#it was getting kinda long so I cut it down

[sapphiresaphics]

You’re right. It is polite to do that. But it’s also… I dunno… kinda boring? And it often doesn’t push the story forward.

Let’s look at it this way: We know that initially they planned on several additional seasons and ultimately were only given 2. We don’t know when that cut back was dictated to them from up on high, but it’s very easy to assume it happened sometime between season 1 and 2’s production. Very likely after most of season 1’s setup had already been finished and animated.

And, given how little time they had available to them for season 2, they opted instead to focus on ways to communicate this stuff non-verbally most of the time and to trust that we, as smart intelligent viewers, can piece together stuff ourselves.

They have a grand total of 18 episodes in total for this entire show. There are other shows that have double that number for just one season. Time is of the essence and every frame costs hundreds of dollars. So if it’s not really relevant it goes on the cutting room floor. Arcane is nothing if not EFFICIENT with its storytelling. And that’s a stylistic choice the creators have made.

And let’s not forget this doesn’t just exist around Caitlyn. Vi never apologizes for punching Powder as a kid. She apologizes for leaving and calling her a Jinx, but never for punching her. Vi also punches Isha. It’s an accident, but she still never apologizes for that either. Ekko never apologizes for kidnapping Vi and Caitlyn. Jinx never apologizes for killing Ekko’s friends. Jayce never apologizes for killing a child. Ambessa never apologizes for slapping Mel. Heimerdinger never apologizes for letting the undercity’s problems fester for so long. Mel never really apologizes for using Jayce and Viktor as investments. The list goes on. So WHY is it ONLY on Caitlyn in these critiques about the show?

A couple more little quibbles and distinctions:

Vi was never forced to become an enforcer. When Caitlyn asks her to become an enforcer, Vi turns her down. It’s not until after Caitlyn almost dies during the memorial attack does Vi reconsider the offer. And she doesn’t do it because she was pressured into it, she does it because she wants to keep Caitlyn safe. The only thing Vi trusts are her fists. If she’s there, she can take care of Jinx while also protecting the woman she loves. Even if it means putting on the Enforcer uniform.

Also, Vi doesn’t care about Zaun all that much. She never fought for the city. In fact, she has been actively hostile towards Zaun since Season 1. Let’s not forget that she went in performing vigilante Justice and got a kid killed in the process. Her goal has always been to protect her family, and that means people like Jinx and Caitlyn.

As for the “I’m sorry I was wrong?” Caitlyn DOES that. It’s just non-verbally. See, when Caitlyn has Jinx locked up she doesn’t know what to do with her. She has seen first hand that Jinx can be trusted. She is not the maniacal raving lunatic that killed her mother anymore. She has changed. She tries to talk to Jinx, but that doesn’t help her make a decision.

So she lets Vi choose. She intentionally leaves the prison empty of guards and allows Vi to steal the keys to free her sister. She has no guarantee that she will ever see Vi again, and she suspects that Vi and Jinx will just run away together. That’s why when she goes down there and finds Vi locked in the cell instead of Jinx, she knows what happened. And when Vi is at her lowest, thinking she betrayed Caitlyn by going behind her back to free Jinx against her wishes, Caitlyn tells her “no, I let you do this. Because I give up on hating your sister. You are more important to me than my hatred of Jinx and you should be free to make your own decisions about who you get to love.”

That’s WHY Vi jumps on Caitlyn in the prison cell. Caitlyn just told her that she was giving up stoking the flames of the fire that tore them apart. This is akin to a loved one giving up alcohol or smoking or going to therapy or basically tossing aside their abusive habits because their love for their partner is more important to them than their vices. That was like the BIGGEST apology Caitlyn could ever give Vi. No amount of “I’m sorry” does THAT justice.

I get it, you wanted her to SAY the words. But the show doesn’t do that. The show is a VISUAL show and ACTIONS speak louder than words ever could. So Arcane does Caitlyn’s apology through her actions. To assume the worst in Caitlyn after such a grand gesture is kinda silly IMO.

No disrespect, I just find a lot of this stuff to be kinda nitpicky. The show is a visual show. It tells its narrative visually. It always has. It always will. Demanding Caitlyn say “sorry” when no one else ever does and ignoring that she performs one of the greatest acts of love you could give a partner is frustrating to say the least.

“Caitlyn never apologizes for her actions so how do we know she’s remorseful of them?”

Well you see… when Caitlyn gets asked if she likes men or women by Vi, we never get an answer from Caitlyn there either. But then later in the episode we SEE her behaving differently and flirting with a woman. So that answers our question for us. We don’t need to hear her say “I’m a lesbian” or “I like girls” because the show SHOWS us that she likes girls.

Often times if you have a concern like this, it IS addressed in the show. Just not in blatantly obvious and vocal ways. You actually need to pay attention.

So like… yea, we don’t really hear Caitlyn say outright “I feel remorse for my actions” but there’s like a MOUNTAIN of evidence (Kirammountains worth haha) that show she feels this way. From her confrontational arguments with Ambessa, to her pointing a gun at singe, to her sneaking around tracking singe, to her betraying Ambessa, to her shouting “I know!” when confronted by Vi, to her saying to Jinx “hating you I’ve hated myself,” to her ultimately letting Vi free her sister thus proving to Vi that she’s letting her hatred for Jinx go, to her sad “are you still in this fight, Violet?” at the end of the show… using the context clues the characters provide through facial acting and body language we can TELL that she’s remorseful.

Imagine that!

[pyfsan]

You're my best friend

Synopsis: Your mother makes you attend a trip with your family's friends after your break up with your boyfriend. You don't want to talk or see anyone. Except, maybe, Jake... your childhood best friend

Pairing: bff!jake x reader

Genre: smut, kinda fluff (idk???

wc: 3k

warnings: oral (fem rec), sex with no protection (don't do thiiiiss), nipple sucking, friends to ??? dynamics, family gathering ambient, jake is soooo down for her

N/A: honestly there's not much to warn in this one, i feel like it's vanilla but in a good way!!! Please bare with me —smut under the cut

You had just broken up a long term relationship and you're feeling like shit. It has been weeks since that happened but still you were so lost, it feels like yesterday... still your parents insisted on this stupid trip anyway.

"Jake and Julia will be there!" Your mom tells you with a big smile like it was supposed to make you excited too. But you have known Jake and Julia for your whole life now, you're not exactly jumping with the idea of seeing them again.

"Mom, I'm not feeling like family trip right now... please! They'll ask questions and I don't wanna talk about it"

"Then don't talk about it!" She says as if it was that simple. You sigh "You're going. I'm not traveling and leaving my daughter alone here to rot and starve herself for a whole week"

"Fine! Fuck" you say as you walk to room so you pack up your things.

You left before dawn and arrived at the lake house on the evening. Your family's friends were already there, since they also had the keys to the house. Your moms were childhood friends so the families were this close since before you, julia or jake were even born. You loved them, truly, you could not picture your life without them, but right now you are not in the mood to family gathering, dinner at the table and small talk.

"You look disgusting" was the first thing jake said when you arrived. Sure you look bad after weeks suffering with this fucking break up thing you had going on...

"And you smell bad" you say back going straight inside with your backpack on your back.

"Is everything ok?" He asks, getting the heavy backpack off your shoulder to get it upstairs. You bet an eye on him again before seeing Julia getting downstairs. You two hug and she starts talking so you feel glad you don't need to answer Jake's question.

Dinner is torturing, your dad let it slip that you and your boyfriend broke up and you can see pity in everyone's face. They try to ignore the matter after noticing you are almost crying at the table but still... the way they kept eyeing you made it worse. So you just left dinner early and went to your room to crawl on your bed.

Some time later the door opens and you see Julia and her brother entering with bottles of wine in their hands and you can't help but smile. It was a you guys thing to drink hidden in your rooms late at night.

They crawl up the bed with stupid grins that makes you laugh and jake opens up the first bottle.

"When were you going to tell us about the breakup?" Jake starts and julia slaps her brother's arm

"I was preparing myself... sure wouldn't be at the dinner table" you sigh before leading the bottle of wine to your lips. "Just forget you know about it, ok? I don't wanna talk about this tonight"

"And what about tomorrow?" This time Julia raises an eyebrow to you and Jake is the one scolding his sister.

"I don't know. We'll see... but tonight let's just drink, I wanna forget this stupid breakup, I wanna forget him" you say and instantly feel a release for saying these words out loud.

And as the good friends they are, they answer your call. So the three of you spend half the night drinking until two bottles of wine are empty and dry rolling on the floor and you are laid-back with your head hanging out of the bed with Julia. Jake is sitting on the floor near you. You're laughing so hard you feel your ears burn as he starts imitating the way his sister's hands were trembling to talk to some friend of his the other day.

"So this is your thing now? Getting boys to your little sister?" You raise a brow and he gets defensive.

"She's not little, we're exactly the same age!" He explains himself. "And I only did that once because he was a nice guy"

"Can you get me one of these?" You ask, pouting at him but jake suddenly goes awkward.

"I think you're busy right now" he says with a dying smile that gives you shivers. But you ignore that weird feeling and his weird stare

"You're stupid" Julia rolls her eyes before getting up the bed. "To your information I had a fever that day."

"Ok grandma, I'm sure you did" her brother says sarcastic. The thing with Julia is that she's never kissed a guy before and everytime jake jokes about her shyness, she gets angry.

"Fuck it... I'm going to bed" julia stands up leaving the room.

"Damn, she's mad" you murmur to yourself as you watch your friend almost slamming the door. "You shouldn't have messed with her tonight, i need her around" you whine, pushing jake by the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm still here" he protests.

"And what about it? Me and julia would spoon all night"

Jake sighs before standing up and climbing the bed. You watch in silence as he gets himself under your covers.

"Just until you fall asleep" jake justifies when you open your mouth to protest.

No matter how close you are, this is not common. You would share beds as kids or before puberty, but since Jake's voice started changing and your breasts started growing you were both too aware of the fact that you were not actually siblings. Sure you never felt or thought anything about him, you actually got sick of the idea when both your parents would make jokes about you two getting married someday. But you guess cuddling a little won't hurt anyone, specially tonight when you're feeling so lonely.

You accept his cuddle and get yourself under the covers too, feeling his arms embrace your body. It feels cozy and warm and jake is smelling like alcohol.

"You smell like my grandpa right now, pure alcohol" you whisper and he chuckles, his hot breath hitting your neck and giving you shivers

"And you smell nice" he whispers too and you suddenly get the urge to hide your expressions from him so you just force yourself to not smile. "Bryce is fucking stupid for breaking up with you" oh, there it is... you almost sigh but you hold it in, too nervous by the closeness to his body to actually move an inch.

"How'd you know he did it?" Your voice is so low that he almost can't hear you but he does anyway.

"You wouldn't be drinking and crying if you were the one to do it" jake guesses

"Let's not talk about this. I wanna forget him" you say after some awkward seconds in silence.

"Okay" he nods behind you. "Can you turn to face me?" He asks and you feel your body stiffing. You don't know if you can actually face him this close so you hesitate in your place. But then you feel his hand moving from your stomach to your waist and all of a sudden the air smells different. "Y/n" he calls you

You flip your body in one quick move and then you're face to face. You can see him even in the dark, knowing his face so well you don't need much time to recognize his expression.

"Jaeyun" you let slip your voice as he touches your waist again.

"Is it ok?" He asks massaging your skin under your shirt, squeezing it softly with his slender fingers. You nod quietly, feeling shy. "Relax, it's ok" he whispers encouraging you to close your eyes and you do it.

You close your eyes, feeling your muscles ease under his touch. You allow yourself to get comfortable in this situation, even thou there's a sound far away inside your brain yelling to you that this is not ok. Jake is not allowed. This is not an innocent act. But you choose to ignore it, you lie to yourself that this is in fact an innocent act. Until you feel his lips against your own. Until his tongue is parting its way inside your mouth. Until you're guiding your hand to hold his neck. Then you start lying to yourself that jake is allowed and that this is in fact ok.

He traces his way until he's above your body, pressing you down on the mattress with his weight, but you don't even care. He's stupidly hot right now and his mouth is doing wonders to you. Your face is heated, your body is on fire and his tongue is the only thing that can put out that fire.

You find yourself giving up of that thought at the back of your head telling to end whatever this is. Oh no, you're not doing that. You let him pull your shirt up and taste your skin, you let him suck your nipples and let him touch between your legs. In fact, you take his clothes off with your own hands when you find him taking little too long to get there. Jake himself is in awe watching the way you move so swiftly as you undress both of you.

"You're so hot" he says in a way he sounds like not even him was expecting to confess this. You look at your friend, suddenly too aware that this is the guy you've known for your whole life and had a room at your family's house. He looks at you the same way, but not feeling afraid of this fact.

His hands are now on your face and jake gets close again, his lips touching yours softly and making you forget that you are literally at your panties in bed with him. You touch his slin body, feeling with your hands the flesh you've seen only by far but feel like you know every inch of it. You've seen him shirtless around the house, by the pool, at the beach a million times, however you've never thought that he would feel so good on you.

Jake lays on top of you, wearing nothing but his boxers and everytime he presses his hips on yours, you wish this little piece of fabric would vanish.

"Jaeyun" you call him, starting to get uncomfortable with your sticky panties.

"If you keep calling me like that i will think of you like this everytime you say my name" he says as he slips his boxers away and you try to act cool about it. You wanna look at his size, you wanna see how your childhood friend actually is before he is stuffing his cock inside you for real. "What?" He notices your looks.

"This is crazy" you mumble looking at him on his knees between your open legs, hard cock and heavy balls. Not gonna lie, you're blushing.

"Still want me to do it?" He asks, running his hands smoothly on your legs. Although he is asking a question you don't feel like he is not certain of what he wants. "Please, let me do it" oh my god, you're so fucked up. Jake waits for you to say something but you actually just pull your panties down and off, opening your legs for him again.

With no words needed he gets down, face disappearing between your tights. You were not expecting this, so you are chocked when his puffy lips touches your wet cunt for the first time.

"This is crazy" you repeat yourself but this time it sounds more like a moan.

He takes this as a compliment and starts working his tongue on you, nose pressing on your clit time and time again making you almost squirm. He's moving like a feral, mouth eating your entire pussy like it was nothing, it actually makes you drip even more. But this is not what you need right now, you want him to end this madness already. All this making you so horny and it starts to feel like guilty because this should not be happening. So the sooner he fucks you, the sooner it ends.

"Please, come up" you say, poking him with a finger. Jake stands on his knees again, a little confused on why'd you stop if he knows you were feeling good. "I just want you to fuck me and end with this, ok?"

"Oh... fine" he whispers back.

You choose to do it in the same position you were cuddling earlier, his chest against you back. Jake slips his cock into you with ease and holds your upper leg open in the air so the angle is better. When he starts picking his pace you close your eyes tight. It all feels so good it's frustrating... when the bed makes a sound you look at him on alert but his stupid ass only let out a smirk and continues to fuck you.

"This is too loud" you whisper over your shoulder.

"Shut up, no one hears a thing around this house" jake sounds carefree

"How'd you know that?" you ask still scared someone will notice the noise but he doesn't give a fuck...

"My own experience" he says and holds your left boob to play with your nipple with his fingers. It makes you moan instinctively and he smiles with that.

"You're ridiculous" you sigh.

You wake up next day with your mouth dry and head feeling heavy. You did not drink enough for a hangover but still... you guess that wine is just not for you. Then you notice you're fully naked and your underwear is on the ground together with the rest of your clothes. That's when you recall. Jake was here, he has been on this bed and now is somewhere in the house acting innocent around your families. As if he hasn't spend half the night making you moan and squirm over his veiny cock. Oh your head hurts just by the thought...

You get up the bed to get ready for breakfast although probably everybody else have already eaten. So you take a quick shower and get dressed before swallowing your shame and walking downstairs. It's 10pm, your moms are watching tv in the living room with julia and dads are on the kitchen preparing some fishing equipment with jake.

"Good morning, sweetheart" your dad greets you and you smile at him before looking at jake at the counter. He eyes you back as if he's about to say out loud for everyone to hear that he fucked you last night.

"What" he mimics with his mouth over to you and you roll back your eyes. Jake chuckles then goes back to ignoring you.

You go to the fridge and prepare yourself something for breakfast then walk back to the living room to stay with the girls. Julia was making bracelets so you join her after eating your bowl of cereal.

"Who's fishing today?" Julia's dad enters the living room. He was talking to you girls as you always join them when they go fishing on boat, but today you're not really interested in sitting on a limited space with jake.

"I am" julia says standing up quickly. She looks at you, waiting for your excited words too. And when your moms both look at you too you feel pressured.

"I am" you say as you stand up.

Five of you walk out the house, jake approaches you and leaves a bucket on your hand.

"You're doing nothing" he says annoyingly before leaving to walk ahead of you. You wanna start throwing fist right there but you suddenly remember the sound of his whimper and you freeze on place.

This was driving you crazy. Everytime someone looked at you was like they knew what you did and everytime jake would say something was like he was bragging about it. But in fact... no one knows, only you two. And maybe this was even worse considering that jake was the type to act dramatically mysterious when he had a secret. You were doomed.

The group finally gather inside the boat and your dad starts the engines to get it to the middle of the lake. Julia and jake both sit beside you and it makes you nervous again. You look at the view on his side, just as excuse to see him at your panoramic view and he looks as normal as ever. Not carefree, nor mysterious, nor like he's plotting something, not even stressed like you.

"What you looking at?" he asks cockingly but with a smirk after he notice his sister walking away from you. And when you take a bit to respond he leans more to you and whisper in your ear "bet you're thinking about me naked" oh great now your face is red. He is laughing when you face him again and it makes it all even worse. Not that you were thinking of him naked, but was it necessary to out you like that?

"Can you not say stuff like that around everyone?" You whisper back with a serious face and jake starts acting innocent again which is common but still annoying. "I'm being serious, this shouldn't have happened" and that's when his face changes.

"So you regret last night?" He asks with his voice low.

"What the fuck do you think?" You're whispering to him but avoiding eye contact at this point "stop trying to tease me, it won't work" you tell him and leave to sit next to julia on the bow.

For the next two hours you avoid talking or even looking at him. Which is difficult, almost impossible, but you try anyway. And when your dad finally calls it a day to get back to the house, you're feeling drained. You knew it was going to be exhausting to be around people after the breakup but you never thought jake would be the reason.

This stupid guy who you've seen eating nose snot is now looking at you like he would open your bra with the power of his mind only if he could and for the first time in your life this is a real problem. Getting railed is a problem.

[thatoneautisticshark]

I'M BACK AGAIN

Okay so in response to you saying "Simon thinking he was being sooooooo flirty, but it's shit" it made me think about his flirting in general.

Simon's sense of humor is already something that most people wouldn't get and the rest groan at and try to hide that they find it funny.

I think Simon would 100000000% just SUCK BALLLLLS when it comes to flirting like he's so fucjing bad at it. He either says smth and they think he's being kinda creepy ("You used a different shampoo today, it smells nice") or dropping morbid scary facts (totally not projecting)("the epidermis layer of the skin isn't attached to any blood major blood vessels. If you skin someone alive carefully enough, they'll die of dehydration before they do of blood loss" trying to seem cool and smart) or maybe he says smth more normal but he's got that dead face and those intense eyes that make it look like he's glaring and the monotone voice and people think he's gonna kill them.

But Johnny fuckin MacTavish. That little freak!!!!!! It works. Of course Simon's God awful flirting would work! Johnny's a freak! I like to think he's a lil pyrophiliac or smth sometimes, he's kinky! But also, he just understands what Simon's trying to get across bc he knows Simon better than anyone else! People always say they can never tell what Ghost is thinking but Ghost just has to send one look Soap's way and Soap already knows that Ghost wants a specific brand of tea and a fucking biscuit or smth else ridiculously specific.

And it baffles the rest of 141 the way Soap reads Ghost so easily and how Soap blushes at Ghost's weird ass flirting. Bc what do you mean Soap is getting all hot and bothered over Ghost talking about how long it takes to strange someone to death or smth like that 😭🤣

Ghost doesn't even have to say anything he just walks into a room and Soap already knows. Call Soap the Ghost Whisperer from now on!!! It comes in real handy anytime Ghost goes nonverbal bc he's stressed out the wazoo

This is Ghost lookikg at Soap and Soap knowing that Ghost is craving *insert the most ungodly specific and random thing here* more than oxygen itself.

yes. Yup. Cannon now because I say so. Not quite sure how to make it into a fic,so you get more like little prices of it.

Soap genuinely believed Ghost was mute for the first three weeks, then He randomly spoke, and Soap was like. Okay then.

After mission, Ghost is obviously stressed and not doing well and non of the team knows what to do. Ghost just stares at Soap for five seconds, and Soap grabs his keys. "I'm going to get Simon banana milk brainwaves and KFC Fry's, anyone want anything?" And the team is going... What the fuck?

On their one month anniversary Ghost gifted soap a giant plushie spider that Soap keeps above his bed and it terrifies Gaz.

Ghosts flirting is facts. Like he tells soap about how, female hyenas have a pseudo penis, and it rips during birth. And Soap just goes. Good for them mate.

Ghost is either rambling or mute and soap loves him either way.

His observations of little things is so endearing to Soap. "You washed your hair". "your shoes are polished" "That's a new toothpaste." It also comes in useful when soap is injured because Ghost spots in a millisecond.

Freaky under the cut. Also TW Murder

The first time they fuck is in a storage cupboard on a mission, because Soap seeing Ghost slit a clean line down someone's throat to their dick got him going. (He is fucked up okay)

Soap blows up a base, and ghost is giving him bedroom eyes.

Soap has a much shorter mohawk for a while, because while palying with fire in the bedroom they set it on fire.

On days they are both horny, but Ghost isn't up for touch, Soap has sucked off ghosts gun, with the saftey off.

[voidangxls]

ˋ°•*⁀➷ Secret Admirer pt:2 ʚ♡ɞ

╰┈➤ a part of my valentines special!

pairings(s)- JJ Maybank x reader

Summary- Your secret admirer is still going, it was just days before Valentine’s Day and you needed to know who the person is behind these anonymous letters.

category- fluff

warnings- timeline is before s1, use of y/n, pining, not proofread

word count: 2380

masterlist; valentines special; obx masterlist

- part 1

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

It had been a couple of days and it was still going on. Every morning when you would open your locker you would be met with an envelope. It has been a fee days since the first one you received but each one was just as sweet as the last, if not sweeter.

With your shoes hitting the ground, you walk the path from the school doors to your locker. Opening your locker you were met with the expecting presence of a white envelope falling out and at your feet, yet this time there were flowers attached.

You reach down and grasp the envelope between your fingers. This time it was a plain white envelope with a couple of hand picked flowers attached to the seal by tape. A smile graces your face, this was the first time flowers have been attached.

Just like always you look around the hall around you, seeing if you could spot your secret admirer. Looking around you see someone quickly turn their body around so their back would be facing you. With confusion etched on your face your eyebrows furrow and examine him.

JJ Maybank

Thats who you were looking at right now, you could tell just by the back of him. Surely he wasn’t your secret admirer, right? No, JJ Maybank is the ladies man of Outer Banks, no way in hell would he ever do something romantic like this, especially keeping it up for this long. You push the thought of JJ to the back of your mind and face your locker, gently pulling the flowers off.

Once you had pulled the flowers off of the envelope, the tape pulling with it. You tape the flowers onto the inside door of your locker and proceed with opening the note.

‘I use to say my favorite thing to look at was the sunset, but I take that back. It’s definitely you. I hope you liked the flowers, don’t have money for real ones right now. Hopefully one day I will grow the balls to actually talk to you princess, I could actually do something about these crazy feelings’

secret boy :)

You bite your lip and look down at the note in your hands, unable to contain your smile. Tomorrow was Valentine’s day and honestly you were scared these notes would end when the holiday passes, you looked forward to them and they were the best part of your day, you hoped they wouldn’t end. But truthfully you just wanted to know who it was behind all of this.

Tucking the letter into your backpack you then head to class, smile unable to be wiped from your face.

Just like every day before today since you have been getting the notes you looked around and inspected your classrooms, trying your best to figure out who your secret admirer is. You have yet to concoct something, you had absolutely no idea who the one writing these notes are.

JJ’s pov:

I was sitting at one of the many lunch tables in the cafeteria. The only reason I ever stuck around this long for a school day was either A. because of Pope and Kiara or recently B. Y/n.

If I was being quite honest, I don’t know how she hasn’t picked up on the fact the love letters are me. I feel like Ive been very noticeable with my ogling, unless she was ignoring it. Maybe she knew it was me but was ignoring the fact that it was, what if she’s disappointed that i’m the one sending her letters? what if shes disgusted by me? But she smiles at the notes every morning. I don’t know but i’m kinda stressed and honestly quite frankly pretty very down bad.

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of Pope’s voice “dude, what are you thinking about?” he asks, directed towards JJ. The boy in question jumps slightly in his seat and looks over at Pope. “Jeez! nothing, I’m not thinkin bout nothin.” he tries to defend himself, looking down at his tray

“your future wife just walked in” John B cuts in, nudging his head in the direction of his eyes before Pope could get another word out.

JJ quickly turns around, looking in the direction John B’s eyes are looking. When he does he was met with your beautiful self walking through the lunchroom doors and taking a seat at one of the many tables, somewhat close to the table he was currently sat at.

“funny how you knew exactly who he was talking about” Pope leans forward onto the table, looking at JJ with a mocking smile.

JJ goes to rebuttal but is cut off by a groan. “you still haven’t talked to her?” Kiara asks in annoyance, looking towards the blonde boy with slight confusion. JJ never had a problem with girls, never had a problem approaching them either, you were different.

Once again the blonde boy goes to defend himself but this time John B speaks up before him ��He’s too pussy” he teases, looking strictly at JJ

“I am not” he scoffs defensively

“oh really?” Kiara dryly responds

“yeah right” Pope scoffs a slight laugh, looking down at his food and beginning to eat.

“then go do it” John B says, leaning onto the table with a smirk while looking at JJ

“what?” JJ repeats, confused

“if you’re not to scared, go talk to her” John B shrugs

JJ takes a deep breath and looks between all of his friends expecting expressions one by one. “I cant do it” he groans and after his words so do all of his friends

“Dude” John B and Pope complain in unison

“pussy” Kiara coughs

Back to 3rd person pov:

It was lunchtime and you were sitting down at one of the lunch tables with a couple of your friends, unknowingly not that far from your secret admirers table where he sat with his friends.

Time was going by and conversation with your friends hadn’t lessened, you just weren’t completely locked it. You couldn’t help but zone out every now and then. During one odd your zone outs you feel the presence of eyes on you, you look around and spot JJ Maybanks blue eyes staring at you a couple of tables away, his body turned to the side so he could look at you.

He flashes you a quick smile but before you had the chance to return it he was already turning back around and looking towards his friends. You then noticed all of his friends look at you once he was turned around

weird

Your eyebrows furrow, he seemed nervous. Why would JJ Maybank be nervous? You then move your eyes away from him and back to your friends, trying to focus in on their conversation.

It was now the last class of the day and you were annoyed just like the multiple days before, you still had no clue who it was sending you the love letters and at this point you didn’t think you ever would. You look around the classroom and see once again JJ Maybank, this time he wasn’t looking at you, he was looking down at his hands. You’re confused but you continue to watch him, he was looking down at one of his hands while the other picked at it.

The bell then rung, causing you to jump from your seat slightly and Maybank looks up quickly.

You quickly got up from your seat and walked towards him. When you got to his desk he was standing up and looking putting his notebook back into his back. “hi” you speak up from next to him

JJ quickly turns to you in shock, his eyes wide and his body freezing. “what?” he utters. A smile creeps onto your face and you repeat yourself “I said Hi”

“oh, oh right Hey” JJ says, leaning onto the desk with his hands but quickly taking them off with a slight almost unnoticeable hiss. You look down at his hands in confusion.

“can I see?” you ask gently, reaching your hands out for his

The boys face is still the same as when he first turned to you, he tilts his head at your words and look down at you in shock. “my hands?” he utters, you nod with a slight upturn of your lips. He puts his hands into yours gently, seemingly nervous.

You pull his hands up closer to your face, palm up and inspect them. When you looked closely at his hands you could see a couple of thorns in them. Thorns? like flowers, you received flowers this morning, could it really be JJ who was behind the letters? You look up at him with a smile “I got tweezers in my car, I can help you” you suggest.

JJ is looking down at you in shock and after a moment he breaks out of his trance, a smile forming on his face. “lead the way princess” he says, his hands pulling away from yours. It was definitely him. He grabs his bag and follows you out to your car. What neither of you knew was that the pogues had been watching the interaction with smirks and smiles on their faces, all of them happy the boy finally got to talk to you, even if he didn’t make the first move.

The two of you arrive at your car, you getting into your drivers seat and him sitting in your passenger seat. Once your tweezers are in your hand you pull his hand closer to you, resting on the console between the two of you. Your thumb was gently rubbing the inside of his wrist while you pluck the thorns from his skin. “thank you” JJ speaks up softly.

You look up from his hands and smile at him “you’re welcome” you respond just as softly as he spoke.

Time had passed and you were now all finished plucking the thorns from his hands. You put the tweezer back into its bag in your console and look up at him “it’s you, isn’t it?” you ask him

JJ’s smile drops slightly and his eyes widen a little. “what?” he asks

“the one sending me the letters, is it you?” you repeat

He stares at you for a moment, bewildered. After the two of you just staring at each other JJ finally sighs, his shoulders dropping as well. “yeah. Yeah it’s me” He says, looking down at his lap and fiddling with his fingers.

“thank you, they’ve been making my day” you tell him and he looks up at you with his own smile. “I would love for you to take me out, like a date. If you want of course” you say

JJ sits up straighter “are you kidding? of course I want to take you on a date. Uh um Im getting paid next week if you wanna”

You smile at him wider “I was thinking right now. You don’t have to take me on some extravagant date, it doesn’t have to involve money at all. I just want to get to know the person who has been saying these nice things about me.” you respond

JJ’s smile gets bigger if possibly and he looked at you with a smirk “well then princess, can I drive your car then?” he asks

You take a deep breath and look at him in concern, but the smile still very well on your face. “Am I going to regret this?” you ask

“never” he responds, getting out of the car. You follow his lead and step outside of the car, switching his spots so he would now be the one driving.

The drive was calm, the two of talking about your days. In your surprise JJ wasn’t a bad driver, thank god. When JJ stops the car he had pulled up at the beach. Both of you get out of the car and meet on the sand.

You guys walk along the beach together, talking about any and everything. “yknow, I meant everything I said in those notes” JJ says, hands in his pockets while he looks over at you nervously. You look over at him with a smile “Well thats good, i’m glad because it was all very sweet. My favorite part of the day honestly.” you respond

As the day went on between the two of you, you guys felt as if you have known each other for ages. It was so easy to talk to the other, you guys were laughing and you were serious and your hands would brush together when you guys walked side by side.

“thank you, this was really nice” you say softly, looking at him with a smile.

He turns to you with a wide smile “I just cant believe you made the first move and not me”

Your smile turns into a smirk as you look at him, walking in front of him and turning your body towards him so you were now talking backwards. “well you are a chicken” you remark

JJ raises his eyebrows at you “take it back” he responds

You shake your head no and suddenly break out into a sprint. JJ had begun to chase you along the beach, the two of you were in hysterics as he chased you. After a moment he finally caught you and threw you over his shoulder.

The sun was now starting to set. JJ had you over his shoulder as you laughed and told him to put you down. He walked the two of you closer to the shore as you guys laughed. The both of you sit down, your feet gently being hit by the water as you guys sit side by side and watch the sunset. His hand moves over and interlocks with yours.

Both of you turn and face each other, smile on your face unable to be wiped away. You stared at each others faces for a moment and both of you leaned in, interlocking your lips with the others in a gentle kiss beneath the sunset.

JJ couldn’t mess this up, he finally got the girl

and you finally found out who it was behind the letters. Happy Valentines to you.

a/n: This is the end of my Valentines day special!! This is my first ever writings on Tumblr ever and I would like to say i’m decently proud of everything I wrote. Thank you to everyone who liked and read anything of what I wrote. Happy Valentines!!💕

[bloodyinkandquill]

Phighting x Reader Valentine’s day special

IF TEXT IS IN RED ITS NSFW OR SUGGESTIVE

sorry for my disappearance, executive dysfunction, the day this will be posted (valentines duh) i’ll be flying out to spend two days with my partner 💜 im so excited to see them i love them so much hehehe, anyways same idea as christmas one what do the phighters do to celebrate valentine’s with you?

Sword:

- I picture him as someone who doesn’t go quite all out he still wants to do something nice for you. He’d get you a bouquet of whatever your favorite flowers are and in your favorite color too (if they grow in that color). If they’re roses he definitely cut his finger on them, he’s a little stupid but you love him. While not insanely fancy or expensive he takes you out for dinner as well, he didn’t consider making a reservation so hopefully wherever he planned has room. He gets you a super cheesy card but writes a super sweet message in it which makes up for an eye-rollingly cheesy card.

- He might wanna but he honestly doesn’t care either way, if you want to he’s absolutely down, if not he’s not going to be sad. So it’s your call.

Skateboard:

- He forgets about Valentine’s until like, the day of or before if you’re lucky. So you either get a very hastily bought gift of some chocolates, or him lying that he’s waiting till after to get the discount chocolates. You see through him but laugh and go along with it. To make it up to you he says whatever you wanna do for a date he’s down, as long as it’s not too too expensive.

- Bro is taking you to pound town. Or if you’d rather take him to pound town he’s okay with that too. Those were his exact words, while he didn’t/doesn’t do anything extravagant for Valentine’s he is definitely down for some Valentine’s sex. It’s nothing specifically Valentine’s exclusive but he does want to do it for the literal holiday of love.

Biograft:

- Similarly to Christmas he has the dictionary definition of the holiday but it doesn’t know much outside of that. But similarly to everything else he would love you to explain the tradition to him more, especially in your own words and opinions. Since it doesnt really grasp the concept of gift giving you don’t have to give him anything and it might not get your anything, obviously if you wanna give him something he’s not going to say no. And if you tell it that you want something special he’ll get it for you.

- Apologies I don’t do NSFW Biograft stuff.

Katana:

- He would unironically call it a corporate holiday, he’s that kinda guy. He is absolutely not against celebrating it he just doesn’t understand why such a big deal is made out of this day in particular, especially since in his words ‘I love you everyday why do I have to show it to you today specifically?’ If you want to celebrate it he’ll get you something small, and take you out on a date, somewhere secluded though since he doesn’t want to deal with the big crowds of Valentine’s day.

- He doesn’t care either way, it’s up to you honestly, since he doesn’t care much for Valentine’s it’s not anything he specifically wants to do. He will though he has no problem with it.

Ban Hammer:

- Gets you the most big obnoxious gift possible, especially just to embarrass you. Like big ass teddy bear and a big bouquet. He’s a dork but he’s your dork. Unfortunately he probably has to work for some amount of time because criminals don’t care that it’s Valentine’s so oh well you suppose. To make it up to you he takes you out to a really really nice restaurant, no reservations, he’ll just use his power of being the warden to get them to give you two a table. And dinners on him get whatever you want, he’s got the bux for it.

- Oh absolutely, he could barely contain himself during dinner, while nothing unique about it he just wants to since it’s Valentine’s and he wants to ‘show his love for you’ (like he hasn’t already.)

Rocket:

- He gets you something obnoxious as well, big stuffed animal but not specifically a Valentine’s themed stuffed animal just a big one, maybe a shark or axolotl, who knows. You spend the day together at his place, lounging around, watching shows, making meals together, even if he’s a hazard to any kitchen he enters. It’s sweet and he’s very cuddly and clingy, more so than usual. Might get you a card, if anything it’s homemade and actually really nice, he hates saying sappy stuff but he can put up with writing it down.

- You’re at his place all day, probably spending the night. What do you think? 100% dude, it doesn’t even have to be exclusively at night or even in the evening, you’re there all day he might wanna when you’re both just chilling on the couch watching TV.

Slingshot:

- One of the busiest days possible for his cafe, so you probably won’t be able to see him that day, you celebrate on a neighboring day. He bakes you a pastry you really like specifically customized to be Valentine’s themed, hearts and pink and red type of thing. Gives them to you in a heart shaped box to top it all off. As for what you do when you do celebrate I think he’d take you on a picnic, makes all the food, especially homemade bread to make sandwiches with and obviously pastries galore. Somewhere sunny and green.

- Yeah, he wants to say I love you in as many ways as possible, one of those being making love to you. He might make a special pastry to get you both in the mood if you catch my drift, he tells you about it though it’s nothing you don’t know about.

Hyperlaser:

- He’s got work basically everyday, that includes Valentine’s day. He also doesn’t see much of a point to it, he thinks it’s over the top and pointless. He’s alright if you want to do something but he doesn’t really want to, and doesn’t plan anything, and unless you specifically ask he doesn’t get you something. He’s not that much of the romantic type, like a at all. Sorry you knew what you were in for when dating him.

- Doesn’t particularly want to, he’s not a low libido so it’s only if you really want to. It’s not that he doesn’t want to specifically he just doesn’t have much desire to.

Shuriken:

- Again one of the busiest days for the cafe, he doesn’t have much of a chance to see you. So similarly to Slingshot he instead ops to celebrate on a different day. He doesn’t really care what you do as long as you spend the day together, and he has some way to show off, he’s a bit dumb but he wants to impress you as much as possible. Gets you something Slingshot baked, probably pesters him into making you something specific.

- Again only if you want to, he could but he’s not specifically wanting to. Not to say he’s against it but after work tires him out he doesn’t have that much energy to get freaky with.

Scythe:

- She is going to make it a day to remember that’s for sure. Robs the nicest bar she can find for the nicest alcohol one can steal. Takes you on a fancy ass date, probably held the place at gun point to get in without reservations but it’s Scythe what else do you expect from her? Gets you an expensive gift to top it off, she’s got expensive tastes what can she say? Also don’t worry if you can’t get her something, she is absolutely alright being gifted something else.

- Once you get home from the dinner there is fucking rose petals making a trail to the bedroom, and oh my gods if she’s rough or intense normally crank that up to fucking 13. Bed is covered in rose petals but there’s only a 60% chance you make it to the bed before she fucking jumps you. Again if you didn’t get her anything she says seeing your blissed out almost passed out face more then makes up for it, it was the part she was most looking forwards to. Hope you didn’t have plans for the day after, she is not holding anything back.

Medkit:

- On the complete opposite side of the coin he makes no big deal out of it. While he doesn’t do nothing per se it’s nowhere near fancy or extravagant. Scythe might make him work too, so he’ll probably just take you out for a nice-ish dinner. Gets you something small but meaningful, no card or flowers, he writes enough for the cult- I mean church, and he thinks flowers as a gift is pointless, they wilt and die rather quickly so why bother?

- He’s tired but if anything does any up happening it’s very slow and sensual, he normally is but he wants it to be especially so for the day of love. It’s definitely making love rather than just having sex and definitely not pure fucking.

Boombox:

- Bro 100% writes you a personalized love song, he probably doesn’t even release it it’s for you and you only, not for anyone else. He also gets you your favorite candy, a big bag of it.

(sorry these are probably getting shorter ive been up since 5:30 for my flight. i’m about to pass the fuck out)

- Yeah, he wants to for sure. Probably does something cheesy with it though, rose in his teeth on the bed, he then bursts out laughing and ruins any mood he was trying to set. But oh well you still do it and it’s nice. He’s always pretty sweet in bed and especially so with it being Valentine’s.

Subspace:

- Doesn’t have the day off since holidays aren’t big in Blackrock, but he’ll do stuff before and after he leaves. He orders takeout from your favorite breakfast place to have together before he leaves. When he gets back he gives you your gift, what does he get you? Sorry no clue again i’m about to pass out. Oh well it’s nice and nothing obnoxious or something you’ll never use, it’s practical but nice and sweet.

- Probably, as long as it’s not a bad pain day for his rot, if it is he’s huffy and puffy because he wants to have sex but his condition is getting in the way. Just kiss him repeatedly and he’ll melt and will stop complaining. If you do though he will be more intense with it then usual, not that hes normally gentle by any means, but he was probably pent up during work thinking about it so he’s basically pouncing on you as soon as he returns home, whenever that is.

Vinestaff:

- Once again, cafe is busy as hell so you’ll celebrate on a different day. She gets you a vase of beautiful flowers she grew herself, she grew and cared for them for weeks in preparation, taking even better care of them than usual. And that’s saying something considering it’s Vinestaff. You go out for brunch somewhere not fancy but definitely nice and maybe a tad pricey but it’s alright. Also she gives you, so so, many kisses all day, you’re going to be scrubbing off lipstick for like 5 minutes straight. Not that you’re complaining.

- I sound like a broken record but if you want to she’s absolutely down, but isn’t specifically looking forward to it, she could take it or leave it.

Coil:

- Gifts you something really nice he stole from a Blackrock noble, and a thing of assorted chocolates. He’s more boastful then usual but you know it’s because he loves you and wants compliments from you in return, he absolutely compliments you as well don’t get it confused, he just is also being more self complimentary then normal. Definitely doesn’t do a card, loving words are not his forte but oh well.

- Oh without a doubt you’re fucking on Valentine’s. Doesn’t even have to be at night he’s raring to go anywhere you happen to be, and do not expect him to be sweet and gentle during it, he is the hellhound he’s going at it like an animal. But he’s super sweet and caring afterwards don’t worry.

im so fucking tired i’m going to post this and then hopefully pass out, i also kinda need to pee but the seatbelt sign is on </3 , anyways happy valentine’s everyone have a great day and hope you enjoyed!

[maladyinpink]

🔊 RAINY DAY SOIRÉE ♥︎♠︎- Haz/bin Ho/tel Wav - ♡-Day Special

Projects will always be strictly AI FREE.

Hi All!...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I'm nervous as hell but excited to share my first wav, this Established Husker/Dust Special, with you guys! ART PAGE/MAKING OF

RAINY DAY SOIRÉE - An/gel Du/st comes home from the studio in a hellstorm to find poor Hu/sk, snuggled up with Fat Nuggets and coming down with a cold in his muzzle. The spider affectionately takes care of his bartender beau, but not without catching it himself...Lil vignettes of Husker/dust's shared sick day and soft caretaking.

CW: Long depiction of shared illness, breathy vocal build-ups, loud deep cold sneezing, contagion, higher pitched cold sneezing fits, snotty/honked nose blowing, dry coughing, snzart visuals, blessing, kissing, emotional comfort, spoilers for the Great Gatsby and lots of fluff.

Script, if you guys want to read along, is below...Enjoy!

~ Love, Pink

♥︎♠︎ - Rainy Day Soirée - Script.

(Scene 1 - ANGEL DUST enters the front door of the Hotel in one of the Pride Ring's thundering hellstorms under his Pink umbrella. It's early evening and the lobby is suspiciously empty.)

ANGEL: *Shudders* It's wetter than dick out there!...Shit…Hello? Anybody home?

(Hanging up his coat, ANGEL heads upstairs and unlocks the door to the room he shares with...)

ANGEL: Husk…Honey?...You in here?-

(He's greeted by Fat Nuggets! The hell-hog scampers off the bed and across the floor to see his Daddy at the door)

ANGEL: Hey! My Sweet Boy!...Lookat'chu Bastards, you an' Papa havin' a snuggle, without me…Traitors.

(Yawning deeply, HUSK is still waking up, grumbling to himself about being woken up by a pig and stretching just like an Old man should. ANGEL coos to Fat Nuggets.)

ANGEL: Uh-Oh…Did we wake Papa?...Yeah, we woke Papa…(then to HUSK) Hi, Baby.

HUSK: (Just noticing his partner, tilts his head) Hm- Hey Legs…Damn, y'home early?

ANGEL: Yeah, just pick up shots today (Not really, by pick up shots, he means his scene partner picked him up and pinned him against the wall, he doesn't want HUSK to worry though.)

HUSK: (always concerned when it comes to the studio, but doesn't want to press ANGEL) Oh…um…Y'okay?

ANGEL: (Can't lie, sadly, but tries to reassure) Just uh…the usual...B-But I'm okay, m'fine. (Starts to laugh and ramble)...Actually, it was kinda funny…Long story short, the last scene- Val wants to get the climax again…and again…AND again. What a set of pipes on the poor motherfucker, screamin' to high heaven!...But, uh- Val got called into a meetin' with Vox, thank god…Shoot got cut short an'...Well, most workin' wanted to head home before the storm got bad…

(He trails off...Usually HUSK would respond somehow...ANGEL notices HUSK scrunching up his muzzle and squeezing the bridge of his nose with two fingers, as if he's in pain. He tenderly approaches.)

ANGEL: S-shit…Are you okay?...You ain't lookin' so hot.

(HUSK waves ANGEL off)

HUSK: M'fine…S'just a headache…

ANGEL: (know's he's been given bullshit) N-No No, there's somethin' else…Whaddya not tellin' me…Whaddya hung over?-

HUSK: HUH'ETSH'SHOO!

(ANGEL startles at the intense sneeze and Nuggets squeals, running under the bed. HUSK sniffles and wiggles and clicks his muzzle.)

ANGEL: Jesus!...Honey?! What the fuck was that?!

HUSK: (out of breath, and a little flustered.) Whew, Sorry…'Scuse me…Didn't mean to scare ya.

ANGEL: Next time warn a gal…It's just, heh-…Y'never do that…Come to think of it, I don't think I've heard ya so much as sniffle before?

HUSK: W-whaddya talkin' 'bout…Everyone…(Trails off) S-s-s…..sn-...Sneezes…

ANGEL: (scoffs) Yeah?...Not like that…

HUSK: HEH'ISHH'HOooo!

ANGEL: (starts laughing and mimics Husk's low growly sneeze) Achoooo!

HUSK: Oho! Y'think that's funny?...Laugh it up, Smartass…L-laugh…Hhhh- Goddamni-EH'RTSH'SHOO!...Motherfucker.

ANGEL: (still laughing, but sympathetic) It's…a little funny….Bless you!..H-honey, are you okay?

HUSK: Figures…Now I'm gettin' a cold, now that the seasons pickin' up.

ANGEL: Aww, my poor baby...That's why y'closed up shop so early, huh?

HUSK: Charlie said I was lookin' a lil…hhh… hhh...Peaky…Shit wasn't my choice.

(HUSK lets out a raspy sounding cough and leans back to monstrously sneeze again.)

HUSK: AH'RKK'HOOO!

ANGEL: Ah, Salute! Here…Blow the Thompson on the end of your face hon. (He offers a tissue box from the nightstand)

HUSK: …Thank you baby…(into tissue) AH'ITSH'IUUU…Ugh, Christ…

ANGEL: (unable to keep from laughing, lovingly mocks again with similar inflection)...B-B-Bless you!

HUSK: Very funny Ange…Real fuckin' hilarious…Alright, C'mere y'little shit!

(HUSK starts to tickle ANGEL's arms. The couple both start laughing.)

ANGEL: No!...No…I'm sorry!…H-Honey that tickles!...

HUSK: (growls playfully) I gotcha!

(Both laugh)

ANGEL: Husk!...Husk, Uncle!

HUSK: (listens, satisfied) Hm…That's whatcha get sweetheart.

ANGEL: (fondly) You're a sadist…M'sorry y'sick honey… (leans down and plants a kiss on the top of the cat's head, then notices a book in his paw) …Hey, whatcha readin'?

HUSK: …Gatsby (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald)

ANGEL: Ooh, t-that one…Uh…(suddenly a little embarassed, nervously laughs)...Y'know, s'funny…I ain't never read it?

HUSK: Sweetheart, you've never read The Great Gatsby?

ANGEL: I know, I know…S'crime against literature or somethin'...Y-you tell me, if y'think I'da had time between all the heists n' highs for a few chapters

HUSK: Y'got time now, don'tcha? (Sniffles) Why don't we read it together?

ANGEL: (hopeful) Really?

HUSK: Yeah!...I mean…I've read it a hudred times, but….I'd love to see it through your eyes.

ANGEL: Alright, babycakes…But uh, blow y'muzzle first, I can hear ya, gettin' all stuffy.

(HUSK honks a hefty blow into a tissue. Key word being honk.)

ANGEL: Alright, Mother Goose! D'ya wanna start the story or should I?

HUSK: I ain't got the energy to put up with this shit, dickhead…

ANGEL: Alright, Jackass! I'll take care of it, just listen to the Soothing sounds of my voice...

(He clears his throat and starts the book.

♥︎♠︎

(Scene 2 - The next time we see the pair…It's the next morning. ANGEL is in bed and is woken by a loud nose blow and growly bellowed sneezes coming from the bathroom. ANGEL stretches and cranes his neck to look at the bathroom door.

ANGEL: (called out) Bless you!

(The bathroom door opens and a pathetic looking bartender enters, looking exausted.)

HUSK: M'sorry, did I wake you?

ANGEL: Oh baby, nonsense!...You can't help that. You're sick….(clears his throat, still waking, hesitates to ask)...Uh, how's the head?

(HUSK just deeply coughs and raises his eyebrow at the wording. Anyway, ANGEL already knows the answer.)

ANGEL: Y'know what- …don't answer that, uh…I'm gonna go downstairs an' make us some tea.

HUSK: (childlike, pleading eyes)...With bourbon?

ANGEL: (Agreeing) With. Bourbon.

(ANGEL fiddles with the kettle in the kitchen, filling it up with water, putting it on the stove, turning on the burner…He feels something creeping up.)

ANGEL: Heht'ktsh'iew!...Damn…Niffty needs to dust 'round here.

(He hears the door creak open and feels something ELSE creeping up. Needless to say, it's not HUSK.)

ANGEL: Oh, honey?...It's okay, I got it under control you can just go back to bed.

ALASTOR: …Are you quite sure?

(ANGEL startles and rolls his eyes once he sees ALASTOR, but politely replies and resumes watching the kettle.)

ANGEL: Yeah...G'mornin' to you too, Al.

ALASTOR: My my! Someone's broadening their palate!...It's rather funny, usually you'd be schmoozing a mimosa out of our esteemed bartender…But here you are! Making…what smells to be a morning cuppa of chammomile- Or a double. How domestic…What's the occasion?

(ANGEL keeps his reply short, cold and brisk. He's never liked how AL treats his boyfriend and knows AL probably already is well aware, but wants the satisfaction.)

ANGEL: Well our esteemed bartender is playin' hooky today, he's got a real bad cold…(then realizes he can use this to his advantage) Y'don't wanna risk gettin' it Al, y'should probably keep away…like far far away.

ALASTOR: (Sees right through) Come now Angel, you can rest assured that I have no desire to hang around such pestilence. But I also trust that you'll inform Husker of his responsibilities and how he'll be making up for lost time…(He presses the laugh track on his staff)...I must say, I never took you as the caretaking type.

ANGEL: (Ignores the bite, sighs fondly) Well, someone's gotta take care of the big lug…(then bites) Lord know's you won't…Eet'Tschuu!

ALASTOR: (knowingly) Well! Seems as though pot just met kettle, and with that, I'll be on my merry way…(darkly) Seems as though disgusting affections are in the air…among other things.

(In an instant, AL leaves and the kettle begins to screech. ANGEL growls to himself in Italian.)

ANGEL: Stronzo di Fragole!…Hhh…Aat'tshew!

(Back upstairs in ANGEL's room, ANGEL sets the tray with two mugs and another box of tissues down on the bed and sits down.)

ANGEL: (tenderly) Here ya go, Babycakes. Careful, it's hot.

HUSK: (coughs sleepily)...Thank you, Sweetheart.

ANGEL: D'aww, you are welcome!...So uh, where did we leave off?

HUSK: (coughs) Page 41, the big party.

ANGEL: Okay…'I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house'-…'Scuse me…Sorry…Heh…Heh…Ih!…Ihh'eck'iew!...Heh'ish'uu!

HUSK: (chuckling) Uh-oh…Bless you!...Tissue?

ANGEL: Yeah I'b…I'm fine, Honey…Thanks…(tries to start reading) 'I belie- (sputters and coughs)...

HUSK: (gently) Are you okay?

ANGEL: (insistant)…I'm okay! 'I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house…I believe I was-' (takes a deep breath, he is feeling awful and…is about to sneeze again)...Shit-

HUSK: (worried) Angel?

ANGEL: Eh…Eh- Sorry, I'm…I'm godda sneeze!...IT'Tshuu!...Its'Shhh-Oh fuck me sideways!

HUSK: Bless you…Are y'sure you're okay?

ANGEL: I'm fide?….heh…I'm fide.

HUSK: (smirks) Uh-huh, okay…5…4…3…2-

ANGEL: ahh'eeehhhehh'heh!-...ISH'UU!...aghih hhhdihh…ICK'HIUU!

HUSK: Bless you, Sweetheart.

ANGEL: (long sniffle, finally admits)...Baby?...I think I'm catching ya sniffles.

HUSK: (sarcastically) Really, y'don't say?…

ANGEL: Hht'tsh'iuu!

HUSK: (chuckles fondly)...Bless you…Y'know, this isn't how I imagined we'd spend our first day off together.

ANGEL: (coughs) Me neither…(blows his nose) Thought we'd have a glamorous date…Night out on the town…Er- somthin'...

HUSK: Well, we can still do that…With Daisy, Nick an' Gatsby…What's more glamourous than a grand soiree?

(ANGEL blows his nose again, a loud honk)

ANGEL: (sarcastically, glumly) Oh yeah, Honey…Real Glamourous.

(HUSK tries to think of a way to cheer up Angel and gets an idea.)

HUSK: Hold that thought…

ANGEL: Husk?…Whatcha doin'?

(HUSK gets up and starts to mess around with ANGEL's record player. Looking through the collection of vinyls, he finds one that they'd both enjoy. Glenn Miller's 'Chatanooga Choo Choo' starts playing and HUSK starts to sway and kick his feet a little, then does a little Charleston step.)

ANGEL: What are you doin'...Are you…dancin'?

HUSK: Eh…How's that for Glamour?…'Scuse me, sir?

ANGEL: (laughs) Who me?

HUSK: Couldn't help but notice…Y'seem a bit…sniffly-

ANGEL: (still laughing, loving this bit) No shit, it's your fault!

HUSK: -But otherwise…Absolutely beautiful. I'm a bit sniffly myself…(feigns surprise) We have so much in common!

ANGEL: (laughs) Y'so cheesy...

HUSK: I would love nothing more than to dance with you…Whaddya say?

(ANGEL gets up and takes HUSK's arm, joining the bit as they begin to sway gently to the music)

ANGEL: Well sir, I'd love to…But between you an' me?...Keep this on the downlow, Y'don't wanna let my grump lf a boyfriend know that I'm dancing with such a gentleman.

HUSK: Well, I dunno this fella…But if he's doin' anything right, I think he'd just be happy to see you happy.

(The two dance and sway in their pajamas for a while, wrapped in eachother's arms)

HUSK: One…Two…-....Hhhh

(ANGEL notices HUSK's twitching and hitching and offers to help.)

ANGEL: Honey?...Y'okay? Y'need a tissue?...A tissue?

HUSK: AH'ICKHH'HIOOoo!

ANGEL: Yeah, that's what I thought…Bless you Ol' Man.

HUSK: Uhhh….Th- Thank-....Tha-...uhh'ITSH'hooo

ANGEL: Salute, Mio Caro…Here.

(HUSK takes the offered tissue)

HUSK: (stuffily) Thank you baby…(he coughs amd hitches as another big painful sneeze is coming)...HEHRK'HOOOOOOO!

ANGEL: (clicks his tongue, sympathetic) Bless you!...I think that's our cue to get back in bed baby.

♥︎♠︎

(Scene 3 - Hours of reading later. The couple has reached the big twist of the heightening drama of the book. Daisy Buchanan was the one driving the car that hit Myrtle Wilson. Jay Gatsby, who's in love with Daisy, will take the blame. ANGEL's heart and weakened immune system cannot take this.)

ANGEL: (floored, heartbroken) Husk…No…No, it was Daisy?!

HUSK: (knew this was coming) Daisy was drivin' baby...

ANGEL: No!...She did it?...N-no!...Fuck no! (Throws the book) Goddamnit! (A coughing jag starts)

HUSK: Easy!...Easy, Jesus Christ…Breathe, baby, breathe…Are you okay?

ANGEL: (carries on) An' he's just gon' take the fall for her sorry ass…Oh my god! (Way too into the story.)

HUSK: (laughs a little at his partner's passion) I know…I know-...Shit Angel are you cryin'?

ANGEL: (He is. Emotional, sniffling)...S'just so fucked up.

HUSK: Easy now…I know…But that's the beauty of it…ain't it?

ANGEL: (crying, looks up, confused) B-beauty?...Of someone bein' a selfish bitch an' ruinin' lives?

HUSK: Nah, Ange, The beauty of the story…is in it's honesty…Shows us the darker sides of love…An' how far an fucked folks'll get protectin' it.

ANGEL: (quiet) Husk?…Husk.

HUSK: What's wrong lovebug?

ANGEL: (sadly)…Would you do that for me?...Would ya..t-take the fall?

HUSK: (nonchalantly) Hm, probably.

ANGEL: Even if it meant…everything?

HUSK: Lookatcha!...Y'gettin' all existential on me!

ANGEL: M'serious!

HUSK: (looks ANGEL in the eyes, with utter conviction) If it meant, keepin' you safe, keepin' y'by my side…Then yes…

(HUSK feels ANGEL's breathing start to hitch as he holds him)

HUSK: Alright baby…Quit cryin'...(Notices he's pulling away and fanning his face and grabbing a tissue)...Oh…O-oh, are you okay?

ANGEL: (breathlessly) No!...N-No, I'm gonna sneeze!...Itsh'uu!...Eck'hiiuu, Ehhhishhh'shuu!...Heh'rkk'kiew! (Groans) Oh go-...Irrkk'hew! (Gasp) Heh'Ihhk'hew…Eh…Ehyiiishhhiew!...

HUSK: Bless you, Bless you- Bless you!...Holy shit, Ange! …Fuckin' Shit! Aww baby…Shhh, Breathe baby.

ANGEL: ….Hhh….Aacksh'IEW!...(groans)

HUSK: (chuckles) Bless you!...Y'always sneeze like that?

ANGEL: (sniffles) Like what?...(realizes) Oh, I'm sorry! (Coughs) Not all of us start a damn natural disaster every time the pollen count goes up.

(HUSK belly laughs, ANGEL's jab was...pretty fair enough. HUSK's laugh trails off into little coughs and grows a bit raspy.)

HUSK: (lovingly firm) Alright, blow your nose.

(ANGEL blows thickly and groans)

HUSK: There y'go…Feel better?

ANGEL: (tired from his emotional burst and his sneezing fit, he deadpans) What do you think?

HUSK: (not really bothered by his partner's moodiness, but calls it out anyway) Damn, you're startin' to get a lil bitchy.

(ANGEL is too sleepy to argue with this, so he lays down and pulls the blanket up, snuggling into HUSK's side.)

ANGEL: (quiet)…Gonna take a nap.

HUSK: (coughs) That's a brilliant idea, Sweetheart…

(Nuggets comes out from under the bed and paws to be let up. HUSK pats the bed.)

HUSK: Well, c'mon!...Get on up, here.

♥︎♠︎

(Scene 4 - Another few hours later…a knock at the door wakes the couple)

ANGEL: (grumpily, sleepily, stuffily)...Hm, Who the fuck is that?... If anyone tries to enter this room with me looking like absolute shit…I will not hesitate to shoot them.

HUSK: (yawns, sleepily and raspily) S'okay, Ange, just stay in bed…I'll get it.

(HUSK coughs a jag into his arm as he answers the door. ANGEL lets our a rough Aagh'ish'hew!, and Nuggets greets Princess Charlie Morningstar behind the door, who's carrying a large thermos and still dressed in her pajamas.)

HUSK: Sorry…Hi, Princess.

CHARLIE: Holy shit…You guys sound awful (coughs roughly a little herself...revealing the bug is clearly going around)

ANGEL: Hell, you ain't sounding much better, Toots.

Charlie: (In-denial, laughs) No!...I'm fine- I'm fine, Angel…Nothing to worry about! Vaggie is downstairs with something nasty…So I'm gonna go take care of her, BUT I brought you guys some chicken soup, I hope you enjoy it!

HUSK: (smiles sincerely and takes the thermos) Much obliged…Thank you…(then looks doubtful) Are you sure you're okay?

CHARLIE: (giggles again, still denying) No! I'm fine! I'm fine guys, I- Hh! HEP'PTSH'SHIEEW!

(CHARLIE inherited her Dad's tendency to occasionally become a...flamethrower when sneezing. Tends to get worse with a cold. Her demon form is out. ANGEL, HUSK and Nuggets stare blankly, a bit scared.)

ANGEL:…Bless you.

HUSK:…Bless you.

HUSK: (quietly to ANGEL) I didn't jus' hallucinate, right?...Fire came out her nose…

ANGEL: (quietly back) Dunno, y'talkin' to a former crackhead, if anyone's hallucinatin' it should be me…

CHARLIE: Eh…Heh…Ih…IPTSH'SHIEEW!

ANGEL: (Gently, firmly, big brother energy) Charlie…Dollface?... Y'takin' care a' everybody…But don't forget to take care a' y'self. (as Charlie coughs, ANGEL melts and invites her in for a hug)...C'mere.

CHARLIE: (Emotional)...Oh, Angel!

ANGEL: (waving her off, still a bit nervous) Yeah, yeah… Just do me a favor? Try not to set me on fire?

(HUSK joins the hug, wrapping his wings around the three of them.)

HUSK: C'mere, kid…If you tell anybody about this…I will gut you like a fish. (No real bite)

CHARLIE: (beat.) Thank you guys…Um…Vaggie and I are gonna watch some movies in the lobby, if you guys wanna join us, you're free to!...And if you need anything, give us a holler- Well actually, don't do that- Save your voices…Okay, bye!

(Door closes)

HUSK: Could be fun…It'll help distract from your…existential dread.

ANGEL: (coughs) Hey, fuck off!...Anyway, I have a better distraction…

HUSK: What?...(realizes and stiffens) No!...No. Are- Are you really feelin' up to that right now?

ANGEL: (pouts) C'mon Whiskers, don'tcha want me to…feel better?...(muffles a stuffy sneeze behind his hands) Ktsch'yew!- Oh my god…

HUSK: (smirks) Need a tissue?

ANGEL: (sniffles) I need…YOU, Baby! Besides, didn'tcha know that the Pentagram's leadin' scientists and' medical professionals say 'Sex is good for a cold!'

HUSK: (contemplates, then smiles slyly and inches closer) Well…Then I guess we gotta do what we gotta do…For science.

ANGEL: (smiles back, sniffling) That's right, we're just doin' this for a good cause…In the name of 'Science'.

(They melt into an embrace in a slow passionate kiss.)

ANGEL: ...I love you

HUSK: ...I love you too

(ANGEL's nose gets brushed and he pulls away to harshly sneeze, and looks up apologetically)

ANGEL: ...Aack'shew!...Ugh sorry.

HUSK: (tenderly) Bless you, Sweetheart.

♥︎♠︎ - è finito

The end, hope you enjoyed!

[fake-mouthstatic]

valentine's day

@bucktommyfluffebruary, day 14. rated G.

💕

"Uh, hi, excuse me?"

Tommy pokes his head around the door of the chopper he's cleaning to see a delivery driver standing just inside the hangar door, holding the biggest bunch of roses Tommy has ever seen.

He smiles, wondering who'd lucked out with such a beautiful Valentine's bouquet.

"Someone's a lucky lady," he says, wiping his hands on a rag before heading over.

The guy looks down at the card.

"Tommy is, apparently. Tommy Kinard?"

read the rest under the cut or on ao3 // other days here

Tommy just stares at him, surprise freezing him to the spot.

"That's me," he says after a moment, voice thick with emotion.

The delivery guy grins at him.

"Someone's a lucky man."

Tommy laughs, feeling the tips of his ears turning pink.

"Yeah," he says, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, I really am."

He takes the flowers, inhaling the sharp, sweet scent as he thanks the driver and heads to the kitchen to find a vase.

"Wowza," Dee says, a smirk on her freckled face as Tim lets out an impressed whistle.

"Who's the lucky lady, huh?" he asks, gaze flitting between Dee and Captain Clarke before looking back at Tommy expectantly.

"I am," Tommy says, a bright grin breaking across his face. "They're from Evan."

"Damn, Kinard," Dee says, smiling as she punches him playfully on the shoulder. "You must be doing something right for him to send that many roses."

Tommy blushes again; no one had ever sent him flowers before and it makes him feel pleasantly warm all over, makes him feel cherished in a way that he hadn't felt in an awfully long time.

"Oh ho, you've got it baaaad," Tim says, smirking at him over his coffee mug. "That's a got it bad smile."

Tommy shrugs, still grinning as he brings the roses to his nose, smelling them again.

"Yeah, maybe."

"So when do we get to meet him?" Captain Clarke asks as she rummages in a cupboard, apparently looking for something. "You live together right, I feel like it's been long enough to introduce us all."

"You've already met him, haven't you?" Tommy asks, frowning. "When he came for the tour after the cruise ship thing?"

Captain Clarke turns so quickly she smacks her head on the cupboard door.

"Wait- ow, shit - it's the same Evan?" she asks, rubbing her forehead as she stares at him. "The human ball of sunshine that bounced around the place asking questions at a million miles an hour?"

"Do you know a lot of Evans?" Dee asks, smirking as Tim laughs.

"No, I just-" She shakes her head, smiles. "I'd kinda put him down as straight."

Tommy laughs as she turns back to the cupboard, carefully this time.

"Honestly, me too for a start-"

"Aha!" the captain cries triumphantly, turning with a vase in hand. "I knew we had one somewhere."

She passes it over.

"It's nice to see you so happy," she says, smiling sincerely.

Tommy smiles shyly back.

"Happy doesn't begin to cover it."

[waynes-multiverse]

Oh, I know that cliffhanger was so mean 😂 But I'm happy we're finally here at the (soon) happy end 💕

Me presenting the mess lmao:

First, I've gotta say how pretty the color scheme and art is for this fic, Wayne. So delicate and lovely. 👌����🩷🩵

Aww, thank you, Alex! I fully went with the fic title inspiration for that one lol. Can't beat the Swiftie outta me after sixteen years 😂🩵🩷 (And I genuinely love the new tumblr functions. About damn time!)

Clearly Ben isn't taking this well (nor should he, tbf). It really got me when he said that she was his best friend -- his only friend as well as his love. I get that he feels betrayed, but though he's come a long way, he still hasn't matured enough not to lash out at her over the phone. 🙄

Ooof, that phone call was rough, wasn't it? But I think he really panicked when she said that and instantly reverted back to his old self that probably gives him more confidence and protection 😭💔

I love and melt every time when he calls her his only (and best) friend because he certainly realized that when he was in rehab lol. But let's face it – he's not a people person that makes friends easily 😂

askasdnawjf omfg, BEN. 💀💀💀

Oh, you just know that man shamelessly enjoys Mrs. Brooks' flirting 🤣🤣🤣

Awwww Benny. 🥹 This kid's probably the only reason Ben's holding it together. I loved Ben's internal monologue of how he's trying to do better for his son, but also feels guilty for even saying in anger that he's not his real son. 😭 I truly hope the kid never actually hears about that later. Idk if my heart could take it! 😂

I was a little worried it might be too OOC, but he did learn and grow a lot in rehab and after that whole Homelander thing, I could really see him accept the boy as his own eventually, especially since it's just been the two of them alone all this time. I think if reader were there, they might not even have bonded as much 💚

But it's so sweet when he really tries to do better than his own father, even though some methods are still a little quesionable 😂🫶

Oooh this makes so much sense that he would keep a vial of V for emergencies. Like as much as we don't want that for him at this point, the danger of this world and how it views Ben might push him to do something drastic to save his family.

There was no way he wasn't keeping something for emergencies. Although he's happy where he is now, I don't think he'll ever fully trust the peace and will always cling to Soldier Boy as his go-to protection lol

And kudos to him for not using it so far! God knows that would've been an easy fix for him to be with his wife again 😭

lol at least she knows him well. 😅 She knows he didn't mean the shit he said, even if it did cut her down to the bone.

She does lol. And I found her whole attitude toward it really gracious. We all mess up sometimes and no one's perfect. Sometimes things we don't mean slip out in the heat (or hurt) of the moment... 🙈

loll baby steps. 😅

Their little breakfast together as a family was so wholesome and lovely (despite Ben's mouth lol)!

lol all the baby steps with him 😂 But I loved showing how Ben was slowly adjusting to the new world of the 21st century

LOL yeeeah, kids are hard work, Ben. Now he sees for himself. 🤣🤣

We all know that man just wants to spread his seed and not put in any of the work 😂😭 But Benny surely taught him a lesson on that one lmao

I never thought of it this way, but that's such an interesting (and delicious) power imbalance with SB that you would never see coming in a fic. Such good storytelling. 👌🏽

Aww, thank you! I loved the opportunity to show some reversed roles for once. And it really opened Ben’s eyes to how some of his lovers might have felt lol

Oh GODDDD. Are you pulling in the Gen V virus?!

I did – kinda lol. I wrote Rehab before Gen V and S4 came out, but I figured this is good way for a cure loophole haha. But since the series is already its own AU/timeline, I made some minor adjustments to the OG virus 🤓

I have to wonder if Neuman in on it and that's why she sent our girl home. Or maybe someone else is targetting her, or she caught the virus somehow by accident? Oh good lord. 😰 Ben's REALLY gonna need to step it up if he's going to save her (and himself really).

Honestly, I could’ve easily turned this into a multi-chapter conspiracy, but I tried to keep it short, sweet, and uncomplicated for once before I accidentally ruin their happy end again 😂🩷

But I figured just all the traveling and airports would expose her more, and it all just trickles down to bad luck (or maybe a blessing in disguise) 😉

Lover – Part 1

Series Summary: Free from his past, Ben’s trying to move on and find a little drop of happiness in this new world. But when he finally holds everything he ever wanted in his hands, it threatens to slip through the cracks, and he has to fight one final time with everything he’s got to keep it.

🫡 Catch up here! Sequel to Rehab & Video Games.

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x female!Reader

Warnings: 18+ due to language & mature themes, established relationship, Soldier Boy x wife!reader, angst, discussions of divorce, Dad!Soldier Boy, human!Soldier Boy, SB trying to be an ally (trust me it's a warning lol), fluff, (the beginnings of) smut

Word Count: 4.6k

A/N: Sid and Nancy are back to finally get their happy end for Valentine's 💕 The road might be a little bumpy until then, but we'll get there 😉

Disclaimer: This is a sequel story. The reader and Soldier Boy met at a rehab facility in 2025 after both being cured of Compound V. Reader became a supe again at the end of the series and is still currently a supe with acidic powers. Seriously guys, catch up with the links above. I can't explain everything... 😝

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist || Tag List

Part 1: Lovelorn

The crystalline water of the small lake is peaceful, a calm Ben appreciates as he sits on the dock, his bow legs hanging down and feet almost touching the perfectly still surface. But underneath the serenity roars a thundering storm, his mind reeling like the fishing pole in his grasp without an end in sight.

“Fuck that! Fuck all of that shit, Y/N! I fucking love you. I’m sick and tired of those games. How many fucking times do I have to tell you that I miss you, huh? I don’t wanna do this anymore. I don’t wanna call you and hope you have time to pick up. I don’t wanna text you and wait hours for a fucking answer. I don’t wanna fuck you through a dumbass screen. I miss you. I miss my wife. I miss actual goddamn sex, for fuck’s sake!”

“I know. I miss all of that, too. Maybe it’s time. Maybe we should finally talk about it.”

“Talk about what?”

“Divorce.”

Remembering the word brings forth another surge of paralyzing anger. His jaw clenches, the grip around the pole tightening. He’s sure even the fish can feel his fury since they refuse to bite this evening. A flicker of sunlight that reflects on the water’s surface then hits his green eyes, flashes of the haunting night flowing freely into his mind.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? You wanna fucking divorce me?!”

“Ben, just listen–“

“No, you fucking listen! You’re my fucking wife, and you’re not fucking leaving me! You understand? Till death do us part, sweetheart, and I fucking mean it.”

Ben’s heart twinges at the memory. He recalls how she startled at his threat, not knowing he regretted those words as soon as he said them. He remembers how her breath halted, how her hands jittered, and how the tears brimmed in her eyes.

“Ben, I just want you to be happy. You’re supposed to have a family. Everything you ever wanted…”

“So were you. You’re supposed to be fucking here. With me. And the kid. We’re supposed to do this fucking thing together. Remember?”

“But I can’t!”

“Can’t or don’t fucking want to, huh?”

“Ben, I don’t wanna keep you trapped. This way, you can find someone new. Someone who can give you want you want.”

“You don’t fucking get it, do you? No one can give me want I fucking want but you. I wanna fucking be with you!”

“Ben…”

“No, you know what? You wanna fucking leave me like all the others, go fucking right ahead!”

“Ben–“

“You want me to fuck someone else so badly? Be fucking happy? Fucking fine! Consider your wish granted, wifey. Guess, I’m going out tonight and fuck some other slut. Who knows, maybe I’ll fucking knock her up, too! Get a real fucking kid…”

“Ben!”

“Fuck you, my love!”

Ben doesn’t even remember if he hung up before he flung the phone against wall. All he knows is that he had to get a new one the next morning.

And moreover, he did go out that very same night. He called the neighbor, Mrs. Brooks – a fine, older widow in her 70s – and asked her to keep an eye on the kid while he went to the local watering hole. She was the kid’s usual babysitter and very fond of both him and the little slugger. She was also constantly flirting with him. It was only too bad Ben couldn’t get her pregnant…

At the bar, he then met Cynthia – a petite redhead with a huge rack, a perfectly shaped ass, and ideal child-bearing hips in a tight, glittery, emerald dress. It shone like a neon sign.

He bought her three drinks, and she constantly touched his arm as he whispered dirty things into her ear. He could’ve easily persuaded her to come to the dingy pub’s bathroom with him, where he’d rail her from behind till she saw fucking stars and was dripping his cum. But the scrape of her nails against his skin caused him to shudder over and over again – not in the good way – and he cursed himself for fucking missing his wife. He also remembered how shitty he'd felt the last time he had executed similar revenge plans…

This wouldn’t do, so he ditched the floozy there on the spot and returned to an empty house, angrier and more frustrated than before.

Ben fucking hates everything and everyone.

“Dad, look! I got it on by myself,” his six-year-old announces and holds up both hook and worm with a proud and wide grin to show him.

Ben forces a smile to his lips. “Good job, buddy.”

He tries his best to hide his envenomed mood from his son. He recalls how he always hated it when his own father took his personal shit out on him. Ben vows to do better, although the focus should really be on the term trying.

He fails more often than not.

Another regret of that night trickles into his mind then, one that haunts and tortures him more than the other hateful things he’s spewed.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll fucking knock her up, too! Get a real fucking kid…”

Sure, in the beginning, Ben thought he’d never really view the kid as his own flesh and blood, but he would’ve gone along with it for her. Y/N once called them a family of misfits – forgotten and lost souls cast out by the rest of society. But they’d always have each other and that was what counted.

Where the fuck is she now, though?

When she didn’t come with them to start their new life, Ben pretty much wrote the whole ‘found family’ bullshit off as a lost cause. He’d never get along with the kid, he was constantly frustrated by the little rascal’s shenanigans and outbursts, all the while his long-distance wife urged him to be patient over a fucking phone.

Ben’s felt fucking alone most days.

However, with a firm hand, a level head, and some old-school discipline, Ben’s managed the impossible and set the kid on the right track. Now, little Ben’s staying out of playground trouble, being nice to his teachers, and getting straight-As.

Alright, fine…

Out of sheer boredom and not because he was desperate, Ben might have read those stupid parenting books Y/N got him for Christmas: The Gentle Parenting Book, Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, and Parenting from the Inside Out.

Bunch of sissy bullshit if you ask Ben. He wanted a fucking Rolex under the tree and not coded messages wrapped in nice paper. And moreover, he’ll never admit that hogwash has actually helped, even if the Russians take him and torture him for another forty years.

It’s been a fucking struggle, but the boy’s grown on him. And in all honesty, the kid probably resembles him more than the firstborn who shares his bloodline. Sometimes, Ben even (quietly) thinks it’s a fucking good thing the kid doesn’t have an ounce of his DNA.

So, now they go camping and fishing together. They go to the bowling alley, the arcade, and to local high school football games. Ben tries to teach the boy what he knows (to the best of his abilities). And a few weeks ago, the kid suddenly started to call him the D-word. Y/N, on the other hand, has received the M-word pretty instantly – and she’s a fucking great mother, even from afar.

And at first, Ben surely considered it fucking weird since the kid isn’t really his, but, well, the word’s grown on him as much as the boy himself.

Ben still feels fucking guilty for even merely suggesting he wasn’t his real son – because he is, and he hopes the kid never finds out he ever uttered those words in the first place.

The former supe sighs internally. What has she fucking done to him? He wouldn’t mind the change as much if he got to keep the reward…

His mind flickers with a glimmer of an idea when the fading sunlight hits the shimmering veil again. The solution to everything, one little blue vial, is hidden right underneath the wooden floorboards of his bedroom. He’s thought about it a lot.

He could be with her. She wouldn’t have to be scared to hurt him. He could be someone again. Nothing could break him anymore.

Sometimes, that shit was harder to quit than fucking drugs. No wonder they needed a whole-ass rehab for it.

Ben’s keeping it for emergencies, though. In case he needs to protect her – or his family, his kid. In case that Neuman cunt turns on her because he surely doesn’t trust that booger-brain bitch. He keeps it in case he feels weak.

He also keeps a vial of the cure in case she changes her mind and takes it after all. But sometimes he’s scared to ask or push too hard because it very likely would kill her, and he couldn’t fucking live with that.

Because of what? Because he’s being a whiny pussy who wants to risk his wife’s life over a fucking kiss? A fuck?

It sounds insane. He doesn’t want this.

She’s more than his wife, too. She’s his fucking best friend and the only one he’s ever had. Maybe that’s why it hurts so fucking much. How could she even think for a second he’d rather fucking leave and do this with some fucking stranger?

Doesn’t she believe he’s changed? Not even her? Who else is there, then?

“Dad?” His son blinks at him with that look he can’t say no to. Why the fuck are children always doing that? “Can we order pizza? I don’t think the fish are biting.”

“I think you’re right. And hey, I can always go for pizza. Great idea, buddy,” Ben says and can see the kid brighten up at his words. He’d always wanted his father to call him “buddy” or “slugger” – or something other than a fucking disappointment.

What about the kid? pops into his mind. If he takes Compound V again, what happens to his son? What if he becomes one of the monsters Ben’s trying to protect him from? He knows all too well how that shit fucked with his mind the first time around. It’s not as easy.

“Hey.”

Ben’s heart stills like the water in front of him as the soft melody of her voice reaches his ears. He presses his eyes shut as the kid ditches his fishing pole on the dock and dives straight into her waiting arms.

“Mommy!”

“Hey, buddy, I missed you.” She smiles and tousles his hair, but her eyes drift to the far end of the dock where her husband still sits and doesn’t bother to even face her. “I got a surprise for you inside in the kitchen, Benny. You wanna go run ahead and check it out? Your dad and I will join you soon.”

“Cool! Awesome! See ya!”

Their son bolts so fast toward the house, Y/N’s surprised he doesn’t stumble in the grass once. She then lets out a sigh when her attention turns back to her sulking husband.

“You’re gonna acknowledge me at all or just ignore me for the rest of your life?” she prompts, a bit of venom on her tongue.

Yes, she knows her words hurt him, even though they were said with the best intentions. She knows she’s failing as a wife and mother. She knows they both deserve better. She just wanted him to have the option.

However, she can’t say his words haven’t hurt her, too. And it hurt even more when he ignored her for two weeks straight, kept her from their son, and never returned any of her calls or messages.

She knows Ben’s a big man-child, though. Rehab didn’t entirely fix that.

“Not sure yet,” he finally answers but still doesn’t even gift her a glance over his broad and brooding shoulder.

“Oh, it speaks.” She can’t help the bits of sarcasm but is aware she has to tread carefully now. “You’ve been ignoring me for two weeks.”

“Don’t have much to fucking say to you…” Ben grabs a bottle of beer from the cooler next to him, twists it open, and occupies his mouth with a gulp before he says something else he regrets. “‘Sides, my phone broke. Got a new one.”

“Something you usually tell your wife,” she mutters bitterly under her breath.

“Yeah, but not you’re fucking ex-wife,” he retorts.

“We’re still married.”

“Does it fucking matter?” Ben counters and takes another sip.

“I hope it does,” she mumbles and sighs once more, pocketing her hands in her jacket. It’s gotten cold outside – much like their marriage. “Guess that means you haven’t seen my press conference this morning?”

“Nope. Don’t fucking care,” Ben scoffs. He sounds more than a little bitter before his raspy voice ramps up with pettiness. “Already got a new piece of ass. Better fuck than you ever were. Sorry, doll.”

Y/N purses her lips, her head bobbing when he throws the dagger that aims for her heart. He could’ve still been Soldier Boy, and she would’ve believed him. And somehow, she isn’t surprised by his reaction, which really is the sad part. Her heart floods with hurt; her mind berates him and calls him every goddamn name in the book she’s ever learned from him.

Broken promises – that is the theme of their marriage.

Instead of pouring oil into the fire, however, she decides to stay calm. They’ve been through so much together. She’s already forgiven him once, she can do it again.

No one’s perfect. Not her. Not him. Especially him.

“I resigned this morning.”

Yup. Ben feels immediate regret for the lie he’s told.

He’s so stumped by her words, his head finally twists over his shoulder with wide eyes and a raised brow. Their gazes meet for the first time, and Ben is reminded why he had avoided eye contact.

She is breathtakingly beautiful.

“Look, uhm… I know this is my fault,” she starts and swallows thickly. Her eyes are so focused on the tips of her boots, she doesn’t even notice he has gotten up from his spot and is strolling closer to her. “I shouldn’t have said it. Not over the phone, not like this. I don’t wanna divorce you, okay? I don’t wanna fucking leave you. I love you, even when you drive me nuts, which you do quite a lot… But the point is – I want this with you. I’ve always wanted this with you… I’ve been working really hard to control my powers and doing meditations, and Vicky even got me a trainer… I want this to work, ok–“

She’s cut off by his lips on hers. His massive hands cup her entire face and hold her so close to him, she’s not sure they’re not melting into one person altogether. He kisses her so deeply as if he hasn’t done it in ages, which he hasn’t.

And sure, surprising her is probably not the smartest idea, considering she could accidentally kill him. But he’s always lived for a good adrenaline rush.

“Ben!” she gasps, eyes wide. But she doesn’t pull away like she usually does. She even keeps her palms placed on his beating heart. She giggles a little at his eagerness and is positively baffled by his reaction. It patches the wounds on her heart a bit.

“I fucking lied, okay? It’s not true. I didn’t-… There’s no one else, alright?” he assures her quickly, thumb brushing her glowing cheeks. “You believe me?”

He’s almost nervous that she won’t. He can’t even blame her, considering his track record. But to his relief, her lips rise to a soft smile.

“I do,” she replies, causing his heart to downright soar. “Don’t ask me why, because I have no fucking idea, but I do.”

Ben smacks his lips. There’s more weighing on his crumpled, old, and heavy heart. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said that night too, alright? I would never hurt you, I swear.”

She nods in his hands. “I know. Don’t worry, okay? Sometimes we say things we don’t mean. Doesn’t make them true. You know I’m kinda the queen of that,” she says and offers him a wry smile.

Ben then pulls her to his lips and kisses her – feverishly and fervently. This time, he even dares to slip his tongue inside her mouth, his hands graciously exploring her curves that mold perfectly to his frame. When he generously palms and squeezes her buttcheeks, she breaks from the kiss with a laugh.

“Slow down, Casanova,” she says, giggling, her cheeks blushing and hurting furiously. “Take it easy on me, alright? Baby steps.”

“Not even a little sorry.” He chuckles quite cheekily and reluctantly lets her go but stays close. “So, you quit? What about the deal? What did the bitch say?”

“Well, good things happen when you’re nice to people and actually make friends,” she says with a mischievous smile that’s supposed to hide the lecture. But Ben knows there’s one somewhere in there. “Vicky just wants me to be happy, so she reluctantly let me go because I’m still an awesome Chief of Staff. And granted, she doesn’t necessarily understand why my happiness includes you, but she’s a great friend, so…”

Ben frowns slightly at her words but tries not to take too much offense. His wife is here, and that’s all that counts. But: Fuck that cock-juggling thunder cunt…

“You’re staying? For good now?” he checks, not trusting the peace entirely. When could he ever?

“I’m staying for good,” she confirms, smiling brightly. “Unless you don’t want me t–“

“Oh, shut the fuck up!” He kisses her faster than her mouth can move, hot and rough. As he slowly draws back, his nose brushes hers, and he looks deeply into her eyes. “I’m gonna show you how much I want you tonight.”

“Ben, I told you – baby steps,” she reminds him gently but still giggles when he continues to tease her, beard tickling the spot behind her ear.

“I promise I steer clear of the home runs, but I will make it to third base, my love,” he all but swears and places a wet kiss on her forehead. “Now, let’s get inside before the kid burns the house down…”

Y/N laughs as she takes his hand, sauntering back to their home together as the sun sets behind them.

“Mom, you wanna come to a football game with us tonight?” her son asks as he eagerly shuffles his breakfast into his mouth.

The boy hasn’t left her side since she’s come home last night, even sneaking into their bed to cuddle with her – a little to Ben’s chagrin. But after a few scolding looks from his wife, he relented to sharing the attention.

She swears she has two children sometimes…

“Yeah, I’d love to,” she agrees with a wide smile. Little things like that are all she’s ever wanted.

Ben can tell she’s moved because there are tears stinging her eyes again. He thinks they might be a permanent addition at this point, considering they haven’t disappeared since she came home.

“Just a heads up, though, the football coach is a twink,” Ben informs her and actually believes it’s helpful.

Y/N furrows her brow and tilts her head. “Ben, what–“

“Look, I don’t mean any offense by it. The guy’s… alright,” Ben says and clearly struggles to get the words out. “His plays are good. I even think he can get the team to state this year.”

“Wow, high praise,” she comments and hides an amused smile behind her coffee mug. It might not seem like much, but it’s the most acceptance he’s ever shown someone from the LGBTQ community.

“Oh, yeah, I’m a full ally now.” He grins broadly. “Even the lesbians said so.”

“What lesbians?”

“Alec’s parents,” he replies as if it’s obvious, referring to their son’s best friend in school.

“You never said they were lesbians,” she points out, the wrinkles on her brow deepening.

“Sure, I did.”

“No, you said Alec’s parents were a ‘hot blonde’ and some ‘burly dude.’”

“Yeah.” He shrugs simply. “And the burly dude turned out to be a woman. Took me a while to realize, though. Was hard to find boobs under that flannel…”

“Alright, and I think that is enough grown-up talk around the kid for now,” she says, shaking her head in amusement.

“I don’t mind,” Benny quips from his chair and grins slyly at his parents.

“Uh-huh, keep eating your breakfast,” she says and ruffles his hair as she gets up from her seat by the island next to him.

They spend the whole day together, taking Benny to the batting cage at the park and the food court at the mall before attending a high school football game. As they return home late that night, the kid is so exhausted he falls right into his bed and passes out, and Ben hopes to God he goddamn stays there for the rest of the night.

He has great plans for his wife tonight.

“Alone at last,” Y/N says as she slings her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply as she sways in his embrace in the living room, his large hands resting perfeclty on her hips.

“You can say that again,” Ben huffs, but there’s amusement in his voice.

“Still want ten kids?” she teases. His brow raises comically at her words, making her giggle.

“Maybe three are enough,” he admits. Before, he never thought kids could be that much work. He also thought he wouldn’t be as involved in… well, raising them. “Or two. Maybe just one more…”

She laughs, throwing her head back. “Yeah, two sounds nice.”

“Wanna get working on one right now?” Ben suggests with his best flirty smile and a wag of his brows but can quickly see her reluctance and cups her cheeks, lifting her gaze to him. “We’ll go as slow as you need to, alright? But I believe in you. I know you got this shit under control.”

For a heartbeat, she licks her lips in contemplation, and Ben already thinks it’s a lost cause, but then she actually nods.

“Okay,” she agrees and stretches on tiptoes to tentatively catch his upper lip between her soft, plush pillows. Her fingers crawl up his jaw, card through his beard. “But you’re gonna have to let me be in control if you don’t want me to kill you.”

Ben only entertains it with a cheeky smile. “Well, might be fun for a change,” he says and lifts her back to his lips with a finger under her chin.

He takes her hand and leads her to the bedroom. He only turns on the small lamp by his bedside before his ravening eyes turn their full attention back to her. He marvels at her beauty in the soft, warm glow for a moment before lifting the t-shirt over her head and tossing it aside.

He kisses down the column of her throat, teeth biting skin and soothing it with his tongue as he works his way inside her bra. A hunger is spreading inside of him at her taste, her smell, her noises. He tries to tame it as best as he can on her behalf, but it’s fucking hard. He’s fucking hard.

She hums, moans the further he travels, the rougher he gets as he devours every free inch of her body. He tests the waters, sees where he can bite. Her skin is more durable now. Ben still remembers the feeling – the numbness.

Her fingers jitter nervously as they fumble with his belt buckle and zipper. Ben thinks it’s cute. He’s never seen her like this before. He’s almost sad he doesn’t have super-hearing anymore to listen to the wild beats of her heart.

But he wouldn’t trade what he’s feeling right now for the world. He has almost forgotten what it all felt like before the blue poison made him so indifferent and callous. He never thought he’d wish her to be human. And not out of petty, jealousy, or selfishness – out of love.

Ben wants her to feel exactly what he feels and knows she fucking can’t right now.

The rest of their clothes land in a pile on the floor as they peel off each item, carefully working their way to bare skin. Ben’s fingers almost twitch from holding back – he’d love to tear and rip it all off. Baby steps.

When she’s left only in a pair of delicate lace panties, she gently pushes against his chest, forcing him to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Ben can’t lie and say he isn’t a little nervous, too, rubbing his palms along his thick thighs in anticipation. She’s stronger than him now, which makes his heart flutter slightly. He feels a bit like he’s playing with matches, trying to set himself on fire.

Was this how his human lovers always felt when he was still Soldier Boy?

Little scary…

She straddles his thighs and takes a seat in his lap, teeth biting her bottom lip back and hiding half of the smile that graces her lips. Her hips rock against the achingly straining bulge in his boxers.

Ben’s been as hard as tungsten since she’s kissed him last night. Forty years imprisonment haven’t cost him this much restraint as one year without touching his wife, who was practically right underneath his nose the whole time. He figures it was the sheer temptation that constantly triggered his need for her. The Russians never were that fucking pretty.

She sucks the skin on his throat purple and blue and leaves bite marks behind. Ben knows she loves staking her claim on him, and he always enjoys inspecting her little art projects in the mornings. He’s gladly hers as much as she is his.

His massive hands wander her curves, squeeze taut flesh and perfectly frame her perky tits. Her skin feels smooth and soft and warm, hot even. Too hot…

“You’re hot,” he murmurs breathlessly against her lips.

She doesn’t understand what he means and smiles, although her brow furrows slightly as if she found the question at least a little odd. He was usually more direct, more racy. “Thank you. So are you?”

She tries to kiss him again, but he pulls back, his hands grabbing her upper arms and holding her at a distant as he inspects her closely. His brow knits deeper and deeper as he cups her scorching cheeks before his palm slides to her forehead.

“No…” He shakes his head, worry stirring his blood. His heartbeat accelerates, but not for the purpose he expected it to. “You’re burning up.”

As Ben looks closer at her face, he sees how pale she is, how hazy her eyes are. He worries more.

“I do feel a little warm, I guess,” she admits and then forces a weak smile. He could’ve almost mistaken it for lust. “But I’m fine, okay? Probably just nerves.”

Ben would love nothing more than to believe that, but he can’t. Something’s wrong. But it’s his job as her husband to not make her worry and take care of her.

“How about we postpone this to tomorrow, huh, my love?” Ben suggests and gently cards his hands through her hair.

“You sure?” She is surprised, considering how adamant and persistent he’s been to get her here. But she honestly feels too exhausted to argue for long.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he says and lovingly pecks her temple. “Just get some rest, okay? It’s been a lot for you those past two days.”

Ben helps her gently into bed, ensures the blanket covers her thoroughly, and places a goodnight kiss to her hairline. She’s fast asleep by the time he leaves the bedroom.

His smile fades, though, once he’s out of view. He knows better than anyone Y/N shouldn’t be feeling sick. She’s a supe, so he knows something is off – and it’s more than nerves and exhaustion.

And then, fear sets in.

Part 2: Lovesick – TOMORROW 💕

*coughs a little angst* We might have a teeny-tiny virus going around... 👀

What did you guys think of this part? Did you expect him to postpone sexy times? Someone finally give that man his fucking Rolex for those heroics 😂🫶

🩵 Tag List☕️ Ko-Fi💭 Talk Dirty to Me

TAGS:

Forevers: @alwaystiredandconfused @lyarr24 @supernotnatural2005 @deans-spinster-witch @blackcherrywhiskey

@deansbbyx @foxyjwls007 @ladysparkles78 @roseblue373 @zepskies

@agalliasi @yvonneeeee @hobby27 @iamsapphine @globetrotter28

@mxltifxnd0m @lacilou @feyresqueen @suckitands33 @onlyangel-444

@syrma-sensei @perpetualabsurdity @deans-baby-momma @yoobusgoobus @jessjad

@hunter-or-the-hunted @k-slla @just-levyy @mrsjenniferwinchester @illicithallways

@muhahaha303 @ultimatecin73 @nancymcl @leigh70 @brightlilith

@nesnejwritings @samslvrgirl @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx @fromcaintodean @barewithme02

@thebiggerbear @star-yawnznn @thej2report @misatxox @spnaquakindgdom

@americanvenom13 @lamentationsofalonelypotato

Soldier Boy: @deans-baby-momma @snowayumi

Rehab Series: @nancymcl @sparkydonugh

[kyupidos]

02/14/25 — twisted wonderland <3

lean into your touch — summary. ‘riddle wants to confess to you. he’s trying not to lean into your touch, but he quite likes your presence.”

characters ;; riddle rosehearts , tags ;; reader is gender neutral ( you/your ), reader may or may not be yuu ( up to the reader ), romantic fluff

a/n ( OHH ITS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I WROTE A FIC…oh boy…so this isn’t the best i think, i’m sowwy..but i wanted to get something out for valentine’s day! i intended to write for way more characters than just riddle, but riddle’s was getting so long ( for my taste at least ) and i’ve already been plagued w terrible writer’s block ( hence my break cough ). but hey what’s not to love about riddle and romance <3 i’ll write for other characters w the same concept when i get the chance at least! / oh, and i’m kinda switching up the format?? idk if u can tell.

more under cut!

r. rosehearts

a classical romantic, as expected of riddle. he prepares some roses from the heartslabyul gardens, and spends hours in the mirror of his room practicing a rough draft of the romantic things he has to say to you; because sevens knows he’d end up tripping up here and there if he winged it, and he wants to impress you.

it’s a shame it doesn’t work, though, because of course your presence on such a romantic day gets him flustered when he thinks about the more intimate ideas he shied away from, like going on a secret rendezvous or..’kabedon’ing’? you to confess his love like how he’s read before in romance novels given to him by trey to “study” for his plans with you today.

he succeeds at first, only to be silenced by you getting a bit too close to him, causing his heart to flutter as you just as quickly take hold of his hand, craftily navigating the maze as if you’d practiced going along this specific route.

it was then the two of you were met with one of the maze’s gazebos in a more open area, but to his surprise, it was decorated with a plethora of over the top valentines decorations. in the center, as the two of you approached for easier viewing, he noticed, a little tea set with tea already prepared—still hot, he noticed from the steam emitting from the tea pot, and he can’t help but wonder how far you’d planned this without him knowing.

finally, you bring him to sit beside you, only now letting go of his hand now that you finished guiding him ( though he leaned into the hand hold in defiance for just a split second before realizing how ‘scandalous’ it was ).

“riddle, i know i interrupted your speech, sorry..” you began, and his eyes lit up in slight recognition at the fact you seemed to already be aware of what he was originally planning. “i just wanted a change of scenery i guess!”

riddle immediately nodded his head stiffly, as you prepared the tea for the both of you, and he didn’t fail to notice how you did so while following the tea related rules.

“yes, yes of course..because it’s the most romantic day of the year, correct?”

and just like that, riddle was flustered again as you seemed to smile at him in as much genuinity and warmth you could muster, as if you were congratulating him for getting it ‘correct’.

“exactly!” your smile seemed to grow bigger, and riddle questioned to himself if that was a possible thing, as he looked a bit down from your eyes to notice how you seemed to be a bit nervous and flustered yourself. “you see riddle, since it’s valentines and i’ve been meaning to tell you, i-“

“allow me to finish what i had to say before, [y/n],” he blatantly interrupts, and you wonder if he’s getting back at you for when you did so the first time.

he takes one of the biscuits from the basket laid on the side of the table, and he notes how it doesn’t taste exactly like how trey made it. in fact, it was much more likely you made it yourself, and that alone made him more elated of how far you went for this moment.

“[y/n], i adore you,” and he says this through a shiver down his spine, but he sits up a little more proudly when he notices your more flustered appearance. “and i’d be more than happy if you would be my partner…from now to forever.”

you didn’t respond immediately, but got closer to him, in his personal space as if the table between the two of you didn’t exist in the first place.

“riddle…can i kiss you?” and then you continued, as his breath hitched at the moment, “because i love you too.”

que another moment of stiffness and reddening of his face, which you made a face at that was clearly meant to tease him. he can’t find it in himself to be mad about it, though.

“o-oh…yes, of course! since we’re beloveds now..”

and the moment he approved, you suddenly were leaning in just enough to give him a soft kiss on the lips, before slowly pulling away, leaving him to unconsciously try to lean in to your touch again, before making the choice to control himself as you got up from your chair to approach him more personally.

“let’s go on our own official date then, yeah?”

and this time, he more selfishly leans into your touch as he takes the initiative to hold your hand in his own, joining you as he stood up.

“of course, my…” and he hesitates a bit before you nod, and suddenly he’s much calmer. “my dear. let’s head off then, shall we? i have a much better place for the two of us to spend our time.”

it didn’t go quite as planned, riddle thinks to himself as this time he’s the one who guides you, but at the very least, he can lean into your touch without fail.

thank u for reading!! likes n comments are appreciated!!

[heretyc]

Tips for Barbi trials

Barbi's hot but he's also a major fucking douche and I'm here to save y'all from his clutches that we call "trials". Both of his trials are most disliked or described as hard, so here are some tips from your certified Whore™.

Not really accounting for perfect grades, so if you're fond of speedrunning and getting a good grade, this probably isn't for you lol

Poison the Medicine -

It's long and annoying as fuck. We all know this. You THINK it's gonna be easy, but nooooo. He's EXTRA.

Keep an adrenaline on hand for when you need to push the cart. It occupies a spot, but pushing it is easy as pie and the ex-pops aren't too much of a concern.

There will always be a large grunt at the spawn. Like fucking clockwork. There are two spawn points for them, and there are two entrances you can take if they spawn right in front of the entrance. If they spawn on the docks underneath, just be cautious and crouch the whole way.

When you get to the machine, open all of the doors and walk to and from depositing the drugs. The ex-pops are hella annoying but walking will make sure they don't hear you as much.

The symbols can be hard as shit to spot. The decoder will go off if you're near one. Make sure you're not near the symbol right at the beginning because that, too, will make it go off.

Franco loves chilling in the upstairs after he first spawns. Let him spawn, then let him fuck off to the upstairs before you begin your search. Another ex-pop will be present, so just stay cautious. Barbi's much worse than an ex-pop, though.

I say this with love but Franco's kinda stupid in the dark. I've stood in place for 3 minutes one time because the symbol wasn't lining up and all he did was run back and forth...back and forth...back and forth. If you're in the dark, don't worry too much about hiding from him. He does, however, shoot behind him if he hears noise. Stay motionless until he's in another room or around the corner.

The gas chamber is lowkey the worst part and nobody likes it. Make sure you have the door bashing amp and run and break amp. You have 20 seconds in the room before you start taking damage; the room has hiding spots, so take advantage of those. Quickly hop in and hop out to reset the timer. The canisters aren't always in the gas chamber. There's a few doors you can open to other areas that DON'T have vapours in them [hence why I recommend the door bashing amps above] and you'll be given a notification if there's a canister nearby. Once you have one, place it in the chamber so you don't get lost. When you get both, simultaneously carry them both to the machine. Carry one for 10 seconds, carry the other for 10 seconds.

The worst part, in all of this trial, is the end where you need to stuff the drugs. Barbi will shoot the glass and run into the room. Best thing to do is jump out after him, but DON'T immediately go down into the ship as he'll run in and fuck up your time with the mules. Let him get lost and begin to search the area ABOVE SHIP before you go down there. Cutting the mules makes no noise, but Barbi just LOVES running in and out of the room if he thinks you're down there. Because his dumbass is a mouth breather, you can pretty much hear him coming. Keep your inventory completely clear so you can cut and go. Best way to do this is cut one mule, stuff him, then go back and get more drugs to lead Barbi away from the room itself. Assuming you don't have the amp that silences your running, he'll be lead elsewhere. You need 6 drug bags, and even with the extra slot, you'll only have 5 in total, so you'll need to go back anyway. Once the mules are full, now's the time to leave the trial. He spawns at the shuttle doors, so go UNDER the docks and try to trigger a soundtrap.

Pleasure the Prosecutor -

...Yes, he's literally jacking it right in front of you. Lupara's on the table, see?

This isn't a tip, I just thought I'd mention it. For no reason. [Also would you believe me if I told you I wrote "lord have mercy" with a mouse? Why the fuck is that so clean...for a MOUSE.]

Not as annoying as Poison the Medicine but still extremely hella annoying. Best way to hide is to stick to the shadows and use hiding spots whenever possible. Remember the lights will come on after you flick the switches, so quickly make your way into a hiding spot or dark corners. THE EX-POP'S AI HAVE BEEN MODIFIED, so they will IMMEDIATELY search the area for you after breaking chase. That's why this trial is insufferable. If you can, try not to reuse the same hiding spot. Keep moving around the area to prevent them from catching you.

Mannequin locations vary. One may spawn in the dining area, one may spawn in the clothing store. The clothing store is the best and the worst; it's big. And it's...big, which means more switches to keep an eye on.

There are two mannequin spawns where large grunts will be present; in these, keep a bottle or a defensive rig on hand if they spot you.

BARBI WILL ALWAYS BE PRESENT ON THE MAP. Unlike Poison the Medicine, he will NOT despawn. After you trigger the first mannequin, he will spawn and stay on the map until the sequence near the end. In my experience [and the millions of times playing this trial], he'll linger in the motel area UNLESS you lead him away from there. You can hear him breathing and everything so avoiding him is disgustingly easy. He can, and WILL, fuck up a mannequin for you if you let him and lead him to where you need to sit and wait. He will also scare the Scapegoat if you're not careful.

There are three Scapegoats; one you will need to trigger !!THREE!! times and the other two will only need a trigger once. For the hard one, keep an eye on the tracker as he can spawn in the same area, just a bit further away. If you can, move in a way to make him attack you; it's possible to trigger him twice if you time it just right.

The sequence at the end will always end in blue. The blue mannequin is what kills the DA off by decapitating him. If you're not the best at remembering sequences, just remember the first four colours. I hope this helps! If he makes the trials hard for you just fling Yo Mama jokes at him 💕🤭 what's he gonna do, tell his mom??

[vaniliens]

Long ass opinions / critiques on milgram under the cut before t3 actually hits

Im not even that mad / hateful of mlgrm at all tbh & I think & hope you can tell that from the fact that my main gripe with it isnt really "This project was awful from start to finish it never should've happened" but rather "There were better (& Arguably easier) ways to tell this story & get the point across"

i understand 100% why they thought, on paper, why this would've been a cool project to work on and It Is!! They did their best, i really love how it takes inspiration from the vocaloid community from the abstract symbolism filled MV's, the deco covers, how theres an interconnected story, and the potential of community guesswork & discussion of what this song and/or MV means. I might be a bit biased bc i got into it after being dissapointed in how lacking the virtual singers / vocaloid [community] feels in project sekai besides the commissioned songs but overall i think its really cute, even if its technically just what art as a whole is about 😭 You know, making you engage & think about The Implications. Getting the inspo from the voca synth community allows the project to stand out bc of how its presented. Its unique, its fresh, it keeps you on your toes.

I love how it (tries) to tackle well known & relevant issues in japan (& tbh the rest of the world), like ableism, misogyny, child abuse, call-out culture, homophobia, the entire prison system, etc. and how the victims and perpetrators react to it. Its very interesting. Its very clearly trying to humanize & sympathize even the "worst of the worst", and i appreciate how its one of the main themes in the story even if some of the audience didnt quite catch it. Its showing how simply punishing people who did wrong isnt the answer. Like theres SOOOO much nuance to unpack both in universe with the crimes & prisoners and in a meta sense through the way the story is presented, the way the audience reacts, the discussions, thoughts, developments, etc. Its so cool. They've clearly put a lot of effort into it.

At its core the Milgram Project has always been less about solving the crimes and more about asking the audience "Why do YOU think X happened?" Its basically a bunch of character studies!! You're peering through their hearts, examining their own version of the truth of their crimes, and drawing your own conclusions based on that raw, intrusive data that the system has given you. Aagh.

Unfortunately in my own humble opinion all these elements combined is exactly why it doesn't work as well as it could've And arguably should've for a project all about seeing the good or at least understanding eachother.

It asks "Why did X did it?" but it doesnt give us a platform to actually state Why they did it in any way, only to answer & play into the prisons b&w thinking, and you cant in any way reverse any of their verdicts once its been casted. And thematically it works. I mean its about a warden in a prison full of people who have taken lives, its doing its job to mirror the reality of real life Innocent (No punishment or otherwise legal consenquence) vs Guilty (Punish) verdicts, legally or non officially, as it should. But idk it doesnt really Help us understand why a character comitted their sin. It only introduces downwards spirals, which only makes the characters less willing to provide their actual motive(s) as time goes on. I get that the main thing its criticizing is the legal & prison system but its getting in the way of sympathizing with "Bad" people. Which again IS the point, thats EXACTLY what the prison system does and why its so harmful, it dehumanizes people to hell and boils down their entire personhood to "Guilty" but like???? It doesnt really provide an Out, or anything more Productive to think about. WHICH IS THE POINT & I KNOW THAT BUT IT KINDA FEELS LIKE IN THE END THERES REALLY NOTHING YOU CAN DO WHICH IS PRETTY NIHILISTIC???

Its like "Theres no point in examining why these people are the way they are bc everyones gonna suffer no matter which button you press in the end!! No you cant gain deeper optional insight either bc we're permanently rolling with THIS now." and what doesnt help are the extra contents like the voice dramas & interrogation questions where the characters themselves add more fuel to the fire by threatening eachothers or the wardens lives??? and it leads to people discussing 'Which Verdicts to Vote [to minimize the in universe damage so these fictional definitely-not-representatives-of-real-life-issues-&-its-consequences characters can be safe]' instead of 'Actual Insightful Character Analysis [to help eachother find our own conclusions no matter what it is & to improve ourselves as a person through examining fictional scenarios]' and it leads to COMPLETELY unproductive discussions and flame wars and its so upsetting to see.

Its fucking tearing itself (& the fandom) apart by making ITSELF perpetuate the black & white "Theres a CORRECT answer to this EXTREMELY morally gray & heavily nuanced situation!!!" thinking for the sake of criticizing (More like making a parody of) the prison system. Like wow who would've thought that the system designed so that literally everyone in it is turned into mere "GOOD" VS "BAD" caricatures of themselves would be a good sytem to EXAMINE PEOPLES COMPLICATED LIVES with. Does that make sense. Like isnt it ironic how what we call "Meta voting" is, in the end, more about these fictional characters lives than it is about us, as the actual living breathing audience who are capable of accepting things outside the dichotomy and are able to self reflect before its too late? us, the humans whos lives are more fragile and thus require more care from eachother than mere 2d drawings? Isnt that so ironic

AND I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR I GENUINELY, WITH ALL (or none in this case) OF MY HEART, DON'T AND CAN'T EVEN BLAME ANYONE WHO META VOTES. BECAUSE THE PRISON. THE PROJECT ITSELF. ENCOURAGES IT. AND IN THIS TRIAL AND EVEN THE PREVIOUS ONE WITH KOTOKO'S BEATINGS, PROVES THAT IT HOLDS WATER. MORE THAN ANY CHARACTER ANALYSIS. MORE THAN GENUINELY UNDERSTANDING WHERE THESE CHARACTERS ARE COMING FROM.

And the beautiful thing about it is that theres ALSO a discussion to be made about this, intentional or not, about how our actions weigh more than our thoughts / feelings which is ofc correct. This also ties in it with its theme, of taking people's lives and under what conditions is it considered something "Neutral" (even "Positive / Good") vs "Punishable" and ofc also the punishing & restraining that comes with getting a guilty verdict part, an action that leads to someone else's forced in-action.

Still though, in what way does this really help support the Actual Main Theme, which is understanding eachother / the prisoners, people who youve seen arguably the worst of? Its grappling between wanting to make the audience GENUINELY THINK and self reflect vs a show about people going through hell and you CAN be both but again!! with way milgram is run, because of the active audience participation it needs & encourages & the way it boxes the audience into these 2 choices, it was always going to snowball & sway more to the latter. Its becoming less of a thinkpiece & more just a shocking spectacle where everything is in "Superhell"

"Oh anyone can die in this prison if the audience messes up badly enough" do you think thats a good way to send your message. Just kill off a character whos arc wasnt even finished yet. When their deaths only serve to make things worse and thus more shocking and "High Stakes"? When their deaths are only punishing the audience who wanted to understand everyone in the prison by

1. forever 'Locking' said dead character(s) out of any new developments

2. Possibly make things more muddy & unclear in the trial, as the rest of the characters would be affected by the death(s) and would most likely close themselves off even more to cope with the trauma?

And. Like. Again I cant even get that mad bc can you blame the writers when theyre all forced to write shit on the fly based on OUR unpredictable reactions??? Ex. Did they expect Amane to get a guilty in the 1st trial despite the sympathetic MV which features a child repeatedly being abused?? They also have to choose and try to balance between making the horror of the situation clear while also providing a way for these present horrors to bring out the characters past crime. Its so complicated.

I really really hate how this happened. Please. If milgram had no audience participation and if it was instead just a linear story or 2 this wouldn't have happened.... everything would've been in the writer's control and thus we would've been guaranteed a more fulfilling story even if it lacks the explicit audience complicity to the violence & abuse. See: come on man, THE OFFICIAL PREQUEL NOVELS.

Alternatively, seeing as the trial 3 curtain call is LITERALLY called 'Route: Your [Curtain] Call,' implying that there were other routes we could've went on, it could've been a video game or better yet a visual novel. Then we'd be able to fully explore the characters as much as we want, even if, by resetting the game multiple times to get the routes to FULLY understand these charaters, it lessens the emotional impacts the deaths will have.

I dunno man i just wish it didnt get this complicated I just wish it was presented better....

"So what do you think happened? Was this justified or not?" I dont know man we're busy making sure people dont die so we dont miss out on any new info even though the act of 'making sure people dont die' is making us Waste the opportunities we have to get said new info. WE'RE in storytelling superhell.

[mblue-art]

Sorry for that question but I really curious!

What made you fell in love with Cross and Lust?

Tell us more!!

😳😳😳 hhuh what rreally,, , ,,, 😳 u wanna hear me yap abt my sillies, my beloveds,,, (i appreciate the enthusiasm tho omg 🥺🫶🫶🫶)

i want to have the yuris with lust and the yaois with cross I I MEAN HWHWAT 🧍‍♂️

UM.

haha anyWAY,, (oh gog this ended up long)

🍫—

cross checks so many boxes for me it makes me go insane. too good to be true. versatile(??)— like it's somehow way too easy to put him in Situations. (he's bf and husbone material??? just -20hp me now; that already kills me) he's. hh. gawddamn there's reasons why he won a utmv sans sexyman poll.

he's like a crush that you can't get out of your head no matter what you do, i'm so freaking down bad for him it's not even funny anymore. ever since simping for cross i have not been the same since. the man has changed me. the attraction/simp feelings hit me like a bat out of nowhere and i don't understand why it's so intense— i. hh.

,,i like when ppl make him dorky. stupidly silly (absolutely love shitpost shenanigans and would absolutely LOVE to get into silly shenanigans with him and with/without his bestie epic). fun to be around when he's deemed you as a good friend. stars, he'd give good hugs. strong, solid, and warm, the kind of hugs u don't wanna pull away from so soon. a little endearingly cringe. fanon simp cross is adorable and fun to mess around with. tsundere cross is adorable and fun to mess with. cute anxious guy under all that intimidating aloofness. when i say his smile is an absolute treasure, i mean that. his blush making him look like a grape or a glowing bulb is adorable and makes me wanna tease him more. anime protag/character vibes so strong i wanna have a cute bl/shoujo manga romance with him type shit yk.

then there's times when he's The Hot Dude and i think it's illegal if he's all confident and smug and dom actually (/hj) cause that makes me wanna fucking fite him HELLO? SIR? ILLEGAL????? (<- the fight or flight response of a tsundere towards a milder tsundere LOL).

-hp every single time. mf gets successful d20 rolls w/ rizz on me and i get a critical hit every time. it's a 50/50 either i fluster to death and become weak or i wanna fite his dumbass

i'll. i can fight him. i'll lose but i can fight him for sure. (why is he so cool⁉️‼️💢💢💢RRRRRRR)

he makes me feel things. lots of things. (mostly fluster but when i'm feelin sooper soff i jst wanna shower his skull in keeses. ima kissy lil guy)

tired cross makes me just wanna take care of him. want him to come home to me without any worry because he thinks i'm his safe space.

when he's being stubborn i want to tell him to chill out for a little while, take a break and watch some funny stuff while drinking choccy milk or eating his fav foods and be cozy. bapping him if he's gonna try to get out of this too soon. he's gonna get the free time he deserves n relax n get cuddles n kithes.

the way he can gently hold my hand and look at me with a sincere look in his eyelights and say something genuinely affectionate feels like cupid shooting an arrow through my soul, but also feels like a balm. (a promise of loyalty and faithfulness.) (a kiss on the forehead? a cherry on top.)

well now i can't be mean to him with all the nice he's saying and doing. i just want nice things for him o(-< (even if he's a bastard sometimes lol<3 all circles back to the silly) (silly is always important)

💜—

i love lust. so so so much. the fanon interpretation of him, anyway.

(don't get me wrong, i absolutely adore the feminine slay content of lust; but am i wrong for yearning for more masc lust content?)

i like my lust sans respectful, goofy, sans-like, an absolute sweetheart, and a caring, wonderful life partner. under the flirty personality and charm(ing looks), is a sans behavior that made me fall deeper. (he makes me feel very gender too) (ohmygofd yeah no he actually makes me think of gender sometimes rauauagrrgh<3/pos). i don't have to worry about showing my cring, weird side to him, because he's also a gremlin,, o(-< he doesn't have to present himself all nice and pretty all the time (although he's always pretty in my eyes). he can be comfortably himself; with me 🥺

i want to be his safe space.

i want to see him heal and be happy and be happy with me and give him all the love i can give and care for him and make him soso happy i just want him to feel SO sosososo loved, he deserves so much more

he's the only one who's able to get a certain reaction out of me; to pull flowers out of my heart. to pull out words of love and devotion and appreciation, heart bursting with affection only for him.

for him, i would try. i would live for him. i wish someone like him (the him i've created from interpretations and headcanons) was real irl.

i want to not care i don't care if he's a gorgeous well-known person that people fawn over, or if he's a campus crush, etc.,

i want him to think i'm worthy enough to keep in his life. for him to know how special he is to me, for him to know how much i want him in my life as much as i want him to keep me in his.

my immediate reaction when i think of him is: 😊💕💜💜💜eeeee kicks and giggles and flaps hands teehee

i love him so much i get a heart-on for him (/silly but it is true sometimes; love him so much it aches (in a good way))

[moeblob]

Windy at my house + power flickering = no comm work = quick laptop doodle

[annyankers]

I literally have fics I need to finish after years and ideas and half started things in the wings but now that I'm thinking about this concept I am bewitched.

I think a really fun idea for a "similar but different" rewrite/telling of the show is just "Buffy but her issues and anxieties present much differently"

Like here's Buffy's damage as I see/understand it, both the root and canon symptoms/examples when I have them:

Low self-esteem/relies immensely on external validation (makes decisions based on the scoobies opinions, like... all of season one, homecoming etc.) Obfuscates/undermines her own intelligence (she's obviously very smart and it's shown when she's in a supportive environment she does really well in academics so I truly think she doesn't always get how smart she is/doesn't try so she can't be let down/berated) Catastrophic abandonment issues (Merrick, Pike, her dad, Angel, Riley etc) Handles everything with avoidance/denial/repression/etc (see: her everything) Looming existential crisis and horror of her own short doomed life as a slayer (see: also her everything but especially her emotional ties and such as well as life planning or the noticeable lack of) Feeling out of control bc of said fate (her whole control freak thing is a response to this) Lack of communication skills (tied to low self-esteem, abandonment fears, being judged etc, also they're just hard) deep seated trust issues (the abandonments, being committed by her parents, all the various backstabs etc)

All of which are very good and compelling but like.... what if those things presented or where dealt with differently? here are my thoughts/notes on that:

Low self-esteem/relies immensely on external validation : constantly preforming a false identity, lying, like lowkey kinda two faced, actively keeping at a certain distance from others to mitigate how much their opinion matters to her, leaning on being the slayer for self-worth (taking it more seriously at first, caring more about the academic end, being a bit too much of a watcher's pet sometimes, saving people just for the "thank you" etc.) Obfuscates/undermines her own intelligence : actively tries to learn a lot of stuff and do her best in school/slayer studies to try and prove she's not stupid. like forcing herself to the point of meltdown to study because she doesn't want to look dumb, which only makes it harder for her to actually learn anything. Catastrophic abandonment issues : tug-o-war rollercoaster relationships, she desperately wants people in her life but she's also terrified of people leaving her so she tries to keep them at bay or cut them off completely when her anxiety peaks. Handles everything with avoidance/denial/repression/etc : comes off as totally unflappable and like a total cool girl when in reality she's having dry heaving panic attacks in the school bathroom because she simply cannot express or process a single emotion. Any she does emote are usually calculated and performed. Looming existential crisis and horror of her own short doomed life as a slayer : see above panic attacks but also fuels her constant whiplashing and inconsistencies, she wants to live her likely very short life to the fullest and experience as much as she can but there's so many things and the clock is ticking, so she bounces from trying to do everything to being paralyzed with choice anxiety which tends to lead to disaster. Feeling out of control bc of said fate : the panic attacks, also her trying to know sooooo much slayer stuff, as if becoming a phd in slayerness will unlock the power to control it. Also her eventually snapping at the council and trying to domineer them way earlier, also likely going WAY farther into bad girl behavior with faith (like drinking and a tattoo, the classics) Lack of communication skills : better communication skills on like, a technical level, but it's all anxiety fueled, she's just trying to make her case so accurately and so well she can't be punished for having a possibly unpopular opinion, also WAY more lying, like not just covering for slayerage or w/e but just full blown lying about herself and what she's doing and what she wants. Deep seated trust issues : would rather eat a gun than admit to a feeling, micromanages people, endless trust tests that just make people disgusted with her, relationship dysfunctions like not dating people she likes only people she doesn't feel threatened by, finds emotional release by having a biweekly meltdown instead of talking to anyone about anything

I will also put it here just for the sake of clarity since this whole post is a fucking mess structurally but when I mean Buffy takes being the slayer more seriously I don't mean she goes the full Kendra, just that her starting point is more like where she is around season 5 or 7 tho with way less self confidence. Like she's walking in with iffy self-esteem and being told she's Special and the world is bigger and more magical than she thought and she's important to it. So she tries to do a good job and be curious about her lineage at first, to Be A Hero as a means of making herself feel better about who she is. After Merrick dies and everything in LA is Bad and her parents commit her and divorce because of her tho... she absolutely back slides to the refusal of the call we see in S1. Prophecy Girl is still important for her accepting her destiny but the energy is more like getting back to where she was from a more healthy and genuine place. So there's more of that like.... action hero who retired after a Mission Gone Bad trying to forgive themselves and get back into the good fight vibe.

Here's some ways I can see these changes in how her issues present could change the narrative:

Giles and Buffy becoming extremely close starting in mid-late S1 because he found her having one of her many meltdowns at the very back of library and she wordvomitted her many existential crises at him and he's just you know, a decent human being. This feeds into her trying to be the Bestest Little Slayer and his protectiveness come prophecy girl and infinitely increases his conflict come helpless. Like when you know your slayer is paralyzed by the looming knowledge of their death, how they may never do all these things they really wanted to do or never be able to accurately express to their loved ones their feelings before they die a horrific death it because they feel so inherently transient as a person it makes it VERY HARD to then betray that fragile trust and possibly get them killed.

Actually looks into Angel(us) herself WAY WAY WAY EARLIER, like immediately on knowing he's a vamp, both to because she wants to be the Bestest Little Slayer and because she's looking for excuses/reasons to shut down a possible friendship.

Platonic and not romantic bangel. I'll admit I'm not a bangel shipper of the bat which is a factor, but this is actually me kinda looking out for the bangel and angel girlies (gender neutral) in my own way. One of my biggest beefs with the fandom and writers of both shows is how they tend to fixate on the sex changing angel when it's explicitly stated a few times it's the emotional connection that made him lose his soul. If Buffy is too much of a disaster to even date someone when serious emotions are involved, let alone have sex with someone bc Trust Issues, then we can focus on their connection. If Angel loses his soul after say, sharing a meaningful moment with Buffy where they feel like they've found the only other person who could understand them and they're friends then just hammers in that it's the contentment that understanding brings which is the trigger. We're validating the connection here at the core of bangel just from a different angle which imo is always fun with any ship.

Related to her friendship with Angel, Buffy has a much more nuanced view on demons in part because she's just more curious about the world she was dropped into and what the slayer even is. This allowance for nuances and grace for demons is also a manifestation of her own anxieties about herself. She's clearly not a normal human, even if she doesn't learn about the origins of the slayer until Season 7 if you're someone who sits and thinks about it all, it's not hard to see the similarities between her and demons before then. And she does think (too much) so she does see it and it does make her anxious. So you know.... leave a little gap for good demons... and things... because what if.... you know...

Willow and Xander (and to be fair everyone, even Buffy) get called out on their bullshit way way way more. Since Buffy ping-pongs between desperately wanting connection while trying to maintain emotional space and full blown trying to burn bridges so they can't hurt her in some nebulous negative future she says a LOT of shit without filter and the explicit intent to hurt with plenty of actual canonical evidence to use for ammo. To keep the Scoobies actually together through all that there's a lot of maturing and owning up that has to happen much faster than it does in canon. Like it'd be a miracle for Xander to still be her friend just after asking her out because of her issues with trust/attachment/emotion etc without some very serious work done and Willow would get wrung the fuck out for Something Blue because of how out of control it made her feel/what it exposed about her issues.

More prominent Oz-Buffy friendship which later becomes immensely important and a tension with her and Willow come Something Blue. It starts just as like, Oz is so relaxed and seemingly aloof it makes her feel safer than everyone else, like she doesn't need to talk or act as much so there's less threat. Given his overall zen this later becomes a really important friendship and crutch for her and she's nearly as upset as Willow when he leaves. The fact she's the other person who was deeply hurt by this and Willow was all Like That and diminishing her pain in Something Blue is a blow out for them.

Knows who Spike is by reputation tho not by face or anything, this is again part the Bestest Little Slayer complex. Which can lead to interesting dynamics down the road. I personally like to think of it starting as a morbid kind of celebrity/professional fixation thing since he killed two slayers and she's lowkey anxious about her expiration date. Like yes she fought Lothos, who depending on how you wanna handle the pre-series lore, killed some amount of slayers, his method was to swoop in when they were very fresh, hypnotize them and then kill them. Dangerous yes but it's similar to Angelus' whole MO and implies an unwillingness to get into real combat with a slayer. Spike however, has actually beaten slayers at their own game which is a whole different kettle of fish. I think it also likely means she cares about his opinion more than in canon, again as being the Bestest Little Slayer, like if Spike of all people says "wow Buffy you sure are the swellest slayer I've ever met" it would mean more because he's met and fought other slayers.

The stuff with Faith is Even Messier because Buffy is a messier person and for all her attempts to push people away when she meets someone who she thinks will truly Get her she fixates. Hard. Basically we're moving some of the messy relationship energy of bangel onto fuffy to 1. give that emotional growth/damage somewhere to go while highlighting the hold Faith has on her 2. confirm Buffy as a bisexual disaster queen.

Buffy being closer with Cordy and Anya because they're so aggressively straight forward. It soothes her relationship based anxieties to have only aggressive and no passive lol. Related to that she's much closer with Tara too, for reasons more in line with the Oz Thing. Buffy might lowkey like Willow's partners more than Willow sometimes oops sdkjfghdlsfk.

Buffy in Helpless not just telling the Council to eat shit but like actively threatening unhinged targeted anti-council violence if they don't meet her demands (basically a lil fucking respect and employee status since she's already fully in her "what do i do for food money when I graduate" spiral). This is a Buffy who snaps between wanting approval and wanting to viciously protect what little life, and the quality of it, she has left.

Sees the Initiative immediately as a threat because she's a catastrophizer, has trust issues, and paradoxically trusts Spike's judgment about work related calls.

100% doesn't date Riley lol absolutely sticks to her guns on that, at least as like, a serious boyfriend. If she does anything like date him it's for information on the Initiative. This is a Buffy who is slower to get into truly meaningful relationships with people she has actual feelings for, so she absolutely wouldn't date him genuinely. Like genuinely I think her longest official relationship was Scott Hope for context. She's also shitty enough that she would date him as a manipulation and not feel to bad about it -- again Bestest Little Slayer™ complex is a hell of a drug.

Instead of being all dopey and happily engaged in Something Blue Buffy is an anxious wretch dry heaving in Giles' bathroom convinced their marriage is doomed before it started because Spike will realize she's not worth the trouble or her silently cuddled into Spike while he tries to soothe her. This full blown display of how genuinely messed up her mental/emotional state is in front of all their friends and a dude who could actively use this info against her almost completely destroys her friendship with Willow (and everyone because she's too Ashamed to be seen after that) and she even lives at home for a bit. That life choice turns out to be good because she gets Good Mom Advice and after some meaningful talks her friendship with Willow is way stronger, her other friendships are more open and Giles helps her navigate some things.

Bonus comedy coming from Buffy's progress in being more open with her friends and such coming in the context of her just straight up having a panic attack in the middle of Scooby meetings and shit. Like after a bit of getting used to it it's just them all patiently waiting or continuing to talk while Buffy paces, hyperventilates, dry heaves, hunches over, goes thru all 5 stages of grief, laughs maniacally, etc for 10 minutes before bouncing back like "Okay :D I feel better now!!! :D!!!!!". like it's genuinely fully to think of Xander eating a donut and timing how long this one is gonna take and being like "hey congrats, you only cursed god for 5 minutes this time! Progress!"

This also is a good way to allow for more openings to let Xander Not Suck and do more heart themed good stuff. Like he may not be a superhero but he comprehends constantly fucking mclosing it because he too, is constantly fucking mclosing it. So we get more chances to see him being a good friend which I'm always for.

Literally all of Spuffy is just weirder and wilder in a completely different direction. Buffy getting the "you're the most specialist little slayer ever" validation from Spike is something she did want but not in this context, it is sadly however, still doing happy things in her brain to her horror. Also in cold pragmatic way, it's very much a relief to know he's not interested in killing her anymore, but then again him loving her is infinitely more scary because to her love is scarier than death. So this is like.... a mental-emotional/psychosexual saw trap built just for her by Pinhead lol. Ironically we're playing way more into Spike's strengths as a old timey romantic and a predator with it being more of a chase than whatever the fuck you'd call canon. Also because he's tenacious it forces exploration of the issues around her refusals to be emotionally intimate and honest. Because he's so sensitive and she does respect his work as a bloodthirsty killer that she's like "look, it's NOT about you this is A ME ISSUE" and he... is Spike.... so lksdjfghkjlsfd he's a SAP he's gonna try to teach her how to looooooveeee it'll be fineeeeeeeee [cue a series of disasters]

Buffy probably shipping everyone out of Sunnydale the second she realizes Glory is a god tbhhhhh. Even Joyce like sorry mom you're gonna live in a hospital in Switzerland or something for a few months rip. Like I feel like that's the realistic move for this Buffy but it's likely possible to come up with a reason why she can't do that for the plot lol.

Buffy dropping everyone who was involved in bringing her back to life like a hot potato and being way more visibly unhinged about what happened to her. Her emotionally stability was rockier to start, she's less of a constant people pleaser, and she's just kinda more prone to being actively cruel so it just kinda tracks. Fences do eventually get mended over time, likely spearheaded by someone like Tara who mainly just wanted to properly apologize, not get back in her good graces (which is why it even happens).

Spuffy this season is probably it's own weird mix of healthier and toxic in a different way sdkljfghdfjk like more co-dependent with her hiding behind Spike and making him do all the emotional labor she can't stomach doing and him encouraging it because he needs the validation it gives him. Also she backslides on any progress she made towards improved emotional intimacy. the pro of becoming emotionally dependent on Spike tho is that he's the consummate caretaker and a sap, so she gets a lot of the quiet and softness and patience she needs. Like it could've been worse dfkljghds

THERE'S LIKELY MORE THINGS but I'm starting to run out of what was already kinda in my brain or occurred to me while writing this and this is ALREADY SO FUCKING LONG.

I JUST HAVE THOUGHTS AND THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF SHE HAD ROUGHLY THE SAME BAGGAGE BUT IT PRESENTED DIFFERENTLY

[tenwhiteandalusians]

is episode 8 the domitian arc ? more on this and EVEN MORE narratives i’ve been ignoring that the show said “actually,,,” about in 5

[mashmouths]

last night sleeping with long hair and i'm not going to get cold feet about cutting all of it off bc i will not pay the cancelation fee 🫶 but tomorrow my hair will be the shortest it's been since i was maybe 10 years old