#is there a tag for something that’s mostly just innuendo? genuine question

[banyanas]

now a real question is how comedically raunchy can i get with the yulivia political romcom part of the Weekend at Andrias’s au bc god these women are so fun to write

[dreamqueenkala]

Hey! Would i maybe be able to request a jacob x Fem!reader where the reader and jacob are almost opposites and not eachothers type at all (with the reader being more like abi and dylan, and a gamer pothead) but they just click and like rachother instantly, and just flirt and mutually pine. With a smutty confession? 😏

MAGNET

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Warnings: Tooth-Rotting Fluff; Awkward Geeking; Innuendos; Gentle!Dom!Jacob; Sub!Reader; Teasing; Oral(Female Receiving)

Female Reader x Jacob Custos

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“Kids suck!” I whined as I tossed my head back, slumping in the rolling chair I’d stolen from Dylan, whom was still hunched over the radio desk. Clicking the knob, the PA system crackled before falling silent, the daily announcements finally over. Dylan exhaled heavily and turned to face me, leaning against the desk with his legs stretched and crossed at the ankles.

“Hey, they can be cute.” I deadpanned at the brunette, whom raised his hands in mock defeat. “Alright, alright, they can be a handful, sometimes…all the time.” He relented as I raised a brow, earning a chuckle from me. Brushing the (H/C) strands that had strayed from my (ponytail/bun/headband) from my face, I tossed my arms above my head and stretched. My back cracked and Dylan flinched, expressing his disgust with a gag.

“How the hell can you do that? It’s so gross.” I grinned and cracked my knuckles, the brunette groaning with distaste at the sound. “Stop! Get out with your nasty bones!”

I chuckled as he shooed me towards the door, stumbling slightly over my feet. “Fine, fine! I’ve got a teddy bear to go bother anyway.” His grin morphed into a playful smirk, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

��Ooooh, yes! I won’t fuck a bear, but you can definitely fuck that particular bear.” Dylan cooed, breaking out with laughter as I flipped him off. “See ya, loser!”

This was a typical occurrence between myself and my brother, Dylan. Yes, I’m a Lenivy. I’m also just as much, if not more of, a geek like my brother. IQ’s above 160, 4.0 GPA, and a huge interest in both technology and science, my brother and I were almost identical personality wise. Physically, Dylan resembled our mother more than I did. I took after my grandfathers features mostly, but my dads button nose and his thick but curved eyebrows were something I retained. My features were soft due to my feminine genes, and I embarrassingly also retained my mothers rather larger bosom and thighs, making me a bit thicker than the average female, but I wasn’t too focused on that.

Another difference between myself and my brother was our hair and eye color. He gained my dads doe eyes and my mothers chocolate curls. I, on the other hand, had my dads (H/C) waves and my mothers sharp (E/C) eyes. We really didn’t look much alike, but the similarities in our half smiles and our brains was all we needed. I adored my brother, and he adored me, despite the obsession he had with annoying me endlessly.

Dylan’s favorite topic to tease and annoy me over was my crush on a particular teddy bear of a jock. At Hackett’s Quarry Summer Camp, my brother ran the announcements and I was the crafts instructor—not art like Abigail did, but rather construction like old school hand powered batteries and cranks and such. Old technology. The jock in question was the sports coach, leading the physical activities we played like Volleyball, Soccer and even Tag. He was a big guy, obviously, but unlike the stereotype people assumed he played into, underneath the surface he was actually a loveable, awkward and gold-hearted man.

He went out of his way to make others laugh or smile, much like my brother and I, and though he had that obnoxious bravado about him, he was genuinely very sweet. He sought love and acceptance, a reason to stay and a reason to be happy, something not a lot of people gave him. His name was Jacob Custos, and the guy was absolutely adorable.

Jacob and I, despite being polar opposites personality wise, hit it off from day one. We ran into each other in the lodge during orientation—literally ran into each other. His hulking frame compared to my much shorter stature barreled me over in the hall near the kitchen. If it wasn’t for his quick reflexes, my ass would’ve been broken on the old wooden flooring. No, instead, the jock had caught me with his right arm, which hooked around my waist and pulled me into his chest.

I’d never been that close to a guy, in any sense.

All he said as we met eyes was, ‘Hi.’ My brain short circuiting at the close proximity to such an attractive man, I stupidly replied with a, ‘Hey Cutie.’ The blush that rose to his cheeks was well worth it, though.

Shortly into the first week, the two of us had already become good friends. When I wasn’t supervising the kids during craft time or bothering my brother in the radio hut, I was somewhere around camp hanging out with Jacob. Despite our interests lying on opposite ends of the spectrum, we enjoyed discussing them. I adored how passionate the guy got about water polo—something he surprisingly enjoyed far more than football, even though he didn’t play on his high school team—and how often he made me laugh with his silly behavior and dramatic gestures.

I like to think Jacob enjoyed talking to me as much as I enjoyed talking to him, if the smiles he always shared with me or the way his eyes sparkled with mirth whenever we spoke was anything to go off of. He was a genuine sweetheart through and through.

One time, to save a camper from injuring themselves building a small birdhouse, I’d swooped in and slammed my hand down over theirs. The hammer they’d been using smashed into the back of my hand and broke my middle finger. Jacob was the first to be by my side when it happened, cradling my hand and barking at the kid who’d caused the accident. They apologized, of course, and I had Abi take over my class.

Jacob could get a little too sweet sometimes, though. In that same situation, he’d scooped me up in his arms and carried me all the way to the clinic in the lodge. Completely unnecessary as it was only my finger that was injured, but it was sweet nonetheless. He even stayed with me til my finger was set and wrapped up safely.

Another week in and Jacob and I had begun to flip the script a bit. Our banter became a bit more…intimate, with innuendos and subtle flirting mixed in.

For instance…

“Jacob, can you help me set up the campers tents?”

“(Y/N), I don’t see why you need any help. You erect my tent without effort.”

“Jacob!”

Or…

“(Y/N) get up or you’re gonna miss breakfast!”

“Can’t miss breakfast if you’re in bed with me.”

At first, it was easy to hide it, but by the third week my brother picked up on it. Then the relentless teasing came in and I was more flustered around Jacob from that point.

Dylan was the one who helped me understand that I was infatuated with the guy. From the way my heart hammered in my chest and my cheeks flushed, to the overly bright smile I had on my face whenever I came back from hanging out with Jacob, even to how I always found a way to gush about his amazing qualities whenever it was just me and Dylan.

Jacob was amazing. Truly.

Sighing blissfully at the memories in my head, I made my way towards Jacob’s cabin. Half way up the steps the door opened, the guy in question peering past the doorframe at me. A wide smile crossed his face and he stumbled the rest of the way out, waving to Nick whom he shared his cabin with.

“Hey JC. Ready to go?”

“My hero! Saving me from the ravenous dork in my cabin.” He teased, glancing back as he began to close the door. “See ya, Nicky-Boy!”

“Fuck off, Jakey-Poo!” Nicks voice called from inside, and I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled in my throat. Grasping my left hand in his right, Jacob led me toward the clearing down the path to the firepit—Shady Glade or something. I never remembered the name of the path, I just knew it wasn’t rocky.

“‘Jakey-Poo’, huh?” I cooed after a quiet moment, quirking a brow as our hands swung. He huffed, the apples of his cheeks darkened slightly out of embarrassment. “Got a boyfriend, Mr. Custos?”

“Uh, yeah—no. Nick’s, uh, cool and all but I don’t swing that way. Preeeetty sure he’s got a thing for Abi anyway.” I rolled my eyes at his dorky explanation, squeezing his much larger hand gently.

“Good. Would’ve meant you were off the table.” His brows shot up quickly, lips parted as he whipped his head to face me.

“W-Wha—for real?”

“Jacob, do you really think either of us would be flirting like this if we weren’t at least somewhat interested in each other?” It was kind of cute how oblivious the guy could be, though, some moments tested my patience.

“W-Well, I mean—“ I covered his mouth with my free hand, tugging him to a stop in the clearing with the other. He blinked down at me owlishly, his breathe on my palm warm and his grip on my hand just a little sweaty. I smiled warmly at him, tilting my head to the side and gazing through my eyelashes into his dark eyes.

“You’re so sweet, JC. And so passionate. You’re strong and kind…” My hand left his mouth to trail down his jaw, fingertips dancing over his clothed shoulders to his pecs, tracing the dip in his abdomen where his abs were outlined, tickling the happy trail I knew hid beneath his shirt just above his v-line. He shivered, swallowing thickly as his pupils dilated slightly, shoulders quivering. “Kinda makes me wonder if you taste just as sweet.”

A deep groan left him at those words, his expression morphing from desire to panic as I moved away and released his hand. “W-Wha—(Y/N), wait!” I giggled and took off running, his thumping footsteps proceeding after me only a few seconds later. I dashed between the trees and over bushes, leaping over small rock ledges to get a boost. I hid behind a large tree and covered my mouth, holding back soft giggles. The closer he grew to me, the more my heart raced, my cheeks flushed.

“(Y/N)…” His voice was a bit deeper, huskier, the grin easy to pick out from his lifted tone. “Don’t make me find you.” I snickered softly, cutting myself off with a sharp inhale, praying he didn’t hear me. His footsteps had gone quiet, and I dared to peek my head around the right side of the tree.

“Found you.”

I squealed as his arms enveloped my waist from behind, lifting me into the air. Our laughter mingled as he spun me in circles, the absolute delight shared between us light and gentle. Settling down, I turned in his arms as my feet met the grass, hands on his biceps. His gaze softened slightly and he dipped his head down slightly, nose brushing mine.

“Can I…?” I nodded, his lips meeting mine as smooth and gentle as if I was fragile, his embrace strong but light around my waist. I hummed softly against him, my dominant hand lifting to cup his cheek. A soft sigh left his nose as we kissed and he leaned into my palm. Pressing my back against the tree, Jacob’s hands slid down to grasp at the small of my back, his hips flush to mine. The kiss ended for but a short moment, our eyes meeting slowly as we breathed in sync.

It was so soft, so sweet, so perfect—his arms cradling me, his breathe on my lips, his dark eyes swimming with absolute adoration and glee, pressed so close we could feel each other’s heart beats. I smiled so wide then, his lips curling to match mine. Our lips met again and slowly, more heat rose behind them. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I grinned wider, denying him entry.

He didn’t like that.

Jacob’s brows furrowed and his large fingers slid down to the curve of my ass, squeezing the flesh beneath my jeans. I gasped, enabling the male the opportunity to bury his tongue down my throat, lewd wet sounds mixed with desperate gasps and deep groans between us. My fingers on his cheek found their way to his hair, tugging at the dark locks beneath his cap. It fell to the grass as he tossed his head back, returning to me only to lather my neck in open-mouthed kisses and nips.

Arching my back, my hands found his shoulders and tugged him closer, my legs raising to wrap around his waist. Jacob’s hands moved to cup the back of my thighs, hoisting me higher up the tree til he rested on his knees and my legs were over his shoulders. I bit my lip, my (H/C) disheveled and falling from its (ponytail/bun/headband), my (S/C) skin flushed and my heart racing. Jacob gazed up at me with a sweet smile and soft eyes, pressing a kiss to my hip just beneath the hem of my shirt.

“Are you sure you want to do this, (Y/N)?” He asked, concern swimming in those deliciously dark pools of his.

“It’s always you. Only ever been you.” Swallowing thickly he tugged the hem of my jeans and panties down, pressing chaste open-mouthed kisses to my bare thighs whilst my clothes rested around my knees over his head.

Jacob exhaled softly over my core, a loud mewl leaving me as his tongue prodded at my clit. Eyes rolling back, I bucked my hips forward as his lips enclosed around my clit, tongue flicking the bundle of nerves with fervor. My fingers threaded through his hair and I tugged hard, sweet high-pitched moans and stammered whimpers the only encouragement he needed.

Jacob’s tongue moved down and pressed into my hole, greedily slurping at the slick already presenting itself between my thighs. I crossed my ankles and bucked my hips more, his groans of satisfaction stimulating me further. My moans became squeaking whines and I felt the ball building in my stomach tremble.

“J-Jacob, ah—! P-Please!” His eyes flicked up to meet mine, taking in my expression of ecstasy. A deep groan from him muffled against my pussy was more than enough to throw me over the edge, a soft cry muffled by my hand against my lips the only sound other than Jacob’s slurping. My thighs quivered against his shoulders, my eyes rolled back as the high slowly relaxed. Jacob lowered me to the ground carefully, fixing my clothes back in place and wiping his face on his shirt.

“You’re beautiful.” He mumbled, smiling at me so innocently lovedrunk you wouldn’t have thought he’d been doing something so sinfully intimate to me. His arms enveloped me, pulling me against his chest and his nose burying itself in my hair. I curled my arm around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek, gazing up at him with pure love and joy.

“You’re handsome. And all mine.” I replied, earning a soft chuckle from the goofy jock.

“All yours, angel.”

[sunflowerstalks]

Maybe If Remus Had a Plan in the First Place This Fic Would Have Had a Name, Too

Remus is Remus, Roman is tired, and there’s a cat, too. Expected chaos ensues.

This is my gift for Pigeon, @the-pigeon, for @sanderssidesgiftxchange! I hope you enjoy your gift, and i hope your holidays were and continue to go well! Also, happy new year!! :D

word count: 2125

rating: teen and up (for slight language/innuendo)

content warnings: slight innuendo/language typical of remus, hair pulling as a stim, descriptions of bad things happening to animals (as an intrusive thought, it is dealt with accordingly), slight anxiety attack/sensory overload moment

relationships: platonic sides (all of em) with brotherly roman&remus focus, implied/background romantic roman/virgil and romantic patton/remus but it’s pretty subtle

characters: roman, remus, virgil, patton, logan, janus, c!thomas (meaning both character!thomas and cat!thomas asfhjakfh)

additional tags: high school au, punk au, heist fic, like slight conflict and then mostly fluff and comfort. also, side note, cain and abel are the twins’ cats sdhjgdskfh

“Remus.”

“Roman.”

A beat.

“Any chance you could explain… any of this?” Roman gestures wildly to the pile of metal scraps, receipts, the feral cat, and assorted other trinkets strewn across the sidewalk in front of Remus, before crossing his arms and impatiently awaiting an answer without his usual air of, well, put-together-ness.

“Well, I’d actually gotten around to finally cleaning my wallet, when—”

“The cat, Remus! Whose cat is this? Why do you have it? Why is it surrounded by trash?” Roman’s voice increased in both volume and shrillness as he went on, hands reaching unconsciously to tug at his hair.

“Hey, don’t do that shit,” Remus tugged at the cuffed jean at Roman’s ankle for emphasis, “Anyways, like I was saying, I was cleaning my wallet when I remembered that I was like, eighty assignments behind in anatomy, so I figured I could do some cool art or somethin’ with a cat! For… extra credit or something.” Remus faltered for a moment, “In all honesty, I didn’t think I’d get this far.” He had thought getting the cat would be the hard part, so now he was stuck in the swing of success without a direction to turn. Roman, however, was still stuck on the small details (in Remus’ humble opinion).

Roman took a deep breath, muttering something that sounded a lot like a prayer for forgiveness, before looking down at his brother yet again.

“Remus.”

“Yes, brother dearest?”

“Whose cat is this?”

“Do you want the honest answer?”

Roman looked moments away from manslaughter, yet managed to nod anyways. Remus’ face broke into a shit-eating grin;

“I have no fucking clue.”

---

“Let me get this straight—”

A chorus of ‘good luck with that’s and similar sentiments echoed Logan’s statement, much to his chagrin.

“Okay. Redo.”

“You can’t just say ‘redo’ IRL, Lo,” Virgil chuckled, not even bothering to look up from his phone—he had already checked out from the drama, but stayed for the simple pleasure of experiencing the familiar banter—and in fear of being called to the dean’s office for cutting class. Mostly the latter.

“And I would argue that you cannot say ‘IRL’ in a verbal conversation, yet here we are,” Logan paused for emphasis, adjusted his necklaces for the umpteenth time, and smoothed his hands over the table again before continuing, “Regardless. The situation that you—and I mean you two,” he gestured to the twins, “there is hardly a ‘we’ fault-wise here—have gotten into, is one of... feline larceny, without a known victim? Is that correct?” Remus nodded sheepishly—or as sheepish as his wolfish features could get, all teeth and eyes—while Roman just stewed in rage. Remus’ backpack laid halfway zipped on the lab table, and every once in a while a pink nose and whiskers would find its way into the light before being shoved back by a flurry of hands, aware of what yet another detention would mean for the twins. They couldn’t all just skip, though—they learned that the hard way from the last time one of Roman and Remus’ harebrained schemes had made its way from “a slight nuisance” to “an unignorable thorn in everyone’s side that also somehow ends with arson.” So, they had some past experience in handling the, well, experience that the twins brought along with their company—but they normally had at least a lead to work with.

“How,” Janus started, massaging his temples despite only just then contributing to the wreck of a conversation that their art class had devolved into, “do you steal a cat, and not know who from?” Remus just shrugged.

“It wasn’t intentional. I needed a cat, a guy had a cat, I didn’t ask questions. Was I supposed to?” Remus asked, eyebrows drawn together—normally, he’d be a sarcastic shit that would drive the group insane on (some level of) purpose, but now he just seemed genuinely afraid—of the consequences of his own actions, but, still—progress. Logan opened his mouth to offer his advice, but was silenced by the jarring ring of the bell. He sighed. This was going to be a long day of way more stress than he was qualified for—the twins were going to owe him another stick and poke if he had any say in the matter.

---

Remus must have been a wonderful, wonderful man in his past life. He had to have been. Because, somehow, by some good grace, he managed to make it through another two classes on his own, and to lunch in one piece, with a living cat by his side—well, in his backpack, but the merit stands. Logan could honestly say he was impressed—not that he would tell him that, though. Nevertheless, the six friends reconvened at lunch—still without a direction to turn.

“I could just put him back where I found him,” Remus started, attempting to break the icy silence at the table with a jackhammer as always.

“Do you even know where that is?” Roman scoffed, incredulous.

“Well, no, but I could get close.”

“This isn’t helping,” Logan interjected, “How about you bring it to a shelter? One nearby where you found it?” The table nodded in general agreement, but Remus only frowned.

“But that isn’t where I got it from. What if it has an owner? What if the closest shelter isn’t a no-kill shelter, and we go to all the trouble of saving the cat only for the fucks at the shelter to hurt it?” Remus’ pace picked up with his heart rate—despite only having this cat for maybe six hours, if anything happened to it, Remus had a pretty good idea of what he’d end up doing.

“We can check for that, can’t we, Lo?” Patton chimed in, placing a calming, steady hand on Remus’ shoulder, which sunk, relieved, at the touch.

“Possibly. But, regardless, it isn’t Remus’ cat. Our priority is to get it back to its original owner, if it has one,” Logan pointed out, “If that isn’t possible, then we need to reevaluate our plan, come up with another, and settle for a different goal.”

“Have we at any point today even actually had a plan?” Virgil snickered, ever the pessimist—it wasn’t like he was really helping as he was, once again, staring at his phone.

“Well, it’s not like you’ve done much besides stare at your phone today, edgelord,” Remus snarked, though it came out as more of a mumble—his face was pressed into the table, and his eyes were on the cat in the bag.

“You’re gonna have to get better nicknames, Dukey, we’re all edgelords here,” Janus deadpanned, smudging an unhealthy amount of eyeshadow around his eyes while Virgil and Remus argued over their respective contributions.

“Okay, can you, my brother,” Roman pointed to Remus, whose teeth clacked with how fast he shut up, ”and you, my boyfriend,” he pointed to Virgil, who could only look the smallest bit abashed,  “calm all the way down? Stop arguing, holy shit—” Roman took another breath, relishing the silence that had fallen over the table before pushing on, “—how about we all go, together, and fix this shit? I mean, what could go wrong?”

---

The answer was a lot. A fucking lot could go wrong when six seventeen-year-olds tried to coordinate anything, let alone an amateur heist.

Remus managed to get through the rest of the school day without much incident, but the rest of them were not so lucky, managing to receive a grand total of three detentions and six failed tests from lunch to the end of seventh period between the five of them. The teens recounted the horror stories of sixth period; Patton gesturing wildly from the driver's seat, Remus sat quietly (for maybe the second time in his life) in the passenger seat, and the remaining accomplices squished together in the back seat (which would fit three people at most for any group that wasn’t them). Also in the back seat was the cat, who had been dubbed “Thomas” for the time being—he was sat in Janus’ lap, curled up around an abandoned ball of yarn that had been left under one of the seats. The car ride across town would have been incredibly tense and unbearably long without the feline, and for that, Remus was grateful—even if he still had a sinking feeling of guilt swirling in his stomach.

---

           After a surprisingly uneventful car ride (except for the stop at a drive through for a morale boost (Patton’s words) of coffees and drinks which ended, after a rather nasty pothole, with a massive stain on the roof of the car), the party settled into the waiting room at the—no-kill, Remus triple checked—animal shelter. There weren’t enough chairs, so the group made more of a pile around Thomas, some of them standing, and the others sitting both on chairs and the floor. Juxtaposed with the sterile white of the walls, they stood out like the emo cousins that they basically were. Remus bounced his leg, up, down, up, down, over and over. He kept knocking his knee against Janus’, which jostled Thomas every time he did.

“Sorry,” Remus mumbled, trying to focus on holding still.  But it itched in the back of his brain, guilt and stress and fault and all the wonderful, terrible feelings churning, over and over. The clock behind the desk was too loud, and Remus couldn’t do anything about it because they wouldn’t even have to be here if not for him. So he kept his mouth shut and tried not to cry—for all of two minutes, because that was when Janus decided that he had had enough, and shoved a ball of fur into his arms. For a moment, Remus was terrified he was going to fuck it up, hurting Thomas or himself or causing some other inevitable disaster, but Thomas just pushed his warm face into Remus’ palm, and suddenly, somehow the only thing Remus could feel was loved. He choked out a wet laugh, unable to contain the bubbling build-up of emotions that had been brewing since he first saw Thomas that morning. His friends all looked at him, concerned at first, but all they could do was coo at Remus being the softest they had ever seen him. He sniffed, and gave them all a watery smile.

“Thanks, guys.”

“Sincerity? In my brother? It’s more likely than you think!” Roman teased, poking his brother in the arm. Remus stuck his tongue out at him, and the teens devolved into familiarity, playful taunts and sincere joy, waiting to be called back for Thomas’ check up.

---

While the veterinarian had been momentarily taken aback at the request for all six visitors to be in the room during the appointment, she also hadn’t seen a reason to say no at the time. Thus, once again, like the clowns they were, they piled into the room and crowded around the table, Thomas at the heart of it all—confoundingly calm given the situation, at least to the onlookers.

The veterinarian introduced herself to each of them, and began examining the cat for any injuries, microchips, or anything out of place.

“He seems to be healthy, no broken bones or infections…” The doctor said, reaching for a handheld device, “If he’s microchipped, and I’m able to reach the owner, you boys will be off the hook, okay?” Remus cringed, but nodded—he needed to remember that Thomas wasn’t his before he got hurt. She ran the scanner over Thomas’ back, and hummed.

“I’m… actually not finding anything. You said he was lost?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Remus confessed, “I found him on the street, so he could be a stray.”

“It seems he was a very lucky one, for sure. Most cats his age are incredibly susceptible to outside bacteria—finding you guys likely saved his life.” Remus’ eyes widened, and his hand reached for Thomas almost instinctively.

“You said that he doesn’t have an owner?”

“Not that I can determine, no. Did he have a collar, any sort of identification?”

Remus shook his head.

“Well, there are two options in the meantime; we can hold on to him, and put him up for adoption through our services, or you could adopt him. He needs to be immunized and neutered, first, but where he ends up is up to you guys.” Remus thought to himself for a moment.

“Hey, Roman. How mad do you think Mom would be if we brought Cain and Abel home a new friend?”

---

The answer? Not mad enough to outweigh her happiness at Remus’ smile with Thomas in his arms. And even though he didn’t end up getting the extra credit in anatomy, Remus’ circle of best friends grew by one, so he thinks he did alright in the end.

[brainsdivided]

Uncommon Questions for OC’s and Their Creators (1/2)

(Art by Yesjejunus!)

I saw @bloody-fists-beating-hearts and @socksual-innuendos​ doing it so I’m answering all of them cause I can and I love my boys. Original by @cassandrapentayaaaaas​

So I don’t take up someone’s entire dash, peep under cut for it :) 

ps. some warning: read tags for any mentions of triggers or things you find uncomfortable, Isaac and Ezekiel have had tough lives and since a lot of that occurs during childhood it may cause some distress for readers.

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR OCs:

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Ezekiel? Never. If it looks like he’s doing nothing, he’s actually daydreaming or bouncing his leg or fiddling with pieces of his clothes. Isaac also cannot sit still. This starts to change as he gets older, but when he moves to Zion he needs to be keeping his mind active on a physical thing, like studying.How easy is it for your character to laugh?

Ezekiel will laugh at just about anything. He’s a child at heart and will crack a giggle and the smallest of things. Even when he’s in combat, you might hear a devilish chuckle. Isaac is different, because of his teenage years, he doesn’t feel as much happiness as he once did. Genuine laughs are rare and at most, he’ll give a weak light-hearted laugh, especially when recalling a good story. For kids, he’ll feign a belly laugh.

How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

Ezekiel never puts himself to bed. It will always be Joshua or Isaac that reads or talks him to sleep just as Courier Six once did. If Ezekiel is alone, he will think himself to sleep. If Joshua is available and not willing to put Ezekiel to bed and depriving him of comfort items, he will scream and cry himself to exhaustion.  Isaac has cried and screamed himself to exhaustion on more than one occasion but will never admit it. he does his best to fall asleep to music on the radio or on a holotape.

How easy is it to earn their trust?

It’s not very easy to gain either brothers’ trust. Ezekiel follows the ‘If you’re a friend of theirs, you’re a friend of mine’ phrase. Isaac doesn’t trust anyone completely until he spends enough time around them. He believes everyone has good in them and will give them the benefit of the doubt, BUT he won’t be caught off guard if someone happens to turn on him. 

How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

For either brother, the second you turn on one of them or their family and friends, it’s game over. Ezekiel won’t take verbal or physical acts lightly, but if it’s verbal, Isaac will offer a second chance. He won’t give out a third.

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Ezekiel will follow laws that he feels he doesn’t need to break at the time. If he can justify it, including ‘Cause I can, there’s no one to stop me’ he will break it. Isaac follows all laws, even the ones he doesn’t want to. For the ones he doesn’t want to, he’ll find ways to bend them, especially if they’re immoral/unreasonable in his eyes. Best example I can give is in the Legion, not sure if it’s actually a law, but, women are treated as breeding stock and that’s it. Isaac had slaves but would only treat them as such around the other legionaries. Behind closed doors, he cooks for them and looks after them personally. Never once did he use them as breeding stock.  

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Ezekiel is in almost a complete state of nostalgia constantly as he unconsciously tries to live his old life in Goodsprings in Zion. Good food, sleeping in a quiet camp, hunting, learning from Joshua/father-figure, etc. helps keep him grounded in his world. Isaac often receives nostalgia from intrusive memories, but as a physical thing, probably his appearance. In a fit of fear and rage, he destroyed his mirror and where the river runs next to his home he added extra rocks to help disfigure his reflection when he’s near the water. It brings him great pain to see his own face and body due to the scars he received from the Legion. 

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

Pre-story... Ezekiel was probably told to stop beating up kids for minor offenses and Isaac was probably told to not worry so much about Ezekiel doing dangerous things.

Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?

Both swear and neither remember when they first did.

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Isaac’s most common lie is the typical “I’m fine.” a lie that isn’t spoken about except when before the story takes place, is that the Courier was very sick, but Isaac, Courier, and Cass made Ezekiel believe otherwise so that Ezekiel could continue to dream of the amazing man his dad once was. Which that in itself would be haunting, because he’s holding up a dam of terrible things. While Ezekiel would constantly say “No.” to the question, “Did you eat anything you weren’t supposed to?” 9/10, he ate something he wasn’t supposed to. That doesn’t haunt him, but he’ll regret lying when he ends up with intestinal obstruction or food poisoning. 

How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

As soon as the confusion hits, depending on the scenario and how he’s feeling he might interrupt the conversation to ask for clarification or he’ll tune out what’s being said so that he can think on his thoughts. Isaac will pretend he understands if the conversation isn’t relating to something dire. 

How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?

Isaac will ask his brother or a friend for help but if he’s alone, he’ll use a stick or his wall. Ezekiel will go up to anyone and ask, but if not, he’ll turn into a yao gui and rub his back on anything. GOTTA GET THAT ITCH.

What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?

Ezekiel likes orange and Isaac likes white. I think they could both pull off black. Anyone can, black is a flattering color but who would want to wear that in the desert sun?

What animal do they fear most?

Ezekiel doesn’t have a lot of fear towards any creature, but I’d say feral ghouls or Deathclaws and Isaac fears spore carriers.

How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

Ezekiel will always say what comes to mind. Isaac will think before he speaks.

What makes their stomach turn?

I’ve got nothing for Ezekiel, but Isaac would barf if he smelled or saw a rotting corpse. 

Are they easily embarrassed?

Ezekiel is fine being quirky but there are some situations that makes him a radstag in flashlight. Isaac feels more shame than embarrassment. 

What embarrasses them?

Ezekiel has been known to wet the bed even into early adulthood. Also, while he is fine playing with kid-oriented items, depending on his current emotion and he’s made fun of, he’ll either respond with embarrassment or anger. Isaac gets second-hand embarrassment from Ezekiel’s behaviors sometimes. He once wet the bed and was caught by Daniel when doing laundry but it was agreed to never be brought up or mentioned again. He mostly feels embarrassment/shame when doing or caught using chems.

What is their favorite number?

Ezekiel’s is the number 6 because Courier Six was his dad. Isaac does not have a favorite number.

If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?

Oh boy. Ezekiel might not be able to tell the difference. He might just say that romantic love makes ‘funny things happen’ so to speak even as an adult. All three might overlap for him. Though I guess it would depend on the person reading since my RP partner did not like when I had Ezekiel be affectionate towards Joshua (Hugging and asking to share a bed) as ‘boys don’t always ask their dads for hugs or to sleep with them, it’s inappropriate’ but if daughters can do that with their mothers, who cares? 

Isaac would go on a long shpeel about the psychology of romantic, platonic, and familial love, I’m too tired to write how he’d explain it.

Why do they get up in the morning?

Ezekiel gets up because it’s a new day and the second he opens his eyes, he’s a ball of energy! Breakfast. Also breakfast. Isaac gets up for the people he loves and for the people who need him.

How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)?

Ezekiel gets vocal. He’ll make sure you know that you’re spending too much of his time around his brother or Joshua. Isaac will get quiet. 

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?

Ezekiel will take what he wants/intervene. Isaac might get bitter about it, but he’ll remind himself that there are others that are more important or who need it more.

Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom?

Their thoughts on this is pretty similar regardless of age, but speaking from age ranges 18-23, Ezekiel doesn’t really understand it, so he’ll talk to anyone about it. When he does, he’s blunt about it, too which makes for some comedic relief when Joshua is involved in the conversation. Isaac won’t really talk about it if he’s involved. If he does, it’s with Daniel or with whoever he ends up sleeping with. If it’s in a medical context, it doesn’t matter the person. 

What are their thoughts on marriage?

Ezekiel doesn’t have an opinion on marriage, but his brother and godfather would feel as though he isn’t ready for a relationship, yet. Isaac likes when others get married, but he himself does not feel worthy of a steady relationship.

What is their preferred mode of transportation?

Walking.

What causes them to feel dread?

When Ezekiel gets caught doing something he shouldn’t by Joshua. Isaac - when it’s night, his generator dies, and when his radio stops working simultaneously or when Daniel forbade him that one time from studying and working because he nearly worked himself to death.

Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?

Both would want the truth, but Ezekiel believes in a lie that his brother and mother once told.

Do they usually live up to their own ideals?

Ezekiel believes he’s the best at almost everything and Isaac knows he could do better, but it’s too late.

Who do they most regret meeting?

N/A

Who are they the most glad to have met?

locating Joshua was Ezekiel’s primary goal when running from Goodsprings so I’d imagine that he’d be glad to have found him. Isaac’s could be either Daniel or an unnamed Legion girl.

Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke?

Ezekiel would try to talk casually about his parents’ death and of the crimes he’s committed. Isaac doesn’t have a go-to.

Could they be considered lazy?

Yes and no. To others, they’d be lazy, but Isaac has depression and insomnia, and Ezekiel’s behavior is similar to a child so he may just be stubborn.

How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?

If the guilt was brought on by Joshua, Ezekiel would need some reassurance directly from him to fix it. Isaac is constantly ridden with guilt.

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive?

Both are supportive!

Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap?

Neither seeks romance. Isaac might look for partners for one night stands, but that’s it.

Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)?

Both are very good at matching names to faces, but Ezekiel uses his fingers to count and sometimes uses melodies. Isaac likes to file things.

What memory do they revisit the most often?

So far that’s been thought of, Ezekiel revisits the death of his parents most often and Isaac revisits the possible events that led up to him becoming a decanus. 

How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people?

Ezekiel is willing to forget them if they didn’t directly wrong him. Isaac never forgets, he just chooses to overlook them but still keeping them in mind.

How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Ezekiel never really recognizes his flaws until they’re pointed out. As he gets older though he does start to acknowledge them more. A scene I’ve thought of is when he’s 22 and still playing with children’s toy soldiers. He plays with them with little enthusiasm, abandoning his amusements not by choice. Isaac is aware of his flaws but doesn’t try to better them, but instead tries to better others. 

How do they feel about children?

Ezekiel at times believes he is a child, and will try to engage with other children. Some find it creepy but those that know him are fine with it because they know he has good intentions. Isaac is passionate about children and will protect them with his life. While escaping the legion, he had recruits younger than him that he helped escape, some ending up being adopted out to Dead Horse, Sorrows, and New Canaanite families. Even in the Legion, Isaac showed all children he came across respect and kindness.

How badly do they want to reach their end goal?

Neither truly has an end goal. Isaac wants to see the Legion end in a way where it’s people can recover as quickly as possible, so by working with the Followers of the Apocalypse, he can help out stragglers. Ezekiel just wants to become someone Joshua can be proud of. Be the son he never had and never expected to have.

If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?

Isaac would say that he used to be attracted to women, but because he spent so much time around women who loved and cherished him for his kindness, he’d find it wrong to date someone who only loved that he was kind to them. He still finds women attractive, just not enough to act on it. As for men, he could tell you who is handsome, but in a platonic way. 

Ezekiel couldn’t tell for the longest time what he was attracted to, but in an alternative story line, when he thought it was women, he ended up finding himself feeling more for a man.

[bidaubadeadieu]

Ten Favorite Fictional Characters

I was tagged by @skullhaver​ who chose some rlly choice people. We love so many of the same characters, for so many of the same reasons, but for the sake of fun, I’ll try to pick ones that don’t overlap theirs, or pick some characters off of the beaten path. I find this prompt a little tricky because I tend to fall in love more with worlds than characters. Sunless Skies and Dark Souls jump out to me as worlds that I really like but with no characters that I was really able to latch onto.

1. Rose Quartz, Steven Universe I love Rose Quartz’s selfishness. She spends the whole show kind of oblivious to the way she’s hurting people, although I think she is good of heart and intention. I think her deep empathy for other people manifests as this weird projection where by getting what she wants she genuinely thinks she’s helping others, and has no understanding that other people may not benefit from this. I like the way the narrative slowly reveals more about her, and it was a really exciting mystery to uncover, and to go, like Steven, from kind of revering her, to kind of resenting her, to kind of finding a middle path and acknowledging her complexity. Honorable mention goes to Stevonnie, also from Steven Universe, who is some great nonbinary rep.

2. Satine, Moulin Rouge! When I was in high school, I might have put Satine’s love interest, Christian, on this list, but thanks to gender discovery, I have been able to radically shift the way that I interpret romantic pursuit and seduction. I don’t think this was the intention of the writers, but I think there is ambiguity to be had in Satine’s character. Christian is charming, and the duke is rapey and awful, so I think the audience is supposed to feel that it’s obvious that she will fall for Christian, and of course her appeals to the Duke are only for show, but yet the only thing we know about Satine’s past is she has had a lifelong struggle for security, and I think the choice she is making is a real one. In my read of her character, Satine is like, actually so distant from her own emotional needs that she is not ready to fall in love, and I think she could find Christian’s in-touchness with his aesthetic ideals perturbing and alienating.

3. Karin, Naruto: Shippuden I have to love Karin because no one else will. She is not a good character; the writers make her fawn over Sasuke like 5 years after they should have realized that trope was dumb and juvenile, they gave her a shitty biting-linked power purely to titillate the audience as fanservice, and she gets treated like a punching bag. She’s like literally Naruto’s fucking cousin and they’ve never talked in canon. She represents every missed opportunity that show ever had, and is a perfect example of the way that misogyny hurts worldbuilding. In the New Era, she is kind and gentle with Sarada. Gay aunt vibes. Honorable mention goes to Orochimaru (Boruto only, when he’s in dad-mode) as questionable nonbinary rep, and honorable mentions go to to the rest of the Akatsuki for being absolute freaks, great villain writing, and finally honorable mention goes to Rock Lee for inspiring in me a certain kind of motivation and drive when I need it.

4. Iroh, Avatar: the Last Airbender Legit what is there not to love about this guy? His comic relief holds up after a decade, his wise and compassionate guidance helped foster one of the greatest redemption arcs of all time, and his physical prowess makes from some extremely well-choreographed fights. He really has the range.

5. Clare, The Nightingale (2019) This movie is far more violent than I usually enjoy, but there’s something about Clare’s descent into madness that was done really well. So many people talk these days about “feral women” but like, Clare, she’s feral, in the worst and ugliest ways. Her vengeance is completely justified, and its a rare story that while watching it I find myself thinking “yeah. i want her to commit murder. she deserves it :)” This is Rosemary’s Baby if Rosemary was a Tasmanian tiger.

6. April May, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (2018) I bet you didn’t know this, but I like shitty, selfish women with hubris. I think they’re good characters. At least April, by virtue of being a protagonist, gets a serious growth arc the the second book, which none of the other characters above are afforded because their writers didn’t take them serious enough.

7. The Biologist, Annihilation (2014) Hey, I bet you didn’t know this, but I resonate with cold women making difficult decisions in survival situations. She is savvy and mostly self-aware, but still struggles with being out of her depth, and I resonate with the the way she is somewhat alienated from her past and her regrets.

8. Zaroff, The Most Dangerous Game (1924) It’s silly, and oversincere, and tropey, but I love the vintage horror of a lawful evil guy who hunts humans for sport. I like his weird period-appropriate racism. I like his faux-sophistication and worldliness. I find him oddly realistic. See also: my love for the Akatsuki, mentioned above.

9. Konata, Lucky Star I haven’t watched this show in over a decade, and I don’t want to, I am positive that it won’t hold up and it’ll be major cringe, but the fact of the matter is that Konata’s personality of gamer grrl, small-titty (because it’s fkn anime so that’s a personality I guess) innuendo-ridden persona despite deep naivete, it all left an indelible impact on my psyche. For better or for worse.

10. Viren, The Dragon Prince We love a power-hungry villain who is like, low-key a freak! We love somebody who sacrifices their humanity to get what they want! I love the way that Viren lies to his son, I love the way he and King Harrow were definitely gay for one another, I love the way that he takes advice from a magic caterpillar that lives in his hear. Honorable mention for Aunt Amaya, who is just wonderful, and we love the lady knight tropes she’s bringing

I will tag: @kit-kaboodle @theclockistickingwrite @fairy-creed @wymanthewalrus @soldier-author-batman @colcoction and you know, anybody else who wants in on the fun

[razzle-zazzle]

Daemos Headcanons

Tumblr decided this shouldn’t show up in the tags so I’m reposting it:

As of the start of the series, Noi is 22; Asch, Ava, & Leif are all 24 or thereabouts; Pierce is 26; and Rhys is 27.

Asch can and will breathe fire if he feels the extra intimidation factor is required. His breath almost always smells like smoke. Sometimes Asch will just exhale a puff of smoke when he’s really annoyed, but not angry enough to exhale flames.

Asch has to eat at least a little bit of wood/charcoal/coal every day as a kind of dietary supplement. Because of this, it’s not uncommon to find him chewing on a twig he found in Leif’s garden, or adding a piece of coal to his already blackened meal, or turning logs into charcoal for later consumption. He’s constantly digging through Leif’s garden for surplus twigs and sticks and it annoys Leif to no end because “YOU’RE BURNING THE FLOWERS ASCH STOP I USE THOSE TO MAKE MEDICINE” or “EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER AND NOW YOU’VE RUINED IT DAMMIT ASCH”. Asch comes back every few days just to annoy Leif this way, and because it’s a good way to replenish his stock.

Asch can actually eat a lot of things that the others wouldn’t think to eat. The general rule of thumb is that if it burns, Asch can probably eat it.

Asch prefers his meals as crispy as possible. If they’re not to his liking, he burns it himself. When it comes to cooking, he could be really good at it… if he didn’t forgo the entire “flavor” aspect in favor of burning everything to a crisp. He’s been banned from messing around in the kitchen after he set fire to a glass of water. He finds that he enjoys sitting next to the oven when it’s on, and Ava still allows him to do that as long as the oven is actually being used to cook something.

Asch can suffocate rather easily compared to the others (Leif notwithstanding). It’s why he passed out when they first arrived on Earth—his flame was snuffed out by an inability to breathe. But once he adjusts, he’s mostly fine. Mostly. Asch really does not like dirt (or water) for similar reasons.

Asch Does Not Get Emotions.

To elaborate, Asch has difficulty in expressing himself sometimes. He has to be a leader, and a proper leader makes effective decisions without getting caught up in their emotions; so whatever he’s feeling gets bottled up until it explodes into an outburst, usually anger. He’s like Bakugou, in the sense that he really doesn’t know how to express anything other than anger, frustration, or annoyance, and can come off as really bratty because of it. Fortunately, both Noi and Pierce have known Asch for long enough to pick up on what he’s actually feeling, and Rhys has played mediator and manipulator for Asch enough times that he can usually discern what Asch is trying to convey. And Leif is constantly trying to find ways to antagonize Asch both as revenge for messing with his garden and as a way of getting Asch to let loose on whatever he’s bottled up. Occasionally, this goes too far, but overall their rivalry is the perfect outlet for Asch (and Leif).

In short, Asch can give very effective orders, but struggles to express his own feelings when he needs to, or find a proper outlet that isn’t BURN IT ALL TO DEATH

Before the spa episode, none of the other Daemos thought that Asch could laugh, except Noi (who’s known Asch the longest for reasons I’ll get into eventually). Noi hasn’t heard Asch laugh in a very long time, so he finds it really gratifying to hear it again.

Asch is of the mind that courting is supposed to be proper, and romantic, and that s//ex is neither romantic nor a valid way to court someone, mostly because of his upbringing and inexperience with s//ex in general. I’ll leave whether he’s demi- or asexual or not up to you guys.

Asch originally only sought to court Ava because she’s a “princess” which to Asch means “oh hey someone I could court without everyone disapproving of me.” Except then Asch finds that he genuinely likes Ava (after a lot of confusion as to what is going on with him), and he suddenly doesn’t know how to approach anything anymore??? He has a miniature crisis that Pierce and Rhys have to talk him through, much to his chagrin.

Asch also doesn’t always notice the connotations of his words and actions; he’s just not as clued into double entendres and innuendos as most other people. Taking off his clothes in front of Ava? Never even occurs to him that that could come across as sexual. I know this doesn’t make sense given Asch’s focus on living up to expectations, but Asch doesn’t really focus on emotional expectations so it works. Furthermore, his fixation on living up to expectations stems from the vast number of times he’s failed to do so due to his stunted ability to pick up on social cues. He just wants to be a good leader and not disappoint his mother, is that really too much to ask?

Noi is often the one tasked with finding coal, as his earth affinity and superior sense of smell (best in the group) makes him the most efficient at searching for things underground. He’s also the best at digging, closely followed by Pierce.

Noi can eat dirt, as well as most rocks and minerals, but he doesn’t necessarily have to. He usually has a few rocks on him at all times so he has something to chew on when he’s stressed. His room is essentially a rock collection half-buried in the dirt.

Rhys trying to get Noi struck by lightning or electrocuted, repeatedly, just to find out what would happen. When it actually happens, Noi’s primary affinity for earth and his secondary affinity for lightning means he’s completely fine, if rather hyper for the next hour. I feel like Noi should be able to consume electricity, but I’m not sure how yet. Does he stick his tail in an outlet? Who knows? Not Noi, that’s for sure.

Noi’s tail is whip thin, with barb-like hair on the end. This is unusual for earth affinity Daemos, who either have stiffer, more solidly-built tails, but makes perfect sense given Noi’s secondary affinity for lightning. He’s also pretty fast on his feet and really good at flanking, not as much as Leif but he’s up there.

Noi giggles a lot when he’s happy, and, as he discovers after the dinner date, when he’s crushing. Noi is actually pretty good at expressing himself, much to the frustration of Asch.

Noi may not always look like it, but, much like the earth constantly shifts beneath the surface, Noi’s emotions and thoughts are constantly shifting. Rhys is similar, except for him it’s more akin to his thoughts constantly moving like ocean currents, his mind always flowing underneath even if the surface is calm. Pierce has the whole “calm-outside-always-shifting-inside” but turned up to eleven. He spends so much time trying to get a handle on what’s going on inside that he often comes across as unemotive, or doesn’t always emote properly. It’s why he likes fights so much; he can just relax, go on autopilot, and let his worries fade away as he lies in the moment. All three of them are very much prone to self-doubt and anxiety.

Noi is the Emotional Support Daemos™. Having Noi around makes Asch happier than he’d like to admit, Pierce likes that Noi is sweet (and Noi is often the one who grounds Pierce, pun intended). Rhys finds that answering Noi’s questions about what he’s doing and why he’s doing it to be relaxing, and Leif picks on Noi as an outlet for his aggression and energy. Without Noi, the group would all be at each others’ throats within days.

Pierce can also eat rocks/dirt/minerals, but he does it less often than Noi. If he’s feeling really peeved at something Asch has done, then he’ll crunch on some rocks because he knows that Asch finds the sound annoying. And it’s a good way to work out his frustrations without having to worry about hurting someone.

Pierce has the best sense of hearing in the group, with Leif coming in at a close second. Usually, earth affinity Daemos hear best through vibrations in the ground, similar to snakes, and Pierce is no exception; but he’s also very good at hearing the other way, like a bat. A batsnake. Snakebat? Snat? Bake? Eh, I’m sure something like that exists on Daemos. If not, then it should.

Pierce worries the most out of the group; it’s his job to protect Asch (and everyone else), and the constant shifting of his thoughts and feelings often makes for very reckless decisions. Whenever Asch feels Pierce is overdoing it, he’ll loudly complain about “not needing a nanny, I’m a grown-ass Daemos for Htrae’s sake, go do something else with you time” which in Asch-speak essentially translates to “take a day off before you kill yourself, idiot.” When this happens, Pierce usually spends time training (unless Asch tells him not to), hanging around Noi to feel grounded, or letting Rhys ramble about his theories to distract himself from his worries.

Pierce is the best cook of the group, though this is mostly by default. Asch burns everything, Noi either adds too much salt or too much sugar, Rhys doesn’t even cook, and Leif puts together the most outlandish combinations he can think of just to annoy the others. But Pierce, through hard work and experimentation, does become really good at cooking. Leif still insists on trying everything first.

Both Noi and Pierce feel safer in confined, dark spaces than they do in open, bright areas. They are the only ones who feel this way. Pierce prefers that the hole be at least a little damp, too, because of his water affinity, while Noi is fine as long as it’s not too hot or cold.

Noi and Pierce also very much enjoy mud baths. Or just relaxing in a pool of mud. Pierce enjoys it more than Noi, but it’s the one thing that they really like to do together when the others are getting annoying.

Earth Daemos are more physically affectionate than other Daemos, so it’s not unusual to find Noi leaning against Pierce or Pierce just carrying Noi (and others) around.

Rhys can drink salt water without getting dehydrated. Pierce can too, but not to the extent that Rhys can. Rhys actually has this natural aura to him that purifies nearby water; it’s why he’s fine sitting at the bottom of a chlorinated pool for hours instead of his gills getting burned up.

Yes, Rhys has gills. Pierce has a set of his own, too. They only function underwater, and can get sliced up very easily in a fight, but it’s a trait that all water affinity Daemos have.

Rhys can actually tell whether or not a body of water would be safe to drink from by touch alone; he’s got the best sense of touch amongst the group. He always likes to double check his observations, due to a need to be thorough and his own self-doubt.

Rhys finds that he loves not just ice cream, but most other cold foods as well; this is mostly due to his ice affinity. He’s found that sucking/chewing on ice cubes helps him to focus, so it’s not uncommon to find him doing just that if he’s working on a particularly difficult problem.

Rhys will bury himself in his quest for knowledge if there’s a problem he doesn’t want, or doesn’t feel capable enough, to tackle. And to distract from his anxieties and worries of “am I doing it right? Will my actions now cause suffering down the road? What will I do if I fail?” and the like. There are times when he’ll just meditate in cold water to clear his head, especially when he gets overwhelmed; Ava later introduces Rhys to yoga, which he finds relaxing as well.

Rhys is the most flexible of the group. Almost to a disturbing degree.

Rhys’ tail is very long and supple, and has a tendency to coil around whatever it can reach. This annoys Rhys to no end, but he likes his tail too much to get rid of it, so he finds ways to deal with it.

Leif has a profound resistance to most toxins, and an exceptional sense of taste. He can usually determine the properties of a plant—even one he’s never seen before—just by chewing on it. Not that he doesn’t double check, or use other methods to find things he might have missed, it’s just that chewing on a random plant sample is his go-to method in almost every situation.

Heck, plants aren’t the only thing! Leif has developed a habit of using his tongue to make sure his blades are clean, and he can identify the properties of a soil sample with his mouth, too. He’s just got a really well-developed palate. And a tendency to stick random things in his mouth if he can’t tell what it is. He was always the one to taste test Asch’s food to ensure that the meal isn’t poisoned back on Daemos, and he’ll happily steal a piece of food from Ava with that as his excuse now.

Leif’s first instinct when he encounters something he’s never seen is to taste it; he just takes a sample to chew on. The number of times Ava has had to distract Leif with a piece of gum just so she can get whatever piece of plastic he’s chewing on this time is innumerable. It gets to the point where Ava just always has gum on her for just that reason.

When it comes to anything plant-based, Leif is your guy. Poisons, medicines, it’s all just a matter of what plants he needs to use and what he needs to do with them. He often carries around a mortar and pestle, just in case he needs to make some emergency medicine. His favorite way to annoy Rhys and Asch when he does that is to pretend to have ground the plants in his mouth, because it grosses them both out.

Leif really likes to antagonize others, which is unusual for a plant affinity Daemos. He has a secondary affinity for wind (not that he knows this), but that’s only part of the cause. The other part is that Leif views kindness as a weakness, and it’s a force of habit for him to pick on anyone he can. It gets worse on Earth, due to the massive amount of freetime the Daemos have there. Ava helps him create a second garden by the window, and it helps a little, but that still gives Leif so much extra time with nothing to do but bug the others.

Ava’s first solution to Leif’s restlessness was to get him a toy to fidget with, but that ended almost immediately when he proved how destructive a bouncy ball can be. In the end, the solution that worked was to just put a plant in almost every available space in Ava’s apartment, giving Leif a lot more to do and acting as a ward against wanton destruction of the apartment.

Leif eventually gets his bouncy ball back. He still wants to weaponize it.

I should probably mention Leif’s secondary affinity for wind. He has no idea he has it, and Rhys really only suspects that Leif has it. Wind affinity Daemos aren’t all that common (wind is caused by unequal heating of the atmosphere due to the sun, and the sun isn’t really a thing in Daemos, so…), but they do have certain traits and abilities unique to them. Leif is very fast and stealthy, has a more flighty sense of duty than the others, and can go from thinking things through to “I’m going to do this dumb thing because I felt like it” in an instant. He’s always full of energy, like Noi, and acts more on his own whims and desires than anything else. He can’t focus on anything besides his passions for very long before he becomes bored. Leif is also the most likely to survive a fall from a high-altitude, and can jump the highest. He’s rather light for his height.

As always, feel free to add your own stuff!

[parrishes-writes]

dante/genevieve ship headcanons

I saw these and HAD to do them for Dante and Genevieve. @crybabyxprince​ you’ve created a monster and I hope you’re happy with yourself!!!

1. Who makes the first move and how? It’s kind of a mutual thing? They watch a movie one night, by themselves–Vergil is out running errands, Trish is… somewhere, Lady is on another job, and it just… happens. 

2. Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better? I would say Dante is the most insecure–boy has a shitload of trauma that makes him bounce around feeling like he isn’t good enough for her because of his demonic heritage and the things he’s done over the course of his life, anger and a little resentment that Viv had a normal life and she didn’t appreciate it before things happened, frustration because of the aforementioned emotions,and  feeling like he isn’t good enough for her because she’s good at so much. Also, their age difference. It isn’t huge, but it isn’t insignificant either–they’re both adults when they get together, but it still can weigh on Dante’s mind when he’s having a rough moment. 

3. Who is the most romantic? Dante would try to be romantic, bless his dumb little heart, but Viv is usually embarrassed by most stereotypical displays of romance, like the roses and the hearts, etc. because she doesn’t like being the center of attention… until she does. It doesn’t mean she’s opposed to romantic gestures, just don’t make a huge scene or give her anything. She’s picky. 

4. Who can’t keep their hands to themselves? Dante primarily, but Viv is not opposed to walking up to him and just… sticking her tongue in his mouth and absolutely going for it.

5. Who says ‘I love you’ first? Probably Viv… at least when they’re both awake. Dante may have whispered something in the dark of night when Viv was asleep. 

6. Who would they ask if they ever had a threesome? Dante would ask. Viv actually has. (She was in a polyamorous relationship prior to her time at DMC)

7. What do they get up to on a night out? They rarely go out, actually, because they’re both homebodies, but when they do it’s with their friends, who like to turn up, so when in Rome… do a bunch of shots and wake up the next morning with a vague memory of stumbling home and a splitting headache. 

8. What do they like in bed? Mutuality. Neither of them like feeling that their partner is somewhere else during the moment, so it’s important for them to always be present with each other. 

9. What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other? Viv has been too drunk to walk in front of Dante, occasionally been stoned, puked her guts out for a variety of reasons, had wicked cramps, nearly crapped her pants, had migraines, been sick, been injured, you name it. Dante’s been impaled a more than a few times and is just generally embarrassing whenever he has to apply his brain to something even marginally complex, or make a good impression on someone. Trying to talk to authority figures with him around is an absolute nightmare. 

10. What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a desert island? Bold of you to assume that Dante would bring a book, lol. Viv would bring a spellbook to try and portal them off of the island, and a bushcraft book to start covering the bases if they can’t. Dante would bring a guitar and a sword to hunt. Also, how would you bring a song? Like, one to sing? I don’t understand this part of the question :( 

11. What do they hide from one another? Dante hides his insecurity behind a mask of bravado and flippancy; Viv hides hers behind ruthless organization and prep and competency. Dante hides his anger behind jokes; Viv pushes all her negative emotions down and throws herself into work. 

12. What first changes when it starts getting serious? Dante gets extremely anxious about Viv participating in the business–she isn’t a combatant and never has been, but even her peripheral involvement in cases puts him on edge, because he doesn’t want anything to happen to her. Viv likewise gets anxious about Dante’s safety, but she trusts him to get back up if he gets knocked down. Mostly, though, they stop thinking about other people in romantic, or potentially romantic, frames of mind. 

13. When do they realise they should get together? Neither of them have a lightbulb moment, so to speak–they fall into it over time, so gently. It takes Viv longer, but it’s when they both realize that no other person is a possibility. You’re it. 

14. When one has a cold, what does the other do? Dante listens to Viv’s directions about what to do if she gets sick, because it’s not common for him to get sick. Viv will take care of Dante on the rare occasions he does get the flu, because she’s had a lot of practice. 

15. When they watch a film what do they choose and why? Who gets the final vote? For the most part they choose comedies or horror movies, because they both like those genres. Viv likes to watch dramas and thrillers and foreign films–Dante doesn’t care, which is fine by her because she actually enjoys cinema and film on an intellectual level, and prefers to watch the movies she’s interested in by herself anyway. She likes dumb screwball comedies and scary spooky movies, but she’s also a little bit of a snob, tbh. 

16. When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together? Dante handles the zombies–Viv handles the logistics and food, so… pretty much everything else. 

17. When they find a time machine, where do they go? Viv goes to ancient Egypt, the Salem Witch Trials, pre-Christian Europe, the Bering land bridge, Pangaea… she’d want to go everywhere. Dante would like to see ancient Egypt too, and also the raising and sealing of the Temen-ni-Gru. 

18. When they fight, how do they make up? They apologize, sincerely. Hugs are usually involved. Occasionally kisses, and often an act of service, like making Viv a cup of tea or getting Dante’s weapons ready.  

19. Where do they go on their first date? Hiking, because Viv likes to hike, and Dante tags along.

20. Where do they go on holiday? They don’t take many vacations, but Viv likes to go to isolated places with a lot of natural scenery and Dante likes to see her drool over it, so if they can get away they can go somewhere quiet. Dante doesn’t mind not being in a city, but he does need to have something to do–hiking, surfing, skiing, etc. He can’t just go into the middle of nature and meditate. Boy’s gotta have an activity. 

21. Where do they get nervous about going with one another? Viv feels like she sticks out like a sore thumb if she goes along to one of Dante’s shady haunts. On the other hand, Dante starts sweating bullets if he has to go anywhere even remotely normally respectable, like the school where Viv works with Kyrie, or dealing with law enforcement or some such. 

22. Where does their first kiss happen? On the couch, while they’re watching a movie. See no. 1. 

23. Where is their favourite place to be together? Viv likes Devil May Cry, don’t get her wrong, but it isn’t where she wants to live out her life. One set of grandparents were farmers, and they left her their house and most of their land. She loves that house, and it becomes a sort of haven for Dante–a place where he can leave his shit at the door, so to speak. 

24. Where do they first have sex? On the couch… watching a movie… after their first kiss… Viv climbs into his lap and the rest, as they say, is history. 

25. Why do they fight? Usually because Dante feels like Viv is putting herself in harm’s way, taking on more than she can handle, and just… doing too much overall. Viv can sometimes feel like Dante doesn’t trust her abilities–not that he babies her, per se, but that he doesn’t think she can take care of herself. Also, if Dante acts like a major fool–to the extent it actually causes a legit problem for the business. Viv does not play games with that shit. 

26. Why do they need to have a serious chat? Dante acting like a minor fool, usually. Viv will get on his ass for being lackadaisical and flippant about business stuff, because he needs to do work and use his brain for once and generally be a functional adult. But it’s mostly about day-to-day stuff, minor things. 

27. Why do their friends get annoyed with them? Dante making innuendos at Viv. Viv being snarky with Dante. The two of them tag-teaming whoever runs their mouth at them. Sometimes them not taking their disagreements somewhere else. 

28. Why do they get jealous? Dante gets jealous because of Viv’s friendships (and, more broadly, her life) outside of Devil May Cry, as well as her past relationships with other people–she’s still in contact and friends with three of her long-term former partners. Viv can get a little jealous because Dante is a legit snack, and she knows there are more than a few people out there who wouldn’t hesitate to hop on it. 

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love? Dante falls in love whenever Viv smiles, when she’s happy, when she laughs so hard her eyes scrunch up, so he does everything he can to make her happy and laughing and smiling. Viv falls a little bit more in love when Dante shows the kind, sensitive, secretly-sweet, actually-smart man that’s buried underneath all the outlandish coping mechanisms, and that makes her smile–Dante opens up more, Viv smiles when he does… It’s a beautiful feedback loop. 

30. Why does it work (or not work) between them? They genuinely love each other and want the best for each other, and they’re willing to do what it takes to keep their relationship working, because they want to be together. They’re willing to learn, they’re willing to change, they’re willing to adapt. They’re gonna stick together. They’re in love. 

[allimariexf]

Green Arrow Exposed

Rating: G 

Relationship: Oliver Queen/ Felicity Smoak Tags: Fluff/ Romance/Season 7/post-7x09 Summary: The Oliver Queen publicity tour gets an unscripted guest appearance

Notes: Read/comment/kudos on Ao3  ^_^ This is just pure self-indulgent fluff. I have no idea.   

Oliver settled in to the plush loveseat and looked out over a sea of faces in the studio audience. This was his third of several planned media appearances that Dinah had somehow convinced him were necessary in order to bolster public confidence in his ability to work with the SCPD.

Oliver had doubts as to whether the publicity was actually doing anyone any good, but he was willing to reserve judgment. The first appearance hadn’t been terrible; he’d been interviewed by a respected news anchor who’d asked concrete questions about his time as the Green Arrow and his plans going forward with the SCPD. The second appearance, however, had been on a local talk show, and the hosts had seemed more interested in hashing through some of his more embarrassing youthful exploits than discussing any of the good he’d done for the city since then. He’d managed to stop himself from walking off set in the middle of filming, but afterward he’d wanted nothing more than to find his way into Felicity’s arms and let her remind him of all the ways he’d changed since those days. Unfortunately, Felicity was in Central City assisting Team Flash with a case, so he’d gone home to wander forlornly through an empty, still half-unpacked apartment. He’d called her, just wanting to hear the sound of her voice, but apparently the case she was working on was pretty intense; she’d texted him back and he hadn’t had the heart to insist she call him back.

“Are you ready, Mr. Queen?”

Oliver glanced over at the tall woman leaning toward him with her elbows on her desk. Maria Banks, host of an entertainment and pop culture television show. Oliver sighed internally. It wasn’t that he had anything against Maria herself; it was just that he didn’t understand how entertainment television had anything to do with him. He had almost refused, but Dinah had gone on and on about the need for him to have a friendly, personable image - one that the public could trust, seeing as how his cheerful mayoral image had been completely undermined by the fact that he’d been boldly lying to the cameras the whole time about not being the Green Arrow. It was a good enough point that Oliver had agreed, at the time, to go on the show. But that was before he learned that the format of this particular show was entirely live Q&A.

His stomach swooped unpleasantly as he studied the faces in front of him, realizing that they were almost all women. And that every single one of them was staring at him intensely.

He turned his head and met Maria’s expectant gaze, giving her one of his practiced public smiles. “I’m ready.”

Oliver beamed at the cameras as Maria began her show. “My guest tonight needs no introduction; you know him as Oliver Queen, wayward son and heir, miraculously rescued castaway, former Mayor of Star City, and last but not least, the Green Arrow!”

Maria turned her head and stared at him in silent awe while the studio audience cheered loudly, as if listing his many identities had made her realize exactly who was sitting five feet away from her. For some reason, her discomfiture made Oliver feel a little more at ease. He smiled at her and bobbed his head pleasantly at the wildly screaming audience.

“Okay, Mr. Queen, as you might know, we are going to be taking questions from the phones and the internet, but to start off we’ll take questions right here from our live studio audience.” She gestured toward the line that had formed in front of a standing microphone. “Beginning now. Hello, what’s your name?”

The microphone was only about ten feet in front of Oliver, so he had no choice but the look the woman in the eyes as she spoke. “Hi, my name’s Andrea, and I just wanted to tell you, Oliver, that I think you’re a hero. You’ve done so much for this city and I love you.”

Oliver’s smile froze on his face as stared back at her, wondering if she expected him to reply. Thankfully, Maria knew how to do her job.

“I’m sure Mr. Queen appreciates that, Andrea. Do you have a question?”

“Oh, yes, um.” Her eyes remained fixed on Oliver. “Will you go out on a date with me?”

Oliver’s jaw dropped as he scoffed in disbelief. He waited for Maria to save him again, but after a moment of silence he realized he was on his own. “Um. Thank you, I do appreciate your support. But, uh,” he laughed uncomfortably, “I’m married.” He stopped talking, waiting while the woman stood there staring at him. “Happily.”

She was still standing there. “So that’s a no?”

A small disbelieving laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it. “Yeah. That’s a no.”

“Next question, please!”

“Hi. My name is Paige Duchamps, and what I want to know is: who takes care of the Green Arrow? You’ve been taking care of Star City for years, but who takes your poor, broken body and rubs it back to life?”

Oliver choked on his breath at her obvious sexual innuendo. He was acutely aware of the live cameras pointing at him, and the fact that his entire purpose for being here was to polish up his public image. Somewhere in the back of his head he was aware that being rude on live television would probably work against that goal. “I….” He just didn’t know where to begin, and his practiced charisma was utterly failing him.

The host once again stepped in to his rescue. “Ms. Duchamps, I believe Mr. Queen already mentioned that he has a wife, who I am sure is quite capable in that capacity. Thank you.”

The minutes wore on, and Oliver entertained several more audience questions that all followed a similar theme. Oliver had always tried to ignore the day-to-day shifts in public opinion of the Green Arrow, choosing instead to focus on the good that he was trying to do, though he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been discouraged whenever the city seemed to turn against him. Still, he had never been aware of the very particular type of support that was overwhelmingly present in that room: people (mostly, but not entirely, women) who assumed he was alone and lonely; mentally, emotionally, and physically neglected and in need of their personal help and love. And now, given the chance, they were absolutely jumping at the chance to offer it to him.

“You must have been so lonely all those years, hiding your identity, unable to confide in anyone. How did you get through it?”

“You’ve spent years risking your life, your peace, and your body, all while being hunted, villainized, and sent to prison! You deserve so much better than that. Is there any reward I can give you?

“You really just look like you need to be kissed, and I would love to be the one to do it. Would you kiss me?”

Oliver’s ability to remain pleasant and affable was eroding with every question. It wasn’t the repetitiveness of their questions that bothered him, though that was annoying. Neither was it the overtly sexual suggestiveness, which once might have boosted his ego but now just made him extremely uncomfortable. Rather, it was the fact that all of them blatantly disregarded Felicity’s existence, as if she weren’t important to him, as if she wasn’t capable of providing the love and support that they assumed he was starved for. It was taking all of his willpower to avoid setting the record straight on all the very important roles she played in his life, but he bit his tongue because he and Felicity hadn’t talked about whether or not she was comfortable with the public scrutiny that went along with being outed as a vigilante.

By the time Maria announced they were going to start taking questions from the phones, he was almost completely out of patience.

“Hi, you’re Live with Maria, did you have a question for Oliver Queen?”

“Hi Maria, yes, I do.” The voice that came through the speakers had Oliver sitting up in his seat immediately. “Mr. Queen, I’ve been listening to your answers and it seems to me like everyone’s been assuming you were working alone all those years as the Green Arrow, but I noticed that you haven’t come out and said whether or not that’s true. So would you care to clarify whether or not you were, in fact, working alone?”

Oliver took a deep breath, a smile spreading over his face as he spoke with confidence. “I was never alone.” He swept his gaze over the audience; the faces he saw seemed distinctly startled.

“Oh. Well that’s surprising. Are you saying you had a partner?”

Oliver sat back in his chair, warming to the line of questioning. “Not exactly. At first I sought out help only when I needed it.”

“Ah, so you employed consultants?”

Maria cut in. “I think we should probably move on to our next -”

Oliver waved her into silence, shaking his head and speaking directly to her. “Please, I’d like to answer these questions.” He continued speaking, changing his tone to address the woman on the phone. “At first I thought I could make do with consultants, part-time assistance, yes. But what I really needed was partners. People I could trust with my secrets and my life.”

“Hmm. That is very interesting. So how did you end up with these particular partners? Did you hold auditions or something?”

Oliver laughed, genuinely amused by her unconventional humor, like always. “No, it was completely by accident. I found myself in the company of a trustworthy person who also possessed unmatched tactical and combat skills. I could have searched for years and never found a more qualified brother-in-arms, but somehow he was there for me. Before I even realized I needed him.”

“It sounds like you two were a perfect team.”

Oliver paused, musing. “We worked well together, but I wouldn’t say we were a team until we met our other irreplaceable partner.”

“Ah, a third partner!” Her voice was intrigued. “And what necessary assets did he bring?”

Oliver glanced at Maria and then the audience. “She.” There was an audible gasp in the room.

“She…?” the woman drawled suggestively. “Okay. Why did you recruit her to your cause?”

Oliver rolled his eyes at her obvious implication, determined to make it absolutely clear that his female partner was, without a doubt, the single most valuable member of his team. “Well, at first I believed it was because of her intelligence. She’s brilliant, a genius. A technical prodigy.” He heard the ring of pride in his voice. It was the first time he’d ever publicly admitted to the existence of Overwatch, and he was surprised at how excited he was for people to learn about her.

“She sounds amazing.” Her voice sounded slightly wistful. If Oliver didn’t know better, he’d guess she sounded a little jealous.

He smiled. “You have no idea.”

The line was quiet for a moment, and Oliver closed his eyes, imagining what she must look like at that moment, a flush creeping up her neck. He made a mental note to spend more time telling Felicity how amazing she was.  When she spoke again, her tone was less playful, more tentative. “But if I’m hearing you correctly, it seems as though it wasn’t her technical prowess that made you recruit her to your team?”

Oliver sighed. “If I’m being completely honest, no. Not that her brilliance wasn’t an asset from the start, because it was. But her technical abilities were only part of what she brought. I quickly came to rely on her in a hundred small ways without even realizing I’d become so dependent, but it was still a long time later when I finally realized that even at the beginning, I was coming up with every possible excuse to seek her assistance, because I needed something else from her.”

“And what was that?”

“She...she had a way of putting things into perspective.” Oliver ran his eyes over the audience, absently noting their rapt expressions. “I would get so stuck in seeing a problem one way, and all I needed to do was hear her perspective, and suddenly everything would be different. She always had a way of making the most difficult problems seem simple.”

“So her intelligence, like you said.”

“Yes, but not only that. There was just something about her. She woke something up inside me whenever I saw her.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, but Oliver remained completely focused, waiting on her response. “Sounds like you were in love with her.”

Oliver closed his eyes, suddenly transported to the past, remembering the sense of clarity and awe he had felt when he finally let himself realize it. “I was in love with her. But I fought it for a very, very long time.”

She released a long breath, as if she had been holding it. “Why did you do that? You have a pretty well-known reputation. It’s not like the Oliver Queen we all know to show restraint where women are concerned.” The teasing tone was back in her voice, but Oliver refused to rise to her bait.

“She isn’t like other women.”

She snorted a laugh. “You didn’t think she would reject you, did you?”

Oliver smiled, remembering Felicity’s obvious admiration for his salmon ladder workouts, and the adorable accidental innuendos that used to slip so frequently from her lips. “No, it wasn’t that, it was...I wasn’t worthy of her, not like that.”

“Surely she didn’t believe that.” Her tone was flat.

Oliver took a deep breath, calm despite the fact that he was so publicly revealing feelings that had remained private for so long. Somehow, it felt right. If he was truly going to go public as the Green Arrow, people needed to understand that the Green Arrow was more than just one person; it was even more than the team made up of the three of them. At its core, it was this. It was the faith they had in each other. “No. She believed in me. She believed in who I could be. But I couldn’t admit that I loved her...not even to myself...until I believed in myself, too. And that was the most important thing she did for the Arrow, for me. She believed I could be better. And she made me want to be better. And she showed me how.”

The line was quiet for the space of several of Oliver’s elevated heartbeats as he waited for her response. “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“So then what happened? Did you tell her how you felt?”

Oliver paused, feeling the tortured weight of a protracted year filled with almost-confessions, before dismissing it from his mind completely. “I did.”

She didn’t respond for a moment, and Oliver wondered if she was similarly caught up in heavy memories.

But then she stepped out onto the sound stage, emerging from a side door. Oliver’s breath caught in his throat and the studio audience collectively gasped as they put the pieces together. “Did she feel the same way?”

Oliver stayed in his seat, his eyes locked with hers. “She did.”

“And then what happened?” She started stalking toward him, still speaking on the phone, her projected voice slightly delayed like a natural echo. “It seems to me like maybe you should have married her.”

She stopped a few strides from him and he looked steadily back at her as she lowered the phone and disconnected the call. He stood up slowly and held his hand out as he crossed to her with a small smile on his face. “I did.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I thought you were still in Central City.”

“I took an early flight. I was on my way home when I heard your voice on the radio.” She raised her eyes to find him looking at her in that private, adoring way of his. She smiled back for a long moment, both aware of and yet uncaring of their attentive audience.

Finally, Oliver turned, letting his hand slide from Felicity’s shoulder to interlace with her fingers. “Maria, I don’t believe you’ve met Felicity Smoak?”

The host stepped from behind her desk. “No, I haven’t. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Smoak!”

Felicity reached forward, shaking the host’s hand graciously. “Felicity Smoak Queen, actually.”

Maria stepped back, a slightly dazed expression on her face.

Oliver half-turned to face the audience, making it clear that his words were for them as much as they were for Felicity, the caller on the line who was no longer on the line. “So as I was saying, I was never alone as the Green Arrow, or the Arrow, or the Hood, or the vigilante. I had a partner who was there with me through it all.” He turned his head to meet Felicity’s eyes. “I could never have done any of it without her.”

Felicity smiled, returning his private gaze while pitching her voice for the audience’s benefit. “It’s true, there are a lot of criminals you never could have tracked down, a lot of buildings you couldn’t have entered, a lot of cases you couldn’t have solved, if there hadn’t been someone to lend,” she wiggled her fingers in front of her face, “technological assistance.”

Oliver tilted his head theatrically. “That, too.”

Felicity raised her eyebrow, playing along. “What else?”

“Well, you were always there for me to confide in.” He reached out and poked her shoulder with his index finger.

“Mmm.” She couldn’t stop the smile that was tugging at her lips.

He raked his eyes down her body, smiling suggestively. “And when I was wounded you always took care of my body.”

Felicity bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. “I have gotten really good at suturing. And applying bandages. And I did have that crash course in defibrillation, which is still one of my least favorite skills to put to use.”

Oliver was outright grinning at her. “At least your bedside manner has improved.”

“Hey! In my defense you used to be a terrible patient.” She cocked her head. “You’ve gotten a little better, I guess.”

Oliver gazed down at her warmly, letting the teasing tone drain out of his voice. “And of course your brilliance extends way beyond your technical genius. You’ve inspired some of my best plans, and come up with just as many on your own.”

“Hmm.” She reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. “We are a good team that way.”

“We’re a good team in all ways.”

“And we always have been.”

“Always.”

They let the moment stretch between them, private yet on full display, and after all it turned out to be not so different from anything else. They had always been able to be alone together in a crowded room, just as their way of being together had always attracted attention that they easily tuned out.

Eventually they let themselves acknowledge their audience, and Felicity quirked her lips, signalling that she had a plan. She pulled away from Oliver and stepped up to the microphone that was still set up from the Q&A.

“I have one more question. Is that all right?” She looked to the host for permission.

Maria looked surprised for a second, then gave a hasty nod.

Felicity looked directly at Oliver. “Hi. My name’s Felicity and I was wondering, will you kiss me?”

Oliver bit his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling. “Well, as I said earlier, I’m married.”

Felicity utterly failed at keeping a straight face as she whispered dramatically, “But I’m in love with you.”

Oliver’s face lit up with a rare huge smile. “Then it’s a good thing you’re my wife.”

Felicity crossed toward him and Oliver leaned down, deftly removing the microphone from his coat with one hand while cupping her neck with the other, pulling her mouth to his. After several soft kisses, he leaned back just enough so their noses brushed, keeping his eyes closed and enjoying the shared sense of intimacy despite the fact that they were being broadcast on live television. He felt the familiar puff of Felicity’s breath over his lips. After a moment he drew back slowly, opening his eyes and holding her gaze. “Was it as good as you hoped?”

“Better. Always better.”

Oliver turned to the television host. “Maria, we’re done here, right? I haven’t seen my wife in four days, and we have some catching up to do.”

[sundaynightnovels]

11/11/11

i was tagged by @cawolters for this questionnaire!! thank you for remembering me <3 and for tagging me in this because this set of questions seem quite fun to do!! 1. If your OC(s) had a car, what would it be? Model, paint job, decorations, gas/electric/hybrid?

Oh no. Ohhh no. I might have to quietly excuse myself from this question... I can barely recognise the different car brands, much less talk about... whatever else you’re asking me to in the question.  i’m sorry, i’ll see myself out. 2. What parts of your OCs’ personality have come from your own?

i don’t base my OCs on myself!! but after writing them for a while and yknow, ruminating about it after tons of questions on the topic... i guess... i see some parts of my personality emerge in some of them. in terms of laziness, i am totally Zhen. i am hella lazy. i wouldn’t leave the house if i can help it. my friends know that, since i’ve been dutifully going to school every weekday of the week from 9 to 6 just to finish our thesis project over these past few months (since last year), they’re not going to be seeing much of me in april after the project is over. i am GOING HOME IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLASS. NOT GOING TO SCHOOL WHEN I HAVE NONE. you want me to go out and meet my friends? pfffft fat chance, i’m going to be staying at home and reacquainting my ass to my bed. and do you think i’ll actually be productive at home? naaaah. gonna be watching all my shows and lying in bed and basically rotting at home and pondering about the existence of my future after graduation and weeping in bed because of it. so yea, i’m completely zhen. 

i also love to eat, like lu!! but i’m quite picky, unlike lu, and my appetite has become smaller over the years, so i can’t eat as much as i used to. but it’s still a big part of my personality! i love food!! i want food right now!! i can be dramatic like shou / teng, but while theirs is more of a... sincere, genuine kind of dramatic, i just do it for fun, like for dramatic purposes yknow, so that’s more like jun. i overreact just for fun, and sometimes my friends think i’m really so dramatic (rolls eyes they don’t know me well enough!!) but it’s really just entertaining to myself. i’m also like jun in the sense that i can be really really deadpan and unresponsive, especially if i’m not close to you / not comfortable around you. other than that, hmmm. i can think of more, some deeper stuff, but not gonna talk about it now! you don’t want to see me cry, do you?? (just kidding, i won’t. probably. hopefully.) 3. And what parts of your OCs’ personalities do you wish you had?

oh, i wish i had shou’s genuine, innocent love for people and society in general. it’s hard to be that way, and it’s just so pure. i also hope to have yu(f)’s determination and motivation, because as i said earlier, i’m hella lazy and am a huge procrastinator. i wish for jia’s confidence and zhen’s disregard for anything that’s not important (i’m too easily affected by things), and to be as easygoing as ren / jun and as kind as teng.  my OCs are such great people really, i’d love to know them in real life.

4. What is your favorite joke in your WIP/stories?

AHH i don’t know. i think everything is great (i mean, i wrote them, ahem ahem). i really really don’t know. my OCs are all a joke tbh, and they’re my favourite jokes.  (awww is that too mushyyy well too bad it’s true) 5. Do you have any jokes that you want to include, but can’t figure out how to? What are they?

Please. my wip is a mess because i include everything and anything that i can. haven’t included much innuendo, but that’s all going to be piled into jun’s backstory . (okay fine, not that many, but still)

i also really really like self-referential jokes, like meta stuff yknow, but i’ve actually included a tiny bit of that in my wip. all said by jun. and it’s very very vague, but i enjoy it anyway.

6. What does your OC do when they get annoyed? Angry? Pissed?

let’s go with ‘pissed’, because in my wip itself my OCs get annoyed a lot (i mean... you see who they have to deal with and you’ll understand), so it’s not as fun talking about it.

zhen would be really really really scary, like murderous scary because she doesn’t get pissed often, if ever (she’s a pretty chill girl) and like, i don’t know exactly what she’ll do to you but you’ll cry. you’ll wish you had never met her. just, don’t.

shou is scary too, and he fights really well, and if your ‘pissing him off’ triggers him to fight, well, you’re gonna get your ass kicked. 

lu’s a small kid, so he often feels powerless, and if he gets really pissed he might shout, he might yell, but very likely after all of that venting, he’ll cry, and he’ll be doubly upset about that.

yu(f) would scream at you, like you’re going to suffer critical damage because she’s not going to hold anything back. she’ll feel bad about it afterwards, but in the midst of everything, she’s not going to hold back and you’re going to feel really bad about yourself

ren is nice. too nice. he’ll stand up for others, and if he scolds you, it’ll be more in a really serious lecturing kinda way, like you’ve disappointed the person you respect the most and you’ll feel bad, not because of him, but because of yourself and your own doings. 

teng wouldn’t scold you, because if ren’s nice, teng’s the epitome of nice. and he’s kind, so he wouldn’t want to hurt you. he’ll keep it to himself and maybe cry about it to someone else later.

jun would probably shut down. i mean, his emotions are usually already pretty closed off, but if he’s really pissed, he doesn’t like to show his emotions and he’ll probably shut down really quickly. he only attacks you if there’s something he wants you to do, so yea.

yu(m) would get all quiet and serious and he’ll probably walk away. he won’t engage, and he’s not the type to explode, but he also won’t take this kind of shit from people and he’ll just walk it off. most mature OC tbh.

7. What is the theme song of one of your supporting characters?

all my characters are pretty main! i can’t answer this! they all are main and they all support one another!

8. If given a bouquet of flowers, how would your OC react?

i’ll just talk about the significant reactions. teng will cry out of joy and happiness and he’ll immediately propose to whoever who gave him the bouquet of flowers and promise a ton of things because his love is finally here!!!

9. What was one of your most grounded moments in one of your WIPs?

my whole wip is pretty grounded. like... okay i can think of a lot of moments though. shou talking about life with jun, shou talking about stuffs with lu, shou talking about more things with teng...

i mean, it’s mostly all with shou because, yknow. he talks, and thinks, a lot. also, he’s considered the main MAIN character so yea.

10. What resources do you use for brainstorming new characters?

mostly thinking about what characters i like and drawing inspiration from there!

11. What format do you think would be really interesting for your story (going from, say, text in chapter to illustrations, journal entries, poems, cassette recordings, etc) besides what you’d originally planned for?

i have no idea right now! probably a comic series, because yknow their interactions are great to write about and i love to see them illustrated!

i’m not going to give more questions so yall can use the above questions! i’m just going to be tagging a few people like @kaigods @aslanwrites @insearchof-solace @incandescent-creativity