#just absolutely flaunting it in our faces at this point

[arthousephil]

dan and phil took back what the internet took from them and now they are waving it in the air and passing it back and forth, going na na na boo boo, jump! jump! you're too short, ha ha ha loooosers😋🫵

[opal-apparition]

A Matter of Pride - OpalApparition - Dragon Age: Inquisition [Archive of Our Own]

Ellana Lavellan never imagined the man who orchestrated her family’s ruin would become her husband, but an ancient contract leaves her no choice. Lord Fen’Harel, cold, calculating, and fiercely proud, loathes everything she represents—and despises himself even more for the way she begins to unsettle him. Proud and sharp-tongued, Ellana refuses to bend to his disdain for her Dalish heritage, sparking a war of wit and will that neither can afford to lose. Yet, as intrigue and danger close in, their battle for dominance may reveal a truth far more perilous: that hatred and desire are closer than they dare admit.

Rated Mature / Long Fic / Slow Burn / Regency AU / Enemies to Lovers

Excerpt (taken from Chapter 3):

Lord Fen'Harel's arrival created the sort of silence that rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water. Conversations faltered mid-word, dancers missed their steps, and even the music from the band seemed to fade in submission of his presence. 

He moved through the crowd with measured grace, each step deliberate as if stalking prey even though his days of hunting enemy soldiers had ended. Ellana’s eyes went to his face first, to his hair, where the sides were  shaved close, exposing the sharp angles of his skull and the pale curve of his pointed ears, a contrast to the long, sleek cascade that fell down his back. It was a style that eschewed vanity, instead emphasizing the harsh symmetry of his face—the severe cheekbones, the narrow bridge of his nose, and the slight downward tilt of his mouth. Then, her gaze trailed lower, to his clothing. The Viscount’s formal attire, impeccably tailored in shades of deepest green and black, made most other gentlemen's clothes look garish by comparison. No ornate embroidery or excessive decoration—just clean lines that emphasized his tall, lean frame and the aristocratic tilt of his head. There were no gilded embellishments, no embroidery to flaunt wealth, and there was no need: 

Viscount Fen’Harel had commanded legions on the battlefield in chaos, he would command the same awe here through understated silence.

"Well," Dorian murmured beside her, "he certainly knows how to make an entrance. Though I must say, he seems in an particularly stern mood tonight. I do hope you've considered your approach carefully, my dear."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ellana's fingers tightened on her evening bag, the documents inside suddenly feeling both inadequate and absolutely essential. "Though you sound concerned, Lord Pavus."

"Concerned? No, no—fascinated, perhaps. Intrigued, certainly." His smile held a hint of warning beneath its charm. "It's not often someone willingly seeks to bait the wolf in his own den. Though I suppose if anyone could manage it with grace, it would be you."

Before she could respond, Countess Mythal appeared at Lord Fen'Harel's side, every inch the gracious hostess in elaborate silver silk that caught the light like moonlight. Even from across the room, Ellana could see the family resemblance between aunt and nephew—the same aristocratic bearing, the same ability to command attention without seeming to seek it.

"How fortunate," Dorian commented, watching the pair with sharp interest. "Countess Mythal always does enjoy a bit of drama at her gatherings so long it is not at her own expense. Though I doubt even she expects quite the entertainment you're planning to provide."

Ellana straightened her spine, summoning every lesson in deportment she'd ever learned. "What makes you so certain I'm planning anything at all?"

"My dear Lady Lavellan," Dorian's voice held genuine amusement now, "no one, especially a Lady, carries a portfolio of documents to a ball unless they intend to cause absolute chaos with whatever is inside them. It's simply not done in polite society." He raised his glass in a small salute. "Needless to say, I heartily approve.”

Across the ballroom, Lord Fen'Harel was now engaged in what appeared to be a serious discussion with several council members. Even from this distance, Ellana could see how others deferred to him, creating a subtle but clear circle of space around his tall figure. A young debutante attempted to catch his eye and was summarily dismissed with a mere glance.

"Ah, poor Lady Rosewood," Dorian commented, following Ellana's gaze. "Third attempt this season to gain his attention. Though I must say, she lasted longer than most before wilting under that particular look."

"Does he always affect such disdain for company he considers beneath him?" Ellana asked, unable to keep the edge from her voice.

"Oh no, not at all." Dorian's smile held a hint of mischief. "Sometimes he's much worse. Though I should warn you—" He paused, dark eyes glinting with sudden interest as he noticed something over her shoulder. "Ah. Speaking of warnings..."

"Lady Lavellan." The voice behind her carried the crisp authority of someone unused to being ignored. "How... unexpected to see you here."

Ellana turned to find herself face to face with Commander Cassandra Pentaghast, her formal uniform making her seem even more imposing than usual. The Commander of the City Guard rarely attended social functions, preferring her duties to society's games. Her presence tonight suggested more than casual interest.

"Commander." Ellana dipped into a slight curtsey. "I wasn't aware the City Guard took such interest in social gatherings."

"We take interest in anything that might disturb the peace." Cassandra's direct gaze left no doubt about her meaning. 

"Particularly when certain parties seem intent on causing... disruptions."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Ellana replied smoothly, though her fingers tightened on her evening bag. "I'm merely here to enjoy the hospitality of Countess Mythal's renowned gathering."

"Of course." Cassandra's tone suggested she believed this about as much as she believed in flying nugs. "Then you won't mind if I—"

"Seeker Pentaghast!" Dorian interrupted with perfectly calculated enthusiasm. "I've been meaning to ask your opinion on that fascinating report about the new harbor patrols. Perhaps you'd care to discuss it over here?" He gestured toward a less crowded corner of the room, smoothly inserting himself between Ellana and the Commander.

Cassandra's eyes narrowed, but something in Dorian's expression must have given her pause. "Very well, Lord Pavus. Though we will continue this conversation later, Lady Lavellan."

As Dorian led the Commander away, he glanced back at Ellana with a slight nod toward the opposite side of the room, where Lord Fen'Harel had moved away from his admirers and now stood somewhat apart, studying the dancers with apparent disinterest.

The message was clear: If she meant to confront him, now was her chance.

Ellana took a steadying breath, touching her mother's pendant for courage before making her way across the ballroom. Each step brought her closer to Lord Fen'Harel, the rustle of her silk skirts marking time with her heartbeat. He stood alone now, a glass of wine untouched in his hand as he observed the dancing with apparent disinterest. Up close, his presence was even more imposing—something in his bearing suggested barely leashed power, like a storm contained in crystal.

"Viscount Fen'Harel." Her curtsey was precise, measured to the exact depth appropriate for their relative stations - deep enough to show respect, but not so deep as to suggest submission. "I believe we haven't been formally introduced. I am—"

"Lady Lavellan." He continued studying the dancers, as though the act of turning to face her fully would be beneath his dignity. His voice carried the crisp authority of someone unused to being questioned, each word precisely measured. "Your reputation precedes you."

Something in his tone suggested this was not entirely a compliment. Ellana felt heat rise in her cheeks but kept her spine straight, her chin lifted. Let him dismiss her if he wished—she had not come this far to be deterred by cold manners and colder eyes.

"How fascinating." She allowed just a hint of steel to enter her own voice. "I wasn't aware I had garnered enough notice to warrant a reputation. Though perhaps you're referring to the impact your latest trade proposals will have on traditional merchants? That would certainly explain your reluctance to acknowledge me directly."

Now he did turn, fixing her with a gaze that had made lesser nobles stumble over their own excuses. The full force of his attention was like standing too close to a storm—crackling with barely leashed power and the promise of imminent destruction.

"You presume much," he said softly, dangerously, "to question policies you barely comprehend. Though I suppose that's something of a tradition among your people.”

" My people?" Ellana's fingers tightened on her evening bag. "You and I are both elvhen, my lord. Or have you forgotten that in your rush to destroy centuries of shared heritage?"

Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. "Heritage," he said, the word precise as a blade, "is not synonymous with progress. Though I realize not all are capable appreciating the distinction."

Around them, other guests had begun to notice their exchange. Conversations quieted as nobles shifted to better observe what promised to be the evening's most interesting entertainment. Ellana was acutely aware of the growing attention, but she pressed on... You can read the rest on AO3! :)

[thisisnotachair]

Good Omens Observation on The Power of Denial in Threes

I’ve noticed something while watching (and rewatching) Good Omens and I’ve not yet come across another mention of it online, though I’ve searched r/goodomens, and the gdoc linked from Neil Gaiman’s pinned post, perhaps I am not tumblr savvy enough to have found it. Anyway, I was raised Catholic in a fundamentalist-leaning community, and while I’ll probably be unpacking that for a long time yet, it has, oddly, been an advantage here through some familiarity with lore.

My observation has to do with the power of 3, more specifically, the power of a denial made 3 times.

In the bible, Jesus knows he’s going to be targeted, and tells Peter, “Dude, you’re going to deny me 3 times before the rooster crows.” And Peter’s all, “No way, man, you’re my bro, even when everyone else ditches you, I’m SO here!” Later, when Jesus is arrested, folks around town ask Peter, “Hey, weren’t you friends with that guy?” and 3 times he lies and says that he doesn’t know Jesus. After the third denial, a rooster crows and Peter breaks down because Jesus was right all along and he realizes what he’s done.

Good Omens:

S1E6. Adam denies Satan, saying he’s not his real dad because he didn’t raise him and he wasn’t around. Twice, of his own volition, he says, “You’re not my dad,” then Crowley prompts him to say it again, because HE knows that there’s power in the third denial. Adam says it again, and Satan crumbles.

Huh. Neat.

It gets better (worse).

S1E3. Crowley calls Aziraphale to meet him at the bandstand to discuss the situation. They can’t agree on what to do (rather, who should kill Adam), Crowley’s ready to give up and leave. Aziraphale tells him he can’t leave, as there isn’t anywhere that they could go (Armageddon would impact the whole planet), to which Crowley says, “It’s a big universe. Even if it all ends up in a puddle of burning goo, we can go off together.” Aziraphale is taken aback, surprised that Crowley suggests they go together. Crowley points out they’ve been friends for 6,000 years and *foomp* Aziraphale denies him, “Friends? We’re not friends. We are an angel and a demon. We have nothing whatsoever in common.” He says that he doesn’t like Crowley (liar) and that they’re on opposite sides, after which Crowley responds, “We’re on our side,” and Aziraphale says, “There is no ‘our side’.” Aziraphale has chosen a side, and Crowley saunters off, hurt. Denial No.1

S1E4. Crowley comes tearing up to the bookshop in his Bentley, and hops out to apologize to Aziraphale, though it’s a half assed, “Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it. Get in the car.” He’s in a panic because Hell found out it’s his fault that Adam wasn’t where he was expected to be, so his energy is a bit much. He says to Aziraphale, “But we can run away together. Alpha Centauri, lots of spare planets up there, nobody would even notice us.” *foomp* Aziraphale denies him again, “You’re being ridiculous.” He’s certain that he can sort it all out if he just has a chat with God, Crowley knows it’s futile and flaunts off petulantly. Denial No.2

I know you know where this is going.

S2E6. *sobs* Crowley’s second, “Tell me you said no,” absolutely destroys me. His struggle to get his words out when he wasn’t expecting things to be so… acute, then, “...if Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, go off together, then we can. Just the two of us… just be an ‘Us’.” *foomp* Aziraphale denies him a third time.

Rationale For This As An Actual Thing:

Crowley stays engaged for a few more moments, mentioning the bookshop, and turning back when Aziraphale calls after him but his face is impassive once he sees that Aziraphale is still fixated on them both going to heaven. We know the denial has sunk in when Aziraphale’s, “I need you,” isn’t as effective as it should be. When that doesn’t land (at all), Aziraphale reaches again, reminding Crowley what he’s been promised, but that doesn’t work, either. Crowley’s mention of the nightingale is somewhat cruel, IMO, he’s taking his broken heart out on Aziraphale, yet it’s also his way of saying to him that it’s too late, it’s done, “We could have been …us,” the opportunity is in past tense. Crowley’s fierce [plausibly most re-watched kiss in history?] conveys his intention, his sincerity, and his hurt. He’s not trying to change Aziraphale’s mind, it’s too late for that. Rather he’s communicating in a way that Aziraphale will understand, explicitly: Crowley’s proposed “us” isn’t just about running off to another solar system on a friendly whim, it’s a real, explicit life together as more than friends that he's asked Aziraphale to share. And was denied a third time.

What about the rooster crowing, though? Huh?

Well, the last bits of scenes wrap things up insomuch as a heart wrenching season finale can at all, and they’re still watching each other. When the Metatron comes back and Aziraphale hesitates, he’s glancing out the window to look at Crowley standing gloomily by the car, and Crowley stands outside watching until the elevator door closes, maybe there is something that could mitigate that third denial[?]. At that, he gets into the Bently where the Nightingale [in Berkeley Square] song plays as he drives away, the nightingale has been a symbol of their love, now it is the figurative rooster crowing.

Notes:

I’m being careful about what fan content I consume because I don’t want to go into S3 with expectations, I’d prefer to savour it like my first ox rib. I enjoy reading things folks have noticed, but I don’t want to go down S3 theory rabbit holes much.

My observation is based on the show, I’ve consumed the first half of the book in a day, maybe I can finish it tomorrow. I just wanted to get this put into words now.

Aziraphale’s rejection of Crowley is more implicit than Adam’s rejection of Satan, so I could be reaching, yet I feel like Adam’s 3 explicit rejections matter, and this context is a slow reference back to it (and word on the web is that Neil Gaiman doesn’t do things accidentally).

Could it also be a Betrayed With A Kiss thing? Maybe, I don’t think Crowley is betraying Aziraphale here, though maybe symbolically it’s a way to make Aziraphale recognize that HE emotionally betrayed Crowley. I genuinely believe Aziraphale didn’t mean to, but it happened powerfully, meaningfully, and in such a way that it’s going to take a miracle [waggles eyebrows] to mend.

I’m sure Aziraphale is aware of the power of the 3 denials, but, plausibly, each time Crowley asked, there were other ‘tabs open’ that prevented Aziraphale from explicitly picking up on it.

I haven’t looked closely at how many times Aziraphale explicitly, deliberately defies heaven (in a significant way, not just small whims), perhaps there's something there that could be meaningful. [Starts from the beginning AGAIN.]

[1-have-no-idea]

how they kiss you; part two

Pairing(s): 501st, implied fem reader

Overview: literally just how they kiss you. It’s literally just that.

Warning(s): Hardcase refers reader as ‘pretty mama’ at one point, cursing (in Mando’a and English), implied smut, descriptions of smut, yeah, basically just smut, tiiiiny bit of angst but it’s not

Word-count: I honestly did not count

Rex:

-OH YEAH

-why not start with our dear old captain first??

-just look at that smirk, you know this man would DEMAND kisses before any mission. It’s religious at this point

-well- I mean. Not in the beginning.

-Rex is a lover boy. Straight up.

-I mean, did you see his face when he stumbled onto Cut’s family?

-he’s a family man 😭

-so, he thinks you’re an absolute dream come true

-I mean, c’mon. A pretty partner? A loving partner? He loves you with all his damn heart, Maker.

-…buttttt, despite his love for you, he’s actually really shy. He doesn’t wanna mess up, or rush into anything.

-so, this translates into you having to kiss him first :/

-which, hey! That’s not bad whatsoever! Cuz guess what?

-YOU TOOK HIS FIRST KISS

-that’s something to remember. Especially for Rex.

-and for the first time, he actually does well!

-once he learns, he can’t stop.

-his kisses are firm. Real soft, though. Like he’s afraid if he kisses too hard, he’ll hurt you. Like he wants more but also wants to break the kiss and hold you instead.

-oh, but don’t worry

-you should see him when he’s all worked up

-he actually won’t use tongue, but he’ll use his tongue anywhere else (take that as you will.) As for kisses, they’re deep. God, you can guess what else is deep.

-he won’t come up for air. He’ll kiss you until y’all are breathless

-“Maker—- love you, love you s’much, mesh’la- take it- take it deeper f’me, haah—“

-yeah, ahem. So, that’s him.

———————————————————————————

Jesse:

-Good Lord

-so, uhm.

-this guy’s smooth. Really. Smooth.

-I’m pretty sure it’s canon that he goes to the 79’s, along with Kix, and well, with the people there and letting loose an all, it’s not that surprising that Jesse most likely has a body count

-at least like, two or three people he fucked in the refresher

-so, he’s experienced

-unlike Rex, he’s not shy

-he will GLADLY make out with you all day

-…once you two become a thing, and behind closed doors

-yes, even though Jesse’s a bit freaky and lowkey kinda a slut in the 79’s, once he meets you and actually well, gets with you

-he settles down

-due to how y’all are serious, he becomes more private. I mean, he definitely wants people to know he’s yours and you’re his, but he doesn’t want to flaunt you out there

-in the beginning, his kisses are hard. Demanding. Teasing, even. Tongue down your throat in seconds. Would literally always lead up to sex.

-but, as your relationship progresses and he realizes this isn’t just to get in his pants or anything, the kisses become softer

-more tender

-they don’t shorten, don’t misunderstand me, but they’re not demanding anymore. At least, not all the time

-this time, he kisses you because he loves you

-he kisses you because he really can’t know when the last time he’ll be able to

-he kisses you because he wants you to know how much you mean to him

-it’s a lust-to-love thing

-oh, but sometimes he may swipe his tongue over your bottom lip. Just to tease you. He’s not a total softie, doll.

———————————————————————————

Kix:

-aw, just look at him

-so, as mentioned before, Kix would go to the 79’s with Jesse a lot

-but, he wasn’t really a slut 🤷‍♀️

-he’d go there for the drinks and for fun. But not to get laid

-I mean, c’mon. There’s too many health risks. STD’s, potential pregnancy…

-what else would you expect from the medic

-BUT! That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t flirt.

-if he was interested, he’d talk. Say hi, hello, how are you, bla bla bla, but he wouldn’t take them to bed. It was always just hello for him.

-until he met you

-Kix is very old schooled

-very gentlemanly.

-it will at least take three to four dates and consistent talking for him to actually be hooked, and want something more, let alone kiss you

-oh, but once you get there

-he’ll kiss you when he thinks the time is right. It has to be the perfect moment.

-maybe when a quiet moment appears during one of your dates, or after a heart to heart or when he’s dropping you off or before he goes off on a mission

-the first kiss is soft. Firm, though. Full of meaning and unspoken confessions

-and then he’ll part, just for a second before returning one last time for a second kiss, and then he’ll be on his way.

-if you were to get intimate, though, his kisses are somewhat the same

-the only difference is there’s a hint of desperation in his kisses

-they’re chaste and a tad frantic, as if he’s rushing

-he is.

-like he’s trying to convey all his love to you while also struggling to hold back and not just—- pound you until you can’t sit right

-don’t worry, he’s a gentle lover though. But if you ask, who is he to deny?

———————————————————————————

Hardcase:

-oh, my silly little hyperactive adhd clone

-with no hesitation or anything, Hardcase absolutely geeks over you

-he’s jumping up and down when he sees you, grinning so hard you think his teeth might crack, laughing boisterously while scooping you up into a hug

-cuz you’re his baby, his hot stuff, his pretty mama

-and he’s NOT SHY in letting you know

-believe it or not, Hardcase actually wasn’t experienced before you. Surprising, right? Well, not really. Hardcase is somewhat of a himbo, and usually can’t take a hint on whether someone’s hitting on him or not. Plus, whenever he hit the bar, he’d usually be too drunk to realize if someone was or not. He’s there to just have fun.

-but he was eager to kiss you

-extremely. Extremely. Eager.

-you think he’d be a natural his first time?

-HAH. That’s cute. But no.

-the first kiss is sloppy. Rushed. I mean- it’s deep, don’t get me wrong, but just- very sloppy.

-noses squishing together, lips not even locked, teeth clacking together—

-yeah, it’s not the best. But it was for him!!

-at least, he thought it was

-until you actually taught him

-and for the first time, he froze. Everything in him went calm. Well, for a couple seconds, at least

-then he was giggling like a school-girl again and pecking all over your face

-Hardcase’s kisses are quick. Sometimes sloppy, and rushed, but it’s just because he gets so excited!

-s’not his fault, babydoll, believe him. It’s just easy to get too excited around you.

-and, well, that also transfers in the bed

-hope you can last a couple of quick rounds. He doesn’t plan on taking any breaks.

———————————————————————————

Dogma:

-guys, be for real. You think this man would know how to kiss?

-nah.

-he’s clueless. I mean, c’mon, all he does is work, work, work, and follow orders!

-he doesn’t get out much, give him some slack!

-so, well, you’re gonna hafta initiate everything and everything.

-Dogma is uptight, and fiercely believed that a clone’s person is strictly only to follow orders, so don’t get your feelings hurt when you try to initiate any affection for the first time and he flinches away or scowls. It’s nothing personal, really. He just doesn’t know how else to react.

-reassure him. Praise him. Tell him that he’s more than just a number to you, that you don’t just see him as a piece of hardware

-Dogma absolutely craves praise

-so when he first kisses you, he instinctively starts worrying and asking you if he did alright, if it made you feel good, if you were happy with him

-do him a favor and just kiss him to shut him up

-it works. It really does.

-Dogma’s kisses are shy. Barely there presses, fluttering and fleeting.

-you’re gonna hafta hold his face to keep him from pulling away almost immediately

-and then, once that strict and by-the-book soldier melts away, leaving the praise-starved and lowkey needy man beneath, Dogma will melt.

-you just need to guide him

-tell him what feels good, how good he’s being, how much you love him

-and Maker, isn’t he a pleaser

-he’s a suck up. He wants to please you.

-and doesn’t he do a damn good job of it

———————————————————————————

Tup:

-sweet baby, right?

-probably has no idea what he’s doing, right?

-WRONG

-look, sweet baby, yes, he is, he’s a sweetheart

-but he’s not a prude

-and he’s DEFINITELY not innocent

-I mean, c’mon. Have you seen his brothers? They’ve probably shown him holoporn at one point or tried to hook him up with someone

-that being said, he’s still newer, but he’s not completely ignorant

-and it’s not like he really liked playing around that much, either. He didn’t wanna hurt anyone’s feelings 🥺

-and when you appear? Well, you can guess how sweet this boy is to you

-he courts you.

-he’s not timid, but he can be shy, but it’s not like, really shy. He’s just very polite and doesn’t wanna scare you away, because in all realness, Tup is a bit insecure

-please reassure him.

-he may be shy of touching you at first, but once you assure him, he’ll start to. When the moments right, of course.

-his kisses are short and sweet

-a peck here and there

-oh, but don’t be disappointed. If you want more, he’ll give more, you just have to ask

-but, then again, he’s still a little hesitant about it. Just take the reins with this one.

-like I said, Tup isn’t innocent, he’s not a prude

-but he’s still a virgin. He could kiss, he could flirt

-but he’s always been to scared to give his virginity away, because that was special to him

-well anywho- we’re not on that topic! Yet :)

———————————————————————————

Fives:

-and last but not least! Fives!!

-look, Fives is a stud

-he’s goofy, flirty, cheesy, oh, so cheesy

-and he turns up that cheesiness all the way when he meets you

-so he’s experienced

-he 100% his, but when it comes to you, he’s not all ‘oh, yeah, to the bed, baby,’ but instead more of a, ‘hey, got a map? Cuz I’m getting lost in your eyes—-‘

-yeah. It’s bad.

-oh- but just- just give him a chance- kay? He’ll prove it to you—

-his kisses are DEEP

-PASSIONATE

-he uses tongue

-not to where it’s overwhelming, but to make you breathless and yearning for more

-kisses hard, one nip to your bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue and then just going for it

-you know he has you pinned against some place while he kisses you

-Makes out like his life depends on it

-but it’s not just lust for him, don’t worry!

-he’ll be breathing out his love for you with every kiss, growling under his breath while he thrusts into you deep and slow

-“Kriff— hold on- hah- fuck! Feel me right there- like that? Yeah, hahaah, yeah, ya like that, baby? Yeah, I know you do—“

-yeah. It gets heated really quickly.

-he’ll have you squirming in no time

-you’ll be yearning for this man in every way

-so yes.

-Fives is a very passionate man.

-and he just gets even more passionate when he’s with you

[mikalara-dracula]

omg !! loved ur ruki turn on n offs ! 😫 idk if ur taking requests rn but may we get one w reiji instead ? if not its k but those hcs were so good thx for the food 😭🫶

💙 Reiji's turn-ons & turn-offs—

Warning: 18+ content below; don't read if you're a minor and aren't comfortable with slight NSFW. This is a fictional work and should not be taken seriously.

Caution: Unfortunately, Tumblr has a history of admins quarreling over completing carbon copy asks due to users sending the same request(s) to multiple admins, thus, resulting in unintentional plagiarism. With this, please DO NOT send the same request to multiple blogs as it can cause unintended plagiarism discord to other blogs across Tumblr. The word “plagiarism” stems from the early 17th-century Latin word, “plagiarius,” meaning ��kidnapper.” So please, do not send in the same request to multiple blogs and make admins appear to be “kidnapping” other people’s work when it isn’t their intention. If this is to occur with any of my posts, please contact me so we can work something out.

Hi there, Anons!

Thank you so much for requesting! It looks like you all requested the same thing. I'm very sorry about the wait! I hope you all enjoy reading it. Feel free to request again anytime. :)

Turn-ons:

Intelligence—If there’s one thing we know about our tea-loving vampire, is that he loves intelligence. He’s quite intrigued by this and finds it to a lethal trait on a woman.

Curly hair/Fluffed hair—Reiji has a thing for curly hair, or old-fashioned hair-styles on women. He finds that they exhibit a lot of class and look particularly lovely on women as well. Particular hair styles @liannelara-dracula and I think Reiji would love on a woman are the ones Shalom flaunted in the 90s in some of her most famous catwalks. For example: (1), (2), (3), (4).

Height—There’s something about a tall stature on a woman that Reiji finds attractive. It might be because he’s tall-ass himself and may want a partner that’s around that height, but this isn’t something he’s super set on, please bear that in mind.

Red bottom heels—These absolutely seduce our bae Rei. Wear these, and he’s all yours. ;)

Tight, but also loose dresses—Reiji just loves this look on a woman, where some of her curves are highlighted, but not entirely either. It’s something he really finds attractive. These are some examples: (1), (2).

Defined waistlines—Let’s face it, all of us girls have waistlines. If a girl manages to define her shape a lot in this area, Reiji’s very turned on by it.

Backless dresses—I forgot to mention this earlier haha! But yes, Reiji absolutely loves backless dresses on women, preferably red or black. Like, that amount of nudity is enough to send him over the edge, especially since such a vulnerable part of the body is being shown.

Charming lingo—A girl who has a charming way of speaking, to the point where she can flatter but also spit diplomatically. He’s all for it because sophistication’s a big thing for this classy vampire.

Red lipstick—He finds this to be very attractive on a woman, something that really completes her look altogether. Plus, Reiji has secret desire of having a woman leave her lipstick imprint on his cheek.

Tidiness—This is one thing that Reiji loves and in which, his brothers lack—heavily at that anyways. He just loves the idea of everything being perfect and in place, hence, his lab being a perfect example of this habit.

Cleanliness—Another obvious thing his brothers lack. Reiji finds cleanliness to be a great but also necessary aspect since he likes everything to be spotless, so having an s/o with this trait is something he considers ideal. Poor Yui being victim to his rigorous cleaning methods.

A woman’s walk—It’s actually canon that Reiji is strict when it comes to sitting/standing/walking postures. So the way a woman walks, he considers it to be a way that she displays herself. So, if she has a k!ller walk, he is d-e-a-d. xDD

Turn-offs:

Ignorance—Reiji honestly hates this because he doesn’t find there to be any excuses for it. He’s very on top of things and finds it incredibly stupid if someone doesn’t know better when they can about a certain subject.

Laziness—Ah, it’s no wonder Shu and him don’t get along. Reiji absolutely loathes being lazy. There isn’t one day where Reiji just decides to sit back and do nothing for no apparent reason. He only rests when he feels that his mind and body need a break, other than that, he does not sit and laze around like a certain blonde vampire. Apart from this, he constantly points out how much he hates Shu’s laziness, so he wouldn’t dare engage in it himself.

Curiosity—If there’s one thing Reiji hates, it’s the curiosity of others regarding his life. As a vampire prince, he’s very used to people wanting to meddle in his life, and he absolutely hates it since it’s not genuine at all—it’s just for other’s gain and nothing else.

Uncleanliness—Reiji, in general, hates cleaning up after his brothers since they just trash the place and leave it that way. He absolutely hates when things are out of place, let alone dirty, so uncleanliness is definitely a turn-off to him when it comes to both people and romantic partners.

Loudness/Outbursts—He’s not a fan of yelling. He much prefers to talk things through with people. It may be snappy, but it’s classy and he deems it to be better than raising his voice at someone, unlike some of his brothers tend to do. It’s canon that Reiji has raised his voice before, but he was beyond enraged and it took A LOT to get him there, so it’s quite rare if he does this. In general, he doesn’t prefer to get that far and keeps things pretty calm when he’s debating or arguing. As mentioned before, it’s quite rare to see him behave that way.

Imperfections—They can be of any sort, and if ya’ll have seen the anime adaption, he literally explains to Yui that he hates imperfections and “[w]ill not tolerate them.” Reiji’s kind of a handful at this point, but he’s Reiji.

Accepting things as they are—It’s canon that Reiji cannot accept reality for what it is when things don’t go his way. He seriously has a hard time with this and in one of his game routes, he pointed out that Yui taught him how to look at the brighter side of things when something didn’t go right.

Bad manners—Oh geez, this is probably Reiji’s biggest pet peeve and something he can’t look past. He finds it discordant when people can’t behave politely. He’s not even asking for kindness, but as long as someone conducts themselves with respectful mannerisms, it’s enough for him. After all, we’ve seen him scold his brothers countless times for it. That dining scene tho.

[27dragons]

Countdown to 2025: Dec 23

No Powers AU / Dead Boy Detectives - Agency Foursome / North Pole

“Christmas is just depressing,” Charles said, kicking sullenly at the bags of decorations and lights that Crystal had brought home. “It’s just one more thing that really grinds it in that the only people in the world who even notice me, much less give a shit, are you lot.”

Edwin frowned as he came in from the kitchen. “What a charming way to refer to your domestic partners,” he chided. “You lot.”

“Domestic partners isn’t much better,” Crystal put in. “If we’re talking about turns of phrase we don’t particularly care for.”

“We’re not,” Charles said. “I’m not asking you to return all this stuff--”

“Good, because I’m not going to.”

“Just give me the receipts and I’ll do it.”

“Absolutely not!” Crystal took up a position between Charles and the shopping, as if she thought he might make a grab for it. 

Charles glared. “I’m not having you turn our home into some-- some homage to the North Pole!”

Niko entered from the main hall, looking sleep-rumpled and adorable in her panda slippers and kigurumi. “What are we yelling about?” she yawned.

“Crystal wants to decorate for the holidays,” Edwin explained from his corner of the couch, a mug of tea cradled in his hands, “and Charles is using it to flaunt his abandonment issues.”

Charles turned, a betrayed expression on his face. “I am not!”

Crystal just looked smug. “I knew Edwin would back me up on this.”

“Not with those decorations, I’m not,” Edwin corrected coolly, sipping his tea. “I’ve never seen anything so horrid and ridiculous in my whole life.”

“They’re not horrid!” Crystal protested. “You probably want to decorate with something boring that sucks all the fun out of things like we’re stuck in the Edwardian era!”

“Just because I have taste doesn’t mean I’m boring,” Edwin returned in that tone that meant he was stung and didn’t want to admit it.

“I think decorations would be nice,” Niko said, and the others immediately stopped bickering to look at her. She smiled brightly and stretched up onto her toes to kiss Charles on the cheek. “You’re not alone this year,” she pointed out gently. “Give us a chance to share the things we love with you.”

Charles visibly deflated. “Yeah, ‘kay.”

Then she lifted Edwin’s tea from his hands and took a sip of it before handing it back. “Some silliness is a good thing,” she reminded him. “But you can do the kitchen the way you like it.” Edwin spent more time in there than anyone, anyway.

"And the office," Edwin bargained. "That needs to look professional."

Niko smiled, and looked at Crystal, one eyebrow raised, and Crystal threw up her hands in surrender. Then Niko peered into Crystal’s packages, and turned the full force of her pout on Crystal. “You didn’t take me with you shopping,” she complained.

Crystal hesitated, then snatched up her purse. “We could go again,” she offered. “Right now!”

“Yes!” Niko laughed and clapped her hands.

Edwin stood up. “If you’re going out again, I’m coming with you,” he announced. “Maybe I’ll be able to steer you toward something with a little bit of elegance.”

“Well?” Crystal said to Charles, her eyebrows lifting expectantly.

“What?”

“Let’s go,” she said impatiently. “You have to come pick out your own ornament for the tree, at least.”

Charles hesitated, then reached for his scarf. “Yeah, all right. North Pole, here we come!”

[donnas-dollface]

Since requests are open, would it be alright if I request something with Alcina with a girlfriend who was basically raised to embody the 1950's ideal woman? Always insisting she do all the housework, always trying to appear elegant and poised and dainty, always supporting their lover no matter what, and always going all out with their appearance: makeup, hairstyle, dresses, high heels, just to please Alcina? Only they actually enjoy doing all this?

If this is too uncomfortable for you I won't be upset if you don't do it, I was just curious.

characters; Alcina Dimitrescu x Fem! Reader

a/n; mm, to be a vampire's wife and dress pretty yes. my apologies for the wait, im a bit picky about how i write things and wanted this to be just right 😭🙏

warnings; natta

Okay, Alcina is indeed a woman of class. So while you do fit in with her appearance and everything, she feels guilty thinking you're just doing this for her sake of keeping a good image.

"Oh Y/N darling, you don't need to do all of this to please me."

"What? Oh no, Alcina, I enjoy doing this."

Oh my. You like doing this? She's absolutely thrilled. And very much relieved. Oh my god, she thought that maybe you thought she had certain expectations and SHE FELT SO BAD.

Alcina absolutely loves you but y'know she kinda insists you don't do much house work. "We've got our lovely little maids for that Draga." You just look at her and shrug. "Keeps my hands busy while you're working hon." Oh well. Happy wife, happy life.

She does like it when you give the cooks a day off and make dinner yourself. It's something about you making it, it tastes different. Even the girls do. Sometimes they bug their mother while she's working asking if you're the one cooking.

"Mother? Motherrr??"

"Yes Dani."

"Is Y/N cooking dinner tonight?"

"Let's see… they agreed to give the chef Fridays and weekends off… Mm, I'm afraid not my dear."

"Let's just fire them."

"Your darling mother wouldn't agree with that."

she likes watching you though, it's odd. Hardly was there domestic moments in Castle Dimitrescu before you showed up.

Another thing. Alcina and the girls absolutely do NOT trust anybody, even the maidens with cleaning their rooms and spaces. But you? Alcina doesn't mind, and she adores it. You've clearly paid enough attention to her to know where every little thing goes. Her lipstick? Neatly placed on top of a washcloth in her bathroom drawer. Messy documents? Neatly stacked at her now cleaned desk. You even refilled her ink jar.

She's swooning oh my. She's literally holding herself back from buying a wedding ring and proposing on the spot. Visualize that TikTok with the guy pounding his credit card against the desk. That's her.

On the other hand, the girls don't really mind it, but when they know their rooms are due for a cleaning they quickly throw their messy teacups at the dishwasher and are hiding whatever needs to be hidden.

And your little outfits? She finds them so adorable and honestly it's comforting. she was born a little after the 1950s, so seeing a familiar thing is comforting.

REALLY REALLY ENJOYS HELPING YOU WITH YOUR MAKE-UP AND EYESHADOW. She'll hold your face and be carefully applying it and you're there watching her eyes and her little tongue sticking out as she's just totally concentrated.

Sometimes you're just totally in awe by her and get startled by her releasing her gentle hold on you and going "Finished!" Please this woman melts the minute you look in the mirror and smile so big. she was hesitant about doing it when you asked first, but her confidence blooms when you point at hers and go "Can you do it like yours please?"

She enjoys you telling her about different eyeshadow palettes you got and different lipstick shades. Definitely agrees with allowing you to practice different techniques on her, and will proudly flaunt them. Sometimes she's in a meeting and Heisenberg is looking at her like 🤨

"Something's different."

"Mind your business child."

Donna notices her adoptive sister's wearing a different shade of eyeshadow and this causes Angie to ask.

"Hey Beanstalk, what's up with your look?"

"It's Alcina, and my lovely little Y/N did my makeup today."

Angie deadpans.

Okay clothes wise, Alcina probably has alot of vintage dresses and wardrobe stored away. Not exactly 1950s but hey. After her implant with the Cadou, she did grow remarkably taller, and she couldn't fit them anymore. It made her quite upset, so she stored them away. But now you're here!

She pulls them out and has you do a whole fucking fashion show. She's so happy you're marveling at them, and honestly so thrilled they have a new purpose. And she lovessss it when you wear them while accompanying her occasionally to a meeting.

Hair wise, Alcina just adores whatever style you go with. She tries helping you with the curling but she burned herself one time and started cursing like a sailor. You wanna cut your hair? She's a bit sad to see your long hair go but will happily snip it. or accompany you to a professional your choice.

Babes will one hundred percent hold your high heels when your feet get sore from them. She'll carry you too, cause she'll be damned if you hurt yourself.

Enjoys the smell of your perfumes. sometimes when you're away for awhile, sayyy helping in the village because somebody broke something and can't run their shop, she'll spray a bit on herself and is just like >:( "They better be home soon".

The sight of you two together? has her smiling so much. She hired a painter to do a portrait of you two and the girls. Has it smack in the middle of the living area.

hehe i hope you enjoyed thank you for requesting :)

~kaylee

[glasskey]

Lawrence & June's Mix tape Vol. 1

With the end of season 2 came the introduction of one of our favorites: the cynical and witty architect of Gilead, Commander Lawrence. Whenever a quick quip is needed, Lawrence never fails to deliver and coupled with the patented Osborne eye roll, it’s a comedy duo not to be missed. Today we've got some essential Lawrence and June tracks from Season 3.

Spunky

“Are you insane? You didn’t get in the truck” Lawrence seems bewildered and mildly inconvenienced when he comes back for June at the start of season 3. “Thoughts?” asks Lawrence scolding her for being so reckless, back at the Waterford’s Nick echoes Lawrence's sentiment, asking “What is wrong with you?” With that, it’s easy to see how Lawrence and Nick align so perfectly in later seasons.

June is an enigma to both of these men, she seems determined to meet her own end, those who help her often end up dead, and yet she’s wildly successful at conjuring their service and devotion. June state’s she CAN’T leave without Hannah, Lawrence argues she CAN, forcing her to admit that she WON’T. This won’t be the last time we see this debate occur, Lawrence and June seem to constantly explore and discuss themes of individuality and freedom of choice in the face of societal good and human decency. But as Lawrence himself admits, Gilead overlooked the element of maternal love in its conception, undermining his argument about June’s ability to choose. June’s barely met Lawrence and yet she’s fearless, he’s obviously influential enough to get someone out, morally malleable, and she now has him over a barrel.

As one of the most powerful men in Gilead Lawrence is expected to be an ardent believer in their theocracy and yet he’s just arranged the smuggling out of not only a handmaid but a child, the most valuable of their commodities. It’s an opportunity not to be missed to retrieve Hannah, but when June threatens Lawrence with the noose, he’s more intrigued than fearful. “Spunky” Lawrence mocks her, she’s obviously unhinged and despite Gilead’s rigorous disciplinary tactics she remains defiant. Has he finally met a worthy adversary? Someone decent to spar with in this boring AF hell hole? Or maybe even someone who can help tear down the horror show he thoughtlessly constructed? This scene sets the tone for the progression of June and Lawrence’s relationship throughout season 3 and beyond. When all is said and done, despite Lawrence’s bravado, he will do exactly what he’s told

The Descent of Man

Frustratingly for all who dwell in his house, Lawrence is the world’s best lie detector, his observations of those around him are surgically accurate to say the least. As an indication of how frighteningly perceptive Lawrence actually is, it takes him all of 3 seconds to clock the connection between Nick and June.

The Martha’s are constantly trying to slip one past him with absolutely no success whatsoever, but ironically there seems little need to lie; Lawrence himself encourages and in some cases demands that many of Gilead’s rules are either flaunted or broken under his roof. Aunt Lydia seems to be a bit sus on the whole ceremony thing, but Lawrence assures her that all is ship shape, and who is she to question a man of such power? June is hardly through the door and already she’s picking out a favorite plotting corner, she’s no idiot, she plans to stay alive and that means staying ahead. Lawrence seems happy for the Martha’s to conspire for their rebel operations in his household as long as it never actually makes its way to his doorstep.

June’s a wee bit overzealous about her newfound freedom, demanding she be included in the resident rebel activities, resulting in a dead Martha in the flower bed. She’s made the fatal error of insufficiently assessing her home ground, acting without proper forethought and not surprisingly Lawrence decides to put her back in her place. In a crowded room of Commanders he initially points out that June was an educated woman who edited books pre Gilead. Lawrence then demands she fetch him a copy of The Descent of Man and kneel at his feet, thereby illustrating how she has now been utterly reduced to their mere tool.

By first making a point of demonstrating June has the knowledge to give an educated opinion, and then assuming her answer to his question, he insinuates her thoughts are valueless. Lawrence tops it all off with a patronizing “good job” and sends her on her way, their laughter echoing behind her. You can see the bile rising in her throat and her hatred boil, but while the act itself is humiliating and degrading, with this single display Lawrence convinces a room full of Commanders to save the lives of other women. His point is devastatingly clear: these men can crush you, learn your place or others may die. This scene demonstrates how precarious the lives of women are in Gilead, their chances for survival reduced to whether or not they can be “fun”. While Lawrence may subscribe to the greater good philosophy, June has no intention of living under an oppressive regime that robs her and others of their dignity. By the end of season 3, Lawrence will have to learn some hard lessons of his own about power and sacrifice.

Transactional

“You seem like you’d be good at making friends, influencing people, good at intimacy” Lawrence taunts, he’s just caught June buttering Fred up and gazing adoringly at Nick, it’s pointless trying to sneak anything past him.

He scoffs at June’s attempt at her usual shenanigans, which had proved so effective with Fred, demanding she stop lying and outwit him honestly. It’s genuinely uncomfortable watching June’s attempt to unbalance Lawrence this way, his intelligence dooms any chance of success from the very beginning. June also never anticipated that Lawrence would actually love his wife, and unlike Fred, finds the idea of infidelity extremely unpalatable. It’s clear from his rant that he knows quite a bit about June and her dealings, she’s earnt herself a considerable reputation and Lawrence is intrigued as to just how she managed to reduce the Waterford’s to literal ash.

To be honest he’s not particularly impressed so far, accusing her of being “transactional” concluding that she relied solely on her feminine wiles to get what she wanted. June’s retort “men become easily distracted” articulates that male power structures are easily disassembled by the presence or absence of mere validation and approval. Lawrence’s Gilead logic concludes that June is a woman who had no worth until his new world gave it to her and she should be grateful. June believes her value is inherent and being the man who created this horrifying existence is far worse than being useless. Lawrence is determined to demonstrate to June the sacrifices that are made for a greater good and that achieving this is a thankless job.

It’s at this point that we get a glimpse of the terrifying reality Lawrence has created for himself, driving June out to the cages and demanding she chose 5 women to be Martha’s while the rest be sent off for slaughter. Their value is determined by everything contained in one file and it begs the question, how useful would June look on paper? What intrinsic purpose does she have in this world if not as a Handmaid? Would she survive her own selection?

Before I get into volume 2 of June and Lawrence or start up my Nick and Lawrence Mix, I’ll be back with the Nick and June Mix tape volume 2.

[blackjackkent]

All right. Time to go kill Ketheric Thorm.

Narrator: No longer a background murmur, the presence in your mind builds to a roar.

"We've found it," whispers the guardian in Rakha's mind. "The Absolute is behind this door."

Rakha can barely hear her. The voice of the Absolute has been rumbling ever louder in her head as they have descended through the illithid colony, and now it is so loud it almost blocks out everything else.

The tadpole writhes and squirms eagerly in her temple, harmonizing with that overwhelming voice. And in dissonant counterpoint, the beast urge in the back of her mind growls - with equal eagerness but more malice, wanting to push forward, find Thorm, find the brain, find all of it and rip and tear and destroy. Beneath all of it is the new knowledge of some forgotten betrayal here, the knife in her back that destroyed her and broke her mind - the need for answers and the fear of what they might be when found.

Rakha's head aches with these opposing forces, so badly that it feels like her skull might split apart.

Enter.

She lays a hand against the undulating flesh of the final door and feels it give way for her.

-----

Another fleshy corridor. More ooze sticking to the soles of her boots.

This one, though, opens to an enormous cavern beyond, glowing with the sickly green light of the brining pool that covers the ground. A raised, ringed platform stands at the center, on which three figures are gathered and speaking in sharp voices. Another figure kneels with his head bowed nearby, unmoving.

"You said it was under control." The figure at the center is the first voice Rakha catches. A human with a shaggy mop of dark hair, an elaborate, long black coat, and golden bracers that stretch down over the knuckles of both hands.

"It isn't you I answer to, Gortash." That voice Rakha already knows. Ketheric. The General has healed some of the wounds she and her companions gave him, but not all - he looks battered and worn, veins standing out sharply in the lines of his face.

The human - Gortash - laughs mockingly. "Oh, the *General* voice," he sneers. "Is this where we salute?"

"Salute, yes--" the third figure speaks up. "With cleavers through his blood-starved flesh. how it crawls with failure like flies on lick-wet carrion..."

Rakha goes still and her eyes go wide. That voice... she knows that voice. She doesn't know why.

The woman is of no race Rakha can identify. Her skin is a pale, sickly grey, and even at this distance Rakha can see that it is moving, with constantly shifting patterns like ink on the surface of water. The armor she wears has the sheen of fresh meat rather than metal. Her eyes are blank white orbs and her smile is wide with madness.

"You forget yourself, Orin," Ketheric snarls at her. "I have played my part.

Gortash rolls his eyes, unimpressed. "You've built an army for our masters, true enough. But what of the Astral Prism? A rogue True Soul, flaunting it under your nose all this time. And you ran from her!"

"Sure that they would follow and deliver it into my hands here," Ketheric snaps. "If you would cease these distractions--"

"The distractions have been *yours*, Ketheric!" exclaims Gortash with a dismissive shake of his head. His lip curls. "Perhaps we should never have dug your daughter up..."

Ketheric boils forward like lightning, one gauntleted fist lifting, ready to smash into Gortash's face-- and just as quick, the strange woman in red is moving to meet him, a long curved dagger settling with its point at his throat.

Gortash smiles, having not moved a muscle. "So you haven't lost your edge... but you're still not as sharp as Orin is, I wager..." He laughs - a high, cold sound. "The slayer against the undying one. That would be fun to see."

"His cryptbreath sings to my sinews..." the woman purrs, that mad smile splitting her face like a blade wound. "Again. Again. Againagainagain--" She draws back, drops the knife to her side. "But he must lead the murdermarch to Baldur's Grave..."

Rakha struggles to breathe. The pain in her head has been redoubling on itself, so intense that she can barely see. She desperately needs to think, to parse this situation as she always does, see the facts of it, determine how to strike, what to do--

But every syllable of that woman's voice makes her head throb like that jagged knife has been sunk into it.

"Orin and I can wait for you no longer," Gortash says curtly. "The plan proceeds. We're going to the city, and we expect you to follow - army and the weapon in tow."

Without waiting for a response, he turns away and walks to the far end of the platform, looking out at the roiling water of the brining pool. He raises one fist, and the gemstone lodged in one of his bracers glows with a sudden violet light.

"The edict of Bane!" he bellows.

"The lash of Bhaal!" cries Orin, lifting her dagger; the gem set into it glows as well, blood-red.

Again Rakha's head spasms with pain. Deep in the water, something begins to move, the rolling movement turning to a boil. And through the slits of her eyes squeezed almost shut, Rakha can see the lines of magical energy snaking through the Weave, down into the green liquid, calling something... up...

The thing bursts from the water on the heels of the thought. An enormous ridged pink mass crowned in a ring of spiked metal embedded into its very flesh. Tentacles like those Rakha saw in the walls thrash around it, sending splashes of water across the platform. It writhes and strains against the tendrils of magic coming from Gortash and Orin; whatever they are doing, it is dragging this thing along the path of their choosing by force.

For a moment, Ketheric watches as they struggle with it. Then he steps between them and spreads his arms as a last burst of light - this time pale pink - erupts from the gem embedded in his armor.

"The testament of Myrkul!" he shouts.

A third tendril of magic surges through the Weave and sinks into the enormous creature's flesh, binding it like rope. It goes still and calm, hanging quiescent just above the surface of the water.

"An elder brain..." says the guardian in Rakha's head. Her presence, normally a balm against Rakha's internal turmoil, does nothing to ease the pain throbbing in her temples. "One of the cruelest and most powerful creatures in existence, enslaved by mere mortals..."

"There we are," Gortash says, sounding satisfied. "It wouldn't do to fight in front of our guest." He turns and takes a few quick steps across the platform, back towards the last figure kneeling there. "Behold, Duke Ravengard - the Absolute!"

Rakha's blood runs cold as a realization punctures through the haze of pain. The kneeling man is Ravengard. Wyll's father.

"Helm preserve us..." the Duke rasps, almost too low to hear.

Orin crouches at his side, grabbing him by the shoulders, holding him still. "You wag your wordflap in vain, Ulderling," she croons. "Once the worm holds the whip, your shredded flesh will serve us."

"Shit - no! Father!" Wyll hisses at Rakha's side... but it's too late. They watch, horrified, as the worm slides down one of the brain's tentacles and into Ravengard's eye. His scream pierces the air around the platform.

Wyll's anguish joins the other terrible wrenching pains in Rakha's head.

"Now," Gortash says briskly to Ketheric as Ravengard slumps forward. "It's really time we were going. We will empty this place and begin the march. You may catch up with the army once you've retrieved the weapon."

He moves next to Orin, standing behind Ravengard's trembling form. "And Ketheric," he adds, with a note of something like playfulness in his voice. "Do try not to sulk. You're supposed to be the fearsome general, come to conquer the city." His lips curl in a wide, self-satisfied smirk. "And I am the hero who will save it."

They vanish - Gortash, Orin, Ravengard, and the brain itself - in the burst of black smoke that Rakha has seen before. Illithid teleportation. Ketheric remains on the platform, his head bowed and his expression grim.

Rakha lets out a soft, involuntary whimper of relief. The brain is gone, and the presence of the Absolute weakens with the sudden distance. But instead of its pulsing roar in her head, she can feel its words resonating down with greater clarity, somewhere far above them where the cult's army waits.

"IT IS TIME, FAITHFUL ONES. MARCH ON BALDUR'S GATE. WE GO TO PREPARE THE WAY."

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

now jimin is such an interesting character like he really logs into social media to post about anything but his own face how is he not obsessed with his face? I just know that if I had a face like his I would force every living creature to look at me 24/7, baby is way too humble sometimes I even wonder if he really really knows how stunning his face is cuz wow

It's easier to talk like that from an outsider's perspective. But I think reality is a bit different. Jimin doesn't come across as a narcissist either.

You saying "I would force every living creature to look at me 24/7" made me think of this documentary I saw recently. It's called The Most Beautiful Boy in The World and it's about Bjorn Andresen, the one who played Tadzio in Death in Venice. I wanna talk about that for a bit, I'm using this ask as an excuse.

The boy's grandmother wanted to have a celebrity/actor in the family, so she took Bjorn to the casting call. Luchino Visconti saw him and knew immediately he was the one. They asked him to take off all his clothes, except underwear, so they can take some shots. He was only 15 at the time. Filming went well and then when Death in Venice premiered at Cannes, it turned into madness. I think that's when Visconti called him the most beautiful boy in the world and that label turned into a curse. The boy was thrown into the lion's den, full of people who wanted to be seen next to him, taken to parties and flaunted as this otherwordly creature. Everyone wanted him or to be in his proximity. What was unfortunate was that he had no adult to take care of him. And for an adolescent who hated absolutely everything of that life but who also believed he was supposed to listen to what he was told, it turned into a nightmare.

He became an "object" of fascination because he was considered androgynous and the character he portrayed in the film had an effect on people's perception of him. Tadzio was Beauty and Death all together, this untouchable being. In the documentary it's explained how his visit to Japan and the work he had to do there was considered probably among the first instances of fans getting crazy over an idol. There's footage of that. He also became the inspiration since the 1970s for a lot of manga. So many famous characters are based on his face.

The guy hated it because he was reduced to his beauty. I won't tell you what happens to him later in life, perhaps you'll want to see the documentary, but his story is heartbreaking.

To circle this back to Jimin and his beauty, often time our own perception of us and the perception other people have of us does not align completely. I will assume that Jimin is aware of his beauty, but somehow I doubt he wakes up everyday thinking he needs to be worshipped for his looks. That's the fan's job which is a daily habit at this point. We are obsessed with looks and beauty, whatever that may mean to us. In Jimin's case we talk so much about his appearance and often times I would see the world "otherwordly" used when describing him. It was impossible not to think of Bjorn Andresen. What I hope is that Jimin had such an upbringing and a life that didn't in turn let the adoration get to his head. So far, he seems fine.

[roadtogracelandx45]

10 Days| 1| Band of Brothers x Masters of the Air crossover

*So I went back and forth about posting this but I figured since I liked it so much that I may as well post it. I know its not likely that this happened but for the sake of fan fiction, it will work out. *

Summary: Most of the men of first and second platoons of Easy Company heads to the Stewart household at the head of the family, Franklin’s urging. And for the first time since August they were from the constraints of having Sobel around watching their every move and they were able to fully be themselves and explore those building feelings that weren’t able to explore under his watchful gaze. 

@marycorleone

One: 10 Glorious Days. 

East Company.

January 1943

10 days. 10 glorious days without Hebert Sobel and Amber Scott sounded like an absolute dream and to be able to go home and celebrate Christmas late and Marla's sweet 16. 

Made it all seem so much better. This was the first time since June that Bobby and Edward would be home since June and the first time that Olivia would have seen any family since July.  

The whole thought made being stuck on a hot sticky rickety bus with a handful of the smelly men from 1st and 2nd platoon and Dog company worth it. 

"Look at that smile.' Bull Randleman teased as he reached forward and poked a fat finger in the dimple that appeared on Olivia's cheek when she smiled brightly, like she was then. 

"What? I can't help it." She returned, pushing his hand away from her face. 

 "10 Sobel and Amber free days? It's a dream."

 "Not to mention," Bobby commented from his seat across the aisle from his sister and Liebgott, "Our grandparents are throwing a party for Marla. And that means that Olivia gets to get all prettied up." 

"Your point?" She shrugged, "After wearing uniforms for 6 months straight, I would even wear a damn corset again. If it meant being free of this."  

Bobby pulled a face, he went to Atlanta with Olivia and their aunts for the premiere of Gone With The Wind and Cissy insisted that the girls wear the corset and Bobby had to cut her out of hers at the end of the night. 

"I personally," Liebgott started turning his head to talk directly into her ear, "Can't wait for you to wear dresses again. Easier access for me.' 

Olivia flushed and slapped his shoulder, since they had started sleeping together, he was more open to teasing her and finding ways to get her into his bed or him into his bed.

There was just one rule, don't flaunt it around the boys. They didn't need any fights breaking out, again. The one fight between Joe and Bill was enough.  And honestly, Olivia didn't want to deal, there was only so much that she could handle and she was nearing her limit of bullshit and they all knew it. 

They had all hoped that the 10 days away from Amber and Sobel and the extra stresses that she had piled on with being the first Lieutenant would help reset her.

"Did Amber go with Sobel back to Chicago?" Lily asked peering around Pat Christenson to look at Olivia who shrugged her shoulders again. When it came to Amber and Sobel, she tried in vain to not know anything about them  

"They went to Brooklyn.' Lewis's voice carried from the front of the bus where he was sitting with Dick, Edward, and Ronald Speirs; they had been listening to their conversation mostly for amusement. They all became more animated and alive, the further away from Sobel they got. 

"Why do you know that sir?" Mike Ranney asked surprised, no one ever cared enough about Sobel or Amber to know these things. 

"I have my ways." 

"And this is exactly the reason why most of the girls are scared of you Lew." Edward Stewart groaned. 

"There is only one girl that matters and that is your sister.' Lewis returned, there was only one person that knew what he knew about Amber and her family and her relationship with Sobel and that was Dick and he was keeping his mouth shut. 

Especially since it was tied to Olivia's safety.  The oldest Stewart sibling dropped his chin down to his chest and groaned, his sister's personal relationships were so complicated and he hated that he knew anything about it.

Her fake marriage to Lewis, he knew about and backed up because he was there when the fight happened and Lewis claimed that they were married. 

But her relationship with Bill, Dick Winters, Joe Liebgott, and Floyd Talbert, he didn't need to know about. As far as he knew and wanted to claim that his sister was innocent and only slept in the same bed with Lewis to upkeep the charade.

The rumor mills had been running rampant that Olivia and Dick had hooked up when she had left Liebgott behind in town after a fight and spent the rest of the 48-hour pass in her shared barracks with Dick. It had gotten to the point where both Olivia and Dick had been brought into Sink's office and questioned about it. He had even pulled aside afterward and asked her about it. She had been so embarrassed that he asked her about it that she shut down on him completely. 

He shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts and looked out of the window in time to see the generational Stewart family home come into view and his 3-year-old son standing on the front porch holding onto Marla's hand, their youngest brother Steven was standing next to him, his big brown eyes dancing in excitement much like Olivia's had been since they got up that morning and boarded the bus, their nephews and lone niece surrounding them. 

"Bobby, Liv, look out of the window.' He called back, causing Bobby to get out of his seat and cross the aisle into the seat that Olivia and Liebgott shared.

"The only kiddo that I don't see is Katie." Bobby commented.

 "She is probably sick again." Olivia frowned, their youngest sister Katie had been sick on and off her entire life and none of the doctors or specialists that they took her to couldn't figure it out.

"She will be fine." Bill threw out, he had seen the worry from all of the Stewarts when they had to take her to the hospital when she was just shy of a year old.  He had even taken turns sitting with the girl himself after school some days to give Andie a well-deserved break. "All she needs is a visit from her older siblings." 

Joe's hand found Olivia's and squeezed it, she had told him and Talbert one night about her youngest sister's health issues and how they had been told to prepare for her to pass before her time. 

The bus driver threw open the door and Edward was off the bus and scooping up his son who was squealing in excitement. The rest of the boys stayed in their seats letting Olivia and Bobby exit the bus to go up to their siblings and the littles to greet them first. Two older gentlemen, one in uniform and the other not along with an older lady stepped onto the porch to greet them. 

Liebgott's eyes were glued to Olivia who took her youngest brother Steven from Marla and pressed kisses on his face leaving behind red lipstick stains behind causing the little boy to complain and wipe his cheeks off. 

The pull he had felt towards Olivia tugged again, this time stronger. They all knew that Olivia was going to be a good mom with how she acted with them when they were hurting but seeing her with a kid just made it more true. 

The night before, she and the nurses were in the barracks with them and she had snuck into his bunk and curled into him, making him want to make the dream of her being his wife true. At first, the thought scared him, he didn't want to get married right away or have a baby and it wasn't because of the war, it was because of his mother and how she left him and his five younger siblings alone. He didn't want to do that to happen again or to be the one who left. It wouldn't be fair to his partner or the children. 

"Joe.' Her soft voice shook him out of his thoughts, he was the only one left on the bus, "Come on, Nana and Papa want to meet you." She held her hand out to him, which he took instead of letting her lead him off of the bus, he pulled her into him and pressed a needy kiss to her mouth. 

She whined and pressed against him.

"Stay with me tonight." He muttered against her mouth. 

"My room. You will be with Tab and Chuck.' How she knew that he didn't know but he was okay with sneaking into her room to be with her.

"Alone?" He nudged his nose against hers not ready to get off of the bus and put on a show that they were nothing more than friends. "Mhm, perks of being a Stewart."

"Olivia Franklin! If you don't get off of that bus right now young lady."  The older woman ordered, causing her to laugh and pull away from him.

"Coming Nana.' She returned pulling him off of the bus behind her. Ellen Stewart was standing alone on the porch, a slender hand on her hip, the rest of the group had already moved into the house, and she had wanted to meet the man that her granddaughter was writing home about. 

See if he was worthy like she had hours before when John Egan showed up with her step-granddaughter Isabelle. All they wanted was for them to be happy and if they were happy with men in uniform then they weren't going to stand in the way.

"Nana, this is Joe Liebgott." Olivia started hiding their clasped hands behind her back, "Joe this is my nana, Ellen."

"It's nice to meet you ma'am. Livia has told us a lot about you." He took the older woman's hand in his and was surprised when she tightened the grasp and stepped in closer to him, her blue eyes much like his Olivia's studied him closely, "She has told us a lot about you too. All of you boys in fact." Ellen said before releasing his hand. 

A wild fleeting moment, he was worried that Olivia told her grandmother about their romps in the shower and in the alleyways. The two normal places for them to hook up. If they had the chance tonight to be together it would be their first night in a bed and he was planning on taking full advantage of it. 

"All good things I hope." He started as Olivia squeezed his hand and stepped in closer to him. An instance that never happened before. 

Not even with Lewis. Sure, Lewis gave her confidence and loved her but just by looking at the two, Liebgott was head over heels for Olivia and she was head over heels for him. 

She could tell that they were ready to admit to each other and he wasn't ready to settle but the moment it happened was the moment that everything was going to fall into place for them.  

"All very good things." She returned as a little voice called for Olivia causing her to smile and step away from him. 

"Come 'ere Katie girl." She squatted down and held her arms out to the little girl who rushed into them. Dark blue eyes peeked over her sister's shoulder to Joe who offered her a smile and wink.

 "Who's that?" Katie asked, fisting her hand in the dark green material of her sister's uniform.

"I am Joe." He started going over to the older Stewart girl's side and squatting down next to her, 

"I am friends with Livvy and Bobby." 

"Like Lew and Billy?"

"Exactly." His mouth quirked at the corners hearing how easily the little girl called Bill, the wild one of the bunch, Billy.  

"He is cute sissy." She tore her eyes away from Joe to look at her sister.

 "Yes, he is."

 "You gonna marry him?"

 "Katie." Olivia groaned, causing her to laugh, every time Olivia brought a boy home who wasn't Bill, she asked her the same thing.

 "We will see Katie." Joe started after clearing his throat, surprised that she asked that. 

"Don't lie like Bucky."

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

"Oh, Izzy is here with a couple of the boys for the 100th bombers" Ellen explained, skipping over the language, she had figured that both Izzy and Olivia learned it from being in uniform and around young men who didn't have to follow social norms.  

"Izzy is here?" Izzy was Andie's oldest daughter who had gone to England 4 years before with her father and they had only ever exchanged letters since and the lack of return letters made sense. 

The worry that Olivia had held at bay came back tenfold and sensing it Joe put his hand on her lower back rubbing it. 

"Yes, it's a long story Liv. She got hurt at the airbase and while she was recovering she came here, she has been here for about 6 months." 

"How did she get hurt? How did she get involved with the 100th then?" 

"That you will have to ask her. She is mum about it." She returned, "We set her up in Maureen's old room.' 

Maureen was Franklin's younger sister who was killed in 1864 along with his twin sister Lydia, their mother, and youngest brother, and her room was attached to Olivia's by a bathroom. 

 "Go on up and talk to her, I will show Joe to his room."  She nodded her head before turning and pressing a kiss to Joe's cheek. Katie pulled away from her sister to stay with her grandmother and Joe. 

"I will come find you when I am done."  She muttered, pressing a kiss against his cheek and slipping into the house to find her sister. “Do me a favor Joe.” Ellen started as Katie took his hand and to lead him into the house. “Just don’t hurt her. She has already been hurt enough by Bill.”  

The words I promise felt heavy on his tongue for the reason that he hadn’t been able to let go of Mary and fully be with Olivia like she had asked him to do nor had he been honest about his previous relationships. He had made up a story that at the time sounded good but now that he had gotten to know Olivia, he had realized that the story was a stupid one and he shouldn’t have blurted it out. And Ellen seemed to know what was going through his head, instead of forcing him to say anything, she just patted his shoulder and turned to go into the house. 

[mahuhumaling]

if i wrote a fix-it fic for our skyy x bbs x atots,

this would probably be some of my changes. half-unserious 💃🏽

(making this into an incoherent spur-of-the-moment bulleted list because i've had recurring thoughts since the dawn of time a.k.a. the release of the episodes itself + i don't have the time to actually write it. will update when i remember something.)

would tie pat's hair into a korn ponytail in the entire first episode except for the "lying down, looking at the stars" scene. very girlypop of him to have his hair down when it's time for bed ❤️ only in the BBS only episode though, because his hair length and style in Pha Pun Dao is noticeably different (ahem since obviously ohmnanon filmed those scenes secretly first, then bad buddy weeks later ahem). it's shorter and better looking

patpran would've kissed in all of the first three interrupted scenes (deepa wrote about one of it btw and i'm accepting this as headcanon now thank you) and wouldn't have the kiss in the ATOTS only episode of the crossover

for instance: when pat pecks pran on the lips in the mosquito net scene, pran doesn't aggressively push him away and scold him. instead, he breaks the kiss off by putting his hands on pat and pulls away from him slightly, does his Episode 12 Eye Rolling™️ fond facial expression, snorts, and says, "Not you, idiot." i'll keep the fact that pat plays it off and claims that he got carried away, but pran remains standing there by the corner with a challenging and smug look on his face. it takes pat approximately 3 seconds before realizing: oh? pat smirks and kisses him right there—

would've removed the shirtless phuphapat scene or shortened it because the joke was getting too long to the point where it was uncomfortable and it felt objectifying

while finding pran and tian, phupha stops pat from stepping on a snail as a more subtle 1000 stars callback. pat finds that behavior cute and soft which is yes. absolute yes. tsundere phupha supremacy. this idea >>>>> pat sniffing trees (courtesy of @pranpats) (listen listen listen. there are ridiculous jokes and then there was whatever that was.)

pran comes out of this tent with multiple hickies. pat, too. tian teases him about it and he flushes because he didn't notice. pran glares at pat who's just grinning ear to ear and while pran tries to cover it up, pat just walks around flaunting it.

they don't get lost in the woods because phupha is a forest ranger who has known his way around for nearly/over a decade

okay ik it was integral to the plot though so this has saving grace. alternatively, they get lost in the woods but only once and here is where tian and pran / pat and phupha get to Talk. (broke: pran = tian, pat = phupha. WOKE: pran = phupha, pat = tian.) we explore a layer of phupha's characterization here that was not explored much in the original 10 eps of 1000stars since they don't get together until the last ending, so pat providing phupha a tian-esque clarity of recklessness + raw honesty + insufferable youth behavior and making him learn how other couples' situations operate and how that relates to how he's been behaving. in other words, phupha discovers patpran's family rivalry (a great segue as to how 1000stars fans who have never watched bbs can briefly learn about the story just like how they introduced the play for bbs fans who have never watched 1000stars. the lack of reciprocation felt really one-sided 🙁) because pat is a chatterbox. not to be reductive, but patpran's sort of secrecy could really shake phupha because "phuphatian have it a little easier. they're different." bla bla bla phupha learns communication better,,,,, meanwhile pran has an epiphany from tian about compromises and reflects on his own behavior from there.

i thought they were going with that route so it was a bit disappointing to see that it wasn't explored enough

there was genuinely a very sweet vibe/aura around here. objectively speaking i think it would've been great if there was kiss here. conveys sincerity that pran cannot vocalize enough, reassures pat's secret insecurities. also it's overall a visually pretty and romantic scene. something tells me in my gut that... lmao nevermind.

also pat puts on pran's watch instead of pran putting it on himself

gASPPP imagine that before this ^ scene, there will be a scene of patpran waking up together that parallels the beginning of episode 2 of them waking up separately and doing their morning routine in their dorms. they do another morning routine montage except now they're side by side. well, almost. pran gets out of bed and turns off the alarm... while pat doesn't. pran goes back to him a couple of times to wake him up but he just grumbles. pran considers kicking him awake but slyly yells "okay i'm gonna go take a bath~!" pat is just "mmm. 'kay." pran pauses and goes, "hm? kay? you don't want to join me?" pat springs up from the mat.

more general stuff

would've lessened the references to the original episodes or made them more subtle. it was too much and they kept repeating even the same ones like the numbering system after sex 😭 pls make it stop

tian wouldn't have felt like such a damsel in distress with everyone constantly taking care of him. we know he's reckless and constantly forgets to take his meds, but to the point of not keeping at least one on him is a little much

(this isn't for people who don't like that other fans disliked the special btw, especially 1000stars fans. because tbh if it weren't for the proposal, we felt really screwed over. :DD good for some bbs fans that they liked the crossover, really hashtag blessed for them, but i'm all for the to each their own here.)

[fantrials-fuckshit]

A trials was just deleted without warning to any of the participants because the host of it had been extremely abusive to his partners and his friend group for years and his partners finally tried to talk to him about it. He blocked every single person in his friend group, including his partners, instead of taking accountability- but he opened up his trials again as if nothing happened; knowing we were all there and seemingly expecting us to ALSO interact as if nothing had happened.

Because he'd blocked us and we had no idea what was supposed to be going on the only way we could ask him what was meant to be happening was through the trials server. None of the involved parties, aside from him, wanted others to have to be involved in the personal drama but he continued to make a POINT to shove it in everyone's face continuously through petty, targetted, and straight up MEAN statuses of all things. As well as going out of his way to try to bait into conversations with him or like... flaunting?? How he was in the trials but had totally ditched us?? The host was using other participants to rub it in our faces.

He ended things off suddenly and unexpectedly because he started to attempt to make people sympathize with and worry about through actual s*icide baiting (a tactic he's used in the past). None of his previous friends TOOK the bait so he decided to completely delete the trials.

It wasnt fair to absolutely anyone in the trials. It was fucked up to his friends and no one who wasn't involved should have EVER had to deal with it- but I and a couple others ended up having to talk to other participants privately because they wanted to know what happened after being dropped so suddenly after he made it a public thing.

So If you wanna see trials with drama behind the scenes there was DRAMA behind the scenes

.

[vole-mon-amour]

“And I wouldn't be here if I were the only person who had doubts. How's the handsome cousin?”

Yeah, I still ship them.

Chapter 2:

But not two people in love, which seems to be President Snow's implication. We are safe on that charge. Unless ... unless ...

It only happened once. It was fast and unexpected, but it did happen.

<...>

I waited until I thought the coast was really clear, and then one Sunday, without telling anyone, I got up hours before dawn and took off for the woods. The weather was still warm enough that I didn't need a jacket. I packed along a bag filled with special foods, cold chicken and cheese and bakery bread and oranges. <...> I went to our place, Gale's and mine, where we had shared breakfast the morning of the reaping that sent me into the Games. I waited at least two hours. <...> And the idea of losing him forever, my best friend, the only person I'd ever trusted with my secrets, was so painful I couldn't stand it.

A special breakfast. Their place. Best friends.

Then I looked up and there he was, ten feet away, just watching me. Without even thinking, I jumped up and threw my arms around him, making some weird sound that combined laughing, choking, and crying. He was holding me so tightly that I couldn't see his face, but it was a really long time before he let me go <...> Then suddenly, as I was suggesting I take over the daily snare run, he took my face in his hands and kissed me.

I was completely unprepared. You would think that after all the hours I'd spent with Gale—watching him talk and laugh and frown — that I would know all there was to know about his lips. But I hadn't imagined how warm they would feel pressed against my own. Or how those hands, which could set the most intricate of snares, could as easily entrap me. I think I made some sort of noise in the back of my throat, and I vaguely remember my fingers, curled tightly closed, resting on his chest. Then he let go and said, “I had to do that. At least once.” And he was gone.

<...> I tried to decide how I felt about the kiss, if I had liked it or resented it, but all I really remembered was the pressure of Gale's lips and the scent of the oranges that still lingered on his skin.

&

I had this whole speech worked out, about how I didn't want a boyfriend and never planned on marrying, but I didn't end up using it. Gale acted as if the kiss had never happened.

Maybe he was waiting for me to say something. Or kiss him back. Instead I just pretended it had never happened, either. But it had. Gale had shattered some invisible barrier between us and, with it, any hope I had of resuming our old, uncomplicated friendship. Whatever I pretended, I could never look at his lips in quite the same way.

If she didn't want that with Gale, she definitely didn't want that with Peeta. Which, again, raises a question for me on WHY exactly she ends up married and with a kid and with Peeta.

From the president's point of view, I've ignored Peeta and flaunted my preference for Gale's company before the whole district.

&

“Please don't hurt Gale,” I whisper. “He's just my friend. He's been my friend for years. That's all that's between us. Besides, everyone thinks we're cousins now.”

<...>

I don't watch him as he heads for the door, so I flinch when he whispers in my ear. “By the way, I know about the kiss.” Then the door clicks shut behind him.

Oh you absolute piece of shit. 😡 Also, I don't get how and why everyone thinks Katniss and Gale are cousins? What did I miss? Nevertheless, they are NOT and it is still perfectly fine to date. I'll see how much is this the author pushing Katniss and Peeta and how much of it is for the sake of the story and Katniss doing what she thinks she needs to do to protect her family, including Gale.

[kaidatheghostdragon]

Im assuming the three are the trio? Valerie gets added last minute, and dani (from the waynes perspective) appeared out of nowhere and girlbossed anyone who questioned it. If jazz is going to gotham u, she also temporarily moves into the manor while the team is in gotham. Im just imagining the fentons/team phantom behaving like invasive species. Bruce invited a few of them, so the rest aren't far behind. They're a package deal.

I like good fenton parents, so they and some of danny's friendlier rogues are holding down the fort while team phantom is away.

Danny instantly clocks bruce and damian as the foreign visiters and immediately investigates. His experience with fruitloop billionaires has him going down to find the batcave. He hasnt been in the manor longer than five minutes and has already figured out everyones identities.

He doesnt keep secrets from his team either. Qualms about outing another hero? No. His team works together as a single unit. Communication was a hard won lesson as they fought for their (after)lives. (Literally the only time they keep secrets is if sharing intel threatens the stability of the timeline, which requires proof in the form of a clockwork sticky note demanding them to not tell.) If his team is staying in batmans home, they have a right to know.

Listen, if batman and robin witnessed them facing The Horrors(tm) like an everyday chore, then team phantom deserves to be a well-oiled butt-kicking machine.

I'd imagine bruce's motives for arranging a student exchange program and inviting the trio to stay with him was to analyze them more closely, possibly train up some of their weak points, and flesh out more thorough contigencies. But i think it'd be really funny if he just *continues* to be one step behind them the whole way.

He orchestrates a scenario where he "discovers" one of them has powers to get an opening to talk about it?

Bruce: so you have powers?

Danny: wasnt exactly hiding it.

Bruce: i dont know how things are where youre from (absolute lie), but here in gotham, flaunting powers is dangerous. It could make you a target.

Danny: more dangerous than inviting a team of unknown meta-adjacents to live in your home right on top of your secret lair slash vigilante hq?

Bruce offers to train them?

Danny and jazz: our mom's a ninth degree black belt and both of our parents are inventors and expert weapons handlers. We learned martial arts, modern weapons handling and how to pilot over fifty different types of vehicles just from them.

Valerie: i joined the team already as a ninth degree black belt.

Danny and ellie: we have multiple mentors in the realms that have helped us master each of our powers, and trained us in fighting handicapped with restricted powersets and limited or no access to powers.

Tucker: i hacked into the batcomputer in less than five minutes without even using any technopathy.

Sam: AND we've all trained under Lady Pandora with dozens of different types of traditional and historical weapons. I'm pretty sure that makes us all honorary amazons.

Bruce wants to see how well they work as a team and partnered up with various bats to gauge their skill sets?

Ellie with damian: Ellie is better at disarming damian than any of the bats. How so? She goads him into attacking, deliberately lets him successfully land a hit, and absorbs the weapon into her body. Bruce tried to prevent it, but damian eventually snapped and full body tackled her, not holding back. Somehow, neither got worse than bruises and ellie declared damian her new best friend. Damian has changed loyalties.

Tucker, Tim, and Barbara: tim and barbie started out trying to guage tucker's level of ability. They started a hackathon that lasted a whole weekend, nobody slept, and nearly every socialite in gotham connected to the court of owls was arrested for some exposed crime or another.

Jazz: everyone she gets paired with ends up bawling their eyes out, beelining straight to bruce to give him a hug and insist that he needs to spend some one-on-one with her as well. Jason straight up proposed to Jazz and declared that he'll change his name to Fenton. Somehow, he now has ghost powers. Both insist that they had absolutely nothing to do with the joker's severed remains washing up in gotham harbor two weeks later, which might actually be true as all of jazz's free time is currently being spent adopting talons.

Danny, Cass, and Stephanie: Bruce is very certain that he'll be cleaning glitter out of the cave until the end of time.

Valerie and duke: they seem perfectly behaved, but bruce just knows their hiding something. He knows it deep in his bones. (Plot twist: valerie killed the joker.)

Sam and dick: dick introduced sam to harley and ivy. Sam has disowned her parents and declared ivy to be her adopted mom. Nobody else in team phantom is surprised by this turn of events and have advised bruce to 'just let her get the pent up aggression out of her system. She's earned it."

Bruce sitting at the batcomputer staring at the empty file called "team phantom contingencies" with soul crushing despair?

Danny: here's my contingency file. All plans are categorized by how physically painful they would be, how temporary or permanent the measures would last, and what kind of long term consequences each would have.

DP x DC Prompt: The Watchlist

Batman has a watchlist. A list that contains every individual who could become a rouge and a contingency plan for if they did.  

And while they, his children, often make fun of his paranoia and him for having it, they totally understand why he did. They lived in Gotham, for Christ's sake. Where everyone’s just a pin drop away from being the city’s next big villain, forcing the bats to scratch their heads while playing cat and mouse with a sicko for a good few weeks. And while they won’t admit it, the list has helped them a few times. 

But that won’t stop them from making fun of any of the list’s new developments. Because you see, there was a new list. And it wasn’t just a watchlist. No, no, no. It was The Watchlist.

It was a new development after he and Robin went on an out-of-state mission to investigate some town in bum fuck nowhere Illinois. And it was under some pretty tight security as well, so they were expecting something good, like mad scientists or evil mayors. Not profiles of the kids who lived in the town. And while there were a few metas and vigilantes that made the list interesting, by the end of it all they just seemed to be teenagers. 

Until they saw Damian. They hadn’t seen him since he came back from the mission with B. He looked tired. Like ‘Tim hasn’t slept in a week and is surviving on just coffee beans’ tired.

“Ah, I see you all have found it. Good. A few of them will be arriving next week as they’re a part of Gotham Academy’s student exchange program. At least three of them will be staying in the manor with us. Father will need you all to be on standby and to be ready for any possible scenario. Please, for the love of all that is good, do not encourage them in any way, shape, or form. And please do not dismiss them either. The outcome of doing that will be much worse. Is there more that I should add? Yes. Will I? No, because you won’t understand. Not until you've seen what I have.” 

The demon child sighed, then looked them dead in the eyes. “Godspeed to us all.” Then walked away.

Okay, they were scared now.

[we-fucked-up-evolution]

so the staff bathroom at work has one of those "don't care what gender you are just wash your hands" signs, but instead of standard the male and female icons it's a mermaid and a centaur

and a trans girl graffitied it with "our lives and struggles aren't jokes. i'm neither a mermaid nor a centaur, i'm not a freak. -an angry trans woman"

which is so cool because the workplace culture here is filled to the brim with performative allyship, and i'm constantly hearing absolutely wild takes such as "we should burn the classics because they're offensive" (i work in contemporary theatre y'all it's insane that some directors believe this but that's disk horse for another day) and i love seeing people point out the ideological discrepancies in a workplace filled with pretentious artists who've never actually sat down to talk with a trans person in their lives and yet feel obliged to flaunt their wokeness in our faces (and, sadly, our bathrooms)

long story short i need to find this girl and make a new friend