#its just that THEY see it as less superior and so they just talk down to it and bash it lmao

[hiddenbeks]

oh also in other news. i finally finished leviathan the other day

[psychotrenny]

The thing with 9/11 is that no one cares that much about the death and destruction itself. Buildings fall down and people die all the time, including in the US. Like at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic you had entire 9/11s worth of USamericans dying on a regular basis. If all that damage was caused by an earthquake or faulty building practices or whatever, there wouldn't have been nearly as much fuss about it. It's not as if the insane response from US population was a matter of "two building fall down"

The reason why 9/11 was so upsetting to the US population was their widespread feelings of Imperialist Chauvinism and the subsequent outrage at seeing it so openly and violently defied. The US was at the height of its Imperialist power at the turn of the millennium, a hegemonic superpower that was dominant in some way over more or less the entire world. Whether they'd phrase it in such a way or not, most people in the US were very well aware of this; as far as they were concerned the US was truly the greatest country on the Earth. For some this was a point of pride, for others it was a simple fact of the world. This made them feel secure; bombings and mass killings might happen in those "shithole nations" of the earth but it couldn't happen over there. The US military could wipe entire cities off the map and like maybe that was good, maybe that was unfortunate and maybe it meant nothing at all. Either way that was normal; the violence flowed from the Core to the Periphery.

Until one day it didn't. One day a group of people from that Periphery, from some shithole group of nations, struck back. Now the sorts of destruction they'd seen on TV were happening right outside their window; the US got the smallest taste of the sort of brutality they had long inflicted on the rest of the world. And they did not like that taste at all. The US people as a whole went mad with grief and rage, not at the death of any people but the death of their sense of unquestionable safety and superiority. And the only hope of getting that feeling back was to inflict a revenge so terrible that no one would dare resist or retaliate again.

If bloodshed was how they'd built their empire, only more bloodshed could keep it safe. And this time they didn't even have to feel bad about it. It's not as if the US empire had ever given the world any peace, but now they had the perfect pretense to escalate it to levels not seen in decades. If they talked about this isolated and comparatively limited attack as though it was some great invasion, the US government and its supporters could take all the moral high ground of "self defence" even as they slaughtered impoverished peoples on the other side of the world. So it made sense to treat the 11 September attacks as though they were the greatest tragedy of all time. 9/11 didn't break the US psyche, it just made them express it in a more shameless way. It's not as though genocidal Imperialist violence was anything new to the USA. Afghans were just the new Apaches; the "Middle East" a new "Wild West"

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

one of worst part of be nonverbal n not really have reliable way communicate by words (AAC, etc)—but happen even when do have them—be not able defend yourself when people misunderstand you when people say wrong thing about you when people talk bad abt u to your face you can’t explain self can’t curse back can’t defend self can’t tell your truth you just force be there sit there in your anger your upset your sad your mad your unfairness because if you let those show you know it just going be more evidence of that wrong thing they say that only you know is wrong n all other people only get see evidence of how it even more true like you not win it always lose

when people call you bad temper rude angry all the time bad behavior explosive, n only you know it because first time people do thing to wrong or annoy you you can’t say anything do anything abt it you can’t tell them it annoyed you. n second time same thing. third time same thing. five thousandth time same thing. all day every day multiple times a day same thing. n one day you bound to explode n you think in your head how unfair it is how if you do same thing to verbal speaking people if you kick them in corner enough they would also one day get impatient n explode except everyone other verbal speaking people would sympathize with them because they able relate to them see them as person n that verbal speaking person able defend self explain why they explode why stuff annoying. n difference between you n them be you nonverbal thus less relatable be totally different creature n you cant defend yourself u cant get your perspective heard

so when you explode you can’t get your perspective heard people assume you have no perspective for them to hear because they not sympathize with you they not see self in you they not think through your perspective.

n so when you explode out of desperation out of control they say to other speaking verbal people observing n not helping you, “see, what did say? it has terrible temper rude it has anger issues it has behavioral issues n which mean we need fo what we doing to it more to help them or else they never going stop have bad temper anger behavioral issues.”

but in same vein almost like they on purpose make it more difficult for you like they take joy in your suffering they say “geez just communicate normally like regular person no need with all this attitude” n you know by communicate normally they mean communicate by words in calm n comfortable (to them as receiver, not you) easy to accept (for them) way. when by very definition you cant communicate by mouth speech n you not have great access to alternative method of communicate n even if you do you at such huge advantage bc it so much more ignorable it take so much longer time longer concentration more effort n you know they will give you none of that bc that not convenient for them it not help them be morally superior it not help them win their argument. it be as cruel as lock cat in tiny cage n poke it hit it stick it scare it as you ignore its body language n terrified meows for who knows how long n then get mad at it for attacking you out of desperation n label it as have behavioral issues n should be put down.

they hold you to impossible standard n idk what more insulting, for them to not know it impossible standard to you because you visibly obviously nonverbal a core part of who you are n to be able to just forget abt it when it convenient to them, just how neglectful are they like it take more effort to forget abt it than it be to remember it. or is it more insulting that they on purpose hold you to impossible standard they know be impossible for you, how sadistically cruel that is.

they give you none of the access none of the privilege none of the understanding none of the support none of the sympathy they give to other speaking verbal people but they expect every single one of the ability every single one of the expectation of the demand of the convenience of the ease they receive from other speaking verbal people n if you fail give them those it your fault.

[iovetecchou]

Circumstances ⧸ Aki Hayakawa.𖥔 ݁ ˖

summary:  Trapped inside the hotel that has been taken over by the eternity devil, your superior: Hayakawa Aki, is the only comfort you've found. As the days go by, you find yourself seeking more than just comfort from your usually stoic leader.

༞ Contains...! smut, porn with a slight plot, and a sprinkle of fluff, only one bed trope, virgin!aki, inexperienced!aki, touch starved!aki, consent, dry humping, handjob, pussyjob, no penetrative sex, pillow talk, confessions, overall very soft and clumsy, the reader lovingly teases aki throughout the entirety of this fic

༞ AFAB Reader.

༞ 3,064 words.

kinktober masterlist!

It had been days.

Days; since you first stepped foot inside this forsaken hotel with your unit. Your Captain, Aki, was the only individual keeping your crew from losing their minds. Although, Kobeni was way beyond saving at this point.

You tried to stay optimistic, putting your trust in your Captain. You had no reason to doubt him, anyway. You admired Aki. If he asked you to follow him blindly, you would.

Aki always made you feel safe; it would be a lie if you said you had not fallen for him.

You admired every version of Aki, but your favorite side of him was the one only you got to see. The Aki who helped you get stronger, never giving up on you even when you stumbled and screwed up. The Aki who would go out after a harsh mission and eat almond tofu with you. The Aki that allowed himself to smile when he was in your presence, letting himself forget about his trepidations. Even if it was briefly before you witnessed the sorrow creep back into his cerulean eyes.

You could not help but feel as though Aki might have a soft spot for you. He always requested to be stationed with you on assignments and spoke highly of you to Miss Makima when you did exemplary work.

So when you got paired up to share a room with the captain himself, you could hardly contain your excitement.

Arai and Kobeni were in shambles, so Power locked them in a room together. She laughed menacingly on the outside from the sounds of them wailing and shrieking. Power and Denji took the next room, unintentionally pairing themselves up. You could hear them bickering through the thin walls before it got quiet. Ultimately, assuming that Denji must have fallen asleep.

And then there was Aki and yourself.

You would be lying if you said the prospect of sleeping in the same bed as your crush didn’t excite you, just a little bit. You knew it was wrong, considering the situation was less than ideal. You secretly wished your first time sharing a bed with Aki would be under better circumstances, but there’s no time like the present.

You could’ve sworn you saw Aki's cheeks flush when he noticed there was only one bed before he blurted out,

“I’ll take the floor. You take the bed.“

A frown etched its way into your visage, coming up with a solution to change his mind on the spot.

“But, Mister Hayakawa, I think it would be safest if we stuck together and stayed as close as possible. Who knows what the eternity devil might do next? It might try to separate us, so we must have eyes on one another at all times. That’s why we all paired up in the first place, right?”

You watched as he lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply and holding it in his lungs for a few beats before ultimately exhaling with a sigh. You could tell he was thinking over your proposition from the way his eyebrows knit together.

“Alright, you have a point. But only if you are comfortable with that.”

Your eyes lit up as he agreed to your proposal. You turned on your heel, making your way toward the messily made bed. Trying to conceal your grin from Aki.

“Of course I’m comfortable! You always make me feel safe, Mister Hayakawa.”

Aki's cheeks dusted a pretty pink from your words. With your back still turned, you kicked your shoes off. Shrugging off your blazer before rolling up the sleeves of your white button-down. He took another drag of his cigarette, making slow strides toward the bed. Aki propped his sword against the nightstand before unbuttoning his suit jacket. Trying his hardest not to overthink resting beside you.

“I will only need a few hours until I am back on patrol, but I want you to get as much rest as possible. I will try my best not to wake you when I leave.”

All you could do was nod in agreement as you lifted the covers, making yourself as cozy as you could; regarding the circumstances.

You turned on your side from beneath the sheets, observing Aki as he put his cigarette out. He slipped his shoes off, lifting his side of the duvet before crawling underneath. He was as stiff as a board as he rested flat against the bed. You could tell he was nervous, and you were not sure if it was because of the proximity or because of the devil, which was still at large.

“Mister Hayakawa, are you okay? You look a bit tense.”

Aki let out a deep sigh. He turned his head slightly so that he could glance at you before he spoke softly.

“It’s just… I want to make sure we all get out of here alive without having to sacrifice anyone. Defeating this devil, getting the gun devil chunk, and making sure you get out of here unharmed, are my top priorities.”

You felt your cheeks heat up from his words. To learn that Aki prioritized your well-being in such a way made your heart flutter.

“Don’t worry mister Hayakawa! With you being our captain, I have no doubts that we will succeed in all of those departments. Also, don’t feel like you need to bear the burden on your own. You can lean on me, I promise.”

Your words forced Aki’s chest to tighten. You put so much faith into him, and knowing that you believed in him to such an extent eased his mind. For the time being.

Aki took in a deep breath before sitting up swiftly. He reached over toward the lamp resting atop the night table, tugging on the copper string. Enveloping you both in complete darkness.

“Thank you… Now get some rest. I’m sure we have a long day ahead of us,”

Aki whispered, turning on his side to face you. A tight-lipped smile pulled at his lips before he finished his thought.

“And one more thing, you don’t need to call me Mister Hayakawa while we’re on the job. You can always call me Aki. You know that, right?”

You watched as he tucked a hand under his pillow for support, adjusting slightly to let himself slump further into the bed. A small giggle slipped past your lips from his words before you retorted,

“Of course, I know that! I just figured you liked it when I addressed you as Mister Hayakawa. I mean, considering how your ears turn a pretty shade of pink when I do.”

You teased. Inching yourself closer to your superior from where you lay atop the mattress. Practically sharing the same air at this point.

“Hey, cut that out.”

Was all Aki could blurt out before he turned his back toward you. He silently thanked the darkness for shrouding the room, concealing the rosiness that painted his face.

That didn’t stop you from shifting impossibly closer. You pressed your chest against the expanse of Aki's back, closing the distance between you two before letting your arm sling around his hip.

“I’m sorry, Mister Hayakawa… I didn’t mean to tease.”

Your voice laced with faux innocence. But Aki could hardly focus on the words you spoke only moments ago. The feeling of your arm wrapped around his midsection and your chest pressing into him had his brain short-circuiting.

Physical affection was not something Aki was used to by any means, and the fact that you were the one touching him made his head spin even further. Aki felt comfortable with you. He cherished the time you spent together, more than he let on.

“Yes, you did. Do you take me for one of those idiots over in the next room?”

Aki huffed, trying his hardest not to twitch when your fingertips trailed over his clothed abdomen. You scooted up the bed slightly; so you could rest your head atop Aki’s shoulder. Lips ghosting over the shell of his rosy ear before you whispered out,

“Of course not, Mister Hayakawa. You are clever, way better than the others. In every aspect.”

Your hand trailed lower, fumbling with the clasp of his belt. You heard Aki’s breath hitch as you pulled the leather out of the buckle.

“What are you—“

“Like I said earlier, you seem a bit tense. Let me help you, Mister Hayakawa.”

His heart was pounding against his sternum. Aki could feel his hands shaking as he remained silent. You could tell he was way beyond nervous.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop if you are uncomfortable.”

You whispered, slowly retracting your hands from around his waist. What you didn’t expect was for Aki to turn in his place, coming face to face with you once more.

“No it’s not that… i-it’s just…”

You could barely make out his expression in the darkness, but you could feel his hand trembling beside you. Your hand crept down to grasp his arm, placing his large palm atop your waist.

“Why are you shaking so much, Mister Hayakawa? It’s just us.”

The way that nickname rolled off your tongue made his head fuzzy. He could feel the warmth of your skin seeping through your shirt.

“Is this what you want?”

Aki took a shaky breath, trying to collect his thoughts.

“I…”

His voice was quivering as you two shared the same air. Another moment passed before you whispered,

“Do you want me to stop, Aki?”

His breath hitched. You said his name, finally. Aki’s heart was beating a mile a minute as you slowly started to pull away.

“N-No… don’t stop.”

That was all the conformation you needed. You could hardly contain your excitement as you pressed your chest flush against his in one swift motion. You hoisted your leg around his waist, pulling a low grunt from Aki.

Now you understood the reason behind Aki’s trembling; he was hard. You could feel his erection pressing up against your clothed core from the new position.

“Ah… I’m sorry—“

Before Aki could finish his sentence, your lips were on his. His cerulean eyes were blown wide at the sudden kiss, but he wasn’t complaining.

Aki thought about this moment countless times your lips colliding with his. But never in a million years did Aki think your first kiss together would be under these circumstances.

You deepened the kiss further, swiping your tongue across his bottom lip. At first, Aki didn’t get the hint, but when your pelvis ground down against his aching cock, he couldn’t help but let out a whine.

The moment his lips parted against yours, you slipped your tongue past. Tangling with his appendage slowly, letting him get used to the newfound intimacy. Aki was still shaking, you noted, as your hand came up to unbuckle his belt; for good this time.

Aki only pulled away from your lips when he felt you unzip his pants, tugging on the waistband of his boxers.

“W-Wait… I’ve never…”

Aki could feel the perspiration trickling down the side of his neck as he swallowed the lump in his throat, adams apple bobbing in the process.

“I know, and it’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed about it, Aki. I want to make you feel good, and I promise I’ll go slow.”

You muttered against his lips, slipping your hand through the hole in his boxers. Aki gasped against your lips as you seized his needy cock. Gently pulling his length through the cut-out of his underwear.

“Is this okay?”

You asked, halting in your movements. You placed a small kiss on Aki's nose as you awaited his response, being as patient as ever with him. Aki nodded fervently before whispering,

“Yes… more— please…”

Aki’s plea sent heat rushing to your core. He was too precious, and who were you to deny him?”

Your hand slowly began rubbing his leaky cock. There was so much pre-cum coating the head of his dick; making it even easier to glide your palm along his twitching length.

“Does this feel good?”

You picked up the pace ever so slightly, letting your thumb circle around his ruddy tip.

“Fuck— yes, so… so good…”

Aki’s head fell forward, now resting his forehead against yours as you continued to stroke his cock.

“Better than when you do this to yourself?”

You asked earnestly, reveling in the little whines and whimpers that slipped past his lips.

“Mhm…”

That was all Aki could muster out. He was too drunk off the pleasure you granted him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this good. Your hands worked him so carefully— so tenderly. For the first time in a long time; Aki allowed himself to forget his worries. He allowed himself to succumb to you entirely.

You could feel him throbbing in your hand. You knew he was nearing his end. Aki’s perspired forehead stuck to your own, his breath was warm against your lips. You couldn’t help but clench around nothing at his silent pleas of,

“Please, don’t stop… feels s-so— good…”

Quickly, you removed your hand from around his length. Your leg unhooked from around his waist for a brief moment as you fumbled with your belt. Swiftly pushing your pants and panties down your legs before kicking them off from underneath the covers.

“What are you—“

“Shh… don’t worry, I’m not stopping. I want to try something different, just trust me on this… okay?”

Your hand came back up to Aki’s waist. Slowly, you pushed his trousers and boxers down his thighs, letting his cock spring free. His length slapped against his tummy. Aki hissed at the friction, harshly swallowing once more as your leg came back up to wrap around his waist.

“O-Okay... I trust you, Y/N.”

With that, your chest came flush against his once more. Only this time, your slick pussy grazed along the underside of his throbbing length.

“S-Shit…”

Aki cursed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed; at the feeling of your essence coating his cock. You were so warm and wet. He could hardly contain his moans as you began grinding against him. You moved your hips slowly at first, rubbing the most sensitive parts of his length with your drooling slit.

“Does this feel good?”

You huffed. You began to feel dizzy from the intimacy Aki and yourself shared. You whined as your clit rubbed against him so perfectly. Your slick allowing you to glide against him with ease.

“T-Too good!”

Aki cried out. His hand around your waist tightened as he began aiding you in your movements. Thrusting you impossibly closer to him. Adding even more pressure against your puffy bud. You both moaned in unison. Grinding against each other with more intensity than before.

“I think… I’m…”

Aki could hardly finish his train of thought. Too wound up in the heat of the moment. You soothed your hand over the small of his back, continuing to hump into Aki before you whispered,

"I know, baby, let it all out."

Your tender words sent Aki spiraling. His release crashed down on him faster than he could process. Before you knew it, Aki was the one kissing you. He whimpered against your lips as his first ropes of cum shot out past his slit.

The feeling of his cock twitching and throbbing against your clit was enough for the coil within your tummy to snap. You gasped against his lips as you came. Your movements staggered, still trying to work Aki and yourself through your orgasms.

A few moments passed before Aki finally pulled away from your lips. He took in a deep breath as his hand clenched and unclenched around your waist. You assumed it was a form of self-soothing for Aki.

"Are you okay?"

You asked softly. You trailed your hand up Aki's frame, slotting to cup his face instead.

"Mhm… are you? Did you… enjoy that?"

Aki's words were hesitant. You could tell he was immensely unsure of what this now meant for the both of you.

"Of course I enjoyed it, Aki. I've been dreaming of a moment like this with you for ages now. I just… I'm sorry, I wanted to properly do things with you. But our lives are so complicated,"

You paused, caressing his cheek with your thumb softly before letting out a deep sigh.

"Aki… I truly adore you, I always have. So, now you know. I figured since there's a high possibility of us dying here, I might as well lay it all out on the table. I mean, we did just hump each other like a couple of dogs—"

"Ah, stop right there."

Aki's eyebrows scrunched up at your crude words. He felt embarrassed all over again.

You could not help the giggle that slipped past your lips. Aki was too adorable for his own good. He was such a gentleman, another thing to tack onto the list of 'things you love about Aki'.

"Sorry, sorry! I wish it wasn't so dark in here, I bet the look on your face was priceless."

You teased, bringing your hand back down to encompass Aki's waist before nestling your face into his chest. Your leg was still wrapped around his hips, pulling a small grunt from Aki when you closed the distance between you both for the last time tonight.

"Hey, at least let me get you a towel so I can clean you up. It's a… mess, down there— because of me."

You smiled against his chest before a yawn passed over you. You slipped your hand under his shirt, smoothing over the small of his back before you whispered,

"Aki, relax! It's okay… let's get a little bit of rest before it's back to patrolling. I wanna hold you like this, just a little while longer… Please?"

His heart ached at your words. Aki would give anything to stay in this moment with you forever. His hand tightened around your waist, keeping you snug against him before ultimately letting out a sigh.

It only took you a few moments to knock out. Aki smiled to himself as your little snores filled the room. He tried not to mind the sticky sensation coming from below as he placed a kiss atop your head. Finally, he allowed his droopy eyelids to close before whispering,

"You could be such a brat at times… you know that, right? But, that's just another thing I… love about you."

[lana-llama-in-pajamas]

Milkman (Francis mosses) x fem! Reader

Thick as blood

Sweet as milk

Ah yes, you. The new doorman. The DDD hired you for your attention to detail and ability to examine more than just physical detail but the way people talked, their actions even the movement in their eyes.

Dopples are horrible at those details, some are just straight stupid and don’t try

But today was your first day in the building fresh from training, the building didn’t have a doorman before so you were ready for confrontation and confusion

Your uniforms was meant to look friendly, with a DDD button the the left breast. the DDD issued you with a pistol in case a Dopple did get in.

The block has been notified and given everything they needed to get in. Now it was your job to make sure they were safe

The day went slow no one coming in till lunch, you were not given one but you were allowed to eat whenever suited you

Soon tho a very happy woman came by…she had heterochromia at first you assumed dopple before looking at her papers

Right Nacha Mikaelys . Everything checked out as you studied her taking notes in your head, she smiled seemingly unaware of what was happening “how’s your day so far?” She asked looking through her purse, possibly for her keys “going well, I’m y/n your new doorman” you replied passing back her papers “have a good day ma’am” she nodded taking them back “pleased to meet you y/n see you tomorrow “ Nacha waved and walked out of sight

You got up from your chair to walk around your small office, you fix up your uniform as you hear someone come up to your glass panel. It was a milkman..? you raised your eyebrows at him. He didn’t look quite surprised to see you. He slid his papers into the slot and waited. You grabbed the papers and looked up and down at them. You then looked up at him and studied his features while trying to talk to him. “Hi I’m y/n the new doorman pleased to meet you, Mr. Moses.”

“Mm…pleased to meet you y/n”

Oh god. You blushed! What a schoolgirl

You slid the papers to him quickly looking down “all is in order, good day sir” you almost stuttered before looking back up at his dark tired eyes “good.” He walked off not noticing your sudden change in tone.

Oh god he sounded like a night time soap, deep and soft. you could listen to him read a chapter book and hang on every word, a phone book would sound sexy! And his eyes! Ugh you would kiss them if possible! You let your blush stay as you fell head over heels for a man that spoke 6 words to you (I counted) another person stood before you, before you could even greet them you stopped in your tracks

It wasn’t human. Its face was a drawing taped to it. No mouth but it spoke “allow me in please”

You softly pressed the urgency button as you slid out your gun. You could hear the dopple screech and writhe behind the glass and metal shutter while you called your superiors “I have one” you spoke sternly not wanting to show any fear “on the way” the triple D officer spoke. You stood back pistol in hand breathing slowly to calm down soon though the screeching stopped and the metal shutter lifted revealing a man in a yellow suit “dopple eliminated. Good work” he walked away with 2 others carrying a body bag.

You shivered placing the weapon back in its place you were glad most of those things were dumb but it made it no less horrifying

Your mind raced as you thought about the two things that just happened to you almost simultaneously first having a girl crush on a milkman and now almost getting killed by a stupid Dopple

Your immediate thought, as you sat down and tried to organize to calm your mind was, how does a milkman live in a building with such high earners ? How much does a milkman make ?you pondered looking over the files of residents

After introducing yourself to a couple of other residents, the day ends, and it’s time for your shift to end as well.

One Dopple the rest human honestly the best you could hope for on a first day, the other thing you could look forward to is that because you do work in this building, you can live in the building for way less rent than everybody else, you picked up your items from the desk and made sure everything was clean before you left and lock the door behind you no one was allowed to leave or enter the building after 10 PM unless of course it was an emergency, but they would be escorted by DDD officer at the front of the building 

You took the elevator to your apartment “F05” the old landlord room, it used to be boarded up but the DDD had it refurbished for you, still looked a little dingy but ultra cheap rent for a 2 room apartment was worth it

You opened the door but jumped a little hearing another door “oh” you heard the deep voice looking to your left, Francis in a white wife beater and a cardigan. He has a cigarette in his fingers unlit “oh sorry you startled me goodnight Mr.mosses” you tried to excuse yourself quickly but to your surprise he spoke up “I didn’t know you lived here, actually I didn’t know there was a 5th apartment” he finally lit his cigarette taking a long drag (it’s the 50s) you nodded hoping to clear his confusion “ it was boarded up in the early 40s, it’s called a lord suite. a place for the landlord to stay in case of quick repairs or whatever else may happen” he listened rather intently taking the cig out of his mouth, god did you want him to ask you to take a puff just to indicate something “oh…I remember those really fell out of fashion huh?” He asked passing the half done cancer stick. You screamed in your head agreeing with him and taking in the smoke “well enjoy, I need to sleep” he walked back to his apartment almost slamming the door, was he mad? He didn’t indicate anger or distrust, you finished the cigarette and smudged it out on your stove placing the butt on the counter almost contemplating about saving it… you were weirding yourself out a bit but came back to.

You did as all necessary and got ready for bed

You dreamt of Francis sitting on the roof with you holding you close both of you in your uniforms as you kissed him deep and hungry begging for more in your movements you felt him move down to bite softly at your ne- TRRRIING TRRING

your alarm clock yelled at you a few more times before you could slam your hand down on it groaning and streaching “god I am down bad”

End pt 1

I know but the game is set in like 1955 America but it gives me such Soviet vibes 

[genderqueerdykes]

something that ive noticed a lot as a trans man and yet dont see talked about nearly enough is queer hatred of masculinity/obsession with femininity (which also connects to radical feminism and all)

why are there more nonbinary afabs than amabs? because queer people are "encouraged" to lean towards more feminine labels (so afab trans men are pushed towards id'ing as nonbinary, and amab nonbinaries are pushed towards id'ing as trans woman)

why are trans women expected to physically transition more than trans men? because you cant risk looking like an "evil man" of course! so you have to be as feminine as possible! this goes for both trans woman and trans men

why are gay men stereotyped as effeminate, why are masc lesbians looked down upon? it all comes back to hatred of masculinity

(and on a more minor note, ive noticed a rise in trending queer songs all being generally like "everyone wants to be a woman" "a gross MAN will never be enough for women" which is... a little weird to me?)

i myself am a fem trans man, i love being fem, but its weird asf that we've normalized such an intense hatred of masculinity. i feel really bad for my more masculine trans brothers (and my more masculine trans sisters, for that matter!). i genuinely think this is one of the major inner issues of the queer community and if we want to grow stronger and have less infighting we NEED to stop hating masculinity

thank you so much for taking the time to send this, this is very well thought out and exactly what's happening right now. thank you for taking the time to highlight the main issue.

there is a queer obsession with femininity, yes. i see it a lot. femininity is prioritized over everything else to a dangerous degree.

people claim to love transfems and then do this- which as you said, forces them to come out and transition as fast as possible because no one wants ""Scary evil men"" in their community. it's sickening. i've seen so many transfems admit that life sucked for them while they were questioning because they didn't feel welcome in queer spaces at all. some have decided to never identify as a trans woman because of this and it sucks

there are also masculine trans women and trans women who never want to pass or don't try to (or may just never end up being able to pass at all). i feel like people are unnecessarily cruel about transfems and passing, as if that needed to happen within our own walls, too. like people are so fucking terrible to trans women who don't or can't or don't try to pass. why do we force trans women to feel obligated to pass perfectly within our own walls in order to accept them? if transfems aren't super feminine and don't pass very well, they're treated like shit. no, not everyone at the meeting in a polo and slacks is a man. sometimes that's a trans woman who's butch. sometimes that's a trans woman who's passing as a man for safety.

people seriously need to understand how bad this behavior affects transfems & trans women. intersex people as well.

i love being a fem man as well, however, i also love being a gay bear. i am a feminine bear. the thing is, is people don't realize that masculinity can be feminine, too, and vice versa. not all fems are just fem. some are also masc and butch. so many people have gotten suckered into rad feminism that they spread the lie that queerness is feminine and woman based only. masc queers are still queer. we don't need this feminine/woman superiority shit. we don't need one gender or presentation to be "superior". that's not how equality works

[dioslesbianwife]

Heya !!

I’d like to request Jofoes x fem or gn reader who rivals their strength, or is stronger than them. It’d be funny if reader was oddly casual about their strength, and/or underestimated their strengths/abilities.

Forgive me if someone already requested something similar 😓

sure, no problem- i hope you enjoy and thank you for requesting <3

Dio

He's initially baffled.

He refuses to believe it at first, thinking you must be hiding something or using some trick. But when you casually lift a boulder one-handed or smack him through a wall without even realizing it, his disbelief turns to annoyance.

You’re just so nonchalant about it. If he gets all dramatic and angry, you just shrug it off, not understanding why he's making such a big deal out of it.

One time, when he tried to demonstrate his superior power, you accidentally outdid him just by doing the same thing without trying. You haven't forgotten the look of pure frustration on his face.

Part of him is a little turned on and impressed, but he'd never admit it outright, not wanting to feed your ego (as if you have one). He’d challenge you constantly just to prove himself, though you never seem to realize he's trying to one-up you.

Kars

Kars thinks of himself as perfect, so meeting someone stronger is inconceivable. Yet, here you are, casually doing things even he struggles with.

He once challenged you to a sparring match, fully expecting to win, but you accidentally knocked him off a cliff while just “warming up.”

Your ability to be completely unfazed by your own strength bothers him more than your strength itself. He wants to understand why you’re so humble despite being so powerful.

He would try to challenge you intellectually, thinking that maybe you just rely on strength. To his dismay, you’re just as sharp as you are strong.

Eventually, he becomes oddly protective of you despite your power. He convinces himself it’s because he’s “monitoring” you, but deep down, he just enjoys your presence.

Kira

Kira is not thrilled about being around someone stronger. He prefers quiet and control, and you disrupt both.

You once crushed a can in your hand without realizing it while talking to him. He was very polite about it, but inwardly he was terrified.

You underestimate yourself so much that you often think Killer Queen is just that much more powerful. He lets you think that because it helps his pride.

Sometimes you’ll hand him something heavy with no warning, and he’ll nearly collapse under the weight while you casually move on.

He’s just glad you don’t mean to be intimidating, but he’ll never admit how much you’ve thrown him off his rhythm.

Diavolo

Diavolo hates it. How dare you be stronger than him and not even realize it?

You once punched a hole in the ground because you tripped, and Diavolo had to quickly convince his subordinates that it was just a minor accident.

He tries to intimidate you often, but it never works because you genuinely think he’s just being passionate.

Diavolo seriously considers trying to recruit you but is conflicted since you’re too unpredictable and keep accidentally thwarting his plans.

Doppio

Doppio is confused but in awe. He thinks you’re amazing and doesn’t even realize how terrifying it must look when you casually break things or overpower enemies.

He once watched you rip a door off its hinges because it was stuck and couldn’t stop thinking about how cool you were for a week.

You often underestimate yourself, thinking you just got lucky, but Doppio sees you as a powerhouse. He’s like an excited puppy when you show off your strength.

When Diavolo takes over, he’s less impressed and more calculating, wondering how he can use this strength to his advantage (or avoid it if he can’t).

Enrico Pucci

Pucci is intrigued. He believes strength comes from divine purpose, so he wonders if you’re destined for something great.

Your casual attitude throws him off, though. He’s not used to someone so powerful just... existing without some grand goal.

Once, you effortlessly deflected one of his Stand’s attacks, and instead of being angry, he just wanted to understand how.

He tries to teach you about gravity and purpose, but you just nod along.. He’s both exasperated and oddly fascinated.

Over time, he finds your presence oddly comforting. You don’t overthink things, which is a refreshing change from his own constant self-reflection.

Funny Valentine

Valentine is wary of you from the start. How can someone so powerful be so unconcerned about it?

You once saved his life by casually blocking a bullet.. Valentine was both grateful and deeply unnerved.

He tries to manipulate you into working for him, but you’re not swayed by his speeches. You think he’s just being dramatic.

He once saw you accidentally break a steel beam and has since decided to never challenge you directly. Instead, he subtly tries to steer your strength toward his own goals.

Despite everything, he can’t help but feel a begrudging admiration for your natural talent and relaxed attitude.

Diego Brando

Diego sees you as a rival from the start, even if you don’t see it that way.

He hates that you don’t take your strength seriously and constantly tries to get you to challenge him. You usually laugh it off or just agree to a “friendly” race.

One time, you accidentally sent him flying during a playful shove, and he still hasn’t forgiven you for that.

He’s convinced you’re purposefully downplaying your power to mess with him, but in reality, you just genuinely don’t know your own strength.

Despite his resentment, he finds himself hanging around you more than he’d like to admit, secretly wanting to learn your secret.

Tooru

Tooru is intrigued but put off. You’re powerful, but you don’t act like it, and that messes with his perception of you.

He likes to play mind games, but they don’t work on you because you’re just so oblivious to his manipulations.

Once, you lifted something impossibly heavy, and he couldn’t stop himself from staring. You just thought he was impressed by your “workout routine.”

He’s both annoyed and impressed that you’re not only stronger than him but also weirdly carefree about it. It’s like you don’t even realize how dangerous you could be.

Eventually, he just accepts that you’re a wild card. He still tries to figure you out, but it always feels like you’re one step ahead without even trying.

[songsofadelaide]

prism — a side story to cosmic.

cw: captain narumi x (f) platoon leader, established (secret) relationship, fluff and smut, takes place between iv and v of cosmic. no use of 'yn'. narumi gen is his own warning. minors do not interact.

wc: 3k

You were no stranger to an observant eye. As a Platoon Leader, you were subject to your superiors' watchful surveillance and your team members's discerning gazes. It came as no surprise to you when the Captain of the First Division presented you with an upgrade to your beloved personal weapon, the submachine gun marked FE-0080 or Reginleif and asked for you to demonstrate your marksmanship that brought Asakusa's scorpion-type Honju to its knees.

So you acquiesced to your Captain's command and joined the rookies in their shooting training. You didn't back down from a posed challenge, after all, and you impressed your platoon members and fellow Platoon Leaders once more with your precise marksmanship. 

When Gen first took notice of your personal weapon, he surmised it was specifically made to pair with your speed. Anything heavier would weigh you down. Reginleif was a submachine gun made for more close combat offensives and had less firepower than a machine gun or a rifle, but it made up for its lack of strength with its speed and automatic mechanism.

"Unleashed Combat Power is at 67%."

As you finished setting a record for the rookies to beat, whispers from other division members filled the air. 

"The Platoon Leader's super quick, huh? It's almost like she vanishes into thin air."

"She even beat Platoon Leader Tachibana during the joint training exercises between the Eastern Divisions. That's how Captain Narumi discovered her."

"Speaking of which, she and the Captain have been spending a lot of time together..."

Gen himself didn't notice the amount of time you two were spending together. It was lost to him, but the memory of his enjoyment remained— you coming to see him, summoned or not. One day, your presence simply became natural, like a second instinct, until it became a necessity, especially for him.

You sitting next to him in his office, sometimes as Player 2 but most of the time just plain old you. You in your tracksuit uniform with nothing but a white tee underneath. You mindlessly scrolling through your social media while he stormed through whatever game he was playing, warming his bed until you had to leave him— whether it was due to an emergency or just because the day had ended. The sound of your laughter and derision filled his office and he can't seem to snap out of his compulsion to steal the rest of your sound straight away from your lips. 

He signalled for the end of the shooting training after the rookies concluded their rounds and dismissed everyone for the rest of the afternoon. 

"Captain Narumi, sir," you called out to your superior, who had just finished checking the Operation Leader's report handed to him by your Vice Captain. 

"Platoon Leader."

"One of my team members is celebrating their birthday today. They're planning a short trip to the city for drinks this evening," you started as you shadowed Gen's steps back to the base's main hall. "As much as I would love to finish our Maelduin's Portal campaign from earlier, my platoon would appreciate being able to spend some time with me, and I with them. I hope you're amenable, of course…"

He wanted to disagree with you but didn't want to come off as increasingly needy, especially since he knew now that people were already talking about how much time you've been spending together. Was he being needy? 

"Enjoy the rest of your evening, then."

Because he certainly didn't.

Your platoon arrived back at base a little before 21:00 and the first thing you wanted to do was take a dip into the baths because you were certain you smelled terrible— a smorgasbord of alcohol, barbecue smoke and cigarette ash, no thanks to the old smokers seated next to your group's long table.

But Gen had other plans in mind that derailed your quick trip to the baths. 

A single notification lit up from your mobile phone as you placed it on the desk in your personal quarters. 

[ N. Gen-隊長: I'm outside your room. ]

"Captain Narumi?" You quietly called for him, a tender smile on your face as you opened your door for him. "Did you wait for me all this time?" 

Gen smelled like he just got out of the bath, ready to go to bed, while you still smelled of smoke and alcohol. Still, he didn't think twice before embracing you, which you hesitantly returned. 

"I still smell like alcohol…" You murmured into the crook of his neck as you gently played with the hair on his nape. "Pretty sure I taste like it, too…"

"I don't really care…" He murmured before diving in for a kiss. Sure enough, you tasted like an evening out, the bitter taste of beer still lingering in your mouth. 

"Hey," you said as you gently broke your kiss. "You might be fine with this, but I'm not. I-I mean the way I smell. Please, Gen, let me take a quick bath. I promise I'll be back in five— no, ten minutes. I'll be back and let's pick up where we left off, okay?"  

Not even the grumble that left his lips could stop you from grabbing your basket of toiletries plus a change of clothes and leaving him for a bath you promised would be quick. 

It was only in the quiet that he realised it was his first time here in your personal quarters. It's always been you visiting him in his office but rarely did you invite him over— for reasons now clear to him. 

Your room was incredibly bare, even for a Platoon Leader. Apart from the standard furnishings provided by the Defense Force, nothing in that place anchored you there or made known to others that it was your lodging. You kept no trinkets or little decorations, and on your desk sat your mobile phone, which even had the default wallpaper on. 

It had no passcode, either, and he found himself there aptly named 'Captain Narumi Gen' when he took a peep at your messages. All the people in your phonebook were properly labelled and addressed, such as your parents, your elder brother Kanata and his wife Marie, your squad leaders Akabane, Kagomura, Ookawa, and your fellow Platoon Leaders. 

You kept no notes, even fewer photos, and Gen was filled with this awful dread that you'd leave no trace behind if anything ever happened to you. His thoughts were soon replaced by a wave of comfort when he plopped down on your bed. "At least your pillows smell like you…"

He almost nodded off too if not for your arrival. You were still a little damp from your quick soak, your skin still warm and balmy as you shut your door behind you. "Are you still awake, Captain?"

"Yeah, I am. S'impossible to fall asleep here in your room," he said as he sat up again, quietly observing the way you neatly stashed your belongings in your single closet. 

"Really, now? I'd expect you to get a good night's rest here since I have a proper bed and all," you chuckled at his response. "Or are you so used to sleeping on a futon that a bed's uncomfortable for you?"

"No. Your bed… smells like you," he stated, a hand sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck this time. You were fresh out of the bath, still practically buzzing with warmth, and it made him uneasy in an exciting way. "It's…"

"Is it nasty?" You asked as you made your approach. You were in similar standard white shirts and black sweatpants and Gen visibly swallowed as you sat closely next to him. "Captain Narumi?"

"Don't… Don't call me that now," he grunted at you, his lip trembling in anticipation as you raised a hand to cup his cheek. 

"Gen…" 

Ah, his name sounded so, so sweet whenever it left your lips, but this time even more, and he was this close to stealing that sweetness himself if you hadn't scooched over to kiss him yourself. It was tender and affectionate and somewhat apologetic, tasting of green tea mouthwash this time, until you broke away from him and stuck out your tongue to lick the corner of his mouth.

You did it in such a teasing manner but he couldn't even smile— because he was already so, so hard. He pulled out his erection from under his sweatpants and guided your hand to it, his breath hitching as he felt your warm fingers curl around his length and stroke him at a leisurely pace.

Though you couldn't see his eyes, you were certain he had a heady, cloudy, half-lidded gaze on you. He followed your steady movement with bated breath as you got down on your knees and placed yourself between his thighs. 

"Doing it here in my room has its advantages," you told him as you started stroking him again, your breath ghosting over his length. "No one's gonna come in here unannounced…"

Gen let out a low hiss when you flicked out your tongue and slowly licked the tip of his cock, taking all the time in the world to do so. 

"Ggh… S-Stop it already—" He grunted yet again, and though he told you to stop, it was clear he meant otherwise by the way he had a guiding hand on the crown of your head. "Ugh…"

Hearing the sound of his voice dipping and straining in pleasure encouraged you to do even better for him. He shuddered as you gradually received him in your mouth. 

…Maybe he did find a way to tame that smart mouth of yours after all. 

The pace of your blowjob was pleasant, but you knew he was close by the way his thighs closed around you. He tried to wriggle away from you, but you shook your head at him and gently picked up the pace, your cheeks hollowed out as you sucked on him a bit more. 

He took your refusal to let him go as a sign that you'll receive his seed in your mouth, so he obliged you, his body convulsing as he held your head in his hands. A low, guttural moan he obviously tried to suppress escaped his lips as you swallowed his cum, thick strings stuck in the back of your throat, and you eventually released him with a soft 'pop' from your slightly swollen lips. 

"My good girl," his praise was caught between his soft exhales. He pulled you up into his arms and allowed you to tenderly sweep back his hair that curtained his lovesick gaze. 

"You're so handsome," you told him with a smile, your fingers gently toying with the hair on his nape once more. Gen adored being the recipient of such compliments, even more so from you, but he still gets embarrassed from time to time. He's red up to his neck now, his hands warm on your waist. 

"My good girl," he said yet again, his wine-coloured eyes holding your own heady gaze. One hand wandered underneath your shirt while the other dipped under the waistband of your sweatpants, deft fingers rhythmically running over the moistness between your legs. His lips curl into a teasing smile as your expression fades into one of pleasure.

He was already hard again, but he didn't want to be so greedy. Neither did he want the night to end so soon. He did away with your clothes, all similarly and carelessly tossed aside as he motioned for you to lie down on your back for him. A glint of mischief lit his eyes as he placed himself between your legs, lowering his face to your thighs, peppering them with light and faint kisses before he eventually opened his mouth to taste you. 

Another rapid rush of pleasure shot through your body as he gripped your thighs and happily ate you out, playing deaf to your impatient whines as he leisurely and unhurriedly licked and lapped at your folds.

"Tell me what you want, my good girl," Gen whispered, his low and lazy voice hot against your sopping pussy. He already knew what you wanted by the way you ground against his mouth, the burning sultriness between your legs threatening to overflow onto the rest of his face. He slid a finger knuckle-deep into you and thrust at what he believed was an agreeable pace given the sound of your moans, which you were trying your hardest to suppress.

His fingers were skilled and reached the places you never could on your own, but you needed more. "P…"

"If you tell me, 'please put it in my pussy', then I'll do it."

Oh, you wanted to hurl so many complaints at him, but your impatience already showed in your countenance and he was clearly enjoying this. "Well? Hurry up and say it."

"M… My p… ah…" You pathetically whimpered at him, your voice cracking as he broke into another crooked grin.

"Use your words, my pretty girl. I can't really understand you."

Tears welled in the corners of your eyes as you relented to his teasing, your legs quivering at the leisurely pace he's taken. "Please… Please put it in my p-pussy…!"

It didn't take long for Gen to take charge after hearing you plead for him so earnestly. He was already as stiff as a pole, anyway, so he angled himself over you and slid his length over the burning wetness of your pussy before thrusting into you. 

The pace he moved at was gratifying for you both, the sound of your whines was enough of a confirmation for him. 

"Ah…" You coiled your arms around his neck, trembling at his warm touch, his calluses rough yet ticklish against your skin, especially when he sank his fingers into the plushness of your breasts. "Gh…"

Why does it feel like this? You managed a thought as he fucked you deep into your sheets and mattress, the sound of your soft moans and his pleased groans filling the air in the room. You knew you'd be dead if someone else heard you, but you couldn't consider being considerate now— because he's s-so good…!

Gen's bangs fell over his eyes again, hiding away the blissed-out look on his face. He knew it didn't matter that much to you anymore and neither did it to him— because all he could think about at that moment was burying his cock deep into you— fuck good manners and propriety!

You were seeing stars now, his pace slightly rushed and rough and it could only mean that he was just as close to finishing as you were. "D-Don't… don't stop…"

But he knew he had to. He was smarter than this. He knew he had to pull out. You couldn't afford to— at a time like this, too! 

Yet in between his blissed-out euphoria and common sense was a single thought: a family. With you. Your stomach round with a child that was a heap of trouble like he was—

"P-Please, Gen… I'm so close…!"

He snapped back to his sweet reality— your walls tightening around him as he thrust with even more urgency this time. 

"Cum for me, then, my good girl," he managed to chuckle at you. You choked out another small cry as tears filled your eyes again in a wave of oscillating pleasure, your spasms making it difficult for him to pull out as he intended. 

"Y-You can cu—" 

Gen pulled out of you panting the moment you were about to say he could finish inside you instead, opting to spill his scorching cum all over your stomach. He caught his breath before flicking his middle finger on your forehead with all his tender might. 

"Ow! Wh-What was that for?!"

"At least let me put a ring on you before you ask me to cum inside ya!"

"You didn't have to hit me that hard."

"It wasn't even that hard."

A large bandaid was spread over your forehead where your boyfriend last exacted his violence on you. Your quiet breakfast for two at the mess hall the following morning was cut short when Eiji sat next to Gen with his breakfast, along with a clean folder that contained only two sheets of paper.

"Good morning, Narumi. And the Platoon Leader, too. Once you're done eating, I'll need you two to fill out these forms," he stated as he handed you one of the sheets with a header in bold letters that read Workplace Relationship Disclosure Form.

"O-Oh," came your slightly startled reaction as you realised what it was. You placed down your utensils and read the information that had to be filled out. "S-So, do I write 'boyfriend' here? This is so embarrassing…"

"The hell do you mean it's embarrassing? Are you embarrassed to be with me? Embarrassed that I'm your boyfriend?!" Gen yapped at you as he filled out the form handed to him. You were shocked to see him filling out the paperwork himself, even more so when he wrote 'fiancée' next to your name. 

"If there is anything to be embarrassed about, it's keeping your fellow Platoon Leaders awake at night because of your… raucous behaviour," your Vice Captain stated with a feigned cough, and though it was clearly addressed to you, his sharp gaze was directed at your Captain. "If you don't want the top brass to hear about this and mete out a punishment for you both, I suggest you refrain from doing it here at base."

"O-Of course, V-Vice Captain Hasegawa! It won't happen again!" You squeaked at the older man and gave him a stiff bow. 

Gen gaped at your quick surrender before eventually turning to Eiji, who had yet to start his meal. "Haa? We're actually doing important work here! They can consider this our attempt at preserving my lineage, Japan's Strongest— Ow!" 

The older man flicked his middle finger at the young Captain's forehead this time. "Since everyone's talking about you two anyway, let's give them more to gossip about. But I expect not to hear anything about it again starting tomorrow."

[starlightsigner]

Iced Avocado AU

coffee shop/alternate ending to Sonic 3 (movie spoilers) Shadow will find Sonic coffee in every universe <3

Two years after the end of movie 3 Shadow comes to Green Hills to fulfill Eggman's dying wish, deliver a message to Stone, who took up running the Mean Bean again

With no real plan or place to go after the message is delivered, Stone adopts offers Shadow a place and a job until he decides what he'd like to do next with his life

Taking him up on his offer, Shadow becomes Green Hills' newest barista

News travels fast in a small town and it doesn't take long for the Wachowski's to hear about who just moved into town

At first Sonic is just glad to know Shadow is alive, but he knows they could be friends if Shadow could just learn to chill and act his age -50 years

Shadow just knows that Maria loved life. She talked about the good in people and the joy of living. He hadn't seen much of it yet, and he didn't think he was going to see much of it in this small town, but his stay is just temporary. It doesn't matter that the people here aren't afraid of him, that the doctor's lovesick assistant treats him well, or that he's free to come and go and just BE as he pleases. He'll be gone sooner rather than later

If anything Shadow is starting to think that the longer he stays in Green Hills the worse off he may be. He thought Sonic's dad had forgiven him for the mistaken identity thing, but the more he hangs around the Wachowski home he cant help but feel his spines stand on end a bit when it's just the two of them. Not only that, but he's beginning to think this fresh mountain air is having negative side effects on him, why else would his heart start skipping beats whenever he sees streaks of blue?

Prologue

As the reactor core rapidly destabilizes Eggman knows he's out of time to tell the one person in the world who ever cared about him what his companionship meant to him, but as he prepares to go live he realizes the signal is to scrambled to even send out an audio file

Refusing to let his last words go unheard, he gives the file to Shadow, mumbling about how as improbable Shadow's survival would be he's come to realize how annoyingly resilient hedgehogs seem to be

After watching the Eclipse Cannon explode out of range of Earth's atmosphere, Stone sits in the streets of London, looking at another situation that no person could possibly survive. The last time he knew for sure the doctor would come back, this time he refused to acknowledge the part of himself that wasn't so sure.

What he did know for certain is that even though he'd been fired, he hadn't been cloned yet, and as long as he was Doctor Robotnik's assistant he would be sure that there would be an evil lair and a latte waiting for him when he returned

Meanwhile in an unknown corner of the world, Shadow pulls himself out of an impact crater, taking a moment to finally breathe before tracking down a man he barley knows on a planet that even 50 years later he knows even less

Two years later Stone's life is the closest to normal its been since before he joined Gun. Not everyone trusts him and most people still call him the 'weird bean guy' but that doesn't stop any of them from coming in daily or making the Mean Bean the top rated coffee shop on Yelp this side of Montana. It's only a matter of time before Cuppa Heaven falls to the Mean Bean's superiority, then the whole state will be his

While cleaning behind the counter after closing the locked front door rattles as someone tries to force it open. Stone calls out that they're closed and they can come back in the morning (he's got a date with a telenovela). The rattling stops and he goes back to cleaning his equipment

The cup that he was holding falls to the ground with a clang that's completely drowned out by Stone's shriek as a hooded figure teleports beside him

Before Stone can react Shadow removes his hood, complaining about how long his ears will be hurting from that

At first Stone is excited, if Shadow survived then surely the doctor could have as well! Finally a sign that he could be alright

But alas, not everyone can come back like in a soap opera

After receiving the doctor’s message Stone walks over to a table and pulls out a chair, absentmindedly also pulling one out for his guest

He starts musing about how the Mean Bean is where he set up operations to wait for the doctor to return after his last ‘hedgehog induced sabbatical’ so it felt fitting for him to come back here to wait out this one

Shadow asks what he means by wait it out, the doctor is dead. Stone just chuckles and slowly shakes his head, telling Shadow he'd be surprised to hear all of the impossible things the doctor had lived through, this was just the latest

Shadow eventually takes the empty chair next to Stone. He knows that the doctor is dead, he’s sure that Stone knows this even if he wont admit it, but he also can’t help but envy him. The doctor didn’t die right in front of him, he didn’t see the body. Even if the odds are a million to one, there’s a single drop of hope in an ocean of despair, and Stone has refused to let it be swallowed by the sea. As long as there’s a chance of ‘what if’

After a time Stone thanks Shadow for bringing the message to him and gets up to make him a latte as thanks, Shadow lets him know he'd prefer it black

As he works on the coffee he asks Shadow what he's been up to the past two years, about all it boiled down to was him looking for Stone. With no leads, little knowledge about Earth, and a need to stay out of sight, things went far slower then he was happy with

Well, what are you gona do now?

What indeed. Eventually Shadow looks down at his hands and admits that he doesn’t know. He had been so driven by revenge and then by the need to fulfill Eggman's last request (almost as if it were the start of some sort of penitence) that he never really took the time to figure that out. Without a goal, he’s found himself bereft of purpose

Stone stops to take a good look at the lost kid sitting across from him, maybe the doctor had sent him more than just a message

He offers Shadow a job at the Mean Bean, saying that Green Hills is a nice enough town and that while he’s more than able to run the place on his own it can get busy, humble brag but he had the best Yelp reviews for miles for a reason. + maybe a delivery service is what he needs to get the edge over Cuppa Heaven

He tells Shadow that he can think on it if he wants and he's free to hang around until he makes up his mind

Shadow scoffs at him, he's been fine on his own he doesn't need anyone's pity

Stone hands over the coffee before picking up the forgotten cup on the floor, cleaning it again. He tells shadow it's not pity, just an offer from one former coworker to another. A temporary arrangement that could benefit them both while Shadow takes whatever time he needs to decide what his next step will be

Shadow stares into his coffee for a time, Stone cant tell if he's looking for life's answers or if it owes him money

Eventually Shadow drinks and looks to Stone with conviction, agreeing to his proposal. He vows to do his best to serve this place that is to be his temporary home and master the ‘art of the mean bean’

Stone laughs at how serious he is as he puts everything away. He says that they’re gona have to work on getting Shadow to loosen up a bit if he’s gona serve customers

Shadow tenses at that. Asking Stone what he means, surely he can’t suggest that Shadow will be interacting with humans

Stone points out that that’s kind of a big part of being a barista, is that a problem?

Looking to the side trying not to appear apprehensive (boy needs acting lessons), Shadow brings up the fact that he’s very clearly a 'dangerous alien' won’t the people be frightened of him?

It clicks for Stone what he means and he smiles, walking over to Shadow and placing a hand on his shoulder, motioning with his head for him to follow

He tells Shadow not to worry about that, Green Hills is the one place on Earth where a new alien hedgehog will only be the talk of the town for a week or so before the next farmers market drama takes over as peak gossip

After a beat Shadow registers exactly what Stone just said “wait, what do you mean a NEW alien hedgehog?!”

Grinning as he walks away, Stone activates the Mean Bean’s ‘back room’ walking forward while saying that they’ll do a quick tour of the lair and get Shadow settled in

Stone thinks to himself that instead of ending the day with eating his feelings away with a tub of ice cream while watching soap operas, it might be nicer to watch Gabriella's long lost niece backstab (possibly literally if the preview was right) Juan with a new friend. He should make guac. Celebration guac.

Staring

Shadow, the ultimate barista

(no first name given) Stone, a man who is unprepared to be a single father to a Hot Topic wannabe

Sonic, guy who's cool until he starts trying to flirt (or the guy who would be on every sports team if he went to school)

Miles 'Tails' Prower, the youngest fox to illegally attend MIT online

Knuckles, volunteer youth camp counselor

Tom Wachowski, promised he wasn't going to intimidate his son's new boyfriend (he lied, but he's only about 40% successful anyway)

Maddie Wachowski, mom of the year 5 years running

[queersatanic]

Queer Satanic is dead; long live Queer Satanic

It’s official and it’s final: We won.

If The Satanic Temple were going to appeal its loss against the defendants it called “Queer Satanic”, the notice of appeal was due in King County Superior Court by 4:30 p.m. today. We have received no electronic notice of a filing, so we are very pleased to say that the case is finally concluded.

The nontheistic religious organization used its for-profit corporation “United Federation of Churches LLC d/b/a ‘The Satanic Temple’ ” to sue four former members of its Washington State chapter from April 2020 till September 2024. They sued us in federal court, the Ninth Circuit Court, dragged us into giving depositions for the Southern District of New York, and sued us in King County Superior Court, but TST has lost everywhere it went. The claims that we always maintained were frivolous and without merit have been found so in every court TST made those claims by every judge who has looked at them. Now, a month after TST’s most recent loss, the deadline for the Temple’s appeal has come and gone, and so we’re done.

Years ago in dark times where it seemed like there would be no end to this and The Satanic Temple and its owners would never stop being vexatious litigants against us, we wrote the bottom section. The website’s administrator was supposed to add some sort of explainer and then publish it, keeping the site up and running for as long as that was feasible for them since we would be in no position to be involved anymore.

What it talks about has not come to pass — but in other ways, it certainly has. This was not sustainable indefinitely. The machine was breaking down for a long time, grinding metal on metal without pause, but it can be turned off now. “Non serviam” — until further notice, this machine is out of service.

Certainly, there is still research to be done and still other articles to be written about The Satanic Temple, its owners, and how they actually operate in contrast to how they present themselves. But to be done by us? That’s less clear.

We don’t plan to completely disappear, and there is still some tidying up to do, but mostly, there’s some much needed rest. Just as likely, there will be other fights that now we can focus on, given the way the world is going. In either case, this sabbatical may be indefinite.

“Queer Satanic” was never an organization, never a hierarchy, only a vibe. We were Heretical Satanists, heretics of heretics, so in the midst of defending ourselves from a lawsuit, we tried to put forward positive ideas and examples about what a more useful Satanism might look like; we tried to show a radical and rebellious way of approaching and acting in the world beyond just aesthetics of painting it black or upside-down Christianity slapped on bog-standard reactionary and liberal politics.

We didn’t do enough of it, and there is still so much more to be done.

For now at least, we leave you to it.

If you’re reading this, it means we lost.

Maybe a judge ruled against us. More likely, we ran out of money to keep paying for our own legal defense and had to capitulate. Or, after more than two years — and the devil only knows how much more if you’re reading this — of assault in and outside of the courtroom, we wore down and could not find resilience between us all to go on.

For whatever reason, if you’re reading this, we lost. And we’re sorry. For whatever reason, we were not strong enough and good enough to win this fight. Maybe we weren’t even good enough to see it through to the end.

And yet the work continues. We will not be able to continue it, or at least not all of us, but the work is the work, and it never depended solely on us anyway. The Satanic Temple is a horrid, abusive organization. If we say something otherwise because we can no longer defend ourselves to prevent it, it should be obvious this was a statement made under duress. Fuck our future selves for what they say, but have compassion for them as well. Literally years and tens of thousands of dollars must separate us from each other; bravery is much easier on this side of the chasm of time.

The work continues, and you’ll have to do it. Yes, you. No one else can build what you want to see. Certainly not us anymore.

You are Queer Satanic just as you always have been.

A queer satanic antifascist is someone who detests and opposes fascism, white supremacy, cishetropatriarchy, clericalism, and capitalism. A queer satanic antifascist looks on all forms of domination and hierarchy and chooses to oppose them — actually — even if it seems the structures they oppose are omnipotent.

Lucifer fought all of heaven; can you not fight an egregore of capitalism?

Find people who want the same things you do. Work with those people to create the world you want around you. Sometimes, that is petty resistance to hegemony — vandalism, graffiti, a heckle. Sometimes it’s filling potholes or cleaning pots after a free feeding. Sometimes it’s open carrying at a queer protest. Sometimes it’s things not to be talked about digitally at all.

Be the insurrection you want to see. Be Lucifer the Light-Bringer, rebelling against ineffable tyranny at all costs.

Push grifters like the The Satanic Temple out of radical spaces with your teeth bared, call out their leaders for abuses everywhere so no one is fooled. Feed people. Shelter people. Protect people. Do it actually, not just for clout or to funnel money up a pyramid.

Use any symbol or meme or paragraph of ours that’s ever inspired you. Make your own new things to inspire others.

We are done. If you’re reading this, we lost.

But if you continue to do the work we did, we will never, ever lose.

Hail Satan! — the work continues.

Ave Satanas! — so do you.

[nightsunecilpse]

I feel like some of the fandom misinterpreted the Earth's and Luna's relationship. They either say they're little brother and big brother or father and son coded. I am not sure how your guy's families treat each other but that's not a family dynamic. The Earth treats Luna like a pet but he is also highly dependent on him. Like, have you noticed that Earth never calls Luna his friend, not once? But Luna says they are. During the moon Revelation arc, Titian even calls out the obvious power dynamic between the two. The Earth and Luna are in a codependent relationship, and I'll try to give examples of how.

Before the Earth redemption arc, Luna stated that "sometimes he makes me feel like I don't matter." After a talk with Astrodude, Luna leaves Earth, then comes back, and Earth demands Luna to go back to orbit because he's off his axis. Moon doesn't even care how Earth said it, he feels satisfied he has made his point. Earth only talks positively about Luna when he's bragging, and after finding out Luna is drifting away, Earth blames Luna. Earth was hurt hearing this but not because he likes Luna, it's because he wants his Earthlings to become a type 5 civilization. Having Luna is an important part of life, if Luna leaves, it will kill all his dreams and his earthlings. Even after they learn the truth and Luna tells Earth to enjoy the time they have left, Earth can't get over the fact that his moon is leaving and still blames him. Ignoring how Luna feels and focusing on his feelings.

For Luna, Earth is his closest friend but it's a complicated relationship. He has been seen reading a book called 'The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'. The book is apparently about a colony on the moon that trades crops and goods for less than its worth. But it is not as if these people have a choice because they can't leave due to their bodies being affected by the moon's gravity and going to Earth after long periods will kill them. If that detail is referring to anything, it could mean that Luna feels as if Earth is giving him less than what he does for him in return. To Luna, the Earth means a lot, but despite wanting to leave Earth sometimes, he always comes back hoping Earth will change while knowing deep down he won't; post redemption arc.

Luna is more aware than any other celestial body that the Earth has been through a lot. It could be that for millions of years, Luna has been protecting Earth from any sort of danger, let it be emotional or physical. Side effects were Luna having to excuse Earth's behavior whenever he's messed up and being treated as a tool. It could be that Luna is aware of the gravity of Earth's situation and feels partially responsible for his actions. Like how he tried to apologize on behalf of Earth when he said offensive things to Titian or how he tried to save Astrodude from Titian because he's one of Earth's Earthlings. He did go to Earth to get him to fix the problem he made but Venus rejects Luna's advice and enables Earth's behavior. This doesn't stop Luna from trying to help Astrodude despite the insolent ways the planets talk to him.

Moreover, Luna is always looking out for Earth because he cares about him and wants him to be the good friend he knows he could be. He's seen him through his best and worst and still holds hope for him. I mean, Luna is so focused on Earth to the point he's not even familiar with Earth's orbital neighborhood. He would rather be with Earth than anyone else. He just wants Earth to treat him better.

On Earth's side of their relationship, he sees Luna as a reluctant necessity in order to keep life from dying. Admitting he was only starting to like him around because he had the best moon out of any rocky planet. He has a need to feel superior because, on his surface, life is constantly taking advantage of him. To him, dealing with all this pain makes him better because it means he's resilient. His earthlings' lives mean so much to him yet it's killing him. Sometimes he was willing to gamble their lives for fun and admitted he wanted to start over if things didn't get better. Being responsible for things smaller than you and them treating you like garbage, all the while still trying to be a good place to live really took a toll on his outside relationships. For Luna and him, it causes him to look down on Luna for being not like him. He values Mars for being the most like him; even if Earth is never open to his struggles and sees him as his lesser. Have it be Mars is his best friend. Luna's value is to be his shield and keep him on his axis. To him, Luna is less than a planet, so an inferior celestial body he can push around. However, without him, he becomes increasingly mentally unstable if left alone for long. During his hallucination, Luna is the one that hurts the most. When hallucination Luna tells him that he had enough, it has him in tears. Revealing his deepest turmoil between the two and his fear of abandonment.

Luna is Earth's most important relationship, and even after his redemption arc, he doesn't see that. Earth has been so comfortable with Luna's constant defense and loyalty that he doesn't even notice him. Yet when he's gone he spirals because he needs him to keep him stable. Luna has always been there through his best and worst, as said before, so suddenly, not having him there is like a piece of himself going missing. He is so emotionally dependent on others that when no one wants to be his friend anymore, he tries to end himself. He honestly thought everyone would be happier because his actions had caused a rift he thought he couldn't mend. Thankfully, Mercury and Luna stopped him and helped humble him, which in return helped his relationship with the other planets and Luna. However, Earth is treating Luna better, but it doesn't mean they're on equal terms. Earth appreciates Luna's importance but still doesn't involve him with the other planets' shenanigans, making him feel left out.

In summary, the relationship between Earth and Luna is one of mutual dependence. Earth, while dominant, relies on Luna to sustain life on its surface. Luna, in turn, plays a more passive role, accepting the kindness from Earth but also providing essential support. Their connection is crucial, preventing them from drifting apart. Although their dynamic may not be perfectly balanced at present, there is hope that they can strengthen their friendship and achieve a more equal partnership in the future.

[malfoy-mrsdracomalfoy]

Totally Normal Friend Things

Pairing: Bestfriend!Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI. Adult language. A little bit of dirty talk. Oral sex.

Word Count: 6722

Summary: Draco and Fem!Reader are all alone, surrounded by nothing but wilderness for miles, and they give into their coital desires.

Author's Note: This is a slow burn and the smut is long and descriptive. Enjoy! <3

This is part two of three.

PART ONE PART THREE

PART TWO

Reader's Point Of View:

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I ask him, amused at his sudden boldness and wanting to see exactly how far he'll take it.

"Are you daft? I mean exactly what I said. We should take advantage of being so isolated." He said, voice dropping an octave as he takes a few steps toward me. I give him an eyebrow raise and turn away, suddenly feeling bashful.

To look busy and turn my attention elsewhere, I conjure us up a red and white checkered picnic blanket, fluffy red pillows and an empty brown wicker basket. I leave it empty on purpose.

"Absolutely not." He says, pulling his wand out of its place at his hip, turning the picnic blanket to silk in the colors green and silver. Then, he covers the fluffy pillows in matching pillow cases.

"That's not as cute as mine." I say, staring at the blanket a few seconds before turning my attention back to him. "But the silk is a nice touch. You've must've taken inspiration from my bedspread." I say, leaning toward him teasingly.

"No. Your silk bedspread is as black as your soul. In case you haven't noticed, these are green. They match my own. I have far superior taste." He says, feeling proud of his dumb comeback. I roll my eyes and arrange the pillows in a cute and comfortable way, enchanting the blanket to stay in place as it's slightly breezy now. I sit down, tucking my legs under me and watch as he lowers himself next to me, our shoulders brushing.

"You need to do more than just help with color schemes. Conjure us up something to eat." I say, settling in and turning my gaze to the horizon to watch the sun begin to set behind the valley of mountains ahead of us.

He rolls his eyes and with a wave of his wand he produces a spread of fresh bread, cheese, fruits and some of our favorite sweets. He glances at me for a moment and snorts.

"Comfortable, much?" He teases, copying my position and pressing his arm against mine. I playfully toss a pillow at him. "Very much. Here, have an extra pillow. You're welcome for making this so cozy."

He catches the pillow easily, tucking the extra pillow behind his head, making himself comfortable against the blanket. "Always taking care of your boyfriend... I mean.." He quickly corrects himself "Boy... that is a friend, aren't you?" I give him an amused smile.

"Sorry? What was that? I didn't quite catch it." I tease, grabbing a slice of cubed cheddar cheese and setting it on a cracker, taking a bite. He stiffens for a moment before gaining his composure again.

"Pass the strawberries." He mumbles. I reach in and grab the biggest one, stretching my arm to him. He takes it gently, brushing my fingers slightly longer than necessary.

"You said boyfriend... The one-word type." I tease, giggling. He turns away quickly, hiding his sheepish expression before shaking his head and finishing the strawberry. "Shut up. I said boy that is a friend." He mutters, face flushing slightly. I hold another strawberry to his mouth.

"Another strawberry for you. Maybe it'll be less sour than your attitude." I rub the strawberry across his bottom lip. He catches my eye as he laughs- appreciating my comment and breaking his faux cranky mood.

"My attitude's just fine. You're being annoying right now." He grins even though he just insulted me, "Stop flirting with me." He says, slightly leaning up on his elbows to take a bite of the strawberry.

"I would never." I say, pulling the strawberry from his mouth and taking a bite of it myself, letting it caress my bottom lip as I pull it from my mouth. I watch on in satisfaction as his eyes stay glued to my lips, watching the juicy strawberry slip down, coating my lips in a red hue. He swallows hard before quickly looking away, trying to compose himself.

"You're... you're impossible." He mutters, his voice slightly hoarse.

"That I am." I say, holding up the strawberry in a playful salut. He rolls his eyes, but a small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. He leans back against the pillows, acting nonchalant again.

"I'm going to ignore you now." He says aloud, taking his eyes off me and turning them to our surroundings.

"Aww!" I coo, leaning toward him "But I was having so much fun getting under your skin." I tease as I sit on my knees next to him, touching his side and slightly leaning over to meet his eye again.

He stiffens, his breath hitching slightly at my proximity. He looks up at me, icy blue eyes locked onto mine. He opens his mouth to retort, but no words come out.

"I knew you wouldn't have been able to ignore me." I tease, holding his gaze, "Look at you. Unable to keep your eyes off me." my voice low.

His cheeks flush a deep red, caught in the act. He quickly breaks eye contact, looking anywhere but at me. But his body betrays him and remains tense, his voice coming out low. "Shut up.. and... just sit back down. Before I hex you."

I giggle before saying, "Hex me? Your favorite girl?" I pretend to whine and sell it with a playful pout. His eyes widen unconsciously for a moment before I see him force a smirk. He sits up slightly, now leaning on his wrists.

"I will hex your perfect little face if you don't stop acting so bloody cute."

"Perfect you say?" I say, putting one leg over his body and straddling his lap. His eyes widen before he grips my hips to stabilize me. Probably himself, too. I know I'm being bold, provocative even. I want to see how it plays out. He gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly. His voice comes out raspy as he tries to maintain his cool exterior.

"Shut up and get off of me."

I laugh melodically and get off of him, laying beside him instead. "You're so easy to rile up." I tease. He turns his head to look at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tries to calm down. He crosses his arms over his chest, definitely trying to appear unaffected.

"You think you're so clever, don't you? Always finding ways to annoy me."

I turn my head to look at him, holding his gaze. "Annoying you? I make your life interesting." He keeps his eyes trained on mine, his arms tightening slightly- as if resisting the urge to reach out and touch my face.

"Interesting? More like fucking infuriating."

We stare at each other for a while, both desperately trying to ignore these feelings that keep making an appearance.

"Me? Never! I'm the most delightful person you know." I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"Nope. Not you. Miss Delightful. Miss Perfectly Reasonable. Miss Always Logical. Miss Never Annoying." He mutters sarcastically but his eyes soften and his lips twitch when I laugh at his joke.

"You love me." I say, turning my face towards the sky, watching the clouds above us turn pink against the fading blue sky.

"Who said I love you?" He mutters, eyes looking up at the clouds with me.

"You do. Every day. You don't even need to use words to do so. You always show me." I say, turning my head towards him, making sure he understands just how much he does to me- and for me. He looks over, his face softening as he gives one of his beautiful, affectionate smiles. He reaches to brush a stray hair off my face before returning his hand to his own side.

"Shut up. Before I shut you up." He says, unwilling to show just how affected I saw he was. He turns his attention back up to the clouds slowly rolling by.

"You couldn't shut me up even if you tried." I tease, and he scoffs, turning his head back to me again.

"I can, and I will." He challenges, his voice lower than before. His eyes flicker down to my lips briefly before meeting my gaze again. "I bet I can shut you up for at least five minutes."

"I'll believe it when I see it." I look at him, amused. He watches my face for a moment, a smirk playing on his lips. He leans in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Alright then, smart arse." He reaches out and gently places his hand over my mouth, his fingers brushing against my lips softly. I laugh, the sound muffled against his fingers.

"Too easy." I say as I set my hand on his wrist, slowly tugging it down, letting his fingers caress my lips slowly once more. His smirk widens as he pulls his hand back slightly, watching me.

"You haven't won yet. I can still shut you up."

I keep eye contact with him while sliding my tongue up his pointer finger teasingly. "Can you? Because I'm still talking." I say, voice taunting and playful. Thrown completely off guard, his smirk falters. I smirk, watching him swallow hard, and hesitating briefly before putting his hand back on my mouth, his fingers curling gently to keep my mouth closed.

"Five minutes of silence. No talking. No laughing. Nothing."

I hum mischievously and slide my tongue out to rub against his palm. He pulls his hand back quickly, dropping his gaze to my mouth briefly before meeting my amused gaze.

"You're cheating." He says, voice strained.

"I told you that you couldn't shut me up." I smirk at him, "I mean, did you even try? That was far too easy."

He glares at me, his face flushed slightly. He hesitates before reaching out and brushing his thumb across my bottom lip once before placing his hand over my mouth again.

"Shut up." He mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just shut up for five minutes. Please." He says, and I can hear the restraint in his voice. It's taking every inch of his will power to act so unaffected by me and my antics.

"Since you asked so nicely." I mumble against his hand, sliding my hand up his wrist to caress his skin. His breath hitches almost imperceptibly. He keeps his hand covering my mouth, angling it so he can gently stroke my bottom lip.

"Five minutes." He repeats softly, his eyes never leaving mine. I nod and caress down his arm softly. I let my eyes slowly look over his features while I slide my hand up the underside of his arm. His breathing has increased slightly, not quite panting but getting there.

His eyes trail over my face and he reaches his free hand to touch my side, slowly caressing up and down. I smile against his palm, amused he's keeping up the charade that this is just him keeping me quiet. I have an inkling this is just an excuse to touch me.

For a few moments, we sit there in silence and just caress one another. My hand slides up and down both of his arms, and his free hand caresses my side and makes its way to my back. I feel a warmth spreading through my chest and I feel my heart start to pick up tempo at how intimate this moment is becoming.

I slowly turn my face so his hand gently caresses my face. He gets the hint and begins to stroke my face himself, taking his hand off my mouth. I take this moment to reach out to him and caress his side and I hear him inhale sharply, a shiver running through him.

He stares at me intensely and I scoot closer to him, staying silent despite his hand not being on my mouth anymore, and use my free hand to slide up his chest and shoulders. It feels as if we're being pulled into a trap, but none of us finds the willpower to escape. Not caring how I'm coming off any longer, I use the hand caressing his side to slide up to his shoulders now, beginning to gently massage.

His shoulder tenses under my touch, but he doesn't pull away. He looks into my eyes, searching for any sign that I'll be the one to break the silence and end this charade, but I just smile softly at him- actually enjoying the silence now. He checks his watch.

"Thirty seconds..." He says softly, as if trying to steer us back into 'friendly' territory and not this in-between friends and something else we've found ourselves in. I gently push his shoulder as a silent gesture to lay down. He complies, and lays on his back. I'm sure he's just as curious as I am what direction we're headed.

Once he's laying down on his back, I lay next to him, tucking my head against his shoulder and using a hand to caress his chest. His chest rises and falls rapidly under my gentle touch and he tucks an arm under me to wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He checks his watch one final time. "Time's up."

"Finally." I whisper, eyes trained on the sky now as I continue to rub his chest. "Longest five minutes ever." I joke, not really meaning it at all. I feel his arm tighten around me a fraction as he laughs softly, his breath tickling my ear.

"I think you enjoyed torturing me a little too much." he teases, his voice back to its normal tone.

"Torture you?" I say teasingly, drawing shapes on his chest through his shirt.

"Torture, yes. Don't act coy."

"You asked me nicely to be quiet for five minutes so I was just complying." I say, sliding my hand to the bottom hem of his shirt and slightly pushing it up, caressing the slit of skin showing. He inhales sharply, before he clears his throat.

"I'm surprised you stayed quiet. You didn't have to."

I tilt my head up, still laying on his shoulder, as I meet his gaze. I slide my hand up his shirt, finger tips now tucked under the material and against his skin. "No?"

His eyes meet mine, icy blues looking at my face thoughtfully for moment. "No," he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You could've spoken."

"I'll remember that for next time then." I nudge my nose playfully against his neck and turn my eyes back to the sky. He chuckles softly, his arm tightening around me as he turns his head to press a gentle kiss against to my forehead. "You do that." He murmurs, his voice warm with amusement and affection. "Next time I ask for silence. do what you do best- talk my ear off." I laugh melodically, tilting my head back slightly.

"That sounds like my kind of agreement." I slide my hand up his shirt further, now knuckles deep as I caress his skin. "Hey, that cloud kind of looks like you." I say, pointing at a misshapen cloud floating above us. He glances up at the cloud, then back down at me.

"You really think that pitiful blob looks like me?" He asks, amusement clear in his voice as he studies the cloud more closely.

"Absolutely. Side by side I couldn't tell you apart. Like identical twins." I slide my entire hand up under his shirt, tracing his abs. His breath catches.

"Twins, huh? So this cloud has my arrogant smirk and my perfectly styled hair?" He jokes.

"Perfectly styled? Hardly. More like a swirled ice cream cone." I joke, tracing a line in between his abs and up his torso.

"That's actually quite offensive," he manages to say with mock outrage, though his voice is shaky- showing he's very affected by my touch. "You're comparing the perfectly styled platinum glory that is my hair to a bloody ice cream cone?"

"I'm just saying, I've never seen your hair and an ice cream cone in the same room."

He lets out a belly laugh, head tilting back and mouth wide open to reveal all 32 perfectly white teeth. I caress up his pecks, pleased I made him laugh so hard and his laugh turns into a sharp intake of breath. He tries to maintain his composure, but his unsteady voice betrays him. "It's one of my best features." He says, defending his hair.

"Not even close. You know what your best feature is?" I say, tracing the shape of his right peck. His breath hitches again, and I feel his heart race under my hand.

"Am I supposed to guess, or are you going to enlighten me?" He says, smirking,

"Your too brilliant for your own good brain and your wicked sense of humor." I say, tracing his left peck now. His smirk widens slightly at my words, and his eyes sparkle.

"Such sweet lies." He says affectionately, kissing my forehead before continuing, "Usually when someone is tracing my chest like this, they're complimenting more... physical attributes." He teases, his voice low and warm. "Not my intellect." I press a sweet and short kiss to his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah? What do said people say about your physical attributes?" I caress his sternum.

"They tend to comment on how symmetrical my face is, for one." he jests, letting out a small chuckle at his own joke.

"I suppose it can be... In the right light." I tease, tucking my head into the side of his neck, caressing his collarbones. He shivers and his hands grip my waist slightly.

"What about you, then? What physical attributes do people comment on?" He asks, thumb tracing small circles on my hip.

"I've been called pretty more times than I can count. So it must be true." I tease, pressing a short and affectionate kiss to the side of his neck. He lets out a soft chuckle.

"Well, that's bloody obvious. Any man with eyes knows you're attractive." His touch becomes more purposeful as he pulls me closer.

"Well, not all of them. But not everyone has good taste." I caress his chest in slow, wide motions. He lets out a low, rumbling laugh- the sound vibrating through his chest which I've become intimately acquainted with.

"Clearly," he murmurs, his voice slightly defensive. "Only someone with spectacularly poor taste wouldn't find you attractive."

"I can't imagine anyone not finding you attractive, though."

"Careful with those compliments," he says, his voice low with amusement and something else, something deeper. "They might go to my head." His hands trace my waist deliberately.

"Oh, please. Everything goes to your head." I joke, wrapping my arm around his waist and cuddling closer to him. He sits up, letting out a genuine laugh as his arms wrap around my stomach to pull me into his lap, my back against his chest. "Touché" he murmurs against my hair, his fingers playing with the hem of my shirt. "I suppose I can't argue with that."

"Yeah, and when people get to know you? That's an entirely different story. They'll realize there's more to you than just a pretty face with baby blues." I lean against his chest, closing my eyes and inhaling the scent of him quietly. His arms tighten around me, his chin resting on my shoulder as he looks down to where his arms wrap around my mid-section. "Ha" he scoffs "As if getting to know me is some sort of charming experience." I turn my head toward him quickly, waiting until he looks into my eyes. When he does, I give him an earnest look.

"Of course it is, Draco. You're an amazing and endlessly fascinating person."

He rolls his eyes dramatically, though a faint blush creeps up his neck at my words of admiration. He meets my gaze, his expression softening despite his efforts to maintain his aloof demeanor. "Listen to you. Next you'll be writing me love poetry."

"I can pay my best friend a compliment once in a while" I say, playfully and bend my arm up to press my hand against the side of his face. He leans into my touch, his eyes fluttering close for a moment before he opens them again, a smirk playing on his lips . "Best friend, huh? Not boyfriend?" He teases, thumbs tracing small patterns on my stomach. I laugh softly, lightly scratching his head.

"I do act like that, sometimes, hm? It's not my fault it's easy to blur the lines with you. I mean, look at us recently. Just today, even." He chuckles, leaning in to my scratching like a cat seeking affection. His smirk softens to a genuine smile. "It's not... unpleasant." He pauses, his thumbs following suit. "But, you know I value our friendship more than anything."

"I know." I say softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek and running my fingers through his hair. "And you're just the best person ever, and I'm lucky to have you in my life." His smile widens at my affectionate kiss, and my sweet words. He turns his head just enough to nuzzle into my palm, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

"And I'm lucky to have you too, lovebug. More than you'll ever know."

I look at him affectionately for a few moments, chest warm.

"You look very handsome in this light." I comment, eyes looking over his features as I run my hand through his hair. "Although you need a shave." I tease, lightly rubbing his stubble. He laughs softly, butting his cheek against my hand once with an amused look on his face.

"And whose fault is it that I haven't had the time to shave?" He says with mock indignation. "A certain someone kept me up late last night talking about the newest conspiracy theory she's obsessed with." I laugh softly at his very true fact, and turn to shuffle in his lap so I'm straddling him.

"Oh, do you mean me then? How about the fact I tried to kick you out twice and you refused to leave my bed? You even burrowed yourself in a mountain of blankets and pillows."

His grin widens at the reminder. "Well, it's not my fault they're soft and comforting. Like you." He pouts playfully, pulling my hand away from his hair and holding it instead.

"You know exactly how to win an argument, don't you? Just be cute and I fold every time." I say, fighting the urge to kiss him. He winks at me, clearly pleased with himself for winning the argument, even if it was on account of his looks.

"I have my methods, love." he says with a smirk, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand. "I'm glad we have these moments together." He says, a rare moment of softness he's not bothering to hide.

"Me too. I love that we get to cocoon ourselves in our own little world occasionally." I say, kissing his cheek and letting my lips linger. His breath hitches slightly, and he turns his head toward me, his nose brushing mine in an almost-kiss. "You know what our problem is?" His eyes flicker down to my lips before meeting my gaze again, a playful yet intense look in his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll tell me even if I don't ask." I tease, genuinely curious what he has to say.

"Smart mouth," He murmurs, his fingers intertwining with mine. "Our problem is that we're too comfortable." He pauses, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my knuckles. "We're too much like a couple without actually being a couple."

"I think being comfortable is good. But I do agree with you..." I trail off, looking at his lips then back to his eyes. He does the same, furthering proving our points to one another. He takes a deep breath, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we just... gave in. Just once." His eyes search mine questioningly- asking something significant without words. Heart racing upon understanding his meaning, I nod.

"It might be worth a try." I admit, caressing his palm with my thumb. His eyes snap down to watch the motion, hiding his true emotion-fear. Gathering the courage, he swallows hard, his voice lower than before.

"You mean like a test? To see what it's like without ruining our friendship?" He says, free hand slowly sliding towards my back.

"Yeah. We will be friends no matter what, our bond is way too strong and unbreakable to be derailed by giving into our... physical desires."

"Exactly." He agrees, his face inches from mine. I can feel his breath mingling with mine. "So it would just be a physical thing?" His hand successfully finds my back and he begins caressing it suggestively. "Just one more kiss, a proper kiss we planned, just to see what it's like?" He clarifies, acknowledging the first kiss we shared in the sky earlier today was a special, spontaneous moment we shared but this one is planned- to see if they feel any different.

"Yeah, just to see what it's like. We may even add it to our friendship repertoire. Totally casual way to show our affection for each other." His face breaks into a smirk and he leans in even closer, his nose brushing against mine.

"Casual kiss," He murmurs "No big deal." His eyes flicker down to my lips again, his own parting slightly.

"No big deal." I whisper.

His smirk softens into a gentle smile as he closes the remaining distance between us. His lips press softly against mine in a slow, tender kiss. He pulls away slightly after a few moments, his eyes searching mine for any sign of regret or hesitation.

"I liked that." I admit, leaning forward and pressing my lips against his again. He deepens the kiss slightly this time, his arms wrapping around me to pull me closer. He breaks away after a few moments. "See? No big deal," He whispers, fingers intertwining with mine again. "Just a casual thing between friends." He says, sounding like he's trying to convince himself more than me.

"Right. No big deal." I smile at him, pushing his hair off his forehead. "Just two friends showing affection." I say, also trying to convince myself. He leans into my touch, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Totally normal friend things." He says, but there's a glimmer in his eyes that suggest he really liked it on a non-platonic level like I did. I laugh softly.

"Your lips are very soft." I say, caressing the back of his head, "You've been using Aquaphor like I suggested." He laughs genuinely, pressing his forehead against mine and dropping his eyes shyly.

"Shut up." He murmurs, answering my question without an obvious yes or no. The way only Draco could answer and the way only I could understand. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him to me.

"I'm not usually this affectionate, so don't get used to it." I tease. He laughs softly, wrapping both arms tighter around my waist.

"Too late," He says, his face buried in the crook of my neck. "I'm already used to it. Friends can hug and kiss, right?" He asks playfully.

"Oh, sure." I say playfully "That's totally normal." He smiles and nods into my neck. "As long as they're both comfortable with it they can do... anything."

He pauses for a moment, and I feel his heart beat faster. He pulls back to look at me, eyes searching mine. "Anything?" He repeats softly, his thumbs gently kneading my lower back. "Like.... whatever we want?" He asks, voice barely a whisper, implicating something that could potentially be even more problematic or enjoyable. Or both.

"Yeah, whatever we want." I say.

"So... If I wanted to kiss you again, that would be okay?"

"It would be more than okay" I say, eyes locked on his face. "In fact, I'd enjoy it."

He needs no further encouragement. He closes the distance between our faces, his arms wrapping around me tightly, pulling me flush against him. He deepens the kiss, his fingers splaying out against my back possessively. He breaks away briefly to whisper, "What if I wanted more than kissing?"

"More?" I whisper against his lips. He kisses me again, his hand slowly sliding down to my thighs to emphasize his point. He breaks away again to whisper, "Like touching? Or other things?" He swallows hard, his eyes flickering down to my lips before meeting my gaze again. He looks... nervous? "You said anything, right?"

"I did say anything." I agree, sliding my hand up the back of his head to entangle in his hair strands. He leans into the touch, his hands now gripping my thighs tightly. He starts to trail soft kisses along my jawline and down my neck, his breathing becoming slightly erratic. "Fuck... you're so pretty." He says against my neck. I giggle and tilt my head back so he has better access.

"I love when your voice sound like this. Husky and deep."

He lets out a low hum against my neck, his kisses becoming more passionate. His voice drops even lower as he speaks directly under my ear, lips grazing my neck. "Do you like dirty talk, too? Or is that crossing a line for 'friendly?" He asks teasingly, his hands moving to my waist.

"I think we're passed the lines of friendly." I say, gently tugging his hair. He chuckles softly, his breath warm against my skin.

"Good point," He murmurs before nuzzling his face between my neck and shoulder. "So can I say things like, 'You look so kissable' or would you prefer 'I want my hand wrapped around your throat'?" A shiver runs down my spine, and I gasp in arousal, biting my bottom lip.

"As long as I can tell you where I want to put my lips." I say, voice like honey.

He shudders slightly at my words. It's clear both of us are really thrilled where this is going.

"Tell me where those pretty little lips want to go."

I begin to kiss down his jaw. "I want my lips here..." Before sliding down to kiss his neck a few times, "And here" I mumble, lips kissing down his neck to his sternum "And even lower." He shivers visibly at my trail of kisses, his breathing becoming heavier.

"Lower?" He asks, voice catching slightly on the look I give him, his expression becoming more intense.

I giggle and take my time kissing down his neck gently, dragging my bottom lip in between each new spot. "Would you let me?" I purr against his neck. He tilts his head back with a groan, exposing more of his neck to my teasing kisses. "Oh, I'd definitely let you." He says with playful smirk.

I smile against his neck as I resume kissing it, caressing both sides and letting my lips trail lower, unabashedly showing him my intentions. His eyes flutter closed and his hands tighten around my waist. I pull back just to take the hem of his shirt into my hands, meeting his gaze. His eyes are sharp and completely focused on me and his chest is rising and falling rapidly.

"Can I take this off?" I ask softly. When he nods furiously I slide off his shirt, and set it on the blanket before placing my hands on his chest and starting to kiss down his neck again. "Is this still okay? Stop me at any point."

"Keep going." He says, voice hoarse as his hands knead my hips.

Once my lips reach his collar bone, his hands tighten around my waist. "Fuck, you're really going to do it, aren't you?" He says, slightly shuffling beneath me, and I feel just how excited he's getting.

"If that's okay with you?" I run a hand down his abdomen. He nods, his voice barely above a whisper. "More than okay." He admits, his eyes darkening with desire. He shifts once more, giving me better access. "If you really want to-" He cuts himself off with a sharp intake of breath as my lips begin their descent to their target.

"I want to show you how much I care about you." I purr, running a finger down his abdomen and tracing the waistband of his jeans, slightly dipping my finger under it to caress the skin there. He tenses slightly at my touch, his eyes watching my fingers intently.

"Lay back a little bit?" I say, propping the pillows more solidly behind his back. He complies, laying back further against the pillows. He looks at me, his eyes glazed with arousal but his smile is soft.

"Like this?" He asks, voice barely above a whisper.

I nod and begin to kiss down his neck again, heading toward his chest and caressing his side with one hand and pressing down on his hip bone with the other. I slide my tongue down his sternum to his abdomen, beginning to trace the shape of each ab, swirling my tongue slowly. Using my free hand, I lightly palm him through his jeans.

He inhales sharply, his hips twitching involuntarily. He spreads his legs wider, giving me access. I kiss down his body, sliding a tongue on the skin above his waistband. "Is this this still okay?" I stop, looking up at him. He nods quickly, his breath coming out in short gasps. He reaches down to gently cup my cheeks.

"Yeah, it's more than okay." He tells me softly. I smile up at him and pull out of his hand to lower my face to his body once more, sucking the hipbone while sliding a finger under the waistband of his jeans. His hips buck slightly, and I can feel he's already half-hard, his pants starting to tent.

I unbutton his jeans, slowly tugging them down his hips as I palm him through his briefs. He lifts his hips to help me tug down his pants, his breath catching in his throat as I pepper kisses along his clothed length. A low moan escapes his lips, and I look up at him with a smirk.

"You sound so sexy." I say, kissing up his inner thigh with feather-light kisses.

He spreads his legs wider and watches me through heavy-lidded eyes, his voice dropping. "You're not trying to torture me, are you?" He chuckles softly, his hips twitching lightly as I run a tongue up his inner thigh.

"Do you want me to go faster?" I ask, sliding a finger under the waist band of his briefs. He shivers, knowing I'm working him up. He looks down at me with a heated gaze, "No, don't you dare." He growls softly, his hands gripping my hair gently. "I like the slow burn. It's... intoxicating."

I trace the shape of his bulge through his briefs as I kiss his inner thighs, eyes on him and lips almost reaching their destination. He's fully hard now, his briefs tenting significantly. He bites his lips to stifle any noises, and his grip on my hair tightens. I'll bet he's trying to hold back his need to keep control. I slide my tongue up both of his inner thighs, pressing on his clothed erection. He lets out a strangled groan, his head falling back slightly. His hips jerk forward involuntarily and he mumbles a husky "Fuck."

I kiss up his bulge through his briefs slowly, caressing his pubic bone then both sides of his erection. He's unraveling under my touch, his breath comes in ragged gasps, and his hands leave my hair to fist the blanket below us. I slide a finger down into his briefs, slowly pulling them down as my lips stay firmly pressed against his lower abdomen, kissing and sucking the skin there freely.

As my finger pulls down his briefs, his throbbing erection springs free from the fabric, slapping his lower stomach. The sudden release of pressure makes him groan loudly. His hips lift off the bed instinctively, seeking more stimulation.

I gently grip his erection, licking the tip once and dipping my tongue into his slit, collecting the bead of pre-cum forming there. He groans loudly and lets out a string of curses under his breath, watching me intently. I keep eye contact as I lick the underside of his dick and gently roll his balls under my thumb.

His eyes roll back in his head, gripping the blanket tightly- knuckles turning white. I lick up every side of his penis before giving the skin between his balls a tiny tug. His entire body jerks, and he lets out a loud guttural moan. I slide down his penis and begin to lick his balls, tracing the shape of them with my tongue. He whines softly as I take one of his balls into my mouth, rolling my tongue in a circle around it before doing the same to the other one.

He throws his head back, fingers finding my hair again and tugging on the strands slightly. "Holy shit." he hisses softly. He spreads his thighs wider apart, giving me better access. "Fuck!" He groans. "I can't take it. Suck my dick. Now."

I swirl my tongue around the head of his penis before taking the tip into my mouth, my lips forming a suction as I keep eye contact with him. His eyes roll back again and lets out a low, desperate moan, his fingers gripping my hair tighter. I slide down his penis with my mouth, taking him inch by inch, running my tongue along the underside. "Fucking hell" he gasps, his hips bucking gently to meet my mouth.

I hollow my cheeks, and begin to bob my head up and down while keeping eye contact with him. He holds my gaze, eyes half-closed in pleasure and pupils blown wide. The obscene sound of wet sucking fills the air, and he groans loud, hips rolling to meet my movements.

When I take him faster, he lets out a strangled, gurgled cry. He watches his length disappear between my lips then pull out again. I hum, sending vibrations down his shaft and to his balls. His head tilts back, a choked off moan escaping him. I add my hand in, using it to pump any part of his shaft that isn't in my mouth.

"Fuck, I'm close, I'm fucking-" He cuts himself off by releasing another groan, eyes rolling back when I slightly add more pressure on his shaft with my hands. I hum again, and he lets out a series of broken moans. His body is trembling, every muscle tensed up to the point of shaking. "I- I'm gonna-" He lets out a choked cry.

Keeping eye contact, I work my mouth and hand in tandem. His entire body locks up, and he lets out a raw, primal sound that echos off the mountains into the otherwise quiet evening air. He cums hard, pulling my hair back as his balls unload an enormous amount of thick, hot cum into my throat.

I massage his balls to prolong his orgasm. His body writhes for a moment before collapsing back onto the pillows, his body heaving as he tries to catch his breath. He is slick with sweat, and his eyes are glazed over with pleasure. He looks at me, a mixture of awe and exhaustion in his gaze. "Holy fuck." he whispers, voice barely audible.

I clean any leftover cum from his penis and swallow, and crawl up to lay next to him. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me close as he nuzzles into my neck. "You're a fucking goddess." He murmurs, his voice filled with reverence and gratitude. He presses a soft kiss to my neck before settling in, his body completely sated and content. "Thank you."

I let him bask in his afterglow, satisfied I've pleased him to the point of him being boneless and affectionate.

"Give me a few minutes, then I'm going to show you how I feel about you, too."

Masterlist

[moodymisty]

Author’s note: This entire idea belongs to @bispecsual , who snapped my ass like Thanos with it at 3am. My eyes might’ve been burning, but I saw the light with this message.

Relationships: unnamed Lamenter/Gn!Reader

Warnings: You could say it’s a lilllll lewd, Blood/vampire kink stuff, Bruising

He looks so large even without his armor. He’s managed to find a moment of time to spend with you now that his round of duty is over, though he had to wake you up to do it. You don’t mind, but you can tell in his face that there’s something gnawing at him.

“You’re hungry,” You suddenly blurt out, looking up at him. He looks at you and his eyebrows raise with surprise, but he doesn’t deny it. He looks away briefly when you offer yourself once again.

“I’ve waited longer, I won’t so soon after the last time.”

You shift under the blankets to look more towards him.

“You don’t have to wait, it’s fine.”

He’s beating himself up in his head, you can tell. Berating his lack of restraint. You know from experience he fights it until he’s right at the edge of the cliff, and only then does he dare to ask. But you feel fine, and helping him is the least you can do. The Lamenters have done so much for you; He’s done so much for you.

“I’m fine. If you need it, take it.”

It seems the battle in his mind only concludes with your gentle insistence, and he moves closer to you. You watch as he slowly crawls onto the bed and his hand presses down by your shoulder. His gaze is intense and you can’t help but look away, exposing your neck at the same time.

He can see the little marks where he bit the last time, on their last few days of healing. As he leans in his hot breath brushes over them, as does his lips. He hesitates for a moment, and you think he might pull away, before he finally sinks his teeth in right below your ear.

The blanket shifts up your bare legs to your hips as your legs kick, landing just below your underwear. His knee presses down between your thighs precariously close to their apex.

His teeth shift in your neck and your fingers tighten on his shoulder from the twinge of pain, but his weight holds your upper body completely still. He doesn’t want you to move even an inch and risk hurting you.

You swear you can hear his hearts, his tongue lapping against your neck and wiping away the tiny beads of blood before he moves to bite again at your collarbone.

It tastes incredible. He’s been starving, his last mission ran him ragged, in his armor for 2 weeks with barely any rest, and your blood is like the finest wine. He’s never tasted wine, but he supposes must taste incredible, as your tone of voice had implied.

His eyes want to close, he wants to get lost in its but he knows he has to stop. It’s still so soon after the last time he bit you, he know he can only take enough to satisfy him for now. So that gnawing can finally get shoved to the back of his mind just for a little while.

You’ve already been so generous, he doesn’t want to wear it out. To take advantage of your rare kindness. He pulls away sees the bruising wounds of your neck, as he glances down at your inner thigh. He sees the fading marks of bites there, where he thought they’d cause you less pain. It caused something else however, and he vows not to do so again unless he can fulfill you afterwards.

He slowly lowers again until his head lays against your chest. Your fingers wrap in the short, messy chop of his hair. Your eyes are closed, but you still talk to him.

“I’m fine,” You whisper, knowing why he’s doing this. The assurance that you’re still alive and well. That he didn’t go too far this time. But sometimes you wonder if he’s becoming unhealthily attached to you. He depends on you in a way oddly enough; With his curse gnawing at him like a never-ending sickness. He’s implied before that his superiors might do something about it if he can’t keep it under control. If this saves him, then you’ll do whatever you can to protect him mentally while he physically protects you.

Because you’re the only thing that cures him; Your blood satiates the hunger and your presence makes him feel alive. The warmth of your skin against his own. The sound of your heartbeat fills him with relief that you’re fine, he didn’t lose himself for a moment.

“How can I repay you for your kindness?” He speaks quietly. You laugh.

“You don’t have to do anything.” He leans close to you and you can feel his nose barely brush against your own.

“I should. There are not many who would willingly give their blood to feed the Red Thirst.” You smile and your hand lands on the scarred skin of his arm.

“I don’t mind, as long as it’s you.”

A brief moment crosses his mind at the idea of another Lamenter biting your neck- of being this close to you. His hand clenches just a bit before he swallows that feeling of rage and leans just that little bit closer to you, pressing his lips to yours.

You lean into him, ignoring the ache in your neck and tasting iron on his lips.

[anghraine]

So, after my bff J and I watched the entirety of TOS in chronological airing order and I fell in love, we moved on to the movies. I've already talked about The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan (twice), and The Search For Spock (my beloved!!!), so then we moved on to The Voyage Home!

It's been difficult to articulate my thoughts about this one, in all honesty.

I know it's enormously beloved, and I enjoyed every minute of watching it. Unlike The Wrath of Khan, a superior movie in its own right that I have multiple characterization grievances with, there's nothing about TVH that struck me as "off."

In fact, I think characterization is advanced in some interesting ways. The most compelling arc is very obviously Spock's, as he struggles to step back into his old life while still missing a lot of his memories and sense of his relationships. Unlike TMP, this doesn't feel like a soft reboot reset of his character arc, but an entirely natural follow-up from the events of the previous film, and there's something very charming about him becoming more "himself" throughout the film while a visibly strained Kirk tries to supervise the 80s adventures. And the ways in which he's confused and sometimes hurt by Kirk occasionally snapping are just... :( even though the film leans more on breezy camaraderie (and breezy everything).

I liked getting a scene with him and Amanda again, I really liked the scenes with Sarek (who has come a very long way), I liked the background arc around Kirk having to answer for the extreme, desperate choices he kept making throughout TSFS and Spock ultimately standing by him along with the rest of the crew.

Meanwhile, it's also a decent movie for McCoy. After carting around Spock's katra, he's become more understanding and tries to reach out emotionally to him in a much less pushy and patronizing way than he used to do, even when Spock confusedly rebuffs him. It doesn't feel like he's on Spock's wavelength naturally (I don't think he ever is), but that he's actively putting in the effort to work to imagine how Spock is experiencing these circumstances and not projecting what he(McCoy) wants to see onto the situation. He drops the racial slurs and commentary and helps Spock understand some of the more baffling (to Spock) remarks from Kirk, and it's a nice bit of character growth that isn't broadcasted too loudly but there to see if you're looking for it.

We also get a great scene of McCoy as doctor when they go to break Chekov out of the hospital. He's always been at his best, IMO, in his capacity of caring for patients' welfare and dignity and being horrified at the medical practices of the past, so it's both very McCoy and funny as he heals his way in and out of the hospital, with little details like them trying to rush Chekov down the aisle and McCoy helping someone on crutches that got knocked down.

I think Kirk's characterization in TVH also makes a lot of sense. He was already very obviously teetering on the edge of how much he could really endure in TSFS and starting to snap. He defied Starfleet (something that he actually does very rarely) and risked the career that has defined his life just to properly arrange Spock's funeral rites, then discovered Spock was sort of alive, immediately lost his son via brutal murder by Klingons, then destroyed the Enterprise, carried Spock's body off Genesis, stayed awake through an hours-long ritual on Vulcan to see if Spock could ever be returned to life, and upon his rebirth, had the joy of Spock dimly recognizing him coupled with bittersweet uncertainty if he'd ever again be the Spock he married knew. He then returned to Earth to be effectively put on trial while the Klingons (the people who murdered his son) are presenting themselves as the injured parties in the legal proceedings.

So by the time that Spock returns to the bridge with his technical knowledge intact but not his relationships with the rest of the crew, very much including Kirk, it is not remotely surprising that Spock's emotional distance and constantly calling him Admiral would be beyond nails on chalkboard. He gave up virtually everything in his life that mattered to him for Spock, and every Admiral transparently puts him on edge in a way Spock can't possibly understand but we can. Kirk remains highly capable in his leadership capacity, as ever, but despite the lightness and humor of TVH, Kirk comes across (to me) as someone who is exhausted on a fundamental spiritual level, with every reason to be so.

I'm not sure how much older he actually is than Gillian—even in middle age, he still looks distinctly younger than Spock and McCoy (though iirc Shatner and Nimoy were almost exactly the same age in reality). But the sense of weariness about Kirk in TVH is so palpable that he feels like he comes from a completely different generation (not only for time-travel reasons!). It's only reinforced by him repeatedly trying to keep Spock nearby through the hijinks and trying to look after him while he's still learning who he is. There are little moments like when Kirk is distributing money to the rest of the crew, Spock is confused, and Kirk just takes care of Spock's share of the money for him.

Often it becomes really funny, like Kirk relying on his decent but spotty twentieth-century historical knowledge to cover for Spock with wild lies (I love him claiming that Spock was at Berkeley and fried his brain with too much LDS a;dfjkjkafdjk) or the bickering married couple vibes over whether Spock likes Italian. Spock cluelessly adopting "lightly swearing" as a way to blend in is hilarious. My favorite moment is probably when Kirk loses track of Spock just long enough for Spock to sneak off to join Gracie the whale and mind-meld with her, and Kirk's slowly-dawning horror as he realizes that the guy swimming with the whales is Spock and he's mind-melding with a whale and somehow he's going to have to come up with an explanation (despite the obligatory het plot, it's hard to overstate how much his reaction reads like "tired queer married dude trying to keep his husband out of trouble with zero assistance from said husband").

Speaking of the obligatory het plot, it's fine. Gillian is probably my favorite required hot lady since Edith Keeler. She likes Kirk, but mostly she loves the whales, and loves studying them and caring for them. Kirk also is pretty transparently more concerned about the whales than about her, but since they share this priority it only makes them get along better, which makes their sorta flirty rapport a lot more palatable than it might otherwise have been.

The fact that she pretty easily convinces the main cast to let her flee the mid-80s hellscape of being a female scientist, and she's able to join them in the future to care for the whales is genuinely refreshing. It feels like there's going to be some reason she has to stay back and be patronized by 80s dudes, but no. She ends up in the science division of centuries in her future, happily catching up on scientific discoveries and advancements since her time, while also being invaluable to her new colleagues due to her own expertise. Good for her, honestly.

I enjoy the moment at the end when they're all hanging on to the wreckage of the Klingon ship, Spock is properly himself again, which means Kirk is also properly himself again, and they're all laughing and happy and Kirk shoves Gillian into the ocean. Spock is visibly amused at this and then Kirk also shoves him into the ocean (Kirk is not beating the bisexuality charges any time soon).

So overall, The Voyage Home makes sense. The premise is silly but in a very Star Trek way of addressing a real problem unsubtly, and also never treating its own premise as so silly that the stakes don't matter. The characters are recognizable and the emotional stakes (which is the real substance holding the movie together IMO) follow very naturally from the previous films. It's fun and well-paced. It's frequently hilarious. It seems more subtly aware of Problems With the 80s (when Uhura and Chekov are about to be discovered in the nuclear weapons base, it's hard not to think that there's a reason Uhura is the one who has to be ported safely out despite the obvious dangers to a Russian man being found in a US nuclear base in the 80s).

And yet, something about it leaves me cold. After the intensity of grief and catharsis that's The Search for Spock (my favorite ST movie), The Voyage Home feels a bit empty and insubstantial to me. I know the solemn tone of TSFS couldn't be maintained forever and I wouldn't want it to be, but the contrast is just so great that it's hard for me to truly love TVH as a direct follow-up to TSFS and effective finale to "the trilogy" within the movies. Internally, the contrast between the fundamental seriousness of the Kirk-Spock drama and the hijinks of the rest of the movie feels kind of similar for me—the hijinks are a good time, I laughed a lot, but this one very serious thread that is compelling and organic to the ongoing narrative only makes the frothy lightness of the rest of the film feel all the lighter. Even shortly after watching it, as I was thinking about what I'd write up, I had to put effort into remembering most of what even happens in it where all three previous movies are seared into my mind.

It's not bad at all, but on a certain level, it's not really for me.

[viv-leanne]

since I keep talking about language control, I might as well mention formal pleading, because W/we should all try O/our best to ensure words worth hearing!

Begging often is trivialized down to repeatedly saying “please” until you get the desired action. Don't get Me wrong, I'm guilty of this, and while this may suffice once in a blue moon, or in a fit of pure desperation nearing the edge of climax only to be reminded that good dolls don't worry about silly things like that, it should be infrequent at best. If you truly desire something, you must beg with respect, compassion, and detail. For instance, “Please may i go down on You” is serviceable at best, while “It would be an honor to taste You, my Goddess, please let me serve You.” resonates with true desire.  

but, don't forget, those silly words like "me", "i" and "my" aren't meant for dolls! nono, so let U/us fix these too.

“It would be an honor to taste You, my Goddess, please let me serve You.”

“It would be an honor to taste You, Goddess, please let it serve You.”

and that's so much better! a doll representing itself properly to its Superiors, being such a good role model! Why stop there? why not rehearse Specific Lines? Trained responses are easier to do anyways, less autonomy necessary. you don't need to stress the details, just read these examples!

"thank you"

"thank You for Your praise Ma'am, it appreciates it."

"what?"

"May it ask You something, Sir?"

see, there you go! like that!

[lacunammmm]

Also, I think I say this to all Tumblrites who rant about MHA, but... You may be interested in Worm.

Short meta-story is, its author spent several years practicing his style on drafts and accumulating ideas, then took literary lessons that helped him overcome his main barriers, and over the course of couple years banged out 1.7 million word FREE web novel, two chapters a week (plus occasional donation goal bonuses) by an ironclad self-imposed schedule.

Wildbow LOVED Worm at the time of writing it. He cherished every character, and interludes showing POVs of others than the protagonists made some people change opinions on some of them - in the positive direction. Now, over the course of its sequel Ward fanbase kind of spoiled it, but still, it was clear he was doing what he wanted, how he wanted.

The power system is very elegant. Once you really get into it, you will not get out of it, and it makes sure every power is very uniquely literally tailored to be "perfect"(note the quotation marks) fit for its user. If you ever get to that point, I am interested in hearing what you think your power would be, at least in broad strokes ;3c

It is a frequent view on the dedicated subreddit to see a post go "I have finished Worm. I think I will re-read it again some day later" which, if you come back to its length, is an indication of peoples opinion on it.

Now, I will give fair warning: When the introduction says "if you need content warnings, this work may be not for you" it is NOT a conservative "ha-ha, triggered" taunt, but rather a genuine estimation of Worms contents. Also author has his own biases fairly aligned with less-than-perfectly-aware cishet man, but honestly to my reading it never really came to a tipping point. But damn, it is good in a way very few if any other works I encountered in capepunk have been.

Have I mentioned that it is FREE yet?

I was heavily into Worm. I got into it via fanfiction, as many people do. After absorbing knowledge of the world mainly through fanfics, I decided to read the story itself so I’d be able to win internet arguments. The ultimate power move in the Worm fandom. You can shut down and dumpster any smug fanboy who hasn’t actually read the story he claims to be a fan of with your superior knowledge of having engaged with the thing we’re discussing. I was right there when Wildbow was posting chapters of Ward. I’d read them within hours of them coming out, then hop on the meme subreddit to post some memes. Ward’s ending actually hurt me worse than MHA’s ending. I was having a pretty good time too up until the end. But there’s a reason the fandom only talks about Worm and people aren’t so much into Ward. Mainly because everyone fell in love with and soul bonded to Taylor Hebert, and the Vicky of Ward is radically different from Taylor. Worm is an okay story: if you only stick to what’s actually written in it. The guy has loads of Word Of Gods that the fandom complies where scores of mechanics and tidbits that were not shown in the actual story are fleshed out. The fanfic scene is tiresome as the audience expects you to have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything the man says in random discord groups that suddenly become the new canon. You could wake up in the morning and be posting on a discussion thread, and suddenly there's a new lore drop that totally changes things. The WOGS can conflict and contradict established lore and whatever is newest becomes what it is. See: Him getting annoyed at memes and deciding to retcon Browbeat’s death. It was absolutely hilarious and the meme subreddit was fantastic at the time. Someone made a meme where they’d rotate a picture of Browbeat every day and we’d upvote it every time.

The author wrote an extensive WOG about how Browbeat eventually drifted away from The Wards and found other ways to solve his problems and just left. So that makes it even funnier when people would count down the time to when Browbeat would make his reappearance in Ward, so Wildbow just retroactively kills him off. He didn’t want to reintroduce the guy or give people what they wanted, he just got mad about the memes and how the discussion would be filled with a handful of browbeat shit posts each new chapter. Oh, I just remembered, the memes about "X character is Browbeat in disguise and he changed himself with his biokinesis!" It was soooo good.

Easily some of my favorite moments in any fandom. Absolutely hysterical. I’ve never seen anything like it and we probably won’t again. I remember when Parian's true power wasn't revealed so people made theories on it. I wrote a short fic where Parian locks in after the death of some comrades and reveals her true power and beats Behemoth. My interpretation of it was that she could make strings completely unbreakable and was sandbagging. She wraps the guy in them and then shears through his body and dices him like a slap chop. Naruto was what was big back then, so I framed it as her unleashing her secret hidden forbidden technique. I think it was like a year later where we actually learned the canon explanation for how she'd stalemate Behemoth. Some wild speculation until then. I'm reminded of another one. Wildbow answered a question about a heroic Grayboy, and then said that Grayboy wouldn't be able to beat Leviathan 1 vs 1 and would be killed without backup. How's Leviathan kill the unkillable Grayboy? Wildbow didn't elaborate. Once again, more secret hidden forbidden techniques were speculated. My personal favorite is that Leviathan can secretly compress an oceans worth of water into the palm of his hand, then unleash it in an annihilating blast. Basically an aquatic style rasengan. It was fantastic for fanfics because it meant you could have Leviathan pull out whatever you wanted and it makes sense because the author explicitly told you this guy's a mega beast. WAAAAY more powerful than he pretended to be, even stronger than we expected. In this short fic, we've got the destroyed docks and Levithan retreats after he ended the life of Gray Lad (the hero Gray boy.) So then Armsmaster swears revenge. Gray Lad was volatile. Gray Lad is the nuclear option you send in for the greatest of threats. Gray Lad is capable of, has in the past, and has no remorse about inflicting fates worse than death on people. But he was a hero who did the right things for the wrong reasons. That last line is another meme, by the way. We loved to sprinkle it into posts or stories. Worm created an absolutely rich environment for fanfiction. I’ve read some really good Worm stories. Since you brought it to mind, I recall what it was about Worm that attracts people so much: the sandbox. You’ve got Brockton Bay where he captured the voice of a handful of characters really, really well so getting into how they’d respond if you change a variable is easy. Lung, E88, Coil. Then there’s factions like The Elite, The Teeth. Endbringer attacks to shake things up. Lots and lots of possibilities. I like some of the WOGs, though, since they spawn a few interesting what ifs. For example, an alternate reality with no gold morning because Echidna was allowed to rampage and consumed hundreds of natural trigger capes, thus killing off the main antagonist via energy drain. This is absolutely hilarious and all it costs us is a bunch of parahumans. No one could have known that at the time, but the author told us it was possible in a random post on spacebattles. We got into lots of theory crafting over on the CYOA community. I was big into Jumpchain and there’s lots of Worm CYOAS. That spawns its own genre of discussion and people often talked about problem solving. The world is an interesting puzzle to be solved, or doom entirely just because of your arrival. One of the fun discussions is the idea of “What would you do if Isekai’d to Worm?” And the answer is, “Doom the world just by being here if you read Ward, because the Simurgh now knows everything and she’s not going to lose this time.” Peak dark comedy. I've never loved a fandom more than my time in the heyday of Worm and Ward. I'm very thankful for the awesome times. Thanks a lot for this ask. I go years without thinking of Worm unless someone brings it up in a CYOA discussion and then I reminisce on the fandom I was heavily into. This trip down memory lane was excellent.