#like. just. never a single thing that happens on the entire show hits as 'oh yep! you're right! grace hanson is straight' to me.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

something i love a lot about grace hanson is that she is such a beyond-perfect lesbian character that it couldn't even be written on purpose. she transcends that. human brains couldn't plan grace hanson and they can't control her either. she is alive and irrepressible no matter how hard she tries. no matter how hard the writers try! and they both try really hard.

[elliesflower]

i hate u [abby anderson]

pairing; abby x afab!reader

word count; 3.8k how tf did that happen

cw; language, mentions of death, angst (like, so much angst), enemies to lovers, eventual smut

summary; abby has always had it out for you. the feeling was mutual.

until it wasn't.

an; hiiii, it's me, providing you with the abby content i'm devoid of. i love this buff lesbian woman so fucking much.

read pt 2 here!

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT OR I'LL CRY (and as always read it on AO3 here <3)

there were much more productive ways you could be spending your time. you could be, i don’t know—literally doing anything else other than being forced to clean these goddamned bathrooms. 

it’s not that you didn’t mind cleaning, no. in fact, under ideal circumstances, cleaning could actually be fun for you. there was just a big problem with who it forced you into a room with this time. with her stupid long french braid, and her absurdly large muscles—like seriously, what the fuck was she showing off for? we’re killing scars, not for training for the fucking rapture.

“you know, if you move the mop in a back-and-forth motion, it would actually clean the floors.” 

to put it quite plainly, abby doesn’t like you. you said left, she had to say right; you say go, she had to say stop—the mutual loathing was just routine at this point, it came almost as natural as breathing. surely it didn’t help that the two of you were typically sent on assignments that involved being together for far too many hours at a time. rarely was it made only slightly better by the presence of someone else, another body to diffuse even an ounce of the tension that hung between the two of you like a rope. 

you scoffed at her juvenile insolence, though you started mopping again nonetheless. “trust me, i don’t want to be here any longer than i have to. i have shit to do,” you jeered, making it a point to look down at the ground, watching the soapy water spread across the tile. not at the way her muscles—have you mentioned they’re absurdly large?—flexed as she wiped down the counter with bleach. 

“oh, i’m sorry, i didn’t realize i was keeping you from something!” abby exclaimed, feigning ignorance. “by all means, you run off and do whatever it is you have to do, and i’ll just finish this little punishment all by myself.” 

you had to bite back a bitter laugh, instead choosing to shake your head at the ground, your mopping becoming just a little bit more aggressive with each stroke. you chose to ignore it. you almost had her completely tuned out of your mind, until you didn’t.

“it’s not like i was the one who just let that scar go.” that stopped you dead in your tracks. 

abby has said a lot of things to you. a lot of untrue things. a lot of hurtful things, even. and again, it was entirely possible you could have even ignored that. but then you looked up—and you saw her stupid, imprudent fucking smirk, and it was over. “you know what abby?” you started, throwing your mop. you didn’t even have the energy to smile at the way she flinched when the wooden handle hit the ground with a loud bang. she played it off quickly, though, raising an eyebrow and leaning back against the counter. you didn’t expect the sudden lump in your throat. 

“fuck you.” 

the words didn’t come out exactly like you’d hoped. maybe there was a slight hesitation, the faintest crack between the syllables, a single tear threatening to spill down your cheek—but you meant it, wholeheartedly. 

fuck abigail anderson.

you couldn't bother to give her even a second thought as you turned on your heel, ignoring her calls of your name from behind you. perhaps a bit childish, but you slammed the door extra hard on your way out. 

let that scar go? is she fucking for real? 

you were so tired of having to prove your place here to her. isaac sent you both on the same assignments, he trusts you just as much as her to do his most important jobs, but it never seems to be good enough. whether it was jealousy or stubbornness, you could never be quite sure. 

time and time again you’ve tried to make nice with abby; you had actually wanted to be friends with her—the jaunty girl who never seemed to let her past slow her down, taking every opportunity to crack a sarcastic joke and practically jumping in front of bullets for the people she loved—you’d tried to spark friendly conversation, volunteered to take some of her extra assignments, even offered her a book you’d overheard her mentioning she wanted to read that you just happened to have on your bookshelf, but it was all futile. she wanted nothing to do with you, like your presence alone was a personal inconvenience. so, naturally, you stopped trying—yet, the two of you almost always somehow ended up in the same room together, whether it was a drunken night in leah and nora’s room, or cleaning bathrooms as a stupid punishment. 

but one, one little slip up and that’s all it took. you took your eyes off that scar for a split fucking second, and now she’ll never let you live it down. you were furious, angry tears clouding your vision as you stormed away, down the hallway and practically sprinting up the stairs to your room. 

she can clean that bathroom all by herself, you thought as you fumbled to get your keys out of your pocket, dropping them on the ground in your haste. “fuck!” you exclaimed, bending down to pick them up, searching for the small silver key on the ring. 

“there you are,” a sudden voice from behind startles you enough that you flinch, dropping your keys again. of fucking course. 

“go away abby,” you practically snarl, wiping away the wetness on your cheeks with your palm before she could see. despite your weak protest, you could hear her heavy footsteps getting closer as you finally unlocked the door, pushing it open and slipping inside. 

“oh, come on,” abby was right on your heels, pressing a hand against the door and preventing it from fully closing behind you. your eyes felt like they might roll into the back of your head. 

“i’m sorry, what part of ‘go away’ was unclear to you?” you snapped, turning around to glower at her through the small crack in the doorway. her arm strength was incredible, she was barely leaning against the door as you pushed with an embarrassing amount of effort to try and close it on her. what you lacked in brawn, you pride yourself in making up for with brains—yet another reason it was already embarrassing enough that you fucked up, now she was practically rubbing it in your face. 

abby’s eyes held a look you couldn’t quite understand. no way she was apologetic, but her face held a certain softness to it you’d never quite seen before. usually her face was all rigid lines and sharp angles, clenched jaw and guarded eyes, especially with you. it was rare for her to smile around you, now that you thought about it.

“can we talk?” abby asked, and her voice was almost…pitiable. her eyes were low and her pink lips parted slightly. it was unnerving. she never asked you for anything, let alone to talk. your eyes flickered across her face, trying to make sense of what she was really trying to say, beneath the surface. 

but there was really nothing to say to that. no, you wanted to scream, no we can’t fucking talk, fuck you, and i never want to talk to you again. but you said nothing, instead shaking your head and turning away, letting the door swing open against the pressure of her hand. 

“why do you hate me so much?” your mouth was moving before your brain could catch up, arms crossing defensively over your chest, though you were no longer facing her. 

“why do i hate you?” she scoffed, and you heard the door closing softly. 

“yes, why?” you spun around to face her now—she still stood near the door, that same indecipherable expression painted on her face. you avoided her eyes, but noted the way her nose twitched ever so slightly. “ever since i stepped foot in this stadium you’ve had it out for me, and no matter how hard i try, i can’t understand why,” oh fuck, the anger was coming back up, rising in your throat like bile, “is it because i don’t put up with your shit anymore?” 

“no,” abby gritted out, taking a step toward you. “listen, i—”

“because i see right through your little act?” you cut her off and wow, she was fuming now, chest rising and falling heavily as she clenched her fists together. “stop it, i’m trying to—” 

but you couldn’t stop, even if you didn’t mean it, “‘ooh poor me, my dad died and now i’m stronger because of it, and everybody loves me,’” the words stung in your mouth, and in your eyes, “‘i’m isaac’s top scar killer but i have a heart of gold,’” tears falling as you stomped toward her, “well good for fucking you abby. i’ve lost a lot of people too but you don’t see me acting like i’m better than everyone.” 

you couldn’t help it, you were pushing her before you knew it, right in the chest with as much strength as you could muster, and she wasn’t expecting it because she stumbled backwards into your bookshelf, a picture frame falling and shattering on the ground before she caught her footing. 

you looked her right in the eyes for the first time since she had entered your room, uninvited, and all you saw was flames, burning through her blue irises like wildfire. you stepped back, wide-eyed and disoriented, her figure nothing more than a blurry silhouette in front of you. her heavy breathing was all that you could hear, it consumed you, made you dizzy as you staggered backwards, that ineffable sadness reaching into your chest and squeezing around your heart, fuck, how does she do this to you? 

“for fucks sake, would you just listen?” abby’s asked suddenly. her voice was rough around the edges, chipped away by your words—you couldn’t look at her, it was too much, a sob escaping your throat before you could stop it. why did you say that to her? she was reaching toward you before you could say another word, you half expected her to hit you, to strangle you, to say fuck you and never speak to you again, but then her calloused fingers were gripping your forearm. 

“abby,” your voice was pathetic, broken and whiny, god, you were completely out of control. you let your arm go limp, watching as her hand practically burned an impression into your skin as she pulled you into her chest. you were overwhelmed by her scent, that fucking pine soap she always hoarded and faintest hint of bleach that burned your nose, reminding you of what started this in the first place. 

no, this couldn’t be real life, there was no way you were crying in front of abby, your biggest vulnerabilities tumbling from your lips like an avalanche, but her arms were there, wrapping around your shoulders like a blanket as her head fell into the crook of your neck. you couldn’t tell whose heart was beating faster, her pulse pounding against your ear as your arms hung limp by your side. your brain was absolutely spinning trying to figure out what to make of this, a few loose strands of her braid hair tickling the side of your cheek as you shifted your head.

“i’m sorry,” her strained voice bled down your neck, sending a shiver down your spine, her breath hot against your shoulder as she tightened her grip. instinctively, you wrapped your arms around her waist, giving in to her touch, her apology washing over you like a humid rain in the summer—you’d waited so long just to hear those two little words, but it felt wrong somehow. “i’m sorry,” she repeated, quieter now, though you were probably the one who should be saying that.

“abby,” you found yourself saying again, squeezing your eyes shut as you leaned into her, feeling the tightness of her back muscles flex as you flattened your hands against her back, oh god, what the fuck is happening right now? “i didn’t mean that,” you whispered, muffled slightly against her shirt. the words i’m sorry usually came easy to you, often apologizing for things that didn’t warrant one in the first place, but the words were harder to get out somehow in this moment, pressed against the fabric of her shirt. 

her grip on you loosened, her arms sliding down your back and she was gone in an instant, turning away, clasping her fingers together and bringing them to the back of her neck. 

“i don’t hate you,” but she couldn’t face you, dropping her arms to her hips as she looked at the ground. you watched the anxious tapping of her foot and it felt like you couldn’t breathe—isn't this what you wanted? to be friends, or at the very least, for her to not hate you? maybe then, but not now. “i’m intimidated.” she was quiet, turning to face you. the orange glow of the lamp cascaded over her face, painting her in the softest form you’d ever seen her in.

“intimidated?” you were taken aback, furrowing your brow. “by me?” you shook your head, incredulous at her sudden confession. what could she possibly be intimidated by? “abby, you’re-” you gestured at her, unsure of what to say. “-you could probably snap me in half if you wanted to, i-i don’t understand-”

“oh trust me, i know,” abby cut you off, scoffing, and fuck, she just couldn’t help herself could she? you were mortified she’d caught you in a moment of weakness, you were angry, you were so fucking confused. your pity quickly soured, tears dried up in an instant, the disdain seeping back into your skin like a parasite—no matter how many times the two of you got close to reconciling, it always went wrong somehow. it had felt different this time, but maybe you were wrong. 

“abby, i swear to god i-”

“okay, okay, i’m sorry,” she softened again, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “old habits die hard, am i right?” 

you squinted at her, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. “does this really seem like the time to be making a fucking joke? because the door is right there,” you made a show of pointing at the door before turning to sit on the chair behind you, bending over to take off your boots. anything to avoid looking her in the eye. 

“fuck, i’m sorry, i don’t know how to talk to you about this,” she was walking towards you now, and you didn’t bother to look up. she sat opposite you in the mismatched chair, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. you looked up at her through wet lashes as you pulled your boots off, tossing them haphazardly to the side. she looked just as confused as you felt, brows furrowed in frustration—nothing about this felt normal, or okay. 

“what i’m trying to say is that i’m sorry,” she started, dropping her head to look at the ground. 

“you said that already,” you noted dryly, scooting back in the chair and pulling your knees to your chest protectively. she laughed, but it didn’t sound bitter. 

“i’m sorry, for everything,” abby looked at you now, and your breath hitched. “for how i’ve acted around you. for the way i’ve treated you, the things i’ve said. all of it,” her eyes were full of sorrow, and it made her look a way you’d never seen before—vulnerable, fragile, empty. “right after you moved onto the base, leah told me about what you’ve been through, losing your parents and your brother, being forced into that military school, and still fighting to get here all the way from boston. if i’m being honest, i was jealous that you could take it all in stride.”

you could do nothing but stare at her, wide-eyed and dumbstruck. 

“from the minute you got here, you were so calm and collected, ready to help anyone who needed it. you were constantly volunteering for extra assignments, helping out in the classrooms, doing all the work that no one else wanted to do with a smile on your face…i know we all have a past but i never could’ve guessed yours,” she let her head fall again, clasping her hands together and taking a deep breath, “and god, you’re so fucking smart, like there’s no way you learned all the shit you know about history at that dumb military school.”

your mouth fell open slightly, trying to process her words. first, an apology, and then a compliment? no smart-ass comments, no snarky look, no just kidding. you’d never even talked with her about your love of history that much, let alone your family.

“abby,” you started, pulling your knees tighter to your chest. your brain and your mouth were fighting over what to say, the years of dissention between the two of you threatening to surface—but she seemed genuine. bouncing her leg up and down, abby continued to avoid your gaze as she picked at her cuticles. 

“when i first got here, i was a mess.” she cut you off.  “i could barely eat or sleep, i hid in my room whenever i wasn’t out on an assignment, and i didn’t care about anyone or anything. it took me months to get past it all and then you came along, so open and easygoing, even after everything you’ve been through…i was embarrassed.”

“everybody handles grief differently,” you said quietly, putting your feet back on the ground. she looked up at you, and her cheeks were wet. you swallowed thickly. “i wasn’t always that happy behind closed doors.”

abby frowned slightly. she was quiet now, pensive as she held your gaze. your cheeks burned under the scrutiny, and you wanted to shrink into the chair. less than an hour ago you had all the intention in the world of never speaking to abby again, and now she was sat, taking up space in your room, and your mind, fuck, how was she always on your mind?

“that still doesn’t explain why you were so mean to me,” you broke the silence after taking another second to process her words, and tears were clouding your vision again.

“yeah, if i’m still being honest, i don’t really have an explanation for that either. or, not a good one, at least,” she at least had the decency to look sheepish, leaning back and scratching her neck lightly. “i guess because i was so intimidated by the way you handled yourself, i just defaulted to…jealous rage?” she sounded unsure, and you scoffed. 

“wow,” you said. “you’re right, that is a terrible explanation,” you shook your head, leaning back to match her pose. she laughed again, looking up to the ceiling, and it sounded foreign. 

“i’m not the best with words,” she smiled weakly, a blush creeping up her neck.

“trust me, i could tell by all your elementary insults.”

“hey, didn’t i just say i was sorry?” 

you smiled back at her now, against your better judgment. the two of you had spent the past three years practically at each other’s throats, and a simple i’m sorry i was mean to you because i don’t know how to handle my emotions was supposed to fix it all?

“i meant it though,” abby said softly now, eyes boring into yours. “i’m sorry. for everything.” 

you held her gaze a moment longer, but had to look away. you had to, before she could see that you were caving, that all you’ve ever wanted to hear was that—that you wanted to just talk to her without always being on guard, that you wanted to know her favorite music and what she really thought about all of manny’s sexcapades and if she ever took her hair down from that goddamn french braid and— “you don’t have to forgive me. not right now, anyways. i just hope that one day you can.”

and then she was standing up, your eyes followed up her torso as she stood, smoothing her shirt down before giving you another weak smile and heading for the door. oh god, fuck, fuck all of this, “abby, wait,” you were up and after her in a heartbeat, grabbing her forearm just as she had yours earlier, forcing her to turn around. she looked surprisedly, first at your face, then down at your grip on her forearm, which you quickly dropped when you felt your heart skipping a beat. her eyes were wild, tired and full of anguish. 

before you could talk yourself out of it, you were practically throwing yourself at her, arms wrapping around her torso as you pressed your cheek into her chest. she stumbled only briefly, before you felt her arms envelope your shoulders once more. this time, it didn’t feel wrong. 

it felt like coming home. 

“i really shouldn’t have said that thing about your dad,” you said, but it was muffled in her shirt. 

you felt her laugh rumble in her chest before she squeezed you tighter, her head lowering into your neck so that you felt her lips on your shoulder as she spoke. “yeah, that was pretty fucked up.” 

you smiled into her, and god, this was all fucked up. the world was fucked up, and out of it was born you and abby—two fucked up people making fucked up choices that lead to some pretty fucked up consequences. 

she pulled back from you, but kept her hands on your shoulders. you took a fistful of her shirt, looking down to avoid her eyes. your stomach was flipping, the heat radiating from her body overwhelming you and making you feel dizzy. “can you forgive me?” 

and yeah, that was maybe your fucked up, roundabout way of telling abby, i do forgive you, but she seemed to understand. when you dared to look back up, she dropped a hand, and the other came to softly caress your cheek. she looked at you tenderly, the rough pad of her thumb wiping away a tear you hadn’t even noticed. 

“of course i can.”

and then there was only the sound of your heart thrumming in your ears, her quickened breath as she looked at you in a way you’d never seen before. you gripped her shirt tighter, lips parting slightly as you felt the weight of her hand against your cheek. you leaned into it, eyes slipping closed for a moment. 

“abby,” you whispered, your free hand coming up to hold hers in place against your cheek. 

“shh,” she shushed you softly, and you could sense her getting closer. you didn’t dare open your eyes, heat pooling in your stomach as you felt her breath fanning across your face. 

“don’t speak.”

her lips pressed against yours so softly that for a moment, you wondered if you were dreaming.

[skzfairyyydreamz]

“DESERVED!”

Genre: Head cannon, Jealous girlfriend , crack/humor, NOT smut but suggestive.

Pairing: Bf!Chan x Fem! Reader

Synopsis: A night out with your boyfriend and friend group turns into a power trip in front of the entire club

© Skzfairyyydreamz - Plagiarism is a crime. Do not repost, alter, translate or copy without my consent.

it had to be 5 minutes max that you left Chris sitting alone just to go to the bathroom.. and yet within that short amount of time there was already some thirst bucket trying to push up on your man. Anyone could just glance and clearly see the uncomfortable aura oozing off him as he slowly but surely Scooted further and further to the other end of the club sofa. yet the pushy blonde woman fought to hold conversation with him.

Luckily for you though the bathroom was directly behind the section of the club you guys were sitting in and you walked out just in time to see more than enough for yourself.

“oh just look at this hot shit!?? … ugh pitiful ” you scoffed to yourself

you stood there for a second arms folded across your chest as you watched in disgust and disbelief at the fact that she clearly couldn’t take a hint. you knew your boyfriend was fine as hell but goddamn was she shameless?!

you decided it had been enough when you seen Chris scoot away from this woman for a third time letting out a very dry yet loud and awkward laugh as a distraction from her trying to put her hand on his thigh.

you knew Chris didn’t have a single mean bone in his body and you hated when these types of things happened because you were the one that always had to set people straight when you two went out. Even when it was the other way around and you were the one getting hit on by some weird guy, he ofc would step in and get all wolf gang alpha male if another man tried to get touchy with you but you always picked up on it before he did. you just were sharper than him when it came to these types of things in social settings.

you hated that Chris didn’t have the heart to flat out tell her to fuck off but..

“fuck it… i’ll do it myself” you rolled your eyes

damn near stomping in your heels you walked up at the speed of light behind your boyfriend and the woman who had been throwing herself at him. Timing was perfect. just as Chris tried to scoot away from her YET AGAIN you leaned your upper body over the back of the sofa forcing space between them two your hands eager to touch what (who) was yours . acrylic nails grazing his scalp as you grabbed a handful of hair at the base of his head and pulled back just the way you knew he liked it. just the way you knew would send a million shivers down his spine.

he knew it was you immediately from the familiar sent of your perfume causing him to relax into your touch on contact. Without even looking he allowed you to yank his head back as his eyes fluttered a bit with the tiniest gasp escaping his lips.

Never letting go of the grip you had on his hair you reached over with your free hand pulling his lollipop from his mouth to kiss him. And this was no ordinary kiss it was more like a filthy pornographic make out session. i’m talking real slow, wet and nasty open mouth kisses. Straight tonguing him DOWN right in front of the desperate woman.

she sat there jaw open, gawking in utter shock as you and your boyfriend locked lips right in front of her. completely ignoring her existence and in no rush at all, you took your time showing the woman and the entire club who Chris belonged to.

noticing how she continued to sit and stare, dumbfounded instead of immediately dismissing herself you decided to play along a bit more hiding the fact that your blood was boiling at this point.

Slowly pulling away from him with a smirk and a soft nibble to his bottom lip. Taking the hand that was previously in his hair dragging it down the side of his body to grab his hand slowly bringing it to your lips and kissing his knuckles while holding direct eye contact. Chris was a goner. Completely loosing his shit at how hot you were in that moment. (and always) You knew that he loved when you confidently asserted your dominance. it was your super power that had him wrapped around your finger and it was something that you used to your advantage pretty often. Chris always gave dom energy but he loved to see you take control more than anything. (chris is such a switch and i will DIE on this hill !!!)

you had this man down BAD.

the dom energy that was oozing off of you did more for him than that mini skirt you wore ever could. he was stunned almost speechless with butterflies doing backflips in his tummy..

“Yooo … ” he chuckled in a low almost seductive tone “behave yourself mama” he smirked

the look in his eyes held nothing but pure lust and admiration for you and never once did he look away or even blink as he watched you walk from around the sofa.

“don’t tell me what to do, i make the rules” you smirk with your sassy reply as you then put his lollipop in your own mouth.

“mmm” he looked at you exactly like this licking his lips bringing the bottom one in between his teeth as he grabbed your hand to pull you into his lap.

“anyways so who’s this babe??” you say turning to the woman giving her a fake stiff smile

Chris knew exactly what you were doing and he just sat there and left the cards to unfold while trying to hide behind you to conceal the laugh he was holding in.

the blonde woman was pissed but embarrassed more than anything. “get a fucking room why don’t you” she rolled her eyes.

“learn to take a hint and stop hitting on taken men why dont you??” you bite back with a wink.

“fuck you!!”

“fuck OFF whore!!” you shooed her away as she stormed off

Chris finally letting go of the laughter he was holding in while letting you and the other woman hash out your rude remarks to each other. “babe you didn’t have to call her a whore tho”

“Deserved!” you sat back arms crossed with a pout making Chris laugh even harder at your jealous antics.

“yes ma’am i know that’s motherfuckin right!” yeji sat down snapping her fingers as if she was at a jazz club

“10’s across the board! cleared that bitch!” Ryujin cackled falling onto the sofa clapping her hands in pure amusement.

“that was intense asf y/n !! i thought yall was bout to get it crackin right here in front of the whole damn club” Hyunjin added while setting down a tray of drinks on the table.

“let em know bookie keep these hoes off our man!”

“jisung…” you pointed at him raising your eyebrows while holding back your laughter “don’t start with me”

“So you all collectively watched my suffering and none of you fuckers came to my rescue!?” chris yelled at your friends

“Hey hey hey i went to get my vape from the car!” jisung defended himself putting his hands up.

“crackhead” you replied under your breath but ofc he somehow still heard it over the loud music. he responded with a mocking “glare” as he gave you the finger🖕🏼

“dont even look at me i was getting drinks!” Said hyunjin

“WE we’re getting drinks.” Yeji chimmed in

Ryujin sipping said drink in her own world before realizing Chris was looking at her waiting for an answer

“….. i’m just a girl” raising her free hand in defense

“fuck you all actually” chris gave up as everyone burst into laughter as the night continued.

~~~~

taglist: @hanniemylovelyquokka @milknhoneyracha @tinyelfperson @jiisungllvr @imastraykidsfan @simpracha @turtledove824 @laylasbunbunny @armystay89 @eclipsemina @4ln-stay8

[spiderism]

Miguel’s conducting a census on the spider-verse when he lands himself on 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇-𝟐𝟏𝟑𝟕 – has no prior information since this is his initial visit, but on first glance recognizes that this is Nueva York; that usually means that the local superhero is Miguel O’Hara, or at least another variant of him. Only he finds out that here, it’s actually someone named Web-Shot, a souped-up version of his own late wife.

"Cariño." It was easier to say before – when everything was right, when his entire world hadn't collapsed in on itself. Now, the word feels strange. His brain reacts as if no time's passed at all; it takes effort for his mouth to form around each of the vowels and the consonants, though – like a rusted cog forced into service after being made stiff from years of disuse. 

And while you may walk and talk like her, you’re not. He tells himself not to be fooled by the way your face lights up when you see him, by the way your laughter fills the space between the two of you, and by the way you still tell jokes at his expense. 

But then you take the few steps necessary to close the distance to get to him, wrap your arms around his frame like he’s just come home after a long day of being out. It’s all too familiar – your body folding into his, how well the pieces fit together, the softness that he remembers so well; it’s every single inch of his wife that had been catalogued and filed away in the back of his mind for safekeeping – dust-ridden archives that he’d never thought he’d dig up again. You’re a memory in the flesh. 

“Web-Shot, because—”

“You shoot webs. That’s cute,” he says in a dry tone. 

“Alright, then. Let’s hear yours. You got something better?”

“Spider-man. It’s simple. Clean. Rolls off the tongue.”

“Wow, original. Was ‘Daddy Long Legs’ already taken?”

“Oh, you’ve got jokes. I see your sense of humor is consistent.”

“It’s why you fell for me, isn’t it?”

“Among other things,” he murmurs. “Pain in my ass—”

He asks where your Miguel is, needs to know if the two of you are together, but finds out that he died three months ago – fell from a clocktower during a bad fight he wasn’t supposed to be at, snapped his neck clean in half from the tension when you tried to catch him with your webbing and he ricocheted back up from the concrete like a damn bungee cord. The ring was in his pocket; he was supposed to propose that night before everything went to shit. So your time ended with him fast, early. Before you even really got to start your lives together. 

And this other Miguel, the one who shows up in your universe alive (sure) and well (debatable), gives you some insight to his world. His wife was a romantic – an idealist, a dreamer. He’s always been pragmatic – a man of science, an engineer, doing everything within his realm of possibility to make her visions come true. It’s been a long time since he talked about his history and his family: how he proposed, where they had the wedding, his daughter – the way everything was good and perfect until it wasn’t. 

After spending the night with you on the Empire State Building, he realizes how much you’re like his wife. It hits him hard, brings up too many emotions to the surface that he’d been tamping down all these years.

Nothing about any of this is fair. And it’s sad, heartbreaking. Especially—

“I didn’t get to grow old with you.”

“We could’ve had a lifetime together and it still wouldn’t have been enough. You get that, right?”

You convince him to stay. Try to, at least. He can be your Miguel, and it would all be so easy. He can take his retired wedding ring off the chain around his neck and slip it on where it belongs. 

But it’s not possible. He tells you that much – what can happen, the repercussions that ripple out and affect the multiverse web. Because he’s already attempted that – wouldn’t have given up without trying to get you back.

A part of him wants you to say it one last time. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Instead, he gets:

“Every version of me loves every version of you. And even though I haven’t gotten to see it for myself, I know that there’s no universe where that isn’t true.”

Before he leaves, you ask if he thinks there’s any chance the two of you are allowed to be happy, allowed to live normal lives in all of the places he’s seen. 

He tells you that he has: breakfast on the balcony, slow Sunday mornings, and weekend fútbol tourneys with your daughter. This story ends on a good note, but he doesn’t mention that it only exists inside his head.

[evilwriter37]

20 Questions for 20 Writers

Tagged by: @howtodrawyourdragon. Thank you!

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

100% a way of life. It kind of has been since I was a child. I was sick all the time and had story ideas, so I started writing them down when I was too sick to go to school. I got bored of just reading and wanted to make my own.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

Well, currently I have folders upon folders of notes for my fantasy novel, but obviously I would like a clean, completed manuscript at some point. The entire work is 28k words at the moment.

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

My special interests for sure. Obviously How to Train Your Dragon, but when I get into something, I really get into it. Lol, one could say autism is my writing inspiration.

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

Probably someone I idolize reading my first draft. I'm getting a lot better at receiving rejection and critique but it's still very hard for me. I had a good singing voice before I had covid. (The band teacher and the chorus teacher in high school would fight over who got to have me. I chose band.) Covid has absolutely wrecked my singing voice, but I think I can get it back with practice. So yeah, I'll take someone listening to me sing over reading my first draft.

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

I don't think so, no.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

Ao3. One time ao3 logged me out and I was like: "What are you doing? I live here!" I do have fics on tumblr that have over 100 notes and I have no clue how that happened, especially when I look at interaction now. Interaction and fandom as a community are just dying on this website. Oh, and fanfiction.net was so horrible that I deleted all my stories from there and never looked back.

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

3,125,805. I'm more than satisfied. I'm stunned. And for some reason self conscious? I've had people call me crazy for writing so much fanfic, especially for the same fandom, and it just hurts, because this is my passion. What did you think I was going to do? Hit 1 million words and stop writing? No fucking way.

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

Movies and shows: How to Train Your Dragon, Good Omens, Teen Wolf

Books: Hard to say because I only really recently got back into reading. I haven't written fanfic for a book since I wrote a single Captive Prince fic. Oh man, Captive Prince was so good. Thank you pro censorship people for recommending it! (People got so mad about it and the themes in it that I decided I had to read it. So worth it.)

Fics: I'm so, so gripped by @lifblogs Bad Batch fic: Brother, Hold Me Up. That thing is an absolute work of art.

9. What's the highest compliment you could ever be given, and have you been given it?

I think the highest compliment I got was someone reading Infernal Fascination of all things with their book club. Like, this person would give me updates about what was said during meetings and they just devoured it. It was awesome.

10. What defines your writing style?

Visceral description and poetic prose. I like to think.

Tagging @wyked-ao3 @the-bar-sinister

[anaoyuo]

Play With The Stars || deleted scenes

─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧

Gojo Satoru x f!reader

notes: You’re looking at the first scene that didn’t make it into the story and got lost in my files. I wrote the draft at the beginning of adg, unsure where it would fit, but I thought I’d just use it later. Spoiler: it never happened. It was meant for the middle of the story. Unfortunately, we were busy with angst, so I wrapped it up quickly and tada here it is!

─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧

The glass doors slid open and you were immediately hit by the terribly hot, muggy summer air. After spending the entire day in the nicely air-conditioned office, you hadn't even noticed how intense the heat had gotten outside.

The sudden growl of a motor snapped you and other nearby pedestrians out of your thoughts. There, parked at the curb, was a man who played with the loud engine of his motorcycle, spewing out the exhaust for no reason other than to show off. What an idiot. 

You rolled your eyes and were about to turn away, but as you looked closer, you quickly realized you knew that idiot. 

The man took off his helmet and ran a hand through his snowy white hair that lay a little damp and flat against his forehead.

Your brows furrowed in surprise as you approached him. "Satoru?"

"Hello, babes." Gojo grinned at you, wide and toothy. His cheeks dusted with a faint hint of pink, the heat having made them flush.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd drop by to sweeten your day," he replied, letting go of the handlebars to lean back. 

Your gaze drifted downward to the intimidating machine. It suited him well, a glossy black frame with a few blue details here and there, most likely customized. 

"I didn't know you could ride one of these," you said, nodding toward the bike.

Gojo let out a dramatic gasp. "How rude of you to think there's something I can't do."

You smiled, keeping your lips tight and eyes dull. "Oh, forgive my ignorance. I totally forgot how amazing you are."

"Exactly." He slid off his bike and unhooked the second helmet from his seat, holding it out to you. "Here. Put it on."

"I'll pass."

His entire expression plummeted faster than a rock in water.

Had he just been rejected? Him? The great Gojo Satoru?

He huffed, as if he was just beginning to really process your response. "Wait, what do you mean? You can't pass. I'm already here."

"I've never ridden a bike before, and this thing doesn't look like it's made for slow, friendly rides," you explained while casting a wary glance at the motorcycle.

"I can make it slow and friendly." 

You frowned, unconvinced. "Oh, really?"

"Well, if you're gonna beg for it, I might, yeah," he said, a smirk curving his lips upward. 

Without saying another word, you turned around and started striding away. 

"Where you going?" Gojo's voice trailed after you.

"Taking the bus," you called back over your shoulder.

"Aw, come on. I'll be careful!" 

As you walked, Gojo hurried to catch up, reaching out to grab your arm and halt you.

"I'm literally wearing a skirt, Satoru," you protested, trying to reason with him. A futile attempt, always useless. 

"Yeah, so? You have a nice ass, just arch your back and give the cars behind us something exciting to look at."

You sighed deeply, feeling the will to argue back drain out of you in a single breath.

"Seriously, babe, you're so boring sometimes. I'm here to offer you a fun ride, and what do you do? You choose the bus! The bus, of all things! Do you know how lame that is? Sitting there, waiting for it to lurch forward every few minutes. You might as well be watching paint dry!"

While you tried to tune him out, it was not working. You really, really hoped that if you just ignored him long enough, he would eventually tire himself out and shut up, but no. Gojo rambled on and on and on with no sign of stopping anytime soon. 

"...it's like, turning down free candy. Who even does that? Oh, wait, you do! And what about sorting your socks by color? Probably your idea of a crazy Friday night, huh? Or maybe alphabetizing your spice rack is more your idea of a good time. Am I right? Or using coasters—"

Your patience snapped as you cut in. 

"You will drive slow, Satoru."

Gojo stared at your finger that poked his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back. "Fuck, you're so sexy when you give me commands," he groaned.  

"Satoru," you warned again. "You will drive slowly."

"Yes, ma'am." Gojo saluted in front of you. 

You straddled the bike behind him, pressing a little closer than necessary, chest flushed against his broad back.

After he revved the engine to life, Gojo leaned into you, his gloved hands finding their way to your naked thighs to tease you with some strokes and squeezes.

"Nervous, babe?"

"Yes."

Gojo grabbed your wrist, guiding your arm away from his waist to rest against his chest, right above where his heart pulsed, holding your hand there. 

"Don't worry. I promise you that after we get home, you'll want to ride my bike every single day."

You heaved a sigh that faded into a chuckle. "Definitely not."

─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧─ִ──ׂ──━━ִ─ִ━━ ꯭  ───ׂ─ִ─⊹ ࣪ ˖✩‧

—In memory of the bastard I dated in 2020 Full series: ao3

[explodingchantry]

In hushed whispers is dead ass such a beacon of everything wrong with dai's writing. Because it should be a very, very terrifying quest. It literally shows you what will happen if you don't succeed. It should put so much pressure on you.

But it doesn't.

I think it's interesting especially because they nailed the looming ever-present threat so well in dao. The blight IS scary. You see first hand how it can absolutely decimate an entire army. You realize one day - even if it's long after you've finished dao - that Loghain... Was right. The flank wouldn't have mattered. They would've all died. He did save the men he pulled back from the front. And you feel the heaviness of that throughout the game. You watched more skilled, more numerous warriors die facing a terrifying amount of darkspawn. Saw the person meant to be your mentor die to darkspawn. You're alone, two new Grey wardens against a world ending catastrophe you know barely anything about, tasked to stop it.

And there's this sense of constant despair all throughout the game. I think, especially, what it does well is the random encounters that are so annoying, when you travel the map. Because at first you get a few straggling darkspawn. But then they grow in number, in power, in threat. As you advance through the main quest, the threat grows, so that it's always scarier than you. Even the last quest, what should be a triumphant conquest of the darkspawn, it's got this foreboding element. You're hyperaware of all the death they've wrought. Of your potential fate as you see a more senior warden so easily killed by the archdemon. But you try, because it's the only thing you can do. It's a masterful way to escalate a game-long threat

And inquisition... Tries... To do that. And fails every single time. Because you're always triumphant with very little losses. Even when you lose haven later, you end up gaining a beautiful imprenable ancient fortress. You literally never lose. And the very mission ABOUT losing, in hushed whispers... Doesn't get anywhere. Because you don't truly SEE the results of your loss.

You pick up your companions and sure they've got that spooky red lyrium effect on them and some may vaguely hint that things suck but... That's it. Most just spring back up and join to help. A year they spent, likely tortured, likely seeing hundreds die, maddened by the red lyrium around them, and.. Nothing. Not really. You get three lines of dialogue, maybe a couple quips from them as you move around. But that's it. The quest is meant to build up on the red lyrium threat, show it growing everywhere like a disease. And it supposedly does something. But... Does it?

Does it do anything? Aside from make your companions glow a little and have slightly spooky voices?

Dragon age 2 has a small shard of red lyrium alter varric's personality so suddenly it's genuinely worrying - but dai has him next to a giant pillar of red lyrium for a year and he just springs back up, jokes with you and just... Joins you with no other.... Consequence... ?

Sure redcliffe castle is fucked up looking, but you don't see what it used to look like in dai before the quest. You can imagine it didn't use to look like this but it still stands that its ruin won't hit you as hard as if you'd seen it lively and animated. "but you see it in Dao" you try to defend - and I'll come back to that. In a moment.

There's some ominous codex entries you can find around but let's be real, only a small portion of die hard fans actually read those. They don't get the point across and furthermore, it makes the narrative fall into telling us how bad things are rather than SHOWING us.

There's extra rifts in the castle. Okay? So? At this point you mightve closed a dozen rifts, and the little time magic circles around them barely do anything. The demons are exactly the same as everywhere else. Oh, and there's like 30 venatoris total you face. Cool. What else?

The one thing that DOES actually drive the attempted point across is Leliana. She looks dreadful. She's cold. She's bitter. She actually acts like someone whose been thoroughly tortured and lost everything. Too bad she's the only one. Too bad her main scene ends abruptly. Too bad she then only has a couple quips. Too bad no one else matches her tone.

We don't see outside redcliffe castle. We don't actually know how bad the world is. How far the red lyrium has spread. "the breach is everywhere now" and sure enough the sky is scary. But that's. It. Where are the large demons, the raw magic of the fade seeping through and making things float and distort, making time and space melt? Where are the victims? We do find ONE tortured chantry woman in the dungeons early on. The sounds coming from the room are scary. But the mage we kill inside is normal. The corpse isn't mangled. There's not even proper environmental story telling. Just the sound telling us "we swear something cool happened!! Its super scary!!" and begging us to believe it.

The magic side of things is also.. Silly, I'm sorry. They excuse the shockingly strong magic that literally can alter TIME by saying the magister (I already forgot his name even though I just replayed the quest, he's that remarkable.) used the raw magic pouring out of the rift but then this is never repeated or built on throughout the whole game. Just dropped there and then never spoken about again, it's implications just forgotten. What do you mean the fade holds magic so powerful it can alter TIME? why does no one make a bigger deal of it? Why wouldn't Solas use it, now, on trespasser, in veilguard, or at the time of elvhenan?

Not to mention that time travel itself will always break any canon it's introduced to, but anyway. I won't even dwell on that because the game sure doesn't.

This part of the game somewhat holds more weight to dragon age veterans because we do have attachment to ferelden and redcliffe and some of the characters present (varric if you take him along, and leliana) but dai markets itself as friendly to people who've never played dragon age. So imagine yourself playing a new game, you know nothing about it, and a few hours into it (and it can be very early depending on your priorities) you're thrown into this worst case scenario with characters you basically know nothing about. It's a great hook - the whole game is a great hook, its characters are great hooks, the game is full of fucking hooks. But just like every other hook in the game, there's no line, no sinker. It just falls flat as hell.

The last scene, of your two other companions sacrificing themselves, of leliana sacrificing herself - of a grand total of 5 demons and 10 venatoris attacking her... It falls flat. It just does. The only power it holds is if some of the faces attached are familiar because you're a sucker whose played all the games, as well as a single line from leliana (when she says this timeline, her present, isn't real for you, but she suffered it and as did everyone else and you preventing it won't change that). You're going back so their deaths don't have to be real to you but they're real to them. But this can only carry you so far.

Also that boss fight against mr time magister is shit, it's got no stakes and no panache. And then you come back to the present and he just gives up, as if he was aware of the future you defeated him in? Of the future in which Felix is still dying? Did he really not have anything else up his sleeve? No other spell? He's desperate enough to plunge the world in chaos but he can't even do some blood magic to escape you and keep trying to save his son? His son dying a preventable way by just idk making him a warden? (granted Felix could very well die in the joining and being a warden rly is more a way to slow one's taint progressing but it's better than nothing innit). Or trying some fancy blood magic ritual since it's in the blood?? No ?? Nothing?

And don't even get me started on the political talk from your advisors and everyone involved re: choosing the mages and then allowing them to join the inquisition as people rather than slaves prisoners. Jesus fucking Christ.

Idk this post is a mess of jumbled thoughts but my GOD I forgot how pointless dai's writing was. Because in hushed whispers tries to replicate what Dao did - make the threat you face feel hopeless and terrifying - but it falls so flat and every other main quest after it only gets worse from there. Because you never lose. You always just gain double what you ever do lose. It's just... Empty. Idk.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

was i the asshole for refusing to pay a private contractor what they claimed i owed?

preface: i rent a townhouse that has both a front and a back yard, and the lawn mower broke (landlord refuses to fix it), so i was forced to find a landscaping company locally who could mow the grass in spring and summertime. i hate mowing so no real loss, plus i get to support local small businesses! score!

everyone around here sucks at communication (as in they just don't show up or respond to any texts, calls, or emails even when Maureen From The HOA is breathing down your neck) except for one company i've been using religiously ever since i found them. love these guys. quality work, excellent communication, affordable, flexible, these guys are the best and i have referred my neighbors to them as well.

at the beginning of spring 2023, money was kinda tight so i asked if they could only mow every three weeks. they told me no dice, only in two-week increments because they have a rolling scheduling of which neighborhoods get hit up on certain weeks. fair enough. i ask for a mow every four weeks. sure, the grass will get a little tall, but the HOA can shut up.

they come every two weeks instead and text AFTER they've already done the work, so i have to pay for it. i pay them promptly, but ask if they can please honor my wishes for it to be every four weeks, as we discussed. they honor that... once. and then go back to every two weeks. by this time, the grass is shooting up faster than expected and i still hate the HOA, so i sigh and let it go. every two weeks it is.

fast forward to late autumn as winter's rolling in and i'm writing the check for the last mow of the season when the guy calls and says "oh btw you owe hundreds of dollars we never told you about until just now".

somehow, they got it in their heads that they mowed my lawn every single week, and should be paid for that. not once did that happen. not only was there no communication about them having been there OR needing payment (remember how i said they were so good about communication? i have texts going back the entire season where they message me "hey we mowed your lawn today" every two weeks exactly, and what sense does it make for them to forget to say anything every other week on the nose?), but i think i would have noticed grass getting shorter for no reason. also remember how i specifically told them i wanted a mow every four weeks and never actually rescinded that request? it's in writing. it's in the text log. at no point did i ever approve this "weekly" work, even if they'd actually done it (which they didn't).

thing is, these guys are prompt and reliable. they're the best option i've got around these parts. they really don't strike me as the types to pull a fast one on me or scam me. i think it was a genuine, honest mistake and they got my house mixed up with someone else's in the ledger, and now they're out the money for work they legitimately performed... just not for me. i recommended them to my neighbors, remember? not impossible they got the house numbers for my street mixed up. a 6 can look like an 8, or a 7 like a 1 if your handwriting smudges.

i got so caught up in my kneejerk response of "hey what the fuck do you mean i owe money for work i told you i didn't want and you didn't actually do" that i didn't work with them to try to figure out what actually happened here, and now a local business got screwed over. WITAH?

What are these acronyms?

[sabbathbloodysabbeth]

The Kings Hostage Part Two

He was, wasn't he? Steve Harrington was currently holding Eddie Munson hostage against this wall in a shitty bathroom in an even shittier hospital. Steve's hand was pressed tightly against his mouth and nose, close enough to suffocate Eddie a little as he fights to breath normally. Even with the overwhelming scent of hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol burning the edges of his nose hair off.

A moment passes as Eddie stays frozen in his spot, hands up in the air in an attempt to show the other that he wasn't a threat. He wasn't sure if it was working, but what he was sure of was the fact that Steve Harrington was currently stoned off his gourd. His eyes were way to wide to be the look of a sober mans, they were also extremely glossy. The glossiest he has ever seen, and he's witnessed a lot of men going on powerful trips in his lifetime. Not even his father had that distanced look when he was under the influence which made this whole situation even more nerve wracking. He has never dealt with any kind of drug that was this strong.

Steve's eyes blink rapidly, having a very long delayed reaction as he finally processes that Eddie was safe. He nods his head, mumbling under his breath before something seems to click. "Oh fuck!" he curses as he stumbles back a little. Hand moving up to his hair, obviously in distress over something as he stares down at the floor. Eddie was too nervous to ask the other what he was freaking out over. He doesn't seem to have to as the other nearly flops over.

Eddie moves as quickly as he can, helping the other slide down to the floor. Back hitting the door of a stall, that was not a very sturdy surface to slide down as it pushed back from Harringtons weight. Nearly causing him to fall backwards and crack his head open on the edge of the toilet seat. "Robin... need Robin. Fuck need to find her before the Russians. Can't let them torture her like me." the others mumbling so bad that Eddie barely understands what he's saying. What he did catch though seemed to be ramblings of a mad man.

"What?" Eddie asks feeling like he was out of the loop of something. Eyes carefully watching the others every move. Not letting one single twitch go past his sight, just in case the other decided that their momentary truce was over.

And fuck. Eddies heart breaks a little when he watches Steve, who was younger than him. Still barely an adult, looks up at him with eyes filled with tears. There was something terribly wrong happening, if Steve truly believes that something horrible was happening to him and his friend. There was no way a simple mall fire could cause so much pain and paranoia in someone who's barely nineteen years old. Slight puzzle pieces seem to click into place.

What happened to Steve Harrington that he was apparently showcasing signs of PTSD? Why was he currently higher than any drug Eddie has ever encountered? Most of which were some form of drug that the hospital had, sometimes stronger with the mix of street drugs. His gut was telling him something was off about all of this.

"My best friend... Best Friend in the entire world. Robin. Need to find her. Can't let her be by herself. She must be so scared." He sniffles rubbing his eyes a bit. As if he was unable to control his emotions as if everything that was once bottled was breaking through.

What shocked Eddie was the fact that the guy seemed to genuinely care more about someone else's well-being than his own. Considering the fact the guy was currently sitting bear ass on the floor. More specifically the men's bathroom floor and god only knows what diseases are forming down there.

"And oh god. Dusty Buns and America." Steves eyes somehow grow even wider, and Eddie can't help but be reminded of a deer. Bambi to be specific. Though he's sure he was going to need a translator soon because not one thing the other was saying was making sense.

Their time seems to be up as Eddie hears the security guard coming back down the hallway. Boots echoing loudly, along with his radio constantly making random noises. And oh fuck, Harrington is starting to shake. Face going white as he starts to ramble out words. Moving and trying to hide in the stall, pulling Eddie along with him. How the other could stand up that quickly was beyond him. Nor did he know the answer to why Steve Harrington pulled him in close in a cramped-up stall.

Chest to chest as Eddie stumbles forward and his hands land on the wall behind Steve to keep his balance. Afraid that he was going to accidentally tackle the guy in whatever messed up world he was currently in. Eddies nose brushes up against the others jaw as Steve looks in the direction of the door. Hands shaking as they grip onto Eddie's 'Diary of a Madman' shirt. Wrinkling the clothing together making Eddie look just as disheveled as Steve.

He's sure that both of their hearts were racing pretty bad, he does know that they were both breathing offlay loud. Eddie could smell the others after shave, even though he could see a few stray hairs on the others chin from where he stood. He snaps back to when he hears the door handle of the bathroom Shangle a bit. He thinks quickly as he shoves himself off the wall, forcefully pulling himself from Steve who had a reasonably tight grip on him.

Eddie doesn't know why he does it. But it feels right. Moving his hands back up he lays them on either side of Steves face. Trying to get him to focus. It was such an intimate thing to do but he doesn't care. He needs the other to focus on him. With whatever was in his system and the guard trying to open the door Steve was barley keeping any focus. Eyes moving wildly, and the other was clearly running off from emotion not logic.

He's careful not to hurt the other with his rings simply cupping both sides of the others face watching the way he turns into Jello under the contact. Eyes still blown and hazy as he's forces to look at listen to Eddie. "Listen, I'll handle this. Why don't you get changed and I'll handle the guard hm? Think you can handle that big boy?" He keeps a cavity inducing smile on as he ignores the door for a second. Keeping his words hushed and calm as he makes sure the other understands what was going on before he even thought of leaving the other out of his sight for a second. When there is some form of confirmation from the other, he gently pats the others face. Careful to not hit any cut or bruise.

He pulls back a moment later, moving and picking the clothes up and giving them to Steve. Who presses them against his chest as his eyes never leave Eddie, not even to glance at the door when keys are heard from the other side. Eddie is quick to pull a cigarette out, lighting it as he takes a puff of it as he unlocks the door before the guard could come in. It's been a while since he's needed to act, but he has gotten in trouble numerous times to know how this should go.

He creaks the door open, pretending to hide the cigarette behind his back. Careful not to catch it on his shirt. He puts a more fake smile on his face compared to the one he gave Steve. Eyes meeting a pair of suspicious blue, glancing over Eddies shoulder in an attempt to see if Steve was with him.

"Sir, you can't lock the bathroom door." His voice is stern. Though Eddie can't take him seriously. He was no Jim Hopper. He smiles tightly about to explain when the other finally gets a sniff of his cigarette. "And you can't smoke on hospital grounds." Eyes pinched together as he starts to work to his walkie talkie. Probably to report it. Before he can Eddie begins to ramble out an explanation.

"I'm sorry, It's just.. I didn't want to leave to far from the waiting room. Didn't even think about the no smoking rule, I'll put it out right now. Promise." He does a thing with his fingers, pretending to cross his heart with his free hand. Now not bothering to hide the cigarette. The guard hesitates, sighing after a moment as he nods his head in understanding,

"Alright, don't let it happen again. It has been a long night, and I'll let it slide." He moves stepping back from the door before asking, "Did you possibly see a patient run by? In a blue gown, brown hair and has his face is pretty much dented in?"

Eddie pushes out his lip out a bit, pretending to be in thought as he shakes his head no. "No, sorry. Wish I could help." he smiles. Before doing something awkward with his hand before they both just awkwardly smile at each other before Eddie closes the door. Waiting for the other to leave before locking it again.

Sighing in relief, he moves to see how Steve was getting along. He really doesn't understand how he got himself into his mess but here he was, standing in front of the stall he left Steve in watching him fight to get a pair of shorts on. That were apparently to tight to on him. Though the gown had been forgotten, laying on the ground as Steve fights with his clothes. Eddie pinches his nose with a groan as he watches how ridicoulous the other looked.

"You know what, who needs pants."

This probably has one more part left to it, I just enjoy the format of writing it into parts and posting when finished. Though the entire thing will be put up on ao3 possibly.

[directivexero]

don't give up on fighting games, fighting games won't give up on you

I wanted to make a follow up post to my big spiel from the other night, because tonight really put things into perspective for me. strap in everyone, this is a long one

I played in the PRIDEFGC Strive bracket today, and I got absolutely rinsed. but it didn't feel bad, I lost and it didn't feel bad for the first time in a *looooong* time. In fact, I felt incredible about how i played today. round 2 in losers was against another Sol, and i lost because they were very patient and taking advantage of space and whiff punishing me for everything. but also, my pressure on offense was really good and I managed to take a round off of them! and round 1 was special, and something so important to me and to fighting games as a whole

my round 1 was a bit of a mess, online brackets are never perfect. start.gg in particular is a real stickler for checking in on time and DQ'ing people bc they didnt get an email or a discord notification immediately. it happens, and it gets worse the bigger the bracket, and it was a massive bracket. something like 2 40ish player pools? that's huge for an online *charity* event, its bigger than some locals.

I was really upset about this at first. i was feeling myself today. taking yesterday off to just vibe, eat a decent bento box from my local japanese restaurant and play a bunch of DBD was a really good break for me. and i woke up this morning, nearly forgetting that i had signed up. i was signed up for a bracket last night, my online local Dust Up, but i had been timed out from the server for being a real shithead to myself and generally being unhappy with fighting games, because i had mentally tied my self worth to them without realizing it. but today was different.

I got some work done, got my stream schedule up for the week, played some more DBD (with friends this time) and just enjoyed a nice day. and then I got the email for the bracket and was like "oh shit right, i should probably show up for that". so i booted up Strive and hopped into training mode to warm up. and you know what? that combo that i had been struggling with? the one that took me almost 200 times to get right just the once? i got it on my first try, with the Clean Hit Tyrant Rave even! and while i couldnt replicate the clean hit again, i got the combo 20 more times in a row without a single drop

and this was a real shock to me. i didnt play at all yesterday, and i felt like i wasnt getting anywhere with the game. i was considering even swapping characters again to see if there was something that i was missing, to see if there was some fun i could have somewhere else. but in the end, i dont think i need it anymore. what I really needed, and what everyone was telling me and what i refused to hear, was that i just needed to give myself some room to breathe. taking a *single* day off made me more consistent with this combo, it just gave it time to rest and settle into my brain and hands. it's all i needed, and it was right in front of me the entire time. i just couldnt get it through my head

after this revelation, and was FUCKING *STOKED* to get into bracket. I saw who my first opponent was, Hazel. i recognized the name, they had taken second in the Granblue bracket last night. they were so exciting to watch, i was rooting for them the whole time! how could i not? they were playing my wife Narmaya, i wanted them to win so badly. and after an INCREDIBLE grand finals, they ended up in second. i was a little sad to see them not make it all the way, but I was so thrilled to see such good gameplay last night, and I knew I was gonna get some good games from them today

so we got the whole bracket situated, i messaged her on discord to make sure we were still able to play, got it sorted with a TO and met up in the park. they pulled up with a level 800 Bedman? and i was so excited. it was, a strange feeling, being in bracket, seeing a player i knew was a monster pull up with a character 700 levels above mine, and to be *this* ecstatic to be squaring up. and I have no idea how to play against the bed. nobody plays this guy. and i went in expecting to get rinsed. which i did! but it wasn't actually all that bad on the surface. I managed to block the overhead jump-in for the first time *ever* tonight, and I did it 5 more times over the course of the set. i still got blown up for not blocking the slow overhead and bedman's lows are deceptively far-reaching, and i just wasn't sure how to adapt to those. but that's okay! i did some very good things today, and my pressure was clean enough to take a round off of this very high level player. im so proud of what ive done, and im happy that ive finally escaped the fog that was clouding my mind for so long

and after bracket, i got up, refilled my drink, and hopped into the tower. i was *hungry* for more games. and I got smoked by a Slayer. just absolutely rinsed. but! i caught on to their tricks pretty early, and started to 6S more often than i ever had, and got a lot of counterhits! slowly getting a feel for that matchup, even reading how they follow up after Dandy step and punishing it accordingly. i also got a ping in BAN from RKP, one of the TOs there, looking for games. i responded almost immediately, i wanted to scrap more. they asked for a ft5 at first, but wanted to know if i wanted a ft10. i declined, because i could tell that i was reaching my limit. another step towards progress!

he met me in the park, asking to take player 2 bc he wanted to work on player 2 side inputs. we both pulled up looking to work on stuff, as i wanted to try to implement some of the whiff punishing i was just subjected to by that Sol player. and I got rinsed *again*. but! I landed my corner combo!!! (almost, dropped the HVV at the end, but its still progress) and I also did the correct follow-up after the counter-hit meaty Fafnir setup for the first time! i was so happy, RKP is so fucking good at this game and an incredibly nice person as well. grappler players play like sickos, but they're so sweet in reality.

and this is what its all about. i love fighting games so much. no other community, no other hobby, no other sport will you get camaraderie like this. you won't get this anywhere else. the passion, the love, the friendships. you won't get it anywhere else. everyone's gonna have their bad days, their bad weeks, sometimes even their bad months. but if you just take a breath, take a few steps back, make sure you've taken care of yourself, it will all be okay.

don't give up on fighting games, because no matter what, they won't give up on you

[xxsabitoxx]

Team Bucciarati & Accidentally walking in on you while you are changing

Warning: all characters are 18+ in this situation, kinda suggestive content ahead if you squint? Well beside Mista’s but… really nothing crazy lol

Reader is female!

A/N: I have like 37 fucking JJBA smuts I could finish yet here I am writing this stupid shit LMAO — also my phone is acting so infuriating lately so please bear with me if there are any typos Proof read? Never

Giorno Giovanna

He knocks, every single time, so how this even happened is beyond him. Maybe it was because your door was slightly ajar, maybe it was because it was only the two of you home in the apartment the entire gang shared, whatever the reason was… Giorno still failed to knock. “Y/n do you ha—oh.” He froze midway through the door, eyes widening ever so slightly as he looked at you. You were mid-change, a shirt on but no pants, panties sticking to your frame as you turned to face him. “Giorno!?” You yelped, grabbing the closest item to shield your lower half — in this case it was your pillow. “I’m sorry I…” he was turning around so you only saw his back. “I just wanted to ask you something but it can certainly wait till you are decent…” he was making his way back out of your room, face burning just as brightly as yours.

Bruno Bucciarati

He wasn’t thinking, knuckles hitting your door a few times and pushing it open without waiting for a response. “Y/n I need you to help me with this paperwork…” he locked eyes with you, his tired brain taking a second to process that you looked shocked. “B-Bruno!” Your hands were over your bare chest, hugging your breasts tightly. He blinked once, twice, three times before his cheeks were turning neon red. You’d never seen him exit your room so quickly, hand over his mouth as he clicked the door shut. “My deepest apologies…” he was muffled from behind your door but you could still hear the embarrassment in his voice. “I am… so so sorry… forgive me I…” you began to laugh, reaching for a shirt to throw over yourself. A second later, you were opening your bedroom door. “No need to apologize, Bruno. It’s alright.” Your cheeks were still warm, but it felt less awkward seeing how shy he had gotten. You found it rather cute.

Pannacotta Fugo

It’s a rare occasion for Fugo to even come close to your room. He probably couldn’t even accurately describe it if he wanted too. So how he ended up where he was now? So red in the face he was nearly purple? Was still a mystery to him. “Oh? Hi Fugo.” You smiled, reaching for your perfume, it seemed you were oblivious to the fact that you were only in a pair of panties and a bra. His mouth was hanging open, eyes comically wide as he tried to process what he was seeing. “Fugo? Are you alright? You usually don’t come in my room?” For you, it wasn’t really a big deal. I mean you’ve all been to the beach together before, you weren’t really showing that much more skin at the moment. “Earth to Fugo? Did you need to tell me something?” Your hand waving in his face was the only thing that snapped him out of it, mostly because of your new proximity. “I-i’m so sorry! I don’t even know why I came in here! I’ll just let myself out I…” he was still muttering as he left, hands coming up to hold his face once he was out of your sight.

Narancia Ghirga

You’re used to it by now, he quite literally never knocks and always lets himself in. “Hey Y/N! I need to ask you…” you jumped, moving to cover yourself before realizing it was just Narancia. You mostly zoned out when he started asking you questions, some how you’re half assed answers seemed satisfactory for him. Most of the time, Narancia sat in your room talking your ear off as you got ready for the day. He was, in every sense, not phased seeing you half naked. Of course he’d never seen you in anything less than a bra and underwear, but in your eyes it was the same as being seen in a bikini. Narancia was just…Narancia. “Where do you even come up with these questions?” You slipped a shirt over your head, laughing as he tilted his head. “I dunno.” Was all he could give you, eyes training on your CD collection as you rummaged through your closet for a pair of bottoms. Really, it didn’t even phase you anymore.

Mista Guido

The last thing he expected was to get a face full of your ass when he walked into your room. “Merda, y/n! You could kill a man with a sight like that!” Always a smart ass… and a flirt. You rolled your eyes, straighten from where you had been bent over rummaging for pajamas. “You scared the fuck out of me, Mista.” He made his way into your room, throwing himself on your bed. “Ah well, you scared me too with an ass like that. The very thought of you sitting—“ you picked up your pillow and began hitting him with it, laughing as he attempted to block. “You are such a horny bastard.” You shook your head, finally flopping yourself beside him when he stopped putting up a fight. “I can’t help it! Having a roommate as good looking as you… who loves to walk round half nude…” the pillow was hitting him once again, this time both of you couldn’t contain your laughter.

Leone Abbacchio

He was only walking into your room because Bucciarati sent him to get you… what he failed to do though was knock. “We’re going to dinner, hurry your ass up so we can…go…” he froze, eyes matching the size of yours as you instinctively covered yourself with your towel. “Why wouldn’t you knock?!” You felt your face getting warm, knowing full and well that Abbacchio had quite literally just seen all of you. “I—“ he swallowed, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, even that quick glance of your body was engraved into his mind. “I’m sorry…I…” he was stumbling backwards out of your room, praying his cheeks weren’t turning as red as they felt. “J-just hurry up so we can go get dinner…” his voice was strained, quite unusual for him, which was making the situation all the more awkward. “Okay…” you croaked, mentally reminding yourself to lock your door from now on.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About The Owl House Pilot

Huh. Never thought I’d get to do this again, but oh well.

Salutations, random people on the internet! I’m an Ordinary Schmuck! I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

And, above all else, I LOVE talking about The Owl House. I have an entire masterpost dedicated to talking about every single episode of the show and I’m halfway through a six-part review discussing everything that I love about it (Part Four's coming when it’s done. Let’s say…late June. Early July at the latest). I figured that after I’d finished that whole deal, I wouldn’t have anything left to talk about when it came to this series. Then, out of nowhere, the show’s original pilot leaked online…Sort of. It’s just an animatic with the show’s original voice cast voicing MOST of the lines, but it’s very much the pilot episode. It’s just not a finished product and I won’t share a link because I don’t think it’s exactly…legal. BUT I will at least share my thoughts about it because, well…Look at my blog. The Owl House has become the BIG THING that I obsess over for a reason and I love that I got to see what’s basically an alternate version of the show that I love. What do I mean?

Well, a pilot is MUCH different from a first episode. Where the first episode is meant to sell the show to the audience, a pilot is meant to sell it to a STUDIO. It can happen at any point of the story or act as the show’s first episode. Just as long as it shows off the characters, concepts, and tone, a studio can look at it, greenlight it, and allow the show to continue, BUT with some extra notes. Sometimes, those notes can change the rest of the series where others can keep the pilot good enough to stay canon. Some best examples off the top of my head are the pilots for Regular Show and Rick and Morty. You can tell that not much changed from the pilots of those shows and what was initially pitched, but there are clear changes in tone, animation, and even personality. Skips sounds a little more illiterate and Benson being more informed of the consequences of something as simple as rock, paper, scissors in the Regular Show pilot and Rick is noticeably more reckless and unprepared for situations in the Rick and Morty pilot. Nothing is set in stone with a pilot episode, even the ones that are canon. For the case of The Owl House, it’s pilot is no exception. A lot of it is just the same as “A Lying Witch and A Warden” at least in terms of plot and themes, but there are so many changes that show off what the series COULD HAVE been instead of what it was. How different? Well, let’s go through it all.

But real quick, I’m not going to do the “Like/Dislike” format I’ve done for previous reviews. Instead, I’m going to look through this pilot, note the changes it has, and share my thoughts on them. There’s also going to be a few spoilers to what happens in this pilot, so if you haven’t checked it out then I suggest giving it a watch wherever you can find it. It really is interesting to get a peak into what’s basically an alternate version of my favorite show.

With that said, let’s get into it.

Some Things Stayed the Same: Like I said, it’s basically an altered version of “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” The plot is that Eda uses Luz to get King back his “crown of power,” with some bits and pieces carrying over. Certain jokes that must have been too funny to get rid of, specific lines of dialogue that hit just the right notes, and some aspects of the characters’ personalities being just the same, proving that they're already perfect the way they are. It’s the changes, however, that makes for something more interesting. For one…

There’s More of an Emphasis on Comedy: As much as I love The Owl House, I’ll always admit that humor isn't its strong suit. It CAN be funny, really funny. But the jokes don’t land as well as something as Gravity Falls or Amphibia. I can say that a part of that could be because Dana Terrace wanted a more serious show, and we definitely get a sense of how serious it could be later in the series. Here, in the pilot, it definitely seems like there was more of an attempt to make the show comedic. King’s crown isn’t in a warden’s cell held within a magical barrier that only a human can get through. It’s in a Principal’s high school, locked in a human locker that Eda and King treat as something devious. Amity’s friends aren’t preppy mean girls who seem like they could cause conflict to Luz and her friends. They’re characters used for jokes who are amazed by Luz standing up to Lilith. There’s less of an edge and more of a lean towards cutesy fun, waiting until the very end to reveal something heavy. To me, it makes the pilot feel MORE like a Gravity Falls clone than the final product. Because while Gravity Falls has its serious moments, it makes it clear that it was a comedy first, both in the pilot and final product. Any moment of heart or drama was overshadowed by one hilarious joke after the other. Now, “A Lying Witch and A Warden” had a lot of jokes too, but there were also these moments that hinted at something more. You have the oppressive looking prison, the grand beam of light hiding human collectibles, a crazy chase from a threatening looking warden. And yes, the reveal that Warden Wrath was trying to go out with Eda was hilarious, but a warden who tortures a prisoner for speaking her truth gives a hint of how dark this world can be. Meanwhile, a principal sending a student to demon detention feels more like a joke, exaggerating how strict some principals can be.

And keep in mind, I’m not complaining about the pilot leaning more towards comedy. I actually laughed a lot more with it than I did with “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” I’m just trying to explain how the tone is definitely going for something different than the full series. It might have that darker twist in the end, but even that is nothing more than a surprise. I'll get into why later, but while it has darker implications, it doesn't detract from the fun times to be had. Not by much. From what I can gather from the pilot, it’s definitely going for a series with goofy, fun adventures with a bit of heart to it. It’s just missing that personal touch that’s in The Owl House. One good example of how?

There’s Not Even a MENTION of Camila: Before you say anything, this has nothing to do with me being Camila’s number one fan, to the point where I almost made a side-blog dedicated to her (I really should get on that, though…)

I bring up this change because Camila grounds the story in “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” She draws Luz close to reality and is the first thing that comes to Luz’s mind when in real danger, saying, “If I die, my mom will kill me!” More than that, though, Camila is the one real connection Luz has to the human realm. She has no friends nor adventures, but Luz always has Camila, with even the first episode hinting that. So when Luz starts getting herself into trouble or choosing to lie and stay in the Boiling Isles, it lets the audience get ready for the inevitable drama that could unfold when Luz finally tells Camila everything. By removing Camila, though, the anticipation of Luz telling her mom goes away with her. At least, it tells ME that there’s less of a worry about Luz basically running away from home. Either this version of the show is holding off from that for a future episode or that Luz and Camila’s relationship isn’t close enough where it matters. This is speculation, of course, but I still stand by that a sense of something personal with Luz is lost for the sake of having fun and epic fantasy adventures with entertaining characters. It’s still good and entertaining, and the pilot does offer something else that’s personal, but it’s not the same as The Owl House we all fell in love with. Though, it’s notable that our main cast stayed the same.

Luz, Eda, and King: Overall, I’d say that these three, personality wise, didn’t change much. King’s probably the least altered, being the exact same character he was in Season One aside from MAYBE having a design change (It’s hard to tell through storyboards). As for Luz and Eda, they’re more or less the same. There’s a BIG change with Eda (That I’ll get to later), but her devil-may-care attitude is very much the same, as well as her snark and soft nature towards Luz and King. It’s her magic that gets the real boost, being able to do more like teleport across the Isles and turn into a…softer version of the Owl Beast at will. It’s pretty cool to see the power that this alternate Owl Lady has. And then there’s Luz, who’s still the lovable weirdo we all know. Though, this version seems a lot more dim and I’m not really a fan. How does she mistakenly give a book report in geometry class? How did it take seeing Amity’s witch ears to realize that she belonged in the demon realm? Luz had her dumb moments in the show too, but not to this extent. There was still a sense of maturity and cognitive understanding that made Luz feel like someone that seemed weird but intelligent enough to think herself out of a situation. This Luz seems more weird and focused on using brute force on a problem. In a way, it makes Pilot!Luz more of an…emotionally driven Star Butterfly. A fun and capable character, but not the same kind I had made several posts and reviews talking about how much I love/personally connected to her. But, comparatively, I guess it IS the most minor change that could be done to this character. Now let’s move onto BIGGER changes.

The Boiling Isles: The look and feel of the Isles remains the same, but the fact that it’s more connected to the Human Realm is intriguing. From what I can tell, the Demon Realm treats traveling to the Human Realm like it’s going to a new country. You visit, make some memories, and, for some, send your children over to be a foreign exchange student of sorts. Except that racism seems to be encouraged in this regard as the demons and witches don’t see humans worth breathing the same air as them. And some think it’s more than okay to hunt down and kill if one human trespasses into their realm. And the reason for THAT is implied to be Belos’ doing. Er, I mean–*Checks the leaked pitch bible*--Emperor Pupa? Uh…I’ll just stick with Belos. 

And that’s extra fascinating to me because Belos being a witch hunter was a major twist that spoke VOLUMES of the kind of people he represents. To find out that this version is more anti-human makes me curious of what kind of angle the show would have taken. Would Belos have been your bare-bones fantasy villain or would the writers find a different way to tackle his symbolism? And is the reason why the Demon Realm is more open up to the Human Realm because he hopes witches and demons can report about their enemies for a possible invasion? There’s no way to know for sure because that version of the story will never come to be, but it’s interesting to think of all the things we COULD have gotten. The same goes for other characters.

Amity: To think, Amity was considered important enough to be included in the original pitch pilot alongside our main trio. It makes sense. Dana Terrace has gone on record in saying that Luz and Amity’s relationship was something she wanted from the get go, so it’s smart to establish it as quickly as possible. Though the route they take is definitely different. Instead of being enemies to lovers, Lumity, in the original pitch, went for the friends to lovers trope…kind of.

Luz, in this version, is someone so desperate for positive attention and respect that she latches onto the first person in school that was nice to her. Except that Amity was looking for some quiet and just so happened to look like she was supporting Luz when telling everyone to leave her alone. It was an act of kindness, but not one done in generosity. It still meant the world to Luz, though, making her go ALL IN with friendship. Only to be a little too forward and creeped Amity out to the point where she was polite enough to say “Thank you,” but you could see the desperation in her eyes to be anywhere but next to Luz. Yet Luz doesn’t see that. She’s still too focused that someone was actually nice to her that she blindly follows Amity into a new world just to return a weird looking passport. Because Amity’s Luz’s friend now and friends do nice things to each other. Only for Amity to accidentally reveal that she couldn’t care less for Luz and shatter her hopes and dreams in one fell swoop.

In a weird way, I’d say Luz and Amity are off on a better first impression here than in the original series. There’s no attempted dissections or witch’s duels. Just…Amity trying to be polite in Luz’s presence only to act like your typical mean girl when she THINKS Luz isn’t around. Tossing away the drawing is harsh for sure, but here’s the interesting thing: Amity didn’t know she was talking to Luz at that moment. She didn’t even get rid of the drawing until someone drew (haha) attention to it. If anything, it’s worth noting that Amity still kept the drawing on her. Almost like, despite being weirded out by Luz, Amity felt as though the drawing WAS cute and only got rid of it when she thought someone would question her for having it. Can’t have that Little Miss Perfect status shatter over something some human gave her.

Am I reaching as a Lumity shipper? Oh, most certainly yes. But we all know the inevitable conclusion between these two. We know where they’re headed. Dana has been pretty adamant about wanting it from the start and this pilot sets the groundwork well. Knowing where these two will end up, it’s easy to make connections and hypothesize what means what. Plus, look at the face of shock and amazement on Amity’s face when she sees Luz standing up to Lilith. That looks like a girl who’s…feeling things for this human weirdo. They’re not off to a ROARING start, but I can see how things could improve between Luz and Amity. And who knows, maybe this version of these two might end up dating sooner with how quickly they seem interested in each other. Again, am I reaching? Most definitely, but I went without any new Lumity content for over a year so LET ME REACH!

The point I’m trying to make is that this version of Amity definitely seems a lot more chill and polite at the start, even though it’s likely she still has issues of even being FRIENDS with a human. But not everyone starts off polite.

Lilith: Crazy to think that Lilith started out as…basically a one-off villain like Warden Wrath. At least, that’s what I gathered from the pilot. The pitch bible hints that there COULD be more to her, but at the same time she gets sent to a fire dimension and loses a hand. That’s one-off villain energy if I’ve ever seen it. But if she is meant to be something more, I would love to see what differences could come of her being the headmaster of Hexside instead of Bump and how she could either develop into someone better through Luz’s influence as a student or regress into someone worse as she makes Luz’s school life a living hell. Whatever could come from her, it was kind of fun seeing Lilith act as more of a threat with her…out of nowhere ability to turn into a bat monster. It’s a pretty cool design and I love that it was brought out due to Eda’s constant pestering, proving that Lilith is still the same insecure nut that I love. And it is pretty great that this pilot confirmed that Lilith really did dye her hair to look more serious. You CAN’T tell me that’s not why the Lilith we know ditched the curly red hair.

But that’s about it when it comes to changes towards characters and locations. Let’s talk about the potential differences in the ongoing story.

Luz Stays Trapped Instead of Choosing to Stay: I mean, technically she chose to stay by breaking that key for no reason, but that’s more of a consequence of not thinking things through. She didn’t NEED to break the key, Luz could have just as easily pulled it out. Instead, she kicked the dang thing, leaving herself trapped in this new world. And it’s here that I would like to once again point out how this makes Pilot!Luz different and what’s lost by not including Camila. The Luz WE know would have been more careful. She always felt like someone who fought smarter, not harder, even in that first episode. Luz didn’t fight Wrath head on, she rallied a prison riot that distracted him long enough for her to hit a firework ball into his mouth. She’s intelligent and resourceful, where this one…kind of is? It was smart to send Lilith to the fire dimension, but again, not a great plan to break the key. Plus, without Camila, this doesn’t feel like as big of a deal as it could have been. Camila was the first person in Luz’s mind as she destroyed the portal door in the Season One finale. In the pilot, with no Camila, it feels like a non-sacrifice or even that big of a deal. She’s stuck, sure, but Luz doesn’t really seem to care that much. She feels happy being with Eda and King and doesn’t seem to be in that big of a rush to get home. Plus, it’s not exactly complicated to get back. There was a whole line of portal doors in the beginning that Luz could potentially sneak through and there’s not yet an established cannon that makes it seem like getting a new key would be difficult or even complicated. Once more, it gives the impression that this version of The Owl House would be focused less on personal stakes and more like giving Luz that fantasy adventure she’s always been craving for. It would make for a fun show, but not the SAME show. However, it is worth noting that there could be some potential drama. Especially for one twist that was a JOLT to my system.

EDA WORKS FOR THE EMPEROR?!: WHAT?!

I’ll admit, I feel like the reason why this is so shocking is because of the Eda I know and the Emperor I learned to fear. I mean, Eda, the woman who would sooner eat her own fist before even CONSIDERING helping Belos, even before the witch hunter business, was originally meant to HELP him. Of all the changes that the series could have made, this was by far the biggest. Everything that I thought to be constant turned out to be a lie and I was NOT prepared for it!

But again, the reason why I got that big of a reaction is because it goes against everything I knew about Eda. If this was my first introduction to her, it’d be less of a shocking twist and more of a…hook. Like how Invincible’s first episode (Don’t watch if you’re a baby) ends with a character you THOUGHT you could trust doing this intensely dark thing. The rest of the season is leading you to figure out WHY this was done and how the other characters would react, making you want to see more as the show inevitably leads up to this big conclusion that changes everything you once knew. The same applies here, with the reveal making me wonder why Eda would do this, how long she’s been doing it, how it will affect her relationship with Luz, and whether or not it’d be an easy fix. And much like the ending of Invincible’s first episode (Seriously, NOT meant for babies), this hook makes me interested in wanting to see what comes next. Except I never will know because that came from a version of The Owl House that will never exist.

The pilot is interesting because it shows me what The Owl House COULD have been. I wouldn’t say that it’s better than what we got or even that it’s a better first impression than “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” It’s definitely FUNNIER, I’ll give it that, but it doesn’t make the original pitch better, it makes it different. Everything looks the same and sounds the same, but the overall feel of this pilot makes it something that would have had a different story, tone, and ideas on how to develop these characters. Would I have liked it? Absolutely. It seems like a fun time. But that doesn’t mean I like the show we got any less. This was more like…getting a peek into an alternate universe where a show I already love would have been vastly different. And after over a year without any new Owl House content aside from stuff that fans have made, this was a very pleasant surprise that leaves me excited for the NEW fan content that springs from all this.

But that’s enough talking about a show that could have been made. Time to get back to a series that came into existence and I still love so much. See you all then as you all milk this gift that the internet has given you.

[haihaihaitani]

1:04 AM ~ *Taiju Shiba*

Summary: You’ve made the 10th generation leader of the Black Dragons soft. Now you must pay the price. But you’re not scared.

Pairing: Taiju Shiba X Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst Drabble

Word Count: 530

Warning: mentions murder, bad swearing, blood, hurt to comfort, no one dies but it comes close.

Masterlist

A/N: I just want to try something.

The switchblade pressed against your throat was cold to the touch. You were completely frozen due to the cold steel against your jugular. However, you were as calm as could be. You weren’t worried as the person holding the blade pressed a little harder.

“The fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Taiju was pissed but he only showed it on his face. His posture was relaxed, his arms folded over his broad chest. You kept your eyes trained on his closed eyes.

Everything was okay.

“This bitch has made you soft. I’m just removing an obstacle.”

“No, you’re touching something that’s mine.” He snapped. “You draw a single drop of blood and I’ll bury you six feet under.”

See? Everything was fine.

“We could be great! Legends even! And yet you let this whore get in our way! She has to go!”

“She’s not going anywhere.” Taiju’s voice was deadly calm but razor sharp. “Now let her go.”

“I WON’T!” He pressed harder. A drop of blood dripped down your throat. Your breath hitched.

Taiju’s face turned murderous. “Hakkai.”

The blade jerked across your throat.

It then slashed down your clavicle before being pulled away from you entirely. Your knees gave out and you crumpled to the floor. Instantly, Taiju was by your side. You barely heard the gunshot behind you. Your hands pressed to your throat, assessing the damage.

You were pulled into Taiju’s strong arms and you realized you’ve never seen him so worried in his entire life. Tears were even welling in his eyes. But you were shaking too much from the adrenaline rush to hold his face and reassure him.

“Oh my God, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay! You have to be okay!”

“I’m fine.” Your voice was hoarse. “I’m fine, Taiju. It was a superficial cut across the throat. It didn’t hit anything. The one across my clavicle will need stitches though. He still didn’t hit anything. I’m just going into shock.”

He shook his head. “God, I hate how you know so much about this shit. Hakkai! Get the car! We have to get to the hospital!”

Hakkai’s footsteps fade away and you try to touch Taiju’s face. He grabbed your hand softly and placed it back over your wound. “Don’t. Don’t move. You need to be okay.”

“I will. Just keep me awake. Kiss me like a princess if you have to.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re so stupid.”

“You’re stupid for not stopping him before.”

“He would have killed you!”

“No, he wouldn’t have. You would’ve stopped him.” You stared deep into his eyes as you said, “I know you, Tai. You would have stopped him from hurting me. And you did. You saved me.”

Taiju shook his head. “No, you still got hurt. You’re going into shock. You could still-”

“I’m not.” You snapped. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here with you until we go to the hospital. So just keep holding me tight and don’t let me go.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Hakkai popped up behind his brother’s shoulder and the two of them helped you to the hospital. You went under anesthesia and woke up in a quiet room, Taiju staring out the window. When he saw you were awake, he squeezed your hand and told you you were going to be fine.

“And now I’ll have cool scars.” You smiled, squeezing his hand back. “Also, I’ll look like Frakenstein for a while. Isn’t that cool, Tai?”

He glared at you. “Shut the hell up. You’re in the hospital and it’s all my fault.”

“You shut up. We’ve been over this. Everything turned out okay. We just need to be more careful in the future, that’s all.”

He sighed and dropped to his knees, his forehead pressed against your clasped hands. “I hate you. I should leave you and never see you for the rest of my life. You are the worst thing to ever happen to me.”

Threading your fingers through his hair, you whispered, “But you love me too much. And I love you too. We’ll figure this out. We’re going to be okay.”

“You’re going to be okay. I’m never seeing you again.”

Chuckling, you shook your head. “You would never.”

He didn’t say anything. The two of you stayed like that until you fell asleep. He walked out of your hospital room and didn’t come back.

But you know Taiju. When you were ready to be discharged, he’d be right there by your side.

Because he would never leave you behind.

[doki-doki-imagines]

I’m not sure if you have done Oliver or the Itoshi siblings as pets but if you didn’t can I request for those characters please?

Rin version is here

Oliver Aiku - Lynx -Look lynx are such cool animals with their fluffy tail and sharp eyes and listen, you reached the point in your life where when they told you "Oliver became a lynx" you just nodded and accepted your fate. -But at your door didn't arrive a lynx, but Oliver...with grey ears and a tail to match. -"Look if you are just into pet-play, you should have told me, not get all your friends involved!" "It's a real tail! Try to pull it" He says, irises sparkling, fluffy tail going from his big hands to your smaller ones, his usual smirk adorning his face. -You pull, hard, and the tail doesn't come off, but the cute squak he lets out is worth the feel of danger when Oliver shows his canines a second after. -He doesn't have much instinctual reaction during the day, but when it happens, it is pretty scary and hot. -It is also way better to cuddle because the softness of the tail curling around your waist and the soft ears make the experience wonderful. -Too bad that when Oliver lay on top of you, he takes your breath away, literally. -He tries to do the woo you the entire day, this time, his tactics may work better thanks to the enhanced cuteness. -The next day, everything is back to normal. It doesn't mean Oliver won't buy ears and tail to match since you liked him so much like that...

Sae Itoshi - Red Wolf -The laughter that filled your house when one of Sae teammates brang him could be heard for kilometres. -"Which wolf are you? Who did win? No, sorry dumb question, like the dumb wolf that totally won!" Maybe you shouldn't have been pointing at him while saying that since he almost chopped your finger off. -Sae is a pest the entire time, he can't stay still, he bites your clothes and then make a damn nest with them, that omega. -And then puff! Smoke envelop your house, you open the windows as fast as possible, the room finally clear again- -"This house smells like shit-" Sae is back to normal again! More or less... -"Oh God, look at you-" You crouch, your hand now petting his reddish furry ears. "Please never go back to normal." "Oh, I didn't know you were into these kinds of things, you freak." It's your turn to bite him. -Sae is cold and mean as always, but at least now, when you are nice to him, you can see his tail wagging left and right, and it's the cutest thing your eyes have ever seen. -Also there was a moment while you cooked where you got a small cut on your wrist, and Sae lapped it up. -The imagine of your boyfriend, crouching down a little, giving small licks to your wounded wrist, ears low and turquoise eyes all shiny and full of worries for your condition... -It wasn't an easy hit for your heart. - Also, he gets clingier. Like he never leaves your side. It's probably his instinct that makes Sae act that way. -What didn't change is Sae being a sleeptalker. "So, why were you so overprotective today?" You whisper to your sleeping boyfriend, brushing away the hair of his small fringe. "It's just natural to protect your mate for life." He gurgles out, voice slurred. -The next day, you'll have to book a visit to a cardiologist, too many hits to your weak heart in a single day.

[eerna]

okay wait actually now that we're on the book-series-strengths-and-shortcomings-train what do you love most about tlt and tlc? (multiple answers bonus)

HOHO A COMBO

TLC: 1) Friendship not being secondary to romance!! The series' main theme is love. In the grand finale the big bad taunts the MC about love... but she doesn't use her boyfriend, no, she uses her best friend. This is made even more powerful because by all means, the best friend was meant to be the secondary love interest by all rules of 2012 YA, but NO he is JUST A FRIEND and it is not treated as "something less". 2) Team building!!!! Oh my god!!!! Building onto point 1, but it needs its own point. Rarely does a fictional team of main characters feel as natural as the Rampion Crew. This is even more impressive because the 9 of them don't appear in the same room until the end of the series. Even though the team consists of 4 couples and 1 single, everyone has a dynamic with everyone, they have arcs that aren't tied exclusively to their partner but also someone else on the team, they interact with each other freely. 3) The wide range of characters! I am a sucker for a "team of girls totally different from each other saves the world" setup, and TLC does it perfectly. I think this is one of the best YA series out there because of how much it empowers different kinds of girls. The guys are also easy to tell apart even at first read, and I sooo appreciate that at least one of them isn't conventionally attractive (anymore). 4) It's so funny. I love these books and how funny they are. They hit the perfect balance between a fun teen adventure and a heartfelt emotional story. 5) This is one of the least "Here's what REALLY happened" series I've read. A bunch of times major things influence characters' thoughts and opinions, but those things are fake and never revealed as fake, OR the characters never learn some big things that could change their opinions at all. Seeing how impacted Winter was when she realized Levana truly loved her father, when I KNOW what really happened, always shakes me to my core - and Winter never learns the truth!!! Everyone who could explain what really happened is dead!! Winter will forever go on thinking at least her father had a marriage of love!!! And why should she learn the truth, really, it would only serve as yet another sad plot twist that traumatizes her even deeper. 6) Levana. I am not usually a villain girlie, but Levana absolutely slaps. She is simultaneously disgusting, horrible, and pitiful. Usually if I like the villain it's because he has something smart to say, but Levana doesn't, I can't relate to her or see things from her perspective... But the leads can! Levana seems to carry all the trauma and complexes of our leads, but she crumbled under them, showing Cinder what she might have become if not for her loved ones.

TLT: 1) Isn't afraid of people not getting it!! Do you understand how refreshing this is to see in a mainstream popular series??? The book doesn't act like you are an idiot, it acts like you are some sort of a genius, and you feel illiterate until you realize NO ONE got it the first time around and you're gonna have to do lots of rereading and thinking to get it. This makes it impossible to get into for some people, but so what. So what!!! What matters is that it rewards those who stay and put in the work!! 2) Absolutely bonkers insane relationships. No one can be "just a friend" in these, we need 1000 different layers of trauma and tenderness surrounding everyone. 3) Pathetic women. These books are the epitome of all the worst parts of yourself laid bare. These characters act out the most shameful, horrible memories and impulses of your heart, all the while spouting poetics about the entire situation. And it is pure catharsis!! It is so rare to see female characters depicted this pathetic without it being torture porn. 4) Writing style. It's the perfect example of how realism doesn't matter if you're good with your words. No one in these books talks like a real life person, but they are all distinct from each other and filled with personality. Every book has several lines that have the power to reduce me a to a sobbing mess just from hearing them. Just. The writing style is so good that I even enjoy reading INTERVIEWS with the author, she has a way of speaking that keeps you engaged and makes her sound so smart. 5) Each book is its own thing, keeping you on your toes, but they all still feel cohesive. It also means that even if the final book sucks, I won't have any hangups about it, since I will just be able to reread the first 3. Honestly even if AtN never comes out, I won't feel like I wasted any time, because the books are so fantastic and so worth reading that the end of the journey doesn't even matter to me that much - and if you've been here a while, you'll know what a radical statement that is for me. It is so nice to relax and enjoy the ride instead of stressing over my thoughts and opinions aging badly.

[hollowwrites]

Crossed Wands Headcanon

I like to think Crossed wands isn’t that exclusive Lucan is just really strict and kicks people out a lot. I also had so much fun writing Crossed wands stuff in my Ominis x MC fic wanted to explore what other students fighting style would be.

~

Ominis, Sebastian, Leander, Garreth, Natty, Imelda, Poppy, Anne, Lucan

~

Ominis

He tried out because Sebastian begged him.

The most graceful duellist you would ever lay your eyes on.

Never misses. Never loses. IF you are lucky and get even a single hit on him, he goes FERAL. He is a naturally talented wizard due to his Slytherin blood so he will OBLITERATE anyone who tries it.

Is the only known ‘member’ other than MC to have beaten Sebastian.

Didn’t join officially because he didn’t want people to assume Gaunts are savages

Only returned to Crossed wands once. And that was to spar against Duncan when he was invited to join.

Duncan forfeit…obviously…didn’t even make an attempt

Sebastian

Can get away with a LOT because he’s charming.

If be blasts you into a wall, it takes one conversation and you’re apologising for being in the way

One talk with Lucan and he’s laughing, all is forgiven

Lucan let’s him get away with some BS because they’re friends (and because Sebastian is the best and puts up a good show)

Did panic when you beat him DADA that his position in Crossed Wands would be compromised

HUGE relief when you decide to partner with him instead of rivalling him

Leander

Has a weakness to crowd control spells

Doesn’t know why just can’t seem to repel them

Is surprisingly good at getting out of them though, probably from practise

Froze him? He’s out of it in seconds before you can cast your next spell. Floating? Doesn’t even care. He’s either casting whilst floating or he’s on the floor before it matters

Is usually how he gets a hit in from people underestimating him

Isn’t as bad as people make out. He’s just a bit of an idiot. Think Neville vibes

Garreth

Is a Pureblood wizard so very talented after being exposed to magic his whole life

Fighting isn’t his thing, gets really bored in match’s and just starts levitating people and doing nothing about it. Just let’s them float and laughs.

LOVES FLIPPENDO

Got REALLY bored and started tossing potions around. Giggled like a mad man when the fireworks display of potion carnage enveloped the stage. Received a warning for it

Was permanently banned after he downed a Maxima and Focus potion before a duel with Sebastian. Almost beat him. They only noticed he’d took the potions cause he was violently shaking afterwards. Sebastian found it hilarious.

Natty

Almost as graceful as Ominis…almost

No one bothers using Expelliamus as everyone knows she can cast without a wand

Terrifying to go up against

She smiles sweetly the entire time, laughing sometimes

Will call you pet names

Everyone thinks she’s being snide but she’s genuinely just happy

Happy to lose, Happy to win, Happy to draw

Utterly terrifying

Imelda

Literally could not care less about Crossed Wands.

Tries out in fifth because quidditch got cancelled and she had a gap in her routine

Tries to use her broom in combat, finding it easier to cast from it and gain the upper hand

Receives a warning for doing so

Teaches Lucan some new cuss words after shouting at him for giving him a warning

Lucan is now in love with her

Poppy

Oh it’s just Perculiar Poppy, she’ll do no harm right?

Wrong! She was raised by poachers being cruel has been bred into her

Got banned after she hung Astoria Crickett by her hair for fifteen minutes

Screamed the entire time about how it’s not nice when it’s happening to you and calling her a Kneazle

It took Sebastian, MC and Natty to drag her away

Anne

Would assume she’d be similar to Sebastian

If it’s even possible, she has less patience

Her and Sebastian are total opposites when it comes to duelling

She’s more similar to Garreth (this is why I ship them)

Is a bit more fond of potions than wand work. Never really took to it.

Gave up and agreed to watch Sebastian from the sidelines with Ominis

Lucan

“Me duel? No no no, I’m a showman. I appreciate the craft. I could duel…but I won’t”

Everyone mothers him.

If he does ever spar, the person on the receiving end always feels bad for whatever they do to him. Giving him a big hug afterwards.

MC once blasted him into a barrel

He thought it was fantastic

MC hugs him and refuses to let go until it’s their next duel

Masterlist