#let’s give it a break for a few years

[missanathea]

.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Danse Macabre

[Commission]

[zafiro-anyejo]

very few 'parenting' things frustrate me more than parents who give their screaming kids an ipad, but I think "emotionally neglectful for 20 years and then wondering why their kid isn't thriving/adjusting to adulthood well, so they try to make up for it by being an overbearing helicopter parent" might take the cake.

[assassinhomecreedstuck]

i cant believe ive played world of warcraft for 20 years

[sysig]

Okay honestly I might have to take a break from posting with the lack of legacy editor, the new system is fucked in so many ways

[orcelito]

Finally doing some emotional processing ✌

[what-even-is-thiss]

The reason people don’t want to work is that it’s just normal for them to be in bad work environments.

My issue with working at Walmart wasn’t the work itself I was doing. It was the circumstances around it. The concrete floor, lack of places to sit, having to put up with asshole customers, not getting time off for injuries, and bad pay.

If I had been given shock pads to stand on or a few chairs to rest on sometimes, if they paid me a livable amount of money and I was allowed to yell back at asshole customers, if they had given me any amount of training, I would happily work part time folding clothes all day and telling people where the swimsuit section is.

I’m a creative type. I’m a writer. I’m pretty smart, even. But if I could make a living folding shirts and listening to podcasts in one ear and helping people find the scented candles for 30 hours a week? I would. Leaves some mental space free for me to brainstorm. Lets me catch up on my reading with audiobooks.

But instead I was treated so badly by upper management and customers that I’m like legitimately a little frightened whenever I step into a Walmart now. And I only worked there for three months a few years ago.

I’m a good lower level worker. When I’m treated well. I like finishing tasks. I like being helpful. I like having some time to talk to coworkers and some time alone with my thoughts. I’m a frickin team player. And that’s how I was at my first job. I was treated well by my supervisor. I was trained. They were patient with me. I was so good at being low on the totem pole at that job because I was valued and felt like I was being listened to. I was able to sit still when there was nothing left to do which made it feel less bad when we were on a time crunch. I didn’t mind working hard at that job because it was fun even though I was doing all the low level stuff that the supervisors didn’t want do.

But at Walmart I was like that for all of two days. Then I figured out that nobody appreciated my work and if I worked in my normal people pleasing manner I’d kill myself because their standards were high and the rewards for meeting them were low.

So I slowed down. I started avoiding customers. I started taking a lot longer to get to my breaks and to come back from them. I became worse at my job because no matter how good I was at it there would be no reward, no appreciation, and I’d just be pushed further beyond my limits.

My only level of happiness from that job came from the people who were working with me. The old ladies and my department manager who made sure I wasn’t overextending myself. The one other young man working in the clothing department who always got sent with me to unload the heavy stuff and commiserated with me about the shoulder injuries, the hurting feet we were too young to have.

But none of that was enough to make me stay. We were constantly understaffed. I was constantly abused by customers and not able to do a thing about it. I was not paid much at all. So as soon as I had enough saved up for what I was trying to do and my last semester of college was about to start I handed in my two weeks.

I would have found a way to stay if I liked that job. If I liked that job I would’ve pushed myself to my mental limits to finish college and keep that job at the same time. Heck that job could’ve been a rest from college. A place to get away from it. But I hate that job so I got out as soon as I could.

I want to work. I want enough money to live sort of comfortably. I want to have some tasks to do to give my creativity a rest. I want to be a part of something. But the way that modern corporate run work environments are set up does not give me any of the things I actually want out of a job. And I think that’s the same for millions of people right now. A lot of people would happily spend their lives as a waitress or an Uber driver or a warehouse worker or a farmhand or any other “low skill” job you can possibly think of. But with the way the world works right now those jobs are absolutely miserable. It doesn’t have to be that way. I know because I’ve had a fulfilling part time minimum wage job that I looked forward to going to every week. A job where I was listened to and allowed to sit when I needed to. I miss that job. Especially now since I’ve realized that’s not the standard. It should be. People should look forward to going to work or at the very least not get mild ptsd whenever they set foot into a Walmart.

[baekuras]

glancing over to my phone to see 8 messages in the work-groupchat and immediately knowing it's only negatives

like it's the first workday of 2025 and my workplace has taken away more benefits and trying to make it sound better (prev it was "you get 2 glasses for free per year and your family(1st degree) gets 30% once for whatever they need" now it is "oh you have like 1k for everything and we don't know if we can fully pay for a 2nd pair ourselves as a multi-billion company BUT you can spend those 1k on ANYTHING" which-the latter is good for ppl who need hearing aids instead but knowing we usually spend like 500bucks on glasses, nevermind multifocal ones, to wear to work (fancy frames and the glass itself too ofc)......this isn't gonna work

the best thing is that if you timed it badly you have to pay for the "free" glasses from last year simply because they may have gotten delayed into this year bc delivery times

[ninelivesart]

2024 Reading List

Hi everyone! I'm still here. I just hit a pretty big block that has taken over every aspect of my life. 2024 ended up going in a different direction than 2023 in regards to my Books/Art things. I didn't have quite the same goals last year as I did the year before. Namely, I kept catching myself reading really short books just to make a certain number. And putting off larger books I wanted to read. So I made it my goal to just like not have a goal.

In which case, success!

Otherwise, I fell off the wagon with the Drawing My Reads. And I read like maybe half of what I read the year before. Once I hit that block later in the year, my numbers just tanked. So I decided not to include these in the Drawing My Reads post I have already up.

This post will just be the books I read and what I liked/didn't like about them. Mini-reviews, if you will. I'll probably also make a separate DNF list because I started keeping track of those as well. Yay, Storygraph!

So continue below if you care to know what I read this last year.

And Happy New Year!

January

1. When She Dances by Ruby Dixon

I already read all the IPB books, so I started dipping my toes into her other books. I don't care for this series as much but they're nice for when you just want a quick mindless read.

2. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

I absolutely loved this book.

3. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. Also, fun fact, my fanart of the first book made him follow me on Tik-Tok, so we're mutuals now!

February

4. Unfamiliar, Vol. 1 by Haley Newsome

A cute graphic novel about a witch.

5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I'm gonna be real with you, I didn't enjoy this book. It felt very... young? Just felt like a kid's book and was really boring a lot of the time. I really just wanted to jump to Six of Crows but I felt like I was missing something when I started that one. Probably won't finish this series but I will read Six of Crows eventually. I do enjoy some of her other books. So I'm assuming it's because she wrote this when she was very young.

6. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

I loved this book! I picked it up because it has a very clever design. The entire book looks like an Ikea catalog. It's fun for being a relatively graphic horror novel. Nothing too intense, though.

7. Halfling by S.E. Wendel

I'm pretty sure I picked this up because I kept seeing it advertised and the cover was pretty. It was fine. I don't remember much about it.

8. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

I finally decided to finish this series. AND I LOVED IT. V.E. Schwab is an auto-buy author for me now.

9. Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline

Needed another filler series. Trying not to overdo it like I did with the IPB series. So I'm pacing myself. But I do really enjoy these books. They're wholesome the way the IPB series is.

10. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Miss Schwab just doesn't miss for me. Loved this series. So excited that it's kind of continuing.

11. In Nightfall by Suzanne Young

I listened to the audio at work. It was a YA retelling of The Lost Boys. Fun but not amazing.

March

12. Freeing Luka by Victoria Aveline

Fun.

13. Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

Jaqueline de Leon does the art for this graphic novel and I've been following her for years. She's a huge inspiration to me. So it was nice getting to see a big project like this from her. It was a cute story. Sad though.

14. The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo

Another one that fell on the young side. I know it's YA already but it felt like it could have been something bigger/better. It felt like an early draft where the author just info dumps the story before fleshing it out. I loved the concept but the execution was a little lacking. Wish it had been more expanded on.

15. Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert

These books were fucking stupid.

16. Miles Morales Suspended by Jason Reynolds

Cute! I didn't realize it's a semi-sequel to the first Miles book. I think it can be read standalone but it does take place after that one. I also listened to this but wish I'd read the physical book for the artwork.

17. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

A TikTok recommendation that actually didn't disappoint me. I ended up really loving this book and I had to buy the second one immediately because I didn't want to wait for it to come back to the library.

18. Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

I know there were mixed reviews on this duology, but I loved it.

19. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Short! An interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty that leans very heavily on faerie folklore. I listened to the audio and really liked it. It's a quick read.

20. Bride by Ali Hazelwood

The only Ali Hazelwood book I've ever read. It was fine. I liked the MC's sense of humor. She was refreshingly sarcastic. However, I cannot STAND her STEM romances. They give me the ick so bad. So this was surprisingly enjoyable.

21. Saving Verakko by Victoria Aveline

Fun again. I'm enjoying this series but trying not to zoom through it. Good for light, quick reads.

April

22. The Prince of Prohibition by Marilyn Marks

A really interesting fae romance that takes place during the 1920s. The fae are based on Welsh mythology and are disguised as idk mobsters or something. I actually enjoyed this but I don't remember much about it.

23. The Veil of Violence by Marilyn Marks

I can't remember the differences between each book since I read them back to back. I know I didn't enjoy the sequel as much as the first one. But they weren't bad. I'm pretty sure it left off open-ended, so possibly another one at some point?

24. All Systems Red by Martha Wells

I listened to the audio. It's another quick, short one but Murderbot is a really fun character to follow. I keep forgetting to read the rest of the series.

May

25. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

I've really enjoyed Neil Gaiman's work so it's a shame he's a garbage human being. I'm a big fan of mythology but I can't bring myself to read any more of his work.

26. The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

Miss Schwab back at it again. Can't wait for the continuation of this series.

27. Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

I really enjoyed Dead Silence, so I was hoping this one would be just as good. I listened to the audio and I think it fell short of my expectations. It wasn't bad but wasn't my favorite. Dead Silence was better.

June

28. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

Interesting take on vampires. I liked the worldbuilding and the characters. It was entertaining but not the "edge of your seat" kind.

29. The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

I picked this up because of the beautiful cover and really enjoyed it. I know I've complained about YA books sometimes feeling too young. I usually mean the writing style, which is no fault of the books. They are for younger audiences, I'm aware. But this one didn't feel overly young. I listened to the audio and liked it. I hope there's more in the series.

30. Restless Stars by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

This series is also fucking stupid. But I've read every single one of them. So joke's on me, I guess. Anyway, dumb ending to a series I'm glad is over. I will be reading more by these authors, though. Because I clearly don't read these books for the good writing. I will never reread them.

31. The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe

I actually dislike these more than Zodiac Academy, tbh. I wasn't reading them for the plot, though. Fucking stupid. I've read all of them.

32. Maneater by Emily Antoinette

I read this because of the cover and also I was hoping she actually literally ate men. A little disappointed that she falls in love with one instead. Cute, short romance if you can overlook the lack of murdering. Pretty sure this is a prequel but I haven't read the others yet.

33. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't amazing and I was listening to it while doing busy work. So it wasn't enthralling or anything but I didn't hate it. I can see why some people thought it was boring, though. I liked the magic system. There's a dog named Sir Kiwi, which is the most important thing to know. She lives.

July

34. The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe

I remember the MC being agonizingly annoying throughout this series. And how they just like--all collectively fall in love with her even though she has the personality of styrofoam. She made me cringe a few times. And for some reason they like her more than all the other Darlings after knowing her for like 2 days and never really explain why she's special and different.

35. Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe

I don't remember her being vicious a single time.

36. The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe

I remember that most of my questions were still left unanswered. Every character is annoying except the Crocodile, I think. Idk. I can't remember. I'm pretty sure there's a spinoff or will be at some point but I don't care enough to read it. I don't know how I made it to the end beyond wanting those questions answered and then not getting that.

37. As Old as Time by Liz Braswell

I've been really enjoying these Disney books. They hit a lot harder than the movies and answer some questions. I liked that you learn more about Belle's mother in this book and it gives a bit more backstory into the Prince being cursed and everything. Fun.

38. Romancing Rem'eb by Ruby Dixon

Back at it again with the IPB spinoffs. Mushrooms? Dumb. Gimme fourteen of them.

August

39. Tempting Auzed by Victoria Aveline

This is why I stop myself from reading these books back to back. I can't remember the differences between them. Fuck if I know what happened in this book. I enjoyed it though.

40. Ocean Wolves by Theresa Beachman

I'm pretty sure I chose this because 1. it was free on Stuff Your Kindle Day and 2. I needed a book with an author with the same initials as me for the summer reading program. I actually really enjoyed this book? Very suspenseful as well as romantic. Will probably continue this series even though it isn't my usual cup of tea.

41. Fire in His Blood by Ruby Dixon

More Ruby Dixon for my IPB fix. I don't enjoy this series as much. More dystopian than sci-fi. They're fine, I guess. There are dragons. I'm pretty sure I read another one but it isn't logged anywhere.

42. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

I really liked this one! I listened to the audio and there were a few times I had to go back because I wasn't paying enough attention. I don't do that often, which is why I usually choose YA for my listens. Also because I don't want to be listening to smut at work. This one isn't YA, though. I liked it a lot.

43. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

This... this is the edge of your seat book I've been looking for. I was hooked from the first page. Loved every second of it. I started to get anxious about the love triangle but then it turned into a throuple, which is the only valid solution. I started with the audio and my time ran out, so I checked out the physical book. Which doesn't happen often, but I needed to know more. FEMININE RAGE. QUEER CHARACTERS. CHINESE MYTHOLOGY. GIANT MECH SUITS. BE GAY. DO CRIMES. 10/10.

September

44. Cryptids, Creatures & Critters by Rachel Quinney

This is about the point that I started to lose momentum. This book didn't tell me anything new about cryptids but the artwork is STUNNING. I will be buying this book because I want to stare at it.

45. Wild Wolf by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

The conclusion of the Darkmore books. Also stupid. But I wasn't here for the plot. I don't remember much of what happens in this book besides a lot of orgies, tbh.

46. Thrum by Meg Smitherman

Ok, I read this on a fucking airplane because I didn't expect there to be smut in it. But... this book was fucking... weird? Like, I think I didn't enjoy it. Idk. There were a lot of things left unanswered. And it wasn't as thrilling as I was led to believe. It's been months and I don't think I fully processed it yet. I don't recommend it.

47. The Widow and the Orcs by Finley Fenn

I downloaded this for my trip because I knew I wouldn't be able to download anything else, and I didn't realize it's #9 in the series. I did like that the MC is older and not a baby-faced 19yo. But it was also a lot. Not sure if I'll continue the series because her love interest is a villain in the other books and I'm going to have a hard time forgiving him.

48. The Orc and the Innkeeper by Cora Crane

I was on a trip. And clearly going through an Orc phase, okay? This was kinda dumb. More modern setting. Former high school bully. Suffered a bit from the miscommunication trope. I don't really want to read more.

I saw Hozier in concert after this so I had to take time off to process that as well. You can't have an out-of-body Hozier experience like that and then just jump right back into Orc smut, you know? Also, I got really sick after this so I was like zooted on fever temps and dayquil for the rest of September.

October

49. The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch

The only book I read in October. Absolutely delightful for a Gravity Falls fan. 10/10.

November

50. ExtraOrdinary by V.E. Schwab

Mad that no one told me there's a comic series that takes place in the Vicious universe. Rude of them. Fun story.

51. Beware the Banshee's Cry by Steven J. Rolfes

In my folklore era now. I enjoyed this book. More background on Banshees. I used it to argue why Banshees belong in the folklore section and not metaphysical. And I stand by that choice.

December

52. Dark Folklore by Mark Norman

This book got me EXCITED. I love folklore. And I loved that this book went into the more cultural history behind these folk stories, rather than just telling the stories. There's a whole section on how sleep paralysis influenced folklore and I DID NOT SHUT UP ABOUT IT FOR WEEKS. I can write essays on sleep paralysis and folklore. So I was super excited to see it explained in depth. It also gave me new information I didn't consider. Ex. the incubus/succubus myths derived from people experiencing sleep paralysis. Amazing. 10/10.

53. When She's Bold by Ruby Dixon

Another cute, quick read. Very glad the miscommunication was cleared up quickly. By, you know, talking to each other. There's no real high stakes. No beating around the bush, so to speak. Once they realize they aren't communicating properly, they just like, talk about it. I appreciated that.

54. The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Balanger

Christmas folklore, of the darker variety. This book claims it's more Krampus based, and does go into depth on that myth, but it also touched on the dark origins of a lot of Christmas traditions. Fascinating. I love having random folklore facts in my back pocket to ruin Christmas for everyone. 10/10.

55. Goldfinch by Raven Kennedy

I put off reading this book because the ending to the last one pissed me off. But I finally read it. It was fine. Overall, not the best series I've ever read but I enjoyed them. I mean, I read them all. Glad things got resolved and wrapped up.

56. The Visitor by Sergio Gomez

This book annoyed me. The premise was different from the execution. It felt flat and rushed. I know it's a short story but I felt like the suspense could have been built up better. Also, they just like figure out right away that they're being hunted by an alien and it's harvesting their organs. People aren't going to jump right into figuring it out like that. More of a telling not showing kind of book. The dog survives so that's important.

I also read a book called A Glitch in the Matrix but apparently I didn't log it anywhere. I did finish it but I didn't enjoy it because it ended up just being personal accounts of people's ghost stories. I didn't feel like there were enough Glitches and 9 times out of 10 they were obviously sleep paralysis or something that had an easy explanation.

2024 Total: 57

[lemonynuggets]

nothing like a day of almost passing out since the moment you wake up because it’s extremely hot and you have to do housework

[shhhhimwatchingthis]

My favourite underrated thing about Louis de Point du Lac is that he truly is the least curious vampire to ever be made and he does not give fuck about vampires despite being one.

Its Claudia who goes to libraries, reads the folklore, tries to learn as much as she can and pushes Lestat for answers about who made him and where the others are. Claudia says Vampire Pride and Louis says hmmm Vampire Tolerance.

And Louis...truly does not care about vampire history,law, culture. He's never even thought to ask. There are vampire laws?...ok...Lestat never cared about them and he's not going to either, lol. He's broken a few and he will continue to do so. Oh you have a coven? he's not gonna join it, he's gonna do his own thing. but good for you good for you.

the 500+ year old Coven Leader, he's gonna call Louis, Maitre, actually.

He has fire powers? thats kinda cool. he'll learn that but only cause it lets him vent his feelings about Lestat.

Lestat and Armand say the name of the vampire queen in front of him and Lestat straight up says, "Louis has no idea who that is" and do you think Louis cares, outside of the fact that for some reason it means he can't kill Lestat? No! Do you think in the 77 years he's been with Armand he ever took 5 minutes to ask a follow up question? No!

Do you think he will care about Akasha in season 3? Doubt it! Outside of her obsession with Lestat, who is the only person left on the planet he seems to be able to filter Caring About This Shit through

He blatantly breaks the 3rd law and publishes a book about being a vampire and when the other vampires get pissed not only does he not apologise he literally sends them his location and says 'you wanna fight? lmao don't miss'

I love him. Daniel Molloy is gonna need to bring his A game because Louis will not be solving a single mystery next season, nor would it even occur to him to try.

[cocklessboy]

The other day I told a friend of mine that I never forget to take my ADHD meds because I fucking love my ADHD meds. I'm in my late 30s, I didn't finally get a diagnosis and meds until less than two years ago, and they have changed my entire life.

And he raised his eyebrow at me. We'd been discussing addictive medications a few minutes before, like the Tramadol I finally got from the pain specialist to take once a week or so to give me a break from my chronic pain, so I reassured him that methylpenidate (Ritalin/Concerta) is not addictive (at least not in people with ADHD).

His response? To raise his eyebrow even harder and say "Well it sure SOUNDS like it's addictive!"

And I had to explain to this man - who works in a healthcare related job by the way - that just because medication makes you feel good and helps you, just because you look forward to taking it, that doesn't make it addictive or dangerous. And he wasn't convinced.

The simple fact that I was excited to take a daily pill that has literally changed my life, after decades of fighting to get that medication, made him think I shouldn't be taking it so often. That it must inherently be dangerous.

I'm not even in America, but I'm pretty sure this attitude began there and then spread over here to Europe. This Puritan idea of "if something feels good, you must beware of it. Pleasure is dangerous, it is sinful, it is addiction, it is evil."

I know too many people who subconsciously believe that pleasure = addictive = dangerous = bad. Joy is a slippery slope to hell.

So here is your reminder for today that you don't need to be afraid of feeling good. If something improves your life, use it. Even if it is addictive - learn what that addiction means, whether the addiction is inherently dangerous or not, and whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and risks.

My ADHD meds are, in fact, not addictive. But I will take them every day because they make my life orders of magnitude easier. I will enjoy them every time I take them.

My tramadol is addictive. I will still take it. I will keep it on a schedule to avoid becoming addicted, primarily because addiction in this case would mean reduced effectiveness. But I am not afraid of my painkillers. They are life changing.

Take your meds, everyone. Don't let anyone scare you away from doing something that improves your life.

[saintrosalyn]

JAILBIRD

Ghost becomes pen pals with an inmate before deciding that he wants to adopt his little jailbird.

Word count: 4.1k

Tw: inmate reader, reader is kept as vauge as possible but is implied to be younger than Ghost, violence, stalking, ghost is a perv, p in v, oral (f! Receiving), creampie, spanking (once), orgasm denial if you squint, unprotected sex, NOT edited we die like men.

Edited to Add: Part Two is posted :)

Notes: Baby’s first fanfic, please be gentle. Let me know if I missed any trigger warnings or if you want to see more! I have an idea for a second part but I don’t know if anyone wants it, right now it’s tucked away safely in my drafts. Enjoy! :)

P.S. I’m thinking about making an ao3 account and publishing an edited version of this on there. I’ll link it if I do! I’ve already spent too much time procrastinating finals but christmas break is around the corner so who knows.

The letter came with the top serrated, already opened, as all your letters came. You mostly ignored them. There were a couple of programs that allowed people to become pen pals with prisoners but you’d been there long enough to know what they often contained. 

Many of the women milked poor losers on the outside. Money given and sent. Promises of butterfly kisses and blowjobs whispered over the phone. Exchanges. Some were even able to sweet talk their honeys into giving bribes. Money passed into hands of guards, currency that was then exchanged for cigarettes, which were much more valuable on the inside than the bills used on the outside.

You don’t know why you read this letter. It certainly wasn’t the penmanship, a scrawled handwriting that lay between cursive and print. Maybe it was the blue pen, you’d recognize a Bic anywhere, or maybe it was the fact that it smelled a bit like top-shelf liquor. 

It was rather blunt. But not in an obscene way. Simple and straight to the point as if constrained by an unknown word count. It wasn’t memorable, but what else was there to do? Pace your cell back and forth and wait for zoochosis to settle further in your bones. Close your eyes and remember what freedom tasted like before it dissolved in your mouth.

The pen they gave you was cheap, the paper even cheaper, but you were used to making things work. Your reply was shorter than his, than Simon’s, but it got the job done. If he wanted to write back he would. If he didn’t, well, the new prison guard was starting to get rather handsy with you. The time will pass no matter what.

___

His replies came in strange patterns. Some weeks you’d get eight in a week, other times you wouldn’t hear from him for a few months. It took a year for the first phone call of which lasted less than a minute and consisted mostly of him grunting on the other end and a schlick sound you pretended not to notice. It was his fourth phone call that he finally said a few words in a voice so low it made the phone buzz against your ear, tickling like a lover's breath. Eventually, you had some semblance of conversations, even if they were interrupted by a recorded voice warning you of the time you had left. 

He told you he was a soldier and at first, you planned on cutting the whole penpal idea off. Even before you got arrested you hated bootlickers more than anything. But Simon grew on you, and your friends all suggested you get in his good graces to see if he could pull some strings. You would’ve felt guilty if he was anything other than glorified government property. Both of you were.

The first thing he gave you was a book, The Yellow Wallpaper, which was thicker than you remembered from the time you read it in school. It was only when you cracked open the spine did you find a pack of cigarettes inside, the pages carved out so your real present could be placed inside. You couldn’t help the smile that split your lips as you pressed one between your lips, not noticing the tiny S carved into it.

You thank him for the gift by whispering his name into the phone. A mantra, a prayer, it didn’t matter as long as you kept your voice breathy. He promises to get you more and you learn not to refuse him. At one point, you notice that little robotic voice doesn’t time you anymore. The guard who couldn’t keep his hands to himself was replaced with a woman, hair pulled back into a military-style bun. And you got an extra cookie with your meals.

It took a year for him to visit. You knew it was coming eventually, men are only fine with their imagination for so long before they crave something tangible. Hell, even you were curious about the man who wanted to sink his teeth into you. It almost felt like getting ready for a date. Butterflies dropped like lead in your stomach as you tried to tidy your appearance as much as you could. You smelled, but there wasn’t much you could do about that. The whole damn prison smelled like a county fair bathroom. The lack of air conditioning in the heat of summer just added a sweet BO tinge. 

The first thing you noticed about Simon was his size. You had never met a man as big as he was. The next was the thick scar tissue that marred his face. Though, even without the scars you would be hesitant to ever call him handsome.

Intimidating.

That was what came to mind staring at the thick cords of muscle that covered his arms and the broadness of his shoulders wasn’t just genetics. And he just stared at you. You glanced at the phone that connected to his on the other side of the glass and back at him but decided against it.

You offered him a small smile and an awkward wave. It unnerved you. The focus and attention pinned you in place. Normally you kinned yourself to a tiger you saw at a zoo when you were a child. One that paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. A habit you understood all too well. But sitting in front of your pen pal you realized you were rather off. 

Simon was the tiger and you were the bird that caught his attention.

It took far too long for the guard to come and collect you. For once you were grateful to retreat back to your cell, so much so that in your retreat you failed to notice the nod your warden gave Simon.

___

After that Simon met with you in person as often as was allowed. He never said anything and neither did you. Eventually, the novelty of him wore off. Humans were rather adaptable creatures, and you could only be scared of the man for so long before your body adjusted to him. Despite your silence, Simon didn’t appear displeased with you. In fact, it was almost the opposite of it. More gifts arrived.

A pillow, high-end shampoo, a toothbrush (that you had a strange suspicion was used before being given to you), nail polish, and more cigarettes. Some of the women were jealous of the attention given to you, others tried to get with you to share your bounty. Somehow you dodged most of the conflict. But you can only run so long while trapped with so many women.

When you showed up to your meeting sporting a bruised cheek and split lip the air quickly changed. Before you thought Simon looked like a predator. 

You were wrong.

Fear coursed through your veins and you recognized the look in his eyes. Every woman in the damn place knows what a hunger for violence looked like. Slowly he reached out an arm, the sleeve of his hoodie riding up slightly showing off tattoos, before grabbing the phone and pressing it to his ear. With a shaking hand, you did the same.

“Bird.” His voice was somehow deeper in real life than over the phone.

“You should see the other guy.”

His lips twitched.

There was something uncanny about his eyes. They weren’t brown, they were black. Obsidian. You realized that before, the first time you met him, he wasn’t trying to scare you. Though, you were pretty sure it wasn’t directed at you.

“Just a little spat is all Simon. Everything sorted itself out.”

All over a bottle of nail polish. Tempers run short in prison. You spend most of your days in a cell, and what little free time you get surrounded by the same insufferable bitches, it’s a mystery there isn’t more violence. For the most part, things were settled with words. The more physical an inmate gets the more time spent in your cell. There were some weeks where you spent twenty-three hours a day in that little room. 

Simon let out a sigh as if dealing with you was the most insufferable part of his day.

“Did ye’ get medical attention a’ least?”

You nodded your head.

He gave a grunt.

That seemed to be his preferred method of communication with you. Caveman grunts and growls, the occasional moan over the phone he couldn’t hold back. You figured it had something to do with his job. He was quite tight-lipped about it, but you gathered he has co-workers (his squad? Platoon? What was the proper lingo?). Despite this, you were under the impression he spent the majority of his time alone. He always seemed more primal after those month-long stints of silence.

You always wondered how you would feel if he never contacted you again. Went out and didn’t come back. Would you assume he was dead? That he moved on to prettier things that aren’t locked away? Would it make a difference to you? 

No. It wouldn’t.

Even now you got letters upon letters from other men. Though none were as giving as Simon was.

It was back to silence and staring contests that you were used to. The both of you slipping into a familiarity. He never put the phone back. Even when your warden came and escorted you back. You didn’t glance back at him. 

Tucked away in your cell you didn’t get to watch Simon slowly rise out of his seat, chair creaking from the shifting of his weight. You didn’t see Simon lurk in the back as the inmates met with their loved ones on the out. Didn’t see him take notice of a particular girls with nails painted the same shade as his gift to you. The same shade as the tip of his cock.

___

The girl was transferred. For a singular moment, you thought Simon had something to do with it. Then laughed at the idea. Simon may be in the military, but you highly doubted he had anything to do with the bitch who got transferred. At least you got your nail polish back. It was a strange shade, and the idea of a man as big as Simon standing in an isle trying to pick out a shade made you chuckle, it was the thought that counted.

Time marched on. Penpals came and went but Simon stayed the consistent part in your life. 

Eventually, the possibility of parole was on the horizon. 

Freedom. 

So close you could practically taste it.

Unfortunately, that meant a laundry list of to-do items. Court hearings, lawyers bankrolled by Simon, arranging for transportation and housing. Simon handled most of it. By now, the lingering guilt of using your soldier fiance had long left you. He seemed like the kind of man who needed to learn lessons the hard way, and entering a relationship with a felon was a lesson most didn’t need to learn. Still, he had been putting in quite a hard amount of work. He deserved a treat.

And after years of forced celibacy, you needed it bad.

The two of you would enjoy each other for a week or two. Simon would realize he made a mistake moving you in. He would kick you out. You’d pawn the ring he’d give you and use the money as a cushion as you landed, getting back on your feet. The two of you would go your separate ways and never see each other again.

Being in prison taught you a lot of things. Despite everything, patience wasn’t one of those lessons. The day you were gaining your freedom passed was the slowest part of your life. The checking, double checking, retrieving your stuff, checking again, until finally,

Finally,

You were outside. You were outside in something other than a uniform that stunk of sweat, there were no handcuffs. Anxiety crept everywhere. You wanted to get as far away from the prison as you could, if you breathed wrong a warden would drag you back. A pair of arms snatched you.

You looked up and couldn’t help but laugh, pressing your lips against his scarred ones.

“Fucking Christ your tall.”

He chuckled against your lips before taking them again, hands digging near painfully into your ass. The two of you somehow managed to walk back to his car peeling off one another before Simon peeled away, hand clutching the fat of your thighs as he drove.

“Never pictured you as a reckless driver.” You giggled.

The adrenaline and giddiness of being free hadn’t worn off yet. If anything it seemed to slowly be morphing into a different beast entirely. You pressed your lips against his bicep causing him to groan. You glanced up at him, watching as his jaw clenched weaving in and out of traffic in a way that was certainly not legal. You would’ve been worried about being pulled over if he wasn’t driving a military vehicle. They answered to a different police, or so he told you.

Eventually, he pulled into the yard of a house with an honest-to-God white picket fence. You smiled as you got out, curiosity creeping in about what his house was like. Simon opened the door for you, which would probably should’ve made you swoon at his gentleman-like behavior, but truthfully it was how he hauled you out of the card and dragged you inside that got your heart racing. 

Impatient.

The door barely closed before his body was pressed against yours and his lips were pressed against your jugular. One of his rough hands slipped up your shirt, grunting when he found a clear path to your tits instead of meeting the edge of a bra. The other dipped into the waistband of your pants, running over your clothed cunt, no doubt feeling the wet spot against your underwear. Your hands slid over his arms, squeezing at the muscle, before slowly sliding them up and up, going to the back of his neck, a hand threading through his short hair the other cupping his face to kiss yours. 

A large thumb found your clit, only the thin cotton stopped him from rubbing directly against it. He pressed down hard on it, causing your breath to catch in your throat, his thumb moving down your slit. The seam of your mouth parted in a moan and he used that to stick his tongue down your throat. 

The kiss was obscenely wet, beastly as his spit passed from his mouth into yours. Before prison, you would’ve pulled away with a grimace. Too much tongue, too much teeth, too much. But your whole body was on fire, years of pent-up orgasms made you desperate for it all. For someone to press against you, to be inside you.

Simon was oh-so-convenient. 

You tried to pull away, lungs burning enough to convince you that air was in fact a need, but the door stopped you. Pressed between it and Simon you had no escape. You whimpered against his mouth, again and again until he finally got the hint and pulled away, a string of spit connecting your mouths as if it too was reluctant to pull away from you.

“Bedroom?” You panted, though if he took you here against the door you would die happy.

Simon threw you over his shoulder and took his stairs two at a time before tossing you on his bed making you laugh. The caveman and his prize. Simon took the moment of being away from you to pull at the collar of his shirt. You watched in appreciation as it lifted higher and higher until it was discarded on his carpet. 

His body was marred in scar tissue, muscle, and a layer of fat that made for a solid fine specimen of the male species. His pants were discarded next, and either he pulled his underwear down with them or he just wasn’t wearing any to begin with. You didn’t have much time to ponder that thought distracted by his hard cock.

Jesus Christ.

Big was an understatement, monster was the word that popped into your mind. It crossed the territory between delicious into scary. Large and thicker than you thought possible. You swallowed and for a second hoped he would forget about the blowjob you promised him after he gave you a pillow. 

“Yer’ wearin’ too many clothes Birdie.” 

Quickly, though not as quickly as Simon was, you wiggled out of your pants, shrugged off your shirt throwing it in the same pile as his clothes. He stepped closer to you, one large hand grabbing your ankle before retching you towards him.

He leaned down, mouthing at your bare tits, slobbering over them. The soft press of his tongue flicked over your nipple before he moved to the other and grazed his teeth over it. His hands were everywhere. He was everywhere. Impossibly big and pressed against you everywhere. Until all your senses were filled with him. As if Simon was the only thing that mattered in the world.

The artificial sun in your glass cage.

His mouth moved lower, nipping at your skin before he moved between your legs. He settled his body in between them, the calloused palm of his hands pressing your legs further and further apart until the stretch burned in the muscles where your legs met your pelvis. Quickly the pain faded into the background as he pressed a kiss against your bare clit, before taking it in his mouth and sucking. You felt the rough pad of his fingertips press against your hole rubbing against it but never quite dipping inside. Again and again, he moved it against you but never in you. 

It was maddening.

You tilted your pelvis against his mouth, trying to coax his fingers into your welcoming body. He growled against your clit, removing his mouth causing you to whine. A sharp sting met your ass cheek and you yelped.

He spanked you.

“Behave.”

You never took the man to be hungry for anything other than missionary, but it seemed he had learned a few tricks over the years. He did have a few on you, you were sure of it. Your thoughts leaked out of your ears as he moved back up, slotting his hips in between your legs. Liquid lust ran through your veins at the sight of him rubbing his dick against your mound, a mess of your slick and his pre dragging along your pussy and up to your belly button. Your poor hole clenching around nothing at the image of how deep he was about to be in you.

You took a deep breath, mesmerized as he pressed the tip against your entrance, catching it before pressing himself inside. He went slowly, and you couldn’t help the moan that left you as he finally began to sink home. Throwing your head back you closed your eyes as he stretched your body out.

You weren’t a virgin before you were locked away, but years of celibacy made you feel born again. Hell, with the size Simon was even if you had fucked him before he would’ve made you feel virginal with the way he was splitting you open.

When you opened them again you caught his gaze, he stared at you watching your expression pinch as he gave small thrusts, working the last of him inside you. When his balls pressed against your ass you let out a shaky breath. You had passed your limit two inches ago but somehow Simon had managed to coax your sweet pussy to take the last of him inside. The pain of him had taken you away from the edge of an orgasm he was working you towards, but when his hand found your clit again you knew you weren’t going to last long.

If his shaky breaths were anything to go by Simon wasn’t going to last long either. 

He kissed you again, this time it was softer. Sweeter. Made your stomach turn in a moment of guilt. It was replaced when he drew out of you, slowly letting you feel inch after inch leave your body, before slamming back in.

He moved again against you. And again. Building up a punishing rhythm. You couldn’t help the small ah ah ah’s that left your lips as he rutted in you. Your hips pushed against his, working with him as you both chased your highs. 

His hand never left your clit, as if glued to it working in tight fast circles. His other hand traveled along your body as if he couldn’t get enough of you. Squeezing at your tits so hard you thought it might bruise, running up your bare skin, constantly moving and feeling. As if he couldn’t believe that you were real. That you were out of your cage and underneath him panting his name in his ear instead of against the end of a phone. 

Your own hands wandered. Moving over his arms, God’s gift to you, his chest. But mostly they moved down his back, feeling his muscles move and contract under your hands. Before you left you would convince him to put a mirror over his bed, so you could watch his shoulders shift and move as he thrust inside you.

It was too much. The feel of Simon, the stimulation on your clit, the thick cock pistoning like a machine inside you, pressure built and built inside you. Your nails dug into his back, dragging down as he pushed you off that ledge.

Simon’s thrusts stuttered as he felt your walls fluttering around him, suckling at his cock, coaxing him. He came with a groan soon after you, painting your walls with thick globs of his cum.

You panted as he rested against you, letting his cock soften inside you as you ran your nails over the nape of his neck and caressed his short hair. It was oddly soft, comforting to run your hands over.

Simon began to untangle himself from you, slowly as if reluctant to part from your embrace. He moved to what you now realize was the on-suite connected to his bedroom. You could feel his cum start to drip out of your cunt and down your asshole, shifting at the uncomfortable feeling. You couldn’t find the energy yet to move, not even sure if your legs could support you right now. Simon came back to you, wash-cloth in hand, and began wiping up the mess he made.

“We’ll have to get a Plan B tomorrow.” You murmured as he crawled back into bed next to you.

Simon didn’t say anything, but he had always been a quiet man. He maneuvered the both of you until you rested under the covers, your hand running along his bare chest. Tracing his happy trail before moving back up, not ready to go again.

The adrenaline from before had worn off, leaving you suddenly exhausted. Sated and free you dozed off against him.

When you woke up again it was darker outside. Not yet the full black of night but rather the soft blue that came after the sun had only just dipped out of sight. Simon wasn’t in bed next to you. You rolled over with a sigh, sitting up and smoothing your hair. Thirsty you threw the covers off your body and padded across out of his room entering into a small hallway. There was a door directly across his room and with a shrug, you went into it. 

It wasn’t snooping if you lived here now too. Even if you were only going to stay for a little bit.

The handle turned easily but the room was darker than you expected, no windows to let in any natural light. Your hands patted at the wall until you found the edge of a light switch, with a click the room was bathed in a soft glow.

Your breath hitched.

The room was bare except for a small desk and chair, the walls were covered in photos. Photos of you. Old photos, from before your prison stint. Mugshots. But what made your skin crawl were photos of you in your cell. You sprawled out on your uncomfortable cot. You sitting cross-legged across from your cellmate. Images of you in the cafeteria. Images of you in the yard. 

You took a step back, then another, and another.

You flicked the light back off and slowly closed the door. You took a shuddering breath and yelped when you felt a chest pressed against yours. 

Simon’s hands dug into your hips, pulling you tight against him.

“You look like you’ve seen a Ghost, Birdie.”

Poor little bird, trading one cage for another.

___

Part Two

[cathnospam]

Bakugo makes you laugh, A LOT and it drives him insane.

“It was not that damn funny.”

You try to conceal the snickers from your mouth, but fail horribly. All he did was mutter something about Mineta being a punk ass and it had you giggly.

At first he used to take offense by it, maybe you were laughing AT him and not what he says, almost like mocking him, that wasn’t until Deku quickly explained in passing that you laugh very easily.

But you don’t laugh this damn much with anybody else but him. At this point he thought you had a similar quirk to Ms. Joke, and he nicknamed you Giggles.

You both were studying in the library like you both usually do during exam week, and Bakugo noticed you haven’t been Miss. Cackle the past few days. Not even a smile actually and you’d think it would have been some relief for him from hearing your laugh obxonious laugh, but he’s actually more annoyed.

He looks up from his book and glances at you across the table, you’re typing away, with a less that neutral look on your face. Lips somehow forming a pout and eyes looking droopy. He scoffs going back to his work, but it was an itch he needed to scratch with you..?

“Who pissed in your breakfast.”

“What?”

“You been looking like a sad lost puppy all week what the hell is your problem.”

The corner of your lips cracked upwards a bit, almost as if you were fighting to smile, but instead you shrug, “‘Nothing you needa worry about. Why.”

It was almost concerning how calm you sounded. Your voice was more tame that you didn’t even sound recognizable which make Bakugo crease his brows, “You suck at lying. Is it, because of that shitty boyfriend you have pissed you off.”

He was referring to Shindo, he wasn’t your boyfriend, but he was a guy you got close with after meeting him a few years ago, but Bakugo was half right he was part of the problem.

You had a small crush on Shindo , but overheard him tell his classmates how he isn’t into you like that mainly because you’re not his type and how much he can’t stand how loud you talk/laugh sometimes.

It hurt hearing it, when he found out you heard he tried apologizing but you didn’t wanna hear it, so since then you’ve turn self conscious about speaking and laughing too loudly for the past week to avoid anymore issues that you have caused with people.

After slowly explaining to the Blonde he rolled his eyes, “You’re ganna let the walking vibrator dictate your life too? So stupid.”

“You hate my laugh too. What does it matter.”

Bakugo stayed silent for a moment while you went back to work. Thinking how could he word what he wants to say without sounding like an idiot, “I never said that, besides you never stopped even when I did tell you your laugh was annoying. If you want to cackle like a hyena who gives a fuck—“

You break into a snicker but end up covering it with your hand. He cracks a proud smirk, he almost forgot what you looked like with a smile, “I don’t wanna be loud. Just can’t help it.”

“We know.”

You giggle at his deadpanned voice, it really wasn’t your fault, you’re just so easy to please and Bakugo knows that, “Giggly ass, and I seen you almost laugh when Denki tripped at the lecture today.”

“Becauuseee he is always so dramatic when he falls.” You whined into a chuckle, sharing a small one with him.

It was a start of many more shared laughs after studying, Katsuki even tried to be just a LITTLE bit more funnier than usual when walking back to the dorms. When you finally cracked a real loud one out he felt himself grinning at you.

“Katsuki Alexander Bakugo are you smiling?”

“Don’t you EVER say my full name like that again got dammit I will blow you the hell UP!”

You almost fall to your knees of how funny his reaction was to you, it felt so good to smile again. You missed it, and so did everybody else the next day apparently.

Mina and some others thought you were depressed, Deku assumed you were sick, Denki outwardly blamed Bakugo which got him smacked, and IIda actually missed your loud noises as well.

Your classmates enjoyed your presence more than you thought they did.

But Bakugo missed it the most.

Your laughs drives him insane, because he loves to hear them.

[bet-on-me-13]

Love Danny/Steph, it is criminally underutilized.

Danny would absolutely do everything in his power to try and take care of Steph and the Baby. Of course he won't force Steph to have the baby if she doesn't want it, but he is still excited.

I also think that Danny and Steph would try to have a relationship for the first week or so, because they think that it's what they are supposed to do. Eventually they realize that they're better as Friends and agree to remain Platonic Friends at most.

F#ck societal standards of decency, they can be just Friends and Co-Parents at the same time if they want to be. Who ever said they need to get married just because they have a kid together?

Oh, multiple belief systems say that? Well Danny is a God himself, he can make any rules he wants (no hate btw)

Steph was freaking out. She was pregnant! She had a month long relationship with a guy, they slept together (multiple times), and now she was pregnant.

How long should she keep this from her (adopted))family. They all were detectives but that was usually focused on a case and not her. There was no use hiding this from Alfred or Cass. They would see through her in an instant. Luckily the rest of the family was focused on their own lives, with B being pulled into a JL meeting lead by Constantine. Something about a newly conseived demigod or something she never listens to Constantine, barely anyone does.

She was in the middle of planning her 9 months of pregnancy and lying, when suddenly Batman and Constantine magically teleport into her apartment. " According to the ritual This is the girl whose is pregnant with the demigod" Constantine states while being completly ignored by the two. Steph is staring at Batman who is slightly twitching. "Well shit" she groans.

Another magical ritual later and her previous... Boyfriend? Fling? Her month long, one night stand is standing there in a magic circle. She rushes to speak before her family can, "Danny you jerk! You got me pregnant and didn't even tell me you were a god?!?"

[rosiereveries]

You met John Price in some shity bar where your friends dragged you to celebrate someone's birthday. John immediately noticed you and he sent you a few drinks. The whole time you had no idea who your secret admirer was. When John notices that your friends start to leave, he finally approaches you. He asks you if he could buy you another drink not mentioning that he was your source of alcohol the whole night. After some talking you know that you don't want the night to end. That's how you end up in his apartment, with slow music playing in the background sitting on John's lap and making out. Both of you know that this will end in his bed. John is making mental notes that he must ask you for your number in the morning. He doesn't want this to r just one time thing, he wants to invite you out, properly date you. What John doesn't expect is waking up alone in the morning. You left pretty early and only left a note on his kitchen table saying : thanks for the night xoxo

Now almost a year later John can't stop thinking about you. He comes to the conclusion that you were not from the town and you were just visiting. His friends make fun of him, for falling in love with a random girl who he slept with only once. Imagine his surprise when he finally sees you in town, in some cute bakery waiting in line for you sweet treat. It is just like in his fantasies, when he sees you and asks you for a date and you agree and eventually you spend your life together. What he does not expect is a chubby baby boy that you hold. He quickly does the math. His is 100% sure that the baby is his. He waits for you outside preparing his speech. When you walk out of the cafe pushing the pram you finally see him. The man from the bar you met a year ago. You don't have any time to process what is happening. In one moment John is walking to you and the next moment his is kneeling in front of you holding your hand talking about doing the right thing. He tells you that he knows this is not how you imagined this, but he is here now and he will help you raise your baby. He asks you to marry him, tells you he will give you a good life. You don't have to work just focus on raising his child.

When he finally lets you explain the situation you just laugh at him. You tell him that it is not his baby. And it is not even yours. You're just babysitting for your friend who asked for your help. You also remind him that you used protection when you slept together and he finally starts to think again. John joins you on your walk and he spends the whole day with you and the baby. He finally asks you for your number. Just before he goes to bed that day, he texts you and asks you out. You agree, but he has to promise, that he will not propose to you for at least a year. And no unprotected sex for him too. That will break his heart but anything for his darling. He will make sure you will have a nice ring on your finger before he makes you a mom. Don't worry he will make it the right way.

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