#it is in fact one of our current best options

[plutotheplum]

chapter one | the proposal

multi x fem!reader

chapter summary: the spring season seems to have brought on an unrelenting case of baby fever. being single is a problem though... so who better to ask than your five, handsome friends?

cw: modern au, fluff, kissing, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of sex

wc: 1.7k

a/n: first chapter is here! something short and sweet before we get into the smut teehee ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎

also on ao3!

series masterlist | next up: the magician

“I want a baby.”

Usually you’d be sitting across from your head-over-heels, doting, caring husband that would be willing to do anything for you whilst having this conversation. It’s an important decision after all, having a baby and taking care of it, having the finances to dote on your child. It’d be nice… except for the fact you don’t have a husband, or a boyfriend for that matter.

Instead, you’re sitting across from five men, currently lumped together uncomfortably on your couch, staring at you with slight bewilderment in their eyes. It was your best shot, inviting them over. 

Besides, you’d decided that it was the spring season that had caught you in its snare. Going out to a cafe, taking a stroll in the park, perusing a bookstore; babies were everywhere. It hadn’t bothered you so much until you’d set your eyes on one of the cutest, chubbiest babies you’d ever seen, its little hand curling around your finger when you’d been waiting in line to buy your book. 

Yeah… you’d gotten baby fever.

“A baby?” Rafayel asks, his brows raising, “are- are you even ready for a baby?”

“I’ve thought about it,” you reply, fingers fidgeting nervously in your lap, your eyes drifting across each of them, “a lot. I even made a short presentation if any of you would like to-”

Zayne shakes his head subtly and you sink back down into the chair, having gotten up half-way.

“I am ready,” you breathe out finally, “I’m not getting any younger and I just think it’d be nice, y’know? I wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore.”

“Why’d you invite all of us over at once?” Caleb asks, his hands folding behind his head, drawing a sound of annoyance from Xavier who he elbows in the process.

“I didn’t want to have the conversation five times,” you sigh, “besides, I figured none of you would actually agree to this. I mean, it’s sort of crazy. Do I sound crazy?”

“Maybe a little frantic,” Sylus muses, propping his elbow up on the armrest of your couch, his head tilting lazily to watch you.

“There are other options,” Zayne offers, “other than what you’re proposing. I could help you look, if you wanted. I know someone I went to medical school with, maybe they could help?”

You flush lightly, shaking your head. “I um- I want to do it naturally,” you squeak out, cheeks growing hotter when you spy the grin on Caleb’s face. “Less- less complications that way, which is why I decided to ask all of you.”

“Well,” Caleb yawns, stretching his arms above his head, managing to knock one against Xavier’s head again, “I’m in.”

“What?” you sputter, staring at him with wide eyes. “You- you can’t just agree! I had a whole thing planned and we still need to go over agreements about how this is going to work.”

“I’m not just going to disappear once you have the baby,” Caleb sighs, staring at you, his gaze never wavering. “If we do this, we’re doing it together.”

“Oh,” you say, sitting back in your chair, “well if that’s what you’d like, but I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything.”

“Obligated?” Sylus interrupts, raising his brows, “Sweetie, if you decide to have one of our kids, we aren’t going to abandon you to handle everything on your own. It’s as much of our decision as it is yours.” He pauses for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. “With that being said, I also accept your proposal.”

“You do?” you ask, your head tilting. “Wouldn't the two of you be overkill? I really think one of you agreeing is enough-”

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Xavier pitches in finally, having had enough of being squished on the couch as he stands up, sending a brief glare towards Caleb. “It wouldn’t be fair,” he repeats, shifting on his feet, “if only the two of them got to have you. Besides, you said it was up to us to decide.”

Was he jealous? Maybe you’d dug yourself in a little too deep. You’d had fleeting moments with each of them, shared lazy kisses every now and then, had a few of their heads buried between your thighs on some nights, but nothing serious… especially not this serious.

“So all three of you,” you look pointedly at Caleb, Sylus and Xavier, “want to help?”

“Yes,” is the unanimous reply.

“I can’t have sex with all three of you!” you protest, looking at each of them, “I mean, I could but that’s besides the point!”

“You’ll have to alternate between us,” Zayne supplies, adjusting his glasses, his lithe fingers pushing them up to sit more securely on the bridge of his nose. The action distracts you for a moment, your mind conjuring up the memory of those very fingers sinking inside of your pussy only a few weeks ago when he’d been pent up and you’d been eager to help.

“Right,” you reply as though the situation made complete sense and nothing about this entire thing was crazy. “Alternate- wait,” you pause, your eyes flicking over to meet Zayne’s. “Us?” you echo, “what do you mean ‘us’?”

“Us,” Zayne says simply.

“Us- us as in you included?” you ask, voice pitching upwards with how incredulity takes hold of you, part of you hoping that your faith in the english language was now failing you.

“Yes,” he replies, his head tilting to take in your expression. “I am the most… qualified for this position.”

“This isn’t a job interview!” you snap, glaring at him, before pointing at the others accusingly, “and you are all way too eager to agree!”

“We’re helping you out,” Caleb counters, turning his attention to Zayne, “and what do you mean by qualified? You just have to cum inside of her.”

You wince at his crude words.

“I often see children during my rounds in the wards,” Zayne says coolly, “I don’t see you handling any children while you fly your plane around.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Caleb mutters, sending Zayne a glare.

“Okay,” you pitch in, hoping to ease some of the tension. “Rafayel?” you say, eyes focusing on the purple-haired man who’s been watching the situation unfold with amusement, “I’m glad you haven’t said anything, because four is more than eno-”

“Who said I didn’t agree?” he asks, raising his brows, “I’d be the odd one out, wouldn’t I? As Xavier said, that’d hardly be fair.”

“So what you’re all telling me, is that you’re all ready for a baby?” you ask bluntly, tilting your head skeptically. “Because I feel like none of you have thought this through.”

“We’re just giving you the best chance of having a baby,” Xavier says, meeting your skepticism with his own bluntness.

“Fine,” you breathe out, your eyes flitting across each of the handsome men. You’d be lying if you weren’t somewhat excited about the idea. “You’re all accepted.”

“Great,” Sylus says, standing up.

Your eyes widen when he approaches you, his arm tugging you to your feet, before wrapping around your waist.

“What are you-”

Your voice is muffled when he slots his lips over yours. You make a noise of protest until he presses closer, your eyes fluttering shut at the soothing stroke of his thumb against your cheek. A soft whine escapes you, arms sliding up to wrap around his neck, your lips working against his eagerly.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Caleb snaps.

You squeak when you’re pulled away from Sylus, arms reaching out to grab for him, only for Caleb to swat your hands away, sending you an equally harsh glare.

“I thought we were getting started,” Sylus drawls, his eyes flashing with a hint of disdain. “I’m not one to sit around and watch.”

Caleb snaps out a retort and your shoulders sag as you watch the two men begin to argue.

“Are you sure you wanna have a baby with one of them?” Rafayel asks, his voice hushed as he sidles up to you. “They seem awfully… ill-tempered.”

You blink up at him, face falling. “Do you think that’ll affect the baby?”

Rafayel nods, putting on a grave disposition until you see Zayne roll his eyes.

“We’ll alternate,” Zayne says, rubbing his temples, “like I said. It’s the fairest way and none of your egos will get hurt in the process. We can draw numbers to figure out the order.”

You end up scrawling the numbers one to five on a piece of paper, ripping them up before scrunching them, so they can’t see what’s written on the paper.

“Take your pick,” you offer, opening your hands up for each one of them to choose a crumpled piece of paper.

You stare at each of them expectantly as they open up the pieces of paper, rocking up on your toes to peek over Xavier’s shoulder. 

Two.

Well, you could handle that. You smile up at him and he smiles back, dipping his head quickly to kiss your cheek.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Caleb groans staring down at his paper.

“Did you place last?” Rafayel asks smugly, waving his paper around as though he had won the lottery. “I’m first!”

“Asshole,” Caleb grouses, ripping up his paper agitatedly, “third.”

You turn your attention to Zayne and Sylus, raising your brows.

“Fourth,” Zayne says, tucking his paper away neatly into the pocket of his trousers.

You swallow nervously, glancing towards Sylus. He gives you a devilish grin in return, flipping his paper to show you the messily scribbled five. 

“You’re not… mad about it?” you ask tentatively.

“Why should I be?” Sylus asks, running a hand through his snowy hair, the strands falling across his forehead prettily, “It just means that I get to spend the longest with you.”

Well, that sounds more like a threat than anything. You weren’t a stranger to Sylus’ ways, you’d spent a few nights in his bed, face shoved into the pillows while you’d sobbed and cried pathetically with every snap of his hips against your ass. 

“Right,” you clear your throat, hoping your voice doesn’t betray your nervousness.

Your gaze drifts over each man. Smug Rafayel, mellow Xavier, disgruntled Caleb, stoic Zayne and devilish Sylus.

Yeah, you think, you were definitely in for it.

taglist >///<

@serenitymaria @kreishin @qyuin @wegottastayfocus @novthirty @syluslittlecrows @blorbohunter @luvleixo @crimsonmarabou @skylaryoung2002 @multisstuff @chirikoheina @supermissnkta @serenity-loves-red @shi-thats-kiera @froleineeeee @jaynawayna @schooki @minyoongi-pouts @mizienjoyer @isagistar @zaynesnowflake @athena-portgas @colonelcalebs-pipsqueak @cutelittlesugarfairy @pookiei-bookie @dooopiee @rafshottestgf @thetimetravelernightmare @slytherin-min99 @envy-of-greed @paninisstuff @h0ngh0ngh0ng @nezuswritingdesk @teeheeheartless

[kleptokure]

Silent Affection P.1 (P.2) ⭒˚.⋆ ✴︎˚ ⋆˙⟡

Truthless Recluse x GN!Reader

Contains slight spoilers if you are not past 8-18.

·˖✮ ✮‧˖

You fail to remember the last time the environment around has been so quiet. Getting used to the bustling habitat of each region you traveled to, accompanying Gingerbrave, came as easy.

Now, left without the lively setting, everything feels astray. It feels otherworldly, even. But the worst part of it all is the stranger Pure Vanilla Cookie has morphed into.

Change can be a good thing, and you kept an open mind to those who reverted to different opinions. Yet this? No, this entire situation regarding your dearest is a case you cannot bring yourself to accept.

You never thought you would see Pure Vanilla Cookie's eyes modify themselves into such a dull state. The sparkle that was average to spot in his eyes seemed to fizzle out, but you swear you see the flicker of one when his stare lies onto you.

At the current moment, you stand before him as he sits on the edge of the bed in his gifted headquarters, residing inside of the unnerving tower.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie! You have to snap out of it. Our friends are in danger, we have to rescue them!" You try your earnest to get through to him, but all you receive is his eyes piercing into your own.

All of the warmth that used to trail after Pure Vanilla Cookie seems to have left. Uselessness strikes your dough, and motivation is not given from your emotionless lover. What else is there to do to convince him?

Pacing around the room, you attempt to think of another way to persuade Pure Vanilla Cookie back into his common traits.

You are unaware of why you were to be left at his side, now thinking about it. Shadow Milk Cookie did not afflict you with the same treatment he gave the others. As of right now, you've been permitted to stay beside Truthless Recluse for an unknown reason.

Expressing gratitude for your handling differing from your allies comes as hard. The fact that they can easily crumble from a tearing of the feeble cards they've been transformed into does not come as heartwarming.

Now, you put yourself before the silent cookie. You would hate to guilt trip your partner, you truly would—but it seems to be your last option.

"What if it were me? Would you turn me away, too? Leave me to be stuck as a tarot card?" You give your best to sound disheartened.

Truthless Recluse narrows his eyes at you, the grip he holds around his staff tightening. That counts as a reaction, much to your favor. Though would it do much in the long run?

He fails to see reason in why his heart feels heavy. Oh, but it is not with remorse. The gloomy cookie feels angered. How dare you suggest such an event could ever happen? He refuses to allow you to be turned into a small card, put inside of a bag and shrouded in complete darkness.

Yet he allows the misery to fall upon his other companions. Why must you be a discrepancy? He should've pushed you away long ago, yet he decided to complete the exact opposite.

Truthless Recluse feels ridiculous, causing to add onto his frustrations.

He stands up, towering over you with his absurd height. Pure Vanilla Cookie is one to be feared with his current body language, but you still stand in your place.

"You will not," he asserted, like a king to his pawns. Pure Vanilla's frown appears more prominent. You did not expect your short speech to cause such a reaction, coming off as wordless for a few seconds into your staring contest with him.

Then, you feel upset yourself. His single words, the few ones he's ever spoken to you, are hard to digest. Truthless Recluse can say that, but not hold to that same promise for your comrades?

Your hands clench into fist, standing with your chest puffed before the intimidating cookie.

"I don’t understand you. I never thought I would say this, but you are becoming insufferable!" Part of him feels hurt by that, and again, he falls short in knowing why.

"If you are so resistant to helping, then I will do it myself. You can stay here for as long as you'd like. I’m leaving." With that said and done, you turn on your heel, walking towards the exit of the room that you grow sick of.

But then, your feet prevent you from progressing. In fact, you do not seem to be touching the ground any longer, lifted a few feet above ground. Your hands remain fixed at your side, entirely incapable of moving.

That being said, you are unable to avert your stare towards the obvious culprit. Though there seemed to be no reason to worry, as the said perpetrator of your rigidness whirls you around to face him.

You were about to give him a mouthful, but Truthless Recluse reaches words before you have the chance.

"Stay."

"What?"

"You are not going anywhere."

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, release me," you shout, yet, as anticipated, his lips are shut thin. You become weary of his orders. He declines to hear you out, so why would you give ear to him?

But you soon realize, there is not much of a choice for you here. The look in his eyes signal that, and the fact that the strength difference between the both of you is quite measurable.

With the power of his staff, Truthless Recluse hovers you over his given bed, plopping you down onto the cushioning afterwards.

Quick to straighten yourself up, you look in his direction. There is irritance noticed in your stare, though it is miniscule. It goes difficult to stay mad at him, because at the end of the day, he remains your husband. Even within this form he takes.

Truthless Recluse takes a seat right next to you, your legs pressing together. Despite the harsh tone his talk is spoken with, there's little to no hesitation in his decision to be near you. Perhaps Pure Vanilla Cookie is not as far away as you would believe, judging off of that noticeable trait.

"So you disapprove of helping out our friends, but you also disapprove of me rescuing them?" You question, because you want him to know the absurdity of his own actions. Nothing appears to add up.

"Just say you want me here. That deep down inside, you still love me," you taunt him, more so to get back at him for his pettiness. Guilt tripping and persuasion are clear to have no affect on him. Taunting is not guaranteed to work either, but you can give it a shot.

Unbeknownst to you, your little tease did gain a reaction from the apathetic cookie.

Truthless Recluse dislikes the emotions that you, and you alone, are able to make him feel. Your simple words send him into strange mindsets, ones that he believed he would abandon after becoming a deceiver.

Liars are not known to have such close relationships, so he came prepared to dump his old friends. But you? Ditching you is easier said than done.

Maybe he can come to face the truth he has avoided. The reality is, you are no mere friend. Your title to him is far greater than that, which is why he is reluctant to allow your departure. Back then, he was more proud to call you his lover. Even though now, he would concede it, you are still his beloved. He loves you, and he hates that.

Why must you make his conversion so difficult?

It is as if Pure Vanilla Cookie reset. Again, he keeps as quiet, like prior, to any words you say.

But, you took note of his dramatic response to your attempt to flee. In this case, may it be that your actions cause more feedback than your conversation? There's one way to find out.

Scooting even closer to him, you gaze into his eyes. What a beautiful man he is, even with his drastic transformation.

Lowering your palm, you place it atop his own. You begin to hold his hand, a heartfelt gesture that was common between you pair, but will he return it this time around?

To your shock, and his own, he does. A sweet man can never truly be erased, it seems. That sprouts a smile on your face. But, why end it at holding hands? What else can grow to make him act out?

Tilting your head, you press a kiss to his cheek. He appears as unmoving now, but with how short the distance is, you can see the twitch in his face.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," you whisper. "I love you."

He is no longer Pure Vanilla Cookie, he mentally asserts. Your love is in vain, as the cookie you once knew is shoved deep down and far gone.

Nevertheless, he accepts your affection all the same. That aspect is the most bothersome for him. He ought to silence you with your foolish declarations, but he falters in doing so.

Gaining his attention yet again, your face shifts to be placed right in front of his own. Truthless Recluse finds his mind to wander to how attractive you are, but he soon cuts those thoughts short for himself. He no longer believes in such facts, he would say.

Though if he deems himself a liar, that might be a lie.

"Truthless Recluse," you spoke in a gentle tone. "I love you."

Oh. That surprises him. He reckoned you would never utter his new label, but you have, which indicates you are directly addressing him, and he's lost on how to process it. All he can comprehend is the warmth radiating in his dough, as if he's back in the oven in which he was baked.

As your prior statement of admiration came with a complimentary kiss, the next remark shall have the same acclamantory.

You angle yourself closer, your lips coming into contact with Truthless Recluse's cold ones, meeting in a delicate kiss. As frigid as he is, you will be glad to share your heat to him.

Just as happy as he is to embrace it. Truthless Recluse finds himself returning your affection, leaning in to push your mouths closer. His eyes closed, he rediscovers how enjoyable affection can be.

His grip on his staff almost slips from how weakly he holds it. Truthless Recluse finds that possessing you in his arms is far more preferable, yet he refrains, as you already pulled away, much to his disappointment.

With a satisfied sigh, you rest your head against his shoulder.

"I don’t think we should keep the others waiting," you spoke amidst the silence. "Perhaps we should go check up on them?" You wonder if your mounds of endearment caused to change his point of view. If not, then luck has long left you.

Witches, now Truthless Recluse is sure he has been tricked yet again. How can he let you get away with your foolery so easily? You are such an infuriating cookie, and he despises that his feeble heart wants more of that. He would tear it out if he could.

Though he comes to terms with it quite quickly. That is just your personality, and well, Shadow Milk Cookie does plenty for his own indulgences. Would it hurt for him to take a cookie in for his own appeasement?

"No," he decides. You have a dumfounded expression. This cookie proved to be tough to crack, and that tends to be a good factor. But now, it shrivels in appearing as a perk.

"...Huh?"

"You, too, shall reside in this tower. Alongside me." He has got to be joking. Although he carries the title of a liar, even you can tell there is no deception in his tone.

"I'll... I'll give you another kiss if you grant my farewell?" Truthfully, that came to wilt his spirit. In spite of that, his silence as a response shows he has abstained.

Your husband developing a possessive trait catches you off guard. There's a chance those few kisses became disastrous in the end, as you see his eyes linger onto your lips rather than your own stare.

Oh boy. You’re in for a ride.

·˖✮ ✮‧˖

A/N: I wanted to say thank you for the lovely welcoming on my first post! All of the notes are what encourage me to write, so it's heartwarming to see so many haha. About a part two for my first fic, I didn't really think about that. Perhaps I will if I brainstorm hard enough. Thanks for reading! (*´ڡ`●)

[comicaurora]

Do you think ethics are just an attempt at being a healthier form of selfish?

In one of your Detail Diatribes where Batman confronts Catwoman and tries to stop her from killing Falcone, you highlighted the fact that his reasoning was not to protect her father, but to try and save her. Ever since, some very strange ideas about the nature of selfishness and selflessness have been rattling around my head.

It only started coming into focus when I tried to put into words why it was a bad thing that D-16 killed Sentinel Prime. My best answer right now is because it made D-16 into Megatron. Orion wasn't trying to save Sentinel, he was trying to protect the cybertronian people. Maybe if Orion focused more on saving D-16, they wouldn't have lost their friendship and all of Cybertron would be better for it. Of course, in the end, Megatron was the deciding factor in making himself, caring more about his pride than his current identity, but this highlights a strange selfish quirk in sustainable selfless behavior.

If you are purely selfless you suffer from spending more of yourself than you have to give. If you're too selfish you can't maintain the human connections that are a requirement for being a complete and healthy person. It leaves the best options as being selfless to make your environment an easier one for you to live in. Where your actions for others are repaid by the selflessness from your community. Or, being selfish with your charity. Taking care of what you care about because their well being positively contributes to your own.

To be fair, the opening sentence now looks like an incomplete thought. It probably should be asking if you think ethics is just an attempt at being a more healthy form of selfish and selfless. Really, just asking if ethics is meant to make you better at being a person, which seems like a question that can answer itself. Still, it feels like an important insight to highlight that to be ethical isn’t about how much of your own life you're willing to sacrifice. It's hard to be a good person when you're not a person anymore.

This is a fascinatingly deep question, and I'm very tickled that our two touchpoints in it are a transforming robot tank and Batman.

My personal opinion is that ethics and morals are not reflections of some universal truth of Justice and Goodness, as they are often framed, but are instead best-practice guidelines on how to function in the big, messy world without causing undue suffering to yourself and others. A facet of this is determining, case by case, how much you need to prioritize yourself vs how much you can afford to help others - in the framing you've proposed, selfishness vs selflessness.

Taking the specific examples we're focusing on - two cases where someone attempts to prevent a revenge killing for the benefit, not of the victim, but of the avenger - I think they reflect this worldview, that the killing is not seen as some innately universally-judged evil act that must be prevented for its own sake, but that the act of killing will harm the killer in a way the person trying to stop them doesn't want to see.

For Catwoman, committing premeditated murder wouldn't solve any of her problems in any way that arresting Falcone and having him legally unraveled would. It'd just park a first degree murder charge on someone who'd up til this point only dealt with petty larceny, and it would potentially weigh her down with misery and regret as she grappled with the trauma of taking a life.

For Megatron, killing Sentinel Prime wasn't a bad action because he deserved to live. They just spent that whole fight scene tearing through enemies. They're warriors on track to spend the next four million years killing each other; the whole "taking a life" ship has already sailed. The problem is that Sentinel is a symbol and a structural part of the political narrative in the founding of the next stage of Cybertron's society. If the first thing the new regime does is bloodily avenge itself on the face of the old regime for the personal wrongs it did them, that proves that the only thing they care about is personal satisfaction of their individual desires - just like Sentinel. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. If they can instead take a step back, think of the good of Cybertron as a whole, enforce a rule of law and a fair system of justice that applies equally to everyone, even on someone they personally loathe, that would signify integrity and credibility and the hallmark of wise, just and fair leadership capable of setting aside personal feelings for the greater good. It's not about Sentinel; it's about whether the satisfaction of killing him is worth the price of enforcing forever that personal vendettas are more important than the well-being of the people of Cybertron. Which makes it really obvious which one Megatron is going to pick.

My hottest take, and I mean this very genuinely, is that most of the human perception of what constitutes goodness and justice is one thousand percent based on vibes, and is extremely susceptible to narrative reframing. We see an unsympathetic victim (Sentinel Prime, Falcone) who has gleefully caused suffering to innocent people (so judged because they are framed sympathetically, not because we've actually enumerated their lifelong actions to determine they've never done anything wrong) and we feel (feel) that it would be right and just for them to suffer consequences (emphasis on suffer) because that would balance the scales on this vibes equation and that would make us feel like justice had been served. Would this suffering lead to any material good? Not inherently. Would it heal the victims? Not usually. Would it remove the source of the problem? Categorically not, what with how negative reinforcement works (or rather does not work.) It also wouldn't do anything about the other people empowered by the same system to be just as shitty in just as many ways that just happen to be offscreen from our POV. But it feels fair. So what is justice, if it reduces down to "I want them to hurt for the hurt they've caused me"? If it can be sated with a spectacle or distracted by a long nap and a good joke to let the feeling fade? What purpose does this justice serve if it is devoted wholly to the satiation of a bone-deep chordate-brain hunger for Retributive Violence rather than towards actually ensuring that the lives of those harmed are healed and supported and built up again after being broken down? (This is the entire core character arc in The Batman, btw, I'm not just monologuing for no reason here. He calls himself Vengeance for a reason, and the reason is he's doing Batman wrong)

That feeling - that white-hot burning core of Righteous Fury - is the unexamined heart of many systems of morality that focus, not on doing good, but on exacting satisfying retribution on Bad People Who Deserve It, categorized as People Who I Can Hurt Without Feeling Bad Myself. It's a very tempting concept for people who have suffered at others' hands. That feeling, that powerful instinctual understanding of "that's unfair," is incredibly strong. In my opinion, most systems of ethics are built, not around relitigating what is Good and what is Bad per se, but in trying to shape and curb that bone-deep, unbelievably powerful desire to rend the flesh from the bones of your tormenters.

But I mentioned that feeling is susceptible to narrative reframing. This is, as I understand it, a huge part of lawyering. Tell the story of what happened using true events and adding no falsehoods, but highlight the parts that make it feel like your client is the one who is being treated unfairly. They're not an unsympathetic wrongdoer who you can punish without personal moral stain - they're a loving spouse, a parent of three adorable children, they have a really cute puppy, they donate to charity, they're a wonderful conversationalist, a kind friend, etc etc. All those things can also be true of people who do terrible things, but thinking about them defuses that White Hot Core by making us sympathize with the sympathetic parts of them.

This is incredibly well-understood in fiction. It's the whole reason the tropes Kick The Dog and Pet The Dog exist. When you want the audience to root for a character's destruction, leave aside any of their potential quiet moments of sympathy - their tragic backstory, their cute pet, their adorable relationship with their mom - and instead show them going out of their way to commit some minor act of petty cruelty, say Kicking The Dog. The audience will infer that this badness is 24/7 and they have no reason to curb their enthusiasm for Righteous Vengeance. But if the writer wants the audience to see a spark of good in them, to sympathize, to believe they can be redeemed, they'll highlight one of those small moments of charming kindness, and allow them to Pet The Dog instead.

Neither of these acts, in the grand scale, have any bearing on the morality of this person's actions. A pet dog doesn't counterbalance a razed village; a kicked dog doesn't negate a generous contribution to the local soup kitchen. Goodness and badness is not a linear scale added or subtracted to by opposing deeds. BUT showing them to an audience reframes them narratively, and THAT is what shapes the judgment of the White Hot Burning Core. In the space of fiction, this form of bottom-shelf emotional manipulation is one of the cleanest ways to get the audience to root for the messy destruction of what is ostensibly, in the universe of the fiction, a wholly complex and living person who definitely has reasons for everything they've done, even ones that could be framed sympathetically when shown.

Meanwhile, in the real world, ethics are an attempt to judge what is best in a given situation without trusting the White Hot Burning Core to make the call, no matter how compelling "but it would feel really good though" might seem. They try to give someone perspective, context, other priorities to consider. The White Hot Burning Core might want you to rip someone's arms off for driving slow when you've got important places to be, but Ethics can present a number of compelling reasons not to do that - even if it's just "ripping their arms off will definitely make me even more late." And yes, this can be a balance of Selfishness Vs Selflessness. You are one of the people whose wellbeing ethics is designed to make you prioritize improving even if it feels weird, and when all other things are equal, your own health and happiness can be the deciding factor. In a world with an overarching Moral Force that weighs the goodness of your soul by sifting through every grain of action and intent seeking negativity to punish you for, absolute selflessness to the point of self destruction would still probably be seen as Morally Wrong, simply because the universe is a better place with you in it trying your best.

Anyway, if doing the right thing was simple, easy and painless, we probably wouldn't have so many thousands of years of arguing about what it looks like. Good luck out there everybody 👍

[jensthwa]

love's an uncharted path ★ masterlist.

★ prev called: show & tell universe ★

An exploration of the eight distinct stories of friendship, love, and self-discovery that intertwine as each character faces the trials of entering adulthood and falling in and out of love.

warnings: smut, drinking and drugs, adult language and female presenting oc's (with breasts and vaginas), angst, tears and attempted comedy throughout all stories.

note: this masterlist is organized so that stories are in chronological order, although there's some context within them that range from their childhood, teen years and college years. in these stories, the guys are in their last years of college/entering their first job and tasting a bit of adulthood as they navigate through the motions and find love along the way.

MINGI'S STORY: SHOW AND TELL (bf2l).

summary: you have known mingi since you both were fourteen. you’ve been by his side through thick and thin and you would do anything for him, really, considering he’s your other half. when he has an unfortunate bed experience and asks for your help and you say yes, he starts considering that, maybe, you’re just the best friend a guy like him can have.

main story: part one (8k) & part two (11k).

extras: a very show & tell christmas (7k), tba.

WOOYOUNG'S PRELUDE: A CLOWN'S REMEDY TO HEAL A BROKEN HEART (halloween special, hookup2??).

summary: a drunk and kind of akward conversation inside of a closet is the start of Wooyoung's journey into healing his broken heart. only he doesn't really know the name of the scarlet witch that helped mend a heart that wasn't supposed to break anymore, even if she starts plaguing his thoughts and dreams after that.

posted here (11.9k).

SAN'S STORY: WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (f2s2l).

summary: san is your first love. he broke your heart and played with your feelings without even kissing you back when you two were in highschool. now, many years later, you do your best to avoid crossing paths with him because there's just no way you could ever hate him, but there's also no way you two can be friends again. but his best friend is also one of your best friends, so there's only so much you can do to avoid san when he arranges a dinner you're forced to go to.

main story: one shot (20k).

extras: tba.

SEONGHWA'S STORY: I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU (s2l, love at first sight).

summary: in an attempt to grasp at his youth, seonghwa buys a motorcycle despite not knowing the first thing about them. when it inevitably breaks down, he has no other option that to ride it to a mechanic shop and, after following a sweet hum, he’s faced with the life-changing (and predictable) fact that, maybe, what he needed after all was not a motorcycle. maybe, just maybe, what he needed was you.

main story: one shot (20k).

extras: tba.

YUNHO'S STORY: MOUNTEBANK CHEM (e2f2l, arranged pr relationship).

summary: the first time you met yunho, you knew he was going to be part of the biggest tragedy of your life: the loss of your freedom, of your free will. you didn't know why back then but what you did figure out is that you and jeong yunho were going to, eventually and very publicly, date each other at some point. is that reason enough to hate his guts? well, of course! now, when the time comes to fulfill the prophecy, how the hell are you going to pull it off? and, most importantly, what do you need to do to not fall in love with him in the process?

main story: part one (9.7k), part two (14.2k), part three (16.5k), part four (24.1k), epilogue (7.08k).

extras: tba.

YEOSANG'S STORY: THE RHYTHM OF OUR HEARTS (s2f2l, slow burn, two part). CURRENTLY WRITING!

summary: Yeosang, with his camcorder and his looks from afar, ignites your curiosity in a way that makes you act a little dumb and against your friend’s judgments. When you finally get tired of him not approaching you, you decide that the night is young and life’s too short to not find an answer to your questions. On a dirty rooftop, your newfound friendship with him might just be the most surprising outcome of the whole ordeal. Is it enough to make you stay, though?

main story: part one (17.5k), part two (tba).

extras: tba.

WHAT'S NEXT?

HONJOONG'S STORY: WIP.

JONGHO'S STORY: WIP.

WOOYOUNG'S STORY: WIP (extra: woo's prelude / posted!).

[moiraimyths]

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) | Official Trailer

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven historical fantasy visual novel inspired by Irish mythology and Celtic folklore. Play as a tenant farmer from mid-19th century Ireland, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined in fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape and return home with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

🍃 STEAM 🍂 ITCH.IO 🍃PATREON 🍂DISCORD 🍃

Eager to play? Certain route content is available NOW in early access on Steam and Itch.io! For more information, click below👇

Meet the Cast

Facts & Questions: The Game

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a Kickstarter-funded project currently in development. Due to the scope of the story, we will be releasing it serially over several years to Steam and Itch.io, and discounting it while in early access. The earlier it's bought, the cheaper it will be overall, and you'll only need to buy the game once!

🍂 Not all routes are currently available! As of Nov. 1, 2024, you can play half of Shae and Maeve's routes; both approximately 50k words. If you're not sure about paying for an unfinished game, feel free to check out our free demo first. It consists of Vol. 1, Book of the Traveller (the pre-route content). Differences between the demo's Vol. 1 and the paid game's Vol. 1 are marginal following our August 1, 2024 re-release of the demo.

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) has a recommended reading order (Vol. 1, then 2, then 3, etc.), which will correspond to the release order of the routes. For more information on our reasoning behind this, click here.

🍂 Due to its setting, The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) will occasionally feature instances of characters speaking in Gaeilge, i.e. the Irish language. All instances of Gaeilge are linked to an internal translation tool, which is voiced by Nigel McKeon, a Gaeilgeoir.

🍃 The main character is yours to shape. At minimum, you must choose a nickname, pronouns, and one of four default appearances, the last of which can be your own artwork (instructions are included in the game's files). You may also choose to discard the True Name…

🍂 All routes, both current and upcoming, will have both romantic and platonic choice options. If you're uninterested in romance, feel free to make friends instead! No matter the nature of your relationship, you will still be able to reach the good end. (Want to learn more? Refer to this post!)

🍃 Our cast consists of two men, two women, and two non-binary characters. All are romancable no matter the MC, but some characters are asexual or on the aromantic spectrum, which may impact aspects of their romances.

🍂 If you are a Mac user and are having issues launching the game via the Itch direct download, refer to this guide for troubleshooting before sending us an ask. We strongly recommend purchasing the game through Steam instead of Itch if you are a Mac user; it is the best way to avoid issues with launching the game.

🍃 NDM is very intentionally set just prior to the onset of the Great Famine, which is both thematically and textually relevant to the leftist, anti-imperialist story we're aiming to tell. If you would like more insight into this, refer to this post.

🐎 There are secrets to be found in this game, with more yet to come. Prepare yourself for a lot of horse related shenanigans. 🐎

Facts & Questions: The Company

🧵 Moirai Myths is a five-person company based out of Canada. The core devs/founders go by Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. All writing and programming are done by this collective, i.e. the Fates.

🪡 Moirai Myths has a two person in-house artist team consisting of Kazane, our Character/UI Designer, and Melinoe, our Environmental Designer. In addition to them, though, we have had a number of guest artists assist us with the creation of sprites, CGs, and an assortment of other materials. If you'd like to meet them, check out our about page on our website!

✂️ Moirai Myths stands with the people of Palestine 🇵🇸

Disclaimer: This description will be updated periodically. If you're reading this in a reblog, you may want to check our current pinned post for potential changes.

[lovecandyxx]

Teacher! DOFP! Logan Howlett x Student! Reader

A/N: EURGGHHh okay so this is literally the first ever fic i'm writing on here for Logan, idfk i'll just GO 4 IT... Idk whether this is out of character 4 him I did my best!!!! this basically takes place after logan 'woke up' n became a teacher, Also, english isn't my first language so I hope the grammar is right LMFAO.

contents: Implied age gap, Make out sesh, hair tugging, awk moments, is this considered knee fucking??? idk?????? obvs teacher x student!!! pet names, teasing?

Just short n' sweet tha's itttt ౨ৎ⋆ ｡⋆𐙚⋆.˚₊⊹♡

It was currently 8:30 AM, 30 minutes before class starts. I bit my lip biting back a grin and took a look at the box of cookies I held in my hands. I paced slightly in front of the classroom door trying to do it silently while also trying to steal slight glances through the small window pane of the door, knowing Logan was sat inside. Because obviously I have a Huge crush on my proffessor, Mr.Howlett. It was just the way he was always a bit more gentle with me, than he was with the other students. The light brush of our fingers when he passed back my notes and the way his eyes are already on me when I look his way, sometimes I think I can see him glimpsing under my desk, too. The one time my heart fluttered the most was probably when after class, I had asked him for extra help and he eagerly complied, I sat next to him by his desk and when I finally got it and did a few things right, he had put his hand on my thigh gently and called me a 'good girl'. GOD I could've died right then and there.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I sneakily looked inside one more time, took a deep breath and opened the door with a soft creak. I stepped in and turned to close the door before turning to face my teacher, his face turned to look at me instead of all the papers on his desk. I felt a slight heat creep into the back of my neck from the way he looked at me, he has such freaking sexy eyes. "Goodmorning, Mr.Howlett.." I pursed my lips into a thin awkward smile and walked toward his desk. "Mornin' (Y/N).." Logan glanced up at the clock hanging on the classroom wall. "You're 30 minutes early?" He said with an intrigued tone and raised eyebrow. "I know, I just uhh.. Wanted to give you these" I tell him while softly placing the box of cookies infront of him.

He looked at the cookies, then to me, then again to the cookies. "You.. made me cookies?" A faint smile appeared on his gruff face and he shook his head slightly. "Ya didn't have to bub, but thanks" He grabbed the box and swiftly put them in a drawer in his desk "I'll eat them after class, Don't like sugar in the mornings." He looked up at me again, and I swear he looks at my legs for a split second! Putting on a mini skirt was the right fucking option for today.

I grab a chair and set it down across from him, at his desk. "I understand, I mean, I'm glad you even accepted them! I was scared you wouldn't like sugary sweet things!!" I giggled and looked him in the eyes.

Logan's lips turned upward lightly, He in fact, Hates sugary foods. He only accepted them because they we're from you, If it we're any other student he probably would've scoffed in their face and kicked them out. Truth is Logan has been quite interested in (Y/N) for a while now, too. He tried to be closer to her with such small things but because he obviously, was her teacher, he could never cross any crazy line. (Y/N) is also a lot younger than him.. like a lot. And yeah everyone know's he's like 180+ years old but his appearance looks more of a 56 year old, which is still way too old considering (Y/N)'s age.

Logan put the papers on his desk aside and leaned back in his seat, "Don't you have better things to do before class, rather than giving your teacher cookies." he teased. I rolled my eyes at him playfully trying to ignore the flutters in my chest and slight blush that crept onto my face, "Well.." I crossed my arms and breathed in deeply trying to think of a sassy remark, but sighed and responded. "Not really.." I laughed softly and notice him still with a soft smile looking at me. "Jeez can't a student accompany her old lonely teacher for once!" I joked rolling my eyes trying to hide my grin and leaning back in my seat. Logan raised both eyebrows and smirked. "Did you just call me old? C'mon bub?" I laugh loudly at his response, "Lucky for you I like them older!" I responded still in a joking manner, before I noticed the look on his face and him leaning forward, elbows on his desk now, and then I realized what I had actually said to my older teacher! My face flushed red when I saw a smirk form on his face with his stupid eyebrow raise again. My breath hitched and I wanted to think of something to say. "I- I mean like, Not like, You know! But, Like-... Actually nevermind I can't save myself right now." I mumbled the last part. Feeling lightly embarrassed but also confused as to why my teacher wasn't scolding me for saying such an inappropriate thing?

I looked downwards at my hands resting on my knees, "Sorry, Mr.Howlett.." I muttered out. Then Logan let out a small stiffled laugh and I looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion. "You don't have to say sorry sweetheart, was kinda hoping you'd confess 'sum like that" he admitted. I blinked at him in confusion blushing at his rarely used nickname for me, "What.. what do you mean..?" He crossed his arms leaning back into his seat again. "I mean, I was hoping you'd admit you'd be into someone like me, bub." His eyes pierced into your own never leaving yours once, eyeing your face to maybe read any form of emotion off you.

I bit my lip harshly and rubbed my legs together nervously, "Mr.Howlett.." The confident man infront of me opened his mouth to say something to me again, but was stopped by a small group of students walking into the classroom. They greeted Logan and all gave me a weird look, I'd guessed for how I looked in that moment..

I awkwardly stood up and put the chair in it's place again, as I sat down on my own seat I glanced at Logan again, heart beating loudly in my chest. What is that man thinking right now?! What was he even going to say, or do?!

As the lesson went on my mind wandered so much that I barely paid attention, not noticing that the class had ended not too long ago. As the few last students left, I didn't quite dare to look up at Logan yet. I just slowly started packing my things, but tensed a bit as I heard footsteps approach. "(Y/N).." Logan called out softly. I didn't look up at him but responded.. It almost felt like I was gonna need to be interrogated by the fucking police. But as Logan noticed I didn't dare look up, he crouched down next to my seat, practically forcing me to look him in the eyes.

The confidence he had an hour ago had faded, especially since you avoided his eyes the whole lesson, Logan had become unsure if you really we're into him. He refused to let go of the eye contact, though. He sighed deeply and put a hand on your thigh, making your breath hitch. "Listen (Y/N), didn't mean for you to get all uncomfortable yea? Just forget about it bub, I'll forget about what you said too, if it'll make ya feel better?" ...I stayed silent for a bit, frozen in place holding the last book I was gonna put in my bag. I bit my lip again and hesitated, thinking about my next move very carefully.

I placed my book onto the table harshly and finally looked Logan in his eyes. I took a deep breath and placed my own hand on top of his on my thigh. "Listen, Logan, That's not it. Like completely not it! I do want you, I want you so bad it actually kills me. I just wasn't sure if you we're actually serious about it, too! That's why I looked nervous." I held onto his hand a little tighter holding my breath, a surge of confidence washed over me, but faded as quickly as it came. I waited anxiously for Logan to say something, but his face darkened. He still held eye contact but there was a sudden change in the way he did. Now there was a sudden, want in his eyes, a need, lust.

"Say my name again." He practically growled this under his breath, grip on your thigh tightening, I gulped softly but complied "Logan.."

Before I could comprehend what was happening his lips we're already on mine, his hand went from my thigh to holding onto the side of my face, cupping it harshly to pull me deeper into the sudden kiss. His hand worked it's way to the back of my head entangling itself within the hair on the back of my head, tugging at it softly. Which let a moan escape my lips which gave him the opportunity to let his tongue into my hot mouth.

I had my eyes shut tightly, feeling extremely overwhelmed but fucking turned on at the same time. He was suddenly so rough toward me, unlike how he was in the classes he teached.

I felt his body weight shift from down under me to on top of me, He had his knee in between my thighs inching closer towards my throbbing core. He never let go of my lips and with his one hand still intertwined with my hair, his other free hand snaked it's way from gently touching my collar bone to slowly towards my chest.

I gave him a light push on the chest, not because I didn't want this, but because I couldn't fucking breath. He let go of my lips, still staying very close to my face, both out of breath practically panting in each others face. I gripped onto his shirt, and whined softly as I felt his knee finally pushing against my cunt. I moaned quietly and let my head fall back slowly cause of the pressure between my thighs.

As our heavy breathing continued his eyes never strayed from mine, "Logan.." I whimpered softly "You okay baby?" I licked my lips at his sudden nickname for me and smiled like a lovesick fool. "You can't call your student baby!" I scolded him playfully between the thick sexual tension. He smirked at me, "Last time I checked I couldn't kiss my students either." He teased. I stayed silent and bit my lip, switching my gaze in between looking at his eyes and his lips.

"We are so gonna get caught if we keep going!" I told him sternly, "Don't ya wanna keep going, sweetheart?" That dumb smirk of him never faded, "of course I wanna keep going Logan! But imagine if someone walks in.." I mumble softly.

He gave a soft tug at your hair one more time making you moan softly, before letting go and removing himself completely from your touch. You whimpered softly, at the weird feel of sudden loss of contact, after being so intimate with your teacher.

Just as Logan straightened his clothes a bit, the next group of students walked in. A few gave weird looks, but with one look from Logan they all scurried off to their seats. I quickly grabbed the last book I had left on the table and put it in my school bag giggling softly to myself. I glanced up at Logan as I stood up to leave and mouthed a very obvious 'told you so.' grabbing his hand giving it a light squeeze, I looked down at his crotch and saw the very obvious tent in his blue jeans. "Goodluck with that and uh, see you tomorrow, Mr.Howlett" I said with a teasing tone, and left the classroom swaying my hips just a little extra more because I could feel his eyes burning into the back of me.

౨ৎ⋆｡⋆𐙚⋆.˚₊⊹♡౨ৎ⋆｡⋆𐙚⋆.˚₊⊹♡౨ৎ⋆｡⋆𐙚⋆.˚₊⊹♡

OKAYYY well that was fun, I'll see for myself if anyone reads this, AND IF YOU DID, LMK what u thought abt it,

MUCH LOVE, CANDY˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

[mzzledmutt]

—BLIND DATE

starring.ᐟ katsuki bakugou x reader

synopsis.ᐟ “a social engagement or date with a person one has not previously met.” After neglecting his personal life for so long, Pro-hero Dynamight, also known as Katsuki Bakugou, can no longer run form the inevitable. With the help of his nosy parents, Katsuki ends up on a blind date with you.

warnings.ᐟ SMUT, fem!reader, pro hero!katsuki, first blind date, drinking, fingering, cunnilingus, unprotected sex, vaginal sex, overstimulation, creampie, biting, marking, hair pulling, pet names (excessive use of princess), slight man handling, bakugou is a softie at heart, praise, slight softdom!katsuki, breeding

word count.ᐟ 4.8k words

m.mutt 𐂯 please enjoy my brainrot!!

KATSUKI Bakugou was known for many things. His boisterous personality. His bulky, intimidating stature. His impressive and powerful quirk. His less than family-friendly language and his hatred of paparazzi.

You would think being in the spotlight since 15, he would be used to it at this point. Maybe even indulge from time to time but, it’s never been his thing. He makes that fact well-known, constantly. Written and spoken interviews, press conferences, and award ceremonies, he will remind everyone to mind their own business. Especially when it comes to his personal life.

New photos and videos always arrive of the hero, dressed in alleged disguise, flipping off and yelling at the paparazzi. Especially when they get too close to his family and friends. One of his most iconic videos is of his poor father attempting to calm down both his large, rowdy son and his equally rowdy, yet smaller wife.

This strong distaste for the prying eyes and cameras belonging to paparazzi, unfortunately, takes a hard toll on his love life.

Their obsession with publicizing his entire life has forced his hand in many situations. That and the exclusive life he is now forced to lead. One of the biggest downsides of being a hero is the increase in difficulty in your love life.

These few relationships he’s had have all ended one of two ways.

One, in a ball of fury and tears. As a pro hero, Katsuki is often spotted with many people. Typically, people he knows. In bars and restaurants, caught conversating and drinking. Those candid moments are always being televised, even without his knowledge.

Suddenly, his after-work drink with a few friends is skewed and Dynamight is allegedly dating pro-hero Uravity. Resulting in arguments and watching as his partners stormed away.

Two, the spark simmers out. Coming home to put on a front feels exhausting as the days tick by, they both know it. It’s only inevitable until someone’s bags are packed. They’ll cry, holding hands on his couch as he speaks. They’ll go for a hug, only to realize now isn’t the time and leaving is the better option. Soon his apartment is quiet again, leaving him alone.

All of it has turned him away from the dating scene. He’s young and green, with plenty of time to settle down. Except, the consistent pestering from peers, fans, and his own parents is draining. Balancing his hero life, personal and love life all at the same time, was nearly impossible.

“I’m not going out with some chick you designed a dress for!”

“Just give it a try, you brat.”

Katsuki groans, his head rolling back at Mitsuki’s pestering. They were currently sitting in his childhood kitchen, eating brunch as they usually did on Sundays. “You have no idea, you could find the love of your life!” His father chimed in, attempting to add support.

“Maybe you’ll finally give me a grandkid.” Katsuki cringes, shaking his head at his mother’s words. “Look, as your parents we just want what’s best for our little boy. Even if you’re a hulking mountain a man now.”

“I think you should give it a try, she was a sweet girl too. Very well mannered.” Masaru pipes up in Katsuki’s silence.

“Look, just give it a shot. I’ll give you her number and you two can work things out. If things don’t work out you can always try again.” She sips at her hot tea, eyes fluttering shut due to the steam.

“And if I say no?”

“Why do you have to be so incredibly difficult?” Mitsuki scolds as he swirls his spoon in his tea. “Why do you have to be so incredibly annoying?” He muttered followed by a swift pop to the head.

“Ow! Shit!”

That’s how he ended up in this high-end lounge, awaiting a random woman his parents vouched for. He nursed a glass of whiskey, looking over their messages on his phone. Their conversation was rather bland, nothing incredibly enticing but, everyone doesn’t connect over text.

After some time, from his spot at the bar, he sends her another text. It’s only fifteen minutes, there could be traffic. He closes the messenger, choosing to scroll through his social media feed. Occasionally, he lifted his head scanning the area.

It wasn’t a quiet night, the place was bustling with conversation and laughter. Twenty minutes late.

He sent another text.

Everyone is secluded in their worlds, eating snacks and conversing with their loved ones. Their loud conversations exceeded the confinements of their seats. Katsuki was growing impatient.

Thirty minutes late. He’s already attempted to call, being sent straight to voicemail. Was this a joke? Had his parents set him up for some reason?

Glowering red eyes linger across the bar, noticing a figure he had seen earlier. Dressed in a sleek, black dress and nursing a martini between manicured nails. And another text.

Each time he looked in search of his alleged date, his eyes wandered back over to you. Watching as you pitifully looked around, maybe in search of someone like him. His eyes shut as he grimaced watching you pout. Your full, glossed lips jutted out with sadness.

He goes to pick up his phone and sends another message before, shutting the device off. Nearly an hour and a half late, he wasn’t that desperate to pester someone who didn’t care.

“Excuse me.” He calls the bartender. It didn’t seem like this mystery woman would be appearing any time soon so, might as well take a chance. “Lady at the end of the bar,” He gestured toward you. “Another of what’s she’s having, from me.” The man nods, heading off to prepare the new drink.

Katsuki grins seeing your reaction. Confusion washed over your face for a moment before you were directed towards him. Eyes locking for the first time that night. You smile and wave, he reciprocates nonchalantly.

Soon, his whiskey is finished and another is placed before him. “From the lady.” The bartender smiles, pointing his gaze to you once more. You raise your glass in solidarity, your beautiful smile still on display. He raises his glass, as a sort of distant cheers, taking a swig right away.

He watches as your gaze falls to the background, peering around the dim bar before you rise from your seat. Katsuki anxiously shifted in his seat, unsure of where you were going but, his anxiety didn’t settle as you stride over to him.

“Hi.” One word and he’s hooked. Your melodic voice wrapping itself around his brain and heart. “Hey, care to sit?” He offers the seat beside him. “Gladly.” You’re nervous, curt responses give you away along with the slight tremble in your hand.

“What are you doin’ here, beautiful?” He’s starting bold, liquid courage providing him strength. “I was supposed to be on a date. He hasn’t shown.” He ashamedly smirks. “Funny enough, I got stood up too.” He down the rest of his drink.

“What’s your name?” You answer sweetly, a bright smile on your face. He shared it, almost subconsciously. “I’m Bakugou Katsuki—“

“I know who you are. Everyone knows who you are. I’m surprised everyone is being so calm right now honestly.” You laugh and his heart skipped a beat, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while.

“Places like these are used to seeing pros, they get over it.” He replies, leaning against the bar top. “Not every day one-half of the wonder duo walks through those doors.” You reason, a smug smirk on your face as if knowing you’d won.

“Touché.” You giggle, a sweet sound he yearns to hear again. “Did you enjoy your martini?”

“It was delicious. Thank you, again.” Well-mannered and gorgeous. “Anything for a pretty girl like you.” You flush, thanking him profusely. He orders you both another round, choosing to carry on the conversation.

As you two spoke he fell deeper and deeper into infatuation. “I’m the newest assistant for your friend, Chargebolt. This is only my third month at the agency and I’m tired.” You sip at your drink. “Really? Been so busy I haven’t had a chance to make the trip. Can’t be an easy job though, knowin’ Kaminari.”

“It’s not the most difficult task in the world but, I do have to keep my eye on him like a toddler.” You share a laugh at the comparison.

The conversation shifts to your personal lives. Lamenting on your lack of a love life, work beginning to consume your free time. How your close friends and family have urged you to get out of your shell. Which led to this night.

His hand lays over yours as he showers you with compliments. Deflecting anytime your humble attitude attempted to shut him down. He complimented your dress, you tried to brush him off claiming that the piece was old and unflattering.

“Well, I think that dress is absolutely stunning.” His hand grasps yours, and you reciprocate. “I should know, my ma’s a designer.” He’s almost smug in saying that as if his association with a designer made him the judge of all fashion.

“I’m aware, I’ve browsed her catalog since I was little.” The way your eyes light up talking about particular garments his mother fashioned that she always dreamed of owning. “I think you’d look gorgeous in just about anything.”

“Are you flirting with me Katsuki Bakugou?”

The question hangs in the air for a moment. The two of you leaning into each other's spaces unknowingly. He could smell your sweet perfume from her, the scent filling his senses. “I am, is that alright?”

“It is.” Your eyes flicker down to his lips as you lick your own before sitting back in your seat. Katsuki’s already hooked, still leaning into your space as if entranced by you. He leans back, stuck in an unfamiliar haze of attraction.

That haze seemed to slow the time as he checked his watch seeing he had been chatting with you for nearly four hours. It was dark outside, patrons still lingering in the lounge.

“Hey, it’s getting late.”

“Is there anything I can get you? A ride home? Maybe a nightcap?” The last part was slightly rushed as if he were embarrassed. “A nightcap sounds good, I’m off tomorrow anyway.” The wink you give him doesn’t go unnoticed making his stomach tighten. “Excuse me, can I close our tabs?”

“You don’t have to.”

“Please, let me. Besides that jerk should’ve been here paying anyway.” You sit in silence as he closes you both out of the night and thank him as he helps you to your feet. Bakugou drapes his big coat over your shoulders, holding out a hand which you graciously take.

The contrast of the warmth of the bar and the chilly night air flushes your cheeks. You’re thankful to the hero for his warm coat. “Your hands are really warm.” You mutter as you both stride down the sidewalk.

Katsuki’s notices before you. The stares. People turn to whisper to each other as he walks beside you. Soon, there are flashes and cheers of his name. He rolls his eyes out of annoyance, holding onto your hand tighter as he moves faster. “Can ya’ keep up, princess?”

A small swarm of fans and paparazzi crowd the couple, snapping photos and begging for an interview. He barks orders at them to leave you alone, keeping your face obscured from their ravenous gaze. You blindly follow, rather unphased by the crowd around you.

Before you, a sleek, exquisite sports car sat with flashing headlights. Katsuki opens the passenger door, still blocking you from view as he helps you inside. Once the door is shut, you’re concealed by his dark tint. “Can’t you guys just fuck off, for one night?” It was a rhetorical question, more to himself than the people around him.

He waves at fans along the street, ignoring the money-hungry reporters behind him as he opens his own door and settles into his vehicle.

“I’m so sorry.” He’s met with a soft laugh and a gentle touch to his hand. “Katsuki, I’m used to it. This is a part of my job too, I’m just more behind the scenes.”

“They’re just invasive,” The card engine roars to life, vibrating the interior. “Almost predatory. Going any length for a snippet of gossip.” He groans, leaning his messy blond head against the leather seats. “Bakugo—“ - “Katuski.” He speaks over you.

His head lulls to the side, his full attention on you. “Katsuki. I appreciate all you’ve done tonight.” Plump glossed lips upturned into a smile that melts his heart. “Consider it a late welcoming gift. You’re lucky, I usually send assistants gift cards to a spa.”

You both laugh, a break between the growing tension filling the cramped space of his car as you hold eye contact. His tongue darts to lick his chapped lips, teeth barely grazing the skin before he clears his throat and looks away.

“You sure you still wanna go back to mine?” He asks, buckling his seatbelt and you do the same. “Yeah, it’s just one drink.”

One drink.

Just one drink.

The phrase repeated in his mind almost the entire time. Your voice disrupting his thoughts the only thing keeping him from being completely silence. He drives you to his building. A large, clean structure. Covered in windows, and lights, and well decorated.

You don��t even need to enter the lobby. Katsuki leads you to an elevator activated with a special keycard.

After a short trip, the doors open to this grand place.

You find yourself in awe as you walk through his front hall. His apartment was massive and spotless yet, homey. Although he clearly preferred a more modernized look, it still managed to have the charm and personality of his childhood home.

“This place is ten times bigger than my apartment.” Katsuki laughs, taking his coat from you and hanging it beside the door. “I want to downsize, this was an impulse buy from when I first started. A financial disaster is what I refer to it as.” You giggle, he swoons.

The blond guides you to his kitchen, pulling out a stool for you to sit in at the island. “Are you hungry? I can whip something up.” He offers. “I thought I was just here for a nightcap, not dinner.” You joke, settling down in your seat.

“Well, I like a nice snack when I drink and a lady always deserves a nice dinner on the first date.”

“This is a date now?” You quirk a brow, still rather unsure of what to make of this evening.

“Wasn’t it always? We both had shitty dates who stood us up, we just found each other instead.”

“Yeah, then I guess it is.” You bat your lashes as silence falls over the kitchen for a moment. Katsuki clears his throat and smiles, moving away to gather something to eat. “What’re you making?” You ask seeing as he stands before the fridge. “Nothing.”

“Fresh bow of fruit, put it together today. I can get some crackers and wine, that work for you?” You nod.

“Could you grab the bottle off the counter? Don’t worry about a screw I’ve got one.” You help yourself to sort of peruse his kitchen, taking in little bits of his taste from the pictures and decor before returning the bottle to him.

Katsuki pops the bottle, pouring you both half glasses. You cheers, taking the first drink together and savoring the sweet taste. “I didn’t expect you to like sweet wines.”

“I indulge from time to time, besides it was a gift from my ma.”

“Aww, Dynamight the mama’s boy.” You giggle, grabbing a fresh strawberry and popping it into your mouth. “Oh hush, she gets these kinds of things for free and knows I’ll actually use them.” He’s close, using his elbows to lean on the counter.

“So don’t always do this?” You can smell his cologne.

“Do what?” He can smell your perfume.

“Being pretty girls to your apartment.” The scents colliding are an intoxicating concoction.

“Only pretty girls I like.” A strawberry is held cautiously between his fingertips, held between your space. “You like me, Katsuki?” A rather silly question on your part, he wouldn’t do this for just anyone.

“I do, princess.” He slowly bites into the juicy fruit, keeping his eyes on you.

The sudden bass and rap of his voice along with the intense eye contact fill you with a sudden wave of heat. The facade of small talk became harder to keep up.

It wasn’t long before Katsuki was brazen enough to lean over the counter and press his lips against yours. Your glasses of wine are soon abandoned, sloppily making out as you sit on his pristine countertop. He stood between your legs, hands crawling across your back and hips as you pant into each other mouths.

Soon, you’re both stumbling down his spacious corridor and into his dimly lit bedroom. He lets you go, turning to close the door as you take in your surroundings. Once the door is shut his attention is back to you, frantic hands roaming over each other skin, pulling at the almost offensive fabrics that keep your bodies apart.

Your clothes are eventually scattered among his own on the bedroom floor as Katsuki gently lowers your naked bodies into his fresh sheets. Cradling your head as he brushes his lips along your jaw and neck. You shiver under his touch, calloused hands running along your soft skin, cupping your breast, and rolling your hardening nipples.

You mewl under his touch, legs squeezing his hips to keep him in place. His teeth nip at your jaw, lowering to nip and suck marks into the skin of your neck. Your hips buck against each other, his hardening cock jumping against your dripping cunt.

It was becoming too much. you whine, pulling his attention away from your neck.

“What’s wrong, princess?” His words are followed by more gentle kisses. “Want you, ‘suki.” you pout, eyes watering dramatically. “You want more, baby?” You nod, lips still stuck in a pathetic-looking pout. His right hand moves to your jaw, pinching the bone between a few, thick fingers.

“Use your words.” His voice is strong, and commanding. Yet, loving and soft. “I want more, ‘suki.” He smiles at your muffled words and presses a wet kiss onto your puckered lips. “I’ll give you more then, princess.”

Your jaws sore when he lets go, the feeling of his fingers still remnant in their wake. Your legs fall slack as the blond kisses down your torso, from the valley of your breast to the bottom of your navel. He follows the trail back up and down once more, staring you in the eye.

His eyes shift down for a moment, a wolfish grin forming on his face. “You’re dripping, baby.” He cooes making your skin flush. another whine leaves your throat as you tear your gaze away, trying to focus on the ceiling above you. “No no, look at me.”

“Good. Look at me, baby.” His right hand moves from rubbing at your hips, to gently caressing your skin until his thumb lands on your clit. Your thighs quiver at the sudden contact, your gaze locked on him. Thumb lowers to collect the juices from your cunt, making a show as he brings the digit to his mouth to taste you.

You’re infatuated with the godly figure before you. His pale skin glistens with sweat, muscles unintentionally flexed as he lewdly moans around his fingers at your taste. “‘s so good, princess. You taste so fuckin’ good.”

He makes of show of it, wickedly at your already blissed-out appearance. “So damn sweet, soakin’ my sheets.”

Your eyes follow him as he descends between your legs once more, harshly biting the plump skin before soothing it with kisses.

You’re so caught in your own pleasure, the shock of his fingers prodding your cunt forces a gasp. His free hand moves your thighs onto his shoulders as he stares you down. “Can I?”

One thick finger breaches your cunny slowly, gently pushing in before pulling out. He follows the motions a few times, watching as you gush around his finger. Soon, another is added. Carefully, thrusting into your pussy as he presses kisses to your clit.

You writhe at his ministrations, fighting to keep your eyes focused on the man before you.

He sets a slow and mind-numbing pace, slowly thrusting in and out. The sounds of your slick coating his fingers and your breath moans a chorus to him.

“Yeah? Feel good, princess?” He teases, gaze fixed upon your pleasure-ridden face. Your mouth is agape as strained moans are pulled from your aching chest. He was breaking you apart in two fingers, stretching you open and preparing you for his cock.

“You’re so fuckin’ tight. Gonna let me fuck this pretty pussy, baby? ‘M gonna stretch you open like a good girl deserves.” He declares, mainly to himself. Too lost in how your walls greedily suctioned his fingers back in.

Bakugou carefully leans down to lap at your clit, eliciting a soft cry and an arch of your back. He shuts his eyes as he savors the taste he was beginning to yearn for, suckling your poor neglected clit.

“Katsuki!” You shout, digging your nails into the pillow behind you. “Katsu—fuckk! Please, fuck me, baby! I need you so badly, need your cock so bad!”

He’s devoted to searing your taste into his mind. Messily coating his face and your cunny with a thin layer of wetness. Soon, he’s haphazardly withdrawing his fingers from your salacious cunt, against your protests to taste you further.

Spikes of blond hair bob between your legs, his tongue delving between your folds making you whimper and writhe. His hands grab a hold of your ass, holding you close to his face so you wouldn’t escape. Your back arches from the comforter, keening into his touch.

“God!” You cry as you fall back onto the sheets, fingers grasping for anything to clutch. His pace never falters, gratefully drinking your slick that spilled into his awaiting tongue, then swirling it around your throbbing clit.

“Kat—fuck! Baby—Katsuki!” Your body felt electric, an almost buzzing sensation that erupted from your pelvis and spread through your body. Your wanton moans are loose into the air, eyes shut as your head is tossed back.

You were a gorgeous statuette of pleasure.

You felt as if you bit off more than you could chew. Going out with a pro hero was already anxiety-inducing enough, practical criminal, allowing him to lure you to his apartment with promises of a nightcap, and now naked and wriggling beneath him was driving you to insanity.

And he's not even inside of you yet.

The maddening way his tongue circled your aching clit, inscribing his name into the bud. His blunt nails digging into the meat of your ass, keeping you relatively grounded. His tongue unrelenting stimulating your soaked pussy pushed you to your first orgasm.

A sudden wave of pleasure and the ever-growing pit in your stomach unravels through your body. You grip his hair, keeping Katsuki’s mouth in place as your hips buck into the pleasure. You loudly cry out his name, and a few tears roll down your cheeks as you cum.

He groans into your cunt, eyes rolling at the sweet taste of your cum. His hands rub your skin, easing away any pain left behind by his grip. Slowly, you open your eyes, chest still heaving.

“‘Suki,”

He pulls away, the lower half of his face soaked with slick and spit.

“M’yeah?” You can’t even think of what to say, just laying your head back to catch your breath. “You alright, baby?” You nod, still returning from your high. Katsuki crawls up to face you, a soft smile on his lips. “You look so pretty.” He cups your cheek, running his thumb along the soft skin.

“I want you to fuck me.”

He quirks a brow, a smirk on his face. “Yeah? I’ll fuck you, baby.”

“I promise, I’ll fuck you real good.” He captures your lips, sharing the taste of you once more. Your tongues are quick to entangle as you pant into each other's mouths.

Your fingers naturally gravitate to his blond hair, keeping him close as you kiss. Your bodies move together as you grind against one another, his hard cock leaking pre cum against your stomach. You’re both growing increasingly needier, rutting and panting like dogs in heat.

Katsuki breaks from the grinding, settling himself between your thighs. The tip of his cock pressed against your clit, spreading his precum as he teases you.

“You want it?”

“I want it, ‘suki.” His grin is wolfish at the nick, happily dragging his cock from your clit to press at your fluttering hole. He groans at the warmth and wetness, your dripping cunt already leaking onto him.

A pathetic high-pitched whine leaves your open mouth as his thick, heavy cock slowly bullies into your heat. Pushing deep into your plush, warm walls. Katsuki is slow, taking his time to ease you into the feeling. His lips are on your breast, kissing and nipping the soft skin.

“More, please.” You whine, your hands moving to hold onto his back. His hips increase in pace, still slow as you hiss once he draws back.

Katsuki slowly molds your tight pussy to his cock, stretching you open to only accommodate him. The sharp pain of your nails digging into his back only encourages him to thrust faster, making you cry out his name. Your cunt loudly gushes around his heavy cock, spilling syrupy juices down your skin.

“God damn, this pussy—fuck—you’re s’fuckin’ tight.” He grits out, grabbing your leg and pushing it back to the mattress. The change of angle causes you to lurch forward, your hands pushing at his shoulders. “Oh my god, Katsuki!” You shout, as his throbbing cockhead smushes against your cervix.

He’s back to sucking your tits, leaving spit-soaked freckled hickeys in his wake. You’re still adjusting to his size, the sudden change in position driving him deeper into your guts.

He’s pressed himself closer against you, his pelvis adding stimulation to your nice neglected clit. You throb around him and cry, fat tears slipping from your eyes. “Y’feel that, baby? I’m so deep in this pretty pussy. Y’feel me in yer tummy, does it feel good, baby?” You’re incoherent, only capable of breathless moans and sobs.

“You look so pretty, all fucked out ‘cause o’ me. Tell me, baby, do I feel good?” His hand cruelly comes down to press on the slight bulge in your stomach, causing your poor cunt to twitch around him. “‘s too much!” You cry out, pushing against him to no avail.

“Too much? You can take it, princess. Can’t ya’?” His pace suddenly grows rough, hips slamming into yours as he fucks into your cunny. He pressed your other leg to the mattress, forcing his cock all the way inside.

You’re mindless. Eyes rolled back into your skull, unintelligible moans and clawing at his skin. The rooms full of thick, humid air, the sounds of your squelching cunt, and a chorus of moans. Bakugou savors this image, in case he may never get the chance to see you again.

He caresses all of the right places inside of you, each thrust full of never-ending pleasure. His wicked tongue in your nipples and sinful roll of his hips push you to the edge. Like a burning fuse, slowly trailing all the way to a firework.

“Y’close baby? Don’t worry, you can cum for—fuck! You’re so fuckin’ wet—cum for me.”

Katsuki’s thrust increases to a maniacal speed, jostling you around his mattress without care. He was chasing his orgasm now, keeping you secure beneath he ruts into you. Heavy balls slapping against your asshole, the rough feeling of public hair against your soaked cunt. You can’t think let alone protest before he’s spilling his cum deep inside of your womb.

Katsuki keeps himself buried inside of you as he changes position, opting to hold you instead. You’re both panting as if you’ve run a marathon, hearts racing and skin coated in sex and sweat. You lay in silence, catching your breath for just a moment.

“Please don’t tell me you’re thinkin’ ’bout leavin’.” He mutters into your hair, rubbing your back. You breathlessly giggle against his chest, shaking your head. “I can’t feel my legs, Katsuki.” He smiles, cheering to himself.

“How about we clean up and get some rest? I’m beat.” A yawn cuts you off as you agree, alerting you to how exhausted you truly are. Katsuki kisses your forehead. “Get some sleep and tomorrow, we can continue this date. That sound nice?” You nod again, and slowly drift to sleep.

“Good. Stay here and look pretty, I’ll run a bath.”

[wiseatom]

for @stonathanweek's first round of stonathan sunday prompts!! based on the following: "I thought that was our arrangement now. I get to kiss you and you get to shut me up."

“I thought that this was our arrangement now,” Steve mumbles into Jonathan’s skin, breath hot, words slurred and strung together by the trail of open-mouthed kisses he’s leaving along Jonathan’s jaw. “I get to kiss you,” he continues, and then there’s teeth where Jonathan’s neck meets his shoulder and a hiss coming from his own mouth— “and you get to shut me up.”

That had certainly been the arrangement — not that they’ve ever come to a verbal agreement on it, and that was kind of the point in the first place. The thing is, when the one person who ties you together doesn’t want to talk to either of you, and the only thing you have to talk about is her, not talking at all is usually the best option. If it had been up to Jonathan, back when this all started, not talking would have meant not interacting at all, and of all the things he was losing sleep over, not having to interact with Steve Harrington wouldn’t make the short list, or the long list, or any list at all, really. 

(It hadn’t been up to Jonathan, which didn’t come as a surprise, because nothing Jonathan actually wants is ever up to Jonathan.)

There had been a series of arrangements prior to their current arrangement, and none of them involved Steve until they did. After returning back to a considerably more apocalyptic Hawkins than he’d left it, there hadn’t been any choice other than to stay, and staying meant several things — first, finding a place to stay, their old house long-since sold. After that had been sorted — with Will posted up with Mike in his bedroom, Holly and Nancy sharing so that his mom could take Holly’s room, and Jonathan taking up residence in the basement — everything else seemed to implode, like the universe felt it had to make up for the fact that something in Jonathan’s life fell into place with relative ease. Being in close quarters with Nancy meant the truth about Emerson had nowhere to hide, and despite the fact that it didn’t look like either of them were going to college any time soon, if at all, she’d been mad enough and hurt enough to end it between them. Jonathan didn’t think she’d understand, because she never does, when it comes to things like this, but it still hurt; he also didn’t think it was possible to never see someone you shared a living space with, but Nancy manages fine enough to make it look easy. 

It’d be nice to have someone to talk to about it — or anything — but Argyle had fled back to California the moment the sky had started bleeding red, and Jonathan doesn’t blame him for it. His mom is focused on El and Hopper and Will, always Will, never Jonathan, and he doesn’t blame her for that, either. And Will, who Jonathan knows would listen — who would probably love to listen, who would somehow be able to say exactly what Jonathan needs to hear — has enough going on without Jonathan adding the weight of his own trivial problems for his baby brother to bear. Jonathan doesn’t know how to blame Will for anything, so he doesn’t. 

He does blame Steve. Because Steve is there — always has been, lingering in the edge of his peripheral, and no matter how hard he’s tried, Jonathan has never been able to block him out. He blames Steve, because Steve knows what it’s like to be iced out by Nancy; he blames Steve, because he knows the truth about what’s happening in Hawkins, all of it, without Jonathan having to explain; he blames Steve, because Steve had been the one to find Jonathan sitting on the hood of his car in the high school parking lot as he was burning through the last of the weed Argyle had left behind, and it was Steve who had plucked the joint right out of Jonathan’s fingers and taken a hit, and it was Steve who’d asked him about Nancy and Steve who’d said shit that Jonathan didn’t want to hear and Steve who’d only shut up when Jonathan made him, when kissing Steve to get him to quit seemed like a better idea than decking him. 

It still hadn’t been a good idea, and Jonathan fully expected Steve to deck him instead — but Steve had kissed him back, open-mouthed and filthy and a little mean, and that had been the start of it. He doesn’t think they ever finished that joint, and he knows for a fact they’ve barely spoken a word to each other since then. Come to think of it, he’s pretty sure this is the most Steve has spoken to him in the past two months outside of propositioning him, which is weird, because Jonathan has never spent so much time with someone without really speaking to them before, and he spends a lot of time with Steve. And that, really, is the other thing — it’s really hard to spend so much of your time with someone and not end up caring about them, even if that someone is Steve. 

Because, yes, Steve is there, and he knows, understands what’s going on without Jonathan having to explain, which is why hooking up with him is easy: they don’t have to talk or explain. They already know. 

But Jonathan— well, Jonathan wants to talk to Steve. Jonathan wants to talk and be heard, wants to be heard and be listened to even more, and he thinks Steve might be good at both of those things. After all, he’s silently shown up for Jonathan in other ways — he stares back, a challenge, when Nancy’s eyes are on them any time they have to share the same space; he stays close when they’re on patrol together, like he’s trying to become Jonathan’s shadow; and sometimes, he’ll randomly swing by the Wheeler’s house to pick Jonathan up and just drive him around, no words or funny business, startlingly and uncannily always seeming to know exactly when Jonathan feels like the walls are closing in on him. In terms of physicality, the vibe has shifted entirely, so much so that Jonathan doesn’t even begin to know what to do with it. He doesn’t know when Steve stopped kissing him like he had something to prove, can’t pinpoint when everything they do together started to go soft around the edges, but it’s where they’re at. Even now, with Steve biting kisses into his neck — it’s not a mean thing, meant to hurt, the way it had been when this first started. It’s softer, more controlled, a clear effort being made to make sure it’s good, something Jonathan likes. 

He’s not sure why, but it kind of makes him want to cry. 

“I know,” he finally says, a little breathy. Steve’s hands slip under his shirt, settling on his hips, thumbs tracing circles into his skin, like he’s detected that Jonathan is coming to a conclusion in his head and is trying to give him more evidence to support it. “I just,” he starts, and then stops, because he’s not looking at Steve, but he’s right there — he’s right there, and they don’t talk, and Jonathan is worried that if he tries to, he’ll lose Steve altogether, and Jonathan doesn’t know how much more loss he can handle. 

And then he remembers it’s already the end of the world, and he could die tomorrow, and he doesn’t want to go as quietly as he has lived. 

“Maybe I want a different arrangement,” he manages, addressing the car ceiling. The bravery he felt to ask the question in the first place — do you want to talk, or some variation of it — has since evaporated, gone to become one with the cycled cabin air. His fingers tighten their hold in Steve’s hair, holding him in place when he tries to pull back. “Maybe I want to kiss you without shutting you up.”

There is an excruciating moment where the words hang between them, where Jonathan’s awareness has honed in on the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears and Steve’s breath on his neck and Steve’s hands on his hips.

“Okay,” Steve says, and he doesn’t sound mad or weirded out, and the breath Jonathan didn’t realize he was holding breaks free from his lungs, his shoulders relaxing with it. “Okay,” he repeats, and when he tries to pull back this time, Jonathan lets him, fingers slipping from Steve’s hair. It’s dark, most of the interior lights in the front seat rather than the back, but he can still make out Steve’s face, the earnest way he’s looking at Jonathan. “I can— we can talk, too. Is that what you want?”

Jonathan can’t remember the last time someone has asked him what he wanted. “Yeah,” he says, and to his horror, his voice cracks, right in the middle. He clears his throat and tries again. “Yeah, I—yeah.” Another beat, an uncertain silence, and then: “Is that—okay?”

“Of course that’s okay,” Steve answers instantly. He looks properly upset, like the fact that Jonathan even asked is an affront to him. “Jonathan, I thought you didn’t” —he cuts himself off, looking down to Jonathan’s lips, and then the position they’re in, sprawled all over each other in the backseat, and then meets Jonathan’s eyes again, the rest of his sentence unspoken, but understood— “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t say,” Jonathan says. 

“No, you didn’t,” Steve agrees. He leans forward, kissing him again — uncharacteristically soft, shy, even, before he pulls away completely. He stays close by, though, settles into the seat next to Jonathan, facing him, without being on top of him the way he was. One of his hands returns to his own lap, while the other settles on Jonathan’s knee, a comforting, steady weight through the denim of his jeans. “Alright,” Steve continues, suddenly alert. “What do you want to talk about?”

What Jonathan had thought to be the hard part — asking Steve to talk in the first place — seems easy in the face of Steve’s question now. There’s so much he wants to talk about that he doesn’t know where to begin — about how he’s scared, every single day; how he buried his brother once before, and doesn’t want to do it again. About how his mom keeps throwing herself into danger without any regard of how anyone feels about it, and Jonathan feels a lot about it. He wants to tell Steve that every time they’re patrolling together, he’s started to worry about Steve, too — about how losing Steve is shaping into just as scary of a thought as losing Will or El or his mom, and how badly that scares him. He thinks all of this might be too intense for their first real conversation, and he thinks about how nothing they’ve done in the past two months fits into any definition of normal or conventional, and he thinks that that’s not a bad thing. 

“I don’t know,” he says instead of any of that, because self-preservation is a useful skill for when you’re trying to survive an apocalypse and for when you’re trying not to scare someone away. “I didn’t get that far.”

Steve laughs, languid and easy, his head rolling to the side. “Just—start easy,” he suggests, nudging Jonathan’s leg with his own. “Tell me about something you like.”

“Something I like,” Jonathan echoes. 

“Something you like,” Steve says again, accompanied by a curt nod, sending a fluttering feeling throughout Jonathan’s chest. He thinks that if they make it through this, come out of the end of the world on the other side alive and well, he’d very much like to visit New York, take the camera he knows had the wrong name on the gift tag, and bring Steve, too. “Like— music,” Steve prompts, when Jonathan still hasn’t responded. “I know you like music.”

Jonathan shakes his head with a laugh. “We’ll be here all night if I start talking about music,” he says. 

“Our former arrangement meant that we were going to be here all night anyway,” Steve replies with a wink. Jonthan likes that word – former. “Go ahead — I’m all ears.”

And Jonathan does. 

[beneathashadytree]

HI GUYS! LONG POST, MAKING A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT OVER HERE! I WILL BE ACCEPTING WRITING COMMISSIONS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY… PLEASE REBLOG!!

Here are my commision prices:

1$-2$ —> an SMAU (depends on length)

5$ —> a drabble (around 500 words)

10$ —> a oneshot (around 1000 words)

20$ or more—> a ficlet (2000-4000 words or more)

What fandoms I’m willing to write for (the ones in bold are the ones I’m best at and hyperfixating on):

Attack on Titan

Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice

My Hero Academia

Haikyuu!!

Jujutsu Kaisen

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Moriarty the Patriot

Tokyo Revengers

One Piece

Bungou Stray Dogs

Kuroko no Basket

Ikemen Sengoku

Ikemen Vampire

Ikemen Revolution

Ikemen Prince

Love and Deepspace (my current fav)

How do I request a commission?

Either contact me via my DMs here, or on my Ko-Fi! I’ll be linking my account at the bottom of this post.

What’s the commission format?

Tell me your name or your OC’s name, their gender & pronouns, describe them to me both physically and in terms of personality, then tell me which character you want me to write them with. I’ll be writing “character x reader” or “character x OC” fics, so I need to know what I’m working with! Any extra details will help a lot. Of course, we will discuss everything concerning your commission privately.

If you want to check out my previous works to have a rough idea of how things will look like, be sure to check out my masterlist, which is my pinned post! Of course, my writing improves over time, so it may not be precisely as it is there.

How do I pay you?

You can pay me via my Ko-Fi account, which is linked to my PayPal! Here’s the link to my Ko-Fi.

Please consider helping me out, whether by requesting a commission, or by sharing this post and my links as much as possible!! I’m trying my best to do all I can now that I haven’t got many options left.

As some of you might already know, I’m a dentist, but still at uni. Sadly, studying dentistry is extremely expensive, and I can’t rely on my parents to pay my fees for me for a few reasons.

The first being that my dad is a heart patient, and can’t work anymore. The pension he receives is literally less than the equivalent of 90 dollars. Of course, that doesn’t provide anything in terms of food and living (we usually can only afford a meal or two a day) except for some of his meds—not even all of them. His health is steadily declining.

My mother is extremely narcissistic and very, very abusive. I’ve gone through hell living with her because I have to, but even she can’t even afford to take care of us because no one wants to hire her at her old age, and she’s used up all her savings on my dad.

I’m also physically disabled, and can’t move around often. I also have to have surgeries every now and then because of the chronic illness I have.

I am in serious, dire need of money, both for my tuition fees, and hopefully to be able to live. I have to keep us afloat until I can get married in a couple of years, since I can’t live alone. Besides, my dad doesn’t deserve to suffer with his heart problems.

I tried working with dentistry last year, and that worked for a while, but this year no one’s hiring due to the terrible state of our economy. I have no skills aside from my writing, so that’s what I’ll have to work with. I’m getting seriously desperate, so I hope you guys understand why I’m doing this, and hopefully feel inclined to offer any support you can—even if not financial, but just by reblogging this post!

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

obviously I have a lot of big ideas about how interventions in reported child abuse need to be dramatically different.

in a transitional phase to full family abolition, children should have the right to several options of safe places to be whenever they want to leave parents, temporarily or permanently, regardless of whether or not they justify it.

abuse education and sex education discussing consent should be a core part of education for all children. children should have access to multiple well-trained community members whom they can come to with concerns. Adults should also be required to take routine trainings on abuse and neglect; adults who want to teach, coach, counsel, or care for children should get more. All people should have basic rights to food, shelter, and the necessities of life, without requiring familial, friendship, or romantic/sexual bonds through which to get them. Disabled people should have the right to supported decision making. So should children.

children should have dramatically more physical autonomy; they should by default be allowed to choose how they dress and wear their hair and what if any extracurriculars they're involved in (and all children should have a wide array of options); they should have the right to eat, drink, and toilet as their bodies dictate and not have to beg for permission. They should have political representation on issues that affect them. Deconstructing the near-total power parents, teachers, and other adults hold over children is essential to keeping them safe.

our current court system does almost nothing to actually protect children, and in many cases children are harmed by the actions of social services, like when an abuser with near-total power over a child is tipped off that the child may have exposed them, and is free to take revenge on that child; or when a child is taken from a family whose neglect is financial in origin and placed outside their own culture to be subject to the staggering rates of abuse and neglect within the foster system.

or the fact that abused children have to choose between reporting their loved ones to get, at best, their loved ones being abused themselves and separated from them totally, and at worst intensified abuse and isolation. or, y'know, how a father with abuse allegations against him is MORE likely to get full custody than one without.

and so on and so on. the current system is primarily carceral rather than supportive in its aims and methods. the actual safety and wellbeing of the children involved feels like an afterthought, rather than a primary goal.

i do think that people in certain roles should be required to address or take to a qualified person to address reported child abuse and while I think those interventions should be very different than they are, I don't think anyone who takes on a counselling role should be exempted from doing something to ensure a child's physical and emotional safety as an immediate and urgent priority.

also, the catholic church's objection to reporting child abuse is about protecting a powerful and often abusive intensely hierarchal institution, not because the catholic church understands that reducing hierarchy and abolishing the family are better interventions than CPS.

[sssammich]

💘 supercorp bc its on brand for them

omg ok i finally have some time to write the rest of these so we're gonna tackle this one!

💘 fake relationship / mutual pining / dared to kiss

ask meme

---

Lena has to chew on her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing, forcing her face muscles to stay absolutely still. She covers her face with her hand, pressing her palm up to her lips as she attempts to make sense of what Alex is saying to her...to them.

She drops her hand down on her lap and is about to respond when Kara, having been equally quiet beside her on the couch, rests her elbows on her knees and asks the question that's on the tip of Lena's tongue.

"You want us to be in a pretend relationship?"

"I don't just want you two to be in a pretend relationship, I need you two to be in a pretend relationship."

"That's--"

"It can't be that hard," Alex reasons, almost talking to herself, her hands on her hips as she stands across the coffee table of Kara's apartment staring at them with a completely serious face. Lena and Kara share a shocked look with one another.

"And why not?" she challenges, unable to help herself.

"Because you two are best friends," Alex responds smoothly and stares at them expectantly. Hard to fault Alex about that. She and Kara are best friends with each other.

"Run it back again," Kara interrupts. "Explain one more time why we need to be dating."

Alex huffs, though by the way she drops to her knees in front of the coffee table, steepling her hands as she rests her elbows on the wooden surface, Lena suspects that Alex thinks that she's hooked them.

"Because the entire operation hinges on the fact that you're already in a relationship. And since this is so last minute, the most believable option we have going for you is your best friend who you already spend so much time with."

Lena tilts her head. It all makes sense, all things considered. She already spends almost all of her free time with Kara whether at her penthouse or at Kara's apartment (which, for the record, is where they are currently, and where she had been for the better part of the last three hours since finishing up some work earlier that afternoon).

"It makes sense," she says out loud, as if considering Alex's words.

"I knew you were the best Luthor out there," Alex quips, leaning forward. Lena can guess that Alex feels so close to attaining what she needs from the two of them, but Kara beside her doesn't sound as sold.

"I don't know, Alex. Don't you think we've done our fair share of deception and lying?"

Alex rolls her eyes, her hands pressed flat on the table in front of her. "Kara. You are a superhero vigilante with a secret identity. Deception and lying is literally part of your everyday life."

Kara turns to Lena for support, the corners of her lips tugged down and strained. Lena gives her a supportive albeit apologetic smile. "She has a point, darling," she says finally.

The pout on Kara's face is worth a hundred kisses to make go away, Lena thinks, but she doesn't move. "I thought you were on my side?"

"I am on your side. But so far, your sister is making good points. Even though the why is still a bit flimsy."

"I just said the operation--"

"But why does this supposed operation require Kara being in a relationship? Can't she simply be unavailable or that she's not currently in the headspace to date?" she asks, her hand placed on Kara's back, rubbing soothing circles between Kara's shoulder blades. She resists smiling when Kara leans a bit closer to her, as if Lena can't reach her. There's literally no space of distance between them already on the couch.

"Because," Alex starts. "There are going to be relatives and family friends from Kelly's side that'll be relentless--" and this is where Lena is baffled by how Alex is acting, "--to insist that they will have the best and most suitable eligible single daughter or son that's perfect for you, Kara. And you too, Lena. Don't think you'll get out of this scot-free."

Her face furrows in confusion. "Me?"

"Yes! They will, undoubtedly, ruin the wedding by trying to set both of you two up with other people, and we honestly can't have you two distract everyone from our big day."

Lena's eyes narrow at Alex whose own gaze is fixed in staring at her sister. It's an odd request, and her suspicions are raising alarms inside of her mind. Still, she keeps quiet, especially when Kara leans forward, her strong hand somehow landing on Lena's knee as she does so.

"You think we'll be distracting you and Kelly on your guys' big day?"

Lena pretends to scratch at her chin to try and cover her mouth knowing that she can just about hear the pout in Kara's voice.

"God, no. That's not--" Alex takes a deep breath as she straightens herself up from where she's kneeling by the coffee table. "Kara. It's not you two I'm worried about, it's them. They are going to make a big deal and I'm just trying to protect the both of you. And, of course, my wedding day with Kelly. And the truth of the matter is that there's no reason to wait for things to happen when we can prepare and cover all of our bases. That's all."

The truth of the matter. That's an interesting choice of words, Lena ponders, but she keeps those thoughts to herself.

Kara worries her bottom lip between her teeth even as her hand stays on Lena's knee. From the corner of her eye, she catches sight of Alex's gaze dropping to Kara's hand and Lena's leg, no doubt making a mental note of what she's seeing. But Lena's attention is pulled back to Kara who has now twisted her body to better look at Lena beside her. For her part, Lena stays in her exact position, hand on Kara's back, and waits for Kara's lead.

"What do you think?" she asks, her face serious, though something flashes in her eyes before Lena could really read what it had been.

"I think..." Lena begins to say, weighing every word that comes out of her mouth. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

Kara stares at her for a long moment, like it's just the two of them in the room, before sighing and leaning back, suspending Lena's hand between her back and the couch. Lena doesn't mind in the slightest, instead lets the tips of her fingers gently scratch Kara's back.

"That's all?" Kara asks, this time the question directed to her sister.

Lena turns her face enough to witness how Alex strains from smiling too wide when she nods emphatically and says, "That's all. That's it."

The longest five seconds seem to pass over all three of them until Kara sighs. "Fine. We'll do it."

Alex struggles to keep her fist pump under control and Lena wants to roll her eyes.

"Great. Figure out whatever cover story you two think will work the best. Remember, closer to the truth works best."

"I think we'll figure it out just fine, Alex," she comments, her voice taking on an airy tone. "It's not the first time we've had to give a cover story."

Alex nods again before rising to her feet. "Right, right. Okay, I'm gonna go home to the missus, and you two can work on your cover story."

Kara's just about to get up when Alex stops her. "You stay put, I'll let myself out. Have your story figured out by brunch this weekend. Sound good?"

She and Kara glance at one another before returning their focus on Alex. With her free hand, she offers a mock salute just as Kara nods up at her sister.

When Alex shuts the door behind her and leaves the two of them still on the couch, it's Kara who breaks first, tugging at Lena's arm from behind her so she can perch it around Kara's shoulder, their fingers tangled by Kara's bicep, before slumping further down on the couch with a loud exhale. She rests her head on Lena's shoulder, and Lena places a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

"You know, she used to be so much better at lying. Like I didn't even know she worked for a shadow government organization."

Lena chuckles, despite herself, and pulls Kara closer to her. "She was laying it on rather thick, I thought."

Kara tilts her head up, her ear resting on Lena's shoulder as their faces sit only a few short inches apart.

"Good work on the pouting, though. I think you really sold it."

The sleepy smile on Kara's face widens into a proud one. "You like that? I was really considering the waterworks but I think I would have given it away if I did."

"Mm, probably."

"You're a little actress yourself, Luthor," Kara comments with barely contained laughter. "Better safe than sorry. Pfft. You were practically having Alex eat out of the palm of your hands with how much you were agreeing with her. So devious."

"If there's anything Lex ever taught me, it's having the theatrical range."

Kara snorts before shuffling to sit back up. "How mad do you think Alex will be when she finds out that we're already dating?"

Lena shrugs, thinking about all of Alex's possible reactions. "Oh, I'm sure she'll never let you live it down."

"Us, babe," Kara says, leaning forward, the tips of their noses brushing with each other. "She'll never let us live it down."

"She shouldn't assume then," Lena answers before closing the remaining gap between them. Their lips slotting perfectly in place pressed against each other. It's still new, this feeling, but Lena thinks that she'll never tire of it.

Her breath hitches when she feels Kara's strong hand release her fingers only to grip her nape, followed by the smirk she knows is on Kara's lips.

"Wanna figure out our cover story in bed?"

She raises a brow, but Kara just shrugs. "So is that a no?"

Lena rolls her eyes before wrapping her arms around Kara's neck as Kara carries her towards the bed.

"I was thinking we tell people it was love at first sight," Kara muses.

Lena throws her head back in laughter, just in time for Kara to place a kiss on the hollow of her throat. She thinks love at first sight is not too far from the truth at all, and didn't Alex say the closer it is to the truth, the better?

[tswhiisftteedr]

Ok, so this a character draft for an AU I'll be writing, Part 2

(basically a rip-off of one of my dr scripts, for those who know what I'm talking about.)

(The only difference between ver 1 and 2 is the noses)

(These images are available on my art account @maviscarlettie)

I also need help with figuring out this guy's name(even tho I basically already chose, but second opinions are good)!

He's twisted from monstro in pinnocio and, from what I gather, is a sperm whale.

Morven MobikMorven = a name from Celtic/Gaelic origin meaning "lives by the sea," "sea-born," or from Mhorbhairne (“the sea-gap”) Mobik = a stylized twist on Moby Dick, the iconic white whale,

Marius NereusMarius = Latin origin meaning “of the sea” or “male descendant of Mars,” Nereus = a sea god in Greek mythology, father of the Nereids; wise, ancient, and often called the “Old Man of the Sea,”

OK More AU Info

Ok, so this serious (but actually sly) guy is the house warden of Octavinelle at the beginning of the story since it takes place a year early.

He and the vice warden are 4th year and will leave for internships when the game story begins (like mentioned in post 1 NCR is now a 5 year school instead of 4)

He and Mc know each other prior to NCR, which plays into her acceptance since he will vouch for her stay.

Now, why does MC even get sent to NCR if it's not an isekai situation like the game is? Well, just in the same manner that the dark mirror chose video game yuu for some "unknown reason", our mc was chosen because they will bring great change to the school, for better or worse.

Additionally, they weren't just randomly hit by the ebony carriage and brought to the school. No! They, in fact, got the official NCR letter of acceptance/invitation to study there like every one of the students around early July.

Did she send back a letter that basically said that she would be accepting the opportunity and would be attending the school starting September while fully knowing that NCR was a boys' school? Yes.

Did she contact Morven(?) in advance about the situation since she knew of his current schooling and that he was currently Octavinelles dorm head(he became dorm head in his 3rd year)? Yes!

Anyway, they know each other, which helps her weseal her way into staying at NCR even though she is infact not a male student(Though there are a lot of factors that she and he manipulate to stronghand Crowley into accepting).

Mc is a nymph, but I kind of create my own version of what these terms mean in my story, so hardcore mythology fans don't come after me!

She is an estuary nymph, which is the offspring of a sea nymph and a river nymph. Which is very important.

Sea nymphs have powers that would best be categorized as one of a 'siren'. However, they are forever bound by the sea(well, unless you have transformation potions, but it is very unlikely that one would acquire said type of position, and you will see why)

River nymphs can change their form to be able to walk the earth without any potions as long as they are not too far from water that originates from their river/stream. A loophole to this is for one to be carrying a vial containing some of that water on their person.

Now, MC, as an offspring of both, possesses the ability to roam the earth but also uses a voice that is beyond this world~

Those legends about sirens luring sailors with enchanting songs? They're real. But the public got it wrong—they aren't merfolk. They're actually sea nymphs.

To most land folk, sea nymphs look just like merfolk. That’s why no one realizes the truth. The resemblance is close enough to cause confusion, and since humans can’t tell them apart, the nymphs stay hidden in plain sight.

Sea nymphs avoid merfolk deliberately since merfolk can tell the difference—and the nymphs don’t want their existence leaked.

Nymphs are a type of fae, no matter where they come from—sea, river, forest, even volcanoes. They don’t usually hang around other fae either, except for pixies (actually, they speak the language of pixies) Nymphs can vanish into a secret dimension known as the Nymph Realm(placeholder name). Think of it like the mirror dimension in the Halloween event or just the NCR dorms. It's another dimension superimposed on Twisted Wondeland.

Portals to the Nymph Realm are scattered across the world, disguised in nature. A nymph could lift a wave like a blank and step in, push a waterfall open like curtains, step into a seemingly ever-going fire—these are gateways to their realm.

Other beings can enter the Nymph Realm—but only with a nymph escort. And even then, each nymph type (sea, river, forest, etc.) is picky about whom they guide.

Need to travel far? Enter the Nymph Realm. It's a maze-like wonderland, but if you know the paths, you can cover vast distances in Twisted Wonderland just by using that dimension like a shortcut.

Anyways most nymps stay away from all other species; they are very secretive yet relaxed in nature, which is why they wouldn't make contact in most cases just to get a transformation potion.

If anything, if one really wants it, it will go to the more mischevious and chaos-oriented Nymphs(like mc) that roam Twisted Wonderland without a care in the world to procure some for them.

Final points:

Each nymph type has its own rules apposed on them-sea nymphs have beautiful voices but are basically merfolk, river nymphs can walk the earth but need water from their river on them do so, etc.

Mc is the stereotype 'siren' archetype (sultry, seductive, dangerous, etc.) but also somehow a gremilin who is a harbinger of chaos.

(The first bits of info can be found in this post.)

Please comment your thoughts y'all, and stay weird fam!!!

[maladaptivedaydreamhq]

one of the things i really enjoy about Sevika's character is how she's both perceptive AND gets things wrong. she maneouvres Finn's attempted coup by immediately perceiving his character and thus his motivations, and utilizes it to give her boss a reality check. she doesn't allow Silco's attempt to appeal to nostalgic notions, notions of loyalty despite his own coup being built on his willingness to cause harm to his own people for their eventual greater good, to dissuade her either way - after dispatching Finn, she advises her current Best Option that she only did this because the offer wasn't good enough, and that 'there will be others'.

she learns lessons from her fights and uses them to better herself like a cyberpunk Professor from Gilligan's Underground. her arm's equivalent of a power button goes from an external potential bullseye to an internal compartment. even gives herself a longer-range weapon so she can keep herself at a little more of a distance next time, maybe even cut through fancy Topside metal if needs be!

AND she mentally rushes into head-on confrontations with Piltover, convincing herself of advantages that don't actually hold up. the first time we see her, she's insisting that they bring the fight to a city currently vastly ahead of them in terms of scientific and technological capability, on the strength of numbers alone. Shimmer hasn't even hit the streets yet, the majority of people we see in our short walk through Zaun are not battle-ready, successful community-led armed resistance is apparently such a pipe dream that even after Silco & Co. increase the city's wealth and access to resources, they STILL have to rely on chemically enhanced children to guard their means of production.

even in s2 when the chem-baron specifies once and for all that they ain't got the numbers lady, she insists that a 1v1 is potentially winnable because their enemy isn't used to their terrain. which would have SOME merit as an argument...if it wasn't for the fact that their enemy also has ultimate control over their entire infrastructure, including the literal air they breathe. 'they don't know the first thing about fighting in the fissures' holds water for foreign invasions, for drawing an uninitiated enemy into your territory and making the battle more trouble than it's worth for them. not for your centuries-long oppressors who literally live above you and have their sticky, oppressive little fingers in all your pies.

then her last ditch attempt to rally 'everyone she can bring to the table', to gather the force she proposes to successfully battle her oppressor with...only for them to be swept up and packed away in jail with barely a sweat broken. now granted, this was done primarily by a contingent of Noxus soldiers, and we don't know for certain if she intended to head to the bridge immediately with what, 200 odd people?? or if this was more of a rallying of spirits - but it still demonstrates Sevika's less-than-realistic perspective on Zaun's chances. Sevika wants to fight. she wants to bring the battle to them, to resist with the violence she knows is necessary because they're already in a violent conflict, oppression is violence under a veneer of legitimization and she knows this intimately; she wants to believe that they have a chance to win if they give it the old college try, even though the facts prooobably don't support her belief.

Sevika, so emotionally savvy that she knows how to soothe Silco's worries over Jinx and get him back on track with that boring liberation thing they've been working on, also thinks there's a point when she will become Too Much Of A Liability for Silco and he'll drop her. she recognizes Silco's affection for Jinx but misjudges its nature and therefore its depth, doesn't realize that there's nothing, not even his own death at her hands, that could make him 'give her up'. Jinx's usefulness wasn't Silco's ultimate motivator like it was for Sevika, who, because her dedication to her cause is so strong, seems to genuinely believe that triggering a mental breakdown will push them into red line territory because Jinx's damage to that cause will be a dealbreaker for Silco like it is for her (/was? who knows where the writers' minds were in s2).

Sevika's smarter than anyone gives her credit for, while also being blinkered by her own motivations; she navigates an impossible situation with astonishing strength of character, insisting on being a dynamic player in the game and not just a passive recipient of others' machinations, but with the very real element of not having perfect judgement while she does it. she believes Silco's as dedicated as she is, i mean that's why she joins him after all - they agreed on necessary sacrifices and had the determination to make them, and the fortitude to accept the consequences of taking action in an unjust world. she believes open war is ultimately necessary, and wants to liberate Zaun so badly that she tries to get to warring faster than might strictly be advisable. she's not a general or a leader and never claimed to be, but she is a person suffering the injustice of subjugation, and that clouds her judgement in all the ways we'd expect of a woman who never claimed to be a general or a leader, yet decided with terrifying resolve to do whatever she deemed necessary to get herself and her people out of that subjugation, by hook or by crook.

in summation, i love Sevika and if she killed me i'd presume it was for a reason i'd ultimately understand and probably agree with, even if its efficacy was questionable.

[deminetly]

𓏵 BETTER CR INTRO

──────────────────

(this is not just a dr, Im manifesting basically this exact life into my cr and just thought to make it into a dr script too)

┆ABOUT THIS DR

Im still deciding on the country in which this dr is set since Im planning on moving away from the country I currently live in but my main options are Spain and Switzerland

set in modern times

──────────────────

┆ABOUT ME

so Im still the same person and use my own face claim but I am manifesting (and also working on) bettering myself in a few ways so I scripted those changes in (healing my mental health for example)

Im a master shifter and manifestor

my vibe -

──────────────────

┆S/O

dates we go on here

I imagine him having either a buzz cut or really long hair and wearing baggy, black clothes, tall and attractive (obvi). dark eyes, dark hair, a really small cutie mustache

I have a really long list of all of my expectations which I fear I wont be listing here but just imagine him being super obsessed with me (in a healthy way of course) and giving me princess treatment (duh)

random facts - he plays guitar and skates (scripted that in just so he could teach them to me lol), he has a car (just to drive me around 😛), maybe works as a car mechanic

──────────────────

┆MY LIFE

nothing too special, I go to school (Im manifesting getting into a good art school in which I could study film/set design.) I have a little friend group and travel around a lot with either my mom or friends

Im thinking of starting a youtube channel in my cr so I might script that Im a bit of an influencer kind of? I post ideas, vlogs, shifting content, art content and maybe even advice of some sort

──────────────────

┆HOME

when I first shift there I will still be living with my mom (and cat) in an apartment but later on I will be moving out into my own house

current home (when I first shift there) - an aparment in a somewhat busy street, big rooms and windows, I imagine our apartment having 2 stories, my room and bathroom being in the second one and the living room, kitchen, second bathroom and my moms room being in the first. I have my own bathroom with a big bath AND shower. we have a big pool outside. theres a farmers market nearby that I go to buy strawberries from every day. my room might also have a little balcony

future home - my own house in a mountain town where everyone knows everyone and we have dinner parties together where anyone that lives there is invited to every week. the house has a big garden full of life as well as a river that no one really knows of close by so i can swim alone, peacefully every day. has a cozy, whimsical, peaceful vibe to it. big windows, big rooms. also imagining 2 stories for this house. I want some sort of cool addition room like a sun room or art room with a reading nook. also loads of plants everywhere around the house

──────────────────

┆SCHOOL

I go to a pretty small, old, art school (for some reason I imagine the walls as light pink and a bit cracked in case you were wondering..)

I take the normal classes (expect for physics, chemesty and geography beacuse why would I want that) + media, film and possibly creative writing

I have a best friend in my class

all the teachers are chill and nice, the school days arent too long, we dont get too much homework, the tests are easy and I enjoy the whole school experience

the vibe of the school -

──────────────────

┆WARDROBE

im obviously also keeping my other clothes that I currently own (that are a whole other vibe) but I really want some cool dresses like this so thats what I added here

btw if youre interested in my current wardrobe heres a pinterest board (check the ‘mines’ section) and heres my instagram

──────────────────

┆EXTRA PLACES

the river that I swim in like every day

the roof that me and my friend hang out in

──────────────────

┆ACTIVITIES

writing books

making stop motion films

making short films

swimming in rivers fully clothed

putting out a hammock and reading a book

going for forest runs in dresses

seeking out fairies

leaving out gifts for fairies

singing in forests

lying on the groud while Its raining

going for runs in the rain

connecting with animals

having a secret hangout just for myself

meditating in nature

feeding ducks

going on random side quests

exploring new places

hanging with my friends

fun dates with my s/o

──────────────────

┆MY ART

these are all from pinterest and Im just using them to show what kind of art I want to create

I also make short films and write books (lmk if you want to hear more about those too because this post is already too long to put it all here)

──────────────────

┆TIMELINE

this is pretty messy since I am manifesting this kind of life and obviously dont know exactly when something is going to happen but Im going to move out of this country, get into a good school, meet friends and my mans❤️, all this while still living with my mom in an apartment but when I finish school I plan on moving out to my own house and being a set designer for theatres and films and maybe sort of an influencer even though I truly hate that word

[storgicbytes]

THE ANIMATION VERSUS KICKSTARTER HAS LAUNCHED !!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/animationversus/animation-versus

which MEANS im going to make a post detailing everything of course .

https://youtu.be/K4lvfmbMkcw?si=73cLDy92Aaron3yL

god. GOD !!!!!!! IM SO EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY SHIT DUDE

the game looks INSANELY good already and that's considering the game, as we see it, is supposed to release in 2028 !

it looks like it has 28 days to go to achieve its goal (and it already is doing really weel as i write this XD i mean, 14k dollars already??? god DAMN !!!)

(new art on kickstarter page! the artist cooked)

i find it INCREDIBLY cool that the lead developer of the project is the person who made the ava/m rivals of aether mod. how cool is that dude

right away from the trailer im incredibly happy they're including purple in the main cast (another purple cameo on alanspc for the win)

(i do admire the way blue is just fine with it)

the fighting kits are INSANE MAN ?? its a little surprising that orange's main moves are projectiles (which however is incredibly cool. both a throwback to anim vs. physics and (unintentional?) parallel with vic perhaps) <- (although, now reading it, it seems like the projectile objects will rotate with every move!)

green having a guitar in his kit ???? are you kidding. /vpos . i was wondering how they would optimize blue's kit but it looks SO cool dude (its likely im going to be a blue main XD)

red's kit looks interesting, especially with the shark move! its genuinely not surprising that its red who's kit currently looks best ingame lol. it's also no wonder purple's kit is best at air attacks!

the backgrounds are just. Holy hell.

the whole fact they're making like. 4 different backgrounds per Stage ??? Good lord.

and. hello??? hello? hi ???? hello ????? im Sane ???????

other notable details: its so cool to get more details on the city from up above, seeing it's so progressed. other details: "primoral descent" billboard which is a reference to dj's original comic! plus corndog guy's stand in the second bg (also we really gotta acknowledge that moon exists in the outernet sometime.)

(as im writing this the amount of money has already went up to 34k. holy hell.)

its interesting to me as well that the game's version of special attacks charge bar is a "node meter"! another one for the computer/internet references

("a node in network refers to any physical device or point that is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding data")

which also seems like a general running theme for the fighting scene in game itself, given that those "nodes" are also seen on the art and the character's fighting profiles

it seems like the game will either feature new game-specific soundtrack or compile existing soundtrack into a batch (which is making me Squeal because im so interested in how individual soundtracks are going to be named — yes im a fan of such details XD)

the reward tiers are. hough. holy hell

beta tests ???? tco palette???? (as im guessing with sec?????) exclusive character pins??????? FUTURE DLC???????

(also, cursor lobby pet implies that there Will be a lobby. lol)

the kickstarter page also says: "Today, we have six characters that we’re excited to share with you. With your help, we’ll be able to bring even more iconic heroes and villains from AvA into the game!"

if that means we WILL eventually get rocketcorp characters + king. oh my god. oh my god.

and also. DIGITAL ART BOOK??????

(selling my kidney.)

plus. "At some of our higher tiers we're offering the opportunity to join a development meeting to see how to game is made, and the option to design your own original character stick figure in a level background!" Hello ?????

god i barely can word anything right now dude im so excited i cant stop stimming what the HELL !!!!!!!!

[juliasmesmerized]

Conversations with You

pairings: Josh Washington x F!Reader, Chris Hartley x Ashley Brown (Until Dawn) type: fluff, too deep into the friendship, mutual pining, subtle flirting vibes intended: nervous - The Neighbourhood for the best experience: read part one of this dribble and use word replacer II as y/n will be used. (i can also make a you / y/n-less version, but i just prefer seeing my name for DR purposes) word count: 3091 part 1 | part 2 | part 3

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Josh smiled at her comment. He knew she believed in him. She definitely would believe in everybody in the group when it comes to things they're good at.

She laughed back as the match began. Their hands are all on the keyboard controlling their respective characters. y/n's specific character had her focus on one of her teammates, whoever is most probable to benefit from her presence. to boost their damage and keep their damage consistent. The other support would focus on the rest of the team, mostly Chris, to keep them alive. The other damage dealer creates an ice wall and a one way beam of ice, which means the soldier Josh picked would be the best to support.

He chuckled when they saw the second damage dealer being incompatible with y/n's choice. "Guess you're now truly stuck with me, ms. Support."

She smiled to herself at the fact she'd be with him, but she decided to tease. "I hate it."

"Sure you do." Josh focused on the incoming enemies as he bantered with y/n.

The battlefield was located in Germany. Chris's character was in the front pushing the enemies back under a bridge between two buildings, and Josh was on top while y/n hid behind the wall in order to stay alive; switching between the damage boost beam, being blue, and the yellow healing beam. Chris is the type of guy who shuts up to focus, and he was focusing as hell with the entire team in front of him. Josh and y/n had it quite literally easy.

Still having the blue beam stuck to Josh while he decided to relocate to be behind Chris, y/n sighed. "I kind of regret my choice of character now."

"Oh, why?" There was a little inkling of concern in his voice, but it wasn't a long match to begin with if they don't allow the enemy team to secure the area.

She expressed her feelings begrudgingly. "This is my first game with you both and I have nothing to show for it as this support is literally brainless to play, until you have the entire enemy team running to kill you. Then it's a wild goose chase to fly to your teammates and safety." y/n only remembered her side goal of beating the crap out of these two after joining it.

Josh assured her, he was glad it wasn't anything actually serious, or he wouldn't have known what to do. "It doesn't matter if this is our first game together, we'll have plenty more for sure. You do help the team a lot, regardless of actual kills."

y/n proclaimed in excitement. "Great! Then I'll beat your highest score and get more kills." Almost ready to flex her non-existent muscles, until she realized she was only faced by a screen.

"Can't wait to see-" Josh was cut off.

Chris screeched on the other side. "JOSH!" The second damage dealer and support died and there was only Josh, Chris, and y/n on the map currently. "STOP FLIRTING AND HELP ME! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS? THERE ARE TWO SUPPORTS AND ONE DPS AFTER ME!"

y/n flew to Chris as soon as she could get him in her field vision and Josh used the running ability to get to him faster. "You're a big guy, Chris, you can handle them. We're coming."

She spoke up as soon as the beam connected. "I'll try to heal you up, bring your shield up. When you got enough health, I'll damage boost you to help with attacking against them." Chris obeyed and slowly walked back as his shield was up.

Chris weighed his options and shared his opinion on the current situation. "We gotta wait till the rest of the team comes back. They're also going to regroup."

Josh decided to weigh himself in to allow them information they may have not caught. "y/n, after healing him, come with me. I have my ultimate."

"That's great! We'll just have to wait for our team then so I could be taken care of while y/n's away." Chris cheered, feeling the tide could be pushed against the enemy team.

y/n decided to demonstrate the difference between them newbies and her knowing her way around the map. "Do you know where we could go to catch them off guard?"

Josh took a second to think as he was attacking the enemy team to push them back from Chris as he was being healed. "I was thinking atop the area Chris was?" She linked her beam to Josh signalling that it's time for them to go.

She walked ahead to a secret passage way into a building that led them behind the enemy team. "No, we could actually get behind the enemy team and use Chris and the rest of the team as a distraction."

"Smart thinking, doctor." Josh referenced her character choice in complimenting her.

Josh was getting ready by hiding behind a building along side y/n's character. She still spoke up to prove her superiority. "Mhmm. You can finally see the difference between you and I. I can think of things you wouldn't imagine!"

"Hold your horses, we'll see when you play DPS or tank." Josh pressed the key to use his ultimate, and walked into the battlefield behind the enemy team as she instructed. A full team kill thanks to y/n's boosting and Chris already damaging the entire team.

"Sure." It was long strung from y/n. She took a breath. "As if that wasn't from my critical thinking." y/n sarcastically kept a monotone voice.

Josh began to tease her, but he decided to go a little farther than what he usually would. "I couldn't have done it without you! I will kiss and worship the ground you walk on, you mastermind! What could I do without you, my dear princess?"

She decided to answer without thinking. "Hardy har. That wouldn't even be enough after I scored you the play of the game, lowly peasant." If she let his words sink in, she'd go against his earlier comment and she wanted to be special in his eyes. If staying strong during his playful flirting and jokes means that, then so be it.

Behind the screen, the facade, she was on the brink of shutting the game off. The winning message showed on all three of their screens. Chris began to chuckle and went to message Josh after that comment. Y/n's cheeks flushed and she grabbed her phone straight away.

y/n: AAAAAAASSSSHHHHHLLLLEEEEYYYYYY Ashley: WHAT? y/n: HE CALLED ME PRINCESS? Ashley: HUUUUH? IM GONNA TALK TO CHRIS RIGHT NOW

"Oh, hold on guys." Chris absentmindedly spoke as he closed his microphone. y/n absolutely knew what that would be about.

"Do we wait for him or let the queue going?" Josh almost sounding like he'd peek into her door to ask this.

She thought about about it as on one hand, he could come back super quickly and we'd have found a match, but on the other he could take long and he'd have to reap the consequences of being away. "That's a hard question, I guess the game has been going harder on people who get away from the keyboard in a match. Let's wait for him."

Josh, as if a light bulb came on, put two and two together. "Right, I remember reading that update."

"Mhm." She hummed back, still thinking of their earlier conversation and what Ashley might be doing right now.

Ashley: He'll be you guys' wingman and leave y/n: what? Ashley: I'm making him hop off and sit with me to tell me everything he knows about Josh

y/n jumped at the sound of Josh speaking up, as if he fucking knew what Ashley and herself were up to. "y/n." It's fucking as if he was right behind me as he spoke as soon as i read ashley's message. She thought to herself. Eerie as fuck. y/n: DONT LET HIM LEAVE ME ALONE??? Ashley: oh I heard him call you since Chris put down the headphones Ashley: thisll be interesting y/n: oh my god Ash

"Yes, Josh?" y/n responded, trying her best to separate her current nervousness and his conversation with her.

"Chris told me something a bit back that really had me thinking." He spoke while taking breaths and thinking his words over, which makes his argument more stretched out than it has to be.

y/n responds, waiting for more. "Right..."

Ashley: Im having him explain what Josh is telling you right now y/n: i don't love the fact you guys are talking about us while hearing us Ashley: Im doing it with love I promise y/n: liar ure especially NOSEY Ashley: what can I say? WHAT CAN I SAAAAYYY???

He continued after he trailed off last time. "Yeah, I used to pump him up all the time to speak to Ashley and confess to her, right, and now he's saying I should listen to my own advice." He sounds oddly genuine, something the group doesn't see from the playful flirt.

"Okay?" Still not seeing his point, y/n doesn't comment much.

Josh still puzzled about it, genuinely unsure how to move with his friend's words weighing on his mind "The problem is, I don't get what he means? I go for everything head on. Chris has been busy with Ash and I wanna give them space to adjust, you know."

"You do, but I don't think Chris meant it in that sense. It's sweet you allow them space for them, by the way. Not a lot of people would notice those little things." She spoke up, now mirroring his realness as she realized he was being serious. He seldom opened up about anything at all, and she jumped at the chance to support him.

Ashley: chris says ur right. y/n: what the fuck Ashley: he says he didn't mean it in that sense and josh misunderstood him y/n: omh yall nosey asses i swear Ashley: teehee js ur friendly neighborhood wingman and woman

Josh was kind of taken aback at her comment responding to his question; completely glossing over her compliment. "What?"

y/n explained herself. She placed her hands on her face as she sighed at his emotional immaturity. "Josh, are you inadvertently telling me you like somebody? What you told Chris is really specific to context of love, and if he's telling you the same then you're now in what used to be his boat?" How could somebody be that flirty and that beloved by many girls that he rejects be so oblivious to themselves. Her thoughts were rushing, but she knew she had to focus.

Ashley: HE SO DEFINITELY IS YOU HIT THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN y/n: IS THAT ASH TALKING OR CHRIS CONFIRMING Ashley: oh i told chris to explain later, i wanna hear this. Ashley: update: chris is snickering at joshs stupidity i think he knows that we know that you know ur right y/n: im killing you both istg

Josh sounded a bit over it. "I think I'll call it a night."

"W-What?" y/n stammered in confusion, she was expecting being on for a very long while on this game.

"Chris isn't coming back, if he takes this long then it means goodnight for us all." Josh decided to excuse himself with Chris's impromptu leave.

She didn't know how to explain herself without being vulnerable with him. "Josh-" y/n could see her phone buzz multiple times, but she ignored it to focus on his voice. Her eyes are on the screen, but unfocused.

Josh pushed her away, as he often does with people anyway, keep your friends close from a safe distance. "Forget it."

She blurted out. "No it's fine, I get it."

"What?" Josh's jaw tightened.

"You could be the best person for advice for a certain situation, but literally when it comes to yourself, you are unbeknownst yourself. You helped Chris get her, now it's time somebody helps you. If you try at it without support, you might just lose her." She didn't even know what she was letting slip, but she went with the flow.

Josh groaned. "Goodnight, y/n."

"If that's what you'd like. Goodnight." y/n didn't want to push him, she knew of him well enough that it wasn't safe to temper with him when he declines. He knows himself best, pushing him will make things worse.

Ashley: NOOOO MY RADIO ROMANCE DRAMA y/n: its the fact u listened to all of that Ashley: of course I would what if he confesses to u right then and there y/n: huh Ashley: oh yeah after all of that u think he doesnt like u? y/n: we cant js assume that Ashley: ok im asking chris

As Ashley stopped typing, presumably to speak to Chris, she grabs a box of cookies her mom ordered to her dorm. They travelled without her as per usual, so she's stuck in the university dorms for the break. At least she get free food and free time away from people. A message notification popped up on the top part of her phone and her phone buzzed on the table. It was Josh.

Josh: sorry for cutting you off like that y/n: no harm no foul josh im sorry for pretending like i knew Josh: ironically its the fact you were so correct that made me upset y/n: oh. sorry? Josh: im not here to ask for apologies

She took a bite of the cookie in her hand, and since she was typing with one hand, she was unbearably slow. Fortunately, Josh was also slow in his replies. He was probably thinking through every word sent to her beyond this point. Josh: do u think u could leave ur dorm and we could walk for a bit? i think ill take u up on ur offer to talk things over y/n: sure, its a bit late tho u sure? Josh: yeah ill keep u safe dw, im the one who brought u out anyway. y/n: alr sounds like a plan.

She took out a pair of jeans and a fuzzy jacket. The cold weather of the outdoors was not welcoming of anybody used to the warmth of the indoors. It could be snowing, she thought to grab a few more things that would warm her up including a hot coffee. A 'bzzzzzz' sound filled the room as she changed into the improvised outfit. 'Beeeeeep.' She picked up the drink and took it with her.

Y/n stepped outside and walked out of the dormitory walkway to find Josh sitting in the common room.

He stood up and looked at her. "You ready to go?"

"Yep. Let's go." She nodded and walked right behind him.

He was wearing a flannel with a vest. The flannel was pulled up to his forearms. She spoke up. "You are oddly under dressed for the weather."

His hair was messy, he definitely ran his fingers through it whenever he reached a dead end in his thinking. She could imagine him sighing to himself and playing with it to try to take his mind off of things, messing it up further unintentionally. When she came to, they were now outside on university grounds. The place was gated and open for students during all hours of the day.

Josh looked down at the snowy ground and placed his hands in his pockets. "Yeah I didn't really think it through."

y/n smiled sweetly at him, she knew him to be rash at points where he needed to decide on something. "That's alright, here-"

"Truth is!" Josh perked up, cutting her words like a knife and louder than he initially wanted. Causing her to stare in silence, her eyebrow raised. She'd never be upset at somebody cutting her off once in a while, we all have our moments.

Josh cleared his throat and took a moment before deciding to go through with it. "Truth is, you caught my eye a while back. Chris figured it out first and then he became my confidant in this... weird situation." Y/n's mouth went agape, thinking of saying something, but she closed it to listen to him first.

He continued, still looking away from her. Focusing on his surroundings was his best bet in saying all of this. "He tried his best to convince me, but we were friends for a while, it's best to stay that way. I liked our banter." Telling his therapist his woes was already pushing it enough. This was ten times worse and she could tell.

"You joining us without me knowing you would had me appreciating your presence a lot more." She focused on him, his words, his stature, his walk, and most importantly his mannerisms. She knew he had to let this out it seems evident.

He took a shaky breath and y/n took her scarf off. "It made me need to think. If the people around me knew, then I needed to have a reason for it all."

Once he stopped to breathe, she lent him the scarf. He accepted reluctantly, but appreciated the gesture. He whispered a "thanks" and wrapped it around his neck. He closed his eyes to focus on its pretty scent for a moment. "I started regretting all the times I played with Chris alone. I hated thinking this way because of a lot of things. You getting my situation immediately caused my thoughts to go on overdrive."

She caught him between his breaths, now regulated from the warmth of her scarf. "Josh." y/n stopped in her tracks.

He walked a few steps before realizing she stopped, and turned around to her. "Yeah?"

y/n contemplated her words, but since he already confessed at this point, she had nothing to lose. "The reason how and why I joined you guys tonight was because I wanted to get closer to you. You were special from the moment you entered my life." Once he heard her reciprocation, his eyes focused on her moving lips.

"The amount of times you made me nervous-" Her voice, music to his ears, was stopped by his lips meeting hers. He placed his hands on her cheeks to lift her head slightly up. The cold was quickly replaced by imminent warmth. As much as he wanted to be reckless with her, have sloppier kisses, touch her in places that allow him to explore her curves, he didn't like the idea that they were outside. The kiss was short but desperate, she realized he was waiting for this for a long time.

i wanted to end on part two, but i feel like this def needs a third part. im now going to read this with my word replacer. i love this MAN I NEED HIM NOW. id really appreciate opinions on how the characters were written, i never really wrote fanfiction seriously till now. i usually write original work hidden in my endless google drive lol. thank you for reading!