#in the evening in a timing that absolutely guarantees i will miss at least two hours of sleep per night

[anaalnathrakhs]

i am going to be fully driven insane by having to live with my parents

[marauder-misprint]

Hello to you lovely human being! Happy 500 followers its my first time requesting so forgive me if anything is formatted weird :p im always updated on ur fics and now im finally requesting something:DDD ok so could u please write something like coworker james x reader when theyre both stuck at for a new years party with this prompt ⁴⁾ “i’m still in the market for someone to kiss at midnight, if you’re up for it.” and this scenario? ¹²⁾ being stuck at work for the night, watching everyone else celebrate from afar :D i'd love for u to write it but its definitely okay if u dont want to

Thank you! and thank you for the request ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎ I love love love writing cutesy things like this. Hope you enjoy!

Working New Year's

coworker!James Potter x reader

1.0k words

cw: fluff

You had drawn one of the short straws. The restaurant you worked at had been booked for a New Year’s Eve party and you were working it. You knew you were missing getting hammered with your friends in some random bar, but you tried to look on the bright side: at least it was holiday pay and your coworker was not the worst. 

Yes, “not the worst” was probably the best way to describe James Potter. He was attractive and he knew it, flirting with guest after guest. The old ladies who came in would request him. He was arrogant and overly confident. But, he was a hard worker. He got the job done. You knew that you’d be leaving no later than 1:15 a.m. after the party cleared out and you did your closing duties. 

It wasn’t anywhere near 1 a.m., though. Midnight hadn’t passed yet. It was barely 11 p.m. and you were refilling a tray of desserts. James was mixing drinks as guests came up for refills. He had been pleasant all evening. You think he picked up on that you’d rather not be there. Once everything was restocked, you went over to his station and leaned against the wall. 

“Where would you be tonight if you weren’t here?” James asked as a guest returned to the main party with a new drink. 

You pulled out your phone to check your friends’ groupchat.

“Looks like my friends are at The Chimera,” you sighed. “What ‘bout you?”

“Home,” he said, throwing his towel over his shoulder and then pushing his glasses up his nose. 

You tried not to laugh. James didn’t seem like a homebody to you. 

“What?” he asked, almost sounding insulted but the smile on his face told a different story.

“Sorry, but you? You don’t seem like a watch-fireworks-on-the-telly kind of bloke.”

He leaned on the counter between you. “What kind of bloke am I then?” 

You bit the inside of your cheek as you thought. 

“Hmmm, two options, I suppose. One, at some house party with your girlfriend. You wouldn’t be hosting. Or, dancing the night away in some club with some random girl you’ll never see again. You know, just a face to kiss at midnight. You’d probably exchange numbers but never text or call. I bet you have a few numbers in your phone now that are saved as New Years Kiss 2020 or something.” 

James laughed. “There are no numbers saved like that, I guarantee you, love. House party wouldn’t be bad and you’re right, I wouldn’t be hosting. Flat’s too small for that. But alas, no girlfriend.” A smirk pulled at his lips. “You could say I’m still in the market for someone to kiss at midnight, if you’re up for it.”

You raised your eyebrows with wide eyes. You had come to peace that you’d be without a New Year’s kiss this year. It had actually been years since you were without one, always either having a boyfriend or finding a friend or stranger to kiss. You cleared your throat, unsure if his offer was genuine.

“Should I be honored or did you tell Joe the same thing?” 

Joe was the manager who got stuck with the party. He had locked himself in his office to do “paperwork” but you both knew he would be watching a movie or something. 

James shook his head, laughing a bit harder.

“I’ll have you know that I have absolutely no desire to ring in the new year with Creepy Joe. You, on the other hand…”

You looked over at the party as his voice trailed off. You really wished you were out with your friends, mimicking the kind of revelry that was occurring before you. 

“Hey.” James’ voice was softer but now much closer to you. He had come out from behind the counter to stand right next to you. “Was that too straightforward?”

You didn’t say anything, still looking at the people dancing and laughing. 

“Not straightforward enough?”

You scoffed. “We’re at work, Potter. I don’t think we’re allowed to have a New Year’s kiss.”

“What’re they going to do? Fire their best employees when their manager isn’t even doing his job?”

You chuckled and turned to see James smiling at you. He knew he got you. And then the countdown started. You didn’t look away from him. His movements felt like they were going in slow motion. His step closer. An arm around your waist to pull you closer. Him leaning down, bring his face closer to yours. 

“Zero! Happy New Year!” echoed around you.

James’ lips crashed into yours. It was firm and lasted longer than you had expected from him. Even if he had been actually flirting with you, in your experience, New Year’s kisses were either the briefest thing or they turned into full-on snogging. James, however, lingered. He waited for you to pull away, and when you did, you felt the urge to reconnect your mouths again. His grip on your waist didn’t loosen, holding you close. 

“Happy New Year, love,” he whispered, letting his warm breath fan your face. It smelled of peppermint. 

“Happy New Year, James. And I know your resolution,” you said, unable to rid yourself of the smile that had appeared. “To stop stealing work mints!”

“What? Am I just supposed to ask a pretty girl to kiss me when I have bad breath?” he laughed. 

You shook your head as you slowly pulled out of his hands. “I already kissed you. You can drop the compliments.”

You gasped as he brought you back in closer to him. Your heart was pounding in your chest from the prolonged proximity to him. It also didn’t help that you could now focus on his muscular arms as they held you with no imminent traditional kiss. 

“What if I don’t want that to be our only kiss?” he asked in a low voice. His eyes were searching yours for an answer. “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel anything.”

“I-I… I… James,” you said, deflating slightly. You pushed away from him.

“Love,” he sighed as he let you go.

“Potter, we need to start cleaning up if I’m coming back to your flat after this,” you told him as you walked away.

“Wha-OH!” he exclaimed. You heard him stumble back behind the bar to start his closing duties. “On it.”

As you did your own closing duties, you thought that maybe his arrogance was well earned. 

[orngbananaa]

Omg heyyy I just found your page and I NEED Dion relationship hcs

i miss my wife op. i miss him a lot. here's hcs for u

Dion Agriche relationship HCS author's note: i thought about poking him with a stick the whole time while making this

• imma be real with you dion's as dense as a rock when it comes to being flirted with, griselda herself said he didn't process shit whenever pandora tried to, she also said someone like him isn't suited to be in a relationship but we’ll ignore that for the bit–

• might go on a rant here but I feel like to be in a relationship w him you either have to be as freaky and damaged as him or just develop to be more dominant cause this man is someone who would rather follow you than lead you if you managed to tame his ass

• he doesn't get bitches. you could think that he's hot as hell but everything else about him cancels it out cause his personality scares nearly everyone who meets him, he's a pathetic little fuck and he’ll need someone as equally pathetic as him for his love life to be even a smidge stable

• PDA is not something he's into, maybe a hand on his or your waist but everything else is a no-no, in private tho he's content with a hand on his cheek or being curled up together in bed

• he doesn’t get enough sleep unless he's unconscious or on horse tranquilizers so instead of that he'll just watch you sleep, it gives him some inner peace and that counts as a kind of rest

• if you go on one of those rare trips of yours it'll be by the sea, you notice the sound of the waves puts him in a trance of some sort so the two of you will simply sit near the shore and quietly enjoy the environment

• you play with his hair sometimes, you'll jokingly tell him to grow it out further so you can braid it, and in response he'll give you the flattest look in existence

• he dissociates often so you make sure to touch him a lot to keep his head out of whatever fog he's experiencing

• when it comes to comforting you he's absolutely ass at it but he will at least make an effort--he won't say anything but he'll sit next to you and stare at you until you tell him what's wrong and that counts for something ig

• you like it when he's naked; NOT in a weird way, you simply like to busy yourself by noting down some small details about his body; moles here, scars there, the paleness of his skin and the veins you can clearly see beneath it, how long his fingers are or how much softer his face is compared to his father’s

• he's surprisingly sensitive to sunlight; comes with having red eyes, after all; you try to hold back your snorts whenever you see him squinting after light hits his face

• apologies after arguments are not his thing, maybe cause he was raised by a self-centered dipshit sociopath with no regard for others’ feelings but you guys can work on that, probably

•he will cling to you like a puppy if he's in one of his more somber moods, doing things like laying his head on your lap and letting you fiddle with his hair until he gets drowsy

• you both like it when you smell of e/o, washing together and using the same products helps with that lots

• the two of you are not guaranteed to have kids; emotional problems y’know?

• does not let you near his mother, maria lets herself near you though, she loves giving you random gifts and complaining about her son if she remembers he exists; whether you tolerate her or not is up to you

• he notes down random things that remind him of you so he can look or think about them to calm down when he’s feeling destructive

• ooc but if it's winter you're throwing his ass into the snow no questions asked, you maybe regret it when he starts to ominously roll a giant snowball while staring at you without blinking

i wanna braid his hair and put him in pretty clothes...

[thewertsearch]

According to the spectagoggles, there are currently 13 Daves scattered around the incipisphere, including Davesprite. That is an absolutely preposterous amount of Daves.

Interesting that you're picking up two Dream Daves. I'd assumed that all his time-travelling duties would be handled by his realself - especially since Dream Dave is missing his sylladex, and therefore his time machines.

You're also picking up Davesprite, which would have convinced me he was still alive if you weren't also picking up Doomed Dave's corpse.

At least there's only one Dave corpse in play. Small mercies.

Hang on… The Davecount suddenly dropped from 13 to 12. Maybe one of them time traveled away? You hope it doesn't mean what you think it…

Wait, he only died now? I thought he was already dead in the previous image.

Ah, I see what happened - I mistook the section of Quest Bed that Doomed Dave was sleeping on for a pool of blood. He was alive before, which means the spectagoggles don't detect the dead.

But they did detect Davesprite.

You hear that? That's the sound of hope filling my heart.

GG: dave i just saw you, and you were dead! […] TG: […] dont worry it was just a doomed dave no big deal really […] GG: what about your… […] GG: oh no i dont even know if you know about this […] TG: my bro TG: yeah jack killed him too […] GG: is it something you would like to talk about TG: not much to talk about TG: this is some pretty serious existence threatening shit going down and some people are going to die i guess

Dave's reaction is cold, but completely understandable. Bro was by far the least parental of any of the Guardians, treating Dave more like an apprentice to be violently trained than a child to be raised.

He probably doesn't know what he feels about his brother's death - and even if he did, he'd hide it behind his shades, as usual.

GG: you were pretty close with him right? TG: meh it was a pretty bizarre relationship by any standard TG: fightin off wave after wave of face pumicing puppet ass every day TG: always being on guard for stealth attacks in the middle of the night while getting up to go to the fucking bathroom

I also wouldn't be surprised if his feelings were closer to relief than grief. After all, Bro's death is a guarantee that he'll never have to deal with the man's puppet ninja horseshit ever again.

[blond3ang3l]

Lemme give you a megaphone so the ppl in the back can hear you bestie‼️🫶🏽

Like yes I wanna be longingly fucked sideways with fingers down my throat till I’m all teary eyed but….what if me and him just went to a museum and look at marble statues or paintings made by artists from long ago and point out the small details while sharing the historical context behind them. Or what if we held hands while going to a coffee shop owned by a small business then an old bookshop. We could read classic literature and write poems to each other or sum🤷🏾

I love this so much. Like the causal intimacy of being together with your girlfriend/boyfriend and being able to have interesting conversations and spending time with you is what makes doing things like this so great. Both of your phones away in your back pockets so that you both have one another’s attention. Time can go by so fast without the distractions of other people around trying to voice opinions. Learning together and growing together as you both grow older.

There are many different characters I can see this with. Especially when it comes to the women. Most time they are some of the most intellectual people and they just get thrown off. The AOT girls are the first ones that come to mind. Mikasa and Historia especially. Those two would absolutely love to do something casual with you. Historia is an absolute renaissance art lover. Michaelangelo is would be one of her favorite artists. She knows so many facts and can tell you for literal hours. Painting dates ejth Historia oh my lord. One of her favorite things to do. She’s so messy with it and it’s so cute.

Mikasa though? She’s all for cafe dates. She is obsessed with you. Now I think Mikasa and Historia had a bit more fancier taste because of who they are, but Mikasa loved being to be close to you and just hear you talk to her about just about anything. Her pretty nails that you did for her, twisting around your curls as she sat prettily on your lap while you fed the small cake that she bought for you guys.

Another girl I think this works for is Bulma from dragonball. Oh my god that woman is beautiful and smart. Museum dates are 100% guaranteed. She’s one of the smartest characters in that entire show and you think you’re getting out of hearing everything that woman knows? She is so graceful with it too. The two of you walking around hand in hand while she educates you on all the different facts is so amazing. She also loves how much you know on your niche and different interests. Especially if comes things about science or the body. She loves being able to talk to someone on her level or educate you.

When it comes to men the first thing to comes to men first people that come to mind are Nanami and Levi. We all know how Nanami is, he’s the hardworking man that we all love and there’s no way you guys don’t have a museum date at least once. But, I can see nanami doing bakery dates. Something small you both can fit in your busy schedules because nanami had made a vow to himself that you guys do at-least two times a month. He loves to use that time to discuss anything you think has been affecting you guys, whether to be in the relationship or just something bothering you at work or whatever. If there’s nothing bother you then you guys just talk about any events coming up or even planning the future you want to have for the both of you. It’s the ambiance of the bakery that makes you both feel so calm which is so different from the many things you have to do all day. He holds your hand as you speak, rubbing his thumb over your knuckle while watching your lips as he digest every word that comes from your lips.

Levi is totally the bookstore date kind of man. Sometimes you guys don’t really want or have anything to talk about. You just both miss each other so you sit together while reading. Both doing your own thing but being close enough to fill the need of being together. You both have your own books (headcanon that Levi prefers audio books instead cause of his lost of vision) and you rest your hand on his lap as you sit together on the small bench in for bookstore. He is retired so you two take a lot of time to yourselves, just enjoying the presence of one another..

Even people like Captain price and Laswell from call of duty, they love going out to drive in movies with you. You end up sitting on their lap while they laid in the back seat. Halfway through the movie those two aren’t even watchin anymore. Laswell would just be kissing the back of your neck while wrapping her arms around your waist, silently thinking about how lucky she is to have you in her life. While price is just happily watching all perched up in his lap, smoking his cigar, and thinking about how in love he is with you.

———————————————————————

Anyways I love all these ideas and a lot of people currently (especially men) don’t do dates and showing affection like people used to. I feel with how everything is on social media people just mostly look for someone sexually or they base a lot of opinions on the sexual aspect of the relationship. Like yeah that’s great and all but I want someone to YEARN for me. To want to be around me and miss me when I’m gone. Someone willing to remember small things because I feel like when someone knows you well knows what efforts to put in when it comes to loving you and showing you ways they do.

And I’m fortunately lucky enough to have a man like that❤️ @insane-juggalo

[educatedsimps]

HEYA THERE POOKIE BEARS🔥🔥 the voices told me to req for my wife akaashi “What are you doing?” “Striking a sexy pose.” “Well, sit down before you pull something.”

just for shats and giggles ( >o< )/!! i miss my akaashi fics so this will guarantee to fix my crippling depression !!!!

i also might pop in again for an osa fic hehe :33

xoxo,,, saku!!!🌸🌸

≪ back to fics masterlist

akaashi keiji x f!reader

a/n: i’m stupid i thought akaashi was the one striking a sexy pose HAHAHAHA i mean it's possible ... but unlikely 😂 anyway thank you for requesting sakuuu <3 hope this one's okay :,))

cw: timeskip spoilers, STRESSED akaashi, mostly humour, petnames (love, darling, babe), reverse comfort fic?

Akaashi rubbed his eyes as he yawned, feeling a throb of pain right behind his eyes. With strained eyes, he squinted at his laptop screen, and staring back at him were the words "page 206/632". Glancing at the clock on his desk, it read 1:56am. He sighed heavily, laying his head on the table for a second.

His boss' voice echoed endlessly in his head. "Keiji-kun, I hope you won't be too busy this weekend, 'cause I need these editions of the upcoming manga thoroughly checked and edited by Monday morning. I know you've already done a ton of work this week but this is just a little extra, I'm sure you'll be able to meet your deadlines." And with a dismissive wave, his boss had left the office.

The "little extra" Akaashi's boss was referring to was a folder of documents, each one a few hundred pages long. It wasn't the worst Akaashi had ever seen, but it was still a lot.

Don't get him wrong, Akaashi loved his job and he absolutely adored the mangas that they release, alongside the Tenma Udai. But recently, he'd been hounded by so many of his executives as well as the various departments of the company that he could hardly get a breather.

He wasn't a stranger to dark circles - they'd been a constant in his life ever since his third year of high school. Except they'd become deeper and darker than the abyss these past few weeks. He was stressed and exhausted, to say the least. Which was exactly why you decided that it had to stop today.

You had been encouraging your boyfriend to be more assertive at work, especially if he knew he couldn't meet - according to you - the "ridiculous and unreasonable" deadlines set for him. You had been looking out for him even more these few weeks too, taking over more of the house chores so he'd have time to complete all his work, taking over all the meal preps so he'd be fed while he did his work. Most importantly, you had been trying to drill it into his thick skull that his brain and body need a break, and so does he.

Unfortunately, your efforts hadn't been as effective as you had hoped, so you came up with the brilliant idea to order a massive, blow up Patrick Star costume online.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Walking into the office room the two of you had set up in your apartment, you saw him tiredly rubbing his eyes and laying his head on the table. Strutting up to him, you planted your feet in a wide stance with one hand on your hip, and the other reaching towards your leg such that your body was bent at the waist.

Your poor boyfriend looked up to see you striking said pose in the blow up Patrick Star costume, a corset around your torso, rocking 6-inch stilettos with fishnet tights down your legs. To top it all off, it wasn't even your beautiful face that greeted him, it was the bright-eyed cheery face of the damn pink starfish.

Akaashi was absolutely sure he was hallucinating. Probably going insane. Deranged, even.

"Y-y/n?" his voice cracked.

"How do I look, babe?" you asked from inside Patrick Star, voice slightly muffled.

"What... What are you doing?"

"Striking a sexy pose," you replied nonchalantly, still in position.

Dumbfounded, Akaashi's brain was short-circuiting. "Ohmyg- Well, sit down before you pull something..." he facepalmed.

"HEy! I'm not that inflexible, okay? I'm disappointed you think so low of my athleticism," you scoffed, crossing your arms - which were still in your puffy costume - and turning your nose up.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, darling," Akaashi chuckled, amused. You hummed in acknowledgement, satisfied.

"C'mere," he said, rolling his chair over to you before pulling you down onto his lap. Unzipping your costume at the neck, you pulled it back to reveal your face, smiling gently at him. He looked even more haggard up close, and it made your heart squeeze seeing just how spent he looked.

"What's all this for, darling?" Akaashi laughed quietly, puling at the ends of your costume.

"Well," you drawled, hooking an arm over his shoulder. "Since someone hasn't been taking my advice, I decided to take matters into my own hands and resort to more... extreme measures."

Letting out a breath, he relented, "I know... I'm sorry, love. I just get really caught up with work and I don't really know how not to stress about all of it."

Placing a hand on each side of his face, you planted a kiss on his forehead and murmured, "It's okay, Keiji. It's not your fault your bosses have unreasonable expectations of you. You're just too good of an employee." You joked. "But I'm serious, you need rest. This has been going on for way too long. It's already 2am and you know you can't finish all this by tomorrow morning, so let's just go to sleep already, okay? I'll even help explain to your boss why you couldn't finish this last document. Like, I'll literally call him up right now and tell him he's crazy if he seriously expected you to burn your weekends just for his stupid-"

"No- babe, please don't. I'll handle it, I promise," Akaashi interrupted, gripping your waist as if he could physically stop you from getting agitated.

"Good," You said, content. "You can talk to me if you're feeling overwhelmed, you know that, right?" When he nodded, you placed a small kiss on his nose.

"Now, I don't wanna see any more overworked, underpaid, stressed and exhausted Keiji. I wanna see my well-rested, de-stressed, happy Keiji. Okay?" You continued, pouting.

"Yes, ma'am," your boyfriend replied before standing from his chair with you in his arms. "Now, let's get you changed into your comfy pyjamas and we'll both get some rest, yeah?"

"Yeah," you smiled as his lips pressed against yours.

a/n: the term wife akaashi is gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of this week HAHAH

© educatedsimps 2024. do not repost, copy, translate or plagiarise any work from this blog on tumblr or any other platforms. if you do, the simps will hunt you down. likes and reblogs are appreciated!

[cynthiav06]

I have a Question.

I'm just know finding out about percy jackson and was wondering...

Is this book series worth reading?

Even though it's almost like 10 years old?

I'm really late finding out about it

And what things should I look out for in the Fandom and the books?

Oh my, am I really going to be the one to introduce you to Percy Jackson Series? What an honor! 100%, yes, you should absolutely read it. The main series, at least for sure.

There's some serious drama going on in the fandom right now over certain sequels but the orignal series is perfection.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, action-adventure sort of thing but with tons of humor, then that's the series for you. There's a romantic sub-plot as well if you are interested in that. Percy is one of the sassiest main characters ever and one of the best main characters of all time to date, period.

All the characters are great and nuanced (stick to the main series for this), and it's an awesome mix of fun , trauma, and battles. And no one, no one in the entirety of fandom will ever say they regretted reading the series. The only reason everyone is so furious at the later sequels is because we absolutely adored the main series and want a fitting continuation. Now, this main series I keep talking about refers to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is the first set. Five books in this order:

The Lightning thief

Sea of Monsters

The Titan's Curse

Battle of the Labyrinth

The Last Olympian

Now my advice is that you read certain short stories like The Stolen Chariot, The Bronze Dragon, and the Sword of Hades before The Last Olympian. Personally, I think you can skip the Bronze Dragon, but the other two, especially the Sword of Hades, are a must-read.

There are post main series short stories too, but I won't overwhelm you with them right now.

After this, when (not if) you fall absolutely in love with the series, you can read Heroes of Olympus series [also 5 books], which is the second set. It's a direct continuation of the first series. There's some whacky stuff here and there, which means there are a few problems with certain characterizations, but ultimately, it's worth it. You would have to be a super serious fan to be bothered by it, so don't worry about it. It's all great. Heroes of Olympus gets really, really good in the middle, and personally, you should absolutely read it cause you would be missing out on a whole lot of greatness if you don't.

There are other book series taking place in the same universe and lots of fun cross-overs, if you like that sort of thing.

The fandom is a great place if you want for super cool headcanons or great character analysis or great au fanfics, and so on. A few characters have toxic stans, I won't mention which characters cause you might be put off by that during reading; these stans are mainly involved in the ships' monopoly. There are many ships and you can ship whoever you want really but some of the blind fandom is a bit touchy feely regarding their pairings so yeah try not to get involved in those if you want a fun time and a peace of mind( mainly cause you won't have to deal with toxic stans) ; unless you want to cause chaos instead (join the party), which is where the real fun is.

You are going to completely and absolutely love this series, I guarantee you. Take my word on it. Have fun, and if you have a blog here, would love to know your personal reviews after reading each book.

[just-an-elf-with-the-socks]

I've never really talked about any of my other LoTR and Silm ships on here, but I definitely have them and I also thought it would be funny to just make a comprehensive list of why I fucking like them at all

Aralas (Aragorn x Legolas)- This one is so goofy to me but I love it. I enjoy the "childhood best friends turned lovers during the middle of a war" aspect of it and the fact that it's pretty much two horse girls in a romantic relationship. It was mostly dredged up when I saw the rerelease of Fellowship of the Ring in theaters and was like "huh some of this shit looks a little more gay than I remember." Its one hundred percent the least angsty ship of them all and that's saying a lot considering they're one hundred percent not canon. They're cute, simple, and traveling together across Middle Earth as lovers makes me smile.

Angbang (Melkor x Mairon)- Oh boy. If you already follow me you knew this was coming. A lot of this ship revolves around me loving Mairon and his story and also the fact that my heart breaks for him. I love writing them and exploring the dichotomy of how to write them. Canonically they're both terrible people, so it stands to reason they didn't have the healthiest relationship (Mairon got the brunt of it). I love writing about they're doomed from the beginning, about how the people they already are guarantees that they'll crash and burn. But at the same time I like the cheesy, if not a little out-of-character fics of Melkor genuinely caring for him or missing him or realizing he fucked up by treating the only person he's ever loved like shit. I love the fics of Mairon taking care of Melkor, and even the angsty ones where Mairon isn't worth to Melkor half of what he thought he was, that it feels like he was never worth anything to anyone. I also adore the community of Angbang shippers, they're so tightknit and one hundred percent unashamed of everything they write/draw.

Russingon (Maedhros x Fingon)- I represent the duality of shippers that loves Angbang but also adores Russingon and wants to kill Sauron when it comes to the latter ship. Maedhros actually is my favorite Silm character and a lot of that revolves around personal reasons and also the fact that I have a lot of intense feelings about him (as we all do). Russingon is the closest you get to a canon ship beyond Beleg and Turin and the deliberate statements of "they were married" concerning other characters. I'm absolutely not normal about Fingon rescuing him from Thangorodrim, I'm not normal about the Helcaraxe or the First Kinslaying, and I'm sure as hell not normal the mourning that comes with Fingon's body not being able to be brought back. I also legitimately cry at the fics that write Fingon as waiting in the Halls of Mandos for Maedhros to join him because god.

Barduil (Bard x Thranduil)- I saved this one for last because they're my favorite across both mediums of Tolkien works and Thranduil is my favorite character (you wouldn't guess by this blog). Everything about Thranduil as a character breaks my heart once you look into him deeper (I have a type) and realize that the motivations behind most of his actions aren't a result of greed and spite, but a result of intense trauma and grief. And I love Bard because he's literally just a guy. He's just some guy who lives on a lake town with three kids and has a simple job as a bargeman. There was never anything special about him until he became a Dragonslayer, and even then in the Hobbit (the book version) he doesn't kill Smaug with anything special, it just happened to be his last lucky arrow. The two of them couldn't be more different on the surface. But they both lost their wives, they've both raised kids on their own, they were both forced into a position of power before they were ready and they've both seen the horrors of war. I love every fic about them, especially the ones where Bard sees Thranduil's wound for the first time and the ones where Thranduil realizes it's not so scary to let himself love again, even if it doesn't last forever. Also every modern AU is so fucking cute, I can't even deal.

I have other ships but these are the big four and the ones I'm least normal about and have the most vague ramblings of.

[theghostsarefriendly]

fic where nico and will end up at the waystation and meet Emmy and Jo and nico has a happy breakdown because holy shit these are happy old queer people who fought against every odd and MADE IT. not just leaving the hunters, they wouldve been 'young' women when they left so for them to be in their 60's now they would have had to been in a relationship at least 40 years ago, including the AIDs epidemic.

consciously, he knew things were better for queer people now. but to see it? to see the space these two have been able to carve out for themselves and lead a happy life? to maybe think about how he could have that with will someday? when earlier in his life the idea of him being allowed that love would be inconceivable? have i asked enough rhetorical questions?

extra leo&nico friendship sprinkled in because i love them and also im not sure leo has even been informed they are dating. like he missed nico coming out entirely lmao. bro was busy being 'dead.'

will wouldnt be AS affected because he didnt have to grow up in the 30's and overcome as much internalized homophobia, but its still a moment for him. Gods is he thinking about him and nico's future together now.

it could also be written by the original non-changed-with-time books timeline where Percy was born in 1993 and the books take place in the 2000's and 2010's before gay marriage was legal in the US for extra emotion factor.

ANYWAYS old lgbt+ people make me feel So Many Things and i feel like they would make nico feel Things too. i regret to inform you i am almost guaranteed to never write this. if someone else likes the idea or parts of it they are absolutely free to use it!

[azrielwingspan]

LET IT BURN (Mob!Bucky x f!reader)

PART- 1

Summary: You were a woman in a mans world and you wanted to be on top. Unfortunately, the man on top is hell bent on keeping his position and you. When two highly ambitious people meet, the world tends to burn.

Warnings : None....for now.

A/N: Hello hello hellooooo. This is my first Bucky fic and I really hope you guys enjoy this. Didn't mean for it to be a multi part fic but it seems things are going in that direction. Let me know if you like it!

"Remind me again Edith. Why exactly am I supposed to watch my mouth around this buffoon?"

"His name is Bucky, Y/N. Please. He has the East in his grip. We need a way in. Connect the dots." Edith pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger trying her best not to strangle you.

You held in a giggle at her exasperated state and tried to put forward your best behaviour.

Kind of.

A little.

A very minute amount.

Ugh, who were you kidding? You were definitely not looking forward to this meeting. The issue wasn't the matter to be discussed. The issue was that you had to pretend to be someone else to satisfy 'Bucky's' ego.

"Alright. Alright. I promise I'll be on my best behavior." Running your hands over your black halter neck full length gown, you admired yourself in the mirror. If you could whistle, you would have.

"Just make sure your best behavior isn't the worst he's faced."

Tsk. Good point. You reapplied your red lipstick and wiped away an excess smudge with the tip of your nail.

"Let's go." you walked away from Edith, your PA, making sure to revise the plans in your head. There would be nothing more embarrassing than to forget the specifics of the deal you were going to cut. A woman in a mans world was a tough place to be. You had to be ten times smarter, bolder and sharper than the men. Even then, success wasn't guaranteed.

The doors to the meeting room were open revealing to you the man whose world you wanted to conquer.

You weren't blind. The man standing in front of you was the definition of attractive. It wasn't just the face either. It was the confidence and arrogance oozing out of him that made you run your eyes over his form. At least he would be easy on the eyes.

"Miss Y/N. Pleasure." Bucky held out his hand staring at you expectantly. A pleasant smile played along his face, softening the sharp angles.

Calloused. A man who likes to get his hands dirty. You thought to yourself as you shook his hand and reflected the smile being shot your way.

"Mr. Buf--Bucky." Shit. "I trust the end to this meeting will be as pleasant as the start."

"Hopefully, even better." he said , a hint of suggestion lacing his tone.

You almost scoffed at the suggestion and snatched your hand away making your way to the chair.

"This will take but two minutes, Y/N."

You stopped abruptly before the chair, watching Bucky in the mirror on the wall across. He stalked forwards, placing one hand in his pocket, the other tracing the table adjacent to him. Your eyes caught onto the movement of his fingers and the deliberate slowness with which he traced the edge of the table. His gaze however, was locked onto your reflection in the mirror.

He was keeping track you realized. He wanted to notice every flicker of emotion, every twitch of your body and every catch of your breath as he spoke to you.

A man who liked being in absolute control.

"So you've made up your mind before hearing my proposal then?" you asked meeting his gaze in the mirror.

He stopped a few feet away tilting his head and letting a taunting smile grace his face. It almost seemed predatory. Almost.

"I did not make my way to the top by not knowing the intentions of others Y/N. I make it a point to know everything."

"And..?"

Rapping a knuckle against the table, he continued his saunter towards you, this time stopping a few inches from your back. "I have one condition. Just one. Agree to it and you have unrestricted access to my ports and my men."

A shiver ran up your spine and alarm bells went off in your head. This was bad. Something was very very wrong.

Maintaining your calm facade, you asked "What is this condition?"

Bucky leaned closer , his face adjacent to yours. Your gazes clashed in the mirror, his blue eyes honing in on yours with a predatory glint. Neither of you looked away as he bought his lips to your ear and whispered softly "I want the key to your empire."

Well, shit.

[becauseplot]

It’s been days but I can’t stop thinking about qPhil’s silent rage when he gets the photos of his eggs from the black concrete chests. Everyone here has already said every possible thing to describe how incredible it is and yeah it just,,, MAN. The way Phil is so slow to anger. Like, and I mean TRUE anger. I don’t mean frustration or exasperation, coated with eyerolls and sarcasm.

So when he does get really, truthfully, genuinely mad he goes quiet. Eerily silent. None of his usual chuckles or groans. Stripped of his usual joking, jovial undertone, his words come out clipped. Harsh. Short. Flat. Little bowshots flying from his mouth. Least amount of syllables possible.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier,” he says to Bad. And him snapping at Bad is a ‘mild reaction’ all things considered, and Bad forgives him immediately, but to Phil, he is teetering on a precipice of absolutely losing it.

You can see the way he's trying to hold it all in by his jerky, sharp movements, overly efficient, deliberate. Message Cellbit. Warp to the Favela. Take the elevator down to the Ordo. March across the hall. Enter the meeting room. All but slam the door behind him. All but collapse into the nearest chair. I don’t think his hands shake when he passes the new photos over to Cellbit, not quite, but if you were to put your palm to his arm you would probably be able to feel the wire-taut muscles underneath, tense. A cord ready to snap at any moment

But it won’t snap. He can't afford to snap, there's too much to do. I can only think of two other times he's actually lost it: (1) fight against the impersonator codes at the election dinner, where his rage was one of his best allies in that fight, and (2) the birdhouse, clawing at Cucurucho and begging for anything, anything that tells him his kids are safe; and he didn't have to worry about breaking down then because there was literally nothing else he could have done in that situation. He had nothing else to do but cry.

So here he is, at the Ordo, with photos of his missing kids scared and alone and separated and they still don't know anything, not really, they just have more evidence that creates even more questions, spider-webbing out and out and out and never, ever giving them what they so desperately need: answers. Something solid. Steady ground to put their feet on. Any sort of guarantee, no matter how small, that they'll ever see their kids alive and well again.

And, "I'm furious," he says, casual, simple, unassuming. Fucking hell.

[allwormdiet]

Extermination 8.7

In which nobody is happy and everything is pain

Wuh oh, the worst chapter of Taylor's life has just received a series of footnotes that provide further context, and none of them are making her feel any better

And now things are getting even worse

Hey Colin, looks like you've lost some weight, trying something new with the asymmetrical look?

Also I like how even Taylor's paranoid ass is like "no you know what, they didn't need to know Sophia was a superhero for them to fuck me over"

Really copping it up in here, huh you two?

This is bad for everybody. A supervillain who's taken explicit actions against the PRT and Protectorate has discovered the identity of a Ward, and a teenage girl is being surrounded and lambasted by adults who could make her life Hell with very little effort.

God, Birdcage would be nightmarish, especially with Lung in there probably nursing the mother of all grudges

Also, interesting that Taylor changing her mind translates to Armsmaster as her being a master manipulator and spinner of lies. There's no possible way that she stopped trying to be a hero because he acted like a gigantic asshole the second time they met or something.

Skitter has gotten the absolute worse perspective that the heroes can offer, so she's suffering a biased stance here, but even without that her anti-authority streak is way too strong to tolerate it for long

Don't throw a fucking shitfit, Colin

You're an adult, fucking act like one

Yaaaaaaay, the crew's alright and they're backing Skitter up, there's no way this immediately blows up

Grue is making himself look bigger in this moment, scarier, more authoritative. If I'm understanding right that means he's way on the fucking edge about all of this and feeling tense and a little scared.

Glad Regent got out of it with only some stitches, wonder if that cut is anything noteworthy or if he just got gouged by some glass or shrapnel or something

Bitch is handling things about as well as could be expected

Hey Tattletale, glad you're not dead

Oh boy!

Sophia would fucking lunge across the tent and go for the murder attempt then and there, I'm pretty sure

Also, Legend is technically right, insofar as Taylor has made a lot of situations more difficult by digging her heels in

Unfortunately, he would.

Look at her getting her little debut to the Protectorate leader

The greatest asset and weakness of the Protectorate: image

These people are about to get their shit rocked by a teenager with access to a PA system and I'm not convinced they didn't bring this on themselves

Also, love an ultimatum, very heroic

Tattletale you're so cool and real for this

We love an ultimatum, very villainous

Colin, you dumbfuck

I think the most damning part of this conversation is that Miss Militia literally doesn't have any trouble connecting the dots

There's the setup

And there's the knockdown. Armsmaster has once again been outplayed by a teenager, and now the best thing to do is probably to quit while he's behind

So of course he decides to double and triple down

Let's review facts here

Armsmaster is a grown-ass man who is really upset that a pack of teenagers are beating him

He has admitted, out loud, that he broke truce conditions and got villains killed in order to try and get a moment of glory

He knows full well that at least two of the Undersiders have killed before and may kill again if suitably motivated, such as, I don't know, finding out a teammate tried to betray them

So with everything in consideration

he throws a tantrum that could get a girl killed because of wounded pride

This hurts, a lot

Also hey early hint that Tattletale knows what's up

Panacea like "wow this girl is some kind of disaster, thank god my worldview guarantees that I'm way better than her"

Also Jesus fucking Christ what a way to end the chapter

Current Thoughts

God fucking dammit Colin, you could literally get a teenager killed because you had to throw a fucking tantrum over how you got your kill stolen and your super cool plan to win glory and recover lost pride got foiled by the common fucking sense of "you can't kill an Endbringer"

I know that isn't what happens, but hey guess what he doesn't know Taylor's story goes for another twenty-plus chapters, he's willing to roll those dice because his feewings got huwt

I hope they make him choke on whatever book ends up thrown at him for this

[cultofcreatures]

My Top 15 Vaporwave Horror Movies

I thought I would put together a list of vaporwave/dreamcore/liminal aesthetic horror movies that I find to feel outside of time and space. That's sort of my vibe here on tumblr, and I also like the mantra of "if there's something you want to see that no one has made yet, make it yourself." These are films that I personally love, and the list not meant to be definitive. Remember also that art is subjective. I hope someone out there finds at least one film they want to add to their watchlist! It's been a minute since I've seen some of them, so let me know if I need to correct something.

15. Mandy (2018)

I wish I could add pictures for all of these entries, but I can still only add 10 pictures to a post blah. It's such a shame because I wanted to show off that gorgeous aesthetics of all these films. Oh well. This is a revenge flick about a cult kidnapping Nick Cage's girlfriend and him losing his marbles about it. Definitely recommend if you're the mood for vibes and/or Nick Cage NickCageing.

TW: violence, blood, fire

14. Come True (2020)

This is a haunting, fantastic vibes movie. It feels so otherworldly. It's about a homeless young person participating in a sleep study to be able to safely get some sleep. It would be an almost perfect film if it weren't for the just garbage ending. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, just skip the last 5 minutes, and take it for what the rest of the film is: beautiful.

13. Braid (2018)

This film follows a couple of young drug dealers on the run from their supplier crashing at a mentally unwell friend's house. The catch is they have to play along with their host's unhinged "game" while they hide out. Not gonna lie, this film is trippy af and definitely not for everyone. I can guarantee that no matter what, it is a ride.

TW: heavy drug use, blood

12. Perfect Blue (1997)

A pop star retires to become a full-time actor, which angers some of her fans. Her sense of reality becomes warped when one obsessive fan begins to stalk her. I don't love some of the turns this movie takes when it comes to mental health, but it's hard to deny this film is classic that has stunning animation.

TW: negative depictions of mental disorders, violence, blood

11. Skinamarink (2022)

This controversial found footage movie is sort of hard to describe because it's so otherworldly. Basically, two kids wake up one night to find their dad and all of their doors and windows are missing. Everything about this nostalgic yet terrifying film is vibes and aesthetic: liminal, vaporwave, voidcore, dreamcore, you name it. It feels like a fever dream, and it's a nightmarish journey you won't soon forget, for better or worse.

10. Vivarium (2019)

A couple are looking for a home to share. They follow a strange realtor to an even stranger labyrinthine neighborhood that seems to have no escape. If you're into liminal spaces, this film will definitely scratch that itch for you.

9. Revenge (2017)

This is a r*pe revenge tale that has absolutely beautiful scenery and cinematography. I love the sweeping liminal landscapes and vibrant vaporwave colors. It's a standard plot as far as the genre goes, but it's directed by a woman, so it has a different angle that I find to be superior to most films of the genre.

TW: violence, gore, SA, blood

8. Don't Worry Darling (2022)

A 1950s housewife begins to suspect that something about her utopian community is not what it seems. This film seems to be a bit controversial, too, for some reason. Whatever the case may be, I adore the liminality and dreamy feel of this film. You really get a sense that this world is outside of time and space.

7. It Follows (2014)

This film is straight up about a sexually transmitted curse. Jay sleeps with her boyfriend for the first time, and then finds out she must outpace this demon that can take the shape of anyone forever lest it kill her, or she must pass the curse on to someone else. The shots in this film are to die for. Especially for connoisseurs of the liminal, vaporwave, and dreamcore. Highly recommend for the visuals and music alone.

TW: gore, blood

6. House (1977)

Gorgeous decides to stay with her aunt to hopefully get closer with a group of six of her friends. The girls come to find her aunt's house is more than meets the eye. The visuals and absurdity are what make this movie. It's a classic for a reason.

TW: cartoon gore

5. Akira (1988)

Tetsuo gains psychic abilities via a secret military project and becomes mad with power. It's up to his friends and a small group of psychics to stop him. This is another classic anime. Its 1980s futuristic mentality really lends itself to the vaporwave atmosphere of the cityscape. I highly recommend this classic if you haven't seen it.

TW: violence, body horror

4. Censor (2021)

Enid is a serious film censor with a shrouded past that includes her long-missing sister. She watches a film that bears eerie resemblance to her vague childhood memories that begin to take hold of her as tries to piece them together. I don't think I'm totally clear on when this film takes place, which is what I love about it. It has a spooky surreal quality that will both draw you in and unsettle you.

TW: violence, blood

3. She Dies Tomorrow (2020)

Amy is convinced she is going to die tomorrow. Her friend Jane comes by to comfort her, and then becomes consumed by the thought she will die tomorrow as well. This film is as strange as it is beautiful. It will either leave you in tears or confused af or both.

TW: blood

2. The Neon Demon (2016)

Jesse is a very young, gifted model who is new in town (probably LA). She quickly signs with an agent and begins getting gigs, breeding the contempt of the established models around her. This is probably one of the most visually appealing films I've ever seen. The music is on point. The low key acting is a vibe. I just adore this film. 10/10, highly recommend.

TW: gore, blood

1. The Platform (2019)

A man wakes up in a prison that is an indescribable liminal pit where there are a seemingly never-ending number of levels. A platform full of food is lowered through each level once a day, and everyone on the lower levels must fight to survive. This film is just so utterly anticapitalist and gorgeous that I can't help but sing its praises. I think everyone should watch this movie at least once. It is horrifying yet eye-opening. Certainly one of my favorite films of all time.

TW: gore, violence, blood

Thank you for reading my list! Like I said, I wanted to make a list like this because I couldn't find one when I went looking. I hope you found something to add to your watchlist! I tried to include some of the big TWs for these movies, but they're far from complete lists. So please check websites like doesthedogdie.com for more complete TW lists if you have any concerns. Make decisions that are right for you. Thanks again, and have a happy and safe new year! xx

[singingcicadas]

Every time I see something along the lines of "Megatron was a slave because he was oppressed and forced to work in the mines, forced labour is slavery and oppression is slavery so what happened to Megatron was obviously slavery" a question mark pops up in my head and it's so fucking funny because. Social studies. History. Basic literary analysis skills.

Like I'm gonna be assuming whoever's in the 'Megatron was a slave' camp is talking about idw1 and tfp b/c those are the only two continuities that have Megatron coming from an oppressed background in depth. If it's idw1 then how could anyone miss the obvious communism reference in Megatron Origin? (Guaranteed it's a loose, twisted, villifying, Western-lensed, not-very-good reference, but point is that it's OBVIOUS and unmistakably RECOGNIZABLE.) Workers' revolt ring a bell? It's the first issue in the collection volumes so even if people run out of patience without finishing anything they should have been able to at least get through that before, y'know, making unfounded claims about canon. And the stuff I'm talking about should've been evident in the first chapter. Were the miners upset because they were forced to work in the mines? No, they were upset because the government was closing the mines and laying them off and replacing them with automation; they were upset because soon there would be no mines left for them to work and then they would starve.

'Slavery is forced labour' yeah but uh that's only one facet of it. Forced labour because of livelihood: 'I have to work here b/c it's the only job that's available to me and I have no means of obtaining the skills/licence/opportunity for a different job or bettering my circumstances, if I quit I'll have no income/food/shelter and starve out on the streets' is fundamentally different from forced labour due to state institution of ownership over people: 'I have to work here because I am the private property of the facility owner and am forbidden by law to leave or quit.'

Does anyone like, not see the difference between the two scenarios? Only the latter would be slavery since it has the defining characteristics of 1. legalization of the ownership of people and 2. restriction of liberty. In concurrence. The first scenario's just describing what every fucking exploited worker/peasant/wage-earning lowclass commoner in the world looks like, it's called proletarianism. It's a completely different class category in a completely different social structure that's in no way interchangeable or confusable with slavery unless you want to say that communist revolutions were done by slaves and every wage worker in the industrial revolution was a slave. why not go back further while at it and serfdom can be slavery feudalism is slavery indentureship corvee conscription are all slavery lmao way to rewrite history.

For the people who's only read MTMTE and nothing else there's even a specific scene in there that says this 🔽

This is talking about Rewind. The text literally gives us what used to be the equivalent in Cybertronian society and it's clearly not Megatron's class. And why was Rewind's class equated to slaves? Because they were considered disposable tools, not sentient people. The Ambus Test helped them get rights by proving their sentience as people, which further proves that they don't keep sentient people as slaves.

If it's TFP then did anyone notice that Megatron started as a miner but met Optimus as a gladiator? If he was so absolutely forced to work in the mines as a slave then how was he allowed to leave?

This is how Covenant of Primus describes Megatron going to work in the mines. It's "the only opening available to him". It doesn't say that he's assigned a master at birth and was legally obligated to go work in that opening on pain of punishment. Just implies that he'd be out of a job and income and would probably starve if he didn't. There's still an illusion of choice, of free will.

The closest thing Aligned had to slavery was the Quintession occupation era but the Covenant also spent a whole section talking about how it started out as a mutually beneficial relationship with the Quintessions presenting themselves as the more advanced race and Cybertronians eagerly accepting them as 'masters' (honourific term, not literal) in a pseudo colonizer-who-civilized-the-indigenous-barbarians-and-used-them-for-cheap-labour dynamic which got more and more exploitational as time went on until the Cybertronians had enough and drove them off. But even during the peak of occupation the Quintessions were still careful to give Cybertron the pretense of sovereignty. It was the Quintessions who introduced them to the electoral system and inaugurated the office of the Prime in the first place. The illusion of free will and equality was always there, despite everyone knowing otherwise.

Exodus is extremely clear in describing Cybertron as a birth-defined caste system with rigid hierarchy and little mobility. So that's exactly what it is. a caste system. Not a slave society. There's a reason they're different words, they're different concepts! I don't get why people would feel the need to replace one with the other, does slavery sound better? edgier? Is the purpose for making Megatron an ex-slave to have his backstory sound more tragic? to induce more sympathy? idc people are free to headcanon what they want but at least have the decency to refrain from framing it as canon and bashing other characters with it? Stuff like 'oh Optimus was so selfish/naive/entitled/stupid/insensitive/traitorous/opportunist/privileged to accept the prime title in front of Megatron the poor ex-slave' nevermind that Megatron had repeatedly expressed a desire for taking power through whatever cruel means necessary and was perfectly eager to become prime when he thought he was the one going to be chosen? Nevermind that the council offered up a chance for implementing all the social changes they wanted through legal means with the least amount of bloodshed and Megatron threw it all away b/c he didn't get to be in charge, by committing murder on the spot? Nevermind that 'Megatron the poor ex-slave' is a massive bigoted racist who looks down on Optimus' job and is disgusted by minicons and combiners and insecticons as well as being a devout believer of 'survival of the fittest and the rest don't deserve to live' -type social darwinism and a domestic terrorist happy to blow up factories full of his own caste members and places full of innocent people? Nevermind that Megatron and Optimus already had a deep rift between them because of Megatron betraying Optimus' trust by lying about his role in the bombings and Optimus already recognizing that their methods were never going to match up b/c of Megatron's disregard of innocent life and Megatron never really trusting Optimus anyway? As if making Megatron a slave somehow excuses all of that and pins all the blame on Optimus.

[rebornologist]

I'm back! Delivering what I promised, just a few thoughts. Enjoy xx

୨୧ ⁺˳₊ pomegranate tea; at what point did they know they loved their s/o? ✧ characters: Giotto, Daemon Spade warnings: mentions of Daemon's willingness to do anything for his s/o

♡ Giotto knew that he loved his s/o when he wanted to marry them. He’s not a traditional man  by any sense, but he was quite formal in courting them, and is traditional in this one aspect of his life—wanting to live the rest of his life deeply intertwined with his s/o, and maybe even have a family down the line.. not just the mafia kind.

Giotto seemed a bit stressed lately. He's overworked, as usual, and not particularly sunny, which was a bummer, because the spring wildflowers were in full bloom.

୨୧ ˳⁺✧

The radio plays quietly as the two of you drive out to your favorite picnic spot. Despite everything, he makes time for you. You appreciate every minute with him because of it. The silent is cut by the sweet sound of his voice.

“Hypothetically, when do you think is a good time to get married?”

You blink, wide eyes pausing your leisure activity of taking in the beautiful gardens you were currently being driven through.

"Par..don..?" You turn your head around to see your partner's stoic face still facing the road.

He chuckles lightly, "oh.. is it.. too early to ask? Even hypothetically-"

"No, no, it's not too early for us to be talking about this kind of thing," you insist, shifting fully in your seat to face him. "You aren't asking because you're going to propose to me on our picnic, right?"

He blinks, once, twice. You stifle a giggle at his blank expression. He's as readable as ever, he didn't plan on it, he didn't even think of it. He might steal that idea for the future, though.

♡ Daemon Spade knew that he loved his s/o when he felt completely under their spell—something not common for a man like him, it’s usually the other way around. He went to sleep every night with the realization gnawing at his insides, growing, practically festering, knowing that he would absolutely kill and die for them.

Your partner is not a peaceful sleeper, and often lies awake in the middle of the night next to you. He does not usually sleep well, but at least he doesn't get as many nightmares when he's with you. You've recently begin to wonder what your significant other is up to when you're asleep and he is awake. Even more when you are asleep and he is not even by your side.

୨୧ ˳⁺✧

"Daemon-"

"Yes, precious thing?" He answers without missing a beat. The two of you were getting ready for a dinner party. You enjoyed going out with him, meeting all types of people in every sphere of life and observing your enigmatic boyfriend in some pretty strange social situations.

You snort quietly, amused at his quick response.

"Have you ever killed for me?"

He pauses, expression unreadable. "Isn't the question usually, would you..." he turns to gaze curiously at his lover, who is currently shrugging a long coat on over their evening attire. You adjust their hair casually, looking into the large vanity mirror in front of you.

"I know the answer to that already. Whether you've done it yet, is the question," you make eye contact with him in the reflection. He feels an indescribable tightness in his chest.

"If you were aware of the former matter, I can guarantee.. you already know the latter," he sighs, wondering what magic string of fate brought him to such an otherworldly being.

I don't love DS at all, and I find 1st gen really difficult to write for, but I'm fascinated by the concept of Daemon Spade, or any of the immoral, downright nasty characters, with a partner that are also mysterious and morally grey. Not a common ship dynamic to fight angst and evil w/ more angst and evil.

[avelera]

Still thinking about the post that scoffs at the idea of Stede being a Dom because he demands respect and then has to rather pathetically add, "... Please?" to the end as if that's proof that the desire (which can lead eventually to the capability) to be dominant and authoritative isn't there.

At the risk of repeating the absolutely stunningly obvious over something that was probably a joke, the reason Stede being bad at Dom stuff like dominance and authority is only further proof that it's a desire of his, albeit one he has to work at making into a reality, is because this is a comedy.

One of my favorite points made in Steven Kaplan's "The Hidden Tools of Comedy" is, to paraphrase, that comedy is about failure. Specifically, a failure of possessing all the tools to achieve what we desire.

Which is to say, we all have goals in life. In a drama, people tend to have the tools they need to achieve their goals. Whereas in a comedy, they lack them.

And I don't just mean things like, "In a drama, a character has a goal to save the world and also has the tools (or gains the tools) to achieve this goal." I mean really basic stuff.

Stuff like, "In a drama, a character's goal is to have an amazing first kiss with the love of their life. They have all the tools necessary: mutual attraction, skill at kissing, good breath. The tools they need to have an amazing first kiss are there, in their possession."

Whereas in a comedy, these tools are not guaranteed. A really common comedy beat might be, say, wanting to kiss the love of your life and being stressed out because you just had a garlic-y meal and your breath smells bad. Or the protagonist just isn't very good at kissing and it's messy and embarrassing. Or they lean in for the perfect kiss only to realize to their horror that the attraction isn't mutual.

Comedy is about taking away the tools to make a story go perfectly or smoothly. That's why comedy is often used as a tool to make stories more realistic, because in the real world, we don't always have the perfect minty-fresh breath and kissing technique to knock our crush's socks off with that first kiss. We are often inadequate and uncertain and prone to foolish mistakes.

Now, keep in mind though, that comedy is as much an elevated, often abstract style as drama is. We're only mimicking real life. So while comedy drags our heroes from the heavens of dramatic, anguished perfection back down to earth, comedy is also exaggerating the number of tools we might have missing at any one point. But we've all been there, a little, with not having the tools at our disposal to make the moment as perfect as we imagine in our heads. But by the same token, we've had weighty, dramatic moments that aren't comedic. First kisses that went great.

So, to bring this back to Stede and Ed - OFMD is a comedy.

Stede wants to be authoritative and respected as a fearsome pirate captain (of his own stripe) but, because he lacks the tools like the easy command with which Ed governs his ship, he has to tack on a pathetic, "Please?" to his demands for respect. But the desire is there. The desire is real and presumably he will gain skill at achieving what he wants, to be respected, so that he is able to command respect at a suitably dramatic moment or at least in the right dramatic company like that of Ed, who has always respected and indeed put Stede on a pedestal. For most of S1, just about everyone who meets Stede thinks he's a bumbling fool, but not Ed. Even at Stede's most bumbling and pathetic, Ed was always impressed by his audacity. They've always clicked they've always been comfortable together when it's just the two of them and the nerves go away.

And I think, far more than being impressed by some guy with natural viciousness or authority managing to command respect as a pirate captain, we've seen time and again that Ed is actually more likely to be impressed by someone like Stede who tries, like a total lunatic, to command respect while having literally none of those natural tools in his favor. Where everyone else saw someone pathetic for doing that, Ed has always seen the absolute balls it takes for Stede to leave everything he knew behind to try to live a pirate's life, while still marching to his own tune.