#just thought that was also worth mentioning

[bumblebeesfromvenus]

Eye Candy 🍬

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Jason Todd × chubby/curvy!reader

FINALLY. I've been wanting to get this out for forever but shit kinda hit the fan and I'm also sick right now lol

This is pure comedy. So much fun to write!! This is for all my thick girlies <3

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Jason wants you to meet his brother (Dick) and his best friend (Roy). As if that wasn't enough of a bomb, doubt starts to creep into your mind at the realization that your curves would make you stand out like a sore thumb in the Wayne family. Jason proves you wrong by taking you to a bar and letting Dick and Roy walk right into a trap.

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"You want me to what?"

"Hey, it's not that big of a deal-... yeah, no, it's... it's a big deal." Jason winced, brows furrowing while he flexed his hands around his mug.

Coffee- of course it was, though it was far too late in the day for even more caffeine, or so you'd scolded him once again.

You were staring at him, slack jawed, eyes widened just slightly as a brief huff of disbelief left your lips.

"Jay, you just told me you want me to meet your family. In what world is that not a big deal?!" You exclaimed, your tone a little more screeching than you'd liked.

He sighed, shoulders dropping ever so slightly, his eyes turned away as a frown etched itself onto his features.

"It's just Roy and Dick, s'not really meeting my family." He mumbled, toying with the handle of his cup, scratching his nails against the ceramic.

"Look, you don't have to, alright? I just thought-... I guess I don't really know what I thought."

Your heart ached. You've never seen him so defeated. So utterly downtrodden. His back slouched, head hung low while his gaze was focused on anything but you.

That heartbreaking glimmer in his eyes that never failed to make your own water.

Gently, you pried the mug from his grip and set it aside, taking his hands in yours.

The action made Jason avert his attention back to you, looking like a kicked puppy.

"I do want to meet them. I really, really do. Because they are your family, whether you want to admit it or not." You smiled softly, watching as he lit up immediately, a huff of relief making his chest feel lighter.

"I'm just nervous. And worried, I suppose? What they'll think, you know. I'm sure that I'm not exactly what they imagine when they think of your girlfriend." You chuckled nervously.

Jason, on the other hand, looked confused. Eyes narrowed, You-can-see-the-gears-turning-but-nothing-is-happening confused.

"What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

You cackled at the expression on his face and the goofy tone of his voice.

"Okay, let me put it like this. You're family is a bunch of buff, unfairly jacked and lean super geniuses. Not to mention how good the girls look. And Kori? She's a literal space princess! I just feel like I don't quite fit in. Can you imagine someone like me at one of those Galas? They would lose their minds-"

"'Someone like you? You mean a gorgeous, beautiful, stunning plump lady with a brain so big I sometimes wonder how your neck is still intact? You mean someone like that? Because we could use more of that, trust me." He chuckled dryly.

"Also, you're hot as fuck." He deadpanned, blankly staring at you.

You playfully rolled your eyes, tracing the space between his knuckles.

"A. I know, B. you're biased. I mean, they all probably expect you to date some super model." You explained, sighing.

You knew your worth. You knew that you were beautiful and perfect just they way you are, even beginning to love yourself.

But when challenged with a family full of hotties like the Wayne's plus Gotham's elite, it was hard not to feel just a little out of place with all your curves, bumps and pudge.

Jason's lips were pressed together in a thin line before he inhaled sharply and pinned you down with his gaze.

"Alright, first of all, they have no expectation of who I'd date because I was fuckin' dead, and when I came back my only interest was revenge and smashing peoples heads in. If anything they thought I would die alone."

The bluntness of his words and the expecting raise in his brows had you shell shocked, and pleasantly surprised.

"You're making problems for yourself that don't exist, ladybird." His tone turned soft as did his eyes, enveloping your heart in a blanket of warmth.

"So, respectfully, you don't have a point." He concluded for you, leaning back against the couch with a satisfied noise.

"Huh, I guess I don't." You breathed out, a smile spreading on your face while Jason already sported a wicked grin.

"There ya go. Now, can I brag about my hot, smart and curvaceous girlfriend to my dickhead brother and loser best friend? Because, sweetheart, you're one hell of a woman." He smirked, leaning in to get you all hot and bothered by his proximity.

You bit your lip, trying to act unaffected by his antics.

"Okay, fine," You groaned, feigning annoyance, "But only because I love you." You finished, failing to hide the smile on your face.

In one swift motion, Jason grabbed you and pulled you into his lap, your back pressed firmly to his chest. You let out a startled noise that morphed into a laugh.

"See? Just had to butter you up a bit, pretty girl." He nosed at your neck, a grin showing off his pearly whites while his arms were snaked around your middle.

"What can I say? You have a way with words." You smirked, looking back at him over your shoulder.

Jason chuckled and turned you in his lap, making you face him.

"I do have a very skilled tongue, as you know." He winked at you, kneading the fat of your hips in his hands.

You groaned and rolled your eyes before grinning and pinching his cheek.

"So, you up for tomorrow? It'll just be at a shitty bar somewhere. They won't judge you, I promise. And if they do, they can take it up with Fuck-" Jason raised one arm and flexed his bicep, "and You." With a wide smile, he lifted his other arm, and you watched as his muscles practically inflated.

You giggled, squeezing his arm with an approving nod of your head.

"I'll be there. I just have some errands to run, so I'll meet you at the place, yeah?" You replied sweetly, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.

Jason's face scrunched up at your kiss, making him look like an adorable little bunny.

"Sounds good, ladybird." He replied, smiling.

There was something hiding beneath that smile, though. Something sinister. Mischievous. You squinted your eyes at him.

"... What are you up to?" You asked suspiciously, crossing your arms over your chest.

"Who? Me? I'm not up to anything." He replied sweetly, batting his lashes at you.

"Mhm." You hummed, searching for a hint in his teal eyes.

You could see his resolve cracking, his gaze breaking from your for just a split second. You continued to stare at him. Jason cleared his throat and gave you a tight smile before striking.

Quickly, he pushed you off his lap, making you stumble to the floor of your living room on shaky legs before he lowered himself to the ground, hooking one arm around your knees and hoisting you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

You screeched, digging your hands into his hoodie so you wouldn't fall.

"What the fuck! What are you doing?!" You screamed, cracking into a smile when you heard Jason cackle mischievously.

He moved quickly, rounding the couch and any obstacles with ease.

"Well, you see, I've been stumblin' over my words all day. Care to help me loosen up my tongue at bit, doll?" He grinned, hurrying to your bedroom.

"Jason!-"

Your voice burst with a laugh before you were interrupted by a loud crack when his hand met the back of your thigh.

You gasped, quickly followed by a slap against his clothed back.

"Remember that name, angel. I have a feeling you'll be using it a lot tonight."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

"So, she coming?" Roy asked curiously, settling back into the deep-set lounge with his drink.

The redhead was seated in the middle, between the brothers, earning a shove and an annoyed eyeroll from Jason.

Dick snickered, taking a sip of his beverage.

"Why are you so obsessed with my girl, dude?"

"We just wanna make sure she's real. I'd hate to break you out of Arkham again, little wing." Dick grinned from behind the rim of his glass.

"Wow." Roy clicked his tongue, nodding along to the diabolical comment.

Jason only stared at his brother blankly, blinking once, then twice.

"Too far?" Dick asked, wincing slightly.

"Whaddya think, dickhead?" Roy sighed sharply.

"You should be so glad that I'm in therapy. Otherwise I woulda wiped the floor with you right now." Jason mumbled, taking a swig of his drink.

"It's the Piña Coladas talking." His brother chuckled awkwardly.

Jason just snorted, leaning against the soft cushions.

"To answer your question, yes, she's coming." Roy lit up, excitedly setting his beer down on the table.

"Really? So we get to meet the fabled ladybird, huh?" The redhead grinned, bumping his shoulder with Jason's.

He only shook his head and playfully rolled his eyes at Roy.

"Why didn't she come with you, then?" Dick asked, brows furrowed.

"Had to stop by the craft store." Jason replied simply, finishing his drink.

"Oh, so it's like that? You really did get yourself a pretty little thing, didn't you?" Dick smirked, watching as Jason chuckled in response.

"Dickhead's right. They not only make pieces of art, they are ones." Roy agreed.

Dick scoffed at the nickname.

"She's pretty alright. Looks like she belongs in the Louvre." Jason responded with a smile, then immediately regretting that decision when Roy and Dick began to look like the cheshire cat.

"Ooooo, Jay's in looooove." Roy teased with a chuckle.

"Did little wing find an even litteler wing? That's adorable." Duck sniffled, wiping a faux tear from his lashline.

Jason grumbled in response, flipping them off.

"At least I didn't cheat on my girl." He mumbled sharply, hiding behind his second -or third?- glass of the night.

Dick's smile fell and he was reduced to a muttering mess, pouting like a child.

"God, you guys are actual children. Can I have one night-"

they both glanced at Roy when he stopped speaking, his lips parted as he stared at the entrance of the bar.

"You're lettin' flies in, carrot top." Jason said blankly.

Roy let out a low whistle, loosely gesturing to the bar before a smirk cracked on his face.

"Look at that piece of Eye Candy over there."

Dick followed his line of sight.

"Fuck me." He cursed, eyes wide.

"Look at those hips, jesus-"

"Now that's a woman."

Jason was mid sip, uninterested in this mystery woman ordering a drink at the bar. But, he glanced up anyway, only to choke on his drink when his eyes landed on you.

He sputtered, coughing as he felt the alcohol go up his nose.

"Woah, she got you good, didn't she?" Roy teased with a laugh, patting his back.

"Yep.." Jason croaked out, holding back a laugh.

"I'm telling ladybird." Dick said quickly.

Snitch.

"When will she be here anyway? It's been a while." He questioned, pulling up his sleeve to take a look at his watch.

"Soon, soon.." Jason replied, clearing his throat.

"Man, she could sit on me, and I'd thank her. And that rack-"

Roy continued letting his eyes trail over your body.

As amusing as Jason found this little misunderstanding, he couldn't help but grind his teeth and clench his fists.

Meanwhile, Dick delivered a slap to the back of Roy's head.

"Pervert! You don't talk about women like that." He scolded the redhead.

"Says you! As if you don't wanna be suffocated by those thighs or-or knock out on that tummy, I know you do!" Roy said sharply, pointing an accusing finger at Dick.

"Of course I do, but I didn't say it out loud, now did I?" He replied in a condescending tone.

"You fucking-"

"Oh, look, she's approaching us." Jason said nonchalantly, leaning back into the cushions with a grin, watching as the petty bickering between his brother and best friend stopped immediately.

"I call dibs! I saw her first." Roy said quickly, straightening his posture and trying to look unbothered while you approached.

"God fucking dammit." Dick cursed, being left to grumble with his Piña Colada.

He looked at Jason, who was comfortably leaned back with a smirk.

"How are you so chill about this?!" Dick asked irritated.

"You'll see." Jason grinned.

You walked towards them with a smile, the drink you'd just ordered at the bar in your hand. Roy put up his most charming face and quickly cleared his throat.

"Hello there, sweethea-"

his entire face dropped when you placed a hand on Jason's shoulder and pressed a kiss to his lips. His hands instinctively went to rest on your hips, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Hi, baby." You greeted sweetly.

"Hey there, ladybird." Jason grinned, glancing at Roy and Dick.

The redheads jaw was on the floor, speechless while his gaze flitted between you and his best friend. Dick was just as shocked, but quickly broke out of it.

"THAT’S LADYBIRD?!" He yelled, earning harsh stares from other guests.

Dick quieted down with an apologetic smile and leaned closer to Jason.

"You fucking asshole! Why didn't you do anything? You let us say all those things-" at the realization Dick went pale.

"He's gonna beat our asses." Roy mumbled, still staring at you and Jason.

"... Fuck."

You just stood there dumbfounded while Jason had a grin on his face that made a shiver run down Roy's spine.

"What things?" You asked, you brows furrowed in confusion.

Jason pulled you into his lap, resting one of his hands on your thigh.

"Don't worry about it, angel." He said softly, pecking your cheek.

"How the hell did you end with such a charity case as Jason?" Roy asked bluntly, slumped in his seat, defeated.

"Excuse me?" You sputtered with a scoff.

"That's a lot of nerve coming from someone looking like an affair baby." You shot back.

Dick burst out laughing, Jason cackling along side him while Roy only stared at you.

"And she's feisty? Fuuuuuuck.." He whined.

"Nice to meet you, ladybird." Dick gave you a friendly smile and nod, still wiping the tears from his eyes.

You returned the smile before leaning in to whisper into Jason's ear.

"Is the rest of your family also like this?"

"Like what?"

"Loudmouth assholes." You replied, staring straight at Roy who looked like you just slapped his mother.

Jason laughed, throwing his head back when he saw Roy's face.

"Ah, no. Some of them are quiet assholes."

Dick scoffed, immediately defending himself and his siblings with big hand gestures.

You chuckled as you watched.

"Don't be sad, carrot top," Jason began, giving Roy's shoulder a squeeze, "You couldn't handle her if you tried."

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Jason loves fat girls. Argue with the wall <3

Let me know what you think! 😚🩷

More of Jason and others -> 💫

《DC Taglist》: @allysunny @arkhamknightscxnt @gaozorous-rex-blog @hellonhells-x

Comment to be added 🐝🫧

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[writerinlearning]

𝐋𝗼𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝗼𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧

plot: during a mission, henry gets hit with a chemically-altered weapon and finds himself under the influence of the love pollen.

pairing: henry hart x fem!reader

show: henry danger

warnings: none that i can think of. brief mention of injuries, maybe?

word count: 8,9k

author’s notes: english is not my first language, apologies for any mistakes. this piece is based off a request i received, and it is the only request i’ll ever do (i have explained why in the guidelines tab you can find in the pinned post on my blog). as i read the request, an idea popped into my head right away, which is why i had to write it. this takes place around season five of henry danger, before henry loses his hypermotility. it’s also sorta inspired by the episode love muffin from season three of henry danger. a little backstory worth mentioning, reader got the job as one of ray’s sidekicks the same day as henry, and she goes by the name Menace. i hope you enjoy reading!

henry hart masterlist | main masterlist

It all just kind of happened. Y/N cannot tell how, when or why; it just happened. It was supposed to be a simple mission: catch a bad guy who escaped from the police’s holding cell, throw his ass back to jail, and celebrate the victory with Inside-Out Burger and the rest of the Danger team. It was anything but. 

“Hen, are you okay?” Y/N asks her friend, gently tapping his cheek to wake him up.

She can hear grunts and shouts behind her, and she knows Ray is trying his best to subdue Dr. Lover, a misguided scientist who uses the pollen from various flowers to create all kinds of chemical weapons with his scientific knowledge. But her focus is solely on her best friend, who lay unconscious on the floor after being hit by a blast from one of Dr. Lover’s weapons. Y/N pulls her lower lip between her teeth, one hand gently cradling Henry’s face while she uses her other hand to gently tap his nose and cheek again.

“C’mon Hen, wake up.”

Y/N insists, her voice barely above a whisper as she keeps on trying to wake him up, but his eyes stay closed. The weapon Dr. Lover used on Kid Danger lay scattered somewhere around her, but it is of no use to her as she has no idea what that weapon is, and what it does. 

Panic slowly creeps under her skin. Her breathing becomes shallow, shortened. Her eyes flicker around the warehouse, but they always drift back to her best friend, lying unconscious next to her. The sounds of Captain Man’s grunts as he fights Dr. Lover gets muffled by the racing thoughts in her brain, and her vision becomes blurry when the tears fill her eyes. A short whimper leaves her slightly parted lips, and she bites down her bottom lip again, trying to keep herself together.  

“Shit!” She blurts out, voice shaking. “Don’t do this to me Henry, come on…”

She moves one of her hands from his face to the side of his neck, looking for his pulse. The adrenaline rushes through every fiber of her body when she cannot find it, and she can feel the tears silently rolling down her cheeks. She chokes back on a sob, the sound muffled by the hand she brings to her mouth to stop herself from breaking entirely. She inhales sharply, breath trembling as she composes herself. She knows CPR, she could try that, but she isn’t certain Henry needs it. She doesn’t know what that weapon did to him, and maybe she just couldn’t find his pulse because she’s wearing her black and navy-blue gloves. With her teeth, she rips one glove from her hand and she brings her now bare fingers to Henry’s neck, looking for his pulse again. It’s there, but it’s faint, slowing down with each second that passes. A small, relieved sigh leaves her, and she closes her eyes for a short instant. Her ears pick up on the fight behind her, and from the clinking of cuffs against metal and the ragged breaths echoing around the corrugated iron walls, she can tell that Captain Man is close to subdue Dr. Lover. 

Y/N looks down on Henry again. She contemplates whether or not to slap him hard across his face to wake him up, but she doubts it will do much when her mind reminds her that his pulse is slowing down. She takes a deep breath, remembering about that one time where she went to a first-aid training. She can do this. With one hand, she tilts Henry’s head up, and with the other she gently pinches his nose as she leans down to perform mouth to mouth. She repeats her movements twice, lowering her ear on his chest to listen to the sound of his heartbeat, and she resumes her first-aid action another three times before Henry’s body jerks forward in a sitting position as he gasps for air. Y/N gets knocked out of the way in the process, but she lets out a relieved sigh when she sees her best friend finally awake. 

“Kid Danger, are you okay?” She asks, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Henry blinks, running a hand across his face as he looks around, taking in his surroundings. His eyebrows crease a frown on his forehead, and he scratches his temple. He is in an old warehouse, that much he can tell from the dirty walls and the lack of artificial light from the ceiling. He can feel the wind creeping through the holes in the doors and in the walls, and he has to stop himself from retching when the scent of acid reaches his nose. Slowly, the memories of why he is here come back to the forefront of his mind. Dr. Lover had escaped from jail, and it’d been up to Captain Man, Kid Danger, and Menace to get him back there. They’d found him in the old warehouse near the Swellview border, but as soon as they’d stepped inside he got hit by a powerful purple blast that knocked him off his feet. He feels a gentle squeeze on his shoulder, and he turns his head around.

There she is, Y/N. She wears her sidekick uniform, a navy-blue spandex suit with a black leather jacket that matches his own silver and red one. Her mask, the same colours as her uniform, covers her eyes and there’s a dark eyeshadow that covers her skin; the same way silver eyeshadow covers his. 

“Hey Kid Danger.” Y/N smiles when she holds his gaze to hers. “How are you feeling? You got hit pretty badly.”

“I– I–” Henry stutters, feeling the heat rise in his body. “I love you.”

His voice is soft, and Y/N chokes back on her saliva, blinking rapidly. This certainly came out of nowhere, she thinks. She holds her breath when she feels a pair of arms wrap around her midsection and a mop of hair brushing against her chin. Her body freezes, and her mind begins to race with a thousand thoughts by the second. What’s happening? She clears her throat, shaking her head as her eyes drift back to her best friend who is now all snuggled up against her, eyes closed and a lovestruck smile hanging on his lips. She chuckles awkwardly, the sound rumbling from her chest as she puts her hands on Henry’s shoulders to gently push him away from her. 

“Alright Kids, we’re good to–”

Captain Man begins to say as he approaches his two sidekicks, but he stops himself mid-sentence when his eyes land on the both of them. A smirk cracks his face, watching Kid Danger snuggling up against Menace and how the teenage girl’s eyes are blown wide in surprise. A chuckle rumbles from his chest as he crouches down next to Menace, putting a hand over her shoulder.

“So, Kid Danger’s okay.” Ray smiles, eying Henry through his mask. 

“Is he?” Y/N tilts her head, brows furrowed. “Ray, he won’t let me go.” She whispers then.

“Alright.” The man shrugs, standing up and grabbing one of Henry’s arms to pull him up. “Come on Kid, we gotta go.”

Henry whines when he is pulled away from Y/N, lips pouted when he turns to look at Ray. Y/N lets out a heavy sigh, jumping on her two feet. She picks up her glove, sliding it back on her hand, and she brushes away the dust that had gathered on her legs when she’d been sitting on the floor. When she looks back at her boss, Henry’s already back by her side, both his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he rests his chin in the crook of her neck. The heat flares up her cheeks, and Y/N is fairly certain that her face is a bright red colour. Henry’s sudden confession lingers in her mind; it felt weird, and out of the blue. Sure, she’s had the longest crush on her best friend; she can’t even remember when she first caught feelings for him, but she always tried to hide the way she truly feels about him. Had he suddenly figured it out and needed to tell her how he feels too? Or did Dr. Lover’s chemical weapon do something to him? Either way, Y/N cannot shake the feeling of déjà-vu; like something similar had happened before. She lets out a soft smile, running a gloved hand across her face as she feels Henry’s arms tighten their embrace around her shoulders. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, helplessly looking at Ray, with her head slightly tilted to the side. 

“I don’t think he’s gonna let you go, Kid.” Ray states, amused by the situation.

“You think?” Y/N snaps back, brows raised. “How are we supposed to get back to the Man Cave if he’s all snuggled up against me?”

Ray shrugs as his eyes drift towards Henry. His eyes are closed as he lays his head above Y/N’s left shoulder, his hands locked together over her clavicles. Y/N lets out a breath, giving Henry’s hands a gentle tap to break free of his hold, and she steps aside next to him when he unravels his arms from around her. There’s a lopsided grin on his lips when he looks at her through half-opened lids, and a small giggle rumbles from his chest when her hand finds his. 

“C’mon Kid Danger.” She says, her voice soft. “Let’s get back to the Man Cave.”

—

Going back to the Man Cave proved to be more difficult than what Y/N had expected, with Henry stuck to her the whole way there and Ray making snarky remarks here and there whenever Y/N tried to pull away and Henry protested. Now she’s sitting on the round couch near the supercomputer, out of her Menace uniform and back into her own clothes, with Henry snuggled up against her, him too in his civilian clothes. 

Y/N had seen Henry under the influence of a love potion before, but she didn’t have romantic feelings for him then. And, she hadn’t been the object of his love. She vaguely remembered the events from two years earlier, when Ray had had muffin-induced feelings of love for a villain named Gwen. The woman had tried to do the same with Henry, but instead of having muffin-induced feelings of love for her, he ended up having muffin-induced feelings for Jasper. The feelings only disappeared when anger took over them, and she remembers how Henry had been injured after picking up a fight with Ray. When she thinks about it, she should have known that giving mouth to mouth to her best friend after he’d been hit by one of Dr. Lover’s weapons would lead to something like this. Surely the villain didn’t call himself Dr. Lover for nothing. 

Y/N closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose when the elevator doors ding open. She tries her best to look over her shoulder to see who it is, but the task turns out to be complicated when you have a six feet teenage boy holding onto you for dear life with his head buried in the crook of your neck. She groans softly, throwing her head back against the edge of the couch, getting a glimpse of Jasper approaching the Man couch.

“I am so glad I am not the object of his love this time!” Jasper snorts when he sits across from Y/N, a smile on his lips.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying my suffering, Jasp.” Y/N rolls her eyes.

“Come on, Y/N.” Jasper smirks, giving her a knowing side-eye. “Is it really suffering?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.”

Y/N’s lips turn into a thin line as she glares at Jasper, who only raises his arms up in defense. So, maybe she’s been more obvious than she thought she’d been about her feelings for her best friend but last she knew, Henry had no idea how she felt about him and she’d prefer it if it stayed that way. She doesn’t want to ruin her friendship with him, and she certainly won’t let the influence of a love potion change that. If it even is a love potion, she thinks. 

Henry shifts next to her, and Y/N takes it as an opportunity to move away from him. But Henry’s faster than her, curse his hypermotility, and his slender fingers wrap themselves around her wrist, pulling her back to him. She lets out a small yelp when she lands on his lap, her body stiffening when his arms snake around her waist and he pulls her close. Her back is against his chest, and he rests his chin atop her shoulder, his blond mop of tangled hair brushing against her earlobe. A shiver runs down her spine, and she has to close her eyes to control her breathing. Schwoz needs to figure out what happened to Henry, and he needs to figure it out soon.

“I don’t suppose making him angry will change anything?” Y/N suggests, raising a brow at Jasper.

He seems to think for a moment. “Nope. Schwoz said this wasn’t like the love muffin from two years ago so…” He trails out, looking for his next words. “Whatever Dr. Lover did to Henry, it’s different from Gwen and her love muffins.”

“Okay… but here’s a thought. We never caught Gwen again, after the whole incident. Do we think she might be working with Dr. Lover this time?”

Jasper shrugs, taking a quick glance towards Henry. His eyes are closed as he leans over Y/N’s shoulder, a lovestruck smile hanging on his lips, and his arms are tightly secured around her waist, preventing her from evading him. It reminds Jasper of the time where Henry had been under the influence of the love muffin, and how he wouldn’t stop clinging onto him until Piper had attacked him for stealing her curling iron. Jasper grimaces at the memory, but he can understand Y/N’s discomfort with the whole situation. Contrary to what everyone thinks, Jasper has a tendency to observe people when they’re not watching, and even an idiot would see the way Y/N steals furtive glances towards Henry when he’s not looking, or how her cheeks would flare up whenever someone suggested that they might be dating. Jasper knows about Y/N’s feelings for Henry, but he keeps it to himself because he knows it has to come from her if she ever wants to say anything about it. Besides, he is an excellent secret keeper, he wouldn’t tell on his friends. But when he thinks about it, perhaps Y/N’s right. Perhaps Dr. Lover’s been working with Gwen, and whatever it was that hit Henry earlier today might have something to do with Gwen’s love muffins from two years ago. 

The sprocket hisses as it rises to the ceiling, and Jasper turns his head towards it. Ray steps out, eyes stuck to the PearPad he holds in his hands. His brows are furrowed, creasing lines on his forehead that show the weight of a life of crime-fighting. At the same time, the hidden door between the supercomputer panel and the auto-snacker clicks open, and Y/N looks over Jasper’s shoulder to see Schwoz coming out of there, grumbling in a foreign language. 

“Did you find anything?” Y/N asks Schwoz, a little hopeful.

But the science man says nothing, dismissing her with a wave of his hand as he walks to another room, somewhere in the hallways behind the tube pads. Y/N sighs, throwing her head back as she closes her eyes. The exhaustion of the day starts to weigh on her, to the point that she doesn’t care if she’s Henry’s hostage anymore. Besides, his shoulder’s comfortable so why wouldn’t she rest her head on it? Henry seems to enjoy it too, because as soon as her head is on his shoulder, his smile grows larger across his face, and he half-open his eyes to glance at her. All he can see is her strained neck though, and all he can think about is how tempting it is to kiss it. Instead, he simply nuzzles his face closer to the crook of where her neck and shoulder meet, the tip of his nose brushing against her skin as her sweet perfume fills his nostrils when he takes a deep, contented breath. He doesn’t realize that his small gesture makes the goosebumps rise on Y/N’s skin, nor does he notice how she holds her breath for a minute.

“Ray?” Y/N calls out eventually, her voice half-asleep. She doesn’t mean to enjoy the close proximity with Henry, but it’s comfortable. Safe.

Ray detaches his gaze from the PearPad in his hands to look up to the round couch where both his sidekicks and Jasper are seated. He raises a brow when he notices the smirk on Jasper’s face, but he can’t help a smirk of his own when he sees just what Jasper is smiling about. 

“Ray?” Y/N calls out again, her voice sleepy.

“Yeah?” Ray suppresses a chuckle.

“Do we think Gwen might be working with Dr. Lover?”

“Why?”

“Well…”

Y/N stops herself when she feels Henry’s fingers suddenly trail up and down her right side, sending a shiver down her spine. She holds her breath, pressing her lips together to try to compose herself, and she moves her arms down on Henry’s, clasping her hands above his to make him stop. She swallows the nervous lump in her throat, gathering her thoughts. Henry smiles lazily against her neck, and she can feel the redness in her cheeks. She clears her throat, blinking.

“We know Henry’s been hit with one of Dr. Lover’s weapons,” she begins again, her voice wavering. “And whatever it was, it made him fall in love with me, for some reason. Is it possible that, whatever that weapon was, it had the same kind of chemicals Gwen’s love muffins had when she made you fall in love with her, and Henry with Jasper?”

Her words are slurred together as she voices out her thoughts, and it takes Ray a minute to understand her. Another, deeper frown creases lines on his forehead as he reflects on her words. Much of what happened with Gwen was like a foggy memory in his brain, and the only thing he could remember clearly was how angry he’d been when Henry had tried to pick up a fight with him. Ray looks back at Y/N, a brow raised as she slowly lifts her head, eyelids half-dropped over her eyes. Behind her, Henry whines softly as his head falls off of her shoulder.

“We never caught Gwen either, after the whole muffin fiasco.” Y/N mumbles sleepily. “Could she have been working with Dr. Lover?”

Ray seems to be considering this. “She might have.” He says then, looking back at the PearPad in his hands. “I’ll ask Schwoz to compare the chemicals from the love muffin with the ones from Dr. Lover’s weapon.”

Y/N hums in response. The elevator dings open, and Jasper looks over his friends’ heads to see Charlotte coming out of it, her eyebrows rising up in confusion when she spots Y/N on Henry’s lap. Like Y/N earlier, Charlotte also gets a sense of déjà-vu. She frowns as she makes her way to the couch.

“Is this the love muffin thing all over again?” Charlotte asks, sitting next to Jasper.

Charlotte, Jasper, Y/N, and Schwoz are the only ones who remember in detail what had happened two years ago, with Gwen and her love muffins. And although they did tell Henry and Ray what had happened, their memories of it were always a little foggy. The only thing they can remember from it is being angry when someone attacked the one they loved or said bad things about them.

“Yeah, but I think Y/N’s secretly enjoying it.” Jasper laughs and winks as he answers Charlotte.

Y/N gives him a glare, suddenly wide awake. “I do not.” She feels her cheeks turning bright red. “It’s just– every time I try to leave,” she says, unraveling Henry’s arms from around her waist and shifting to a seat next to him to prove a point. Henry whines in discontent, reaching for her again. Y/N sighs. “This happens.” She clicks her tongue, allowing Henry to wrap his arms around her waist again. 

He doesn’t pull her onto his lap this time, and only one of his arms has snuck around behind her back to wrap around her waist, but he rests his head above her shoulder, reaching for one of her hands with his free arm. Y/N lets him, and a shiver runs down her spine as he intertwines his fingers with hers, the warmth of his palm spreading through hers. 

Charlotte cannot help the side-smirk that grows in the corner of her lips as she watches her two friends together. She can see the way the flush spreads across Y/N’s face, and the tired lovestruck smile stuck on Henry’s features. She knows Jasper has figured it out, about Y/N’s feelings for Henry; they did talk about it together, but Charlotte is fairly certain Jasper has no idea that Henry actually reciprocates Y/N’s feelings. She isn’t even sure Henry is aware of his own, obvious feelings for Y/N, but if he is, he’s actually doing a better job at hiding it than Y/N is. Charlotte actually figured it out because she noticed the way Henry would steal glances in Y/N’s way, or how his brows would furrow whenever a boy outside of him or Jasper would come up to Y/N and engage in a conversation with her, however platonic it was. 

“I got it! I got it! I got it!”

The three teenagers lift their heads up, to see Schwoz storming inside the Man Cave, flailing his arms up in the air as he runs in circles from one end of the room to the other. Even Henry has lifted his head up, if only for a second, a pout on his lips as he observes Schwoz through half-opened lids, his brows furrowed together. Ray puts his PearPad onto the console of the supercomputer, spinning around in the chair he sits in as he crosses his arms over his chest, raising a brow in anticipation as he looks toward the science man.

“What is it, Schwoz?” Charlotte asks, raising a brow.

“I know why Henry is all lovestruck.” Schwoz smirks, pointing at Henry.

“You do?” Y/N speaks up, albeit a little too excitedly.

Her sudden movement makes Henry’s head fall off of her shoulder, jolting him awake. His frown deepens on his forehead at the loss of contact when Y/N pulls her hand away from his as she stands from the couch, stradling past him to be next to Schwoz with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Pff, yeah I do.” Schwoz nods. “Only a stupid person would not get it.”

“Okay…” Y/N trails out, glancing at Ray, Charlotte, and Jasper. “So, what is it?”

“It’s love pollen.”

“Love pollen?” Charlotte asks, standing up too. “What do you mean love pollen? What is that?”

“Yeah! Henry was hit with a blast, why would it be any kind of pollen?” Ray adds, confused.

Schwoz sighs, rolling his eyes. “Ugh, how can I dumb it down so even a stupid child could understand?”

His rhetorical question is met with a lot of protests from Ray, an offended gasp from Charlotte, and a scoff from Y/N, but Schwoz pays them no mind. He begins to stroke his chin as if he had a beard, walking over to the couch and taking Charlotte’s place next to Jasper. He glances towards Henry, eying him cautiously. His head is laying on his arm on the round table in front of the couch, chocolate eyes focused on Y/N, and a silly grin has found its place across his features. He extends his free arm towards Y/N and she sighs, rolling her eyes before she caves in again. Her hand finds his, and he instantly pulls her down next to him, scooting over so she doesn’t fall on her butt on the floor from sitting on the edge of the couch. A contented sigh leaves his lips when she is next to him, and he lays his head back on her shoulder as he sneaks his free arm around her waist. He doesn’t let go of her hand either, keeping it on his thigh as he begins to rub his thumb in small circles across her knuckles.

“Are you going to tell us or not, Schwoz?” Y/N asks, growing frustrated.

“In a minute!” Schwoz retorts, his foreign accent slipping through.

“Does it have anything to do with the love muffins?” Charlotte wonders, tilting her head.

“Well, yes. And no.”

“Well, which is it, Schwoz?” Ray queries, raising a brow.

“Both. See, the love pollen comes from a rare flower that is illegal to harvest in the America. Very hard to find. When someone breathes it, they become in love with the first people they see. Or kiss.”

“But Henry didn’t breathe the love pollen.” Jasper retorts, thinking. “He was hit by one of Dr. Lover’s weapons.”

“Y– yeah, a purple blast.” Y/N adds, remembering. “Knocked him out for a good ten minutes.”

“Henry’s lab tests show traces of love pollen in his system, and other chemicals that are similar to the ones from the love muffins.” Schwoz shrugs.

“Okay, so maybe Dr. Lover found a way to combine them and turn them into a weapon!” Charlotte suggests, snapping her fingers. “He’s a scientist, with all kinds of gadgets– maybe he figured out a way to use the love pollen and the chemicals from the love muffin as a weapon.”

“Which means that Gwen was probably working with him!” Jasper adds. 

“So we just have to make Henry angry, and he’ll stop being in love with me. Right?” Y/N asks, turning her gaze to Schwoz.

“Love pollen is stronger than the love muffin chemicals, and because it is in higher quantity in Henry’s system, I don’t think making him angry will work.”

Y/N sighs, throwing her head back. Great, that’s just great, she thinks. So they know what’s causing Henry to be infatuated with her, but they have no idea how to make it stop. And the last thing Y/N wants is for Henry to be infatuated with her without being aware of it in the first place. If she’s honest with herself though, she really doesn’t mind the attention he’s been giving her; she just wishes it were real.

“Well, you better figure something out, Schwoz.” Ray speaks up.  “Because we need Kid Danger to fight crime.”

“I’ll help Schwoz figure it out.” Charlotte says.

Y/N lifts her head up then, glancing at her friend and mouthing a small ‘thank you’. Charlotte dips her chin down in understanding as Schwoz rises from the couch, and the two of them soon disappear behind the hidden door near the auto-snacker. 

“Okay, Hen…” Y/N sighs, sitting straighter on the couch. Her free hand rests on Henry’s arm around her waist. “It’s getting late and I need to go home. Can you let me go?”

Henry lets out a soft whine in protest, his hold strengthening around her waist and Y/N groans. Jasper snorts in front of her, and she gives him a death stare, smirking proudly as he lowers his head to avoid her stare. Then, she glances up to Ray, who’s watching her with an amused gleam in his eyes. She frowns, tilting her head to the side.

“A little help, Ray?” She asks him, hopeful.

“He’s going to follow you home, you know.” Ray states, raising a brow. “Poor kid’s infatuated with you, he can’t even be a minute without you.”

Y/N sighs. “I can’t go home with him like that. My mom’s gonna figure something out.”

“Then tell her you’re staying at Char’s place.” Jasper suggests. “And you stay here in the Man Cave until she and Schwoz figure out something.”

“Ugh, fine.”

Y/N rolls her eyes, leaning back into the couch. She reaches for her phone in her front pocket, quickly texting her mother after unlocking her screen. She then sets her phone down on the table in front of her, shifting in her seat to be more comfortable. She watches as Ray stands up, exchanging a few words with Jasper before he disappears through the same door as Charlotte and Schwoz. Jasper stands up then, and Y/N frowns as she follows his movements towards the elevator. 

“Are you going to leave me here alone?” She asks her friend, the frown deepening on her forehead.

“You’re not alone.” Jasper smiles. “You have Henry!”

“You know what I mean.”

“Eh, you’ll be fine. He’s mostly harmless. Besides, Ray’s gonna kill me if I’m not back up at the store.”

“It’s a fake store.” Y/N deadpans. “And since when do you pretend to care about the store?”

“I don’t.” Jasper shrugs. “But we gotta keep up with the appearances.”

Y/N rolls her eyes at that, huffing. She hears the elevator doors ding, followed by a loud whirring sound before the Man Cave falls quiet again. She lets out a sigh, her chest heaving up and down as she does so, and then she tilts her head to look at Henry. He looks peaceful, with his head on her shoulder and the soft smile on his lips. It almost looks like he’s sleeping, with his eyes closed, but she knows he isn’t; she can feel his thumb still brushing against her knuckles. Y/N knows none of this is real, save for her own feelings, and she knows that Henry probably won’t remember anything once he comes out of it. But it feels nice; it feels real. Safe. She leans back into the couch, leaning her head over Henry’s, and she closes her eyes, a quiet sigh leaving her lips. 

—

Y/N doesn’t remember falling asleep but when she wakes up, the Man Cave is entirely quiet. She blinks several times, adjusting her eyesight to the dimmed lights in the room. The slow beeping from the supercomputer reaches her ears before the soft snores coming from right beside her. Her back is beginning to hurt from leaning over the table, and she barely can feel her arms from the weight of her head on them. How long had she been asleep?

She wants to move; to stand up to get the blood flowing to her arms and legs again, but there’s a weight on her back and a gentle pressure around her midsection that prevent her from moving around. She inhales slowly, the memories creeping back into her mind. Her heart flutters in her chest when her brain processes who’s sleeping beside her, and her body relaxes. She shouldn’t enjoy it, when she knows that Henry’s feelings for her are not real and it’s all because of Dr. Lover’s weapon. Love pollen, as Schwoz called it earlier. And yet, she feels safe in his arms, and she revels in the warmth of his embrace, his soft snores vibrating against her back. She finds herself smiling, slowly moving an arm down to rest it against Henry’s around her waist, and she absentmindedly begins to run her fingers up and down the exposed skin of his forearm, closing her eyes again and living in the moment, however short it might be. 

Henry stirs beside her, slowly lifting his head up as a yawn leaves his lips. A shiver runs down his spine when his brain acknowledges the tingling sensation on his arm, and he opens his eyes. They land on Y/N and on the way she gently moves her fingers up and down his forearm. He doesn’t know whether she’s asleep or awake, but he doesn’t move, just in case. There is this yearning look in his eyes as he looks at her, flutters in his stomach as his knees touch hers. His gaze drops to her lips, his pulse racing at the thought of kissing her. 

“I can feel you staring…” Y/N mumbles, still-half asleep.

Henry’s eyes widen in surprise as she opens hers, and his face flushes red. He blinks, trying to avert his eyes from hers, but her genuine laugh brings him back to look at her again. She shoves him playfully as she sits on the couch, cracking her back in the process and letting out a relieved sigh. He tilts his head, curiously watching her. She’s so effortlessly beautiful, it makes Henry wonder how he hasn’t noticed it before. The way her smile carves dimples in the corner of her lips, or how she scrunches her nose a little when she laughs. The way her eyes would sparkle with some genuine emotion, as if she were wearing her heart on her sleeve, and how she’d run a hand through her hair whenever she’d shy away from something. It takes Henry’s breath away to just think about every little detail of her his brain seems to pick up on, and by the time his eyes drift to her lips, those perfect lips, he’s already too far gone; completely smitten with her. 

Y/N notices it, in the way he looks at her with that lovestruck gleam in his brown eyes, and her heart breaks a little. Her smile falters just in the slightest, because her brain reminds her that what she sees isn’t real. It’s the love pollen, and she mentally curses herself for hoping it would be real. The hissing sound of the hidden door in the wall across from where she sits brings Y/N back to reality. She lets her hand fall to her side, Henry’s disgruntled whine reaching her ears, but she can’t bring herself to look at him. Her touch lingers on Henry’s skin, and he tries to reach for her hand again, but she doesn’t let him, shifting in her seat so that her back is facing him. Henry grunts softly, resolving himself to resting his chin on her right shoulder instead. Y/N focuses her gaze on the hidden door as it cracks open and out comes Charlotte, with a satisfied smile on her lips.

She looks at Y/N. “We did it.” She says as she sits down across from her friends. “We figured it out.”

“Really?” Y/N asks, hopeful. “You really did?”

Charlotte hums in response, placing a muffin on the table. Y/N raises a brow, moving around as she leans back into the couch again, crossing her arms over her chest. Henry, whose chin had slipped off of Y/N’s shoulder, takes it as his opportunity to be closer to her, resting his head on her shoulder again and wrapping an arm around Y/N’s midsection as he lazily waves his free hand in Charlotte’s direction to greet her.

“Is this a joke?” Y/N deadpans, tilting her chin towards the muffin.

“Nope.” Charlotte answers, popping out the ‘p’.

“Indulge me.”

“Well, while you were asleep, Ray went back to the old warehouse to retrieve the weapon Henry’s been hit with. Turns out there were residuals from the blast and Schwoz managed to extract the love pollen from it.” Y/N nods her head, allowing Charlotte to continue. “He used it to create an antidote, but I figured Henry wouldn’t take it willingly.”

“So you baked him a muffin with the antidote in it?” Charlotte hums in response. “Alright, so he just has to eat it, and then he’ll no longer have feelings for me?”

“That’s right.”

Y/N sighs. Finally. Not that she hated the attention he’d been giving her, but it wasn’t real, and she couldn’t do that to her heart; pretend all of this was real. It wasn’t fair to her, and it certainly wasn’t fair to Henry, who probably had no idea of what’s happening. She runs a hand over her face, closing her eyes briefly.

“Are you sure it will work?” Y/N asks then.

“Only one way to find out.” Charlotte smiles. “Are you okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Y/N raises a brow.

“Well, you’re not exactly the best at hiding your emotions. And I’m not stupid. I can tell you like him, that you have for a while.”

Y/N sighs, but she nods. “I’m okay with it.” She takes the muffin in her hand. “It’s not fair to him, he probably has no idea what’s happening.”

“But will you be okay, after?”

Y/N nods again. In all honesty, she isn't sure that she will be. Because how can she pretend that nothing happened, when it reawakened feelings within her? She can’t ignore the fluttering in her stomach when Henry is around, not anymore. She can’t ignore the way she felt when he had his arms around her; safe. And there is a part of her, deep down, that hopes what she saw in his eyes, in his affection for her, is real.

She inhales sharply, shaking her head slowly to chase away her intrusive thoughts before she nudges Henry’s side gently with her elbow. He lifts his head up from her shoulder, blinking away the sleep in his eyes, and he smiles when he sees the muffin in her hand.

“It's a banana nut.” Y/N says simply, a small smile on her lips.

Henry smiles back, taking the muffin from her. He doesn’t waste another minute before he takes a bite. It’s still warm in his mouth, freshly out of the oven, and he sighs in delight, closing his eyes. 

“How long before we know if it worked?” Y/N asks Charlotte, turning her head towards her.

“I don’t know, Schwoz didn’t s–”

Charlotte stops herself, eyes widening slightly when Henry begins to cough uncontrollably. Y/N sits upright, adrenaline shooting through her system as her fight or flight instincts kick in, and she angles her body towards Henry, firmly placing both her hands on his shoulders to keep him steady. She can see the tears prickling in the corner of his eyes from his coughing fit, and how he presses one hand into his chest to try and relieve the pain. She moves her hands to cup his face and hold his gaze to hers, a gentle smile across her lips. She begins to breathe slowly, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, tilting her chin in Henry’s direction to ask him to do the same. He blinks, moving his hands up to wrap his fingers around her wrists to ground himself – the muffin long since fallen between their legs onto the couch, and Henry’s lips slightly part as he takes a deep breath through his nose. Y/N tries her best to ignore the feel of his touch against her skin as a shiver runs down her spine.

When he feels he can breathe properly again, Henry blinks, letting his hands fall from Y/N’s wrists. He feels her touch leave his cheeks and he tilts his head slightly, eyes boring into hers.

“Are you okay, Hen?” She asks, and he can hear the worry in her voice.

He frowns, nodding. “Y– yeah. Wh– what happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Charlotte asks then, furtively glancing at Y/N.

“Not really, no. Weren’t we supposed to catch Dr. Lover or something?”

“We did.” Y/N tells him, taking a sudden interest in her lap. “He’s back in jail.”

“Alright! That’s a good day’s work.”

“Yeah…”

Henry’s frowns deepen, hearing the slight disappointment in his friend’s voice. His eyes dart to Charlotte, confusion swirling in his chocolate irises, but Charlotte shrugs, shaking her head. It’s not her place to tell.

“You okay, Y/N?” Henry asks her, trying to reach for her hand.

Y/N nods, standing up. “Y– yeah, just tired. I’m gonna head home.”

“Do you want me to walk you home?”

“No, it’s fine Henry. I’m just– yeah.”

Y/N shakes her head, walking over to the elevator. She picks up her backpack from the floor, her fingers pushing the up button on the panel to her right, and the doors open with a loud creak. She grimaces at the sound, stepping inside the elevator and pressing the ground floor button to Junk’N’Stuff, the fake store a half-mile up the Man Cave, and the doors close behind her. She only allows herself to breathe again when she’s certain neither Charlotte nor Henry can see her, and the tears slowly begin to roll down her cheeks. She knew Henry might not remember anything; she knew he still did not remember the whole muffin fiasco, even after two years. She didn’t want to be selfish, but as the elevator goes up to the fake store, Y/N wishes Henry hadn’t eaten that muffin.

Back in the Man Cave, Henry frowns and shifts in his seat on the couch to face Charlotte. He can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong; that Y/N lied. It’s the way she walked away from him, how she’d averted her eyes from his by lowering her head down. It’s the little hesitation in her voice, and the way her shoulders tensed when she’d gotten up. Something had upset her, and she lied to him about it. He just couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He has to find out.

“Is Y/N okay?” He asks Charlotte. “Did I do something?”

“What do you remember about today?” Charlotte queries instead, tilting her head.

“Wh– what do you mean?”

“What’s the last thing you remember, before choking on a muffin?”

Henry ponders her question for a minute. He runs a hand across his face, trying to focus the racing thoughts in his mind. He knows they’d been looking for Dr. Lover, who’d escaped from prison, and that their best lead had been the old warehouse near the Swellview border. He remembers going there, in his Kid Danger suit, with Menace and Captain Man, and he remembers being the first one to enter the warehouse.

“I remember going to that old warehouse with Ray and Y/N.” Henry says eventually. “To catch Dr. Lover. And then, I was choking on a muffin on this couch.”

“So… you don’t remember anything that happened between then, and now?” Charlotte trails out, studying him.

“Nope. Why? Did something happen?”

Just as Charlotte was about to answer him, the sprocket hisses open and the two friends turn their heads towards it. Ray steps out, shoving his phone in the back pocket of his jeans.

“Did it work?” Ray asks when he looks up to the two teenagers.

“Did what work?” Henry wonders. “What’s going on?”

“Oh yeah, it worked.” Charlotte affirms, nodding.

“Ray. What. Worked?” Henry asks again through gritted teeth.

“He doesn’t remember anything?”

Charlotte nods at Ray. “Doesn’t seem like it. The last thing he remembers is going to that old warehouse with you and Y/N.”

“I’m right here!” Henry protests, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ray sighs, running a hand across his face as he makes his way towards the couch, jumping over the backrest to sit between Charlotte and Henry. 

“Where’s Y/N?” He asks, noticing the absence of his other sidekick.

“She left.” Charlotte answers. “Said she was tired and that she was heading home.”

Ray nods. “Well Kid,” He sighs then, putting a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “You got hit by Dr. Lover’s love weapon.”

“Wh– what?” Henry blinks, confused.

“Dr. Lover was already waiting for us in that warehouse, and he blasted you with his weapon when you went inside. You were knocked out for a good ten minutes before you came back to your senses. Y/N even had to give you some mouth to mouth to bring you back.”

“Sh– she had to– what?”

Ray ignores Henry’s panicking tone. “Any-Ray, it turns out that the blast from Dr. Lover’s weapon was filled with love pollen and similar chemicals to Gwen’s love muffins from two years ago. You’ve been infatuated with Y/N since this morning, Kid.”

“Until you ate that muffin, which had an antidote that Schwoz and I came up with to counteract the effects from the weapon’s blasts.” Charlotte concludes, her gaze softening.

Henry’s face pales as he slowly realises what has happened since they went to that old warehouse. Granted, he has no memory of it, but he can still picture what might have happened since this morning. His eyes drift back to the closed elevator doors, a pang of guilt latching onto his heart as he thinks of Y/N. The ghost of her touch still lingers on his cheeks, making his stomach flutters. He remembers the worry hidden in her words after he’d almost choked on the banana nut muffin, and the way her eyes searched for his as she held his face in her hands while he tried to catch his breath. He remembers how she’d pulled her hand away from his as she stood up from the couch, casting her eyes to the ground as she slowly made her way to the elevator. He can still hear the falter in her voice when she’d declined his offer to walk her back home, and he thinks about how it bothered him when she left without saying goodbye. He frowns, lips pressed together in a line across his features, the gears working in his brain.

Oh.

Oh.

“Oh my god.” Henry breathes out as the realization hits him. “Oh my god!”

“What, what, what?” Ray blurts out, raising his hands up in alarm.

Henry ignores his boss to look at Charlotte. “Y/N has feelings for me, doesn’t she?”

Charlotte hums softly, giving her friend a small smile. She watches as he runs a hand through his hair, eyes blown wide in panic as the truth of what happened dwells on him. She is surprised he has figured it out, considering that he’s been oblivious to Y/N’s longing stares for the past year. 

“I– I have to talk to her.” Henry tells himself as he stands up from the couch.

But just as he goes to head for the elevator, the emergency alarm goes off across the Man Cave, and Henry throws his head back as he groans in annoyance. Charlotte is quick on her feet to check on the supercomputer’s screen as Ray reaches for his gumtube in the front pocket of his jeans. Henry does the same, throwing a round gum in his mouth before blowing a bubble after a couple of minutes to change into his Kid Danger uniform. Charlotte spins around the chair she sits in, glancing at the two heroes as they stand under the tubes.

“Where are we headed Charlotte?” Ray asks.

“The old warehouse again.” Charlotte frowns, looking towards Ray over her shoulder. “It might be Gwen.” She then suggests, pointing a finger at her boss.

“Might be. Will you–”

“I’ll call Y/N.” Charlotte interrupts him, smiling. “Tell her to meet you there.”

—

“Can we talk, Y/N?”

Henry asks when they find themselves alone in the Man Cave. Charlotte had gone home after they’d come back from their emergency call, and Jasper was upstairs in Junk’N’Stuff, closing up the store. Ray had disappeared behind the sprocket, going about his business that neither Henry nor Y/N had any interest in knowing, while Schwoz had gone in his lab to tinker on a new weapon he was creating for Captain Man and his sidekicks. 

Henry keeps replaying the events from just an hour earlier as he looks at Y/N, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth and awaiting her answer. It had been Gwen, in the old warehouse, trying to get her hands on Dr. Lover’s chemically-altered weapons. Henry thought she’d put up a fight to defend herself, and he was surprised when she surrendered herself to Captain Man. At least he thought she did, until she drew out one of Dr. Lover’s smaller weapons from her pocket and aimed it at the three of them alternatively. He’d felt how Y/N tensed next to him when her eyes caught the weapon, planting her feet into the ground and raising her arms slightly in a fighting stance. Before he knew it, the fight was over and Gwen had been handcuffed by Ray, but Henry’s eyes found Y/N then, and the gash in her Menace uniform on her forearm. It had bothered him when she got mad because he’d worried about her; about if she were hurt. His heart had broken a little when she’d stomped out of the room, mumbling insults under her breath that he couldn’t catch on. The whole way back, she hadn’t spoken to him and it bothered him, because they always used to joke around in the Man Van after an emergency, waiting for Captain Man to be done with his statement for the police.

Henry shakes his head, pushing away the memories to the back of his mind as his eyes drift to her. Y/N sits on the round couch, head resting against the backrest as she glances at him behind her through her eyelashes. She hums in answer, nodding her head slightly. Henry takes a deep breath, wiping his moist hands against the fabric of his pants before he takes a seat next to her, their knees touching. He holds his breath, waiting for her to suddenly move away from him, but he is pleasantly surprised when instead she rolls her head a little, resting it on his shoulder. He doesn’t know why she does it, but he can see the exhaustion on her face, and he tells himself that she’s tired and probably only half-conscious of her actions. His eyes land for a brief minute on the white bandage around her forearm, and he fidgets with his hands, shoulders dropping slightly as he racks his brain for the right words to say.

“I– I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable today.” Henry says, eventually. “I had no idea what I was doing.”

“I know.” Y/N whispers, and he feels her nod her head against his shoulder. “That was the love pollen. I may have overreacted.” She yawns, blinking. “What happened today doesn’t change a thing, Hen. You’re still my best friend.”

Her words calm his nerves, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off of his chest. Still, it bothers him. It bothers him that she called him her best friend, because he wants to be more than that. He might not remember all that has happened today, but he can’t say that what he’d been feeling was fake. Even if he were under the influence of the love pollen, his feelings had to come from somewhere and deep down, he knew that he couldn’t deny it. 

“I don’t want to be just friends.” Henry blurts out in a whisper.

“Wh– what?” Y/N lifts her head, raising her brows at him.

“I don’t– I don’t want to be just friends.”

“You– don’t?”

Henry shakes his head. “I asked Schwoz about the love pollen when we came back from our emergency call, after he patched you up. I know he told you and everyone that the love pollen makes you fall in love with the first person you see, or kiss.”

“Y– yeah, I know that.”

“What he didn’t tell you guys–” Henry continues, holding her gaze to his. “– is that the love pollen combined with chemicals similar to the love muffins influences feelings that are already there. If I hadn’t been in love with you already, I don’t think Dr. Lover’s weapon would have worked on me.”

Y/N blinks, trying to process Henry’s words through her brain. Did he say he was in love with her?

“You– you’re in love with me?” She asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her irises swirl with something hopeful in them as Henry looks at her. He cracks a smile, carving a dimple in his left cheek, and he brings the palm of his hands to her cheeks, brushing his thumbs against her cheekbones. His eyes drift to her lips as he leans in, his hands moving from her cheeks to hold the sides of her face. His lips find hers as he closes his eyes, his heart skipping a beat. Y/N’s eyes widen in shock, but her brain is surprisingly quick to process what’s happening, and every fiber of her body relaxes as she closes her eyes, her arms finding their way around Henry’s neck. He is the first one to pull away when they both get out of breath, but his hands stay on her face, the warmth of his palms spreading through her skin. Soft pants escape her lips as she looks at him through her eyelashes, moving her arms around so that her hands lay flat on his chest and she can feel the steady beat of his heart under her right palm.

“I’m in love with you, Y/N.” He whispers. “I have been since the day you got stuck in the eighties.”

Y/N chuckles, remembering that day. Then, “I’m in love with you, too, Hen.” She whispers back, her eyes fluttering shut as she leans in to kiss him once more.

ⓒ writerinlearning – 2025

[barblaz-arts]

Are you planning to watch season 2 of Wednesday when it comes out? I just saw a sneak peak with Tyler in it and I'm starting to have second thoughts personally.

Of course! I saw the sneak peek you're talking about but I'm not worried. Gough and Millar confirmed that Wednesday's relationship with both Morticia and Enid takes center stage in the second season and I wont say a lot about it in case you're not into spoilers, but leaks have mentioned that Jenna has the most screentime with Emma during production. And Hunter/Tyler isn't gonna get a lot of screentime apparently. There's a character im worried about shipping wise but it aint tyler. Regardless tho, I never had high hopes of them being canon anyway. It's such a big IP with Burton's name attached to it yunno? If i can survive six heterosexual seasons of Once Upon A Time and a trilogy's worth of queerbait in Pitch Perfect, I can survive eight more episodes of trashy teen drama. I'm used to yearsssss of being in the wlw trenches.

Plus! I love the Addamses! I'm not only watching for Wenclair.

I also plan to enjoy it even if they end up with a dude bcuz I can always hc that they dont last after high school lol

[nymphaea-blue]

Oneshot - A date with Rafayel.

Info : 900+ word count, possible grammar errors (this was written at 11pm.), reader and Rafayel are in a relationship, very cute fluff, mention of worries/insecurity about self worth, small mention of alcohol.

“Rafayel, are we getting close now?” You asked as your lover guided you to an unknown place, one of his hands gently placed over your eyes to keep you from peeking as his other hand made sure to guide you along the path, so you wouldn’t get hurt.

“Almost, be patient, cutie.” He responded simply and after a few more moments, he stopped and moved around you, you could just hear his footsteps, the wind and… the sea?

“Okay, you can open your eyes.” Rafayel gave you the go ahead and as you opened your eyes, your breath almost got stolen. You were on the beach, the one by his house, but it looked different now. The moonlight was shining down onto the table that was set up, with two chairs and a few dishes arranged alongside candlelights. The dock was dressed in cute lights and rose petals, it looked like a scene from a dream.

“Oh, Rafayel, this is wonderful.. you did this all for me?” You asked, almost not believing what you saw.

“‘Course I did, who else would it be for? Now come on, take a seat, it won’t bite you.” He nodded, he was happy that you liked his surprise, that’s all he wanted to see after all, you being happy. He pulled out the seat for you and then pulled it in as you sat down.

The dishes all looked so good and they were fresh too, you knew from the steam coming from them and the amazing smell. It was a few seafood dishes, as well as some pasta and some of your favorite comfort dishes and drinks. He really seemed to think all of it through.

As Rafayel made a plate for you and himself, you couldn’t help but admire the wonderful sights. The moon was shining brightly, the waters were calm and they reflected all the lights and the moon perfectly, making for a romantic atmosphere. Rafayel himself looked quite striking too, even more than usual. He wore a suit, which was typically reserved for more special occasions but his tie was colourful and playful, like his personality. 

The both of you soon started eating and the food was as good as it looked, it was a perfect meal for a night like this, it warmed you up a little and put you in a good mood.

“Mmh, this is delicious! Did you make it yourself?”

“I did, I made all the seafood dishes!... Some of the food here is our favourite takeout though, I hope you don’t mind.”

After your first course, Rafayel stepped aside for a moment so you took the time to walk along the dock. You were left thinking for a while as you reached the end of the dock, did you miss an anniversary? Was it your birthday? Did something important happen on this day? Because the surprise was wonderful though it left you wondering what was the reason for it.

You didn’t have much time to ponder about it as soon you heard soft classical music playing and Rafayel stood alongside you.

“Enjoying the scenery?” He asked as he gently wrapped his arms around your form and brought you closer to him, a faint blush present on his face alongside his signature smile.

“Yeah, it’s really wonderful, you outdid yourself! Can I ask, what’s the occasion though?” You smiled and leaned your forehead against his in an act of affection.

“Does there have to be a reason? I just thought that we both worked really hard lately and I missed spending time with you, so I decided to treat you a little.” He answered with a smile, his eyes, full of love and adoration, were focused on you. It was touching really, how he organized a date for no reason because he wanted to get closer to you and make you feel happy, but that was just Rafayel for you, your playful, loveable, boyfriend.

“Really? You didn’t have to, I would be happy even if we just sat down on the couch in your studio, you know that, right?” You felt a little surprised but also so charmed by that simple action. It was cute how he thought of doing this for you but you also were a little worried, he worked so hard on this, but did you really deserve it?

“I know, but I wanted to spoil you, you deserve it, my love.” He gently took one of your hands that was previously by your side and intertwined your fingers, before placing the hand on his heart. You could feel how fast it was beating, all for you.

“If I can make you feel better by spending a little money and time on preparing this, then why wouldn’t I do it? There is nothing I love more than having you next to me, there doesn’t need to be a reason for this.” The soft feeling of his hand on yours, his fingers gently brushing against your knuckles and that gentle smile seemed to make your worries almost disappear. 

Rafayel then gently leaned for a kiss, but stopped a millimeter away from your lips. He looked at you with half lidded eyes for a moment, and you could notice the gentle freckles on his face, before he finally put his lips on yours when he saw your expression, and it was as if time stopped.

The rest of the night was full of laughs, good food and wine and after this date, there were many more to come, because in Rafayels mind - there didn’t need to be a reason to make his most precious person in the entire world happy.

[ouliarts]

Darkest Dungeon 2 spoilers for Abomination Backstory and Hunger of the beast clan update

Just a little character analysis The Abomination and how I feel about his new lore. It's a little long because I have thoughts about the sad science man

I’m probably in the minority with this but I actually really like the Abomination backstory in DD2. Like I genuinely like what it means for the character. I get the appeal of the idea that he was an alchemist who was experimenting with making a curse and accidentally cursed himself. I even had a similar headcanon about it before the dlc. But there's something about his story in dd2 that really hits me.

In the first game there was a bit of mystery around Bigby. he felt like the one hero that probably holds himself with the least amount of care. All the other heroes wear armor, have proper weapons, nice clothes that are well maintained. Bigby doesn’t have that. He wears teared pants, no shirt, no shoes, a single cloth that he isn’t even properly wearing, man is constantly gripping it. He doesn’t even bother trying to hide his brand. This is not a man who sees himself as worth taking care of. Is it because of guilt? Well he probably deserves it right? Maybe he brought it upon himself, maybe he was messing with things he didn’t understand and now this is his punishment?

And then we get the lore drop that the circumstance that led him to be like this wasn’t even his own fault. It was a horrible accident (that probably could have been avoided if he wasn’t being dumb and going to a well known dangerous moor, with no protection, at night, alone with no guide. I love you Bigby but that was not a pro gamer move). He was mauled, he didn’t want to die. Managing to save himself with a serum that ended up just sealing his fate. Then he was taken in and tortured by the church for who knows how long for reasons he didn’t understand (I don’t think he even killed anyone; they just mentioned a mutilated cow).

And then when he finally transforms he's horrified. Could you imagine his feelings? He was tortured, branded and right after that his body transformed into something horrifying before his own eyes. He has no control over it, no say to what happens. And then he wakes up, alone, surrounded by dead bodies he made. Because they were right. They should have been afraid of him. How could he ever trust himself again? When he caused all of this. 

Bro is suicidal as heck man, even his in game dialogue has him constantly thinking he should die. This man does not think he is worth anything anymore.

I would also like to point out that his beast form doesn’t look right. It doesn’t look like a regular rotclaw at least (I think we all can agree it was probably a rotclaw that jumped him, they literally have an attack that mauls you with blight damage)

Like comparing the two side by side. One arm is bigger than the other, he barely has any fur, his legs are different being clawed instead of hooves, his teeth are sharper and he's a lot smaller compared to one (that last could just be cause of gameplay reason, maybe he's suppose to be the same size but he has to fit in the line up somehow)

I like to think it's because he made that imperfect antidote. I think he was legit supposed to either die from the poison that night but he managed to save himself with the mess of a serum he managed to scrounge together. Only that serum was not at all perfect because he used all the wrong things and he couldn’t remember the recipe so he ended up just making the mutation worse. Sealing his fate. Why else would Red Hook purposely make him an Alchemist and not just a regular guy that got mauled.

So in a way he is responsible for why he is the way he is but like, can you really blame him for trying to save himself? Bro forgot the recipe for the antivenom cause he was panicking and just rawdogged it. And now he probably wishes he just let the poison kill him.

But that's a personal headcanon thing not really important to this. 

And then that one line in the last shrine. 

“Goodbye to the man that wished to chart the stars” This line really shows you how little he thinks about himself now. He just wanted to be a study some plants, chart the stars, learn about the world. But he doesn’t deserve that anymore. He doesn't deserve to be comfortable, or treated well. The man he once was is gone, no more. He's not a man anymore, he can never go back.

He made one dumb mistake And now he lives with it for the rest of his life. He hates himself for it. Blames himself, literally puts the chains back on because he cannot trust himself ever again. Because of one dumb mistake he made. He seeks redemption for things that were completely out of his control. His story is a tragedy, because he never had a choice in it. 

Anyway what I mean to say is, I really like this sopping wet cat of a nerd, with so much self loathing, that made one really dumb mistake and is being punished way too severely by the world for it. Quite literally the GOAT of all time

[carlarosenakilah]

I'm taking a break from The Osix Family and Wilted Ivory

Hi, you've read that right. I'll proceed to go into detail undercut

Warning that the following will be containing very sensitive topics such as su***idal thoughts, mental health issues, and whatever the fuck I went through to get me here and I don't know how to describe nor name them but overall its not pretty.

Getting straight to the point- im drained. I'm in a horrible place right now and I need to take a step back before it might escalate into something worse.

The Osix Family is always something that I will forever dedicate to. It has comforted me, carried me, and saved me from killing myself three years ago.

I asked myself, "If I'm not here, who will tell the story of The Osix Family?"

That made me stay alive, and im greatful for that because if not, I wouldn't have been where I am today standing with the coolest people I have ever met and my amazing partner in crime @alexusespido-dod.

I love Wilted Ivory too, and that's where it gets tricky.

My only plan for Wilted Ivory is to simply tell a story about growth expressed as a musical au. Hence why the art is so simple– not just to match the original Casino Cups style, but just to tell a story that I hope would inspire and comfort others. Of course, I'm happy it gained lota of love.

The Osix Family though is a different story.

Like I said, it means a lot to me, so I put so much time and energy into this series. I sacrifice time that could've been used to study for the next exam, but instead im working on the next few panels or planning the music and etc. Blood sweat and tears (literally) into making sure the art looks good, story is properly conveyed, scenes carefully picked. Even if it gained me bad scores in my exams that made me stress over about, in the end it was worth it to me. I didn't care if I'd be sick an unable to move, as long as I could at least think about it, then I would be happy.

Episode 3 was my worst.

I overworked myself for that episode. I was always in front of my tablet, I never moved out of my seat, I was just there, working on it even if it was 1 in the morning and that I should be sleeping. I told myself: "Everything will pay off! Sure you're in so much pain right now, but eventually it will all pay off! Episode 3 is looking good and interesting! This will FINALLY gain the audience and love the story deserves!"

I was proud.

Until I wasn't.

Reality hit me like a saw. The moment the episode was released I was hopeful. But nothing happened. It was all the same.

And it just hurt how something as simple as Wilted Ivory can easily gain attention and love because it was Cuphead related something well known. Meanwhile, The Osix Family–despite everything–is just barely seen.

I started to doubt myself. To question myself. Was I not doing enough. What more can I do. What should I do. Am I not good enough?

Is the story just not good enough?

That broke me. I began to have thoughts I shouldn't have. I wanted to end it all. I wanted to quit and disappear from the world. Because what was the point in pouring so much love into something only for it to dismissed.

Its not like I simply began having these thoughts.

I've had them over and over again.

As much as I hated involving him, my partner, Alex, had to deal with the many times I nearly ended it. To the point where even if he was in school, he'd go out of his way to stop me, I still feel guilty, even if he said it was fine.

I don't understand myself anymore.

Why do I even have such an attachment to this series? Its just a stupid silly series for funsies isn't it? Why does my life to depend on it?

Unfortunately, it just does.

It sucks. Pushing away my needs for the sake of this passion, only for it to just not go as I hoped it would go. Did I mention I'm also losing followers on the osix family blog? Thats so silly and coquette.

I'm so sorry if im coming off as guilt-trippy, please I don't want it to sound that way, I just want to express how deeply troubled I am because to me it actually DOES HURT.

I envy people who couldn't give a flying fuck about whether or not their stuff goes famous or gets love, I don't even understand why I am so dependent or hungry on whatever attention it gets. I hate that im like this. I want to be free from it but I just crave it.

So, for the sake of my mental health and whatever is left of my sanity, im taking a break, for good.

I will not be updating The Osix Family or Wilted Ivory at this very moment. For how long? It depends on how fucked up I have actually turned out to be today.

I might still post, keyword: MIGHT, its not any update but to just simply draw for myself, but the chances of me posting anything is horribly low.

I'm going to focus on myself, my needs, and whatever makes me happy or have fun with.

To those who supported The Osix Family or even bothered to check it out: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

It means a lot to me, you have NO idea. Every single like, reblog, comment, hype or even the silliest amounts of theories or thoughts, they make me so happy, it actually heals me.

I can't remember names im sorry, but there was a time someone expressed how they were invested in the lore and loved the world building, it really made my day. Or when someone pointed out some small details on my waiting in a miracle animatic, it warmed my heart.

I have troubles expressing it, but im so, SO greatful.

Especially when some of my mutuals started making OCS FOR THE SERIES?? Like– it felt like a HUGE compliment.

I cant believe im tearing up as im typing this haha im so stupid lmao, but

Thank you. A lot.

And to those who weren't really into The Osix Family, its okay, don't feel bad, sometimes things are just not our cup of tea, I just needed to express my grief, cause honestly bottling it up isn't going to end well for me (and it really didn't multiple times).

I apologize for any false hope or let down your hype as Wilted Ivory was just starting and The Osix Family was finally coming back– but this treatment is overwhelming me that I need to take a step back.

That's all for now.

Thank you for... actually reading, you listening means a lot to me too.

Goodbye.

[sleepypanda01]

CB theories/thoughts part 5 (Did Prunella's mom actually buy the second key from the flea market?)

After overthinking a bit a thought occurred to me.

Was Goldie indeed the key that we saw at the flea market with Bronze? Was Prunella's mom the one who actually bought the other key? Where am I trying to get at, you may ask. Well, if we take a look at the second key and the key in the craft box of prunella's mom, doesn't the colour seem a bit different? (Or it is just me,I could have sworn they looked a bit different for a second, but it could be the lighting) The second key in the market looks greenish while Goldie looks light brownish when covered in dirt (if you look hard enough? lmao😭)

Also when we take a look at the back of Goldie we see that the dirt is not in the same places as in the key in the market. But what is more is that their keyrings also seem to have a different colour. The keyrings of the keys in the market are dark while the keyring of Goldie is of a lighter colour.

What is weird is that the seller says he doesn't remember who he sold it to, but Prunella's mom has a very unique style. You would think that a woman who dresses as if she came out of a fairy tale would be memorable enough. 

you're telling me he would not remember this woman?

Then when Chase wonders who bought the key we see a bunch of Shadow of people, you could think that it is not important and they are just shadows meant to depict unimportant characters that we will never see again, unless not really. Next to Chase's bubble of asking who bought the other key there is a shadow who kinda looks like one of Chase's friends. 

(It is more believable that the seller forgot who bought they key if it was this dude lol)

Maybe the answer to who bought the key was all along right in front of Chase (or well, behind him at that moment cause his back was turned lol). 

If Goldie and the key in the market are not the one and the same,how did Agatha acquire Goldie? Why is he in her possession? Well the same goes for the market guy, why did he have two keys? In previous parts I theorized about people being connected to Ex Libris but having no memory of it due to someone's involvement. They both seem to be unaware of what is the keys' true worth. Going back to my theory in part 4 where I mention that the old man is missing 4 keys, if we accept the theory of the market key not being Goldie for the sake of theorising, then market key is the fourth missing key. 

If that's true then here are the possible missing keys and their (possible) keyholders:

1) missing key: Bronze ,keyholder : Deacon 

2) missing key : Goldie, keyholder: Prunella

3) missing key: villain key,keyholder: Simon?

4) missing key: unknown identity but since it looks so much like Goldie the metal could be brass, and if we look at the paper with all the key symbols there's a crown near the sun and opposite of the apple which is Bronze’s symbol and he was found in the market with some other key, mind you.

 Deacon also mentioned some key roles when they were trying to figure out what key prunella had and he mentioned the ruler key. 

So if I had to guess which symbol the ruler key has I would say the crown because a crown defines rulers and the role has similarities to the hero whose symbol is close to it. And if I had to guess the keyholder, I would say Chase's friend whose name I am not sure is mentioned.

So to summarize, the missing keys are the following:

Bronze, the helper key

Goldie, the hero key

The villain Key

The ruler key

Bonus detail: in my previous post I said that Simon might have put up the reward poster but it could have been the other friend too since the posters started appearing a few days later after the flea market day. Besides, birds of the feather flock together and either of Chase’s friends could have the same idea as him and put up posters.

Honestly, out of all the theories I have come up with, this is the most insane one, but the keys at the market were turned around so we could not see their symbols and this could have been on purpose, so who knows? 

[hollowed-theory-hall]

i read your horcrux post, its fascinating and very well done! im just stuck on one thing: while i agree that tom definitely has a good share of self-hatred, enough to cause himself pain and endure an agonising process to become immortal, doesnt the whole idea of "killing yourself" for the ritual seem very risky? like what if you actually die lmao then the whole thing was all for naught. i mean i can also see him being confident and arrogant enough to believe he COULD do it without mistakes, but still. seems like a big risk considering his whole shtick is avoiding death as far as possible. anyway thank you for all your metas they are very enjoyable to read and think about!!!

Thank you so much! 💕 I'm glad you liked my Horcrux theory, it's one of the earliest ones I made here and I'm still pretty proud of it.

As for the risk — yeah, it is incredibly risky, that's kind of the point. This is a ritual we know Tom was crazy to attempt multiple times, a ritual in-universe that even just doing it once is considered insanely risky and potentially damaging, not to mention multiple times:

‘Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction. ...’I mean, why mention it then?” she said impatiently, slamming the old book shut;

(HBP)

That was what you told me he said. ‘Further than anybody,’ And I thought I knew what that meant, though the Death Eaters did not. He was referring to his Horcruxes, Horcruxes in the plural, Harry, which I do not believe any other wizard has ever had. 

(HBP) - only part of the quote since the rest of Dumbles' analysis of Voldemort's character in the above section is questionable.

JKR stated in an interview there is a final horrible step that must be taken to make a Horcrux, something beyond just murder. Cannibalism, physical self-mutilation, or masturbating over the corpse (Yes, I have read this theory somewhere) don't make sense because then Harry couldn't become a Horcrux. It doesn't really leave us with many possibilities.

Additionally, Voldemort talks of how only he was skilled and brave enough to attempt it more than once, to go "further than anyone" ever had:

I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal — to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked . . . for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it.

(GoF)

If there was no risk, more people would make Horcruxes and more people would make multiple Horcruxes. Voldemort himself calls it an "experiment". He wasn't sure it would work at any point but the risk was worth it for him.

when he asks Slughorn what would happen if you made multiple Horcruxes he already made two Horcruxes. He experimented with Horcrux when he had little to no information on them. He experimented magically on himself. Multiple times. (He also mentioned "experiments" in plural so I wonder if he had another method besides Horcruxes that he attempted...). This is not a person who cares about "risk" like a normal person. Riping your soul apart to make a Horcrux, even without my theory, is in itself, a huge risk — and he does so consciously 6 times!

Dumbledore, Slughorn, and Voldemort all talk of Horcruxes like an unknown magic, barely attempted by anyone throughout history. Even Magick Moste Evile doesn't give more than a mention to the concept of Horcruxes because no one actually makes them. (It's the spider georg meme: "average dark wizard makes 1 horcrux in their lifetime factoid actualy just statistical error. average dark wizard makes 0 horcruxes. Horcrux Tom, who lives as a wraith in albenia & made 7 horcruxes, is an outlier adn should not have been counted").

If you need to temporarily kill yourself to become immortal it would explain why not more people have tried it. I mean, Grindelwald wanted to be the Master of Death, so why not make a Horcrux, I'm sure he was familiar with the ritual?

Becouse the risk was too great for him to take.

I talked about this a bit here and @iamnmbr3 has this post about this, but Tom, for all that he is the heir of Slytherin, acts a lot like a Gryffindor. He is prideful, sure, but he is so incredibly brave. Experimenting on himself with a super dangerous ritual 7 times is incredibly in character for him. Yes, he's arrogant, he's sure he'd succeed, but unlike Grindelwald or (younger) Dumbledore, he is willing to take the ultimate risk for the sake of his immortality.

It also makes sense symbolically. Like, to become immortal you have to risk your life — to live forever you must be ready to go through death. It makes sense in a symbolic sort of way. It just feels right.

[lsunstreakerl]

(DarkBull)

I absolutely love the extra info given from these last 2 ficlets and I have thoughts opinions and praise to give

Carlos and Max!! The comfort Max gets from being in Carlos' presence. How he worries about his boys but doesn't understand the implication (said like Always Sunny in Philadelphia) of his actions and what that can mean for others! The gun! How many are just hidden around Redbull and Max's own apartment? When did Carlos become involved enough with crime part of rb that he has access to a gun and takes note of where it is?

More info on the trackers! I love the idea of the placement being the spine ( can't remove it without permanent damage to Max ) and the ankle ( Probably won't be able to walk normally if removed, can't run )

The list that Daniel and Carlos have and share about what makes Max happy, sad, etc. Their job is reliant on this mans emotions, they are learning everything they can.

I love timelines and im asking more for the vibe of where different fictlets fit compared to each other? Are they most chronological to posting unless placement is share (ex. pre kidnapping)? If you don't really know don't worry about it, I just like dates and numbers.

The jewelry! I loved the fact that Christian zoned so far into the bracelet being on Max's skin. In my mind, Christian and GP co-design the bangles and there was a heated discussion, so seeing that in person, on his pet's driver's wrist was worth the argument with GP. I like how Daniel and Carlos got him his collar necklace to symbolize their mark on him (Charles is furious when he sees it for the first time, Pierre did not have a good time).

Did Carlos have to get Christian's and GP's approval before he started the romantic/sexual part of his relationship with Max? If so how did that go? When did Daniel get added to the dynamic? You mention how Carlos just started to lead Max around and finally led him to the kiss which turned to more.

Carlos and Daniel just being in his place ready to catch him when he wants to rest. I loved the both touching part of "they care about me" and "If he breaks down in the wrong place people will die"

In one of your responses you mentioned "discipline". Can you show/explain some examples of what they are or when they were used (On any of the 3 rb drivers because while I think rb wants Daniel and Carlos to be disposable, Max likes them too much for them to be able to get rid of them in the way they did for that one employee you mentioned in 2nd ficlet)

Anyways, I love Dark RedBull and the way your mind has been coming up with progressions because I would never of thought of some of the plot points you give us! Make sure you rest and eat, college students unite!

carlos and max!! the way max really does deeply care for both of them, and in a semi-twisted way they do actually love him back- it just also happens that their jobs depend on it.

carlos was brought into the crime side as soon as his relationship with max moved into a romantic/sexual aspect. redbull pulled him aside after they saw the way max was using him as emotional support/an emotional safe space, and they basically told him "you can take that further, but if you fuck it up we're going to kill you", and also "if you're going to be around him like that you need to be able to defend him".

daniel got the same kind of speech. there are many guns scattered across the factory, and more than a few in max's "flat".

I use flat loosely because you'll notice in the max pov, he says his room at the factory. that's because max has his own space, literally within the factory on one of the higher floors. it's basically a fully kitted out apartment, except he uses his employee badge to get in.

the trackers!! so happy you picked up on the placement there, it was very intentional. the one in his spine is hard to get to without a dedicated surgical team who knows exactly where they're looking- otherwise the damage would be immense.

same with the ankle. if it was removed, he definitely wouldn't be able to drive anymore. couldn't run, couldn't really walk without a slight limp and a lot of PT.

if anyone ever tried to steal max so he could drive for them, they wouldn't be able to remove the trackers without max also becoming unable to drive.

it's by far the most permanent claim redbull has on him- they can't be removed without permanent damage.

daniel and carlos's list is the golden egg of rbr tbh. it's come in handy many, many times.

I'll make a timeline post when I compile stuff for the eventual ao3 post, but until then it's mostly vibes unless I specify lol

the bracelets and the necklace. oh man. christian and GP do spend a lot of time getting it just right, and then the actual screw is customized, so it's different from any of the other love lock bracelets. christian has the tool to open it, and max doesn't, so they're permanent.

the bracelet he gets from daniel and carlos is also permanent. it's not that the clasp is weird and he can't figure it out- it's that it's a permanent locking mechanism, and isn't designed to be removable.

it's so complicated with the three of them. daniel and carlos really do want to take care of max, and they really do love him, but there's also the metaphorical guillotine over their heads. they're both very aware that max being upset at the wrong time or the wrong place could end up with problems, so they have the responsibility of trying to keep him emotionally regulated. they take it very seriously.

ficlets I will be writing: adding daniel to the dynamic, discipline, max redbull reunion

thank you!! once again, thrilled that people are enjoying darkbull as I try and get the brainworm out lol. college students on top raaaahhhh 🦅

[three-tree-kitty]

Oh no It would be a shame If the squirrel were a part of cruelclaw's gang. I hope it's all just a misunderstanding.

Oh perhaps they're also an extraplanar visitor? That would be interesting.

Also the blacksmith I mentioned is currently going to the forest of irons (he departed the same time as me) in search of new materials as he was running low. Granted he might arrive just as you leave which would be a funny coincidence.

It is really strange how outsiders only change to suit our world and not the other way around. Perhaps a powerful spell is weaved around our world?

This theory will only be worth speculation if you believe the old weavers became the calamity beasts, but if so which of the beasts do you think made the spell? To me Beza feels the most likely as the only beast Ive seen to offer kindness to others but what are your thoughts?

Regardless I wish you luck in your squirrel problem (I hope they aren't a nutter X3).

A curious otter has given me this device. Some manner of journal that runs on rocks and lightning and has hired me for a QUEST! To scout locations for these "relay towers." He said that they will work best in areas likely to be struck by lightning, but not flammable. How exciting! What a capital idea, indeed. He says more creatures of Bloomburrow will be able to connect to this "network" the more viable locations I find. I do not see what towers and nets have in common, but it should be exciting anyway.

[larsbarsart]

Day 9. Friendship

Friendships through the ages.

I! Included! My! OCs!!! Their names are Sammy Oswald-Wright and Ruben Fridman, one was adopted by Tim at age 12 after being homeless for two years and the other met the former for the first time as a child and held onto those interactions for the rest of her life. Together, they're going to kill The Operator with bombs :]

Also, they're in love. They are in gay love and kiss each other all the time

Here's the unfiltered version of the bros

[bumblingbabooshka]

When the only person who might understand what happened- understand. Not sympathize or empathize or comfort you but understand what happened, isn't there anymore. Or: 'A Man Made Me Do Something I Didn't Want To', for when you can't talk about it or look it in the eye [Patreon | Commissions]

[puppppppppy]

fake ep idea + doodles

[lukazade2electricboogaloo]

Adjacent, but I always felt SO icky about the fact everyone was angry + couldn't understand why Tim was leaving the team after it.

Tim, who whenever any teammate had expressed a desire to do something they felt was absolutely right and necessary, was the most supportive, was downright outcasted for wanting to leave after what happened. Never mind anything else, but he's literally a human being, with no powers, with leadership over a team that went against him and almost got them all killed. Like, even if I (as a hypothetical member of his team) didn't understand his thought process, I would at least understand that stuff as a reason to be absolutely scarred by the events of Apokalips. I would try and graciously let him leave, even if I felt upset or betrayed or like pretending it didn't happen.

I haven't read it in a while, but I recall everyone was so rude to him for wanting to leave, and giving him the kind of "greater good" speeches that every bat-person literally already lives by. The only person who didn't hound him was Bart, who also wanted to leave. It made it easier on Tim, since at least one person understood that what happened wasn't just a "it's fine! time will mend it!" moment. I think he possibly may not have come back if he had felt completely shunned.

I actually found it so hard to read the Apokalips bit, because everyone just seemed to fall apart for plot reasons, rather than like.. anything that made sense to me. They were even aware that quitting the team doesn't mean they won't come back (ie. Cissie's storyline was a perfect setup for them to completely understand him wanting to leave for crying out loud, it would have been really cool foreshadowing too!), and everyone had, at this point, really meshed as a team (iirc..) (other than the occasional "Kon mentions having a coup" which never felt natural to me lmao), so it felt so out of place for Kon to derail everything, and out of place for the others to be angry at him for being traumatised and leaving.

And yeah, I was so mad Kon never apologised. Like a "real brothers never have to say sorry" thing, which btw is bs. Me and my siblings don't talk now bc I eventually realised I was worth apologising to. And Tim's smart. He should eventually realise that, too. But he's also Tim. He's never gonna do that.

Whew. Okay I was finally able to see someone who also felt mad about this part of yj98, I can now retire.

No but let’s talk about the whole Apokalips thing in Our Worlds At War. Young Justice 1:35–37, Superboy 1:91, Impulse 1:89.

Kon really, really screwed up. His impulsive and insubordinate actions, expressly against Robin’s orders and in full opposition to the rescue mission they were engaged on, led directly to:

the permanent death of one team member (Slobo is not Lil Lobo even if he does have his memories, and neither are any of the other regenerated Lobos, most of whom also die; original Lobo remains dead)

the partial death of another (Bart is in a coma for over a week after experiencing the death of his speedforce duplicate)

the start of Greta’s corruption arc via Darkseid

and the torture and thorough traumatisation of the rest of team (they are held in VR worlds where they are forced to live through the deaths of their loved ones and their own deaths, repeatedly).

Tim leaves Young Justice over this. Bart stops being a hero altogether for a while.

And we never see Kon apologise.

Okay so yes he acknowledges to himself he is entirely at fault for this. He spends a whole issue agonising over what he’s done and yes, he resolves to apologise to Robin.

But he never does. He gets distracted by some fallout from the war and by Joker’s Last Laugh. Tim gets involved again in World Without Young Justice, when reality has been altered and none of them are who they should be.

And then after that, Tim, who is relieved that his identity has been revealed (something he wanted to do long ago) in a way that he couldn’t control or be blamed for, asks to rejoin the team.

And.

Kon and Cassie do this:

(I’m not blaming Snapper, Ray, or Slobo, none of whom were there when this went down even if Slobo does have the memories of it. They are just following Kon and Cassie’s cues.)

And Tim reacts like this:

Which is not the reaction of someone who has already received a heartfelt apology.

And yes, then they hug and welcome Tim back into the team. But I think Tim ends up fully internalising that his leadership (and his refusal to share his identity, like they have any right to it) is to blame for the whole debacle. And Kon lets him go on thinking that.

[boy-in-red-dress]

What

"it never once occurred to him what my real strategy was: letting him win. Because winning made him feel special. And good God, did he want to feel special"

Calls Ford a tool but sings praise of tools WOW

[atomicengineerdetective]

I've been watching Hazbin Hotel in prime. Just watched episode 5 and I gotta ask

Why, oh, WHY DON'T I SEE MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT "MORE THAN ANYTHING" WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE HAZBIN HOTEL MUSIC???

Like I get it, the song before it "Hell's Greatest Dad" Is a bop reminiscent of other music from the era its parodying. I loved it.

BUT why are you only putting clips of that song when this MASTERPIECE comes a few minutes after

I honestly don't even know where to begin with this song. The visuals are beautiful, especially when we get moments like this where you can just see the absolute LOVE this man has for her daughter is so sweet and Heartwarming I just-

The voices are fenomenal but what else can you expect from the broadway talents of Erika Henningsen and Jeremy Jordan.

There is also the whole Symbolism with passing the baton to the next generation and stuff. I- I can't even get into the specifics right now Im too emotional.

But above all else THE LYRICS

ESPECIALLY THAT LAST ONE

"I'M GRATEFUL YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER/FATHER MORE THAN ANYTHING"

DO YOU WANT ME TO CRY?? CAUSE I AM. I AM BAWLING MY EYES OUT RIGHT NOW.

It's just so fucking beautiful man. Probably the best song I will hear all year. Obviously my favorite from Hazbin.