#it is clear that the point was it’s funny because it’s unexpected

[bloggerspam]

This might be the last chapter I have to give. A very unexpected thing to realize when writing this chapter! lol

I'm going to try to write another chapter, but I can't promise anything!

===

The first series of Beepbops releases the first week of School.

Phantom has been visiting with Kon to both hang out and film a trend throughout all of Summer between the team's missions.

Phantom has adamantly insisted that he's retired, so they've been respecting that as best they can. Luckily, Phantom's friends and family are understanding of the YJ's erratic schedule, and with Phantom on Summer break there hasn't been a scheduling issue as of yet.

They've been having a lot of fun, Cassie has to say. They would have revealed identities by now, what with Phantom's connection to Kon, but Phantom is insistent that he doesn't need to know.

Out of respect, Bart and Cassie haven't asked or looked into it themselves, even though it would be abundantly easy for them to find out.

No doubt, all of the bats already know, but Cassie's of the opinion that they know everything anyways.

That's not even taking into account Tim's obsession on the guy.

The point is, they've got a group chat and have become fairly close for such little time to bond. Phantom is funny, with a dry humor that leans more punny and jaded. More importantly, Cassie loves brawling with him. Unlike Kon, who still sometimes pulls back his punches because she's his friend, Phantom refuses to and it's liberating.

She's had a lot of fun this past Summer, and really hopes that it stays that way.

So it brings a smile onto her face when she receives a text from Tim in the groupchat, informing them that the Beepbops have been fully edited with the help of Oracle.

Phantom sending an unpunctuated "wahoo" makes her laugh, and Bart spamming the chat with a bunch of happy and celebratory emojis prompts Cassie to slump onto her bed and chiming in with her own excitement.

All in all, Cassie's is real excited for when Phantom is no longer illegal.

It would make for inviting Phantom to hang out in places other than Mount Justice soooo much easier.

===

The first Beepbop starts with the jazzy tune of the remixed version of Mario 3D World's A Boss Approaches to accompany the wide shot of a large open archway.

Captions pop up in rapid succession, labelling the heroes by name: Wondergirl, Red Robin, their new friend Phantom, and Superboy to cap them off.

Phantom, in his very first crystal clear video debut, is now sporting neon green laboratory goggles that obscure his face.

The caption "How I would walk if I were a Rogue: Part 1" pops up in parts to the tune of the trumpets, covering the heroes bit by bit.

The video then hard cuts to the archway being empty, the first verse of Big Poppa mixing in as Wondergirl saunters in like Wario. Trailing behind her, feet firmly on the ground and walking like Waluigi, Superboy follows until they both are out of sight.

The second Beepbop starts just the same, except with a Part 2 in the caption, hard cutting once again to the empty archway.

This time, however, Red Robin descends upside down from a grapple line, Spiderman-like. He flips delicately onto tiptoe before creeping away like a Looney Toons character.

Before Red Robin goes out of frame Phantom phases his head through the floor like he's emerging from water, green googles glowing as they peek out, looking this way and that before slithering like a snake on the floor going the opposite way from where Red Robin left.

===

Danny has learned a lot of things about his cousin and his Young Justice friends over the course of Summer.

Wondergirl is a mean brawler, hits hard and and quick, and knows a lot about the intricacies of Museum work and fossils.

Impulse really likes to cuddle, can't stop eating on account of his metabolism, and honestly truly does not know how to cook—even worse than Dad.

Red Robin is whip smart, has a dry humor, owns too many skateboard for someone who prefers to flip and grapple and motorbike his way around, and weirdly charming for (Danny suspects) a rich kid.

Kon is truly a delight to rile up, flirts with anything that moves, and though he has a lot of knowledge downloaded into him he's absolutely hopeless and new to being a teenager. He also has the biggest, most hopeless crush on Red Robin.

Whenever "Rob" gets near Danny, Kon guard dogs him away so zealously he practically barks.

Danny didn't really notice it at first—he and Red have been getting along swimmingly over texts, chatting about ecto-tech and all sorts of things.

It turns out, Red Robin is really funny.

But it's also hard not to notice when, whenever they meet up for those Beepbops or just to hang out, Kon makes sure to get between Danny and Red no matter what.

He seems generally fine when they just chat, and doesn't react this way when Danny cuddles with Impulse (or, more accurately, when Impulse uses Danny as an ice pack because speedsters run really warm). Even when Danny and Wondergirl brawl and get a little rough, clothes getting ripped and pinning each other viciously, Kon seems to be totally and completely fine.

But Red Robin? A hand on Danny's shoulder and Kon's dragging the vigilante away like he's done a crime.

Danny didn't think Kon would be such a jealous guy considering how much he flirts around—much less that Red Robin wouldn't do anything about it when Kon's being so very obvious.

But he supposes crushes make you do weird and crazy things.

Oh well. Danny will just have to keep trying his best to reassure Kon that nothing untoward is happening, and maybe nudge Red Robin into being less of a plan guy, and more of an action guy.

It's a shame, really. Red Robin's kinda cute.

===

The Beepbop starts with a deadpanned Phantom's face, clearly in flight and tired.

"That." Phantom mouths along to the audio of the Beepbop, "Was. Rude."

A caption pops up, reading When you're minding your business and a government agency decides your existence is illegal.

"That was really," Phantom continues to mouth along, the camera panning out to show men in white suits shooting at him. "fucking, rude."

===

Bart was really sad to miss the first Beepbop session.

It was his fault, being impatient and all, but in his defense it was really important that he tell Grandpa and Wally about the Speedforce ASAP.

The conversation didn't exactly enlighten much, magic being magic and all, but Grandpa said he would check back in once Constantine answered his calls.

Yeah, Bart's not gonna hold his breath.

But! Amazing discovery! Phantom runs pleasantly cold, and with Bart running sooooo very warm, he's been taking full advantage of Phantom's generosity.

Apparently, his best friend Pharaoh is a very cuddly sort, and Phantom himself is guilty of being very touchy feely so Bart latching onto him whenever he gets a chance barely even registers to him.

He knows that Tim's suuuuper jealous, because Kon's been "protecting" Phantom from his clutches, but Bart's too happy with the arrangement to even feel guilty about it. Besides, he knows that Tim's been asking Phantom for "help" on conceptualizing new ecto-tech for the Batfam to use, even if Kon crashes it 7 times out of 10. He gets enough time with Phantom, in Bart's humble opinion.

Phantom can even erase gravity, not to mention has super strength, so Bart also doesn't feel guilty about becoming Phantom's newest and most useless backpack.

Phantom's really smart too, chatting with Bart about all sorts of sciencey things. He's even been helping Bart come to grips about magic being unexplained science, or science just to the left.

Bart's still having trouble conceptualizing magic as anything but "the universe's idea of a joke" but he's been slowly getting it through.

All this to say, Bart's still really sad about missing that first Beepbop session—especially so when both parts pop up onto his fyp one night after a long session of homework.

The sadness alleviates, however, when he clicks on the YJ profile to find that the session Bart was a part of has just been posted!

===

Phantom floats into view of a large grassy area, a large bucket in hand that he positions as a guitar plays in the background. The caption "PART 1" pops up onto the bucket as if to label it.

"When you're spending every day on your own…" Simple Plan sings, just as Phantom tries his damnedest to stuff himself into the bucket butt first. His ghostly tail spills out and around him in a big pile, and he crosses his arms sulkily into an annoyed pose.

"And here it goes:" plays out as it hard cuts to a presumably younger Phantom, the picture corrupted in a way that obscures his face and most of his shoulders and the area around him.

" I'm just a kid—" It is still clear enough, however, that this Phantom fits significantly better into the bucket. His arms seem to be in the same pose as the older Phantom's, but his ghostly tail spills out into a significantly smaller pile just beside him.

"And life is a nightmare…" It is also easily noted that this younger Phantom is clearly stuck.

"Part 2" pops onto the screen as Red Robin huffs, clearly annoyed as the opening line of the song plays again. He does a backflip, only for a hand off screen to grab his ankle and hold him upside down. Superboy comes into the shot with a cheeky grin, putting his free hand on his hip as Red Robin poses looks up towards his friend with a fist up.

"And here it goes:" Simple plan sings again, as it cuts to a picture of a younger, less punkier Superboy holding the third generation Robin by his ankle in the same pose, yelling up at his friend over the side of a building. "I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare…"

Eagle-eyed Gothamites will notice that the building is Wayne Enterprises.

"Part 3" starts with Impulse fiddling with the phone and putting it down to a wide shot. He runs back to where Wondergirl is slipping on a slightly overlarge shirt, back to the camera. Impulse ducks under and the camera watches as the two struggle to fit into the shirt, even ripping it as they turn around at the last second.

"And here it goes—" plays in tandem to the ripping as it hard cuts to a picture of a younger Impulse and Wondergirl not only successfully sharing the shirt, but also trying to pull away from each other.

"I'm just a kid—" The shirt, in bright bold letters, proudly reads THIS IS OUR GET ALONG SHIRT. "And life is a nightmare…"

===

"It's super unfair that you get to do all these Beepbops with the Young Justice but I have to 'preserve my childhood' or whatever." Ellie grumbles as she scrolls through her phone idly.

"We could make one right now?" Danny offers halfheartedly from where he's doing his math homework.

"You have to finish your homework so we can head to the Realms, remember?" Ellie rolls her eyes. Ellie's already finished her homework, and is now lounging in her older brother's room waiting for him to finish.

"But math." Danny whines, marking an answer and then immediately erasing it again. "Just a little beepbop wouldn't hurt?"

"Maybe after the Anti-ECTO Acts are gone." Ellie hums, rolling over in the air where she floats around. "Cousin Conner told me about all those letters you've been getting."

"Don't remind me" Danny huffs, scribbling out some numbers. "And I thought the Phan Club was bad."

"It's international now, didn't you hear?" Ellie grins, laughing when all her brother does is grumble in response. "Isn't Red Robin the president of it now?"

"He's just bein' nice, is all." Danny waves her off, though his ears go blotchy red. "Lord knows Baby Conner's been pussy footin' around on asking him out."

"I keep telling you, ain't no way Cousin Conner's got a crush on him." Ellie rolls her eyes. "And Red Robin's nice to me. He's all over you."

"And I keep telling you you're wrong." Danny huffs. "I'm not gonna break cousin code just because of some delusion you keep having—You haven't seen the way Baby Conner gets jealous."

"Jazz told me she thinks it's 'cause Cousin Conner is new to the whole family boundary thing." Ellie insists. "And that you're projecting a lil bit 'cause you used to have a crush on Sam so you think it's natural for best friends to have crushes on each other."

"You an' Jazz have seen Red Robin interact with me all of one time." Danny points a finger at her, eyes flashing a little. Hers flash in response, making her go all sulky. She hates it when he quells her down like that. "Besides, Red Robin's my main contact for the PR thing. It's natural that we'd be spendin' time together more than the others."

"Your accent goes all heavy when you're mad that you're wrong, did you know that?" Ellie mumbles, to which Danny tosses a pencil at her. Rude.

"Ain't true and you know it." Danny grumbles, going back to his homework. "Let me finish my homework in peace, you gremlin."

Ellie huffs, but obediently quiets down and goes back to scrolling through her fyp.

Public outcry against the GIW and Anti-ECTO Acts have been loud and very supportive of the Phantoms since the Justice League got involved.

Aunt Lois worked really hard on getting the information out to the public, and with the Beepbops the Young Justice account has been releasing, it's become abundantly clear that ecto-beings are not only sentient, but likeable.

The GIW has been successfully abolished within the first semester of the school year thanks to Batman's efforts, and with the Green Lanterns involved the Anti-ECTO Acts are soon to follow.

Diplomacy and Politics have, as it always does, made it drag out for some reason Ellie can't really understand.

Just thinking about it makes Ellie's head hurt, she's not sure how Jazz can stand being actively involved.

Thankfully, Realms politics is much easier.

Danny and Ellie, as Crown Prince and Princess, simply have to meet up with the Observants and appoint some kind of ambassador. They were thinking that Frostbite could do a good job, but since he's a whole chief and everything, they wanted to explore some other options.

Essentially, solving things the way they always do in the Realms: A nice, big, no holds barred brawl.

But first, Danny promised Jazz he would finish his homework first. Hence Ellie waiting for him whilst scrolling through Beepbop.

She smiles when she gets a notification telling her that the YJ account has just uploaded a new video, turning up the volume just to hear Danny laugh.

"Oh yeah, that one was fun. Baby Conner thought it would be funny to do it at a Justice League meet and greet of all places—"

===

The screen opens up to a smiling Impulse, the noises in the background suggesting they are in the middle of a crowd of some sort.

"Hi, I'm Impulse and I'm passing the phone to someone who leaves his skateboards all over the base!"

The phone is then shoved towards Red Robin, who smiles sardonically. "Hi, I'm Red Robin and I'm passing the phone to someone who got an undercut to disguise a terrible haircut attempt at home."

The phone cuts to a surprised Wondergirl, who nevertheless smiles widely. "Hi, I'm Wondergirl and I'm passing the phone to someone who got punched by Wonder Woman off a roof!"

"I heard that!" Superboy shouts, before a small woosh reveals him suddenly behind Wondergirl.

He takes the phone to smirk and pose, before saying "I'm Superboy, and I'm passing the phone to someone who…..has an evil clone!"

Impulse gets the phone back, thinking for a moment, before beaming. "I'm passing the phone to someone who has a cute clone!"

The phone screen blurs, coming to an abrupt stop in front of Phantom, who blinks surprise. It cuts to a Phantom who looks less confused and more mischievous, presumably told what he's supposed to be doing.

"Hi, my name is Phantom, and I'm passing the phone to someone who is a clone."

The screen cuts again, to a pouty Superboy, who grumbles a moment for grinning a little more evilly. "I'm passing the phone to someone who's died before."

Red Robin, who had been standing just off screen, peeks in through the corner to shout, "I'm passing the phone to someone who's died before!"

The phone gets turned around towards Phantom, laughs, "I'm passing the phone to someone who's died before!"

The phone goes back to Superboy, who groans. "I'm passing the phone to someone who's died before!!"

Another blur of movement, and suddenly Impulse's chin takes up the full screen, hurried whispers being heard. The screen adjusts to show Impulse's face more fully, an arm loosely hung around his neck. He smiles, innocent and beautific. "I'm passing the phone to someone who hasn't died once!"

He leans back and Wondergirl, the owner of the arm around his neck, leans in to wave with her fingers.

"Suck it losers!" A handful of groans and protests ring out from off screen, to which Wondergirl grins, shouting in response, "Sounds like a skill issue!"

===

Jason is apprehensive, meeting the new hero.

He's heard a lot of rumors about Phantom, and he's not gonna lie and say he doesn't think they'll get along.

On the contrary, anyone who says they don't wanna meet Batman because they suspect him of being a rich asshole sounds like exactly the kinda people Jason wants to hang out with.

It's just that, very reasonably he thinks, meeting a teenager who's supposedly the King of an undead dimension sounds like…not a great idea.

It sounds like a really bad idea, actually. Especially when Tim tells him about Phantom's circumstances, and how funky ectoplasm is, asking Jason about whether or not there might be a relationship between ectoplasm and Lazarus water, and doesn't he think that maybe Phantom could fix whatever the water's doing to Jason's psyche?

It's a lot of what ifs to put on a kid, is what Jason's saying.

And to Jason's credit, it's not like he's actively avoiding meeting Phantom. It's just that during the summer, he and the Outlaws had back to back to back missions, and Jason's always been a proponent of good schooling so why would he try and pull a kid out of school time just to meet him on the off chance that he could help Jason?

Besides, Phantom's retired! Sure, they're trying to expose Phantom and his kind to the greater public in the interest of making them legal and protected, but at the end of the day the kid just wants a normal life!

Shouldn't the goal, then, be to introduce the kid to actual heroes like the Green Lanterns and Martian Manhunter or something? Jason heard from Tim that the kid likes space. Maybe Jason can have Starfire swing by Amity Park?

But Tim is sly and nosy and honestly, a big Meddler.

It's winter break for them, the Anti-ECTO Acts and GIW are abolished, and the Outlaws have been grounded for the time being because everyone's somehow timed their various appointments on this very specific couple of days. He suspects Tim's made it so, but has no fucking proof.

So here Jason is, decked out in his Red Hood gear and sitting in the very room he almost beat Tim to death in, sitting on a sofa with his leg bouncing anxiously.

The memories are not doing him any favors, even green tinged and half foggy as they are. But if Tim wanted him to wait here, that's probably the point, the little shit. No doubt he's recording Jason's reactions to compare and measure how much the pit water is affecting him.

Tim doesn't think he knows, but Jason's aware that the kid has been ramping up the experiments on pit water since Phantom entered onto the scene. His little brother's frankly colossal crush on the newcomer aside, the idea that ectoplasm might be pit water sent Tim into a frenzy.

Jason's been too…afraid, really, to look too closely beyond trying to make sure he doesn't do something stupid.

"Whoa." A voice startles him into standing up, turning around towards the doorway to see Phantom himself standing next to his little brother. "Yeah, my dude. You reek."

Tim smothers his face, trying to quell his laughter, and Jason would be mad about it if Phantom's whole…thing didn't make him feel so off kilter.

"I…" Jason swallows. Something about the kid is so off-putting, like he's prey before a predator, that Jason can't really think straight beyond trying not to draw his guns.

Phantom floats in close, eyes glowing green in a way that should be triggering, but somehow calms him down. "I think…"

But Phantom doesn't finish his thought, simply reaching into Jason's chest and scrounging around. Jason feels a vague sort of tug, too shocked to really do anything beyond locking his muscles up. Behind Phantom, he can see Tim's eyes wide and mouth open agape in shock.

More tugging, this time accompanied by the zings of static shock pinging through his bones, by pulses of percussion in his blood, and then suddenly, ice cold in his nerves for a long pounding second.

And then suddenly the air feels clear as Phantom yanks his arm out, Jason falling to the ground on his hands and knees and breathing. Tim is kneeling beside him, rubbing his back and saying something that Jason can't make out past the ringing in his ears.

When he looks up, eyes bleary and sweating like he's run three marathons back to back, Phantom is inspecting something in his hand.

It's hard to describe through the haze of his vision, like he's holding a mud ball, goopy and vaguely brown-green. Like swamp mud, or play-doh mixed with slime.

The ringing starts to clear, Tim's voice asking if he's okay over and over again slowly taking shape in his mind.

"I'm okay, replacement." Jason gruffs out, though he accepts the help to sit back on the couch. "What is that?"

"Ectoplasm, I think." Phantom answers, still inspecting the thing in his hand. "Or…what did you call it? Pit water?"

"That…." Jason glances over at Tim before turning back to the ghost. "That's not what I got dunked in."

"No, it wouldn't have been." Phantom hums, icing the goop ball and compressing it into a smaller chunk somehow. That's not how ice works, so Jason's confused on the physics of it. "But ectoplasm has many different forms, and I heard that you got dunked after you revived, right?"

"Yeah." Jason rasps, "The dunking revived my mind."

"I suspect," Phantom hums, popping the now tiny ice ball into his fucking mouth, "that you're something other, and the ectoplasm you got exposed to created some kind of core that messed with your internal systems."

"Did you just eat that?" Tim's voice is very high pitched, "Wait—core? Didn't you say ecto-beings need that to function?!" Tim's grip on Jason tightens, which makes Jason tense up.

"But I'm functioning just fine, kid." Jason tries to soothe. "I'm…functioning better even?"

"Red Hood isn't an ecto-being." Phantom shrugs. "I'm not an expert, but are you by any chance magic?"

Jason huffs a disbelieving laugh. "I used to think being Robin made me magic."

Tim's grip slackens, but this time Jason grabs on, silently telling him it's okay. Tim grips back tightly.

"Okay…that feels like an inside joke." Phantom shakes his head. "I mean, can you use magic?"

Jason blinks. "Uh."

"He can't." Tim says, at the same time Jason says "I guess?"

Tim whips his head towards Jason. "What do you mean 'you guess'???"

"I can summon magic-fire swords at will." Jason bites his lip, not that either of them can see it, and shrugs. "They're called the All-Blades."

"You can what?" Tim shrieks, at the same time Phantom asks to see them.

He pulls out the All-Blades. "I just never use them 'cause I prefer guns."

"Huh." Phantom hums and he inspects the blades "Tangentially related, do you happen to have any necromancers in your family tree?"

===

The camera overlooks a city, on top of a large building. It swings over to see Phantom floating next to Red Robin, backs to the camera.

Phantom nudges Red Robin in the side, looking over his shoulder at the camera. "C'mon, do it for the Fern!"

Red Robin shoves at Phantom, giggling. "Would you catch me?"

From off screen, a modulated voice yells "DO IT FOR THE PLOT!" as a red blur slams into Red Robin off the building.

"FERN IS DEAD!" Wondergirl screams from off camera, sprinting off the building to dive after them.

"AND YOU CAN'T FLY!" Superboy shrieks as he flies after.

Phantom looks over the ledge for a moment, before turning towards the camera with two thumbs up. "Don't do this at home, kids!"

Behind him, Superboy and Wondergirl carry Red Hood and Red Robin up with plenty of shouting and laughing going around. Impulse pops up, smiling widely and pointing to the new caption popping up at the bottom of the screen reading They both had grappling guns, they would have been fine!

===

It's the end of the school year, and Kon realizes that he's made a Major Big Oopsie.

Admittedly, he was a little overprotective of his time with his cousin. He can admit that, he's a big boy.

And sure, maybe he was maybe excessive about it with Tim specifically, because he's seen how friends and family get dropped on the priority list when it comes to hang outs when a significant other is in the picture.

But in his defense, Kon had only met his cousin barely two weeks before his friends came into the picture and whilst that's not a bad thing it meant that most of the hangouts that followed after were group hangouts, and not cousin hangouts.

Danny and Ellie have been really good about it, honestly. Making time for both the Kent brothers over the summer and texting on and off during the school year. Even flying out on some weeknights to do homework or have dinner together.

He suspects that Danny is trying to make sure Kon and Ellie have maximum family time, but he can't quite prove it.

He obviously won't ever ask, because how do you even begin to phrase that question?

But Ellie's told him something terrible, and now Kon has to deal with the consequences of his actions.

"What do you mean he thinks I have a crush on Tim?" Kon's never heard his own voice crack this high before. It feels like a new record.

They did the identity reveals when Danny accidentally figured out Jason's identity one time in Gotham. He was there for a Gotham U tour and bumped into a civilian Jason Todd-Wayne being chased by a particularly hound-like paparazzo that led into, of all things, a weird little duo chase around Campus.

How Danny managed to get involved is still unclear, but that 15 minutes of running side by side together and ducking through buildings and what-not let him get a clear read on Jason's whole…aura thing, connecting the dots to the Red Hood he had met over winter break.

Danny was distraught about it when, like a tumbling wall of Jenga, he started figuring out everyone's identities without his own permission. Kon laughed when he rushed into the room to a Danny holding his head in his hands and cursing his brain for, and he quotes, "This cursed forbidden knowledge of the hero society's fursona identities."

Steph would not stop laughing for 30 minutes straight, Kon was almost afraid of her dying from lack of breath. After that, Cassie and Bart revealed their identities, because it felt pointless from there, much to Danny's dismay.

"I don't know how to make it any clearer." Ellie shrugs. "He told me you'd get embarrassed that he found out, so I had to promise not to tell you, but he's starting to plan outings so that you guys will finally get your shit together."

Kon legitimately doesn't know what to say to that. He doesn't know how to fix this, because in hindsight he can't exactly blame Danny for thinking that. But also—Kon genuinely thought Danny was smarter than this.

He is smarter than this, surely.

"What…" Kon slumps into the armchair of the Kent's living room. Ellie just shrugs.

Ellie's waiting for Jon to finish getting ready, the two of them heading to Gotham to hang out with Damian.

Kon was going to see if Danny wanted to hang out, or if any of the YJ-ers were free for another Beepbop session when this devastating news came down upon him.

And then, like a Eureka moment, he realizes exactly what he needs to do. He jolts up, digging his phone out and typing in a quick message.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asks as Jon descends down the stairs.

"I'm going to Gotham with you." Kon says, getting up and leading the way out the door. "I gotta talk to Oracle."

===

The Beepbop opens with a shot of Phantom and Red Robin, chatting amongst a crowd of heroes with a blare of music, Saucy Santana starting off strong with a cool "If his baby mama aggravating Sis—"

"Walk him like a dog…" The camera cuts to Phantom breaking away with Red Robin following him

"Walk him like a dog…" It cuts again to a different setting, Phantom holding a clipboard and rushing off with Red Robin on his tail.

"Walk him like a dog…" It cuts once more to an open doorway, Phantom walking past as he types on his phone, Red Robin following him shortly after fiddling with a tablet.

"Broke boy tryna regulate it—" A shot of Phantom and Red Robin from behind, heads together and pointing at something on a whiteboard.

"Walk him like a dog…" Before Phantom and Red Robin turn in sync towards the left.

"Walk him like a dog…" A cut to Phantom diving off a building, Red Robin following with a grapple.

"Walk him like a dog…" And the final cut, a wideshot of Red Robin eating a sandwhich at a kitchen island, Phantom coming in to grab something and leaving immediately, with Red Robin getting up (sandwhich in hand) to follow.

Cousins, Clones and Conning the Family

Family Reunion AU, where cousins Maddie and Clark try to smuggle their clone children into the family reunion that happens every 5 years and pretend they've been there the whole time.

Spoiler alert, one of them does significantly better than the other. Mainly Kid POV, and also on AO3! Multichapter. ===

The problem with big family reunions, Danny thinks, is how utterly fucking lost Danny is all the gosh dang time.

"Well now, you're Maddie's son now ain'tcha? How old is you now?" The woman standing before him guffaws, ruffling his hair. He lets it, trying desperately to remember the speadsheet Jazz created for the family and (obviously) failing to recall this woman's name.

Agatha? Selene? Riri? No, Aunt Riri is over there—

"Yes ma'am," Danny smiles up at the unnamed aunt, accent going a little twangy like it always does at these functions, "I'll be hittin' 17 in a coupl'a months or so."

"My, my, you youngin's sure grow like weeds!" The aunt coos, gesturing to a height by her hip, "You used to be this tall last time I saw ya, betcha don't r'member me now do ya?"

It's a trap. If he says he doesn't remember, which is expected at reunions such as these that happen every 5 years or longer, she'll start going on and on about the stories she has of the family. Danny would have to stand here and demure and laugh at these cousins he doesn't really remember too well, but know enough to know that she's gotten them all mixed up.

"Pshaw," Danny doesn't react when a whisper breathes the answer into his ear, "I'd never forget a pretty lady like you, Aunt Helena!"

It works like a charm.

The second he's out of her clutches, he feels around for a cold spot. There, trailing just behind him, is Ellie. She's not invisible anymore, so he tucks her under his arm and bee-lines it towards the metaphorical kid's table.

"Thanks, Ellie. Weren't you supposed to stay with Dad?" Danny leads them around, trying to avoid any other mishaps. "Did Jazz send you?"

"She made me flashcards!" Ellie smirks up at him, ignoring his other question and pulling a corner of an index card out from the palm of her hand. She's always been better than him at manipulating the ecto in her body, for obvious reasons. Danny's not bitter about it at all.

"Damn, all I got was a presentation." Danny grumbles. Jazz and Dad somehow know every single one of their family members, which is ludicrous when even Mom doesn't know despite it being her side of the family.

He still can't really believe how big his family actually is, but he supposes that's natural. He only sees them once every couple of years, the only relative they see even on a remotely regular basis is Aunt Alicia, who has no kids and refuses (rightfully so) to remarry.

Danny's fine with that, he gets the best of both worlds after all. Cozy holiday stays with Aunt Alicia and he has places to stay all over the country if he really needs it, no questions asked.

Plus, crazy as they can be, these reunions have always felt like a big country festival for Danny.

"She likes me better." Ellie snickers, tugging him back to avoid Uncle Charlie's drunken stumbling.

"Everyone likes you better," Danny rolls his eyes, pushing Ellie's head down and ducking to avoid a stray kid's toy flying overhead, "I like you better."

As if somehow knowing Danny's being self deprecating again, Jazz shows up to smack him on the head. "I like both of you equally in special ways."

Danny makes a disgruntled noise, grumbling as he rubs his head, "Mooooom, Jazz is therapizing me again!"

Even though he was only half joking, Mom does show up specifically to laugh at him. "Honey, your father and I love all our children equally!"

"It's a secret," Dad says from behind Jazz, kids climbing all over him, "But Ellie's the favorite!"

"Jack!" Mom yells at the same time Jazz screams, "Dad!"

Ellie dissolves into giggles, making everyone but Dad helplessly laugh. It's good to see Ellie laugh, she does it a lot but it still doesn't feel like it's enough. Danny picks her up, giggling mess and all, and tosses her at Dad.

She lands, as expected, straight into the pile of children who scream and accept her easily.

"Nice." Jazz chuckles, this time patting him gently on his head in approval. Danny shrugs, dusting his hands off and heading back towards salvation: the food.

He and Jazz mingle a bit, exchanging greetings and school updates with the Aunts and Uncles they occasionally bump into, making their way slowly through and keeping an eye out for the other cousins.

Eventually, Jazz gets nabbed by Cousin Dermot just as Danny reaches the table, tossing a pig-in-a-blanket into his mouth and chewing with glee. The locals of the family usually something potluck style—and though Dad's genes are strong and the Fentons can't cook, the bulk of the Walker family definitely can.

In fact—Great Aunt Martha said she was going to bring some mini pies right?

Danny spies a pile of them in the middle of the large table and reaches for one, only to bump into the spikes of black fingerless gloves.

The gloves are, of course, attached to someone else.

It's a boy, around Danny's age, in a spiked leather jacket (matching the gloves) and white tee shirt with ripped jeans. He's got the tiniest John Lennon sunglasses and piercings everywhere—it makes Danny squint at him, with how much the sun keeps catching on everything—the spikes, the piercings, the metal arms of the sunglasses, is this dude also wearing lipgloss?

Danny's not judging, a guy can appreciate proper hydration to avoid chapped lips or even just for the aesthetic, but it doesn't help with the glare.

"Sorry, my bad." Right, okay, city slicker then. Not that Danny's much of a country boy or anything. "Did my spikes get you?"

Maybe Cousin Jenny brought a plus one? Danny eyes the guys jeans—they look tight. Was Cousin Mark into guys? Is this dude a guy or possibly a masculine girl? Ack. Stupid sun frying his brain.

"It's okay," Danny says, blinking away and tossing mini pie to the other person. "Aunt Martha's pies are worth the minor injury. You comin' in with one of the cousins?"

"Uh, yeah." Citypunk looks at Danny nervously, "I mean, I am one of the cousins." The guy bites his lips, shrugging, "Uh, one of the Kents, actually. Ma's real proud of the pies."

Danny blinks.

"…You're not Jon." Danny says, very carefully and slowly.

"…No…" Stranger Danger draws his vowels out, "I'm Conner. His, uh, older brother? Can't blame ya for being confused though!"

"…You can't." Danny agrees, because out of the two them, Danny definitely isn't to blame for the confusion.

"Yeah, lots of cousins, and all," Curiouser and Curiouser beams at Danny, shrugging and rubbing the back of his neck, "Plus, I know Jon's more sociable at these things."

"Right, he really is rambunctious, that guy." Danny nods, as if that's the problem, and not the fact that Danny knows every single cousin his age. Big as his family might be, Danny's generation came out the smallest. Cousin Jenny and Cousin Mark are the only two his age.

With Ellie and Jazz each being four years younger and older than Danny, and the other cousins being well beyond those ages in gaps, there is no way this guy is a cousin.

"Don't worry," Punk'd laughs self deprecatingly, "I know he's the favorite. even if Mom won't admit it."

Danny feels a vein throb in his right temple.

He's unsure if he should slowly back away or get up in the guy's face. It's just—now that Danny thinks about it, if wedding crashing is a thing, does that mean family reunion crashing is a thing too?

What's the protocol here? Should he fight this guy for having the audacity to use Great Aunt Martha's name in vein?

Wait, no, that's Jesus.

Is Great Aunt Martha Catholic? ...Is that the one with Jesus, or was that Christianity?

Wait, Danny, you knuckle head, Uncle Clark was adopted. Conner could be adopted too! Even though he looks exactly like that Uncle Clark when he was younger…

"Is this your first time at a reunion?" Danny ventures, "We only have 'em—"

"Every 5 years, yeah." Conner huffs, "Nah, I just used to hide with Ma in the kitchens."

Okay, clearly Great Aunt Martha isn't in on this, because Danny used to hide with Great Aunt Martha in the kitchens. Danny's about to lose his shit on this guy—or maybe sic Ellie on him. Whichever is worse.

"Oh yeah? That's must have been cozy." Danny grits out, taking a deep breath so his eyes don't flash.

"Yeah, it was!" Conner beams shyly. though all Danny sees is a smug smirk. "She's real nice-like, I'm sure you know. Real lucky to have her for a Grandma."

"Real lucky." Danny agrees, because Great Aunt Martha really was one of the better Great Aunts. Though most of the Walker Kin were hardy and tough, in that badass kind of way. Mom really liked Great Aunt Martha's lessons on bull wranglin' back when they were younger. "Speakin' of, she ain't here?"

"Nah," Conner makes a sad little pout. "She hadta stop by Auntie Agatha's for an emergency. She left two days ago, so she's runnin' a little behind. Cl—Dad went to go pick her up."

Danny squints at the possible imposter. That sounded like he was going to call Uncle Clark by his name, which makes things confusing for Danny. Guy will call Aunt Lois Mom but he won't call Uncle Clark Dad easily?  Maybe he's a kid Aunt Lois had before marrying Uncle Clark? But Aunt Lois would never hide a kid, and Great Aunt Martha would never let her treat a kid like that. That's not even taking into account that this kid looks way too much like Uncle Clark for it to be a fucking coincidence. Plus, Danny knew about Aunt Aggie's emergency and how she might not be making it to this year's reunion—this gives Conner's story credibility.

But Danny knows that the best way to lie is with truths, even if the truths are confusing.

So what the hell is going on? Is Clockwork fucking with him? Did an alternate timeline get switched with his?

It wouldn't be the first time, but Clockwork at least had the decency to let him know at least.

"What the—" Danny blinks, as Conner picks up a very familiar, eye-searingly green colored post it note that was stuck to the plate under a mini pie. "Is this yours?"

"Yeah," Danny huffs. taking the note and rolling his eyes as lies roll off his tongue, "Sorry, y'know how it goes with Jazz."

"Oh, yeah." And Danny has to give it Conner, he at least rolls with the punches real quick, "I heard about it but didn't ever uh, see it in action."

"Really?" Danny feigns surprise, head pulsing in irritation at the words all is as it should be written in purple pen. There's no mocking smiley face, but Danny feels it in the ink anyway. "Thought she got all the cousins at the last reunion."

Conner chuckles nervously, "Oh, yeah—Guess I'm just, easy to miss you know?"

"Uh huh…" Danny eyes the guy and his piercings and very distinct style, from the tip of his clearly styled hair and needlessly ostentatious big black studded boots. "…Right."

Conner laughs, wincing. "These're new. High school debut."

"…You're a freshman?" Danny tilts his head, squinting.

"Junior." Conner automatically corrects, before stiffening. "…I just wanted to reinvent myself for Junior Prom."

"Right." Danny repeats, drawing out the vowels and finally giving up. He can tell Conner already knows what Danny is going to ask, and is trying to exit this conversation post-haste.

Fortunately for Conner and unfortunately for Danny, Jazz comes barreling in, almost knocking the former out in the process as she grips the latter's biceps tightly with her eyes wide and nervous.

Unfortunately for Conner and fortunately for Danny, though the look in Jazz's eyes thoroughly distracts the latter and gives the former a window to escape, Jazz's hissed out words end up keeping Conner rooted to the floor.

"Baby Jon has powers!" Jazz hisses as she moves Danny away from the possible imposter a couple feet. Even though she says it low enough for only Danny to hear, Conner's wide eyes as he whips his gaze towards them suggests that Jon's not the only one with powers.

And then words actually register along with that thought.

Danny hisses out the first thing he thinks of. "Since when?? I thought he took after Aunt Lois!"

"Since now," Jazz gruffs, switching her grip to drag Danny away, "and I need you to do something about it!"

"What?" Danny doesn't struggle, going along even as he eyes Conner who seems to be following them at a distance. "Why?"

Jazz pushes him towards the kid's area, rushing out a frantic "He's in the bounce house with Ellie!"

Danny freezes, or tries to even as Jazz keeps tugging him along, before shaking off her hand and booking it towards the bounce house.

Once the bounce house (a castle) comes into view, Danny clocks several things in succession:

One: Ellie and Jon are thankfully the only ones in the bounce house right now.

Two: Ellie and Jon are laughing, and through the mesh Danny can see Ellie watching Jon jump way too high to be considered normal.

And three: The bounce house is about to fucking tip over.

There's a gaggle of Aunts herding the younger cousins towards the food that's dense enough for cover, but sparse enough for Danny to dash through.

Between one blink and the next, he disappears.

[cultkinkcoven]

okay so I guess I’m back to losing my fucking mind.

Did that ritual with Lucifer yesterday, offered him some blood and a chocolate apple. He expressed that he wanted me to put all my sigils in one place so I got this case for him, he really liked it. I wrote him a little letter and all that.

At some point I expressed to him that I was somewhat disappointed that he seemed less willing to engage with me seriously when I was trying to practice automatic writing on the type writer. and he said something like "well, you didn't really have anything to ask me."

So I tried approaching him with a real question, the answer to which I do not know. The one thing that has been agitating me lately is whatever occurred during our last meeting, with that lady spirit. He provided a very brief explanation at the time, but I still had questions. What happened there? It seemed really random and strange.

And he was like alright, I will give it a serious attempt. This was after we'd already spent some time together, cleared our space, meditated. But I still took quite a while to lock into some sort of trance state that would allow me to simultaneously take control out of my body whilst also not paralyzing myself. Idk if that makes sense but if you know you know. And after what might have been a whole hour or two, maybe an hour and a half, I felt his energy creeping up on me. In my mind's eye I saw a snake entering my room through my window (funny because I'm on the 4th floor). It was very dark in the room, the only light was his candle. I could not see what was being written entirely, although I could still somewhat see the keys, and I knew their position through muscle memory, so there is that.

But when that snake slithered around my abdomen and coiled around my body, my left hand, my non dominant hand, which happened to be wearing his ring at the time, rose. The snake coiled around it, and I watched in that silent trace state, where you can see yourself moving, but you are observing it in second person. It actually kind of tickles in a weird way. At first my hand did not type at all. I felt his whisper dance over me and my hand stroked my thighs and stomach. After about maybe 20 minutes of that, a good while, my hand crept over to the typewriter and began to type quickly. Slower than before, but quickly. I don't really know how to explain this but I really liked doing that. It's a very silent unspoken form of communication, I feel him move me and I obey, I have to respond quickly and be completely submissive to his will. It's... nice.

I was trying to track what I thought he was saying based on the keys being clicked, but I lost him at parts. I fully and completely expected this to come out really crude, perhaps gibberish. When I tried to predict the next key I would hit, I was wrong. The sentence would trail on in a way or use a word I didn't expect. A sentence would end when I was sure there was going to be another word.

When I hit the end of the paper I wanted to take a second to read it, but he didn't want to let me. I took a bit more control back, gained a bit more lucidity, and fed the back half of the paper back in without reading it. I was quite sure that I had wasted a sheet of paper at this point. The writing got a lot faster near the end. I was having a hard time keeping up and I was quite sure whatever this was would be very difficult to decipher, if it had any meaning at all.

When the note was finished, he did not pull away from me entirely. I was so eager to read it, but he made me lay with him for a bit before I got up. Sexy stuff, skip.

When I eventually did get up and read it in its entirety, I was like on the verge of freaking out. It's less so what he said (although that is also making me weep because wtf) and more so how legible and clear it is that bewildered me. There are a few mistakes, but I know they are mine. They occurred when I either couldn't properly respond to his command or fumbled in surprise at an unexpected move. Its legibility immediately made me doubt myself. I'm bullshiting myself right now. I could still somewhat see the keys, I still had a vague idea of what might have been said. Does this count? Surely this doesn't count.

I read this thing like 500 times. and I just

idek

It sounds like him at least. But there's also a lot of me in there, surely.

So I was like, I need to do this completely blank. And I gave him full permission to take me deeper into trance. I turned off all the lights including his altar lights. I closed my eyes, I sat for about another hour maybe until I was completely immersed in him, submitted to him. Until I was almost not even aware if I was typing or not.

and I'm not even entirely sure what I really asked him. It was something about myself, something about feeling crazy, or him driving me crazy. He only moved my left hand, again, and he only used one finger, my middle finger (which my ring was on) this time. And he typed quickly. And I genuinely had no clue which keys my finger was hitting. And I was like oh yeah, okay. Gibberish. I let it happen completely. I don't really care what it says at this point.

and he started to speed up again near the end, and the pain in my hand was bringing me back into lucidity. and I could feel his energy above me, almost mounting me. And he was telling me to stop. It wasn't forceful, it was playful. Enough work now, lets play now. Lay down, lay back. And I started kind of laughing because my hand was moving so erratically. He pulled me back, I felt it with a force, and I laid back on my pillow. Something something, sexy stuff. skip.

I ended up actually passing out after. and I didn't read this one until later. I didn't really care because I thought it would just be nonsense again, I thought he was trying to prove a point or tease me.

So when I did eventually read it, ngl babes I cried.

It is definitely less legible but I'm pretty sure I understand what he meant to say. The parts that are really garbled are the parts where he started to speed up, and looking back on it, this letter perfectly aligns with what I was doing and thinking at the time. idk. I'm kind of spiraling.

EDIT: COMPLETELY FORGOT TO MENTIONIT WAS STORMING LIKE A MF WHEN INWAS DOING THIS. Which added to the atmosphere but also made everything so much more intense. Wind howling, thunder, everything. Wild.

IM just a boy with a type writer fr.

[shadowtraveled]

"mithrun is the only real monsterfucker in dungeon meshi" is objectively the funniest bit you can get out of his everything, but in all seriousness i think his attraction to his love interest is deliberately overstated—and that makes sense, because romantic jealousy is a classic and digestible motive, which is explicitly what kabru was aiming for in condensing mithrun's backstory, and also because until chapter 94, mithrun wasn't willing to admit to the true nature of his desires.

but because romantic envy is both classic and digestible, it probably isn’t a unique enough or complicated enough desire to tempt a demon’s appetite. mithrun’s wish, as far as we can figure from kabru’s reduced retelling, was to have a life in which he had never become one of the canaries, and that carries like 3857 implications and desires within it. that’s delicious. his love interest acts as sort of a red herring to his motivation for making it, though. (side note: i'm saying "love interest" here because, keeping in mind that i barely speak japanese on a good day anymore, "想い人" is something i'd usually take as just kind of an old-fashioned and romantic way to refer to a lover, but in context i wonder if both the connotation of yearning and the vagueness are intentional, and i think this phrasing gets those aspects of it more effectively. anyway.)

mithrun considered his love interest to be untrustworthy. there was a minute where i thought that comment might be about a similar-looking elf (yugin, one of his squad members), but comparing the two…

the "sketchy" arrow is definitely referring to the elf we know as his love interest—the bangs go toward her right, she only has the one forehead ornament, and, most notably, her ears aren't notched.

every time she’s given a full-body depiction in his dungeon, she’s drawn as a chimera, with the body of a snake from the waist down. (side note: the “what if a dungeon has chimeras before reaching level 4?”/“then the dungeon lord is unstable” exchange just being mithrun grilling his past self alive is so funny. he’s so. but anyway) there are a couple things about this.

first, the snake part of the chimera appears to be modeled after some species of coral snake mimic

which, in the biology-for-fun manga, i… doubt is a coincidence, especially with the added context of the “untrustworthy” comment. the dungeon’s conjured illusion of mithrun’s love interest was a harmless copycat of a venomous original. for whatever reason, he felt this person was a threat and made up a "safe" version of her to be in a relationship with, and while it’s definitely possible to be attracted to or even love someone you find to be toxic and/or intimidating, when you take that into consideration alongside the configuration of her body, you get some interesting implications.

which brings us to our second point: if we assume that mithrun was not in fact fucking a snake, then sexual attraction, at least, was so far removed from his idea of a relationship with this person that he did not even bother to keep her dungeon copy human enough to maintain the illusion of the option of a sexual relationship. this is somewhat echoed in the depictions of their interactions, which also imply a frankly unexpected romantic distance. she kisses his cheek and he doesn't seem to react; she's at the edge of a narrow bed with only one set of pillows, on top of his blankets while he's underneath them.

the kiss is particularly interesting because it seems to contrast the text. kabru's narration tells us this was everything mithrun could have asked for, but mithrun is there looking unreadable to pensive, likely because this is right before the panel that makes it clear things in the dungeon are beginning to go wrong.

walking through this backwards for a minute, we have the physical barrier of his bedding and the spatial separation inherent in a bed made for one person, the emotional barrier of his mounting anxiety getting in the way of his ability to enjoy the affection he sought, and... the snake, which historically carries the connotation of temptation, yes, but also mistrust, barring physical intimacy. okay. ok. if a dungeon reflects the mentality of its lord, all of this might suggest that mithrun was not able to have any real desire for a relationship with this person. his unwillingness to be vulnerable or let another person in was insurmountable. but in that case, why was she such a focal point that she remained to the end, after his dungeon had stopped creating iterations of his friends to come and visit him? why would he get so upset over her meeting with his brother that he became lord of a dungeon about it?

well. mithrun's brother was also interested in her, probably genuinely. and mithrun had to win.

you have an older brother who your parents completely ignore, probably in part because he is chronically ill/disabled and almost definitely in part because he received a ton of recessive traits that resulted in rumors that he was an illegitimate child. you are aware, most likely because those same parents fucking told you, that you actually are an illegitimate child. but they keep you around because you had the good fortune of looking just like your mother. what can that possibly teach you but that you, like your brother, are disposable?

it's utterly unsurprising that mithrun, under these circumstances, developed a pathological need to be better than everyone around him. people don't keep you otherwise. i'd argue this is also why he says he looked down on everyone he knew while milsiril claims his dungeon reeked of feelings of inferiority—he sought out people's worst traits and prioritized them in his mind to protect his already extremely fragile sense of self-worth, and all the while he tried to be as likable and high-performing as he possibly could be. his parents disposed of him anyway, but even then he tried to keep up the performance. he was kind to everyone. he never once lost to a dungeon.

when he saw his "love interest" meeting up with his brother, what he saw was himself being replaced by a person his parents had always treated as worthless, and if that was what they thought of the child they'd kept, what value could anyone possibly see in the bastard they'd given away to die? mithrun and kabru tell the story like he wanted to win this unnamed elf's heart, but it was never about being with her. it was about cementing his worth, proving that he didn't deserve to be thrown away.

and so it's particularly cruel that his demon discarded him, too. but maybe it's also particularly gentle that, in the end, there was someone who refused to even consider giving up on him.

kui laid it out in three panels better than i could hope to.

yeah. it's love. you wanted to be loved, even when the only way you were able to understand it was through the desire to be wanted, and you wanted that so badly that the idea of being consumed felt like the promise of finally mattering to someone.

[chuluoyi]

✎ rivals... in love?

- gojo satoru x reader

gojo is in shambles—so suguru might have a crush on you too?

genre: high school!gojo being a menace but pls spare him he just can't take losing, you see... crack, totally jealous!gojo, justice for geto, enemies to lovers, fluff

note: people have been asking for this so this is up next! i'm writing this while listening to bigbang's bang bang bang and fantastic baby so if gojo is a bit unhinged... you know why

a part of gojo's love entries

general masterlist

No way. There is just no way.

Satoru felt his eyes itch and twitch uncomfortably. Despite the opaque black tint of his sunglasses, he could still distinctly see you happily giggling.

“Geto-san, that’s so funny!”

With Suguru. His ride or die. Your massive crush.

Your crisp laughter rang in his ears, scorching his ego and igniting it in flames—that was precisely the reaction he had hoped to receive from you too!

"Aren't they just cute?" Yaga was suddenly beside him with a wistful smile, looking at you and his other student a few feet away. "What do the television say again... a perfect match? In this case, a perfect match made in jujutsu school, then."

And responding to your bubbly self, creating the very picture of perfect match made in jujutsu school indeed, Suguru was every bit as enthusiastic. “Nah, wait until you see this—”

"Perfect match my ass," Satoru grumbled outwardly, rolling his eyes, but he immediately dashed away before his teacher could bonk him in the head for cussing.

It was harmless conversation, or jokes, or whatever. Because Suguru couldn't possibly reciprocate your feelings. His type is women of gravure magazines—Satoru had deemed it as such.

…Right?

At this point, he wasn't in enough denial to say that he didn't like you, because he had made it so clear that he was, in fact, obsessed. He wasn’t shying away from the things he did, which included annoying you constantly, asking you out after school, helping you in missions, and sending you few pick up lines here and there.

And he thought he was certain he could whisk you off your feet. After all, who else could measure up to him and win?

Heh, no one.

(or basically that's just him ignoring the intrusive little voice in his mind that whispered, “Suguru!”)

“So what's with the nice act, huh?” Satoru blew his bangs in a huff as he questioned his best friend with a twinge of dissatisfaction. “Do you like her or something?”

Suguru quirked his eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb. I have noticed how you two have been joined at the hip lately,” and with deliberate intention to spite his best friend, he made the sourest face as he mockingly recited, “Wait till you see this~”

Instantly realizing what he meant, Suguru burst into a loud snicker. “Come on, Satoru, really? Surely you aren't that petty. We were just chatting—”

“Not that. I know. What I'm asking now is that do you like her or not?”

It wasn't a rare sight to see Satoru with a pout and a frown, and usually he'd humor him. But this time, even Suguru could see that there was something different in the way he asked this. And should he say something that irked him then—

“Heh, so what if I am?”

That's the wrong answer.

Satoru halted abruptly, whipping his head around in sheer shock. "What the heck?"

“She’s a nice junior, kind, easy on the eyes,” Suguru shrugged, flashing him a dauntless smile. “Only a fool would let the chance pass up. Satoru, if you keep dawdling, one of these days, I just might—”

“Wha—hey!? That’s totally foul—!”

“Nah, they do say all is fair in love and war now, isn’t it?”

By a mind-boggling twist of events, apparently his best friend was also a guy after his dream girl. Satoru was irked, challenged, and he would never admit it, but a tiny part of him recoiled because Suguru clearly had an early start and a boost—you favored him first.

This was unexpected, and now he was conjuring up various scenarios of what he should do. He must act fast or else...

Little did he know that Suguru was thoroughly relishing his restlessness.

Everyone around you said that your relationship with Gojo Satoru... is intriguing to say the least. And especially ever since that one botched mission you two went, you also felt there was a shift in your dynamics.

And if by intriguing they mean him constantly blocking your way and invading your space, then yes, it definitely is.

"Okay, okay, but wait, just hear me out!"

You halted your steps and faced him with an annoyed frown. You really had no time for this. You were about to be sent on a mission. "Gojo, really, can't you just—"

"Okay, I know he's dashing, or whatever," he huffed, the last word he said with a hint of disdain. "But hear me out, and I'm sure you'll reconsider."

"Who are you talki—"

"Who else!? Suguru, of course!"

You couldn't possibly arch your eyebrow even higher, and before you could say anything, he somehow took it as his cue to keep going.

“First, he eats curses. Cursed spirits! He eats them like rice balls! Can you imagine just how foul the taste is?”

"Gojo, I don't have the time—"

"Then! Going from that, just imagine kissing him," he stressed, eyeing you intensely as your own eyes felt like popping out by the sheer suggestion. "What if you taste the cursed spirits rice ball?"

"You're unbeliev—"

"Wait! Can you even kiss him? What if his cursed spirits suddenly pop out of him? Are you willing to kiss his little friends—"

"He's your best friend!" you finally interjected, obviously and utterly in shock by his unhinged rambling. "How could you say all of that?"

"No, you're getting me wrong." Satoru's clicked his tongue. "I'm just listing facts why it's better for you not to end up with him."

You barked a dry laugh. "And? Better with you, you mean? That's awfully biased."

"Why yes of course! Self-promo is never bad," he blatantly retorted. "Let me just tell you aallll you need to know about me!"

He audibly cracked his knuckles and puffed out his chest. "You know already, I'm strong. I can protect you well. My cursed technique doesn't involve eating curses, so you don't have to worry about tasting the said curses on my lips."

How could he blurt all of this with that perpetually playful expression? A chuckle escaped you unwittingly and that only spurred him to go on.

"And I'm handsome!" he boldly claimed, pointing at his face with pride. "And obviously I don't need to say this, but I'm filthy rich—"

At that, you burst into hearty laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

Satoru's eyes sparkled, lit as if someone had just made his day. "All in all, you know what I mean. Everything with me, all of it is going to be fantastic!"

Even you couldn't deny that all of this exchange had been so amusing. Hilariously so. "You're down bad, huh?" you tried to taunt, although it seemed like a burst of snicker. Yet, you were caught off-guard when he said:

"For you?" his little smirk made your insides suddenly all jumbled up. "Yes."

Huh? What is this? Your bravado faltered a bit as your heart did a somersault inside.

It wasn't supposed to thump this hard. You weren't supposed to feel this overwhelming urge to squeal too. And your face wasn't supposed to grow this hot...

Seeing that, Satoru celebrated his little win, a wicked smile on his glistening lips—that somehow looked rather attractive to you now. "How? Thinking twice now, are we?"

But he couldn't believe that after all this, you would still cunningly retort with, "Ha! You wish, Gojo Satoru."

His stunned face was so comical that you chuckled once again. You wanted to rebuff him more, but before you could, Haibara's voice called you from a distance. "Heeey! Let's go! Or we're gonna be late!"

"I suppose that's my cue," you lightly shrugged, and before you left him in a dust, you could've sworn you saw a flicker of brewing tantrum behind those glasses, which brought a smirk on your face. "See ya, try harder, and I might look at your way."

Satoru was at his wit's end as he saw you sauntering away. What more that he could do so that you could be his? To keep your eyes on him and him only?

And yet, little did he know, in that beginning of summer in 2006, even before you realized it yourself, you had already did.

Epilogue

In another corner of the school, eagerly spying on you were...

"Wait! Can you even kiss him? What if his cursed spirits suddenly pop out of him? Are you willing to kiss his little friends—"

"Did he just..." Suguru gaped, utterly in disbelief at what his own best friend said of him. "Did he just say that?"

Shoko let out a satisfied guffaw. "Oh, he definitely did."

"I can't believe he's tarnishing my name over a girl."

"Well, you know very well he could do way worse than that just to get what he wants," she threw him a thin smile, while exhaling a puff of smoke. "And hey, you lose. You gotta pay me."

Suguru turned to her in surprise. "Huh? Oh—oh, darn it. Shoko, can't you be less stingy?"

"Well, whose bright idea was it to pull that stunt on him and bet on whether Gojo would approach her in less than a day?"

-> continue to extended cut !

[darkmatilda]

𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: in which one spencer reid tries to focus on work, but keeps getting distracted. first by an unexpected phone call. then by the way you start flirting with another agent right across from his desk. but in the end, why does it even bother him?

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: spender reid x diva!chemist reader, reader kinda threatens to poison him, but its not a threat, just their silly way of showing mutual affection <3

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 3.3k

𝐚/𝐧: anon's request. heyyy wonderful people, just letting you know that your request was the second-to-last in my inbox, so im opening them again! feel free to send me your ideas for the diva reader series, im already grateful in advance :>

Spencer usually gave out his phone number only to the people closest to him.

That way, he didn’t get unnecessary calls distracting him from more important matters, and he could be sure that if someone truly needed to reach him, they wouldn’t have any trouble doing so.

So, as he walked through the Quantico office, planning to track down Hotch—who supposedly wanted to see him—he was so absorbed in their case that he pressed his phone to his ear without thinking, without even looking at the screen, fully expecting to hear a familiar voice. Someone from the team, maybe.

Instead…

"Hey there, gorgeous."

A slightly raspy male voice. Spencer immediately estimated the caller to be around forty, judging by the subtle rustling sound—whoever it was, they were holding the phone just a little too close to their mouth.

Spencer froze in place.

His first thought—a wrong number.

His second—another one of Morgan’s pranks.

Just in case it was the latter, he didn’t hang up immediately. If his friend had planned something, he needed to find out what—so he could properly retaliate later.

"We met last night, don’t know if you remember," the man continued after a brief silence, caused entirely by Spencer’s confusion. "I hope you do. Because I sure do. Hard to forget a face like yours. You still there, sweetheart?"

In case anyone had any doubts—Spencer was not the intended recipient of this conversation.

He hadn’t gone out the night before, let alone given his number to a stranger. In fact, he had been in an entirely different state.

"Oh, sweetheart, don’t make me mad now. Or maybe you’re staying quiet because you’re curious how much I remember about you? Want me to remind you what you were wearing?"

Suddenly, it clicked.

After a brief second of pure disbelief, Spencer rolled his eyes upward, staring straight into the glare of the overhead lights. He blinked slowly.

His brain was exceptionally sharp that day. Even more so than usual.

Which meant it didn’t take long for him to put the pieces together. A quick mental chain reaction, linking scattered fragments of information into a single, clear conclusion. 

The man on the other end of the line thought Spencer was the woman he had met the night before.

Spencer had a few female friends, but everything—literally everything—pointed to her.

First of all, he was nearly certain none of the others had gone out last night. They had all been working together, after all.

Second, and somehow more importantly—none of them, except her, would have found it remotely funny to give his number to a random guy.

As a joke? Was that what this was supposed to be?

“There’s no need for that,” Spencer cut in sharply, before the man on the other end could start poetically or less poetically describing her outfit.

This time, the silence came from the other side, laced with clear confusion.

Spencer couldn’t stop the faint crease forming on his forehead, nor the subtle tension drawing his shoulder blades together. The entire conversation left a bad taste in his mouth, and it wasn’t just because the guy was wasting his time.

It was his voice.

Self-important. Smug. Wet in a way that made simply listening to him an unpleasant experience. The kind of voice that could turn an otherwise neutral or even affectionate word sweetheart into something damn near degrading.

Years of experience profiling people meant Spencer had no trouble picturing exactly the kind of man he was dealing with. And the distaste coiling in his gut only sharpened.

“For future reference,” he said, barely pausing for breath, his grip tightening on the phone, “I’d suggest double-checking the numbers women give you when they’re trying to get rid of you. Because this isn’t your sweetheart. This is the Behavioral Analysis Unit, which, for your information, is part of the FBI. And your utterly pointless, time-wasting phone call could be considered obstruction of justice, which, surprise, can land you several years in prison.

A loud silence followed—one that left Spencer with a strange feeling. Satisfaction, maybe.

The man cleared his throat, and Spencer would bet good money that there were one or two silent curses mixed in there.

“This whore must’ve given me a fake number,” the guy muttered, no longer speaking directly into the phone.

The sudden shift from sweetheart to whore was so blatant that Spencer couldn’t hold back a sharp, mocking scoff.

“Well, I’m guessing you didn’t think of her as a whore when you were trying to hit on her last night—”

He barely finished the last word before the line went dead.

For a moment, he remained motionless, the phone still pressed to his ear, analyzing his own reaction. He was completely taken aback by it. Almost immediately, though, he forced himself into a nonchalant shrug, brushing it off as nothing more than irritation at an unwanted call.

Work. Right. Work. He had work to do, he had to meet with Hotch…

…but he had barely covered a few meters when his gaze caught a familiar stride and silhouette crossing one of the hallways. And before his mind could even consciously make the decision, he found himself heading in that direction—despite originally going somewhere entirely different.

“Did you have fun last night?” he asked as her hand pressed the elevator button.

She didn’t look at him at first, though she must have heard his footsteps. It wasn’t until he spoke that she slightly turned her head toward him.

“Not too bad,” she admitted casually. Her hands immediately moved to their usual position, arms crossed over her chest, and a small teasing smile danced on her lips.“How about your morning? Any interesting phone calls?”

He opened and closed his mouth, not expecting to be so transparent. He also felt a bit confused by her enigmatic, calm reaction. The elevator stopped, and she confidently stepped inside first.

Spencer followed her.

“I don’t quite get it,” he admitted, furrowing his brows. “Was that supposed to be a joke at my expense, or that guy’s?”

They stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder in the small elevator space. He looked at her, and she stared ahead. She slowly shrugged.

“Maybe both,” she replied, inspecting her nails. Spencer clenched his lips, holding back from saying that she could at least spare him the ignorant, irritating attitude for once. “Or maybe I just wanted to get rid of the pushy guy by giving him the first random number I could think of” She paused, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. “And maybe I was hoping you'd scare the shit out of him with some long lecture, preferably about the law. Was I right?”

She shifted her gaze fully to him, her piercing eyes locking onto him with such intensity that denial was out of the question. He didn’t even need to answer—the flicker of expression that crossed his face gave him away instantly.

Her short laugh filled the elevator.

He always felt a little humiliated, standing there in silence while she laughed at his expense. So he spoke first, blurting out the first thing that came to mind—the thing that had been sitting there for a while now.

“Does that happen a lot? Guys being pushy?”

She gave him a closer look, maybe because of the unintended seriousness in his voice. He hadn’t meant for it to sound that way. Clearing his throat, he tried to appear more indifferent.

“Well, yes,” she said simply. Stating an obvious fact, a reality she was used to. “Every time. But getting rid of them isn’t hard. A well-placed conversation, and they run off just as fast as they showed up.” She scoffed. “But sometimes I’d rather just, you know, actually enjoy my evening instead of dealing with them. And that’s when the fake number trick comes in.”

Spencer caught himself listening with genuine interest. He was well aware of the effect she had on people—how she drew eyes just by existing, how so many of those looks were filled with nothing but desire. He also had the impression that, for the most part, she regarded them with mild disdain—or maybe even enjoyed being the center of attention.

He hadn’t considered that sometimes she’d had enough of them—so much so that she had an entire list of strategies to get rid of them just as quickly as she attracted them.

He realized he had fallen silent, lost in thought. The elevator stopped at her floor—he hadn’t planned on getting in with her in the first place, which meant he was now stuck pretending he was going somewhere else.

She took a step toward the open doors before his voice stopped her.

“Wait, you’re not even going to say thank you?” he asked. “I did waste some time on that guy. That was a solid lecture.”

She stood in front of the open doors, facing him.

“I have a suspicion,” she began, one brow arching as a teasing smirk tugged at her lips, “that you enjoyed it way too much to actually need my thanks.”

She gave him a small wave—just her fingers, really—before the elevator doors slid shut, cutting them off from each other. Spencer hated to admit—even to himself—that she had a point. Okay, a lot of a point, he realized as he recalled that fleeting rush of satisfaction when the call abruptly ended, punctuated by a hint of panic on the other end.

And maybe that was what ultimately decided it—because from that moment on, on the rare occasions he received similar calls, he always had a long, meticulously crafted, stern lecture at the ready. One that, just before the inevitable abrupt hang-up, sent the smallest, most satisfying shiver down his spine.

*

"You have three hours."

"I can handle it in two."

 "Do it in one."

Spencer remembered these words, muttering a soft shit under his breath. The massive stack of papers that not only needed to be read but also carefully analyzed seemed to be getting no smaller. The hour on the clock, however, kept ticking forward.

"Hm? What's up? Do you have something?"

He slowly shifted his unwilling gaze to the man he was trapped in the room with. Well, not literally trapped, but that’s how it felt. Dean Bradley, an agent who’d been working on the case they’d just been assigned to for years, knew it inside out—naturally, he had been assigned to cooperate with them. His current role, however, seemed to involve nothing more than pretending to write something on the whiteboard and occasionally throwing out a theory that supposedly brought them closer to the solution but, in reality, only pushed them further away. Bradley was incredibly distracting to Spencer.

"No... I just... nothing." Spencer replied rubbing his throbbing temple. That case had been exceptionally exhausting, he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and the coffee he had just drunk hadn’t helped at all. "Nothing. Just...can you not say anything to me for a while?"

Bradley raised an eyebrow at him but Reid didn’t really care. Simply buried his nose in the papers again, reading, or rather, devouring the pages with his eyes. There hadn’t been the best atmosphere between them ever since Spencer had ignored his outstretched hand for a greeting. Well, that was because he had seen Bradley leaving the bathroom earlier, and even if he had washed his hands, he had immediately touched the door handle that everyone in the building touched, half of whom hadn’t washed their hands. Honestly, Spencer would have preferred to kiss him as a greeting. It would have been safer.

For a moment, Bradley was actually quiet. He didn’t stay that way for too long, though—just long enough.

"So, where are those lab results? Weren’t they supposed to be here by now?"

"They were. So, I’m guessing they’ll be here any minute," Spencer replied shortly.

"It’s taking a while. Maybe I should just go grab them myself?"

Yeah, please do, Spencer nearly begged. He even opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, the door swung open and a woman stepped in, moving with quick, confident steps, but this time with a bit of frustration in her stride.

Completely ignoring the man's gaze landing on her, she stepped up to his desk and dropped the promised lab results onto it with a sharp motion.

"Could you tell me," she began, one hand still resting on the papers, preventing him from immediately going through them. Because she was standing while he was sitting, her figure loomed over him, forcing him to tilt his head slightly to meet her eyes. Naturally, he did, his gaze moving from her hand with neatly manicured fingers to her beautiful face, her bottom lip slightly protruding as she prepared to speak. "When exactly did I become your secretary? Because I don't remember that moment."

Spencer didn't even blink before responding, so used to thir verbal sparring and the fast pace she always set, just like her steps.

"Well, maybe since you started handing out my number left and right," he shot back instantly. Without breaking his gaze, he grabbed the empty cup sitting within arm's reach. "And since you consider yourself my secretary, would you be so kind as to make me a coffee?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Agent Bradley watching their exchange with fascination, focused on only one side of the conversation. No need to specify which side. Meanwhile, the woman tilted her head slightly to the side, a certain gleam lighting up her eyes.

"Sure," she replied, to his surprise. There was something devious in her tone. Suddenly, Spencer didn't want the coffee anymore. "But I’m not sure I’d be so kind as to make sure those ten teaspoons of sugar you put in your coffee are actually sugar, and not, say, arsenic..."

Instinctively, he pulled the cup closer to himself.

"Not ten," he mumbled.

"Oh, my eternal apologies, I exaggerated a bit. Five?"

"Well, now you're getting closer..."

Their conversation, or rather their verbal sparring, was interrupted by a cough.

“Reid,” Bradley said his last name much friendlier than ever before, with a mischievous grin on his face. “When you said the chemist would bring us the lab results, I imagined, I don’t know, Einstein with his hair sticking out in all directions. Did you really lock such a treasure in the lab?” he chuckled. “So it wouldn't distract y’all?”

Spencer looked up at the woman in front of him again, who had only just noticed the third person in the room. Her hand slowly slid off the papers she’d been resting on, though it stayed on the desk. She half turned her body toward the new speaker, casually sitting on the desk. There was something hypnotic in the fluid, clock-like motion as she crossed one knee over the other. For a moment, he just watched, realizing after a while that he wasn’t the only one.

“Maybe I locked myself in there,” she replied. Her tone calm, too calm, as it always was before she’d throw words, like precisely aimed darts, at the other person. “So I wouldn’t have to listen to the same tired lines from agents with the same tired faces, thinking they’re being creative.”

For a moment, he completely forgot about the pile of papers waiting to be analyzed. He watched what was unfolding in front of him, a small smile involuntarily starting to form on his lips. However, it faded the moment he noticed Bradley’s expression. He had expected him to be shut down. Speechless, maybe. Hurt in that characteristic, pathetic way typical of fragile male pride. Instead, Bradley was grinning like an idiot.

“Wow, that’s a bit harsh,” Bradley commented lightly, not in the slightest bit put off by her words. In fact, the fascination on his face only grew.

Spencer couldn’t help but glance at the profile of the woman sitting motionless on the desk. Her gaze was now also more focused, following the person across from her. Her eyes seemed even more concentrated, intrigued, and entertained than during their conversation. He forced himself to tear his gaze away from her, physically making himself look back at the papers. Work, right, work. He had to focus on it, despite how distracted he was by their presence. It was, after all, natural. They were speaking rather loudly, right in front of him. He began reading the text on the page, concentrating only on it.

“You must feel like some princess locked in a tower,”

His ears, against his better judgment, picked up Bradley’s next words. He shook his head. Text. A quick glance at the woman’s face. Text.

“You know, that German fairy tale from the 18th century…”

Spencer, from his own experience, knew that info dumping wasn’t the most effective way to flirt with a woman. Especially when it wasn’t even accurate.

“17th century,” he corrected, unable to stop himself. Both their gazes landed on him, but he didn’t respond to either, keeping his eyes fixed on the papers. He was reading them, but couldn’t grasp their meaning. He started analyzing the same paragraph again, continuing, “Assuming we’re talking about the German version of that fairy tale recorded by The Brothers Grimm. Because, actually, this was developed from the French literary fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, which itself is an alternative version of the Italian fairy tale Petrosinella by Giambattista Basile.”

A long silence fell. The woman shifted slightly in her seat, pretending to be focused on her work, and he tried not to look at her face. Was there pity or amusement on it? Why did it matter to him so much to figure that out? What mattered was only one thing: they were bothering him. The two of them. With the noise they were generating, to be precise.

The sound that filled the room was probably just a long breath from Bradley.

“Wow,” he repeated, thrown off. “Thanks for the clarification, Agent Reid.”

“It’s Doctor Reid.”

He couldn’t stop himself and looked at her. She closed her eyes when a smile spread across her lips. She didn’t try to hide it or hold it back. It was simply there. Bradley noticed it too, his arms, which had been casually resting on his hips, sliding down along his body.

"Didn't you have some urgent documents to analyze?" he began, trying not to sound confrontational, but he failed. He sounded confrontational. "The ones you kept reminding me about every five minutes since we got here?"

Reid didn't have a sharp retort ready for that one; in fact, Bradley had hit the nail on the head. He did have a lot of urgent documents to go through, but for reasons unknown to him, he'd decided to engage in this pointless conversation instead. His silence only seemed to fuel the satisfaction on Bradley's face, which was broken only by the movement of the woman. Specifically, her rising from the desk.

"You could've just said we’re interrupting," she remarked, stretching one leg after the other, every movement fluid. "Especially if it's something important. Is it?"

"Well, actually, yes..."

"In that case, I suppose we're in the way. Shall we go, Agent Bradley?"

She must have read his last name off the badge pinned to her chest. Both Spencer and Bradley looked at her, but only one of them slowly cracked a smile. The other let out a sigh, pretending to feel relief, though deep down, he genuinely did—finally, he could focus on what he had wanted to from the start.

They both made their way toward the door. Unused to her quick pace, and still a bit surprised by the attention she had given him, the agent trailed after her like a lost puppy. As they crossed the threshold, she turned back to him over her shoulder, looking like a kid bragging about winning a bike race.

Spencer merely shook his head with pity, and when they both disappeared in the same direction, he scoffed.

He returned to his work.

After a while, he found himself thinking that perhaps he preferred their conversation to be within earshot, rather than out of it.

[tahbhie]

How Plot Progression Works—Myths and Facts.

Let me start with a myth.

Last week, a writer approached me with their half-finished draft, unsure how to continue. Apparently, they got writer's block in the middle of the work. For about thirty minutes, we discussed the book freely as if it were a finished and published work.

Then I realized the issue.

☞ The problem?

From the conversation, I noticed that the writer's thoughts and ideas, which they voiced for the book, totally contradicted what they had written.

Their book followed a sequence of events. It was well-calculated, and the plot progression was on point but only to a certain level. I noticed robotic recurrences.

Something like this:

Scene 1— a sudden revelation

Scene 2— an unexpected fight

Scene 3— introduction of a new character

Scene 4— a conflict

Scene 5— another sudden revelation

Scene 6— an unexpected fight

Scene 7— introduction of a new character

Scene 8— a conflict

Meanwhile, all these elements didn't tie to each other in the story. They just performed different roles in each scene and were rendered useless in the next and every other scene that followed.

☞ Why did this happen?

Among other reasons, being extremely rigid with writing advice is a main factor.

Writing advice is great, but don't bend your style to suit the rules; bend the rules to suit your style.

Here's a clearer example of what I'm talking about.

Writing advice often says to keep readers on the edge of their seats within the first five pages, but this doesn't mean introducing unrealistic problems that don't fit your story. For example, introducing a sudden and improbable conflict just to add excitement can disrupt the flow and believability of your plot

During our session, I already understood how to assist, and we were setting our comfortable hours when the writer suddenly said, "I was told to include conflict in the middle of the book, then I ran out of ideas when I got there. I could have added one just a few pages in because I believe it would do well there, but again, I was unsure if that would make sense."

Now, who said conflict can't start a book? When you start your book with a conflict, you just have to ensure that you build towards 'the reason' behind the conflict so your readers can understand.

☞ Should I follow every writing advice with a closed mind?

No, you shouldn't. Remember that you are writing that book because you want to, and your idea was great enough to convince you to actually write. You need to enjoy the process and create what you truly want to create. Follow instructions flexibly.

Now that the myth is out of the way, let's talk about things that make a plot.

➜ Basic plot elements.

Initially, your plot should have the following:

✧ Protagonist ✧

Who are readers following in the story? Make that clear in the first few chapters. If you're writing from a first-person point of view and plan on switching between characters, aim for a maximum of two characters. It becomes clear that those two characters are an important part of the story; hence, they get the privilege to narrate the story from their respective views.

✧ Goals and objectives ✧

What is your protagonist after? Here's one thing you should know: your character doesn't have to know what they want at the beginning of the story. They may be as confused about their life as anyone reading, but as the story unfolds, they find a goal worth reaching and discover the needed strength to reach the goal.

✧ Antagonist ✧

What/Who is standing as a threat? A threat is hell-bent on ruining your protagonist and stopping them from achieving their goals. An antagonist could be an object or a human. It all depends on the concept you aim for. Funny enough, the antagonist could be a lie that starts out seemingly small but ends up being harmful. The rom-com movie "Upgraded" is an example of this concept. The lie the art enthusiast told was the greatest trouble she faced.

✧ Conflict ✧

What are the problems the protagonist faces? Problems can start from anywhere over anything, and you can choose to make them mild and solvable at first while building up to something larger.

✧ Resulting consequences ✧

What happens after the protagonist faces the trouble and tries to solve it? Did they lose anything? Hurt someone? Earn support from people they least expect?

✧ Character arc ✧

How has the journey shaped your protagonist? After going through something they probably never saw coming, how has it changed them? For a timid main character at the beginning of the story, do they finally become brave and display a different side of themselves?

All these are important for a well-rounded story as a whole.

Join the Writers' Universe and connect with like-minded writers.

➜ Secondary plot elements

These elements help you shape the above category.

● Setbacks

Let's use movies to illustrate this. There are certain points where we lose hope for the main character, almost convinced they've lost. We see them at their weakest points, hurt that the antagonist got them good. These moments are the setbacks. The protagonist is made vulnerable.

● Loss

What did the setback cost them? The reason I intentionally labeled this as loss is because to move a plot forward, some things need repairing. Since most loose ends were already from the beginning of the story, adding a fresh loss piques the reader's interest. It doesn't have to be the death of someone. It could be the brutal end of an alliance formed on an emotional scale.

● Break of a new dawn

I just wanted to get creative with the title. This point marks the pivotal change of events, and once again, there's hope for the protagonist as they find solutions to their problems. In this stage, they discover hidden abilities within themselves (this isn't limited to fantasy).

And there you have the important sections of plot progression. But keep these few things in mind. To ensure you're not leaving a huge gap in your plot, try to:

┗→ Introduce elements that work for your story:

It's common to believe something works well simply because it did in your favorite book. You might want to reconsider that with a different mindset.

┗→ Tie elements together:

Of course, this doesn't apply to all, but try to create a link between events in your story. If a fight occurred in a scene, link it to a cause in a few scenes ahead. This can lead to another conflict, this time on a larger scale, without having to introduce something entirely different.

And back to the question that birthed this post:

ᴥ Should conflict come early or not?

It depends on your work, but it can come early. That's not taboo.

There was a movie I watched featuring a female lawyer as the protagonist. The movie started with the kidnap of her only child, and the rest of the scenes drove us to the 'cause,’ then more conflicts, setbacks, and finally resolution. We were also able to explore the character’s personality based on the decisions she took in different emotional scenes.

She tried to keep her calm in some scenes while she just flat-out threw a tantrum in others, but overall, she was a strong woman who was broken by the incidents occurring and then rebuilt. I read a book with the same premise: the main character was a tween who misplaced something precious and decided to go on an adventure to search for it, and that was what the story was built upon.

I always tell writers one thing—own your book. The first draft seems to be the toughest one of its pair, but if you don't allow yourself to freely express your thoughts, there will be no first draft or story at all.

✧✧✧✧

Struggling with any stages of writing? Send me a message, and let's sort it out for a suitable fee.

✧✧✧✧

Do you want to create characters readers are compelled to start a fandom for?

Check out "My Characters and I" extensive coaching session. Understand the secret behind every attractive character. The slots are limited, and this opportunity closes once capacity is reached. Don't miss it; you never know when you’ll stumble upon these golden gates again.

[yawujin]

how the v3 boys would react to being called a 'pretty boy'

type | short-read , reaction , non killing game, lighthearted, fluff , gender neutral reader.

shuichi saihara ♡

he would be caught off guard

he would begin to smile and not be able to stop

that is, until he clears his throat to stop himself

you could still see his lips though

he looked so funny trying to hide his expression from you

"that's—" he would start, but give up and just let out an awkward laugh

'that means a lot coming from someone like you'

is what he would say but

he's still so very shy whenever you're near

poor boy bless him

rantaro amami ♡

he'd be very accepting towards your compliment

he gets it a lot after all

he's very sweet though so

he would definitely give you a compliment in return

then you become the one who's flustered

"what can i say? it's true (Y/N)." he smiles

internally you're just like '!!!"

but in the end you take the compliment

you just can't deny it

K1B0/kiibo ♡

oh, he's very flattered

believe me

he just doesn't know how to express it

human emotions are hard

"thanks! uh—really..."

how do you even return a compliment?

think, kiibo, think!

all in all, he wants to give one back buttt

he wants it to seem heartfelt and NOT robotic

he'll get back to you later, bringing you a whole thank you card

he's trying his best

korekiyo shinguji ♡

his eyes crinkle, the only visible display of how hard he's smiling under his mask

"thank you very much, dear." he would reply

he's very appreciative towards you

seeing as you can only see a little bit of him because of his bandaged body and mask

he's very happy that you perceive him as pretty

even if you can't see all of him

perhaps

little by little, he'll start showing more off to you

only time will tell

kehehehe

kaito momota ♡

you already know he'll have the biggest smile on his face

he grabs you in an instant and pulls you in for a tight hug, patting you on the back

he kind of pats you hard but it's well-meaning

ofc he sends a compliment right back at you

"and don't let anybody EVER tell you otherwise!"

he tells shuichi and maki about it later

and everybody else too

"guess who's a certified pretty boy? this guyyyy" he points to himself

he's seriously so happy about it

gonta gokuhara ♡

at first he misheard you

he thought you were saying the bugs were pretty

"yes! bugs very pretty!"

you agreed but also repeated yourself

he shyly looks away

a cute lil grin on his face

"(Y/N) think gonta pretty?"

yes ofc

he smiles wider and adjusts his specs

"gonta thank you...very much."

ryoma hoshi ♡

he pulls his beanie down onto his face bashfully

your compliment was sooo unexpected for him

"surely, you can't be serious." he murmured

oh but you were

and you reassured him you were

he sighs, finally getting over that initial embarrassment

"okay...fine."

he accepts it!

"but only because it's coming from you."

(his own silly little way of giving you one back and showing that he trusts your judgement)

kokichi ouma ♡

he'll think you're lying

he'll also give you this funny look like he's trying to get you to admit that you're lying

you already caught onto this

but you say nothing else and just smile back at him

it causes him to break into laughter

"you really crack me up, you know that?"

on the inside, he doesn't know what else to say or how else to express his thanks

so he just makes fun of you and leaves

and once he does

your words just replay in his head over and over

'shit, maybe they weren't lying...'

⋆ ˚｡⋆ my ao3

[nightscythe]

Hii can i request how the primarchs would react to making reader laugh for the first time???

Tyy<3

primarchs when you laugh because of them for the first time

i need to preface this by saying i'm not funny, so dont' expect the primarchs to be either. pre-heresy antics

your smitten primarch becomes even worse after you laugh ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈

lion: minutes into him trying to explain the importance of grip when you had a sword in your hands, something you mostly had ignored in favour of biting the inside of your bottom lip and nodding along sweetly with the gentlest smile, he’d made the beginnings of an innuendo that you’d not caught onto immediately. keeping your hand firm, gentle motions, you’d rezoned in at that point to try and understand exactly what he was trying to say it. he'd rambled on, but there was something about his delivery, how he continued like it hadn’t even occurred, that made you laugh. a little snicker at first, then something more. he'd stopped, almost immediately, blinking wordlessly at you with the slightest frown. you’re laughing at me, he’d grumble, not amused by your laughter. well, not until you told him you were laughing because of him. you’d just caught the slight blush over his cheeks as he turned away from you and cleared his throat to continue. he’d reference it again later, hoping to get a similar reaction. 

fulgrim: he’d noticed you’d been quiet most of the evening, even with his attempts to wow you. call him lovesick, call him hopelessly in love with you; he’d do anything to see you smile. so when you’re sat beside him, watching him carefully as he explains a story to you in great detail, he catches you completely off guard by impersonating his sons’ voices with near-perfect accuracy. and when you respond with a giggle, leaning into him without really thinking about it, you make his entire year. his eyes shine brighter, his grin gets wider, and maybe his ego gets a bit bigger. you’re so cute when you laugh, he tells you, reaching for a loose piece of your hair, how do i make you laugh all the time, i wonder? of course he makes it his life’s mission to see you happy at all times, especially if he’s the direct cause of your laughter and happiness. 

perty: company was never best placed with him, unless it was you. he could sit beside you for hours, watch you out the corner of his eye as you got on with whatever you needed to and accompanied his silence so beautifully. but this night he’d been so focused on what he was doing that he’d forgotten you were near him, subjected to his mumbled complaints over how the wires in his hands were far too small for him to work with and they were misbehaving as usual. his personification had got to you – just a smile at first as he spoke, then a laugh under your breath as you tried to continue with your own project. his eyes snapped to you immediately, his heart thumping in his chest as the sound replayed over and over in his head. the stare doesn’t cease for some time as he brings himself to accept what he was feeling; that was the moment he fell in love with you. 

khan: you’d not been part of the conversation, but as you always did when you stood by his side, you were listening. some banter between him and his sons, it wasn’t even that funny, but he laughed, then continued laughing, and you’d tried to stifle the laugh at your lips so not to give yourself away from eavesdropping. but a slight sound, the littlest breath escaped your lips, and he’d turned directly to you. do that again, little one? his question is voiced as he steps towards you, taken back by your unexpected, shy gesture. he leans down to you and gently continues, so sweet, aren’t you? i think i need to hear that again. and of course, he doesn’t care if you were eavesdropping on any of his conversations, so long as he gets to hear that again. 

leman: he was never quiet, especially not around you. but when he’d noticed your despondence when he spoke, how you barely seemed to pay attention, he didn’t take it personally. he offered you a place to rest, curled up on his chest, eyes heavy as he stroked your hair and wondered just how he’d been so easily tamed by someone so… soft. never being one for complete silence, he started telling you stories like he was around a fire with his sons, something ridiculously exaggerated from the depths of fenris and his childhood. he doesn’t even know what he’d said that got you, but when he felt you laugh on his chest, the soft vibrations as you curled into him, his smile could only widen. he swears you do it on purpose, make him fall for you even harder every time you do something new in front of him…

dorn: he’d been contemplating humouring you for a few days now. there were opportunities he could have said something intentionally bad to gauge your reaction, but it seemed like a risk to him. especially when one involved how structurally sound your bedroom would be with him. but when you’re walking beside him, a gentle silence between you both, he stops beside a poorly placed slab of concrete, and he tests the waters without any warning. an uncalculated risk (really it was nothing but he’s overthinking). i suppose that one was placed by my brother. you stop to look at him, pause for a moment, then chuckle before walking on. it didn’t matter to him; he’s practically beaming as he catches up to you. shall i make you laugh more often? like he needed permission – but you may regret saying yes when the jokes just seem to be more sleep-deprived rambles. regardless, in his lowest moments, it’s your laugh that replays in his head. 

curze: sometimes his humour came always naturally, and he wouldn’t realise he was saying anything that might amuse you. so when he heard you laugh behind him as he read over reports that really didn’t matter to him, he stopped immediately, hand mid-page turn. he turns back to you with his brows pulled together, almost cracking when he sees the grin still on your face. he can’t even meet your eyes as he asks you, was that because… of me?  though there was a touch of hesitancy before you nod, because sometimes with him it’s a guessing game of whether that was a good or bad thing, he hums and returns to what he was doing. it was nice, do it more. you wouldn’t need to be asked twice. 

sanguinius: he lays beside you, his golden curls just brushing your cheeks from how close you are. he usually found a smile gracing his lips whenever he listened to you, completely simping enamoured by you. you’d been telling him a story, one that seemed to get more dramatic as you went on about something you’d seen years ago. it was one of those ‘you have to be there’ stories, but he still listened, fingers idly brushing against your hand, still infatuated as you reach the climax of your story and end up basically snorting at your own words. your hands immediately fly to your face, embarrassed. but he just laughs along with you, pulling your hands from your face so he can coax you to continue. why do you hide? he asks, warm laughter still in his voice. just makes me love you even more. 

ferrus: he’d been hammering away when he’d stopped to inspect his work, not noticing you approaching. as he turned the metal between his fingers, he hummed, grumbling something about fulgrim’s poor interpretation of metallurgy, words not really registering with him as he focused more on the sword. but when he heard you laugh, it caught him completely off guard. he doesn’t even look at you as his cheeks become hot and he tries to bury himself in his work one more time, mumbling under his breath, that wasn’t meant to be funny. and it wasn’t, but he was cute. especially when he tried to hide his enchantment from how you’d reacted, peeking back at you from the corner of his eyes. your smile just made him even shier. are you trying to kill him?

angron: it was the first time he’d noticed you, actually. really noticed you. his humour, typically dry and unfiltered, wasn’t for everyone, but when he frankly explains that the past hour with an admiral could have been spared with one simple punch, you can’t resist the huff of laughter, and he catches it immediately. especially the way you try to hide the following laugh behind a cough and a stare down at the ground. he returns to what he was doing but only pays half attention to the conversations that followed. he thinks about it for days actually, every time coming back to the look in your eyes and the carefree sound. the logical conclusion? he’s in love with you. oh no. he’d taken blows that could kill him before, but somehow this was even worse. 

rob: he’d huffed something as he sat down at his desk, just beginning to acknowledge everything else he had left to do that evening. it was about magnus, he thinks, that his powers would be beneficial to sign a few thousand documents without getting a papercut. when you found amusement in his words though, he looked up to you, watching as you tried to hide your face and recompose yourself in front of the primarch. his intrigue prevented him from looking away. awe, fascination – he’d felt it all in that moment. he wasn’t usually dramatic, but it felt like everything else around him faded, you were the only object of his affection – and always would be from that moment on. 

morty: your hand just touched his as you laughed softly, head falling backwards as the grin widened on your lips. he just watched you, frown a little more prevalent. i didn’t mean to make you laugh, he tells you, nonchalantly, as though it was meant to convince him more than you. he didn’t think he was that amusing, especially complaining about the taste of disappointment, but you’d somehow found entertainment in it. his mouth feels a little drier as he tries to explain himself away, it wasn’t… there was nothing to indicate a joke. i do taste disappointment. when you laugh a little more, he maybe finds some humour in his words and lets his demeanour fall just a little. 

magnus: he was always assured of everything he did, except when it came to you. he could have a whole audience bent over laughing and find pride in it, but when you burst out laughing from his comment on how his brothers are yet to understand what impulsive behaviour truly was, he was completely frozen. he’d not expected you to laugh, and he stutters over his own words as he stares, eyes wide. i didn’t mean… he pauses as he tightens his jaw to prevent his lip from trembling just a little, did i sound stupid? his heart thuds in his chest for a moment until you say no, a sigh of relief as he laughs a little himself. he’d never truly get over his underlying anxiety around you, even when you were married with kids – cause he wanted to be perfect for you always, of course.  

horus: he’d been trying to make you laugh with poor excuses for dad jokes all night. every time he delivered one perfectly, then the final one he wanted to try, why did the picture go to prison? you’d looked up at him through your lashes, not flinching despite his obvious grin. he was framed. he laughs at himself, and you barely break a smile. didn’t help he’d been at it all night. oh, come on, he says, nudging your shoulder as if it would somehow make it funny, you know i’m hilarious. and as if all the times you wanted to laugh that night but didn’t, secretly enjoying his pathetically good attempts at it, you look away and exhale into a snort. you’d think he’d conquered the galaxy with how happy he is afterwards. worth every shameful moment, he tells you, cheeks almost hurting from his grin, same time tomorrow?

lorgar: humour wasn’t his thing. but somehow, as he’d run his hands over your body reverently, caught every nook and imperfectly and blessed them nonetheless, you’d laughed. gentle, shy, a reflection of your love as he told you that he’d accept the punishment of heresy for you. he wasn’t sure if it was a nervous reaction to his truth, but it didn’t matter – it showed him another piece of you that he could love with everything he had. his chest ached, his throat burned. he watched you, held you so carefully you’d think that without him, everything would be broken. but when he whispers against your temple later that he’d tear down worlds to hear that sound again? best believe it’s not a lie.    

vulkan: he’d joked about actually being fireproof, a relatively harmless joke that wasn’t really that funny, but given how you were looking up at him with huge heart eyes, you would have laughed at anything he said. he watched curiously as you looked down to the ground, lip pulled between your lip as tried to stop the coy giggle behind it. he reaches for your chin, tilting your head back up towards him as he leans closer. don’t hide from me, he says, smile drawn onto his lips, i’d like to hear that more often. he hums as he presses a kiss to your cheek, that’s everything to me. 

corvus: you’d been watching him carefully when he almost rolled his eyes and asserted that if everyone else learned to shut up, he’d have all the messes in his life sorted quicker (and therefore could spend more time with you). you’d laughed softly, looking away from him as you turned the laugh into a hum. when you look back, his eyes are wide, and you can’t help but laugh again. what did i do? he asks, suspicious of your amusement despite the way his pulse was racing. when you ask him not to look at you like that, all soft and wary, it somehow draws the shyness back in. he starts to smile, not meaning to glance down at your lips, but you’re the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen. your cheeks burn as you avoid his gaze. cutest, too, he adds, shifting closer to you, don’t think i could ever look away. 

alpharius: his hand held onto yours like you’d slip away if he took even an ounce of attention away from you. i have a tracker for your happiness, he says, eyes bright as he admits a secret he probably should have kept to himself a little longer, you’re on a ten-day happiness streak. luckily you think it’s a joke, so he gets away with his real-time tracker being hidden another day, not that he was thinking about that after hearing your laugh. he can’t help the burn in his chest and the way his lips curl. i made you laugh? he’d have to start a tracker for that too. do it again. please? and he’s still holding your hand, not prepared to let go until you just do that one thing for him. please.

this was unnaturally soft for me... i've got to write yandere sanguinius now to balance it out. i hate the word snort. this is peak sunshine and rainbows in 40k type shit. why did i make ferrus soft and shy? who knows. he's cute.

[neuvistar]

ASS, TITS OR THIGHS?

— featuring ┊satoru gojo, toji fushiguro, suguru geto, kento nanami, choso kamo x fem!reader (all separate)

— warnings / content warnings ┊suggestive obvi, not proofread oops, cunnilingus, uhm uhm use of nicknames, riding, mentions of titfucking, overall suggestive content | 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

— a/n ┊jujutsu kaisen hyperfixation got the best of me guys i betrayed u all and accidentally became a gojo + sukuna liker i’m sorry. apology coming soon /j 😔

𖦹 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎

let’s be real here.. i know damn well this guy is definitely a tit man. cmon it’s just this feeling in me that can sense this guy’s love for titties, he’s the number one tit lover guys im telling you! i bet gojo is def the type to stand behind you and tower over you) at random times and slowly slip his large hands into your shirt, squeezing your tits like it’s the most casual thing for him! of course you wouldn’t mind.. so you would just carry on with whatever you were doing. up until he nuzzles against your nape, inhaling your scent as his fingers tug and pinch at your sensitive nipples, smirking against your skin when he hears you whimper at his touch. this guy makes your head spin sometimes it’s actually insane. “ooh. they’re soft.” “that’s how they’re supposed to be, dumbass” ngl i feel like gojo would love your tits for the dumbest reason ever, like since he’s rlly rlly tall i feel like he would like your tits all because “they’re easier to reach” LMFAO he’s so silly! this guy probably love’s embarrassing you sometimes cuz he would grab your tits literally ANYWHERE (if ur fine w it ofc) in conclusion.. he loves seeing you all embarrassed whenever he brings a hand to cup your tits in his hand!

gojo here loves stuffing his face in your tits, he doesn’t care.. it’s the ocean he wants to dive into 2nite lol! anyways sometimes during sweet little cuddle sessions he would straight up pull you up by your hips and press himself closer against your body before leaning down to drown his face in the softness your tits, cmon.. can you blame him? but anyways! gojo loves your titties regardless.. big or small, small or big, he’ll still be willing to shove his face in ‘em! he definitely has a thing for titfucking, you just.. look so hot laying there all sweet for him, squeezing your tits against his hard cock while he thrusts in between them, trying his best not to overdo it. “f—fuck.. they’re so soft.. so perfect. no one has ever fucked your tits like this like i have right, angel? mhm? look at them.. s’pretty and all mine.” he pinched your nipples rather harshly, forcing a whine to leave your pretty lips. “all mine, yeah?”

𖦹 𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎

look me in the eyes and tell me toji fushiguro doesn’t look like the ultimate ass man ever, cmon tell me! are we really surprised tho? are we REALLY surprised? he looks like the biggest ass man known to mankind it’s not even funny at this point he loves ass he mfing does i tell you. this old hag probably steals a few glances at your ass from time to time whenever you wear a skirt.. or a dress for special occasions, toji cant control himself bro it’s not his fault you had allat back there.. it’s not his fault for looking it was an accident! (no it was not and you knew it) ngl the first time he caught a glimpse of your ass he probably said “damn.” so loudly, loud and clear for you to hear. “damn.” you heard a familiar voice behind you, glancing over your shoulder to see your boyfriend’s intense gaze at your bottom. “i knew your ass was nice but i didn’t know it was this nice.. damnn.” “oh shut up, will you?” idk abt u guys but toji is probably the type to slap it while you walk past him sometimes.. like it’s so unexpected you just straight up flinch and glare up at him, rubbing it to try and ease the pain bc i bet his slaps HURT sometimes

toji 100% a fan of you taking it from the back.. he loves it! i mean do i need to explain further? though he loves seeing your facial expressions to see just how well he fucks you but i feel like he prefers to see your ass and well-defined back. you have this man in a TRANCE. no matter how hard he tries to focus on you, his eyes always manage to wander down to your rear. he loves pounding into you mercilessly like there’s no tomorrow just to see the jiggle physics of yo ass because gahhh dayummmm he loves the way it moves, my guy probably spanks too i’m telling u this dude loves ass, especially yours.. it’s an unhealthy obsession at this point idk what to tell u 🤷‍♀️

𖦹 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐎

suguru def a thigh man, i don’t even know my reasoning but he just screams thigh man.. like he seems like the type to love them ykwim? like he just loves diving into them any time he gets, holding your thighs against his hands while he pushes them to your chest. he def loves eating you out just so he can feel your thighs caging around his head, he loves how soft they are, how warm they feel whenever he gives them a little squeeze. personally i bet this fucker is probably a lil crazy about your thighs, just a little bit! whenever you sit on his face, he pushes you even more against his mouth. his tongue is talented that’s all i have to say, suguru doesn’t give two fucks if he can’t breath against your overstimulated pussy, he wants you to crush him with your pretty thighs thighs.. he wants your thighs to be the last thing he feels + sees before he suffocates and dies a happy man! suguru would keep you spread on his face, not caring about anything else in the world but you and your plushy thighs around his head. buddy probably eats you out like it’s his last, squeezing and helping your thighs trap his face in between them. god, he loves your thighs

suguru wrapped his lips around your pussy again, forcefully pulling you even closer until his nose was bumping against your clit, was that even possible? “s—su.. suguru!” one orgasm, then the next.. and the next after that, he hasn’t even came up for air.. you were worried at how much your thighs caged around his head, worrying about suffocating further. you tried pulling yourself up, looking down at him as your lips quivered. “suguru you okay?—“ no. he was most definitely not! he was struggling 2 breath but he didn’t give TWO FUCKS!! “your thighs.. feel so warm around me. sit back down, princess. i’m not done.. ‘wanna feel your pretty thighs against me again.” “.. but are you sure? you were struggling to breathe i could feel it—“ “sit, princess. i said sit. do i need to repeat myself?” no siiiirrr 🙅‍♀️

𖦹 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈

ngl out of everyone here nanami is the most “normal” and tamed if this question ever comes along, my guy would probably answer with something like “they’re just body parts. is there even a reason to pay attention to female assets?” uhm. no obviously not but they’re hot ++ the question is important smartass. tbh i feel like nanami wouldn’t really care, he just.. appreciates you for being there by his side, he wouldn’t really care much about your body and what he likes about it, cuz babe he loves everything about you! such a sweetheart! but in all seriousness, i feel like he’d really be into your tits for some reason.. i mean come on! sometimes if he’s feeling a lil extra EXTRA bold be would sneak a few glances towards your cleavage, swallowing the lump in his throat as he notices you didn’t have a bra on that day. nanami would literally fight for his life and try his best to restrain himself n his desires every single time he would see you in any outfit that shows your cleavage.

i bet there was this one time you guys were about to cook together n you needed help with the apron so he helped you tie it, but then his hand accidentally brushed against your breast LMFAO. poor guy would realize slowly after and start contemplating his whole life and life decisions, apologizing to you sincerely and that he didn’t mean to do that! “kento seriously it’s fine, i don’t mind! if you wanted to touch them, you could’ve said so.” “i told you it was an accident, love. it’s not like that at all.” you chuckled at him before grabbing his hand and slowly bringing it close to your tits, making him touch em as the soft skin of your tits melt into his palm. “soft right?” you cooed, wincing a little when you felt his thumb brushing against your hardened nipple. “..mm.” cmon kento ⁉️ don’t be in denial! accept yourself as a certified tittie liker!

𖦹 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐎 𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐎

tbh this guy could love all three of these, like there is not a single part of you he loves more than the other but if he really had to choose.. he would probably be fond of your ass, making him a semi ass man despite him.. probably liking all three! but then again.. lemme just say.. i know an ass/tit man when i see one (n he looks like one but my pick for today is ass) poor choso probably caught himself looking at your ass for a whole minute and he had to slap himself for a second to get himself back to reality, he can’t help it! your body is so hypnotic to him. i bet he’s also the type to give your bottom little taps and pokes whenever he needs something from you (damn) ++ my guy is probably a fan of you taking it from the back also, just like toji! listen listen okay. listen. reverse cowgirl position. lemme tell u he gets SOOO flustered whenever you ride him with your back turned against him, bouncing yourself on his cock while he can’t help but look down at your ass and how much it moved (lolz!) and how well your cunt was sucking him in! choso probably the type to bring a hand up to pull your hair, running his fingers through your hair as he tugs your back to him with your back arched, planting soft chaste kisses on your neck

choso doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable in anyway so he absolutely refuses to even plant a lil smack to your ass, even just a soft one! he would hold himself back n wouldn’t do it unless you wanted him too! if you do.. expect a lot of them coming your way because i bet he loves seeing your ass jiggle LIKEEE ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY NO MORE i bet his cock would twitch inside you every single fucking time he would see the jiggle physics of your ass! like i said.. he’s a fan of you taking it from the back! jiggle physics go absolutely craaaaazy 😝🙏

[moghedien]

the funny thing about Avilayne is that I think there's a very clear reason why it consumed our brains endlessly when it first happened and it isn't necessarily that we were surprised that it happened.

like look back at Siuan and Moiraine and like I distinctly remember the vibes leading up to THAT episode. like we were all semi-jokingly, semi-seriously telling everyone that episode 6 of season one was gonna be the gay episode. we were like pointing at all of the evidence that Moiraine and Siuan were definitely in love in the show. We were eye ball emojing every time the Amyrlin was brought up or that one time Moiraine was dying and delirious and you can barely hear her say "Siuan" and then grin. Like we knew the vibes were fruity and we knew that it was supported by the books, but we also weren't actually 100% certain that is was for sure for sure gonna happen until the moment they kissed and so we all lost it when it DID happen and all our conspiracy theory brain rot was validated

but Avilayne is different, because on one hand, I would argue that the books do actually support it entirely, but other people will argue that it isn't. it isn't quite as plainly stated. It also doesn't happen until later in the series. There are a lot of things that happen in the books before they even really get to know each other, much less get close. In a series where they already canonized Siuan and Moiraine's relationship, it isn't really unexpected that they wouldn't do the same with Aviendha and Elayne. Its not that we didn't expect it, its that we thought we understood how it would happen if it did happen, and it would be a while away anyway. Instead they were like "all that build up? already happened. they're kissing now" and THAT is how they were able to get us a second time with a second Damodred committing girl on girl action that we pretty much all expected yet were still incapacitated by

[cravingrickgrimes]

CHAPTER TWO | ❝IN THE DIM LIGHT❞

rick!grimes x male!reader (smut) top!rick x bottom!reader

multi chapters / not finished word count: 1672

updates daily!!

summary: After the unexpected and downright shameful events that transpired the day before, you wake up the next day and find out you were paired with Rick Grimes again. But this time, it’s on a supply run.

<- CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER THREE -> ‎

CHAPTER TWO:

Today was day six of your time at the prison and the second day of job assignments. You hoped—no, prayed. It was as eventful as yesterdays. You tried, so hard, to feel shame for what you did last night but it never came. All you did was sit and wait to be told what you were doing for the day. Your call was answered quicker than expected. The older man banged on your cell to get your attention.

“You’re on supply runs.”

“With?” You asked gingerly.

“Grimes.” Your heart sunk. A supply run?! With the man you came thinking about not even twelve hours ago? Maybe the day could be as eventful as the last after all.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

“Must be luck.” A half smile slid onto Rick’s face when he saw you. Jesus christ. He was leaning against the car, this time however, his shirt was half buttoned to his body. You could see his chest hair so clearly it hurt you. “You good darlin’?”

“Yeah,” You breathed, harder than you would have liked. “let’s get this over with, shall we?” You shot back your own rendition of his grin. He smiled again. Was something funny? He swung the car door open and you couldn’t help but wonder where he got such a nice car in the apocalypse.

“Get in.” He growled and smiled at the same time.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

“Where exactly are we headed?” You asked from the passengers seat, it had been an hour since the two of you had gotten in the car and Rick didn’t say anything about how long we would be here. You studied his side profile from the passengers seat. The heavy sun from the day before had done him some good and gave him a warm tan. Stubble had appeared on his sharp jawline that hadn’t been there before.

Fuck.

He slowed the car down until we were at a stop on the middle of the road. “Can I be honest?” He turned to you and you finally noticed how piercing his azure eyes were. “I have no idea.”

“You didn’t get any instructions?” He shook his head and a loose curl feel softly on his face. “So what’s the plan then?”

“Drive into the middle of nowhere.”

“Why?”

“To be alone with you.” Your heart sank, again. At this point, you didn’t know how low your heart could go before it fell out of your chest. He had to have meant it some other way. It couldn’t be. No. But the way he was looking now…it was…captivating, mesmerising.

“Stop doing that.” You could almost hear the plea in your own voice.

“Doing what darlin’?”

“That! What you just did!”

“So…” He cleared his throat, but it sounded too much like a growl for your liking. You thought about how he sounded when he finished. Just because you didn’t like it didn’t mean you didn’t fantasise about it. “What you’re telling me is, you don’t want to be alone with me?” A pause. “Even after yesterday?”

Yesterday?! What happened yesterday? Even you couldn’t fool yourself into not knowing how he felt almost grinding against you. You and Rick both knew what had happened yesterday. “That was just an awkward situation?”

“An awkward situation that we were both hard for.” He corrected; the icing on the cake being his gorgeous grin. You flushed. He noticed that. Well, you noticed it too—but it was completely humiliating.

He noticed that you were red too.

“Shh. It’s okay, we’re both men. It’s what happens when we’re…” You took that as your turn to help him out.

“Horny.”

“Horny.” He repeated. “Well? You never answered me darlin’. Do you want to be alone with me, or not?”

This would probably be the most bold thing you ever did. But if last night taught you anything, it was that you really, really, did want to be alone with him. So, you reached over to his lap, where his thick thighs lay spread over the leather seat. You palmed in between his legs and felt it immediately. You felt for his size almost unconsciously.

“Does…” He held his hands up near his ears and looked down. “this answer your question?” You coyly asked.

“It certainly does.”

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

It took you only a few seconds, and Rick pulling his seat back, to get under the drivers seat and on your knees. It took another few seconds for the sound of Ricks belt unbuckling to catch in your ears. It was the most glorious sound. It dropped to his ankles; where you were. Then, his underwear. What sat in between his legs was much, much better than what you had thought up last night. It was fully hard now and laying on his abs. You picked it up with your right hand and it felt hot. Not warm. Hot.

You were right about one thing, he had a foreskin. His cock was seven inches and thick. You heard a chuckle from above. “Well, darlin’? Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

“I won’t be the one scared soon enough.” You retorted and brought your lips to his balls. They had hairs but they must have been trimmed because you could barely notice, you were too focused on the way his balls reacted to your mouth. Or more accurately, how Rick Grimes reacted to having your mouth on his huge balls.

“Holy shit—fuck!” You took his right ball first, circling your tongue around its shape as if to encourage semen to leave it and shoot out of his dick. When his right ball left your mouth it made a pop that only seemed to help Rick Grimes’ pleasure. You licked the space in between his balls and then started on the right.

You were so caught up in making Rick feel good you almost bit down on his ballsack just from euphoria alone.

Safe to say the man you had in your mouth was intoxicating, and you were an addict. Your mouth was so used to him already that you knew his right was larger than his left.

“Enough playing with me baby. Please.” Hearing those words leave him was more than enough persuasion. You would marry him if there were anyone left to marry the both of you—let alone any place to get married.

You started at the base of his cock. Your eyes locked with his sweet deep blue ones and you moaned louder than ever before. You were definitely making up for all the moans you had to stifle from the past day.

Every inch of him your tongue tasted was better than the last. The only way you could describe it was he smelt like…a man. He smelt so authentically manly you couldn’t take it much longer. Your tongue was at the halfway mark up his cock; Rick was getting…harder? How could that even be possible? Were you really doing all this to him? It only served to make you harder.

You reached his head and peeled back his foreskin delicately. It revealed a pink tip that was completely covered in pre-cum. “When did this happen?” You questioned from under him.

“The moment I saw you, darlin’.” You couldn’t tell if his words were true or he just wanted to give you motivation to give a better blowjob. Either way you were pleased. “Take me now, baby. I know you’ve wanted to feel me in your throat.”

You hated how right he was. You hated that you wanted exactly that. You decided to not give a sarcastic response and just gag on his cock like you’ve been thinking about since yesterday. You slowly enveloped your soft lips around his cock. You knew your way around a man. You knew the head was their weakness.

Well, it certainly was Rick’s weakness. He threw his head back the moment you sucked on his tip and only his tip. His hard stomach shivered and he threw both hands behind his head. You were still pleasing his tip but you stared intently at his large biceps. How had you not noticed them before? Now that you had, you knew you were going to be obsessed with them for the rest of your life.

Ricks mouth lay open and his brows furrowed at the feeling of being sucked deeper than a moment ago. Had he really never felt this before? Or were you just better than anyone else he’d ever had? The deeper you went, the more noise the man made. He groaned and swore under his breath. He whimpered and let out noises that sounded like cries.

You managed to take all seven inches, you took him so deep that your nose was buried in his small bed of curly brown pubes.

Just like his hair.

You were too busy deep throating Ricks large member that you hadn’t even seen his hand falling from behind his head, where he had previously had it, to your hair. He snaked his hand through your hair and gripped lightly. It was light enough for you to enjoy the feeling, and somehow, you knew Rick knew that.

“Would you drink my cum? Would you do that for me darlin’?” He didn’t seem to expect an answer and you weren’t going to give him one anyway. You both knew that you would do that and more.

His hips bucked and that was the only indication you were given before he released his seed right into your mouth. As you were deep throating him. It was the best feeling in the world, and you knew it. You stayed there until he let out his final moan and the cum stopped spilling from his dick.

He released his hand from its resting place in your hair and, subsequently, his cock from your mouth. You didn’t even realise his sperm was still in your mouth waiting to be swallowed until you saw Rick’s cock covered in his own semen.

He stared darkly at you as you took his seed down your throat.

[peaxchydreams]

trapped together

during a field training exercise, katsuki bakugo and you find yourselves trapped in a collapsed building. forced to rely on each other for survival, you both confront your deepest fears and discover unexpected feelings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

you groaned as you slowly regained consciousness, your head throbbing from the impact. dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to breathe. as your vision cleared, you realized you were in a dark, confined space with rubble all around. panic began to set in until you heard a familiar, gruff voice.

"oi, you alive?" bakugo's voice was harsh, but there was an underlying concern that you couldn't ignore.

"yeah, i'm okay," you replied, your voice shaky. "where are we?"

"building collapsed during the exercise. we're stuck," he said bluntly. "you hurt?"

you took a moment to assess yourself. apart from a few scratches and bruises, you seemed to be relatively unharmed. "i'm fine.. what about you?"

"just a few scratches. i've had worse," he grumbled. "we need to find a way out of here."

you nodded, even though he couldn't see you in the darkness. you both started moving, trying to clear some of the debris. after a few minutes of working in silence, you realized it was going to take a while to get out.

"bakugo," you said, breaking the silence. "do you think anyone knows we're here?"

"they better," he muttered. "otherwise, i'll blow my way out and take down half the school with me."

despite the situation, you couldn't help but chuckle. "classic bakugo."

he paused for a moment, and you could almost feel his eyes on you. "why are you laughing, idiot? This isn't funny."

"I know," you said, your voice softening. "it's just… we're stuck here, and you're still the same. it's comforting, in a way."

"hmph," he grunted, but you noticed a slight change in his tone. "just keep working. we'll get out of here."

hours passed, and the two of you worked tirelessly, but progress was slow. you could feel your energy waning, and bakugo seemed to notice.

"take a break," he ordered. "you're no good to me if you pass out."

you sat down, leaning against a piece of debris. bakugo joined you, sitting close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him. the silence between you was heavy, but not uncomfortable.

"hey, bakugo," you said quietly. "can I ask you something?"

"what?" he replied, his voice softer than usual.

"why do you push yourself so hard? i mean, you're already one of the strongest in our class, but you always act like you have something to prove."

he was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke. "because i do. i have to be the best. if I'm not, then what's the point?"

you looked at him, surprised by his honesty. "but you already are amazing. everyone knows that."

"not good enough," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "not until everyone acknowledges it."

you reached out and placed a hand on his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "i acknowledge it. you're incredible, bakugo."

he turned to look at you, his eyes searching yours. for a moment, the fierce determination in his gaze softened, replaced by something more vulnerable. "thanks," he muttered, almost reluctantly.

you both sat there for a while, the silence now filled with a newfound understanding. eventually, bakugo stood up, offering you his hand.

"come on," he said, pulling you to your feet. "let's get out of here."

you nodded, feeling a surge of determination. together, you continued to clear the rubble, your movements more synchronized now. it was as if the bond you had formed in those moments of vulnerability had made you stronger.

hours later, you finally saw a glimmer of light. with renewed energy, you and bakugo pushed through the last of the debris, emerging into the open air. rescue teams were already there, and your classmates cheered as you both stumbled out.

"about time," bakugo grumbled, but there was a small, rare smile on his face as he looked at you.

"yeah," you agreed, smiling back. "we made it."

as you both got checked by the medics, you couldn't help but feel that something had changed between you. being trapped together had forced you to confront your fears and rely on each other in ways you hadn't expected. and in that darkness, you had found a light. one that shone even brighter than before.

maybe, just maybe, you and bakugo were stronger together.

[babyboywilson]

If youre still doing hilson requests...

Can you do one about them examining Castiel (spn) and have it be a funny mix between the two?

Idea that i have is house just assuming dean/cas are together and dean assuming house/wilson are together and it just becomes the spiderman meme akskaksjjk

the file on house’s desk detailed a man who was near death - ribs shattered, punctured lung, lacerated spleen, bloodwork that indicated DIC. but that wasn’t why the file was on house’s desk. the case was shunted to house because, after performing CTs, MRIs, and x-rays, there was no abnormalities seen. the man had been wheeled into surgery, and when chase had excised into the abdomen, the spleen was perfectly intact. the thorax showed no sign of a punctured lung, and the ribs were completely normal with no signs of any breakages.

“i’m telling you, this man came into the ER a few hours ago and he was minutes from death. and now… he’s completely healed. its as if nothing happened in the first place,” cameron said. “people barely heal from all those injuries to begin with, let alone being perfectly healed in 3 hours.”

house dropped his cane down onto the floor and marched out of his office. “only reason i’m going to the ICU right now is to prove you wrong,” house said. “clearly your skills have slipped since you left the team.”

cameron rolled her eyes. “my medical skills are perfectly fine. i’m telling you, this was some kind of miracle from God.”

“no such thing,” house grumbled.

pushing into the ICU, house glanced at the apparent patient cameron and chase had been working on. the man seemed perfectly normal, standing and tugging on a long brown trenchcoat. another man was perched on the end of the bed, quickly handing some silver object to the man in the trenchcoat. the man in the trenchcoat brushed his fingers against the other man’s and he offered him the softest look as he uttered his thanks.

veering off to the side, house spied wilson sitting at the nurses station. moving to perch himself on the edge of the desk where wilson was hunched over, house bumped wilson’s shoulder with his leg. “get a load of the guy in bay 5. apparently he came in a few hours ago looking like he’d fucked a meat grinder, and now he’s up and walking like he’s danced through a healing portal.”

wilson glanced up, leaning his forearm against house’s left thigh as he twisted around house’s body to glance at the man in bay 5. “who knows, maybe he’s blessed with magic healing from a deity?”

“asshole,” house muttered, shoving wilson’s arm off his leg and grinning when wilson half fell out of his chair from the unexpected movement.

without another word, house bent down, snagged wilson’s sandwich and took a bite. “be back once i’ve interrogated handsome man and his leather-jacket boyfriend.”

“don’t talk with your mouth full,” wilson grumbled, snatching the sandwich back from house and taking a bite just to prove a point.

“yeah yeah,” house muttered, snagging his cane and thumping over to the men in bay 5.

“let’s get out of here before anyone notices-” the leather jacket wearing man started to say.

house thumped his cane down in front of the trenchcoat man. “too late for that.”

leather jacket man pushed himself off the bed and smoothly stepped in front of trenchcoat man. “you’ve got the wrong guy. cas just had a mild concussion. he’s fine.”

house dragged his eyes up and down leather jacket man’s body. “not from what the file says. your boyfriend should be dead. and yet, handsome over there is walking out of here as if nothing ever happened.”

“nothing happened,” the trenchcoat man - cas - said.

the other man cleared his throat, dropping his eyes to the floor as he muttered, “he’s not my boyfriend.” house watched, analyzing, as the other man half leaned back into cas’ space and his hand settled onto cas’ lower back. “we’ll be leaving now.”

house took a half-step back, pretending to let them pass, but at the last second he flicked his cane out in an attempt to trip cas. the man moved quickly, almost in the blink of an eye, shifting out of the way of the cane as his hand reached out to wrap around the other man’s bicep to steady him from the rapid movement.

house raised his eyebrows. “doesn’t seem like you have a concussion at all, do you, handsome?”

“back off,” the other man snarled.

“dean,” cas said, squeezing dean’s arm once. cas and dean’s eyes locked and they clearly had some silent conversation before dean stepped back in silent submission.

house smirked. “not your boyfriend, hm?”

dean glared and his gaze darted across the room, lighting up when he saw the man at the nurse’s station watching them closely. “I don’t think your boyfriend appreciates you hitting on cas.”

“i don’t have a boyfriend,” house snapped.

“oh really?” dean asked, stepping closer into house’s space and nodding his head towards wilson. “looked like you were sitting in that man’s lap. seemed pretty cozy to me, sharing food and touching.”

house glanced over at wilson and snorted out a laugh. “wilson isn’t my boyfriend. he’s my best friend. i just happen to steal his food just because i can.”

dean let out a derisive laugh. “looked like he couldn’t keep his hands off of you. seemed pretty boyfriend-y to me.”

“you can’t keep your hands off handsome man,” house pointed out.

“cas is my best friend.”

house glared at dean. dean glared at house. a recognition passed between them, a hint of panic. they both tore their eyes away from each other.

“c’mon cas, let’s go,” dean said, snagging cas’ wrist and pulling him towards the door. house let them go.

“what was that about?” house could hear cas asking as they left the ER, but he couldn’t catch the rest of the conversation.

moving back to the nurse’s station, house leaned against the desk by wilson; his eyes still on the place where dean and cas were.

“you just let them go? what happened?” wilson asked.

house didn’t reply, his gaze on the two men as they climbed into an impala. house caught the way dean watched cas get in first, something tender in the way his shoulders tensed and then relaxed as he watched cas settle into the car before dean climbed in himself. a moment later, they were gone.

waving a hand in front of house’s face, wilson called out, “earth to house. what’s going on?”

clearing his throat, house shook his head. “nothing. must’ve been a patient mix-up.”

wilson followed where house was gazing, but there was nothing outside the doors of the ER. shaking his head, wilson patted house’s knee and held out his sandwich for house again in a silent offer to share his food.

house took the sandwich without a word, suppressing a shudder as his fingers brushed against wilson’s as he took the sandwich.

[fanmistery]

HEADCANONS ARCANE X GN READER!TINNITUS.

៚HEADCANONS of how you would meet and move into a relationship with Vi and Viktor. The reader is gender-neutral.

TINNITUS: A whistling or ringing sound in one or both ears that may be constant or come and go, often associated with hearing loss.

Characters included: Viktor and Vi/Violet. Part Two Jinx and Caitlyn here.

Part one!

Note: Hello everyone! I just wanted to write something about these characters, this idea was in my head all day. It should be clarified that I do not intend to offend anyone with this, I myself have Tinnitus so everything I put here is based on my experience. Just that, enjoy reading!

៚VIKTOR.

៚ Viktor in his youth, more specifically when he was studying and before he became Heimerdinger's assistant. He is completely absorbed in his investigations at Piltover. His world revolves around science and his efforts to overcome the physical limitations that have always accompanied him and, above all, to surpass others and be the best student. So it will take a long time for him to realize your existence.

៚He will only realize your existence when he hears you asking the colleague next to you that he could offer you his seat since you did not want to sit at the back, which led to a heated argument due to your insistence, even he got upset (more than nothing because he couldn't concentrate on reviewing the topics from the previous class), there were other benches available, I didn't understand why you were making a fuss for wanting to sit in front. You ended up sitting all the way back anyway, and you just became the talk of spoiled brats, and, normally he wouldn't care but he got to hear through the rumors that you were someone from Zaun. Which surprised him quite a bit, since as far as he knew, the only one from Zaun was him.

៚ And for a while he was not the center of criticism and ridicule, but you were. Most of the class complained because you were always asking obvious questions to them or to the teacher, even asking them to pass you the notes of what a teacher was dictating. It got to a point where you could no longer ask for guidance from them and you ended up asking him for help. Of course he helped you but not before he asked you directly “what the hell was wrong with you?”.

៚When he finds out about your situation, that you have tinnitus, his reaction is very Viktor: scientific but empathetic. "Is it a subjective perception of sound, without external stimulus? Fascinating." Although he may seem cold, he has no intention of minimizing your experience; rather, he is genuinely interested.

៚For Viktor, attraction begins in the mind. If you prove to be an insightful, curious person who is able to understand (or at least try to understand) his way of reasoning. One night, while you're both working on a particularly complicated project, Viktor might blurt out something unexpected without looking you straight in the eye. "I never thought I would find someone who would understand so well the... persistent nature of my mind so well. It's exhausting, but you don't seem to freak out."

You pause what you were doing and turn your back on him to go get a cup of coffee to take your mind off your sleep, while doing so you say nonchalantly : "And why should I? We all deal with something."

Although Viktor doesn't respond, his slight smile and the way his eyes soften say it all.

៚The relationship begins to deepen when Viktor talks openly about his own physical limitations (his cane, his deteriorating health) and how these have made him feel isolated at times. This creates common ground: they both feel that their relationship with the world is limited by their physical conditions. Viktor comments something like, “It's funny how our minds can be so clear, but our bodies constantly remind us how fragile we are.”

៚So Viktor begins to see you as someone who not only understands his struggle, but also that you face your own daily battle. This inspires you to be more considerate and open with your emotions, although your reserved nature moves you forward slowly.

៚At some point in their lives you end up working in their lab, in fact, you have an exclusive little space just for you.... So you are always together day and night, you doing your thing and he doing his.

៚Viktor's small gestures begin to show his concern in subtle ways, such as adjusting the volume of his experiments when you are nearby or avoiding shrill sounds. Little by little, this shows that he is not only a brilliant man, but also attentive to details that might affect you.

៚In his conversations, Viktor tends to speak in a higher, more leisurely tone. The idea of creating a device to help you hear is born after seeing you frustrated when you don't understand what he is saying when they are a few meters apart, so Viktor spends entire nights studying tinnitus, from its physiological origin to the experimental solutions available.

Jayce might walk into the lab and find Viktor surrounded by diagrams and medical texts.

Jayce, curious, asks, "Are you working on anything related to acoustics? It's not typical for you."

"It's a personal project. It's not for me." Viktor replies without even bothering to look at him

Although Jayce insists on knowing more, Viktor prefers not to reveal too much. “It's not relevant to our joint goals.”

He uses Hextech to explore how frequencies can interact with the auditory system, and although he encounters obstacles, he is more determined than ever.

When you're about to be introduced to the device, he doesn't hesitate to speak up: "I've been thinking...about your hearing."

“Uh, what about it? ”you ask, a little surprised that he has initiated so randomly about your condition.

Viktor averts his gaze, to avoid embarrassing himself, about his feelings to you. "It shouldn't be something that limits your experiences. I think I can do something about it."

Although you might at first feel unsure-perhaps even doubtful that anything can really help-Viktor assures you with a mixture of humility and confidence, "I don't promise miracles, but it would be interesting to see if I can...level the field for you."

៚Viktor spent weeks fine-tuning his prototype: a small device with Hextech technology that not only amplifies sound, but filters out the harmful frequencies associated with tinnitus. When it's finally ready, he hands it to you with his trademark serious but intent tone. "It's a prototype. It may need tweaking, but I'd like you to try it out."

You put it on, and after a few seconds of adjustment, you experience something you didn't expect: the sound of the world, clear and crisp. Perhaps the light brush of Viktor's fingers on the table, or the conversations of students in the hallways. You can't help but let a sense of relief and full of happiness flood through you, you allow yourself the luxury of crying, of breaking Viktor's personal space and hugging him a little tightly, feeling so lucky to have him by your side. "Viktor...I.. I...I can hear... I can hear things I haven't heard in years."

Viktor is surprised by the sudden physical contact but it doesn't bother him, he even loves your sudden outburst of trust, even though you've been friends for a long time you're not hugging, just occasional touches here and there. He smiles sideways, satisfied with the result and reciprocating your embrace without hesitation, he just hopes you don't notice his heart beating fast for you and your warm closeness. "It's just the first step. If something doesn't work, we'll make it better. But I'm glad it's working."

He says, and if the hug lasted a long time neither of them minded.

៚But it doesn't stop there, Viktor customizes the device after you've been using it for a while. He adds a feature that can amplify specific sounds, such as the pitch of his own voice, so you can hear him even in noisy environments.

When you notice this, you ask him, "Did you do this just so I could hear you better?"

Viktor looking at you warmly, at this point no longer caring about hiding his affections from you. "Maybe. I'd rather you didn't miss anything important...especially when I'm the one talking."

៚Instead of using flowery words, Viktor explains his feelings in a very logical way.

"You are like a perfectly calibrated system. You find a way to fit even in my messiest moments...and that's not something I can easily explain. But I think the reason I want you around is more personal than scientific. "

You, so touched by her sincerity, smile and respond, "You know? That's probably the most romantic statement anyone has ever made to me."

៚Viktor's formal statement. Although Viktor has already made his intentions clear, you want to make sure everything is perfectly understood. A few days after the conversation, while they are in the lab, he interrupts the silence with an unexpected proposal. "I've been thinking about our conversation... and I'd like to ask you something. Would you consider staying by my side, not just as a colleague, but as something more?"

You, already so used to his direct but genuine manner, agree with a gentle nod, and Viktor responds with a slight smile that lights up his normally stoic expression.

៚For Viktor, expressing love is not something he does lightly. Probably, the first “I love you” happens accidentally.

While working on an experiment, you make a small mistake, but Viktor intervenes before the damage is irreparable. You are frustrated, the fatigue seems to get to you. You know it, but you can't help but feel guilty. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin it...”

Viktor without thinking admits, "It doesn't matter. You wouldn't ruin anything... I love you too much to worry about that."

They both fall silent.

Viktor realizes what he just said, but instead of taking it back, he calmly adds, “I guess it's about time I said it.”

៚VI/VIOLET.

៚ Vi will meet you in her Emo days, This meeting takes place at a complicated time for Vi. It's been weeks since she broke up with Caitlyn. Although she is no longer hurt by the breakup, she carries enormous pent-up frustration. The situation with Jinx (Powder) is out of control, Zaun is still in chaos, and Vi feels like she's fighting a never-ending battle. This mix of anger, emotional exhaustion and discontent with the world makes her more impulsive and sarcastic than usual. It is very late in Zaun, the atmosphere is full of noise: shouting, laughter and the constant hum of industrial machinery. Vi is in her usual place, a subway bar called “The Rusty Forge”, known for its underground fights and noisy clientele. She is drinking something cheap, with her fists clenched and her gaze lost in her glass, trying not to think about everything that torments her.

Suddenly, a small commotion develops in a corner of the bar. Someone is trying to talk to you which you don't seem to respond to. Vi, from her seat, watches curiously as the other person begins to lose patience.

The stranger seems very, very impatient with you, "Hey, I'm talking to you, I told you it's ten coins, not five! Are you listening or what? " The stranger's arrogant tone and attitude makes Vi raise an eyebrow. While you look a little uncomfortable but try to stay calm and try to explain.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you right. Could you... repeat that?" The stranger snorts, visibly annoyed, and raises his voice in an exaggerated manner. "What's in your ears, you Zaun filth! Do you or don't you want this! I don't have all day."

That's enough for Vi to intervene. She rises from her seat in her typical defiant manner, dropping a few coins on the table and walking towards them with a smirk. "Hey, genius, why don't you try talking like a person instead of a jerk? Maybe then they'll understand you."

The stranger turns to Vi, clearly irritated. "What's it to you? This has nothing to do with you."

Vi crosses her arms, leaning slightly toward the stranger. "Oh, I care because I can't enjoy my drink if there's some idiot screaming like he's missing something in his head. So why don't you beat it before we have to settle this...my way?"

The stranger grunts something unintelligible, but decides to retreat under Vi's intense gaze. Once he leaves, Vi turns to you , her tone relaxing a bit. "Are you okay? That guy looked like a complete idiot."

Although you feel the embarrassment in you, you don't hesitate to thank her and say, "Yes, thank you. Everything is fine now. It's not easy to understand people with so much noise."

៚Vi tilts her head, interested. Noticing that you seem sincere but a bit tired. She decides to stay a moment longer, it wouldn't hurt to meet new people. It's worth noting that she notices something is different about you, but doesn't mention it right away. Instead of asking questions, she prefers to let time reveal it. To her, differences are not something strange in Zaun; everyone has their quirks.

៚ So, of course Vi decides to stay a while longer to make sure they don't bother you again. In the meantime, the two of you start talking. She says, noticing how your head leans closer to listen to her, "So, what are you doing down here? This doesn't seem like the kind of place for someone..... I don't know, like you."

You chuckle softly. "What kind of place is it, just for guys with tattoos and people who yell a lot? "

Vi gives you a small smile and continues, "Kind of. And you don't yell a lot, do you? "

you reply shaking your head but amused. "No, but it sounds like you do. It's not a bad thing though. Thanks to you, I heard you running at that guy."

Vi laughs, surprised by your response. This piques her interest even more, as she didn't expect to find someone so... quiet with a sense of humor amidst the chaos of Zaun. But before you take your leave, Vi notices that you seem a little unsure of yourself in the bustling environment of the bar. On impulse, she pulls out a pair of gloves she had hanging from her belt, worn but functional, and tosses them on the table in front of you.

"Take it as advice: if someone else bothers you, give them a good whack. If you need someone to show you how to do it .... well, you know where to find me."

You're surprised but take the gloves with a grateful smile. "Thanks, but I don't think I can hit as hard as you."

Vi laughs "No one can. But you don't need to be me to defend yourself. Although, if you want to learn, give me a couple of days. I'm bored of training alone."

៚After that night, Vi decides to look for more reasons to return to “The Rusty Forge.” Not for the fights, not for the cheap booze, but for the chance to cross paths again with someone who unknowingly gave her some peace in the midst of the chaos.

៚Vi, despite being extroverted, has an empathetic side that leads her to take an interest in others. At first, she communicates with you casually, although she quickly realizes that she has to adjust her tone or repeat things so that you can understand her better. Far from becoming impatient, this awakens her protective and patient side. "Didn't you hear me? Hey, it's okay, I'll say it again. 'You, what are you doing around here at this hour? Zaun is no place to walk alone, you know.' "

Seeing that you're somewhat embarrassed by your hearing difficulty, Vi adds with a teasing but friendly smile, "Don't worry. I didn't hear when Claggor was talking to me while I was eating either . Maybe you just have high standards of attention."

This breaks the ice and makes you feel comfortable next to her.

៚Vi's first gesture, is more of actions, not words. So, Vi is not the type to try to "fix" people or ask invasive questions. Instead, she shows her interest by helping without asking. For example, if she notices that you don't hear someone shout your name, she becomes your personal interpreter, shouting back or reaching out to relay the message.

Vi says, "Look, the next time someone tries to talk to you from across Zaun, tell me. My voice can cover this whole damn town.". This starts to become a recurring joke between the two of them.

៚Vi is someone who thinks fast and acts even faster, which can sometimes be a challenge for you what sometimes you need clarity in instructions. However, this leads to the two of you developing a sort of "language of your own". Vi might come up with simple gestures for things like "watch out", "follow me", or even "knock first, ask me later". Says Vi "See this? Two fingers in the air means we have to get the hell out of here fast. Three means 'hit 'em with everything.' Easy, right?" This makes them an effective team in Zaun's dangerous situations.

៚Vi is quick to note that, although you are hard of hearing, you also have skills that impress her. Perhaps it's the way you pay attention to small details, your ability to stay calm under pressure, your critical thinking even. "You know, not many people make it down here, let alone with everything stacked against them. But you... you're something special. Either that, or you're as stubborn as I am."

៚Vi has a protective nature, and when she sees someone treating you impatiently because of your hearing difficulty, she can't help but intervene. "What part of 'speak louder' didn't you understand? Do you want me to write it down for you? No, wait, you'd better get it tattooed on your forehead." Although you could try to calm her down, Vi isn't the type to let these things go easily.

៚Vi is fiercely loyal, and that translates into total devotion to you . No matter what happens, she's willing to stand up to anyone to protect you. "If anyone dares to mess with you, you let me know. Or better yet, don't even bother; I'll already be there before they can try."

៚Vi is not someone who plans things carefully. Everything in his life happens impulsively and passionately, and asking you to be his partner would be no exception. While she may try to disguise her nerves with humor or sarcasm, her intentions are clear: she wants to take the next step because she knows how much you mean to her.

The night is less chaotic than usual. You and Vi are in one of her favorite places in Zaun: perhaps a rooftop where you can watch the twinkling lights of the city, or a quiet corner near an abandoned factory where the noise isn't so overwhelming. It's one of those rare moments when Vi lets her guard down, and you can see her as she is, without masks or barriers. Vi has been thinking about this for days. Though she's never been good with words, she knows she can't stay quiet much longer. She runs a hand through her hair, clearly nervous, as she tries to find the right way to say what she feels.

Vi breaks the silence in a manner typical of her: with a seemingly casual comment, "You know, I've been thinking...and that's dangerous, I know. But listen, because this is important."

Curiosity overcomes you and you turn to her with a smile. Vi takes a deep breath and decides to cut to the chase. "You're the only person in this damn place that makes me want to be better. And I'm not saying I want to change who I am, because, well, I'm perfect just the way I am..." He pauses for a moment, clearly joking to ease the tension. "But with you... I don't know, everything's different. Less complicated. And I think I like that too much to ignore." Vi starts to lose a little control of her usual confidence. She knows what she wants to say, but the words don't come out the way she planned in her head. "What I mean is.... well, you know. I like you. No, that's an understatement. I like you a lot. Like, a lot-a lot. And I wanted to know if... uh..."

As for you, you wait patiently, clearly enjoying watching Vi get flustered for once. Vi, frustrated with herself, folds her arms and lets out a nervous laugh. "For the love of Zaun, are you going to make me say all this by myself or what? What I want is for you to be my partner, okay? There it is. I said it. Happy? "

៚and of course you reply positively, Vi lets out a sigh of relief, and her expression immediately softens. She regains some of her usual confidence, though you can still tell how much this moment means to her. "I knew you'd say yes. Who could resist this?" she smiles with that mixture of arrogance and warmth that characterizes her. Then she leans toward you, looking at you directively.

"You know? This means we're going to be the toughest team in Zaun now. I can't wait to brag about you. Sure, don't tell anyone, but you're probably the best decision I've made in years."

៚So after that, she won't hesitate to throw herself at you, thirsty for physical contact. She won't be shy, if she wants to kiss you or touch you. She will.

៚Vi is not the type to express her love with sweet words all the time, but she has very clear ways to show you how much she cares about you, like casual touches: she always finds an excuse to touch you in a casual way, whether it's putting a hand on your shoulder or placing her arm behind your waist, or she just places her hands on your waist.

"I don't know if you know this, but I like to keep you close. So don't move too far away."

៚Vi uses humor as a way to keep the relationship light and fun.

" You know what? If one day you want to ignore me, just pretend you didn't hear me. But I warn you: I'm stubborn. I won't shut up so easily."

៚If you forget something she said because you didn't hear it, Vi always turns it into a joke to diffuse the situation. "Don't worry. Most of the things I say don't make sense anyway. But this time, listen to me carefully: I love you."

[cevansbrat0007]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMr8fYuj5/

I can see so clear Bird putting Ari in the dog house again and later in the day he arrives at her home with a bag full of her favorites snacks, heat pads, painkillers and a note for his sweet wild woman

Summary: Somehow, Ari always seems to know all the right ways to take care of you...

Warnings: Mature Themes, Fluff, Ari Being A Menace, Bickering, Brat!Reader, References to Menstrual Cycles & PMS, Cuddles, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Part of my Sweet Renegade Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

You automatically perk up from your place on the couch when you hear the slam of your front door. Ari had left the house hours ago, muttering something under his breath that you hadn’t quite been able to make out. 

“Beast?” You call when he doesn’t immediately appear. “Whatcha doin’?” 

“Is that my Bird in there?” He quickly fires back. “Is that who I’m talkin’ to?”

His unexpected dramatics immediately set your teeth on edge. Just what the hell did he mean by all that?

“Who the hell else would it be?” Your question comes out sounding more like a growl. 

Instead of answering you’re treated to the sound of footsteps as Ari finally makes his way to you. But instead of coming all the way into the room, you’re confused when he chooses to poke his head around the corner. 

“Just checking.” His wary blue eyes are sparkling with a hint of mirth. 

“Are you trying to be funny?”

“Nah, baby. Just bein’ careful.” Ari steps out hiding then, his brawny arms laden with several brown grocery bags.

“Why the hell would you have to be careful?”

“Because when I walked out the house earlier I did so under the impression that my woman had been replaced by one of those she-demons you only read about in books.” He offers you an unrepentant shrug before setting his purchases on the opposite sofa. “Aww, c’mon now. Don’t make that face."

“I’m not makin’ any kinda face, you Beast.” You huff, doing your damndest not to pout. “I just don’t know what the hell you’re goin’ on about.”

“Then how come you’re over there looking like you’ve been suckin’ on a lemon?” The handsome bastard has the nerve to smile at you as begins digging items out of one of the bags. 

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not, you –” Your petty retort is interrupted when your bounty hunter suddenly chucks an orange bag at your head. Thankfully, you manage to catch it before it makes contact with your face. “Jalapeño cheetos?”

“Yep.” He grunts, giving you a knowing look. “I also got you the regular ones too in case you decide those are suddenly too spicy for you.”

“Oh.” Is all you can muster, turning the bag over in your hands. These were your favorites whenever you allowed yourself to indulge. “Thanks.” 

“Yeah. Not done yet, baby.” 

You watch as he systematically begins pulling items out of the bags. He also makes a point of showing you each one, much to your overall chagrin. 

“Let’s see…” Ari moves the bags to the floor, which allows you to get a good, long look at all of the treats and treasures he procured while he was out. “We’ve got us another bag of Cheetos, plus a bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn. Next up, we’ve got two hefty slices of strawberry cheesecake. I got my own, so you don’t have to share,”

Smart man.

“I mean…” You quietly hedge, your teeth going to nibble at your bottom lip. “I don’t know why you felt compelled to buy all this stuff.” 

“Oh you don’t, huh?” His eyes go wide as he cocks his head to the side.

“Nope.” The word tumbles out of your mouth with a soft pop.

Instead of responding he chooses to simply ignore you. “Here we have a variety of chocolate bars – milk chocolate, milk chocolate with fuckin’ caramel, milk chocolate with some kinda weird nougaty shit, you get the idea.” He spares a glance in your direction long enough to study your face. “We’ve also got dark chocolate with both sea salt and some kind of intense orange peel somethin’. Do any of these work for you?”

“Why, yes, all of them but–”

“Moving on, I’ve got a box of cocoa, peppermint tea, and oh! Nearly forgot the fuckin’ heating pad.” Ari holds up the box so that you can see it. “If this isn’t the right one I will go back out and buy another.” 

The seriousness of his features makes it plain that he’s not kidding. He gingerly hands the box to you, giving you a moment to peruse the information included on the box.

How the hell could he have known that yours had only just gone out? Oh. Because you’d mentioned it the night before last. It always seemed to surprise you just how much this man seemed to listen to you. 

“This is...this is good.” You tell him, hugging the box to your chest. “It’s great, actually.”

“Thank Christ.” He breathes, relief evident in his tone. 

“Ari, did you do all this because I was feeling a little snippy this morning?” While his intentions were sweet, they also felt like a little over the top 

“Snippy? Is that what we’re calling it?” His tawny brows shoot up high enough to reach his hairline. “Because this morning you threatened to beat me with a sack of oranges for snoring too loud.”

Oh. Right. Oops.

“And when I made the mistake of walking on the carpet in my work boots, you literally threatened to unman me.”

“I was worried about the mud.” You mumble with a wince. 

“And the fact that you just so happened to be aggressively chopping vegetables at the time? Pure coincidence?”

“Yep.” Your voice comes out so small you almost surprise yourself.

“And then, when I tried to apologize and take ‘em off, you told me you were gonna throw me and them into the nearest lake. And then fly in a pack of gators to make sure that we were never seen or heard from again.” 

“A joke.” You try once more. “That’s all.”

“Yeah well, I’m not the type of man to make jokes about a woman’s monthly bein’ on the horizon.” Ari picks up a small box of what looks to be medication. “But even so, I also know how to count.” He adds with a shrug before taking a step towards you. “My sisters swear up and down that this Midol shit works wonders with demon feelings.”

“Thank you.” Your bottom lip begins to tremble when your man reaches out to gently cup your chin.

“Do you need anything else?”

“No.” You reassure him, your hand going to gently grip his wrist so you can stroke your thumb over his pulse “I’m sorry.”

Ari stares you at you for a beat, before finally leaning down to tenderly brush his mouth over yours. “S’alright, sweet Bird.” He repeats the action, smiling into the kiss when he feels you relax against him. “I reckon it ain’t all your fault.” 

“You’re too good to me, baby.” You try to pull him down on the couch with you, only to pout when he resists.  “C’mere…” You whine. “I wanna make it up to you.”

“Let me go put this stuff away first.” He rises to his full height before politely taking the box from your hands. “Unless you want some of it now.”

You take a minute to think. “Just some chocolate please.”

“Any preference?”

“Dealer’s choice.” 

Ari tosses you a random bar, which you eagerly accept without so much as a second look. You tear into it, barely removing the foil before taking a bite. It goes down so good you can’t help but have another.

“Now, I won’t be gone but a minute.” Just in case, he decides to leave you with the box of Midol as well. 

Meanwhile, you decide that it’s in your best interest to remain quiet. Because unbeknownst to this man, you had actually gotten your period today sometime after he’d left the house.

“And if those demon feelings start to come back, you just pop a couple of those, alright?” He’s still so incredibly serious about this that all you can do is nod.. 

“Yes, Sir.”

“Thank you.” You’re rewarded with a flash of teeth posing as a grin. “And when I get back, do you, uh…” He rolls his broad shoulders. “You think you got any room for me on that couch?”

Instead of responding, you choose to offer him a bite of your chocolate. You’re secretly more than a little giddy when he accepts. It was a sign that all was forgiven. 

“Why don’t you hurry back and find out?”

Still grinning, you watch as Ari hastily gathers up all of your goodies before taking off in the direction of the kitchen. “Go on and turn on one of those horror movies you like, little Bird. I’m gonna need you to snuggle close to make up for how you treated me today.” 

With that he’s gone, leaving you with just enough time to retrieve extra blankets and pillows from a nearby closet. Forget a heating pad. Having you man this close was practically like having a human furnace at your beck and call. 

Jesus Christ, how did you get so lucky?

“Beast?” You let your voice ring out as soon as you’ve found yourself a good movie. It’s been ages since you’ve watched Paranormal Activity, and you had it on good authority that Ari had never seen it.

“Yeah?” He bellows from the next room.

“Bring us a slice of cheesecake to share. I wanna enjoy it with you before we get too scared.”

“Whatever you want, Duchess.” You don’t have to see his face to know that he's laughing at you in the sweetest way possible.

And quite honestly, in this moment, you wouldn't have it any other way. 

END

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[secretidentie]

SuperBat but they're 2 complete strangers stuck sitting next to each other on a 16-hour long flight ✈️

What immediately makes this funny is that if Bruce is flying commercial he's already holding onto his sanity by a thread and is in no mood for bullshit. Clark on the other hand is really excited since it's probably his first time actually using a plane to fly. The daily planet already paid for his ticket and he doesn't want it to go to waste. He's kinda scared coz it's the first time he's had to rely on machinery to stay in the air instead of himself.

This starts off at the check-in queue with Clark claiming Bruce as his airport crush (since he's trying to do all the classic airport things). He's then pleasantly surprised when they're seated next to each other on the plane. This excitement dies pretty quickly when Bruce snaps at him for trying to make conversation.

This gets worse when Bruce (who has the window seat) decides to close the window and turning on the light to read. Since Clark can't look out the window (lead lined paint) to make sure everything's fine and can't sleep to distract himself he starts panicking a bit and ends up fighting with Bruce, telling him to keep the window open. Bruce starts questioning why he's freaking out over nothing and the fight culminates in Clark saying he was the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed his parents coz they threw him out with an open parachute while they blew up so seeing that the sky is clear keeps him calm (which is only sort of a lie if he squints).

Bruce obviously feels like a jerk but he's too stubborn to apologize out loud. Instead, after about an hour of silence, he gives Clark his snacks and looks away. Clark picks up on this being a piece offering and asks Bruce if he wants to watch a movie together. They get to know each other, joking and teasing then at some point during a movie Clark falls asleep on Bruce's shoulder and this is when Bruce realizes he's falling for this stranger he's known for all of 10 hours.

Unfortunately, his bliss is shortlived coz there's some unexpected turbulence. The violent shaking of the plane wakes up Clark who's panicking because if the plan goes down he knows he won't be able to get everyone to land on time and still keep his identity in check. But to Bruce it looks like Clark is having a trauma flashback so he tries to calm him down which surprisingly works when the plan levels out again.

The bad weather does still force the plane to land and all the passengers have to find somewhere to sleep for the night before their connecting flight. Luckily for Bruce, he already owns a penthouses in this city and he asks Clark to stay the night with him if he has nowhere else to go.

Idk what happens after that but I think this would be such a fun plot for a fic.