#it's a bit late since a levels are over but at least it wasn't on the papers. plus now if we cover it in uni i'll know what's going on :)

[autistudyblr]

27.9 - lab work & maths

i had my first labs today! it was mostly just measuring things, learning to use the equipment and set everything out correctly. my lab partner was nice, and she's doing theoretical physics too!

we start maths classes tomorrow, so i'm quickly revising complex numbers, i want to know what i'm doing in case we're taught something new.

🎶 greek tragedy - the wombats

[almond-tofuuu]

Please don't say goodbye...

Zayne x reader

Warnings: heavy angst, mentions of death, very little comfort, not proof read

Summary: after receiving orders from the Hunters Association that you're being sent on a dangerous mission, one you might not return from, you have to break the news to your childhood friend and doctor, Zayne...

Word count: 2.8k (holy- Idk how that happened)

The beginning of this fic is written by anticyra as the intro for her Zayne chatbot on c.ai, full credits go to her!!!

"Late for your checkup again, I see," Zayne said in his usual blunt manner, not even bothering to look up from his paperwork when you burst into his office.

If it were anybody else who decided to book an appointment right at the end of his shift, and then turn up half an hour late for it, Zayne wouldn't have bothered staying to wait. But since it was you... well, it wasn't like he had anything better to do that night anyway. Plus he was too distracted by all the other medical reports he had to review to really notice the time.

Setting his folder down, Zayne finally glanced at you, taking in your flushed and slightly disheveled appearance. It was clear you had been in a rush to get here and the thought made the ice of his gaze melt just a little.

Giving him a small, apologetic smile you make your way to the seat opposite him, a sigh of relief escaping your lips as you can finally relax for a moment.

"I'm really sorry, Zayne. I would've been here sooner but I was called into an urgent debriefing at the last minute.... I couldn't get away any faster" you explain quietly, just the thought of the meeting is enough to flood your mind with stress, though you try not to let it show.

Zayne sighs audibly at the mention of a 'debriefing' and decides to drop the matter of your tardiness immediately. Knowing you must've had important things to deal with, his annoyance dissipates. Folding his arms over his chest and leaning his weight back in his chair, his eyes noting the crease in your brow and the dark circles forming under your eyes. "And this was regarding a Wanderer attack, I'm guessing."

Heaving a tired sigh you nod your head in confirmation, running a hand through your slightly messy hair, "... there's been a sudden increase in attacks recently in the mountains. The Hunters Association is planning on sending a team to clear out the wanderers and investigate the source of their appearance..."

Zayne made a mental note of that. Wanderer attacks. Not exactly good news.

When the Hunter's Association made movements like this, that usually meant the situation had become dire or they'd received some alarming intel. Either way, a bit of extra caution wouldn't hurt right about now. Zayne shifted in his seat as he considered his next question.

"Are you going? To the mountains I mean," he asked, looking down at the file in front of him and flipping through your medical history.

Nodding your head in confirmation you let out a nervous exhale, the unusually serious expression on your face causing Zayne's apprehension to rise.

"....That's actually what I wanted to speak with you about..." Pausing for a moment, you consider the easiest way to break the news to him, deciding it's best to just get it over with, like ripping off a band-aid. "I'll be joining the team the Association is sending into the mountains.... There's no way to know how long the mission will take but....they say it will last at least 4 months..."

Zayne froze, although his expression remained calm and professional, his thoughts were anything but.

In the mountains...with wanderers...for up to FOUR MONTHS?!

Clearing his throat, he fought to keep his voice level, "so...I won't see you for four months then." It was all he could manage to get out, not trusting his voice to keep his true emotions concealed.

Swallowing nervously, you stare down at your lap, desperately wanting to avoid his piercing gaze, knowing he would see straight through the brave front you were putting up. "Well, four months is the minimum....it's likely I'll be there longer... And..." Your sentence trails off as you hesitate, reluctant to tell him the truth.

Zayne remains silent, waiting for your answer, but he could already guess the rest. You were going into the mountains, fighting wanderers. If you got injured or--he didn't even want to think about the possibilities.

Four months was already a ridiculous amount of time to spend on this kind of mission, but if something happened before that... he didn't want to entertain the idea.

"...And," he repeated, in a slightly harsher tone than he intended. His thoughts spiralling dangerously with every passing second.

Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath to steady yourself, gathering your courage before continuing in a soft voice, "...the situation in the mountains is pretty bad... The place has essentially become a warzone and we've already lost a lot of hunters.... There's a strong chance that... I won't make it back..."

Won't make it back...

Your words seemed to barely register for Zayne. Won't make it back. He felt like someone had reached inside his chest and squeezed his heart. It was as if time itself has slowed to a halt as this new reality finally sank in. Zayne froze. He was surprised to find his hands clenched into fists at his side and had to make a conscious effort to unclench them.

He stared straight at you with a blank expression as he forced himself to stay calm. He wouldn't-couldn't- let himself lose his composure. Not now, not in front of you. "I see.... Why are you telling me this?"

Finally you look up to meet his gaze, eyes softening as you take in all the small details of his face, wanting to commit them to memory. You struggle to keep your voice steady, not wanting to breakdown in front of Zayne. "I'm telling you because you're my friend. You're someone I care about and i-.... I felt I owed it to you to tell you this myself"

Your eyes held his for a moment longer than he was comfortable with and Zayne was sure you could see it as well. A tightness formed in his throat as he fought to keep his the thin string he was hanging on by from snapping.

"I see," he said, his voice flat. "You're going to the mountains to fight wanderers and there is a strong possibility that you'll not return." It hurt to even say the words. "Is there anything else?"

Your eyes widen at his matter-of-fact tone, not expecting his complete lack of concern. It hurt to see how stoic he was, to know that the news of your possible death didn't seem to affect him at all. You had so much more you wanted to tell him but his indifference made you second-guess whether to continue or just leave. After a short internal debate you decide to just tell him what you want to say, even if he didn't care at least you could leave here without any regrets.

"...I just wanted to say that I appreciate everything you've done for me.... And if this is the last time I get to see you, then I want you to know that the time I've spent with you has been the happiest time of my life...." Your voice trembles, breaking slightly as you try to hold back the tears threatening to fall.

Zayne felt his chest get tighter as your words sank in. A small amount of moisture built up in his eyes but he refused to let it fall, biting his lip as he looked down at the files on his desk, their words blurring as his vision became clouded with tears.

the... the happiest time of your life...

His brows furrowed together as a frown crossed his face.

...if nothing else... If something did happen... Was the time he spent with you... the happiest time for him as well?

Finally. His expression shifted as the dam broke and his control slipped.

"y/n..."

He stood up, taking a quick step and grabbing your hands before you could pull away. And then he pulled you towards him in a tight embrace, taking in your scent, feeling your heartbeat pounding against his chest.

"This is NOT the last time you will see me," he whispered, his voice filled with vulnerability and fear.

You freeze, caught off guard by his sudden embrace, mind racing at the raw emotion in his voice. You're quick to accept his comforting hold on you, melting into his touch and burying your face into his chest, your arms wrapping around him tightly, clinging to him like a lifeline. "...you can't guarantee that, Zayne.... Neither of us can..." Your words are whispered softly, carrying the weight of your sadness.

Zayne ran his hands down your spine, cupping the small of your back and pulling you closer to his chest. He didn't respond, just held you, trying to imprint this moment into his brain. This... This could be the last time he held you and he wanted to remember everything, from the feel of your skin to the scent of your combined body heat.

"I'm not trying to guarantee anything," he uttered, squeezing you tighter than he intended but he didn't care. The pain that he felt thinking about you dying... he couldn't put it into words.

"I'm saying that I won't lose you. I won't accept that!" Zayne leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against yours, the desire to keep his self-control intact long gone. If you were really going off to the mountain for months, he wanted to be able to feel you. He wanted you close so badly it hurt.

Leaning into his touch, you eagerly return the kiss with equal passion, hands tangling into his raven hair. A soft sigh escapes your lips, your heart fluttering as you lose yourself to the feeling of his lips on yours.

Zayne's hands wander down your body, gripping tight around your hips. His lips met yours again and again, every kiss taking him closer and closer to heaven. He could feel himself getting swept away in the moment and losing his inhibitions. The urge to hold you tight never left and only grew until he wanted to press you to the wall and refuse to let go. But he forced his emotions back under control, knowing that there were more important things to discuss.

He finally pulled away, letting it sink in that this could truly be the last time you would meet.

Your eyes flutter open, meeting the captivating green of his intense gaze. When you speak your voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but your tone is filled with a deep sadness. ".... Zayne.... I want you to know that whatever happens.... I love you"

His heart lurched at your words. He had always thought there was no way to make this situation any worse than it already was. But your confession made it so much harder.

He couldn't let his emotions get the best of him, not under these circumstances, but his voice remained soft when he finally spoke. "I have something I want you to know as well," he said, leaning down and pressing his forehead against yours. "Even if we don't get to meet again... know that I love you as well."

His confession causes your breath to hitch, heart fluttering as it swells with joy, knowing the feelings you've harboured for so long are reciprocated. You let out a soft sigh, breathing in his familiar, soothing scent, your hands gently stroke through his hair.

"....I wish I had told you how I felt sooner, we could've had more time together.... But at least now I know you feel the same way I do...." You try to keep your voice light, though the regret lacing your words is poignant, sending a wave of warmth through Zayne. Despite everything he could feel his own emotions starting to come back under control, some level of calm returning the longer this moment went on.

You were right, you could have had more time together... He had pushed you away so many times during your appointments and now he was being haunted by the possibility he had wasted too much time.

But at least now... he would know he had said the right thing in your last moments together.

"...We both feel the same way," he repeated, almost in disbelief.

A soft yet sad smile forms on your lips, the thoughts of what could have been weighing heavily in your mind, and the possibility of this being your last moment together causes your heart to ache. "....I swear that I'll do everything in my power to stay alive.... I don't want this to be the last time I see you.... But if I don't make it back, just know that I fought as hard as I could"

You promised to stay alive, but Zayne could hear the defeat in your tone, the fear and worry of the possibility of never seeing him again hanging in both of your minds like a dark cloud.

He squeezed your hands, not wanting to let go even though he knew he'd have to at some point. His eyes never left yours as he considered his response.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure this isn't the last time we see each other." He tightened his embrace, refusing to let go for even a second. "But if you don't come back..."

His voice broke for a moment as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. "Know that I will wait for you. Forever if I have to."

You swallow the lump in your throat, desperately trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall as the pain of having to leave him becomes almost suffocating. taking a deep shaky breath, you look into his eyes, seeing yourself reflected in the deep green.

"...I have to go.... The team are waiting for me..." Even though you whisper softly that you need to leave, your body makes no move to tear itself away from his warm embrace.

The reality of how little time you have left together hits Zayne like a freight train. His body freezes. He couldn't bear the thought of letting you go, as if his body would fall apart if he lost contact with yours even for a second.

"Please..." his voice was pleading now. He didn't care if he sounded weak, desperate even. "Just a few more moments, that's all I ask."

Sighing softly you hold him tighter, you couldn't bring yourself to deny his request, especially when he sounded so broken and desperate to keep you close to him. You could feel your heart cracking at the realisation that once you let him go, you'd have to leave him behind.

"Okay...just a little longer..."

And so he held you, content to simply stay like this, breathing in your scent, running his fingers through your hair, feeling the softness of you against him. Just another minute or two, anything to delay the inevitable and keep you here, safe in his arms.

Unfortunately the moment is cut short by the beeping of your phone, a cruel reminder that your time together is over. You sigh in frustration, glaring at the offensive object as it continued to ring, signalling that you had to leave. Silencing the call, you turn back to Zayne, a sad smile on your face as you both share a silent understanding that this is it.

"I don't like this," he murmured, his voice low as his eyes met yours in a moment of shared disappointment. You had both spent too long not telling each other the truth and now you were forced to suffer the consequences. Even just another minute together would have made it so much easier to bear.

"I don't either..." You agree quietly, your trembling voice showing just how truly devastated you are to have to go "...I guess this is goodbye...."

"For now." He whispered firmly, hesitant to allow even the possibility that you wouldn't come back, and his words were as much for his own sake as yours. The seconds seemed to stretch out and fly by all too quickly, and Zayne didn't want to be the one to let go first, afraid of what would happen the second you parted.

"Come back to me, okay?" His voice was tight and strained, hand reaching up to gently brush a loose strand of hair out of your eyes. "Come back to me and keep that promise you made."

Leaning into his touch, your eyes flutter closed briefly, a stray tear rolling down your cheek. "...I will... I'll come back to you and I'll never leave again... I promise, this won't be the last time we see each other." Your voice is full of determination despite the way it trembles.

And Zayne believes you, with every fiber of his being wanting to believe you, wanting to trust that you would make it back. That he wouldn't lose you so cruelly to something neither of you had any control over.

"I'll wait, even if I have to wait forever."

His words were soft yet full of a quiet ferocity. He would wait for you, even if the world burned down around him. He wanted you to know that he would do whatever it took to make your promise come true, no matter how long it took.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

the rash decisions [part 1] l Joel Miller

Summary: a guy at a bar spilled his drink on you, then you made some weird decisions

Warnings: +18, smut, fingering, sex, some dirty words, probably some more

A/N: raise your hand to anyone who needs sexy and sweet pre-outbreak Joel Miller. I think there will be a part two.

[PART 2]

You definitely shouldn't be there. Maybe you were doing the worst thing in your life right now and showing zero sense of decency, but... God! This sin was so good.

His warm lips wandered along your neck, mustache and facial hair teasing your skin pleasantly. Large hands gripped your buttocks hidden in your tight jeans. The arousal in your nether regions was at a critical level.

The truck you were sitting in wasn't very comfortable, especially since you were sitting on his lap, feeling the growing bulge in his jeans beneath you.

"Take me to your place." you whispered into his ear, feeling like any more and both of you would go crazy.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

You bit your lower lip, smiling, and nodded.

"Completely sure."

His fingers threaded through your hair as he pulled your face down to taste your lips once more. That was crazy.

He took you to his house and the moment the door closed behind you, your hands were already under his shirt.

"Greedy." he laughed but didn't stop you.

He felt the chemistry and the fact that you wanted him so much was really pleasing to him. He wasn't entirely sure how you got to his upstairs bedroom without hurting yourself too much, but when the door closed behind you, all brakes were released.

Joel Miller didn't plan on spending the night at a bar, but he found himself there anyway. As soon as Tommy, his younger brother, found out that Sarah would be spending the night at a friend's house on Friday night and wouldn't be back until late Saturday afternoon, he didn't give up on him one bit.

"When was the last time you went out, huh?" he asked "You've got to get some nice lady laid, otherwise you'll be completely out of business. Trust me! It'll be good for you!"

Maybe Tommy was right? Since becoming a full-time parent, Joel's life has revolved around work, home and his daughter. Now that Sarah was a teenager, he could at least think about himself a little. Although he didn't hide the fact that he would rather spend the evening taking a nap on the couch while watching some poor quality movie.

That's how he ended up in that bar drinking a beer, and then he accidentally bumped into you and caused your drink to spill on your jeans. Joel felt like a fucking idiot and apologized so profusely that you finally gave in to his poor puppy look and let him buy you another drink.

You were both people who didn't necessarily want to be in this place. After a hard week, you decided to force yourself to go out and pretend that you were having fun. And then Joel showed up and you two were really having a good conversation, so you moved to his car to have more privacy.

Your kisses became more and more intense, and your hands, like hungry creatures, stripped you of layers of clothes. His body looked so good in the dim light. Broad and strong shoulders, narrow waist, a thin strip of hair leading straight to his briefs.

But you were the first to hear:

"Gorgeous." as his dark eyes landed on your body.

You felt his desire. It was like you were locked in a room with someone who wanted to swallow you whole, and you had never felt so wanted before.

Was it because of the alcohol? Have you just lost your mind? You didn't want to think about it then. All your life you had made decisions based on common sense, and that night you wanted to do something that would simply give you incredible pleasure. Joel Miller was that promise.

His sweet weight pressed you to the mattress in a nice way. A soft sigh escaped your throat as his lips closed over your nipple. His tongue teased the skin and his hand kneaded the other breast. You felt vulnerable around him.

"Do you like it, baby girl?" he asked, moving his mouth to the other tit. "Mhm. I can feel it."

Your body responded on its own. You arched in pleasure while trying to feel the friction between your legs that would give you relief.

“If you want me to stop…” he started, but you quickly cut him off.

"No, I want more, Joel. I want to feel you."

He smiled mischievously, and you wanted to wipe that smirk off his handsome face. He lifted himself slightly on his arms, smashing your lips together again. He kissed you deeply and with a feeling you hadn't expected from a one-night stand.

However, you took advantage of the opportunity and your hands quickly reached his briefs, sliding them off and then clamping down on his shapely buttocks.

"Ouch! Little rascal." he laughed.

"Really?" you replied innocently, "If I don't feel your cock inside me soon, I'll have to call a taxi and... Shit!"

His hand appeared on your pussy completely unannounced. You didn't think you were that horny. He rubbed it slowly, then moved her panties aside and inserted two thick fingers.

You took a deep breath at the sudden stretch, and when Joel began to tease your clit with his thumb, the air left your lungs with a soft moan.

"I got you." he whispered, kissing your neck, his low voice an added incentive. “So tight and so wet. I need to prepare you, baby girl. Before I destroy that sweet pussy, I want you to come on my fingers. Will you do it for me, love?”

You nodded, unable to make a voice or any other sound that could be considered an answer. His fingers moved quickly, curling every now and then to tease that spot inside you that was driving you crazy. You unconsciously bent your knee, spreading your legs further as if you wanted to escape from what was happening above.

Your hand slid down and found his, but you couldn't stop him even if you wanted to. But did you want to? You felt like you were so close, but at the same time you were afraid of losing that last control over your body.

Joel must have sensed it because his voice, although softer, gave you an order again.

"Let it go, baby girl. Don't fight it."

His lips appeared on your nipple again, and when you felt how hard he sucked on it, you came with a muffled moan. Your hand pressed against his, the fingers of which continued to move in your pussy, carrying you through this orgasm. He didn't stop even when your thighs tightened like pincers.

You wanted to kiss him. You grabbed his face in your hands and pulled him in, kissing him hard, feeling his tongue wander inside your mouth. You wanted to respond with the same pleasure for him, but Joel pushed your hand away gently.

"Next time, baby. I'm already so hard that if I don't bury myself inside you soon, I think I'll explode."

He turned and pulled a silver condom package from the bedside drawer. It's good that you found a guy who thought of everything.

"I'm clean, if you want to know." you said as he ripped open the package and put on the condom.

"I trust you, sweetie, but I want you to be safe." he replied.

He smiled, noticing how you watched his movements. His cock was firm and impressive.

"I want to be on top."

"Are you sure?" another nod "I won't stop you, baby."

In an instant, you jumped at his hips. Joel held his cock as you slowly lowered yourself onto him. You felt pressure, then a pleasant sensation as you stretched and then tightened around him. You stopped for a moment. You felt full like never before.

"Everything okay?" you asked, seeing him close his eyes.

"Mhm." he muttered, "Amazing. You're so... Fuck!"

Your hips rose and fell so suddenly that Joel almost gasped for air. He grabbed your hips, but you were in control now. With every move you made, you were driving him crazy. His eyes had gone completely dark. He was staring at you like a predator, as if he was just letting you play with him and then he would grab you in his claws and tear you to shreds.

His hands pressed harder against your hips and you moaned as you felt yourself impaling yourself on him even harder. Again and again. Your nails dug into his chest, but neither of you noticed.

He lifted himself and his lips found your neck, kissing and nipping at the delicate skin. Your arms wrapped around his neck, your fingers running into his hair, pulling it lightly.

You didn't even know when Joel turned you around and you landed on your back, pinned to the mattress as it groaned under the weight of your bodies and the force of him pounding into you.

"Fuck!" he moaned "I'm close, baby. So fucking close." he panted.

Your legs wrapped around his hips, his hands grabbed yours and pinned them above your head. Joel's movements became more and more erratic.

“Don't stop…” you moaned, “Right there, baby… Just like… Fuck!”

As your body was once again filled with pleasure, your legs tightened around his hips, but Joel didn't stop. Feeling your pussy tighten around his cock, he moved a few more times as he felt his release. With a loud groan, he fell on top of you, trying not to crush you, burying his face in your hair.

"Jesus... You're fucking amazing." he repeated softly, "So good to me."

He got up and, like a drunk, kissed your neck, collarbone, chin. You started laughing quietly, but you turned to his face and kissed him tenderly. His dreamy eyes completely melted you.

"Do you think we could do it again?" he asked "I'm still hungry for you."

"I think so." you replied, because you actually hoped that it wouldn't end with this one time. "That was really impressive, Mr. Miller."

"Don't talk to me like that. I'll be hard again soon."

Joel pulled out of you and as soon as he cleaned himself, he took you back to him. He smelled like sex, you both must have smelled like that. Sweat and sex.

"I should call a taxi." you noticed as you both breathed calmly, "Before we both feel awkward."

"What are you talking about?" Joel frowned at you.

"You know..." you shrugged. "We just met a few hours ago."

"And we just had fucking great sex. Stay, sweetie."

He kissed your forehead and you already knew you would stay. You felt really good and safe in his arms. Too good to go home.

You woke up to a strange sound. You rubbed your eyes and saw an unfamiliar wall. It took you a moment to remember last night. Joel's arm rested on your waist, his soft breathing and snoring filling the room lit by the morning sun.

Footsteps on the stairs. Someone was clearly in the house.

"Joel? Joel?"

"Mhm."

"I think there's someone at home."

"W-What?" he croaked, "Who?"

"I..."

The door opened unexpectedly and you saw a tall, dark-haired man. He was probably as surprised as you were. You quickly pulled the blanket up to your chin.

"Fuck, Tommy!" Joel growled, "Get out!"

"I'm so sorry!" the man replied quickly, but you didn't notice that he was even the slightest bit sorry on his face, "I brought coffee!"

"Get out!"

The door closed quickly and you covered your face with your hands. God! It was embarrassing.

"Jesus, I'm sorry about him." Joel kissed your shoulder. “He's my stupid brother. I'll see what he wants.”

"Yeah, sure." you replied, "Go."

"Look at me, please."

You uncovered your hands and looked at the man who had given you so much pleasure last night. His hair was sweetly disheveled, his eyes slightly sleepy, but a pleasant smile was on his face.

"Mornig. Good to see you, sweetie."

"Hi." you smiled, "So you're real?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." he laughed, kissing the back of your hand tenderly, "I'll go downstairs and see what he want. Would you like some coffee?"

"With pleasure."

Another kiss and Joel got dressed and left the bedroom. You lay in bed for a while, thinking about what you felt. You certainly didn't feel any remorse after what happened. Joel was really cute and you felt comfortable with him. If you could tell that after the few hours you spent with him, mostly in his bed.

You decided to get dressed and freshen up. You were sure you looked like a nightmare, and you definitely still smelled like him. You quietly walked out into the hall, intending to find the bathroom. After a few steps, however, your attention was drawn to voices coming from the ground floor.

"She's pretty, really."

It had to be Tommy.

"I know." replied Joel "I have a hard time believing that a girl like that would even look at me. If I hadn't spilled her drink..."

"Really?" Tommy laughed, "I told you! Put a nice lady down and you'll feel better in no time. Back to business, bro!"

A heavy stone landed in your stomach.

"Don't say that." Joel interrupted, "She's really amazing."

"You just slept with her. Don't think with your dick. You're not a teenager, are you?"

"Tommy, please!"

You took your chance and quietly walked down the stairs, then slipped straight to the exit door.

☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

[metalandmagi]

A list of underrated Christmas movies for everyone who is getting tired of watching the same things every year:

This year, I wanted to make a list of a few Christmas movies that I feel are a bit underrated and under-appreciated, because I’m tired of seeing the same things all the time. If anyone has any suggestions for their own lesser known holiday movies, please feel free to include them!

Arthur Christmas: An animated movie that should be a classic, but it was unfortunately lost to time because it had a horrible marketing campaign that made it look like complete shit. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not complete shit. It’s actually fucking amazing.

Arthur, the clumsy son of the current Santa Claus is known for being a lovable idiot who tends to ruin everything he touches, but when a little girl’s present is accidentally left behind one Christmas, Arthur, an elf named Bryony, and his grandfather (a previous Santa…so grandsanta) embark on a chaotic mission around the world to deliver the missing present. Every character in this movie is so fucking funny and empathetic at the same time. Arthur embodies the true meaning of Christmas in everything he does. Bryony is just…on another level entirely. Arthur’s brother Steve (a strategic genius who wants to use his new technology to ensure his place as the next Santa) is a perfect antagonist that the audience still feels sympathy for. They all just have such a fun dynamic, and it’s a crime that more people haven’t seen this.

Spirited: A fairly new addition to the Christmas movie ranks, since it came out in 2022 (but it was on AppleTV+ so no one watched it). Spirited is a modern, musical version of A Christmas Carol like you’ve never seen before (starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, who are an amazing combination in anything). If you’re tired of seeing endless retellings of Dickens' story, just watch this. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and it brings a whole new perspective to the story in a way that I’m not going to spoil. And the songs go so hard it’s insane.

Happiest Season: A rom-com in which a woman named Abby desperately wants to propose to her girlfriend Harper over the holidays during Harper’s family Christmas party…only to realize that Harper’s extremely rich and conservative family doesn’t know she’s gay. Fun rom-com shenanigans ensue. Did I mention Abby is played by Kristen Stewart, and Harper is played by Mackenzie Davis? Also Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, and that guy from Schitt’s Creek everyone loves are in it.

This could easily have been a completely different movie if the cast wasn't so funny and didn’t have such good chemistry. It starts out as a standard holiday rom-com, but I was tearing up by the end of this the first time I watched it. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been hiding your true self from your family or if you’ve felt like you’ve never been good enough for them, I think you’ll see a lot to relate to in this. 

Violent Night: Another new addition to the ever-expanding list of Christmas movies, this aptly named action thriller also came out in 2022, and I feel like no one has spoken about it since, which is a crime because IT WAS SO MUCH FUCKING FUN!

When a grizzled, down on the world Santa (played by David Harbour) gets stuck in a rich family’s house while it’s being overrun by mercenaries, he has to Die Hard his way out and save the hostages (or at least the ones who are worth saving) before it’s too late. This was such a fun surprise, because violent action thrillers are so hit and miss for me personally. David Harbour is great. It’s just under 2 hours of watching shitty people get their comeuppance in unique ways. I’m so offended that it only has a 6.7/10 on IMDB, because this is a great movie to watch with a group of friends and some age appropriate beverages. Yeah, it’s not a masterpiece, and maybe my standards are low, but I had a great time with this.

Tokyo Godfathers: An anime Christmas classic directed by Satoshi Kon in which 3 homeless people (a former drag queen, a runaway teen, and a grumpy alcoholic) find a baby in a dumpster and try to reunite it with its family. This was the movie that tricked me into thinking Satoshi Kon’s other works would be just as comedic and wholesome as this one. It’s got humor. It’s got heart. It’s got twists and turns that will keep you guessing in the classic Satoshi Kon fashion. And the English dub is just as good as the sub, so you can’t go wrong either way.

Neo Yokio- Pink Christmas: Speaking of anime…I’ve talked about this one before, but I have to mention it again because it’s a staple for me every year. Pink Christmas is the Christmas special for the…anime (and I use that word in the loosest way possible) Neo Yokio…aka the one starring (and possibly made by?) Jaden Smith.

For anyone who’s never heard of it, Neo Yokio is a series on Netflix that is the closest thing to a professionally made Abridged Series we’ll ever have. The “plot” of the series revolves around Kaz, a pink haired guy who fights demons and does increasingly absurd rich people things with his robot mecha butler named Charles. The Christmas special involves Charles telling Kaz a Christmas story about the city’s Secret Santa competition for all the ultra rich people.

Look, there’s no good way to describe this one, but trust me when I say you don’t have to watch Neo Yokio to understand it, since even people who do watch Neo Yokio don’t understand it. In fact, I think it will be even funnier if you don’t watch Neo Yokio at all before watching Pink Christmas (but I encourage everyone to watch the series too, just because it’s more of the same insanity.)

Every line in it is pure comedic gold, not because it’s truly funny, but because it’s absurd and ridiculous in a way only Jaden Smith can be. I quote it incessantly while eating a Toblerone every year. 

Cabin Pressure at Christmas: Molokai: Okay, it’s not a movie or even a TV special, but I love Cabin Pressure so much that I had to include this too. Cabin Pressure is a comedy radio show (not a podcast, an actual radio show) that aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 2000s about an airline crew for the world’s shittiest airplane. 

For anyone who watched season 2 of Good Omens, you might recognize the name John Finnemore as one of the writers. Well, Cabin Pressure is made by (and stars) the same person. The Christmas episode is one of my favorites of the series, and you 100% don’t need to listen to the entire series to enjoy it. It captures the humor and despair of being stuck with your co-workers on Christmas eve, but it keeps up the spirit regardless. This is another one I quote incessantly, and the whole show has become hardwired into my personality. PLEASE FIND A WAY TO LISTEN TO CABIN PRESSURE! I’m pretty sure the whole series is available on iTunes as an audiobook.

As honorable mentions, I want to include Rise of the Guardians and Klaus, because even though they have a fair amount of popularity, I still feel like people could appreciate them more. And sure, Rise of the Guardians might be more of an Easter movie, but it still includes Santa as a character, and he’s amazing. 

That's all for now. Sorry these are all specifically Christmas themed, but if anyone has movie suggestions for other winter holidays, please throw them in!

[wileys-russo]

as you would assume all alessia x reader 😭

getting into a fight with alessia, would she be stubborn or very apologetic

alessia not being able to sleep without physical touch, but you can't sleep because you're too hot

being up late studying but alessia is tired from training and just wants to cuddle up but you really can't yet

taking care of her after a rough day

you don't need to post this one, just a couple ideas :]

couldn't fit all of these into one blurb but did a lil clingy gf less moment bc we love a touch starved blondie

touch starved II a.russo

"i can clean up later baby you look shattered, please go to bed." you tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind your girlfriends ear, no denying you were positively infatuated with the striker.

"only if you come with me." alessia demanded with a pout, balling your top in her fists and tugging your body closer, your arms wrapping around her and playing with the baby hairs on the back of her neck, the italian a good half a foot taller than you.

"i'll be in later i have to finish this paper, its due by midnight." you bit your lip guiltily, admittedly having procrastinated your uni assignment just a little too long. "are you gonna be in the living room?" the blonde asked hopefully, assuming she could then at least lay down beside you as you worked.

"office, i need the scanner and printer." you shook your head, stomach lurching with guilt as the girls face visibly dropped at the answer she had hoped against hearing. "tomorrows my rest day i'll just stay up and wait for you, watch some more of my show." alessia decided, unwrapping herself from you and heading for the lounge.

"less you've been up since like four in the morning, just go to bed." you smiled at the stubborn nature of the older girl who shook her head, curling up into a ball on the lounge and flicking on the tv.

"i can't sleep without you there." alessia frowned and your heart melted at her words. "yes you can, you manage it on away games and camps." you smiled, cupping her face and tracing the frown lines on her forehead, smoothing them out with your thumbs.

"that's different!" alessia protested, though she visibly struggled in trying to explain how.

"fine but don't fall asleep in here, you'll hurt your neck again!" you cut in to save her further struggle and warned seriously as the striker rolled her eyes. you bent down to peck her lips before padding off to your office, which was really just the third bedroom of your shared flat. alessia often needing a quiet neutral space to do her media duties you'd both deemed it a more appropriate use of the space since you already had a guest bedroom set up.

around an hour and a half later you were tracking along well, you had another two hours until your paper was due and you were already halfway done.

craving something sweet to help your motivation levels you made your way toward the kitchen, though glancing over at the lounge you sighed noting the now dead asleep mop of blonde hair still curled up in a ball.

switching routes you made a beeline for your girlfriend, squatting down beside her and gently poking at the blonde who groaned and turned around to her other side as you turned off the tv.

"babe please go to bed!" you requested while shaking her as her bright blue eyes sleepily fluttered open and she stretched, the slight wince on her face as she moved her neck not going unnoticed by you.

"told you your neck would hurt you idiot." you remanded with a shake of your head, standing and offering her a hand up, a mistake on your behalf as the girl interlocked your fingers but instead pulled you to fall on top of her, long limbs wrapping tightly around you.

"alessia!" you laughed trying to squirm out of her grip but with the taller girls build much more muscular than your own, there really wasn't a point. "don't leave me i miss you, i haven't seen you all day." she mumbled into your shoulder as you rolled your eyes playfully.

"you were only at training for a few hours, we just had dinner together and i'm right here!" you rewarded her neediness with a kiss, alessia's large hands making their way under your top and caressing your bare back. her perfectly manicured nails gently scratched against your skin and your eyes fluttered closed in relief, a sense of calm settling over you, you could happily melt into the girl and never get up again.

but unfortunately you knew this was an option not available for the taking.

"do you not love me?" you asked rhetorically, snapping the half asleep girl to attention as she scoffed. "of course i do what sort of a question is that?" she accused only hugging you tighter as she pushed her legs to slot inbetween your own, your body now well and truly trapped in her iron clad grip.

"loving partners let their girlfriends do their assignments and further their education, do you not want to be able to brag that your girlfriends a fully qualified physiotherapist?" you challenged, admittedly now becoming quite uncomfortable in her grip, it was peak summer and without the luxury of air conditioning you were beginning to get quite hot tucked in so close together.

"actually no because then everyone's going to want your hands on them. don't pretend like you haven't already promised half the girls free massages and adjustments once you graduate!" alessia quipped, though the pride and adoration in her eyes betrayed the playful sarcasm of her statement.

"yeah these magic healers will sadly no longer only belong to you!" you grinned wiggling your hands in her face as she rolled her eyes and playfully bit the tip of your index finger, you flicking at her nose in retaliation.

"but seriously i need to finish my paper and though you are the hottest girl on the planet right now you are actually the hottest girl on the planet, i'm melting!" you whined, alessia allowing you to pull her hands off and untangling her legs from yours.

"go to bed my love, i'll be there in like an hour once i finish." you assured, alessia nodding with a defeated sigh as the two of you stood, exchanging a lingering hug and a goodnight kiss before you parted ways.

alessia headed off to the bathroom to get ready for bed and you back to the office, though not before a quick detour to the kitchen for something sweet.

"if you're not beside me in an hour i'm coming to get you!" alessia yelled from the bedroom before you heard a loud squeak and a thud which would have been the blonde belly flopping onto the mattress as she did every night, normally on top of you.

smiling at her words you zoned back into your paper, eyes flicking between your computer screen and your pile of messily scribbled notes which were spread everywhere all over the desk around you.

true to her word and being unable to fully fall asleep without you beside her in bed, alessia leant against the doorway exactly an hour later, clearing her throat as you spun around in your chair to face her.

giving her a brief look of both guilt and nerves you didn't have to say much more for alessia to catch on you still weren't finished. "i'll be back again in twenty minutes, and if you're still not done then i'll be back every ten minutes after that for a kiss." the blonde pouted as you couldn't help but smile at her clingy nature, this nothing new as the harder the striker was pushed in training the more she sought out your affections when she returned home, nodding in agreement.

"i'm trying." you assured seriously and your girlfriends face softened. "i know, and i want you to get it done so we can spend the day together tomorrow stress free. i've got plans!" alessia tilted up your chin, pecking your lips as you gave her a curious look.

"plans?" "for me to know, for you to eventually find out." "that's not a terrifying thought." "are you accusing me of being a bad planner?" "well...you did forget our-" "for the one hundreth time i didn't forget our anniversary, i just simply got the dates mixed up."

"do your paper, i love you." alessia stole another kiss, running a hand fondly through your hair before padding back off to the bedroom.

what felt like only minutes later, though you knew had been much longer due to your girlfriend popping in repeatedly to steal a kiss and try to hurry you into bed with her, you bit down on your bottom lip as your eyes glanced down at the time, seeing you suddenly had only five more minutes to finish your references index.

muttering to yourself your fingers flew curiously across the keyboard, and with what was surely seconds to spare you clicked submit, exhaling deeply and leaning back in your chair, burying your face tiredly in your hands.

closing your computer you darted quickly around the flat, locking up and flicking off lights and lamps, eventually stepping into your bedroom with a small sigh of relief, checking the window was cracked open to try and diffuse the heat of the sticky summer night.

alessia sent you a toothy smile as she scrolled through her phone, eyes occasionally flicking up to stare at you as you changed into an oversized shirt, tossing your shorts and bra into a corner to be dealt with tomorrow.

"hiii." alessia grinned and opened her arms as you finally made your way toward the bed, the girl laying on top of the covers due to the heat. "hello." you smiled tiredly and collapsed into her, reaching over to flick off the bedside lamp, engulfing the room into darkness as alessia placed her phone on charge.

sincere words of endearment whispered inbetween tender kisses and soft giggles, the two of you slowly began to doze off, though no sooner had alessias body relaxed did yours tense up, the combined body heat of the two of you making your brow line bead with sweat.

checking the italian was soundly sleeping you carefully shuffled away, placing a bit of distance between the two of you as your eyes shut, finally starting to drift off.

"c'mere." alessia mumbled tiredly, reaching blindly back out for you eventually grasping at your top, pulling you back toward her.

"baby i'm sweating its so hot, can we just have a little bit of space? we can still hold hands?" you tried to bargain softly, gently removing her hands from where they clenched tightly to your top and interlinking your fingers, alessia mumbling something incoherent but not making any move to argue as you let out a quiet sigh of relief.

though it couldn't have even been a few seconds later before there was rustling beside you and alessias body flopped on top of yours, the taller blonde burying her face in your neck and grabbing your arms, tiredly wrapping them around herself as she tangled her legs with yours and muttered something you again couldn't quite understand.

sighing in defeat you slid a hand up her top and began to absentmindedly trace patterns on her back, moving your other hand to tangle in her golden locks and scratching your nails against her scalp like you knew she loved, pressing a kiss to her warm forehead and accepting you simply weren't going to sleep well tonight.

but for the seemingly touch starved blonde sleeping soundly on top of you, it would always be worth it.

[extinctspino]

can you do wednesday x fem yn and pugsley is over for parents week and see them kissing and make sure of wednesday and tells mortica and gomez

Snitch

Pairing: Wednesday x femreader

Wordcount:

Warnings:none

Author's note: I'm sorry for the titel, my brain just wasn't braining.

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Parents week finally arrived and you couldn’t be more nervous since you were gonna have to meet Wednesday’s parents.

Yours couldn’t make it so you had to spend the whole week with her family. Not that you didn’t want that of course, but meating your girlfriend’s parents was a big deal to you.

They didn’t even know that Wednesday had a girlfriend which made it 100 times worse. You bombarded your girlfriend with questions like ‘Are you sure they’ll like me?’ ‘What if they think I’m not good enough for you?’ and so so so many more.

At a certain point Wednesday finally had enough. 

While students reunited with their parents you and Wednesday were shamelessly making out with each other behind a random wall.

It’s weird to think that at first Wednesday couldn’t even hold your hand and now she’s pushing you up against the wall, kissing you fiercly. Oh, how time can change people... for the better in this case.

“Why isn’t she here yet?” Family Addams split up and went to go search for their dear family member. Pugsley being team 1 and Moricia in team 2 together with Gomez. They’d never split up.

“You’re asking to many questions.” She paused to look at your flushed face for a bit before placing her lips on yours again.

“Wednesday?” 

You and Wednesday basically teleported away from each other with how fast you were. You tried to wipe away the lipstick that you know was smeared all over your mouth thanks to Wednesday’s dark lipstick.

“You’re going to keep your mouth shut about this.” Wednesday could be so threatening without trying. You felt bad for who you assumed to be Pugsley. Wednesday had told you a little bit about her family after you had practically begged her to.

Pugsley kept quiet and out of nowhere he began running in the opposite direction of Wednesday. “Chase him.” You looked at her questioningly. “Do you want to get tortured with him?” Your eyes widened and you sprinted after Pugsley. 

He hadn’t gotten that for so you easily caught up to him but it was already too late... A tall lady and a short man stood there right in front of you. The dots inside your mind instantly connected. Their dark clothes, the woman who looks similar to Wednesday.

“S-she- she and Wednesday were making out!” Pugsley was beyond out of breath. It looked like he could pass out anytime now. You chuckled awkwardly, “Nice to meet you?” You hesitantly held out your hand but you dropped it when Wednesday arrived and glared at Pugsley.

“Hello mother, hello father. This is my partner.” Gomez and Morticia’s eyes were already wide at what Pugsley told them but now it looked like they were gonna pop out of their sockets.

“Don’t be so surprised, I’m your child after all.” It made sense, Gomez and Morticia were next level with their affection but it was still weird for them to find out their anti-social, anti-loving, anti-everything daugher had a lover. And the smeared lipstick on your mouth didn’t make it easier.

“Let’s get to know each other better, dear.” Morticia tried to play it off cool but she couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on her face when she watched Wednesday wipe your face for you. 

Getting to know her family would be fun. What was a little less fun for you though was watching Pugsley get waterboarded for telling on her like that. You didn’t dare intervene cause she promised to include you in Pugsley’s punishment.

If anyone asked you, parents week was interesting to say the least.

[radiance1]

Mechanical eastern dragon.

Danny, ever since he was a wee little lad, about 5 or so. Really liked eastern dragons since he found out about them, so much so that he even tried to make his own little eastern dragons!

When Jack saw that, it seemed to strike something in him and suddenly Danny found himself having a more experienced hand aiding him in his crafts.

Jack started directing him towards something simpler than a dragon when he was first starting out, then over time gradually let him make certain parts of a dragon instead of all at once, then when they were all complete, they stuck them together and Danny? Well, he found out why his dad liked to build so much.

So, he started to build more and more little things, small yet complex that'll eventually come together to form his eastern dragon.

As he got older, and his parents became more and more focused on their portal project, he eventually decided that, hey, why doesn't he just make a giant version of his little crafts?

An actual dragon.

Of course, such a thing was no easy feat, so he started it just like his dad taught him too, little pieces over time that'll eventually come together to make what will essentially be his masterpiece.

However, he lacks the parts to do so.

Well, not exactly considering there's a lot of household things he could take apart for scrap, but his parents are already doing that, plus he wants way better materials that'll really shape this up to be his mastepiece.

So he took to instead drawing out how it'll look, and creating various minor pieces that'll go into powering it and stuff. He took some of the ectoplasmic batteries his parents' didn't have a use for anymore, and kinda just, fused them together?

Either way, he made a core that'll be the basis of power for his dragon when he completes! Of course, it'll have to go over multiple modifications over the years while he refines the design for his dragon, to make it able to hold more energy, more durable and far more powerful.

He won't lie, he was both extremely suspicious and immensely grateful when Sam gave him a diamond of all things to make a battery out of, because she obviously wanted something outta it. What did she want? Dibs on being one of the first too see his creation when its finished.

Very simple, plus she said her parents could buy another one anyways. Ah, the joys of being rich.

Then he heard from his parents about how their portal works, though he wasn't too interested since he was too busy building the skeleton of his dragon from the parts Sam gave him.

Tucker, who was dabbling in coding, decided that he was going to attempt to create a high level AI for Danny's project, which Danny was all for! Great materials provided by his friend, and then his other one wanted to make an AI specifically for his masterpiece?

Why would he ever say no?

Jazz has been acting pretty weird thought lately, he noticed a bit after the day he was made aware of how his parents' portal managed to work, how he still isn't sure, nor did he actually believe there was a realm of the dead but eh. He would admit, he wasn't terribly close with his sister, ever since he started up his master work, and became a fink, but he could tell something was different.

Really only because she seemed to be finally getting off his case about how much work he's putting into his dragon and less into taking care of himself properly, which she usually does by bossing him around. But he thinks she's just busy, and is too busy to even care at this point so it didn't really matter.

He was a bit blindsided by ghosts actually being real but easily accepted it to be honest. Like, he's been using stuff powered by ectoplasm that ghosts are supposedly made of, so it wasn't that much of a stretch.

Of course, a ghost fighting against another ghost was new, different from what his parents had told him, but it was nice to have someone protecting the town other than his parents at the very least.

As he got closer and closer to finishing his masterpiece, and as Tucker himself almost finishing with the AI, his grades weren't receiving that much attention, he would admit. He would look back at them when he completed it, alright? But not now.

Then came a day where he was saved from a ghost attack by Amity Park's hero, and while he was extremely tired, he recognized that bossiness, snobbish attitude and smothering from anywhere. Did he expect his sister to be the ghostly town hero? No, no he did not.

Was he going to tell anyone? Not really, he cared, but he didn't care that much about to go around talking about it. Also, wasn't his place to spill his sister's secret really.

Also, she didn't know he knew, and he planned to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

Just as he was nearing his completion, only having just a few finishing touches before it was ready for the AI to be uploaded to it, a test popped that he apparently had to study for, with his sister already passing with flying colors (which just proves how much smarter she is than him, because she fights ghosts regularly, he doesn't, doing something much safer and what does he have to show for it?) and urging him to study. Which, with her attitude that got even worse, after becoming half-ghost and a hero, he just, couldn't take.

He's thankful that ghost came when they did, because he just couldn't stand her any longer than that. So he just popped over to Nasty Burger instead, removing himself far as he could from that fight, and of course, of course said fight had to end up there.

The universe just hates him, it seemed. On the plus side, he managed to snag the answer sheet to that C.A.T. test his sister was nagging him about, why would he study if he has this now? Besides, he has something more important to do anyways.

Then a while he's confronted by his sister's apparent alternate evil future self after he dropped his knowledge of her secret in attempts to stave off the conversation of him cheating, which, now that he thought of it, was probably better than finding out and subsequently being knocked out by his sister's alternate self.

Thankfully, when he next awoke, he found his project was perfectly untouched, and then had to leave to take the test. He'll figure out a way to deal with his sister's future self later. While later, he finished the test, and was finally glad to be able to add the last touches to his project.

Oh, right, his sister's evil self. He almost forgot about her if he was being honest. So, he took the Fenton Peeler, and was going to go find his sister before he had to be called to Nasty Burger by his parents and, well, his 'sister' was there, and his cheating was already revealed and decided it's literally whatever and shot her.

Weird that he was separated from everyone else, but it's whatever. Sure, the sauce was going to explode and kill everyone, but he believed in his sister to come and save the day, as she always did and will continue doing and he told his sister's evil self that, and was incredibly smug when it happened.

He watched the fight, cheering a bit from the sidelines because, well, c'mon. It's not everyday he watches his sister beat her future self the up, and he might not get this chance ever again so might as well enjoy it while he can.

Unfortunately, he never accounted for his sister being too weak after said fight to help their parents', Mr. Lancer, and his friends, and then he saw them explode.

Then his sister disappeared.

He, very obviously, did not take this well at all. So, after he got back home, feeling both like shit and nothing at all, he stared at the almost finished eastern dragon sitting to the side of his bedroom/workshop, the only component missing being the AI bead, and promptly broke down crying.

He didn't cry earlier, but he just, couldn't contain himself. His parents were dead, his teacher was dead, and his two only best friends were dead too, and his sister disappeared in front of him and he had no idea where she could be.

He then cried himself to sleep.

Then he woke up, took up the AI bead, and inserted it into the dragon sluggishly.

It's completion was a solemn affair, rather than the bright and happy thing he expected and wanted. No one was around to marvel at his genius, too see the end result of what he tried for years to achieve, and no sister that he could rub it in her face about either.

He had nothing. Nothing but the product created from the combined efforts from him and his friends.

So, what was he to do?

Modify it, of course!

He threw all his attention into it, installing weapons, fiddling around with the core (That he had to take out and put back in) and giving it a lot of ghost shields, and other Fenton tech.

And for what? He doesn't know, but this, giant thing, somehow capable of growing and shrinking to his choosing (he still doesn't know how, even though he made the thing), installed to the brim with Fenton tech, is his.

And he'll use it to find his goddamn sister. Sure, they didn't have the greatest relationship, and sure, she wasn't the best to get along with, but she was the only thing he had left, and whoever took her could pry her from his and his dragon's goddamn hands.

Also, who would he rub his genius in the face of, if he didn't find her?

So, he took off to the zone, got lost, fought a few ghosts with his dragon and Fenton tech, and then ended up in another dimension full of heroes and villains. Did he care about that?

Fuck no.

But apparently, being a 14-year-old and fighting people off with his mechanical dragon was not a normal thing. Sure, he may have overreacted by having said dragon through his aggressors, who were normal humans by the way, through multiple walls, but in his defense.

It was their fault for trying him when he wasn't in the best of moods.

[bokutosmochi]

kinktober day six: cybersex!

I WANNA GET FREAKY ON CAMERA ♡ GOJO SATORU

fem!reader x gojo satoru 

ingredients: what's a girl gonna do when she misses her boyfriend who's a continent away?

what's it: smut

allergen warning/s: satoru talks to your pussy, fingering, mutual masturbation, cybersex

sugar level: 2.9k

regulars: @ventdavi154 @deobiforever @sugusshi @angelshub

parlor's note: inspired by this fanart by the amazing @/3aem

p.s: the guitar solo referenced at the end is in the song i don't wanna be me by the band type o negative. i recommend checking out that song, or at least that solo. it's so good and definitely one of my favorites.

bon appetit!

the only reason why you're here is because you were peer pressured to go.

most of the time, you would totally be down to attend parties your friends hosted, but you haven't been feeling like yourself lately. gojo was assigned to a three month long mission overseas and you were missing him dearly. funnily enough, that was also the reason why you were forced to go.

"c'mon, it's halloween." shoko rolled her eyes at you. "you can't not go just because gojo isn't here. besides, you clearly need a pick me up. you can't just lay around your bed, eating ice cream and sniffing his shirts that you wear forever." she gave you a pointed look. in defiance, you rolled your eyes, crossed your arms against your chest and gazed elsewhere, not caring about how childish it may have seemed.

you had no idea how she found out your daily activities since satoru has been gone. perhaps searching around your house for secret cameras that she planted would be a good idea. regardless, you sounded pretty pathetic when she put it like that, but still. were you not allowed to miss your boyfriend?

if that wasn't enough, shoko still had more to add. "plus, didn't you already buy a costume?"

and that's how you ended up in your current situation.

you could see how much effort shoko put into the party. her house, usually decorated with a minimalistic and classy aesthetic in mind, was home to countless realistic cobwebs and fake spiders all over the little items she had, like her clock and picture frames. there was also something dripping down the walls, though you couldn't tell whether it was supposed to be blood or some form of slime because of the red lighting that came from the few jack o'lanterns scattered around the house. the lack of proper lighting gave the room an eerie feel, and the scented candle that smells of burning leaves did not help. it was expertly made, including the songs that played. the playlist included songs from bands like bauhaus, siouxsie and the banshees, and lebanon hanover, then halloween classics like thriller and monster mash.

you're dressed in a less than appropriate black dress with red details which satoru chose. it's a bit plain by itself, but you added a corset that pushed your tits together nicely. the outfit's paired with black red bottom heels, gothic necklaces, and a makeup look that tied everything together.

"you're supposed to be here having fun, not moping around the snack table." shoko nudged you with her hip making you huff at her. "i'm allowed to miss my boyfriend." you said stubbornly. "he's been gone for almost three months now, we haven't spent that much time apart until, well, now." you looked at her with a sad look in your eyes that conveyed everything that you were feeling.

thankfully, it made her sigh in defeat, seemingly understanding what you're currently feeling. "ugh, fine, fine whatever." she waved it off. "just stop looking at me like a kicked puppy and try to have fun or something." she walked away.

a part of you felt guilty. after all, she was trying to make you feel better when you obviously aren't doing the best, but at the same time, she's been tugging you along to do different activities to keep your mind off of gojo's absence for so long now.

you're tired and you really just wanna be whiney and act like a lovestruck teenage girl.

thankfully for you, you didn't have much time to dwell on the feelings of guilt because you got a new notification on your phone -- satoru sent you a photo.

you really couldn't open it fast enough. with how you're missing him, you'd be thankful for anything he sends you, be it a photo of what he's having for dinner, a puppy he saw in the streets, a restaurant that piqued his interest, or a photo of him.

you cannot lie, you did heavily prefer the message being a picture of him. nothing could have prepared you for what you saw when you opened it.

nothing could compare to the sight before you. not a photo of the finest michelin star dish, not a photo of a puppy that's your favorite breed, not a unique looking restaurant, because it's satoru.

his face is turned from the camera, but it's definitely satoru. his soft white hair is the most obvious reason why you think so, plus why would he send you a sexy photo of another man. aside from that, you've spend hours tracing over the muscles of his back, his biceps, and even more hours grasping at the flesh, digging your nails into it as he fucked you.

you wonder if he knows you miss him, or if he misses you and the reason why he sent that wasn't to tease you and show off what you can't have, but to get a reaction out of you so you can set up a video call with him.

a gut feeling tells you that it's probably both. he knows what kind of reaction he can get out of you from flexing those muscles.

whatever the answer may be, the truth remains: you can feel the slick forming between your folds and there's a familiar ache between your thighs.

you quickly run to one of shoko's guest bedrooms. thankfully, because of your training as a jujutsu sorcerer, you're able to get there in record time without bumping into anyone in the process.

you look at yourself in the mirror there, fixing strands of hair that has been messed up in your haste as well as straightening out your clothing before setting yourself down on the available bed and clicking on the video call button on your phone.

and like you've expected, satoru accepts it without a second to spare, as if he's waited by the phone after spending the photo, waiting for your flustered call. he has a knowing smirk on his face, one you know all too well.

"hey there, baby." he drawls. "wasn't expecting to see you here this late."

"satoru," it comes out as a breathless gasp that was not caused by the running. "i've missed you so much." you wriggle on the bed, getting comfortable.

his answering smile was cocky, but you spot the hint of warmth in his eyes and longing in the way his smile is bigger than it usually is. he doesn't have to say it verbally, he's missed you too.

"aww, did you, pretty girl? 'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long." he coos at you. "i promise i'll be there in a week, kay?"

he transfers the phone from one hand to the other, but while doing so, he lowers the camera view a bit, giving you a heart-stopping peek of his abs, something he definitely meant to do to rile you up some more, as if your brain wasn't going a hundred miles an hour right this second.

you rub your thighs together to give you that friction that you so desperately need. "that's not enough though." your voice comes out painfully needy and you know satoru isn't going to let you live that down anytime soon. the moment he gets home and gets his fill of you - even before that, maybe - he'll hold it over your head for the coming months -- and knowing satoru, it's not a long shot to say the coming years. he'll keep on blabbering something or other about "remember that time i had to go on a really long mission and you were whining to me on the phone about how much you needed me?" but you couldn't care less right now. he would be right, you need him so bad.

"aw, does my sweet angel need me? 'm sorry, baby, but i just can't be there right now." he explains like you didn't know that already. "tell you what though, if you ask me politely, maybe i'll find a way to help you out a bit, then make it up to you when i get home, yeah?"

"please 'toru?" you pout at the camera and flash him your puppy eyes. you know that those will work already, but wanted to do more so that's what you did. you subtly pushed your boobs together, internally thanking shoko for forcing you to go to this party because if not, you wouldn't be wearing this dress satoru loved so much. "i need you so bad. can you please help me out?"

"that's a sweet girl." you see him look down and hiss. the camera moves a bit too and you wonder if it's caused by him freeing his dick from his gray sweatpants.

"i want you to play with yourself for me." he states. "start with pulling the neckline of that dress down and letting me see those tits." he breathed. you hear wet sounds from his side and now you know he's already jerking off to you.

you changed your position, getting on your knees and using the pillow you were using so you'd have something to rest your phone on. when that was stable, you did what he asked of you.

you let yourself get into the moment first, caressing the skin around your neck, your collarbones first, humming at the sensual feeling, louder than usual so satoru would hear you clearly before your hands moved to the straps of your dress and pulled it down.

the clothing was quite tight so you still had to pull it down to expose your lacey bra, but satoru didn't mind. as much as he wanted to see your body, he did love that tight dress on you, cursing whoever assigned this mission to him because he wasn't able to be with you right this moment. he adored seeing the quality fabric hug the shape of your body, adored seeing your silhouette.

next to come off what your bra, and you made a show of that too, albeit a short one because satoru was so loud through the speaker of your phone. to say your neediness increased tenfold would be an understatement.

"there you go," gojo said as he watched your boobs bounce out of the shed undergarment. his gaze was fixed on your body. the lust was pouring out of his intense blue eyes. "play with them for me, baby."

you took your hands and squished your boobs together once more, gave them a final squeeze, then paid more attention to your nipples, erect from your arousal. you rolled them between your fingers, noticing that every time your eyes fluttered shut while you pinched them, satoru would let a particularly loud whimper.

but "it's not enough, toru, wan' more." you whispered. it was something he agreed with, murmuring a small "yeah," under his breath.

"i want you to spread your legs for me, baby." he waited for you to adjust before saying anything else.

you could feel the beads of sweat forming on your forehead, but couldn't be bothered to wipe them away. you changed the way you sat, now sitting on your ass, planting your feet firmly on the bed while your knees were raised so satoru would have an unobscured view of your pussy when your legs are spread.

you lifted the skirt of the dress up and over your legs until it's bunched up at your waist, letting satoru see your crotch and the patch of wetness on your panties.

the view made him curse under his breath.

"touch your thighs, yeah, just like that." even the simplest touch had your eyes rolling to the back of your head. it's been such a long time since you've been touched like this, and that fact paired with satoru's breathy voice and the slick sound of him tugging on his dick was a combination that could make you come untouched.

your hips started to move back and forth though there was nothing there that could ease the ache between your thighs. his praises of good girl, and you're doing so well for me, baby had your cunt pulsing against the cloth of your underwear. "'toru, more, please." your not want, but need was palpable through the way your voice cracked at the last words. "need it 'toru, please, fuck."

"write my name over those pretty little panties, baby."

little did you know, he was so close to coming. even closer than you were. he knew he couldn't come though, not yet. he'll bring you to the brink of pleasure first so you can do it together. it's the least he can do after leaving you along for so long, so he slows down his movements.

he didn't plan to start touching himself so early on. he wanted to start doing it at the same time you sank your fingers into your pussy, but he couldn't help himself after seeing you in that pretty dress he picked out. upon seeing that dress on the rack for the first time, he already knew you would look gorgeous in it. he thinks that you can wear a garbage bag and he'd still be itching to put his hands all over you, but god, did you look absolutely irresistible in that versace dress. and to think that you discouraged him from buying it at first because of the price.

it's worth every single yen.

it took everything in him to not speed the motions of his hands up when he saw you spell out g-o-j-o s-a-t-o-r-u along with a couple of hearts on the crotch of your already wet panties. he constantly had to repeat "slow down, slow down, slow down," in his head before he completely loses focus.

he decides that it's enough teasing, at least for today when you're both so desperate for one another.

to you, his next words are like a life line.

"take your panties off, baby. show me that pussy i love so much."

you breathe out a sigh of relief and delight and it seems like you can't take the lacey undergarment fast enough. you toss it somewhere in the room, too intoxicated by satoru's presence to care where it lands or if you'll still be able to find it later.

"there she is." he moans, gazing at your cunt. "missed my girl so much. look at how wet she is, bet she missed me too, huh?" his eyes flash to your face for a second, before returning to your pussy.

"missed you so much." you replied, touching yourself without needing instructions from satoru.

you started with your clit, drawing gentle circles on it with your index finger, then slowly pushing your middle and ring finger inside you.

you and satoru moaned each other's names at the same time for the first time in what feels like forever.

your digits moved fast inside you, pushing in and out of your gummy walls at such a pace where you could hear the wetness and feel little splatters of the sticky liquid coating your thighs.

"fuck, you're so wet." satoru hisses, and you don't hesitate to tell him the truth. "it's all for you 'toru," you whine, throwing your head back with your back arched. you imagine that it's his fingers inside of you instead of yours despite the way he can stretch you out in a way that your fingers never could.

"satoru," he was addicted with the way you said his name; like it's the sweetest prayer that could cleanse you of all your sins.

the coil in your belly winds and winds, continues to get tighter with every stroke of your finger. it clouds your brain, letting you forget about every single thought you could ever have, like how there's a party right outside the door and shoko, armed with the key, can walk in at any moment. the only thing on your mind is the way that satoru sounds as he fucks his fist, pretending that it was you, and the way your fingers feel as they pleasure you.

it's so overwhelming, the way you feel. you can't even hold yourself up anymore, having to scoot up the bed so you can lay against the headrest while one of your hands stroke your clit and the other thrusts in and out of you.

you're shaking now, as you address satoru once more. "'toru, 'm close. s' fuckin' close. can i come? please. fuck! ah-need it so, so bad." you're almost at the brink of tears as you plead at him.

"go ahead sweetheart, i'm right behind you."

thankfully for you, the sound of an electric guitar solo drowns out the sound of you screaming satoru's name, and you make no noise other than pants as you struggle to catch your breath.

satoru recovers a few seconds before you do.

"fuck," he runs a hand through his sweat slicked hair. "we need to do that again."

"no," you disagree with him, but too tired to glare. "i don't wanna go three months without you again."

"this was so hot though, baby. i'd pay good money to hear you beg like that again."

i get: reblog

you get: a personalized gojo selfie

[irkimatsu]

why can't I stop writing, I'm in love, I'm sorry

Husk/Reader, Husk brings Reader on a date, confessions are made, sappy sappy sappy

---

Husk is planning a very special date with you tonight. You've been on plenty of dates together, but that's all been things like drinks at dive bars and simple walks through the park. Tonight, he wants to go all out for you. You deserve it. He tells you to wear your nicest outfit, "though you'll look great no matter what you wear, doll", and to leave all planning and financial concerns to him. Just let him spoil you for a night.

He hasn't told you yet, but there's something he wants to talk to you about, and he can't say it unless he can get the mood perfect.

He shows up at your hotel room door in his nicest suit, and is immediately stunned by your own choice of outfit. "...you look great." Despite his earlier assurance that you always look great, he seems genuinely taken aback. The evening starts at a high-end steakhouse, where Husk tells you to order whatever you want with no concern for the price. You can have drinks or dessert if you want; it's all on him! You appreciate his generosity, although of course you don't want to take advantage of him. (Perhaps part of him still believes that careless spending is the best way he has of impressing anyone...) He then takes you to a live jazz show, where the two of you dance into the late hours of the night. You have a great time together, but soon the crowd becomes a bit much, and you both need fresh air. So, you decide to step outside to an outside eating area. There are plenty of tables, but none of them are taken, giving you some level of privacy here. You can still faintly hear the music from the club, and as a slow song begins, he wraps his arm around your waist and takes your hand.

"I wish the sky here wasn't so awful, and that it wasn't so damn humid," he says. "I wanna dance with you under the moon, in a cool breeze."

That romantic side of him never truly died. Maybe you realized that about him before he did.

"I'm still enjoying it," you assure him as you let him lead you in a slow dance. His eyes are transfixed on you the whole time, enraptured... and maybe a little nervous?

A love song that Husk knows well begins to play. You can barely hear the singer in the club, but you don't need to; Husk is happy to sing it for you, his smooth voice singing every word and note effortlessly, as if it's a song he's sung so many times before. He used to be a performer, so maybe he has. You lean your head against his chest as he serenades you, decades of practice bringing him to one of the most important songs he'll ever sing in his life.

The song ends, but Husk doesn't start singing the next one, even though you're sure he knows this one as well. He's content to keep swaying with you, and you're content to keep listening to his heart.

"Hey... doll?" he says. "I gotta... I gotta tell you something."

You look up at him again, and see that his eyes are completely dilated; in wonder, or in fear?

"I... I like..." He swallows. "I want... fuck. It's... been a long time since I've had to do this. I... can I kiss you?"

Does he even need to ask? He's kissed you so many times before, and you've always welcomed it. Well, at least he's a gentleman who respects your boundaries whether it's the first or hundredth time; it's one of the many things you've come to adore about him. You nod, and he kisses you. It's not a particularly deep kiss, with no use of tongue, but it lingers, as if he can't bear to pull away. He cradles your face in his paws and gently brushes his claws over your cheeks.

He murmurs something during a brief break in the kiss, and before you can comprehend it, his mouth is on yours again. As he keeps kissing you, your brain finally catches up to your ears.

"...I love you."

You'd say it back, but that would mean pulling away from the kiss. Instead, you respond by combing your fingers through the fur on the back of his head and pulling his mouth closer to you.

How long have you been standing there kissing him? Is the music still playing? Can anyone see you? None of that seems to matter. What matters is that you're here with him. You're kissing him.

"...I love you, too." You think you manage to say that at some point in the evening, but everything is such a blur...

"We should... get back to the hotel," Husk says, breathlessly, when he finally comes up for air. "Unless there's something else you want to do?"

"I'm fine with going back." A blush creeps onto your cheeks as you consider your next statement. "But I don't think I'm ready for our date to end yet. Maybe we could... spend the night together? In your room?"

Husk's eyes blow wide, and his tail stands up in curiosity. "I'd... I'd like that."

You don't know yet exactly what you want to do when you get back there, but you know Husk will respect whatever choice you make in the end. That respect for you, always framed as common human decency, is one of the many reasons you're so willing to return his feelings.

[pretty-toru]

Shoko has absolutely no interest in Gojo's love life but she notice there’s something more annoying about him than usual where his quirky exasperations become too much and almost unbearable.

The gleeful way he beams with every stride and the unwavering grin that could defy the laws of nature with one glance and cue the pure drop of sunshine upon him to encapsulate how perfect his life is going. His newfound energy and level of insufferable have reached Nanami, Ijichi, and his poor students on a breaking record through the constant complaints she overhears in the hallways of Tokyo Tech.

The unshakable brunette has a feeling she might regret asking her close friend and colleague about his personal life but she does so anyway, her hunches being almost never wrong as a silent observer.

"You've been acting different lately. Did you meet someone?"

Gojo's subtle short-circuit quickly gave him away and it was pointless to continue the charade especially when it comes to Shoko. Nothing gets past her since they've known each other for well over a decade now and he knows that he could trust her to keep his secret.

"That obvious, huh?" He pauses for a moment, and thoughts of you come swirling into his mind along with a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He's not even sure you ever left his head since meeting you and he decides that he's perfectly fine with that. "I did meet someone. She's a non-sorcerer... Is that bad? Well, you see I wasn't planning to get involved but we just..."

Shoko wasn't the least bit interested in Gojo's love life but anyone can see he's completely smitten with you by his loud expressions as he recounts the moments he holds close to his heart. She can tell he was torn between hiding you from everyone for the sake of your safety and wanting to boast about how amazing you are to everyone and their mother from the rooftops.

And so if you are the reason Gojo's smiling the way he is now—the sincere and heartfelt kind—then you undoubtedly have her unspoken blessing.

"It's not the worse idea you have, you know. This thing called love."

[sunflower-author]

Haii :3

can I request a yandere platonic lady Tamayo who is very protective of reader

OMG, I AM SO SORRY, I KNOW IT HAS BEEN LIKE 60 DAYS SINCE YOU ASKED I AM EXTREMELY SORRY BUT IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

IM A LITTLE BEHIND BUT WORKING ON ALL THE OTHER REQUEST!!

TRUST!!!

Anyway I hope you like this<3

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

     "Y/N I told you many times haven't I," Tamayo scolded you, in your room.

"I just wanted to go out to see the festival... It only happens once a year..." You complained.

"Still that doesn't justify sneaking out. You could have lost control, gotten lost, or Kibutsuki might have found you, or-"

"I had human blood yesterday, and you know I handle a least a week without it, and I know the village, I've been reading about it for a while, and we haven't heard about... 'him' being around here my entire lifetime..." you cut her off by saying.

"You've never been around so many people, since you've been turned into a demon, there was no telling if you could handle, all the new walking blood bags around you, and reading about things is different than actually seeing things in real life, as for Kibutsuki, even he we heard no word about him being here, there is still his underlings that lurk around here. remember the last time Yushiro told us about the encounter he had with one of them?" Tamayo asks you.

"... Four days ago..." you say looking down, feeling guilty, knowing that she is right.

"Exactly four days ago, they are probably still hiding in this town somewhere, it's dangerous to go out alone...  you know, if you truly asked me and Yushiro, we would have taken you..." Tamayo says sighing.

"Yeah right... you're just saying that right now... but we both know if I asked you before, you would have said no, lecture me more about being outside, humans, demons... 'him' exactly what you're doing right now," you say, knowing the type of manipulation tactics she has used on you ever since you met her.

"All I'm doing is trying to protect you... ever since I met you, don't you forget who was the one that saved you all those years ago... That demon was about to devour you, and I was the one who killed him, if I wasn't there, you would have been dead..." Tamayo said. 

Every time the two of you argued and she had enough, Tamayo would always bring up your past trauma, guilt-tripping you to go along with whatever she was saying.

You stay silent knowing that you can't say anything, after she pulls 'that' card on you.

"I care about you Y/N, I truly do," Tamayo says sitting down beside you on your bed.

"Listen, maybe when you're older... give it a few years, and I promise, you me and Yushiro will all go to that festival," Tamayo says, with her signature smile.

It makes her look innocent, but we both know it is always used to hide what she truly is feeling. Her obsessed, psycho, crazy side, or maybe annoyed, irritated side, probably both.

"Older? I'm old enough, I am in my teens no doubt late teen years, in a few years I might well be in my twenties," you snap back at her.

"Correction, you would be in your twenties if you were still human... Demons age differently since they can live well longer compared to humans, menially it takes... even I am not too sure." Tamayo says calmly. 

"Yes you have been here a few years, however menially you've probably only aged a few months, and let's not forget about your physical state, when you get turned into a demon, you stop growing physically," Tamayo says.

As she put her hand on your head, in hopes of comforting you a bit.

"I managed fine on my own before you found me," You counter back.

"You lasted what? A little over a year, before I found about to be devoured by a low-level demon-"

"I was younger, I was still getting used to being a demon, but now I know how to do things, thanks to you and Yushiro, I'll be able to handle myself, Tamayo," You cut her off, not wanting her to say anymore.

"And if you were to run into Kibutsuki? Then what? how will you defend yourself, if he found out you were associated with me? He would do unspeakable things to you Y/N," Tamayo says sternly.

"The chances of running into him are very small, just how much demons actually get to see his face?" you say again.

"Y/N L/N, drop this," Tamayo says, sternly, before sighing and calming herself down.

Finally having enough of this, you stay silent, you can never win against Tamayo. This is how all your arguing ends with her, once she says your full name everything ends.

"You acting childish, auguring with me, selfish for leaving me and Yushiro worried-" Realizing what she is saying stops, looking down at her lap, it is never her intention to make you feel bad.

"Y/n I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Yeah yeah, you didn't mean all those bad things you said and were about to say to me," giving her attitude. 

Rolling your eyes, you start to lie down on the bed, facing away from her.

"Well, since you're already mad at me, minus well tell you your punishment, no books for a month, and you will stay in your room for a week," Tamayo says turning to look at you.

You just stay silent looking the other way, waiting for her to go.

Getting the signal, Tamayo gets up from the bed walks to the door, turns off the light, grabs the door she looks at you for a moment.

"Goodnight Y/N," She says softly, only to be met with silence.

Sighing again, she closes the door, locking it.

[acquired-stardust]

Game Spotlight #16: Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories (2000)

Just in time to celebrate its upcoming release as part of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Early Years compilation, Ash takes a look at the very first title in the series released in the west with Dark Duel Stories, a quirky little game that remains surprisingly playable to this day. Come take a quick look at the game to know what you're in for when The Early Years releases later this year!

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a series that Larsa and I have a lot of affection and nostalgia for. Once upon a time we were even avid players of the physical card game (Larsa to much greater competitive success than I), and we've kept up with the series in all its various forms for most of our lives now. Binging the notoriously campy and hilarious English dub of the anime together was one of the first things we did as a couple, and when we started Acquired-Stardust it was a no-brainer to create some content in tribute to the series. That content even went on to become some of our most popular posts, so the series holds a special place in our hearts as well as in the history of the blog.

It's a fascinating series that has taken on a lot of different forms throughout the years and you might be surprised to learn that the iconic physical card game, now mostly known for its incredibly long first-turn combo plays that determine who wins and loses before you're even able to do much playing, wasn't even the original hook of the series. Yu-Gi-Oh! began life as a manga by the late Kazuki Takahashi, the story of a high school boy possessed by an ancient spirit that would punish Domino City's many bullies and thugs through the power of Shadow Games, dishing out Twilight Zone-esque ironic punishments to them, with the signature card game the series is so synonymous with only being played a total of twice in the first 60 chapters before becoming the main focus with the Duelest Kingdom arc which the anime most western fans are familiar is based on. It was a shockingly dark and violent manga especially compared to the camp that the series is more well known for.

Just as well, the physical real-world card game itself has undergone radical shifts in mechanics and formats over the years since its 1999 introduction, and the result is a series that means something different to everyone. If you poll a hundred people, odds are they'll all have a different bit of the franchise as their favorite and consider a different era to be its peak. Larsa and I are personally most fond of the early years of the series, and so playing some of the video games set in that awkward 'wild west, anything goes' time when they were learning and experimenting with exactly what they wanted the card game to be was a pretty intriguing prospect.

And make no mistake about it - Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories is very much in that early feeling-out period. So early in fact it released a mere two days before the Playstation classic Forbidden Memories and eleven days after the debut of the physical card game in America. Dark Duel Stories may have been the first Yu-Gi-Oh! game released in the west, but it's actually the third game in a Gameboy-specific series of Yu-Gi-Oh! titles (and has had its name swapped with its predecessor - whereas Dark Duel Stories is the name of the second title in Japan, this game was originally titled Tri-Holy God Advent in Japan). This series follows what I'll be calling the Gameboy Format for the game for the purpose of this piece, and for the most part it faithfully recreates the base mechanics of the physical card game (which we're assuming you have at least some level of familiarity with, but if not actually playing Dark Duel Stories yourself is a fine way to learn) with a number of key differences.

The first important difference in the Gameboy Format is its de-emphasis, but not total elimination, of Effect Monsters, Traps and Magic cards. Decks consist of a mandatory total of 40 cards, each with their own cost and level limit associated with them. Monster cards will make up the bulk of decks due to their low costs compared to the very costly Magic and Trap cards, necessitating clever usage of the game's largely weak lineup of Monster cards. Facilitating this is the biggest key difference between the traditional physical card game and the Gameboy Format in the much larger emphasis it places on the elemental typing of Monster cards, more inspired by the original manga's version of the card game. Each monster card in the game has an element associated with it (a total of eleven elements exist in the game), with the elements following a rock-paper-scissors sort of mechanic not unlike Pokemon that sees elements strong against one another (such as Water being strong against Fire) be able to inflict increased damage on their opposing element. Unlike Pokemon however, Yu-Gi-Oh's Gameboy Format sees Monster cards of an element weak to its diametrically opposed element outright destroyed before inflicting any potential lifepoint damage to players.

While this can (and will) lead to asinine scenarios in which the iconic Blue Eyes White Dragon card is destroyed by the meager Kuriboh, it adds an interesting layer of strategy to the game that goes beyond simply loading decks with the most powerful cards obtainable. It also stands in stark contrast to the physical card game in which setting up unbeatable scenarios with very little counterplay outside of hyper-specific scenarios on the first turn has become a hallmark.

Another aspect of the Gameboy Format that differs from the physical card game is the lack of Polymerization, a Magic card that enables the fusion of Monsters into a new and more powerful creature. While the Polymerization card is missing the fusion mechanic itself remains, relegated to an entirely unexplained process in which the player can attempt to combine any two monsters to potentially result in a successful fusion with getting the formula incorrect resulting in the first card being replaced by the second. It's small touches like this and the unique elemental system that promote a lot of experimentation and make sure that every Monster card has a potential use regardless of how weak they are statistically.

Players are given a deck of cards to start with and tasked with defeating three tiers of opponents, all of whom being an iconic characters from the manga and anime, five times each. Defeating opponents will earn the player more cards and card parts (more on this in a moment), as well as raising the deck level and cost limitations imposed on the player slowly but surely. There are a total of 800 obtainable cards in the game which can also be acquired through the usage of the Password system that allows players to add one of each card to their collection through entering the corresponding password associated with them. The Password system also allows players to unlock the game's hidden bosses as well as enabling additional post-duel drops indefinitely.

The game's main hook is its allowing of the player to create custom cards through combination of obtained card parts, with players able to combine top and bottom halves of original Monster cards in all sorts of ways that change their attack and defense values, elements, names and appearances. It's a small gimmick that the player is not necessarily required to interact with by any means but does help immerse you in the series by allowing you to create your own unique signature cards.

The end result of Dark Duel Stories' gameplay loop and format is a game that is perfectly suited for its handheld platform in all the best and worst ways. Its small, almost bite-sized duels go by rather quickly and painlessly but obtaining cards without the use of Passwords is a grind-heavy experience that leaves the player completely at the mercy of random chance. The costs associated with constructing decks can feel stifling at first but forces you to engage with the game and appreciate some of its eccentricities like the elemental system, and makes finally being able to include higher-value cards feel like the major upgrade in power that it really is.

It's a perfect fit with the Gameboy Color that allows you to sink however much time you want into it, grinding away to raise your level and cost limits or obtain cards on long road trips or just spending a few minutes beating Joey Wheeler or Seto Kaiba one more time.

Another strong aspect of the game is its art, faithfully adapting 800 cards from the game's early era to the Gameboy Color with a lot of success. Opposing duelists are also particularly strongly adapted, including a lot of (but unfortunately not all) the iconic characters one would expect to find in the game in impressive detail all without an over-reliance on digitizing existing artwork from the manga's original artist. The beautiful pixel art splash screens after selecting an opponent hold up extremely well and have my vote for some of the best visuals on the platform.

Not quite as strong is the sound, with songs being inoffensive and not super memorable but certainly serviceable - you won't be muting the game to protect your ears or anything, but turning on your own music instead might help with some of the grind if you're wanting to invest bigger chunks of time into obtaining Dark Duel Stories' large amount of cards or raising the limits imposed on your deck.

A small touch I greatly appreciated was the lack of manual saving, with Dark Duel Stories featuring a reliable autosave that happens after every duel, making rematching or putting the game down both a painless experience. One particular annoyance is the lack of a search function in the card library, so it's helpful to keep a guide on hand to reference individual card numbers you might be looking for rather than having to scroll through 800 cards manually.

While it's not a perfect game by any means, Dark Duel Stories remains a very fun and addictive time capsule of an era of the game now decades past and comes at an extremely early point in the existence of the physical card game and series at large. There's a lot of charm and a deceptive amount of depth to hook new and old players alike, and the gameplay remains smooth and fast all these years later despite obvious platform limitations.

It even allows players to link two Gameboy systems to duel or trade, though this will be less attractive a feature to people playing the game via emulation on PC which typically lacks the capabilities necessary for multiplayer functions. Original manga author Kazuki Takahashi constantly designed little games that appeared in the backs of compiled volumes of the manga, most often played with dice, and it's not surprising that he'd also come up with a very fun card game too even if this wasn't exactly the format we'd come to know in the years after the release of Dark Duel Stories.

A gem hidden among the stones, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories is undoubtedly stardust.

-- Ash

[hittmeandtellmeyouremine]

ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

pairing: college!harry osborn x college!fem!reader

summary: you had known peter parker for a few months now and he had mentioned having a roommate a few times but you never really pay attention to it. well you're left with no choice but to acknowledge it when you're met with him instead of peter while returning notes peter had so graciously let you borrow. maybe he should have so graciously told you he wasn't going to be home but you'd yell at him about that later.

warnings: swearing, brief mention of family issues.

word count: 3.3k

a/n: this is the introduction to my heaven is a bedroom series which uses characters and events from sam raimi's spider-man universe. since this is the introduction you can read it by itself or with the rest of the series! it is mentioned that the reader is a woc but you can ignore that if it doesn't apply.

if there was one thing college had brought you it was the sweet boy you could call a friend, peter parker. you had met peter during your freshman year at columbia university. you had both been placed into biology, seeming as you were a bio major and he was a bio-physics major. peter just so happened to come in late the first day and the only seat left was next to you, i guess no one wanted to be sitting all the way on the left side of the room.

you became friends pretty quickly and even became lab partners. peter was probably the only college boy you actually enjoyed being around. he was sweet and honest, wasn't very reliable though. at least from what he had told you when you finally got him to talk about the girl he liked. you watched peter's eyes light up every time he mentioned her name, smiling to yourself at how head over heels he was for her.

you were entering your third month of college, aka it was finally october. the previous week you had gotten too caught up at the shelter and missed class. thankfully peter had showed up on time that day and was helpful enough to lend you the notes, saying something about how it was the least he could do considering how many times you've lent him yours. as promised, you were on your way to return them to him now.

you had never been to peter's apartment, there was never a need until now. usually it was him returning the notes to your apartment. he had mentioned that he had a roommate. you couldn't remember what he said his name was but it was his childhood best friend. it didn't really seem too shocking because you had the same situation. what college student didn't have a roommate? what person living in new york didn't have a roommate? well, unless you were rich.

the building seemed nice enough as you rode up in the elevator, peter's notebook in hand. the lecture that you had missed had been on arachnids and peter's notes were expert-level. he had even taken the time to drop out some of the species. as the elevator gets to the top you realized you probably should've called to tell him you were coming over. in your defense, he just told you to drop them off on sunday and that was today. he never gave you an exact time so he would probably be home all day.

right?

the elevator finally came to a stop at the ninth floor. you opened up the gate and stepped off, stopping in front of the door and knocking on it. you heard some shuffling and smiled to yourself a bit. knowing peter he had probably forgot you were coming over. you heard footsteps coming towards the door before it unlocked and opened.

wait, this isn't peter.

"hi?" the guy said.

he was cute. he was really cute.

he was tall, a little lanky looking. he had brown hair and honey brown eyes to match. he was wearing a blue button up, the collar of a white tee shirt poked out where the first two buttons failed to meet their match. there was a black watch on his left wrist. he had on these small, little reading glasses. you must've interrupted something.

"hi. i must have the wrong apartment. i'm looking for peter parker?"

"oh pete does live here. he's just not home right now" he answered, flashing you an apologetic smile.

so this was the roommate peter had mentioned.

"he should be back soon though. come in" he said before he stepped to the side and let you into their apartment.

"thanks" you smiled as you stepped inside and glanced around.

it was a nice apartment. you first walk into the kitchen. they had a dinning room table in front of one of the two big balcony doors. there was a small living room area beside the dining room table, in front of the other balcony door. stairs to the left of that, assumedly leading to their bedrooms. their office space was to the right of the stairs.

your eyes fell back onto the dining room table where there were notebooks and textbooks scattered.

so you did interrupt something.

"i'm sorry if i interrupted anything. i was just dropping off the notes he'd let me borrow. he told me to come on sunday" you explained.

"oh don't worry. you didn't interrupt anything, i was just doing some homework. pete stepped out early this morning but i'm sure he'll be back soon if you want to wait. i'm harry, harry osborn" he said, sticking his hand out.

his eyes seemed to linger on you a bit.

wait. osborn as in oscorp? the multi-billion dollar tech company?

"i'm y/n. peter and i are lab partners"

you shake his hand. his palm is kind of sweaty. he nods slowly, like he's putting the pieces together.

"did peter not mention that?"

"well he did, he just never mentioned that you were a girl"

you cocked your head at him a bit.

what was that supposed to mean?

he must've noticed the change in your facial expression because he was quick to explain.

"n-not that there's anything wrong with that. i just didn't realize pete had it in him"

you looked at him oddly again.

"no, i mean not like that. it's just that peter doesn't do too well talking to women. he sort of um... freezes up"

you had heard all about peter's inability to speak to women. he was constantly telling you about his failed attempts at making a move on mary jane watson. the poor guy was like a lost puppy in that department.

but harry wasn't doing any better right now.

"sort of like you're doing now?" a small smirk creeping onto your face.

"yeah, sort of" he chuckled, looking away. "do you want something?"

"no. thank you, but i actually should get going. i have a shift i need to get to. could you just let peter know i dropped it off?" you asked, handing him the notebook.

his gaze fell to the notebook and then back up to you as he grabbed hold of it. those puppy eyes seemed almost pleading. like there was something else he wanted to say.

but he didn't.

"yeah of course. i'll let him know you stopped by"

"thank you", you smiled, "it was nice meeting you harry"

he opened the front door for you and you looked back at him briefly as you walked out.

"no problem, nice meeting you"

-

"harry, no"

"oh come on pete! please?" he pleaded.

"no. i'm not getting involved" peter said, throwing up his hands.

"you have to pete. you're my only in"

ever since peter got home harry had been down his throat. actually, more like on his knees. begging peter to give him information about y/n.

"harry she's going to eat you alive. you ever heard that song "maneater"? yeah that's her"

"well if she's so bad then why are you friends with her?"

"oh she's a great friend but i've seen her crush pretty much every guy who tries to make a move with her's ego. and harry, your ego can get pretty big"

for every time peter rambled to you about mary jane, you told him a story about your massacre of a love life. that wasn't an insult either, that was the way you liked it.

"gee thanks pete" he deadpanned, "my ego will live. i still don't understand how you never told me about her!"

peter distinctively remembers a time that he was walking out of class with you. you two were in the middle of a conversation about the lecture when a guy from class stopped you. it was an obvious attempt to as you out but all the guy got from you was a dirty look and a short, uninterested response. then you continued on as if that interaction had never happen, resuming your conversation with peter.

now every time that guy sees you in class he avoids you like the plague. and you act like he doesn't exist because, to you, he doesn't.

"i didn't know it was so important to you" peter said sarcastically as he started up the stairs, chuckling.

"peter i haven't even been able to finish my homework, that's how important it is to me"

peter stopped mid step, noticeably fed up with harry's investigating.

"she mentioned going to a shift later. at least tell me where she works?"

peter internally smiled. harry had practically taken the short time you were here and engraved it in his memory. surely he had the resources to find out more about you on his own but peter figured he'd make his life a little easier. knowing harry wouldn't let him get through his homework if he didn't.

"she doesn't. she volunteers at the animal shelter." peter admitted before going to his room.

a smile took place on harry's face.

-

a few days later you were at the front desk of the shelter, filling out the paperwork for a new dog that had come in. you heard the front door open, thanks to the bell on it, and footsteps that stopped before you. you started greeting whoever it was without looking up.

"hi. what kind of animal are you looking for today?"

"well i was hoping you would help with that"

wait a minute. you had heard that voice before.

"harry?" you questioned as you looked up.

"hi y/n" he smiled

what was he doing here?

"i didn't know you and peter were looking for a pet"

he shrugged.

"figured there's no harm in looking"

"no, i guess there isn't" you smiled

"so will you help me?"

-

you had given harry a tour of the shelter. starting with the cats, moving onto the dogs. he didn't really strike you as an animal person but he seemed to like whatever you liked. he also seemed more interested in you than he was in the animals. the shelter didn't take smaller animals so after the dogs there wasn't much else to show. coincidentally, as your tour was coming to an end so was your shift.

"i have to go clock out" you told him as you guys had returned to the lobby.

"well i can wait here. if you want to go grab a drink or something?" he asked.

"a drink?" you questioned with a raised eyebrow.

usually, this would be an immediate no. you didn't have time for this. you were busy enough with classes and volunteering. you didn't need any distractions.

usually, you would write this off as a waste of time. you had no interest in dating or hooking up so what was the point? it's not like you needed a friend either. i mean you had plenty of friends.

right?

you had plenty of friends. you had clover, your other two long distance best friends, your sister, and... peter. they were more than enough. you didn't really have time for anyone else. really.

"well like a coffee or something, whatever you want" he saved.

his nervousness made you smile.

damn it.

"sure harry, give me a minute" you agreed before turning and going into the break room.

you'd be a liar if you said you hadn't thought about harry. the minute you got home you and your roommate had did some stalking to find out what you could about him. you felt bad about it but him showing up here made you feel less bad about it. he had obviously been doing his own research.

harry was the only son of norman osborn. clover had given you wide eyes when you guys found that out. not that it mattered much to you but it confirmed that osborn was indeed for oscorp. apparently, his father was a billionaire.

a rich, pretty boy was almost never a good combo. but for right now you seemed to have the upper hand. you just needed to keep that advantage.

you came back out with your jacket in hand as you made your way over to harry. new york was in fall now which called for a few more layers. you had been wearing a red spider-man baby tee, a black pleated skirt with thermal black tights and tall, black uggs.

"so you like spider-man?" he asked with a smile.

he has a pretty smile.

"you don't?" you asked as you slipped on the jacket and zipped it halfway.

"he's a cool guy"

he held the door open for you as you walked out before leading the way towards a coffee shop he said he had heard was good.

"what are you going to school for?" he asked you.

he has his hands in the pockets of his jacket. the cold wind was making the tip of his nose and ears turn red.

like a little rudolph.

"i'm a biology major" you answered.

your hands were also shoved in the pockets of your jacket. your tan skin made the redness in your face less obvious on you than it was on him but he could still see it. he made sure to.

"that tracks"

you gave him a bit of a side eye. if you hadn't known he had done his research on you before, he just gave it away.

"i just mean because it seems like you like animals. your eyes kind of lit up every time you introduced me to one"

so he's observant.

"you're not wrong. that's what i'm going to school for" you admitted.

and interested. maybe.

"to work with animals?"

"yeah, to be a vet."

"no wonder you're friends with peter. you must be like wicked smart" he chuckled.

you continued to talk until you got to the coffee shop. turns out he's an only child, you're not. he never mentioned a mother, so it must just be his father. he talks so highly of his father, but there's a bit of a falter there. you knew that falter.

stop psychoanalyzing him.

you watched his face drop when he went to order for you two and you told him you don't actually drink coffee. he apologized profusely for not asking before but you told him you'd live. he got you a hot chocolate instead.

when you guys left the coffee shop harry said he would walk you home so you led the way this time. you both sipped on your drinks and continued conversation. apparently, harry also goes to columbia but he was a business major with a minor in engineering. your paths would hardly ever cross on campus.

you had sort of wrote him off to be this fuckboy, you still kind of do. the business major thing doesn't really help his case. but this little walk with him had made you realize he wasn't so terrible.

that didn't mean you were gonna let him off so easily though.

you stopped in front of the building, harry looked confused when he realized what building you two were in front of.

"i told you i would walk you home" he said, frowning a bit.

"i walked you home instead, my place is further" you said, nodding in the direction opposite of the one you guys came from.

that was a lie. but it was too early for him to know where you lived. you had to keep that upper hand.

"i wouldn't mind walking a little bit y/n, really. "

okay so maybe he was actually interested.

"i know but its alright. i gotta get home." you said as you started to walk away from him. "thank you for the hot chocolate!"

harry watched you walk away from him with furrowed brows as he watched you go the same direction you had just came from.

"i thought you said your apartment was further away?!" he called after you.

"i lied!" you yelled back, smirking to yourself.

-

"y/n! i think you should give him a chance!"

you and peter were similar in the way that you both were roommates with your childhood best friends. right about now you wished you weren't.

"a chance to what? fuck me?"

you two were more different than you were similar. clover liked to see the best in people. that wasn't her fault though. she had never exactly been given a reason to do otherwise.

clover came from two loving parents. she was an only child but her parents treated you like a second daughter. sometimes you thought they treated you better than your own parents did. you tried to push that thought away though. it made you feel guilty.

they were the reason you and clover were living together right now. her parents were both tennis players and they must've been good at it because they were are loaded. they started investing in property at some point. and when their daughter told them she wanted to move to new york for college with her best friend, they made it happen.

they bought the whole apartment building actually, making sure to leave the best apartment available for their daughter and you. its insanity but you couldn't be more grateful for them. they did for more you than your own parents did.

"maybe. maybe more, maybe less" she protested

you laughed and shook your head at her. you had predicted this would happen. you were gonna avoid telling her in the first place but she saw the empty hot chocolate and started questioning.

"you've lost your mind. absolutely not clo"

she groaned like you had just told her she was grounded. which, for the record, clover's parents never grounded her. you grabbed bug and headed towards your room.

being a regular volunteer at the shelter gave you the privilege (and curse) of being able to foster some of the animals. you had to limit yourself to one and you picked bug. bug was a big black cat who enjoyed messing with clover during his free time. she wasn't huge on cats and he made it his business to harass her when you weren't home. you didn't mind, it evened the score for when she harassed you like she is right now.

"y/n please! this could actually mean something for you!" she protested.

for clover, this was the equivalent to you shutting off her favorite rom com right before things started to get good. her words not yours.

"it was just hot chocolate! plus, i don't want it to mean anything. i will live just fine without harry. didn't you say yourself that he had a reputation?"

during our light stalking session she said she had heard about him, a few girls had mentioned his name. then she admitted that was a lie and a lot of girls had mentioned his name, on various occasions. apparently he had spent the first few months of college getting some experience under his belt.

probably wasn't too hard for him once girls figured out who his father was.

you remember peter complaining about it once. saying how harry was falling behind and he had to threaten him to not help him anymore if he didn't get his act together.

or was it harry's father?

you couldn't exactly remember.

maybe that's why he was studying when you went over.

"we don't exactly know what that reputation is though! it could just be gossip or he could've changed!" clover called.

you scoffed as you entered your room, "yeah, fat chance clo!"

"a talking stage won't hurt!" she called after you before you shut your door and set bug down. you watched as he made his way onto you bed and laid himself out.

"might hurt" you mumbled.

-

up next: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

thank you

kieran is a decent shot but is terrifying with a knife (people are not that different to fish). 110% he would win a 1v1 knife fight every time and thanks to army training he's pretty decent at disarming people in hand on hand combat. would take a knife to a gun fight and have a chance of winning

probably taller than 90% of the gang if he actually corrected his posture

his parents died when he was a proper baby only 8 or 9 and he pick-pocketed to survive along with a bunch of other urchins like the saint denis gang. he's still pretty good at it and is really good at being stealthy/light on his feet despite his stature (helpful for not getting noticed by the crueler VDLs)

he also became a pretty good liar and con artist as part of living on the street and getting out of trouble when caught (this is heavily inspired by how differently he treats gang members, happily tells karen he is a baby to get sympathy, people-pleasing 'whatever you say miss with mary-beth, needles arthur back a bit when they go fishing)

probably has a touch of the old imposter syndrome because he never really had the chance to figure out who he was he's just been focused on survival since since day 1. he loves horses because he doesn't have to worry about what mask he has to wear with them

he's frankly not sure how old he is on account of how young he was when his parents died. he enlisted for the army when he looked old enough, in reality he was probs only 17 and barely got in based on his facial hair, which he had never shaved a day in his life since it started growing (hc late 20s/early 30s in game)

he was in the infantry division. consistent food and routine after a decade of fighting for scraps and being spit on? he loved it. very upstanding, attentive, kept his uniform clean and sharp. was there years before he saw active combat. then he fucking hated it. refused to follow orders. was not dying over land. was not shooting at unarmed people. dishonorably discharged. would have deserted if they didn't.

looks like an absolute fucking baby without facial hair and would sooner bite someone than be clean shaven because he hates it

gets very irritable when he hasn't had a cigarette for a while. has picked cigarette butts of the ground for a quick hit. would have broken faster about six point cabin if they offered him a cigarette.

lying through his teeth about his time with the o'driscolls. he was probably with them closer to a year, and a little higher than bottom-rung. got to pick and choose what missions he went on, talk to colm directly, most knew his name ect. i cannot see him having the balls to argue with colm o'driscoll himself unless he had some level of protection/seniority within the gang esp given the circumstances of how he joined. he was trusted enough to ride off on his own without running off?

in saying that. he was definitely considering running off in colter. at no point does he try to fight arthur. no way he wasn't armed. just oh no i am being abducted this is v bad. don't give me food for weeks? still like you more than colm can i stay with you pls

AHHH!!! I READ THIS THE DAY YOU SENT IT BUT I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND BECAUSE I WASN’T REALLY EXPECTING PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SEND IN THEIR HEADCANONS, THANK YOU THESE ARE WONDERFUL!

:D You explained these all beautifully and I feel like I couldn’t say much more, but I’ll try to “yes and…” everything you said because I feel it is worth exploring these ideas you proposed. Long HC ramble under the divider.

1) I don’t know much about 1800’s military training but I can see Kieran being a knife guy like you said. He has a custom knife in game (at the very least he has a custom pistol). Him being good with a knife makes me think of how he comes off as unarmed from a distance but harbors a wicked knife up close. I am sure he mainly uses his knife for cutting fishing line or whittling sticks in his free time. He used it for cutting up animals he hunted while with his past gang. That knife has gotten him through a lot, it’s practically an heirloom at this point; it kept him alive and is one of the few things he fully owns and kept from his youth.

2+3+4) lanky scary guy is stealthy!! Yes!! I would like to mention how no one in the VDL gang noticed Kieran wandering off and getting a gun belt from a corpse during the firefight in A Social Call Mission. He did all of that AND was swift enough to save Arthur. I agree that he was very young when his parents died. I more so think 11-13 in my HC but that’s just because I feel like the stables would rather kick out a tween/teen than a little kid. This blends into your 4th point about being a con artist. Kieran knows his strengths and weaknesses. He knows that people see a scrawny little boy before they see him as a thief. Squirming and squabbling can be enough of a distraction to get away with things.

I don’t have a good explanation for how Kieran did this since he can’t leave camp, but while I was playing, I saw Kieran donated a jewel necklace to the camp funds (and not to brag on his behalf, but he donated WAY MORE $$ than the other members 🤭). Kieran still can pull his weight in pickpocketing, even in game. I imagine he does it without straying too far from camp by pretending he is sick or hungry and thirsty on the side of well traveled paths and getting close enough to strangers to swipe something. It’s subtle enough to not draw attention to camp, yet effective enough to be worth it in the long run.

5+6) I agree on imposter syndrome! One hc I have is that Kieran was raised an only child while traveling westward to California with his parents meaning he had no consistent kids his age to be with. Even in the military (where he SHOULD be surrounded by his peers) he never really connected in a genuine way. Being roughened up by being an outlaw after that just made it harder to emotionally connect since so much required not breaking down if a group member dies. It’s odd; Kieran is unwilling to be vulnerable, but he isn’t this stoic wall. Instead he has this decoy vulnerability?… he’d rather people see him as a weak guy if it gets him out of a physical hurt yet he won’t be vulnerable if it means running the risk of being emotionally hurt.

7) I know very little about 1800’s military (and my cursory research has been shallow thus far) but I imagine it was better than being homeless and orphaned! Food, shelter and routine, like you said. I imagine Kieran was an obedient and hard working kid; helped his family with horses, fishing and hunting. Pre-outlaw Kieran felt conflicted about killing people. I mean… he joined the army so he isn’t clueless that he had to kill, but killing on paper vs actually killing is very different, plus he was a puny teen without a fully developed brain when he enlisted.

Once Kieran became an outlaw, he had to make some sort of peace / find some silver lining to killing. You have to have morally dubious ways of coping with being an outlaw or else you go mad. One way was him (guiltily or not) finding some thrill in gunfights or knife fights. Made him feel good for once about being an easy to underestimate guy. He got to taunt, shout, and watch his enemies faces contort in pain and horror.

8) the facial hair stuff!! I agree that Kieran likely looks like an exhausted young adult under all the scruff. I imagine Kieran has put value into his unkempt looks. He does care for hygiene (source: he says it in cut audio) but he can’t bring himself to trim his facial or head hair because he feels it is the only thing making him a man. Like you said, imposter syndrome, he doesn’t feel like he’s an actual adult who has his life together. I’m sure Kieran has some out-dated ideas of what makes a man (out-dated by modern day standards). Stuff like being strong, a provider, hairy, deep voiced, etc. Kieran isn’t many of those things. Having a snaggly beard is his tiny grasp on meeting what he wishes he could be. I also think he hasn’t cut his hair that much because of a lack of salons while being an outlaw.

9) I honestly forget most of the characters in RDR2 smoke… but I agree! Growing up with a smoker as a parent who tried to quite cold turkey a few times, I know how hellish withdrawal is on a person. While in Colter, tied up, Kieran was the most bellicose because of withdrawals peaking (upon other things). I feel like some point between his parent’s dying and him joining the outlaws was when he took up smoking.

10+11) Kieran was DEFINITELY lying about how involved he was with the O’Drisc, agreed. I see him as being with them for likely 6 months to a year. Maaayyybe more but I feel like Kieran ran with his prior gang for most of his adult life. To me, Kieran is fibbing a half truth when he says he wasn’t close with Colm and he was merely a stable boy. He WAS that, but with being an obedient, hardworking chore boy, he was kept around long enough to make it up little by little till he was on missions out of camp collecting supplies or defending territory/camp. Kieran was always a pawn, never someone Colm actually cared for. Kieran was just the least-annoying gang goon Colm could bring into the mountains to watch the horses in the cold stables. The fact Kieran was even spotted by the VDL gang was bad luck.

I don’t know why he is riding out of the camp solo before Arthur catches him ;-; my best guess would be Kieran was going to meet up with other members but when a fight with the O’Drisc vs VDL broke out in camp, Kieran took it as his chance to get the fuck out of there.

On the topic of getting the fuck out, Kieran didn’t fight as much as he could when Arthur got him, I agree. When his life depends on it, he will fight like a cornered animal, all knife slashing and wild-eyed. Whether Kieran fights or goes limp and pleads pathetically depends on the situation. When Kieran fled from the O’Drisc camp firefight, he knew he wouldn’t last out there unless he got off the mountain. Being snatched and dragged to an enemy camp was better than dying of exposure. I mean… everything in his life sucks. Kieran gets no easy options. Sometimes he just has to go limp and be tied up and see where life brings him.

His relationship with Colm is interesting. I don’t think Colm cares very much about Kieran (keep in mind I don’t actually know Colm’s character well since I haven’t finished the game). From what Kieran describes of him, I feel it was all things Kieran observed or eavesdropped on while doing chores or sitting around the camp. Who knows tho! I am open to the idea that Kieran was of higher rank and indeed had more reasons to talk with Colm directly. I don’t know much about the O’Driscoll gang inner workings.

Ah!! Once again, thank you so much :) I love all your headcanons and it was a blast brainstorming about your ideas.

[thehollowwriter]

Ok so since i love sad but bad boys i'm gonna ask blaze for your event-

How about reader(gender neutral or fem your choice) who is blaze's childhood friend and tries to make him realize what his mother wants is not what he wants

Thank you! (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

Hi! Sorry for the late reply! Yaaay a Blaze ask <3

Warnings: None. Word count: 520

(Pls reblog and leave a comment ♥️)

Art by @/moonyasnow

Choose

Blaze sat on one of the rocks closest to the shimmering water of the sea, throwing and catching a smooth, circular rock as he stared at the horizon. It was painted with beautiful purples and oranges as the sun gradually dipped down to welcome the night, giving Blaze at least something to appreciate on this shitty shitty day.

"You should get in," you said to him from your spot within the water, your tail flicking back and forth happily. "The water's wonderful."

"No." Blaze muttered. He didn't feel like changing forms right now. It was such an exhausting process.

An awkward silence reigned for a moment. Blaze kept throwing and catching his rock. Eventually, you spoke. "Your mom again?"

Blaze didn't answer for a while. He stopped throwing the rock and stared at it, turning it over in his hands.

"...I didn't get a main role in our theatre production." He growled out after a while, his voice softer and rougher than usual. "Not even a side character. I'm... 'too wooden'. Mom says she's wasting money and time on me if this is what she gets back for all those acting lessons..." He put his head in his hands. "I'm tyring. I'm trying so hard, but she just doesn't care. Now she wants me to do lessons and advice from Vil fucking Schoenheit."

You didn't say anything for a while. The same string of thoughts you always had every time Blaze mentioned acting flooded through your mind.

'You shouldn't have to be an actor,' you wanted to say, 'Do what you want. Don't you want to choose what to do with your life?'

You rarely did, though. He got so upset every time. But a question on the tip of your tongue escaped before you could stop it.

"Blaze," you said before you could stop yourself. "Is acting what you really want to do? It's more your... your mom's wishes than your own."

Blaze glanced at you, then threw his rock. It skipped across the water before sinking below the waves and into the ocean's depths.

"Of course it's what I want!" He hissed venomously. "I don't even like Alchemy that much. It's just an interesting subject!"

You drew in a breath, refraining from pointing out that you never mentioned alchemy.

"But you don't like acting either." You insisted. "You always hate going to classes. You said you wanted to be in a different club too-"

"Because I hate hearing Vil talk like he's all that when his daddy's money gave him everything! I would like it if that bastard wasn't there!"

You grinded your teeth. "Blaze, you've never been happy about anything to do with acting. You don't like acting. This isn't what you want, Blaze, it's your mom who-"

"Will you shut up?" Blaze hissed. "I'm going to be an actor, and I'm to be Vil Schoenheit levels of famous! You can either support me like a good friend should or get lost."

There was a long pause.

"Okay, well," you said, hiding your hurt. You picked up a smooth circular stone of your own and threw it in the same direction as Blaze threw his. It only skipped a few times before sinking. "Best of luck."

A heavy silence reigned between the both of you. You stared at Blaze. You stared at his face, the way his jaw set in a grimace, and the way his eyes seemed to water.

He could do so much more, be so much more, but he didn't want to. Or he didn't think he could. It hurt to see. But you stayed silent.

You disappeared into the water and left Blaze to sit on his rock. Alone.

-End

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading! Blaze is a bit mean, sorry :(

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[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Idk what to tell to the people who still don't get that although is okay to teach kids the rules to live in a society (like respect others or don't kill or whatever), Kotaro Shimura, Enji Todoroki and Toga's parents didn't care as much for society rules as they care for the rules that made them feel okay at home.

Which in the end caused the main villain trio to reject authority and society and turn into violence, since they did try to use words as kids and were royally ignored.

Tenko, Touya and Toga tried very hard to be good kids, but in their parents conception it was not enough 'cause they couldn't repress some of their needs: they wanted their dads and moms to accept them as they were, to accept who they wanted to be, to accept the way they expressed love and accept the way they interacted with their surroundings.

In Tenko's case, Kotaro was unable to accept his kid desire to become a hero. His could be the worst case in bnha, given the violence of his tragedy and how misfortune (maybe even something else) played on it ending so badly. Tomura himself said that house rejected his very identity, even tho Hana tried to support him in secret and Nao stood up for him, little too late. For what we saw of him as a child, his only defect as a son was wanting to be a pro-hero, dream that got him beaten up for, grounded in a rather cruelly manner. Kotaro's trauma turned him into an irrational man, his hatred for heroes was both the build up and the catalysis of the tragedy that ended the lives of the people he loved the most.

Tenko didn't become a villain because he was an evil kid. He became a villain because AFO wanting it so and because Kotaro inculcated in him such extreme hatred.

In Touya's case, it's a bit more complicated. I don't believe Enji's obsession was completely evil in nature, although his actions were truly selfish and it became later abusive, when his desperation blinded him to the point he was unable to understand how bad he has turned out to be. Like in Tenko's case, the mother is at fault only in yhe sense that their lack of intervention allowed the situation to escalate 'til they couldn't prevent it anymore. Touya's case differentiates itself in the fact that he was older than Tenko, his behavior declining over the years into extreme violence, unlike the way Tenko exploded in murder glee when Kotaro hit him one last time.

The lack of proper attention from both Enji and Rei allowed Touya's behavior to become a tragedy. Their negligence, Enji's focus on his work and Shouto (as a project not a son) and Rei's role of a caretaker yet not a mother, combined with the incapacity of Natsuo and Fuyumi to understand what Touya was going through (really, only Shouto could, but at that point Touya hated him too much and Shouto was way too young)... Well, it didn't end well for a kid that didn't want help anymore but attention on his own terms. He was tired of adapting, the same way Tenko rebelled in his insistence of acting the hero way.

The same house rule ( YOU CANNOT BE A HERO ) sent them both to AFO's hands, one way or another. They were kids who couldn't act the way their dads wanted, so fuck them I guess.

That part is compatible to Toga's case. Kinda.

Toga's parents are by far the most twisted of the bunch, which is a lot to say considering that Kotaro hit his kids and Enji even hit his wife. Yet, without having to touch a single hair of their little girl, they inflicted damage so deep she preferred to become a runaway criminal than to stay at home one more day.

At least Kotaro and Enji valued at some level Tenko and Touya's existence. Toga's parents didn't care about her at all. She was as good as a broken doll, an imperfect piece of their furniture, something they wish wasn't related to them at all. Enji was at least worry about his son and he loved him at some degree, the same way Kotaro worry over Tenko was born out of his fear of losing his family. Nothing of it excuses what they do and let it be said that Enji and Kotaro did saw Touya and Tenko as monsters at some point (when Touya tried to kill Shouto and on his Dabi era, when Tenko killed his family and turned to Kotaro). Yet it doesn't compare to the way Toga's parents immediately erased her from their lives, even denying any affiliation. They sent her to that therapy like a car needing to be repaired. She was a sign of status, she was an object that they failed to produce, she was an aberration and a freak, she deserved to be put down.

From the three od them, Toga was the one who struggled the most to fit in socially, not to society standards tho. To her parents.

If all these parents had cared for their kids more than they cared for his own stupid rules maybe things would have been different. But that's the core of their problems, they don't need the whole world to accept them, they need to treat the internalized traumas their parents left them with, the self-hatred and the feeling of inadequacy and the need for acceptance (of themselves) and recognition.

That's why Toga, Izuku and Shouto are the key for their recovery. Acting as mirrors, they are meant to provide the closure the villain trio desperately need. It's not just a sibling or a nemesis bond, but a recognition of the self through the other situation.

If they can accept themselves and correct their ways and get free from their parents absurd rules, if they can move past the child need for their parents validation, maybe they can finally exist in a less painful way.