#it got. a little bit sadder than i intended it to be. but such is life in the lmntsfy universe unfortunately

[imbored1201]

hiii!

could you write something where teen r lives w ona and is always attatched to her but then lucy moves in with her and now r is upset bc she has to actually use her own bed and ona ends up buying a new bed or something.

:)

Ona’s Follower

Lucy x Ona x Teen Reader

Word Count: 2k

Yours and Ona's bond ran deep; the two of you had played in Manchester together. You were just 15 when you started playing with her; it was your first season coming from the academy, and she convinced you to move to Barcelona with her.

She always took care of you, and you practically followed her everywhere. She enjoyed the company though, teaching you everything, like how to cook her favorite Spanish dishes and even trying to teach you Spanish.

You feel the moment you really got attached to Ona was when she comforted you because of your frequent nightmares.

The two of you ended up being roommates when staying at a hotel with the United girls. 

You had hoped you wouldn't get a nightmare. That didn't go your way, considering you had one. 

You were woken up by Ona, who held you that night, and the next night, you had another one. 

Back at the apartment, you continued to sleep in Ona's bed. You realized sleeping with Ona helped you a lot since you stopped having nightmares, and it turns out Ona hated being alone in a bed to the point she had a lot of stuffed animals on her bed while she slept so she didn't feel alone. 

It was a huge win for both of you. 

————

You noticed something was going on between Ona and Lucy. Lucy was coming over every day now. You would always find them cuddling on the couch, and she would even pick you guys up to take you to training and games. 

You liked Lucy; she was funny and always brought you candy, and you always destroyed her in FIFA, so it was fun. 

————

Then the next step happened. Lucy moved in. You were panicking, to you, that meant you and Ona couldn't sleep in the same bed anymore. That made you disappointed, even sadder, watching Lucy unpack all her things. The good thing about it was that you were able to see Nala every day now. 

"Want to help me build this?" She was referring to a new dresser she had gotten. "Sorry, Luce, I need to go riding around." Lucy grinned, happy you were actually using the bike she had given you.

Ona was always complaining that you spent too much time in your room, so Lucy got you a bike, hoping it would motivate you to get out and go around the city.

That bike ride took a little bit longer than you intended. You did get caught up in your own head because, by the time you knew it, it was nighttime. Way past your cerfew. 

————

"Ona, calm down; she's fine; she probably just got caught up." Ona's eyes widened. "What if she got caught up doing something she isn't supposed to?" Lucy sighed, regretting her word choice. 

"Ona, she's a good kid; she knows not to do anything bad. She'll be back soon; you're tired; come on." Lucy led her to bed. Ona continued to stare down at her phone, waiting for any little text from you. 

She spent a couple of minutes lying down in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "She has a key, Ona. Come on, you have to let the kid do her own thing at times. She'll be back soon; if it makes you feel better, I'll stay up and wait for her." Ona sighed and nodded. 

By the time you got home, Lucy had already fallen asleep. She did wait an hour though; she was worried too, but once she finally received a 'I'm okay' text from you, that worry went away, and she fell asleep spooning Ona.

Once you finished your routine, you went to Ona's room. It was just a habit of yours at that point, and when you saw her and Lucy sleeping cuddled up in bed, something burned up inside you. Jealously and sadness. Tears started to build up in your eyes

You know it was probably childish, but it was just something you were used to. Ona had been your anchor; every time something went wrong, you went running to her. With Lucy there now, you felt like you couldn't do that anymore. 

You gently closed the door and walked to your room. It was weird sleeping in your own bed for once. You hadn't done that in forever; you grabbed one of Ona's hoodies that you stole and laid down, using it as a pillow. You hoped you wouldn't have a nightmare and fell asleep. 

————

Lucy was the first to wake that morning; she hated to admit it, but she completely forgot she didn't see you come the front door; she got lost in admiring Ona's beauty to remember. 

When Ona stirred, the first thing that came to her mind was you. She thought about last night and quickly sat up, not needing any time to fully wake up. 

Lucy noticed Ona's panicked expression when she looked at her. "What?" She asked, getting up. "Where's Y/N?!" She was panicky, walking out of the room to search for you.

Lucy quickly got up and followed her as Ona checked the living room and kitchen. Lucy checked your room, and there you were. Using Ona's sweater as a pillow and holding onto a stuffed teddy bear, Lucy won you at the fair. She even won Ona one, then bragged about being too good at everything. 

"Ona, she's in here," she quietly said, gently closing your door. Ona was about to barge into your room, but Lucy gently grabbed her. "She's sleeping." Ona sighed in relief and went back to the kitchen to make apology pancakes for you. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lucy put her hand on Ona's hips. "Fuck Lucy, we shouldn't have slept in the same bed. I'm sorry. Y/N, she always sleeps with me; the poor girl gets these bad nightmares, and they stopped when she started sleeping with me" 

Lucy looked understanding and thought for a little bit. "You know, we need to get a bigger bed anyway; it would be beneficial for everyone and maybe even encourage a little more action," she smirked. Ona raised her eyebrows. "Lucy, we are not talking about sex while there is a child in the bedroom."

"Of course not; that's why we send her to Mapi and Ingrid's. What I'm trying to say is, let's get a bigger bed so she can sleep with us."

Ona's face lit up, and she immediately grabbed her car keys. "I'm going to look at bigger beds," she told Lucy, and left. Lucy quickly took over, smirking to herself for being a genius. 

————

That whole day, you only came out to eat the pancakes and for dinner. Lucy took control and barged into your room. You ended up crushing her in FIFA again.

It was now 10 p.m., and you were thirsty, your eyes hurt from playing video games all day, and you had done nothing productive all day. Mostly trying to get used to the fact that your room was actually going to be your room for once. 

————

"What's wrong?" Ona asked noticing your frown, you jumped, almost dropping your water. You weren't expecting Ona and Lucy to still be up at this time watching their romantic movies. "Nothing, just thirsty."

"Come watch the movie with us." Lucy made room between her and Ona. You shook your head, "I'm going to bed." Lucy didn't give up, though; she got up and threw you over her shoulders. 

"Luce," you whined. She threw you on the couch, and Ona was quick to hug you, so you couldn't get up. You sighed, paying attention to the movie. 

You were exhausted by the end of the movie, the comfort of Ona being next to you made it harder to keep your eyes open. You let your head fall against Lucy's shoulder. 

"How about you two snuggle in tonight? I'll take the couch. Then we'll go get the thing tomorrow." Lucy winked at Ona at the last part. You were confused but too tired to argue. The bed was being delivered tomorrow morning; it was just up to Lucy to bring it in on her own and build it. 

Ona led you to her room, where you collapsed on her bed. “Did you have any nightmares last night?” She asked as she got in beside you. You shook your head, rolling into her body and cuddling into her chest. She wanted to apologize for making you sleep in your own bed that night, but you had already fallen asleep. 

————

Once again, you woke up to no Ona. You huffed and got up, stealing a sweater that you were pretty sure was Lucy’s. “Ona?” You called out. 

You heard the front door opening and someone grunting. Nala started barking at whatever it was, so you made your way to the noise, thinking it was Ona. You let out a sad sigh when you saw it was Lucy. You loved her, but all the woman made was eggs in the morning, and you wanted Ona’s special pancakes again.

"Where's Ona?" You asked Lucy, who was struggling to bring in a mattress. "Store," she spoke out of breath. 

"What are you doing?" You asked. It was pretty obvious, but your brain was way too confused right now, and you had to ask questions. She let out some deep breaths before speaking. "Putting in the new mattress"

"Can I help?" She shrugged. "Sure, pull it," you grunted as you did what you were told. Ona wasn’t actually sure if the mattress would fit through the door; she just hoped it would. "Finally,” Lucy said, when the mattress finally got past the door. 

You were Lucy’s helper, playing with the tools, giving her whatever she needed, completely forgetting about your hunger. She proudly patted your back when everything was finished. 

"This calls for ice cream." She put a hand on your shoulder and led you out. You looked at her confused, but just went along with it. "I haven’t had breakfast," she shrugged. "It's fine.”

————

"Kid, you know I'm not going to take Ona from you, right?" You paused from where you were eating your ice cream and nodded, but you weren't actually sure how you felt. 

"Ona adores you; trust me, in a house fire, she would save you over me." You smiled at that. “But it’s fair; I would save Nala before the both of you."

"You promise you'll take care of her?" She nodded before adding, "I'm going to take care of both of you, I promise." She put out her pinky finger, which you took with yours. 

"That's why we bought the new mattress; it's bigger so all three of us could fit on that bed," you had a confused look on your face again, "Won't you be uncomfortable?" Lucy shook her head and let out a little laugh.

“Of course not; at this point, you’re my stepkid, you’re my favorite stepkid, and Nala is my favorite kid." She smiled proudly at that, and you appreciated it in a way. "Thanks, Lucy; I guess I understand why Ona fell for you now." “I’m just charming, ain’t I?” "Nevermind"

————

You still didn’t believe Lucy was actually comfortable with you being there, which is why you got ready to sleep in your own bed again. Lucy broke into your room once again, a rare stern look on her face. 

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked, her arms crossed. “I don’t want to disturb.” Lucy once again threw you over her shoulder and carried you to the bed. 

She set you down close to Ona who smiled at you. 

“Sleep bebita,” Ona spoke, spooning you. Lucy got into bed, leaving you squished in between them. Lucy got closer to you, making you push her away. “You have all that space over there."

“Shut up and let me cuddle you." You rolled your eyes and squirmed away from her, but she felt you relaxing after a couple of seconds. Your eyes were closing, and in a couple of seconds, you were out.

“Thank you for making an effort with her, Lucia.” Lucy nodded as she stroked your hair. 

“I’m just the stepdad that stepped up, ain’t I?” Lucy grinned, Ona rolled her eyes, holding you tighter. “Buenas noches Bronze”

[xpao-bearx]

"Like A Virgin"

Steven Grant x Fem!Reader/Jake Lockley x Fem!Reader/Marc Spector x Fem!Reader

Read Part 1 HERE

Read Part 2 HERE

Read Part 3 HERE

NOTES: I literally put my whole heart and pussy into the previous part and it's just so THRILLING to see all the immense love and support!! 🥺❤️❤️❤️

I'm reeeally hoping y'all will like this part, too! Steven has an extremely special place in my heart, but this time we're shifting focus and giving our lovably murderous Moon Boy JAKE his time to shine!! \(^o^)/

Now as we all know, Jake unfortunately hasn't had a lot of screen time yet. I also watched Moon Knight for the third time and besides his confirmed appearance in the post-credits, there are some other more subtle scenes that I'm PRETTY sure Jake was in and it was a lot of fun for me to think so and obsess over!

But I digress! Anywhore, as I was saying, since Jake hasn't been on a lot the way I write him is PURELY made up. Of course, I try my best to capture the vibes I personally get from him, but until Season 2 drops (because I am NOT giving up on that) we don't know for certain what his personality's actually like (and I haven't read the comics please don't shoot me). It was a little challenging, but I really enjoyed getting to explore Jake and his perspective quite a bit! Though he ended up being a bit sadder than I intended CUZ THIS BOI JUST NEEDS AND DESERVES A WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN'❣️

Furthermore, I am not a Spanish speaker. Jake obviously is and I wanna stay as true as possible to the character by having him speak some (*cough* S E X Y *cough*) Spanish throughout, but if I made any mistakes at all then please kindly correct me as I mainly just use Google Translate and/or search up Spanish terms! For example, I was made aware that "ese" means "that" in Spanish. However, it's also Spanish slang for "dude", "man", etc. and I just find it fitting for Jake to call the boys that 😅

Also, Jake is...rough 😳 Don't worry, he loves and cares about you a LOT, but this is a fair WARNING in case you're not into that! And this part got pretty long, IDK I probs blacked out somewhere in the middle and this is le horny result~

Additionally, do y'all think the relationship between reader x Steven/the boys is going too fast? I really try to make it as natural as possible, but hey this is only fiction after all and I think Steven, for one, falls in love FAST since in the show he was already simping for Layla the first time they met 😂 But I can't judge Steven cuz I'd be the same if I ever met Oscar Isaac I mean, I'm already simping now but YOU GET IT

And a lil funny coincidoink, Like A Virgin came on the radio which I guess was your guys' universal push for me to continue this ASAP!

I truly am sorry for the wait!! Life is hard but I simp harder xD

TAGS: @autismsupermusicalassassin @ungracefularchimedes @pimosworld @ababynova @sweatyroadcowboyjudge @anapnovo-blog @am-3-thyst @harrys-tittie @zukoisbabee @wiltedwonderland @the-ginger-draws @bitchyglitterfox @readingfan @spidey-3 @minigirl87 @wandasupremacy @simba-will-live-on @wavychelle @thepowerthismanhasoverme @blackholegladiator @kittytiddywinks @literalfkinsimp @valen-yamyam16 @shaunalouie @howellatme @aleat0ri0 @bean-is-reading @indigxjunipxr

Part 4: Gonna give you all my love, boy

Your chest rose and fell with each soft, blissful snore. Your face void of any burden, open and peaceful; plump lips parted slightly, looking so kissable. And that's exactly what Steven did, lonely lips descending to meet yours--his slumbering goddess.

An insatiable part of him longed for you to awaken, to spend more time fumbling around in the sheets until sunrise. But he knew, more than anyone else, that sleep was important. And he had no doubt that after all the...unique events that progressed your relationship, you deserved all the rest you can get.

Like the proper gentleman he was, he had cleaned you up before snuggling in bed together until dreams inevitably consumed you. And now here you were, using one of his arms that he can't feel anymore as your pillow and your bodies exchanging heat.

Then his mouth lowered, down your chin, to your throat, and to the delicate dip between your neck and shoulder. Planting butterfly kisses on your skin, lips tracing and eyes memorizing every perfect imperfection that dotted your body like constellations.

He noticed your breathing slowly growing uneven, your nipples salaciously peaking through your tank top. He knew he had to stop. He had to, but...

He lifted his free hand, inching towards your breasts before freezing, clenching into a tight fist that had his nails digging into his palm.

His cheeks bloomed red, pulling away and laying on his back as he stared up blankly at the ceiling. What the fuck was he doing?

"Jake, mate... I know you're there, might as well say something, yeah?" Steven whispered.

'Your senses are improving, ese.' Jake snickered. 'Is that why you stopped? No need to be shy, it's just the same as watching porn.'

Steven turned redder, clearing his throat. "Jake, you know you can meet Y/N too, right?"

Silence greeted him. Steven waited patiently, giving his alter all the time he needed. As rough around the edges as they may be, the boys all cared about each other and Steven knew that all Jake needed--deserved--was time. Hell, he and Marc didn't even know Jake existed for a while until he finally felt comfortable enough to reveal himself.

'Nah, ese.' Jake snorted, though his voice held a certain heaviness to it. 'She's all yours. You deserve her, Steven.'

"You're a part of me, Jake. You deserve her, too."

'Don't think your little cariño would appreciate it so much that you're wanting to hand her off to some other asshole.' Jake scoffed.

"I'm not 'handing her off', you git. I wanna...share." Steven mumbled the latter, gulping thickly.

'Steven...' Jake sighed, but Steven sensed intrigue in his tone. 'I don't know what the fuck you expect from this talk, ese. We only share the same body, that's it.'

"You're lying and you know it. Two months working with Y/N, I never said anything, but I knew you were always there. This damn body isn't the only thing we share, 'cause I know your feelings are just the same as mine."

It was then that you mewled softly, shifting and wrapping an arm around Steven's waist and cuddling close to his side with a content little smile on your lips as you slept.

Steven melted and he felt Jake do so, too.

"I'm not giving you an out, mate." Steven chuckled, pressing a tender kiss to the top of your head. "I'm absolutely buggered and so are you."

♡•••🌙•••♡

Steven, that absolute fucking puta.

As soon as Jake opened his eyes, dread filled him. Slowly turning his head and seeing your back to him, he knew Steven gave up control at some point and forced Jake to come out from the shadows.

He's tried multiple times to drag that pendejo back out, but Steven has obviously put up a block between them. Jake sighed frustratedly, his gaze lingering on you once more.

His heart ached. And fuck it hurts.

He wasn't Steven.

He did not deserve you.

He was dirty--rotten. He was only good for causing pain; even the ways in which he protected the boys were brutal, inhumane.

And he loved the chaos. Thrived in it.

When Steven met you for the first time, two months ago, that was what Jake intended to cause as well. Pain. Heartbreak.

Nothing more than another pretty notch to add to his belt.

But you...surprised him. You actually cared about Steven, gave him basic human respect and the time of day when no one else did and just fucking listened. Accepted him with open arms and such a kind, blinding smile. And pretty soon, Jake yearned for that, too. From you. Just you.

You didn't even know he existed--you didn't fucking care about him--and yet you smashed his glass heart into a thousand pieces, leaving him to find the sharpest shard and continuously stab himself as punishment.

That's what he deserved. Not you.

But oh... You looked so cold. Why were you so far away? What the hell were you thinking, pulling away from him?

Like a lion stalking its prey, Jake crawled towards you until he was on top of you. His dark eyes trailed down your sleeping form, so beautiful, so vulnerable. He didn't realize his hand was shaking slightly as it reached up to caress your face, breath hitching as his thumb glided across your bottom lip before slowly slipping it inside your mouth.

He watched, completely entranced, as your saliva coated his thumb and the way in which you squirmed so that you were now laying on your back, facing him. You were still asleep, though your brows creased together and your breathing grew shallow.

What were you dreaming about, Jake wondered? Were you dreaming about last night? Steven didn't feel him then, but Jake was there and it was the best torture he's ever endured.

He can make you feel good--better. And if there was any room in your heart (and legs) for him, he'd more than happily prove it to you.

But you were so kind, so sweet... Surely you'd accept him, too, right?

Surely you'd relieve him of his huge fucking hard-on, right?

He found himself lowering, lowering, lowering--then stopped just as his lips were about to meet yours.

No...

You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve him.

As if he was just burnt, he sprang away from you and sat at the foot of the bed, keeping as much distance as possible. His head hung low, hands scrubbing his face in frustration before turning into self-loathing slaps.

He quickly got a hold of himself, lest you have a cruel awakening to him. Not Steven.

He looked over his shoulder. You really did look cold. He unchained the ankle restraint then stood up, walking over to your side and tucking the blanket over your unfairly scantily clad body.

God... How he wished he was the one keeping you warm.

He then shook his head, glancing towards the wall clock. 5:40 a.m.

He can sneak out and do some business for Khonshu. And by the time he returns, hopefully Steven does, too.

He has to.

♡•••🌙•••♡

You rolled over in bed, expecting to cuddle up next to something much more solid than a pillow. Your brows furrowed, a hand flying out to pat the bed and not finding what--who--it was seeking.

Your eyes snapped open and you bolted upright. You looked around in a frenzy, eyes still bleary with sleep and finding the apartment completely empty.

You then noticed the time on the wall clock. 7:20 a.m.

You were off work today, but you weren't sure if Steven had a shift. But even if he did, it was still too early for the museum to open.

So...

Where the hell was Steven?

He couldn't have ditched you...could he? No, that wasn't possible, this was his flat.

But wait... What if this was his subtle way of telling you to get lost? That he didn't want to see you still here when he comes back from wherever the fuck he went to?

You overstayed your welcome, didn't you? This was what it was about, isn't it? This was all your fault, right?

You were on the verge of hyperventilating when, at the corner of your eye, you spotted a bright yellow sticky note on top of the books on the bedside table. You quickly ripped it off, reading the messy, rushed handwriting.

Don't know when I'll be back. Just relax. Food for you is in the kitchen, amor.

You blinked away tears you didn't realize were forming once, twice, then bursted into laughter.

"Fuck, seriously, what is wrong with me?" You berated yourself, still laughing.

This was Steven. Of course he would never abandon you, and you would never abandon him.

He proved it to you, after all. The memories of last night terrorizing your brain once more, making you blush like a virgin (which you were--for now).

You wanted to prove yourself to him, too. And you're sure you'll think of something, but at the moment you became distracted as your eyes landed on Steven's black sweatshirt sprawled carelessly across the floor.

You put on your glasses then hopped off of the bed and picked up the sweatshirt, tugging it on and letting out a giggle as it drooped over your thighs, turning the sleeves into little hand mittens and your body and heart just feeling so warm.

You ambled over to the kitchen, seeing a plate of slightly burnt toast and scrambled eggs clumsily covered in plastic wrap on the small dining table. You chuckled softly, taking the plastic off before sitting down and having breakfast.

As you chewed, once again your brain couldn't help but wander off.

It was only a little thing. Such a stupid thing, really. But still, it just would not stop nagging you.

Amor. It was French for 'love'.

But... Steven didn't spell it with a U. It was supposed to be amour.

Amor, no U, was the Spanish spelling. And Steven, who seemed fluent in French, should know that.

But people make mistakes, and who were you to judge such a minuscule, silly mistake?

Before you could entertain yourself by ruminating over such nonsense some more, your ears perked up when you heard the lock click and the door opening and shutting close. You kept quiet, watching as Steven slowly trudged in.

He was wearing a flat cap and a trench coat, and from your spot in the kitchen he hasn't noticed you yet. But he looked...different.

You couldn't quite explain it, but he seemed...tense. On edge. An air of agitation surrounding him, stiff in his movements yet carrying a sense of confidence at the same time.

Wild.

You then swallowed, standing up from your chair and silently making your way over to Steven with his back turned to you as he busied himself with stripping off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack.

You wrapped your arms around his waist, feeling him jolt. But before he could react, you spoke up.

"I missed you..." You murmured, embracing him more tightly as you pressed your cheek to his back. "Don't do that again, please. At least wake me up if you're leaving."

Steven didn't say anything, completely rigid and gloved hands balled into tight fists.

Then it clicked.

"You're not Steven...are you?"

His shoulders jerked, and you pulled your face away to look up at him. But you never removed your arms, keeping them in place around his waist.

Then his shoulders drooped, hearing him take a sharp intake of breath before ever so slowly turning his head over his shoulder.

"Caught red-handed." His lips curled up into a smirk, dark eyes gleaming down at you. "You're much more observant than I thought, princesa."

Your breath hitched, mouth agape and eyes blown wide as you gawked at him. You didn't know what to feel. Well, there was definitely excitement, but you weren't sure if it was appropriate for you to feel such a way.

Regardless, you were glad Steven was open and honest with you from the get-go. You knew, at some point, it was inevitable that you'd meet the two other men he's mentioned. So, you weren't too taken aback to be experiencing this right now.

"Judging from your accent and what you called me just now... You must be Jake?" You queried, cocking your head to the side as you stared up at him. Funny, he shared the exact same body as Steven, but he was still...different. The way he held himself, the little quirk to his lips, the look in his eyes--it was all very distinct.

"Don't see why you gotta keep asking me questions, princesa. Seems like ya got it all figured out." Jake scoffed, amusement in his tone.

"Well... You certainly made an...impression when you asked me out." You spoke slowly, carefully, as if not daring to spook some wild animal. You wanted Jake to feel safe, welcomed; because it felt like Jake hasn't at all expected to be here right now, but you wanted to let him know that you didn't mind him. You were happy to be meeting him.

But Jake took it the wrong way. He read your body language as aloof, like you were just trying to be polite. And why wouldn't you be? You were naturally kind, but he knew better.

He was absolutely not supposed to be here. He was never supposed to meet you, never planned to. After all, you preferred Steven.

...Didn't you?

His jaw ticked, his hands untangling your arms around his waist before he spun on his heel to fully face you. You gasped as he did, paling at the sight of blood on his shirt.

"What happened?!" You panicked, your hands immediately touching his body, eyes frantically searching for any injuries. "Did someone hurt you?! Oh my god, who did this to you?!"

"It's not my blood."

You froze, a chill coursing through your veins. Slowly, your head tilted up, meeting his gaze. It was much darker than before, flecks of savagery brewing within. And yet, you also saw...loneliness.

Longing.

"Are you scared, Y/N?"

You held your breath, his voice cracking as he uttered your name for the first time. It was a simple question that had a painfully simple answer.

"I am."

Jake shut his eyes, inhaling deeply and letting it out in a wavering breath.

He fucking knew it.

"Jake..." His eyes snapped open at your voice, so soft, so unexpectedly calm. "Will you...hurt me?"

"I would never." He whispered--promised--holding your gaze sincerely. "I couldn't."

"I'm scared of the...things you can do, Jake." You admitted, noticing his Adam's apple bob as he gulped. His gaze fell to the floor, but you reached up, gently cupping the side of his face. "But...I'm not scared of you."

Jake met your eyes once more, his hardened expression softening as he sighed, nuzzling into your comforting hand. For the first time in a long time, he felt...safe. He was not one of Khonshu's pawns, he was not Steven or Marc's ruthless protector, he was simply...

Jake Lockley.

"I'm sorry..." He murmured, trembling hand reaching out and caressing your cheek; tenderly, fondly, lovingly. "I...was never supposed to meet you. I was fine watching you quietly. But last night, Steven said he wanted us to meet. For me to be a...part of what you have with him."

A deafening silence rang in your ears. Jake watched you with those intense, soulful eyes, brows furrowed and jaw clenched as he waited with bated breath for your reaction. Any reaction.

"Jake..." You have no idea how you even managed to speak, your volatile heartbeat replacing the silence. "Take a shower first, we'll talk after."

♡•••🌙•••♡

Water dripped from Jake's hair, his hands pressed against the wall with his head tilted down as he watched the pristine white tiles of the shower's floor stain red.

This was an all too familiar situation for him. Washing off blood that didn't belong to him, his body getting cleaned though never his damned soul. But it never bothered him before...until now.

He knew there was a chance you'd be awake when he returned, but he figured that he can just pretend to be Steven at least until that idiot takes control of the body again. Jake's done it convincingly enough a few times before back when Steven and Marc were still unaware of his existence, acting as one of them whenever something triggered them and he suddenly had to front.

But when you hugged him, he just...froze. It felt as if he was struck by lightning because this was real--you were real. Your heart-wrenching kindness and beauty were all directed towards him, and he was no longer just a pathetic fly on the wall through Steven's eyes.

But how could he be so fucking dumb? He never should've shown himself, he should've stayed away from the apartment even if it took all day and just let Steven deal with the consequences. And yet...he came back.

Because, the absolute truth is, he wanted to meet you. At his very core, he was a selfish bastard who wanted to be with you, no matter the punishment inflicted on him--he inflicts on himself.

But was he really being selfish?

As drastically different as they were, Steven and Marc managed to control their own separate lives. Steven had his job that he despised, but also the comfort of regularly getting a paycheck that provided for his daily needs. Marc was Khonshu's (main) Avatar and as draining as it was, he could still unwind after a long day with a pack of beer and a Chicago Cubs game playing on TV.

And then, of course, there were Moon Knight and Mr. Knight that ultimately tied them together.

But what about Jake? Was he nothing more than a punching bag for Marc and Steven, only seizing command and handling whatever shitshow they got themselves into that they were too weak to finish?

Jake knew that was his job--his purpose. And honestly, it was okay. He cared about the boys, and keeping them safe meant the same for him as well.

...Until you came along. And for the first fucking time, he actually wanted something. Yearned for someone. Just for himself, and not because of anyone else's expectations or demands of him.

He didn't realize it until you came crashing into Steven's--and his--life like some fucking meteorite, but he was empty. And on the extremely rare occasions that Jake was entitled to the body all for himself, he grew tired of being tired from aimlessly hopping bar to bar. Nearly wiping all his fucking memories out with heavy drinks and the need--the desperation--to forget about the problems he deliberately ignores, hides, even for one single measly night through fucking some random stranger he didn't and won't ever care about.

But you weren't a stranger, that was perfectly clear. Days bled into weeks, and weeks into months; and here you were now, looking all cute--tempting--wearing Steven's sweatshirt, eating breakfast in his home, as his girlfriend.

Steven's girlfriend. Not Jake's girlfriend.

"Jake, you know you can meet Y/N too, right?"

Steven's words from last night echoed in Jake's head, taunting him. And the ridiculous proposition that followed afterwards, of the two of them sharing you.

"You're a part of me, Jake. You deserve her, too."

And maybe, just maybe...Steven's right.

Maybe Jake did deserve you.

But did you deserve him?

"What's got you looking all emo?" Jake's head abruptly whipped around, seeing you with one hand holding the shower curtain open while the other clutched onto a towel covering your body.

Your naked body.

Jake's mouth went dry, completely paralyzed. All he could do was let his eyes scan you from head to toe, undressing you in his mind. He's already seen you last night and he thought he'd be fine just basking you in from Steven's point of view, but oh...he thought dead wrong.

Because now he really wanted to touch you. Feel you. Make you come undone, all because of him. All for him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" His question came out sharper than he intended it to, eyes narrowing as he watched your gaze drop, shifting on your feet uncertainly along with the tantalizing way you bit your lip.

You seemed to be engaging in a silent war with yourself before you shook your head, straightening up as you dared to meet his eyes and slowly dropped the towel to the floor.

"I told Steven this before, but I prefer to get things over with." You smiled a bit sheepishly, stepping into the shower; the warm drizzle of water helped to thaw the ice cold sensation anxiety gripped you with. "I'm a very impatient woman, Mr. Lockley."

"And you think jumping into the shower completely naked with a man you barely know is the answer to your impatience, señorita?" Jake arched a brow, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, it's not like I can get into the shower with clothes on, right? That's just fucking stupid." You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes. "Besides... It's because I want to get to know you that I'm here."

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, princesa." Jake murmured, his smirk instantly vanishing; that furrowed brows, clenched jaw sternness once more overtaking his striking features as he regarded you. "I'm not your sweet, sensitive little boyfriend. I'm not Steven." He practically hissed out the name, though there was more sadness to it than venom.

"This isn't a game to me, Jake." You stated firmly, standing your ground as you held your chin high and levelled your gaze with his. "None of this is. I take Steven very seriously--I take our relationship very seriously." You paused, taking a deep, shaky breath. "And I know, maybe I'm moving too fast, and I totally understand your doubts about this--about me. But I'm not a fucking dumbass. I know you're not Steven and I like you, anyway."

Jake was rarely speechless, but even as his mouth parted to say something--anything--nothing came out. He felt something fall down his cheek, and he wasn't too sure if it was water or the strange liquid that suddenly made his vision all blurry.

But he didn't have much time to ponder on it when your hand gently pressed against his cheek, your eyes kind and full of adoration, the same adoration you always bless Steven with and something Jake believed was only a far-off miracle for him.

"Y/N..." He choked out, glossy dark eyes intently set on you. "I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster, Jake." You were quick to counter, taking a step closer, now being chest to chest with Jake. "You're a part of Steven, and anything--anyone--that's a part of him is beautiful. And you sure as hell deserve to live your own life, too. And, well, if you'll have me..." You blushed, looking down. "...I would really, really like to get to know you better, Jake Lockley."

Silence smothered you, wrapping its invisible claws around your neck, and you now fully understood what people meant when they say something takes forever. You thought it would be easier and much less frightening if the ground actually opened up and swallowed you whole, but Jake finally put you out of your misery, his hand turning off the shower and a low chuckle bubbling out of him.

"Well... Damn." He smirked, cocking his head down at you, though his smug demeanour couldn't mask the rosiness that dusted his cheeks. "You really do like me and Steven, huh, querida? Or maybe it's just your boobs up against me that's convincing me."

"Well, if it's helping you to believe me, then I'm not complaining." You giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck, pushing your breasts against him. Both of your breaths stuttered at the close, intimate contact, and you whimpered as his hands landed on your hips, callused fingers squeezing your soft flesh.

"Dios mío..." He growled lowly, his hands slowly, reverently travelling up the curves of your body, leaving a burning wake, before dipping once more and giving your ass a hard smack.

"Ah..!" You gasped, lurching forward, your face bumping against his solid chest. You felt his chest vibrate as a deep laugh rumbled out of him, one hand fisting your hair and pulling your head back.

"I ain't lying when I said I'm not your sweet, sensitive boyfriend." There was mania in his eyes, baring shiny white teeth as he grinned widely at you; like a shark who's smelled blood--your blood--from a mile away, he's set his target and can't be satisfied by anything, anyone else. "Then again, if you could see Steven's thoughts like I can, 'sweet and sensitive' aren't completely accurate for him."

You gulped, but not from fear. You squeezed your thighs together, pupils dilating as you stared up at Jake. "I-I don't mind if you or Steven aren't sweet and sensitive. I wanna be treated nice, but there are plenty of ways 'nice' can be translated to..." You placed a hand on his abs, lips parting as you traced along his taut muscles, looking like some fucking Greek sculpture--a god--with the way his wet body shimmered a divine bronze. "Don't you think so...Papi?"

With no warning, you felt the air get knocked out of you as his lips collided with yours, attacking you; tongues intertwining with a clash of teeth, the moist smack of your lips harmonizing with the vulgar moans Jake drew out of you.

You felt Jake's neediness, the desperation underlying his roughness--as if this was not just the first, but the only time he'd get to kiss you and have you for himself.

As if you'd ever allow for this to be the only time.

Your hands fell to his shoulders, nails breaking his skin and marking him with crescent indents. He groaned as you did, kissing you with even more fervour, fiery passion never ceasing as you both chased after that hellish ecstasy; seizing, bruising, suffocating you.

More, more, more. Giving and taking, taking, taking.

You just could never have enough, clueless as to where you started and Jake ended, Jake's tongue practically down your throat now. You know you needed air, your eyes rolling to the back of your head, but your body refused.

If this was how you died, then you'd die an elated woman.

But Jake suddenly pulled away from you, making you whine loudly. Your hands pawed at his chest, tears springing to your eyes and your ears couldn't even register the pitiful pleas that tumbled out of your mouth for more, more, more.

"You're such a fucking slut, aren't you, mi amor?" Jake snickered, one hand wrapping around your neck, thumb stroking the column of your throat, squeezing just enough to feel as if your head was floating. "Steven always saw you as this pure, innocent angel. But you're not, aren't you? You wanna be corrupted, don't you? You wanna be my pretty little devil, slut?"

"I'll be anything for you, Papi." You replied breathlessly, tears staining your scarlet cheeks. "Just be my everything."

"I'll be whatever--do whatever--for you, mi vida." His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but you heard him loud and clear, his earnesty and sweetness cloying. His other hand caressed your face before he leaned down, his tongue licking away your salty tears, a reprieve from the rapturous flames that engulfed him. "Now... What do you want Papi to do?" He purred, smirking wolfishly down at you. "You want me to fuck you? Spread your little virgin pussy, fill you up with my cock? Wanna see how much you can take, cariño. Take all my cum, don't waste a single fucking drop."

As tempting as his filthy words were, as much as you wanted to, you remembered how Steven refused to have sex with you last night. Of his promise that he'll make love to you another time, when he was better prepared with condoms. And fuck, you wanted him--them--so badly. Steven and Jake. But you respected Steven and his decision, and you did also want for your lovemaking to be special.

"Can I taste your cock, Papi?" You asked, biting your lip as you met Jake's gaze shyly. You felt like a mouse and he was the lion, yet you held the power in whatever was going to happen. "I-I promise I'll take it all... Take all your cum, like a good girl."

Jake knew that you chose not to have sex with him out of respect for Steven, and that only made him love you more. He felt a pang in his heart and a smile tugged up the corners of his lips, eyes locking with yours, full of tenderness and affection.

Right then and there, he knew that you were "the one". For him and Steven.

"Get on your knees like a good fucking girl, then." He breathed, and you didn't hesitate as you instantly dropped to your knees, breasts jiggling slightly as you did. Your eyes widened as his cock stood proudly, mere inches away from your face.

"I...I'm sorry if I'm...bad." Your voice came out as a squeak, mentally slapping yourself before clearing your throat. "I-I've never done this before!"

"You better have not or else I'll hunt down and kill all the fuckers you've ever been with." He barked out a laugh, but his eyes were dark and serious.

Murder was not something Jake Lockley ever joked about, after all.

Strangely enough, you found his possessiveness...sexy. Which only meant that Jake was already corrupting you.

But was that really such a bad thing?

You shook your head, focusing on the cock--erm, task--at hand. Your hand wrapped around his shaft, hearing Jake breathe sharply through his nose as you did. You licked your lips as you watched the pre-cum drip out of the tip, so curious, so transfixed like a moth to a flame.

Your tongue then darted out, experimentally licking the milky fluid. Jake threw his head back with a guttural groan; you've barely even started, and it made you fucking giddy that he reacted like this.

"Jake..." You murmured, giggling softly. You peered up at him through your long lashes, flashing him a dazzling smile. "You're so beautiful, Jake."

"That ain't something you should call a man, mi vida." Jake scoffed, but the crimson tint on his cheeks have spread like wildfire to the tips of his ears and neck. "Especially not when you're the beautiful one."

"Going soft on me now, Jakey?" You teased lightheartedly, slowly beginning to stroke his length.

Jake's breath hitched, brows furrowing as he watched you intently, attentively. "You really are a little devil, Y/N." He chuckled deeply, and you knew that meant trouble. "You think I'm going soft? Looks like you really have a lot you need to know about me."

Like before, his hand fisted your hair, pulling your head back and making you look up at him. "Open up, slut." And you did, opening your mouth and sticking your tongue out. You flinched slightly as his cock hit your tongue, his other hand grabbing his member and moving it around on your tongue, painting it white.

"Now you're gonna be a good cocksucker, got it?" He grinned down devilishly at you, eyes twinkling with sheer, wicked glee. "You're gonna make Papi cum, like the good whore that you are."

You nodded hastily, eagerly. And you just couldn't fucking take it anymore, jostling forward and burying his cock in your wet, hot mouth.

"That's. Fucking. It." Jake hissed, his grip on your hair tightening ever so slightly. Slowly, you began to bob your head, your mouth accommodating his size. You briefly wondered how anyone could ever even compare this to a banana or a popsicle stick; it was much bigger and your jaw started to hurt, which Jake quickly noticed as you tensed.

"Hey, relax." He cooed, reaching down to tenderly wipe away the tears you didn't realize were flowing down your cheeks. "Easy, Y/N. Relax your mouth, loosen up your throat... Fuck, yeah, that's it. Keep going, hermosa."

With newfound confidence and assurance, you gradually increased your pace. You hollowed your cheeks, your tongue sliding along the underside of his cock with each rhythmic bop of your head. Up, down, up, down--Jake's sinful groans bouncing off the walls of the bathroom, never breaking eye contact as you burned all of him into memory.

Then your surprised gasp was muffled as his foot pressed against your clit, only offering you a cocky smirk in return.

He began to move his foot, his toes budging your clit and stroking along your pussy. You moaned around his cock, grinding against his foot for more friction. Then his other hand grabbed onto your hair, both of his hands now pushing and pulling your head up, down, up, down--drool spilling down the sides of your mouth, resisting the urge to gag as the tip of Jake's cock pounded your throat, your hands floundering to his thighs as you clung on for dear life.

"Fuck, look at you... Una putita tan bonita solo para mí." He laughed, the thrusts of his hips growing fiercer, more rabid as he mercilessly fucked your throat. "Wanna taste me, mi vida? Think you've earned it?"

All you could do was nod, nod, nod--looking up at him pleadingly as you continued to desperately grind yourself against his foot, your own orgasm fast approaching.

Jake's jeering laughter soon stuttered into a heavy, gasping moan; his eyes squeezing shut as his head fell back, hitting the wall. You felt his cock twitch, releasing his seed, shooting down your throat and his balls slamming against your chin.

Your own release coated Jake's foot, your entire body shuddering from the intensity of it all and coughing as Jake finally withdrew his cock out of your mouth. But you didn't have time to revel in the afterglow as Jake's hand wrapped around your neck once more, dragging you up and crashing his lips with yours. You swapped spit and cum, but neither of you cared; the two of you groping, squeezing, clinging onto each other any which way your needy hands could fumble.

You didn't keep track anymore of who pulled away first, laughter ringing in your ears as you both grinned at each other; spent, happy.

The dawn of something new, exciting, promising shining between the two of you.

Wordlessly, Jake turned on the shower again. Then he grabbed the soap, his hands gliding along your smooth skin, his lips attaching to the crook of your neck where he could see the faint pinpricks of his handprint slowly materializing.

"Did I hurt you, mi vida?" As rough of a lover as Jake was, none of his pleasure mattered if you didn't enjoy yourself.

"A little bit." You admitted, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing the top of his head. "But it's okay. I...liked it." You blushed furiously.

"Fuck..." He grumbled, pulling away and looking very much like a kicked puppy, something that you thought only Steven was a pro at. "As cute as you are blushing like that, princesa, I'm so fucking sorry. I know I should know when to stop, when to be gentle...but those are not really what I'm good at." His eyes drifted down, and you can tell that he had a lot more to say. A lot more to regret. "I'm sorry, Y/N."

"I forgive you, Jake. Now please... Stop beating yourself up, okay?" You cupped his face, pecking his nose and meeting his gaze. "I'm not lying when I said I liked it, but don't blame yourself too much. I also should've done something, spoken up if it was too painful for me." Your fingers ran through his hair, smiling softly, lovingly at him. "All of this is new for me--for us. But it's okay, 'cause we can learn together, yeah? And if you'd like, we can come up with a safe word if things get too rough."

Jake hesitated, wondering if you were really telling the truth and not just trying to comfort him. But one look at your sweet, loving smile was more than enough for his worries and doubts to fade away, his own smile gracing his lips and his hands holding your own that were so gently, kindly cupping his face.

"I think that would be great. Any idea what the safe word should be?"

"I was thinking 'Khonshu'." Your answer made Jake snort before he bursted into laughter, you joining shortly after.

"Mi vida, if you say that bastardo's name while we're fucking, you really are gonna make me go soft." He chuckled, pinching your cheek and kissing your forehead.

"Fine, fine! Clearly coming up with a safe word is what I'm not good at. Let's figure it out together." You playfully rolled your eyes, giggling and kissing his cheek. "Anyway, I'll head out first. But don't take too long or else I'll jump in the shower with you again and for the sake of Steven's water expenses, you do not want that happening."

"On one condition, señorita. You have to wear my clothes when you get out, not Steven's." He hummed to which you laughed and nodded, but just as you were about to step out of the shower, Jake suddenly grabbed your wrist and pulled you back to his chest.

He leaned down to your ear, voice a low purr as he spoke; like it was a secret, a sacred oath between only the two of you.

"El amor de mi vida, mi salvavidas... Nunca te dejaré ir."

Your lips curled up into a smile, your heart swelling achingly within your chest. You turned around and leaned up on your tiptoes, your lips melting perfectly together with Jake's, becoming one.

"I love you, Jake Lockley." You whispered, sealing your oath. "Now... Don't keep me waiting. You know I'm an impatient woman."

Jake watched with a dumb, lovestruck grin as you pulled away giggling, finally stepping out of the shower and closing the bathroom door behind you. And as soon as you were gone, Jake piped up to the other occupant in the bathroom.

"Steven, ese... I know you're there, might as well say something, huh?"

'Bloody HELL, mate...' Steven's words stumbled out in a rushed, breathless breath. 'That was MENTAL.'

"You're welcome for the free show, ese." Jake chuckled, standing under the spray of the shower as he washed himself off.

Although Jake couldn't see Steven, he knew that the poor, flustered English man was having a damn heart attack at this very moment.

'That was...that was...' Steven was completely at a loss for words, making Jake smirk.

"The hottest fucking thing you've ever seen? Yeah, I know. Y/N's our sexy girlfriend, after all." Jake turned off the shower, hopping out and drying himself off with a towel. "You're right, by the way. We're both absolutely fucked."

'I'm just glad it all worked out, mate.' Steven replied, relief and happiness flooding his voice. 'You deserve her. WE deserve her. It's just...' He trailed off, sighing deeply. 'Now that I think about it, I'm worried about Marc.'

"Fuck Marc." Jake snapped, his eyes settling on the mirror, Steven's reflection staring back at him with an anxious crease between his brows and lips downturned. "We deserve to live our own lives, too, Steven. That cabrón's just gonna have to deal with it."

And deal with it, Marc will. But...

You'll have to deal with Marc, too.

[rukia-writes]

so um hi! sorry to disturb you but can you write nsfw with odin and reader? okay so like reader feels super insecure about their body and looks for a long time then odin notices that and confronts them then ~spicy stuff~ happens. haha i tried making this unique, umm ik commisions take a lot of energy and time so do your best! and thank you for reading

A/N: It’s been awhile since I’ve done this, time to get back in the game.

Warnings: 18+, No Minors 🔞, smut (just a little spicy)

Odin notices everything.

However, something always interested him when he noticed a familiar goddess looking a bit sadder than usual. While it wasn’t his business as the two were essentially allies, Odin wasn’t the most talkative or the most open person in Valhalla but he was kind to the goddess.

Kind enough to catch the goddess looking at herself at a water fountain, Odin had an idea of what it was but he asked,

“What troubles you, (Name)?”

His voice was deep yet it had a tone of concern as it made the goddess jump from not noticing Odin until he spoke. Not to mention, her heart jumping along with as she seemed to always admire Odin from afar.

Stern but handsome.

Even his son was handsome.

Knowing better than to lie as Odin could essentially through a lie with superior intellect, the goddess decided to play it safe and simply mention that she was troubled by her appearance and had been for awhile as she believed she wasn’t as beautiful as the rest of the goddesses in Valhalla.

Odin was wise.

A situation like this needed to be handled carefully and he did so by not consoling her but by lifting her spirits by saying “Outer beauty pales to that of inner beauty and you have both. Be more confident.”

Placing a hand on her left shoulder he also mentioned to come and see him if she ever needed to relax or talk. Mentioning in his soothing and deep voice that he would always be willing to listen.

Just as he left.

Odin was mysterious like that.

Yet, he was always a listening ear and always offered sound advice when asked.

“How do I look?”

Odin found parties to be trivial matters, there was more important matters to attend to than mingling with other gods and goddesses and yet on this night when Zeus wanted to hold a party Odin attended and to his delight he saw a rather shy (Name) in a rather lovely dress.

“You look amazing. The color is nice.”

A small smile crept on (Name) as she knew Odin wasn’t the most talkative but when he spoke it was meaningful and she could tell he was sincere and genuine.

As the night went on Odin could tell (Name) was still feeling a bit insecure about herself just from knowing her as long as he did and so he casually mentioned to her in a quiet manner.

“Have you considered having sex? It’s been proven that sex helps with mental health.”

It was silent between the two for what seemed like forever.

Odin meant no harm by his comment he simply mentioned a remedy he read about a long time ago and once he saw how bashful the goddess before him became Odin wandered what was going thru her mind.

“Perhaps, you could help with that too.”

Well, now he knew and the two found a room that was empty but it wasn’t silent as the two had their private lesson inside.

Odin saved the rough lessons for another day as he didn’t want her to go completely numb with pleasure, there was a party to return to after all.

Once, the two had finished (Name) felt what could only be described as euphoria. Remembering the positions Odin, the All Father, had her in. How wise he was with his choice of words, complimenting her on her body and how he found her to be very attractive.

Sure, she stumbled in her walking here and there thanks to Odin but the pleasure and confidence was worth the trade. The sting to her ass was painful but pleasurable too as Odin just wanted to make sure he got his point across that she was beautiful with a beautiful ass.

Odin knew he could be a great teacher and he intended to get the lesson thru to the sweet goddess that she was beautiful as she was.

Odin wanted to make sure he never forgot how beautiful she was to him and to never forget him and so he mentioned that she was free to visit him anytime as he placed a kiss on her forehead while putting his clothes on.

Of course, (Name)’s hair was a mess, thanks to Odin, but she didn’t seem to care as onlookers noticed as she returned to the party. The only thing on her mind was the leader of the Norse pantheon who so graciously gave her the self confidence she needed and the mind numbing sex she loved.

The next day, (Name) found Odin in his castle in Asgard and had another lesson that evening and that night…

…and the following day.

The day after that and the day after that.

Odin never forgot to tell her how beautiful she was for he truly believed she was beautiful to him and that’s all that matters.

❄️Rukia-Writes❄️

[days-until-burnout]

You want to write boat boys but need ideas? Joel did just build himself a room in Etho’s base, maybe a short fic about him trying to subtly move in.

Not the best idea at all, but it’s something. Good luck writing :)

you're in luck because there are no mistakes in this account 😌 and how could i refuse or reject a boat boys idea? it'd be losing a part of myself if i did that! also, this got a little sadder than intended. this was supposed to be a comedy but not! enjoy<3! _____

📧 Day 33 -

Characters - Etho/&Joel Words - 1,702 Time - 50 mins Content - Hermitcraft | Ambiguous relationship

Joel looked around. Nervous was an understatement. And to think this all started with Iskall’s Mission Possible. It was very much possible, and rather easy to achieve too, so why did he have to go for some unnecessary extra? Not like he would be getting extra rewards or anything; in any case, if caught, he would be losing. Mainly in the ego department. He could already imagine Etho mocking him for the rest of their lives. Really, of all the bases on Hermitcraft, he chose Etho’s. With everything they had going on, their obsessed ‘bit’, he really could not have chosen a better hermit (that was sarcasm, very much sarcasm).

Eventually, Etho stepped out of his base and Joel ducked further into the bushes, covered by the leaves, watching his every move. He watched him equip his elytra and get some rockets, tossing some in the air and easily catching them. What a dork. Etho set off shortly after, and Joel waited until he could not hear the rockets anymore before transforming himself into his tanuki form. It came with the downside that he had a shulker backpack with his inventory, but it had to do. 

He got on all fours and jumped out of the bush, rapidly making his way to Etho’s base through an open window. If anything, he should have flown in through the caving roof. He spared a glance, cringing at the purpur blocks, only reminded of that conversation with Pearl. That was past, and now was now, which was sneaking down Etho’s base as quickly as he could. Knowing him, he had no doubt Etho would come back suddenly after having forgotten something. 

Graciously, he kept his eyes down, high enough to see where he was going but careful to not peek at any new thing. And maybe he should explore, after putting the shulker down, Etho would be none the wiser at finding a random tanuki at his base. Sure, he would probably hear some teasing about sending a spy or something, a little guy to keep track of him, but that would be easier to wave off than having to explain that he had a room in Etho’s base. A secret room. A room that we would be furnishing, a room that he was making way too cozy. It hit him randomly that maybe he wanted to move in. 

He walked right into the wall for that, which he felt he deserved. 

The contents of the shulker rattled when he fell back, his tail caught at a weird angle that made him grimace. He let out a manly squeak of pain, still quiet in case someone else was around to prank Etho, or who knows, maybe someone else decided to move in too. That thought made him feel unwarrantedly jealous. Bothered by a non-existent (that he knew of) hermit. This was a very bad idea, much too stupid and idiotic with too high risk with… an equally high reward. 

He did miss their nights together on the Relation, even if he never really hunkered down to talk about it with him. 

That, too, was annoyingly frustrating. All that emotional, sappy feelings thing. Etho’s fault. All of it. If anything, Etho should have invited him to spend the night, many nights in fact, because they were former soulmates and now… 

Joel looked up at the mailbox, at the light, an odd ache cruising through his chest because he knew none of the mail was from him. He should reach out too, even if Etho should more. Because he was a catch, and Etho was lucky to have been his soulmate… even if he was not sure if Etho felt that way. He had felt lucky to team with him, and might have joked about it once or twice, though Etho had never…

This was stupid. His tail thumped behind him, and he forced himself to his paws, ignoring the pain on his nose, resuming his journey. The sooner he dropped off the things, the sooner he could leave. Back to Magic Mountain, back to the people who had actually asked him to base with them. They wanted him, so it made sense to return the sentiment. He was wanted in Magic Mountain, not here. 

The stone tunnel was cold, artificially bright and cold. Worse on his paws, but it had to do. The fake wall swished open and he dashed in, dropping the shulker in front of him. It took a couple minutes to move the items to the chest, deciding that he would sort it out another time, when his feelings and his head stopped being absolutely useless about Etho. The shulker shrunk, enough that it actually looked like something someone his size could carry around comfortably. He pressed his face to it and pushed it out of the way, just outside the hidden room, looking back to admire it for a moment. If Etho found out, he would probably tear it down. Send a letter teasing him and that would be it. Deeply, he wished Etho would not find out about it, foolishly feeling like they still had a connection this way. Maybe when he felt braver he would snuck in and spend the night, they would sleep under the same roof one more time. 

Of course, he would have to leave before sunrise. 

He turned around, feeling pathetic and stupid, small hiccups catching in the back of his throat as he fought back the tears. His tail dragged behind him, the shulker so much heavier on his back than earlier. He thought about staying inside to cry his eyes out, let Etho find him and just cut this dumb bit early. 

Instead of Etho, however, a white fox found him as he climbed back to the main house. It sat with its forelegs in front of it, tail curled around its paws, almost like a statue but it tilted its head, ears flickering with the movements. It stared, and Joel stared back at it, frozen mid-step.

Neither made a sound, staring for what felt like eternities, until the fox uncurled its tail. Slowly, Joel watched it get up, elegant and graceful, intentionally slow. Then he shrieked when the fox jumped him, instinctively fighting back. The straps of the shulker snapped, rolling off somewhere as they rolled too. He had an advantage with grip, but the fox seemed all too worried about using its jaw, biting on his limbs and tail where he could, ducking almost… un-animal-like. 

After a couple minutes of scuffling, the fox managed to pin him on his tummy, both fore paws on his back, a hind leg on his tail and the other on the floor for balance. Joel fought, for two seconds before becoming batter on the floor, a sudden wave of defeat washing over him. A sniff escaped him, brief but loud enough to be noticed. The fox pressed its snout on his neck, nuzzling before the weight grew, more and more before the fox stepped back. Soon enough, he was free, still too sad to move, only doing so because the fox grabbed him and turned him over. 

But foxes could not grab with hands. 

Joel looked up almost startled to find Etho, of course it was Etho. He had seen him transform into his fox form, plenty in Double Life, not so much after, and only a handful times during his brief visits on Hermitcraft during the Decked Out 2 event. It was not something Etho liked to do, but… but had admitted to feeling compelled too when their souls were bound. 

It had been a while, then, if he had forgotten how the fox looked like. 

Slowly, involuntarily, he transformed back in Etho’s lap. His arms still holding him despite the change in size. 

“Hi,” Etho whispered, and Joel heard the grin with the matching crinkled eyes. His reply lacked as he buried his face into the crook of his neck, arms wrapping around his neck tight. Etho held him too, almost as tightly, but not quite because he was much stronger than him after all. He breathed in stutters, trying to hold the sobs down and half-succeeding. “What were you doing here, huh? Pranking me?”

“Something like that,” he said, shaky but he said it. Etho’s chin landed on his shoulder, a nice pressure that quieted his mind a little. 

“Yeah? Going to blow me up? Or are you going to slowly replace my roof? Or, maybe, you are the distraction.”

“I wanted to see you.”

There it was. The truth. The admission. No longer in Joel’s hands, no longer for him to worry or think about. He had to shut the anxiety of rejection, the fear that he might have made this awkward, that he had ruined whatever thing they had. This was it, then, Etho would never want to see him again. No more bits, no more mail, no more pranks. Nothing. This was it, their final interaction without another hermit. Him in Etho’s lap, on the verge of crying his eyes out while his hidden room remained (hopefully) undetected. Like losing everything all over again. When they had died on that trapped portal, when their soul became two again. 

At least he could hug him a final time, which was nice. He would remember this hug forever. And that memory would remind him that his arms would never feel full ever again either, which was not as nice. 

“Funny,” Etho laughed against his neck, breath hot and tingling against his skin, a smile on his lips also pressed on his skin, lips, a kiss, then another, slowly nibbling up to under his ear, “I was just going to fly over and find you.”

Joel choked between a laugh and a sob, screwing his eyes shut and scrunching the collar of his coat in his hands tight, burying further into him like he never wanted to let go, like he wanted to be one again like before. “You… are so obsessed with me… It… You’re so pathetic, Eefo.”

“You’re one to point fingers,” Etho giggled, tugged at his tail, making him let out a startled squeak before thumbing his tail hard, “soulmate.”

_____

me when boat boys: goes absolutely insane with wpm i have no bias. absolutely none. i dont, and will never have favorites i would ramble more, but i have none brain with left silly

[strwberri-milk]

I'm going to ask and suggest for Kaeya confessing to you in ancient Kaenria(?) dialect at the fountain in mond in the middle of the night when he hears that you're leaving mond the next day.

Pretty please 🥺 I like to cry :")

omg not the angst [sob]

Your trip wasn't exactly unplanned. You knew it would be happening for a while, and you didn't exactly intend to return for a while. You quite enjoyed your time in Mondstat but there was a great opportunity you couldn't afford to miss in another nation.

Being as close to Kaeya as you are, he knew that your trip was happening, but nothing as to the when. For whatever reason you decided to keep that information away from him. You knew he would do everything he could to convince you to go, never wanting to clip your wings as a dear friend of yours despite his eye always saying something else.

You'd always hoped that he would say something that would make choosing Mondstat easier. Maybe it was romantic of you but you had always wanted him to confess his feelings for you, tell you that he's madly in love with you and always has been, and that if you leave it'll be like his heart has been torn out of his chest.

It was a bit of a pipe dream - you'd admit that to yourself any day - but you couldn't help but fantasize, more distracted than you had hoped, especially when spending time with Kaeya.

You had no idea that he was staring at you longingly whenever you seemed to go into a trance. He had no idea that you were practically dreaming of him whenever you were staring off into space. All he could focus on was how adorable you looked and how much he wanted to cup your face in his hands and kiss you all over.

For now, he had to focus on buying you a perfect parting gift so you would never forget about him. This includes writing you a beautiful parting letter but every time he tried, he found himself struggling to properly tell all that was swimming around in his mind.

He was going to come over one day, just pay you a visit when he happened to overhear you talking to someone. He stayed close to the wall, waiting patiently for you to give him your attention when he overheard you were leaving tomorrow.

Immediately, his mind shut down as he tried to figure out what to do. He was nowhere near ready, assuming that because you didn't tell him when you were leaving it was because it was still a far ways away. Kaeya wasn't expecting you to go so soon and every second that passed felt like a lost opportunity to tell you how he feels.

He runs back to his office, quickly scrawling a note and attaching it to a flower in a vase before dropping it in front of your place. He still stood a little bit away, wanting to make sure that you didn't see him as he made sure you got his note. When he saw you step out after knocking on your door he made his leave, too nervous to see if you'll say or do anything that would reject him.

"Kaeya! What did you need from me?" you ask him, sprinting over to him when you saw him standing at the fountain waiting for you.

"Do I need a reason to see my favourite person?" he teases, opening his arms for a much-needed hug.

You sink into him, happily taking in his scent. Kaeya wraps his arms around you, bringing a hand up to cradle the back of your head as he holds you tightly. You adored the way he hugged you, always feeling so safe in his body.

"You abandoned a note on my doorstep! It felt urgent if you did it like that," you pout, stepping back from him as the two straighten yourselves out.

"I heard that you were leaving tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me?" he pouts.

"Oh...that...I didn't want to make you sad," you try to explain.

"I'd be even sadder if I couldn't say goodbye to you properly," Kaeya responds, reaching into his pocket to give you a small box.

When you open it, it has a beautiful pair of earrings that you can wear with anything and the smile on your face is almost enough for him to ignore the fact that you're taking your heart with him when you leave. Without asking, he puts them on for you, tilting your face left and right to see how they look. You ignore the heating of your face as he stares at you, thinking that in your daze you thought you felt his thumb grazing over your lips.

He says something softly to you, and you blink a little, just barely coming out of your stupor.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

He repeats himself, clearer this time but you realise you can't really make out the syllables. The look on your face makes that much clear to him and he laughs a little more, tugging at your hand playfully.

"I told you I learned Hillichurlian, didn't I? I just wanted to send you off uniquely so you never forget me."

"I'd never forget you! Now just tell me what it means!" you say resolutely.

"Well, I don't want to keep you too long. I've said my goodbye, given you my gift, and now you should go to sleep so you don't end up being late. Don't miss me too much, alright?" Kaeya reminds you, patting your shoulder as he starts to leave.

"I'll try not to," you tease back, waving goodbye to him as you run back home to make any last-minute preparations.

Kaeya walks back home, hoping that the true meaning of his words will never be found out no matter how badly he wishes you could return his feelings.

I love you more than anything else in this world - you're the only good thing that's ever happened to me. Please, let me be selfish and ask you to stay, just for me.

[likesdoodling]

It has been a while since I started digital art,

Quite a while.

So here is a 'progress over the last two years' since I gained access to a drawing tablet.

:D

This is my first ever digitally illustrated piece- compared to my latest one-

So, a little bit different.

I do think my art took quite a jump around June 2022, when I took a break from my Steve comic strip, (for obvious reasons- it was about Technoblade's polar bear so...) and decided to try practicing gesture drawing to see if it helped my general anatomy knowledge. This is before,

And this next one is after.

The most obvious change here is that I switched to using thinner lines. There is a gap of about two months between these.

This was when I realised that you could improve art by practicing it (mind-blowing I know), and then started to do just that. Some other notable jumps forward would be when I discovered the airbrush-

Well, discovered a new method of shading with it anyway.

Then after that I had a few pictures that I actually still like, despite them being pretty old at this point, the one below is actually from September of 2022-

I mean, the hands are a bit iffy, but the rest looks alright. This was when I was going through a bit of a melanie martinez phase-

This next one was from January of 2023, I'd only just gotten into bungou stray dogs via some random memes on pinterest about this weird brown haired guy who had lots of bandages and who had this running gag with wanting to die- I actually looked him up at one point, but that didn't really explain much. The main one that I remember was 'life is short, so make it shorter, shorter than chuuya~'

Which at the time was just kind of confusing,

Then I watched the show and it made perfect sense.

I'd discovered ascendance of a bookworm in like, 2021, but I hadn't really been doing fanart of it since I was mainly doing dsmp related stuff and I kind of assumed nobody would know what on earth I was referencing. Turns out tumblr has a lot more bookworm fans than I orignally anticipated. Instagram still has no clue. I think maybe one person out of my followers on instagram knows what I'm on about-

Then we've got these two which I am still proud of btw-

The first one is from a dystopian/time travel fanfic called viridian.

The second one was after I learned about rim lighting. It was inspired by a song actually, 'crash' by noevaii. (and yes I found that song from a sad-ist animatic, it was cool) The character isn't anyone in particular. They're both from February 2023.

Then there's probably my most liked picture on instagram, (not tumblr, since tumblr knows about bsd and bookworm, but y'know. This was even sadder than I originally intended since the last half of my comic strip was finished AFTER everything happened)

Then the final conclusion of my Steve comic strip in May of 2023.

I don't think my art really changed much in between those, but eh.

Then I switched to doing a bunch of ascendance of a bookworm stuff to see what would happen and turns out there are way more fellow fans out there than I anticipated-

Then I guess my next breakthrough in tumblr popularity, (even if it might not have been a breakthrough in art skills necessarily) was when things went DOWN in the bsd fandom with chapter 109 and I did probably one of my most liked tumblr posts I have ever done-

If you want to see the rest of that, feel free to scroll down on my tumblr page, the original's like eight pages long-

This was before anyone knew what was going to happen btw.

I still think it's hilarious that I put in chuuya having contacts. My reasoning being, they're on a film set,

It was a pretty interesting exercise in shading in monochrome.

Then I started a 30 day art challenge in October that I didn't get past day six of, but it was still pretty fun. This is the best one of those-

After that I spent most of my time studying for the jlpt n5, so I didn't really do that much art related stuff,

This is one of the two non-commission related pictures that I finished over the two months after I kind of gave up on the art challenge. This one's from November,

Then I finally finished an art commission I'd been working on for the three months prior, as well as studying. Here is an example of the type of pictures I was doing for that,

Then I was occupied with christmas and birthday presents for my siblings, both my little sisters are into ascendance of a bookworm- (completely my fault I am proud to say) so I was able to do stuff related to that, here's a couple of snippets, but you guys don't get the colour version hehe

And one of them has also read the entire fma manga just like I have so-

Anyway, it's been quite a progression since I resolved to master digital art in 2021.

I reckon I've come a fair way since then. I mean. My art skills in general are way better than they used to be. The last two or three years have been pretty interesting.

Also-

Just had to include this one, I'm gonna do a more detailed version but still-

I think it's funny so I'm posting it here. Even if it's not really related to art progression-

[unnervinglyferal]

Hiii

idk I have anything much to say really

uhhh I have some screenshots of a Typical Straight Guy™ from a dating app if you wanna see him call me a “slapper” for not wanting to sleep with him if you wanna see them

I made a new minecraft skin if you wanna see that

I’ve been not managing to go to a sexual health clinic for like a week now (I have to plan it beforehand and shower successfully at the right time and haven’t been quite doing that)

huh ig I do have things to say

I might be too unwell for talking therapy currently? That’s what my therapist suggested might be the case (we’re thinking I should be fine as long as we stick to easier stuff). Also we’re looking to get a second opinion about me getting some mood stabilisers or anti-depressants or some such (that’s about my psychiatrist tho, not psychologist/therapist).

my bf - did I mention I currently have a bf? - anyway his phone broke and couldn’t text me so I assumed he was ghosting me but in fact he was desperately trying to reach me through other messaging methods which I don’t check regularly. And honestly although I was sad about the presumed ghosting and him not being into me anymore I was also kinda relieved? cos he says he Loves me and definitely means it but we haven’t been dating all that long so I think it’s just infatuation and I don’t wanna break his heart but idk how much I like him like that.

I might be lithoromantic honestly (meaning I feel romantic attraction only if it’s unreciprocated) but I do not have enough data points. And it might just be cos depression yada yada

I had this kinda conversation with my therapist and I just hate that I can’t get closure on any of this or resolve anything, I just need to not think about any of it cos if I properly confront it I just get suicidal and it’s just… exhausting.

ik it’ll get better and I’ll be happy in the future but I’ve been suicidal for 5 fucking years. why does it have to take so fucking long man.

ugh this turned out to be longer and sadder than originally intended so I’m gonna send the aforementioned media in another ask to make me feel better

Closure is a fake thing that's not real. Once the situation is over, you make peace with yourself and yourself alone. And it's going to take as long as it takes, but I promise life can be better than that. Even if you've never known anything else, it's out there, things can be better. A tadpole that was born in a bucket has no idea that there's a world outside of it. You've just got to hold on, try to make things better a little bit at a time.

You don't have to break things off with the guy just because you're scared of what might happen. Just be honest with him and let him make his own choices about it with the information that he has. If he doesn't want to protect himself from getting hurt by you - even by accident, without meaning to - you can't do that for him. You can't really do much on behalf of other people, really. And everyone gets their hearts broken at some point, it's like losing your baby teeth. Part of growing up.

...Also what the fuck is a slapper.

[the-dawn-star]

Hai darling!

So I was rally hoping you could make an poly!volturi kings x reader where the reader asks them "would you still love me if I was a worm" XD.

A/N: Hello again! I don't know how good this came out but here is the result and hopefully you will like it! -S

+500ish words. (CW: Reader is kinda drunk)

Once in a while the Volturi coven would host a party and you were part of it for the first time since you found your lovers.  

And what was a better way of getting rid of some nervousness than wine. Little bit too much wine to be clear. 

And finally in the last hours of the night you and your lovers went to bed.  

--- 

Marcus was carrying you while you were half asleep in his arms.  

The night had been so lovely and thanks to the universe for not letting you embarrass yourself in front of the most vampires in the world.  

But unlike you lovers and their covens you got tired... and drunk.  

--- 

Marcus put you down to the massive bed of yours while Aro went to your closet trying to find something more sleep appropriate than your fancy evening wear.  

“You know that I can dress myself, right?” You mumbled as Caius pulled you clothes off and dressed you again.  

“Yes we are aware of that, but would you have liked to do it yourself?” The humor was clear in Aros' voice but you couldn’t think of anything clever to say back.  

“Nope.” You stated instead, making sure to make a pop-sound at the end.  

--- 

You tucked yourself under the covers. 

But you didn’t want to spend the night alone without your loved ones.  

“Don’t leave me yet. I cannot sleep alone...” Your words sounded sadder than you had intended but you didn’t care.  

When you had moved with the kings they had made sure that you had nothing but the best and a massive bed was one of the things that you had been wishing for. And now you thank your past self.  

You kept your eyes closed while the mattress moved to accommodate your company. 

“You know that I love you guys, right?” You murmured, pressing your face against someone's shoulder.  

Someone let out a laugh (most likely Caius). 

“Yes, we know that..,” Marcus said. 

“And we love you just as much,” Aro said, and the movements made it clear that your face was buried against his shoulder.  

“But what if I was a worm?” You asked not thinking much how stupid your words sounded.  

“Excuse me?!” Caius asked louder than needed, when remembering that all of you were on the same bed. 

“Would you guys love me if I were a worm?” You repeated yourself.  

For a moment the room was silent. 

“I would love no matter what..., even if you turned into a worm..., somehow,” Aro whispered and pressed a kiss on top of your head.  

“So would I, even if I’m not sure what you are talking about.” Marcus spoke, obviously confused by your sudden question.  

“What about you, Caius?” You said words blurring together.  

“Sure..., Whatever you say, my love..,”  

With a small smile on your lips you fell asleep. 

[finniestoncrane]

Hftb! (Hello fave tumblr blog!) Congrats on 500 followers, so happy for you!! Can I please request this: 🐧 (the batman or gotham)🍷🤍🔵🟦 please I want to be broken and put back together again

Enough

farrell!penguin x gn!reader/drunk kiss i'm going to cry anon omg ;-; of course you can have that! minors DNI!! 🔞 500 words, cw: pining, bit of angst, fluff requests are closed • kofi link • minors DNI • tag: finnie500

Despite the weeks of preferential treatment you had received from management, it was still an unexpected invite when you were told to meet Oswald Cobblepot in his office. You weren’t sure what it was about you that he had taken such a strong interest in, nerves prevented you from assuming it was good work, good service, and it hadn’t even crossed your mind that he might be interested in you in any other way. Mostly, because you had only just broken up with your previous partner, a relationship that drained you, left you even less self-assured and confident than you had been before, if that was even possible.

But you had to admit, underneath the layers of anxiety and fear, there was a little bit of excitement bubbling. You found Oswald to be effortlessly charming, and therefore very easy to talk to. He never seemed above you, despite obviously being so, never thought of himself as too good to listen to you when you spoke, though he was. And he was so polite, offering his hand, complimenting you, everything about you. It was at least going to be a pleasant experience.

Upon entry, he had two glasses out on his coffee table, motioning for you to sit beside him on the sofa. The conversation was light, like two friends catching up, or getting to know one another, nothing heavy that indicated any reason that you had been invited here. Several glasses in though, as your head began to buzz slightly, and you were able to access your bolder thoughts, you noticed the way he smiled at you, suddenly very aware that his hand was resting on your knee.

He leaned into you, fully intending to place a kiss to your lips, but you leaned away from him, finally finding the courage to make eye contact with him.

“What, am I not good enough for ya?”

He was smiling, but it wasn’t sincere, it was hiding something deeper, sadder. At the mere idea that you might have upset him, you began to tear up.

“Hey, sweetheart! Why are you crying?”

“Sorry, Mister Cobblepot.”

“Oswald…I keep telling ya. Oswald to you, kid.”

“Oswald…I’m sorry. You don’t want that. You don’t want…”

“Or you don’t want that, huh?”

You panicked, the hurt on his face instantly recognisable. The same hurt you had felt at the hands of others, at the hands of previous lovers, or romantic interests.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. This wasn’t…this is a human resources nightmare, huh?”

You tried to laugh at his obvious attempt at humour.

“Listen, you gotta go, I shouldn’t have…it was stupid to think you’d want me, hands all over you. I…apologise.”

It was a now or never sort of moment, where you had to conjure up every ounce of confidence you had. It was clunky, but it got the message across. You placed your hand on his forearm as you spoke.

“I want you to touch me.”

He placed his own hand over yours, picking up your glass and handing it to you, clinking his to it as he smiled.

[yallemagne]

i do however think that jonathan eventually bonds with them (i mean, evidently so since he and mina name their child after all of them and i doubt he'd agree to that otherwise). of course he expects them to stay in touch with mina after the whole ordeal is over, she was everyone's favorite, no shit, but during that time jonathan himself would grow closer to everyone else too. both because he gets to interact with them in a non-vampire hunting constantly working life threatening scenario that does Not consume him wholly and prevent him from perceiving anyone around him, but also because they also realize that huh okay turns out jonathan has not been in his default setting this entire time and he's a completely likeable and approachable guy when he's not in intense murder work mode. plus they've been through like,,,severely traumatic events together so either way the whole group's just kinda glued to each other, even if jonathan never got full on chummy bud pal with them he knows that they're his people now, he's not just there as mina's husband.

i also like to think he'd have one of those Random Ass 3 am deep conversations slash therapy sessions slash bonding moments with quincey a little right before the end. but that's completely and unashamedly just because it makes the end Even sadder and i love to give my favorite characters pain. which would be even sadder considering all that because that would make quincey the first one out of the group that jonathan kind of warmed up to and felt connected to. and then like a day later he'd have to watch him d

im extremely sorry for this the anonymity of these asks gives me too many rambling tendencies and makes the angst gears turn.

OKAY. GOD. ONE DAY YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE TO STOP ASKING QUESTIOns-- ᵒʰ ᵐʸ ᵍᵒᵈ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵒⁿᵉ'ˢ ˢᵒ ˡᵒⁿᵍ

so the anonymity is the cause huh? hmmmmm

tiny callout "i doubt he'd agree to that otherwise" oh honey. Do you think he'd say no to Mina wanting to name their child (the one she birthed) after her best friends? Especially the friend who died to save her life just like he promised? I don't think Jono would deny her that, even if he never got closer to the others... ever.

Dunno how you'd have VH and Jonathan bond, and yet I wrote it into my fanfic. But well, that comfort scene required rewriting their entire meeting from the book. I had to change the focal point of the scene from being all about praising Mina in order to have these two interact on a greater-than-surface level. Yeah, I feel like this relationship's probably bunk in canon. "oh yeah, that's my wife's sexist adoptive father who actively endangered her life every chance he got. I still don't look him in the eyes come Christmas time."

Guys, the more you ask me about this the more aggressive against Van Helsing I get. I'm not trying to hate on him but you just keep reminding me he's a fucker.

I think there's potential for Jonathan and Arthur to develop a closer relationship post-novel. If Arthur's keeping to his word and being a proper brother to Mina, he's sure gonna be in both of their lives. They even got a headstart being stuck together on a boat. He's also just very weepy. It's so much easier to trust a man who allows himself to cry.

Meanwhile, if Jack stays at the asylum, I never see Jonathan opening up to him. Jonathan's a working middle-class man with sooo much baggage, confiding in a man who owns an asylum feels too much like selling yourself out to the cops. Jonathan gets to be a bit wary there. Who will defend him if Jack thinks he needs to be locked up? Mina, of course! But their team has gone against Mina in the past. Hopefully, Jack gets a new job.

Jonathan and Quincey having a heart-to-heart before they all split up... yeah sure. And I can even believe Jonathan not recording it if, say, during the conversation, he let slip that he did not intend to outlive Mina, no matter what needed to be done to prevent such an occurrence. But that comradery is taken to Quincey's grave.

There's also just the issue of what does Jonathan have in common with any of these men? 'Cause that's a big part of actively being friends with someone as opposed to acquaintances: shared interests and hobbies. What shared interests and hobbies do the Suitors have amongst themselves? Camping, hunting,,, gay sex. What do they share with Jonathan? Mina... maybe also gay sex but that's something you work UP to when you're trying to establish a long-lasting relationship.

Like, none of them like to write. And Jonathan is a poor city boy. His experience with roughing it out in the wilderness was very traumatic. I feel like if he ever does bond with the boys? It's gonna be hard. Really fucking hard on his mental state. Because he'll have to stretch himself thin doing stuff they're interested in and watching as they have fun together while he blends into the background. I know that because that's the story of my damn life. It's not enough to know rationally that people are trying to make you feel included because the very fact that it isn't working is enough to make you want to curl into a ball and ask to be sent home.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

I have posted a little bit about this before, but I finally read some very old X-Men issues to learn the brief history of the Changeling, the character who got retooled into Morph my beloved.

Changeling was absolutely an unambiguous villain back in his first appearance, and he talked basically the same way most comics villains talked back in the   60′s.

That’s Changeling in the goofy-ass purple helmet, Kevin, wtf are you wearing, bro?  Are you okay?  (Of course, he wasn’t Kevin back then, he didn’t have a name other than Changeling.)

Changeling was part of a group called Factor Three that wanted to heat up East-West tensions in order to trigger WW3, and destroy humanity to create a society ruled by mutants.  This was a pretty short-sighted plan given that most mutants could die in a nuclear blast just as easily as humans, but whatever.  The group consisted of old X-Men enemies like Vanisher, the Blob, and Unus the Untouchable, with the mysterious Mutant Master as the leader, and Changeling as his second-in-command.

The only interesting thing about Changeling in this first (and mostly only) appearance is that he starts to question Mutant Master’s actions.  Not in a “maybe this is morally wrong,” kind of way, more in a “I don’t trust your motives” kind of way.  Xavier also attempts to appeal to Changeling while he is captured by the group.  It apparently works, because Changeling winds up freeing Xavier and Banshee, then confronting Mutant Master in Xavier’s form to call him out.  Why that callout required Xavier’s form, I don’t know, but it was a fairly anti-climactic reveal of Changeling’s previously unspecified shape-shifting powers.

Mutant Master turns out to be an alien who actually wants to destroy ALL life on Earth, not just humans.  The other Factor Three members are wisely not down with that, and help the X-Men defeat him.  Then the groups just kinda awkwardly part ways. 

That’s the last we see of Changeling until the retcon.  Next is the story in which Xavier dies, and which was apparently originally intended to be the actual death of Xavier, until they wanted to bring him back and realized that they had a convenient shape-shifting character running around.

In the story, Xavier is acting weird, and sterner than usual, while making apparently irrational decisions and spending a lot of time alone with Jean.  Meanwhile, the X-Men fight some dude named Grotesk, who is the last survivor of an underground society, and wants to destroy the world with an earthquake machine, and it’s all so dumb I really don’t care.  But in the end Xavier stops Grotesk’s machine, and is mortally wounded in the explosion,  Then as he dies, he reveals that he was already dying of an illness, and he pushed the team so hard because so they’d be prepared to fight on without him.

It’s a sad story when you read it as Xavier, but even sadder when you re-read it as Changeling going through all this, while wearing another person’s face.  He’s genuinely heroic here:

“There’s no need for you to want to see the Earth destroyed!  No reason!”  Changeling, buddy, you were trying to start WW3 like three weeks ago.  But I’ll call this character development.

Changeling takes “commit to the bit” to another level by dying as Xavier.  He was already terminally ill, but since he’d only been leading the team for a few weeks, it’s safe to say his remaining time was shortened here.  He basically sacrificed himself to save the world, and was buried and mourned under another man’s identity.

In issue 65, Xavier’s death is retconned and Xavier shows up alive and explains the switch.

Changeling now talks like a gangster from the 1920′s, and I’m somehow imagining him with a Brooklyn accent. You can see where Morph’s character design came from, although I’m pretty sure TAS series Morph is meant to be much younger.  Changeling here looks middle-aged.  Although maybe it’s also because he’s dying?

Given that the Xavier’s death story was originally written to be actual Xavier, this sad little one-page retcon is all we get of the Changeling redemption story.  He was basically just a plot device to bring Xavier back.  And I have so many questions, the biggest one being:

He was in the basement?  Xavier let another man die in his place and let his team mourn his death, and the entire time, he was in the fucking basement?!  When I first heard about this story, I assumed that Xavier had to go away somewhere to do something really important to prepare for the alien invasion, and left Changeling as a temporary stand-in.  But apparently, he just really needed time alone to concentrate, because he let his team of teenagers cry over his supposed dead body while he was in the fucking basement of the mansion the entire time. 

Putting a former terrorist in charge of his students was already a pretty bad idea, even if Xavier could read his mind to know that he sincerely wanted to reform.  Was Xavier monitoring things at all down there?  Was he available to offer help or advice if Changeling or Jean came to him?  Would he have done anything at all if Changeling changed his mind and went bad again?  I feel like the answer is, “Probably not.”  If Xavier needed absolute, uninterrupted time alone to plan, letting Jean or Changeling pop in to ask questions every day would kind of defeat the purpose - he may as well just keep leading the team. 

More important, did Xavier intend to fake his own death?  He knew Changeling was terminally ill, but the time frame was six months.  He presumably couldn’t have predicted Changeling being killed by Grotesk.  Was he going to come back and let Changeling retire for a peaceful death, or was he going to let him die as Xavier.  Was Changeling’s death part of some messed up plan to force the X-Men to stand on their own, or just some unfortunate wrinkle in Xavier’s strategy that he ran with?  Xavier actually had a “final message” to the X-Men that he had pre-recorded, which they play in X-Men 43 after the funeral.  Who is speaking on that recording?  Is it Xavier himself?  Changeling?  Were they really planning on having Changeling die while still in Xavier form?

And that’s not even getting into poor Jean.  Jean was the ONLY one who knew the truth, and to hide it from the rest of the team.  She was basically a teenager, and had to bear the burden of helping Changeling as fake Xavier, and watching all her team-mates mourn and struggle after Xavier’s death, never revealing the truth.  There was an interview with Chris Claremont where he said that he thought Xavier’s retconned actions in issue 65 were really messed up.  He doesn’t get into the isolating of Jean, just that it was an absolute dick move to fake his own death (either deliberately or unintentionally) instead of just telling the team that he needed to go off somewhere alone and they’d have to fend for themselves for awhile.  In an issue retelling the X-Men’s history after Jean’s Dark Phoenix death, he wrote Cyclops as actually being somewhat resentful of Xavier’s decision. 

If Changeling ever does get resurrected on Krakoa, I’d actually like to see some interaction between him and Jean.  Jean was the only person who knew the truth, and the only person he could confide in or ask for advice during his tenure as Fake-X, assuming that Xavier was totally locked away.  What did they talk about in private?  Did he ask Jean for advice on how to properly be Xavier?  Or was Jean just like, “I understand that you’re dying and all, but could you be a little less cranky?  The team is starting to notice.”  Jean also seems to be the only one who maybe mourns him.  She appears to be just as upset as the rest of the team as “Xavier” dies, even though she knows the truth.  And her comment on Changeling is “He....was a fine person, at the last.”  Jean seems to care more than Xavier, who brushes the death off pretty quickly.  “Yes, team, I let someone else die in my place while I hid in the basement, but that’s all water under the bridge.  Now lets train to fight the aliens.”

Anyway, this is a weird story, and some of the weirdness is partially just due to the retcon.  Changeling would have been a footnote in X-Men history if he hadn’t been adapted into the happy-go-luck Morph, who is so completely different, whether in TAS, AoA or Exiles.  I still want to know Changeling wound up being such a cold-hearted and ruthless character compared to his alternate counterparts. 

Also, Professor Xavier is a jerk.

[kessielrg]

[Zelda] Please, Protect the Arts: Chapter 6

Rating: K

Word Count: 1,614

Previous | AO3

- - -

Zelda did not leave her room for the bulk of the day. She spent the time refining her speech, deciding what to wear (because every impression counted), and praying to anyone who would listen that this would work. The bulk of her argument was money related. In order to appeal to the board of ed, she had to prove just how much money they were losing by pulling the funding. It was incredibly tricky, but having a state representative for a father meant that Zelda was well prepared to bluff if need be. No one would think to fact check her until they were home- if ever. She just had to sell it right. She had to get under their skin. She had to go in with full conviction and refuse to let go of her chokehold on them.

There was no way to sugarcoat it, this was incredibly exhausting.

Once it finally got to a place where Zelda could say she was satisfied, the poor girl immediately took a nap. The dream that came was confusing and equally frustrating.

She did know his name. It had been said in many different times and in many different tones. Concern, understanding, heartbreak…

“Why are you making it so difficult for me now?” dream Zelda asked.

The boy smiled. In the dream he took her by the hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

‘Because you’re smart,’ the little squeeze said. ‘Because I know you’ll figure it out. Because I want you to see what matters the most.’

It was those silent words that echoed as she returned to the waking world. Zelda groaned as she tried to pull herself out of bed. Her mind was in a complete fog.

“I’ll figure it out tomorrow,” Zelda said to herself in a grog before flopping back down on her bed and going back to sleep. She did not have any other dreams that night.

. . .

Anxiety made her wake up a bit too early for comfort. However, the determination of finishing her argument led to a round reserved just for finding out the boy’s name. She only had a day left, after all. To help curb some of the nerves that lingered, Zelda took a nice, long shower and made herself a cup of peppermint tea. She was more than ready to piece together the boy’s clues once she entered her room again.

Zelda looked over the trinkets on her dresser, letting out a soft hum of thought. A lyre charm, an inkwell, a lens filter, and a miniature kiln. According to what he wrote on her drawing, he had given them to her in order. But it didn’t quite make sense. L-I-L-K. That couldn’t have been a real name- let alone an actual word. Llin was also a fairly odd spelling that didn’t work either. It had to be something obvious- something she was missing.

Zelda bit her lip as she looked at each trinket closer. She almost dropped the mini kiln, forgetting that the base hadn’t been attached before the small structure was fired. That was when she remembered that the boy had etched words onto the base. ‘It was close but two steps away.’ But what was two steps away? The fire? Based on the clues she had, there was no way it was that simple. Unless he meant the kiln, but even that…

“Wait…”

Zelda put down the mini kiln and instead picked up the lens filter case. At the time, she had dismissed the fact that the boy had underlined the word ‘neutral’ on the case. But this wasn’t just some generic lens filter, this one was special. One that held back light from entering the camera. It was a neutral density filter, and it had been the one piece of evidence that she didn’t quite appreciate until now.

“Oh!” she realized- much louder than she intended to. “Oh!”

. . .

The ocarina sounded sadder that day. However, it’s not like he told her he’d be here today. He didn’t even give her his phone number. In his effort to show her the school, the boy had forgotten to make sure they kept in contact. He had liked her. She had a spirit and determination that could barely be matched nowadays. Had he shown her enough, though? Should he had dragged it out to include his last name too? Not that he wanted to do that because the school didn’t cover everything (off the top of his head he could list the dance and theater kids he could exchange favors for, maybe even the graphic design teacher too), but…

She was late. She was late and didn’t even know it.

The boy hit a note so sour, he couldn’t help but wince. He gave himself an annoyed ‘tsk’ before attempting the piece over again. A part of him wondered why he was even playing this song. It’s not like he could summon her with the same piece he had been playing when they first met. The world didn’t really work that way.

“Good morning.” a familiar voice softly said from in front of him.

Or… maybe the world could work that way.

Just this once.

Just for them.

“My meeting with the board of education is later today,” she told him. “I wanted to thank you. Everyone always says that the arts are important, but never explain why. That lack of understanding leads to moments like this- where something called important is seen as less than that, and it starts to disappear. Without your help, I wouldn’t have an argument prepared that I was confident with. Thank you, again, so much Link.”

Hearing his name through her lips caused a massive jolt to hit his body.

“So it is Link?” she then proceeded to laugh. “Well Link, it’s a pleasure to finally know your name. Mine is Zelda- if you were ever bothered enough to know. Next time just ask for my number.”

He laughed, because of course he would.

The ocarina sounded a lot happier after that. Zelda explained her plan of attack as Link listened, gently accompanying her vigor with his music. It only had to stop because Link had run out of water, and his mouth was starting to get dry. The two walked out of the library together.

“I can’t thank you enough, Link.” Zelda said as they stood outside. Her ride had gone to get some gas and would be back shortly. Link lived nearby and could walk home if he wanted to. He considered inviting her over, but remembered that her meeting would be happening soon. Maybe another day. He hoped they could meet on another day, no matter what happened with the board of ed. “You come back to the library every Friday, right?”

Link nodded. As long as it was open, he was here.

“Oh, there’s my ride.” Zelda announced as her chauffeur pulled into the library’s parking lot. She waved to him, not noticing that Link looked a bit conflicted on something- as if he was forcing himself to move.

“Please Zelda,” a voice spoke up- it was primarily masculine, but carried a certain softness that it could still be mistaken for feminine, “Protect the arts.”

Zelda paused. She turned to where the source of the voice had been. A small jolt hit her heart when she realized it had been Link.

“I’m going to do everything I can, Link.” she promised. She even took him by the hands, and gave them a firm squeeze. “They’ll have to drag me out of that meeting room kicking and screaming if they don’t repeal the budget cut. You have my word on it.”

Link didn’t seem as sure. His hands squeezed her back before finally pulling her into a tight hug. If Zelda ever needed a reminder on how much this meant to him -and to the school at whole-, this moment became the core decision.

. . .

Getting new instruments had been a running joke in the orchestra for at least 10 years now. They started far before Link formally signed up for classes. Today hell must have frozen over. There were new strings in every string instrument, including the harp. Every tuba in the wind section had been cleaned to the point where the brass actually glittered in the overhead lights. Even their instructor had a new conductor’s baton, with at least five more sitting in backup.

The orchestra wasn’t the only place seeming a boost in equipment. Tiny as they were, they were making a difference regardless. The drawing and painting courses had new easels, the photography classes were offering free loan outs to students who signed up for the course (as long as they returned them on time, of course), and the kiln in the pottery room finally had a new valve that allowed more consistent firing for the vessels baked within. Someone had brought up a rumor that the teachers were also getting paid more, but that was the point where everyone decided most news around the school were likely lies.

Link believed them, though. His proof was sitting at the harp- who in turn looked so anxious to be there. But she’d get comfortable soon enough. The orchestra was filled with good people. And after he and her would spend the afternoon together. Link smiled as their instructor started to lead them through the first piece.

The changes made to the Hylian School of Arts were small, but behind it was a well supplied budget and people who loved to be here. And that meant the big changes  (like a new friend, or even having a student noticed at national level) weren’t far behind.

[rchtoziers]

if you're taking prompts in the martian au universe: i'm sure richie was so fucking touch-starved on mars and the idea of him cuddling with the losers for the first time in years was enough to bring tears to my eyes

athis took me approximately one billion years to get around to writing because 🎶motivation fails when we need it most🎶 but !! better late than never !! ?? i hope u enjoy xoxo.

*

The first thing Richie does after Eddie lets him leave the med bay is make all of his friends sit together in the same room.

Well—that’s a lie. The first thing he does is take a shower and sit on the ground and cry harder than he has in eighteen months. Then put on clean clothes that don’t smell like Mars’s surface. Then ask Stan on a scale of one to ten how dangerous it would be to set his old clothes on fire.

But then. Then. The first thing he does is ask, quietly, over the comms, if everyone can meet him in the rec room.

It’s kind of alarming how fast everyone gets there.

“Jesus,” he says mildly, from his seat on the couch. He’s got two blankets over his shoulders, and in the kitchen area Eddie is brewing him a cup of tea. “Is everyone out of breath? Did you teleport here? Did I miss that while I was away? God, we’re so Star Trek right now.”

“Oh my god,” Stan mutters. “We came here for this?”

“Beam me up, Scotty,” Richie says seriously.

“If we had installed teleportation on the Hermes, we could have rescued you a lot sooner,” Ben points out.

Richie huffs. “Hey, speaking of Star Trek. My dearest Michael, I think we need to have a little chat about what you deem worthy of filling an entire data stick with.”

Mike laughs. “I stand by my choices.”

“Of fucking course you do, Mikey, I would expect literally nothing else of you,” Richie says seriously. “But all of the OG Star Trek? And literally nothing else? Did anyone tell you that you didn’t have to fill out every computer nerd stereotype ever?”

“Drink this,” Eddie says, placing a warm cup in Richie’s hands. Richie pulls a face at the tea. “Knock it off, it won’t kill you.”

“Yes,” Richie says dryly. “I think we can safely say that tea will not kill me. Let’s add that to the list of other atrocities I’ve survived!”

He’s so focused on taking a sip of his tea that he almost doesn’t notice no one responds to him. It’s quiet enough that he could hear a pin drop. When he looks back up, everyone’s eyes are on him.

“Why’s everybody looking at me like this?” he asks.

“Richie…” Beverly says. There’s sympathy in her eyes that he can’t stand to look at.

“What, too soon?” Richie asks, instead of saying anything else. “This is uncharted territory for me, I’ve never come back from the dead before, I don’t know what’s okay to joke about.”

“Why’d you ask us all to come here?” Beverly asks. She leaves no room in her tone for anything besides seriousness.

Richie swallows thickly.

“Richie,” Stan says. He takes a thwarted step forward, like he’s uncertain of whether or not he wants to move closer to Richie. The whole thing hurts a lot more than it probably should.

“I’m so fucking cold,” Richie says, and it isn’t the thing he had meant to say but he isn’t exactly lying. Eddie makes a move like he’s about to get another blanket for Richie’s shoulders. “No—not. Not that kind of cold. I don’t fucking know. I feel like I. Like I couldn’t warm up even if I was on the fucking surface of the sun. I’m not getting any ideas, don’t look at me like that. I don’t know. I just. I needed us all to be in the same place.”

Bill’s voice is quiet as he says, “I f-f-felt like that, too. When we first g-g—got back. Without you.”

“Me, too,” Stan agrees.

“Yeah,” Eddie whispers.

Richie laughs, because he’s not sure what else he can do in this situation. His hands are in his lap, writhing anxiously together. “Did you find anything to make that go away?” he asks, only half-joking.

“Honestly?” Stan says with a shrug. “I’d go bunk with someone else. It helped, sharing that space.”

“Aw, Stan,” Richie says, though his throat is tight and his eyes are burning with tears that threaten to fall. “You were cuddling someone that wasn’t me? How could you break my heart like this? How will I ever move on?”

“It helped all of us, I think,” Ben says. “Holding on to one another. It makes sense. Richie, I mean. Honestly. You’re probably…”

Richie should have known there was no hope for him making it through this without crying. He wipes at his eyes, unsubtle and more choked up than he feels like he should be. “You can say it.”

“You’re probably touch-starved,” Eddie says, instead. “I’m not a psychiatrist, I don’t. I didn’t study that side of medicine. But Christ, Rich, I mean. You were isolated for eighteen months. You probably just need some. Fucking human contact.”

Eddie pauses, and his face goes pink as he rushes to say, “And there’s nothing wrong with that! I just. I don’t know. Maybe it would help.”

Richie laughs wetly. “Crew cuddle pile?” he says, and his tone is light but there’s not a single person in the room who thinks he is joking. It makes him feel loved in more ways than he can even stand to bear.

“Is it too much to say your commander orders it?” Beverly asks. There’s scattered laughter from all of them.

“Hell yes,” Bill says, and he’s the first to take a step forward.

“Gently,” Eddie reminds them, voice sharp and loud as he tries to be heard over the commotion coming from the group getting ready to swarm Richie on the couch. Richie’s laugh is the loudest out of all of them.

There’s not really room on this couch to fit seven people clambering over one another, but Richie’s crew is nothing if not committed. His heart is bursting with love as they all adjust carefully around one another to fit, with Richie at the heart of it all. Stan and Bill flank him on either side, and Richie gets tucked securely under Stan’s arm. He thinks his legs are in Bill and Bev’s laps but it’s hard to tell. Mike takes his spot on the ground, leaning against Bill’s legs but close enough that he can take Richie’s hand when Richie stretches it out to him. Ben sits precariously on the back of the couch, half pressed against Bill as Richie rests his head on Ben’s leg. Eddie, Richie thinks, is on the other side of Stan. He must be the one playing with Richie’s hair, combing through the curls softly. The thought warms him in ways he doesn’t dare break down right now.

“This feels a bit extra,” Richie says, once they’re all situated and the giggles have died down.

“Beep beep,” Stan sighs. “You quite literally asked for this.”

“I can’t tell who you people are, I think someone took off my glasses in the midst of all that,” Richie says. Beverly laughs and squeezes his ankle. “No, I’m serious. I legit can’t find my glasses.”

“You d-don’t need them,” Bill tells him. He puts his hand on Richie’s knee. “We got you.”

And fuck, if that doesn’t make emotions swell in Richie’s chest and throat. They’ve got him. They’ve had his back since day one, and now they all quite literally have his back. He doesn’t doubt them; he never has, if he’s being honest. He wonders what he did in this life to deserve getting put with the crew that would walk through hell and back just for him.

“Yeah,” he agrees, and it’s a testament to how great these people really are that they don’t say anything when he starts to cry. “You guys got me.”

[ilyasorokinn]

murphy, stealer of hearts ― andrei svechnikov

note: okay, not all birthday blurbs are gonna look like this lmao. anyways, happy birthday to dua lipa's 2nd biggest fan (behind the duolingo bird?)! this was inspired by this tiktok i watched. summary: y/n and andrei stopped at the store to get food for their cat, but end up leaving with more than just feed. warnings: none really word count: 332 words

you went to the pet store, only intending to get cat food for your cat sylvester, but things quickly took a turn when you spotted a lonely dog sitting in a cage.

you abandoned andrei and made your way over to the dog, looking into his sad eyes before reading the card of information on the outside of the cage.

'hi, my name's murphy. i'm an older dog, but don't let age count me out! i'm a cocker spaniel, and i love belly rubs and treats. i've been here for 6 months'

your heart broke as you read the last sentence, then looked back into murphy's eyes.

"hey, i got the feed. you ready to go?" andrei asked.

"can we get the dog?" you asked.

"what? a dog? we already have a cat."

"i know, but look at his little face." you pointed to the dog, whose eyes somehow got sadder.

"we don't need a dog." he tried to stand his ground, but the look in the dog's eyes was really working.

"please." you begged.

"ugh, fine." he rolled his eyes.

"yay!" you clapped, grabbing the attention of a worker nearby. you filled out the paperwork, and in less than half an hour murphy was in your arms, ready to go home.

you grabbed him some toys, a leash, and some food before you were heading home to introduce the two pets to each other.

you walked into the house with murphy in your arms while andrei was stuck carrying everything else. sylvester came up to greet you but let out a loud meow when he spotted murphy in your arms.

you sat down in front of sylvester and let the two animals sniff each other. sylvester, full of surprises, didn't try to scratch or claw at murphy, so you took it as a good sign and took off murphy's leash.

sylvester sniffed him once more before looking up at andrei, "i know, but it was all in the eyes." he shrugged.

yourusername

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yourusername meet my snazzy new little buddy, murphy ❤️

tagged: @/fluffofsvech

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gretchengeraghty the real question is how did sylvester like him? 😭

↳ yourusername 😭 he was a bit apprehensive at first, but now, they’re best friends.

andrei_svechnikov37

Liked by sethjarvis, jesperikotkaniemi and 13,934 others

andrei_svechnikov37 murphy takes on water.

tagged: @/fluffofsvech

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canesfan his little vest 🥺

↳ yourusername i know!! 🥰

fluffofsvech

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fluffofsvech obviously these are my best angles.

tagged: @/yourusername, andrei_svechnikov37

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nhl THOSE EYES 🥺

dougieham he’s a better model than svech.

(photos not mine. they belong to @/cockerspanielcalledjasper on ig.)

-

add yourself to my taglist!

happy birthday mista svechnikov (you better have read that in his voice)

[prokopetz]

I haven't played a game through since Witness, but the specificity of your recs made me feel interested and safe enough to try again, and I'm really enjoying Refunct and the Pedestrian! I was wondering if you had some recs for my 11 year old. He's REALLY into games where reality/physics work oddly - Recursed (which we got because of your rec!) and Portal. Monument Valley, Eva Explores, and some phone merge games. He also loves Minecraft and Witness, though the 'it's fake' ending makes him MAD.

I can see from your follow-up message that you already found a previous post of mine on the subject, so I'm going to focus on titles mentioned neither in that post nor in your request.

The first recent game that springs to mind for that particular set of criteria is 2019's Outer Wilds. (Not to be confused with the similarly named The Outer Worlds – the two were published less than six months apart, which sometimes leads to mixups!) It's a time-loop walking sim, similar to TIMEframe (recced in the linked post), in which a solar system is caught in a 22-minute loop where each each planet undergoes its own unique form of apocalyptic destruction, followed by the star itself going supernova. Because each planet's terrain changes over time due to its ongoing apocalypse, what you can access on that planet depends on what point in the loop you visit it.

The game’s ultimate goal is to figure out what’s causing the time loop, so expect to do a lot of reading ancient alien inscriptions and such. There's some orbital physics involved in travelling from planet to planet, but don't let that intimidate you – it's a lot more forgiving than it looks, unless you're keen to try out some speedrunning tech; as the game's 100% world record holder at the time of this posting aptly put it, gameplay in a casual playthrough consists principally of picking things up and putting them down.

I’m also going to plug The Talos Principle, which was mentioned but not discussed in the linked post. With respect to your son’s criteria, the operating principles of the game’s reality are fairly straightforward, but the nature of that reality is a delved into a fair bit. It’s sort of an inversion of The Witness’ big twist in that it’s made obvious right off the bat – at least to the player – that the reality you’re presented with is in some way artificial, and the mystery is more about who set things up this way and why, with a particular emphasis on how to reason and draw conclusions about such a world when you’re looking at it from the inside. I’m not sure if eleven is too young to be engaged by long-winded philosophical maundering about the Simulation Hypothesis and related topics, so I’ll let you be the judge there!

A few other, possibly somewhat less suitable candidates off the top of my head:

Antichamber – I don’t have much to say about this one; the trailer is self-explanatory, and anyone who enjoyed Disoriented and Portal will probably love this, too. Just watch out for motion sickness; if Manifold Garden didn’t make you queasy, you’ll have nothing to worry about here.  

The Gardens Between – A short point-and-click puzzler where you have very little direct control over the player characters, instead playing and rewinding a fixed sequence of events while making small changes to each iteration and watching how things play out differently in response – sort of like coming at a puzzle platformer from the opposite direction. No content warnings to speak of, though I find that younger players often find the story a lot sadder than I think the writers intended.  

GRIS – If side-scrolling platformers aren’t a dealbreaker, this may be one to check out. Beautiful artwork paired with a textless narrative that might best be described as “gently surreal”; in spite of the threatening appearance of certain creatures you encounter, it isn’t actually possible to die (though you can get roughed up a bit, so it’s not entirely non-violent). What the story is aiming for may be somewhat obscure to anyone who’s never experienced a death in the family, so I’d recommend it for younger gamers with that qualifier in mind.  

OneShot – Sort of like an old-school JRPG with no combat, this one’s premise is that the player character is the Messiah, which means they can talk to God, who is of course the player themselves. The puzzles take that fourth wall break as far as they possibly can, with solutions that variously involve restarting your save file, manipulating the size and position of the game window, reading and editing text files the game drops in different places on your hard drive, and at one point even running two copies of the game simultaneously.  

Perfect Vermin – A short, free-to-play first person title that initially appears to be about hunting down alien creatures that mimic office furniture and killing them with a sledgehammer. I probably don’t need to tell you that Shit Gets Weird. The subject matter may not be terribly relatable to an eleven-year-old, but a. it’s free, and b. a complete playthrough only takes about 20 minutes unless you’re achievement-hunting, so it’s no big loss if it misses the mark – maybe play it yourself first before passing on the rec. Content warning for heavy (albeit stylised) gore.  

Please Don’t Touch Anything – The player character is left alone with a mysterious control panel and sternly admonished not to touch anything; shenanigans immediately ensue. This one is focused almost entirely on achievement-hunting, with no overarching story to speak of (unless you count the 100% ending where it’s jokingly revealed that the panel is actually just a fancy coffee machine, anyway). It’s a great one if you just want to click stuff and see what happens. Content warnings for jump scares, the repeated extinction of all human life, and mild gore.  

The Swapper – A side-scrolling puzzle platformer from the same writer as The Talos Principle. This one’s a bit like a 2D Portal, except instead of a portal gun you have a cloning gun that can produce copies of yourself and (apparently) swap your consciousness among the clones. Another one that leavens relatively conventional gameplay with heavy philosophy, this time with a focus on the continuity of identity. Notable for having an ending that manages to be a total brainfuck in spite of carrying the story’s premise to its obvious and rigorously logical conclusion.

(Also, based on your described preferences this one’s more of a rec for you personally than for your son, so I’m not including it on the main list, but if you got a kick out of Refunct you definitely need to check out EQI, Self-described as “synthwave parkour”, with just enough of a physics-warping puzzle element to keep things interesting!)

[spielzeugkaiser]

Geralt isn’t sure what happened, but he’s getting there. And deliberately not asking things and looking the other way comes to an end, when Jaskier is in pain. @ dovabunny who prompted something with roach! I changed it a little bit and it got a little bit sadder than the prompt intended, but I hope you like it nonetheless! Also. Resurrecting something and keeping it alive? That must be a whole other deal. (Is she really alive right now? Is she gonna drop dead if Jaskier is too far away?)