, heats, mpreg), alpha serial killer/hitman Dom, omega mob boss Kells, threats, cursing, weapons, Kells being a bad ass boss bitch, Dom's darkness, Collette being sneaky, backstabbing, Megan escaping, past abuse, angry boys, allusions to selling people as property, attempted SA of a minor (OC), biting, murder, fussing over messy deaths, taking in a child, hurt/comfort, teasing, enemies to lovers 💣 Rating: mature

All ideas helped by @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker 🖤

Colson woke up and was happy to see it was still mostly dark outside. He could feel the morning coming but his underlings still had time to set shit right. He truly didn't want to go nuclear on anyone, not anymore. Dom's lap was still warm and comforting under him and he rolled slowly to his back. The Alpha was watching him sleepily, a gentle smile on his face. “Did you sleep at all?” He asked, rubbing his eyes and trying to stretch the kink in his spine. Some of his body felt like jello and he knew his mate had massaged what he could reach. Perfect bastard.

“Told ya I'd watch over yas.” Dominic shrugged like it was a normal thing to say and mean and didn't remind Col of the fact he used to stalk him. The sociopath had trouble sleeping on a good day and got maybe four hours most nights. Col couldn't be surprised the stress kept him up but it made him worry anyway. At least he knew he wouldn't be alone with middle of the night feeding times when their child came. “Mod came in and said Pete texted. ‘Ey still tracking down our people. Asked for more time but we said no. I fink tha’ gave ‘im the push he needed.” The boy grinned a little manically. It shouldn't affect Kells the way it did but it always made his pulse race and his pussy tingle. His lover was a predator and he would always feel protected.

“Good boy, exactly what I would have said. He best listen. We should still get ready. I want to be there for them.” As he started to elbow his way up Dom laid a hand on his stomach, when their eyes met again he had a disapproving look on his face. “Don't start.”

“Cols, ya not far off. Like Doc said, you could go into early labor. I'm worried about yas taken me babe into wha' could end up a bloody gun fight!”

“Fine. Take a gun too.” He knew it wasn't the answer but he was getting annoyed because he damn well knew Dom was right. “I'm the fucking boss here, if I don't go in it looks bad. It all already looks fucking bad! They're gonna realize I didn't okay this shit and that she's working against me. I need to deal with this.”

“Fine but you do it bloody carefully. If ya get shot I won't forgive yas.” It wasn't a fight the Alpha could win and even though he was on edge he always let his lover decide. Besides, he planned on staying in the shadows and making sure no one could get to Colson first.

It didn't take them long to get dressed and ready and thankfully Pete texted with an address before dawn. As they were heading out Collette caught them at the last moment to explain that she knew the men who were keeping their people. They were friends of her spy. Kells tried not to ask where the hell she'd been or why hadn't she told them that sooner. He'd texted her hours before to ask but she seemed not to even have her phone turned on.

That soothed a little rage in the couple's veins but it shouldn't have taken so long to find out. On the drive over with the sun starting to shine, Col had a talk with Collette’s friend. It turned out that Megan had controlled the entire situation and she hadn't left his side all night. The man helping them out was terrified to blow his cover but when the female Alpha invited someone to look at their people he felt he had to text. The whole thing was getting wildly out of hand and they both knew it might devolve into a full blown fight.

“The thing is, she's still operating under your name.” The man whispered into the phone. “The buyers think that you're selling so maybe if you get here…” He trailed off before hanging up without warning. As Col stared down at his phone he hoped their spy wasn't in any danger. He didn't know what the bitch would do if she caught him.

“The fuck is she trying to do? What good is her trying to branch out if she still has to use my name? No one's gonna work with a traitor! Not anyone I know.” He ranted to the group in the back of the SUV. Dom of course had joined him, all his knives hidden along his body. Tom stayed behind with The Doc and Dorothy to set up an apartment as a makeshift hospital, but Mod and Collette rode with them.

He probably should have called more of his men but technically everyone at the place they were heading were supposed to be his. Street boys who sold for him and Collette’s friend’s hired guns. He knew it was a risk to confront Megan but he hoped it made a point. He needed to get his house in order before his child came. He didn't want to have to worry about their business while bonding at home. Especially if there was a chance anyone else might find out about what he was, he had to make a show of putting her in her place. People would keep being scared of him if he was terrifying. Right?

The warehouse they ended up at was so fucking cliché it turned Col's stomach. He was still surprised the bitch had come up with all this but he was starting to think she got it all out of some movie or book. It was too full of dumbass tropes and he hated those. Life was unpredictable at the best of times.

When they filed out of the vehicle Dominic kissed his cheek and gave him a small wave. The Alpha would disappear into the shadows and find his own way inside. Having a serial killer as backup made everything feel more secure but Colson was used to taking care of himself and his people. He checked his gun in its holster and fixed his hoodie over his stomach. He normally wore suits but he wanted to show the situation the disrespect it deserved. He wanted them all to know it didn't feel important enough to him to do much more than roll out of bed. He had control here and everything was perfectly calculated.

The guard at the door seemed surprised to see him and he recognized the guy as one of his sellers. They nodded at each other and he was let inside without problem. But of course he was, it was getting back out that might be hard. Tim greeted him near the entrance- the tattooed up man was more nervous than Kells had expected. They had only met in person a few times before but he trusted their spy because Travis had and his mother still did. Before Colson joined his family Tim had been his adoptive father's right hand man but after getting clean he retired. No one judged him for it and now the omega was thankful, it meant they had someone Megan had never met.

“I didn't know what the fuck to do. There's a guy inside meeting with her to buy everyone. I'm sorry I hung up on you but she almost caught me. I think I played it off alright. I told her I was just checking on the guards.” He shrugged and Colson nodded.

“You're a good man. You've helped more than enough. I'd say after this you can back off. I know mom is thankful but she shouldn't have asked you to do this shit.”

“I'd do anything for your family. Travis must be rolling over in his fucking grave with this girl's bullshit. The fucking disrespect.” Tim spit on the floor between them and Col tried not to make a face. The previous generation was fucking weird sometimes.

“If you walk in with me she'll know, you should wait outside or you might end up on her shit list. I don't want you looking over your shoulder man.” He tried to let him go but the older man rolled his eyes.

“Fuck that. She pissed me off. She really doesn't know how we used to deal with backstabbers. Give me an hour and she'll find the fuck out.” The boss laughed at that but shook his head. This was his problem and he had to be the one to fix it.

Dominic snuck his way through a window and kept to the shadows. He wanted to pinpoint where everyone was in case any real fight broke out. He found his way onto an overhead catwalk that gave him access to the whole place and realized the building was something unfinished but separated by rooms of sorts with no real ceilings. Some areas looked like there was an attempt but it had been years since and the whole place was broken down. There was only one truly closed off room and that one made his senses itch. Something in his hind brain said that was where he was needed most but he couldn't act until he knew there was going to be a fight. If he struck first it gave the others a reason to war with his family. He couldn't do that. He wasn't a separate entity anymore, he was part of a whole.

When Colson reached the main room he tried to act nonchalant. He could make this easy enough by saying he came because he changed his mind on selling, it might piss the other group off but he hoped it wouldn't start a fucking war. Not many had the balls to step to him anyway but knowing Megan she found some who might. She was obviously surprised when she turned around to see him and he had to swallow his rage as he looked around. There were two of his own dealer's wielding guns on either side of the group of his omegas and they were all worse for wear. The buyer was one he knew, someone who went against him sometimes but always backed down. They'd never really fought and he hoped it didn't start now. Kells just always had more money to toss around.

“Daddy! I didn't expect you.” Megan purred but she glared at Tim. She knew she was caught but stepped back as Col stepped closer. He offered his hand to the other man and completely ignored her for now.

“Baker, I thought you weren't coming. I get why you're giving this batch up, a little broken if you ask me but I'm willing to take them off your hands for whatever you paid.” He couldn't even remember the asshole’s name but he felt rage at the disrespect to both him and his people. His trigger finger itched but he didn't pull his weapon. He really didn't want to have to.

He watched as Megan tried to back out slowly and he held up his hand when Mod moved to go after her. He couldn't let the other man know she'd acted without his say or the whole thing could explode in his face. “I'm sorry but you were misinformed. I'm not selling them just yet. How about I give you first call when I decide? I'm thinking of keeping some for my clubs. I think Megan just misunderstood.” He tried to keep it easy and calm. Nothing needed to get out of hand. The man looked annoyed but he obviously knew not to fuck with him.

“I get how it is, my second has a mind of his own too. In fact I think he might be sampling the wares I'm afraid. You know how it is.” With that statement Col looked around and realized the only omega missing was the boy his mate recently saved. He couldn't be very old at all and probably scared out of his fucking mind. It made the man nauseous all over again.

Kells clenched his jaw to fight the bile in his throat but he hoped he could still keep the situation from blowing up. “Without paying? That's a virgin omega. I think you owe me for that disrespect.”

Dom could barely hear what was happening in the crowd from his vantage point but when he caught a scream from the only covered room he couldn't help his instincts kicking into gear. He was running down the catwalk and jumping to the ground floor before he could think twice. He tried to stay in the darkness as much as he could but when he kicked the door in he froze. On the concrete was a random beta bleeding out with the blonde boy he saved standing over him, a chunk of flesh between his teeth that he quickly spat out. “Nasty fuck. Taste as bad as ya look! I told ya not to touch me!” Oh, so the not so mute omega was British like him? How had he ended up here?

When he heard footsteps rumbling behind him Dom ran to hide down the hall and he waited to see how everything would play out. He hoped his mate wouldn't let this stand but he would do whatever was needed to keep his family safe.

Kells bit his lip not to grin when they reached the open door and he saw what had happened, there was blood everywhere and a half dead jerk on the concrete floor. The young blonde still looked like an angel even though he'd obviously inflicted the thigh wound. Smart kid, went for an artery.

“That's my second in command! I'm not paying you shit, the omega is obviously untouched and should be punished! Give him to me and two others and I'll call it even.”

It disgusted Colson that the dick could just look at his friend as a commodity. It was bad enough that he obviously thought omegas were. He knew people thought he and Dom were evil but he'd still rush Mod to the hospital and give a shit if the roles were reversed. After a moment he rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun, shooting the dying man in the head. When the buyer glared at him he turned the barrel on him. “His groaning was pissing me off. I'm not giving you shit in trade but maybe your life. If you walk out of here and never come against me again, I'll let you go but I'm tired of your bullshit and it's not even eight AM. You know you've always been beneath me and my dad before me. You can't demand shit and you still owe me for this fucking disrespect. Now, do you walk out of here or are you getting carried out in trash bags?”

The man swallowed hard and was obviously fighting his own rage. Col could see the wheels spinning behind his eyes as he thought over what would be best and if he could survive. Finally a thought seemed to strike him and he stepped against the barrel of the gun, grinning at Kells as if he'd won. “You lost control of your bitch didn't you? The prodigal son falls off his fucking throne. Can't even keep control of your-” Whatever he was going to say was cut off when a blade suddenly appeared in his eye. The bastard screamed and covered the wound, falling back against the wall. Colson arched a brow as his lover stepped out of the shadows and ripped his knife free. He couldn't help but cringe at the noise it made or the ones that followed as Dom slit his throat but at least the screaming stopped. It was giving him a migraine.

“I thought you were letting me decide.” He huffed to his mate and Dom gave him his patent pout and puppy eyes. It didn't exactly have the same result since he was cleaning his blades off on the dying man's coat but he had to concede the Alpha was still pretty damn cute.

“He were pissing me off.” The boy said simply. “I know you and he weren't leaving after tha’. You should probably send some men to make sure he don't got any outside.”

Colson agreed and flicked his hand and Mod left to gather their dealers and check the grounds. Collette and Tim made their way back to the omega's but the couple stayed. “Even still that was my fucking shot.”

“Gunshots ‘ave to be bad for the baby.” The look on Dom's face made the omega laugh, he wasn't sure what his lover expected him to do but he couldn't stop using guns.

“Are you gonna kill me next?” A soft voice sounded behind them and they both turned to see the young omega sitting in the corner of the room, holding himself tight. It broke something inside the boss to see him so scared. This is what he wanted to save them all from.

“Of course not kiddo.” He vowed, holstering his weapon before he approached the boy slowly, Dom staying back for fear of his scent scaring the child more. “You did good. We're proud of you. No one's gonna hurt you again.”

Bright green eyes like spring grass searched his and he knew it was hard to believe. Travis had promised him the same years before and he meant it as much as his adoptive dad had. “He tried to touch me. First my dad wanted to sell me and then she- she said you wanted to too! You want to sell me to someone like tha’!”

“I swear I don't. Megan stole you from me and tried to sell you but if you want you can come home with us. We'll keep you close and no one will hurt you again.” He tried to soothe again. It made anger boil in his veins that the bitch set back whatever healing the kid had started. He just hoped they could regain his trust. “My names Colson and this is my mate Dom. I promise you we will keep you safe. You wanna hear a secret?” He asked as he crouched in front of the boy. When those green eyes filled with tears his heart broke but the kid nodded. Col slid up the bottom of his hoodie and winked. “I'm just like you. I'm an omega but I run my family. I can help you be a badass too if you want. Looks like you already have a head start.”

“You're a mum and- and they all listen to you?” The boy sniffled and Dom spoke up from behind Colson.

“Even me. Keeps me on a leash and everyfing. He'll take care of yas. We boff will.”

“I didn't ask about ya bedroom play, ya freaks.” The boy huffed teasingly, wiping his cheeks. “I’m Blain. Landon Blain Sebastian, but… Blain. Dad picked the first and last but my mum… she liked Blain.”

“So do I. How old are you?” Kells asked, pulling his hoodie back down. He needed to sit but there was blood on the floor and he refused to mess up his clothes.

“Fifteen. I know, I look young. I can kick some arse though.” They both questioned the truth in his words but it made sense. The Alpha knew the kid had presented because he said so in his email when he asked for the hit on his father. He should be at least thirteen but for fifteen he was quite small. No wonder he'd been picked out of all of the group by the now dead asshole.

“Obviously.” Dom hummed, stepping around to crouch beside them and it seemed to put Blain more at ease. After all, he was the one who saved him originally, Alpha or not. “‘Ere. Keep ‘is to protect ya'self. Jus’ don't mess wiv me mate or baby.” He pulled a clean butterfly knife from the bag on his hip and passed it to him. It wasn't the one Kells first gave him but a newer one he'd bought after realizing he liked them. The teen took it carefully and squeezed it tight in his hand. Thankfully that seemed to help him relax.

“You wanna get out of here? The Doc is at our place. We can have you looked over and get you something to eat. Find you a bed.” The omega offered.

“And I can… I can stay wiv you?” His voice was soft and small and they both nodded. They weren't thinking it through very well but it didn't matter. The boy reminded them both of their younger selves and if he felt safe with them he could be one of Col’s strays. After a moment the kid launched himself between them, hugging them together tight. “Ain't fucking neither of yas.”

“We satisfy each other just fine. I swear when I say you're safe with us I mean it.” Kells fixed his joke because he knew Blain might be genuinely scared of that. He just wanted the boy feeling safe to be a kid. It was something neither of them ever got but he could make sure it didn't happen to others. “Let's go, I need to piss and figure out what to do about Megan.” He grumbled as the boy backed up and jumped to his feet while the boss had to let his mate help him stand.

“If I get a vote? I fink you should kill her.” The teen offered from the door before stepping over the other body they left.

The couple shared a look and Dom wondered if perhaps they didn't have a young sociopath on their hands. He knew he could help guide the broken boy but he hoped Blain let himself be young while he could. He couldn't disagree with him though. “Don't fucking say it. We'll talk about it later. Home. Shower. Massage?” Col asked and the Alpha nodded. When he finally looked down at himself to straighten his clothes before they were seen by their underlings he cursed. “Shit! You got blood on my fucking hoodie! Look at what you did! Do you know how expensive this was?” He knew his bitch was mouthing the question with him to the child and making fun but he had a right to be annoyed. At least with guns you could get distance and not be messy.

“Is he always like tha’?” Blain asked of the Alpha and Colson found himself laughing at the kid's audacity.

“Jus’ wait, he'll start dressing you too and complain when you get a stain. We all his dolls.” Dom replied teasingly and they both looked to the older man.

“He knows babies make a mess right?”

“Aye. He says he knows. We'll see.”

“I guess I get it. If I got to dress like I want I'd be pissed if anyone ruined it.”

“Yeah? I can take you shopping.” Colson offered, he was starting to think it might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Even though he was losing a member of his group he might be gaining new family.

Author's Note/Tags: @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @hollywoodxwhore @jaxbreaker @fenoy7 @cole-way-iero28 if anyone wants tagged let me know 🖤

I know, two chapters and no smut- insane! Don't worry, it's coming back with a vengeance next chapter! 😉 Just needed a little more plot first and I hope you like the new character. Blain is a very old OC of mine that I made about 20 years ago. He's just a little reworked for this. I adore him and I hope you will too. I hope you're still enjoying it but seriously guys, next chapter is filthy- be prepared! 🩸💣🖤

[a-christmas-carol-from-hr]

The Anna Karenina Principle

AN: All happy couples are alike. All unhappy couples are unhappy in their own way.

Marley Lives AU.

The second Ellen stepped into the hospital room, she knew she was in for a fight.

"S-s-so you dec-c-cided to come crawling b-back."

Even as fried as he was, the glare Marley gave her was one of his best. He glowered at her from his hospital bed, the intensity of his anger not dampened by oxygen tubes and IVs. If anything, the things around him only made his fury more intimidating. Were Ellen anyone else, she'd have been turned to stone right then and there.

But she wasn't anyone else.

She moved in, closing the door behind her. Her coat was slung over her arm. "Hello, Jacob. I told you I'd be back."

His eyes narrowed at her, in no mood for dancing around the point. "Battle dress." He said flatly.

He was right. She'd put on the dress she wore to corporate bloodbaths. Her 'battle dress'. He'd called it that first. It was a sensible black frock with a dark red collar that draped over her shoulders. Why she'd felt drawn to it, she wasn't sure. Maybe she wanted some of the strength it gave.

"Come to sack me too?" He asked brightly.

Things had been boiling under the surface. She knew they had. Marley was a fiercely independent man, and he did not take slights easily. The slight of his own body trying to kill him was not something his pride could easily excuse. And the more she'd visited, the more she'd helped him, the more the doctors had studied him and had warned him and had forbidden him, the angrier he had become.

Things had boiled over. He'd screamed at her to get out. She'd screamed back. She'd been nearly banned from the hospital the night before. It'd be sensible of Scrooge to just leave him to his brooding. It'd be practical, even. It'd certainly save her petrol money.

But she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

And wasn't that pathetic.

"I've come to do nothing of the kind. I've come to visit."

"Go a-a-away. I d-don't want you here."

She couldn't let him know how badly that hurt. She couldn't. "I plan to do nothing of the kind." 

"I'll scream," He threatened. "I-I-I'll raise such Hell, woman."

"You do that then. It doesn't phase me."

"I'm n-not one of your underlings."

"Then behave like it!" She snapped back. "You're acting like a child. Although I suppose that's better than acting like a dead man."

"Y-y-you're the one always u-unhappy with liars!" His heartrate was visibly going up as they fought. "I-I was truthful and now I'm be-being punished for it."

"You were not truthful."

"I'm dead, Ellen." He roared, with a force that shocked her. He shouldn't be able to fight like this in his condition. But Jacob Marley was the Wolf for a reason. "Even if I don't k-k-know it yet. J-j-just because you w-won't face the f-facts doesn't mean I can't."

She was prepared to shriek something back when a very angry nurse came barreling into the room. Both of them grew silent under her glare, and an uneasy peace was earned for the five minutes she scolded him about over-exerting himself.

The smile he gave Ellen when the nurse was gone made her sick. "Y-y-you must have enjoyed that."

"I did not." She said. Her nerve was beginning to fail. Marley liked a good fight. But this was not a good fight. This was venom.

"Don't l-l-lie, it's n-n-not attractive." He flopped back against the pillow. "Go away, Scrooge."

"Fine." She said. She'd not even sat down. "I'll go. But there's something I want to say first."

She couldn't meet his eyes. They were too angry. Instead she looked down at her shoes. She'd been thinking of this for days. Perhaps she'd always been thinking of it. But here, at the potential end of all things, if she didn't say it, she knew she never would.

And she was selfish enough to want to do it, no matter what happened.

"I have known you for the past sixteen years. I have been your partner for sixteen years. In that time, we have done a great number of things that were terrible, and very few that were good. Perhaps it would have been for the best had we never met. It certainly would have saved the pair of us several instances of pain, with this latest data point being the worse. I know you think I should find another partner. A partnership with another might be more productive. Perhaps it might even work better than ours. But despite everything, the only man I have ever loved is you."

For a very long moment, they said nothing.

Marley stared at her, eyes wide, face fixed in the look of disdain he’d worn when she’d confessed her love. But he was utterly still. It was as if her love had been liquid nitrogen. It had frozen him solid. He sat there, a pillar of salt and ice just looking at her.

Ellen stood as still as he. Despite the way her voice had wavered, she kept herself as firm as moonrock. The two partners watched each other with perfectly still eyes. It was a miracle the floor didn’t freeze under them.

Ellen nodded to herself, as if satisfied. This was how it would always end. This was how things like this always ended. With awkward silence, and somebody leaving her.

At least this time she could leave under her own power.

“Good evening, Mr. Marley.” She said calmly. And she turned to go.

The moment one of her feet was over the doorway, Marley’s heart monitor let out a screech.

Ellen turned in shock as a number of medical alarms began wailing like banshees. But the noise was quickly forgotten as she saw Marley lying on the floor, evidently having bodily thrown himself from the bed. He was shambling over to her, still moving even as IVs had ripped out and sensors had been pulled free. Ellen let out a shriek of shocked worry as she rushed over, pride forgotten in an instant.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” She gasped, kneeling at his side.

He gripped her shoulder with all the passion of a martyr. When he spoke his voice was a low rasp. ”Say it again.”

"What?" Scrooge asked in blank confusion. Perhaps if she had her wits about her, she would have realized what he meant. But her wits were currently addled by the scream of the heart monitor.

"Say it again!" He demanded. "For fuck's sake, say it again, woman!"

"I love you." It tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop it.

Marley's laugh was half-insane.

"Again."

"I love you." Despite herself she smiled when she said it, and she hated herself for it.

"Again." He rasped. "Say it again."

"I love so much you stupid, stupid man that I hardly know what to do with myself." She laughed. God help her, she laughed. Maybe she was only laughing because she was also going mad. "I love you you stupid, horrible, pathetic, terrible man."

Marley let out a twisted cry of pain and joy. How awful they must be, Ellen thought, that the confession of love could cause such agony. How undeserving they must be that joy was an unexpected luxury.

"I love you," He breathed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"N-no." He said. "Nothing is alright." He didn't just mean his body. He meant their souls, and she knew it.

"No." She agreed. "Nothing is alright."

"I love you." He replied. It was all one could say to something like that. Nothing was alright. Nothing may ever be alright again. Nothing would ever be sensible and practical, at least, again. It couldn't be, not when there was love.

Love. That feasting parasite they'd tried so hard to keep out. It had wormed its way in, gnawing at their very bones. It wasn't economical. It wasn't thrifty. It was terrible and awful, just as they were.

And yet, here they still stood. Still alive to begin with.

His mouth pressed against hers with the passion of sixteen years of semi-repression.

Even when it was cut short by a furious nurse, it was the best kiss of her life.

[kokorowoutsu]

-- RP: @pokemon-experiments

pokemon-experiments:

He chuckled when she was amazed by the softness of his paw pad. He was about to remind her when she began to drag him along until the came to a cave and met Whimsy. "Greetings Whimsy. And is indeed nice to meet another steel-type." He was about ask how they can stay in a place like this until he got dragged along to the back of the cave. He was impressed by the set-up they had. And it seemed like they were working on all kinds of things that the ranch needed. Treating it with something he could really see until the got to the end of the cave. There he would look to Tinkerbell and bow his head. This was her home and he was going to show her the respect that he velieved she deserved. "I am. As for why I came, she's my niece. I needed to make sure that the path was safe, and that she was not being taking advantage of." He hoped the explanation was good enough for the, he assumed, leader of this group. "And you lot are fairy-types." That explained why the energy had become so dense with fae energy. But they were also steel-types. They were working with the oil that Morgan made. The same oil that he treated his legs with. "But I'd like to know why you wish to keep hidden from Ashe. Especially since it seems that your group is connected to her mother." This is what made the least sense to him. If Morgan knew about this group than why would it be an issue if Ashe knew as well.

"Unkwool! I'mma go see the o'hers!" She pointed at the forge nearby which was now officially on break since they had visitors. With that, Willow was off, pulling something out of her bag and speaking to them in Fae as they gathered around which contained berries and books that had been... borrowed on mechanics and things that Willow didn't understand but these pokemon did. Happily cheering, they soon wheeled over some books that Willow stuffed back into her bag, thanking them. It appeared they borrowed the books for ideas and then gave them back after reading.

[ It's because we're steel-types that we keep hidden. ] Tinkerbell started, eyes on Willow and the fire-types and fellow underlings of hers. [ The little one is only a quarter fae and at most just sneezes every now and then around us. She's not at risk of allergies. ] She pauses and sighs. [ There's a misunderstanding though that we choose to keep from the little one, believe it or not, to make her think she's got a secret to keep. We were told secrets are sometimes good for kids as tests. ] She shrugs and goes over to pull out something from underneath some rocks. Bringing it over, she hands him the Grandcrest Sigil. [ We were given this by her mother. She brought us here since we were displaced from our home in Paldea... that and we saved her and her team from a hot spot of trouble. ] She wouldn't go into that story though.

[ Everyone on the ranch knows about us... it's just a game for the little one to teach her about secrets and to teach her, in her mother's opinion, and mine, a vital life skill. She'll need to know to keep her mouth shut at times as it were. ] She shrugs. [ In exchange for letting us live here, the Boss asked us to make things to help and repair around the ranch. The Fluffy Man comes by with his pack to pick up things and in exchange he brings us berries as well as fresh steel-types. ] She looked to her own hammer in particular. [ The only rules we got are we can't tell the little one about the arrangement and we can't kill the Corviknight that her mate has... no matter how tempting it is. ] She huffs.

[ ... We're pretty sure the icy one knows too as well as her mate but they choose not to say anything. The Lady of the Wood -- the Boss mom -- she gave us the oil you saw. We apply it to everything we use ten times over. We're learning to make it ourselves... but i'm rambling. What brings you two by? ]

[beevean]

hecula for the ship ask?

Well well well :)

• when or if I started shipping it.

I can tell you that it was around March judging by some stuff I wrote. I honestly can't tell you why 😂 best I can tell I joked with my friends about Dracula favoring Hector a little too much.

• my thoughts:

They're awful 💖 absolutely horrible 💖 Drac is a giant bastard and he deserves to drown in holy water 💖

I like to think that Dracula sees Hector as his prized creation, born from his magic in the same way an Innocent Devil is born from the Devil Forgemaster's magic. He makes him proud and carries his will efficiently, and he has grown very possessive of his boy :) dunno, something about him believing that their bond his special, something that trascends the bond between Lord and knight, is very 💕 to me.

Hector, well... at first, I would have said that he didn't care about Dracula at all, that their relationship was purely transactional. I've changed my mind lol. Hector has plenty of reasons to grow attached to Dracula, after what he went through. Remember, "I respectfully obeyed, to cling to". Hector needed a home, he needed acceptance for his existence, he wanted power, and Dracula gave him everything he asked for. At a small price :) And imagine him going from "I wish you were never born!" to being an esteemed General! Dracula is Hector's whole life and he'd be proud to serve him. The outside world is dangerous and wants him dead, but at least he has Dracula. No one will care about him like Dracula does. Obeying him is only fair, after everything he has done for him. Remember what I often say, about Hector becoming very devoted to the people he falls for? Yeah.

... until stuff happens. And turns out that Hector may care about Dracula, but he cares about himself more. He's a very proud individual, one with solid principles, and he can't accept bending for a Lord that is losing more and more his grip on sanity. And the psychological warfare starts, because Dracula now regrets fueling his boy's ego, and he's forced to remind him that he has sworn loyalty to him of his own volition :)

And that's where we finally end up in canon territory, with Hector placing his own dignity above the comfort of his old life, and finally fleeing to regain total control of his own existence.

and if you're seeing creepy grooming pseudo-incest stuff here: it's deliberate. their whole relationship is unhealthy. no abuse apologism on my part :)

• What makes me happy about them:

the size difference

The little hints in canon that fuel my brainrot. Going from Drac very clearly seeing Hector as more valuable than Isaac, to straight up calling him "precious/dear" and looking saddened by his betrayal, to Hector calling him anata in Japanese even in a context when he's furious at him, to Isaac's underlings directly coming out and saying that Dracula cherished Hector in Japanese... and whatever's going on during the sip attack. drac. drac stop kissing hec. there are innocent devils watching

• What makes me sad about them:

the fact that people are cowards and i have barely found any fic about them, and forget about fanart

• things done in art/fic that annoys me:

What art/fic? 😂 I mean, I did find one (1) fic that was NFCV levels of awful. I guess, once again, reducing Hector to a blushing virginal uke. You're missing the point.

• things I look for in art/fic:

Their existence.

I guess that, hypothetically, I'd like a focus on their mentor/protégé relationship, and uhhh all that I said above. And please remember that Hec has a very solid backbone :(

• Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: 

Hector with Rosaly, ofc. After Dracula, he deserves her kindness even more. Poor girl is going to find a mess. She'll have to teach him what pure love is :(

Dracula... well, I would say "a therapist", but you know, @the-crow-binary wrote some nice and kinky af fanfiction where Drac starts a relationship with Isaac in a Bad End AU where Hector is used as the vessel. And yeah, sure, let's make Isaac happy for once :P and show Dracula what actual devotion looks like :P

• My happily ever after for them:

Hector divorcing Drac's creepy ass and then slamming the divorce papers in his face so hard that he won't wake up for another century ✌

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?

lol. lmao. uhhh I'm sure Dracula loves to send Hector to fight for him and then have him telling him all the atrocities he committed in his name 😂

Since the most material I could find is NFCV related (oh don't get me wrong, it's still one hell of a rarepair even in the NFCV fandom, but I'm really thirsty and I feast on crumbs D:), I wondered if they'd have moments just spent together, the equivalent of N!Drac asking N!Isaac if he's his friend. I doubt Dracula would confide in his Generals, because he's extremely proud and closed off, but something about his mask cracking only when Hector is around... Hector shouldering the burden of his Lord's grief...

Eh, maybe not plausible since I imagine that Hector and Isaac would be both overworked to death by this point. But you know. I like quiet bonding scenes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[lnaliazmcithilien]

Top 5 Best Things about Elder Scrolls Online in 2022

1. Global Achievements - I felt acknowledged as a player. I have a healer, a tank, a crafter, and a thief. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some achievements were a team effort. Maybe they would be possible on one character, but they would take so much longer. How am I supposed to clear a dungeon on vet mode with my tank then pickpocket 10 people in Hew's Bane in ESO?

2. Return of the Wandering Bosses - Okay, they introduced this last year in the Deadlands, but I didn't see anything about it until I stumbled upon one in Galen. We had so much fun! That giant Spriggan had us in the first half, not gonna lie, but we took her down!

3. Isobel, the lesbian in shining armor desperately trying to stop her "friend" being married off to the Champion of the Tournament by becoming the Champion of the Tournament. Her obvious crush on Lyris is just the icing on the cake. I love my lesbian companion. I'd fight every boss in Tamerial for her

4. Lava, so much lava - Lava watmasu, volcanic vents, that side quest in High Isle where I had to gather lava for that adorable lesbian couple. Lava was a huge thing for the Ashlanders, but it can back bigger and better than ever this year.

5. Pirates - Again, I know we had pirates in Stros M'Kai, but on Amenos, we had pirates in spades. Even ghost pirates. Despite the weird relationship with Stibbons, that High Isle quest with the "sperated by betrayal and death" was so romantic. All of the High Isle, Amenos, and Galen side quests, delves, world bosses, and volcanic vents (dolmens, harrow storms, or dragons elsewhere)... They were so good!

TBH, I think ESO had a great 2022. Okay, the new Zone Quest didn't hold my attention, update 35 helped my dungeon builds not at all, and IDK what's going on with block and leads. But as some who spends most of their time on lore, housing, and fashion, I'm pretty happy.

I do have one request though, Ravenwatch Dailies. If the Fighters Guild can do it. If High Isle can do it. Ravenwatch can send out to take out the bad vampires of the world, the vampires that don't ask for your consent before taking a bit out of you.

Also, we miss Darien. Why isn't he hanging out at the Fighters Guild or the bar in Coldharbour. I check every day, and yet...

Okay, okay, if we could see a bit more Razum-dar the Quenn's Eye and Nayru the Mora Tong with a Heart of Gold, I'd be happy. Why haven't the Mora Tong and Dark Brotherhood ever had a terf battle?! I want enemies to lovers Naryu and Elam, please and thank you.

As for Razum-dar... He talks about Queen's Eye, and her network of spies. I'd love to see his relationship with the Queen's other spies. Are they jealous? Envious? Pitying? He has a lot of responsibility put on his shoulders, ever since he was a kitten. I'd like to think her network of spies get along together, like the Dark Brotherhood, but the Telvanni are prone to in-fighting and back-stabbing. Has Razum-dar ever had to secretly take out one of his underlings in order to protect Queen Ayreen's network of spies? I know it broke his heart in Audiron when he lost one of his own at the start of the zone quest.