#look he gives me the chills in a way i can't describe. like i think he's a cool character i just also have the gut feeling to run away

[kon-konk]

Now that I can put together a coherent thought again, I've gone to the realization that basically all of my favorite characters should not be taking care of someone sick

But a character that my brain says "stay in the next room over or else" about (Yuri) is the exact person I'd want to take care of me. Will I come out of it with nightmares and a fear of doctors? Probably. Will I come out of it not sick anymore? I got faith in Yuri.

[asunflowerana]

will you go to prom with me?

summary: prom is near, and your sweet, popular friend will do anything to have you as his date.

with: Gojo Satoru.

warnings: yandere behavior, blackmailing (not from satoru), slight blood mentions.

words: 1448.

a/n: i'm just gonna sit back and pretend this didn't give me chills. thinking of turning this into a series, but i'll hold myself from now haha

"Go to prom with me." It's not what you'd expect to hear on a Tuesday morning, right after a wearing History class. Even more so coming from the mouth of no other than Gojo Satoru, the coolest, most desired boy in school.

Yes, you've been friends with him for almost a year. And yes, you get on very well together, crack some side-jokes at classes, sometimes go out to grab some food, do homework at the library, and even stay up at night until sunrise on the phone, freaking out while studying for a math exam that none of you knew about it — or not paying attention, to be more honest. 

So yeah, you're friends. But it's Gojo Satoru we're talking about. And Gojo Satoru is just way out of anyone's league.

You're simply dumbfounded.

"I—" You swallow hard, feeling like you just lost your memory and no longer know how to complete sentences. You're feeling a lot of things, honestly, the guy you've had so many daydreams with saying he wants to have you as his partner, and there you are, a pile of nerves trying to hide the hard, loud way your heart beats inside.

And it's not that you don't want to accept it. Heck, you want to say yes so badly, how many times did you catch yourself watching those sappy rom coms and wondering if you and the white-haired boy would make a fine couple like that. He's the whole package, and if those gorgeous blue eyes and jaw-dropping looks weren't enough, he's also so kind to you, that you can't help but develop a crush.

But as expected, he didn't catch only your attention, but the whole school as well. Kaya Nami, one of the troublemaker cheerleaders, is in the line and does everything she can to make sure nothing gets in her way.

"If I were you, I'd stay away from Satoru Gojo. You won't like having me as an enemy, believe me." She threatened you last Friday, right during PE class. Confused wasn't enough to describe how you felt, but you didn't say anything back to not cause drama, only nodding and watching her head off like nothing happened.

"...I'm sorry, Satoru, but I can't." And unfortunately, that warning was enough to hinder you from making the choice you wanted.

It goes without saying how astounded Gojo was by your answer, that probably being his first time ever being rejected. "What do you mean 'you can't'?" And then his tone dropped an octave, changing to something more seething. "Did someone ask you? You said yesterday to me that you didn't get invited."

"And you're right, I didn't get it." You try to reason, not liking the way he's bothered by your rejection. " it's just... I didn't think you wanted to go with me!" And you didn't lie, even though you said it more as an excuse.

"Well, now you know." He gets closer, almost making you hit your back at the locker behind you. His eyes say he didn't buy any of your excuses. "So, why can't you go? I mean, I know how overwhelming my beauty can be, but you're just as pretty, sweetheart."

His mood suddenly changes to the usual Gojo Satoru, the cheeky guy who enjoys flustering you for fun. Grazing your chin between his index and thumb, he looks deep at you. "I'll give you the best time you ever had. Just be my date."

It takes everything on you to not jump in his arms and let yourself get swept off your feet. Why does he have to make this so difficult? Taking a deep breath, you remember the headache you're gonna get if you don't make the right choice. "Satoru, I'd love to be your date, really. It's just, I think there's someone else that would make a better date than me."

He stares at you with an unreadable expression. You don't know if he got angrier or had enough of your pitiful answers, but you wish you could be able to read only a fraction of Satoru's mind, cause he's staring for too long at you, and you don't know what else to say other than stare back at him.

Finally, he steps back, diverting his gaze to a random spot for a moment before moving to look at you again. Sliding his hands inside his pants pockets, he seems to accept the situation, but you're still not sure of what you see. "I guess you're not changing your mind, huh? Then tell me, who's this 'perfect match'  that you think would be better for me?" He questions with a hint of disdain, but he tries to hide it with a small side smile.

The girl appears in the scene before you can mention her name as if she was waiting for the right opportunity to pounce and make her move on him. By the way your shoulders slump and your eyes lower to the ground, he quickly assumes that she's the person you were talking about earlier and that for some reason, she's making you very uncomfortable. Not you nor Nami noticed the way Gojo glares at a blank spot. Thinking, he mindlessly accepts the blond girl's invitation to lunch, giving you a brief hug before going away. "If that's what you want." He whispers unexpectedly in your ear, offering you a final smile before letting himself be guided to the cafeteria.

You spend the rest of the day wanting to beat yourself for wasting the chance you had to go out with Satoru. You don't talk to him as much during the week, since Nami was making sure to grab every second of his free time at break. It didn't take too long to figure out that both of them would go to prom together, and even though you were the one who made that happen, it still stings to imagine them having a good time.

Prom day arrives, and in the end, no one invites you. It wasn't something completely unexpected, but to be honest, you were hoping that at least one of your friends would be kind enough to want you as a company just so you could all enjoy the "night to remember". Honestly, you didn't want to miss such an important event, and even though there was a chance that you'd make a fool of yourself, it's still your prom, and you have the right to make the most of it, with or without someone.

Kicking away the self-pity, you dressed up and got ready for the special night, wearing that beautiful gown that you remember once showing on Pinterest to Satoru, months before the event. Checking your purse one more time, you catch your phone to ask for a cab, when you hear three familiar knocks on your front door.

Opening your house, you come face to face with someone you never would've imagined seeing at that moment. There stood Gojo Satoru, with a black tuxedo that perfectly accentuates his body, a bouquet of pink camellias in his left hand, glasses off, and a beautiful lopsided smile.

"...Wow." The combo of his honest compliment, his lingering, fond gaze in your direction, and the fact that you made him momentarily speechless, makes your whole self overwhelmed with endearing sensations, especially your warm cheeks.

But that passes too quickly since you don't understand the sudden visit.

"S-Satoru? What are you doing here?" You didn't want this to be the first thing to say to him, but you're so confused, that you don't know what else to say. "I thought you were going out with Nami. Where is she?"

Awakening from the brief trance you provoked in him, the white-haired boy only increases his smile in a rather strange way. " Didn't you know? Mina got in an accident yesterday, she fell from the stairs and ended up breaking her leg."

One more time, you were taken by surprise. As for your friend, he doesn't sound as worried as you imagined he would be after giving this message, but he still makes a respectful pause after saying it.

Satoru also notices your reaction, observing the way you empathetic self got sad for that girl's situation. Little did you know that she got exactly what deserved. And if you looked more closely at your gift, instead of worrying yourself, you'd notice the blood stains around the wrapping paper, the remains of what your future partner did to prove his love.

To his luck, you're just too pure to realize what you don't need to. And for that, Satoru smiles, gazing at you with sparks again.

"So now, will you go to prom with me?"

Reblogs and comments are deeply appreciated 🦋

© asunflowerana 2024

[silverwhittlingknife]

How would you describe Tim's people skills? Especially when you compare them to Dick's?

Hi anon, this was a fun ask!! I picked out a few panels for each of them (comforting friends, a bit out of sync with friends, fighting with friends, and offering practical support to friends) just to get a quick look at their people skills in action, and then I rambled on about my thoughts on their strengths and their weaknesses.

(Caveat: I'm going to try to focus on my ideas about differences between the two of them, since we're comparing, but I do think they're socially more similar than not, so you might also want to check out @bitimdrake's post on Dick and Tim's similarities for the big picture!)

Short version: I think they've both got good people skills. Dick's are a bit better and more natural, whereas Tim's are more practiced and learned (in ways that sometimes show).

Let's start with Dick first, and then I'll get back to Tim.

Dick

Comforting friends in Titans Secret Files:

Dick: Will you go back in there and sit down? This is my house. You don't need to clean up after me! Donna: I know, I just... I just ... Dick: Hey, hey... what's the matter? Donna: Nothing. It's nothing. Dick (reaching out to supportively grip her shoulders): Donna, this is me here, remember?

A bit out of sync with friends (but still getting along well) in Titans 3:

Dick: The movie runs 98 minutes. So if we fast-forward past the coming attractions and watch only half the credits, I can still make it back to Blüdhaven in time to - Roy: Nightwing, chill. Team morale demands that you relax and enjoy yourself.

Fighting with friends in Titans 13:

Dick: We haven't used it much, Changeling. But that's gonna be different. Starting right now. Our performance against Tartarus and the HIVE was unacceptable. Each and every one of you should thank God you weren't killed. Kory: How dare you? How can you just stand there talking to us like we're a military detachment -

Giving support to relative strangers in Nightwing 87:

Neighbor 1: Oh, he - he's a true gentleman, you know? Always holds the door, or helps me up the stairs with my groceries if we both come in at the same time... Neighbor 2: ...used his motorcycle to jumpstart my car one morning and even got my brother-in-law a job with Wayne Enterprises when he got laid off... Neighbor 3: ...and he's very, very, very nice and doesn't talk down to me. Plus he lets me use his basketball.

Offering practical support (making dinner) in Prodigal:

Tim: I can't believe you can actually cook... Dick: I like to eat. Tim: So does Bruce - but he had to order Chinese last night. Dick: That's where I'm one up on him - I've lived on my own without an Alfred. Still miss him, though... He was good for a lot more than cooking and cleaning. Tim: Yeah. But at least we don't have to miss him on empty stomachs.

Strengths:

I think Dick's people skills are pretty simple: he has them! He's good at people! And I tend to think of Dick's people skills as so automatic they're mostly instinctive. It's not something he really has to think about because it's so ingrained in him. A combination of natural talent plus a childhood spent around sociable performers means Dick's just really highly attuned to the people around him.

And I don't think he's particularly obvious about it. So e.g. you could be having a conversation with Dick where he didn't seem like he was paying close attention, but if there was An Important Moment where you got anxious for a moment or let something important slip or let a bit of anger show through etc. - Dick will have picked up on it, even if it's unconsciously, and it'll stick with him and come back to him later.

And just generally - I think Dick has good instincts for who he can trust and who he shouldn't trust; when he's treading on conversational landmines he'll often pick up the unease even if he doesn't have the context to know why there's a problem; if he's trying to comfort and trusts his instincts he'll often do the right thing even if he can't justify in words why he felt like that was the right thing to do.

So I think for Dick, there's always the level of conscious awareness - the things he's aware he knows, if you will - and the level of unconscious awareness - things he senses, but maybe can't explain, or maybe doesn't want to know so he's suppressing the thoughts.

So he's good at leading, and he's good at comforting, and he's good at listening, and he's good at figuring out the right thing to say...

Like, he's good at all of it, so it's actually sort of difficult to elaborate because there's just not that much nuance? Given any particular interpersonal situation, Dick has an excellent chance of getting a quick read on some random guy he's just met and then getting the reaction he wants pretty fast, whether it's intimidating the guy or comforting him or getting him to cooperate or taunting him until he loses his temper, etc etc etc.

Obviously Dick's not a mind reader, and he can get things wrong, especially when he's in the throes of one of his own personal crises, but generally I think Dick's very very sure-footed with people, even with strangers.

Weaknesses:

This isn't a weakness precisely because Dick's usually doing it on purpose, but he'll sometimes have fights with his friends because they think he's acting overly professional/detached and he thinks they're not being professional enough. So e.g. in Titans 13, you can see Dick's set up the room almost like he's leading a business meeting, and he's the boss lecturing them, and they're reacting by getting mad at him. Part of this is basically a Traditional Bat Problem - Tim's friends also balk because they feel like Tim's keeping them at a distance - but Dick tends to lean especially hard on "I'm The Leader Here So Shut Up And Do What I Say" professionalism / distancing.

When things are going well, Dick's friends may grumble at his intense professionalism but basically appreciate it (this is basically how things go in their reunion in TT vol 2); when things are not going well, though, it becomes a point of tension. Generally, Dick gets extra-professional as a coping mechanism when under stress, as here in TT vol 2 12:

To the extent that Dick falters with social skills, it tends to be almost exclusively with people he knows well, not with strangers. Dick sometimes struggles with maintaining relationships, largely because he's often juggling multiple responsibilities; he'll sometimes get hyperfixated on something and deprioritize his more stable relationships (so e.g. when he gets fixated on trying to fix Blüdhaven and gets distracted from his relationship with Babs).

Somewhat relatedly, if things start going wrong in his own life, he tends to self-isolate out of shame and avoid everyone he thinks of as more put-together. So, for example, in the aftermath of Blockbuster, he's a self-destructive mess who's trying to dodge and/or drive away Clark and Roy and Tim (all people who care about him and would want to help), but Sophia Tevis and Rose are two messed-up young strangers in trouble and their obvious neediness trips his "urgency" meter, plus he may be a mess but they have no context to realize that so he doesn't feel so self-conscious, and he's able to be drive-by super-helpful to them and then dive right back into privately self-destructing.

Also not a weakness per se, but he tends to be a bit of an introvert in general - he and Wally are close, but they go long stretches of time without catching up; when he's spending time with friends, usually it's Donna / Wally / the Titans / Tim visiting Dick rather than the other way around; he's more likely to get cajoled into joining a team than the other way round - Wally talks him into rejoining the Titans and Roy talks him into joining the Outsiders. He likes people and likes spending time with friends, but he's usually not the one initiating a social gathering. He's self-aware about this; in Titans 9, he muses, "It's not the newness that's the problem. The problem is the old stuff. The ruts. You know someone long enough - well enough - and you fall into a rut with them... you completely take the relationship for granted..."

Relatedly, because Dick's pretty self-contained, he has a recurring problem where loved ones interpret him as distant or detached or indifferent even when he's still passionately attached - both Kory and Babs break up with Dick in part because they feel like he's not really that committed to them (also there are mmm Problematic Plotlines involved but I'm ignoring those for the purposes of this post), and in both cases IMO they're misreading him. He's deeply upset by both breakups and responds with big declarations of feeling and, uh, proposing marriage shortly afterward. (Okay, so he's not ALWAYS sure-footed sdfdsfs)

When Dick's getting something wrong, it's usually because he's upset and overcompensating - when things with Kory and Babs are tense, he tries to fix it with Big Gestures; when Vic's mad at him about spying, he missteps with an elaborate secret plan culminating in a big dramatic offering of a new body which Vic does want... but he's still understandably miffed at Dick for making a bunch of decisions behind his back instead of talking to him. Dick guesses right about something Vic will want, but because Dick when he's feeling guilty tends to slide into I-Am-The-Leader, I-Must-Fix-Everything-By-Myself, I-Am-Responsible-For-Everything mode, he forgets that the whole original problem is connected to not respecting Vic's autonomy / right to make decisions for himself, and that a better gesture would be asking Vic what he wants instead of once again making decisions on his behalf without consulting him. (I'm sympathetic to Dick's spying-on-Vic plan on account of how Vic did turn into an evil moon for a bit - comics are bonkers, you guys sdfdsfs - but I'm also very sympathetic to Vic feeling that he deserved fuller disclosure here.)

And you can see similar patterns in lower-key conflicts too: every time Dick gets accused of being just like Batman, it's usually because he's coming off as harsh or detached or uncaring (sometimes on purpose because he's pushing people away; sometimes just because Dick handles grief and fear by shutting down; sometimes because his the-buck-stops-here leadership style can come off as overly-detached), even though Dick actually cares SO SO MUCH, all the time, about everyone he knows.

But honestly... these weaknesses exist, but they're minor in comparison to his strengths?? Dick's a guy with a lot of very strong friendships for a reason. He's true as steel and once he cares about you, he cares about you forever. <3

OKAY! So that's Dick. Let's finally move on to...

Tim

Comforting friends in Joker's Last Laugh 3:

Tim: Babs? Is everything okay? (hugs her)

A bit out-of-sync with friends (but still getting along well) in Young Justice 7:

Cassie: A campout isn't a campout without a real fire. It's no fun at all. Tim: But the generator is far more efficient, Cassie. It's non-polluting, it poses no threat of forest fire, and it's... it's ... (taking in everybody else's expressions, sighing, reversing course) It's no fun at all. Impulse, can you...?

Fighting with friends in Adventure Comics 3 (stonewalling, avoidance, and lying!)

Conner: You weren't picking up. Tim: I didn't know it was you. Conner: I turned off my caller ID blocking. Tim: I was busy. I am busy. Conner: Too busy to talk to your best friend? Tim: Yes. No.

Giving emotional support to relative strangers in Robin 98 / 100 / 156:

Wesley: I just wanted to thank you. They tell us at the meetings that it's important to let people know how you feel. You did a lot for me - making me sober up. If you hadn't taken the time to notice - (Later) Tim: You're gonna stay strong, right? (Wesley: Right.) Tim: You're gonna stay sober, okay? (Wesley: Okay.) Tim: You're gonna do it 'cause - Wesley: 'Cause if I don't you'll come back and kick my butt all over campus. Tim: Uh huh.

(The redhaired guy was about to jump. Tim convinces him to sit down and talk first.) Tim: So, you're in college? Guy: Yeah, I'm a freshman. How'd you know? Tim: Just a hunch. I'm guessing you don't like it much. Guy: I always hated high school. Always felt like I was outside looking in, never part of any group or anything. I was on the diving team but even then I didn't feel like part of it. The only good thing was that was where I met Lori, my girlfriend.

Offering practical support (medical care and tea) in Batgirl 59:

Tim (treating her injury as she shares her traumatic past): Whoa. That's ... horrible. Cass: That's nothing. Stephanie and I used to laugh about - oh... uh... never mind. Wait, Tim. I... I'm so ... stupid, I don't - Tim: You're not stupid. Want some tea? Cass: I ... uh... yeah. Thank you.

Strengths:

Tim! I think Tim's also pretty decent at people - not as good as Dick, but hardly anyone is?

I tend to think of Dick as instinctively good at people, and Tim as more consciously good at people.

Tim spends a lot of time being intentionally watchful: observing, spying, psychoanalyzing people, paying careful attention to what they say, thinking about what makes them tick. (And Tim psychoanalyzes himself, too. Tim is studiously engaged in the study of Tim, and of Tim's friends, and of Tim's family. He's often playing a role, even when that role is "Tim Drake.")

So e.g. in Red Robin, at one point Tim has an elaborate domino-falling database where he's compiled a list of villains he wants to fight and how he wants to fight them, all leading up to a very careful takedown plan for Boomerang where he's thought through and anticipated Boomerang's every move ahead of time... and he's basically right! He gets it all right!

And this kind of intensely-studied logical chess-game of "he will do this for this reason, and then this for that reason, and the other people will respond in this way, like a series of dominos, and I've thought through all the possibilities" is Very Tim to me, and I feel like... this is just the sort of thing that Dick would never ever do?

And mostly Dick wouldn't do it because he wouldn't have to. When Dick's skeptical of James Gordon Jr., he goes to talk to the guy and feel him out, and he ethically feels obliged to give him the benefit of the doubt because there's no evidence against him, but he's got a bad feeling and doesn't trust him and secretly slaps a tracer on him because he's got an instinct he'll want it, and he's right: James Jr. is up to something, and that tracer is exactly the thing that Dick needs.

And similarly if Dick wanted to goad James Jr. into doing something, I think he'd go off and meet him and goad him into doing it, and he'd have an instinct for what to say to make that happen - I think the whole elaborate domino plan that Tim comes up with for Boomerang would feel unnecessarily complex to Dick. Not that Dick doesn't make complicated plans, because he absolutely does, but Dick doesn't usually overthink people.

Similarly, if Dick had been the little kid in Lonely Place of Dying, he'd have gotten worried and gone straight to Bruce and talked to him, not gotten worried and taken photos of Bruce from a distance and then come up with an elaborately overthought plan to go to New York and track down his estranged son and fix him that way. And, like. Kid!Tim's not entirely wrong! He's correctly picked up on a very real and very strong connection between Bruce and Dick even though he doesn't know either of them! And given how little actual information Tim has, this is actually an impressive plan (it's a bad plan, because Tim doesn't know about their fights, but it's an impressively solid plan given that his entire information basis is "watched them from a distance and collected news reports"). But this isn't how Dick thinks about people.

Backing up to a more general point: Tim values people skills really really really highly. I think "uses interpersonal skills to help and comfort other people" is one of Tim's highest values and arguably the highest value - he imprinted on Dick because he was kind, and then imprinted on Batman because he was comforting Dick. And he has six million After-School-Special-style plotlines where he tries to comfort / advise / rescue / etc. people in various stages of emotional distress and who are using bad coping mechanisms. His very first outing as Robin involves talking down a semi-suicidal shooter; the big finale of YJ has Tim talking Secret down from her rampage; he's very gentle when he's comforting his girlfriend after she confides in him about a maybe-attempted-rape; he talks down a suicidal college student in Robin; plus there's the entire concept of "Batman needs Robin" in the first place; not to mention his obsession with the importance of friends; and so forth.

So it's something that he's good at because it's something he values and works at. His people skills are conscious and learned. He does a fair bit of amateur psychoanalysis of other people's problems, and he's generally good at identifying the problems, even if he's not always great at fixing them. And he's often playing a role, or imitating other people, rather than being himself; he invests a lot of time constructing alternate identities; he's often more comfortable wearing a mask. (It is just so typical of Tim that his civilian friendship group is the DCU version of D&D players.)

So his practiced-people-skills work decently well, because he's diligent and he cares a lot, and he's better at people when he's older than when he's younger. And he's extremely good at things he's had a lot of practice with, like meeting new schoolmates, or making small talk, and he's friendly and he likes people, and he's good at learning scripts and following them, and he only tends to misstep when he's distracted or unusually anxious or when he's in a situation where normal social norms don't help. (Of course, since he's a vigilante and not an ordinary person, distracted / unusually anxious / weird situation are all things that happen more often than you might think!)

I also think Tim has a few caretaker instincts that have become automatic - generally he's hyperaware of when people are upset and usually tries to reach out or fix it, and even when he's trying to keep himself at a distance he'll slide into caretaking sometimes - so e.g. there's that moment in Batgirl with Cass when Tim's kinda upset with her for siding with Batman (and distancing himself from other people in general), so he's not intending to get close to her, but also what we see him doing is treating her wounds and then getting her tea. And meanwhile Cass actually wants to reach out, and she's intensely observing him and worrying and wanting to help, but what she actually does is... drink the tea. That Tim got her. While she stays firmly on her side of the couch.

(I tend to think of Cass as slightly similar to Tim but at the very very very beginning of her learn-to-people journey here? Like Tim, she cares!! A lot!! And she's successfully understood that Tim's upset, and she knows when she's put her foot in her mouth. But she's not sure what to do yet.)

Weaknesses:

Tactless! This is a tricky word because I think people sometimes hear 'tactless' and misunderstand it as 'generically rude,' but that's not quite the issue - Tim's quite polite most of the time; his problem is that his default mental monologue is very detached / psychoanalyzing / analytical, including about himself and things he's emotional about. He'll often be analyzing his own emotions even in the process of having them (I also talk about this a little here, though it's mostly a post about Dick and anger), and Tim's also constantly analyzing other people.

This means that if he doesn't edit his brain-to-mouth filter, he can come off as too detached or professional or calculating.

This is obviously similar to Dick's problem of coming off as too detached / professional - again, they're both Bats - but it's not quite the same thing, and I think this distinction is most obvious if you look at the places where they're doing it on purpose and picking fights:

Dick's most likely to pick fights by pulling rank: "I'm the boss, you all fucked up this mission and you better not do it again, shape up or shut up." This is a kind of distancing that's about Dick-the-impassive-boss and you-the-subordinate.

By contrast, Tim's more likely to pick fights via hostile psychoanalysis: "I notice you're being snide about Cass again, but we both know you're actually just mad that Bruce cares about her more than he cares about you." When he's miffed, both his inner monologue and the things he says tend toward 'uncharitable analysis of your emotional weaknesses,' and this is something he periodically directs at Bruce / Jason / Damian. This is a kind of distancing that's about Tim-the-hostile-analyst and you-the-unfortunate-target-of-analysis.

(Caveats: I don't think Tim's above trying to pull rank if he can, but he rarely has the opportunity; Dick's not above jabs at other people's weaknesses when he's very defensive and feeling attacked - junkie, elevator - but IMO he's more likely to pull rank, whereas Tim's jabs are more likely to be wrapped up in insulting psychoanalysis, so e.g. Jason's insecurity is his problem. The Jan Brady of the Batfamily.)

You can see related similar-sounding-but-different issues if you look at some of their respective breakups. So e.g. Dick has a breakup with Babs in which she thinks he doesn't care about her, and Tim has a breakup with Cassie in which she thinks he doesn't care about her. And these breakups are different for six million reasons (among other things, Dick and Babs have a pretty intense romance, whereas, uh, Tim and Cassie have had one date and IMO she's very right that they're better off as friends).

But you also get some useful character notes:

Babs is wrongly anxious that Dick's mostly in love with nostalgia for their past rather than the person she is now (he 100% does love the person she is now!) and she's being unfairly bitchy about Catalina, but she's also correctly noted that he's gotten into the habit of deprioritizing their relationship in favor of vigilante busywork & that he's been a bit pushy in swooping in protectively rather than letting her fight her own battles, so when she's accusing him of being a control freak it's not completely coming from thin air; Dick responds by getting hurt, upset, and direct (he gets furious and punches something, but then makes a big sweet sincere emotional speech to her about how much he cares and values her, albeit one that's so caught up in his own emotions like wanting to "protect" her that he's not slowing down enough to take in her insecurities).

Cassie has correctly realized that dating Tim is a bad coping mechanism and she really needs to just deal with her grief over Conner; when she starts crying, at first Tim moves to comfort her, but when she actually clarifies the breakup, an upset Tim responds by aggressively de-emotionalizing the conversation and pretending he's being totally logical and not emotional about it - he first wonders aloud if he's a bad detective for not seeing it coming and then attempts a bonkers guilt-trip suggestion that it's their duty to date in order to uhhh avoid turning evil in the bad future (sdfsfdsfdsfds sure tim nice try)

This isn't because Tim literally doesn't have feelings, because of course he does! But often, the more upset he is, the worse he gets at clearly expressing those feelings, and the more he intellectualizes them or avoids discussing them.

(Caveat: The trouble with any distinction is that it's easy to exaggerate it in ways that are oversimplified, and I want to emphasize that this doesn't reduce to "Dick always expresses emotions, Tim is never emotional," or anything like that. Dick has a bunch of complicated feelings about the intensity of his emotions because he values control and detachment and often is trying to be more detached (I talk more about this in the context of anger here and here); Tim often retreats to faux-analytical detachment when he's actually very emotional; and these are tendencies rather than one-note 24/7 truths - Dick is completely capable of intellectualizing away his emotions; Tim is completely capable of just getting straightforwardly and directly upset. But if you're looking for broad distinctions, I think it's fair to say that Dick's usually better at directly using his words and expressing his emotions, even if he sometimes feels self-conscious shame about it later, whereas Tim tends to self-sabotage and deflect and hide by producing intellectualized faux-logic instead of just being direct about what he wants or what he's feeling.)

An unrelated issue is that Tim also tends to get intrusive when he's anxious, and it gets worse the more he cares about you. Tim really really really wants to know what's going on and has an intense Need To Help, which generally works out for him - this is the entire reason he pushes his way into the Batfamily! - but it's easy to imagine Tim running into people who might not appreciate his busybody sneakiness; so e.g. secretly stalking your friend because he has a bruise, or running your friend's DNA, etc., is... stuff that all comes from how much Tim cares, but also it involves a very fuzzy relationship with other people's privacy, so Tim's friendships that stick around tend to be with people who find this kind of intense observation to be caring rather than pushy. Relatedly, Tim's version of "be protective" can overlap with "be condescending," which means he tends to get along best with confident people like Bruce, who could punt him into a wall and who thus finds Tim's 'disapproving medic' shtick endearing instead of insulting.

Tim also struggles to connect to people for whom he doesn't have an obvious "script" or who don't respond to his usual scripts. So e.g. offering Gar a "you don't like me but let's be friends" handshake worked; offering Cass a "let's be friends" handshake worked; offering the same thing to Damian did not go over so well; and I think this kind of "it usually works so this is my habit now?" thing is very Tim, and I don't think it's the sort of mistake that Dick would make.

More broadly, because Tim's people skills are conscious and learned - the effort sometimes shows! He stares at people. He secretly spies on them. He pokes around in their secrets. Dick can be paying close attention to you and seem like he's not, so that his awareness seems effortless and less intrusive. I think Tim's awareness tends to be a bit more effortful.

That said, though, I don't think that Tim's intensely-observing-you shtick is necessarily obvious except to people who are fairly socially-skilled themselves. When I write fanfic, I generally write from Dick's POV, and I tend to write Dick being hyperaware of when, say, Tim's observing him, or trying to figure out what's going on with him. But I think of that as more "Dick's good at reading Tim and really aware of being watched, so every attempt at subtlety stands out in neon lighting," and I think to someone who's less good at reading people than Dick is, Tim is a lot subtler.

And I think for e.g. someone like Cass, who really struggles with people skills, Tim seems impossibly and naturally good at interactions in the same way that to Tim, Dick seems incredibly good at it.

[qtkoshi]

Maybe gn!Reader and Hobie adopt a kitten and the other three (Pavitr, Gwen, and Miles) come to see the kitten? Maybe a orange kitten gn!Reader wanted to name Spunk or Spike while Hobie gave them a spike collar? Would be cute lol

i luv ur brain anon

"you got....a kitten?"

- ok ok idk if this is what u meant, but u can feel free to run this with the bubblegum reader + hobie bc i think it fits alright :-) - also get a little deep with describing relationship,, but it’s necessary for the plot ! (...) - also!!! tysm for the requests; i am very excited to get into them, but will prob wait till tmrw to release bc it is my birthday today <3 much love to you all

──★ ˙ ̟ to the stars ！

general headcannons

alright first of all: hobie with a kitten? i’m in tears. 

i love the hc that hobie has a soft spot for cats and the fact that y’all got one together? bye.

NAPS WITH THE KITTEN JUST NESTLED BETWEEN BOTH OF YOU

this cat is gonna be SPOILED in attention i tell u rn

hobie isn’t as obvious ab it as u, but the amount of times u see him chilling with the cat just perched on his shoulder?? (why are u taking the baby swinging across the city hobie; wait a min now–)

how u got him

imagine this: ur walking past an alley and hear this small little meow; after further investigation you find this tuft of orange fur crying outside the dumpster and

now u gotta take it in what r u talking about!!

bringing him home immediately ; hobie's spidey senses prob picked up the cat's presence before you got in the door.

'baby what's that.' 'c'mon spiderman we got saving to do'

man can't even argue with you

hobie not naming the cat himself bc he doesn’t wanna enforce socio-constructed labels on an unsuspecting creature that can’t consent

u can tho.

and while you very much want to, you tell hobie you gotta think on it for a bit – it has to fit just right!! (tbh he rlly doesn’t mind the cat being nameless, but he’s kinda whipped and will kinda go with what u want if it helps give that pretty lil smile to him again)

spider-squad finding out ab him

the besties r wrapping up something with a fight and hobie’s all k gotta leave and check on the cat and the rest are like ????? 

pav absolutely floored bc how dare did u not mention this sooner hobie

'so you lot wanna come see him?' (inter-dimensional travel ensues) – also never gonna complain ab coming to hobie’s house they all think his place is dope

i’m sure we all know orange cats are fucking crazy and that does not exclude the little gremlin jumping off the walls of your flat rn

hobie ofc is smirking bc his son the cat is a little agent of chaos and he couldn’t be more proud 

you, on the other hand, are just a little tired trying to get the fucker to stay still for a second so u can put on the damn flea medicine

everybody loves him are u kidding (miles a little hesitant tho, he still has beef with the last spiderman-variant cat he met :/ ) 

“so whats its name?” miles was watching with wary eyes as the little ball of fur darted around. with a heavy (and definitely not dramatic) sigh, you walk over to the group “still haven’t picked. we just found him yesterday.”

luv the idea of hobie looking at u anytime ur in the room (stay with me now) — can’t help it u just grab all his attention, maybe stop being so lovely idk

speaking of your relationship: he has spent years battering against everything life throws at him that having your love in the palm of his hands? something to protect not in the way he does as a hero, but in the way to cherish as a person?? give the man a break, he deserves to admire you whenever he can.

anyways hobie’s looking at you before going ‘oh yea’, just grunts and pulls out this little collar with little spikes and their matching and oh my that is so cute

says he found it in some garbage, most def made the collar with some scraps like he did his own (gotta keep it cool yk)

you giddy and putting the collar on the little heathen and just all ‘omg wait a min’

promptly lifting the cat up and “THIS IS SPIKE.”

cue golf claps from the squad with some ooo’s and aah’s

more gen headcannons

remember when hobie and the cat were swinging around the city? yea he's taking that mf everywhere. puts him in his pocket like a little surprise

hobie loves to play fight with the cat

spike is the perfect mix; got hobie’s energy and your brightness it’s a win-win

i could write more but i'll stop here for now 🕸️

⊗

[sunnyflix]

REALITY SHOW | KMG

❝ relax, baby...the cameras can't film here, we're safe, we can do whatever we want. ❞

PAIRING » kim mingyu × fem!reader

GENRE » smut, fluff, strangers to lovers au

WORD COUNT » 2,5k

SUNNY NOTE » yayyy my first one here! hope you guys enjoy this one 🫶🏻

"I'M NOT SIGNING UP"

You said louder than expected while trying to be reasonable to your friend.

"Honey, why are you screaming? All I just did was tell you to sign up to this reality show, nothing else...Jesus" Your friend Seungkwan said. 

You sighed "I don't know, Kwanie. It's too much exposure... I'll be filmed for 24 hours, seven days a week. It's too much for me."

"Y/N, think with me" he said. "You'll be in a house with a lot of people, you don't know who they are, so just be yourself and try to catch a good one for you."

You started to think. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Nobody will know you there. You're safe. 

But just the fact the program will be aired on national television, and your mom will probably watch the show, bring you chills all over your body.

You just have to try, right?

-

Wrong.

When Seungkwan came home with the papers from the program, including all the rules and special items for the participants, your body froze.

If they don't like you? If you ended up being a side-partner for someone? This was such a bad idea.

"Are you even listening to me, girl?" Seungkwan said with a hurt face. 

"Sorry, I'm immersed in my thoughts." 

"However they are, just forget them and focus on this." he pointed to the paper. "There will be 16 participants, that means will be formed 8 couples. You obviously will be with someone...plus, you're hot. You pull anyone you want." He said.

"Don't try to put me up, this is a dating show, not a university." You said, pointing to the papers, sighing after. "Should I, Kwanie?"

"If you were me, I would be signing them and already be on the set, trust me."

You felt anxious. That would be a good idea, right? Seungkwan is a good friend, he wouldn't put you in a bad situation.

"Give me the papers. Where do I sign?"

- 

For the first time, you're sitting at the meeting table. The crew from the reality show called you for a meeting before the show starts, apparently they did this with everyone individually.

You're sitting right before the director. He was wearing glasses that were so big that you could see at such a long distance.

"So, your name is Y/N L/N, right?" You nodded. "We saw your profile...why did you decide to participate in the show?"

What should you say?

"Aham..." You cleared your throat. "...my friend signed me up. I don't know much about these programs, but I'll do my best." 

"What kind of person you are? I mean, you should have a captivating personality to show to the public." The director said while writing something on the paper in front of him.

You described yourself, trying to be the more truthful you can be. 

"I see...look, not to offend you or anything but, I'll just put you on the show because you're pretty. You don't have the type of personality we want."

"Oh...ahm, okay, no problem." You said, trying to not be offended by the words. "So, when will everything start?"

-

"They gave me this kit and filmed an introduction video." 

"That's why you came looking like a whole different person?" Seungkwan said while examining you. "Even your hair, dude." 

"I know right? They even gave me an introduction book to study and then tell the other participants." You said whipping off your makeup. "This is such a mess, Kwanie."

"Calm down, sweetie. Everything is going to be alright once you get there. By the way, when are you going to start?" 

"Tomorrow afternoon. They will send a van to pick me up." You finished. "So, if you excuse me, I will pack up my things."

While packing up your stuff, you saw Seungkwan looking at you, with a confused expression on his face.

"Y/Nie, I was thinking..."

"Here we go..."

"Don't do this!" He said after your interrupting. "Back to what I was saying. If you find a boyfriend on that show, you must give me a gift after you get out of that place. Don't you think?"

"Really, Kwanie?"

"Yes, look...I was the one who encouraged you to do this shit, so if you find someone to fuck, you have to treat me." 

"Seungkwan, stop."

"I'm serious..."

"I know you're. But still"

"But we have a deal, right?"

You looked at his face and gave a little smile.

"Okay, boo. But nothing too expensive."

-

You were amazed. The place was so huge that you could literally take a marathon there. 

You took your stuff and put it all on a cart, where you could walk with. Walking into the place, you saw a lot of places that you probably wouldn't ever use, even a jacuzzi in every room in there. That was crazy.

"Hello, may i help you?" 

"Oh, hi." You looked at the girl in front of you. "Yes, actually. Do you know where room 526 is?"

"Room 526? I'm staying there too. C'mon, I'll take you there. By the way, I'm Hyejin."

"Y/N"

Hyejin took you to the room, signaling which bed you would take and where to put your stuff.

"How did you know about the show?" Hyejin asked after you to come back to the entrance of the place. 

"My friend signed up my name for me. I didn't find it out of nowhere, y'know?" You saw her nod "And you?"

"I'm trying to find a boyfriend, so I think it would be cool to try something different." 

After the little conversation, the crew of the show started to gather together. Filming would begin. They took you to a place where you would do your makeup, hair and put on a different clothe. 

As soon as you did, you were taken to a place that was calm. The director said that you would come from a different place, actually, everyone would come from a different place.

"And ACTION!"

You started walking to the place where was all the people gathered. Sawing a lot a people you didn't know, just Hyejin was a known face for you.

"Hey, my name is Y/N. I have 24 years old, and I'm just trying to find someone good here." You said as the script they gave you.

You saw everyone introducing themselves. But that was someone who caught your attention.

His name was Mingyu. The long hair, canines standing out and the height that above anyone there was a little bit of his characteristics. You're a bit taken back by his visuals, how can someone look that good?

Maybe that show would be interesting...

-

It was about midnight. You were down on your bed, trying to catch sleep. But that didn't work, so you decided to take a walk around the place, only to find Mingyu sitting at the beach across your room.

"Hi...Mingyu, right?"

"Yes." Oh my god, his voice... " And you are Y/N, I'm right?"

"Yes, you're. Aham, what are you doing here?" You asked sitting next to him on the sand.

"I was trying to find my sleep...but that didn't work." Mingyu chuckled. "And you?"

"Same, actually."

Silence. Just the waves cracking on the beach were being listened to.

"It's kinda hard, right?" Mingyu broke the silence.

"What?"

"Even when we are here, there are cameras pointing at us and our mics are working perfectly well. It's kinda annoying."

You were trying to stay on the script. So you said the worst lie ever.

"I kinda like it, tho. It seems pretty cool."

"Really? Your mouth says something while your face says otherwise." Oh fuck, he was smarter than you thought.

"See..." You tamped your mic, whispering the next words. "They gave me a script, I must follow it, right?"

Mingyu chuckled again, looking at you right after.

"When you're with me, fuck that script. Be yourself."

"Okay...and why?" You asked genuinely.

"Because I want to know the real you." Mingyu stayed looking at you, but right after, he stood up and started to walk away. "Bye, Y/N."

"Wait, Mingyu!" You screamed his name. But nothing happened, he still walked away.

Mingyu wants to know the real you?

-

The first two weeks passed away. You're a lot closer to everyone, including him, Mingyu.

You guys were inseparable. Everything one of the two of you did, the other one followed. It was always like this.

But then, you started to feel something more for him. His smile was starting to make things to your heart. But he was nothing beyond. It was noticeable that Mingyu felt something for you too. Tight hugs, kisses on the forehead, arms linked...he fell for you.

"You know...tomorrow is the day to choose who goes to heaven with you." You said to him.

Heaven. The place everyone wants to be. It was an especial place for the couple to be closer. There they would use the same room, the same closet. Almost like a marriage life.

"And?" Mingyu answered.

"Do you know who are you gonna chose?"

Mingyu chuckled. "Baby, don't fuck with me...you already know who I will choose. There's no mystery in this." He began to caress your hair, running his hand through your strands.

"I don't know...maybe you will choose Hyejin." You said looking away. 

"Hyejin?? She is a friend to me...plus, she is in love with that guy from the beach tennis, remember?"

Oh... Seungcheol.

"Yes, I do."

"So don't be worried...you will always be my first option."

-

Heaven.

When Mingyu choose you over another two beautiful girls, you were not surprised, but you still couldn't believe that he has fallen for you

Right now, you were on you new room, trying to put all of your clothes on your space in the closet. It was already midnight.

"Need help?" Your heard Mingyu.

"Not really, just trying to fit all of this in here." You said. "And you, what are you planning to do?"

Mingyu was dressed in shorts and a tank top. A literal sin infront of you.

"I was planning to go in the water...you know, I never used the jacuzzi from my another room, maybe this one could be better."

After saying this, Mingyu took off his tank top and put it on the bed, heading towards the jacuzzi, where he took a dip.

"You don't wanna come?" Mingyu called for you.

"Mingyu, it's already midnight. You'll catch a cold."

"C'mon, baby. Once you are in, you will love, I promise."

You gave up. You put on a bikini and went to the jacuzzi, not forgetting to take the smaller camera to capture the moment for the crew to use later in the program.

"It's cold here." You said entering the jacuzzi, that the water was hot. "But the water is good."

" I know right?" Mingyu said, right before looking at your body up and down. "You look pretty in red."

"Thanks, Mingyu." You said giving him a pat on his shoulder.

A few minutes passed. You talked for a long time, but something Mingyu said may have changed the direction of the conversation.

"You know... you're too far away from me."

"Really? You think that?" You said picking up the camera and passing it to Gyu, who placed it on the jacuzzi's corner.

"Uhum...I think you should come closer."

So you came. You placed yourself right before him, having a jump scare when he placed his hand on your waist and putted you on his lap. Chest by chest.

"Mingyu..."

"This is way better, right?" He said, caressing your sides.

"Yes, but...the cameras."

"Relax, baby...the cameras can't film here, we're safe, we can do whatever we want." He said, turning off the smaller camera.

After that, Mingyu attacked your lips, like a fierce animal. His mouth was like heaven. You placed your arms around his neck, giving you the balance you need to not fall from his lap. Mingyu held your hips, starting to move you back and forth, like a sequence.

"Just don't make too much noise here, they might find out our little fun." Mingyu said, moving his hand to your center. "Can I?"

You nodded. Yes, you wanted everything from him.

Mingyu started with little movements, just teasing your clit. But after them, he penetrated two fingers at once in your pussy, making you whine a little bit, trying to not moan too loud.

"My pretty girl is doing so good for me. Taking me so well...if you're squeezing my fingers like that, I can't wait to feel you around me."

"Mingyu, please..."

"Please what baby?"

"Please...put it inside of me."

"As you want..."

Mingyu took off his shorts, just to find out he was only with them his whole time. But now, that didn't matter, you need to have him.

You stood up a little bit, taking your bikini panties aside, he positioned his member in the right path to your entrance, letting him penetrate every second, until you sat down completely.

"Fuck!" Mingyu exclaimed. "You're so tight, baby. Might come in seconds."

You started bouncing on his lap, forgot about everything at your side. The water from the jacuzzi was falling through the bordes, wetting the entire camera that was in the corner. Mingyu wasn't different from you, his whines were so pretty, giving you so much gas for continue.

But, out of nowhere, he picked you up and put you at the border. He took off your panties, almost desperate.

"I need you to come in my tongue." And then, he started to eat you out like crazy.

The sounds he was making were almost pornographic, he was diving too much into you. He got smeared from nose to chin, not caring about the mess he was doing.

Your hand, that was before at your side, now they were being picked up by Mingyu and placed in his hair.

"Pull my hair, discount your pleasure." You made it. Mingyu started moaning in between your legs, one of his hands inside the water, pleasuring himself in the middle of eating you out. "Such a delicious pussy, baby. Made for me, right?" You nodded.

After a few more licks, you came on his tongue, having him suck all of your juice.

"So sweet." He gave you a peck right after, making you taste a little bit of yourself. "How about a shower now?"

"The cameras, Gyu..."

"Shit...you first, baby."

-

The morning has come, Mingyu was right behind you on the bed, brushing your hair to put it all together.

"Wish I had this view everyday in my life." He said, putting the brush down.

"But you can..."

"Yeah?" You nodded. "How can, baby?"

"Let's just get out of here and I'll tell you" You said, hearing Mingyu chuckle right after.

The day passed by. You and Mingyu were like love birds, nothing could separate you two. Now, you're once again in bed.

Mingyu were caressing your hair while you're on his chest.

"I think we should just give up from the show and get to live our lives in peace. What do you think?" He said.

"That's not a bad idea."

-

"Kwanie, this is..."

"I know, I know...you're the one, right?" Seungkwan said to Mingyu.

"Probably?"

Seungkwan nodded, turning to you right after.

"You have to treat me a whole Korean barbecue, I gave you the chance to meet this greek god and...AH!" You interrupted Seungkwan by holding his arm.

"Baby, what are you doing?" Mingyu asked.

"How about Korean barbecue for dinner, hum?"

[kurokawaia]

❛ PUSHY ❜

Yandere! Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez X Fem!Reader

WC; 1.8k+ | !MDNI! | TW/CW :: manipulation, obsession, x fem reader, afab, she/her pronouns, stalking, pet names, thoughts about kidnapping, non-consensual physical contact, pushy, threatening behaviour, violence, reader is somewhat timid and goes through emotional distress + probably more

⋆·˚ ༘ *𝑅𝐸𝒬𝒰𝐸𝒮𝒯 :: (filled request) Hiiii !! Love your work btw can I request a yandere grimjow with fem reader who's part of Ichigo's group ?!! - @rxsesss

A/NOTE :: This contains 700 words of headcanons and 1.1k words of scenarios :)

M.LIST | BLEACH M.LIST |

𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒸𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔

It all began in the midst of the fierce battle of Ichigo's group against the Espada. You fight with valor; at every attack, your Reiatsu flares. Even in the fight, Grimmjow's piercing blue eyes lock onto you. There is something about your fierce determination that piques his interest—no, more like your strength that he wanted. After the battle, you could not shake off that feeling of being watched. You shrugged off the paranoia, but in your mind, Grimmjow's interest in you was already planted.

Grimjow becomes your unseen guardian. He looks after you from afar, ensuring that nothing bad happens to you. When you're training with Ichigo and others, his jealousy rises. He despises the sight of you with them, especially Ichigo. He begins to attack whoever gets too close to you during a battle, not from duty but due to jealousy. His eyes always seem to linger a little longer on you than the rest.

You start seeing Grimmjow more often. He's really got a habit of popping up at really bad times, just to let his presence chill your bones. He's starting to get personal—getting in contact with your group. His eyes meet yours in every fight that would happen. There's something in those eyes that churns at your stomach—anger, and something else you can't quite describe.

Grimmjow begins to corner you when you're alone. He enjoys watching you squirm, his words laced with threats and twisted compliments. "You’re too good for them, you know. They don’t see your true potential."

He knew you found him intense, and he was going to use that. These encounters leave you shaken. There’s an unsettling intensity in his eyes, a dangerous mix of desire and obsession.

Even with his crass temperament, Grimmjow comes across as your ruthless protector. He kills off anyone who threatens you with vengeance near to the point of madness. You realize enemies targeting you end swiftly. He never said it, but through his actions, you know. "No one touches what's mine," he would growl after dispatching yet another Hollow that dared attack you.

Grimjow slowly starts bending situations to alienate you from your friends, planting seeds of doubt about their loyalty, what their intentions really are. "You think they really care for you? Face it, you're nothing but a tool for them."

He preys on your moments of uncertainty, giving you protection and understanding that you never wanted yet find yourself begrudgingly dependent upon. You are locked between fear and this weird sense of intrigue. Grimmjow's obsession is terrifying, but something raw and honest about his feelings makes you not help but not ignore it.

Grimjjow, too, is torn. His lust to have you clashes with the fear of vulnerability. He has never felt this way for anyone, and it scares him. "Why do you make me feel like this?" he growls on one of your more heated encounters.

His fixation reaches such a height that he begins to have visions of whisking you off to Hueco Mundo to be safe from the dangers of the Human World and the interference of Ichigo and his friends.

Grimmjow knows you can handle yourself, but something inside of him wants to render you useless. So that you have no choice but to turn to him. He imagines life, with you all his own, and separate from the mess of battle. But he knows this is near impossible. "One day, you'll see that you belong with me," he whispers, more to himself than to you.

Grimmjow would start leaving you unnerving gifts, tokens from defeated enemies or objects he thinks you might like. Every present reminded one of his existence, of his claim on you. They range from beautiful, exotic flowers to the remains of his defeated enemies. "A token of my affection," he says, smirking, his eyes daring yours to refuse his 'gift'.

The tension between you and Grimmjow finally culminates when the two of you have an intense battle. His obsession, your defiance, grows into a confrontation that will leave both you and him different. You turn around, anger overflowing, mixed with fear. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" you scream at him. Grimmjow's response is angry. "Because you're mine!"

Whether it is finding an out from his clutches or meeting him in some twisted type of understanding, you were afraid and confused. His fixation may never subside, but how you react to it will create your destiny.

𝒮𝒸𝑒𝓃𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 (𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝒶 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝓁𝑜𝓉)

1 - The next encounter ::

The sun had begun to set over Karakura Town, and long shadows were coming across the streets. Your body bore the strain of exhaustion, not long after having trained with Ichigo and the rest. Just as you began making your way home, that feeling of being watched overcame you again. It was a sensation all too familiar and unwelcome.

There was not going to be any of that, not if you had anything to say about it. You picked up your pace, hurrying away from there and home before that thing even thought to put in an appearance. Still, before you could round the corner, a strong hand clamped down on your wrist, mercilessly yanking you into a dark, narrow alley.

"Going somewhere, princess?" Grimmjow purred lowly in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

You tried to pull away, but he was holding tight. "Let me go, Grimmjow," you demanded, trying to keep your voice from shaking.

He chuckled; there was that dangerous glint again in his blue eyes. "Why would I do that? We've got unfinished business."

2 - The next confrontation ::

You glared at him, refusing to show the fear that churned in your stomach. "What do you want from me?"

Grimmjow's eyes darkened with an intensity that made your heart race. "Isn't it obvious? You're mine. I won't let anyone else have you."

You scoffed, trying to hide your growing fear. "I belong to no one, especially not you."

His grip tightened, making you wince. "You think those weaklings you hang out with can protect you from me? You're delusional."

Despite the fear, anger flared within you. "Ichigo and the others care about me. They’re my friends, something you wouldn’t understand."

Grimmjow's expression twisted with jealousy. "Friends, huh? They don’t see you the way I do. They don’t know your strength, your potential."

He leaned in closer, his breath hot against your skin. "But I do. I see everything."

3 - Growing obsession ::

You struggled against him, but it was futile. Grimmjow's eyes bore into yours, filled with a possessive hunger that sent chills down your spine. "You belong with me," he whispered, his voice a mix of desire and determination. "I’ll protect you, keep you safe. No one else can."

You shivered at the intensity of his words. "You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re just obsessed."

Grimmjow's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Maybe I am. But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine."

He released your wrist, but before you could react, he cupped your face in his hands, forcing you to look into his eyes. "I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not even those you call friends."

Tears of frustration and fear welled up in your eyes. "Why can’t you just leave me alone?" you pleaded, your voice breaking.

Grimmjow’s expression softened for a moment, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. "Because I can’t. You’ve gotten under my skin, and now I can’t get you out."

4 - Not only your own breaking point ::

The tension between you reached a breaking point. Your heart pounded in your chest, a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion swirling inside you. "Grimmjow, this isn't right. You can't just force me to be with you," you said, your voice shaking.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, his grip on your face tightening for a moment before he let go, stepping back slightly. "I don't care what's right. I care about keeping you safe. And the only way to do that is to keep you close."

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. "And what about what I want? Have you ever considered that?"

For a moment, Grimmjow seemed to hesitate. His eyes flickered with something almost like regret, but it was quickly replaced by his usual intensity. "What you want doesn't matter. Not if it means putting yourself in danger."

You took a step back, shaking your head. "You're wrong. I have a right to make my own choices, even if they're dangerous."

Grimmjow's expression hardened, his jaw clenching. "Then I'll just have to make sure you don't get the chance to make those choices."

5 - Decisions ::

Realizing you weren't going to get through to him with words, you knew you had to act. Summoning all your courage, you focused your reiatsu, ready to defend yourself if necessary.

"Get out of my way, Grimmjow," you warned, your voice steady now.

He smirked, clearly enjoying the challenge. "Make me."

Without another word, you launched yourself at him, using the techniques you'd learned from your training. But Grimmjow was fast, blocking your attacks effortlessly. The alley echoed with the sounds of your struggle, a blur of movement and flashes of reiatsu.

Despite his superior strength and speed, you refused to give up. You fought with everything you had, determined to break free from his grasp. But Grimmjow was relentless, his obsession driving him to match your every move.

Finally, in a desperate bid for freedom, you managed to land a powerful blow, knocking him back. Seizing the moment, you darted past him, racing towards the end of the alley.

But Grimmjow recovered quickly, his hand latching onto your wrist once more. "You're not going anywhere," he growled, pulling you back.

6 - Exhaustion ::

You were too exhausted to continue struggling, and so you sagged into his hold, frustrated tears streaming down your face. "Why can't you just let me go?" you whispered, breaking your voice.

Grimmjow's expression softened just a little, his grip loosening enough to make his touch gentle. "Because I can't lose you," he finally admitted in a low voice, full of vulnerability as he hadn't ever seen. "I won't lose you."

You searched his eyes for that ruthless Espada you had grown to know, but in their stead, you saw a glint of something almost human—a gnashing, desperate need for connection and control.

You took a deep breath and then decided it. "Grimmjow, if you truly do care for me, you will let me go. You will trust that I can handle myself."

His eyes widened with surprise, but he did not let go. "I can't. I won't."

Gently, you placed a hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "You have to, or you'll ruin what you profess to love."

For a moment, Grimmjow almost appeared to wrestle with himself. He finally sighed grudgingly and released you, stepping back. "Fine. But don't think this is over. I'll be watching."

You nodded at him, feeling a wash of emotions within you, ranging from relief to apprehension. "I know."

You couldn't help but feel that this was far from the end when you turned and walked away. The obsession Grimmjow had for you had been tempered, but you knew it wouldn't be long before he was once more watching and watching.

Deep down, you couldn't help but wonder if you ever would be free of him once and for all.

Do not copy, steal, modify, etc. Relogs and like are appreciated.

M.LIST | BLEACH M.LIST |

[coff33andb00ks]

20 Oscar

20: pressing the other’s hand against their cheek

warnings: author doesn't understand the meaning of the word "short" and (badly written) descriptions of a wreck during a race (no injuries)

driver + number = drabble/short fic <3

Piastri just doesn't give a fuck.

Oscar is just too chill.

Does he ever show emotion except when he's laughing at Lando?

You try to stay out of comments. Hell, you try to stay off social media, it's nothing but a cesspool of people with too much time on their hands and not enough brain cells to comprehend more than the surface level of what they're shown. But sometimes you like it, because there are creative people who put out beautifully edited videos of your boyfriend. Sometimes you show them to him, enjoying his giggling while he watches and shakes his head over someone finding him attractive enough to warrant a thirty second video set to a Rihanna song.

But the comments about his emotionless black cat behavior hurt. He's so much more than how he portrays himself. He's vibrant and so full of life, and you will forever appreciate the people who see beyond his social anxiety and notice his amazing sense of humor, his passion for racing and life. They'll never know the real him and will probably never understand why you fell in love with him.

Him. The sweet and shy guy who'd come to your defense when a rude customer had been berating you over a wrong order. His voice had cut over her yelling, calm and measured, and after your manager had kicked out the irrationally angry woman it had been Oscar that had approached you to check on you, frowning when he saw your tears. His gentle tone had calmed you, his respectful stance had won your admiration, and his calling the woman a fucking cunt had made you smile.

You wish you could defend him as he continues to defend you. When a video questioning how a nobody like you had bagged a formula one rookie had gone somewhat viral he'd taken to twitter and unleashed such a beautifully worded rant that people were still quoting it more than a year later.

It's come to my attention that some so-called fans are referring to my girlfriend as a nobody. Allow me to introduce her to you. She's funny, she's brilliant, she's beautiful. She's every word you can think of to describe the perfect person and she's so much more. She shines light in the darkest corners of my soul. Her eyes are a map of my universe. When you look at us together, know that I am constantly trying to be worthy of the love she gives me, and know that if you speak ill of her you will never have my respect but you will have my disgust.

You would never ever doubt his love for you. Not that you ever had but that had cemented it. You could never come to his defense in such a way. If you even tried you'd be sneered at for being a try hard.

And really, you didn't need to. Because the one thing Oscar did not give a fuck about was anyone's opinion. Only a handful of people mattered enough to him for him to care what they thought. You were blessed to be included on that list.

You love him so much that for a while it scared you, having never fallen into the this one person is my moon and stars mindset. But now you understand. He didn't just hang them, he is your moon and stars. Your one and only and if for some reason this doesn't end in forever you'll be ruined for any other man.

It was still a shock, though, when you felt your heart stop beating as you watched his car careen towards the barrier. The front wing clipped Max's rear tire and you can't breathe, watching in slow motion as the brightly colored car tips and lifts into the air. There is nothing but absolute silence around you in the McLaren garage and you're frozen, staring at the monitor while his car flips and rolls, carbon fiber flying in every direction when it lands upside down, his helmet just visible as it slides to a stop at the safety fence.

Silence. Then pandemonium. Your world has just flipped and spun and you can't breathe, ears straining to hear him but you can only hear the crackle of the radio when Zak and Tom try to get him to respond.

Then, finally, his voice. Shaken and scared. "Are they okay? Please tell me they're okay."

Of course he'd ask after the others involved. You can finally breathe but it hurts, not knowing that he's okay. And you can't do anything but wait, heart barely beating until he's finally out, he's moving, he's giving the fans a thumbs up as he's put on the stretcher. You still can't do a thing and you've never felt more useless than you do while you're waiting just inside the medical center with Zak and Lando, who'd come to wait during the red flag.

Then the most beautiful words you've ever heard.

"He's okay."

There's more after that, about him being transported to the local hospital for a complete check, the possibility of a concussion but he's okay. And you're allowed to go see him while the ambulance is readied.

He's sitting up, looking a little pale but he's not hurt, he's in one piece, and when he sees you he gasps. You try to be gentle when you embrace him, but he steals your breath, holding you so tightly it hurts, his face pressed into your neck.

"They won't tell me - are Max and George okay?" His voice is strained and you feel his tears.

"They're fine, my love," you promise.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, I don't know what I did. I was going good and then I was upside down." His voice shakes and cracks and he's trembling, one hand fisting in your shirt. You reach for the other.

"Shh shh... It's okay my love," you whisper, your tears finally spilling when he guides your hand up, holding it to his cheek as he lets out a shaky breath. "Everyone's okay, you're okay."

His eyes meet yours and your world rights itself.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for entertaining a friendship with a child?

okay so this might be a weird one or even a controversial one i honestly have zero clue how other people will receive this, apologies in advance if i ramble!

to begin, i (23ftm) and this kid (15f) first met about a year ago. one of my best friends (23m) is a pretty big model and tiktoker and she was a fan of his, and she was pretty recognized online for making cool edits and stuff of him and coming to meetups etcetera, so he knew of her from there, and over time with always seeing each other at meet ups and her being in his discord server (where i mod) she kind of became pretty well known to us.

an important thing to note is that she's SUPER neurodivergent and she's had a really tough life. she lost her older brother a few years back and she's (i'm not sure of the correct way to put it, her family is originally from the netherlands and their english is kind of in the works so this is how they put it) developmentally behind a few years - her parents describe this as her being "mentally more 13 than 15" but her behaviour to me is even younger than that. she's very very innocent and trusting, very overemotional and sensitive to criticism etc, loves stuffed animals and pink and cartoons and all of that. she's told me she feels like a little kid sometimes and will talk/act like one so maybe there's an element of trauma-rooted age regression there, i'm not super sure - i'm not gonna get into detail but she's talked to me about her life a lot and she's had some pretty fucked up shit happen to her.

from the beginning she pretty much imprinted on me - she's told me before i remind her of the big brother she lost, and ever since then she's called me her "big brother" and "family" etc. at first i was more just playing along with it to make her happy but over time she really has become something like a little sister to me, i feel super protective of her. i want to become a teacher after college (not to mention eventually a parent with my fiancee) so i think at least part of it is that taking a kid 'under my wing' so to speak is giving me experience with it all. i've always been kinda paternal/protective over kids in general but i was the youngest sibling in my family so i never really had anyone to utilise that on before

she does rely super heavily on me emotionally, especially because after i found out she was being bullied pretty badly at school i started dropping by to keep her company during breaks/lunch and making sure shit was okay (which her still-living brother used to do, but he's a famous?? - unsure How famous, i don't know sports at all - footballer/soccer player who's often in another country and can't see her often anymore), and i've been working with her to curb that. i'm actually currently working with her parents to find her a good therapist and support system. she's no longer in the tiktok friend's discord just because it was getting a little all-consuming for her and we encouraged her to take a break, but she's done a TON of work on herself and maturing since then and she does plan to rejoin at some point soon.

however, i find it really really hard to gauge whether being so close with a child is... like normal? or not. i honestly can't tell if it's kind of the internet caution about adults talking to minors kind of warping my brain and making me overly wary of what people will think or if i'm doing something wrong or if it's genuinely like a weird situation, so i guess i'm looking for outside perspectives.

the things that make me question it is that like i said she's very 'mentally young', she's very sheltered, and there definitely seems to be an element of her kind of replacing the older brother figure she lost with me. on top of that, we met through her being a fan of my friend, and though she's now separate from that i worry there could still be an element of power there because i'm close with the guy she calls her idol. her family knows me and seem totally chill with everything, but they've told me she tells people at her school that i'm literally her brother and basically 100% talks about me as if i'm her biological family, which i find super sweet but at the same time wonder if it's healthy.

she obviously needs therapy and hopefully soon we can get her it, but: AITA for entertaining a sort of found family dynamic / friendship at all with someone very vulnerable and young or is this genuinely helpful for her?

What are these acronyms?

[mogamuncher]

“You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path, is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin, is a knight. You are here to slay him. If you don't, it will be the end of the world.”

Please accept my meager shitty art as we come back for part three of the "Moga fuses her hyperfixations together" saga! Aka: Slay the Knight AU!

Here's what I think Emilia and Subaru would look like, in true STP fashion I imagine both would never be referred to by name, instead being The Knight and The Frozen Bond (hah, get it?)

I made Emilia a little scary (and kinda Satella-esque), but that's mainly because from what we see in The Princess and The Dragon route, The Long Quiet is just actually fucking scary, so having Emilia be similarly intimidating would be fun.

Though I do think her personality would remain the same in this au, mainly because she's nice enough that she would naturally play mediator to the the voices, but malleable enough that she could just end up going with their whims when pushed enough.

Now for Subaru, I actually wanted to give him a definitive outfit that would kinda function like the Princess's dress, something that is a constant in every design but changed to fit the theme, the recognizable trait that showcases that no matter how fucked up these forms get they're still the same person

That's kinda why the little cape is there, it's supposed to be a significant design choice that can be warped with future forms

For the official lore, I like to think that it's still actually very similar:

The Frozen Bond, the manifestation/god of stasis, consistency, the chilling frozen in time allure of stagnation

While Subaru would be something like The Returning Cycle, the manifestation/god if constant change, perspective and identities splitting depending on choices, the constant cycle of time

Together they'd make the cycle of life and death, in a sense, and since Echidna in canon was trying to find a way to reach immortality, it is only fitting that she would split them apart and attempt to pit them against the other, as to goad Emilia into killing Subaru, this ending the concept of change, making it so that there is no means of which others can die.

But that's what I have for the moment, now, let's talk about some more ideas I have for the IF Barus

The Prisoner, my beloved

I rewatched someone playing her route and it dawned on me when The Shifting Mound described her as a vessel, but she's oddly a lot like Slothbaru

The idea of someone cautious to the point of stagnation, content to let the world pass her and remain in inaction, I mean, that's literally what Sloth is shown to be in the og series. That's also inherently what Slothbaru did when he took Rem's hand and ran away, leaving everyone else to die, but gaining a happy life for himself

Prisoner is like an Slothbaru that can't take Rem's hand, content to let the world pass him by for the sake of self preservation, but stuck in one place without the chance of running away, he can only wait and see because he's inherently passive, as he thinks he has no other choice

The Adversary, however, is the funniest one I think

Someone mentioned in the last post in the tags that Adversary is kinda Smolbaru coded, so I went back to read the arena fights in arc 7 and y'know what? They're correct, they're absolutely right, The Adversary is very much just Smolbaru

Which is funny, because The Adversary is supposed to be bigger and stronger than usual, though maybe it's either just that his personality is Smolbaru and his appearance is still intimidating, or we go all in and have Smolbaru just absolutely kick Emilia's ass with his bare hands in this one

Either way, I love it, also this is the route where Priscilla (Voice of the Proud) would show up, so having an Arc 7 Baru here would be a nice touch

Ok so I'm about to sound unhinged, but the Grey's

What if they were Natsumi.

Now, look, I have no evidence to back me up on this, I'm going off from pure vibes alone, but like what if

Honestly, it would be fun to have most of the Deadbarus be in some way or another Natsumi coded, though that would be fused with the Baru that lead to their routes in the first place (like Arc 1 Baru for the Burned Grey and Slothbaru for the Drowned Grey)

I mean, look at The Wraith and The Spectre

Imagine if the Spectre was more akin to Natsumi in her purest form, since the Spectre is actually surprisingly chill and nice about this whole thing, and then if you attempt to leave him there, you get the Wraith

A withered rotten version of Natsumi, falling apart at the seams and determined to hitch a ride and finally leave

In more confirmed Barus; Wrathbaru as The Witch and The Thorn, Greedbaru as Happily Ever After and Arc 1-2 Baru as The Damsel, The Nightmare would be Gluttonybaru and A Moment Of Clarity would still be Gluttonybaru but with more Louis/Rui elements

Again, I accept suggestions, and tell me if you want me to make more art for this AU, maybe I can draw more Barus and also the voices, who knows?

Edit: good news gang, I actually did in fact write this! The first chapter of this au is out here!

[goodoldfashionedengineer]

TUA Tumblr Simulator pt. 1

Find more here: pt. 2

—

🪩traumallama Follow

The Umbrella Academy never should have existed. Those were CHILDREN!! They were THIRTEEN when they first appeared! They KILLED people! Two of them DIED! It really goes to show how much you can do if you have money

FUCK Reginald Hargreeves

🌺thinkingthings Follow

Wait 5 DIED?!

🪩 traumallama Follow

It was never confirmed, but honestly, seems the most likely that they would have just covered it up. If he's still alive, I hope he got to live a nice life without that cult

10,846 notes

💗L0veOnLo4n Follow

Every journalist, interviewer, fan, whatever, who is asking Allison Hargreeves about her brothers or her father should just be sent to space. How would you like it if I bring up your childhood trauma constantly?

🌫️love-h4te-whatevs Follow

Didn't she like kill people?

💗L0veOnLo4n Follow

She was a CHILD! It was all planned by their father, he was the one who "trained" them. He should go to prison but that won't ever happen. Not to mention he didn't just adopt those children, he bought them

3,245 notes

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

WE GOT A BEHIND THE SCENES UMBRELLA ACADEMY BOOK OWNDNAOWOE

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

I am so excited to go read this

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Starting off: WOW Reginald Hargreeves was an even bigger asshole behind closed doors. Who would have thought?

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Okay, okay okay WHAT WHAT WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?!!

ALLISON Hargreeves and Spaceboy were IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER?!

WEREN'T THEY LIKE SIBLINGS?!

I know the book says that they weren't really a family... But they were?? They are clearly described as brothers and sisters?

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Had to put the book down for a while

Gosh, that so surprised me

I used to have the BIGGEST crush on Spaceboy but now I doubt I can think of them the same way ever again

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Calmed down, I'll continue now

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

BIG MISTAKE, BIG MISTAKE

WHY ARE YOU TELLING US ABOUT THE TIME YOUR MOTHER TOLD YOU AT DINNER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAD HIS FIRST WET DREAM!

That does NOT belong in a book!

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Drug addiction by age 13, damn

🌕eyestothesun Follow

Wait who was addicted to drugs

🌨️twirlingandwhirling Follow

The Séance. Kinda surprised so many people are shocked about this. There are quite a few interviews with them in which it is just blatantly obvious. Look at his eyes in this one for example. Or in this one he is so chill, not really there, but his siblings do all the talking

🌳drrrrreams Follow

Wow first time I've heard about this but this is so... Incredibly sad.

👥lurkeringlurrlurr Follow

Honestly? I'm more surprised that not more of them are addicts after all they've been through

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Thanks for the additions!

Five's tragical disappearance. This is the worst part of it by far. They were so close and you can just feel the grief. And to never know what happened, damn

And one of their brothers can see dead people...

I don't know if I'd want to ask him or not. Asking for closure's sake, but if you don't, there is still hope that he'll come back some day.

This is just so sad

🌌jupiters-moons Follow

Spoke too soon, it can get sadder

Ben was their glue, his death was so brutal. He died so young and so painful, I can't imagine what that must be like. For him or for the siblings.

No wonder they disbanded after that. It makes you question your own mortality

8,799 notes

🚵rolly-molly Follow

Wait what happened to Spaceboy? Did he give up on missions and move out?

🤺theyseemen0t Follow

He died

🚵rolly-molly Follow

WHAT

🤺theyseemen0t Follow

I mean, it was never confirmed, but he got really badly injured on his last mission, lethally, and hasn't been seen since

🚵rolly-molly Follow

I had no idea. Rest in Peace

🍇thelandbeforewine Follow

False news, he got injured, but he survived. Otherwise we would have known about it from "Extra Ordinary" which came out last week, given that all the other family secrets were shared in it.

🚵rolly-molly Follow

Ohh, thank you so much! That makes me really happy, I was really worried

2,840 notes

[b0njourbeach]

So what are your thoughts on TreyKei?

They're besties, they're worsties. They're married and have two cats (then again, Trey seems to be more of a dog-person. Maybe a dog and a cat?), they'll never be a couple. They love each other, they'll never be able to love each other.

I'm so physically ill about them and their unlimited possibilities.

There are so many thoughts in my head and knowing that you always liked my rambles, I won't try to hold back and let it all out for once haha. I can't promise that I'm being able to express it all because you can imagine my thoughts as followed: Idia, Malleus and Jade infodumping about their special interests while Kalim screams for funsies in the distance and Cater runs around as if he's on a sugar rush - All of it happening at the same time, of course.

Anyways.

You can have Friends to Lovers if you want to, you can have a slow burn, you can have a fall in love on first sight, Friends with benefits, one sided affection, Angst in every shape and Form, a million different AUs that still fits them.

I personally see them both being bisexual. I'm not sure how to explain it but if I had to give an example of a bisexual, it would be them. But here's the thing: I genuinely can't imagine Cater being able to 'love' in the classic, romantic way - I'm not sure if it's projecting onto him or a deep understanding of his personality but I just can't see him being in love as your average romance novel describes. He shows his love in other ways and I swear by hell itself, Trey is one of the main targets of that affection (in my opinion, at least).

If you ask me, he has a lot of commitment issues due to his past and the lack of stable friendships. There are also some nuances of trust issues mixed in that, due to the learned mindset of "It won't last forever" that he had acquired throughout his life. He keeps people at an arms length, possibly to protect others and himself for the, eventually coming, parting. "If I don't get attached too close, it won't hurt as bad."

We can, in fact, see Cater do this in canon - Especially with Trey because he sees through his act. I do love to point out the Wish Upon a Star event where we have a, in my opinion, very important scene and I do have to admit that I honestly got emotional at the end of it: Trey asks Cater what his wish is - Having more success on Magicam (which is one hell of a predictable answer if you ask me). Trey points out he did wish for that the past year, remembering it from the time they shared a room. Cater then wishes for his life to be "chill", and they part ways. Standing in the Heartslabyul staircase, Trey talks to himself on how one 'would think that Cater would open up a bit more by now.' Following with a (in my opinion it sounded sad/upset) 'But maybe he does already. Just not with me.' (I do recommend to watch the scene on your own to get your own impression on it. You can easily find it on YouTube).

Yet, despite the seemingly distance, they're still considered a duo that is unsurprising to any student (Lilia calls Trey Caters Partner and Rook refers to Cater as Treys "Boon Companion").

I had the HC for a long time that Cater may try to escape his issues at home by going with Trey instead and only later I found out that it's not too far from canon. Trey most likely also knows about Caters' situation at home, which is seen in multiple different situations - which, if you ask me, is already a deep trust coming from Caters side.

Overall, they know each other's strengths AND weaknesses and know how to match each other well. Whether it is Cater boosting Treys confidence about his looks or Trey pointing out Caters skills in Astrology (and many other things but I ain't gonna point every single of them out rn).

Speaking of weaknesses and strengths: Remember how Trey called Cater out after Riddles OB?

[Including the Manga panel because Boy, do I love this one]

A while ago, I've read through Caters Birthday Boy Voicelines and you know what? This guy has been gifted a "diamond-shaped quiche" from "a student". While no names dropped, we all know who made this one - Especially because Cater does seem to be quite fond of Treys general cooking and baking, if it's not sweet, of course. Not that I can blame him, spicy dishes aren't easy to make. You can fuck them up easily and if your man can cook 'em well, you better marry him.

But enough of Cater, there is too much to unpack about him to show it all. Let's move on to Trey, which is not as easy as it first sounds like. Why, you ask? Well, because he's showing even less than Cater! Both of them are chronic actors, both hiding their true, their damaged, their 'weird' faces - acting to be 'normal', to not freak people out, to not make them worry. Trey is a really good example of the 'oldest child' syndrome, which is, in return, quite bad for him - But that turns his friendship with Cater into a positive thing. Ahem, one step at a time.

Why is Trey a perfect example of the 'oldest child' syndrome? Well, he's "oh so normal", yes? Or so they say, after all. If you're the oldest child, you need to be a certain way - not only for your parents or your siblings but for your own safety. As the oldest child, you're bound to be a "test subject". No matter how good your childhood may have been, your siblings will have a seemingly, easier path - Things you weren't allowed are suddenly okay for them to do. Your siblings have an older sibling to rely on while you, as the oldest, had to fight alone. You need to protect the younger ones because it's expected but you need to keep yourself running too because no one does it for you. By being born first, you're practically forced to be in a position of a role model, a teacher and a friend.

Especially if you're having odd interests, such as oral hygiene, mustard, hats and what-not - You are forced to act normal because you will be looked at weird otherwise (I mean, he's friends with the perfect example on what happens if you express your "weirdness" out loud: Rook Hunt). I really like to put Trey on a scale when it comes to "Acts normal, is weird" because if you're weird, there are three types:

1. Rook Hunt - Expresses weirdness out loud with no shame

2. Jade Leech - Suppresses weirdness but the suppression has become weird on his own because he's weird in quiet

3. Trey Clover - Swears to be normal and is successful for the most of it, does show weirdness in little moments

All three of them have different reasons, and valid ones once you realize why they're that way, to be the way they are but in the end, they're three weird people who have learned how to "express" their oddness.

[Disclaimer: I am not using weird as an insult. This term is used to refer to socially not as accepted behavior or actions that are frowned upon. In other words: I am using society's definition of "weird" and not my own.]

Anyways, despite being the oldest child he is, Trey still shows Cater a bit of the truth: Instead of awkwardly smiling when he's uncomfortable, Trey stops smiling if he's with Cater. And in the Vignette of Treys Dorm Uniform, we can see that Cater knows a few more faces of Trey that are rarely seen otherwise - In the given example: It was Treys pettiness, deserved but it was still a rare emotion. If I recall correctly, this Vignette was the only time where we had seen Treys' pettiness, which was quite satisfying to see but that's just my two cents.

It's just so genuinely fascinating to see how similar yet so different they are, it makes both of them a tragic lovestory (if wanted) that drags me across the entire planet and I'd thank them for that.

And what I personally find almost mesmerizing is Caters actions: On one side, he seems to keep Trey not too close, yet he seems to have a lot of trust in him and I think it's unintentionally mentally messing with him because it may not be intentional. I could see that Trey might have this specific vibe that makes Cater feel comfortable and chatty about topics he wouldn't often talk about (specifically when they're both alone). Another guess of mine is that Cater might make too many jokes about certain parts of his trauma/issues and instead of his other pals, Trey actually looks behind the "jokes" because as much coping with humor may help, it's still a way to vocalize pain. But Trey doesn't strike me to be the type of actually calling Caters jokes out the moment he does them (example that I just made up: "Man, my phone died. Wish that was me lol" "Cater, those jokes aren't funny" etc etc). I think he'd have a more subtle way of showing Cater that he saw through that laughing, such as speaking up when it feels appropriate (Book 1) or just acts of service and/or quality time - Simply showing him that Cater does have someone who listens.

I've lost track at least five times and I forgot half of what I wanted to add.. Man, I hate my brain sometimes. I also often try to express my thoughts about these in my memes - In fact, the Memes with/about Cater, Trey or both of them together are possibly the posts where I'm carefully inspecting if it fits the canon and my own pov of them. I do it for all my memes, of course but I want people to deeply understand how much of a disaster those two (both, on their own and together) are because it's extremely overlooked, in my opinion (especially Trey).

Anyways, have this very neat HC of mine that I have about those two because it has been rotting away in my brain (I had intended to add more HCs but it somehow doesn't fit in the text):

Whenever Cater uses his UM 'Split Card', Trey knows which Cater is the original one. They may be identical but Trey can still tell the difference. How? He isn't really sure himself, it might be just his instinct. Cater has made it a game at some point where he wants Trey to guess and has tried many ways to lead his instinct astray but he has yet to succeed.

Edit: For more rambling about those two, do check the reblogs :)

[calciumcryptid]

Apparently, people liked my demiromantic Vegas and demisexual Pete headcanon making VegasPete a demiromantic for a demisexual couple (which is the best dynamic), so here is a long winded version of what I think that would look like.

First, for those who don't know, demiromantic is an aromantic spectrum term that describes people who do not experience romantic attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection or bond with someone. Demisexual is an asexual spectrum term that describe people who do not experience sexual attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection or bond with someone.

My source for Vegas being demiromantic and Pete being demisexual is me, a demiromantic and demisexual who kept pointed at the screen every-time Vegas and Pete showed up and opened their mouths like that one reaction image.

Without a further ado I present-

DEMIROMANTIC VEGAS

Vegas grows up viewing romantic relationships like high risk high reward business transactions, not realizing there are supposed to be feelings and emotions attached to it.

(Now, I'm not saying that when Vegas got to the arranged marriage section of his historical textbook he agreed with it, but I am definitely saying Tankhun and Kinn were horrified Vegas was vaguely chill with the concept.)

In his defense, he wasn't raised around the healthiest relationships with his mother committing suicide and his aunts gone, so there was no one around to showcase a healthy romantic relationship and maybe clue him into the genuine emotion behind it.

This next part might get controversial, but I believe Vegas' silver tongue is greatly exaggerated. My evidence is the way Porsche and Pete cringe every time Vegas flirts with them. While I have no doubt Vegas is charismatic, I do think his looks and his wealth are doing a lot of heavy lifting.

To get even more controversial, while I know the intention of his love bombing is to showcase he is toxic, I can't help but interpret it a little as him using pattern recognition.

The most glaringly obvious example of this is when Vegas proposes to Tawan, then gets surprised when Tawan thinks it gives him the okay to change Vegas' plans. It is almost like Vegas doesn't realize the deeper emotion and symbolism behind an engagement ring other than it being the next step in a relationship.

Vegas is good at going through the motions without ever making the genuine connections even when there are glaringly genuine connections he can make.

(Hello our favorite frenemies, Vegas and Porsche who definitely developed a genuine friendship post-canon, fuck you, because they had so much they could have bonded over even though I don't believe they would have worked out in a long-term romantic relationship thanks to being fundamentally different people. Now I am sure there is something about demiplatonic in here, but I don't know enough to call that beyond Vegas seeming confused at the idea of simply having a friendship with Porsche without any side sexual benefits.)

The final but of set-up here is the fact Vegas only positive relationship (before Pete, of course) is Macau, but, obviously, Vegas isn't going to view Macau in a romantic light. Even disregarding that last little fact, it is a well-known thing among the aroace spectrums that you latch harder onto platonic and familial bonds when you don't need a romantic bond.

Alright, onto the VegasPete of it all.

*twirls my phantom hair because my head is shaved* So, there is this section of the narrative that perfectly encapsulates the deminess of the VegasPete relationship because the setting demands they forge an emotional bond and create an emotional connection.

When I am looking at whether a character is demi, I am looking for a clear shift of when their relationship with a character turns from its previous stage to romantic. I affectionately call this a marker, the place that marks the shift.

For example, if you don't mind a little side tangent, there is another Boys Love character I interpret heavily as demiromantic. His name is Q, he is from the GMMTV series We Are, and his marker is a pencil box given to him by his deceased grandfather, an important familial bond in Q's life who passed away prior to the series and it's story.

The reason I know the pencil box is the marker is because Toey, Q's love interest, finds it and that is what kick-starts their relationship and their emotional connection which continues over the course of the series. Including, sticking post-it notes on the back of an art piece Q has created (since art is like Q's thing).

Vegas' thing is torture, so he tortures Pete until his father comes in to slap Vegas around. At the end, Vegas takes Pete with him to the safehouse Vegas has been blacklisted to.

This is the perfect set-up for a demi for demi relationship because isolation is considered the most inhumane thing you can do to a person, and when it is two people in isolation (and a hedgehog, can't forget our strongest soldier Khun Spikes) those two people have to rely on each other to not go mental or more mental.

The impending loneliness can be felt when Vegas realizes he might cause Pete to die and then he would be truly isolated in the safehouse, so Vegas nurses Pete back to health which causes Pete to be so delirious on drugs and pain he reveals VegasPete's marker.

To put it simply, the moment VegasPete's relationship shifts from captive and hostage into prospective love interests is when Pete tells Vegas he is a victim of child abuse at the hand of his own father. The two form their deeper emotional connection over being abuse victims, and their bond deepens when Pete point-blank tells Vegas victory won't make his father stop hitting him because abuse isn't about them it is about the abuser feeling more powerful.

The shift is felt because later you see Vegas bantering with Pete over a book, feeding him multiple times, and, of course, sleeping with him which LEADS US INTO THE SEX SCENE-

Now, this would be better with pictures but I am not in a space where I can acquire those so you are going to have to bear with me.

Say what you want about Be On Cloud, but they understand sex scenes don't have to be pointless smut (outside of the smut book genre) and can serve as a narrative tool. Many people have already made jokes about the most vanilla sex scene being in the actual dungeon, but it isn't a completely vanilla scene because Pete ends up back in the chains and hands Vegas rope. However, the sex scene isn't the actual point of this point it is the build up to it.

After they bury our strongest soldier Khun Spikes, Vegas and Pete are on the dungeon bed where they are having another quiet moment, furthering that emotional bond, but Vegas hasn't realized he has romantic feelings for Pete yet. He knows he has feelings, but he has never felt these types of feelings before so he can't place them. You can see the evolution of this realization with the buildup to the VegasPete sex scene, where Vegas is content with Pete, then freaking out about the feelings, then defaulting to what he knows (sex), then goading Pete into giving him explicit consent.

The moment Vegas realizes what he feels is romantic? Come on, you know it, it is when Pete is holding a knife to his throat while Vegas is pleading with Pete to not leave him. If I remember correctly, Vegas flat out says he needs Pete in a vulnerability never seen before like you can see Vegas' heart being ripped out.

Afterwards, Vegas is a mess. He is moping in the little dungeon he has, staring at rice, and then he is anxious to see Pete again making it his sole demand in his agreement with Porsche. The alleyway scene. The motorcycle escape where he sees Pete coming and retreats rather than fights. The way he took blow after blow from Pete and confessed his love.

Simply put, this is a man's first experience with the severity of romantic feelings.

After all of that, Pete resigns and goes with Vegas and the pure glee Vegas has before the shots ring out and the way he promises to treat Pete well in the hospital is a lot.

Now that I have rambled all about how Vegas is totally demiromantic, here is how I think he figured it out and how that reveal shook a lot of the perceptions about him!

As I said in my previous post, Vegas doesn't learn he is demiromantic until, like, five years post-canon when everyone can be on reasonably good terms and he can be at a get together with the rest of the cast.

(The reason I say this is because for anyone to clock Vegas as demiromantic and inform him about it, Vegas must be delirious enough to let information about himself and his relationship with Pete to slip.)

In this scenario, Vegas is definitely tipsy and more loose lipped and Tankhun and Kinn zero in on it like hawks because free blackmail material on Vegas that isn't the whole coup thing. At first, it is like pulling teeth until they get on the topic of Vegas' relationship with Pete.

What happens is Vegas starts on a very drunken rant about how bullshit romance and love is, but not with Pete because Pete is different. Anyways, romance has caused him nothing but pain and suffering, not Pete though because Pete is different. Anyways, how the fuck did Kinn tolerate Tawan and Porsche enough to want to marry them because there was no reward high enough to match that risk, and why didn't Kinn go after Pete because Pete is different. Anyways, even if there was no reward to being with Pete Vegas would take that high risk again and again because Pete is different.

The more Vegas goes on the clearer it is to everyone Vegas' views on romance goes beyond regular concerning mafia-centric views to more why is this man using business terms to describe romantic relationships?

It ends with Kinn asking if the reason Vegas hasn't put a ring on Pete's finger (despite them probably having Venice at this point, so definitely parents) is because he finds traditionally romantic gestures repulsive to which Vegas, deeply offended, responds.

Vegas: Why would I propose to Pete? I'm not trying to manipulate him.

Pete: ...Thanks?

Porsche, bewildered: What do you mean?

Vegas: I mean, getting to the engagement ring stage was never worth the hassle because people thought it gave them the right to do things I would never permit.

Macau, way too invested and hasn't stopped recording: Hey, Hia, what do you think an engagement ring represents?

Vegas: You know, it is when the transaction is almost permanent but isn't.

Porchay: ...The engagement ring purchase?

Vegas: No, the romantic one.

Tankhun: Romance is not a transaction!

Vegas: Yes it is!

Pete:

Vegas: Except Pete. Pete is different.

Porchay, starting to pull out his phone and make a search: How is Pete different from the others?

Vegas: I feel things.

Kinn: Did you not feel things with Porsche?

Vegas: No.

Kim: Did you not feel things with Tawan?

Vegas: No, was I supposed to?

The worst part about that night is how genuine Vegas sounded about everything. Of course, Vegas wakes up hungover the next day and Pete is suspiciously quiet and looking at him but won't tell Vegas anything besides a lot of things about their relationship makes sense now.

Porchay is the first one to visit Vegas after that night and teams up with Macau to make a presentation about why Vegas might be demiromantic and why that is fine but also he has a lot of reevaluating and (potentially) apologizing to do-

It is a very eye-opening presentation, but what do you mean when Vegas was fucking around with whoever Kinn was romantically into at the time Kinn felt the same way towards that person the way Vegas feels about Pete?

Vegas: I get why you didn't kill Tawan now.

Kinn: Uh-huh.

Vegas: I mean, I couldn't figure out how you could stand him. I still can't figure out how you can stand Porsche, but at least he has redeeming assets. Tawan wasn't even good-looking-

Kinn, blood vein pulsing: Uh-huh.

It takes Kinn and Tankhun a while to rationalize one of the reasons Vegas was like that was because he didn't understand. Unfortunately for Vegas, this means Tankhun has dragged him in for a romance movie marathon since Vegas might finally understand which Pete has no interest in saving him from. Surprisingly, Vegas gets into the romantic dramas genre and becomes Tankhun's new discussion buddy.

With all of the demiromantic reveals, Pete asks if this means him and Vegas can get married since Vegas now knows what engagement ring actually means and symbolizes and Vegas confesses they have been legally married for years he just never told Pete because he didn't want to think he was manipulating him.

Pete: Wait, but if you thought romance was a business transaction why did you get us legally married?

Vegas: I didn't want you to be able to return me.

Pete: ...I am choosing to find that sweet instead of another indicator we need therapy.

DEMIROMANTIC PETE

What? You thought we were done? Ha.

Fortunately, demisexual Pete is less of an essay because Pete's whole deal is he is more comfortable with violence than intimacy. Genuinely, almost every scene he has in KinnPorsche the Series supports this in one way or another such as the iconic scene of him pummeling Vegas before kissing him.

The only way this intersects with canon is Pete is in a different page as Vegas at points throughout the story.

I believe Vegas fell first but Pete fell harder. Since Pete, for this thought experiment, isn't on the aromantic spectrum, this means he is aware of the emotions he feels towards Vegas. To me, he simply denies them for a long time until his breakdown over the noodle bowl. That is the moment I believe everything crashes into him and he realizes he genuinely loves Vegas but knows their situations would prevent that.

Until, you know, the coup and everything.

It is simply the sexual aspect of their relationship Pete is behind on.

Now, I go in-between Pete being a virgin and him having some sexual experience before the safehouse sex scene, but I tend to lean toward him being a virgin because it is funnier.

After all, the idea of asexual spectrum Pete vaguely knowing what he likes from, like, porn, and offering the rope on a silver platter? Delicious. I love it. It is great fun.

Also, it is fun when Pete reveals he lost his virginity to Vegas at the safehouse and everyone has a what the fuck moment.

Mainly, because I believe Pete wouldn't give a shit about the concept of virginity or the importance placed on it. He seems to have bigger fish to fry, but since he is demisexual he never found anyone he was into like that.

Which brings me to the revelation!

This one starts with Porchay who is nervous about his first time with Kim, so he asks the others about their first times (for bonus points make Porchay ask about it at a family dinner). Porsche refuses to answer. Kinn is frustratingly vague. Vegas is frustratingly vague. Eventually, Porchay gets to Pete who dodges around the question for a while until Pete admits his first term was with Vegas in the safehouse. (Bonus points if this is the first time people learn more about what went down in the safehouse).

Initially, Vegas is preening like a peacock because he was his partner's first and he was so good (ignore the chains and bondage and the overall hostage situation) and no one else has ever seen Pete in the throws of pleasure besides him and Pete is his, his, his-

Until Porsche goes blastic because he assumes it was nonconsensual because he saw those wounds, which isn't an unfair assumption to make considering the situation around it was still questionable even though Pete went for it. Tankhun assumes the same thing.

Pete is quick to say it was consensual, which relieves Porchay and Macau though Tankhun and Porsche are definitely throwing Vegas nasty looks across the table. Though, Vegas doesn't really care because he was Pete's first and his dick made Pete change allegiances, so his dick game is clearly superior to Kinn's.

Sorry this was so long, but Demiromantic Vegas and Demisexual Pete, you know?

[lovers-in-love-around-the-world]

tr characters with a very attractive s/o? 💕

Hello, I didn't know who you wanted so I decided to use these characters. so I hope you like this and sorry for the late reply.

Please enjoy!

Warning- protective, jealousy, threats(not describe), gender neutral reader(I think. I might be wrong I might of put he/she somewhere and if I did please tell me), not proof read, might be a little ooc

Paring- baji x reader, Draken x reader, Mikey x reader, ran x reader, Rindou x reader, izana x reader, kakucho x reader, Sanzu x reader, wakasa x reader

Baji-

• Baji is so protective of you. like if he sees someone looking at you he will wrap his arm around you and glares at them.

• He does like to compliment everything about you and loves you show that you are the most beautiful person he thinks.

• Hates when people compliment you through. Like yeah you are super attractive but that doesn't mean that everyone can look and compliment you. That's only for him.

• dislikes you walking home. He doesn't care if he is doing something he will stop and come and get you and take you home. He just doesn't want any guy to try and take advantage of you because of how pretty you are.

• something he likes to do when someone is staring is to put his jacket on you. one it shows that your his and two it also covers you beautiful so only him can see it.

• he's not really specific on stuff you can't wear but if he doesn't like it or it's too revealing for him he will say something or just put his jacket over you. He is the only who gets to see all your beauty.

Draken-

• Draken is pretty chill. I mean in the end your back with him so he's not that worried. People can look but it's not like they are going to touch. That's just for him.

• now if he does see someone staring, specially if it's somewhere that's not the best place, he doesn't mind to actually do something. Either step in their line of view, cover you, or just take you somewhere else.

• he doesn't mind what you wear outside. He feels like he shouldn't have to tell you what you can and cannot wear. I mean either way whatever you wear he thinks you look hot in it and you rock the outfit.

• he does like to look at you and watch you do things, specially when you clean, maybe its the way you seem focus on what your cleaning that makes him like to watch.

• finds you really beautiful and will give you tiny compliments. But they are either really quiet or just undertone compliments.

Mikey-

• matters which Mikey we talking about.

• Toman Mikey would be clingy, specially when you guys are out. He would hold onto you and loves to just stare at you because he finds you so pretty.

• Now black haired Mikey would be the one to compliment you but either they are too quiet for you to hear or he says something and the compliment is like hidden in what he says. He also likes to buy you clothes he thinks that would make your beauty pop out more.

• Bonten Mikey..... Well you see he has lost a lot and he doesn't want to lose you. He will buy you anything like clothes or makeup or jewelry or anything that makes you beautiful. He does like your all natural beauty more through. He also hates when you go out. Since he doesn't go out much he isn't there to make sure no one looks at you or tries to take you beauty away from him. So normally he has someone go with you or he won't let you leave. (An extra thing. He loves to lay on your lap because he gets to look up and see your beautiful face)

Ran-

• he's pretty natural in this. I see him kinda being protective of you but then he just meh. Like he trust you and will let you do what you want.

• he is weird about you going out at night alone because of how pretty you are. I mean be won't stop you but he will make sure that, one he is with you, two he's on call with you, or three you guys have like life360 where he knows exactly where you are.

• he does like to find outfits with you. He just likes to find outfits that makes you guys look like a hot couple. He is all about that.

• he also likes to sleep with you. You laying on his chest while he plays with you hair. He is able to see your beauty even if your sleeping. He just thinks you look pretty doing whatever.

Rindou-

• okay he is way different then his brother. He isn't natural in this at all. He is like Baji. He trust you but then he doesn't trust everyone else. He rather have your beauty for just him.

• but something he will do if one of your outfits he finds too revealing he will tell you to change and that you aren't going out. Now if you able to sweet talk him to let you out in the outfit he will but it might take a bit. (Kisses and some reassuring will be enough)

• he does like when you sit on his lap while you guys are relaxing or just watching a movie. The reason why is because he is able to see your beauty all in front of him and in his arms.

Izana-

• he's like toman mikey. He's clingy. Not just outside but everywhere. He likes to have a hand on you or something close to that. Also loves to compliment you while he has you in his arms/hands/legs.

• he can get very jealous. He hates people looking at you. He thinks that he should only be the one to see your beauty and no one else can.

• will not let you out of the house unless you have something of his. Either something he wears or something he gave you.

• will not let you walk home. You will stay at his house if it's gets to late. You had no choice. He will cling onto you and lead you back to lay down with him.

Kakucho-

• sweet sweet boy Kakucho. he definitely blushing a lot. He just finds you so pretty and it's hard to not just stare at you.

• he doesn't get really jealous about people. He is scared to let you go out by yourself at night. Not wanting someone to take you because of how pretty you are so he will walk you home unless you want to stay the night, which he won't ask. But if you do he is happy.

• he also loves when you wear something of his because he thinks that it just makes you more pretty and he will look away so you won't see the blush on his face.

Sanzu-

• ....sanzu...-sighs- okay well Sanzu we all know is a little unhinged. He will get really weird if he sees people staring at you. Can either led up to them being threatened or you getting pulled away. Matters on his mood. Normally the first one.

• he does love to see you try on new outfits and will compliment you a lot too. He will sometimes just come up to you and hugs you from behind and start saying compliments. Sometimes he will say a compliment twice.

• he kinda sees you as a beautiful god/goddess. He thinks that you need protective because he knows that people might try to take you away because of your beauty. He won't let that happen. He will be your knight.

Wakasa-

• pretty chill. Honestly doesn't care. He lets you do what you want and things. But if he needs to step in or do something he will.

• He will say at least one compliment to you a day. It will be random times that he will do that. He just finds it fun to catch you off guard.

• he also likes to mess up your hair. He just finds you more pretty with your hair messed up so he might randomly come up behind you and mess it up and then walk away, normally when he says a compliment too.

[helentangzy-blog]

|| Protective Olivia

Olivia Benson x fem!reader

A/N:Just some thoughts.I'm poor in English valcabulary and writng lol.Please comment me if there is a better expression :)

And it's the end of December,so Happy New Year my friends!❤

Summary:You witnessed a crime and someone wanted hurt you

‧₊⋆ ❅.˳⁺⁎˚ ☃︎⋆* ❆·☃︎‧₊⋆ ❅.˳⁺⁎˚ ☃︎⋆* ❆·☃︎

You and Olivia were girlfriends but had broken up few months ago.The reason was simple.Olivia was always busy at her work,even busier sometimes.Although you understood the importance of her job,you still felt she didn't give you enough attention and caring.So yeah,you guys were done.

It was just a common day,when you were off work and walking home,you saw a man hurting a girl at the corner of the street,looks more like raping.

"Hey!"You shouted,"What are you doing?!"

The man lifted his head,seeing you,he immediately running away and disappeared.

You soon called 911 and reported this.You knew you can't leave now as you were the witness,also you needed to make sure the little girl was safe.

Olivia never thought she would meet you again.Though you lived in the same city,but you hadn't met each other since your broken up.

She got off the car and shocked at this familiar face,freezing to the ground.

Elliot noticed you as well.He raised his eyebrows and smiled to Olivia in a subtle way,then went to check the girl,leaving two of you there.

Olivia rolled her eyes to the tall detective,then starting asking you some questions.

After some simple questions,Olivia told you need to go with her. "Ma'am we need you to come with us to the department,we need your statement as witness,and we may need your identification after we catch the guy.” 

“Okay...”Olivia sat down on the chair in the interview roo,”Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

“I was walking home after work.And I saw a man beating,um more like raping the girl at that corner.I tried to stop him and he ran away.”You briefed the situation happened there.

“Can you describe the guy in detail?”

“I didn’t see his face clearly.Black,or Mexican I think?Tall,strong,with dark hoodie and a cup.”

Olivia nodded and wrote down the information you provided in her notepad,still observing you closely."Did you get a look at anything else? Anything that could identify him in some way?...Tattoos, jewelry, something like that?"

You shook your head."I'm sorry."

She let out a small sigh and closed her notebook before looking back at you,her expression a bit softer than before."It's okay, you've already given us more to work with than we had before."

She observed you for a moment, contemplating her next question.

"Can I ask you a more personal question...?"

"Yes.What?”

Olivia leaned back in her chair again, regarding you carefully with her brown eyes.

"What's your relationship status?..."

You raised your eyebrows."Is this related to the case,detective?"

Olivia smiled slightly at your response and shakes her head,a bit embarrassed."No, definitely not related to the case. Just a personal question."

"Then I won’t talk about this."You replied coldly."Are we done questioning?".

Olivia sighed and relented, realizing she was probably getting a bit too personal now.She put away her notepad and looked back at you, more professional now."Yes, we're done with questions."

You nodded slightly and politely,then left the interview room.

The city was shrouded in a cold, unforgiving darkness as you left the police department.You felt a chill run down your spine, your sixth sense told you someone were watching you closely. You can hear footsteps behind you, keeping a discreet distance from you.

You walked faster,trying to get home quickly and shook off the stalker.

The footsteps behind you also started to move faster, getting closer to you. It was clear that whoever was following you was not going to give up until they catch up to you.You tried to pick up your pace even more,almost running,desperate to reach the safety of your home as soon as possible.

Finally, you spotted your home in the distance,a wave of relief washed over. But just as you were about to reach the safety of your front door,you felt a hand grabbing your arm

"No!"You yelled,trying hard to get rid of it.

The unknown person griped your arm tightly, pulling you away from your front door and into a dark alleyway nearby.

"Help!"You cried out loudly,hoping to get some attention.

Olivia, who was nearby on patrol, heard your cry for help and immediately drove towards the noise.She followed the sound and soon found you being dragged into the alleyway by a burly man in a black hoodie.

She quickly grabbed her gun and aimed it at the man. Her heart racing as she assessed the situation. “Police! Let her go!” she shouted with commanding voice.

The man froze in his tracks, his expression a mix of shock and fear at the sight of Olivia's gun. He slowly loosened his grip on your arm, taking a step back from you with his hands raised.

Olivia kept her gun trained on the man, slowly approaching him while keeping an eye on his movements.

“Get on the ground, NOW!”She barked. The man quickly complied dropping to his knees and placing his hands behind his head.

Olivia tilted her head to another officer nearby,signaling him to take care of this.The officer rushed to the alleyway to arrest the man. She then turned her attention to you, holstering her gun and looking at you with concern

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”She knelt down to your level, like a beacon of light in the darkness,her gaze scanned over you to check if there were any injuries.

You shook your head,bur it was obvious that you were still in shock and fear,tears streamed down your face freely and uncontrollably.

“Hey,it’s okay now.” She said in a soft voice,a voice that you had missed so much since you two broke up.Olivia gently helped you to stand on you feet and sit down on the nearby bench,rubbing your back softly as comfort.

“Can you tell me what happened?”She asked.

You told her the experience.

Olivia nodded as taking a mental note,then she spoke up. “Don’t worry,we’ll make sure this guy is locked up and he won’t hurt you again.”

“Thank you.”You said in a hoarse voice.

“You are welcome.”Olivia gave a warm,reassuring smile.”Do you need someone to stay with you for a while?”

“Yes,please...”You lifted your gaze,silently hoping she could stay.

“Sure,I’ll stay here until you feel safe again.”Her hand was still on your back,providing a sense of security and comfort.

After a long time of silence,Olivia started speaking again.

“y/n,do you-”

“I’m single.”You had known what she was going to say,so you answered quickly.

Olivia chuckled slightly and shook her head faintly,amused by your immediate answer. “Actually I wasn’t about to ask this,I just wondered if there are any friends or family living nearby who could come over and take care of you tonight.But it’s good to know you’re single.”The last words were with a hint of playfulness.

You felt your face was turning a bit red, cursing yourself why answering without hearing the full question.

“Oh,I-Um,yeah I have some friends nearby.”

“That’s good.Do you want me to call them or do you want to call it yourself?”She asked,still gently.

Your mouth was half open,but you were not sure if the answer is proper or not.

“Olivia...can you...can you stay with me tonight?”You finally asked the question that hanging in your mind.”Will you get into trouble?Because you are on this case and I’m the witness as well as victim...and of course you can say no if you don’t want to...”

Olivia seemed a little taken back by your words. She considered for a moment,silently weighing the pros and cons.But she can’t deny that deep in her heart she still want to be close to you,even you were already done.

“I won’t get into any trouble.It’s my duty to keep our witness’ and victim’s safety.”She smiled and added the last sentence. “And,I don’t mind staying with you.”

“You sure?”You were still a bit worried.

She nodded determinedly. “I’m sure.And I won’t feel right if I leave you alone here after everything happened.”

Once you reached your front door,Olivia waited for you to unlock the door,and then stepped in front of you. “Do you mind if I take a look around,just to make sure it’s safe?”She asked.

As you nodded in agreement.She began to check the windows and locks,ensuring there was no any sign of being broken or in intrusion,and the potential hiding areas in the room is clear.

“It’s all safe.”She smiled to you.

“I’ll take the couch.”She said as you walked into your house.

“I have a double bed in my bedroom and if you don’t mind...”You nervously respond.

Olivia was surprised at this suggestion.“No no,couch is okay.I don’t want to invade your personal space.”

“I can’t let you rest uncomfortably,Olivia.”You insisted.

She chuckle softly.“If you’re really okay with this,I won’t say no to a big bed.”

After you all had done showering and now lied in the same bed but different blankets.You rolled over,turning your back to her.Then you turned off the lights.

“Good night,Olivia,and thanks.”

“Good night,y/n.”

Neither of you knew what happened that night.But when you woke up in the next morning,you found yourself held tightly by Olivia,and your hands were on her bare skin under her shirt,too.

[wolves-and-stars]

Go to Fics (Easy Reads)

(A list of fics for when you're in a reading rut and want something easy, i keep going back to these ones they never let me down. Nothing too heavy, but please read the tags.)

1. How Remus Got His Groove Back by RealityShowJunky (ao3) 42k

Category: fluff? crack humor

I love this fic, the conversations are so well thought out, the characters are so interesting, you'll hate sirius, and Remus is kind of a pushover, giving 2014 nerd, lonely, not completely fleshed out 'supporting character' personality archtype. BUT, only when it comes to sirius, otherwise he's brilliant.

2. Succession of Halos by orphan_account (ao3) 7k

Category: fluffr

Remus runs a bookstore and sometimes minds harry, lily and james' brilliant son. Remus reads harry a book written by prof. sirius black about astronomy and the stars, and happens to attend a lecture to get their signature. Lily might be playing match maker.

3. See But One Moon by orphan_account (ao3) 9k

Category: fluff

Sirius Black has been pining for the nerdy Barista, Remus Lupin, for three months, but can't seem to get his attention. Remus, however, has noticed the over-excited law student, but isn't interested in being a conquest of the week. When Remus starts listening to the Marauding Hour--a University radio programme, he finds himself enraptured by one of the DJs, and starts to crush on him--hard. Little does he know that Padfoot has known him all along, and is looking for something much more than a one-off.

The summary explains it well enough, its very cute.

4. Sun In My Eyes by orphan_account (ao3) 12k

Category: not fluff, not angst either? non magic?

Remus Lupin struggles with a lot of things in life. Bipolar disorder, being poor, and working as an artist. He has a strict routine and plans to keep it that way with the help of his best friends Lily and James until one day James' best mate from school shows up and turns everything upside down. When art model Sirius enters Remus' life like a whirlwind, nothing will ever be the same.

I love this one, read it in 2016, still do every once in a while.

5. Other's Woe by orphan_account (ao3) 2k

Category: fluff

Forced to attend a group project meeting for a theology class, Remus thinks his day will be miserable until a gorgeous, grey-eyed stranger plants himself at their table and challenges the archaic thinking of the rest of the group. And in the end, it works out very well for Remus Lupin.

very fluffy, very soft, very short.

6. Living Like We're Renegades by orphan_account (ao3) 24k

Category: fluff

Exuberant, proud, genderfluid, cheerleader, self-described narcissist. All things to describe Sirius Black. It's a stark contrast from the self-imposed loner, Journalist, and Gender Studies major Remus Lupin who is thrown into Sirius' world after accepting a project for a class. When the two worlds collide, both lives are changed for the better.

 Sirius leant forward a bit, meeting Remus’ eyes. “Are you asking if I go for cute boys in beanies and jumpers, Remus Lupin?”

 Remus’ face went hot. “Er. No. I mean…er…”

 Sirius laughed. “Find your chill, love. I’m joking.” He winked at Remus and sat back again.

sorry for staright up copy pasting the summaries by the author, but i feel like they cover it well enough.

7. Miles To Go Before I Sleep by orphan_account (ao3) 4k

Category: fluff, mostly

Working the front door at a posh block of flats, Remus Lupin spends their nights watching the door, and occasionally taking a sleep-walking Sirius Black back to the arms of his flatmate. Pining quietly, everything changes for Remus one night when Sirius' sleep-walking leads to comfort and emotional revelations.

8. All Hail the Outlaws by orphan_account (ao3) 29k

Category: fluff, fluff, fluff

One of Remus Lupin's three jobs happens to be working maintenance for their flat building. He gets to meet all sorts, most of whom he would rather have nothing to do with. Until James Potter and Sirius Black move in across the hall. Engineering students and self-proclaimed geniuses, the pair set out to make their neighbours new best friends, and everyone's life is turned upside down, but in the best way possible.

9. A Cure For Nightmares [+podfic] by picascribit (ao3) 36k

Category: hurt/comfort, angst, emotional

Sirius Black is not happy about their new roomate, who seems up himself, except the both of them suffer from nightmares and happen to get each other through the night. Will the secrets behind their nightmares get them together or will it tear them apart?

A couple of trigger warning for this one: mentions of SA, Physical A*buse, S*lf H*rm, De*th, H*m*phobia. i would proceed with caution, and read the tags carefully.

10. take me as I am by orphan_account, Shira_a 48k

Category: fluff, humor, but also sort of emotional and moments of angst.

Sirius is a sleep demon who gives nightmares to humans. Remus is an insomniac with hallucinations.

I will offer no other explanation. Love, Love, Love this one. its odd and well written and the characters are real and so is the relationship. Sirius the sleep demon and the hardship of humans and their mortality,

[the-star-and-the-smols]

Sean McCool

Chapter 1: A Big Day For The Irish

Word count: like 3600

Rating: Teen

Warnings: fearplay, injury

Arthur is startled awake by the most unusual of sounds in the night. Thunderous booms, the deafening sound of shuffling against grass and dirt, the horses crying. His first thought is a strong storm, but opening his eyes to a starry morning sky peppered with small white clouds dismisses this possibility. As he forces himself awake, a number of awful scenarios run through his mind: bounty hunters, Pinkertons, O'Driscolls, common thieves. He draws his pistol as he blinks, scanning through the blur of his sleep.

"Who goes there?"

Not a word or sound save from the panic of the horses hitched on a nearby tree. However, something else immediately captures his interest. Something very large, taller than he is, and spanning an impressive distance, like a long wall. Different colors, too, as it goes along. Browns, a deep blue, a light patterned blue, some soft reds and greens, softly glowing in the moonlight.

"Arthur?"

From behind him, Hosea rises to his feet and comes to stand beside him.

"Hosea.... Do you know what the hell I'm lookin' at here? I can't make heads or tails o’ this thing right now."

"Might've been what spooked the horses.... I don't know. Give me a minute, will you?"

Hosea makes his way toward the wall, studying it with an intense curiosity. "Looks... strangely familiar, though I can't put my finger on why."

"All I see is a wall. ‘Course, that don't make much sense. Got an interestin’ shape to it, that's for sure."

Hosea backs up cautiously as the wall seems to move upward and downward with a sound that can only be described as a low, deep sigh.

"I don't think this is a wall, son," he croaks deeply, his gaze shifting back and forth between different ends of the so-called wall.

"Then what the hell do you think it is?"

"I-I think it's a giant!" Hosea wheezes.

"A giant?! Hosea, you must'a drank more than you thought you did. Giants ain't real, now I know you of all people got sense enough to know that," he barks at the older man with a confused look.

"Shh, not so loud," he whispers, "You'll wake it. And-and it don't make a lick of sense to me either, but-but look." He points shakily to a light-colored, oddly shaped section of the wall that seems to jut out from a strange tunnel of cloth. "That's a hand."

Arthur's brow furrows curiously as he takes a few steps toward the appendage, holstering his gun but keeping his hand on it.

"Don't touch it, Arthur."

Arthur nods as he continues to inspect the thing, looking down at his hand then back up again at the towering object, curled up and still taller than himself. Up, down, up, down again. He stumbles back, his mouth becoming an entry point for any flying insect that dares to become breakfast.

"What. The. Hell?!"

"See, I told you. What else could it be?"

"I see yer point," Arthur surrenders, continuing to back away until he's behind Hosea. With the realization, the wall seems to morph into something a lot less wall-like and a lot more human-like. It rises and falls rhythmically with a low gust of air. Arthur watches as Hosea makes his way to the other end of the giant, the part with red and green.

"We need to wake Sean and get the hell outta here!!!!" Arthur scans the environment for any sign of his friend. "Hey, where is that little Irish weasel anyway? He was right-"

Arthur freezes in place, an icy chill running through his veins as his mind starts putting two and two together.

"There.... OH MY-"

"-I'm afraid we're looking at him," Hosea interjects, his voice wavering with emotion. "His head is up this way." He motions for Arthur to come closer.

Arthur doesn't believe it. He doesn't want to believe it; it all seems so absurd. He has to prove it for himself, as gut-wrenching as that may be, if only to convince himself he hasn't gone completely nuts, or had too much to drink, so he walks toward Hosea's position, his light step on the dirt feeling like a trudge through mud. He approaches the patch of soft orangey reds that starts to make a lot more sense, running the strands through his fingers like long, thin cables. He recognizes Sean's ear, what must easily be the height of his own body. Maybe even more.

"Goddamn..." He mutters in utter disbelief. Blue eyes widen, his chest tightening uncomfortably.

Just then, a deep, loud, Sean-like grumble is heard and felt in the ground. The curtain of hair begins to shift, moving toward the two at an alarming pace.

"We gotta MOVE!" Arthur bleats, turning tail toward the woods. Hosea follows him as quickly as he can, soon falling into a coughing fit and forced to stop in his tracks. Arthur sees this, but before he has the chance to run and assist him, his father figure is halfway pinned underneath Sean's massive cheek, his legs almost completely buried. The giant grumbles in his sleep as he settles on his side, completely unaware of the mess unfolding before him.

"Hosea!" Arthur runs to his aid. Sean's breath washes over his whole body in warm, damp gusts as his face is now turned toward the pair, yet it chills the surface of his skin. It's an eerie, disturbing feeling he tries his best to disregard; there are more pressing matters at the moment.

Shit, that’s still pretty hard to ignore.

"Well, at least he was considerate enough to spare my head and torso," Hosea croaks, trying to make light of the situation. He pulls at his legs with his hands to free them, but they only barely budge.

"You alright, Hosea?" Arthur kneels down next to him, searching his features for any trace of discomfort.

"Not too bad right now," he grunts in a pained voice, "but I need to get the pressure off these legs, quick. Give me a hand here."

"Mhm." Arthur pulls at one of Hosea's thighs with the weight of his arms and upper body. It budges a little, but still remains wedged under Sean's cheek.

"Shoot. No luck," Hosea mutters, eyes welling with tears.

"Lemme try somethin' else here." Arthur gets down in a seated position next to Hosea, pressing his boots against the cheek. He tugs the skin and fat of Sean's cheek upward with his boots, the friction with his stubble emitting a sound akin to a shave, then once again using the force of his upper body strength to pry Hosea's leg free. This time, the limb easily slides outward, giving Hosea a bit of relief.

"Great, now the other one."

Arthur moves to Hosea's other side, doing the same for his right leg. The prodding of Sean's cheek makes his nose and mouth twitch, drawing the pair's attention to it briefly before focusing back on the task at hand. "Alright, this one's in there pretty deep, so, try and pull with me, okay?"

Hosea nods as the two pull, heaving and grunting before finally freeing his foot of their friend's face, as well as his boot.

"You okay?" Arthur asks, inspecting the leg and foot for any sign of injury.

"Somewhat." He flexes the limb, wincing and groaning with pain. "I think it got pretty banged up. Still, I don't think it's broken."

"Sorry to hear. You don't look so good. Hopefully it ain't broken, at least. " Arthur sighs, taking in the sight of his gang brother's massive head. He chuckles at the sight, then turns back to the older man. "Good lord, he's enormous... Can't even imagine what kinda shit he'd get into when he wakes up. His ego was already big enough before." The thought gives Arthur a headache.

Hosea's eyes are still set on the giant's features in front of them, concerned. "Looks like we're about to find out."

Sean's eyelids peel open only very slightly, and he rubs his eyes with massive fingers. He grumbles, vibrating the ground underneath him in a pained voice.

"Oh, me head... Feels like… egh, shite…"

Sean's voice is startlingly loud and deep, and the two back away to give him some space, with Hosea forced to shuffle back on his rear due to his injured leg.

"Ugh..."

Sean sits up, casting the two in shadow. His hat remains on the ground, his eyes opening further.

"Where the hell am I?"

He scans the environment, the rays of the morning sun creeping over the trees and blinding him. Holding his hand in front of him, he turns his gaze downward to avoid the sun's glare, trying to make sense of the two little blobs he notices on the ground. He blinks.

"What's this now?"

He picks one of them up, Arthur, who is unpleasantly surprised by the fingers that effortlessly wrap around him almost painfully, pinning his arms to his sides and restricting his mobility. As he's whisked dozens of feet in the air in seconds, his stomach seems to want to linger on the ground for a few moments, and Sean certainly doesn't give it the opportunity to catch up. His surroundings are a blur until the movement slows and halts at his friend's face. He knows it's Sean, he's known him for years. The young redhead's always been like an annoying little brother to him, but that closeness and friendship was left at the ground below. As he’s enveloped in the massive hand of a familiar stranger, a frigid heat crawls over his skin, up his spine. He can hear nothing but the throb of his own heartbeat in his ears, his head thick.

Little brother? Not so little now.

Now, Arthur is constricted by an enormous hand, and his entire field of vision is filled with nothing but Sean. Green irises like serving plates pierce through Arthur's invisible armor, making him feel unusually vulnerable under his gaze. Here he was, at the complete mercy of a powerful fool. If it had been a total stranger, he manages to think, it would be less scary right now. He knows this behemoth, impulsive and reckless, and it leaves Arthur petrified, hardly able to breathe.

The brow furrows, eyes and pupils expanding, and as he speaks, Arthur can feel a gentle buzz through his fingers.

"..Arthur?!?"

Sean’s expression becomes warmer as he recognizes his friend, so teeny in his hand. Creases form around his eyes, a sign that he's smiling; there's just so much of Sean to take in that Arthur is really only able to focus on those massive jade irises, burning so intensely with curiosity it becomes impossible to tear his gaze away, no matter how desperately he wants to.

And Arthur knows better than most, there's a lot you can tell about what a feller is thinking through eyes and eyes alone. The sense of wonder and amusement in the younger man's gaze is palpable, and although familiar, is so much bigger and brighter than he’s ever witnessed. He can feel Sean's pulse through his fingers, and the grip finally loosens enough to not be uncomfortable, allowing for Arthur to move his arms finally. Not that that's much help, since he really only has Sean's thumb to grab onto.

"Wh- what the fuck? How-how'd ya get so- uh... little?!"

He stammers in disbelief.

Sean's breath rustles Arthur's hair as he speaks, the scent of whiskey and cigarettes. His rough voice is painfully loud and detailed in his ear, and slightly deeper than he's used to. Arthur can't help but chuckle awkwardly at the unusual situation; it's really the only response he can muster other than the scream lingering in his throat.

"I-I ain't little, Sean. Just.. take a look around ya!"

Arthur is momentarily relieved of the intensity of his gaze as Sean looks around, noticing the ends of his hair brushing against his blazer like an enormous broom. It's easier for Arthur to take everything in when he's not being stared down by a pair of humongous eyes. A breath of fresh air.

The Irishman looks upon the landscape surrounding him, noticing how he easily dwarfs the trees, even from his seated position.

"Jeeeeesus..."

He lets out a low, piercing whistle, then turns back to Arthur, a smug grin stretching out further than Arthur is tall.

"Y'know, Arthur Morgan, you aren't nearly as ugly from this point of view. Dare I say it, yer almost adorable."

"Oh, please-" Arthur can feel the wall of fingers constricting his limbs once more, and Sean becomes giddier than ever as he seems to get further away, moving Arthur back a bit to inspect him with better focus. The sensation is dizzying.

"I mean it! Yer like a tiny little doll in my hand. A grumpy one at that~!!! It's endearing! Y'know, I've always liked the idea of bein' bigger and stronger, but this is somethin' else! A right fantasy, this is!!! A dream!!! Am I dreamin'?!"

"SEAN!" A voice barks from below them.

Sean’s gaze turns downward toward Hosea, who sits with his legs stretched out on the grass.

"Put him down, son! Right now! You're hurting him!" Hosea commands.

He looks back at Arthur, who seems quite a bit more purple than usual at the moment. The younger man's features immediately soften with concern, and he loosens his grip on the outlaw as he lowers him to the ground, much more slowly than his startling ascent moments ago.

"O-of course, Mr. Matthews!"

A disoriented Arthur slides off of Sean's fingers and onto the ground, landing in a heap with a soft "oof."

"Sorry, English. Y'okay?"

Arthur lets out a muffled "yep" from his crumpled position before righting himself, sitting with his legs sprawled out like Hosea.

A small smile tugs at the corner of Sean's mouth from the affirmation. There is a moment of stunned silence between the three of them, the gangster-turned-giant running his fingers through the grass, his eyes glued to the two on the ground as he orients himself to this reality. His fingers suddenly brush up against a solid object, which he lifts up to eye level. A boot. Realizing Hosea's sock is exposed, he lowers the boot pinched between two fingers to Hosea, receiving a soft "thank you."

"No problem."

He yawns, rubbing his temple.

"Could surely use a cup of coffee right now, though. What a way to wake up."

"I don't think they make coffee cups that big," Arthur laughs. "I'm afraid you're outta luck."

"What the hell happened anyways?! Last thing I remember, I was celebratin', havin' a few drinks with the pair o' yous. Now this!"

"I don't know," Arthur replies. "Maybe it was that special shine you got all excited about. 'Course, moonshine can do a lot, but I ain't ever heard about it makin' men grow into giants.”

Hosea chimes in. "No, you got a point, Arthur. Don't make sense to me that it happened in the first place, strange as it is, but, as you said, so was that vendor."

Arthur groans. "I never shoulda bought that shit for him. Why couldn't I have just got him a new shirt, or a holster, or somethin' for Ennis-"

"-You serious, Morgan? My birthday, and you're giftin' a horse-"

"-or a muzzle, for that goddamn mouth of his!!"

"Well, as they say, never look a gift horse in the mouth! Hahahahaha!"

Sean retorts playfully.

"Shut up," Arthur growls. "This ain't no joke!"

"You just findin’ that out, Englishman?! This is bloody remarkable! Just look at me!"

He gestures to himself, his arm span the length of a baseball field, eyes wide beyond belief.

"I gotta test somethin' for meself here!"

The pair watch as Sean reaches for the trunk of a nearby cedar, the length of half his arm. He wraps a hand around it near the bottom, and twists it free almost effortlessly, shaking the dirt from the roots.

"HAHAHAHA! Look at this, boys! I'm the strongest man on Earth!"

He brags, his tone livelier than ever, booming and echoing in the mountains with a bassy tone. He lifts his arms above his head in a strongman pose, fist still clenched around the tree he so easily uprooted.

"Just wait 'til them girls see me! I'll be havin’ to fight ‘em off me-"

"Will you quit mouthin' for ten goddamn seconds and LISTEN?!" Arthur barks up at Sean, clenching his fists. When Sean lowers his arms, he continues. "We gotta get Hosea to a doctor."

Sean's smile fades.

"..Doctor? What for? You alright, Hosea?"

He leans in closer, inspecting the older man.

Hosea hums, pain apparent in his speech. "Not particularly. Leg got busted up pretty bad. But I'll make it."

"... How'd that happen?"

Arthur and Hosea exchange glances, unsure of how to respond.

"D-did I..?"

Sean points to his chest with tightening fingers.

Hosea purses his lips, sighing. "I'm afraid so, Sean."

The redhead shuffles back slightly, sending slight shockwaves through the earth below him.

"Shit, I-I-I'm sorry!"

"Accidents happen, Sean," Hosea assures him. "It's okay. It could have happened with anyone."

"Could it, really?" Arthur remarks skeptically.

Hosea pulls out a mortar and pestle from his bag, beginning to grind some herbs. "Let's just get ready. We've got a long journey ahead of us. Would you mind brewing us some coffee, Arthur?"

"Sure." Arthur takes the pot and grounds from his bag.

"Anything I can help with?"

Sean asks, his eyes darting between the two as he sets the tree down near the forest with a crash.

"Now you mention it," Hosea responds, "the horses seem awful spooked. Maybe now's a good time to get 'em used to ya. Wouldn't want 'em,” he grunts, “runnin' away soon as they got untethered."

"Will do. Though I don't suppose I'll be ridin' Ennis back to camp,"

he chuckles half-heartedly, getting down on his belly, the tremors in the earth from his movements making the horses whinny and cry.

"Shh, it's okay, now, it's only me."

He reaches his hand out toward the horses, uncertain.

"I won't hurt ya..."

No luck. The horses buck, trying to break free.

“Woah, easy there!”

He pulls his hand back slowly to avoid startling them further.

"Y'know, Sean, I've been thinking," Hosea adds, "Somehow it seems whatever you were wearing when you slept grew with you overnight-"

"Thank God for that," Arthur mutters, getting a scoop of coffee grounds.

"-So, what did you have in your bag? Edible, I mean?"

Sean looks to his satchel, still draped over his shoulder from the night before. He shuffles through it.

"Tin o' crackers, peaches, a carrot-"

"Perfect! Feed that to the horses!" Hosea yells out excitedly.

Sean grins, finally catching on.

"Ohoho, they're gonna love this one!"

He pulls out a fresh carrot, the height of a two-story building.

"Damn," Arthur remarks, "Sure don't see that every day." The two smaller men share a chuckle.

"Hey beauties, ya like carrots? Well I've got a real whopper for ya!"

Sean experimentally holds the carrot out, wiggling it slightly to entice the horses, which still buck and neigh at Sean's movements, but less so.

"C'mon, horses. Sean's got a real treat for ya!"

The first horse to seem interested is Ennis, who nudges his snout in Sean's direction hungrily.

"That's it! That's my boy!"

Sean pinches a small piece off the end of the carrot with his finger, very slowly reaching out toward Ennis, the bit of carrot pinched between his fingers. Ennis whinnies, and Sean shushes him, speaking in an almost whisper.

"It's okay! You know me!"

Ennis seems calmer, eager to bite the carrot. Sean opens his fingers, the chunk of enormous vegetable sitting on the tip of his middle digit. The horse approaches him warily, finally taking a bite.

"Yes, that's it! Good boy! Tasty, innit? Hehehe."

Seeing Ennis enjoying the carrot piques the other horses' interests, and they begin to point their snouts toward him.

Arthur pours Hosea’s coffee, handing it to him and receiving a quiet ‘thanks.’ The two watch Sean with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Hosea, what in the hell are we gonna do about this?" Arthur whispers, trying to maintain enough volume to be heard over Sean’s re-taming of the horses.

"I don't rightly know myself. I’ve seen a lot in my day, but this sure as shit beats all!"

“Well the way I see it, it looks like we got a mighty big problem on our hands.”

“The biggest yet.” Hosea empties the ground herbs into his coffee cup, swirling it around. “We’ll find a way to get him back to normal. Sean's a good kid, got a lotta heart. He just needs some direction, and discipline.”

“I ain't so sure discipline is gonna cut it now, Hosea. He could overpower all of us, easy! Hell, he don’t listen to me half the time at normal size; I can only imagine he'll laugh in my face now if I so much as disagree with him on how we should go about things.”

Hosea lets out a light chuckle. “Let's… hope not.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “He may be young and foolish, but he cares about this gang. And if he cares, he’ll listen.”

“Maybe. I just hope you're right. I guess we’ll just… take it as it comes.” Arthur shrugs.

“That’s seemed to work for us so far.” Hosea smiles a little as he watches the horses, now all happily eating chunks of carrot out of Sean’s palm.