#it doesn't seem like it was that horrible

[prettyboykatsuki]

keel | sylus (qin che)

♡ tags ; afab + fem!reader, gendered language (good girl, sweet girl) , the use of kitten like one time, praise kink heavy, domestic sex, unprotected sex, fingering, loverboy sylus, 18+

♡ wc ; 1.8k

♡ a/n ; stuck in my bkg draft so i tried my hand at sylus. not sure how i did im sorry sylus fans </3 pls forgive me if the characterization isn't up to par.

♡ synopsis ; sylus likes fueling your praise kink when the mood strikes.

It's easy to miss the way Sylus is sweet on you.

He does that on purpose. It's a secret. One he promises to keep tucked between the creased edges of his longing. No one knows the depth of his affection, the weight of it, the truth of of it—except Sylus alone.

There is a laundry list of reasons it's like this. Filled with calculated consideration and logical outcomes.

Less reasonably but more truthfully - it's also in his nature. Dragons are known for hoarding their precious belongings.

What could be more precious, more worthy of guard than his love for you?

He doesn't even think he's all that good at hiding it, truthfully. If you catch him at the right time- you'd see it written all over his face. Etched into his features, in the sway of every motion and lasting seconds of every glance.

Of all people, you seem to know the least how much Sylus utterly adores you. At least, you pretend that's the case.

He can't be entirely sure why that is. Or rather—he isn't sure why it's like that even now. Your first reactions to him were warranted, he knows that.

But it's different now. Most of your misunderstandings resolved and your disagreements settled—even without the memories of past, you should know it clearly, right? How much he adores you?

You do know. You can't not know. Not with the way Sylus treats you.

It's almost like you want to avoid the subject all together. Like you're trying not to linger on it too long, or think about it too hard - afraid of what will happen if you do. Each time Sylus makes you face it, you turn away��chin tucked, eyes screwed close, embarrassed. As if the very presence of his love for you is enough to make your face burn. It threatens to swallow you up.

If he didn't find it so horribly loveable, he might venture to call it troublesome.

He likes it about you though, like he likes everything else about you.

Sylus likes to meet you where you are. Where you're sarcastic and easily frustrated, he's patronizing and relaxed. Knowing you get shy so easily when his affection is more overt, he'll push but never far enough to really upset you. He treads carefully, rides the line until you come to him willingly. Always asks, always waits. He's patient like that, especially with you.

Sylus likes crooning about you being catlike - but there's truth in it. It's part of why he's good at handling you. Just like he knows not to move when a cat settles in his lap, Sylus knows not to push you by coming onto strong when you're not asking for it.

(It gives him the same feeling of accomplishment when you come to him first.)

It's rare that Sylus gets to spoil you for all the reasons above.

Spoil you in the overbearing, affectionate sense at least. He usually curbs that desire through spending money on you - but there's something more he's after.

When you come to him wanting it—there's not a single part of him that thinks of refusing. He couldn't even if he tried.

That's why, when you come barreling down his bedroom door and demanding to be fucked - Sylus can only really think to be amused.

You're feeling lazy, and somewhat bold. It's a good deal for him, anyhow.

A single hand cups the back of your thighs as you stand on your knees - straddling Sylus with your hands resting at his at his shoulders. Sylus presses his forehead just underneath your sternum as his other hand focuses on stretching you out.

You let out a soft breath as Sylus scissors his fingers open inside of you. You feel warm around him, wet and slick and inviting. It makes his cock twitch, almost guilty with his desire.

"Feeling alright, sweetheart?"

You open your eyes and look down at Sylus. He smiles at you, head tilted as you frown at him. "I'm fine. But you're taking too long. Want you to—"

"I like letting you have your way but I'm afraid I won't budge on this one," Sylus says, cooing. He presses a chaste kiss to your stomach, adding another finger inside of you. You whine audibly, knees weakening in his grasp. Sylus laughs.

"Awfully worked up today aren't you, kitten?"

"So what if I am?" You spit with familiar hostility he's come to love.

"Now, now - I didn't say it was bad, so don't be that way, hm? You were being so sweet a second ago,"

"I'm always sweet," You say plainly. Sylus laughs harder than he should, and you glare at him with a pronounced frown.

His eyes twinkle with amusement. "That so?"

Your frown deepens. "Yeah."

Your reply comes out firm in a way that makes his chest tight. He stares up at you bemused. "Sure, then. Is there any reason my sweet girl is in particular mood?"

You clench down on his fingers. His brows raise, the grip on his shoulders getting tighter.

"Don't say anything," You hiss. He shrugs.

"There's no shame in it," Sylus says smoothly. "If there's anything you want, you just have to ask. No need for your pride to get in the way, right?"

Your face twists. It's cute, watching you go back and forth - more with yourself than anyone else. You let out a frustrated groan.

"Just—"

"Just what? Will you really be satisfied if I just fuck you?" Sylus purrs, curling his fingers up towards your g-spot with a deliberate control. You gasp as you tighten around him, growing wetter. He feels you go weak in his grasp, smiling as your eyes roll back. "What you really want to hear is how good you are for me, right?"

Your pussy flutters around his fingers again, an involuntary reaction - soft whimpering leaving your mouth. How unusual. How uncharacteristic of you to be so docile towards him, or about him - so openly lusting after such an affectionate sort of attention.

"Be a good girl and ask me to spoil you,"

Your eyes widen. "That's humiliating—,"

Sylus quirks his brow. "So you won't be good for me?"

Your face contorts again. So cute, he thinks. He can see all the gears turn in your head as you sigh. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, your voice next to his ear - muffled by his shoulder as you bury your nose against his neck.

"Spoil me," You say, half-demanding. Mostly just needy in a way that makes his skin prickle with heat. "I want you to spoil me,"

Sylus laughs deeply. He can't help it. It's a heavy sound. You hit him when he does, clawing at his shoulders. There's no malice to his laughter though, though. Just a sort of disbelief of how deep his affection can run for you. Like just when he thinks it can't run any deeper, it does.

"You did well, hm?" Sylus hums. It comes easily. He's just voicing what feels like his thoughts are most of the time. "Good job, kitten. Should I give you something in return of your hard work?"

You nod into his shoulder. Sylus feels all the lovesickness in his body jolt, cock going stiff at the innocent gesture. He breathes out.

"Here," He pulls his fingers out from you, relishing the way you hiccup from loss of contact. He strokes his cock with sticky fingers - painfully hard before grabbing your hips and settling your weight of his lap.

You lean down to kiss him and Sylus meets you - a soft tongue kiss and gentle reminder that he's here. You linger there longer than he expects you to, but finds himself eager to stay. When he finally pulls away, he turns his attention back onto your pussy.

He admires your cunt as it hovers over his length. Clit swollen with need, sticky and supple and begging to be fucked - Sylus feels his head go heavy. He rubs the sensitive bundle of nerves with the tip of his cock, reeling at the silky sensation. The muscles in his abdomen feeling tight.

You whimper above him. Your usual moan softened to noisy, desperate mewls. Something in your demeanor spurs him on. He finds himself more eager than usual to sing your praises.

"You'll look so pretty sitting on my cock won't you, dove?" Sylus croons, his voice thick with arousal. A syrupy lust spreads through his limbs, makes his hold on your hips tighter. "Always take it so perfectly. Made just for me sweetheart. How could I ever think of anything else?"

"Sylus," You draw the syllables of his name out with a whine.

"Shh, I know. Time for me to kiss it better, right?"

You whimper at the implication. Kiss it better when he means to fuck you, it makes your hold on him even stronger. Sylus pulls you down onto his lap slowly. The tip of his cock nudging past slick folds, careful and thoughtful. You buck your hips - seeking tension and depth but Sylus holds you firmly in place.

It'll be better for you if you feel his cock inch by inch. It'd be best if you remembered it carefully. Every vein, every curve, ever angle - carved into your body from now to eternity. It'd be good if you got so used to it, your body couldn't crave for anything else - so you'd have something only he could give you that'd bring you more pleasure then pain.

You sink down on Sylus' cock slowly. Whimpering as the tip finds your entrance, stretching you open slowly. Your pussy accommodates to his size with effort - even after so much stretch. A dull pain that has you squeezing around his length tight the farther down you drop.

"You feel so good," Sylus groans. Your pussy squeezes down on him hard. "That's it. Easy."

Sylus barely touches you. When he bottoms out, you're clamping down on him so hard it barely takes him any effort at all to make you cum. One hand slides between your bodies, fingers resting at your navel as he rubs slow, precise circles into your clit - unmoving.

"Such a good girl for me," Sylus coos. Your whole body wracks into a shiver, as you swear into his shoulder. "Cum. You want to, right? Go ahead and cum,"

"Hnggh, fuck. Sylus I'm—"

"Let go sweetheart. Cum."

Your body coils in as Sylus whipers sweet nothings against your shoulder. You grip his cock like a vice, bottomed out - trembling as arousal and slick floods his length, a sticky sound filling the room as you rock your hips and ride out your high. Your breathing is shallow, trembling as your orgasm knocks the wind out of you.

You're pliant in his grasp. Pleasant and sweet. There's no way you don't know that he adores you.

"You want more?"

Fucked out, you nod your head. An almost docile quality to you.

"Sure, then, sweetheart. We have all day,"

[monotonesmile]

Can i request pregnant batsis who was dumped by her bf because he didn't want a baby. And the batsis comes back to the manor. She's younger than Dick and Jason but older that Tim and Damian. Damian doesn't know her. And she tells them they going to be uncels and Bruce a grandfather?

Batfam & Pregnant!Batsis!Reader

[Warnings: Shitty boyfriend, enough said. Some swearing]

[Fic Genre: Headcanons, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff]

[Notes: I’m not exactly the best at writing anything pregnancy related but ya gotta practice somehow! Also it’s headcanons because I needed a break from writing full fics for a second.]

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You realized you were late on your period so, just to be precautious, like your father taught you, you bought a pregnancy test, and waited for the results, anxiously waiting as you paced around the bathroom of the apartment you shared with your boyfriend, and when you got the results back, so many emotions flooded you as you saw those two little red lines, you were pregnant.

You knew you should tell your boyfriend, so you waited for his return from work. When you heard the door shut, you called him to the living room, then handing him the, cleaned, pregnancy test, you were nervous for his reaction, you were hoping he’d be at least supportive and help you, but instead he glared at the test before tossing it away, and then told you either you get rid of it or you’re breaking up.

His response made your body run cold, you never expected him to give you such an unpleasant ultimatum, abortion or breaking up, and you did not want to give up the baby, you had been wanting to be a mother for a while now, and now he’s trying to take that from you? After you’ve told him so many times that you were ready to be a mom? The man you’ve loved and were ready to be with forever, told you to give up your child.

So, you told him “Fine, if that’s the case, then you’re over.”

You gathered your essentials, not looking at him even as your heart broke, carrying a bag with your electronics, some clothes, and other important items, you left the apartment, texting the man you viewed as a grandfather to pick you up, you’re coming back to the manor after breaking up with your now ex boyfriend.

You waited for a few minutes with your thoughts, only now had you begun to realize all the red flags in your ex boyfriend, he never seemed interested in anything you said, whenever you brought up marriage or having kids, he would dismiss you, maybe it was about time you broke up, it probably just saved you from a horribly toxic relationship.

You were taken out of your thoughts when the familiar car pulled up to the parking lot of the apartment complex, your mind lightening slightly as you got up and got into the passenger seat, met by the butler and the man you and your siblings considered a grandfather, Alfred.

You explained the situation on the car ride to the manor, you could feel the sympathetic gaze coming from the older man as you pulled up to the imposing building, knowing you’d have to tell your family, and you could already guess their reactions.

[Bruce Wayne]

Bruce was the first one you told after you got back to the manor, it felt…awkward to say the least, telling your father you’re pregnant, but while you still feared a similar reaction to your ex boyfriend, Bruce didn’t react that way, he asked if you were alright, if you were worried, or ready. The fact that he had immediately focused on your wellbeing made you feel so much better about this situation.

Bruce would absolutely be a helicopter parent after you told him about your pregnancy, he would take you to the doctor appointments, he’d check on you hourly to make sure any of the symptoms of pregnancy weren’t bothering you too much. He’d absolutely get you the best doctors Gotham has to offer, or even doctors from outside the gloomy city, he wants you well taken care of.

All in all, he cares about his daughter, and he is very excited to be a grandfather, even if it’s just reminding him of his age, but he would want to help with setting up a nursery for the baby, 10/10 grandpa, he would adore the kid. (He’d also keep them the hell away from vigilantism.)

[Dick Grayson]

Now Dick would be the second person to know, and he, much like Bruce, would make sure you’re okay with everything that happened, while he’s excited to be an uncle, he also knows you just with through a breakup, and being the ladies (and men) man, he would be the one to comfort you through it, he’d help keep your mind off it by using horrible jokes and puns, he’d just be happy to make you smile.

Absolutely the one to feed in on your cravings if you get them, you want pickles and chips at three in the morning? Nightwing is seen in a 24/7 store trying to pick which one you’d like more, the media has a field day with that.

He’s the one that’s going to hold you through all of your emotions, your hormones are all over the place and he’s not going to be phased, you’re angry? He'll be angry at whatever you’re angry at with you. Sad about something you watched? He will be holding you through the tears. He’s had so many girlfriends, he knows how it works now, all the emotions that are bubbling up to the surface, and goddammit he will not let his little sister down.

Just a little thing, he absolutely loves baby shopping, adores it, he wants to buy every single outfit and toy, and is very pouty when you say you can’t get everything. Still picks out a shirt that says “Best Uncle” for himself, he taunts his brothers.

[Jason Todd]

Probably one of the last to know actually, he’s not at the manor a lot, so you’d have to tell him over text, and he would be breaking so many laws to speed his way to the manor because WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE PREGNANT AND YOUR BOYFRIEND BROKE UP WITH YOU BECAUSE OF IT!? Immediately offers to take care of your ex, he does not care, nobody gets away with that on his watch, he probably would still try it even if you said no.

Once he calms down, he will actually be around the manor way more often, he’s watching over you, probably the one that helps whenever you get morning sickness, or just, throwing up in general. He looms, a lot. It’s scaring people and no he will not stop, don’t bother asking.

He’s probably really good at giving massages, would be the one to help when you’re further along and your body is starting to ache and be sore, he would not want you to move around a lot. If he could, he’d carry you.

(Very huffy after Dick got the “Best Uncle” shirt, would buy a second one and write a number two on it.)

[Tim Drake]

God, this poor man is so tired and experiencing a system restart when you tell him you’re pregnant. I feel like Tim would probably just nod before disappearing into his room and immediately starts to do research on what you can and can’t eat while pregnant, and literally everything else, definitely becomes the most knowledgeable on the subject of pregnancy.

Tim would make you a mood board or something for the nursery, specifically of things you like. It's honestly kinda odd how he got everything so correct, but it’s definitely nice to have a physical idea of what you want to do for your baby’s room.

He probably made a layout of the nursery to your exact specifications and is so ready to build everything for it, crib, toy chests, a rocking chair? He’ll be the first to start building everything, his brothers would have to get there quick enough to help as well, they’d have you sit in so they know where to put everything.

[Damian Wayne]

Damian would also offer to take care of you ex, except he would make it a statement, as in, he will be going after your ex, you will have to stop him, he will commit to it, don’t test him, he’s protective over his family.

Honestly, he’s probably very confused, but he’s trying his best, he understands that you shouldn’t be doing anything stressful, so even in your early stages of pregnancy, Damian would literally take anything remotely heavy from your hands and carry it for you, it’s sweet, but he does it every. single. time.

Damian is going to fight Dick for that shirt, he’s going to be the favorite uncle, but when he can’t get the shirt from his older brother? He buys a different one, “Favorite Uncle”, Dick may claim to be the best uncle, but he’s going to be the favorite uncle, he’s taunting everyone with this fact.

[Bonus: Alfred]

Alfred is the only one that actually knows what he’s doing, he was there when Bruce was born, he knows how to help a pregnant lady, which is a much needed comfort for you.

You secretly bought him a “#1 Great Grandpa” shirt, he is going to wear it when you have the baby, he adores the shirt, even if he doesn’t wear it often, it’s special to him.

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[Requests are open!]

[johanna-517]

"Special and unique"

(CHAPTER 7)

A few months passed, your life in the mansion remained as empty as ever.

You still had no interaction with Bruce, you never spoke with him, and of course, it was the same with your brothers; they never sought you out, and you never sought them out.

You always used to see them all together from afar, talking, smiling, and laughing like a happy family. And you weren't part of that happy family, of course.

Every time they saw you, everyone would instantly look away. One thing that remained unchanged during these months was undoubtedly everyone's indifference toward you.

None of them ever apologized for what they did to you in the past, none of them cared about you, probably none of them were aware of you yet, probably even they already forgot what they did to you, the way they treated you, the pain they caused you... They forgot and left it behind, as if it didn't matter, as if it had never happened.

But you... You still haven't forgotten. You'll never forget what they did to you, ever. You refuse to forget the suffering each and every one of them caused you.

Even if you act indifferent to them now, it doesn't mean you don't hate them, because you really do.

You stayed in your room most of the time, locked between those four walls as if they were your safe place. They weren't, of course they weren't, since you definitely still hated this room. But you had no choice; it was best to stay here alone with Toti. This was better than walking around the mansion and running into one of your siblings outside. Because, you had to learn this the hard way, but you finally understood... No matter what, any interaction with them would go horribly wrong, and everything would be ruined even more instead of improved.

However, unfortunately for you... you finally had to start attending school. Because when you arrived, you still didn't speak English very well and were still depressed about your mother, Alfred allowed you to stay at the mansion for a few months without attending school, only until you were ready.

You still remember the day Alfred walked into your room, leaving your school's fancy new uniform for you on your bed. You asked him what it was and tried not to grimace when he told you you'd now be attending a school in Gotham.

You definitely didn't want to, you didn't feel like going, studying at a huge school, and being surrounded by rich and privileged kids almost wanted to make you scream in frustration.

But you also knew you couldn't refuse, education is necessary, and no matter how much you want to, you can't avoid going to school forever.

Your first day... It was an unpleasant day for you, to tell the truth. Alfred led you to the school gates, smiling at you, seeming happy to be taking you to your first day of classes in Gotham. While you... You were almost dizzy seeing such a huge school, with students of similar ages to yours everywhere.

You found it awkward to be in a large classroom filled with so many students, you sat alone at the back, not wanting to draw anyone's attention on your first day. However, as soon as the teacher introduced you as (y/n) Wayne, all the glances you were trying to avoid instantly turned to you.

The students whispered among themselves, wondering if you really were Bruce Wayne's daughter.

The simple fact of having that last name made several of your classmates want to get close to you, pretending to be kind and wanting to be your friend simply because of your last name.

But you knew, you saw through their fake kindness instantly, so you just looked away and ignored them.

This... It was definitely very different from your old school. When you went to school in Mexico, it was better. You enjoyed attending that small but colorful school. You got along with all your classmates. The teachers adored you. You always found it easy to get very good grades. You never felt bad there. Everything was peaceful and happy in that small school. You loved going there. Every day there was as amazing as the last.

But now... You're no longer in Mexico, you're no longer at that small, colorful school you loved so much, now you're in Gotham, at a new school that you definitely don't like. But there's nothing you can do about it... You just have to get used to this and accept it, even if you don't want to.

Your first few weeks at Gotham High School were boring and unpleasant. You were always distracted, never paying attention in class, which is why your teachers scolded you regularly. You always stood apart from the rest of the students, with no interest in making friends.

It's okay, you're not surprised that you don't get along with them. Even more so because you know they don't actually like you, because of your eye color. You definitely noticed the way they stared at your eyes, the way they murmured to each other about your strange, weird eye color whenever they saw you. You even noticed the grimaces of disgust some of the teachers made when you stared at them, as if they didn't like seeing your strange eyes fixed on them.

But, the real nightmare at school soon began... And his name was Noah.

He was a student just a year older than you, quite conceited and self-centered, the son of the owner of one of Gotham's largest hospitals, and... He started getting too close to you, harassing and teasing you as much as he could. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't make mocking comments about your eye color, your poor grades, and basically criticize absolutely everything about you.

You tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't let you, going to extremes that were impossible for you to ignore.

Remember when, one day at dismissal time, you had to stay in your classroom alone for a while longer because you were the only one who didn't finish the activity the teacher assigned today. As punishment, your teacher decided to leave you there until you finished.

However... You noticed Noah enter the room with his friends, and they closed the door. At that moment... Noah took advantage, this time starting to physically attack you. First, he pushed you, and when you fell to the floor, he started kicking you hard while his friends just laughed.

That time you returned to the mansion covered in bruises, Alfred asked you what happened, but you were in so much pain that you simply decided not to say anything and go to your room.

Another time, Noah threw a bucket of dirty water on you, claiming it was an accident. The teachers let it go and ignored the situation.

Plus, Noah used to pull your hair hard whenever no one was looking. He also used to hide your notebooks and homework, just so the teachers would scold you for it.

He once caught you with his friends, and without hesitation, they started using their pens and markers to scratch your face and clothes. You still remember how difficult it was to get the ink out of your face that time.

Another time, Noah even tried to put gum in your hair, and by sheer luck, you managed to avoid it. Not knowing that that wasn't actually the worst thing Noah could do.

The next day at school... Without saying anything, Noah pulled you by the arm and dragged you toward a small storage room in one of the hallways, where no one would be able to see you. You tried to resist, but you couldn't stop him from pulling you into the storage room.

He hit you, leaving countless bruises on your skin again, he also cut your arms a little using scissors, leaving thin lines of blood on your skin.

When he finished he just walked away, leaving you there alone.

You were shaking, tears streaming down your cheeks, your eyes wide open in complete shock as you took in all the marks on your skin. This time, he hit you harder, so the bruises were going to last longer than last time.

You stand there for a while, staring into space as you try to ignore the intense pain that runs through your body.

"It hurts... It hurts so much," you mumbled softly, trying to stop your hands from shaking. It's not fair, you have to suffer and go through this when you haven't done anything wrong.

Your mom used to say that... You always had to behave and be kind to others, that if you were good, no one would have a reason to hurt you. But that was a lie... Because, even though you never did anything wrong, all you get no matter what is contempt.

Everything in Gotham is suffering for you. Whether you're at the mansion or at school, it seems like you can never stop suffering.

'Why me?' you asked yourself, wondering what you did to deserve being hurt by everyone.

Shaking slightly, you got up as best you could, trying to avoid thinking about the burning and pain caused by all those wounds on your skin.

You were wearing a long-sleeved sweater to hide your injuries as you walked out of school, and Alfred picked you up. He asked how your day went. You gave a short answer, and that was it, without giving any further details or telling Alfred what happened.

When you arrived at the mansion, you quickly headed to your room and stayed locked there for the rest of the day.

You were wondering what you should do... You wanted to deny it, but deep down, you knew you were afraid Noah would keep hurting you. He didn't just insult you; his harassment went so far as to even physically hurt you, and that was too much.

You were scared... Scared of him, scared that Noah's bullying would get much worse later, you couldn't take it anymore.

You think and think... Should you tell Alfred so he can find a way to help you? Maybe. But... You heard that Noah's father was close friends with the school principal, so it won't be easy to get the principal to listen to your situation and expel Noah.

Then, at that moment, an idea crosses your mind... What if you tell Bruce? If you find him and tell him what's going on, he might go personally to speak to the director. Then, the director wouldn't be able to directly ignore the prestigious Bruce Wayne, and he'd finally do something about the harassment you've received from Noah.

You know Bruce is your best option, yet... You hesitate for a moment, you literally haven't spoken to him in months, you just saw him from afar every now and then, but you never tried to find him or get close to him again, and of course, he never approached you either.

You promised yourself you'd never go after him again, that you'd never ask him for anything at all, but this is a big deal. So, even if you don't really want to do it... You have to if you really want Noah's bullying to finally stop.

So, that day you waited until it was dinner time, since Alfred told you Bruce would arrive around that time and be here for dinner with the others. Even Jason and Dick would be here for dinner.

It was one of those rare occasions when everyone gathered for dinner at Wayne Manor.

In fact, you never participated in these 'family moments,' you never wanted to, even though Alfred told you to join in and attend. However, you will participate in this dinner, simply to talk about it with Bruce.

If you bring it up during family dinner, Bruce won't be able to ignore you, right? It's simple: just go to family dinner, bring up the subject, and ask Bruce to do something about it. Everything will be fine, right?

That's what you try to tell yourself, trying to calm down a little while you comb your own hair, just a few minutes until you get down to the dining room.

"I can do this, I can do this," you repeat to yourself with determination. When you're finally finished getting ready, you walk over and give your beloved Toti a small kiss before placing him on the bed and finally walking toward the door, leaving the room.

You were wearing a long-sleeved black blouse, of course, to hide the recent injuries Noah inflicted on you. You haven't even told Alfred about them until now.

You walk slowly, trying to ignore the growing feeling of nerves and anxiety in your chest.

Finally, you reach the dining room. And you see them all there together. You almost flinch when they all turn to stare at you, not expecting your presence, since you didn't usually attend family dinners. Or maybe they were just surprised to see you here right now because they forgot you existed, right?

You sigh softly as you approach the large table. Alfred smiles at your arrival and guides you to your place at the table. Unfortunately for you, Tim was sitting on your right and Stephanie was sitting on your left.

You didn't like it... You didn't like being here, near them. But you have to endure the unpleasant feeling of discomfort, just for now, just because this time it's about something important and this is your only option.

You stare at the plate of food in front of you. Alfred's meal looked as amazing as ever, but for some reason, no one felt like eating right now, not even you. Maybe it's because of the tense atmosphere at this so-called 'family dinner.'

Okay, never mind. You didn't really come to spend quality time with your so-called family, and you didn't come to eat either. Your goal was simple: talk to Bruce and ask him to come to your school to speak with your principal so your classmate would stop bothering you.

"Father..." you began, definitely feeling like fainting just from having to call Bruce that, but you'll have to bear with it just this once. "I... Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. The thing is... I'm having some trouble un the school, and I was hoping-"

At that moment, you were interrupted by Stephanie's laughter, when you turned to see her she simply looked away, trying to hide her laughter.

Just then, Jason spoke up. "Oh, the weird little girl is having trouble at school... What's wrong? Is it because no one wants to be your friend?" he asked, a smirk on his lips.

"If you have a problem with that or your grades, it has nothing to do with Bruce. Do you expect him to fix your bad grades or the fact that no one wants to be your friend?" Tim spoke up, frowning slightly as he looked at you. How dare you try to ask Bruce to fix your trivial school problems?

You remain silent for a moment, looking down. They... They didn't even let you finish speaking. They don't know what you're going through at school, they don't know the countless bruises and wounds you have thanks to one of your classmates.

"I-it's not because of that... I just wanted to-" before you could continue speaking, you are interrupted, this time it's Bruce who intervenes.

"If you have any problems with school you can tell Alfred, I'm busy and I don't think I can go to your school" he stated with a serious expression, without even looking at you.

The damned indifference in his voice was evident to you... Did he really not have time for you? Couldn't he care even a little about you, at least this once? You're his daughter. But... No one here seems to hear you. No one knows the seriousness of what you're going through, no one can understand you. No one even tries to understand you.

You grit your teeth, clearly annoyed. You've literally been beaten and bullied at school, and you... You don't even have a father who can defend you? Okay, that's to be expected. Bruce hasn't saved you even once so far. Why did you think this time would be different?

You wanted to scream, you wanted to argue and tell Bruce you wanted his help because it was a serious situation. But then... The cold indifference in the air reminds you it's not worth it.

"Okay, I understand. I think I lost my appetite, I'm going to quit now," you said, getting up from your spot and starting to leave.

It doesn't make sense, right? No matter what, they still don't care about you one bit.

You reached your room, took slow steps, and approached one of the pieces of furniture, taking out a small photograph of your mother. You sat on the bed, holding the photo of your mother against your chest.

"Mom... Someone's been bullying me at school. He hits me, he makes fun of me, and he harasses me every day... I don't like it, I can't stand it anymore. So, I tried to ask my dad for help, but he... He doesn't have time." You stated softly, looking up at the ceiling of your room.

"And... my brothers didn't listen to me either. Tim said I shouldn't bother my dad with that stuff, Stephanie made fun of me, and Jason called me weird again." You let out a small sigh, ignoring the familiar way your eyes watered with tears.

"But Mom... I really can't take it anymore. I can't, I don't want to put up with this anymore. But not even Dad listens to me." You sobbed, tears of despair rolling down your cheeks.

"Si papá no me escucha... Tú si lo harás, ¿verdad madre? Te lo suplico mamá... Por favor, aleja a Noah de mí, para que ya no me haga más daño, por favor" You pleaded, holding the small photo of your mother tightly. Surely she'll listen, won't she? Your mother loves you; she can always protect you, even now.

That night you cried yourself to sleep, holding Toti along with the image of your mother next to you.

And then... When you had to go back to school, you were completely nervous, wondering how Noah was going to bother you today. But... You heard other students talking, and then you found out... You found out he and his family had recently moved to another country. You almost wanted to cry with joy when you heard it.

Noah's no longer here, your main concern is gone. You don't need to fear him now, he's gone and no longer around to hurt you. Not anymore.

Your mother did listen to you, didn't she? Of course she would. She loves you, she'll always love you.

You almost laugh when you remember trying to ask Bruce for help. When in reality, you never needed it; you just needed to turn to your real family: your mom. She listened, and you know it. Even if Mom isn't here, she still listens to you somehow, right?

Of course you did, you knew it, Mom would never abandon you, she would never be indifferent to you like Bruce.

From that day on, you felt calmer and happier. You didn't care at all about the mocking comments from your classmates or the constant scolding you received almost daily from the teachers. The only thing that mattered was that you no longer had to worry about Noah, because he wasn't here. He was gone, and now you're fine.

While at the mansion, Alfred asked you what had you in such a good mood, you simply smiled and replied, "It's because Mom helped me. I'm happy about that."

Alfred felt a little confused by what you said, but he didn't question anything else, instead he was just glad to see you so cheerful.

Now, more than a year has passed. It really surprises you a little how time has flown; you were already ten years old.

What's changed since then? Well, probably not much.

You were still not close to Bruce; he never even had time to say a word to you. And let's not even talk about your siblings; you still had a bad relationship with each of them.

Luckily, you hadn't had any major problems with any of them yet, because during this period you had made an effort to avoid them all in the first place. Avoiding each one of them meant avoiding problems with them. So it was perfect.

And it really worked for you, too. They were so caught up in their own personal lives and their vigilante identities that they never sought you out. You went completely unnoticed by them during this time.

You also had a few hobbies that helped you pass the time when you were bored in your room. You loved to draw, and your drawing technique improved over the months. You regularly drew certain types of flowers, landscapes, animals, and sometimes you even tried drawing portraits of your mother.

Another thing you did was crafts. You found making paper flowers very fun and relaxing; you loved experimenting with different materials and creating different things. So, your room, which you'd previously considered empty and depressing, slowly became warmer to you.

On your walls hung some of the colorful drawings you'd made yourself. All the crafts you'd made up until then also adorned your room.

Now, you felt more comfortable here, and you were always happy to add another new decoration related to yourself to your room.

And of course, you still kept in touch with your aunt and cousins. You used to call them twice a week. It really kept you calm and happy whenever you spoke to them, because it meant they still cared about you. That you were still important to them.

You loved when Erick told you he missed watching movies with you.

You smiled with joy when Abel told you that he missed playing with you in the yard.

And most of all, your heart felt warm when your aunt told you how much she missed you and that she hoped to see you again soon. She told you to take care of yourself and to tell her if you had any problems.

Although, you never told her, you couldn't tell your aunt that you were practically completely ignored by this family, even by your father.

You didn't want to tell her how much you suffered at first because of your father and brothers' attitude. Because you didn't want to worry her.

Anyway, you know she must have her own problems, you didn't want to burden her with yours.

Besides, right now your life at Wayne Manor was relatively peaceful, so everything was fine for now.

Oh at least it was until today.

You were definitely quite surprised as soon as you heard it. Alfred told you that a new member of the family would be joining today: Damian Wayne. He was also Bruce's biological son, your new brother, and he was about the same age as you.

You shuddered slightly, unsure what to make of it. You didn't know whether the news should excite you or worry you.

Well, when you were little, you always used to tell your mom you wanted a brother. You wanted a blood brother, one you could be close to, one you could spend a lot of time with. At the time, you were never going to have one, and you truly believed you'd never have a blood brother, but fate has shown you that you will finally have the blood brother you dreamed of when you were little.

But... Something makes you doubt. Because, even if Damian is your blood brother, that doesn't guarantee that he won't really ignore you like the others, right?

You didn't know what to expect, but you knew that no matter what, you had to accept it because, like it or not, he'd start living here too. And he's part of the family, too.

Finally... You met him. You stared at him for a moment, noticing the pretty green in his eyes. You'd say he was pretty, but Damian ruined your thoughts as soon as he started insulting you.

He started complaining about how weak you looked, the strange color of your eyes, and basically everything about you. You were almost shocked to see that he seemed to literally ooze hatred even though he was your age.

And... Damian didn't just lunge at you because Alfred was there to stop him.

You didn't even stay long, you just decided to go back to your room, not wanting to hear any more of your new brother's insults.

You downplayed it, as it wasn't surprising to you that you weren't getting along with your brother. And you assumed everything would be fine as long as you avoided Damian as much as possible, to avoid unwanted encounters. That way, you wouldn't have any problems with him.

But how wrong you were...

Even if you wanted to, you just couldn't avoid him completely, not when you literally started going to school with him. You're both close in age, so of course when he started your school, he was also in your grade, and you even had several classes together.

It was so awkward having to ride with him in the same car as Alfred drove them to school, it was annoying having to deal with his constant comments about how inferior you are, listing each of your flaws as if he actually knew you that well in the first place.

You tried to ignore him, you really did. You tried to ignore his insults about your eye color, ignore his blatant contempt for you, ignore the way he tried to lunge at you like a wild animal. You tried to ignore the way he treated you with contempt even at school, while the other students watched and laughed at you, amused by how pathetic you were to be publicly humiliated by your own brother.

You were irritated, and you definitely wanted to yell at him, insult him back, and hit him too. But you couldn't do it. Especially considering Damian was a genius with swords, a prodigy expert in attacking and fighting. You knew that if you tried, he'd defeat you in seconds. So you quickly pushed the idea aside, not wanting to take any chances.

Okay, you can tolerate it, you can still try to tolerate it a little longer, right?

A few months after Damian's arrival, there was another family dinner. You didn't want to attend, remembering the tense atmosphere of the last family dinner you attended, but this time, Alfred managed to convince you.

You don't know how he convinced you. Maybe it was because he seems to genuinely want you to get along with others and spend time with them, too. Because they're supposed to be your family, after all.

You can't tell Alfred how much you hated them, not when he's been so good at looking after you all this time. So, you agreed to attend, only because he asked you to.

You finished getting ready, putting on a short-sleeved blue dress. You look in the mirror, studying your arms for a moment.

You don't even have a single scar left from the wounds Noah inflicted on you before. You truly swore some would leave at least a small, lasting scar, but it seems you were wrong.

It's a little strange how perfect your skin is, how your body managed to make all the wounds you've had disappear without leaving even a small mark.

You shake your head slightly. You don't need to worry about that now, it's not the time. Rather, right now is the time to think about how to survive this family dinner.

"Esperame aquí, Toti... Volveré pronto". You say goodbye to your precious teddy bear, giving it a little kiss before placing it on the bed and finally leaving the room.

As soon as you get to the dining room, you see everyone already there. You notice Jason bothering Damian a bit, Bruce talking to Dick, Tim talking to Stephanie, and Cassandra looking calm in her seat.

Wow, they really do look like a real family together... without you.

You walk over to the table, and as soon as everyone sees you, they fall silent, staring at you.

Gosh... You just remembered how much you hate it when everyone looks at you at the same time. It's so awkward and annoying.

You maintain a calm expression as you choose to sit in the chair furthest away from the others. You're definitely mentally grateful that the dining room is extraordinarily large and you can get a spot away from the others.

After all, this time your only condition for coming to dinner was that you could sit wherever you wanted, and Alfred agreed.

You still remember how awkward it was last time you had to sit next to Tim and Stephanie. So, this time you're not going to take any chances; you'll keep the necessary distance.

You remain silent, looking anywhere but at anyone at the table.

Your plan to survive this dinner was as follows: remain unnoticed, don't speak, don't look at anyone, and leave as soon as you finished eating. Simple, right?

But your plans are ruined as soon as Damian gets up from his place, going to sit right next to you.

When you look at him, you notice the mischievous smile on his face. He's doing it on purpose, isn't he?

And then, he opens his mouth... Starting to try to annoy you again.

"Why do you sit so far away from the others? It's because you're a weirdo who likes to be away, right? Well, it's understandable to want to stay away from others by having eyes strangers like yours..." Damian stated in a dismissive tone, speaking confidently as if he were right.

You stay silent, not even looking at him, trying to ignore him. This obviously angers Damian greatly, not liking the fact that you ignore him as if he weren't even there.

"Even if I'm nice enough to come here and talk to you, you just ignore me. That's very rude. Didn't your mother raise you well? Well, she probably didn't, because she's already dead anyway..."

Instantly, you freeze, your hands clenching at Damian's words. How dare he mention your mother? He has no right.

Your expression tightens as you stare at him, trying to resist the urge to hit him.

"Well, at least... My mother is dead and that's why I'm here, because I can't be with her, but she would never have left me here if she were still alive. Not like you, who were too annoying even for your mother and that's why she abandoned you here and she left, because she doesn't love you" you answered with a cruel tone while you looked away.

It was the first time you'd responded this way to one of Damian's comments, but this time he really went too far with what he said. You couldn't stay silent. You wouldn't let him continue to talk carelessly about you. Much less dare he even mention your precious mother.

After you said that, Damian's expression darkened, he definitely didn't like what you said, and instantly... He lunged at you to attack you.

In just a few seconds I throw you from the chair to the floor, starting to try to hit you.

He manages to land a direct punch to your face, almost making you want to cry in pain. Gosh, he's definitely strong...

Luckily, before he can attack you further, the others finally act and take him off you. Dick manages to separate Damian from you.

You slowly stand up, bringing one of your own hands to lightly touch the area of your face that Damian hit.

Did it hurt? He definitely hit harder than you imagined. It was impossible for it not to hurt. In fact, you're thankful that he didn't have one of his swords nearby at that moment, because otherwise, this could have ended worse.

Do you regret it? Of course not. He was the one who started it; he asked for it by talking about your mother, and you don't regret saying what you said to him.

At that moment, Bruce approaches you, and... You don't like the serious, disapproving expression he has on his face.

"You shouldn't have spoken to Damian like that," he said, in his usual authoritarian tone.

You roll your eyes at his scolding, really... You haven't spoken to him in a while, and he only speaks to you to scold you for responding to Damian? It's not fair.

To be honest, when Damian first arrived you really wondered if he would be ignored by this family just like you.

And to your unpleasant surprise... It seemed more like he'd always belonged here. You tried to ignore the ache in your chest when you saw that Damian was so easily accepted by everyone, while you... They didn't even look at you when you arrived.

Even though Damian had a difficult attitude, he received support from everyone, even Bruce. And that's okay, because Damian is his son, but... You're also his daughter, and he was never good to you.

You didn't know if it was jealousy or just plain disappointment you felt when Damian arrived. Gosh, even Dick was so understanding and nice to Damian, and most of all, he actually gave Damian some time. Unlike you, who just made false promises and never followed through, never once seeking you out to spend time with you. You're also his little sister... So why does he only seem to notice Damian and not you?

You arrived first, and yet you still got nothing from this family. Damian arrived after you, with a haughty attitude, and yet everyone accepted and included him.

But that's okay, you don't need them, not now... So, not wanting to stay and listen to Bruce and Dick rant about how cruel your comment to Damian was, you decide to leave, quickly turning around and walking away.

Before you leave, you clearly hear Tim muttering behind you. You heard him clearly call you 'immature.'

From his perspective, you're probably just a rude little girl running away to avoid the scolding you deserve, aren't you? Well, he can think whatever he wants.

The fact that Bruce never chases you is great in situations like this, because you can just walk away without him claiming you and that's perfect.

You return to your room, reminding yourself not to attend any family dinners from now on.

You hug Toti and fall into bed. Once again, your encounters with your family continue to end badly, but honestly, it doesn't surprise or affect you like it used to.

So, you finally start sleeping peacefully... Without expecting what would happen the next day.

❦: (Here is the chapter, sorry for the delay, I hope you liked it, and thanks for the support♡).

✯/Tag list: @hopingtoclearmedschool @simpingpandas @ryuushou @ninihrtss @soulsire @artistwithcreativeburnout @the-dumber-scaramouche @khalinda-ev @sillysealsies @moon0goddess @bunniotomia @twismare

[okkotsuus]

"COLLEGE! AU" ー tabieitaken 🪽

features: tabito karasu, eita otoya, kenyu yukimiya

contents: college au, friendships, polycule jokes, jealousy/competition, very messy headcanons, 0.8k

notes: since my lovely @cheralith has tabieitaken stuck in my head at all times... this is literally just me talking at the wall

ALL

they're all in the same frat (alpha tau omega) and ended up rooming together after their first year in an apartment a few minutes off campus. tabito is the primary name on the lease, but yuki handles most of the stuff with their landlord (otoya just forks over money every month).

every friday, without fail, they all get together to do something, whether it be movies or dinner.

their apartment was decorated by yuki and karasu; but otoya is the one who most often brings home decor for the apartment (usually it's something stupid he bought).

they actually don't cook very often, like in terms of full meals, yet they are still an ingredient house iykyk.

one time, otoya accidentally hotboxed the bathroom and yuki went to take a shower and almost died.

despite how popular they all are, they refuse to host parties because their building is mainly elderly folks and they would feel horrible for them having to deal with hammered college students.

tabito and otoya went to highschool together and met yuki in their freshman year through the frat.

despite their differences, they are all actually extremely intelligent.

TABITO KARASU

3rd year biomedical engineering major.

tabito, despite literally never speaking in class except when called on, is very well known.

takes extremely elegant and detailed notes for every lecture: no matter how fast the professor is talking.

somehow always locked in, even if he's extremely hungover from an event the night before.

the kind of guy who really only talks to people unless they talk to him first or he's tipsy.

has never failed a class, he's extremely intelligent.

he has this very specific ritual he does before every single exam where he sleeps with his notebook under his pillow (it's so stupid but it has never failed him).

plans to go into biomedical engineering to design medical devices that put less of a strain on the patient (e.x. streamlining insulin pumps or making pacemakers less intensive)

actually extremely passionate about his work, got in on a full-ride for his essay which was his planned thesis for grad school.

works as a lab assistant in the school's medical research facility.

EITA OTOYA

3rd year political science major.

if you actually see otoya in class, it's rarer than getting struck by lightning: double credit if he's sober and awake.

despite this, somehow everyone in all his classes knows him and he knows everyone's names (it's bc he's a lurker).

the pledge hazer, he is so annoying; but he's never malicious about it like some of the guys are.

he smokes or takes edibles, constantly has some fruity vape on him at all times. he swears he can stop whenever he want (he cannot).

originally planned to take a gap year but his mom almost beat his ass for even suggesting it so he chose the major he thought was the easiest.

he doesn't know it yet, but he will end up going to law school to be a criminal prosecutor trust.

despite his horrid attendance, his grades are pretty good (lowest is a 82%), he's one of those smart kids that could be a genius if he just applied himself.

works at the local dispensary and as a barista on the campus cafe.

KENYU YUKIMIYA

3rd year fashion design and business management double major.

he wants to end up with his own clothing line, but he is actually horrible at sewing so it's kind of funny. he's only good at the designing part fr

literally everyone's hallway crush, everyone knows him and all the freshmen have a thing for him at some point.

the kind of student that all the professors like, even the typically rough ones that seem to hate everyone (he's a kissass and he knows it).

perfect attendance unless he is ill to the point of physically unable being to go to class.

academic validation kid, struggled hard his freshman year when everything wasn't easy peasy anymore like it was in high school.

partial-ride, about half of his tuition.

he became an ra for the free room and board his second year but ended up hating it so he didn't do it this year.

really good grades, but not as good as karasu's even though he tries harder (it really pisses him off)

works as a freelance model/actor and at the local movie theatre

⚜️ ㅤ okkotsuus ㅤ 25

[quotidian-oblivion]

I seem to have come across a poor, confused lost soul in the comments:

(I can read Hindi too and understand it, I'm a south asian Muslim)

But here's google translate anyway.

My poor confused friend thinks that it's okay to go around purposefully misinterpreting Quranic texts and verses and advertising their own religion with these misinterpretations, thinking that they can fool someone with such a horribly demonstrated prank.

Let's type an f in the chat for the guy 😔 May Allah guide you, poor stranger.

Now, let's get to the part where I stand up for my identity and my ikhuani wa akhawati fillah, my brothers and sisters in Islam. 🤓☝️ It's Ramadan, and I am not letting this insult slide.

First off, the actual Quran verse (ayah).

Surah Furqan, ayah 59:

Idk if the guy is dyslexic or sumth, but I don't see anything about a human-like body here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. You can check it yourself: https://quran.com/25?startingVerse=59

I think the guy has it even more confused and delusional. I don't see any satyalok in the verse 👀. All I see is a Throne. A single, one, lone, Throne for the One, lone, who-doesn't-need-a-consort-to-function-fully God. If you really want to pull out Quranic verses, here ye go:

One. Sustainer. No offspring. Not born. None comparable to Him.

And you just ignored all of that, concentrated on one verse and then adding, changing and misinterpreting it. You can never change the Quran. Millions and millions of Muslims have it memorized. I, myself, have several chapters of it memorized which is why I'm easily able to refute your one feeble debating point.

You want to really convince me that Hinduism is the right religion? Get your facts right and use undisputable and clean proof. Stop trying to change my religion. Learn. Understand. Then, you can talk.

One of Allah's names is Al-Kabeer, The Great one. So when you say "Allahuakbar", you're just saying "God is Great".

If God has a human-like body, as you so claim, won't that mean he would need to eat to survive? And if he doesn't eat or drink, he'll die? Can you really call him god if he can die? How can you even worship someone who can die? Someone who is temporary? Someone who cannot sustain himself let alone the entire universe and its beings? If god has a human-like body, won't he need to poop? Pee? Go to the bathroom? You really call that god-like behaviour??? Please. Gimme a break.

If you want to try and convince other people of the falsehood belief you subscribe to, using false statements, expect brutal arguments back. Expect people to criticize and insult you and your feeble arguments. Expect to have your poor confused statements to be refuted and proven wrong.

If you don't want that, then stop and continue privately believing your own beliefs. As it says in the Quran in another chapter:

Go your own way and leave us to ours. You're wasting everyone's times. It's Ramadan, dude. We Muslims are geared up and have our max XP points during this time, don't you know?

The Quran can never be changed and will never be able to be changed. It is our duty as Muslims to safeguard it and have trust in Allah when He says:

[karlachismylife]

Curious to know what your thoughts on ghostgaz are!

I love GhostGaz!! I know I probably say this about every pairing, but, first of all, it's true, and second, I love them all for different things. To me, GhostGaz is pure peace. I know I kinda wrote SoapGaz also being about this dynamic, but the difference is, SoapGaz are that AND two little troublemaker shits that are going to blow shit up and blame each other. GhostGaz is calmer, they obviously have their playful side (mostly sarcastic jabs and sass, these two), they obviously have passion, but there is this veil of just wanting to rest together peacefully. There's a lot on their shoulders and they're both reluctant to lean onto others, so when they finally do, it's a lot of exhaustion. And they're also both insanely beautiful, there's a lot of just "admiring the view" between them that probably leads to them both being flustered.

I have a little retired GhostGaz thing here and also a few headcanons on them here (MDNI)

And let's do another piece, because the world needs more GhostGaz. Me, I'm the world. (MDNI)

There is an old garden swing behind the pub, awkardly standing against the brick wall with a perfect view on the trash spilling from overflowing skip bins. The roof had been taken off the swing, and its supports could use a fresh coat of paint, but it doesn't crumble under Riley's considerable weight and even moves when he rocks absentmindedly, staring into the dark night sky above and clouding it with cigarette smoke. His head is fuzzily empty after a few glasses of nice bourbon, not drunk yet, but certainly tipsy and thus at peace with the whole world - ironically. Ghost and peace don't exactly go together other than when he's blissfully under influence.

Simon doesn't even wince when the back door he came through into this well-like backyard surrounded by buildings on all sides opens again, letting yellow light, muffled human noise and music into the cool silent night he was enjoying. The person coming outside stumbles over a brick that is probably sometimes used to keep the door open and mutters a curse under their breath with a chuckle. It's Gaz.

"There you are, sir," he purrs once he locates the dark heap that Ghost is, the only light spot being the lower half of his face, freed from under the bally and tilted up to the sky, and the bare pale neck with Simon's Adam's apple moving lazily as he breathes. Like a cat wary of the human presence, Ghost watches from the corner of his eye as Garrick approaches the swing and stops with his back turned to it, too inhebirated to multitask - he's fumbling with a ciggy, concentrating hard to try and light it. Yellow flicker of his dying lighter shows off the adorable concentration crease between his brows and the famous nose scrunch - Simon wonders, what caused it: reeking trash, cheap smoke, nasty aftertaste of the horrible coctail the Sergeants drank to prove they can, Kyle's own clumsiness and the cigarette's unwillingness to cooperate?

Gaz floods Simon's thoughts so abruptly, like a warm light does once you flick the switch on - what seemed like an abandoned apartment shows signs of life and invites inside, where a teapot is already waiting with your favourite mug to drink from. Before Ghost can stop himself, he bends his widely spread legs and pushes the swing forward, successfully undercutting Kyle's knees. With a surprised "oh sh-", Garrick drops his cigarette and lands on the creaking seat heavily, sounding like his ass is cut from wood itself.

"Fock, mate, sorry-" - Ghost, his eyes widening with surprise themselves, sits up straight and chuckles gruffly, catching Kyle before he can slide off the swing going back now - his smile shines in the darknes, laughter at his own landing loud and clear. The ciggy he dropped gets swallowed by the night, and Simon feels a little guilty for denying a man his smoke. "Didn't think you'd fold this easy. 'Ere, let me..."

He produces his own cigarette pack from the hoodie pocket and offers one to Kyle, leaning in close to light it with his smoudering cigarette's end. There isn't much tension in the action - not until Simon looks up from the flickering red-orange light and sees Kyle's long lashes in all their glory while his tipsy Sergeant still looks downwards with a thoughtful look. At first Simon thinks he's just drunkenly mesmerized by the little breating light, growing with each inhale and fading at exhales; but then suddenly he feels a deft hand with long fingers grip his thik thigh, squeezing the muscle through his lazy black sweats - not that he'd bother wearing anything better for a drinking night with the team in a lovely dingy pub.

"You don't miss leg day, eh?" Kyle's voice is all purring mirth, amber wiskey coating a tumbler's walls and swirling as it pours down Simon's ears. Worse of all - Garrick's appreciation is genuine, fingers kneading the meat of Ghost's thigh and his thumb repeatedly pushing into the softness on the inner side. Just because Kyle likes how it feels. Simon lets himself fall back onto the swing's backrest and take a couple drags as he distinctly feels his prick chubbing up before he drops the cigarette butt on the ground and looks to the side again.

"You're one to talk, Garrick. These are murder weapons right here," Ghost's big palm pats Kyle's knee clumsily and stays there. Comfortable silence lingers, Kyle's hand strokes up and down the fat muscles, jumps from one thigh to another while he's finishing his smoke. His grip is firm and feels like a relaxing massage after a rewarding workout, sending tingling waves of heat to Ghost's crotch as he stays still, manspreading and bringing the swing into movement over and over, arms resting on the backrest, a hand toying with Kyle's hood. Gaz leans in for a shotgun kiss and Simon's mangeld lips are already parted for it, welcoming the smoke and letting a hot tongue lick into the desperate mouth tasting of tobacco and alcohol.

Simon's hand comes up to pull Kyle in by his nape, playing with the dark curls at the base of his skull, and Gaz lets out a shaky sigh, scooting even closer and throwing his leg over Simon's knee. Ghost doesn't half-ass anything - pulls Garrick up fully into his lap, ignoring how the weight of Sergeant's ass presses down on his boner, and kisses his clean shaven cheek with wet lips. He's got half a mind to slide his huge paw down Kyle's pants and just feel his hefty balls in a handful, fondle them with gruff tenderness and hear Garrick sigh like that again, but he's still sober enough to not be too excited by the prospect of a hasty handjob behind the pub.

"Let's go gome, Si?" It's almost like Gaz reads his mind, offers lazily, resting his head on Ghost's shoulder - he doesn't mind staying for a bit longer and downing a few more, so that he'll be sitting with his palm over Simon's crotch in the taxi, breathing heavily without any willpower to stop his clingy drunk Lieutenant from slobbering all over his neck; he doesn't mind departing immediately, either, holding Simon's hand in his warp grip and huddling together on the tube, taking up three seats instead of two with their wide arses.

Simon thinks of an answer, weighing his options carefully. There is no rush. They can stay under the dark sky above this trashy well for a bit longer, before Soap comes looking for them "snogging around". Might as well give him something to look at.

[backpackingspace]

I have such complicated feelings about Athena's regert in epic. Because on one hand. Athena WAS right. Odysseus did need to listen her. And he did need to kill the cyclops. And her regert and her desire to find a better path for the future makes it seem that wasn't the case. That odysseus was right to adopt polites mindset (WHICH is a whole other post I might write up. I have. Thoughts!)

And that is very much not what Athena is regretting. She regerts leaving and LEAVING ONLY. (And maybe her comment about the dead friends). She regerts not being able to make odysseus listen. And later she regerts what happened to odysseus because she's horrified about what he suffered with calypso.

How many times in those ten years did Athena almost go visit odysseus on the automatic. When she left, she had convinced herself that odysseus was just another mentee just another one of her heros. She had been convincing herself of this for years, for odysseus's whole life basically. And then when she left she found that that was not the case. The pain she felt would not allow her denial anymore. (Yall ever lose a friend? Have a best friend become a stranger? That shit hurts like nothing else.) So at first she's angry and hurting and then later she's idgent with herself (she's not going to apologize first. Like hell shes the goddess here.) and hurting and then she's just lonely and hurting.

Shes not really close to any one on Olympus. And odysseus always took such good care of her (his prayers and devotion and inventions fed her so well) even though she's a war goddess and doesn't need it. And he was always fearless of her. Comfortable with her the way literally nobody else is. (Because he's her friend /her best friend) and Olympus is all politics and cold distance and catering to her father and she tried to go visit diomedes but (the poor boy) is still so afraid of her. And was all great Athena direct me to where you need the spear thrown. (The feeling of heart break is familiar now. She's never felt this human before how do they cope)

And so she's lonely and bored and hurting and she MISSES her best friend. She REGETS leaving. And she's missing and reverting enough to swallow her godly pride and go visit odysseus friend. Maybe she won't apologize first but she can extend the first olive branch. So she goes to Ithaca and does not find him. That's super weird but she does find telemachus

Telemachus who, despite his circumstances is so happy. Who teaches her about how the future could be. And they talk about it, how the future could be. (Honorable warfare. No more camp slaves, so more women hiding in her temples and Athena failing to protect them from being raped. Giving your enemies a the chance to surround and then dealing out a quick death honorable death if they dont.) Telemachus who calls her friend immediately. Who is maybe a shyer happier verison of his father. Who odysseus might be if he ...hadn't had her in his life. (It's a horrible thought. Heart break is a familiar feeling.)

So she hustles telemachus off the island. They make a plan, telemachus will be safe from the suitors. Athena will block the women's door so none of the suitors can go in. And telemachus will look for his father in the mortal relam, seeking odysseus's old comrades and she will look for odysseus in the godly realm.

So Athena, filled with heart break and regret but hopeful for the first time since she was four (and play fighting with pallas) goes time diving for her old friend. And is /horrified/ when she finds him. Finds out how exactly he spent the last seven years. Another one of her chosen violated another one she failed to protect. Her best friend gods. What has she done? This never would have happened if she had never left. Why did she leave? It was odysseus's first fuck offense why did she leave?

She has to help. SHE HAS TO

So off she goes, pissing off her father for the first time ever. And putting her pride to beg (also for the first time ever. Odysseus do you see this shit I'm doing for you)

By the time she's talking to odysseus again. She's spent ten years of heart break missing her best friend, the guilt has cumulated into self blame for not preventing odysseus's violation. (Keep in mind that witnessing trauma is just as traumatizing as going through it. And Athena is a chaste goddess. ) telemachus has shown her a new path for the future. Hence her regert and wondering about leading odysseus astray.

But then this tragic complicated guilt and character growth Athena goes through gets boiled down to actually polites was right (again I have thoughts about his philosophy and that is a completely separate post. As is how telemachus and polities views differ (because they do!!!!!) But again. Separate post.) And any killing at all is bad. And then you have fics where Athena begs odysseus's forgiveness and claims that all killing is bad and (like no hate obvious people can write and headcanon however they want. ) it's just an instant fuck no for me and I've got to click out of said fics. And I know this is part due to this culture we've developed lately and childish black and white thinking (bad vs good. No nuace. If anybody disagrees with my opinion that's uncomfortable and that threatens me so therefore that person is evil and I must attack them) and partially because in fandom things get summerize, nauce gets lost. And it's hard to see the nuace in a musical playlist anyway. And everybody is going to interpret things differently and all that.

But at the end of the day. Athena was right that the cyclops needed to be killed. And she knows this she doesn't regret this. Just how she handled the situation , just that she was so ubrupt with her best friend, everything that led to odysseus being trapped on that island for seven years.

[ackerlikesmen]

In my feelings again

You all know I love Percy getting princess treatment and being loved and protected. Seeing one who’s been through shit but still standing? Someone get him a chair, ice cream, and cuddles. 

I understand the boy is gonna push back and beat his chest, point Riptide at you, even when he's bleeding out and traumatized. He doesn’t like to tell people about his problems. He's gonna be like, "It's only a scratch. Quit worrying!" Then when Apollo (or anyone) shows protectiveness and goes ape shit and wanna beat the shit outta someone who hurts Percy, he gets upset and pushes him away. 

And it got me thinking... again.

It seems to me that Percy pushes away protection and help, not just because he feels small. He had already gone through hell and people making him feel small and worthless. Being made small, feeling helpless, and relying on someone who treats you like shit feels horrible. He doesn't need that again, especially by gods who get off on making others feel small. I understand that, and I feel the same way. “I'm not weak and can handle my own.” 

Another reason is giving control. Again, back to his childhood, he didn’t have autonomy or his own space because of Gabe. I understand that this protectiveness appears ‘controlling,’ he feels stifled, even if that’s not their true intention.

However, I also feel Percy does it because he feels he's not worth it. To him, he doesn't deserve to be cared for like that. Why should anyone do that? Besides, he can handle himself. That's why he's powerful, right? If he can give the gods a run for their money and is the savior to all, including the gods, why the fuck does he need to be protected? It’s a waste of time and makes little sense. Plus, he'll just heal. So, no biggie. 

So, when Apollo, his father, brother, and some of his friends get protective, Percy gets annoyed and pushes them away, especially in Perpollo fics. "I'm not weak. Quit treating me like I'm glass. I've been through shit since I was a kid. I didn't need you then. Why would I need you now? Don't feel sorry for me. Don't you dare feel sorry for me. You may be a god, but I'm not some weak punk. I can handle my shit." I want Apollo to respond this way, but he apologizes or STOPS. Not pauses— STOPS.

Me, reading: *screams internally*

I understand and am happy that he respects Percy’s boundaries and autonomy. Yes, Apollo (or anyone else) has to EARN Percy's trust. It shouldn’t be thrust upon him. 

With that being said, this is what I want Apollo to respond with:

I don’t protect you because I’m a god. Your strength is never in question when I want to embrace you. I do it because I love you. You mean a lot to me, and seeing you stay strong when you're hurting inside pains me. It upsets me you don't think you’re all that. But, baby, you’re worth more than the stars in Olympus.

(I wrote a page paragraph but didn’t want it to be too melodramatic.)

Anyways, *grabs Percy’s face* Strong or not, you’re worth it. Hero or failure, you’re worth it. It’s okay to rely on someone and rest. You may be a hero, but you’re still human, Percy. You still bleed, you still get tired, you still get hurt. You're not weak for wanting someone to hold you and be vulnerable. It’s okay to take breaks. *kisses his forehead* Treat yourself, sweetheart.

Someone save this boy, please!

[lo-fi-charming]

Daisy's already awake when Martin finally drags himself from the bed. Despite it being cold and uncomfortable without Jon, he'd had a hard time forcing himself out of the covers. He and Daisy are on much better terms nowadays, but still — it's strange being home without Jon.

Martin cautiously pads into the kitchen, feet freezing on the tile, wishing he'd bought those slippers a week ago. Daisy has hers on, he sees; she's also wearing a long, soft looking dress under a creamy sweater. She doesn't look at Martin, but he knows she knows he's there.

(Daisy always knows when someone is looking at her, feeling eyes on her even more acutely than Jon.) 

It's still a little novel, seeing her like this. It was ages before Daisy started dressing so casually around the boys despite living with them. For some reason, the sight of Daisy like this, quietly making tea and listening to music on the radio, has Martin feeling a bit brave. He makes his way over and dares to slide a hand around Daisy's waist from behind. "Morning." 

"Mm. Morning," comes her soft reply.

No grumbles, no sharp looks: she doesn't mind his hand here. Although, once Martin's got a grip on the material, he notices something else. "Hey, wait a second- isn't this my sweater?"

"Probably," Daisy says. "It was on the couch so I took it." 

"But it's mine!"

"Yeah, and I'm wearing it." Now Martin gets a look. "Problem?" Daisy asks. 

"No, it's fine," Martin sighs, rolling her eyes. "It's just that I've already lost a good chunk of my wardrobe to Jon." 

"Your fault for letting him steal your things."

As if making her point, Daisy taps her spoon against the rim of her mug, which she knows both Martin and Jon find horribly annoying. "Want some? Put honey in this one." 

"Sure, thanks." 

The tea is sweet and warm. Daisy stays close while making another cup for herself. Behind them, the soft orchestral tune on the radio winds down, gradually replaced with the start of some sort of old jazz song. It sounds vaguely familiar; Martin hums along, sipping his tea and glancing out the kitchen window. Was Jon coming home tonight or tomorrow morning?

"Do you mind?" 

Martin blinks, looking back at Daisy. "Huh?" 

"You're swaying," Daisy tells him, gesturing with her spoon. Martin's still got his arm around Daisy's waist, so his movement has been rocking her back and forth as well. 

Before, his first instinct would've been to apologize and retreat. Today, Martin finds himself smiling. "What's wrong? Don't like dancing?" Daisy quirks a brow, but that's all she does as Martin keeps humming and swaying, pushing and tugging her a bit more each time.

He expects Daisy to get tired of it, to pull away from him. But no, she just stares. Or, rather, she's watching him. Waiting? Martin takes a step from the counter, tugging Daisy along. He both is and isn't surprised when she leaves her tea behind, taking a step along with him.

Martin smiles and holds up his free hand, a silent question. Daisy offers hers. Martin reaches out to claim it, boldly lacing their fingers together. Her other hand rests casually on Martin's arm, the one around her waist. 

And, just like that, they're dancing.

(Well, maybe dancing is a strong word. It's mostly shuffling back and forth. Martin's not even sure if he's leading properly. 

But Daisy seems oddly content to go where Martin guides them, so he hums along to the music and tries not to think about it too hard.)

dancing in the kitchen

[greyskyflowers]

Friends, I need so many more fics with the howling commandos, Steve, and Bucky.

AUs where Steve doesn't crash the plane or he does but gets found quickly. The howling commandos and Steve sticking together and moving forward the best they can..

And they don't go back for Bucky, because they're sure he's dead.

Except, between Shield and all of them becoming more involved with that world, they start to hear rumors after a few years. Rumors of an assassin, a ghost, whatever people want to call him, working for Hyrda.

And yeah, it's something they have their eyes on, but it's not necessarily a priority. They can barely find any info on this ghost anyway.

Except, eventually, someone says they caught a glimpse of the ghost. It's mainly considered someone trying to get their 5 minutes of fame... but they say haunting steel blue eyes and dark hair. And it just.. has them pausing for a moment.

Lots of people fit that description. Why are they even considering the idea that it could be Bucky? It's ridiculous, but something has them hesitating.

There's really nothing to back up the unbelievable, horrible, vague idea taking shape in the back of their minds, but they start looking into this ghost more.

He only started showing up a few years ago, and all accounts of him lean towards being enhanced, along with what people say is a metal arm.

They don't have anything to explain the arm but the enhancement claim. Well, they all remember how unclear it was on what exactly happened to Bucky while he was being experimented on.

Everyone else moved on after seeing how quickly he bounced back after Azzano, wrote it off as Bucky being Bucky, but it was too quick. Looking back, something wasn't right after that. They should have looked into it more and pushed it harder.

How off he was after that. The normal and expected aftermath of something like that, like being jumpy as hell and wild eyed, but there was more.

The way he was an even better shot, at least when his hands weren't shaking, and they never did when it mattered. How he seemed to tilt his head slightly at things no one else heard, pricking his ears similar to the way Steve did. How there'd been blood on him but never seemed to be wounds that needed attention. All the little things they dismissed or overlooked seem big now.

They say hindsight is 2020 but Bucky always had the best sight out of all of them. They wonder if he knew.

No one wants to say out loud what they're all wondering, partly to avoid giving any hope that it could be him but also because of what that means, what would have happened to him in the past few years.

They keep getting stuck on the metal arm. Based on the way Howard had reacted when they discussed that, it was as horrible as they were imagining.

They don't think about how hard it is to numb Steve, and how quickly it wears off when they actually mange to. They don't think about how Hydra probably wouldn't have cared much to figure out how to properly numb Bucky for whatever they did to his arm. They don't think about it. They can't.

Steve gets restless, his attention is gone, eyes always looking towards the horizon, and he's going to take off soon. There's no way he wasn't going to track this down, even if it was just to confirm it wasn't Bucky.

And like hell they're not going with him. They're not letting Steve chase this by himself, especially when they all have this horrible feeling in their gut that it's Bucky.

That's their man out there. One of their own. And they might have left him out there in the snow and cold, bleeding and broken, all alone. Had he waited for them to come back? Did he know they would have come in a heartbeat if they'd had any idea he survived. They wouldn't even have left the mountain. Steve probably would have gone right over the edge after him if he thought there was any chance. The rest of them wouldn't have been too far behind.

Peggy and Howard help them finish gathering all the info they have available on Bucky the ghost, prepare anything else they might need, and they're off.

No one is going to stop them. Not the government, or the military, or anyone. They can try, and they will certainly throw a fit and demand Steve and the others return, but what are they actually going to do? What can they do?

They could send people after them and it'd just give them a good reason to not come back. All another country would need to do was promise resources to help find the ghost and Steve would be in their pockets.

Plus, people are loyal. Steve and the commandos are well liked and respected. People are going to start asking questions if anyone raises too much trouble over them taking off.

Peggy, with the help of Howard, is more than capable of stomping down her foot on anyone trying to overstep.

Because they're all willing to draw blood over this. They're willing to call in favors, and make enemies, and whatever else they need to do.

It takes a while because, of course, it does. It's the ghost. The Winter Soldier, they eventually learn he's called. What a terrible cold name.

Barnes. It's Bucky. God damn it, they just know it's him.

They should have gone back. They should have taken a moment to just think instead of grieving and trying to shove it out of their minds for a while.

They still can't explain how they know or why their suspicion has only grown when they still haven't found anything concrete, but they know.

They get closer each time. The time they miss him by starts to get smaller and smaller. The number of Hydra agents they run into seems to increase each time, but it's nothing capable of stopping them. If anything, it has them even more sure that they're right and that they're close.

Between all of them, they've got skills in about everything and they're determined. They are relentless. Desperate. They'll find him or they'll die trying.

It's almost anticlimactic when it finally happens, the first time they actually lay eyes on the ghost, and it's him.

Even with that fucking muzzle on, a metal arm, and his hair starting to grow out, it's him. The broken noise that leaves Steve would have confirmed it even if they still had doubts.

Hydra really messed him up. He doesn't react to them, there's nothing in his eyes when he looks at them, and fuck does that hurt. Maybe they deserve it. They left him there. Look what they helped do to him. Left him to be found by Hydra, who went looking when they didnt.

The metal arm looks heavy, and they can only imagine how it's attached for him to have so much control over it.

It becomes clear that they don't necessarily have to fight Bucky. They just need to take out the person with him. The one who's giving the directions, and spitting things in Russian when Bucky doesn't manage to kill them quickly enough, things that have him flinching just a little.

He's in there somewhere. He's still in there.

They manage to take out the Hydra agent while Steve distracts Bucky. He whips around as soon the agent stops yelling instructions, and Steve takes the opportunity to hit him hard. He smacks his head against the brick wall on the way down. He doesn't get up, and Steve looks both relieved and devastated.

They know it's him, but they have to make sure. Maybe they're wrong, maybe it's some other sorry bastard... but it's him.

The muzzle is practically ripped off. Get it off him. The protective fury burning in their chests is choking, and they can't imagine how Steve must feel right now.

It's him.

They're finally bringing him home.

⭐️

I always say poly andor qp when I do group stuff like this because I just have such a hard time thinking that characters who sweat and bleed on/for each other, kill for and are ready to die for each other, can do that without being a little in love with them. Aren't we all a little in love with our friends?

Intimate, I suppose, is what I'm going for. They don't need to fuck or kiss or anything, but they certainly can they've seen the best and worst of each other and are ready to see it again.

Soldiers go through hell with each other, and it creates lifelong bonds. It's easy to imagine that and crank it up a few levels when you add in superheros and villains.

Idk I just think Steve, Bucky, the howling commandos, Peggy, and Howard could have had something amazing. I feel like they could have know each other better than anyone else ever could.

If you have any fic recs, let me know ~

[bonejunky6669]

wow wow wow holy shit. that episode gave me multiple heart attacks. lottie killing the hiker seriously shocked me to my core. i love that she sat there all night smearing his brains all over her face. so incredibly perfectly deranged for her.

Melissa being shot was a very win/lose scene...Shauna leaving her behind even after Melissa begged her to stay...but Shauna saying "if she dies, you die" which was, frankly, very hot and protective. Sophie N. was NOT lying when she said they have a push/pull relationship. i wonder if that means they'll come back from this? if this does lead to the downfall of their relationship, I'm extremely disappointed we didn't really get any scenes of those few months they were together and by what it seems like, relatively happy. the look Melissa gives shauna at the end of the episode is so profoundly betrayed it hurts. ALSO, that means the origin of her arm injury ISN'T being shot by Shauna. is that seriously how she's gonna die or something? i mean, Melissa dying at the hands of shauna is delicious and expected, but it would be way too soon. so thats still a big scene from the trailer we still have no answers on.

ALSO, when Tai says Gen and Melissa are dead? Shauna's face was very weird. idk, suspicious. also, if there IS an eight survivor, obviously the other girls don't know about it, so it doesn't exactly rule that out. Hannah's daughter (from what we can kind of see through the window) doesn't really look like Hillary Swank so I'm still not convinced that's not adult Melissa. also, how would Hannah's daughter know about the symbol? or the queen of hearts reference? and who brought the tape back from the wilderness? AN EIGHT SURVIVOR, THATS WHO.

confirmation that it's been Other Tai for a long time now !!!!! just how long, im very excited to know. it seems like maybe the entire time van and tai have been together? but seriously, such a good plot point.

not totally convinced Shauna killed Lottie, though the evidence is damning. im highly suspicious of Walter so i dont fully trust what he's saying. no matter what, i think Lottie's death is not going to be what we suspect.

a thought just now: what if Shauna kills Hannah's daughter and that causes Van to get better suddenly??? omgggggggg

i think its fully possible that Hannah's daughter is not the stalker at all. as mentioned above, the stalker leaves a lot of clues that would require knowledge from someone who was IN the wilderness. Shauna repeatedly jumps to conclusions and blames anyone she can. what if she ends up blaming, interrogating, and killing another innocent person just because she's so angry and hurt and looking for someone to blame and hurt back, ONCE AGAIN? i still believe no one cut Shauna's break lines and no one locked her in the freezer. i do think that stuff was a coincidence meant to display Shauna's paranoia and distrusting nature. and also the power of coincidence that has so intensely taken a hold on these girls and caused them to make horrible violent decisions all throughout the show.

there BETTER be more shaunahat in the next ep i swear to god. i NEED to see them being weird and toxic again. Melissa being shot has left the perfect opportunity for that. i can imagine Melissa being angry but maybe also having a renewed desire to prove herself to Shauna? Its confirmed that she and Gen become close to Hannah, so i imagine she ends up confiding in/bonding with Hannah while she takes care of Melissa's wound. and i think Shauna is going to hate that. (just 1 more kiss though please please please yellowjackets writers WHY hasn't there been anymore just 1 kiss. maybe just 1 sweet little scene too c'mon. just 1 sex scene).

Tai is definitely going to kill someone. and adult Misty once again being the goat and being the only person to have a proactive mindset. Akilah you're too pure of heart. Akilah you're too trusting. Akilah you're too devoted to Lottie. Akilah get up i think you're next. AKILAH.

three episodes left...a lot can happen...i am a little disappointed that the chase scene in the teen timeline took the WHOLE episode. it probably could have been shortened a bit in lieu of some more crucial scenes...so far season 3 has been very on and off on the quality of its pacing. there are some times where i think its perfect and the exact of amount of stuff thats supposed to happen happens, and other time it feels too slow or too many scene are skipped over. why didn't we get any in between from spring to fall? but we DO get a whole long chase scene? its annoying.

but this episode was fucking crazy and i have faith in the finale three episodes and i will be living for them.

[confused-rat]

I kinda ended up watching Lily's Pokemon retrospective and it was fine at first.Nothing great or revolutionary, or even funny, but okay

Then she started modding in her Ralts, which felt unnecessary, but whatever. Kind of feels like it ruins the fun of making friends with new Pokemon, but that's just my opinion

Then she got to Black and White and I almost got scared by the way she repeatedly lost it on N? There was nothing funny about that. Especially if you remember that the kid was horrifically abused, but of course she doesn't mention that, she calls him a sweaty debate bro and derails the plot synopsis for minutes at a time to unload on him

Also she seems to think that every Gardevoir is her specific one, like from the Madhouse comics? Based on the way she talks about it and how she keeps posting images from that same comic and it's weird

She complains about Black and White having basic ass dialogue about dreams and ideals, but her favorite game series is Kingdom Hearts with its light and darkness galore

Oh and she kept addressing Junichi Masuda personally to blame him for everything she dislikes because he's the director? Kinda like how she blames Rebecca Sugar for everything Steven Universe. Junichi Masuda was the director of the game. The writer was called Toshinobu Matsumiya. It took me three seconds to google that

Junichi Masuda was also one of the composers, which is interesting because she was praising parts of the soundtrack in Ruby and Sapphire but didn't feel the need to name the people responsible for that

I actually didn't get farther than her Black and White review and after this, I'm not sure if I want to based on the velocity with which we hit rock bottom

Lily’s hatred of N is so weird. Like yeah, shit on the dude raised in a cult by an abusive father, who never knew how the real world worked and was raised thinking all Pokémon were horribly abused until he encountered the Player Trainer. Did she ever cover Blank and White 2? Or did she just bypass that bit of character insight?

(Oh hey, it’s worse in the manga!)

I’m not going to subject myself to a hours long Retrospective by a person who obviously doesn’t give a damn about the actual franchise or engaging with it in good faith. Power to you though anon for trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.

(Also, the way Lily can’t even do the bare minimum of looking up sound design or writers when she does these retrospectives/reviews just shows how, even if she didn’t do all the horrible shit she’s done to others, she would still be a shitty YouTube critic. She made a whole joke about a straight dude writing gay characters better than gay writers and didn’t even look the writer up to realize HE WASN’T EVEN STRAIGHT. Basic fucking research. Didn’t fucking bother, because she wanted to potshot Rebecca Sugar more.)

[nwnm7]

"That page establishes that Zuko was in fact Bryke's idea. They needed an episode by episode antagonist, sure, but the core ideas came from them. Of course, Ehasz and others later changed a lot, but Zuko (unlike Azula most likely) was Bryke's idea." No, it doesn't and he wasn't. The two weeks is a reference to the famous mad rush of ideas, just before they pitched the show to Nickelodeon. Zuko was added later, already during production.

From an article in the Entertainment Weekly:

"The standard ATLA fandom take for decades was that Ty Lee would forgive Azula instantly"

She forgives her for threatening her life, so it makes sense that people would think that.

"and that Zuko, a character who spends 90% of his time on the show plotting Azula's downfall"

Zuko did not spend 90% of the show plotting Azula's downfall, he was comparing himself to her, sure, but he only started seeing her as his enemy once he began to realize how evil and fundamentally wrong the FN was.

Which brings us to:

"would also forgive Azula instantly and dedicate his entire life to "redeeming her "

He would not instantly forgive her. But once Zuko accepts his role as the person who has to save his people, that includes Azula. Who is clearly damaged and needs to be fixed, if she is ever to be a productive member of society.

"while Mai would hate Azula forever"

For trying to kill Zuko, and trying to kill her. Doesn't matter how happy Mai was to see her or what ever.

The common expectation was that Mai would feel no responsibility towards Azula, who, from her perspective, would simply be a threat to Zuko and their family.

"You're the one who can't imagine how the truth about Ozai and Ursa murdering Azulon and usurping the throne getting out could be an interesting plot point which could pose unique problems for the royal family."

It could be an interesting plot point, sure, but, in his situation, it would not generate some additional major threat to Zuko's rule.

"Another case where you completely misunderstand what I was saying."

You are using the gay-nazi trope, which has been around since the 1940s. And it's clear that the gay part is not supposed to be a compliment.

The most recent example being Erik from Kingdom Come 2, almost exactly the guy you were describing. And, in accordance with the trope, his homosexuality is used to highlight how much of a pathetic, feminine loser he is.

"Anyways, child acting like she thinks her brother deserves his punishment when according to (cruel, wrong) cultural norms he deserves his punishment, according to her father he deserves his punishment"

A punishment that seemed to be uniquely extreme, even by the cruel standards of the Fire Nation.

Azula was written to be a uniquely sadistic and foul child. Who clearly choses to do harm and revels in the suffering it causes. Her evil is not accidental but thought out and deliberate. Like when she decides to taunt Zuko about his impending demise at the hands of his own father, trying to prolong and enhance his suffering, by making sure he understands the full horror of his situation.

We see multiple children in AtLA and not a single one of them comes close. The fact that Ozai had partially encouraged her bad behaviour is not an excuse, especially since Zuko, despite being under much more pressure, was still able to chose good.

"Zhao is also clearly smiling but you don't see people endlessly ranting about how he's an evil psycho abuser."

Ah, yes, since the battle hardened SS-Hauptsturmführer Zhao, smiles while watching a public execution of her brother, it totally nullifies the fact that Azula shows more sadistic glee to see Zuko suffer in a horrible way, than all the other people combined.

"And of course one of the main plot points of the series is that Zuko also believes he deserves what Ozai did to him"

A lifelong victim of severe torture and abuse, suffering mental problems as a result? Truly unprecedented!

And yet, he still choses to be a good person, despite the fact that it has to be a conscious effort on his part.

Meanwhile, Azula picked evil, and suffered a well deserved downfall. When the consequences of her choices came back to bite her. And she had ultimately lost everything she held dear to Zuko.

"it's because the ways you disagree are boring and uninteresting."

You are trying, with admirable determination, to wash away Azula's stains of being an evil abuser, and make her someone she's not.

And I am curious, why exactly are you defending her so much?

Why are you so adamant about finding ways to explain away Azula's cruelty?

Why Azula, who, even with the most charitable interpretation, enjoys hurting people even if she helps them?

This is going to be a controversial opinion

But I actually don't think the ATLA writers necessarily intended to write Azula as being abused by Ozai. You can look at some of the statements of people involved in the production of the show and see they make no real mention of the idea. And of course the core of ATLA was supposed to be easily comprehensible to seven year olds and they did nothing to explicitly establish the idea that Azula was abused by Ozai.

Despite all of this, it is extremely evident that Azula was abused by Ozai and mistreated by her family. It's one of the cases where fiction takes on a guise which escapes the intentions of the authors.

[youhavethewrong]

Yuiviews: Psychopomp GOLD, My Favorite Horrible Experience

I want to talk about how much I like this game, but in doing so, I have to be careful. Recommending horror is like recommending comedy - if you recommend it to the wrong person they'll think you have terrible taste. Not everyone will think that the things you personally find funny are funny, and not everyone will think the things you personally find scary are scary. But in that subjectivity, sometimes you find something that is so tailor-made to your specific fears tastes, it feels like you finally found someone that really understands what it means for something to be scary.

In this review, I'll try to exlpain why Psychopomp GOLD is my personal nightmare.

Explaining what makes Psychopomp (henceforth I won't mention the "GOLD" part of the title cuz it just means it's an enhanced version of the original) so scary is like explaining why a dish is tasty. I don't fucking know man, it just hits different! But this is a review after all, and no one would've liked Ratatouille if the ending was just the critic guy saying "it's a vibe", so I'll try.

I guess I could start with the first thing that'll stand out: its retro visuals that seem to combine the interface of an old PC Point and Click game, with the environment graphics of a PS1 horror game like Silent Hill or Nightmare Creatures.

In the story, a (I think unnamed?) girl figures out that everyone in the world has superpowers, and decided not to tell her. In retaliation, she builds the Psychopomp, a big helmet that allows her to se the world as it really is. When she puts it on, she finds out that there's secret dungeons underneath every government facility, filled with labyrinths and grotesque creatures. And so, she sets out to explore them and find the mysteries hidden within.

(She'd do numbers on tumblr)

You'll have noticed that the previous paragraph is fucking insane. That is because, to put it mildly, our protagonist could really use a friend to talk to. She is someone who believes in conspiracies, that the world is out to get her, and that violence is the answer. And you're quite literally playing the game through her eyes.

(If you don't know what inosculation is, I don't recommend looking it up. Picturing humans doing that isn't a pretty mental image)

Now, being alone in a horror game is nothing new. Countless franchises, such as Resident Evil, the aforementioned Silent Hill, and.... well, Alone in the Dark, base a lot of their horror on the very basic and universal human fear of being on your own in an unknown environment. I'd wager Fatal Frame wouldn't be nearly as scary if, say, Donald and Goofy followed you around to beat up the bad guys and cast poorly-timed cura spells on you, for example.

But here's the thing that Psychopomp did differently: You're not alone as the character, you're alone as the player. This is because the main character doesn't think any of this is scary. At all. She keeps her nervous, unblinking smile at all times even when beaten bloody. From her perspective, she's just going on an rpg-style adventure through different dungeons. She thinks you're a little bitch for being scared.

(She's not sweating because she's scared, she's sweating because she probably doesn't shower)

This further level of disconnect made me feel a level of isolation that I hadn't felt with previous horror games. In other games I had played, at least the main character freaking agreed with me that this wasn't an ideal situation to be in. But with this girly here I don't even have a fictional character to fake share my anxiety with, as her uncaring smile pushed me on to keep exploring, picking up, and killing things.

(She didn't react to this either, so I don't think she'll react to anything)

And why was I so anxious? Once again, "Horror game where you explore creepy environments and defeat enemies every so often" isn't exactly a novel idea. Well, one of the things that I think Psychopomp does best is just how good it is at making you deeply uncomfortable through the game's characteristics.

Your flashlight doesn't illuminate nearly as far enough. The healing items are a bit too hidden. Every time an enemy shows up they shriek a little too loudly. Every time you kill them the screen shakes a bit too much, a little too suddenly. There's always something a little bit out of frame that'll startle you if you turn too quickly.

(In my old habit of not looking at steam descriptions before purchasing games, I didn't realize this game had monsters in it. So imagine my surprise)

It's all little details, but really good horror always focuses on the details. And in Psychopomp, all of these and more add up to a uniquely uncomfortable and anxious experience.

But I saved my biggest praise of the game for last, and it's something you might've noticed already: IT ACTUALLY HAS AN ART STYLE! YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!

(LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT THIS! IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING SOMEONE DREW! OMG IM SO HAPPY I COULD CRY)

In broad strokes, horror games tend to have 4 art styles:

Realistic, if you want the horror to feel like something that could happen.

Anime, if you want people to feel bad for the cute young female protagonist.

Yume Nikki, if you're using RPG maker

Five Nights at Freddys, if you want to release an episodic unfinished mess that youtubers react to so you make mucho moola

As you may have noticed, all the art styles mentioned have a specific purpose, depending on what the developers are aiming towards. So having a horror game actually look distinct, to be actually bold enough to try something new that hasn't been proven to work before... well, it's a breath of fresh air. And not only is the game's art fantastic, but it also adds a lot to the creepily nonchalant attitude of the protagonist - her smile standing in opposition to the things unfolding in front of her, and her wide-open eyes being a clear signifier for her finally seeing the world as it truly is. Her pupils having multiple circles within both make her gaze more piercing and reminiscent of old timey crazy cartoon characters. It's all a fantastic case in favour of stylization with a purpose.

So yeah. I feel like I've spoken my piece. If there's anything else to add is that, at the time of this writing, I've only played 40 minutes because I got too anxious to keep going. And also I got an achievement for beating a level without healing which I did entirely because I didn't find any healing items all the way throughout.

(This isn't an achievement, this is cruelty)

If any of what I mentioned sounds interesting to you, give Psychopomp GOLD a try! It's a horrible, horrible experience that I can't recommend enough.

(To end this Yuiview, have this picture of Plushie That Makes Me Scream Because I Didn't Know It Existed Before The Makeship Campaign Ended #581)

[mrsfitzgerald]

richard & paul | tour'23 | part I ♡

[vaguely-concerned]

sometimes I think of all the on-the-surface warm, well-meaning but deeply ineffectual advice and attention john gives harrow through harrow the ninth (make some soup and get some sleep! get a hobby! don't be so hard on yourself! self care harrow! as long as I need take no actual responsibility in this relationship whatsoever I would have loved to be your dad!) set up against the stark truth that with his other hand he has been staging her attempted horrific murder again and again and again like a living nightmare on the logic that it will 'put her down or fix her'. and then I find that I wish there is a hell. a special hell where twitch streamers turned necromantic death emperors go