#make sure to give this a read at least once :)

[rans-prettydoll]

Mechanic!Sukuna . . . Part 2!

Note : mechanic!sukuna part 1 here! Make sure to read this part before so it all makes sense. ALSO MIGHT BE SOME TYPING MISTAKES.

Mechanic!Sukuna who while you are outside his house as he fixes your car, makes you watch him so you could at least understand a bit about what he was doing but fuck was it useless. The sweat on his forehead and the oil that stuck to his thick digits that you so badly wanted for him to fuck into your pretty pussy. You couldn’t help but clench your thighs as you watched him work.

Mechanic!Sukuna always noticed that whenever you came over to his house to have him fix your car, you would be wearing the skimpiest clothing. Your cute mini skirts and crop tops that he had mentioned before in his mind but every time he saw you his dick would throb.

Mechanic!Sukuna would send you away with a perfectly fixed car and before you got in it, you would kiss him in return with a side of money. Of course, you got a discount. Shit, he would make you pay in a different way. His favorite pretty customers always got pretty prices.

Mechanic!Sukuna who would groan and talk shit whenever you had called him only a few days later about how you had driven over a nail while on your way back from work. You were upset and he could practically hear the pout in your voice as you complained about your flat tire. He would then only a few minutes later, pull up in his car to come get you. You were so upset as you got out of the car, explaining to him what happened. Gosh, you were so adorable and you didn’t even know how much he wanted to fuck you over the hood of your car right now. He wanted to fuck some sense into you, to make you stop fucking up your car so much that he obviously would have to fix it, but man did he hate it so good. He loved the way you always called him first. Even for stuff that didn’t have to deal with your car. He loved the way you depended on him for things that you felt only he could help you with. He was so lost in thought that he only broke out when he felt you hug him as you whined in his chest. Your button-down shirt had a bit too many buttons opened but it was valid because of how hot it was out, it showed your pretty cleavage. Oh, how bad he wanted to suck and leave a hickey right on those tits that you loved to show off to him so much while he was trying to focus on your car. But back to the current moment. He would sigh and place one hand on your back, patting it before placing the other hand on your ass. Giving it a small pat too as he spoke in the rough tone of his, “Fuck woman..can’t take care of a car for shit. For right now just get in mine and I’ll drive ya pretty ass home. We’ll worry about yours in a few. Don’t worry, I’ll fuckin’ come back and get it of course. But ya know ya gonna have to pay me back...I don’t think I want money this time. This ass lookin’ too cute in these work pants…” He would say before leaving a small smack on your ass to which you would whine before swinging yourself off him. Walking back to your car to grab your bags and everything and putting it in his car then getting in the passenger seat.

Mechanic!Sukuna who ended up fucking you silly in the back of his car once he made it in your driveway. He had you bouncing on his dick so good that it made the whole car shake as you moaned. You were trying to keep it down, for fuck sake you didn’t want your nosey neighbors to hear you getting fucked so good to the point where you couldn’t think straight anymore!! All you could do was babble as you held onto his strong shoulders. He had your work shirt popped open and bra halfway off, just enough for him to pop a tit out as he sucked on it. Swirling his tongue and making sure to leave hickeys all over that pretty chest of yours just like he had been wanting to do ever since he’d met you. “Shit..woman. Told ya I was gon’ make ya pay me back, aye? But I guess it’s a payment the both of us can enjoy.” He would say as he took a long lick from your left tit up to your neck where he had marked a few minutes before. He took one of his hands and he brought it down to smack that plumped ass of yours that you had been showing off to him in those mini skirts you always wore. Always bending over so he could see your pretty panties and then acting like you didn’t know that you were making his cock ache. But now he had that same cock stuffed into your pussy, making you bounce and clench on it until he fucked some sense into that brain of yours. Until you learned how to take better care of your car. But you knew you wouldn’t, fuck if this was the outcome that you were going to get each time you fucked up your car from now on. You would make sure to pop a tire or something!! You didn’t even know. But fuck all you knew at the moment was that his dick was so good. Better than you had ever imagined while you had been playing with your pussy to his voice whenever you called him telling him about how you would be coming over the next day to get your car fixed. You let out a loud moan as you felt him thrust up into you, bullying your pussy so good as he lectured you. “Ya gonna listen now, huh? Ya gonna stop fuckin’ up ya car? Or do I have to have ya bouncing on my dick like this every time until ya get some sense into that pretty head of yours? Such a nasty, thing. I know ya only fuck your car so that ya can come over.” He would say as he let out a deep chuckle before pulling you off as he cummed all over your tummy. You would cum too, all over his back seats. So what if he knew your plans all along, he seemed to like the idea just as much as you. You loved your mechanic.

@shaeshaeboo asked to be tagged ! 💋

[hittmeandtellmeyouremine]

okayyyyy so just read your new addition to your puddin!reader x older!rafe au and i LOVEEEED it. i have a scenario in mind, and i wanna know your opinion on it, or if youre open to writing for this scenario. so i kind of imagined rafe taking puddin to a event (kinda like he did with sofia and then he saw hollis), so puddin sees him with hollis and obviously hollis is kinda all over him and puddin gets upset and thinks hollis is one of the women that he had sex with in his past.

pairing: puddin!reader x older!rafe

warnings: mdni, lottie do not read, all fluff, mentions of sex, ddlg themes, use of 'daddy'.

word count: 1.1k+ words

a/n: i love when you guys request stuff and it's the most on brand thing for me. in an alternate universe he shows puddin' just how much he doesn't want hollis but i fear we're not there yet.

rafe's fingers were intertwined with yours, your heels clicking against the wood in an attempt to keep up with his long strides. each step made your curls bounce around your face, free hand sliding down your dress to prevent it from riding up.

topper had thrown a little party, rafe invited. he barely went anywhere without you, so here you were. you didn't complain, it was an excuse to get dressed up and wear the new heels rafe had gotten you.

"puddin', stay here with topper for a sec, yeah? i'm gonna go get a drink" he says you once you reach topper.

rafe gives topper a head nod, silently filling him in.

"okay" you nod, giving him a small smile.

he kisses your head before he departs, making his way over to the bar.

"how've you been princess? rafe treating you alright?" topper asks, trying to make conversation.

you liked topper. he was always so sweet with you, watching over you the second rafe couldn't. a little snobby at times, but sweet. with you, at least.

the second the beer is in rafe's hand, he takes a long swig. he's tense from a business deal that was getting too complicated for his liking. not to mention the things some random girl was saying about his father a little while ago. he needed this drink.

"rafe" a female voice calls, body appearing next to him. "hollis robinson, i worked with your father quite a bit"

he leans down a bit, eyes raking over her conspiratorially. in all honesty, he didn't really pay much attention to any girl other than you. especially not one that worked with his father. it was bold of her to assume he would recognize her so quickly.

it slowly but surely registers.

"oh, yeah. hollis" he nods, taking another swig of his beer. "mr. robinson's wife"

"yeah, ex, i'm afraid" she clarifies.

not that he cares much.

"i haven't seen you in a few years. you've grown up" she smiles sweetly.

well, her version of sweetly. it wasn't the same as yours. you were naturally sweet, so kind and caring. hollis was sweet with a weird motivation behind it, one that makes rafe give her a slow nod.

"it's good to see you" she adds, sticking out her hand.

he stares at it for a moment before taking it, giving her a tight-lipped smile. this conversation was... well, it was something but he wants to get back to you now.

"yeah, well i didn't really have a choice so" he says dismissively, trying to break away from her.

"none of us do, really" she continues.

while topper tries to teach you the art of golf for the millionth time, which you never really understood, you wonder what's taking rafe so long. your eyes scan the sea of people, landing on the head that peaked out over everyone else's.

a blonde was following him, one that you didn't know.

she looked a little older than rafe, grown out roots and a sly smile on her face. your brows furrow at the way she was smiling up at him like she had hit the jackpot. topper notices your lack of focus as he tries to layout the format of the sport and follows your gaze.

"oh, shit" he chuckles.

"what? who is that?" you ask, looking at him.

"no one, really. she's just known rafe for a while. that's all" topper smirks. "her name's hollis"

you tilt your head at him, jealousy quickly building.

"known him like what, top?" you ask.

"maybe go on and head over there, he might need some saving" he says, nudging you in that direction.

he didn't have to tell you twice, feet quickly making your way over to rafe until your hands wrap around his arm.

"oh, hi" the woman says, freezing her conversation once she sees you.

"hi" you smile, but it's forced.

rafe notices, his free hand slipping around your waist and pulling you into his side.

"hey, baby" he greets.

hollis turns her attention away from you and back to rafe. "who's this?"

"this is my girlfriend y/n. puddin', this is mrs.- miss robinson, hollis" he introduces.

her gaze washes over you, silently judging.

the little black dress was short, stopping a bit past your thighs where it ruffled out. the body of it was knitted, making it somewhat see through. the straps were so tiny they might as well have not even been there and the neckline just barely covered your cleavage.

her gaze trails lower, briefly looking at your feet. ruffled, frilly white socks covered your feet. the socks themselves were engulfed in red, velvet pumps—a bedazzled, red bow on each of the closed toes.

"there's no place like home, huh?" she smiles. nothing about it feels nice.

rafe tilts his head at her comment, noticing the subtle jab.

"nice to meet you" you say lie.

"the pleasure is all mine, sweetie" she looks at you for a second longer than necessary before returning back to rafe.

"well, take care, rafe" she says. her hand reaches out to touch his arm.

there's something in her gaze that just seems off. the way she's looking at him, the way she's touching him. you've seen it before.

"you too" he nods, dismissing her.

he turns to you, hands finding your waist. "you look so pretty in this, puddin'"

"who was she?" you question.

"oh she's just the biggest relator/cougar on the island" he chuckles.

"cougar?"

"she likes them young, puddin'. younger than her" he explains.

"like you?" you ask. "did you have sex with her?"

he flinches at your words a bit, taken aback by your question. he chuckles, a scoff slipping its way in there.

it wasn't just the way hollis was acting with him that got under your skin. it was also the fact that she was the complete opposite of you; older, blonde, a lighter complexion. if rafe was with her before, you didn't know how he was with you now.

"did i have sex with her" he repeats.

"did you?" you ask. "was she one of the women you made feel good, is that why she was so touchy with you?"

there it is.

"why, you jealous?" he smirks.

"what? no" you shake your head, jaw tightening at the accusation.

"it's okay to be jealous, puddin'" he says, pulling you against him with ease. "but, no, i didn't have sex with her"

he lowers his voice enough so only you could hear his next statement.

"daddy only has eyes for you, baby. you know that" he reassures.

you can't help but give into his warmth, nodding at his words.

"come on, click your heels three times and wipe that frown off your pretty face" he smiles, guiding you back over towards topper.

it was a subtle reminder that rafe loved you just the way you were.

"you look too pretty to be worried about that hag"

"she save you?" topper asks as you guys return.

"she always does" rafe smiles, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

-

[simspaghetti]

SIMS 3: THE GLOBETROTTER CHALLENGE

Original Sims 4 Challenge here by moonfi - this is just an adaptation for TS3!

I love the idea of the original globetrotter challenge by @moonfi but the original rules are for TS4 and are specifically themed around those worlds, so I decided to make my own version adapted for the TS3 worlds / gameplay, ofc all credit goes to moonfi for the original idea :)

Credit also goes to @florydaax for the store world legacy & @horusmenhosetix for the HIX Completionist Challenge - I took some inspo from both of those to come up with the goals for each location

This is my first attempt at creating a challenge for public release so if anyone has any feedback / suggestions pls lmk

Feel free to tag me or use #TS3Globetrotter if you try this out I'd love to see how your gameplay goes - no obligation to do that though! I'm just curious lol :)

Your sim is an adventurer visiting many places around the globe… Begin your explorations in the challenge below…

[Google Docs Version HERE - I reccomend reading the challenge on there & making a personal copy for gameplay!]

There are two ways to play this challenge, the original way is intended to be played with one sim. If you're going this route it’s best to turn the aging off or set it to long - However, there is also an option to play this challenge generationally if you wish (just treat each ‘round’ as a new generation or span 2 rounds across each generation etc. It’s up to you how you want to work that out!)

The challenge is NOT about accumulating money, but enjoying the gameplay. Each round has its own main LTW and a few other goals to fulfil, but it rarely has a specific career your sim must follow - that’s because the focus should be on exploring the world around them rather than spending a lot of time in rabbitholes

This challenge uses a combination of store worlds & EP worlds, but I’ve also included few alternative custom worlds for each round you can use instead if you’d prefer - if you want to take creative liberty and choose your own world you’d rather use for a round that’s totally fine! Just make sure it fits in with the correct vibe & theme for that round / generation

You can play these rounds in whatever order you want to, but I’ve presented them in a similar order to the original challenge w. each backstory following on from the last - you can ignore or alter the backstories as you wish to suit your gamplay ofc!

THE RULES:

MOD RECCOMENDATIONS: This challenge can be played without mods, but it is definitely enhanced by their inclusion, so here are some suggestions… NRAAS Traveller will allow your sim to travel to any world you have installed, and retain relationships w. sims from previous trips once they move worlds NRAAS Tempest will allow you to take control over the world climate, which is recommended for full immersion - I also suggest checking out Pudding Parade’s Tempest project to find some premade settings for several types of different climates you can just place in your save! UPDATE: Pudding Parade has also made some preset suggestions for this challenge here! You might also want to check out my mod / CC reccomendation list for off-grid living :)

Create a sim (any age, but recommended to start with a YA), and once you move them to the first location give them a tent and set the funds to 0–50 simoleons (0 for a more challenging start)  Cheats bar: testingcheatsenabled TRUE // familyfunds [insert household name] 0

Main LTWs must be completed during their round, the other goals must be completed at least halfway before moving to a new location You have a choice of several LTWs to complete for each round - take your pick of one of these, it’s not expected for you to do more than one  If you’re only playing with one sim for the duration of the challenge, you can either buy a LTR to change your sims lifetime wish for each round, or go and change it manually in CAS through cheats

Your sim cannot travel to places outside the world you’re currently playing in (unless specified by that round)

They can apply for a job once they have: a tent (or a bed), a campfire (or a stove), a fridge, a toilet, a shower, a sink, a counter, a chair. they must quit their job when you move to the next location. your sim can make money by selling things they found and created from their family / personal inventory.

You can purchase (or ‘rent’ for the purposes of storytelling) a house in a world once you have the funds to do so - just know you’ll have to leave it behind when you move, so don’t get too invested!

When moving to a new location your sim can take one piece of furniture and their tent. you should sell the rest. all the collectibles or souvenirs your sim found and put in their inventory travel with them as well - just no big bits of furniture like sofas, beds etc.

In order to move worlds, your sim needs to have 20,000 simoleons in the bank - you can cheat this money if you need to, but you must reset your family funds back to normal once they’re in the next world. 

If your sim forms relationships or has kids in a previous world, they can either abandon / leave them behind completely or bring them along to the next world - it’s totally up to you!

As an additional challenge, aim to master the Photography skill & take scenic photos of every town your sim visits

NEW RULE: Your sim can swap out one of their traits each round to be better suited for the gameplay - I've included some trait suggestions, but it's up to you what you decide to go with

ROUND 1: THE ARCTIC ⛰️🌠

WORLD REC: Aurora Skies / Saaqartoq

Recently packing up all their belongings and hopping on a plane from their hometown of Sunset Valley, your sim wishes to explore the world. Their first stop is to experience the most unique wonderful natural anomalies to be found in the cold arctic ocean. Where better to start their adventures than in The Arctic at the very top of the world?

Seasonal Recommendation: Set the town to a cold temperature climate using NRAAS Tempest OR disable Summer

Trait Rec: Eccentric / Computer Whiz / Handy / Loves the Cold / Genius

LTW: ‘The Tinkerer’ / ‘Become a Creature-Robot Cross-Breeder’ / ‘Scientific Specialist’ / ‘Master Forager’ (CUSTOM)

Other Goals:

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Logic: ‘Celestial Explorer’ Collecting: ‘Metal Collector’ & ‘Gem Collector’ Science: ‘Experienced Experimentalist’ & ‘Free Range Scientist’

Create the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ and turn your sim into a plantsim (you can cure them afterwards) OR grow a plantsim baby

Master the ‘Logic’, ‘Science’ & ‘Handiness’ Skills

Reach level 3 of the ‘Fishing’ skill

Get the ‘My Best Friend’ Lifetime Reward

Swim in the hot springs / cold ocean for at least 1 hour

Go ice skating (on a rink OR on a natural body of water)

Take a romantic ride with another sim in a hot air balloon

Woohoo in the ‘science lab’ lot OR in a hot air balloon

Gain the ‘polar bear club’ moodlet from swimming in natural water during winter

‘Watch the stars’ or stargaze through a telescope for at least 2 hours during an aurora event (or between 12-4AM if you’re not playing in a world w. Auroras enabled)

ROUND 2: SLICE OF PARADISE 🛟🏝️

WORLD REC: Isla Paradiso / Sunlit Tides / Mariner's Reach / Isla Escudo

Having spent a good chunk of time immersing themselves in the scientific community, your sim feels like they’ve achieved enough to deserve a nice holiday. They set out to a warm island town to relax. They just want to chill, run away from the cold and sink their toes into the ocean. They’ve dipped their toes into fishing before, and would now like to fully immerse themselves in the deep blue sea and see what kind of things they can find.

Note: If your world doesn’t have dive lots or seashell spawners, I highly recommend placing some down so you can complete all the challenges for this round!

Seasonal Recommendation: Set the town to a hot temperature climate using NRAAS Tempest OR disable all seasons other than Summer

Trait Rec: Loves the Heat / Loves to Swim / Sailor / Angler

LTW: ‘Presenting the Perfect Private Aquarium’ / ‘Deep Sea Diver’ / ‘Pond Whisperer’ (CUSTOM)

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Fishing: ‘Ametur Ichthyologist’ & ‘Commercial Fisherman’ Scuba Diving: ‘Pearl Diver’ & ‘Savvy Snorkeler’ 

Master the ‘Fishing’ & ‘Scuba Diving’ Skills

Meet & become friends (or lovers) with a mermaid

Get a sunburn & a suntan (the tan can be real or from a machine)

Get the ‘Immune to Heat’ Lifetime Reward

Dive in all your world’s dive lots

Buy a boat

Fight a shark

Collect all seashells

Sunbathe in one long session on the beach for 4 hours

Go scuba diving & swim in the ocean for at least 3 hours

Woohoo in an underwater cave

Obtain the 'Mr. Marnier' Gnome

ROUND 3: DEEP IN THE WOODS 🌲🦉

WORLD REC: Hidden Springs / Moonlight Falls / Great Bear / Ainali / Eriu Fe

Your sim has grown tired of the endless heat on the islands and wants to move somewhere cooler again. The smell of pine trees and a more rustic way of life has been calling their name for some time now. They wish to admire nature, sing with the birds, get their hands into the rich soil to grow some interesting plants and go hiking in the woods.

Seasonal Recommendation: Leave all seasons on default OR just disable snow

Trait Rec: Gatherer / Green Thumb / Loves the Outdoors / Night Owl / Vegetarian / Animal Lover

LTW: ‘The Perfect Garden’ / ‘The Zoologist’ / ‘Greener Gardens’ / ‘First Class Farmer’ / ‘Master Forager’ (CUSTOM)

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Gardening: ‘Master Planter’ & ‘Botanical Boss’  Collecting: ‘Butterfly Collector’, ‘Firefly Collector’ & ‘Beetle Collector’ 

Get the ‘Super Green Thumb’ & ‘Collection Helper’ Lifetime Rewards (if you don’t have collection helper already)

Master the ‘Gardening’ Skill

Complete the ‘Omni Plant’ opportunity Chain (info here)

Own at least 2 minor pets (lizards, snakes, rodents or birds - or a combo of these)

Drink from the ‘fountain of youth’ & ‘wish for youth’ (you may need to place it down in edit town)

Plant every plant from the Grocery Store

Obtain all plants / seeds

Pick all the wildflower types

Observe all wild animals that come onto your home lot

Befriend a deer

Go hiking all day (walk to some community park lots, preferably up a mountain) and sleep out under the stars in a sleeping bag on a community lot at least 2x

Cook potatoes, garlic, onion, tomatoes, fish and roast marshmallows over a campfire at least once

Woohoo in a tent

Consume all the herb types (in whatever way you want) and feel their moodlet effects

ROUND 4: THE DAZZLING DESERT 🍸🌞

WORLD REC: Lucky Palms / Strangetown (V1) / Strangetown (V2) / Wild Wild West

Living in the woods was a great way for your sim to recharge their batteries and take it slow for a while, but now they’re ready for a bit more excitement! They find themselves among the vibrant desert sands, hoping to let loose, party a little bit, and also venture a little bit further out to do some archaeological exploration in a new landscape

Seasonal Recommendation: Set the town to a hot / desert temperature climate using NRAAS Tempest OR disable all seasons other than Summer

Trait Rec: Loves The Heat / Lucky / Party Animal / Daredevil / Adventurous

LTW: ‘Private Museum’ / ‘Master Romancer’ / ‘Lifestyle of the Rich & Famous’ / ‘Vocal Legend’

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Charisma: ‘Celebrity’ Mixology: ‘Cool Creator’ 

Master the ‘Mixology’, ‘Gambling’ & ‘Charisma’ Skills

Go to the casino at least 10x

Make 3 wishes at the wishing well

Host 5 parties

Set off 10 fireworks

Visit & drink at bars on at least 10 different occasions 

Obtain a ‘Dusty old lamp’ and make a wish of your choosing

Get the ‘Learned Relic Hunter’ Lifetime Reward

Visit Al Simhara and get a maximum visa level for Egypt

Dig at 10 dig spots in Al Simhara

Find at least 30 relics

Analyse every relic your sim finds

Woohoo in a sarcophagus OR a hot tub

ROUND 5: STONE-BAKED SUMMER 🍕🍾

WORLD REC: Monte Vista / Veronese Island / Lago Simiore / Isla Escudo

All that partying has left your sim wanting to take it a bit more slowly and go back into nature. They’re feeling drawn to beautiful rolling hills, olive trees and cobblestoned streets. All this tasty produce the land is known for has made them want to try their hand at cooking and nectar making, after all, if they really want to experience the culture they need to learn to eat and drink like a local too! They’re also beginning to get inspired by the gorgeous scenery and want to try their hand at some art.

Seasonal Recommendation: Set the town to a warm / Mediterranean temperature climate using NRAAS Tempest OR disable Winter

Trait Rec: Artistic / Natural Cook / Savvy Sculptor / Virtuoso

LTW: ‘Culinary Librarian’ / ‘Celebrated 5-Star Chef’ / ‘Bottomless Nectar Cellar’ / ‘Master of The Arts’

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Cooking: ‘Star Chef’, ‘World-Class Chef’ & ‘Menu Maven’ Painting: ‘Brushmaster’ Sculpting: ‘Chiselmaster’ & ‘Master Sculptor’ 

Master the Cooking, Nectar Making & Painting OR Sculpting Skills

Get the ‘Born to Cook’ Lifetime Reward

Obtain every type of grape from all the worlds

Collect and learn all the recipes

Travel to Champs Les Sims, learn the Nectar-Making Skill and purchase at least 1 Nectar Maker for your lot

Make every type of meal on the wood-fire oven

Purchase a wood-fire oven for your home lot

Create at least 1 perfect-quality nectar

Visit the ‘Art Gallery’ & ‘Museum’ lots in town

Sell §5000 worth of paintings &/ sculptures

Get up to level 5 in an instrument of your choice

‘Play for tips’ for at least 3 hours on a community lot

ROUND 6: SPOOKS IN THE SHADOWS 🕸️🪦

WORLD REC: Midnight Hollow / Moonlight Falls (if not used already in round 3) / Bridgeport / Halloween Hideaway / Haunted Valley II

All that cooking, nectar making and painting was very relaxing, but your sim is ready for one more final, exciting adventure now before settling down for good. They’ve been hearing rumours about strange supernatural happenings in a distant corner of the world, and they’re keen to check out what’s going on for themselves. They find themselves in a dark place where mysticism and strange happenings seem to lurk around every corner…

Seasonal Recommendation: Leave as is or use NRAAS Tempest to create a more rainy / foggy & slightly colder climate

Trait Rec: Neurotic / Perceptive / Coward / Brooding / Supernatural Fan / Supernatural Skeptic / Night Owl

LTW: ‘Paranormal Profiteer’ / ‘Alchemy Artisan’ / ‘Leader of the Pack’ / ‘Mystic Healer’ / ‘Turn The Town’ / ‘Zombie Master’

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Alchemy: ‘Master Alchemist’ Collecting: ‘Mushroom Collector’

Master the ‘Alchemy’ Skill

Become a supernatural being of your choosing (fairy, werewolf, witch or vampire)

Get the ‘Alpha Wolf’ OR ‘Magic Hands’ OR ‘Immortal’ OR ‘King / Queen of the Fae’ Lifetime Reward depending on your supernatural type

Visit the ‘Graveyard’ lot and hang out / sleep there for at least 1x from 8pm-8am

Get into a fight with a supernatural being during a full moon

Donate plasma to a vampire

Turn 3 sims into supernatural beings (either your supernatural type by biting them or another type by using elixirs)

Woohoo in a fairy house OR magical wardrobe 

Create a playable ghost OR resurrect a ghost using Ambrosia

Have a child with said ghost or previously-a-ghost sim

ROUND 7: SETTLING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE 🌾🐮

WORLD REC: Appaloosa Plains / Dragon Valley / Riverview / Constant Springs / Winchester Farming Community / Country Love

After delving into just about every corner of simnation, your sim is beginning to feel like it’s time to hang up their walking boots and settle down in the good life with their family. But their work isn’t done just yet, they have grand aspirations of owning their very own farm, surrounded by a brood of animals and maybe even a few more kids. If they’re gonna plant roots somewhere, they’re gonna do it to the fullest extent!

Seasonal Recommendation: Leave as is

Trait Rec: Nurturing / Hopeless Romantic / Animal Lover / Cat Person / Dog Person / Equestrian / Family-Oriented / Loves the Outdoors

LTW: ‘The Animal Rescuer’ / ‘The Fairy Tale Finder’ / ‘The Ark Builder’ / ‘The Jockey’ /  ‘Surrounded by Family’ / ‘Country Caretaker’ (CUSTOM)

Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Riding: ‘Equestrian Champion’ (HORSE) Racing: ‘Endurance Equine’

Master the ‘Horse Riding’ Skill

Own a horse who masters the ‘Jumping’ & ‘Racing’ Skills

Get the ‘Raised by Wolves’ Lifetime Reward

Own a cat OR dog who masters the ‘Hunting’ Skill

Own at least 4 animals total (at least 1 of each type)

Woohoo in a haystack 

Get married

Have at least 3 children total

Teach children all their toddler skills

Do homework with children at least 1x per child

Be ‘best friends’ with all of your children

(OPTIONAL) ROUND 8: TO THE MOON 🌜🛸

WORLD REC: Lunar Lakes / Moon Base Delta / Cronor / Mermaidia

Your sim thought their adventures were over now that they’ve explored everything this planet has to offer… That was until they were given the opportunity to be one of the first colonisers of a brand-new civilisation on a planet in outer-space. They’ll have to do their fair share of mucking-in, helping the community create new inventions or assisting in the town’s military force to defend from space-invader attacks, but it’s a brand new frontier, and your sim definitely aims to be at the front of it!

Seasonal Recommendation: Use NRAAS Tempest to create a climate where it is usually always the same weather but with more fog & hail OR disable all seasons other than Spring & disable rain (treat hail like meteor showers)

Trait Rec: Eccentric / Handy / Athletic / Brave / Bot Fan / Perfectionist / Workaholic

LTW: ‘Monster Maker’ / ‘Leader of the Free World’ / ‘Perfect Mind, Perfect Body’ / ‘Become an Astronaut’ Other Goals: 

Complete the following Skill Challenges:  Collecting: ‘Amateur Rock Finder’ & ‘Awesomest Rock Collector in the Universe’ Handiness: ‘Electrician’, ‘Plumber’ & ‘Tinkerer’  Inventing: ‘Scrap Collector’

Master the ‘Inventing’ & ‘Athletic’ Skills

Invent at least 1 simbot

Get the ‘Teleportation Pad’ & ‘Climation Control Unit’ Lifetime Rewards

Get abducted by an alien

Befriend an alien

Have an alien baby OR move in with an alien (you can send the baby back to its homeworld once its born if you want) 

Woohoo in a bot workshop, time machine OR jetpack

That's the challenge done! Have fun :D

[thefirstknife]

Alright, so some parts of the community puzzle were solved and a website was revealed. Aion-archive. The puzzle isn't over but there's stuff to do on the website with some cool info and teasers. The rest of the puzzle is so far in the process of people inputting a million codes and figuring things out which I don't really understand and I'm only interested in the end lore results so I'll talk about what we can read so far.

First of all, Aion was mentioned in Vesper's Host as "The Aion Initiative" during the secret quest with the collectibles:

Vesper Station: I’ve got the archive of Dr. Bray’s published staff memos. Petabytes of data in the raw files. Rasputin. The Stoneworm protocols. The Aion Initiative. Soteria. I had siblings this whole time. And you never let me know.

Unclear how this connects to anything, but it was definitely some sort of project back in the Golden Age.

Playing around on the site can let you access a home button and then it lists some options to go through:

I'll put the rest under read more so people can play around by themselves without spoilers if they want and for length:

First of all, the missing numbers that are listed as alerts? You can still input them. So even though it says that 002, 004, 005, and 006 are missing, you can still select them and they give information. I'll drop all of them here and do some commentary because this is enrichment.

Input 001:

Very interesting! So "Aion" stands for "Apollo Intertemporal Observation Network," investigating time dilation and temporal anomalies that go beyond simple light-speed issues. I'm absolutely losing it immediately because this is incredibly cool in so many ways. The possibility that The Edge of Fate will involve some time travel shenanigans is exciting. Hoping for more Vex stuff for sure!

Input 002:

Obsessed. This is definitely why the whole thing was codenamed "Apollo" originally and some of our speculation about it was actually correct. Apollo, god of prophecy! Fascinated by the fact that this one aspect of Apollo was chosen as first description of him. Like, yeah, that part was incredibly important but Apollo was a god of many things. Either way, hello, I am going to be on the news.

Input 003:

Stuff about chess, which is interesting because this is how we got to the website in the first place. I feel like we're playing chess with some entity beyond our comprehension that deals with time travel. What even is going on in Destiny.

Input 004:

Not sure why this is mentioned, but it may have something to do with a later input. The Oort Cloud is a real thing (or at least a real theorised thing).

Input 005:

Unclear what this connects to at the moment.

Input 006:

Also unclear. "There is a place" is the same starter as the sentence in input 001: "There is a place where the numbers don't match." Referring to the temporal anomalies. I assume that's the same sentence?

Input 007:

Unclear. Some of this stuff might get fully cleared up once the puzzle is completed and these gaps are filled. If they are going to be filled at all. We're not sure what the end of the puzzle will do actually.

Input 008:

Interesting! This might explain the mention of the Oort Cloud? Trans-Neptunian objects are, also, a real thing and they exist in the space beyond Neptune from the Kuiper's Belt to the Oort Cloud. This text makes me also think of Nessus which is a similar object called a centaur that originally should've existed also around and beyond Neptune, but something messed with its orbit (presumably the Vex) and it was on collision course with the Exodus Black.

It's not unusual to consider a massive planetary object somewhere far out there that might be affecting the gravity and orbit of smaller objects, but it's interesting that this is a part of this whole text. Is the implication that we'll be discovering an unknown planet in the far reaches of the solar system? Bizarre because the teaser implied we're leaving the system entirely ("Kepler 15"), but also with the implied time travel shenanigans... who the hell knows. What are they cooking.

Input 009:

Unclear. No clue what this may be referring to. Hoping for more information as the puzzle gets closer to solving.

Input 010:

Also unclear. I assume that the red text is saying something along the line of "We made a mistake". Way too many gaps to know currently.

Input 011:

Interesting! The first bit lists actual dates. 29th April 2025 (Signal confirmation) is when the puzzle started this Tuesday reset. 4th May 1991 (listed as "odd") is the date of when Bungie was founded. 9th September 2014 obviously when Destiny released. One more is down there but without the year so if anyone wants to hunt down what happened on the 12th of April in any year in human history... have fun.

The second set lists a few things that can also be input into the computer. So 11101 etc. can be searched. Here's what they give:

And finally:

This bit is where the rest of the puzzle is currently happening, still with the in-game chess board if I understand correctly. People are inputting these codes which are codes you get from the chess board and then there's something going on with QR codes?? Which gives people some sort of string of letters to input into the computer and then they're compiling what works and what doesn't. This bit is unclear to me but it's also stuff that doesn't give any direct lore. I assume this all has to be sorted for the entire database to work properly and show all text.

And this is the last input, 012:

Not much to say here, lots of stuff still missing.

Exciting stuff going on! I love community puzzles and weird shenanigans going on and it's such a cool teaser for the showcase next week and the reveal about The Edge of Fate. Can't wait to see what all of this is about, especially if we're legit going to be having some time travel stuff and weird Golden Age projects and possibly going out of the solar system.

[wormtailfest]

Tale of Tails: A Peter Pettigrew Fest

The Wormtail Fest is proud to present...

Tale of Tails: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Tale of Tails is a fest which aims to explore the complexity of Peter Pettigrew as a character, discover the flexibility of his personality outside of being the traitor, and shine the spotlight on our forgotten Marauder!

Open to anyone 18+ who wants to create art, edits or fics about Peter

Either a Peter POV, or a Peter-centric fic through any POV

Completed one-shot, completed multi-chapter fic, or first chapter of a longer fic

All themes and ratings allowed

No minimum or maximum word count

Sign-ups: May 1st-June 30th

Submissions due: October 26th

Reveals: October 31st

For more detailed information please check out under the cut!

SIGN-UP HERE

Sign-Ups

From May 1st-June 30th, you can fill out the form to sign up to create fics, art, or edits. You’ll then receive an invite to the fest Discord server! Everyone participating in the fest is required to be in the server since that’s where we’ll be sharing updates and other info, and it's where you can meet and chat with fellow fans! If you don't/can't have a discord account for whatever reason but still want to participate please reach out to us!

Creation time

Once you sign-up you'll get invited to join the fest discord server, where you can discuss your fest plans and your work, connect with beta readers, and have lots of other discussions about Peter or other fun topics.

We’ll have a check-ins over the course of the creation period to help motivate and keep everyone on track.

By the end of Sunday October 26th, you must have your work uploaded on AO3 and added to the fest collection TaleOfTails25, or send your edits to one of the mods so we know you’ve finished it, and then on October 31st you’ll post it with the hashtag #TaleOfTails25. 

Collection link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/TaleOfTails25

For fics, this should be either a completed one-shot or a multi-chapter work with at least one completed chapter.

Reveal time

Friday October 31st, the saddest day of our fandom, we’ll lighten it up by posting all of your works about our favourite traitor! 

In the following couple weeks (depending on how many submissions we get) we’ll be encouraging promotion and engagement with everybody’s works as much as we can. Stay tuned for more info on that after we get an idea of how many participants we’re going to have & how best to do it.

Rules:

Fest & server rules

·   This fest & server are intended for Peter centricity. We aim to uplift his character in a community that generally forgets him/waters his character down. Any creations in exploring him further, in whatever way your creativity takes you is welcomed.

·   Discussion of JKR herself and related topics is heavily discouraged in the server so that everyone feels comfortable. This fest does not endorse giving JKR monetary support, such as buying merch or watching the HBO show, and discussion of these topics should be done elsewhere. Any statements supporting JKR’s beliefs on trans people are prohibited in the server and fest, and are grounds for immediate removal and banning from the fest. Any racism, homophobia, misogyny, or other bigotry will result in a ban.

·   Since this fest may contain explicit and dark content, it is only open to 18+ creators. You must be 18 years old at the time of signing up and joining the Discord server. If you're turning 18 during the sign-up period please make sure to only fill out the form after your birthday.

·   Follow fandom etiquette so everything can run smoothly. Don’t like don’t read (DL;DR), Ship and Let Ship (SALS); your kink is not my kink, but your kink is OK (YKINMKBYKIOK)

Creation rules

·   Your works have no minimum or maximum word limit, write as much or as little as you want!

·   Your fic doesn’t have to be from Peter’s POV, but the whole story does have to revolve around him; it must be a Peter-centric work.

·   Beta readers are encouraged but not required. Co-writing is welcomed!

·   Fics must be tagged appropriately. You are required to use correct tagging for themes such as nsfw, non-con, dub-con, or incest, so that we (your mods) and you (the participants) can know what they’re reading before they start reading. Mods will reach out to you if there’s a tag you need to add!

·   Any use of generative AI is strictly banned from the fest.

Any questions we haven’t answered?

Feel free to contact us on any of our platforms!

Tumblr: tumblr.com/wormtailfest

Tiktok: wormtailfest.tot

Email: wormtailfest.tot@gmail.com

Mods: 

Sky

tumblr: lonely-parrot

discord: lonely_parrot

Alexis

tumblr: keepmycandleburning

discord: keepmycandleburning

MJ

tumblr: moonsflowerr

discord: mjeno.

Lei

tumblr: vespeelira

discord: bobothebuilder

Leo

tumblr: colourfuldesert

discord: colourful_desert

Eridanus

tumblr: dinonuggetsandjuiceboxes

discord: gay_frogs69

Pixel

tumblr: neonandfuckinggarbage / badmoonrose

discord: wolfdogboy

[strawberrystepmom]

uryu x f!reader. cw: alcohol mentioned. established friendship. reader is extremely direct and flirtatious. | wc: 1.7k reading time: more than 5 minutes

Uryu Ishida hates this place.

Hate seems like such a harsh, ignoble word to use for anything this small yet it’s the first thing he feels while he pushes through the curtains covering the front door and steps into the thick, humid air of the neighborhood bar halfway the homes of all of his friends besides the one he was roped into coming to see tonight.

Not the one stepping foot back in Japan after more than a year abroad. Yasutora Sado, the boxer with the head of thick chocolate colored waves who is currently trying to practically run away from a group of eager women who spotted him. He’ll catch up with him after the rounds have been made, the two similarly quiet souls understanding exactly how to be a friend to the other.

No, he’s here to see the friend who is currently grimacing at a man talking to her in the corner booth, furthest away from everyone else. You.

This stranger doesn’t know it’s a grimace, far from familiar enough with you to pick up on that, but your friend knows explicitly as soon as the corners of your smile drop that you are done. He stops by the bar, quickly ordering a highball while keeping his eye trained toward the situation and he collects it as coolly and politely as ever.

Cool heads prevail, he reminds himself.

“Uryu!” 

You exclaim loudly enough that the man turns to look at who is coming. His eyes widen when he’s shot a glance that chills him to his bone, sliding aside and muttering under his breath about how nobody will admit they have a boyfriend anymore. You notice the man leaving and smile brighter, springing to live immediately while patting the table across from you with both of your hands.

“Oh noooo, don’t save me from a stranger coming to say hi,” you grin, gazing up at the man next to you who remains in place stiffly. The stranger has long since collected himself and stumbled off, probably onto another pretty woman. 

At least he won’t be bothering this pretty woman, your friend thinks to himself despite his brain immediately chiding him for doing so.

Ishida gazes back down at you through long, dark lashes and clears his throat. 

“You seem more than capable of saving yourself if you really wanted to.”

Is it really hot in here? Sweat pricks the back of his neck and he’s thankful, for only a moment, that he’s a bit overdue for a haircut, the length covering the proof of his reaction to you. 

He slides into the booth opposite where you sit, drink in hand. The ice clinks against the edges of the glass while he settles and finally brings it to rest on the tabletop, giving the room the once over to make sure nobody else is lurking and if they were, have they taken off?

“I dunno, I seemed pretty defenseless just then.” You lilt jokingly but unexpectedly finish it with a sigh. “But I really didn’t wanna talk to that guy so the save is appreciated.”

Your companion nods thoughtfully, pleased that the area is clear, leaving him to turn his attention to you. Everyone else has sort of tucked off into corners with other groups, the rest of his friends and yours too chatting with the hometown hero while he quietly smiles and attempts to slap their praises of him down. That Sado, always so humble. 

You’ve come to expect no real conversation from Uryu, not here and not tonight, so you take the initiative to start it yourself.

“What are you doing on Saturday night?”

Straight to the point. 

Uryu sips from his drink, shaking his head while it settles and taking a moment to enjoy it before speaking. “I have a shift at the hospital.”

There’s no thawing this guy, is there? 

You dial up the charm, leaning forward and sliding your arm across the table to shove it beneath your breasts, propping them up over your neckline the way that always seems to seal the deal.

“How about after?”

He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the booth, eyebrows raised, gazing into the distance instead of meeting the cleavage you conjured out of nowhere.

“I go on a five mile run after every evening shift to clear my mind.”

You huff a laugh, shaking your head. “And after that maybe you could squeeze in time for a drink? I know a place that’s open late. Food’s usually pretty good too.” 

He sips politely in place of an answer. You jiggle your foot in annoyance beneath the table.

Before arriving, you told yourself tonight would be the last time you offered yourself up to Uryu if the chance arose despite how much he interests you. A little voice in the back of your head is telling you that it’s high time to leave your cards on the table and bow out gracefully yet you never seem to get the impression that he doesn’t want your attention. 

In fact, he’s the one who comes to you during these gatherings. He approaches you every single time, that same placid and stoic look on his face. He slides into the booth and sits thigh to thigh, protectively lingering over your shoulder and personally trading out your drinks if you need a new one. 

Sighing, you raise your eyebrows. “Ishida, I know you’re a guy who appreciates honesty and I just so happen to be a woman who appreciates the same so I’m going to tell the truth here, okay?” 

You shrug, wrinkling your nose oh so adorably that he has to avert his gaze to the side of the bar. His eyes make their way right back to you as fast as they leave, dark brows furrowed above them while he anticipates your words.

“If you don’t want me you can just say so.” There’s a soft, sad smile on your face when you say it, brows pinched in the middle. “Because I’m starting to feel like I’ve missed a hint somewhere.”

There’s something different about the way you look at Uryu right now. It’s the first time he has ever seen you drop the guards you put up. He has known you for long enough to know very well that you make yourself big and bold on purpose - the disco ball in the center of the room, reflecting everyone’s joy and energy right back at them to avoid ever having to let them see you as human.

Beneath that, though, is the goodness - the humanity - he’s so fond of. He easily recalls you happily bringing him scraps of fabric to make stuffed animals for his patients with, old clothing you tore yourself freshly laundered and organized in bags by color. Another memory surfaces, a collection of them, all the times you saved a seat for him in your favorite corner spot by the window at the bakery where Orihime works, patting the sun drenched chair next to you because you worry about him not getting enough vitamin D. 

You remember his birthday and drop lunch off at the hospital every time and have as long as he’s known you. He likes the way you move - free and unfettered, like a butterfly. So different from his every measured movement, the flip of his wrist upward to stare down at the face of his watch and get the time. 

For years you’ve shown him these tiny glimpses of what’s beneath the surface. Not the smirking or winking or salaciously sucking from a straw version but the woman who wants to claw her way out when it feels safe enough to do it. This, this vulnerable you, is what he has been holding out for. 

She’s here and he hoped he’d be more prepared, that overgrown hair now sticking to the back of his warm neck.

“You haven’t.” 

An unfamiliar warm note in his tone hits your ears, Uryu’s eyes glued to you with near sizzling intensity. 

Did the first crack in the ice of Uryu Ishida just appear? You could’ve sworn you heard it. 

It makes your stomach clench with anxiety.

Leaning back despite wanting to curl in on yourself, your mind races with the possibilities of what he could mean, an unsettling silence standing out in the otherwise slightly rowdy bar. He offers no explanation or comfort, merely picking up his drink and downing the last watered down and citrusy remnants of it.

“Saturday night?” He repeats, standing up and looking down at you. “Just us?”

You nod quietly, a smile playing on your lips that you bite back before it can spring to hopeful life. He fishes for his wallet but his gaze doesn’t leave you once, pulling a few coins from the pouch you know he made. It’s too neat not to be made by those nimble fingers, every stitch even and perfect even under shitty, low bar light.

“Good, I like it the most when that’s the case.” He nods, stopping his movements to stand in place and offer you a real smile.

Your heart pounds against your chest but you swallow your anxiety, channeling that glittering you but finding it extremely difficult to let her out now that the illusion is gone. All that’s left is you, bare and naked or at least as close to it as you’ve ever felt in front of this particular man.

“Looks like I’ll see you then.”

He nods politely in response to your words, placing the coins for your drink down on the table in front of you and taking his leave as quietly and unassumingly as possible. Ichigo spots him from the corner of his eye and attempts to flag his friend  from the corner of the room but finds himself being waved off, Ishida nodding toward the door while the redhead shrugs and turns back to his conversation.

He needs to get some air before he starts to suffocate, the realization that the two of you are going on an actual date - something he’s wanted for longer than he can remember - making the room feel too small to take even a single breath in.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Wait, so apparently you can just train to learn how to not transform back after 5 min? It has nothing to do with personal growth or age? That sort of cheapens the whole process LB and CN went thru in S5 to unlock their “adult powers”

For those who are done with canon, anon is referencing the start of Revelator which sees all the new heroes earn "adult" status via a generic pep talk:

(Ladybug and Cat Noir watch their allies attempt to stop detransforming. Each one of them is in their own one side open cubicle) Ladybug: You can stop transforming back. Cat Noir: There's always room to evolve. Ladybug: Each one of you has already accomplished so much. Together we foiled so many threats Cat Noir: You'd be able to resist the temptation of evil. Ladybug: I entrusted you with your miraculous because I know you're good people. You're heroes!

This is incredibly lackluster, but to be fair, Ladybug and Chat Noir's "maturation" was also just them willing themselves into "adulthood" via a pep talk. They didn't go through some deep, personal journey. They just decided they didn't want to detransform anymore and the miraculous said, "Sure thing! Why not?" Seriously think about the following and see if you can think of a reason why this scene needed to wait until season five. Add far as I'm concerned, you could put this in season one and it would feel just as valid:

(Some people get encapsulated, but some fight back against the robots by pointing one of them at the other robots) Ladybug: Cat Noir, we have to do like them! We have to keep fighting! Cat Noir: They're not giving up, and we're not giving up! Ladybug: We won't de-transform back! Ever again! Cat Noir: Never again! (And with their efforts finally paying off, as Ladybug and Cat Noir regain both their powers back and transform back into their superhero identities, as well as fully charging their Miraculous)

I'd hardly call this a moment of maturity and personal growth. Nothing about this episode made them feel like they'd become better people. They didn't even learn a new lesson here! The civilians rising up was used for inspiration back in the season two final! Would the adult pep-talk have worked then if they'd thought to do it? All signs point to yes! I read this scene and think, "oh, right, this wasn't a careful and beautifully crafted character beat. This was random crap you threw in because you wanted Ladybug to have infinite lucky charms in the season five final so you just randomly upgraded her here."

I can't even think of a simple fix for this episode outside of reworking it to have something to do with showing sympathy for Chloe. Like maybe Marinette and Adrien are blaming Chloe for everything that's happening, but come to see her as a victim of Gabriel's plan and blame him instead. That's a sign of maturity so they upgrade.

I don't love that path since it doesn't feel tailored to their characters, but at least it's something! If you wanted to do this right, then season five needed to pick a major flaw or issue for Marinette and Adrien to overcome. Ideally they'd each have a unique character arc around the chosen topic(s) and earn their adult status in their own unique moment.

For example, it would make way more sense if Adrien got his upgrade after he stood up to his father in Representation, the episode directly after the one where Ladybug and Chat Noir upgrade to "adult" status. I'd rework this dialogue to be a lot more punchy:

Nightormentor: I will free you from your nightmares once I've found my son and your friend! Cat Noir: You really can't be trusted. What kind of father are you? (charges in) Nightormentor: Voyage! (escapes through a portal)

After this moment, Chat Noir upgrades, then goes to fight his father in earnest. It's not the best fix since this is:

Adrien confronting his father without Gabriel knowing that's what's happening

Adrien thinking he's dealing with a brainwashed version of Gabriel not fully-aware-and-in-control-of-his-words/actions Gabriel

The very next episode sees Adrien give into his father's control, severely undermining this moment (see my power of love rant if you want some nuance around that statement)

But at least this fix is something that feels unique to Adrien and fits the general themes of his character. The scene we get in canon could apply to any of the heroes which is why the rest of the team gets basically the exact same scene just slightly less dramatic.

If season five had actually let Marinette and Adrien earn their upgrades, then season six could have taken a page from shows like Winx and focused on the individual miraculers earning their upgrades, too. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, I believe that most seasons of Winx saw the characters get a new power and earning that new power was one of the main ways the writers padded out the run time. Every one of the main characters got an episode focused on them earning their newest power-up. It wasn't anything amazing, but it did flesh out their characters a bit, giving each of them a moment to shine.

[call-sign-shark]

Lee, sorry for taking so much time to reply, but I really wanted to write this reblog properly because your comment warmed my heart. I've poured a lot of tears into this, so knowing that you enjoyed and and that you took the time to analyze it means a lot...

The self-harm part was the one that brought tears to my eyes because I speak from experience. Getting free from this unhealthy coping mechanism was hard, and I still feel the huge to hurt myself when I'm feeling too much, tho it's scarce and I always manage to brush it away. I was surprised you got the explanation of chemicals rush because.... Yeah. That's EXACTLY the case. I think she's dangerously reaching the limits where he codependency and sincere love of Arthur can anchor her. Arthur's behavior after John's death and his relapse were punches in the guts for her already. Arthur leaving and hiding without telling her is a pill she cannot swallow. Not after their promises. Not after she betrays Polly and Tommy's plans to keep him from the S4 family meeting for the sake of showing that she'd always be truthful to him. And not after choosing him over her baby. Because even if she didn't want to be pregnant and didn't feel ready, it's still her kid, and it hurts. I think Heaven is one bad decision away from Arthur from giving up.

Surprisingly, I'm quite proud of the description of the stable because, even if it's quite short, it's vivid, so I'm glad I made you travel through my prose.

“Why did you marry him then?”/“Why do you fuck with all the girls you meet?” => THANKS FOR PICKING IT, I was so proud and I giggled when I wrote that! 🙈

And Lee, seriously, I'm clapping. "I realized she's talking to herself", exactly. Well, I did want to keep it ambiguous and borderline supernatural, as is the case with Ghost!Grace scenes, so it's ambiguous, but she's mostly talking to herself and overcoming years of denial. We will see how this epiphany will affect her slowly but surely. As for Tommy, I am so freaking happy I've managed to make you feel conflicted to him because that's exactly what I wanted - to flesh out the repulsion/attraction but also their similarities and how he suffers from losing Grace. However, I am also delighted that you don't excuse nor buy him because I think it's easy to forget that he's egoistical, toxic, and though he does have affection for Hev, he states it himself: he won't let her go.

I'm already rambling annoyingly so I keep the analyze of the first HYE chapter short 'cause I'll prob ably come back to it in other chapters, but it hurt me a lot when I wrote it. The deconstruction was planned since Hev was meant to drop her mask after one full act of making people believe she was a holy thing, but still. It stung badly.

And last but not least... Aaaah, Tommy x Heaven. What a debate right? When some of you are like 'nope', some readers beg me for them to end together. Once again the tension between the two was planned but I didn't think it would work so well, so I am delighted! I think you can read their conversation as you did. One thing is sure: they won't be the end game, but it doesn't mean we got to see everything of their relationship yet.

Thank you again Lee, really! This one kinda flopped so your comment felt like a balm on my heart. 🖤🖤

Heaven in Your Eyes || Tommy Shelby x You

Summary: A haunting scent, a ghost from the past, and a confession too raw to take back. Masks always end up dropping in Arrow House.

Words: 5k

TW: self-harm and extreme angst, grief, mental illness, manipulation, Hev is not your typical nice reader she's really twisted and it was the case from the beginning! I wasn't joking when I said that this story was going to take a brutal, very dark turn so please, proceed carefully. Also, if you wanna hate, be a warrior and switch off anon.

Notes: 5.4k

✞ Heaven in Your Eyes is mostly an Arthur Shelby story but considering what happens to him in this part of S4, this chapter will revolve around the MC, and then Tommy.

✞ This is chapter 18 of the Arthur Shelby x You series Heaven in Your Eyes. Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone.

PREVIOUS || Masterlist || NEXT PART

The smooth metal of the razor blade caught the light perfectly when you turned it slowly between your thumb and index finger, tilting it just enough to watch the fascinating glint dance across the edge with a far off look etched on your angel face. It was fascinating. You meant the way this delicate thing, small enough to disappear in your palm, was so sharp that all you'd have to do to get hurt was to lightly close your hand around it.

You were sitting on the edge of the cold porcelain bathtub, your left ankle resting on your right knee. Your silk nightgown had been pushed up over your thighs, their pale skin looking like freshly fallen snow under the feeble light. In your hand, the razor blade trembled slightly as you brought it to your thigh and lightly dragged the edge along your flesh. Not enough to break, but surely enough to feel the whisper of its pressure grazing you. 

The familiar thrill of anticipation, the one that simmered just before the pain and the relief, was as vivid as you remembered.

A sarcastic snort echoed in the bathroom when you gave a second thought at that old habit you thought you had buried long ago. What do they say, here in England? Ah. Old habits die hard. 

Instinctively, your crystal eyes fell upon the coarse scars that were carved deep inside both of your thighs. The sight of the white, messy, and swollen lines made your stomach churn slightly. It wasn’t really about the way they looked but it was rather the meaning of them that disturbed you whenever you deigned to look. Each slash was a testimony of when you'd lost control and, truly, there were far too many to count. Layer upon layer of healing tissue, you had marked the times you broke. The times you didn't know how else to breathe. And before you could realize it, it gradually stopped being shocking and, somehow, became a routine. Until butchering yourself felt like the most natural thing to do in case of overload.

It started after the slaughter of your whole family. Stopped when he found you. Started again when you left him.

It wasn’t fair, you conceded. You had sworn to Arthur you'd never go back to this. Not after telling him about the nights spent shaking on the floor. Not after Lucy found you curled up in your own blood and rage several times. But had he wished to make sure you’d respect your oath and feel good enough not to dive back into it, he would have been here. In the meantime, you were the one alone in this bleak bathroom, consumed by a dizzying void that was starting to grow insufferable. Alone while the whole fucking world spun too fast around you,  with a blade back in your hand.

Fuck the lot of them. You thought, exhausted.

Tommy for poisoning your blood. Arthur for being so selfish and stupid. Polly for always tricking you into protecting this cursed family. Ada for always watching you with hidden disgust since the day you had killed a man to save Charlie. Michael just for being born and John for not being able to stay fucking alive.

The blade kissed your skin like an old lover in one clean and controlled cut. Instantly, the pain, or rather the slightly uncomfortable itch, bloomed when your flesh broke apart. For a split second, you felt it — the awful, guilty relief. The kind that said "you’re still here, Hev. You still feel something".

Your bambi lashes fluttered with pleasure as liquid ruby gushed from the cut. 

Alright, just a second one. Or a third. Maybe a fourth. Fifth, but you swore it was the last one.

You stopped only when the canva of your flesh was entirely painted in red, finally dropping the razor onto the tiles with a sharp clatter. The sound of it, chiming in the whole bathroom, brought you back to your senses.

“Merde.” You cussed, when you saw how bad you had hurt yourself,  heart banging in your chest so brutally you thought you’d soon throw it up. Your chest rose and fell rapidly at the sight of blood already blooming in warm, slick lines across your thigh. Too bright, too fast. You pressed your palm against it on instinct, hissing through your teeth. Fortunately, neither the searing pain nor the dizziness got the better of your reflexes. Pushing away the looming madness to the back of your head, you grabbed the white towel nearby and wrapped it around your bleeding thigh.

Something was wrong.

Well, something has been wrong for a while and you could trace it back to John’s death, if one wanted to be precise. Since that cursed day you found him lying in a crimson puddle of his own blood, riddled with bullets, your happiness had shattered like glass around you. Or, rather, the illusion of it. You had to face it: your wedding to Arthur Shelby only worked when things were fine, then turned into shit at the first hard blow. John died and, all of sudden, Arthur’s worst flaws exploded and they proved to be more overwhelming than what you had expected.

Amos… He always had a knack for knowing what to do when it all came crashing down. He’d wrapped his arms around you and soothe your deepest fears as you nuzzled your nose in the crook of his neck, lulled by his sweet perfume, his warmth and velvet voice. Then he’d just take care of the problem with his teeth and claws.

You shook your head, chasing him away from your mind by forcing yourself to focus on your wounds. Amos wasn’t here either anyway. 

Once the bleeding had dwindled, you stood groggily and dragged your slim being out of the bathroom, careful not to look in the mirror as you passed by it out of fear of what would stared back. Maybe a ghost of you, or ink-black eyes, who knows. No matter what it could be, you were pretty sure you wouldn’t like it.

The need to flee from this ridiculous mansion had intensified lately. Arrow House’s walls had started to feel too suffocating for you to bear anymore. Sure, staying inside would drastically reduce your chance of getting shot by a bunch of fedora-wearing Italians, but the probability that you ended up dead and cold after bleeding yourself dry increased day by day. That was why you paid no heed to Tommy’s rules and you descended the stairs in silence. 

Once you reached the backdoor, you pulled on a long black coat, laced up your boots, and slipped out into the vast garden, vanishing into the night, the thick fog swallowing you whole.

Your legs automatically carried you to the mighty stables at the end of Arrow House’s garden. As much as you hated the mansion, the exteriors of it never failed to amaze you with its beauty and gargantuan size. Well, it wasn’t as impressive as the Alpine landscapes you were used to but it still offered many places in which one could rob a fleeting moment of peace amidst some Shelby chaos.

After wandering for a while, you had decided to keep a magnificent white mare, that was grazing near the stables, company. She probably belonged to Tommy, taking into account that Charlies’ one was inside its stall. You ran your little hand along the mare’s mane and she shifted under your palm, asking for more rubs. Her reaction stirred a tired smirk that tugged on your lips. To be fair, she looked as ghostly as you with her shining white coat. 

Still stained with dry blood, your fingers moved in slow, tender strokes along the strong line of the beast’s neck to probe her reaction further. She seemed to trust you, which wasn’t particularly surprising. You always had a gift with animals for lack of being good with humans. Sometimes you wondered if you really were your mother’s daughter — she was known to be patient, empathic and always smiling. Far away from the so-called Russian coldness.The more you thought about it, the more you came to the conclusion that she must have swallowed down all the darkness and somehow passed it on to you, drop by drop, like poison in a silver spoon.

A little sigh escaped your juicy lips, slightly chapped by the cold. The creaking wood of the stable mixed with the warm scent of hay managed to soothe your restless mind a little. A well-deserved moment of quietness you knew wouldn’t last long but that was more than welcome nonetheless. If only you could have slept there, curled up in a ball against the mare’s flank instead of rolling and tossing in your large bed in Arrow House you’d have done it in a heartbeat.

You closed your eyes for a moment, letting the comforting melody of the wind and the leaves’ rustle play as you scratched the mare behind her ear. Her warmth beneath your palm and the sensation of her short-haired coat against your fingers kept you anchored as the winter air settled around your bones and numbed your pain.

 "So, are you happy?"

Your eyes flashed wide open, as though you had been torn from a far-too-realistic dream. The air in the stable suddenly felt thinner, harder to breathe. 

It couldn’t… 

The hand that was resting on the horse tensed as each of your nerves burst back to life with a deadly combination of recognition, dread and longing.

"You're not real." You managed to reply, though your haunting voice was barely above a whisper.

"You didn't answer," the voice said softly, "Are you happy, Hev?"

You felt the unmistakable presence closing in behind you, as if he were rising from both the fog and the darkest corners of your mind. One of the mare’s ears twitched, as if she had heard him too.

“You’re not fucking here.” You tried to be firm but you were already faltering. In fact, your heart pounded in your ribcage as a familiar scent covered the musky hay. It was faint at first, but the more you tried to ignore it, the more persistent it became. A mix of myrrh and tonka, sweet and faintly smoky, that clung to the air around you. 

“You’re not—” The strength you needed to finish your sentence faded away, leaving the remaining words to die in your dry throat. As for that damn perfume, invasive and vivid,  it wrapped around your spine as though you had never managed to scrub it from your skin despite these last three years and another man in your bed.

“You can keep pretending I’m gone for good if that makes you feel better, but we both know the truth.” His sultry voice vibrated through your body, shaking you to the marrow.

"You’re dead to me.” You spat, each word trembling with the effort it took to say them.

"And yet," He murmured and seemed to grow closer "I never left you."

Your stomach lurched like you’d just swallowed a whole broken glass, whose shards were slashing you from the inside. Heat flushed your face, but your limbs went cold, your knees locking to keep from buckling. Surely, it couldn’t be happening right?

So why was your pulse thundering in your ears, panic rising fast, raw and feral? Why couldn’t you find the courage to turn around and make sure he was a fragment of your imagination? Maybe because, deep down, you knew. You knew that some sick parts of you wanted to believe that he was really there.

“You never forgot me.” He added. 

A flock of birds burst out of the closest tree, swarming then flying away. 

“I tried to!” You suddenly cracked. It was too much: silent tears of diamond rolled down your cold kissed cheek, “I tried my fucking best!” As the confession slipped from your sinful lips, a maelstrom of long buried emotions crashed against you like a rogue wave. You started to tremble, the ball of sadness growing in your throat. You pressed your forehead against the mare’s warm neck, eyes screwed shut as if to hold back a flood. The creature moved gently beneath you and let out a low, sorrowful neigh for your grief had seemed to bleed into her.

"You did try." He replied. His tone was patient, but laced with the quiet, unbearable pain of a wound that refused to heal, ”you buried me alive and tried to build something new on top of our ruins… And now look at you, standing on your empire of lies. Are you sick of pretending?”

Every fiber of you coiled at the accusation, the bitter taste of guilt twisting your stomach.

“I thought…” You gritted your teeth, swallowing back your sorrow with great difficulty even though your tears continued to flow endlessly, “I thought a clean start would do the trick. I thought putting as many miles as I could between us would be enough. Hell, I even married someone else but you’re still fucking here. Always. Like an infection too deep to severe.”

A faint breeze blew in your long white mane, its moonlight strands fluttering in the wind. 

He was right. You had tried to outrun it and here was the sad, pathetic, result.

He spoke again after a brief silence. 

"Tell me, did you marry out of love?”  He asked, with words as sharp as a well-honed blade slid between your ribs, seeking to split you open and see the ugly truth that hid inside.  The voice was calm but it didn’t keep you from feeling the corrosive burn of it, “Or was it because you couldn’t stand being alone with the version of yourself your evil, twisted, disgusting monster of a former fiancé left behind?”  He didn’t need to say me for both of you to know who he meant.

More tears rolled down your seraphic face, their salty drops dying in your neck and dampening the mare’s coat. She gently poked you with her head, letting out a noisy sigh from her nostrils. 

“I was young. I was scared. And… what you did that night—” your voice cracked, the confession feeling like razor blades in your throat. You wished to keep blaming him for everything because it made things easier, but the thought of him on the church’s floor, screaming in agony as he brought his hands to maimed and bloody face flashed in your mind. Sure, he had tried to hurt you but the guilt was here nonetheless, acrid and nauseating.

“I know,” he said, quieter than before but with the sharp edge of something that sounded dangerously close to regret. “I relive it every time I close my eyes.” 

Silence stretched for what seemed to be an eternity.

“Do you really think so low of me?”

Your shit your eyes tighter, “It was the only way I could survive losing you.  I had to tear you apart in my head, piece by piece, ‘cause I knew I’d never get over you.“ Your breath hitched, your tight chest heaving as something inside you snapped. You gritted your teeth this time, finally giving up on your fight against your need to burst into real tears. What was the point, anyway?  

“But I ruin everything, don’t I?” you spat, reopening your eyes wild and wet, a surprising boiling fury igniting through the cracks. Different from your usual cold anger. Your fingers curled into a fist against the mare's side and, as you did, your wedding ring pressed into your flesh and seemed to cut deeper than the razor blade you had held one hour ago.  “Whether I mean to or not. Everyone I touch fucking dies or ends up shattered. That’s what I do, eh. I destroy. I rot things. And now look at me—” you couldn’t help but laugh, the sound of it indescribably filled with sarcasm, “still clinging to a ghost I never let go of.”

You wiped your cheeks with the back of your hand, trying to breathe through the tightness in your chest as three years worth of secrets finally came into light.

“You’re flickering, Light of my Life, like a flame in the wind, too tired to fight the night of Small Heath.” He murmured, but the resentment in his voice was gone now and replaced by tenderness. And somehow, his presence - this impossible fragment of him conjured by memory or madness, or both - didn’t scare you anymore. It felt like a blanket wrapped around you.

"Please Amos, stop haunting me..." Your voice cracked, thin and fragile, like a thread pulled too tight.

“Stop haunting me too, then.” 

“Don’t start,” You warned, shaking your head weakly in a denial that lacked conviction.

The mare stirred beneath you again as she sensed the storm behind your ribs.

 “Arthur is a good man, I don’t want to hurt him,” you murmured.

“He might be,” He said. “But you didn’t choose him. You ran to him.”

You closed your eyes again, pressing your forehead against the mare’s side a little more as if she could shield you from the tempest in your heart.

“Say it,” he whispered with the howling wind. “Say you never looked back. Say you don’t dream of me when it’s too quiet to lie to yourself.”

Your lips parted to deny, but no sound came. All that fell from your mouth was a shaky breath. You tried to resist, to shove it down where all the other truths rotted. But you couldn’t. Not anymore. 

“…I do,” you whispered, and the words felt like they tore straight through your chest.

“So come back to me, please.”

The sudden sensation of a tangible, warm hand touching your back tore you from the depths of your mind.

Jolting, you spun around in one quick movement, ready to unsheathe the knife you always hid in your garter. Against all expectation, it wasn’t Amos that stood behind you but Tommy, half-shadowed by the fog that curled into his feet. The expression that was etched on his perfect freckled face was unreadable, eternally cool, save for the worries that burnt bright in his piercing turquoise eyes.

“Are you alright?” He inquired with his hoarse voice, the thick brummie accent rolling on his tongue.

You blinked at him, looking confused as though you had just woken up from a feverish dream. His hypnotic gaze dropped to your thigh the moment a gust of wind blew your long dark coat out of the way.

“You’re bleeding.” He sounded concerned.

You looked down and noticed thin trails of crimson running down the inside of your thigh, soaking into the white fabric of your nightgown. The mare lowered her huge head to sniff it, visibly as worried as the Peaky Blinder Devil.

“It’s nothing.”  You retorted quickly as you tugged your coat around you, the memories of the two of you almost fucking in the living room crawling back to your skull.

It didn’t seem to convince him. Of course, you should have known that it wouldn’t be enough to push Tommy Shelby away. At least, he had the unexpected courtesy of not bringing up the fact you had been crying - quite hard to hide with your puffy red eyes and wet cheeks.

“It’s not nothing,” He stepped closer, slowly and carefully, as if you were a wounded animal too proud to limp. You took one step back as he did.

“Tell me what’s going on. You were talking to someone.” He growled, briefly surveying his surroundings to make sure no one was hiding beneath the stables but, sincerely, he doubted it.

“Oh.” You sniffed and, for the first time in years when facing Tommy, your gaze fled from him and locked onto the far away distance, just above his shoulder, “It was just me talking to ghosts,” Your lips stretched in a humorless smile that definitely didn’t echo in your empty eyes, “Quite fitting for the diabolical witch I am, right, Thomas? You’ve come right in time for the sacrifice.” 

Tommy didn’t reply with any dry remarks to insult you, nor did he take advantage of the situation to hurt you more as he used to do. In fact, he only watched you in silence, his eyes narrowing at the sight of you trying to brush off the topic. The tension in his square jaw betrayed his genuine concern, and though he didn’t offer comfort, he might be the fittest person to understand how you felt. How couldn’t he when he lived in the same kind of haunted house, plagued by the memory of Grace that seemed to inhabit the very walls of the mansion? The blue-eyed demon let out a long sigh through his nostrils before shifting his focus from you.

He approached again, stopping only once he stood next to your little frame. Then, he began to stroke the mare for the beast had grown anxious due to your inner turmoil. Horses were quite empathic after all. He had barely touch the animal when calm settled in her again.

“What was his name?” Tommy finally asked, out of the blue.

“I’m sorry?”

“Your fiancé. What was his name?” He continued without looking at you, remembering what you had said just before your hands wrapped around his neck.

I know the man you are because my former fiancé was cut from the same cloth. An egocentric criminal with bulging ambition, a far too high sense of self esteem and a greed beyond words. A man who dragged his loved ones down with him without even realizing it.

“No.” You replied, point blank. 

“No?”

“Don’t even fucking try.”  You gritted your teeth.Admittedly, you knew that Thomas Shelby had already done research about you so, naturally, he probably tried to find out more about the man who used to share your life. It seemed like it had been in vain — not surprising when considering how well Amos handled the information that circulated about him.

His shoulders slouched down slightly as he side-eyed you, observing the tight line your mouth was forming. There was no way you’d talk about him to anyone. Especially Tommy. Not when the memory of him still clawed at your chest like a second heartbeat and that just pronouncing his name felt like a stabbing wound. So you did what you did the best: swallowing it down and letting it decay where no one could reach it. 

Tommy focused on the mare again, finding a bit of peace in the beast’s aesthetic and its similarities to yours. All white and ghostly. 

“Do you know how to ride?”

You shrugged, “Yes, but it’s been a while.”

Tommy simply replied with a little hum before retreating into silence again. Here you both stood, petting the beautiful mare while the fog embraced you, like the Limbo’s mist calling two of its lost souls home. It was only after a while that he spoke again.

“You know… She haunts me the same.” He finally confessed, “Grace.” 

Your aquamarine eyes flicked to him, utterly surprised to hear the name leaving his mouth. One sole look at him was enough to notice how his jaw had tightened again. For a moment Tommy Shelby didn’t look like himself, but worn and far away as though not standing in the stable, but at the edge of a tunnel back in France.

“She didn’t frostburn like you do,” he continued, his gaze far off, “She was quieter. A calm strength that could move mountains. She had this way of looking at you… Like she already knew your worst, and loved you anyway. No flames. No storms. No shovels. Just peace.”

Somewhere behind him stood Arrow House bathed in darkness, the whole mansion a phantom of the bright, warm and full of life home it used to be when Grace walked around with baby Charlie in her arms.

Tommy blinked, trying to retrieve his composure, before reaching for a cigarette. As usual, he rolled the filter on his lower lips nervously and lit it with his zippo. You had always found this little quirk of him kind of charming. The silver cigarette case was presented to you, open and inviting.

You thanked him with a little nod and took one, letting the Peaky demon lighting the tip for you. 

It was only after a few drags that your lips parted, “There are people you meet and you know. Not because they’re good for you. Not because they make sense. But because something in your soul remembers.” A bitter smile ghosted over your fleshy lips.

His eyes flicked to you briefly.

“That’s what Arthur is for you?” He asked, but the way the corner of his lips curled show that he already knew the answer.

“Arthur’s a good man.” You repeated.

Tommy arched one of his brows.

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“No, it wasn’t.” You admitted, with your far-too-pale eyes fixed on the horizon as if Amos were standing there in the mist, just out of reach.

“Why did you marry him then?” His voice held no resentment for once, just plain curiosity.

“Why do you fuck with all the girls you meet?” 

The question took him aback, you saw it in the way he had coughed right after his magnificent blue eyes widened a bit. To be fair, watching him almost choke on his cigarette smoke could have been comical in different circumstances.

“The answer to our questions is certainly the same, Thomas. Just to stop bleeding.”

Tommy sighed, watching the cigarette consuming itself between his calloused fingers as he took the bullet. He brought it to his mouth and said nothing, unable to do so. All he did was stand there, the smoke of the cigarette that was hanging from his perfect lips framing his face as though he had just walked out of hell. Then he nodded, accepting the bitter truth: your pain was the reflection of his.

The mare gently nudged your shoulder, and, instinctively, you reached up and stroked her face.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love your brother sincerely but..” You couldn’t finish the sentence for something monstrous crept slowly through your veins. Not a sudden jolt nor another storm of emotions like the one you had gone through before Tommy interrupted, but rather the quiet, creeping certainty that there was something definitely wrong inside of you. A rotten, twisted, beyond redemption thing. You still remembered the night you met Arthur vividly. You had been singing in the silence of a candlelit church, letting your haunting voice rise like a prayer from the ruins of your soul. The enchanting lilt sounded as though it belonged to someone good. Someone holy. When Arthur Shelby stumbled in, bleeding, drunk and broken, you hadn’t asked any question nor shown fear, as would have the rest of Small Heath done when facing the Peaky Blinders’ mad dog. You, on the contrary, had simply gone to him and wipe the blood from his face with a torn piece of your own dress rinsed in holy water. Then you had cradled him like he was fragile creature, not a ticking time bomb.

He had looked at you, dazed and teary.

Yer an Angel. I swear you are eh.

Oh God, how wrong he was.

You weren’t an angel and you had never been. You were the abomination that had sung to mask the stench of blood that clung to your skin. The abomination that had murdered more than she could remember, stitched people together only to tear them apart when they got too close to what you kept buried beneath the surface ‘cause you afford them to know how fucking shallow, manipulative and twisted you could be.

Arthur had been so blinded by the light that he hadn’t noticed the shadows. A few crocodile tears and flutters of long lashes had done the trick to convince him further of your holiness. Of course, you had meant no harm to him. Your affection was sincere, it wasn’t just the same as you thought it would be. 

He thought of you as a savior, but the truth was you couldn’t tell if you were truly able to save someone, or if you just dragged people down with you.

As for Tommy… He had seen through it from the very beginning. One of the first things Thomas Shelby had told you before strangling you the day of your first encounter was that he wouldn’t tolerate a witch and a murderer around his family, nor would he let you take advantage of Arthur and ruin him. At that time, you had bitten back. You had been sharp,and defiant as you retorted that it wasn’t your intention - and you weren’t lying. But now, with all the blood under your nails and the rot inside of you coming to light as well as your marriage turning to shit, your realized the ugly truth: little King Shelby was right from the start.

“Tommy?” You called, surprisingly softly.

“Hm?” He looked at you, curious. The way you sporadically called him by his nickname never failed to stir something in him.

“I know now.”  You murmured as a bitter, creepy but utterly tragic smile stretched the corner of your desirable lips “I see why we’ve always hated each other so much. What binds us. What pulled us together like two magnets.”

He straightened, throwing his cigarette away in the fog. It shot through the air in soft orange light. His strong jaw was still tense, all the muscles ticking beneath his skin and suddenly, his hand reached for your face without any hesitation. His fingers, rough and cold, grabbed your chin between his thumb and index finger before tilting your face toward his. The scent of whiskey, cigarettes and expensive perfume rose all around you.

You leaned into his touch softly, tenderly, and looked at him — really looked at him. In his turquoise eyes you saw everything: the cold logic. The ruins. The grief that never healed. The habit of using sex to get whatever you wanted or dull the pain. The empire of lies and torn bodies. The blood. The self-loathing. The arrogance. Everything…

“So you finally admit that you fucking feel it,” He said without the shadow of a smile, but with a scorching intensity burning through his ice-cold eyes, the flames of hell dancing in his dark pupils and licking the edge of it.

You nodded slowly and as you did your mask cracked… Then shattered. It fell to the forest ground and splintered into a thousand jagged pieces. 

His hand didn’t move. His eyes didn’t blink. But the electricity between you crackled again, like the charge of thunder before it breaks.

“Enlighten me then, ey…” he rasped, almost like a dare, with his hoarse voice making the world quake around you.

You inhaled sharply, the wind whipping your long white hair across your seraphic face. It tangled across your cheeks, veiled your eyes in long streaks of ivory, bringing out the ethereal sharpness and perfect, inhuman symmetry of your features. Your beauty was too flawless to offer comfort. Too pristine to be trusted. Tommy stared at you, unblinking, because he knew — he had always known that face didn’t belong to something holy. No, it belonged to nightmares.

When you spoke again, the forest fell silent around you.

“That’s the thing about monsters,” you said, your siren voice mingling into the howling wind like a spell, “they always recognize their own.”

And for a second, just one, you both stood there like mirrors. No more lies, no more pride nor walls of ice built high around your hearts.  Just two fractured reflections in the same cracked glass, splintered differently, but born of the same mess.

It wasn’t Amos you had hated in him.

It was you.

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[buck-star]

SFW Alphabet | Terry the terrific

Little side note: @sunday-bug suggested to make one to get more into the feeling to write for Terry. If you wanna read more Terry, check also out her masterlist, amazing work!

A = Affection

Terry is super affectionate, he loves cuddles and kisses. He will have little presents for you — either some flowers, sometimes a little magician show, just for you. As long as he can make you smile! He’s making sure to always hold your hand, or be close to you.

B = Best friend

He would be the best best friend you can ask for. No matter if you know one another since childhood or met in high school. He would be there for you whenever and wherever you need him. Sometimes Terry would be insecure that you think he’s weird because of his magic tricks. But whenever you assure him that you love and cherish him, he shows you another trick he hasn’t shown anyone else before.

C = Cuddles

Terry loves to cuddle! He’s literally the cuddle king. It’s intimate and can express so much more than words can. So it’s not just his way to show affection but also to seek comfort, offer comfort or show his feelings. Terry loves every position to cuddle as long as the two of you are comfortable. But - not - so secretly he loves to be the big spoon. So he can wrap himself around you tightly, draw pattern on your skin and you both can watch movies.

D = Domestic

Terry would love to settle down but only with the right person. He doesn’t want a one night thing, he wants the true love. And when he finds you, he immediately plans out everything! But he won’t tell you, at least not until you both are ready to settle down together. He doesn’t mind chores, he doesn’t like them all, especially when there are too many socks in the wash. But he will help you, and he will cook for you. Though he prefers to cook and do chores with you.

E = Ending

Terry wouldn’t agree to a relationship if he isn’t sure that it will last. He went through break ups — mostly because the person he was with didn’t like him being a magician. When they tried to change him he distanced himself until they were living like strangers again. So, if Terry is hurt, he will distance himself, giving his partner a second chance but when it doesn’t change, he will bring distance between the two of them.

F = Fiance(e)

He would love to get married at some point with the person he loves. But it doesn’t have to be rushed. Terry is grateful and happy with you, with your relationship. Marriage would be the next step but only if you two are really ready for that. Though, he will keep cherishing your love and relationship even if you take your time before marriage.

G = Gentle

Terry is gentle like you’re the most delicate flower. He’s not afraid to break you, but he loves being gentle and soft with you. He’s understanding, supporting. Not only because he knows how it feels when people judge or be harsh, but also because he loves and adores you.

H = Hugs

He loves hugs. When you get home, or he gets home the first thing is a tight, warm hug. You’re cooking, baking, cleaning? He will hug you from behind, his fingers gripping your waist tightly to make sure you’re as close as possible to him. Terry loves hugs, it’s part of his love language.

I = I love you

Terry needs a bit to say these three words, he feels them but he’s afraid of speaking them out loud. Maybe you don’t feel the same, or… he knows you do. So, once he says them, he can’t help but shower you with them. Still not as much as physical affection, but still a lot. Always making sure he acts the same as he talks, but he just loves the softness and the smile on your face when he tells you he loves you.

J = Jealousy

Terry can be a bit jealous every now and then. But it’s not your fault or the way you smile at the bartender. It’s just his insecurities. He’s afraid that he isn’t as good as all these other men could be. Though, he knows you chose him. And the sweet, soft smile you reserve only for him causes his jealousy to fade within a second. You love him, you chose him, and he will never dare to question your love or loyalty for him.

K = Kisses

Soft and gentle kisses from Terry! Sometimes with more passion, but he will always kiss you gently. He loves to kiss your lips, the tip of your nose, or your palms, as well as your neck. Terry also kisses your forehead a lot, letting you know that you’re the only one for him. Because forehead kisses are special kisses. Terry himself loves when you kiss his lips, or his jaw or underneath his ear.

L = Little ones

Terry adores kids, he likes to work with them. As magician he offers amazing shows for kids birthday parties, and he’s always having a lot of fun during these events. The thought of having own kids, of course he thought about it. He would love to have one, maybe two, kids with you. The thought of them playing in the backyard of your house while the two of you sit cuddled up and watch them makes his heart beat faster whenever the thought crosses his mind.

M = Morning

Lots of cuddles! If he wakes up before you, he will kiss your face, every inch of it. He will roll over you slightly, cuddling into you, while he peppers your skin with soft kisses. Terry will help you with the breakfast, lots of fruits, pancakes and hot chocolate, tea or coffee.

N = Night

Terry wants you to go to bed together or else he can’t sleep. You can read — either quiet for you or even loud for him too —, watch movies, whatever, as long as he can wrap his arms around your waist and place his head on your chest. He’s always tangling your legs with his, while he tells you how much he loves you, how beautiful you are and how happy and especially lucky he is with you.

O = Open

For you? Terry is an open book. He wants you to know all about him. Terry doesn’t care that he’s vulnerable then. He wants you to know everything about him, because he would love to know everything about you as well. It’s still not overwhelming much he tells you about himself, but when you’re sitting together to talk, he will tell you about himself or if you ask anything about him.

P = Patience

Terry is super patient. He has not reason to get angry, if anything doesn’t work, he will just make some magic tricks to make you both laugh and then you can do whatever you wanted to do again. When you both disagree, you can talk about it without anger or frustration. But he isn’t patience when someone talks bad about you, or makes you sad, then he isn’t patient at all.

Q = Quizzes

He remembers a lot! Not everything of course but the important things he does. Terry knows what you like, knows how to read you to make sure he can get you what you would like without having to tell him. In conversation he takes care of the little details, sometimes even your body language or expression. He loves you and he wants to be as best as he can. So remembering stuff isn’t a big job for him. But something he loves to do.

R = Remember

Terry loves everything that has to do with you. But just favourite moment — one of his favourite moments — was when he asked you out on a date. The day your eyes lit up with excitement when he used his cards to form words to ask you out. Plus the trick where he pulled a flower from his pocket and handed it to you with a wide smile. You said yes to go out with him, of course.

S = Security

Terry is protective, not too much but he is. He knows when you can handle things yourself and he will let you, unless you ask him to handle the situation. But if someone would dare to hurt you, he would be more than protective of you. Terry won’t let anyone hurt the ones he loves. He doesn’t like to use violence, he would talk, but if the person doesn’t listen, he wouldn’t stop from pushing them or setting a punch to make listen. No hard injuries, just to make them back off.

T = Try

Terry would try his best to impress you with every date, not matter of anniversary or a coffee shop date. Little presents are a “must” for him. Even if it’s just a bouquet of your favourite flowers or a bar chocolate. He’s helping you with everyday tasks as best as he can, fixing stuff and doing chores with you, so you don’t have to do them alone. Instead you can use the time together, going for walks or other activities he has planned. Because with Terry it’s never boring, not even during movie nights — where you two make the snacks by yourself — because that’s your way of putting effort in your relationship.

U = Ugly

A bad habit… or more a funny thing. Because of his magician he keeps some cards everywhere. So when the two of you are shopping he often pulls out some play cards instead of money. It’s often funny, unless the employees are already mad, then that only worsens it. But except that, Terry doesn’t have real bad habits.

V = Vanity

Terry doesn’t care about his look. Not really, he is who he is. It needed time for him to accept himself and since he does, he doesn’t care if someone is laughing or doing bad jokes. The only thing that matters for him is you, he wants to look good for you. And so he does, he notices the sparkles and love in your expression when he wears something he likes, something you two like.

W = Whole

He would feel incomplete without his girl, yes. Terry can’t imagine anything without you anymore. Doing the chores, cooking, baking, cleaning, reading, watching movies or just cuddling. It wouldn’t be the same without you, so yes. He only feels whole with you, that’s why he cherishes and adores his girl — he makes him feel like he’s wanted. Like he’s needed. He’s loved.

X = Xtra

Yours and Terry’s first kiss. It was clumsy, it was the first for both of you. But damn, it was perfect. Sitting on the couch, looking deep into one another’s eyes. And while you tilted your head, he did the same. Unfortunately you two titled your heads both into the same direction and hit both of your heads. It was cute, soft and you both laughed before you kissed one another softly.

Y = Yuck

Liars. Terry hates lies, he hates liars. And Judgements. Terry has faced so much lies and judgement before, it’s nothing he wants in a partner. He’s just himself with you, so you can just be who you are. Terry loves you with his whole heart, every aspect of you. So, you don’t have to hide or lie, unless it’s a little lie about a surprise for your boyfriend.

Z = Zzz

Terry can’t sleep without in his arms. If you’re not in bed the same time he is he will throw himself left and right and just can’t find a position for him to sleep in until you’re curled in his arms. He doesn’t tell you, but your heartbeat, your warmth and your soft breathing calms his thoughts, he just likes to have you close.

Taglist: @rogersbarber @loki-laufeyson68 @etherealdisneyvillainness @winterschildren8 @rnurse-kole @kimmie113080 @sergeantbarnessdoll @sebastianstanisahotmf @mercurial-chuckles @holylulusworld @randomawesomeperson102 @looking1016 @multiversefanfics @kpopgirlbtssvt @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers @alexxavicry @gremlin-girly @grilledcheesewithjalapeno @unabashed-lover-of-fictional-men @irisk12 @lilyalone @thenameswinter99 @casa-boiardi @blackhawkfanatic @mrsalexstan @thesarcasmqueen-22 @bamitzzsam @feynightlight @ethanhoewke

[rickywhen-i-catchyouricky]

Forever?

I don't know, I'm in my feelings right now so here's a short ranking of who among the brothers + the dateables would be the least to most likely be open to the concept of forever with you:) Lmk if you like the idea I kinda wanna write a longer fic about it mwahahhahahaha, also! If you disagree w my rankings, it's just my take, you're free to rank them however you see fit <3

The brothers + Dateables

c/w: gn! pronouns used, none

word count: like 70 words each lol

11. Belphegor

He loves you, deeply. But forever? He’s cautious, he knows what eternity feels like, and after everything with Lilith, he doesn't immediately jump to forever. If MC proves to be a constant comfort, someone he can dream beside without fear—he’ll come around. But he’s hesitant first.

“You’d want to be stuck with a sleepy cow demon like me forever? That’s a long time, you know...”

10. Solomon

Kinda unexpected from a person who's lived for centuries but it is for that exact reason that he'd be uncertain. He knows what forever feels like and it’s not always kind. He’s seen love fade, promises break. But MC makes him hope again. The skepticism isn't because he doesn’t want them, but rather he worries he’ll lose them to time. When he finally caves, it’s with trembling honesty.

“Eternity… hasn’t been kind to me. But if it’s with you? I think I could learn to love it again.”

9. Mammon

Mammon is ride-or-die. He wouldn’t say it first—but he’d mean it more than anyone. He’ll fight for their affection every day, terrified they'll find someone better. When they call him their favorite, his heart practically stops. That’s when he starts planning the rest of his life around them, without telling them outright. He wants forever badly, but it scares the hell out of him. He won’t ask for it until he’s absolutely sure they won’t leave.

“Ya really want me around forever? Seriously? Well, duh—who doesn't want to spend forever with The Great Mammon! You better not be joking ‘cause I ain’t ever leavin’, not in a thousand years.”

8. Leviathan

Surprisingly high. Once he loves, he loves hard. He doesn’t believe he deserves someone like MC, but if they choose him again and again? He’ll devote his whole eternity to them. He’s terrified, but he wants it. His "forever" just sounds like building Legos, watching anime, and holding her hand during boss fights.

“If you really- really meant it, I’d—yeah. I’d want to stay. Until the last save point.”

7. Simeon

Hear me out—he wants to love forever, but he’s scared of the pain it might bring. Still, he believes in love, deeply. With MC, it’s gentle warmth, shared stories, laughter over tea. If they asked him to stay, he’d fall to Earth, The Devildom, or anywhere, just to be near them.

“If eternity means hearing your laughter every day… then I would give up Heaven for it in a heartbeat.”

6. Satan

Satan is both romantic and pragmatic. He’s aware of the risks of forever, but he’s fascinated by the way MC makes the days feel different. Eternity is long, but if he can laugh with them, debate them, and read beside them for all of it? He’s in.

“I never thought I’d want to stay in one story forever. But you keep changing the plot.”

5. Asmodeus

I already know what some of you are thinking because most think he’s flighty, but after everything that happened—Asmo craves deep, everlasting connection. If MC shows they see more than just his beauty, and love him as he is? He’ll hold their hand through the centuries, making sure they always feels desired, adored, and treasured.

“You’ll still think I’m beautiful when we’ve watched the stars burn out, right? Good. Then I’m yours.”

4. Lucifer

He understands the weight of eternity. Lucifer will consider the practicalities of binding his fate to theirs, but once he lets his heart lead? He’s certain. He doesn’t love lightly, and if he chooses forever, he’ll mean it. But he might hide how badly he wants it at first.

“Do you understand what eternity means, MC? Perfect, then you understand why I’d still choose you.”

3. Barbatos

I always think of that one line from nightbringer. Time has never surprised him, until MC. They're unpredictable, joyful, and they make his centuries-old heart ache in a way he thought impossible. Barbatos would already have seen a future with them in it—but he’d choose it every time.

“I’ve seen many possible endings, but none compare to a future where you are by my side.”

2. Beelzebub

Beel would never say it first, but he’s the most steadfast. If MC loves him back, that’s it. He’s theirs. He doesn’t need flowery promises—he shows it in actions, in quiet meals, in always being their shield. Forever with them? It’s natural to him.

“I don’t know what forever looks like... But if you’re there, I’ll be happy. I promise.”

1. Diavolo

Forever is a promise he was born to make. He’s been alone too long, but MC's joy brings color back to his world. The second they smile at him like he’s home, it’s over. He’s ready to build a world with them. One they rule beside him—not behind him.

“Forever? MC, I was hoping you’d say that. I’ve already started dreaming of our centuries together."

[burningcheese-merchant]

Okay, so I literally just thought about this after reading your eternal sugar wishlist (myth edition) a couple of hours ago. Anyway, if you are right on, the story taking some inspiration from Greek mythology of Persephone & Hades as well there being an ally cookie to help hollyberry. I can see said cookie possibly take some inspiration from Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft.

If you remember, Hecate was the one who guided Demeter through the underworld (and helped Persephone adjust to her new home).I can see this cookie guiding hollyberry onto the right path to her awakening. So the prophecy is fulfilled.(also sorry if this was already sent something happened with my Wi-Fi, and I am not sure if I 'm sending this again-)

It was already sent, yeah haha. I got confused for a split second when I first opened my inbox. "Why did you send me the same ask twice homie" lol

First, I just want to gently correct you on some things you said here

Hecate did not lead Demeter through the Underworld to find Persephone/Kore. She took her to Helios, titan of the sun (and Apollo's predecessor, technically) to seek further information on her whereabouts, as his position as the "seeing-eye" that watches all the world from his place in the sky lent itself to the possibility that he saw who took her and where (which was correct. He did see what happened and told Demeter everything). It was Hermes that ventured through the Underworld (as ordered by Zeus, because by that point Demeter had long since caused an unending winter and basically slaughtering all life on earth through cold and starvation as retaliation for no one giving her her daughter back) to find Hades and Persephone and beg the former to PLEASE let the latter go home so Demeter would stop killing people. Demeter never once set foot down there. (It makes more sense for Hermes to go, anyway. He is known as the messenger of the gods and was the only non-chthonic god given unlimited free and safe passage through the Underworld as he also served as a guide for the dead, shepherding people's souls there after they passed on)

This isn't really a correction, I'm just not sure where you heard that Hecate comforted Persephone while she was down there? I don't remember that in any telling of the myth I read or was told. It's not in the original myth, I remember that much. I remember that she acted as a substitute ruler when Persephone was gone, basically holding down the fort until her return in the winter. But I don't remember any version of the story that has that part in it. Maybe it's a version I just missed, a good portion of Greek myth was oral tradition and different people had different ideas (also Ancient Greece was a collection of autonomous city-states with wildly different cultures and customs and that did not answer to one another. They would not be one unified nation for an extremely long time. The Greece we know today is VERY new). Many myths and legends are like that in general, that's why there are often so many versions of the same thing and people often bicker over which is the "real" one

All that aside, to actually talk about my Beast-Yeast hopes and wishes. Me acting like a wannabe oracle haha

I don't necessarily want the entire arc to take after the myth of Hades and Persephone. I don't really think the themes or vibe fit, you know? I just thought the consumption of a "weird" fruit as offered by the one holding Holly hostage in her weird little world would be a neat allusion to that story. Bonus if the pomegranate has some sort of toxin that puts Holly to sleep, enabling Eternal Sugar to do with her as she wishes, and keeping in line with "sloth"

Regardless, I'm not sure about any of it because I don't actually know if Holly will end up taking after Demeter at all. I sincerely hope she does. (At the very least I hope her awakened form doesn't have anything to do with Pitaya or dragons at all lol. I am legitimately tired of everyone always making Holly's life and character revolve around Pitaya (and vice versa. In fact it's 10x worse for Pitaya, I NEVER see anyone say anything about him other than in relation to Holly). Dark Cacao is already the dragon lord guy so hopefully that deters Devsis since they can't have 2 dragon-themed Ancients)

Also here is the original myth as told by Homer just because haha. It's actually titled "Hymn to Demeter" as it's really more about her and her struggles and journey than anyone else. It's quite long and extremely sad but worth the read. (It's actually also quite progressive, for the time it was written. While all versions of the myth, this one included, are meant to explain the cycle of seasons, this one in particular was also meant to serve as a commentary on Ancient Greek society and how it treated women and girls. Women had few rights and little freedom or agency, and seen more as property than people (yes social class could influence this a little but by and large women were treated horribly). When a woman was married off, it was common for her to never really see her family again (she's supposed to be with her husband now). The myth is special in that it showed reality for what it actually was - women having their lives and well-being toyed with by men, decisions made for them by men, being sent away from their homes and their loved ones to go live with and serve men until they die - instead of just kind of nodding along like everyone else did with these practices as they were the norm at the time and weren't seen as illegal or morally wrong. It was Homer expressing sympathy for all of those mothers that had their daughters taken from them to carry out others' wishes and demands at the cost of their own autonomy, because the same thing had already happened to them (fun fact, there are versions of Persephone's origin myth where she's a product of assault 🙃) and now they're just watching history repeat itself without any way to stop it. It's actually a pretty feminist story, all things considered)

[grenyxx]

I‘ll just start joining in on those now! Though looking at it now, I fear I went a bit off-course at some point!

(Zephyr) Rook would say what she wants most is justice and freedom, and that‘s why she is always busy for the Shadow Dragons, to live for her ideals. But after everything happening in Veilguard, she‘d secretly just desire love and some quiet.

She‘ll still work on Neve‘s side and also by herself to crack cases and take down Venatori and slavers. Despite it all she can‘t possible be inactive when injustice is happening right in front of her. But the moments she cherishes most are the quiet evenings spent with Neve and/or her other friends, the regular meetings back at the lighthouse to catch up with everyone.

She loves going to Arlathan Forest, either to visit Bellara, or with Davrin, checking in on the griffons and giving Assan some time to play with his siblings. Sometimes she‘d lay in the grass and stare up at the sky for a while, not even feeling the need to talk.

In the morning she‘d stay in bed for as long as possible, convincing Neve to do the same with either sweet words or some pouting. It doesn‘t always work, but when it does, she’s in a noticeably good mood all day long.

Sometimes she‘ll sit by the shore close to the docks, where she collected rocks for Neve once, and look over the water for a while, enjoying the feeling of having no responsibility for some time.

She prefers nights in, liking to have Neve to herself for the whole evening/night every once in a while. She‘d cook (after being taught some recipes by Lucanis) and get some wine, treating it like a special occasion, though it occurs at least once every week. Neve makes sure of it, as she has taken notice of how Rook always seems happiest in those moments.

She doesn‘t necessarily struggle with physical intimacy, she had few partners and a lot more one-night-escapades. Some of those one night stands became friends to her as well, though usually only once they no longer slept with each other.

It used to be easier for her to have sex with someone she just met that night, since her past relationships were clouded by her past still looming over her.

She felt unable to express her desires, since her partners used to see her as sensitive/fragile, even when they tried to look past her background. It‘s partially also because she was still working through everything, herself. She‘s taken a 2-3 year long break from more serious relationships before the events of the Veilguard.

With Neve, she quickly found herself able to express vulnerability to some degree. That feeling increased further after what happened during Weisshaupt finally crashed down onto her, when she broke down right in front of her and Neve still saw her as before, not even unintentionally reducing her to her worst moments.

Because of that, when they started being intimate, she quickly felt able to express her wants, though it helps even further that Neve seems to read her like a book, often making words unnecessary. She enjoys being able to let go and give control over to Neve. While she does seek her out at night very frequently, at times it also simply results in them sitting/laying together and chatting or reading. Her attitude usually goes towards „we‘ll just see where the night takes us“.

Rook Intro Hour: Desire

Hey, there! Happy Monday! Hope you had a relaxing/fun weekend!

How it works: I ask you a question about your Rook(s) and you answer it with as much brevity or verbosity as you desire. The easiest way for me to keep track of everyone is for you to reblog this post and add your answer, although you can also mention me in a separate post, if you want! You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog it + add some comments! There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

*Please be aware that if you rb RIH to a community WITHOUT rbing to your blog first, I CANNOT rb and comment. If you want me to comment, please put the post on YOUR BLOG first. Thanks!

Today’s Question(s): What does your Rook want most in the world? Fame? Power? Love? What will they do in order to get it?

BONUS, because I know you were all thinking about those DAO/DA2 desire demons =P : Does your Rook like sex? Do they have a lot of it? Who do they have sex with? Friends? Strangers? Partners only?

Have fun, be creative, and thanks for sharing !

[vagueposting-femnb]

“Sinners” movie spoilers!!!

I’m going to be diving into two characters, what I’ve seen folks say about them & why I disagree.

On mobile, can’t do read more, sorry! Pls scroll if you don’t want spoilers!

Remmick:

Folks have been sayin “He’s the devil!” And the argument has been that he came because Sammie wasn’t following what his father preached, and “the devil can quote the scripture too!” As well as sayin “He’s purely manipulative and just saying whatever he thinks will get him in!” “He only wants Sammie!”

I firmly disagree.

Remmick was drawn because of Sam’s music, sure, but folks ain’t payin attention to WHY.

Remmick SAYS that he was THERE when the Christians invaded Ireland, forced their religion and took his father’s land, he also became a vampire leading him to outlive anyone who did make it through the Christian invasion. Remmick, as far as we know, is alone. His culture was erased, his family is dead, he has no one and nothing.

He comes across the Juke, sees folks he KNOWS been through similar shit that he went through, he’s seen this shit before. Hell, in the 1930s I believe the Irish were STILL dealin w BS in the US! Remmick sees their sense of community, their love for one another, he sees/senses Sam’s gift… and he sees folks who got it worse just bc of how they were born.

Remmick seems insulted when accused of being Klan, he’s playful with our main characters- “oh, is it because we’re… :(“ “we’ll walk real slow, in case you change your mind… *glances back*”

Plus… if he ONLY wanted Sammie, he coulda easily grabbed Mary when she walked out and used her as a bargaining chip. He didn’t.

I ain’t sayin he isn’t manipulative, or it was ALL truths.

I’m sayin that it’s entirely possibly that he is meant to be essentially “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

He wants a family, and he wants to see HIS family. He sees these ppl who have family, the ability to connect with their ancestors, but who are stuck with having to function within a fucked up society. He sees their desire for true freedom… which he might think he can provide, at the very least in a racially based context.

I think Remmick is meant to be a complicated character in a sense. I think he’s meant to be an example of how dangerous someone can be when they assume to know what’s best for other marginalized communities, and trying to push them into adhering to those beliefs. Personally, I think it’s entirely possible that he’s meant to be an example of the harms of colonization and even oppression in general, and how even victims of these things can “give in” and become what they hate if they’re not careful. If they don’t remain mindful, empathetic, and willing to learn.

Mary

(This is an important place to start I promise)

I’ve seen folks say that they wish she had been a “visibly black, but white passing” woman. This seems to stem from the perspective that “white passing” implies an ACTIVE effort to do so (straightening hair, lightening skin, nose job, etc) instead of simply something someone can be if they don’t happen to take after their more melanated parent/grandparent.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve grown up in a fairly diverse region/school system, but… that has never been what “white passing” truly meant to me. I’ve seen folks of a wide array of skintones, haircolors/textures, eye colors, who still claimed their non-whiteness proudly, and were nearly never chastised against it, at least not once we made it to high school and at least the majority of us seemed to realize that simply being paler than most black folks and having lighter colored eyes didn’t make you white. That’s just bein lightskinned.

The folks who WERE considered “white passing” were people who DIDNT need to do anything to be perceived as such at a quick glance. So, if Hailee had (prominently) green/blue eyes. Otherwise, if any girl at my school looked like her, pretty much everyone woulda been like “ooh girl what are you? Hispanic? No?? Got a lil somethin else in your family tree then, right??” So that’s perhaps why the “visibly black, but also white passing” complaint just… does not make sense to me.

PLUS… Mary is meant to be a naturally white passing woman.

This is IMPORTANT.

She is meant to be fully capable of marrying a rich white man, living amongst white folks, and not getting side eyed by them.

She also doesn’t seem to TRULY accept that she is, naturally, white passing to most folks, ESPECIALLY (and in this context, most IMPORTANTLY) white people, at least at times.

She talks absolutely RECKLESS to Stack at the train station. She loves him deeply, clearly, and yet seemingly doesn’t realize just how DANGEROUS it is for her to even speak to him casually, let alone how she was speaking to him, in broad daylight. Iirc it was said that another (minor) character had been snatched up, strung up, and gotten his genitalia cut off at that station for speaking to a white woman.

Mary later forces her presence at Juke with no thought as to how others there might feel, let alone the potential ramifications of her being connected to that place by (white) outsiders.

THEN, she convinces Stack to let her go talk to Remmick & co, BECAUSE “they’re more likely-“ to talk to her. Because she is white passing.

(Pause, bc I feel this needs to be said- I ain’t blaming her. OBVIOUSLY the vampires were gonna get folks one way or another. People gotta piss, gotta get home, etc. that being said…)

I think it was another intentional choice for Mary to have been the one to go out, to have been the first turned, to have been the “foot in the door” in a sense…

And that’s a shared point between her and Remmick- not necessarily truly realizing the harm one can cause by not being aware of one’s own privileges essentially.

Remmick and Mary both essentially lost their cultures and families. Both wanted those things back. Both risked/caused harm.

Now, I will say- Remmick is 100% a villain. He’s had hundreds of years. He’s seen shit. He’s lost shit. He’s had to carry that weight this whole time. I do think, at the very least, he knew he was causing IMMEDIATE harm & disregarding these folk’s potential desires in favor of his own longterm goals. Those descendants we saw in “I lied to you”? Many will never exist because of what happened that night. Even if they had ALL been turned & lived happy lives w each other, NONE of those descendants would exist.

Mary is more so a more… “direct to life” example of the harm it can cause an individual to be “cut off” from their community, to have to give up their culture, to be left feeling isolated bc they don’t truly fit in anywhere, as well as the harm people can cause when we focus more so on our own wants and needs vs the impact that could have on others.

Remove Remmick, & we could have still ended up with essentially the same exact ending…

Only, this time it’s the Klan members that show up. At the very least the “main family” would likely still have been there, cleaning up. Only this time, Mary might have been the sole survivor… forced to watch her family suffer at the hands of the Klan. At “best” she would have been spared (severe, visible, physical) harm, return to her husband a mysteriously broken woman. At worst…?

NOW, somethin else I’ve seen is folks online talkin about how Mary is proof that folks shouldn’t be with anyone outside of their race.

I disagree with that as well.

Yes, the movie could have ended essentially the same minus the vampires.

But that ain’t because of Mary. REGARDLESS of if Mary was there, the vampires would have found a way. Even without Mary AND without the vampires, the Klan STILL would have came! Mary had nothin to do with them. They were simply racist assholes who did this routinely. Stack’s comment about Juke being “a slaughterhouse”… bc the white folks would sell the shack to black folks, kill them the next day, rinse and repeat.

Mary is not some “bringer of evil.” Sammie wasn’t some “sinful being that brought the devil.”

They’re just hurt people, who wanted to be WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. Just people stuck in a dogshit society, in a dogshit situation, in a dogshit position where no one was gonna win.

Take away the vampires, Mary, and Sam… the fuckin Klan was STILL GOING TO SHOW UP. The twins likely still would have ended up with a decent turnout, plenty of community members there. Plenty of folks JUST wanting a night of freedom, community, fun. Who knows how many would have been gettin scraped off the floor after a few too many at the end of the night? Who knows how many would have stuck around to help clean up the place? Who knows how many might have, at best, only been getting into their cars by the time the Klan arrived?

I NEED people to stop and THINK.

The movie is deeper than “easy” lessons like “don’t mix with others” and “don’t stray from god/the god your preacher talks about.”

Sammie survived BECAUSE of his guitar, because of the SILVER from the guitar. God didn’t save him when he prayed. His father didn’t check on him when he showed up at mass beaten and bloody and traumatized. He left, and went on to become seemingly a successful artist.

Mary and Stack survived the night, and for decades more at least. They’re together, happily, no longer having to hide.

Smoke didn’t survive, but even if you don’t believe in an afterlife, his last moments were happy- he was with Annie and their baby. If you do believe in an afterlife, he is likely STILL with her and their baby, which is what THEY wanted… to be together, with their baby.

No, it’s not a happy ending… not a truly clean and happy ever after type ending at least.

But… the alternative?

Sam giving up his passion, which leads him to settling into a life he clearly ain’t really want if he made it to be old af and still performing.

Mary pretending to be fully white, going her whole life missing the person she TRULY loved, missing her family, having to pretend to be someone she isn’t as well?

The twins? Dead. Established that.

The ending, while not a clean “happily ever after!” Type of ending, still makes it obvious to anyone paying attention that you are better off following your heart.

Sure, we could pick apart “well Mary should have just left with Stack to begin with!” “Sam should have just left to do his own thing at the start!” But… then we wouldn’t have had the movie. We wouldn’t have had these complex characters. We wouldn’t have seen folks make bad decisions yet still in different ways manage to overcome the bad shit.

I feel like, for once, everything happened as it was meant to.

Even Grace hollerin for the vamps to come in, is in line with HER character. When Stack died she ain’t wanna stay, she wanted to dip. She was working at the “whites” store. She doesn’t feel the connection to these people like her husband does. Her welcoming the vamps was bc she didn’t value the folks around her like her husband might have. Smoke lost his brother. They’d all lost pretty much everyone at that point. AND YET, because Grace didn’t have as deep of a connection as her husband to the people, she prioritized her revenge over their LIVES.

Basically: it was an AMAZING movie. There was so much that went into it, into the characters, into the story. Everything felt intentional, everything had MORE to it than what you might have first thought on a surface level. The movie was a genuine work of art, and so much love went into everything.

If you’ve already seen it, but perhaps you were wrapped up in the moment and a lot of this seems new, didn’t occur to you, etc, I definitely encourage you to see it again if you’re able. Even if you still disagree… if you genuinely enjoyed the movie, ain’t any harm in enjoying it again and supporting the creators & actors!

[cluescorner]

I cannot imagine being a Damian stan right now. You've got both Zdarsky's bullshit (where he clearly doesn't give a shit about your boy) and The Boy Wonder (where Juni Ba clearly gives so many shits about your boy) coming out on the same day. The whiplash must be insane. I hope y'all get some nice warm soup for your efforts jfc

[puppppppppy]

ive made myself more wet and pathetic

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What's your opinion on malewife/house husband Adrien posts? I asked this to another blog, and like I said to them, I find them a guilty pleasure: The concept is cute, but I know that would be the last thing Adrien would ever wanna be after all his dad put him through.

I don't think that it would be the last thing that Adrien would ever want. I actually think it suits his character in a lot of ways, you just have to handle the topic with care.

First let's talk about why it suits him.

Miraculous has totally failed to give Adrien any sort of career-based passion and - if we ignore the senti complication - I honestly love that for him! I want more characters with no major life ambitions to balance out the Marinettes of the world!

I think that society places way too much pressure and value on finding the perfect career that fulfills us in every way while also allowing us to put food on the table. Most people will never find that and that's okay. It doesn't mean that you've failed or that you're lesser. For most people, the goal is to find a career that pays the bills and that you enjoy enough that you don't hate doing it 40hrs/week. Along similar lines, for most people, your passion will be something that doesn't make money. It will be something like a hobby or spending time with those you love or analyzing badly written French TV shows.

This brings us back to Adrien.

Adrien seems to get a great deal of joy from being around his loved ones and making them happy, so I can absolutely picture him finding a lot of joy in running a home. This is extra true because Marinette is pretty clearly career driven and she's planning to go into a creative field, so she'll probably have a pretty crazy schedule and struggle to stay on top of it all. Having a loving husband to take things like cooking and cleaning off of her plate would be a blessing and a gift that she'd greatly appreciate, but that would feel unbalanced if Adrien was working, too. (Yes, they could hire staff, but that risks the secret identity thing, so I don't see them doing that.)

If they both have power careers, then they'd barely see each other and I hate that for them. I think that it would make Adrien incredibly sad and depressed. Plus, while Marinette thrives off of competition and staying busy, only needing occasional breaks before diving right back in, Adrien seems to hate busy schedules and heavy work loads.

Given all of that, I think that there's a lot to be said for Adrien stepping away from the working world. Especially since he's been in it for years and being a child celebrity is no joke! I think it would be nice for him to escape from strict schedules and expectations. Dinner fails? Order takeout!

While we're on the topic of food, I really like the idea of Adrien falling in love with cooking. Dude needs a creative outlet and that's honestly a great one (I hate it when people write characters as unable to figure out cooking like it's some cute quirk. While an initial struggle is believable, it's not a mystical art that takes years of practice. Between YouTube, the wider Internet, and maybe some classes if he wants to get fancy, I think that he'll be fine.) There's so much variety with what you can do in the kitchen and the end result gets to be shared and appreciated by those you love. It just seems like a perfect fit for him, but I would never make him a professional chef because the hours are insane and the pressure to be perfect is high. I only see him loving it as a hobby where he can go at his own pace, take days off, and make lazy meals when he's not feeling like being a show off.

The big concerns that come with making him a homemaker are a lack of financial independence and a lack of socialization. I don't see the first thing as an issue for Adrien since he comes from a wealthy family, so that one doesn't phase me.

The isolation could very easily be an issue, but it could just as easily be a problem if he started working, too. It's not as if a job is a sure way to have friends or even just consistent positive social interactions, which is another reason why I don't really see a need to give him a traditional job. You can get a vibrant social life in lots of other ways.

Here are the two big things that I keep in mind when writing an Adrien-as-a-homemaker or similar setup as it is where I tend to have Adrien land for all of the above reasons:

Adrien needs to be active in some organization or project. Volunteer work is a good fit as is being an active stay-at-home parent or some combination of the two. Voice acting is also on my radar, but my default is to have him act as the head of team miraculous' out-of-battle activities. Scheduling meet and greets. Going to see sick kids. Jetting around the world for humanitarian aid missions. Basically let Chat Noir be his "career" which gives him a lot of much needed flexibility for making his own schedule, especially if he's a stay-at-home parent to any eventual kids. I also like the poetic nature of Adrien finally being proud to be the face of a "brand" via his hero side while his civilian side becomes just some guy that people kind of remember from old ads.

Consider having a non-traditional living arrangement. I am a big fan of hero teams living together, so my default is to take the Agreste mansion and remodel it into a secret HQ for the team. Adrien and Marinette would have their own apartment/wing/whatever, but they'd still be surrounded by their found family on a near-daily basis, so that social isolation is the last thing on Adrien's mind. There's almost always someone to hang out with! You could also just have Alya and Nino or other friends live in the same apartment building so that they're over a lot/Adrien has a place to hang when Marinette is working late because you know that she'd do that.

Basically, Adrien's rich, so he doesn't need to make money and he doesn't seem to have any interest in a normal job, so I really like letting him having a unique life where he doesn't have a traditional job. He is a superhero, after all. Unique career paths are pretty par for the course. You just have to be careful to make sure that all of this feels like his fully informed and carefully considered choice and not like you forced it on him to make Marinette's life perfect (I only brought her up earlier because this is a story and it makes sense to design characters around each other). I usually do this by sending Adrien to therapy in his late teens or by giving him some other parth of self discovery.

Do note that all of the above is inspired by my read of Adrien which may be totally different from your read of him and that's fine! I just can't picture him as someone who thrives in a traditional career path based on knowing people who strike me as similar to him and from whom I draw my understanding of how to write that part of Adrien's character. I think that he'd be perfectly able to have a traditional career path, but I also think that he'd be pretty miserable for a lot of reasons.

I'll also note that I'm not sure what posts spawned this ask, so there may be elements of those that I'd have criticisms of. This post was about the general concept of Adrien being a homemaker. I tend to avoid the broader fandom for my own sanity and the use of the term "malewife" has me concerned that I'm implying support of something I wouldn't actually support because that's a new one for me and it sounds incredibly sexist.

I'm not a fan of implying that the default definition of "wife" is "submissive homemaker" so a man taking on a homemaking role is clearly submissive and acting like a woman does while his aggressive, domineering wife is acting like a man, which is the definition of this word that I'm finding online and yikes! Wife and husband are legal/social status in my book. They are not clearly defined jobs/roles/personality types, so I'm not a fan of using gendered terms to refer to stuff like this especially since I do actively try to use gender neutral words in my own writing whenever I can, though I'm certainly far from perfect on that front.

I also don't see homemaking as a submissive act. It certainly can be, but that's not how I picture Adrien at all! I picture him as relaxed and plesent, but 100% in charge of the home and all choices about how it's run. I also see him being in charge of their finances like homemakers often were in the "old days" since they were the ones in charge of things like scheduling cleaners, buying food, and other things that needed strong budgeting skills while the person who worked wasn't actually spending money or managing the home since they were at work. I like to think that Nathalie would prep Adrien to be a wealthy man and so he'd have strong skills in finance management.