#imagine finding this level of balance with someone in your life it actually makes me insane? are we to ever consider anything else romance

[mobius-m-mobius]

Lokius + being romantic foils

- @mcuchallenge - the Final: LOKI vs. Moon Knight

[utah-werewolf]

Warning: long post ahead

Why is Koba likely my favourite villain ever?

I've been rewatching the new Planet of the Apes movies and I think Koba might remain my favourite villain, if not one of my favourite characters in general.

Proximus Caesar is a strong contender, too, but I think two factors make him less fascinating to me - firstly, he is actually a very human character, which takes away some of the fun, and secondly - I don't think they gave my man Kevin Durand enough screentime. I can see he had a lot of fun acting as Proximus and he was perfect for the role, but he could definitely use more exposure. I think it's likely Proximus will return in the future and I sure hope he will, because I think this character has a lot of potential. Potential that - so far - has been wasted.

The colonel - great villain as well. You want to hate him, because he is so cold and cruel after all, but also you can't help but wonder what you'd do in his place. How can you be sure you'd be compassionate towards another species, one that is clearly about to become dominant over your own? Is morality stronger than survival instinct? Because in the long run, it's all about mankind's survival. The colonel is desperately grasping at the last options to ensure that humans survive, and even though his actions are objectively terrible - I just don't have the audacity to say I'd be a noble hero when the world I know is about to be lost forever.

But Koba, holy shit. Koba is on another level for me. First of all, I don't think Toby Kebbell gets enough credit. While Caesar is an amazing character and Andy Serkis plays him masterfully, I think it was actually Koba that was harder to play, at least in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Koba is wild, he's completely unhinged, so you have to find that balance of an insane, animalistic character that is as smart and complex as a human. Basically the wildest, most violent chimpanzee (yes, I know he's a bonobo), but add to this intelligence and motivations only known to humans. I have no idea how I'd do that, but I know Toby's Koba would be a perfect example for me to learn from.

He is both irredeemably evil and very easy to empathize with. Real life stories show that if you put the nicest, most peaceful human being through continuous abuse, they'll likely turn into a monster, or become extremely unstable at least. As much as it's not an unbreakable rule, it's perfectly natural.

Koba was abused for many years, in ways we can't even imagine. And initially when we see him, there isn't much about him to show the damage done to him. Sure, he's scarred and clearly doesn't like humans, but that's about it.

But oh boy, by the time he attacks the human colony, he goes completely downhill. This character becomes absolutely terrifying. You've seen him do "civilized" things, such as speaking, helping his friends etc. So you subconsciously start to treat him like a fellow human. But then he becomes increasingly vicious and animalistic, while still just as smart as before. You see that Koba can be pretty charismatic when he wants to. His hatred and determination will push him to do borderline suicidal things, such as charging at a tank through fire while blasting two machine guns at the same time. It's scary, incomprehensible and - let's admit it - a bit badass. You wonder how someone this insane can also remain cool-headed enough to plan this cunning scheme. There is so much poison and determination in the way Koba speaks it's crazy.

By the end of the movie you know he's too far gone and there is no redemption for him, at least not in this story. But it doesn't feel particularly satisfying to watch him die. It's a well-deserved end to his life, but everything that led to this moment was started by some abusive, power-drunk human. And also, you can't say Koba was entirely wrong about us - many of us are kind people, but as a collective we are truly a destructive, pointlessly cruel and incredibly selfish mass.

As they say, the end justifies the means. But only when it benefits OUR people.

[notasapleasure]

AO3 wrapped 3, 18, 29 😁

Took me a little while but I got there, thanks so much for the ask! (Ao3 unwrapped questions)

Consider this my belated contribution towards Sunday sentences/fic engagement I promised I'd do...

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Because this question doesn't specify 'this year' I suppose I can still say part 1 of the Andor saga au, The Saga of the Coal-biter and the Skraeling. It's fpn, Brasso's pov, it's such a niche setting, it's a prequel to everything that happens in S1, it's more Brasso's growing up story than about Cassian, it's ridiculously, ridiculously niche, but it's basically a novel that I actually finished writing and I am so proud of it! I've spent most of this year working on part 2 and I'm desperate to get it finished before s2 comes out...

Link to the saga au on Ao3. Also search the tag #saga au on my blog

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

As if I've written any other characters for years lmaooo, but this big struggle this year was writing Cassian and Brasso in the punching fic aka don't need any help to be breakable. It was such a pain to wrestle them into a position where Cassian had annoyed Brasso *just enough* to provoke a punch, but that they would both still be in the mood to fuck afterwards. I wrote and rewrote Cassian's wheedling and whining again and again, and the whole thing was a puzzle of paragraphs for months where I was shifting round each cagey sip of nog and trying to find a thread through that maintained the right balance of tension. I think it worked out ok in the end? I was so relieved to finish it I forgot to include a bit of closing dialogue I'd planned right from the start, but I think it wraps up ok anyway.

Link to punching fic on Ao3. It's affectionately called the punching fic because it's a premise @r0b0tb0y gently handed me like a small endangered mammal of 'what if their cover story happened but 'you fell and I helped you back to your chair' actually meant 'I hit you and we had sex about it''.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Is it cheating to say my favourite is one that someone else keeps mentioning? I love that the bit in the punching fic about sleep-paralysis Cassian's clenched fist and Brasso's gentle hold became a shorthand for them and their relationship to @distressednoise and I am therefore hugely proud of it:

A big, warm hand enveloped one of his fists, knuckles sliding over the skin of his torso as they forced their way between Cassian's hand and his body. The touch was careful, like Cassian was so brittle he'd break if bent too far out of position. Another hand cupped his face and Cassian imagined being able to lean into it, to be able to tremble with gratitude at the touch.

But I'm also really pleased with the (incredibly angsty) saga au prequel bits about young Cassian's life in Tollan that @distressednoise and @stripedroseandsketchpads challenged me to write. I was trying to avoid having to get too deep into the details of his past in the saga au because the level of unknowns was so daunting, but in the end it was really helpful to think about the specifics of his earliest traumas - and I do always love thinking about the contrasts between the boy Kassa and the adult Cassian, as well as what features of his personality have remained the same.

Parts 1 and 2 on tumblr.

A later snippet, set around chapter 5 of the saga au, also on tumblr.

Thanks again for the ask!! I didn't post a lot of writing this year compared to some previous years, but I have been writing away pretty consistently still. And I am always up for chatting about my beloved saga au if anyone wants to join me in the mess of my own making (aka how to tell Cassian's story via Brasso's perspective when Brasso wasn't there for huge parts of it).

[destinyc1020]

I agree with your take on marvel and the MCU and how the focus on cameos and creating an interconnected universe while fun and makes for great event cinema but from a narrative and character development level it was also major hindrance. I personally think one problem is this spiderman felt a little unrelatable and placed more emphasis on big intergalactic set pieces and neglecting the fact that spiderman was about the neighbourhood. Like the earlier films particularly sam raimi films, peter was this dude struggling to pay rent, working multiple jobs to help is aunt, balancing school and spiderman and failing, battling with anxiety like that shit was so real and relatable. Instead of playing into a younger peter parker who has deal with high school things/ issues they kinda ignored all the things that made him so relatable and focused on tony stark mentorship of peter parker where everything was kinda given to him. NYC never became its own character like in the raimi films. Aunt may, mj were given substance none of which exist in the MCU. Peters day to day realities was sort of pushed to the side, so we can focus on him being an avenger. Peter parker is so beloved b/c of how grounded he had always been but also because it was someone with overly insane strength or superpowers but some who needed to find a balance in his lofe and find ways to overcome villans with his agility and intellegence.

Marvel really dropped the ball, those movies are fun dont get me wrong but I never really felt connected to the character despite how amazing tom is as spiderman/ peter parker

💯👏🏾

You hit the nail on the head Anon!

I've been saying this stuff (EVERYTHING you listed) since day 1 when HOCO came out.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED HOCO, and I love Tom's Spiderman films. But one of the things I noticed right from the outset was that we don't really get to know much about PETER in them.

There's barely any character development for him, let alone his friends.... And he's barely in NYC half the time lol.

One of the things that made the Spiderman character so great (like you mentioned) was the fact that he was the "every day hero". He wasn't wealthy at all, he was an orphan, he was self-made, he struggled, he had to find a good balance btwn his crime-fighting life and his love life, etc.

But when you have Peter being handed everything to him, thanks to Tony Stark, you don't really feel the relatable feeling towards him that most fans felt with the OG films, and the type of relatability that made the Spiderman character so beloved and GREAT! 😁

Granted, as much as I loved the Tobey/Raimi films, I'm sure fans don't want just a remake or a Raimi 2.0 film with Tom's Spiderman lol 😆, but I think in trying to make him do different from the other two Spider MEN, Marvel ended up removing so many things that actually made the Spiderman character so awesome for fans. 😩😓

That's why, when I saw those scenes at the end of NWH, and saw Peter finally in his own crappy apartment lol, with his GE books, and sewing his own Spiderman costume, I immediately felt like, "Ahhhh.... Now we can FINALLY get back to the Spiderman character I know and love, who's just an everyday man, no bells, no whistles, no Avengers, no rich Surrogate Father figure to provide him with everything lol 😆

Those few little minutes were so relatable and grounded, that I can only imagine how awesome a full movie would be with everything like that. 👍🏾

[lordisitmine]

TTNBD BLOG: PART TWO

Welcome once again, to the extended author’s notes! That’s kind of how I’m thinking of these posts. This post covers the details of chapter two of the story, (chapter 3 on ao3 if you’re just looking at the numbers), entitled What a Tangled Web We Weave. So, spoilers if you haven’t read that yet.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY

In this week’s retrospective, I’d like to talk a little bit about historical accuracy. If you’re anything like me, you like watching and reading a lot of things that take place in past eras. If you’re like me, you hate when something- be it a phrase, an outfit, a hairstyle, or a reference to people/events- is egregiously incorrect to the time period being portrayed. Big anachronisms drive me crazy.

However, there’s a level of inaccuracy that I don’t actually mind- if it helps better the story without taking me too much out of the fantasy, or if it adds something to the setting while not detracting from the believably- I’ll allow it. Basically, what I’m saying is that, like a lot of other aspects of writing/art, historical accuracy is about finding the right balance. Or, getting as close as you can to the target of perfect. With fanfiction, I think the margin is even wider- I try not to take this medium too overly seriously, especially when I’m reading and enjoying something someone else has written. I’m a little tougher on myself, though I hope not too tough.

I like to call what I do “movie-accurate”. A lot of my favourite period films have things in them that just aren’t correct, but because I love those movies so much, and because the overall vibe is close enough to what I know about history, I let it slide.

For example, in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, the hairstyles of the young women, as well as some of their dress styles are quite off from what women’s fashions were actually like at the time in which the novel/movie was set. The 1995 BBC miniseries adaptation is far, far more faithful in terms of aesthetics. However, the 2005 film is incredibly beloved by a lot of Jane Austen fans, despite its inaccuracies! Because it’s a fucking good movie, which sells the characterization and romances so well that you can sort of excuse the “dumbing down” of the details. It’s one of my favourite period films, and films, period.

Obviously there are bad movies that don’t even try to be accurate, but when I say “movie-accurate” know that I’m talking about the good ones.

During the course of Though the Night be Dark, I’ll be making a lot of references to/descriptions of outfits and hairstyles, because I’m pretty sure I was a fashion designer or personal stylist in my past life, but not all of them will be totally accurate to the years 1899/1900. That goes for stuff like technology, too- it won’t ever be over-the-top (i.e. they’re not gonna have television in the year 1900) but if you notice stuff that seems just a little out of place, know that I felt it was necessary to fudge the numbers, so to speak, in pursuit of the characters, the romance, and the story itself.

This same sort of “movie-accuracy” applies to the settings. I’ve never been to Paris or London in my life- I’m broke and there’s a whole ocean in between me and Europe. I do my best to research and reference actual places and landmarks, but if you do live in either of those places and what I write seems fantastical or inaccurate, I am sorry, believe me. Please forgive me, and do your best to imagine these as like, imaginary versions of these places.

I don’t know why I’m defending myself- most people probably don’t mind, and some probably don’t notice things like this. But it’s important to me to be as accurate as I can be within the scope of my ability, and it’s important to me for people to learn about my process if they want to. I digress.

CHAPTER TWO: WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

Sometimes I pick titles because they’re references to things, and the words/themes of the things in question closely fit the character and the story. For example, To the End of Everything is a lyric from the Adam Lambert song Sleepwalker, which was on my SebaCiel playlist back in 2014 when I was first writing it. It fit the story of the end of Ciel’s life, and the end of his contract with Sebastian, and it’s such a nice set of words to say out loud and look at on a screen.

The first chapter of this fic, A Far, Far Better Rest, is a reference to the final line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Two cities, London and Paris, both of which are the settings for TTNBD. Not a super deep reference, but there’s a reason for it.

What a Tangled Web We Weave is also a reference to something- part of a famous line from am 1808 poem Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field by Sir Walter Scott. It’s set in the time of Henry VIII and tells the romantic and ultimately tragic story of some rich guy and his affair with a woman. The full line is what a tangled we weave/when first we practise to deceive.

I picked this title for three reasons: one, because it has the word web in it, and Claude is a spider demon. Two, because it’s about lies, and lies are the basis for some of the upcoming conflict in this story. And three, and most chief among the reasons: it sounded cool.

What can I say. Sometimes I write/use things are deep and profound, and sometimes I just use things I think are kinda neat. I try, as always, to strike a decent balance.

Alright, let’s break this chapter down.

We started off with a remix of a scene from the second season of the Black Butler anime. It’s a little infamous, to be sure. I’m speaking of course about the scene where Alois shoves his finger into Hannah’s eye socket! I know that in the original scene he doesn’t actually pull out her eyeball, but I wanted to go whole-hog, I think it’s just extra insane and I wanted you to know what kind of Alois Trancy character I’m playing with here. He’s an adult here, whereas he was a kid in the anime- I don’t know, I just thought the increased level of brutality suited him.

I pulled actual dialogue from the scene and repurposed it, which I love doing and have done many times in my fanfic writing career (side-eye at my Supernatural fics). I wrote it from Claude’s POV because I love that outsider POV in a scene. I also wanted to establish his thoughts and feelings about Alois right off the bat.

Cards on the table: I haven’t watched the second season of the anime in a very long time. I watched the first few episodes some time last year I think??? When I was deciding to write this story, just to get a feel for their characters/relationship again. I’ve seen them portrayed in fanon as everything from a toxic couple to a couple who are more actually in love, like Ciel and Sebastian- I very much don’t see that for these two. Their tension is different, and in the context of this story, it’s been years, and that tension is heading towards a boiling point.

What I’m saying is that I’m sorry to any real die-hard Alois and/or Claude fans in advance if I do stretch them too far out of the OOC allowance margins… but also no I’m not hehehehehe.

Claude mentions Alois reading penny dreadfuls. Penny dreadfuls were these cheap little serialised fiction zines you could buy for a penny, hence the name. Every volume was like, an 8–16 page chunk of a story. The dreadful part comes from the fact that they were highly sensationalised and sometime salacious stories about murder and highway robbery and pirates and stories of real-life criminals doing heinous murder and such- sometimes sold at public executions! Overall, these things weren’t considered Proper English Literature. Which of course meant that they were VERY popular. Mostly in the early to mid 1800s. As far as I know, they started to lose ground in popular culture by the turn of the century, but they existed, I think they were cool, and therefore I can include a reference to them!

Penny dreadfuls weren’t really about romance or sex but they were super popular among young people, and the idea of Alois reading trashy romance novels in general is just hilarious to me. And like I said, I just really wanted to reference something so undeniably Victorian.

And yes, for the purposes of this story, he does in fact know that Hannah is a demon. Did he know that in the anime? I think maybe he did, but like I said, it’s been a while, and I don’t remember. I could go back and watch it again, but I don’t want canon to mess up my fanfiction. Anyway, the fact that Alois knows Hannah is a demon will become relevant and important as the story continues, so I won’t say too much more about it.

Back to Paris- it’s time for more Lizzy content! There’s quite a bit of that in this chapter. Originally, this chapter and the next one were originally just supposed to be one chapter, but the whole thing got too long/had a natural breaking point in my mins, so I split it up.

These parts of the story are more difficult to write- they involve the OCs a lot, and there’s lots of things to establish. It’s hard to do that without getting to in the weeds or being really clunky, but on the other hand, I can’t forget that anything outside of canon references is in my brain and no one else’s, so I have to make sure to cover the important stuff.

This is my first time writing F/F romance! That’s not quite true. I’ve been writing original stories with F/F romances in them for years and years- this is my first time writing an F/F romance that other people are actually going to read. Thankfully, being a lesbian, I have actual experience falling in love with women, so I have lots of real-life stuff to draw from. I didn’t realise how much of my own past and current crushes and preferences wormed their way into the Lizzy/Sybil dynamic. I’ve read posts before about how romance/sex scenes are always revealing of the author’s preferences/feelings/kinks, and I was like “not me haha I am Unknowable” but I guess I can’t say that anymore oops.

When it comes to labels for fictional characters, I don’t like to use them/talk about them unless it’s been explicitly stated in canon. For example, I would never say a canon bisexual character is exclusively gay, that would be bi erasure and we don’t do that shit here. This is especially relevant when it comes to time periods where terminology was different, and labels hadn’t been invented yet/didn’t mean the same things.

I’m trying to write Lizzy in a way that the reader can interpret any way they want! If you want to read her as bi or as a lesbian, that’s fine, I have no hard opinion on the subject! I think it makes a lot of sense that she’s bi, I think that there’s a case for her being a lesbian who’s had to deal with some hardcore compulsory heterosexuality.

However, Sybil is my character and therefore I do get to say what she is, and she is a lesbian. Stone cold homosexual. Again, not that it matters, I just like saying it.

Lizzy and Sybil’s romance isn’t a full-on slow burn per se, but I’m really enjoying building it up here brick-by-brick. At this point, she and Lizzy have been friends for a long time and already know each other really well, so the “to lovers” part can kind of come into play early, but I’m not going to give it all away at once- where would the fun be in that?

Let’s talk about Verity. Madame LaChance if you’re nasty. Verity, of course, means truth, and la chance is French for luck. I kind of wanted her to be straight up called “Lady Luck” but that was a bit TOO hokey, even for me. I wanted there to be an auntie-like side character, and I said to myself, what if there was a character who was like, all the good, lighthearted parts of Grell and Madame Red without any of the “oh btw I’m insane/also a serial killer”. I thought it’d be funny if she was sort of a go-between, having friendships with both Sybil & Lizzy as well as Ciel & Sebastian without any of them being aware of it. She became a bigger part of the story than I’d originally intended- she sort of stole my heart, maybe she’ll steal yours too.

She’s a little mysterious, but I can promise you she is a normal human. She’s just very… unique, I guess you could say. No more spoilers.

I’m being sort of vague about the club and what it’s called and what it looks like, there’s a lot more about it in a future chapter, don’t worry. Also, Madame refers to Ciel as Monsieur Phénix and Sebastian as Monsieur Corbeau. That’s French for phoenix and raven respectively. Stage names. Code names. C'est très dramatique. (No, I don’t actually speak French, beyond some very basic words and phrases.)

I hate to admit it, but I felt woefully out of my element while writing this part and I'm not 100% happy with how it came out I knew I wanted to have some reason to show Sebastian and Ciel going about their day-to-day lives, but I was also struck by the lack of, like, drama or action so far in the story. I fell back on the old adage of “write what you know” and had the boys not solving crime per se (there will be time for that later) but perhaps avenging somebody. I don’t think Ciel will ever give up his vengeful nature, whether its on his own behalf or someone else’s. And for Sebastian, it’s just bad business, and we can’t have that, can we?

There are a whole two paragraphs from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in this next scene. I don’t know if that book is meant to be sad, but it made me terribly melancholy when I read it as a kid. Also, there I go again referencing literature. I pulled the same trick in next week’s chapter too, which I didn’t even realise I was repeating until I’d already done it. Oops.

“-And nobody saw Beth wipe the tears off the yellow keys, that wouldn't keep in tune, when she was all alone. She sang like a little lark about her work, never was too tired for Marmee and the girls, and day after day said hopefully to herself, "I know I'll get my music some time, if I'm good."

"There are many Beth’s in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”

I wanted Lizzy to be reading aloud in this scene and this reference jumped out at me when I was trying to think of books that existed at the time and that characters this age might have access to. Beth of course is short for Elizabeth, and Lizzy’s arc in this story is about her becoming her own person in a lot of ways, or like, realising who she is, and this quote about Beth feeling like she’s in everyone’s shadow and only exists to do things for other people seemed really appropriate.

There’s a little more insight into Simeon- I drew the photograph described in the scene so you could get an idea of what Simeon looks like. I really like writing Simeon. He’s such a Good Dad. I mean, he’s bound by his word to be a good dad, but he really loves Sybil so much and wants her to be happy. But there’s also so much going on beneath the surface. I know most of you have figured out his true nature by now, but I hope that I still have the ability to surprise you in the long run when it comes to him.

Once again, thanks for reading! Comments and questions are always welcome, and I’ll see you all again next week! Special shout-out to vandorttranslations, who is translating this story into Russian as we go! It will never not be amazing to me that someone feels strongly enough about my work to undertake such a task!

-lord_is_it_mine

[flamingkorybante]

Any tips for finding the right people irl with whom to practice/do ritual/etc? I've always felt very confined to the internet with regards to religious/magical community and I've never found groups/folks I can really jive with in that regard.

I have a couple of thoughts, I hope they're helpful!

Do Stuff. Go to events, attend groups, try things that you aren't sure if you'll like or not! Go to in person stuff and virtual stuff! Join discord servers and facebook groups! Explore and see who you find there! There are a lot more weirdos in the world than you think and no matter what you want to do or make or be, I 100000% guarantee you that you aren't the only one.

If all the stuff that's available to you sucks, make more stuff. If you're feeling unsatisfied with the offerings other people are making, chances are good that you aren't the only one. Imagine exactly the event or group or thing that you want. What could you see on eventbrite or on the bulletin board at your local witch shop that would make you go "oh shit, I bet the people I'm looking for are there!" Get a really clear picture of that thing in your mind and then take a deep breath and make it real. You don't need any qualifications or permission to make there be a thing in the world that wasn't there before, and if you make the thing that would feel exciting to you, then anyone else who shows up has at least one thing in common with you, and that's a cool place to start!

Not everyone that you can do magic with already calls what they're doing magic. They might call it psychoanalysis, or sex, or BDSM, or LARP, or fiction, or poetry, or art, or critical theory. It's actually really fucking cool to collaborate with someone who is coming from a totally different perspective than you, but you can vibe with on a deep level -- they'll have ideas that would never occur to you, and vice versa, so you'll be able to get into some really deep shit! Don't stress out about terminology or discipline -- just follow the vibes.

Don't guard your heart a lot, but guard it a little. Not everybody that you want to practice with will want to practice with you, and not everybody that wants to practice with you is a good person for you to practice with. That's fine and good! Any time you notice that the fit isn't right -- even if it hurts -- it's a moment of beautiful power in that you are feeling present enough in what you want and need that you can sense the discrepancy between it and what's happening.

All kinds of monogamy are a trap. You're not looking for one person to be your spiritual everything, and in fact, if someone is trying to be your spiritual everything or tell you that they are, they're probably an asshole. You can do different things with different people. You can have spiritualism friends and sumerian polytheist friends and high protocol ceremonial magick infused BDSM friends and none of them diminish your connections with any of the others.

Be brave. I don't know about you, but I'm shy. Approaching someone I don't already know and inviting them into connection feels like everything about my life is hanging in the balance. But!!! That fear is not giving you good information. Acknowledge it -- thank it for trying to protect you -- and do not obey it. You may be surprised at how many people will blossom into curiosity and joy if you ask them "Hey, do you want to do some magic with me?"

[siswritesyanderes]

Hey! Im rereading rule one and i felt awkward saying this in a comment but i just wanted to mention how much i really like your characterisation of the cullens and how youve chosen to write them. In general your writing is very well done and intriguing but the way youve chosen to go about some things is very fun. Its been about a year, maybe a year and a half since i last read rule one especially the earlier chapters and im at the point where nessie steals sadie's dog and im just like... Woah. Holy shit. Youve really nailed down the horror of nessie? Like u know its good if its making me go oh holy shit bc im pretty immune to a lot of horror centric things like this. Idk i guess i forgot just how horrifying you made nessies pov of things so it really punched me in the face in a good way. I really admire how youve gone about this fic in general tbh bc you have this sense of creeping horror that actually hits bc its not ignoring the bad elements of canon and the canons bad implications and ur actually confronting them head on in a realistic way while also not going overboard and bashing on canon? Idk its a really precarious balancing act youve got going on but its real inspiring to see how well u do it. What was your thought process for nessies characterisation like? Like how did u arrive at the point we see in the fic. Sorry if this is all over the place its 6 am and im just in awe and really enjoying re reading rule one and i thought itd be cool to let u know how much im enjoying ur writing choices! Ty for sharing your writing with us

Thank you so, so much! For the compliments and for the opportunity to ramble about this, lol.

I guess I just felt fascinated by the potential consequences of Renesmee growing physically at such an accelerated rate. In Breaking Dawn (and the Twilight Illustrated Guide), it's indicated that she has a complete understanding of what is said and done around her, but she still acts like a child. She's still a child. And I find it interesting to imagine what a person would be like if they feel like- and indeed, are -a child but have capabilities that exceed their age and size and don't have worldly experience to match their mental awareness.

I've read fics like "Wedding Crashers" where Renesmee is written as Veruca Salt-level spoiled, and she is positioned to have shades of that, being raised in a family that has bottomless money and seeing evidence in her first year of life that she is so important to everyone she knows that they will put their lives on the line for her. If she fully understood everything that was happening around her during Breaking Dawn, what must all of it have looked like through her eyes?

The book mentions that she only ever sleeps in someone's arms, never in a crib, because she lives in a house of sleepless vampires. Has she ever been denied anything? If so, what? And how did it feel? Pretty much everyone adores Renesmee, or is fascinated by her. One of the first people she laid eyes on imprinted on her on sight. She was brought to the most feared vampire in the world and touched his face, and then the bad guys went away and everyone was happy. She remembers all of it. She understood what was happening. How would that affect a kid?!

And, like the fic kind of explores, a lot of the things she's learned about her family and their lives before she was born would send some pretty concerning lessons about morality that I think someone would have to confront down the line- whether it be her family, or someone Renesmee meets who objects to being treated the way she's learned to treat people, or just Renesmee herself if she happens to learn better without being given reason to.

I just really enjoy exploring the duality of Renesmee as someone who was practically designed in a lab to be hugely entitled and selfish but also just a child who wants everyone to have a good time. She doesn't quite believe her actions have consequences, because everyone in her life is ready to fix anything she does and no one will hold anything against her because she's three and she doesn't know any better, and she's consciously aware of all of it, but also she is three and she doesn't know any better. Imagine an actual three year old, with all the tendency toward misbehavior that entails, but make them 1. capable of going anywhere they want, 2. superpowered, and 3. very aware that they won't get into any real trouble for whatever they do. Her heart's in the right place, but she's a kid, and a kid whose few life experiences to draw on, to guide her judgement, are all bizarre.

To answer your question about balancing a realistic tone without bashing canon, I guess my approach has been to kind of just go "Yes, and" to most things that are established in the books. (The exceptions, as mentioned in some of the chapter notes, being the child grooming and the idea that venom removes melanin; those two things I just got rid of.) I try not to go, "That's stupid, and here's why." For any given thing that the books hold to be true, I try to have a response of, "Okay, but let's look at the consequences." I won't take away anyone's happy ending, no matter how dubiously-obtained I find it, but their actions to get there still matter. I'm glad to hear you found it effective!

I always love getting comments about Renesmee's characterization! I love it, because the fic isn't even about her, so I love to know that a relatively small aspect of it stood out to you.

Also, thank you for specifying that you're rereading the earlier chapters, because I'm super self-conscious about those. 🤣

[allaglow]

What Disney characters do you think Cinderella would be compatible with ship wise? Aside from her prince

I love this question, with characters like Aurora, because it's so easy to list endless muses that I think she'd vibe with. She has such impeccable chemistry with everyone and it's so much fun to imagine the endless entanglements she could get herself in. With Cinderella and Snow White, however, I find it harder. For starters, their canonical ships are sooo incredible and work remarkably well within the framework of their story and film and character, that I've never wanted more/different for them. Also, Cinderella is such a strong character with such energy that's so specific to her and she's alone for so much of the film, but in a way that's different than how Aurora is. Cinderella carries so much on her shoulders, alone, and while she does foster an environment of engagement and connectivity within the chateau, she's also decidedly more...autonomous and intelligent and capable than the animals, which is what makes how much they help her limited, and they even get her in trouble, whereas she literally saves their lives and homes and feeds them. So, I feel like to viewers of the film, Cinderella almost feels like your single parent that you know is struggling, but you don't know how you can help them because you're an inept child without claim or working knowledge of anything, or that teacher that you can tell is at their wit's end and is lacking resources but you don't have the life experience or ability to gauge exactly what you could provide to them to help alleviate the situation. However, there are a few characters I think she'd be interesting to play with!

Steve Rogers. OKAY, this is the ship to end all ships for me. Cinderella was produced in the 1940s, for a release date in early 1950, and her voice actress was in one of the prime stages of her career in the 1940s, singing for war troops and doing as much as she could to alleviate the struggles the country was facing when it came to WWII. THIS IS IDEAL FOR A CONNECTION WITH STEVE ROGERS, with so much to chew on when it comes to an environment the two would share and the world they'd exist in. I think they have such interesting attitudes toward justice and peace and life and death, and I think Cinderella has such a balance of being diplomatic and level-headed but also having bursts of anger and human frustration and I can only imagine the rainy nights where they're in a bar together, after the entertainment has left, and she whisperingly indulges to him- the first person she's ever trusted or felt comfortable and safe with- about her abusive mother and her past and how hard she's worked and how she just wants happiness and freedom and to uphold the character traits of compassion and how she wishes to build a life with someone and her relationship with older people is so deep because of her Fairy Godmother and Steve being older after that time he was frozen and I just...I could go on forever BUT just in case any Steve muses are reading this, I have a starter ready to go at any moment so!!

Eric. So, I don't actually see Cinderella with him? But thinking of the two of them together does make her alive in my mind for a number of reasons. Jodi Benson grew up on Cinderella and it's still her favorite film, and so I think Cinderella's present and shares similarities with Ariel in many ways. But also, I just think Eric sees Cinderella as this unattainable girl he has a crush on that's so...so her own person and I just think something about thinking about Cinderella through the filter of Eric's mindset helps capture her elusive, enchanting, but also mysterious quality.

Tiana. Again, I don't know how much I ship them but I don't mind that others do and I think they'd be interesting! I think Cinderella is an amazing middle-ground between Tiana, in how industriousness she in and how much she values a work ethic, but she also understands the importance of love and dreams and hope and having fun, like Lottie, and doesn't let life weigh her down too much. She and Tiana both have interesting relationships with death but I think Cinderella would remind Tiana a lot of her own father and I think they'd ultimately help one another and look after each other in an "us against the world" type thing. I think Cinderella would broaden Tiana's community and would open her up to life, for lack of a better word, but also Mama Odie's lyric about "your daddy was a loving man, family through and through, you your daddy's daughter- what he had in him, you got in you" always reminded me SO much of Cinderella.

But also, I'm curious...tell me who you think Cinderella belongs with!

[starseedfxofficial]

Intro: The Volatility Ride - Not for the Faint of Heart Let me guess: you think of the Volatility Index (VIX) and instantly feel a sense of dread, right? It's like the roller coaster you weren't quite ready for—exciting, nerve-wracking, and very likely to mess up your hair. But here's the thing: mastering the Volatility Index for the NZDUSD pair isn't about fear. It's about opportunity—and boy, is there a lot of it. Let me show you how to grab that bull by the horns (or the Kiwi by the wings) and make the most out of every twist and turn. Section 1: The Insider's Take on Volatility Let's kick off by busting one of the most persistent myths: more volatility equals bad news. No way, traders. Volatility is actually the life force of profitable trades—the secret spice that adds flavor to an otherwise bland market. Without it, the market’s just a sleepy meeting of currencies agreeing to disagree. Volatility, on the other hand, is where the money is made—if you know what you’re doing. And here’s where we break out our secret weapon: the Volatility Index, also known as the VIX. Imagine it as a fear gauge—or, to put it humorously, that feeling when you're about to hit "buy" on a pair of shoes, knowing full well your bank balance might cry about it later. The VIX tells us how frightened or confident the market is, giving us insights into the collective emotional state of traders worldwide. When the VIX goes up, so does the drama—and drama, my friends, is what makes trading NZDUSD exhilarating. Section 2: Cracking the Code - Why NZDUSD Loves Drama Ah, the NZDUSD—fondly known as the "Kiwi" (and not to be confused with a furry fruit or a flightless bird, though the similarities might make you chuckle). When it comes to volatility, NZDUSD has its own unique blend of factors that make it one of the more entertaining pairs to trade. On one hand, you've got New Zealand, which economically hinges on commodities, exports, and some frankly stunning landscapes. On the other hand, there's the US—the big player in global economics. Mix these two together and, when the Volatility Index shows higher levels, this pair tends to perform a breathtaking cha-cha, full of market-moving twirls. But here’s a little secret you might not have heard: when VIX spikes, traders often overlook NZDUSD, favoring "safer" trades like EURUSD or USDJPY. This creates an underground opportunity for savvy traders who can leverage the liquidity—less competition means more movement in your favor. Essentially, when everyone else runs for the hills, it’s your chance to run towards the action. Section 3: NZDUSD and PMI - A Match Made in Data Heaven Now, let’s spice things up by throwing another ingredient into the mix—the PMI (Purchasing Managers Index). PMI is a leading indicator of economic health. Imagine trying to gauge how fit someone is by how quickly they can do a 100-meter dash. That’s essentially what PMI is for a country’s economy. And it matters. A LOT. Pay close attention to New Zealand’s PMI, because guess what? When the PMI numbers are rosy, the NZDUSD tends to shine, irrespective of where the Volatility Index sits. Combining PMI analysis with VIX readings is like a one-two punch. Not only are you assessing risk sentiment with the VIX, but you’re also getting a solid idea of New Zealand's economic momentum. It's like a trader’s secret formula: VIX + PMI = tactical NZDUSD entries with an edge. Section 4: Contrarian Alert - The Unpopular Approach That Works Everyone and their cat has heard of "trading with the trend." It's that textbook mantra repeated ad nauseam. But let me tell you, there’s something oddly satisfying—not to mention profitable—about going against the grain. Enter contrarian trading. Instead of following the herd when VIX spikes, a contrarian sees this as an invitation to find opportunities where others see risk. Here’s how: in times of high volatility, NZDUSD often overreacts. The market becomes irrational, trading far beyond fair value due to short-term panic. This is the ideal time for a contrarian entry. But wait, don’t just dive in blindly. Using a simple Bollinger Band strategy, you can identify when this pair is overshooting. When price hugs that lower band like it’s a comfort blanket, it might be time to reconsider the sell-off. Section 5: Real-World Application - Putting It All Together Let’s get real here. Anyone can talk strategy, but real success is in the execution. Take March 2023, when NZDUSD tumbled following a sudden spike in the VIX (the market was having a hissy fit over inflation, which is basically just a fancy way of saying everything was on sale but no one had enough money). Most traders bailed, but those with contrarian strategies saw a prime buying opportunity. Couple that with a solid PMI showing out of New Zealand, and bam—you’ve got a sweet setup. Adding a little bit of humor to ease the tension: imagine all those other traders as the folks who keep returning a bag of chips at a BBQ just because it had an expiry date of 'next month.' Meanwhile, you’re the one enjoying a crisp, salty delight, confident in your knowledge that there's plenty of value left. Section 6: Tools and Strategies to Master the Volatility To navigate the stormy waters of high volatility, you need the right tools. Enter the Smart Trading Tool from StarseedFX—a nifty piece of tech that helps you decide lot sizes, manage risk, and plot your trades with accuracy. When VIX levels rise, tools like this become indispensable for making sure your next move isn’t just another gamble. And for those of you who are thinking about expanding your toolset, here’s where you take a look at the Free Trading Plan and Trading Journal from StarseedFX. These aren’t just buzzwords—they're proven methods for keeping your emotions in check (you know, for those times when your trade plummets like a bad sitcom plot twist). The key to winning the NZDUSD game with VIX in play is consistency—and what better way than tracking every move you make, analyzing results, and constantly improving? Wrap-Up: Finding Serenity in the VIX Storm Trading NZDUSD while tracking the Volatility Index isn’t about being a thrill-seeker. It’s about knowing when the fear is overblown and using it to your advantage. By leveraging PMI data, applying contrarian thinking, and using the right tools—like those at StarseedFX—you can navigate these wild markets without ending up in a ditch. And hey, even if you do take a misstep, at least you'll have a funny story to tell. After all, isn’t that what life’s all about? Ready to put these ninja tactics to use? Share your experience or join our StarseedFX community for expert analysis, daily alerts, and live trading insights. Let’s make the Volatility Index your new best friend—and maybe, just maybe, enjoy the ride a little more along the way. Read the full article

[controlledchaos1342-blog]

I have had a realization recently and i wanted to convey it but also sorry if this is a bit difficult to understand because my brain is telling me i should sleep soon.

Regardless: The initial realization that i have had a vague awareness of for quite some time is that i basically live my life as a passenger, peering in from a distance as i keep most everything from getting too close. this results in difficulty living in the moment or truly thinking about a real future

the second realization i had, which is only recently formed in a way i can recognize [if formed at all] is that this influences the way i engage in media [games, tv, books, whatever else you can imagine] in a way that isn't what would be expected. it doesn't make it so i'm even further removed, it makes it so i can immerse myself much more easily while still keeping a sort of distance.

this makes it so that it doesn't matter if i'm playing a game with modern, or even psyfi fiction levels realistic, graphics and immersion or something from the "dinosaur" ages of video games. If i have gotten invested in the game I will be emotionally invested in the stupid pixels and feel notable sadness when they die. There may be frustration, but when my pokemon faints in the silly game [assuming i have been focused in on this game] I am sad and feel remorse for letting my little fictional buddy be so badly hurt.

I think i do this because there is no difference for me [in part because of innate biochemistry and in part because of circumstances] between the distance i feel with my own life and the distance made between "myself" and "my character"

admittedly, someone pointed out that my investment is too extreme and it may mean certain games may be a problem, and this seems to have made me step even further back. I hope to potentially use games and other media to help me bridge the gap between "myself" and "my life", though first i need to reach the point i had been at before, where having a notable bit of lag and faulty keys would make me almost actually scared for my possessed character's life rather then distant resignation that the fictional being represented by 1's and 0's isn't working as advertised

if someone else reads this and thinks something like "hey that... sounds familiar" or whatever, then i wish you the best of luck in finding a good and healthy balance of investment in your life and the lives of others [even when those lives are nothing more then a script, a string of words, or a collection of pixels]

if the only way to feel invested in the events coming up is through 'frivolous and meaningless hobbies" then use those as a stepping stone to get invested in the life you actually live with

[floripire]

"that's very true. you're, like, avatar the last airbender level wise. do you know that? and yes, i mean that as a compliment." he's right. a right choice might look a wrong choice to someone else. (she still feels as though the trash-compactor is both a right one, and justified, but that's neither here nor there. she could start a hashtag, though; she could make it trend. probably.)

"it's so wild that klaus mikaelson technically my grandsire. god, that sounds terrible, i can't even. i'm sorry. also, i also think that a lot of hurt people hurt people. that's what my dad used to say, anyway." she hums, then adds: "i think that's partially---i'd say it's partially his upbringing but i don't know if that's one hundred percent correct 'cause i don't really have un-biased accounts - just one book calling him, and i quote, 'the great evil' - and i am not burdening his daughter with any of this."

that is to say: she'll never know. and she'll never get an apology, either. not from her sire, and certainly not from her grandsire.

"so i guess we'll just be getting into the nature vs nurture thing of it all on our own, then: were they always self-absorbed, self-mythologizing bastards with a god complex? was that always in their nature or did they grow into it as a response to, well, the way that they got turned and the kind of world we live in? or alternatively: was that how they got raised by their elders? 'cause your sire was born, right? not turned?"

floribeth thinks about this a lot and she tells scott this too: the originals as a title may not mean much to her, specifically, but she can imagine that if you're told your whole life that you're the first - the fastest, the strongest, an apex predator, well, you'll buy into it at some point, right? wrong or right, you start believing in it. maybe that veneer carried the mikaelsons through the ages because they didn't have anything else.

"it's kind of a balancing act, 'cause klaus ruined my sire's life - his name is also derek, funnily enough, derek machado - and then derek bit me and that was a whole ordeal and none of it was fun, but would i have met my friends, otherwise? would i have met you, for instance, if i never got turned? 'cause before i got turned, i was invisible and spent my time eating steamed rice cakes in the computer lab. until someone needed homework help. then they suddenly did know where to find me."

there's a question hidden beneath her words, as well: do you believe that the people who are destined to meet will always meet, no matter the circumstances?

when he reveals that peter hale's extended stay in a psych hospital didn't work either, floribeth makes a sympathetic sound at the back of her throat. "god, i'm sorry to hear that. i hate that for you, i really do. for him, too, actually. i'm so, so sorry. anyway, i'd offer to wire his funds to your bank account for recompense but that's not really the proper thing to do." her eyes twinkle. "even if i'd do it for a friend."

and speaking of which: "i like to think, though, that we are more than just links in a very long chain. regardless of who turned us and how they turned out." floribeth holds out her pinkie finger, languidly waiting for him to curl his own around hers.

" belief is subjective, though. whether or not it's correct just depends on who believes it in the first place. that guy, that you're talking about — klaus? he probably thought that what he was doing was correct, even though it hurt other people. he believed it. so did peter. so did the argents, the darach, even the ghost riders, they all had their reasons. it doesn't matter that not everyone agrees, just like not everyone agrees with yours. or with mine. throwing him in a trash compactor wouldn't change anything, and no matter how justified a choice might look to one person, it's always gonna be the wrong choice to somebody else. doesn't mean that you can't try to change their perspective, but — i don't know. it doesn't always work out the way that you want it to. " a beat. then, mildly, " we threw him into a psych hospital, once. that didn't really work out like it was supposed to, either. "

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Heeey! Can I request for the Father of Mine universe? Something along the lines of hickeys, maybe smeared lipstick all over their faces at an event, family dinner or something like that?

“Just skip it and stay here with me,” Jason offered as he leaned against the bathroom frame, shirtless and with his arms crossed.

He had been watching Y/N get ready for at least 15 minutes.

She was currently putting on blood red lipstick that went perfectly with her black winged eyeliner.

Jason wasn’t a big lipstick guy – mostly because it prevented him from kissing his girlfriend the way he wanted to. But he couldn’t deny that it looked incredibly sexy.

“I can’t. I promised Bruce,” Y/N explained as she looked at him through the mirror.

“There will always be other charity events,” he answered with a roll of his eyes.

But he’d had enough of keeping his distance and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He started peppering kisses on her shoulders since her dress was leaving the skin completely exposed and he just couldn’t help himself.

“You know,” she began, “you could always come with me.”

Jason stopped his kissing.

“Guess that’s a no?” Y/N sighed with a shy grin.

But she didn’t really care.

Y/N understood that Jason hated these events. To be honest, she might hate them just as much. But Bruce kept asking her and she tried to go when she could. Sometimes she needed breaks and her father understood that.

Jason ignored her question and his hands started roaming heatedly across her body.

“Don’t even think about it,” Y/N warned, immediately pushing him away.

“What? I didn’t do anything,” Jason laughed innocently.

“Not yet,” she spun around and pointed at him. “But you were going to!”

“And is that so bad?” He asked with a crooked smirk.

“It is when I’m running late. And the reason I’m late is because you couldn’t keep your hands off of me an hour ago.”

Jason tilted his head and narrowed his eyes playfully. “I didn’t exactly hear any complaints…”

Y/N couldn’t stop herself from laughing and shook her head.

No, there had definitely been absolutely no complaints from her.

“I won’t be there long,” Y/N promised.

Then she brushed past him and walked into the giant walk-in closet.

Barely even glancing at all the shoes, she grabbed a pair that matched her dress.

“Can we order pizza or something when I get back? I’ll be starving.” Y/N asked mindlessly as she slipped the shoes on, using the wall to balance herself.

Jason didn’t even realize he was staring.

But how could he not?

The dress was simple. Just a little black dress. It was a charity event after all. But it fit Y/N like a glove, hugging her in all the right places.

Her heels were at least 4 inches, putting her eye level with Jason – if not a tiny bit taller. She would be above the majority of men at the event, except for probably a small handful.

“What?” Y/N asked self consciously. “Too tall?”

“No such fucking thing,” Jason quickly answered.

Y/N usually wasn’t self conscious about her height. She kind of had to get over that back in high school when she was taller than most of the boys in her grade.

But that didn’t mean she completely stopped having slip-ups. Slip-ups that involved questioning her heels or outfit.

Thankfully, Jason was quick to remedy such situations.

“You just look so beautiful,” Jason added as he stepped forward and grabbed her hips possessively.

Y/N kissed him. “Thank you.”

But she opened her mouth to give another warning.

“You’re gonna be late,” Jason spoke for her. “I know. I know.”

Y/N tried not to laugh at her boyfriends desperation as she grabbed her clutch.

“Remember: pizza!” Y/N called over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

————

Bruce and Damian were waiting for Y/N at the venue.

Dick and Tim skipped, going to these things less and less as they became fully grown men with lives of their own.

“Thank you for coming,” Bruce greeted as he kissed her on the cheek.

Y/N was about to turn her attention to Damian and give him a hug.

“What the hell is on your neck!?” The boy cried out before she could.

She blinked in surprise, completely unaware of what her half brother was talking about. Self-consciously, her hand went to the sides of her neck, not sure what she should be hiding.

“Can Todd not keep his hands to himself for 30 seconds?” Damian growled.

That’s when it clicked.

Y/N had a hickey on her neck.

“Damian, lower your voice,” Bruce warned his son.

Meanwhile, Y/N started feeling hot from embarrassment.

“Father, make him stop,” Damian whined.

To her surprise, Bruce cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Damian, Y/N is a grown woman in a relationship. She can do as she pleases.”

It was the right answer, but Y/N was still sweating from the embarrassment.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she quickly mumbled, before disappearing to the nearest bathroom.

But Y/N swore she heard Bruce continuing to scold Damian for his rudeness and for embarrassing her.

When she reached the bathroom, she lifted her head to see that she very much did have a hickey on her neck. It was perfectly hidden in the shadow of her jaw, which was why she hadn’t noticed it while getting ready. If she had, she would’ve put 5 layers of makeup on it to make sure her family didn’t notice.

Thankfully, she brought some cover up with her and quickly started going to work.

After 10 minutes, it was invisible and Y/N let out a sigh of relief.

She pulled out her cellphone, glaring at it as if were her boyfriend.

“You better start behaving. Damian and Bruce just found a hickey on my neck. I’m so fucking embarrassed,” Y/N texted to Jason.

“Who cares?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. Of course he’d answer with that.

“Call me old fashioned, but I’d prefer not remind my father and younger brother that I do in fact have a sex life.”

“A healthy, satisfied, and passionate sex life *,” Jason corrected.

Before she could respond, he texted again with, “Did you cover it up?”

“Obviously.”

“What a shame. Maybe it would’ve kept the spoiled rich boys away from you.”

“You’re on thin ice, Jason Todd.”

“Ooo. I love it when you use the full name. Gets me all hot and bothered.”

Y/N sighed and tossed her phone back into her clutch.

She’d given up on making Jason feel any bit of sympathy. That man would never feel guilty about showing the world how obsessed he was with her.

—————

Jason was reading on the couch when Y/N returned home.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted before returning to reading his book.

“Ugh. I drank too much champagne. I have the worst headache.”

“I’ll order some pizza,” Jason offered and pulled out his phone.

Y/N sighed in relief when she took off her heels and then she collapsed on the couch, laying her head on Jason’s lap as he placed their order.

Without thinking, his free hand when to her head and started massaging it, hoping it would help with her migraine.

“Hmm,” she hummed with her eyes closed. “That feels better.”

“Order has been placed,” he confirmed.

“Thank you.”

“Arrives in 30 minutes.”

She didn’t say anything, knowing exactly where he was going with it.

“What could we possibly do with 30 minutes?” Jason teased as he inched closer to her face.

She opened her eyes and giggled up at him.

“Ya know, I heard that sex helps cure migraines…”

“Does not!” Y/N yelled out.

Before she could argue with him further, his lips shut her up real quick.

For as large as Jason was, he managed to maneuver his body very gracefully, until he was hovering above Y/N while she lay comfortably on the couch.

“You look beautiful with lipstick,” Jason said it as if it was law. “But I like it even more when I ruin it,” he added with an almost evil smirk.

It was hard for Y/N to have a clever quip when he said things like that to her.

“How about I mark you up even more?” He threatened.

“Jason…” she warned.

But they both knew Y/N was pretending to be annoyed by it – or against it. When in reality, she kind of loved how obsessed Jason was with the idea.

Just when Jason hiked Y/N's dress up and was tracing her legs, someone cleared their throat.

Jason squeezed his eyes shut in frustration and actually growled. Then he quickly lowered Y/N’s dress and tried to make her modest again.

Y/N covered her face and groaned. “Please, please, please tell me Bruce is not standing at the window right now.”

Jason smirked. “And Damian.”

Y/N pushed her boyfriend off of her and sat up to face them.

There stood Batman and Robin.

Tonight was just not her night.

“You have lipstick smeared all over you,” Damian pointed out to Jason smugly.

“I’d say one day you’d see the appeal, but I’m struggling to imagine anyone ever having that kind of interest in you,” Jason shot back.

“Jason!” Y/N scolded in a yell.

Then she quickly turned to Damian with a sympathetic look, “Dami, he didn’t mean that.”

“Yeah, I did,” Jason corrected. “What do you guys want?”

“Red Robin is missing,” Bruce stated darkly.

“So…go find him,” Jason replied.

“We need your help,” Bruce clarified.

Jason groaned and rubbed his face. “Fine. But we’re setting some fucking ground rules from now on. I’m sick of you guys invading our personal space. We have a door for a reason. Use it.”

Bruce just nodded.

Then he looked down at Damian and with a glare, got him to nod, too.

“I gotta change,” Jason told them, annoyance clear in his voice.

Y/N followed him into their bedroom, to give them a moment of privacy.

“You don’t have to be so rude,” Y/N sighed as she sat on the edge of their bed.

“They spent all night with you and now they have the balls to interrupt?” Jason shot back. “And I want my damn pizza.”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at him. “I promise I’ll save you some.”

Jason was in his full gear now, Red Hood helmet tucked under his arm.

He took in a deep breath, tension easing off of him as he saw how cute she was looking up from the bed at him. Her lipstick was half off her lips, but she still looked beautiful.

“Promise you’ll be careful,” her tone was nothing but serious.

“Don’t worry about me,” Jason dismissed as he leaned down at kissed her.

"And be nice to Damian."

"Never."

Jason went back to the living room where Bruce and Damian waited.

“You might want to rub some of that off,” Bruce mumbled as he turned and jumped on the window.

Jason glared at Batman’s back as he reluctantly rubbed Y/N’s lipstick off his mouth with his gloved hand.

Then he looked at Damian. “Say another word about it and I'll skin you alive.”

Damian gave him a dirty look, “I’m not scared of you.”

–––––––––

Let me know if you liked it!!!

[astrobydalia]

🌸OBSERVATIONS!! (finally lmao)🌱

Credit: Tumblr blog @astrobydalia

It's been a long time coming! So happy for spring being finally here! Here's the long ass observation post you guys asked for. Since it's quite a big amount of observations, I've decided it'd be a good idea to number them so that it's easier to reference them. As always, enjoy them!

🌸 1. Lilith in the 2nd house can indicate something fishy going on with the relationship between the native’s parents.

🌱 2. Malefic placements such as pluto, chiron, Saturn or Lilith in the 12th indicates a lot of skeletons in the closet when it comes to family and family history

🌸 3. Chiron in Aries/1st house or Leo/5th house is kind of bitch placement. The person basically feels like they can’t be themselves and there’s a lot of self-denial and/or not accepting themselves, how they really are, what they really want, etc. Lots of self-esteem issues

🌱 4. People with sexual placements in the 2nd house (Mars, Venus, Lilith, Eros, ruler of the 8th house) base their self-worth on how sexually attractive they are. If they don't feel sexually desirable to everyone, they feel like they're shit

🌸 5. Lilith is what people think Pluto/Scorpio is!!!! All that stuff about magnetic, sexual and intoxicating but dangerous? Lilith.

🌱 6. Scorpio/Pluto in 4th could mean that the person had to work hard to survive something growing up. It could be poverty, their parents’ expectations, an early trauma, etc. Whatever the situation is, the native felt like they grew up in a high-stress environment where they had to endure and survive

🌸 7. When it comes to degrees, the higher the degree, the bigger or stronger the effect. For example Leo degrees (5º, 17º, 29º) are fame degrees. 5th degree would give small fame, 17th degree would be normal and significant fame or recognition inside the person’s field and 29th degree is moreso widespread or permanent fame

🌱 8. Saturn in the 5th house is a huge indicator of turning your hobby into your job. Also these people can be very awkward in their personality

🌸 9. I’ve noticed people with Neptune in the 6th (maybe 2nd) house may have been hospitalized and if Uranus or Pluto are placed here also indicates getting surgery or operations for health reasons

🌱 10. People with Uranus or Pluto in the 1st, 2nd or conjunct the ASC could get surgery due to aesthetic reason

🌸 11. Mercury dominant people (or strong Gemini energy in the chart) like to have or get things quick and easy. For example they prefer a straight forward summary over an in-depth and elaborated explanation with too many details

🌱 12. Your moon sign shows how you see your past. Your 4th house represent how you see your childhood. But your moon represents under which light you always view your past and everything that has happened in your life in general. It also shows the type of stuff from your past you tend to focus on. Since Cancer and Pisces represent past and remenaicence, that's why Cancer and Pisces moons have trouble getting over the past.

🌸 13. Your 10th house on the other hand is how you see your future. Whenever someone asks you “where you see yourself in 5 years?” your 10th house is the one that’ll be answering that question

🌱 14. Gemini moon/mars are the LEAST likely to hold grudges (unless chart says otherwise)

🌸 15. The house where you have your Neptune indicates the themes you tend to lie about, don’t give much info, say stuff about it that are misleading etc. and in consequence people might not have a clear/correct idea of this part of your life

🌱 16. Virgo risings rarely or basically never pose for pictures. They just look straight forward to the camera, sometimes smile and maybe make a small gesture like putting one hand in their pocket or tilt their head but that’s it. (Virgo = minimalism)

🌸 17. Scorpios really don’t give a single fuck they just DON’T 😭💀 Remember this sign is all or nothing, they either care too or don't care AT ALL

🌱 18. I said it once and I’ll say to a hundred times more: Geminis are not two-faced, it’s LIBRA!! Seriously Libras are the FAKEST people I’ve ever met. Why? Because it's ruled by the planet of love (Venus), which means Libra has a knack for being liked by everyone and making everyone feel liked. HOWEVER Libra is an AIR sign and air represents mind, NOT feelings. In conclusion, Libra can make you feel "loved" (venus) and still not give a damn about you bc its air nature makes them prone to emotional detachment. That's why they are able to roast you and make it look like they're complimenting you, specially when they have Scorpio mercury.

🌸 19. Just like you look at where’s the ruler of your rising sign to get more info on your rising, check the ruler of your Sun sign for more info on your personal identity (check sign and house). For ex. I have Virgo Sun in the 9th. Ruler of Virgo=Mercury. I have mercury in Libra in the 10th house which makes me more serious (10th house) and diplomatic/people pleaser (Libra)

🌱 20. If you found that you “couldn’t” do what’s previously described because you’re a Leo sun, check the degree and decan of your Sun

🌸 21. I’ve noticed mercury retrograde people are the type of individuals who always know exactly the right things to say. You’ll always see them take a couple of seconds before answering but they tend to give very good responses

🌱 22. I’ve noticed many women with Virgo Venus/Sun/MC/Lilith have been slut-shamed at some point of their life or they’ve been seen as promiscuous/sexual/etc.

🌸 23. Capricorn moons are not emotionless machines. The thing with these natives is that their mothers treated them like an adult the second they came out of the womb, so basically they skipped the “love and affection” stage and went straight to the “grow up” stage, but they can love really hard and real deep (Capricorn is deep down a very sentimental sign). They are very ride or die people tbh, they are very patient, accepting and understanding

🌱 24. I've noticed that people at first deny their rising sign in Vedic astrology, but eventually they end up accepting it and they actually end up relating to it a lot. I feel like this is because our rising sign in Vedic astrology is usually the sign of our 12th house in Western astrology, which leads me to believe that our 12th house sign is not our shadow side but more like our deep subcontious personality and that's why we have a hard time accepting it when we see it as our rising sign in Vedic astrology. It's like your rising sign (in western) is the director of the play but your 12th house is the energy that previously wrote the script

🌸 25. So many celebrities have moon in the 11th house. Also this placement indicates that you had a mother that put you out there constantly like posting everything about you on social media, bringing you to big events or your mom was “famous” in some capacity

🌱26. Gemini risings tend to believe everything they are told. More specifically, once they find someone that knows a little bit more than them they’ll believe everything they teach them and will most likely rely on them intellectually, for advice, guidance, etc. This is bc they have DSC in Sagittarius which makes them see the people they associate with as masters and mentors while, as a Gemini rising, they identify as an apprentice.

🌸27. Both 8th house and 12th house have been associated with secrets. The different is that the 8th house represents what you CONTIOUSLY and deliberately hide from others and most likely deny to yourself (or not, depends on the person). 12th house on the other hand represents subconscious, things that are hidden even from you and you didn’t even know were hidden. 4th house is not necessarily secrets, it represents privacy, like when people have a sanctuary to just relax, unwind and feel secure, that’s the 4th house.

🌱28. Sun or Moon in the 4th house will make you a sociable but private person.

🌸29. Sun or moon in the 8th house will make you an intriguing and mysterious person.

🌱30. Sun or moon the 12th house makes you a very elusive or wishy-washy person

🌸31. I’ve seen many Scorpio sun/moon/mars/rising individuals obsessed with the idea of being prepared for a catastrophe. They could be the type to, for example, have some saved cash just in case something bad happens with their bank money, have a backup account just in case their main one gets deleted, could have a “leave before you get left” philosophy, etc.

🌱32. Is it just me or the astro community talks a lot about Aries moons???

🌸33. I’ve noticed people with 4th house in Virgo could have been raised in a very judgemental household where there was lots of taboos and prejudice as to what’s right and what’s not and the family was too preoccupied with a perfect and immaculate reputation. For example could have been raised with values such as “only criminals wear tattoos” or “you should stay celibate till marriage or else you’re a whore”, etc. and if the native broke those rules they could have been very criticized and almost loathed by the family. They native could have been highly criticized in general by their family

🌱34. I’ve noticed women that have their moon harshly aspecting Pluto, Uranus and Mars or overall have a very afflicted moon tend to have very painful period cramps

🌸35. Something I have noticed with Venus or Moon conjunct Saturn people is that the concept of unconditional love sounds like alien language to them. That of course doesn’t mean they can’t love but they have this deep belief that they have to achieve something in order to deserve love and stuff like that

🌱36. Also, I just noticed that people with Saturn conjunct sun/moon/Venus/ASC, Capricorn big 3 or Capricorn degrees in personal placements have gone through IT man, specially on an internal level. I've noticed going through depression is a common theme for people with this Capricorn/Saturn influence

🌸37. Virgo Suns could often struggle to find balance between having healthy ego and being humble.

🌱38. Also people with Virgo+Leo energy are the MOOOOST judgmental people out there. Imagine ego mixed with a sense of knowing what’s correct. They tend to believe they’re morally superior and easily liable people as inferior

🌸39. The underdeveloped energy of a sign asimilates negative traits of its sister sign. For example underdeveloped Virgo is overly perfectionist and judgmental to the point where they have unrealistic expectations (Pisces)

🌱40. On the other hand the developed version of a sign is balanced out by understanding its sister sign. For example Leo knows they are unique and special and deserves recognition but understands everyone is also unique in their own way (Aquarius)

🌸41. I’ve noticed a person can very easily manifest the stereotypical characteristics of the sign that naturally rules the house where their chart ruler is. For example if someone’s chart ruler (ruler of the ASC) is in the 7th house the person can easily manifest stereotypical characteristics of Libra like being a people pleaser

🌱42. Sagittarius ASC/Mars people are all fun, amicable and outgoing.... until they don’t get their way. They will get away from people and situations that won’t give them what they want and they can genuinely dislike people solely because those people don’t let them have their way. They tend to go around life like they have a free pass to get away with everything they want.

🌸43. People with ASC-Neptune aspects don’t have a very reliable vision of reality or themselves to be honest. I don’t know how people with this aspect haven’t lost their mind already. They are prone to subconsciously manipulating or easily getting manipulated. With hard aspects this is a lot more obvious but I’ve noticed with easy aspects this energy tends to go almost unnoticed and they easily get away with stuff

🌱44. Have seen many famous people with North node in the 2nd, 5th, 11th and 12th houses specially

🌸45. Air risings or air dominance with Sagittarius placements/degrees are people who love cartoons/animations/videogames regardless of their age.

🌱46. When I got into astrology I didn’t understand why Sun is in detriment in Libra, but oh man... All Libras I’ve met had HUGE issues with trusting themselves. They doubt themselves 24/7 and that’s not even an exaggeration and I’ve noticed they actually may have grown up doubting themselves for some reason or they had a family (their dad) that caused this feeling in them. Also I’ve seen that those Libras with Scorpio placements feel like they have to hide something about themselves otherwise they’ll be rejected. Yes they are endlessly charming, but that's because they have essentially created their personality around the desire of being liked/accepted. They always need to feel they have SOMEONE. Their sense of self, INDIVIDUALITY, independence and assertiveness is lost in the process. Unless they have fire and specially Aries placements to balance this out they can feel like they have no personality and that’s why they are often perceived as fake or shallow.

🌸47. Literally ALL Virgo placements one way or another will always suggest a way to solve your problems when giving emotional support

🌱48. I have a theory that, since 4th house is how you were raised, your home and your parents, your 10th house is how you’d be as a parent yourself and the type of home you’ll create yourself

🌸49. Contrary to my expectations, I’ve seen priests having a much more prominent 4th house (many times combined with 8th house/Scorpio energy) than 12th house. People with 12th house placements or stellium seem to prefer artistic fields rather than classic spirituality

🌱50. The house where you have your Pluto is a house you just can NOT take lightly EVER. This area of your life feels like a heavy topic to you in some way (you are either obsessed with it, find It traumatic, get extremely defensive over it, find it spiteful, you feel everything goes wrong, etc, etc.) Can also apply to the house where you have the sign of scorpio

🌸51. In synastry, Venus falling in the 12th house creates a healing dynamic in the relationship, the connection can feel cathartic specially for the house person. The house person might tend to always be comforted by the venus person’s support, always feel better (or even energetically “cleansed”) after being with them. The venus person never judges the house person and accepts them and is always willing to be there.

🌱52. I’ve noticed this pattern in people with mutable moons where they have absent mothers in some shape or form. Their mother is very inconsistent, she always comes and goes. Very often the native may have felt like their mother always “left them be” (virgo moon moms put restrictions but eventually are rather flexible)

🌸53. People with cardinal moons have bossy mothers. In many cases they can have the type of mother that is constantly making decisions for them, like their mother decides what/where they’re going to study for example (the house tells what type of things the mother tends to make decisions on).

🌱54. People with fixed moons have possesive and protective moms. While mutable moons have absent mothers, natives with fixed moons have mothers that are ALWAYS there in some shape or form. At the very least the influence of the mother is always there and they always have this sense of “loyalty” towards their mom.

Credit: Tumblr blog @astrobydalia

That's it for now, next observation post is just as long but much better, stay tuned and safe loves 💕

[the-insomniac-emporium]

I love your writing.

if it's not too much trouble may i make a request? I'm thinking the Dimitrescu women meeting and/or courting a fellow immortal.

the circumstances of the immortal's powers and possession of immorality are entirely up to you. I just like the idea of them meeting someone they could literally spend forever with...because they deserve it ❤

I wasn't sure if you wanted a story or headcanons? I went with HCs, here, but if you wanted more of a drabble or whatever just lemme know and I'll write something like that.

Also, I got excited and carried away so this has the whole Dimitrescu family, plus shorter ones for both Mother Miranda and Donna. Admittedly Alcina's is also a little on the shorter side? I tried to write everything that came to mind, but I am kinda tired right now, sorry. Might reblog this and add some more later.

(Under read-more for length)

Cassandra:

Tries (and fails) to hide her excitement. Mortality is one of the bigger things that has made her keep her distance to others, at least in the past. Every Maiden she’s ever been the slightest bit smitten with, up until this point, has been incredibly fragile. Seeing as she’s not exactly the softest person, one can easily imagine why that would be a turn off for her. But now that’s no longer a problem!

On the other had… having an immortal partner gives Cassandra pause. Why? Because what if they breakup? Normally, she can just, ahem, “dispose” of any exes (regardless of how much it hurts) so she doesn’t have to see them/deal with them anymore. If that’s not an option, she’ll definitely take longer than usual to do anything about her feelings. She wants to be sure, 100%, before she gets in over her head. Chances are she won’t hold back for as long as she wants though.

Likely to have a loud, messy confession. She’ll have been avoiding you for a few days, always ducking out of whatever rooms you enter, leaving you both hurt and confused. After enlisting the help of her sisters, you’ll be able to corner her outside. She’ll tell you, under no uncertain circumstances, to leave her alone. But you’ll refuse, demanding an explanation.

“I thought we had something. I thought you cared,” you’ll snap, eyes watering. “If that’s changed… if I was wrong, just tell me. I’ll leave and I’ll never come back.” Cue thunder and raining (because tropes) and Cassandra dramatically pulling you into a kiss, holding you so tightly you think you might bruise. Then she’s demanding that you stay, refusing to apologize but making it clear just how much she does care.

Being immortal, you’re not as defenseless as some of Cassandra’s past interests. Naturally, she doesn’t get quite as protective as she normally would. She’ll still have your back no matter what, ready to fight by your side against any foe, and will probably consider doing so a “fun bonding activity”. Oh, some lycans are encroaching on Dimitrescu territory? Time to go destroy them, as a power couple!

Despite having all the time in the world, Cassandra won’t change much of her actual courting behavior, nor the rate at which things advance. She’s still gonna get handsy fairly early on, still gonna “rah!” at you in the hallways, and still going to struggle with her jealousy.

Immortality Compatibility: I can see Cassandra going for another vampire (or vampire adjacent) creature, or someone demonic. She likes her lovers a bit rough, with some nice bite to their personalities. If you’ve got sharp teeth, or claws, or glowing eyes? Oh boy, she’s gonna be making heart eyes at you all the time.

Bela:

If your immortality isn’t immediately obvious, Bela is over the moon with joy when she finds out. Her eyes will go wide for a moment, before she tries to seem calm (so as to not freak you out), but her heart is pounding. This is what she’s been hoping for. As much as Mother Miranda has done for her family, there’s no guarantee that she’d be willing to give more. Even if Miranda granted Bela’s lover her “gift”, there was no telling what the results would be, or if the lover would survive. Now that there’s no need for such a transformation, it’s far easier for Bela to imagine herself in love (and eventually be in love).

Slow-burn romance over a decade or longer, oops. Doesn’t even necessarily mean to take things so slowly, just doesn’t feel a need to rush things, preferring that they develop organically. With both of you having unlimited time, you’re both used to working on a very large timescale. Maidens watching the two of you probably place bets on how long it’ll take you to hold hands for the first time. Everyone knows it’s coming, but no matter how much Cassandra and Daniela complain, Bela refuses to jump into things. By the time the two of you are officially together, you’re probably madly in love with each other.

More protective than Cassandra, if only because she knows just how rare you are. Immortal or not, you likely still have a weakness, and Bela will do everything in her power to make sure no one else knows what it is. If applicable, she will also ensure she has a countermeasure readily available. For example: If you were weak to fire, she’d make sure that the castle keeps extinguishers handy, just in case. Though they should probably already do that. Not that the Dimitrescu family cares much for OSHA compliance.

Somehow grows more in love with you with every passing year, and makes sure that you know this. Whether you’ve been together for one year or one century (because in this house we ignore canon), she’s always performing little acts of love, giving constant reminders of how strongly she feels. Gifts, special dates, book recommendations, etc.

Immortality Compatibility: Bela seems like the type to go for someone with a calming presence, and perhaps somewhat of a contrast to herself. I can picture her with someone somewhat angelic, or druidic, someone very in tune with nature. She’d love to feed deer with you and relax in the forest! Or lay against a tree by your side, listening to you talk about various microorganisms for hours at a time.

Daniela:

Practically tackles you when she finds out/connects the dots. This is just like one of her romance novels, where a lonely (attractive as fuck) immortal spends years in isolation before finally meeting the love of their life, who they get to spend the rest of eternity with. Absolutely ecstatic about the whole situation. Won’t stop kissing you and pulling you close, rambling about how great it’s gonna be to spend your lives together. Honestly? Kind of overwhelming. You might have to remind her a few times that you don’t have to rush into things, considering you have all the time in the world.

Introduces you to people as her “super cool/rad immortal life partner”. Genuinely cannot bring herself to not brag about you. If her sisters haven’t found someone like you yet, you can bet that Daniela will tease them about it all the time (much to their annoyance). If Momma Alcina doesn’t, though? Dani will keep her thoughts to herself, thank you very much (being grounded at her age does not impress the s/o).

Tries not to show it, but she’s actually very nervous. You’re immortal! You’ve probably seen a lot of shit (she certainly has)! Worries about keeping you interested in her, though she would never admit it. This tends to lead to her performing ridiculous acts to showcase her affection, regardless of the cost or, like, whether or not you’d even enjoy whatever she has planned. In order to counter her anxiety, you’ll want to reassure her whenever you can, and give her plenty of “I love you”s.

Strikes a decent balance between Cassandra’s nonchalant attitude and Bela’s protectiveness. Will defend you if you need it, playing up the romantic aspect, but also entirely willing to hide behind you in a scary situation.

Immortality Compatibility: Having probably read Twilight… Dani would date a werewolf, as long as they weren’t the smelly kind. Also interested in a sort of “magical”/elemental type, especially if their powers are influenced by emotions. In other words, if someone flirts with her in front of you, and your response is to subconsciously light your hands/the other person on fire? She thinks that’s hot, pun intended.

Alcina:

“Oh? Interesting,” she’d say, smiling softly (and trying to ignore the heat rushing to her face). Similarly to Cassandra, she’d try to play it off, not wanting to seem too excited. And, well, she’s not as excited as any of her daughters are. After all, she’s had more time than them to “get used” to the idea of outliving any potential romantic interests. So, she’s not exactly desperate for a relationship, even with someone she could spend an eternity with.

That being said, if she is romantically interested in them, she’s very relieved. Outliving a loved one can be incredibly traumatizing (fuck you c*pcom, you know what you did), and knowing that you’re safe (or at least safer than most) brings her no small amount of comfort.

Also, just glad to have another person close to her age around. Her daughters are somewhat stuck as young adults, and I imagine Alcina would want someone who gained immortality a little later in life, such as herself, as opposed to, ya know, reminding her of her children. That probably goes without saying. Hopefully.

More so than her daughters, Alcina would change her level of protectiveness depending on her s/o’s power level. If you’re a shapeshifter who can also turn into a big ass dragon? Then she’s not going to coddle you. If you’re immortal but still vulnerable, then she’s going to do her best to keep you safe, even going so far as to enlist the assistance of her daughters. “If you see a single Maiden growing mistletoe, or bringing some in from the village, let me know immediately,” or something like that, depending on your weakness.

Immortality Compatibility: Definitely would want someone in a situation similar to herself, having once been truly human, only to be “elevated” by something. Bonus points if you’re another disciple of Miranda, double bonus points if Miranda specifically “made” you to be Alcina’s boo/honey/darling/dear.

Bonus! Mother Miranda:

Oh god finally someone who won’t leave her (can’t leave her). No one can take you away from her, and that’s a relief that she’s been craving for over a century. Even if romance isn’t high on her priority list, she welcomes it with open arms, glad to have someone by her side through all of life’s chaos.

Admittedly slow to trust at first, probably just using you as a tool at first. But prove yourself enough, show that your devotion is more than just misdirected self-interest, and she’ll start to warm up to you. Forming a real relationship would likely take a couple decades, similar to with Bela. Once you are together, however, the two of you are inseparable in all matters.

You’d be her #1 follower, most trusted adviser, and the only person allowed to understand 100% of her thoughts and motives. While Miranda wouldn’t allow you to be seen as the same level as her (sorry), you’d still be a legend among the villagers. To them, you’re Mother Miranda’s champion, the epitome of a devoted follower that they all aspire to emulate. Not that they know the two of you are a couple, though.

Immortality Compatibility: No gimmicks, no cheap tricks, she wants (and respects) a fellow scientist, someone who clawed their way through adversity and forged themselves into something indestructible. Double the interest if you did so for a similar cause to her own, as she would appreciate your ability to relate to her suffering.

Bonus! Donna:

Someone to play with! FOREVER! No more losing people she cares about, no more accidentally breaking people, no more people scrambling to leave. Now that she has you, she can finally spend some quality time with another (living?) person. Honestly her dolls (or at least Angie) are just as excited as she is. Regardless of her relations with the other three Lords, Donna much prefers the company of a lover.

For real though she’s shy as hell and you might not even realize who’s pulling the strings until you’ve been in her house for over a year. She’d probably use her powers to trap you inside, at least at first, though they’d be nice hallucinations. You’d have to treat the dolls nicely, especially Angie, before she’d let you interact with her.

Eventually you’d be allowed to leave, and you’d be given a key to return whenever you wanted to. Assuming that you do, in fact, come back, the two of you would have a very, very slow romance, if only because of Donna’s anxiety. Hand holding makes both of your faces turn beet red, seriously.

Immortality Compatibility: *chanting* GHOST GIRLFRIEND GHOST GIRLFRIEND POLTERGEIST PARTNER POLTERGEIST PARTNER WOOHOO! Something with a flexible, only-sometimes-tangible form, who absolutely could have left at any time but didn’t because they wanted to stay.

[nat-20s]

fill of @jonmartinweek day 6 prompt- flirting AND jealousy, though much heavier on the jealousy than the flirting. Set in a classic “season 5 jmart time travel bac to season 1″ au

~*~

“Mr. Blackwood-Sims, if I didn’t know any better, I would assume you’re trying to proposition me.”

“Mr. Sims-Blackwood, I would never. For one, neither of us are inclined towards those sorts of activities, for second, we’re both married men. What would my husband say?”

“I believe your husband would say he never specified exactly what you were propositioning, and he would be more than amenable to kissing, preferably sometime in the next few seconds.”

“Mmm, suppose I’ll have to find him and take him up on that, then. If that’s really how he feels.”

“Trust me, it most certainly is.”

Christ, would those two shut up already? Granted, it’s late enough that they probably think they’re alone in the archives, but, still. This is, technically, a work place, and Jon would’ve preferred not to have accidentally gotten an eyeful as he made his way past the open door in the breakroom. Now, the image of (supposedly) a future version of himself sitting on the couch, with (supposedly) a future version of Martin straddling his legs, using one hand to cup his face, and the other to run his hands through that Jon’s longer hair, was seared into his mind, and he hated it. Look, contrary to what people who don’t know him very well seemed to believe, he’s hardly a prude. He’s more than fine with descriptions of physical intimacy, as well as public displays of affection. If he’s being honest with himself, deep down, he doesn’t even care all that much about professionalism, especially considering it is after hours.

But of course, he’s not being honest with himself, because then he’d have to admit that it bothers him that it’s them. He doesn’t know what to call the acrid burning in the pit of his stomach, the too tight ache in his chest, that’s present whenever the fun house mirror versions of himself and Martin are besotted with each other, but he knows it’s there. It doesn’t help that he’s the only one that seems to be bothered by it, the only one that frowns at the flash of wedding rings or the orbit those two always seem to occupy around each other.

Or, no, he’s not the only one. Occasionally, while witnessing the two of them being...the Two of Them, he can’t help glancing over to Martin. Lo and behold, Martin also doesn’t look thrilled about all of this, usually skewing more towards confusion or, oddly enough, resignation. At least, that’s what Jon thinks he sees there, it’s one of the few times where he can’t fully get a read on Martin.

Still, as much as Martin might share in being somewhat perturbed, as anyone who meets their “future selves” should be, Martin doesn’t seem nearly as upset as Jon is. That brings him back to his current predicament of feeling that level of upset, but not being able to determine the root cause of it.

It is not that he’s jealous. It’s not! He does not feel a pang of envy at seeing someone who looks extremely similar to himself loving openly, and being openly loved in return. He doesn’t find his thoughts drifting to the imagined feeling of lips pressed to his temple or arms around his waist or fingers running through his hair. He certainly hasn’t looked down at his left hand and been disappointed by the fact that its bare. He doesn’t even want those things, as he’s been telling himself for a number of many lonely years. One of these days he might even believe it.

Fine. Fine. Maybe, but only maybe, there’s a part of him that’s jealous. Maybe there’s even a part of him that despairs, because try as he might he can’t connect point A to point B, can’t see the steps he would have to take to be like that other version of himself, and he knows his Martin (well, not his Martin, but..) will never look at him like that, will never see him in that light. And, damn it all, it hurts, so if they could kindly stop ru-

Oh. Wait. He can’t hear them outside his office door anymore. Huh, perhaps they-

“Knock knock.”

Startled out of his...contemplation, Jon looks up to find himself looking back. Sims is leaning against the door-frame, with mussed hair, swollen lips, and pupils blown wide. Jon loathes him and wishes to be him in equal measure. In a move he usually would’ve thought more characteristic of Tim, Sims doesn’t wait for a response, instead sitting himself across from Jon and saying, “Figured you’d still be here.”

Trying not to sound too much like he’s speaking through gritted teeth, Jon asks, “Did you now?”

Sims gives a lackadaisical shrug. “With any luck, you’re not going to become me. I not sure you can become me, at this point, diverging paths and all that. However, we do share the first 28 years of our lives, and I certainly didn’t believe in the concept of a work life balance, so why would you?”

“Is there something you wanted?”

“Yes, actually. I want you to ask out Martin, your moping is getting insufferable, and considering how much of our misery has been entirely outside of our control, you shouldn’t put up with what is in your power to fix.”

Jon blinks. Jon processes. Jon stammers. “I-what?! I am not, you can’t just-. Martin doesn’t even like me, and if you really were the same person as me, you know I’m not all that keen on him either.”

“Uh-huh. Is that why you can’t stop thinking about his hands?”

“I do no-”

Sims puts a hand up in surrender, though the smirk doesn’t entirely drop. “Sorry, sorry, I know that’s rather unhelpful. What I mean is, you’re already loved, right now, as you are. No, that love is not coming from Martin, but it could be,t because he doesn’t dislike you.  He doesn’t know you, because you have done everything in your power to make sure he doesn’t. You also don’t know him, even though you’re interested in him, because you’ve been trying not to be. It’s stupid. Get to know each other. It’ll probably work out.”

“I...is that how you did it? Because this seems like an objectively terrible idea.”

Sims snorts. “God, no. It took a coma before I was able to untangle my own feelings. The whole point is that you won’t have to take the same looping, painful path that I did.”

Jon wants to reject it outright, almost does, and yet. “Fine.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yes, really. Why?’

“Nothing, just. We’re usually a more stubborn on these sorts of things. I was expecting more of a fight.”

“Mm. Normally, I would be, but I’ve been forced to watch two rather obvious proof of concepts waltzing around in front of me, and agreeing will hopefully get you the hell out of my office.”

Sims studies him for a moment, then a surprised smile spreads on his face. “All right then.”

Jon makes a dismissive hand wave, and Sims obliges, and he spends the rest of the night trying not to think about what he’s agreed to.

~*~

The next day, about half an hour before the end of the work day, Jon calls Martin into his office. From his tight shoulders and carefully blank expression, it’s clear Martin very much does not want to be there. Great. This is going to go so well.

Jon gestures for him to sit, Martin does, and he dives in. “As we both now know, I don’t have the ability to fire you. In all reality, even though I am, on paper, your boss, I truly don’t have any power or authority over you.”

Martin leans back in his seat, letting a heavy pause fall between them before saying a stilted, “Okay?”

“So, I want you to know that I am about to ask you a question, and you have complete freedom and choice over your response, without fear of any negative consequences. Alright?”

“Um. Sure.”

Jon takes a breath, slowly lets it out, and bites the bullet. “Would you like to get dinner sometime?”

Martin stares. Then he squints. Then he studies. “Oh. Jon, you...we’re not them, you know that, right?”

“I’m aware.”

“So..why?”

Jon lets out a sigh, and tries to gather his thoughts in a way that makes sense to either of them. “Well, though I myself have some trouble with the concept, they’re not..entirely removed from who we are, and there’s enough foundation there that I have reason to believe we might...get on? Maybe we don’t, maybe we end up being friends, maybe we end up like them. That’s already enough to pique my own curiosity, but, alternate future versions of us aside, I mostly would just like to get to know more about you, and I’m hoping you might like to get to know me better as well.”

Martin’s shoulders relax, and he chews on his bottom lip for a moment before replying, “Okay. Yeah, why not?”

“Oh. Oh! Great! Does this Saturday work for you?”

“Works perfectly. Let’s give a shot.”

The first date is..fine. A Bit of a mess, but fine. The second date, however, is the best Jon’s ever been on. It’s so wonderful, in fact, that he doesn’t even mind when he catches Blackwood passing a fiver to Sims the day he can’t stop smiling at work.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Beautifully Spent

aka Five Times Lan Qiren Left The Lan Sect Behind

- Chapter 3 -

“No classes for the remainder of the day today,” the teacher said, and everyone, most of them already long ago having started to drift off in the hazy afternoon, sending longing looks towards the windows, turned to look at him, surprised. Even Lan Wangji couldn’t help himself – not that he’d been looking away, of course.

(He’d been not-looking at Wei Wuxian.)

Their teacher smiled indulgently. “A special treat for today, in anticipation of the special treat you will all be receiving tomorrow.”

“A treat?” Nie Huaisang asked, sitting up straighter. “What treat?”

“The sect leader’s brother has returned for a visit –”

“Teacher Lan?” Jiang Cheng exclaimed, looking irrepressibly excited, and abruptly the entire room burst out into a flurry of speech. It was only that they had all met him or heard of him, in his years of wandering through the cultivation world – the teacher of whom it was said that he could teach anyone, turn even the most dissolute waste into a proper and upright gentleman, deserving of respect. It seemed as if everyone had an anecdote to share: some visit they’d heard of, some trick or talent, an opportunity to hear him play…

Lan Wangji maintained his composure through an effort of will. No matter how much he might want to leap to his feet and rush out the door, going to find his uncle at once, there would be no point: his uncle was a stickler for decorum, and he would first pay his respects to his brother, Lan Wangji’s father, and then to the memorial hall. Only in the evening would Lan Wangji have a chance to see him and speak to him, and even then there would be a limited amount of time before they all had to go to bed…

Lan Wangji found himself rising to his feet despite himself.

“Hey, hey, Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, bouncing over to him and grabbing at him, tugging on his sleeves as if to get his attention. His hands felt hot as a brand, and Lan Wangji could only be relieved at the protective layers of clothing that separated them. He felt his ears go a bit hot regardless, undoubtedly affected by Wei Wuxian’s unnecessary spreading of warmth. “Teacher Lan, he’s your uncle, right? You must have met him lots of times – you must have the best stories – tell us some!”

Lan Wangji leveled his best glare at him. It was a good glare, one that the junior disciples found quite frightening and made guest disciples avoid him.

Well. Most guest disciples.

“Noisy,” he said, disapproving, but Wei Wuxian was undeterred.

“Teacher Lan says that I learn best through action,” he boasted. “Quiet contemplation is wasted on those with too much energy; it’s necessary to excise the energy first, and to channel it, and so for people like me, it’s best to confront things directly, to see things with my own eyes and confront me with puzzles to challenge me!”

That seemed like a remedy his uncle would have prescribed. Lan Wangji could imagine the slightly-amused, mostly-long-suffering his uncle’s eyes would have had when he had recited it, undoubtedly in the same monotone he always used which for some reason seemed to irritate other adults so much.

“It was amazing!” Wei Wuxian continued. “I got to go on night-hunts two years early, thanks to him!”

“He also said that you needed to be smacked on a regular basis lest you get too full of yourself,” Jiang Cheng interjected, and that also sounded very much like something Lan Wangji’s uncle might have said. “Also, remember when you called him a boring old stick in the mud?”

“Argh, Jiang Cheng! Don’t mention that, you’ll embarrass me in front of Lan Zhan –”

Lan Wangji belatedly realized that Wei Wuxian was still holding his arm and felt his ears go from slightly hot to very hot, feeling somewhat attacked even though he knew it wasn’t something Wei Wuxian was intentionally or maliciously doing towards him. He shook Wei Wuxian off and slipped out the door.

He had to talk to his uncle right away.

His uncle, he thought, would know how to fix his current malady: the one where he thought about Wei Wuxian all the time, whether during the day or at night. The way his temperature rose, his heartbeat accelerated, how he couldn’t control his emotions or maintain his discipline the way he should…

His uncle would fix everything.

It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done it. He’d gone wandering through the world long ago, well before Lan Wangji was born – before Lan Xichen was born, even before their father ever met their mother. He’d been barely older than Lan Wangji was now, in fact; it had been far earlier than it should have been, in the normal course of things. There had been some dispute, though whether it was with Lan Wangji’s father or grandfather remained unknown; indeed, Lan Wangji didn’t know anything about it at all, only that his uncle had left without looking back.

He’d first been a traveling musician, but eventually he had developed a reputation as a teacher. It was said that at some point when he was staying as a guest in some small sect or another, he’d run into some disastrous good-for-nothing of a person, useless and bitter with it, and somehow managed to figure out how to help them cultivate properly – or was the first one he’d helped a beastly hellion who wouldn’t learn anything, and he’d taught them both their letters and how to study, turning them into a scholar?

It didn’t really matter which had come first. In the end, he’d gotten a reputation for himself as a valuable teacher in the same vein as some legendary marvel of an itinerant doctor, the sort that could only be hoped for but not invited, and a bit of an adventurer besides – it was said that he’d saved Lao Nie’s life through some unspecified circumstance, averted Cangse Sanren’s doomed fate through happenstance, helped repair Jiang Fengmian’s broken marriage, and was even rumored to have had a brief personal liaison with the terrifying Sect Leader Wen…

Not that Lan Wangji listened to such things, of course. Talking behind other people’s backs is forbidden…although naturally, as the head of the discipline hall, he had more reason than most to need to know about all the wildest things people were saying.

At any rate, it was all beside the point. Lan Wangji’s uncle had gone out, made a reputation for himself, and then, just when he might have been tempted away for good somewhere else, had come home and won back his place in the Lan sect from his brother. Indeed, Lan Wangji’s father had reason to thank him more than most – it had been upon hearing what had happened with Lan Wangji’s mother, all those years ago when his parents had first gotten married, that Lan Wangji’s uncle had returned. Perhaps it was his years out on the road that had given him the strength and boldness to reject the solution the elders had devised, to castigate them all viciously and demand a better result – it wasn’t really clear.

What was clear, though, was that no one knew the Lan sect rules better than Uncle Qiren, and he’d developed a temper at some point during his travels outside; he’d attacked the whole arrangement from start to end, insisting that they come up with some other way to balance love and justice, protection of the person and protection of the sect’s face. Lan Wangji’s mother to this day swore that if she’d actually been locked up in a little house for the rest of her life, she’d have been long ago died of sheer boredom.  

Of course, now that she was a little older, she tended to stay at her Gentian House most of the day regardless, disdaining the outdoors. But her home there was a place with windows open and people coming and going at all hours – it was a place of joy and happiness, laughter and light. Lan Wangji’s father tended to go there when he was starting to revert back to how he’d been before, those not-so-good days when Lan Wangji was young, and he always vastly improved after getting a tongue-lashing or two.

Lan Wangji wasn’t sure how many of the stories about his uncle were true and how many were rampant exaggeration – his uncle claimed the latter, but his mother insisted on the former, and his father, who rarely spoke without careful contemplation, eventually opined that it was somewhere in the middle.

In fairness, Lan Wangji didn’t much care, either. He had long ago taken his uncle as his role model, trying to fashion himself to be just like him whether in righteousness or rule-abidingness or even in musical talent. He was sure, deep in the depths of his soul, that his uncle could solve just about anything he put his mind to.

And yet he was sure, sure, that his uncle could never have encountered a problem like Wei Wuxian.

“Wei Wuxian?” his uncle said, blinking and rubbing his eyes – he’d stepped out of the memorial hall just now as a result of Lan Wangji’s urgency. “Oh, yes. I remember him. Bright boy. I thought you’d like him.”

Lan Wangji shook his head resolutely. How could he like someone like that?

Someone who made him feel…the way he did?

“Explain further.”

Lan Wangji did his best.

Irritatingly, about three-quarters of the way into his stumbling description, his uncle began to smile, his eyes curving just a little, and eventually to chuckle quietly.

Lan Wangji stopped, frowning – his uncle rarely smiled, and even more rarely laughed.

“No, no,” his uncle said. “Forgive me. It is a serious matter.”

Lan Wangji knew it!

“I will spend some time carefully observing Wei-gongzi,” his uncle continued, and Lan Wangji frowned again, suddenly anxious. “I promise, I will not let anything escape my gaze.”

Lan Wangji’s anxiety spiked even further: his uncle was quite strict regarding the rules in the Cloud Recesses, and Wei Wuxian had already broken so many – he would undoubtedly be found out, and punished. It was no more than Wei Wuxian deserved, really, and yet – at the same time….

He cleared his throat. “Uncle, are you sure that’s necessary?”

“Oh yes,” his uncle said. “I must make sure he’s acceptable if he’s to be my in-law, isn’t he?”

Lan Wangji stared.

“You’re my beloved nephew,” his uncle said. “Naturally I must make sure that anyone you like is up to standard –”

“Uncle!” Lan Wangji cried out, feeling deeply betrayed. Possibly by himself.

His uncle shook his head. “Forgive me, Wangji. I will stop. But that is the explanation for your symptoms. I have observed similar things many times.”

Lan Wangji sat down, distressed. It hadn’t even occurred to him, although knowing his parents as he did meant that he was very familiar with the notion that love was not necessarily an enjoyable feeling, and perhaps especially not when you were first afflicted by it. “But…what do I do about it?”

His uncle touched his shoulder lightly, offering comfort. “Having emotions is a good thing, Wangji; it connects you to the rest of the world,” he said. “Understanding them, and knowing what action to take, is a matter of experience, for logic is of limited use in interpreting the heart.”

Lan Wangji nodded. “You will help, then?”

“…I will do my best,” his uncle said. “I may need to consult on the matter from those that understand certain aspects of these sorts of things a little better than I. But I promise, you will not have to face it alone.”

Lan Wangji nodded yet again, deeply relieved.

They would figure it out.

They would fix it.

His uncle would help.