#if youre not your sent to the Doom Zone

[dear-god-christ-in-hell]

can i identify as a liminal space?

like saying that iimplies i could be one

how

want

please

Kids these days don't know what the fuck a liminal space is anymore but they use it to describe fucking EVERYTHING.

[y3sterdaysproblem]

shifting - m.s.

summary: invisalign matt <3

cw: kissing, oral sex, invisalign kink?

wc: 2.7k

loosely inspired by take it or leave it by @plasticferal , mostly inspired by how horny matt with aligners makes me.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The sound of Matt absentmindedly pulling his invisalign tray off of his teeth and then pushing it back on filled the room, and you felt like you were about to explode if he did it again. He wasn’t even aware he was being so loud, his attention focused on whatever was on his phone that he held in front of him. You were both laying in his bed on top of the covers, having finished watching a movie around thirty minutes ago, now just doing your side by side doom scrolling in silence, or what was supposed to be silence.

You turn your head to the left to look at him, a slight look of annoyance on your face as you glare at his side profile. He doesn’t notice, still too caught up in his phone, fingers still toying with the tray in his mouth, clicking the bottom one on and off of the attachments on his molars. That was one of the nice things about Matt and his brothers being in the public eye, the fact that they didn’t have any of their attachments visible on the front of their teeth, leaving their smile otherwise smooth and normal when their trays weren’t in, however the downside was watching them stick their fingers so far in their mouth every time they wanted to take them out. Now was no exception, Matt’s thumb tucked into his mouth as he clicked, and then bit down, and then clicked, and bit down.

“Are your teeth hurting you?” You asked suddenly, breaking the silence between you both. He’s caught off guard when you speak up, turning to face you with a confused look. “What? No, why?” Matt responds in his soft spoken voice, pulling his hand away from his mouth.

“Because you haven’t stopped playing with your fucking trays for the last twenty minutes,” you tell him, flopping your phone on your chest. “I can’t focus on anything.”

“Sorry,” Matt smiles sheepishly, setting his phone down as well. “I’ve had this tray in for a couple weeks and I’m about to switch it out. Doesn’t hurt so… sometimes I just fiddle with it I guess.”

Truthfully, this conversation opened the door to a topic that had always piqued your interest, and maybe you brought it up for more reasons than how annoying the sound of his repetitive actions were. “It doesn’t hurt?” You ask him, looking away from his eyes to look at his mouth. When he notices your gaze shift, he shoots you a large grin to show off all of his almost perfect teeth covered in the clear plastic. “No,” he says, chomping his teeth together a couple times. “When I change it, it’ll hurt for a few days, but I’m used to it.”

You nod, still staring at his mouth as he spoke. “What does it… I dunno.. feel like?” You ask him, meeting his eyes once again. “The outside?” Matt clarifies, and you nod. “Just like plastic. Makes my teeth dull. You wanna feel it?”

You’re a big caught off guard by his offer and you can’t help it when your ears start to heat up, feeling embarrassed that you’d even brought this up in the first place. “Feel your teeth?” You clarified, and he nods at you. You hesitate and he notices, reaching down to grab your hand. “Come on, I won’t bite,” he teases, and your cheeks darken even further as he pulls your hand up to his lips, parting them so you can run your finger over the aligners gently. For some reason, the close contact sent a small shiver down your spine, not used to being this close to Matt.

You realize after almost a minute of running your finger over his teeth that you’ve zoned out and you pull your hand away from him slowly, bringing it back to your own body. “Weird,” is all you can come up with to fill the void, looking back into his bright blue eyes that stared over at you, waiting for your reaction. “Does it affect when you like… kiss girls?” Matt’s eyes widen slightly at your unexpected question, his own cheeks taking a turn at heating up. “I’ve never really kissed anyone with them in,” he admits, shrugging his shoulders shyly. “So I wouldn’t know.”

“Oh,” you say dumbly, nodding towards him. He mimics your action, feeling a palpable tension settle in his bedroom. He’s got an offer sitting on the tip of his tongue, but he can’t quite force himself to say it, feeling like he might ruin everything you guys have worked so hard to create in the years that you’ve been friends. You turn your head back towards the ceiling, staring up at it as your mind raced along with your heart, wondering what on earth has got you so intrigued about this interaction. There was always an underlying attraction towards Matt, but ever since he started his treatment, you couldn’t help but find the way he looked with his aligners oddly sexy. The way he laughed or smiled, the way he ran his tongue over his top teeth just to get a feel for them, the way he had a slight lisp any time he spoke; it all made you hyper aware of how attractive Matt really was. You’re not given much time to overthink when Matt clears his throat, grabbing your attention again. “You wanna find out?” He asks you, voice full of faux confidence that you could see right through.

You turn back to face him, eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Find what out?” You ask cluelessly.

“You know…” he starts, confidence fading quickly. “How it feels to kiss.”

Oh, you think. That’s what he meant.

You stare at him for a few moments before silently nodding your head, not trusting your voice enough to speak. You genuinely did want to know what it felt like to kiss somebody with invisalign, if it felt any different, but more than that you wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Matt. You’d thought about it more than you care to admit out loud, or even to yourself.

Matt’s initiating the kiss, turning himself on his side to look down at you from where you still lay next to him, eyes staring up at him patiently. “You sure?” He asks quietly, wanting clarification before he crosses the line you both can’t come back from, and once again you shoot him a small nod, and it’s enough for him to lean down and close the distance, lips pressing gently onto yours.

It’s slow and soft the way his mouth moves against yours and the way his hand comes up to rest on your cheek, like he’s afraid of moving too quickly, afraid of shattering the environment. Matt’s heart is hammering in his chest as you kiss, unable to hide his nervousness when your own hand comes up to rest on his neck, pulse racing under your palm, holding him close to you, letting him know to stay exactly where he was.

The kiss was good, amazing even, but it was too tentative and wasn’t giving you what you were looking for, so when Matt’s lips parted for a split second, you took that as your opportunity to slide your tongue between them and press against his, pulling him into you a little bit harder as you both became more desperate, breaths becoming harsher.

His hand slid from your cheek and moved to the bed next to you, using it to hold himself above you as the kiss deepened, the sounds of your lips parting and reattaching and your staggered breathing filling the otherwise quiet room. In a moment of slowed intensity, you let the nagging voice in your head take control, hand coming around Matt’s face to grip at his jaw to hold him in place. Keeping your mouths pressed together, you ran your tongue slowly over his top row of teeth, feeling the dull plastic that he had described, the sensation sending a trail of goosebumps down your arms. You could hear the small, shocked gasp that Matt sucked in as you licked over his teeth, his eyes cracking open to peer down at you once you pulled away, entranced by how pleased you looked.

You opened your own eyes and smiled bashfully back at him, clearing your throat awkwardly. “I don’t… I don’t think I got a good enough feel,” you tell him, gliding your hand back around to the back of his neck, applying a bit of pressure. “No?” Matt asks sweetly with a slight tilt of his head. “Here, maybe this will help.”

His eyes flutter shut again as he dips back down to connect your lips again, rougher this time as you both become more comfortable with each other. Matt only kisses you for a few seconds before he sucks your bottom lip into his mouth, dragging his teeth along it carefully, eliciting a small moan to slip from your throat. He releases your puffy lip and smirks down at you, tucking his face along your jawline as he starts to place small kisses on your skin until he reaches your neck, teeth gently biting at the warm skin. “Matt,” you whine, trying to press up into him more.

His only response is a small hum against you, his mouth kissing further down your neck until he reaches your collarbone, rounded teeth dragging against your skin as he descended. “You wanna know what they feel like, right?” Matt asks, slightly breathless. You nod, tilting your head down to look at him as he grabs the hem of your shirt and shoves it as high as he can, his movements pausing as he stared down at your chest. “Why are you not wearing a bra?”

Your bottom lip pouts out slightly as you watch him stare down at you, his hands moving to slide up your stomach, fingertips pressing into you like he was savoring every inch of skin he could touch. “I wanted to be comfortable,” you tell him, voice whiny. “Fuck,” is all he says before he leans his head back down and wraps his lips around your nipple, sucking harshly so the skin glides between his teeth, his groan sending a vibration through your chest. You’re instantly moaning, hand coming up to rest on the back of his head, your back arching to press your chest into him further.

His mouth felt like velvet around you, tongue working against the hardened nub that was pulled into his mouth, his hand kneading into your breast that wasn’t in his mouth. “Matt,” you whimper again desperately, holding him close while your hips searched for friction from his thigh that he rested between your legs. Matt felt like he was in heaven, face buried in the chest of the woman that he’d craved for so long. He was content just staying like this, sucking on your perfect tits until he died, or until you got sick of him. He could never get sick of this.

“Fuck, your mouth feels so good.” You groaned out. His cock strained against his underwear at your words, feeling lightheaded from the lack of blood rushing to his head. Matt couldn’t believe he was experiencing the honor of having you moan out his name, and he was committed to dragging it out as long as he could.

He pops his lips off of you and drags his tongue over your nipple slowly before he lifts himself up to look down at you. “It’ll feel so much better when I’m eating you out,” he grins, sliding his long, slender fingers down your torso again until they stop at your pants, keeping eye contact with you. You don’t have to be told twice, nodding your head at him to indicate your willingness and he scoots down on the bed and pulls your pants with him, leaving you with your shirt bunched up on your chest and your cute, pink panties covering your already soaked pussy.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to get my hands on you. If I knew all I had to do was wear my invisalign around you I would’ve done it a lot sooner.” Matt’s almost talking to himself while he maneuvers his body between your legs, pushing them apart with his own knees as he settles down, sliding his hands up your thighs greedily. “God, your body is so fucking perfect, wanna worship you so bad. So pretty.”

You’d almost forgotten the origin of this encounter already, having to remind yourself that you were nearly naked in front of your best friend because of his orthodontic treatment, though his words only make you wetter, the mix of his dominance and his praise causing the hair to stand up on your arms. “God, Matt, please don’t be all talk. I need you to make me feel good,” you tell him honestly, pushing yourself up on your elbows to watch as he rubbed and squeezed on your thighs, seemingly entranced by the way your body moved under his touch. It looks like it takes a concerning amount of effort for Matt to pull his eyes away from your core and up to your own, a lazy grin forming on his face. “Okay,” he agrees, shifting his knees down so he can lay below you, spreading your legs farther apart.

One of his hands comes up to push your thong to the side, exposing your drooling center, begging to be devoured by him. “Holy fuck,” Matt groans out, wasting no time as he closed the distance, his eyes fluttering shut as your taste flooded his senses. You immediately dropped back down onto your back as his mouth sucked your clit between his lips enthusiastically, being mindful of how sensitive you were when he pressed forward a little more to allow your skin to come into contact with his covered teeth.

Teeth were never a thing for you before, but watching Matt’s get prettier and prettier and seeing the confidence that came along with his new smile, it did something to you, and that something was the same reason you were grinding your hips up into Matt’s face as he ate you out, tongue running over your clit. “Yes, yes, oh my god,” you babbled loudly, fervently. His pace never faltered, even when he brought his fingers up to your entrance and slipped them inside of you.

He was sloppy with the way that he was eating your pussy, though not in a way that felt unsatisfactory, but in the way that had you unsuspecting of each movement and had your eyes rolling back in your head. Matt’s fingers worked inside you leisurely as his tongue and lips stimulated your swollen clit, bringing you towards your peak faster than anyone had before. “Oh my god, Matt, I’m so close. Please don’t stop,” you beg, hand pressing him down into you as your hips rolled with the movements of his fingers, feeling your thighs start to shake on either side of his head.

Matt hummed against you, ripping a cry from your throat as your orgasm slammed into you, your body trembling with aftershocks as his mouth didn’t let up. “Matt,” you whine, grabbing his forehead and applying a bit of pressure until he pulled off with his own groan of disapproval. He moved his head over to the crease of your thigh, letting his teeth dig into you slightly, the sensation obviously feeling more dull than you’re used to, but you also felt way more into it at the thought of the reason why. He happily sucked a small mark into your skin the best he could with his aligners, pulling away after a few moments to admire it before he turned his attention.

Matt felt like he was kicked in the chest for a second as he laid eyes on you, your red cheeks and tired grin causing his heart to stop momentarily. “I’m, uh.. never taking these out ever again when you’re around, I hope you know that.” He tells you.

You’re laughing at his comment, but you couldn’t help but hope he was telling the truth. “As long as we get to do this again, that’s fine.”

a/n: nice and short! sorry if it’s boring it’s not my favorite thing I e ever written but invisalign matt is my origin story.

taglist

@liiixsturniolos @madelinesturn @ifwdominicfike @sophand4n4 @chris-hallelujah @sophsturns @rafesapprentice @045696 @scorpioosworld @byhrxb @vickytaa @taelovesmattsturniolo @secret-sturniolo @theboredknightcat-blog @slvtf0rchr1s @gabri3la-sturns @delilahsturniolo @starstrucktyrantinfluencer @vanillsstuff @sturnlsstuff @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @mattsbrat @mattsfavoritestar @dominicfikeenthusiast @certified-sturniolo @mattsside @sofiaaguilaxx @idrk2292 @dylansfavwife @sturnl0ve @sturnioloangelxoxo @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @milasturniolo @mattsdillion @birkinbratsworld @aria003 @poppingmypussy4chris @annsx03 @ouchywow @pasteldreams @sweetshuga @pip4444chris @chriss-slut @yourebeautifulqueen @watercolorskyy @courta13 @craftycrafter26 @meg4-matt44 @ariestrxsh

[slo2004blog]

Every time the zionist project cruelly strikes Palestina I worry for Nedaa and her elderly parents. [Vetted here and here (No. 107)]

She doesn't post often and that also worries me too. Could be because she's at capacity trying to make sure her elderly parents are alright, or because there's a significant lack of e-sims available to Gazans. And that's just scratching the surface of the horrors.

Could you imagine losing your home, being sent on a death march to a zone you think is safe but ends up being bombed, and then taking your grandparents along with you while their medical needs go unmet?

But imagining isn't enough to help the people of Gaza. It's why they make GoFundMes and Tumblr blogs and why the present Palestinians on Tumblr have gone to such great lengths to vet these fundraisers.

All of this has been done to give them a chance of surviving the bombardment and war crimes and yet they STILL have trouble gaining traction.

So they'll get picked up by someone who wants to spotlight them. The post will have an eye catching graphic or some soft pastel art of the Palestinian they're signal boosting. But all I have are my words, and there are only so many ways I can say that the situation is dire. Nedaa and her elderly parents need money, and that the funds she so desperately needs aren't gonna come from anywhere else.

Donate now.

Tagging those who reblogged my other spotlight posts. Please DM if you want to be removed.

@nadezhda-wexler @nbphosphophyllite @nebularanger @nerd-juan

@newporters @ninthprime @northgazaupdates @nothingtoseemoveon @nukeli

@october-faye @opencommunion @oursapphirestars @pianananana

@pinaymermaid @pinkfordka @plumberrypudding @pokeblader3

@political-sideblog-dont-at-me @poprockspillage @probablyrobins

@progrockers @purpleartrowboat @q8p @quite-possibly-haunted

@r0b0friend @r0semultiverse @r3z1l1c1ous @racoonwithcoffee

@rainbow-rabbits-of-doom @rairyoke @raitnrong @reanimatestar

@rebellion-of-the-oppressed @remmybeegoosey @rhubarbspring

@romesagentofchaos

[thatshadowcomic]

Lore/HC: Underlined text links to original post👇

[For Character answered QnA and general "asks" click here]

You're welcome to expand on my ideas in your own way, but please credit me so they don't mix up with my own HCs/design choices.

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

Sonic & Shadow:

-Mobians hedgehogs "Anoit" their partners

-Sonadow children ideas

-related to the above, "WOULD sonic and shadow have kids?"

-Fave HCs/ what's it like living with rouge/ where's sonic live?

-Does shadow like/play any instruments?

-who likes to cuddle more?

-Sonic is an accidental flirt.

-Shadow's stripes will become more like the Black Arms emblem over time. His paws are already very similar... do you think his head stripes will change as he ages?

-Sonic grew up alongside Amy and other orphans/broken families. He cares for her a lot but can only see her as a sister-- the same way he sees Tails as his brother--so the idea of a relationship with her disgusts him. Maybe he sees Sonia when he looks at her?

-Before Sonic, Shadow and Rouge fell into a relationship. Shadow assumed they shared a deeper past, given how much Rouge knows and how comfortable she is around him. But really, Shadow didnt know what he wanted, assuming it just was this way. Rouge wasn't sure either, just trying to help Shadow in some way. That said, they learned a lot about themselves and eachother as they opened up-- but in the end deciding to return to just friends...Although it would take some time to feel normal again.

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

Shadow & Maria:

-Shadow's has dissociative fugue

-baby shadow (shadow and maria)

-Why Shadow knows how to swim

-Maria would have been a menace

-Maria told Shadow to comb his white fur up, so he looks more presentable, teasing, "You have a little built in tuxedo! See? Such a gentle-hog." :)

-I think Shadow liked sleeping in maria's bed. It was probably of great comfort to Maria during her sicker days... He was always being watched, so when they gave him his own bed/room, it must have felt isolating and alone. Do you think he had to wear pajamas so he wouldn't leave any fur in her bed?

-Some scientists/maria used to pet shadow and fluff up his cheeks, to Robotnik's displeasure. Shadow only recently learned that's something you do to your pet... he kind of misses it though.

-This is canon: Abraham Towers (commander) and Shadow grew up alongside each other, though their time was short. Ab was terrified of Shadow, because he saw Doom helping Gerald. He would warn the other's that shadow was some kind of demon, but Maria only became more protective of Shadow. He wasn't just an experiment to her, he was a person. As she became sicker, Ab blamed Shadow. But 50 years later, he finally understands and is trying to build some kind of bridge with Shadow, even allowing Shadow to visit his baby granddaughter. Just like Shadow, he let his anger and pain drive his choices.

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

AU ideas: Feel free to expand on these in your own way, just credit me for the initial idea, so it doesn't get mixed up as canon in my own HC lore lol.

-AU where Shadow is created on mobius

-Scene from the above AU where shadow is created on mobius

-Return to mobius/search for sonic's mom AU (idea)

-Return of Doom (AU where Shadow is copied and Doom controls shadow's old body)

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

Other characters:

-Metal sonic in my HC

-more metal sonic HC

-Manic is Scourge, who'd been sent into a zone for safety during the first bombing, only be have been lost to the "other" Mobius. He got a little crazy after that... No one knows what happened to Sonic's sister. It's assumed she died in the first Eggman attack. (or you could go with trans sonic hc? Would be an interesting/wholsome moment between Sonic & Shadow when he reveals it.)

-Omega is basically metal shadow...

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[sinful-mind-joyful-thoughts]

𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 | 1

part 2 - Life 360

screencaps and gifs: Pinterest

Pairing: dark!Joel Miller x Fem!reader

Warnings/tags: MDNI 18+, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, Drinking, food,flirting, DRUGGING, KIDNAPPING, talks of true crime THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME

Summary: A Tinder date goes very, very wrong, but you always considered yourself prepared for such situations.

WC: 2.9K

For notifications follow - @sinful-mind-joyful-fics

A/n: I tried to step out of my comfort zone a little with this. It's based on a post I saw while doom-scrolling on this app from @blondwhowrites. She had this amazing post about wanting to see more readers who fight and don't stop. They don't lose hope, they go into survival mode, and I just hope I do this idea somewhat justice.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

Two glasses of wine deep, you and your best friend sat comfortably on the couch, a true crime podcast playing in the background. The room was dimly lit, the only sources of light being the glow from the TV and the occasional flicker from a scented candle on the coffee table. The smell of lavender and vanilla filled the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of the red wine. 

You laughed as your friend, Jess, made a snide comment about the latest murder suspect discussed on the podcast. Her dark hair fell in waves around her face, a playful glint in her eyes as she took another sip of her wine. You felt a warm buzz from the alcohol, a pleasant contrast to the cold shiver the podcast sent down your spine.

"Can you believe some people are actually that dumb?" Jess snorted. "I mean, come on. Who leaves that much evidence behind?"

You nodded, your eyes focused on your phone screen, fingers swiping left and right in a rhythmic motion. Tinder had become a mindless distraction, a game you played together to pass the time and maybe, just maybe, find someone interesting. The profiles blurred together after a while, a parade of faces and bios that hardly registered in your mind.

"Ugh, another one with a fish picture," you groaned, swiping left. "Do they think holding a dead fish makes them more attractive?"

Jess laughed, nearly spilling her wine. "Maybe it's supposed to show they're 'outdoorsy' or something. Like, 'Hey, I can provide for you in the apocalypse with my fishing skills.'"

You rolled your eyes, ready to swipe again, when Jess nudged you with her elbow. "Wait, wait. Give me the phone for a sec."

Reluctantly, you handed it over, watching as she scrolled through your potential matches with a critical eye. She made a few quick swipes, her lips pursed in concentration.

"Nope. Nope. Definitely nope," she muttered. Then, suddenly, she paused, her finger hovering over the screen. "Oh, hello. Who's this?"

You leaned in, your curiosity piqued. On the screen was a man named Joel. He was 56, a contractor, and attractive for his age. His profile picture showed a ruggedly handsome man with a salt-and-pepper beard and piercing eyes that seemed to look right through you. He had an air of confidence about him, the kind that made you stop and take a second look.

"Damn," Jess said, raising her eyebrows. "He kind of looks like Pedro Pascal. Not bad for an older guy."

You couldn't help but agree. There was something undeniably appealing about Joel, something that made you hesitate before swiping. You read through his bio, which mentioned his love for traveling, his work as a contractor, and his interest in trying new wines. 

"Well," Jess said, nudging you again, "it's your last free swipe. What do you think?"

You took a deep breath, your finger hovering over the screen. There was a strange flutter in your chest, a mix of excitement and nervousness. Finally, with a small, decisive movement, you swiped right.

As the screen flashed "It's a match!", you felt a thrill of anticipation. Jess cheered, raising her glass in a mock toast. "Here's to Joel and his contractor skills. May he be as good with his hands as he is with a hammer."

The sound of your phone buzzing broke through the haze of wine and laughter. You glanced down, surprised to see a new message notification from Joel. Jess leaned over, peering at your screen.

"Well, well," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like Mr. Contractor is making the first move. That's not something you see every day."

"Yeah," you agreed, a bit taken aback. "It's kind of refreshing."

With a grin, you opened the message. It was simple, yet charming: "Hey there. I saw you like trying new wines. Any recommendations?"

Jess snickered, taking another sip of her wine. "Smooth, Joel. Real smooth."

You couldn't help but smile as you typed out a reply. "Hey Joel! If you like reds, you should try a good Malbec. There's a great one from Argentina that I'm obsessed with."

His response was almost immediate. "Sounds perfect. I've been meaning to expand my wine knowledge. Maybe you could give me a lesson sometime?"

You showed the message to Jess, who giggled and nudged you playfully. "Look at you, already setting up a date. You go, girl."

You blushed, quickly typing back. "I'd love to. Any wines you're particularly curious about?"

Joel's reply came swiftly. "I'm open to anything, really. Maybe you can surprise me?"

Jess leaned in, reading over your shoulder. "Ooh, he’s smooth. What are you going to say?"

"How about this," you muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Great! How about we start with a nice Pinot Noir? It's a favorite of mine."

"Sounds fantastic. Any recommendations for a good one?" Joel texted back.

Jess snorted. "He's definitely into you."

The conversation flowed easily after that. Joel proved to be both witty and engaging. He shared stories of his recent travel adventures, his favorite being a trip to Italy. "I spent a week in Tuscany, just soaking in the culture and, of course, the wine," he wrote.

You smiled, replying, "I've always wanted to go to Italy. Did you visit any vineyards?"

"Several! It was incredible. The scenery, the people...everything was perfect. You should definitely go if you get the chance."

Jess sighed dreamily. "Italy, vineyards, and wine? He’s painting quite the picture. Ask him about his work!"

You typed quickly, "So, tell me more about your work. What kind of projects do you usually take on?"

"I'm mostly into residential renovations, but I dabble in commercial projects too. Keeps things interesting. My favorite project was restoring this old Victorian house. Took a lot of work, but it was worth it."

Joel sent a photo of the Victorian house, its intricate details beautifully restored. Jess peered at the screen, impressed. "Wow, he's really good. That house looks amazing."

"Right?" you agreed, replying to Joel. "The house looks incredible. You have a real talent."

"Thank you! I love what I do. How about you? What keeps you busy?"

You shared stories about your job and hobbies, feeling the conversation flow as naturally as the wine. The atmosphere in the room grew even more relaxed, filled with the sound of your laughter and the comforting cadence of the podcast in the background.

"He's really something," Jess said, leaning back into the couch. "I haven't seen you this excited about anyone in a while."

You nodded, a warm flutter of excitement in your chest. "I know. It's...nice."

Jess smiled knowingly. "He's definitely a keeper. I should probably head home though. Work tomorrow, unfortunately."

"Yeah, me too," you sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment as the evening wound down.

Jess gathered her things, giving you a hug at the door. "Good luck with Joel. He seems like a great guy. Text me all the details later, okay?"

"Will do," you promised, waving as she disappeared into the night.

Returning to the couch, you saw another message from Joel. "It was great talking with you tonight. I'd love to continue our conversation over that Malbec. What do you say?"

You smiled, feeling a warm flutter of excitement. "I'd like that too. How about this weekend?"

Joel’s reply was quick. "That sounds perfect. How about Saturday night? I know a great Italian place downtown. We can have dinner and then maybe a glass of that Malbec at my place?"

You hesitated for a moment, the true crime stories from the podcast playing in your mind. But something about Joel felt genuine, and you decided to take a chance. "Saturday night works for me. What time?"

"How about 7 PM? I can pick you up if you’d like."

You thought about it, weighing the pros and cons. Jess had always warned you about letting strangers know where you lived, but Joel seemed different. Maybe it was the wine or his charm, but you felt a sense of trust. "Sure, that sounds great. I live at 112 Maple Street, apartment 4B."

"Got it. Looking forward to it. Have a good night!" Joel replied.

"Good night, Joel," you texted back, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

The next few days passed in a blur of anticipation. Jess was thrilled when you updated her, giving you tips on what to wear and what to talk about. By the time Saturday rolled around, you were a bundle of nerves and excitement.

As the clock neared 7 PM, you stood in front of your mirror, adjusting your dress for the hundredth time. It was a simple, elegant black dress that Jess had insisted was perfect for the occasion. You had paired it with a delicate necklace and your favorite heels, wanting to strike the right balance between casual and sophisticated.

Before heading downstairs, you grabbed your phone and texted Jess. "Hey, just a heads up. I’m going to that Italian place downtown with Joel. His address is 245 Fallsview Lane. I’ll text you when I get back. My Life360 will be on the whole night. Can you check on my location occasionally?"

Jess replied almost immediately. "Got it! Be safe and have fun. Text me if anything feels off. I'll keep an eye on your location."

You always prided yourself on being prepared. Too many hours of true crime shows had taught you the importance of caution. Sharing your whereabouts had become second nature; you never wanted to take any chances.

At exactly 7 PM, your phone buzzed with a message. "I’m outside :)"

You took a deep breath, grabbing your purse and heading downstairs. When you stepped outside, you saw Joel waiting by his car. He looked even better in person, his rugged charm accentuated by a casual yet stylish outfit.

"Hi," you greeted, feeling a bit shy.

"Hi," he replied with a warm smile. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," you said, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "You too."

Joel opened the car door for you, and you slid into the passenger seat, your nerves slowly easing as he drove towards the restaurant. The conversation flowed easily, much like it had over text, and by the time you arrived at the Italian place, you felt completely at ease.

The restaurant was cozy and inviting, with soft lighting and a warm atmosphere. Joel held the door open for you, and you were soon seated at a corner table, a bottle of red wine already waiting.

"This place is lovely," you said, looking around.

"I'm glad you like it," Joel replied, pouring you a glass of wine. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings," you echoed, clinking your glass against his.

The dinner was wonderful, filled with laughter and easy conversation. Joel was charming and attentive, his stories about his work and travels fascinating. He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the room, his eyes never leaving yours.

"So," Joel said, leaning back in his chair, "tell me more about yourself. What do you do when you're not working or swiping on Tinder?"

You laughed, taking a sip of your wine. "I'm a server, working my way through college. I'm studying to become a digital design artist. In my free time, I love reading, especially true crime. I also enjoy hiking. What about you?"

"I enjoy traveling and exploring new places," Joel said, his eyes twinkling. "I’ve been to quite a few countries. It's always interesting to see how people live and what they value. Speaking of which, are you close with your family?"

You hesitated for a moment, the memory of your dad's death flashing in your mind. "Not really. My dad passed away a few years ago, and things have been strained since then. My family lives across the state, so I don't see them often."

Joel's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be tough."

You nodded, feeling a bit vulnerable. "It is, but I've learned to rely on my friends. They're like my chosen family."

"That’s great," Joel said, smiling warmly. "Having a strong support system is so important. Do you have a big circle of friends, or do you keep it more intimate?"

"Mostly intimate," you said. "I have a few close friends who mean the world to me. Jess, who you’ve heard me mention, is my best friend. We've known each other forever."

Joel nodded, his eyes never leaving yours. "It sounds like you have a great support system. It's so important to have people you can rely on."

"Absolutely," you agreed, feeling warm and comfortable.

As the night went on, Joel skillfully guided the conversation, his questions always seeming casual and light. "So, have you ever traveled alone?" he asked, casually.

"Not really," you admitted. "I prefer to have someone with me. It feels safer that way."

"That's smart," Joel said, nodding approvingly. "Safety is always a priority. Speaking of which, do you have any health routines? Like, do you take any daily vitamins or medication?"

"Just the usual vitamins," you replied, not thinking much of it. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Joel said with a charming smile. "I like to know what keeps you healthy and happy."

You smiled, feeling flattered by his interest. The conversation continued to flow effortlessly, Joel's charm and attentiveness making you feel special.

After dinner, you and Joel were heading back to his place for a glass of Malbec. You hesitated again, the warnings from the true crime podcast whispering in your mind. But Joel's smile was disarming, and the evening had been so perfect that you found yourself agreeing.

Joel led you to his car, opening the door for you like a perfect gentleman. As he drove, you looked out the window, making a mental note of big landmarks. You saw the city skyline fading into the distance, a large water tower, and a distinctive old barn. You kept these in mind, your true crime-trained brain insisting on caution.

"So, what do you usually do to unwind after a long day?" Joel asked, his tone casual.

"I love reading," you replied, glancing at him. "Especially true crime. There's something fascinating about the psychology behind it all."

Joel chuckled, his eyes briefly meeting yours before returning to the road. "That's interesting. So you must know a lot about staying safe then, right?"

You nodded, feeling a bit more on guard. "Yeah, it's always good to be prepared."

Joel's eyes gleamed with a curiosity that felt too intense. "Do you ever get scared living alone?"

You shrugged, trying to keep your tone light. "Not really. I take precautions. Plus, I have friends who check in on me."

"That's smart," Joel said, nodding approvingly. "It’s good to have people who care about you."

Finally, you arrived at Joel’s place. It was a secluded farmhouse, far from the city lights and surrounded by dense woods. The house itself was charming, with warm lights glowing from the windows and a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

Joel led you inside, and you were greeted by the comforting smell of wood and faint hints of vanilla. He poured the Malbec, and you watched him closely, noting every move he made. He didn't seem to spike the drinks; it all looked perfectly innocent. You settled on the couch, feeling a mix of comfort and unease.

"Thank you for tonight," you said, raising your glass. "It’s been wonderful."

"Thank you," Joel replied, his eyes meeting yours. "I’m glad we matched."

You took a sip of the wine, savoring its rich flavor. As you talked, the conversation drifted naturally.

"So, what inspired you to go into digital design?" Joel asked, his curiosity genuine.

"I've always loved art and technology," you explained. "Digital design feels like the perfect blend of both. Plus, I enjoy creating things that people find useful and beautiful."

Joel nodded appreciatively. "That's a great combination. Do you have a favorite project you've worked on?"

You smiled, thinking back. "Probably a website I designed for a non-profit. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding."

Joel leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. "That sounds amazing. Do you see yourself starting your own firm one day?"

"I'd love to," you admitted, feeling the warmth of his attention. "But for now, I'm just focusing on finishing my degree."

"That’s smart," Joel said. "One step at a time."

You took another sip of the wine, feeling a strange dizziness creeping in. Your vision blurred slightly, and you set your glass down, trying to focus.

"So, do you have any big plans for the future?" Joel asked, his voice sounding distant.

"I... I want to finish my degree," you managed to say, the room starting to spin.

Your true crime instincts kicked in hard. Something was wrong. Very wrong. You discreetly reached for your phone, trying to text Jess, but your fingers felt heavy and uncoordinated.

Joel’s voice was soothing, almost too soothing. "You seem a bit tired. Are you okay?"

You nodded, your heart racing. You had to get out. Now. You fumbled with your phone, trying to hit the call button for Jess, but your vision swam.

Joel leaned in closer, his expression concerned. "Do you need to lie down? Maybe you had too much wine."

Panic surged through you as you struggled to keep your thoughts clear. "No, I... I need to..."

Just as you were about to press send, the phone slipped from your fingers. Joel was quicker, catching you as you slumped forward. "Easy there," he murmured, his arms strong and steady around you.

The last thing you saw before darkness claimed you was Joel's face, his expression unreadable. The phone buzzed futilely on the floor, Jess’s name glowing on the screen.

[ponett]

Whenever I complain about graphic or dark content in media I watch, I keep hearing people retort with this apparently very popular opinion that people who enjoy comfy, wholesome things are actually more likely to be raging assholes than people who love things like death metal and gore. As someone who seems to enjoy comfy, wholesome things yourself and likely met many others who enjoy similar such things, do you agree with this opinion? If so, why do you think this happens?

So I've been sitting on this ask for like a week, not knowing whether or not I wanted to touch it because it kind of feels like being handed a live grenade

For one, I don't like being pigeonholed as someone who just likes "comfy" or "wholesome" things. Yeah, I enjoy My Little Pony and Animal Crossing. I made a game with cute furry characters and lots of bright colors. I also enjoy things like Berserk and Chainsaw Man and Doom and violent crime dramas and punk rock with vulgar lyrics and porn. Variety is the spice of life

Anyway: I generally don't think it's a good idea to make sweeping statements about peoples' moral or intellectual character based on what genres of story they enjoy, regardless of what direction you're coming at it from. But this is a very leading question that kind of skirts around the root problems

There's frequent (perhaps a bit exaggerated) pushback these days against people who prefer their fiction to be a warm blanket, a form of escapism meant to distract you from the real world. In particular, the dreaded "person who only watches kids' cartoons" is a form of this that gets brought up a lot. I don't think the root problem here is what media people enjoy or don't personally enjoy - taste is subjective, and I don't think it's a moral obligation for everyone to have diverse tastes in TV shows - but I do think some folks should try to get out of their comfort zone a bit more. Sometimes stuff that seems like it won't be for you on a surface level will really end up speaking to you, but you won't know until you give it a shot. Trust me, I've been there many times

It becomes a problem when people demand that media ONLY cater to that "warm blanket" attitude. And I think that's part of the reason why that stereotype you mentioned about fans of ""wholesome""" media being assholes exists. People who view dark or violent content as an inherent flaw because it's not what they like. People who yell at creators when they make bad things happen in their stories, because how dare you do this to my comfort characters? People who say movies should never have sex scenes. People who want "problematic" moral complexity stripped out in favor of black and white moral instruction. People who seem to hate any sort of interpersonal conflict in fiction at all

These attitudes can be the result of many different cultural factors, factors that can't all be traced back to Tumblr or what shows you like, but sometimes it's definitely because of that lack of broader perspective on media. You can tell when someone's opinions on The Right And Wrong Ways To Write Fiction were shaped almost entirely by, like, Steven Universe discourse. (Yes, this is a jab at Lily Orchard.) And when these people are very loud about their opinions, well, it becomes a trend people notice

Like. I don't know you. You sent this anonymously. But when you say you "complain about graphic or dark content in media you watch"... that could mean a few wildly different things! Maybe you're just venting about something that unexpectedly triggered you, and that's totally fine. But the wording could also imply that, like, you take issue with these things being present at all, and that you expect a person who likes "death metal and gore" to be more of a "raging asshole" than someone who likes the "wholesome" things you like. So... well, maybe you're more dismissive or judgmental of things outside your comfort zone than you realize?

Unfortunately, in case it's not already obvious, on the internet this shit quickly becomes a proxy battle over dozens of intersecting cultural issues at once where everyone is kinda just talking past each other. So it gets messy

For example, I have no reason to believe that the people who run the "Wholesome Games" showcases have anything against games that are dark or violent or contain adult themes. (They've outright said they don't. Many times!) But when you see people going "why is Spiritfarer allowed in the showcase? That's a game about DEATH and that's NOT WHOLESOME, why would you make me think about death?" or "Ugh, why does Disco Elysium have to be about a cop? Why can't we apply these systems to a game about a young witch who's trying to find a lost cat in an idyllic village instead?" it... Well, it makes me sympathetic towards the indies who don't feel comfortable with the "Wholesome Games" label and consider it limiting. But it also doesn't make me think that devs catering to a demand for more chill, nonviolent video games are categorically facilitating fascist censorship from the Christian right

It's complicated! The written word is imprecise and the internet is a nightmare

I've kind of gone off on multiple tangents here. Basically: I do think that people can kinda turn fans of "comfy" media or "adults who only watch Bluey" into an overblown boogeyman these days. I think people online generally have a habit of swinging too hard in one direction or another in their stances on certain things, overcompensating based on what group of people online are currently annoying them the most and turning said group into like The Main Problem With Society Today. But I also think that boogeyman only exists because of very real examples of people demanding that everything cater to their narrow comfort zone. Go like what you like, but also, y'know. Don't be that person

[apricitystudies]

what i read in 2023: best of

(full monthly lists) bold = favourite, * = interactive

investigative & longform journalism

shadow diplomats

the deputy and the disappeared* (usa)

adrift*

catching the men who sell subway groping videos (japan)

inside the secretive world of penile enlargement

have assisted dying laws gone too far? (canada)

the journalist and the pharma bro

raising the dead (south africa)

crime & justice

crime of the centuries

the indonesian children australia sent to adult jails for years*

the mercy workers (usa)

the occupation of water (palestine)

a hidden universe of suffering (palestine)

history

from mind control to murder

singapore's prison without walls made the world sit up in 1960s. how did it fall apart?* (interactive journey here)

the horrors of pompeii

blood on his hands* (cambodia)

culture & essays

quantum poetics

honey, i sold the kids

how to wash your hands in a war zone (colombia)

the strangely beautiful experience of google reviews

"blurred lines", harbinger of doom

the teacher crush

what kind of future does de-extinction promise?

[monitoringmiku]

(YOU KNOW WHO I AM) This can either go angst or fluff, depending on how much you want to hurt people ZZZ The people from the Victoria's Housekeeping company (separate or together, your choice) with a reader who can't take care of themself :) (Cleaninng, eating, etc)

Victoria's Housekeeping - Zenless Zone Zero

Reader who is struggling with self care.

It was late, so late at night. It had nearly been two days since you last left your room or even talked to any of the housekeepers, Lycaon had come by several times now to check in, Corin stopped by to leave food at your door but it went cold. You just couldn't get up, no matter how much your head willed you to you just couldn't do it. You were piled under at least three blankets, doom scrolling on your phone when another knock came.

"We have dinner ready if you'd like to join us.." The voice was soft, nervous even, it was Corin, Rina had probably sent her when you weren't responding.

Yet you still didn't say anything, just pulled the blankets over your head, you felt bad ignoring her when she was just trying to be polite. But you just couldn't will yourself to even mutter a response.

There was a soft sigh on the other side of the door as footsteps padded away.

After a while you ended up falling asleep, it wasn't a nice sleep, it was short and you woke up at the slightest noise. After a while your door opened, you could have sworn you locked it but you couldn't be sure, your body was too exhausted to move. One warm hand hooked under your legs and one on your back, lifting you up. You assumed it was Lycaon but didn't care to look up and check.

He brought you downstairs and put you down in a chair, he was too worried to just let you keep rotting in your room, he would usually leave you be as long as he knew you were eating but he had a feeling you weren't.

He sat you down in a chair with a blanket, putting a bowl of warm soup with a bottle of water. He didn't say anything but gave you a book and sat in a chair next to you. He didn't say anything, nor was he going to force you.but he wasn't going to let you lock yourself away, he wanted to keep an eye on you.

Would you like your own annon emojis while you're here? I did it as one longer fic so it wasn't too short for each one. Sorry if anyone is ooc. I kept it as comfort so I hope you don't mind that. It took forever to finish cause I had no motivation. Also I don't know them too well.

[writerofadream]

Fortune favors the Bold ⛓

TDI!Duncan x Juvie Bestfriend! Reader ⛓

Chapter Five: Hug me (Or kiss me)

You and Duncan stared as most of the 'Screaming Gopher's' team jumped down. Then it got to Owen. Geoff, Gwen, and You go to the outhouses all stationed around various areas on the island. When it's your turn to go in, you start to laugh. "He's going to drown us all if he jumps. I for one, am to young to die."

Then you go back to the moutain and see he still hasn't jumped.

"We're all doomed aren't we?" Duncan whispered in your ear. "Oh most certainly." You laugh under your breath.

Then you watch as your end falls from the sky, and hits the water like a bomb making water splash all around you dispersing the campers in every which way. Duncan and you landed right by each other, his legs tangled with yours.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate water?" Duncan groaned his body shivering from excess fear he was shoving down. "Actually yes, countless of times." You laughed ruffling his hair as he pinned you to the grown smiling. "Don't touch the hair, princess."

"Yes, yeah! Who's the man?" Owen yelled from the safe zone in the water. The Screaming Gophers had won, the team cheered and you groaned. "Coward fucking Courtney." Duncan hit his head against the sand in contempt. "Be nice." You lightly punched his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" You heard Trent ask. "I think I lost my bathing suit." Owen muttered. "Ew." All the campers voiced their varying opinions of grossness.

As their prize the Screaming Gophers got wagons to wheel their boxes, but that didn't really bother you. The rest of your team? Yeah, it bothered them. Duncan kicked his, you just carried yours on your shoulders. "Lift with your back wasn't meant to be taking literally." Duncan teased you smiling as Eva and Courtney argued.

Tyler finally voiced his need to take a piss (for some reason) and suddenly Sadie and Katie had to go as well much to Eva's dismay. Luckily, it didn't take them very long but you noticed when Satie and Katie returned their thighs were a redish tint, but you stayed silent.

"Poison Ivy?" Duncan asked from next to you. "Oh for sure." You smiled as Chris asked you guys what was taking so long, lightly screaming when he saw Courtney's eye which was now pulsating.

Duncan rememebered when you both were around nine and were sent to 'Wilderness Survival School for troubled kids' and one of your teachers left you all in the middle of nowhere in a forest for three weeks without any supplies.

Bridgette began asking them what kinda plants had been around them when they had left, and she very quickly realized their mistake. "You guys squatted on poison ivy." She laughed behind her palm. "Oh no way, that's awesome." Chris laughed at the now freaking out girls.

Finally they ran into the water and you guys left them behind.

Geoff tried to give you all a 'inspiring speech' but in reality it made you realize how close you were to tackling someone. Courtney decided she was going to be the 'project' manager and yelled at Duncan almost immediately.

She put you in charge of building the motor which you did with ease. They had you build small engines at juvie a LOT and she had Duncan use his switchblade to cut the boxes open. But everyone else failed their jobs... spectactuarly.

The other team's hottub looked terrific.

Yours look like it did drugs.

So obviously, they won.

Yours had exploded the second Chris had touched it. "Well, I think we have a winner here." the host yelled. "The Screaming Gophers!" He announced their prize. "I'll see your sorry butts at the campfire tonight." He yelled at you guys.

Once it was time for dinner, Katie (or was it Sadie?) finally asked the question everyone was dying to know. "So- uh- what do we do now?" she muttered. "We have to figure out who we're going to vote off." Courtney explained her eye still swelling. "Well, I think it should be you sweetheart." You smiled pointing at her. "Or maybe the brick house here." Duncan pointed at DJ. "What! Why?" Courtney whined.

"Because, unless I'm mistaken, you two are the only ones here with the chicken hats, and if we ever have to lift a truck I like our chances better with the big guy." Duncan bumped shoulders with DJ causing the man to smile.

"You guys need me. I'm the only one-" Courtney began to whine. "We know, who used to be a real C.I.T." Bridgette groaned rolling her eyes. "I hate to break it to you hun, no one gives a shit." You laughed at Courtney's expression. "So who would you pick?" Bridgette asked finally letting the girl speak.

"What about him?" Courtney pointed at Tyler causing Lindsay to scream at the other table. "At least he jumped off the cliff." Duncan pointed out. "Chicken wing." You chimed in causing Courtney to yell "Shut it!" At you. "Okay, let's just chill out, this is getting way too heavy." Geoff got between you both causing you to growl.

"I've had enough prison food for one day. I'm gonna take a nap, you coming Y/N?" You both stood up to go walk off but Courtney stopped you. "You can't do that, we haven't decided who's going yet." She complained causing you to groan. "I just told get why we lost, eh. They're the ones that have six girls." That made you stop dead in your tracks because there ain't no way Ezekiel just said that.

Before Duncan could stop you, you had shoved Ezekiel's face against the table slamming it hard. "What's that supposed to mean?" Bridgette growled. "Yeah home school, enlighten us." Eva hissed. "Well guys are much stronger and better at sports then girls are." Ezekiel said his voice muffled against the table. "Dumbass." Duncan groaned from behind you.

Geoff saw this look in your eyes and took a step back. "Oh snap, he did not just say that." Geoff laughed putting a hand to his face. "My dad told me to look out for the girls here, eh, and to help them in case they can't keep up." Eva grabbed Ezekiel by the throat pulling him up. "Still think we need your help keeping up?" She growled. "Not really." Ezekiel shrugged. "Okay guys let's give him a break." Geoff had Eva drop him. "At least he doesn't think guys are smarter then girls." Geoff explained and suddenly Ezekiel decided to say..

"Well they are!"

Duncan had to pull you off of him.

That night at the campfire Duncan sat on the bench and you sat at his feet . "Dude, you've got a lot to learn about the real world." He advised the homeschooled boy. "Killer bass, at camp marshmallows represent a tasty treat that you enjoy roasting by the fire. At this camp marshmallows represent life. You've all cast your votes and made your decision. Thee are only eleven marshmallows on this plate. When I call your name, come up and claim your marshmallow. The camper that does not recieve a marshmallow tonight must immediately return to the dock of shame to catch the boat of losers. That means you're out of the contest and you can't come back... ever. The first marshmallow goes to... Geoff." Chris explained the 'game.'

You weren't worried.

He went down the list of names rather quickly.

"Duncan. Y/N." Chris called out and Duncan threw a marshmallow into your mouth. You hated toasted marshmallows. Finally Chris made his last annoucement. "Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the evening." It was between Courtney and Ezekiel. You stared at your bloodied knuckles.

.....

......

.....

.....

"Courtney. Can't say I'm surprised, I saw you picking your nose, not cool bro. Dock of shame is that way." Chris pointed and for some damn reason Ezekiel looked surprised.

After the rest of them ate their marshmallows you walked back to the cabins going past the dancing gophers. You stepped up onto your cabin's steps and everyone quickly went inside leaving Duncan and you alone. He kissed your knuckles. "Your anger is a beaut everytime." He quietly teased grabbing your waist to bring you closer.

"Mhm." You laughed.

"Well, goodnight scorpion." He kissed your cheek and you fucking blushed to your dismay. "Screw you, tiger." You kissed his cheek right back and dissapeared before he could say anything. You left the 'green-haired dickhead' standing there holding his cheek in surprise.

-----------

|Trending on X right now|

#Yourangerisabeaut

#CHRISTMASS

#holyshittheykissed

#THEYLOVEEACHOTHERRR

#homealoneremake

----------

[glitcheslikeslego]

Show Me Your Moves (Chapter 21)

AO3 STORY

Chapter 21 : Attack Order

Attack Order is an attacking move with an increased critical hit ratio. It is one of the signature moves of Vespiquen.

Lunar New Year.

Oh gods, Lunar New Year.

You were with Sandy as he handed out little trinkets from his giant backpack, wishing everyone a prosperous new year. You had a bag of friendship bracelets Sandy somehow managed to convince you to make. 

So as you walked around, you decided to vibe instead of thinking about the impending doom that is Spider Queen’s eventual attack.

The night was fun so far, at least. For almost every friendship bracelet you gave out, someone gave you something in return, from samples of food to their own little trinkets, your little bag was starting to get full. 

“Good cheer and happy new year! Look at all these delicious goodies! I got enough to share!” Sandy cheered as you handed the person a bracelet. 

“Ooh! Thanks guys!” Mei thanked him as she grabbed a goodie and the bracelet I offered her. 

“So uh, where’s MK?” Sandy asked, not seeing MK anywhere. 

Pigsy grumbled. “Would you guys please screw around somewhere else!? I got a business to run so if you ain’t gonna help, go bother some other noodle shop owner!”

You and Sandy ended up sticking around with Pigsy to help him out, but at some point, Sandy sent you off to go and get something to eat. So far, nothing was piquing your interest, until you heard a loud yell from one of the stalls.

You looked in and saw Red Son and DBK in the stall, making their hella spicy barbeque. They were talking between each other, and DBK was yelling about something, but you zoned out, eyes wide.

Why?

The Spider Queen attacks.

There was chaos all around, and you went to return to Sandy and the others before you were attacked by one of the spider bots, it having landed on the back of your head. In a panic, you immediately grab it and throw it into another bot before running back to the others.

Thankfully it wasn’t a very far run, it was just surrounded by spider bots. You shook them all off as you ran.

“Sandy!” You yell out.

“Bestie, get up here!” Mei called back, helping you climb up. Another spider bot jumped onto your leg but you kicked it off.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Tang yelled as you all began running to the docks to where Sandy’s boat was.

“What about MK?” Mei asked worriedly.

“MK’s with Monkey King, remember? He’ll be safe… I hope…” You muttered that last bit to yourself.

“Trying to get away from the spiders and we're in the middle of the o—cean?” Tang trained off as a bunch of spider bots appeared, and Sandy’s boat broke down.

“Um, Sandy? We gotta get going soon.” Mei said, with all of you huddling closer to Sandy, who had brought out his control remote.

“Don't do this to me.” The control burst into flames. You took the fire extinguisher and put it out. “I don't usually have this problem. Honest.”

Tang’s glasses reflected over. “We're all gonna die.”

The spiders all began closing in on all of you. “Uh, Sandy?” Mei panicked.

Pigsy growled. “Get us out of here!”

“Uh, working on it!” Sandy says as he rummages through his boat, looking for something.

Spider Queen’s lackey, Huntsman, began approaching the group, and you, Pigsy and Mei immediately took on a fighting stance.

“We can handle one of her lackeys.” He says with full confidence before Strong Spider emerges. Now he’s worried. “Two of her lackeys? Oh boy.”

Huntsman and Strong Spider were about to attack, but at the perfect moment, MK flew down from the sky.

“Guys! You're okay! I thought you've been turned into gross spider thingies. They're. Everywhere! I can still feel them crawling all over me.” He shuddered, hugging the staff.

“Kid, focus!” His boss yelled out, making MK snap out of it.

MK nodded determinedly and faced the spiders, despite still being terrified. The spiders smirked evilly, making MK panic again.

“Sandy! It's now or never, old buddy!” Pigsy yelled, to which Sandy yelled back, holding up another remote triumphantly. He pressed the button and a meow was heard in the distance.

“Uh, Sandy?” Mei looked confused.

“Give it a minute!”

Then, a drone looking ship arrived to pick you all up. The Dronecopter, if you will. We all immediately hop onto the Dronecopter to escape the spider demons.

Everything was fine for now. You had escaped on the Dronecopter and everything progressed as is. Then MK revealed that Spider Queen had captured Monkey King, and everyone gasped.

MK explained what had happened, and you all gave him comforting words, and everything was fine again.

But then Red Son fell from the sky.

Sandy punched his bike, which crashed into bits when it landed, and he was holding Red Son by his face.

“Red Son!?”

~~~

<PREV ~ NEXT>

[er-osion]

Star-Studded Problems

pairing:  famous actor!Nikolai Lantsov x gn!Reader

summary:  Nikolai Lantsov is a famous actor and your boyfriend, but that means being apart from each other while he’s working is especially difficult

word count:  3.3k

warnings:  hurt/comfort

⋄∘∗⋅⋆≁≁⋆⋅∗∘⋄

For the fifth time today you reload Instagram’s homepage to see if there are any new photos of Nikolai on your feed.  While you both hate the paparazzi, when he’s away you can’t help but feel the slightest bit grateful for them because they allow you to see your boyfriend more than you usually would considering the distance between the two of you.

It’s been hard lately.  Nikolai has been gone for a little over a year now and all the two of you have are sporadic facetimes and texts.  You’re both so busy and now that you’re in different time zones, talking for long periods of time has become almost impossible.  You miss him to the point of injury.  Waking up alone in your apartment every morning is the worst way to start your day.  You miss his voice, his smell, his touch, his everything.  Your life feels so empty when he’s not around.  You know it’s his job and you know what you were signing up for when the two of you got together three years ago, but that doesn’t make it any less painful every time he has to leave to film a new movie.

While doom scrolling in your bed that’s too empty you come across yet another edit of Nikolai.  You smirk and rewatch it a few times.  How could you not?  He’s the finest man you know and he’s your boyfriend, you’re allowed to watch edits of him.  Then you mistakenly open the comments out of habit and the happy smirk on your face twists into a frown.  Everyone is praising him and declaring their undying love and attraction for him and your stomach gathers up into knots.  Usually you don’t care about comments like these, in fact, they usually flatter you because you know how wanted Nikolai is and you’re the only one in the world who knows him as your partner not just a celebrity crush.  But on days when the weight of missing him crushes your chest, seeing other people fawn over the man you don’t even get to see makes you hysterically jealous.

It’s not fair.  You miss him so goddamn much and everyone else just gets to enjoy looking at him without enduring the pain of missing him.  You immediately exit the app and open your messages, hurriedly typing one out to Nikolai.

You:  hey, idk if u saw my other messages, hope ur day has been good. miss u lots, text or call me when u can

You press send and see the blue bubble float up underneath the other three you sent earlier in the day that have yet to be seen.  Feeling trapped because of the lack of response, you shove your phone into the covers and put on one of your comfort tv shows to try and distract you.  You don’t get any notifications until a couple of hours later.  Looking at the notification, your heart picks up in anticipation when you see the contact name.

Nik❤️:  hey honey, sorry i didn’t respond earlier, super busy.

  my day was good, miss u so much tho so it was only mediocre 

  omw back to my room rn, i’ll call u when i get there

The smallest sad smile appears on your face at his promise to call you.  Instead of returning your focus to the show, you count the minutes until his face pops up on your screen to alert you to an incoming call.  You immediately pick up and almost let out a cry of relief as the sound of his voice floods your ear.

“Heyyy, how’s my favorite person ever?”  He asked sweetly, but you could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

“Terrible.”  You say dramatically, indulging in the little laugh you pull from him with your joking tone.

“Oh no, we can’t have that.”  You can practically see him shaking his head pitifully, “Tell me what’s wrong, baby.”

“I’m in too much pain, Nik.  Miss you too much.”

“Aw, lovey, you know I’m hurting just as much as you.  What can I do to help?”

“You could come home.”  You meant it as a joke, knowing he can’t just get up and leave work, but the joke falls flat and the line goes quiet for a second.

“You know I can’t.”  This time, when Nikolai speaks it’s without playfulness or cheer, instead it’s depressed and so so tired.  It hurts your heart to hear him like this, “You know that all I want is to be home with you right now.  But the movie is almost done shooting, I’ll be home soon.  We just gotta hold off a little longer.”

Out of nowhere, anger bubbles up within you.  What’s this ‘we’ he’s talking about?  He gets to spend his time apart from you with hundreds of people who absolutely adore him and fawn over him.  He gets to work in fun places with fun people while you have to work the same job everyday with those couple of shit coworkers and no one whose job it is to specifically fawn over you.  He gets to live in luxury with people he can share unnumbered laughs with, while you have to sit in the apartment the two of you decorated together and live off of the cold memories of his presence.  He talks of missing you just as much as you miss him, but how could he?  Everytime you see one of those paparazzi pictures or Insta posts from his costars, you can see him having the time of his life.  Without you.

You can’t help the petty response that blurts out of you, “Yeah right, ‘we’.”  You mutter with a scoff.

“Excuse me?”  He questions over the line.  “What does that mean?”  His tone isn’t rude but you can tell you caught him off guard with your sudden change in attitude.

“Nothing.”  You mutter under your breath, hoping he’ll drop it because you don’t feel like diving into the whirlpool that is your current emotional state.

“No no, don’t do that.  Tell me what’s wrong, what’s going on?”

“Nothing Nikolai, I’m sorry let’s just drop it, I’m just tired.”

“I think you’re lying to me.”  He pushes.

“I said, let’s drop it.”  Your tone is getting more and more clipped.

“Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t respond to you earlier, I really was busy, I would’ve answered if I could’ve, you know that.”  He says with a sigh and you want to pull your hair out over the fact he thinks that’s what’s bothering you.

“I’m not upset about that so don’t worry about it.”  You tell him shortly.

“But you’re clearly upset about something, so what is it?”

“Nothing!  Fuck, I just—”  You’re interrupted by Nikolai’s stuttering voice as he fumbles a few curses and apologizes.  You ask him what happened.

“Sorry sorry, Alina was trying to call me and I was trying to decline it without hanging up on you.”  He answered hurriedly.

Your heart drops and your stomach feels sick.  Alina is one of his co stars, one of the prettier ones at that. It’s not that you don’t like her, in fact, you think she’s really nice.  But god she’s gorgeous and she gets to be around Nikolai all the time and now they’re calling each other late at night?  When did that become a thing?

“It’s probably urgent you should just answer her, we’ll talk later or something.”  Your voice starts out biting but ends up dropping into a saddened tone.

“What?  No, if it was an emergency she’d be spamming me.  I want to talk to you right now.  Why are you being so weird today?”  You can hear the confusion and distress in Nikolai’s voice. 

“I’m not being weird, fuck.  Sorry if me being tired or not in a great mood is upsetting to you or not what you want to deal with.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not upset at you, I just want you to talk to me.  I know you.  I know when something’s up, and I can tell there’s something bothering you more than you’re letting on.  So please, just talk to me.”

You don’t respond immediately.  You’re trying to choke down a sob as all the emotions you’ve kept bottled up these past few weeks threaten to spill over.  You know you’re probably overreacting right now, but you can’t help but feel like everything is an attack on your sanity and stability.  Sometimes all you need is a little push and everything becomes too much to handle.  Maybe you’ve been shoving things down too much lately, and now you’re paying the price.  “I don’t know if I can do this anymore, Nik.”  Your whisper breaks painfully as you speak.

There’s a long pause, as if Nikolai stopped breathing on the other side before you hear his voice come out uncharacteristically quiet and shaky, “What?”  there’s another pause, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I can’t handle this anymore.  This distance, the uncertainty, the longing, the jealousy.  I just can’t take it anymore.”  The words come tumbling out of your mouth and each realization is a punch to the stomach.

“Baby, no no don’t say that.”  Nikolai’s voice is cracking through the speaker on your phone, “C’mon, what do you have to be uncertain about?  Do you not know how much I love you?”

God, Nikolai sounds absolutely heartbroken and it tears your heart to shreds, “No, Kolya, I know how much you love me.  But I just– I can barely put it into words– I’m just tired.  So goddamn tired, Nikolai, this is just too much.”

“No, no.  Not fair.”  Suddenly his voice takes on a more desperate tone.  It’s edged but you can hear the desperation behind it, “You said you were okay to make this work.  You said we’d get through anything.  We agreed on forever.  You can’t– you can’t just end it all now.”

“Excuse me?  You can’t force me to stay, you don’t control me like that, don’t make decisions for me.”

“No, fuck, that’s not what I mean, malyska please.”  You hear Nikolai let out a sound somewhere between a whine and a groan and you can practically see him raking his hand through his blonde tresses in distress.  “I don’t mean I’m forcing you to stay, y’know I’d never force you to do anything.  But fuck, I don’t want you to just give up on us like that.”

“I don’t want to give up, but I’m just out of stamina.  I can’t keep living like this.  Do you know how much it hurts when you’re away?  You get to be out there, living your dream, seeing places and people you’ve never seen before, getting doted on by innumerable amounts of people who love and adore you, constantly surrounded by friends.  But me?  I get to wake up and go to sleep everyday in a bed we picked out together for two.  I have to go to a job where people don’t always respect me, I don’t get to see all these amazing sights, and worst of all; no matter where I go I’m force fed reminders of the fact the one person I need the most isn’t here, the fact that the love of my life is far away from me and everyone in the world gets to enjoy him through whatever media they want but not me, because nothing will ever make me happier than when you’re around and you’re never around anymore.”  By the end of your speech you’re sobbing.  The weight of missing him and the constant reminders of his absence have slowly chipped away at your will and now the floodgates have burst.  You’re so focused on all your aching and tears that you barely notice how long Nikolai is silent on the other end, processing everything you just said.

“Darling, fuck.”  Nikolai’s throat is so constricted he can barely get his words out.  His mind is running a mile a minute and tears are burning his cheeks and his heart hurts so fucking much and he’s freaking out because you genuinely sound ready to end the relationship and he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do without you, “I don’t– I don’t even no where to start.  First of all, you think I’m not suffering too?  Just because I’m living the ‘high life’ you seem to think I’m living doesn’t mean I’m not hurting just as much as you are.  I have to go to sleep and wake up everyday in a hotel room that couldn’t be any colder.  There’s nothing personal to me anywhere I go.  Everywhere is just a harsh reminder of the fact that I’m so far away from home.  I see all these things and all these people and the only person I ever want to share that with is you.  I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve turned my head to whisper something to you and you weren’t there, because of course you weren’t, you’re thousands of miles away.  But I do it every time and it hurts everytime because my heart always tells me you’re meant to be at my side so my brain just assumes you’re there.  I see all my fans and I get so annoyed because they act like you don’t exist, but you’re the only person I want to hear fawning over me because you’re the only person I trust and love to do so.  I’m always reaching out to you when I roll over in my sleep and everytime my arm is met with nothing but air I fucking cry because the only thing I truly need is to be near you.  I hate that I’m missing so much of your day.  I hate that I can’t look you in the eyes while you talk to me and I can’t hug you or cuddle up next to you at the end of the day.  Milaya, I love you so fucking much it hurts, and you’re fucking killing me right now with this talk of leaving us.”

You can hear him sniffling over the phone and you’re gasping for breath and trying to calm down enough to respond, “Nik, I’m sorry I’m so sorry.  I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to hurt you.  I just don’t think I can take it anymore.  It’s too much.  I just— I can’t…”  You keep repeating yourself because you have no idea what else to say.  How do you convey the indescribable anguish and isolation you feel at his absence?

“I know I know, baby.  I’m here, please just stay with me for a bit longer, please.”  Nikolai feels as if he could just stretch his arm out and reach you but the impossibility of that movement is kicking him while he’s down.  “The shooting is going to be over so soon.  And then I’ll be home.  I’ll be home soon and then we can take as much time as we need.  But please, my love, please I’m begging you, just hold on for a bit longer.  I love you so fucking much and I need you to just stay for a little more and then we’ll figure everything out, I promise.  Please, angel, promise me you’ll wait just a bit more before calling it quits, please.”

“Okay, Nik, I promise.  I promise, I’ll keep going a bit longer, for us.  I know it’s not really your fault, I know that, and I love you.  I love you to the moon and back, Nikolai Lantsov.”

“I love you too, darling.  I’ve gotta go, but I’ll text you as soon as I get the chance.”  You can tell by the sound of his voice that he’s scared to end the phone call but you assure him everything’s going to be alright and he eventually hangs up.

After the call ends you pretty much pass out, being completely and utterly drained after that emotional rollercoaster.  It was some of the deepest sleep you’ve had in months but you can feel the annoying crust of dry tears when you wake up.

It’s a late Saturday afternoon.  The sun beams gently into your apartment, the air is still and warm but it lacks something.  You’re sitting on the couch watching TV with a cup of tea cradled in your hands when the sound of a key jiggling in the door startles you.  You spring up from your spot on the couch just in time to see someone step through the door.  He has a duffle bag slung over his broad shoulders and one of his ringed hands is gripping a rolling suitcase.  He’s casually dressed in grey sweatpants and a light blue compression t-shirt.  He moves to pull the headphones from around his neck, they catch on his necklace before he hooks them around his bag.  His blond waves have that signature airplane messiness and his hazel eyes have dark circles beneath them.  But god, when he sees you, his whole face lights up brighter than the sun.  Within seconds you’ve jumped into his arms and Nikolai is crushing you against his chest in the tightest and most comforting hug you’ve ever felt.  He smells like expensive cologne, pine, and sea salt and you inhale him like a starved man in front of a feast.  His hands roam everywhere, needing to feel all of you in his hold to cement the fact that you’re finally here with him.  You’re both shaking with joy and relief and stay holding each other for minutes on end.  Just you and him clutching onto each other in the foyer, like you both fear the other will disintegrate if you let go.

“Saints, I missed you so fucking much.”  His whisper trembles as he nuzzles his face into your neck to press desperate kisses onto your skin.

“I missed you too, Kolya, I missed you too much to put into words.”  Your own voice was just as choked.  After a few more minutes of just holding one another, Nikolai finally rights himself and puts a few inches of distance between the two of you.

“Be honest with me, are you still thinking about breaking up?”  Nikolai does everything in his power not to look as scared as he is but you can see the fear in his eyes.

You reach a hand up to cradle his cheek, drawing small circles on his cheekbone with your thumb.  Nikolai instinctively leans into your hand.  “No, not really, not seriously.  I wanted out of the pain more than anything, not the relationship.  I was just at my wit’s end with miss you, I couldn’t tolerate the hurt anymore and I irrationally thought breaking up would put an end to it.”  You explained, having had time over the months between the phone call and now to be able to reflect on your little break down.

“So you don’t want to break up?”  Nikolai asked and your heart broke a little bit at his hesitant tone.

“No, I don’t want to break up.  I want to spend every minute of every day with you.”  You reassured him with a smile.

“Good, at least we’re on the same page about that.”  Nikolai mirrors your grin and you feel butterflies erupt in your stomach at the small sign that Nikolai is feeling more himself now that the fear of a break up is gone.  “So what do you want to do?  Now that I’m home.”  He asked with a smirk and a kiss on your cheek.

“We can resume our show, there’s a lot of episodes to catch up on since you’ve been gone.”  You suggested happily. 

“Sounds perfect.”  Nikolai said, kissing your other cheek.  You thread your fingers with his and led him to the couch where you both settled under the blanket and glued yourselves together.  You didn’t know where you ended and he began and you wouldn’t have had it any other way.

You turn your head to take a long look at the beautiful man beside you and then press a few kisses up from the base of his neck to his jaw, “I’m glad you’re home, Kolya.”

“I am too.”  He says earnestly, placing a tender kiss on your temple.

⋄∘∗⋅⋆≁≁⋆⋅∗∘⋄

Malyshka — baby

Milaya — sweetheart, pretty

[kaixserzz]

LISTEN.. I know you love your fluff and comfort 🙄🙄 /s /lh but I'd like to hear abt what you'd think on this

Dottore and reader breaking up due to issues in both ends, whether be our fault or his, they're not longer together.

A heated decision, in which everyone inloved was hurt, it all came to a boiling point.

You leave dottore to his own devices, it qas a sudden decision but you and he were done.

All the while, he can't find himself to be angry at you then, but soon after, he grows upset.

It took him 48 hours to realise your were truly gone. When his segments told him you were nowhere to be found, he knew it was most likely, actually, over.

He'd take this as the worst betrayal ever done to him, growing resentful of what you did to him, how could you leave him?

Soon that resentment turned to restlessness, he didn't know how to explain it, but he was desperate to get you back. He sent fatuus out to find you, to bring you back to him, but you never came up.

You spent centuries of your life with him, surely you hadn't actually left him, he kept reassuring himself to be logical, to believe that you'd be logical enough to come back.

You never did. And when he visited your guys room, he found your stuff gone. The sight of that almost made him break down.

How did it turn out like this?

My phone is on 2% so I couldn't format this right :( anyways! I thought abt making a fanfic abt this, I love hurt/no comfort, but even this makes me feel sad 😭😭

STOP SHUT UP !!!1 111! DONT U EVER... TALK ABOUT ANGST TO ME... STOP !! PLEAHDNSMADSADSAT HIS IS ONLY FLUFF ZONE.. HURT/COMFORT... 😭😭😭

says the guy who thinks about killing reader ever conceivable long fic to make him suffer ^

dottore is definitely the type of guy who could never move on from a break up like that. like, how could he??? you've been part of his life for too long and you're one of the things that makes him genuinely happy!!

you don't even wanna see him anymore? talk it out? are you happy now that you're not with him anymore? did you feel like you've wasted centuries with him?

has he lacked as a lover? was he too prideful to notice what was wrong? to save something the cherishes? or was your relationship just fated to be doomed?

OKAY thats enough.... if you write this,, i will BAWL.. no no angst please noo NOO

[frikatilhi]

it’s sadly nothing too specific, but maybe it can still be a source of inspiration. I’ve been thinking a lot about Jere in that luchadora mask and Bojan training with that MMA champion. I’m sure they’d /enjoy/ play fighting (or maybe training together) a lot a lot…

Oh my god. Okay, confession time: Bojan’s instastories about training with that MMA champ did numbers on me, and I accidentally wrote a Bojan/omc pwp that I’m now just sitting with and wondering if it fits in another story or not or if it’s just doomed.

Anyway, here’s an answer to your prompt! Jere and Bojan sparring. I know nothing of sports, if you can't tell. 😂

Jere wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. But Bojan had asked so enthusiastically (“There’s even a Finnish sauna there! We can go afterwards and you can make fun of how wrong it is!”). Usually Jere was always up to trying anything new, and he had been working out a lot himself lately, if mostly only with weights, so he thought why not? Martial arts? Could be fun?

Now, looking around at the gym, he was having serious second thoughts. He wasn’t insecure about his looks, and he couldn’t care less what these dudes - ripped, sculptural, giant dudes - thought of him and his short legs and soft belly. But something about this place got to him, a little. Maybe it was the way some of these guys were looking at him, like they were sizing him up. Or maybe it was the way Bojan was fist-bumping everyone, laughing, excited, clearly in his element. 

Because Bojan wasn’t always like that. Jere had seen him at some of his low moments, and watching this Bojan, so giddy and carefree, felt awesome and bittersweet at the same time. He wanted to think he had something to do with it - he’d been like this at least since Finland, Jere thinks - but on the other hand, there could be a million reasons. Anything and everything could be behind Bojan’s new mood - making new music, touring, big stadium concert, meeting new people, maybe finding a new sport? Which, admittedly, to Jere seemed less like a sport and more like a form of foreplay, but hey, if Bojan liked it, who was he to judge?

Then again, maybe that’s exactly why Bojan liked it, and the thought sent an unpleasant jolt through him. He couldn’t deny that the sight of Bojan rolling around with some… thigh-master of a human, it woke something in him, something he maybe wasn’t super proud of.

“You ready?” asked Bojan, jogging towards him.

“Sure.” Jere followed him to the mat.

“Have you done martial arts before? Boxing or kickboxing?” asked Bojan.

Jere jumped on his feet a little to warm up. “Only cardio, with bag.”

“Ok good, so you know some basic techniques?” Bojan was also bouncing, moving his weight from one side to another.

“Sure, some, yeah.”

Bojan beamed. “Ok, so let’s do this!”

They started with simple one-for-one exchanges. Staying within punching range, taking turns. Slips, fakes, returns off of a block. They kept it light and easy, laughing as they went. Bojan showed him a few sequences that they then repeated until the movements were smooth. Jere found that he was enjoying himself, despite not being in his comfort zone. His hockey days might be far behind him, but the quick movements and core control required to stay in control seemed to come natural to him. 

After a while they moved into takedowns. Bojan had been working hard on learning them, so he was enthusiastic about showing off his skills. This required more contact, and soon Jere found himself pinned down, locked in between Bojan’s legs. Relaxing himself, admitting defeat, he started to get up, but Bojan pushed back, his thighs keeping Jere in place. 

“Say it,” Bojan said, laughing.

Jere huffed out a laugh, as well. “You want me to say it?”

“Yes, I think I do.” Bojan squeezed his legs a little harder. The sensation was… not bad, and it took Jere by surprise. He wanted to laugh it off, make a joke, but suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. Nothing light-hearted enough came to mind, instead, his breath caught in his throat and he felt–

Shit. Shit shit shit.

“Okay, you win,” he breathed out quickly. Bojan stopped laughing. He let him go and stood up. He reached to pull Jere up, and Jere took his hand.

“You okay?” asked Bojan, looking at him closely.

“Yes yes, of course,” Jere said, trying to laugh it off. “Again?”

Bojan smiled. “Your turn to try!”

Maybe it was time he talked to Bojan, Jere thought. About… things. Maybe it would be better than accidentally getting hard while working out with him. Wouldn’t be any less awkward though, maybe. 

But that would be later. Now, he was ready to take Bojan down.

[tyxoxo]

Recognize

jeno x fem!reader oneshot teaser

genre: stripper jeno x reader au

words: ~

warnings: loading…

there was no better way to move on from a relationship than to indulge in life’s greatest pleasures. that of self-destruction, recklessness; whatever words could describe how life was going right now.

though, something was missing from your goal of distractions. something that could tip you over the edge in the most cathartic way possible.

something to make you forget about being cheated on, completely.

a mass of new exploits were out there to experience, but going to a male strip club was not your first choice. the idea sounded somewhat out of your comfort zone, bizarre even. but after drunk texting your ex, binging on junk food for weeks, and contemplating calling-in for work every day since,

there was time for a change of pace.

of course, your friend suggested going, but knowing such a feat couldn’t be done alone, the two of you went together.

9:06pm

you glanced down at your phone, the overhead notification reading,

“im outside, lets go”

taking a final glance in the mirror of your outfit didn’t yield much satisfaction. anyone could see it in your face, or your body that you were broken. with a huff and correction of your posture, you exited your flat and headed towards your friend’s car.

the gps was loaded and ready to go, 25-minutes until you reached

“City of Archangels”

the name sent a shiver through you, naïveté failing from the images of half-naked men flooding your mind.

“kinda curious what type of guys are gonna be there.” your friend said while pulling out of the parking lot, briefly eyeing your outfit to see if any effort was put into your choice of clothing.

“i can try looking them up and see if there’s any pictures?”

the shakiness in your voice had to be a predisposition towards your downfall.

it didn’t matter what type was there, as soon as one of them made eye contact, you were doomed.

too late now.

[jackiequick]

Arrowverse OC ✨

Inspired by DC Comics

-> Shayera De La Cruz of Andor 🌱

Adopted Earth Name: Lyra Olivia Cruz

Nicknames: Princess, Green Thumb, Shay, Liv, Ly, Ms Cruz and etc

Age (depending on the season): 20–25

Height: 5’5 (5’7 in heels)

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: Latina. Mexican one her moms side and Cuban-American on her father’s side

Place Of Birth: A fictional planet called Andor, next to the planet Thalon in the Rao System

Grew up: She landed in Coachella Valley, in California when she only less than 5 years old. Since she stuck in the phantom zone for a few years. She was found by a lovely couple. How she doesn’t know much of Earth’s actual culture, she was never one to truly understand it.

Shows appears/media references: Smallville, The Flash, Marvel, Supergirl, Dc Legends Of Tomorrow, Glee, Arrow, Star Wars and etc.

Career/Job: Artist. Paint, cartoonist and such.

Friendship: Team Flash, Team Supergirl, Felicity Smoak, Thea Queen, Sara Lance, Ray Palmer and much more.

Powers set: Earth based. Girl got a green thumb. With just the flicker of her fingers, Lyra can grow and control planets such a flowers, trees and make the air more fresh. On occasion, she can create plants. Her emotions effect the planets around her. With time she realized, she sometimes can control the weather just to make it grow or the sun to shine on the gods green earth.

Sometimes she will say something like, “The trees. They speak to me..they’re happy that it rained.”

—

Extra Info

Her biological parents were like royalty in her small planet across the south coast of the planets. Far from behind the other universes or planets nearby, simple people. Like down to earth country folks were the people on her planet. Everyone and everything looked like Earth with a fairytale style in the architecture (very much like Naboo). Their technological advances were slower than other planets, since they shared and borrowed from one another. But no one cared. Rather rich themselves in the minimalistic living instead. 

Some rarely gifted with certain abilities when they reached a certain point in their lives, meanwhile someone are not. One powers that only some elders held dear, that few past onto their children were to remember their past lives. Such as soulmates.

Her home looked like an Enchanted Forest, the ones you would hear in fairy tales crafted to share with little girls to imagine when they play dress up. She was kinda a loner growing up, having her books of fairytales and action filled stories of heroes to read.

One day she was stepped around the streets when a voice called her, consumed and curious she followed. Her dress flew behind her, walking until she saw that appeared to a wishful bouncing voice, belonging to a tall man. He was magical in a sense, convincing to anyone who listen.

“Hello?” She asked, fixing her dress and gasping at the suited man, “Who are you?”

“W-who am i? Well I’m your ticket to advertising adventures dear.” Reply the said with a kind smile, “I’m Roland.”

“My ticket to where?”

“Well Princess Shay-era, you are a very good girl. You don’t deserve to leave in this dump of a planet, but to bring your gifts to others.”

“M-my gifts?”

“Why yes of course. Your gifts. No offense, but do you really wanna be stuck in a place with no longing a little thing like you?”

Shayera crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, “What’s your game, pirate? What about my parents?”

“You’re planet was doomed to death anyway, just like the otherwise beautiful ones on this side of the galaxy. We rather saved your ass now.” He said with a shrugged smile and secretly he opens a portal.

“We..? Uh, w-who sent you?”

“You’re mother. She knew you wouldn’t want to listen without a little push.”

“My mama..? Wait—”

—-

The said portal opened and slides underneath her feet, Shayera landed asleep and shipped off world. She wasn’t brought with much, expect a few items. The portal trip was fine until she was knocked off course resulting, in her form landing in the phantom zone for weeks.

Finally she woke up to the pretty sky. Coachella Valley, in California. Her eyes were closed but sun shine still peaked into her face. She heard a young couple talking over her body. They were kind people from what she heard.

Shayera’s eyes gently blinked open catching the couples eyes. From their perspective, sweet young bright eyed little girl in a blush pink soft dress landed a few feet away from their home. It was a charming sight. The pair always wanted children and thought it was a gift from the universe.

“Hi sweetie, what’s your name?” Asked the women, Rosita.

“I don’t know..not remember..I’m sorry..” Said the girl looking at the couple confused but with a sense of familiarity in her eyes.

The man, Sean smiled, “It’s okay, we’re take you in.”

She smiled, gentle love in her eyes. They returned it, the couple named her Lyra Olivia Cruz. After Sean’s mom and Rosita’s grandmother.

—>

Years went on, Lyra lived a normal life as a teenager. School, friends, traveling to different place, reading and watching movies, shopping and so much more. Sure weird things happened over the city, in which her and her good friends coined it as ‘The Wall Of Weird’. Posting everything that happened onto the school newsletter and journal the ones they didn’t say anything about for themselves.

Sometimes it was like a damn comic book or music happened right before their eyes.

Until one day over the spring time, Lyra developed theses annoying headaches and decided to detox her body in the backyard nearby the small flowers she grew with her mother. It worked like a charm taking it all in, the fresh air, the sun and the greenery around her. Her fingers ran across the grass then flowers, as her hand sparkled. The flowers grew a little bit as Lyra looked at her face gasping in shock. Poor girl screamed, she though she was dreaming.

And her first thought afterwards was…

“MAMI! I THINK I GOT POWERS!?” She yelled calling her mother stumbling back in the house, practically falling face first on the wooden flooring. “Ow…” She added shortly.

Her mom was confused for a moment until Lyra showed her, more or less. After her dad came home from work, they had a long talk. Sean and Rosita told her what they know, that wasn’t much for neither of her parents to off on. The two felt sorry. They told Lyra that she was sent here in a pink dress, wearing a pair of dusty rose earrings and a small notebook that kept drawing in them. To their surprise, their daughter wasn’t mad at them or worried about anything. She knew she was loved and sent her as a blissing for a chance to live a good life.

As she started to work on her small scale of skills she promised to use her powers for good care, not destroying or manipulate nature. Eventually her friends found out finding it super cute and interesting.

—>

Everything was great until after senior year, she moved up to Central City to start exploring her job as an artist. Yes she does have the opportunity in California to draw and sell her art, but she wanted a different environment as a landscape for her cartoons. She was chatting on the phone with a friend when she noticed a young woman about to trampled over by a incoming speeding car.

She noticed a abandoned flower stand nearby, the man left for a break. So in result Lyra wiggled her fingers sparkling a dusty rose color as the flowers stretched out and grew wrapping themselves up gently pushing the woman away. It was a very subtle movement. Lyra released her touch on the flowers as they went back to their original form.

Lyra looked around hoping no one truly noticed, buying the said flower, leaving the money on the flower cart and walked away. They were tulips her favorite. However she was wrong, the woman who she saved did notice and a few days later found her at Jitters Coffee Shop.

Leanna O’ Conner was called in by her friend Officer Penny Spivet to see her.

Lyra refused the idea, she wasn’t one to use her powers very often and doesn’t want to be like the hero The Blur or anything.

Leanna wasn’t suggesting that and said, “Girl I ain’t asking for you to do that. But you were spotted and tracked by a camera, your smart and sweet and kind. We could use you on the team, every once in a while.”

“I’ll think about it..what do you know about me?” Lyra asked curiously.

“You grew up in Cali, you studied news and stories eventually becoming a artist for the paper. And you can manipulate planets?”

“I can control and manipulate them to grow or even strengthen themselves.”

“If you come by to the labs, I’ll like to see it sometime.”

The sometime came soon as the day she visited, The Team Flash was fighting King Shark. She had to help them by growing a cage from the ground up to hold him off in the park until they can get handcuffs on the huge half animal. Caitlin and Iris grinned impressed. Once it was done, Lyra agreed to come over every once in a while to help, but she was more than happy to hang out with the crew.

—

Her, Cisco and the others would do movie nights. Referencing comic books, tv shows and movies. In their universes, Marvel was a common thing that would mention among pop culture.

The superheroes in a barn reference, excelsior, spidey senses tingling, superhero landing, Hulk references, X-Men and etc. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, so much more being named dropped ever so causally no one bats an eye!

—-

One day Iris even mentioned, “You said you were touched on journalism right?”

“Yeah? I usually do the doodles.” She replied one day as the girls were hanging out.

“Do you know a column called ‘The Wall Of Weird’? It was popping up on again on my throwback new feed.”

“Hahahahaha! I do actually, cause i help write it.”

“No way!”

“Yeah it was a fun thing we dropped online, I didn’t know it reached cities.”

“Girl it’s the Internet, of course it did.”

—-

Hell Lyra when met Kara Danvers and others, she fell head over heels in love. Yeah she loved the other teams but Team Supergirl was unique.

With her being from technically another planet, the colorful city, the similarities between perspective she shared, and Winn was her absolute favorite. All having to save each other at least once. Oh did I mentioned how nerdy everyone was with certain things? It was super cool!

Winn opened the door where she locked in and yelled out grinning, “Hi! I’m um here to rescue you, princess.”

Even though she was chained up, Lyra grinned and gasps, “Hmm. Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?”

“You rewatched Star Wars without me?!”

“Actually it was me and James!”

“Traitors! Me and Kara rewatched Wizard Of Oz without you guys.”

“You traitors!”

—

Alex was a badass, Lyra supporting her every single step of the way to her journey. In result, Alex helped her try to find more of her heritage whenever asked.

She was one of the most supportive people in her life and vise versa.

—

Plus she wouldn’t lie saying she had a small crush on Supergirl. I mean how could you not have a crush on Kara Danvers?! She’s adorable!

Also, they worked together so they get to see each other almost every day. Other days they were chilling together.

“You’re gonna love me forever. Close your eyes!” Lyra said running into the apartment.

“Okay? Please tell me it’s a puppy!” Kara yelled out with her eyes closed.

“Okayyyy! Now open ‘em.”

Kara gasped seeing pizza from their favorite restaurant, donuts from the shop across from CatCo, and a dvd of the film The Great Gatsby.

“OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU!” Kara yelled in glee hugging her.

“HAHAHA! IT WAS NO BIGGIE!” Lyra yelled back hugging her.

——

If you wonder if she gets to see her friends and family, Kara and Lyra are able portal or teleport using a device Cisco made. Winn sometimes had to adjust the schedule or corrected coordinates for travel. 

Sometimes it leads her into trouble bouncing from once place or universe to the next…

—

Thank you for reading this! I hope enjoy it 💞

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @yetanotherwells @msrochelleromanofffelton @blueboirick @sherloquestea @morgan108 @t-nd-rfoot @ohgodnotagainn @topgun-imagines @gcthvile @superspookyjanelle @hanlueluver @halesfavoriteharlot @rooster-84 and etc

[totaleclipse573]

Hello, I followed you rather recently and know basically nothing about your Eclipse headcanons. So I am curious, does he have archie sonic backstory or something else, an AU perhaps? Sorry I am too lazy to scroll your blog, can you give me an overview please? 🥺

Ah yes, recruiting a possible new Eclipse fan to the small fanbase he has, I do love my work

*LONG POST WARNING!*

If you really want to understand his full character, he appears in the Archie Sonic Universe reboot, in Shadow Fall (issues 59-62) and Total Eclipse (issues 67-70.) Shadow Fall gives more info on his character and how he is, while Total Eclipse gives more of an understanding of his true nature. Here's a link to where I typically read them in case you want to check those out :

But if you want a quick overview on his character coming from me? I can summarize his story the best I can, but be warned, spoilers + I love him a lot.

Eclipse is, essentially, Shadow's "half-brother" from his Black Arms side, being created specifically to put an end to Shadow once and for all. But Eclipse, being the only Black Arms soldier with free will and the ability to think for himself, doesn't exactly want to hurt Shadow? They're brothers, after all, and Eclipse thinks it would be more beneficial to drag him into the hivemind instead of just killing him. Black Death, his creator, (he's pretty much like Black Doom but...less cool in my opinion) does let him try this idea when Team Dark and G.U.N. arrive on the "New Black Comet," but it doesn't seem to work. There's a whole scene in issue 60 that showcases Eclipse's mental power over Shadow through their hivemind connection, and its cool as hell btw. When he can't manage to drag him into the hivemind, Black Death has to come and assist. Long story short, it ends up working, and Shadow is ordered to basically kill Rouge and Omega (but of course they manage to snap him out of it and they work together to blow up the comet, but this is about Eclipse)

(Also I should mention that, at the time, Eclipse had been experimenting on Wisp DNA with Black Arms DNA in an attempt to create a new species of Black Arms to strengthen the numbers of their race. Keep this in mind, it's important.)

Theres a battle between Shadow and Black Death, and all the while, Eclipse is sent off the comet and into a shuttle with the wisp experiment eggs by Death's Eye (same thing as Doom's Eye just with different colors) so he can survive as the last remaining member of the Black Arms species to carry out his mission, and raise the next generation of Black Arms so they can survive. Eclipse though, is heartbroken, screaming as he gets dragged away that he can help, let him help, he'll destroy Shadow this time. But while Team Dark and G.U.N. escape, he's on the shuttle, watching his home explode. Its then he gets REALLY angry, vowing vengeance on Shadow.

THEN THERES TOTAL ECLIPSE

Total Eclipse takes place more in Eclipse's POV, giving his character more of a chance to shine (and that's why I love this arc so much, it also shows a softer side to his character.) His shuttle coincidentally ended up crashing on the Red Mountains of Angel Island, where he passed out on impact when the shuttle crashed. It's never stated how long he was passed out for, but when he wakes up, the shuttle is in absolute shambles. And the eggs? All destroyed, and Eclipse is panicking over it.

Luckily though, four managed to survive and hatch, much to Eclipse's relief and joy. No seriously, his reaction to them being alive is precious (until the whole vengeance thing anyway lmao)

He calls them the Dark Arms, their names being Blurk, Cregal, Cyzer and Rhygenta. Look at them, they're adorable.

As shown later on, each of the Dark Arms can "bond" with Eclipse (its like a fusion basically) and give him different abilities. Blurk basically turns him into living armor, Cregal allows him to fly, Cyzer gives him this cool laser canon arm, and Rhygenta gives him a "sonic canon," which when fired, blows back enemies. Though that isn't revealed until the end of the arc in the final battle, until then Eclipse is just happy she's the well behaved one of the four.

There's a whole subplot of Team Dark having to find Knuckles so he can help and stuff but Eclipse is the real main character here so who cares

While they go find Knuckles, Eclipse is taking care of the Dark Arms, even becoming a sort of father to them (he's a child and he was forced into so many responsibilities.) He has an extremely strong bond with them and loves them very much, and will do anything to make sure they're well fed and cared for. (It's also funny how the Dark Arms even seem to have their own personalities. Like Blurk is relatively chill, Cyzer and Cregal are more wild and always fighting each other for food, and Rhygenta is the sweet and well mannered one. Its so cute how they interact with Eclipse and with each other.)

Eventually though, Eclipse does realize he'll never be able to enact his vengeance on Shadow if he's always staying in the shuttle, so he decides to go out and find him, telling the Dark Arms to stay behind and to stay safe. So he ends up where Shadow is, the Master Emerald shrine (Knuckles reluctantly went with Rouge and Omega to some place) and after giving him a few strange hallucinations through their mental link just for fun (he can be a jerk sometimes and I love that,) they battle.

After a bit of fighting though, Eclipse tells Shadow something and the page honestly speaks for itself on the levels of HEARTBREAKING it has

He started crying. And he did because he genuinely loved his big brother. Otherwise, why would he even bother to try and get Shadow to join him again? Sure maybe the "leave this broken planet to rot" thing wasn't the best choice of words, but to Eclipse he was trying his hardest. He just wants a brother, who doesn't want him back. He loves his brother, who will never love him back, because he's a Black Arms. And that's part of what makes his character so tragic.

After more fighting, Shadow eventually uses the Master Emerald's power to beat Eclipse, and throw him to a completely different part of the island. The way he beats himself up about failing is pretty sad too, because you KNOW he's trying his hardest.

Then Shadow and Knuckles fight over how to keep the Master Emerald safe from Eclipse and blah blah blah

Eclipse goes back to the Dark Arms while Shadow and Knuckles fight, AND. JUST. LOOK.

ITS LITERALLY SO CUTE HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT THEM. BEST SINGLE FATHER OF FOUR.

*cough* anyways

The Dark Arms, after hearing this, want to help Eclipse fight Shadow. Eclipse is reluctant at first, but then he remembers that they were created SPECIFICALLY to fight. And they're already growing up too, so why not? So he leads them out of the shuttle and they go to fight Shadow all together. Only now that Shadow and Knuckles are out fighting, he battles Rouge, Omega and Relic (also an archie character) instead, and this battle shows off the Dark Arms' abilities when they "bond" with Eclipse. The kid absolutely DESTROYES THEM. Relic is crying, Omega is torn apart, and Rouge's shoulder is dislocated. Eclipse can be pretty brutal sometimes. AND HE TAKES THE MASTER EMERALD.

But of course when Shadow and Knuckles stop fighting like idiots, they go after Eclipse and the Dark Arms, who are taking the Master Emerald back to the shuttle. But just before they can make it, Shadow and Knuckles arrive to stop them. There's another battle with the Dark Arms' powers included, and this is where we first see just how powerful Rhygenta can be. (But not before Knuckles shatters the Master Emerald to keep it safe from Shadow and Eclipse.)

And then, exhausted, Eclipse and the Dark Arms leave on the shuttle to at least be able to escape.

AND, I AM NOT JOKING, THIS IS HIS FINAL APPEARANCE

AND THATS IT. WE NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN (due to the archie cancellation.) So sadly, that's his canonical ending. And it broke me. Because he deserved so much more than what he was forced to be cut short to. (He was even supposed to get a redemption arc and I SCREAMED when I found out because that was what I had wanted.)

So yeah, Eclipse overall is an amazing character, if not one of the best, and I really wish he would come back in any piece of media someday. Hope this helped!