#my internal state is like oh I am so cool

[myrabbitistryingtokillme]

“Wow I did so well I was so normal during that time outside”

*talked like a 5 year old the entire time*

*was called an embarrassment at least once*

[bamfkeeper]

Sinister Kurt having trouble with his instincts, you are the only one who calms him.

Firstly, Kurt with horns? YUM. But I like how they showed him having difficulty controlling himself after his mutation was further developed (I don't remember what the circumstances were). I thought it was a cool concept for his character so here we go. Inner conflict is always fun.

Warnings: Descriptions of violence and blood, some angst, comfort ofc, gender neutral reader, unedited ignore mistakes.

WC: 2.7k

Kurt had no idea where they came from. He woke up with two horns on his head like some sort of Krampus. He felt something inside himself stir, and he tried to ignore it, it felt like a pit in his gut that slowly began to expand and grow when he wasn't focused on repressing it.

You reassured him he was still the handsome man you loved, his horns gave him a little extra insecurity. He hadn't felt so insecure about himself in a long time, as Krakoa had provided such acceptance his appearance hadn't been a thought in his mind as a bad thing. But these horns...they made him look more like a devil than anything else, and that worried him.

"Engel...I am becoming ein Teufel..." he mumbled sadly, touching them as he looked at himself in the mirror. "What is becoming of me..." he turned to look at you, his eyes holding confliction and sadness.

"Oh, my love," you cooed to him, standing and walking over, "They're just a pair of little horns...I'm sure that they'll go away...maybe." Your sentence quieted towards the end, it was such a random development, you had no idea where the horns stemmed from and what was going to happen to him. Was his mutation randomly evolving more? Was it something in Krakoa that was making his mutation mutate? You didn't know.

Kurt sighed inwardly, his arms wrapped tightly around himself as if seeking solace from an unseen torment. You hadn't seen him in this state for years; he looked so lost, so utterly confused. It was as though he was grappling with a fear that had taken residence within him, a fear directed at his very own reflection. With his new appearance, you couldn't blame him for feeling this way.

His once familiar face now bore the horns of a demon and he couldn't recognize himself, even with something so minor. He thought he looked awful, and he was at a complete loss on how to process these overwhelming feelings, the weight of his transformation was a burden he didn't know how to carry.

Not that he told you yet, but it wasn't just a physical change he had gone through. There was something deeper and more unsettling happening within him. His urges were growing stronger and more insistent every day. He felt a strange compulsion that he couldn't easily explain. He didn't know how to bring it up with you because he didn't want to scare you or make you worry. The thought of sharing this part of himself was something he was trying to avoid, he feared your reaction more than anything.

He would see you talk to another man, and everything in his body screamed at him to attack. His muscles tensed, his fists clenched, and his heart pounded as primal instincts surged through him. The images and urges that flashed across Kurt's mind scared him deeply, filling him with a sense of dread and confusion. He shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the violent thoughts clouding his mind.

"Nein...I am...not a monster," he muttered to himself, arguing, begging with his own being, his voice trembling with the effort to control his darker impulses. He held onto you, whispering German prayers to himself. The internal struggle was intense, leaving him feeling isolated and tormented, as if he were battling a beast within.

And he was, in a way.

His grip on your hip would be tight, his nails had grown into claws that dug into you, not on purpose but in the moment he couldn't help himself. His yellow eyes glared at the man, his lip curled up slightly to bare his teeth. He snapped out of his descent only when he heard your voice in his ear. "Kurt?? That hurts, a bit..." You winced slightly, your hand gently trying to ease the grip he had on your waist.

He snapped out of it, blinking a few times and letting go. "Liebling....I...es tut mir Leid...." he apologized quietly, his voice barely a whisper. He looked down at his hand once he let go of you, his eyes filled with confusion and concern. "Something is happening to me...I....do not know how to explain it," he continued, his tone tinged with a mix of fear and bewilderment.

What was strange was that a part of him actually liked these new instincts that were surfacing within him. It was a feeling that baffled him, and he hated himself for even entertaining such thoughts. He had always prided himself on his compassion and his desire to never cause harm to anyone, ever.

But now, these intrusive thoughts were invading his mind with increasing frequency, making the idea of causing harm seem so...good, almost irresistible. It was a battle within himself, between the person he had always been and these dark new impulses that threatened to take over. It was like a siren song, beckoning him to come over the brink.

"What do you mean?" you asked him gently, your voice full of understanding and patience. Despite having no idea what was going on, you managed to sound so composed and caring. He was incredibly fortunate to have someone like you by his side. So deeply in love with him, you were always there to protect and support him. Your devotion was unwavering, and it made him feel cherished. So protective. So possessive.

Kurt stared you down intently, his piercing yellow eyes observing your every move. After a moment of intense scrutiny, he grabbed hold of you firmly and tugged you flush against him. You could feel the warmth of his body against yours, and his breathing increased noticeably. You made a sudden gasp of surprise at the unexpected act, your heart pounding in your chest.

He lowered his head closer to you, his forehead gently touching yours, his horns rested delicately on your head. Behind him, his tail thrashed wildly, a clear indication of his heightened emotions. It was obvious that he was either irritated or stressed, as his tail only behaved this way in such situations. The air around you seemed to crackle with tension, making the moment even more intense. His silence didn't help.

"Kurt...?" you squeaked as his hands grasped your ass and squeezed firmly, sending a shiver down your spine. Your eyes widened in surprise and you felt his tail wrap tightly around you, holding you still in a firm, possessive grip.

"Kurt!" you exclaimed, looking around nervously. He had never been so bold before, and this unexpected display of affection caught you off guard. A few playful touches here and there in public were common, sure, but to grab you in such an intimate and brazen manner without a care in the world was completely unlike him.

Your mind raced as you tried to make sense of his sudden audacity, wondering what had prompted this uncharacteristic behavior. "W-what has gotten into you?!" Your voice echoed in his mind, getting lost in the fog clouding his rational thinking. All he could think about right now was you. How good you'd feel, how good you'd taste.

One more shout at him and he seemed to snap out of the hold the dark fog inside of him had. With a blink he pulled back, his cheeks turning violet, "Ach! I-I didn't mean to do that!" Kurt spoke quickly, his voice trembling with urgency, "Es tut mir Leid! I-I'm sorry!" His eyes were wide with concern as he looked at you, clearly distressed.

His hands, which have been on your backside, were retracted up like he had touched an oven, fingers curling as if to protect himself from further harm. The tension in the air was palpable, and you could see the regret etched on his face, his body language screaming apology and fear.

"Kurt, sweetheart...please, talk to me. Tell me what's going on..." You pleaded with him, your hands cupping his cheeks. "I'm not mad because you grabbed my butt either. You've literally been inside me," your words made him stiffen and blush harder, a tiny whine escaping through his trembling lips. "I just want to know what's going on...you're acting so...different. Since those horns sprouted from your head..."

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with a heavy sigh, and looked down to avoid your gaze. The weight of his thoughts made it impossible for him to bring himself to look you in the eye. He felt such shame and embarrassment, fearing you wouldn’t like what you heard. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice trembling with vulnerability.

"I've been... having thoughts. Bad thoughts... these images flash across my mind. They are random sometimes, appearing out of nowhere, but sometimes they happen in the moment," he begins quietly, his words barely audible. "It's like a dark cloud that follows me, casting a shadow over everything. I don't know what to do about it, and I'm scared of what it means. I'm afraid it means I am becoming something horrible..."

You coo softly, your thumbs gently rubbing his cheekbones as you stay quiet, offering him the space and time he needs to get out the words he struggles to voice. "What are they? The thoughts?" you ask gently, your voice barely above a whisper, trying to coax him into sharing more with you so you can have a better understanding.

"Hurting people," Kurt's voice strains, "I don't want to! I don't want to hurt anyone, I'm not a monster... I don't want to be one... but... it's so overwhelming sometimes. It's like every fiber in my body is demanding me to do it," he continues, his voice cracking under the weight of his confession. You can see the torment etched across his face, the internal struggle tearing him apart.

"You aren't a monster, Kurt. This might just...be part of this new development," you said, your voice gentle and reassuring. You stroked up more, feeling the base of his horns, noting the texture and warmth. "You don't act on those thoughts, and that's a good sign. You're not a slave to those intrusive flashes; you recognize that they are wrong, and you don't act on them. That means you aren't the person you imagine you are. You have control, even if it doesn't always feel that way."

"But what if I do act on them," he asks weakly, his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty. "What if I can't control it?"

"Then I will help you," you replied firmly, your eyes locked onto his, full of determination and love. "I'm not worried, because I believe in you." You gave him a tender kiss, showing him all the love you could muster. "Trust me, if you can't trust yourself. We will face this together, and I will be by your side every step of the way. You are not alone in this."

He shed a few tears, and they stained his pretty cheeks in dark lines as they traveled slowly down his face. His pained gaze closed tightly as he bit his lip, trying to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape. "Ich verdiene dich nicht," he whispered weakly, his voice barely audible as it trembled with emotion. His shaky hands held you with such gentle awareness, as if he were afraid to harm you accidentally with his claws.

"You do." You gave him a few more soft kisses, your gentle reassurance helping keep his emotions at bay.

That was a week ago.

Now, you followed the sound of his teleportation and saw him fighting alongside other mutants. You joined in, not knowing what exactly was happening, but seeing enough to know that these soldiers were attacking your home. You were fighting well, your skills made you a confident fighter, but when Kurt spotted you and more soldiers around you, his composure vanished.

That horrible itch he had been so desperate to scratch was finally too overwhelming for him.

The sound of a mighty roar echoed through the air as he lunged at the soldiers with a terrifying intensity. His movements were swift and brutal, attacking them with such ferocity that it left you stunned, unable to process what was happening. Normally, Kurt was known for his preference to incapacitate his opponents, opting to knock them down and out rather than kill them unless absolutely necessary. However, in this moment, he had abandoned his usual morals and principles, casting them aside like a forgotten cloak.

Right now, he was a force of nature, mercilessly ripping into the soldiers with an uncharacteristic savagery that showcased a side of him you had never seen before. You watched with disbelief as Kurt completely ravaged through the soldiers, staying in front of you and snarling with blood caked between his teeth, drooling down his goatee and staining his fuzzy skin. You tried to call out to him, to be the desperate voice of reason in his carnage.

It seemed that your voice fell on deaf ears, and he continued his relentless attack.

He had ruthlessly slaughtered over twelve men within a mere minute, and he didn't seem to have any qualms or remorse about it. The air was thick with tension as he turned to look at you, his chest heaving with heavy breaths like a wild animal after a fierce battle. Slowly, he crawled over to you, inching closer with a predatory grace.

You were frozen in place, paralyzed by the sheer brutality and unfamiliarity of this new Kurt. His eyes, which were usually so expressive and full of life, now seemed glazed over with an emotion you couldn't quite decipher. It was as if a stranger had taken over the body of the man you once knew, leaving you feeling more vulnerable and confused.

He dripped onto you, causing you to whine and hastily wipe the blood off your top. His head lowered against you, his breath warm and uneven. "Kurt...?" you asked weakly, your voice trembling as it escaped your lips.

The sound of your voice made him stiffen slightly, and he leaned back, his intense gaze boring holes into you, scrutinizing every inch of your face. The air around you felt thick with tension, and you could feel the heavy weight of his stare.

His breathing calmed, the rapid rise and fall of his chest slowing to a more steady rhythm, and he stayed where he was, staring at you with an unwavering focus. You swore he seemed more mutated in that moment, his claws were longer, sharper, and his horns almost appeared just as so, curving menacingly.

The changes in his appearance made your heart race even faster, a mixture of fear and concern gnawing at your insides as you wondered what exactly had happened to him. What caused this?

You slowly reached out to him, your hand trembling as it brushed against his cheek, ignoring the blood that spattered across his skin from his recent animalistic attack. The warmth of his skin contrasted sharply with the coldness of the blood. He relayed a quiet growl to you, his eyes blinking slowly, the ferocity gradually fading as he began to regain his senses.

As he came to, he saw the destruction he had caused, the chaos and ruin that lay around him. It was so painfully heart-wrenching to watch him realize the extent of what he had done, the devastation in his eyes made you want to wrap him up and take him away.

"W-what...what did I do..." he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, as he glanced back over his shoulder. He could only bear to look at the bodies for a mere second before quickly averting his gaze in horror and disbelief. "Nein...nein, nein....I didn't...did I??" His bloody hands trembled violently, the crimson stains glaring back at him accusingly, and he made a quiet, heart-wrenching wail, shrinking into himself where he sat, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.

You were right there to catch him, just as you had promised. Gently, you reached out, offering the comfort and support he desperately needed.

"Hey, hey...it..it's okay," you tried to find the words to comfort him, but you realized words weren't enough to ease the pain or fear he was experiencing. So, you chose to just be there for him, offering silent support and understanding. Just you, being a comforting presence in his time of need.

He grabbed you and clung on, crying as he didn't bother holding himself back. He was distraught, the very thing he feared the most had happened. "I'm here." you whispered quietly, your arms wrapped tightly around him as the rest of the world faded away and you became the only thing he could focus on.

"I'm here."

Thanks for reading.

*BAMF*

dividers by @/adornedwithlight

Cover Images: Legion of X #7 (2023); Legion of X #8 (2023); Legion of X #7 (2023)

[girltomato]

sweet girl: the first meeting

max verstappen x reader

warnings: alcohol mention, swearing, negative internal dialogue (?)

max's brain short circuits when he meets a beautiful woman

sweet girl masterlist

somewhere in europe, late summer 2021

Max very rarely went to sponsor events, he didn't really need to considering he was practically a walking billboard most days but he supposed free alcohol wasn't all too bad a compromise for having to socialise with strangers. He'd already had all the typical conversations, the how do you dos and nice to meet yous. Surely by now he had played his part, no one would really know if he just snuck out now.

His attempt at a subtle escape however was quickly trampled as he not so subtly collided with someone. Years of reaction training had his arms moving before his brain even registered the situation, grabbing onto a pair of shoulders as he steadied himself and the stranger in front of him.

"I am so sorry," he apologised, pulling his hands away from the shockingly beautiful woman in front of him. Just his luck, of course he embarrassed himself in front of an absolute ten.

A tinkling laugh distracted him from his misery, the woman's eyes lighting up as she giggled at him. Fucking hell, the earth could just swallow him up right now and he'd be grateful.

"Please don't apologise, it was my fault I wasn't watching where I was going." Her giggles quickly settled into flushed cheeks and an easy smile and she held out a hand to greet him, "I'm Y/n, nice to meet you."

Max quickly wiped his sweaty palms against his shirt before grabbing her smaller hand and giving it a polite, firm shake. God, her hands were soft, he didn't know skin could actually feel like silk, warm and buttery in his hand like it could melt if he held it too long.

"Uhh, Verstappen, Max, no wait, Max Verstappen. Nice to meet you too." he replied, his tongue tripping over his words, still gripping her hand. Oh God, he was gonna go home and lock himself away in his house and never go outside ever again, he thought as he forced himself to drop her hand.

An awkward silence fell between the pair as Max internally begged his body to cool his flushed cheeks and to stop fucking smiling to no avail.

“Sorry, I got in your way.” Y/n concluded, moving aside and gesturing towards the room as if giving him a signal to pass. Was he really going to walk away? If he could just calm down and get a grip, he had the chance to talk to the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on, with her pretty eyes and sparkly smile and her fruity perfume, raspberry he guessed.

A voice called her name from across the room, another woman waving her arms frantically, gesturing to join her at an overcrowded table.

“Um, I have to go. Nice to meet you, Verstappen Max.” she joked, a cheeky smile lighting up her face as took a step back, eyes holding onto his for just a second before she turned and glided over to her friend.

Max stood there for another minute, a statue in the midst of a bustling room before he finally broke out of his state of stupefaction and headed for the exit. Yeah, maybe locking himself inside and never speaking to another woman ever again was the right idea.

first written fic on this acc hello!! fighting the anxiety so hard rn and i am winning. max meets sweet girl for the first time and is a bumbling idiot, fork found in the kitchen. the response on the first smau was crazy i appreciate all the support so much, i actually dont have writers block for the first time in like 2 years so thank u very much internet strangers🤍

likes and reblogs are very much appreciated !!

[bonchobrick]

Duke and Danny bestie fic im co-authoring with some cool people for Patrol Partners! :D

A fic where Duke knows a lot about Gotham’s new problem, ghosts. The Waynes think the worst and assume he’s had some terrible experience with ghosts in the past (in reality is just very happy to talk about his best friends culture and doesnt realize how odd it is that he knows all this stuff)

Or

Duke is pretty much just vibing, the bats are having a meltdown, and Danny is having a blast!

—-

Then Duke pops the question

“So, what are you guys researching?” He asks raising a brow to the papers littered all over the room

Collectively the entire room groans as Duke absentmindedly picks up a paper on the table with the failed, static over-run image.

“We don't know!” Steph bemoans frustrated

Tim starts, “There are new entities–”

“Creatures.” Bruce corrects

Tim casts a piercing glance at his father, “I am pretty sure those are entities. Eye witness reports state that they look fairly human-like–”

Bruce challenges him right back, “Eye witness reports were also very likely to be unfactual, they seemed partially intoxicated. It’s more likely they are some kind of mutated animal.”

His son’s teeth grit, “Even so we still can’t rule out–”

“Oh right, the ghosts are back in town,” Duke's comments, gaze absorbed in the static image

Silence drowns the room as their weary eyes blink at Duke, processing what he had just said.

Then it clicks

“R-repeat that?” Tim stares intensely at Duke

“Um, the ghosts are back? That's what these are.” Duke nervously replies confused, “It’s been a bit since they visited Gotham

Tim opens and closes his mouth, immensely struggling to find any words to say. It seems like the rest of his family is fairing no better, some of them letting out noises of surprise and shock with others trying to hear if they heard that sentence right.

“There used to be ghosts in Gotham?” Bruce says incredulously

“Yeah?” Duke tilts his head, “I mean they don’t like living here with the corrupt ectoplasm but I’m friends with a few ghosts?”

Jason springs on him with wide eyes, “What are ghosts like, personality-wise?”

Duke thinks and responds with the first thought that comes to mind, “Fickle, they can be super friendly or super destructive. They do whatever they’re in the mood to.”

“Are they aggressive?”

“Sure? Sometimes?” Duke blinks at them bewildered before a petty smile crosses his lips, “They can be, hmm, commanding.”

Dicks eyes turn cold and protective, “What–”

“Listen guys,” Duke backs away from the discussion going with his internal task list in mind, “I gotta go wrap up putting together all my documents for my topic on my science fair project so uh, see-ya!”

The second youngest bounces out of the cave and the rest of the family stare dumbstruck at him.

New entities (ghosts?) pop up in Gotham + Duke describes them as fickle and commanding =

Duke is being made to do things for Ghosts who can be kind and cruel which =

= Duke is being bullied by Ghosts?!

Not on their Bat-watch!

Damian is already sharpening his ‘not murder tools’, Tim has sprung into research on the bat computer and the rest of the family have already dipped into Gotham ready to search for these perps!

Paranoid Family #1 will help Duke’s ghost problem starting now!

( pssst heres the fic :)

[duckwithablog]

⋰ ⊹˚. ♡ Alone on Valentines? ⋰ ⊹˚. ♡

I was halfway done before most of this got deleted. I am going to scream cry and convulse on the floor. As it's way to late for me to be awake rn, I'll just do this in two parts, for the sake of my sanity </33

I know for a fact that most of us are probably gonna be spending this Valentine's alone, reading fanfic, and honestly same. But let's imagine for a second that that isn't the case.

The turtles react to you being alone on Valentines Day

GN reader, romantic, crushing/pining, fluff

Raphael

flabbergasted

like that's his initial reaction

i imagine that you guys would just be chilling in the lair, talking, and you slip out that you might be spending valentine's alone

he goes "oh, okay!" before he double takes and says

"wait- really?"

he honestly thought that you would've had a date for valentine's this year

because like... why wouldn't you? you're so attractive, and charming, and lovable, who wouldn't want to date you?

no matter how you feel about being alone (unbothered, sad, etc etc) raph will do everything he can to make you feel better

you don't deserve to be alone! no one does!

so he proudly states that "if you don't have anyone to spend the day with, then raph'll spend it with you! there! now you won't be alone anymore."

he says this all with this big smile

doesn't realize that he basically just asked to be your date

you realize it tho

ofc, you say yes, because who can say no to raph?

and raph just nods to himself, proud, before he processes what he just said

oh. he just scored a date with you.

jaw drops at this realization. OH. HE JUST SCORED A DATE. WITH YOU.

BY ACCIDENT??

vows to make this the best valentine's you'll ever experience

it might be hard, being a giant turtle and all, but by pizza supreme is he gonna try his best anyways

Donatello

bro you didn't even tell him this information

he literally eavesdropped on your conversation with april while he was nearby

pretends to be really engrossed in whatever he was doing while he strains to listen to what you guys are saying

is also confused when he finds out. according to his statistics, you have plenty of qualities that make you attractive. so why are you spending valentine's alone?

forgets that the data he used to make said statistics are based off of his experiences with you. He then considers that maybe not everybody got butterflies in their stomach whenever you were around

BRO HAD TO REMIND HIMSELF THAT NOT EVERYONE HAD A CRUSH ON YOU LMAO

when april leaves the room, he internally goes aha! an opportunity! and tries to make a move

he acts cool as he talks to you, but don't be fooled, he is internally combusting

not so subtly suggests that you should spend valentine's in the lair with him instead of being alone. tells you that not all love is romantic, and as... friends... you guys have a right to celebrate today as well

damn he is not making this easier on himself

of course, his brothers and april are gonna be there too!! obviously!!

you get to spend time with all of them.

... mostly with donnie, though. especially with donnie.

if you agree, he'd say "perfect! shall we call it a date, then?"

say yes. the look on his face and the growing blush on his cheeks is so worth it

[hurtspideyparker]

Hi, sorry but could you recommend any of your favourite Peter Parker fics please?

For sure !!! *cracks open ao3 bookmarks*

Thirty Hours by polaroid15 - Peter doesn't take any breaks during a lengthy fight with the Avengers. The mind-melting fever that follows really should have been expected.

Hurt Peter Parker, my favourite tag <3 I love when Spider-Man is a badass and also lacks self-preservation. He's so cool fighting alongside the Avengers and we get some sweet hurt/comfort irondad!

Fitting In (Tiny Spaces) by aloneintherain - Peter's trapped beneath a collapsed building during a mission, hurt and unable to move. Luckily, his comm still works. Unluckily, the Avengers don’t realise how bad of a state Peter is in, and Peter isn’t inclined to tell them.

This fic is an icon in the fandom and for GOOD REASON. I just can not get enough of Peter Parker hiding his injuries. More heavy whump and angst!

All good things come in threes by Bergen - Peter has three secret identities: Spider-Man, the superhero who swings around the city to save people. Parker Benjamin, who gives Tony Stark unsolicited advice on his research. And NightMonkey, the Instagrammer who keeps uploading increasingly popular but embarrassing drawings of Iron Man.

And he can juggle them all just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Okay here is the fluff!!! Peter is a genius, a menace, and a sweetheart. Tony Stark runs into him (again and again) and can't help but have a soft spot for him every time. Funny and cute and an all 'round good time!

Held Together by Spiderwebs by TunaFishChris - Steve is not coping well in the twenty-first century. At all. Three months after the Chitauri invasion, he decides he's had enough.

But just as he's about to end it all, he runs into the new hero in town.

This one focuses a lot on Steve but I really like him and Peter's relationship in it, and I think this is great Peter Parker characterization. TW for discussions of depression and suicide, it gets a bit dark!

5 Times Spider-Man Saved an Avenger's Ass (and 1 Time They Saved Him) by TunaFishChris - this fic showcases how strong and capable Peter is, he's definitely a BAMF. I really like this genre where the Avengers know Spider-Man but not Peter Parker, makes Peter feel more independent and mature like in the comics.

Five Time Faculty Members Had to Call Peter's Emergency Contact + One Time He Shows Up Anyway, Five Times Tony Stark's Fabled Intern Just Showed Up + One Time He Was Invited, and Five Times Strangers Talked About Peter and Tony + One time Someone They Know Did by kingdomfaraway - I am just gonna recommend this entire series. Super fluffy, extreme irondad and spiderson. They're just adorable from an outside perspective and I love when Peter gets to just be Tony's intern and a teenager for a while :)

research and disaster by blueh - “So, uh, Mr. Stark definitely knows Roomba-Kid,” Becket says and discreetly tilts his head in the direction of the pair.

“Oh my god,” Jess says. She almost sounds gleeful. “Oh my god, he’s not just some random kid. He’s Mr. Stark’s kid.”

or: the interns at Stark Industries have some questions about Peter Parker. The answers aren’t quite what they expect.

I just love intern Peter mk? Let him be a kid genius and have fun!!! Fluffy and humorous, again with the irondad.

Captain, Oh My- Not My Captain! by uncouth_peasant - Peter swallowed hard before firing a web to swing into the fray. “Cap’s going after civilians. I’m out of time.”

Bruised and bloody men <3. Just Peter being a badass and getting beat to a pulp. Cool fighting, lots of Peter whump, and of course the Avengers being protective.

Good publicity by Bergen - Between Peter Parker barely speaking, and Spider-Man being the ultimate chatterbox, how was Tony ever supposed to figure out that they were one and the same person?

Tony Stark is secretly a softie for cute kids, especially when they're a genius and have a sense of humour to rival his own. Peter is a foster kid who ends up finding a home with Pepper and Tony, very sweet.

The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle - When Ben is murdered Peter goes into foster care. It takes just a tiny taste of superpowers for Peter to decide he doesn’t want to put up with his horrible foster father anymore—the streets are infinitely more appealing. All he wants is to be Spider-Man anyway.

So he leaves, simple.

Simple, that is, until Iron Man needs Spider-Man’s help.

Heavy TW for this one, mind the tags. This is a popular fic and for good reason. A very mature and realistic portrayal of the foster care system and homelessness. The Peter angst is really great and I could barely put it down, that boy needs a hug so bad.

Now here's some hydra!Peter fics cuz they're my jam:

Peter is a precious chickpea by Bergen - They attack the HYDRA safe house shortly before sunrise.

The only people defending said safe house are Peter and Leo, and Leo slams his cell door open and starts spitting out orders, but then promptly gets clobbered over the head and keels sideways.

So that just leaves Peter. And he’s not even going to try to fight a whole team of Avengers. He looks up at Iron Man filling the doorway. “I surrender.”

He’s never been captured before and he’s not sure what to do. Escape, probably.

This entire series is PERFECT. I just love how adorable Peter is, and all the relationships Peter forms with the Avengers absolutely melt my heart. Peter's characterization in this is really unique and I wish there was more. The Bucky and Peter friendship is everythingggg. I love hydra!peter and bucky fics.

Indoctrination by phoenixon - The Avengers thought they were on a typical assignment: Infiltrate the Hydra base and find the weapon. What they didn't expect was the small boy raised by Hydra that they found instead. And they definitely didn't expect him to stay at Avengers Tower or how he somehow wormed his way into their lives. As for Peter, he just wants to be good and obey what the Hydra men told him so he doesn't get in trouble.

I just really love hydra Peter changing into a sweet and intelligent boy once he's rescued and safe, and how all the Avengers take up such heart-warming parental roles around him.

out there, living in the sun by Hailfire_73 - The Avengers rescue Peter from a Hydra base ran by his father, Richard Parker, except Peter doesn't really see it as a rescue, and has trouble settling into a new life away from Hydra and his father at the Avengers compound. OR - Peter learns how to be an actual teenager, live life, and put his abusive past behind him, and Tony learns how to be a father.

Hydra Peter but he's most definitely a traumatized and moody teenager. I really enjoyed Peter's character arc and the exploration of his trauma. It felt more realistic the way his journey isn't just a straight or clear path. He's more mature in this one and it was a really compelling read, balancing the angst with some humour and fluff. Loved the ending.

Tinker, Tailor, Spider by Bergen - Tony is roped into a mission to transport a teenager to safety. But when things go south, it soon becomes more and more puzzling who the teenager is and what ‘safety’ means for him.

I really enjoy that the author doesn't water Peter being hydra down. Yes he is a highly skilled assassin and a badass who's trauma pervades his every thought and decision. Made me fall in love with the Tony, Pepper, Morgan and Peter as a family dynamic. Super domestic while still highlighting Peter's troubled past.

[etoiile]

in which chigiri picks you up in a very, very drunken state. tw: mentions of alcohol, swearing.

"stop it! let me go!"

chigiri sighed. this was going to be a long walk.

"i have a boyfriend, you know! he plays soccer. he'll kick your ass!"

"mhm. is he good?"

"yes. sooooo good... hes really fast too. like, super fast! like, the speed of light times a trillion! like speedy legend lightning mcqueen! huh... hes even got red hair like mcqueen... OH MY GOD IS MY BOYFRIEND MCQUEEN?!"

chigiri just kept on guiding you along the sidewalk as you practically screeched out to the whole world every innermost thought you had. when he got a call from your friend at 2am telling him that you were drunk as fuck and he needed to come right away, he did, but he had no idea it was this bad.

"sounds like your boyfriend is very talented. is he handsome?" he mused, a bit curious to see what you'd say.

a silly grin broke out onto your face. "soooooooo handsome. hes like the most beautiful creature on earth!" chigiri's face flushed red.

"he's a miiiiiiillion times hotter than you!" chigiri didnt know what to think about that.

"nah, i'm pretty hot." he grinned, set you down from his back, and turned to face you. "don't you think so?"

you shoved against his chest. "stranger, let me go! you fucker! my hyoma is gonna rescue me like im a damsel in distress! 'cause i am! im a princess. im HIS princess. wait, no. he's the princess. omg we're princess twins!" you giggled.

you were completely falling over and tripping around, even though you weren't moving. you just laughed and laughed and laughed, and chigiri found himself chuckling, too.

"ugh, i'm tired. i cant get away from you. you're strong, stranger." you suddenly began feeling his chest, which may chigiri flush, but also a bit conflicted, seeing as you thought you were feeling a stranger's chest.

"woah. you've got a tooooon of lean muscle. like hyoma! huh... you've even got red hair, like hyoma. 'nd pink eyes, too..."

chigiri thought that this would be the moment you recognized him, but...

"wow! you look just like hyoma! but different. he's more handsome."

he internally facepalmed and just picked you up again to keep walking home.

"hey, stranger. where are you taking me?" you asked, strangely quiet. "are you kidnapping me? is this where i die?"

he chuckled. "yeah, i am. im gonna take you to my hideout and keep you all to myself."

you were quiet for a moment. "hm. thats ok."

"thats ok?"

"yeah." you replied, yawning. "hyoma will save me. i know he will."

chigiri's face flushed a bit at hearing all your praise, he was about to say something, but noticed that you had fallen asleep. he chuckled to himself as he kept walking, just enjoying the cool night breeze and your soft snores.

𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐈𝐈𝐋𝐄 ©𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 please do not copy or repost my work on any other site. interactions appreciated! 🤍

[devilstruly]

TRUE BEAUTY

pairing - kuroo tetsuro x gn. reader

includes - mutual pining, not really confessing but also not being very subtle about it either, late night talking, commenting on the plot of a kdrama. y/n mentioned once but i promise i had a good reason

a/n - this is mostly inspired by my internal monologue while watching the show, ergo the reader is rooting for seo-jun (i'm biased sorry). also reader is ticklish. i know it's another kuroo one i'm sorry but this man is so ugh

1.14 am

‘That's fucking adorable! Fuckkkk, why is he so cute! Oh my god!’ 

You found yourself snuggled into Kuroo's side comfortably, with his arm draped over the back of the couch and a blanket shared between the two of you. 

‘What the fuck is cute about that?!’ He rolled his eyes at your reaction, his arm flailing around to emphasize his words.

‘He's making up rumors about them dating!’

‘Yeah because he likes her! He just doesn't know how to express his feelings, okay? He's traumatized.’ 

‘Everyone is traumatized, that's not an excuse. Plus, don't you always say it's best to be upfront about things?’

‘He is being upfront about it! She's just oblivious!’ 

'Like you would know.'

Kuroo turned his head to the side slightly so he could mumble a response, quietly enough so that you couldn't pick up on it.

‘What was that?’ 

‘Nothing. I just can't believe you're making excuses for that asshole.’ 

Hadn't it been for you being very deeply invested into the drama as well, you would definitely giggle at Kuroo's persistence.

But alas, that wasn't the case. 

‘That's because he has a bike and good fashion sense.’ 

Kuroo huffed. ‘What's with you and bikes?’

While stating your answer, you shifted your position slightly so you'd be more comfortable, and in addition, almost naturally, Kuroo's arm wrapped around your shoulder to pull you closer.

‘They're cool.’ You replied with a grin, to which Kuroo huffed again. ‘Oh and, I like his eyes too. They're similar to yours.’

Not thinking much of your words, you continued to watch the show unfold, head resting on Kuroo's chest. You had almost forgotten about what you said, but Kuroo finally broke the silence after a while.

‘You like my eyes?’  

Barely paying attention to the television, he now faced you fully, thankful to the darkness of the room for hiding his blush. 

‘Hm? Oh yeah.’ As you finally acknowledged the proximity when you lifted your head, you could feel a blush of your own starting to creep up on your neck.

‘They're really pretty.’ You added after not being able to look away from the golden hues for god knows which time.

With a small smile you went back to your initial position, pulling the blanket tighter around yourself whilst Kuroo tried his best to process the newly received information. 

2.01 am

‘No! No, you dumb fuck! Ugh!’ 

A loud groan echoed in the room before you covered your face with your hands in agony. Kuroo's hand was patting your back gently, though not very sincerely since he was wearing a satisfied expression as he watched the screen. 

‘There there.’ 

‘Fuck off, you like this!’ 

With a huff you untangled yourself from Kuroo's limbs, scooting all the way to the other end of the couch. 

‘I just think it works better!’ Kuroo himself raised his hands in defense, but his smile remained. 

‘Bullshit! He is clearly the better option! He treats her so much better!’ 

‘But they're already dating and she loves her boyfriend. Besides, nothing's wrong with him either.’

‘No it's not, but Seo-jun is simply better.’ 

‘You're just biased because he has a bike.’

‘I'm not! I mean yeah that's a plus, but not that important! He even gave her the keys, come on!’ 

‘Oh so if it were you, you'd dump Soo-ho?’

You immediately recognized the sly undertone in Kuroo's voice and huffed whilst you turned to face him.

‘That's not what I'm saying. And she shouldn't dump him. She shouldn't be with him in the first place. Ugh, this is why relationships are dumb.’

This seemed to get the man's attention, and he readjusted his position on the couch, now barely looking at the TV. 

‘You don't want a relationship?’ His tone became much softer than the previous question, which to you was a clear indicator that the conversation had suddenly become serious. 

You chose to write the change off as the late hour delirium. 

‘I mean…it's not that I don't want it, it's just like- not right now. I don't know. I mean if the person I like is - um - will be someone I can't imagine my life without, then I'd drop this…way of thinking.’

‘Oh.’ 

The one syllable Kuroo managed to get out had you turning your head towards him in confusion, only to be met with the sight of him mumbling something under his breath. 

Opting not to point it out at the moment, you tried to distract him instead. 

‘And you?’ His head shot up in an instant. ‘What's your take on relationships?’ 

Suddenly looking anywhere but you, Kuroo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, making you raise your eyebrows as a silent way of urging him to reply. 

‘Uh…I don't- well- that's a lot of work that I don't have time for. But I think they're…great.’ 

He mentally cursed himself for his choice of words. 

‘So…’ You began, a dangerously serious expression on your face. ‘...If you were to like someone that liked you back…what would you do?’ 

Patiently waiting for an answer, you hugged your knees to your chest and rested your cheek on top of them. Unable to formulate a reply, Kuroo blinked a couple of times before taking a deep breath and slowly letting the words leave his mouth. 

‘I suppose…I would ask them out.’ 

‘Oh? Good to know.’ Your eyes widened in surprise, and a teasing smile graced your features before you turned your attention back towards the television. 

On the contrary, Kuroo still sat frozen in place, eyes glued to your side profile. 

‘Wh- what do you mean good to know?! For what?!’ 

‘Shhhh, I'm watching my husband.’ 

‘Nuh uh. Explain.’

Your attempts to distract your friend proved futile and with a frustrated sigh you defended yourself.

‘There's nothing to explain!’

‘Yes there is.’

‘Not.’ 

‘y/n.’ 

‘Tetsuro.’ 

‘Oh so we're on Tetsuro now?’ 

The sudden change in Kuroo's tone was drastic enough to cause you to tense, not turning to face him for the sake of saving youtself from a heart attack. 

‘I- forget I said that.’ You blurted out once you finally mustered up the courage to look at him. As quickly as you said that you turned your head back around, failing to notice an idea flash across Kuroo's face. 

Shuffling sounds reached your ears but you paid them no mind, until you felt a pair of hands tickling your sides. On instinct you squealed and flinched away, but with the man's quick reflexes it made no difference. 

‘Wait wait- stop! Kuroo!’ You managed to get out between tears of laughter and uncontrollable shaking, much to Kuroo's entertainment. 

‘I'll stop when you explain yourself.’ The smile on his face kept growing by each passing moment whilst your cries became louder. 

‘I will! Just- stop- please!’ Your words were barely audible by this point, but Kuroo decided to be generous and simply flopped on top of you. 

With his ear right above your heart, he could feel the rapid thumps and the heavy breathing whilst you tried to calm down. 

It was once you finally managed to get your senses back that you became aware of your position, and so your heart rate remained quick as it was. 

‘Kuroo?’ 

‘Hm?’ 

‘What are you doing?’ 

‘Me? Nothing ~’ 

Even though it was hard to see, you could practically feel the smile on his face growing. However, not minding the situation much, your hands threaded through his hair curiously and in return Kuroo became more at ease. 

3.46 am

‘Kuroo.’ 

‘I'm sleeping.’ 

‘Then go to bed.’ 

‘Just one more episode.’ 

The drowsiness started enveloping him progressively, yet he made no effort to acknowledge it - and neither did you. 

‘Fine.’ 

[enhadiares]

“GAME OVER”

Chapter 1 | Let the game begin

👾A/N: I AM FINALLY STARTING A SERIES! It's very exciting but since it's my first time after my hiatus so I hope you guys like it!

👾Pairing: enha x fem!reader

👾Warning: This is all fictional!

👾Synopsis: Bound within the confines of a virtual realm, a group of friends must decipher its mysteries to secure their freedom. Amidst the labyrinth of challenges, they encounter a formidable adversary - a lurking shadow who controls their fate. As alliances fracture and betrayals unfold, they must confront not only the puzzles of the game but also the sinister presence that seeks to keep them imprisoned. Only by overcoming both external threats and internal conflicts can they hope to break free from the shadows within the game

A new dawn breaks in one of the bustling state of the United States, with the sun casting its usual bright rays, offering a glimmer of hope to some for a better day ahead.

Amidst it, boredom creeps in, despite the anticipation of summer vacations being fun and exhilarating, right?

Well, not for you.

The shrill ring of your black device snaps you out of your reverie, prompting you to answer.

"Look who's on the line! It's the white sheep!" you exclaim upon picking up the call.

"Why the crankiness, woman? I called because we're considering checking out the new arcade that recently opened" Jungwon, the young man, explains.

"A new arcade? Count me in!" you reply eagerly, rising from your seat with excitement finally brewing. You've always adored arcades and never shy away from expressing it.

"Alright, my lady, come over to my place at 5, and we'll head out together" he chuckles at your enthusiasm.

"Sure thing, Mr. Sheep Garden" you retort playfully before hanging up. You flop onto your bed, letting out a scream into your pillow while kicking your feet in the air.

Now, that's what a vacation should feel like.

••••••

The following day dawns, and you wake up a bit later than usual due to the excitement from the previous night hindering your sleep.

After completing your morning routine in the bathroom, you emerge in a robe, pondering over what to wear.

After much deliberation, you settle on a stunning Y2K fashion ensemble.

Once dressed, you gaze at your reflection in the mirror, feeling thoroughly satisfied with the result.

Hailing an Uber, you head to Jungwon's house as planned, the journey taking approximately 15 minutes.

Upon arriving at the house, you press the doorbell, and a familiar face greets you with a beaming smile.

"She's here, guys!!" he announces excitedly, his happiness infectious.

"Didn't expect such a warm welcome! You're like a ray of sunshine, so bright" you remark, sharing in his enthusiasm.

This is Sunoo, the embodiment of cheerfulness within the group. His actions are naturally endearing, and his voice resonates like that of an angel.

"Hey, what's the hold-up? Let her in first" another voice interjects, followed by a playful tap on Sunoo's head.

It's Jay, the nurturing figure of the group, known for his caring nature and impeccable sense of style. Though he plays the role of the group's guardian, his fashion choices exude sophistication and elegance, earning him admiration from all.

With a smile, you step into the house, unaware of the lurking presence in the shadows nearby.

Inside, the rest of the group awaits, each offering their own unique greeting as you enter.

Jake bounds toward you like an excited puppy, his invisible tail wagging with joy as he envelops you in a tight hug.

"Calm down, Layla's dad" you giggle, reciprocating his affection.

Sunghoon follows with a firm handshake, his demeanor as cool as ice, a nod to his past figure skating exploits , but he doesn't lack warmth nor humour.

"Oh yes, Mr. Icy" you wink, returning his handshake with equal firmness.

"Look here comes the sheep" you proclaim with a hint of sass as Jungwon greets you with a lively laugh, his playful demeanor belying his natural leadership qualities.

"Call me something cool, woman, 'sheep' sounds so childish" he teases, adding to the playful banter.

Next is Niki, the youngest of the group, greeting you with a wide smile and a brotherly hug. "Yessir," you both exclaim simultaneously, sharing a bond forged in mischief and camaraderie.

Finally, Heeseung, the group's ace, joins in, his mastery evident in everything he does.

"What are you waiting for, Bambi boy?" you jest, opening your arms for a hug, which he accepts with a smile.

As the group settles in, a figure emerges from the bushes outside, a smirk playing across their lips.

"All the players are assembled," they declare with a hint of mischief.

And with that, the stage is set.

Let the game begin.

[threepandas]

Bad End: Superior

When you join the military, there's a certain level of assumed risk. You're already aware that they're probably going to ask you to do things. Some of which? You might not be cool with. Internally, you have to decide where you'll be drawing the line. Where "just following orders" fucking ENDS. Especially, when, you join the military... and they assign you someplace that dumps a stack of NDAs in front of you to sign.

That stack had been about as big as a toddler.

And then... then there WERE toddlers. A compound. Deep in the ass pit of no where. Technology so cutting edge, I'm genuinely surprised it doesn't bleed people to turn on. The project? Fucking Super Soldiers.

Because of COURSE it would be.

Fuck Ethics, am I right? Rights? Those are for government officials! Now follow orders and shut up, or we'll direct your attention to the miles of uninterrupted wilderness, in which NO ONE WILL EVER FIND YOU. But, hey! You can't technically call us monsters! We're PAYING you~!

So obviously it's YOUR fault!

Every day. Every SINGLE DAY. I felt sick.

This isn't what I signed up for. How the HELL does this protect anybody? Serve ANYBODY? I felt unclean. Lost weight. My sleep cycle was a wreck. I... I couldn't fucking DO this, and it SHOWED.

I was clearly the weak link.

While others settled in? I got tense. Worn down. Sick. My contract stated I HAD to finish my rotation, so that's what was going to happen. And if the medic had to put me on sleep meds? So be it. If I had to take anti-anxiety pills? Down the hatch. Everything was shit and I FELT like shit.

I should have bagged groceries, fuck "better pay".

The guys here? Were so, SO shitty to the Soldiers. Like it was THEIR fault they might replace us. Like they even WANTED too or were give a fucking CHOICE. I had no idea how any of this was legal. Was pretty sure it WASN'T. I just... I just wanted OUT.

Room to breathe. To process my fucking horror, you know?

Instead? Day after day. I got up. Swallowed more and more fucking pills. Felt more and more exhausted and run down. Checked one more god forsaken day off the calendar until I could get OUT of here. Dressed, in uniform, and looking only halfway like I wanted to die. Try to get some breakfast.

Inevitably, INEVITABLY, have to fucking stop and interfere, with some shit head messing with a Solider. Usually one of the smaller ones. The kids. Because the big ones could Fight BACK. Break a man in fuck HALF. So the cowards went after kids instead.

Fuckers.

Get to breakfast late. Oops! They tossed out the leftovers! Didn't think you were cooooming~ Bullshit. It's retribution for stopping their fucked up games. Ratting them out to the scientists. The brass. Shoves as they go pass. Make my own damn breakfast. As I always do.

Eat alone.

Go to my office. Far side of the compound. Pass a shit ton of Soldiers. The little ones always stare. Like owls. Used to be creepy, got over it. It's how they learn. Do the jackasses honestly think? That putting me in the glorified broom closet, that is the satellite security office, is a punishment? Ha!

I stole a mini fridge weeks ago. Built a fucking nest in here.

It's like a second bunk.

Unlike SOME PEOPLE, the Soldiers actually fucking behave themselves. Honestly, they behave a little TOO much. I'm technically supposed to report a lot of the little behaviors I've seen so they can be "corrected". But would you look at THAT! I was on my break! Oh look, a painting. What's this? A text? Oops. I Saw NOTHING.

Eat shit and DIE, Dr. Atrocities!

At least... that's how my day is SUPPOSED to go. Something's? Weird.

I can't place it. But no one else seems to have NOTICED, so it HAS to probably have something to do with the Soldiers. Since I seem to be the only one on this fucking compound that actually LOOKS looks at them. Notices them, you know? Alpha isn't where he's supposed to be.

He's the OG. The proof of concept. Our so called "perfect" Soldier. He's usually in the center of the pack, leading around various Soldiers task to task. Giving orders. Generally in charge. If you look for HIM, you can get a read on things. Figure out what's up. But...

Huh.

No Alpha. No first series. Not even second wave. Worse, none of the cadets. There SHOULD be at least a FEW munchkins hanging around. Observing this or that. Following SOMEBODY like lil Owl ducklings. Yet? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Just... general Soldiers...

The little hairs prickle on the back of my neck. A stone settles in my gut. I... I decide to skip breakfast. Not hungry. Don't feel like cooking. It... it has nothing to do with the fact that my office? Has some SERIOUS blast doors. Legit bunker all on its own. Even it's own air supply, for a while.

Y...you know,

In CASE.

They never told us... what "in case" WAS.

But if I walker a little faster then normal? Don't make eye contact with anybody? Can't... Can't HELP but notice? Even HERE, where there SHOULD be a shit ton of diversity? There fucking ISN'T? Well that's between me and the blast doors.

Just three doors away from my office when the Emergency Alarm System goes off.

I fucking BOLT the remaining distance.

Throwing myself inside my office, I SLAM the door closed. Engage the highest level locks possible. Something in my gut is screaming at me. The long seconds it takes to slide into place with a mountainous THUNK, feel like an eternity. Muffled, the alarm howl on outside. I... I think I hear gun fire. Shit.

I throw myself into my chair.

Systems, up. Screens, On. What is HAPPENING?

Horror awaits me. The Carnage I always half knew was coming.

The Soldiers are armed. Synchronized. As though this were just another seige simulation. There is a VICIOUSNESS to their actions, as they cut down the doctors. Hunt down the soldier's that abused them. Held them here. They are freeing themselves and will not rest until every soul in this base is DEAD.

Fuck.

I both understand but unfortunately, kinda want to LIVE.

There's no way I'll be able to get past them. Their senses are better then mine. They are faster then me. Stronger then me. Generally BETTER then me. They were DESIGNED to be. I can... can only wait them out... hopefully.

Alpha is nearly a blur. Every shot hitting its mark. The guns becoming bludgeoning weapons when bullets run out. Table and chairs, people and armor, everything around him improvised weaponry. He's grinning like he's never had more fun in his life. Like he's FINALLY been allowed to cut loose after so long holding back.

His head is on the swivel though. Searching? For what?

The other base line's try to hold the line but...

I close my eyes. Their screams echoing through tinny speakers in my tiny office. They were absolute fucking bastards. I... I HATED them. But no one... NO ONE deserves to go like this. Oh god. According to protocol, I need to send the emergency alarm again if the cut the main office.

There's a "break glass" box I've been curious about but never thought I'd ever have to OPEN. High up on a shelf. My legs feel shakey, but I get it.

They gave me a key when they assigned me to this office. Shoved in among everything else. A lazy afterthought. Part of my uniform. Now, I take it from around my neck and unlock the box.

One standard gun and a small vial of suicide pills.

Oh god.

"She's not here. Spread out."

My head snaps up to the screens. As though somehow that will change the horrifying words I just heard Alpha say. The alarms still wail, red lights flashing, but the hallways have... oh god, have fallen silent. Bodies line them. Blood staining the God forsaken white I've come to hate so much. Alpha looks so relaxed.

Pleased even. Like everything has gone exactly as he's planned.

One of the first series hand him a pad uncaring of his bloody hands. Chances are high that samn thing is connected to the servers. It looks like on of the scientists. I watch in dread as Alpha's eyes scroll across it. As it taps through several screens. Hums. He grins.

He rolls his head up, as though merely stretching his shoulders and neck, an almost loose and lazy act. If it weren't for the INTENT in his smile. The predatory look in his eyes. Up and over his shoulder. Too look behind him at the camera.

Directly At Me.

Fuck, he knows.

He hands off the pad with an almost lazy toss. Turning sharply to march forward in a way that made me think of wolves. My hand closed around the gun in the box before me, breathing turning shallow, as I watched him take a direct path towards me. Why? WHY? Is it because I'm the only one who's left?

My eyes tracked to the other screens. The agony there.

The little bottle that offered a way out.

I... fuck it, I wasn't waiting. I slammed my hand down on the back up Emergency Alarm. Even if they cut the main office now, mine would still sent the alert. And... oh god. And at least, this should be FAST. I popped the bottle open. Gun aimed at the door. Bottle in my off hand, ready to go. I tried to remember what i was told to do. Just... just pop, chew, and swallow.

It'll only hurt for a moment.

Better then THAT, I guess, but it was... it was so fucked up.

Alpha was coming down the hall. N... No more stalling. My eye sight blurred. Hands fucking shook. God, damn it. God DAMN IT! I didn't even want to BE HERE! W...WHY?! Why did it have too-!?

It... it didn't matter.

Not now.

Not anymore, I guess.

I threw the pills back. Chewed. They were bitter. Salty. Swallowed. Some part of my brain whispered... that... that wasn't right. I recognized the poison on the bottle. Shouldn't it be swee-? No, focus. Keep your gun steady. What's done is done. No going back.

Alpha was outside my office.

"Interesting door, princess." He said, projecting his voice so I could hear it through the blast doors. I could see him. Standing dead center of a squad of Soldiers. They crowded the hallway in a loose half circle. "Looks real secure! Rather safe. But why all the hiding, sweetheart? A man might get his feelings hurt. Think you're running AWAY from him or something. And you KNOW we can't have THAT!"

"So I suggest you open up... before I Do It For You."

My hands were shaking. More and more. Heart pounding. Mouth felt... dry? It was happening. Limbs felt weak. My vision swam a little then refocused. Did so again. Again... AGAIN, louder, my brain insisted that wasn't right. These were the wrong symptoms. But... but who CARED, right? Fatal is fatal.

But... but only if it IS.

What if...

A horrific screech of metal. I jerked my head to look at the screen for the hallway out side. No. No he can't possibly-! Arm wrapped in spare armor, likely taken from some poor man's corpse, Alpha's RIGHT ARM is elbow deep in the door.

I watch, numb, as he draw it to the side. Bending screeching, groaning metal out of his way as he does. Lock components carelessly ripped out. Dumped on the floor. My breathing comes faster. I can barely see. It's... fuck. It's been too long for the pills to have been what they said they were.

Someone switched them.

What the HELL did I swallow?

I watch helplessly as my supposed bunker is forced open. A flimsy wooden door the last barrier. It swings open. I fuckin shoot. No one was there, because of course not, he's not an idiot. I just... I JUST-! A hand, calloused and stronger then steel, wraps around mine. Grip tight as it gently forces the gun away and to the side. Drags it from my grip.

I can't move... my arm falls limp at my side as the last of my strength and focus fade away. Colors are blurry at the edges. Alpha LOOMS. Tall and powerful in a way that terrifies me. I tried to be polite to the guy. Keep my distance. Clearly... clearly wasn't enough... God, I'm so scared. Please...

"Oh~ Look At YOU~" he breathes, hands that wreak of copper coming up to cradle my feverish face. Crowding close as he traps me against my chair. "Tried to take the easy way out, huh? Naughty girl. That's not gonna a fun one. But you'd have to learn eventually that you can't run, so might as well, huh? Don't worry, sweetness. Alpha team's got you."

I try to move. Protest. Anything. But my limbs won't respond. I feel lips, possessive and demanding, against my own.

"God, you're so fucking cute, pathetic like this~" Alpha groans, clearly fighting the impulse to let his hands roam "Wish it was just us. I've got MONTHS to make up. Second I find us a bed, princess, I promise. I'll take you APART~"

He reaches out, casually, to shut the alarms down. The compound falling silent. The... the other alarm was deactivated. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him effortlessly type in the "all clear" code with one hand. As though he'd practiced. He... he had, hadn't he... oh god, I was trapped.

"Shhhh, sweetness. No more tears. Just you 'n me, 'gainst the world, yeah? We're going to be PERFECT. I've got it all planned out."

"Now let's get you down to the labs. It's time to make you superior."

[rhaecerys-velaryo]

Bodyguard!Ghost x MafiaPrincess!Reader

part two

Summary: Ghost is the newly hired bodyguard for y/n and he's the type to never take no for an answer. It's his way or the high way. However, y/n is a little spoiled and you are determined to go to your best friend's birthday party even if it means flirting with your new bodyguard.

Warning: a bit of a spoiled brat and whiny y/n but nothing too much.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"It's a no for you, y/n. You are not allowed to party tonight," Ghost said as his body leaned on the doorframe, towering over you.

He had his hunky arms crossed as his deep ocean eyes stared at yours. He's the recently-hired bodyguard recruited by your father. Unfortunately, he is quite annoying and overly controlling.

"Now, go back to your room or else..." his tone was stern and commanding, making it clear that you would face consequences if you disobeyed him.

"But it's boring in my room!" y/n whined a little. "And what's the use of a bodyguard like you when you can't protect me without locking me up like some kind of prisoner!" You were already ready in your red bodycon dress and overcoat, your five inch heels did nothing against the bodyguard's tall height.

He couldn't help but chuckle at your little outburst. You looked incredibly cute when you were upset, especially with your pouting face and your tiny frame compared to his large muscular build. But that didn't change his firm stance.

"I am protecting you by not letting you go out and do God knows what." He responded eith his gruff voice

He pushed himself off the doorframe and stepped closer to you, his eyes narrowing. "You're not going anywhere tonight."

"I doubt I'm the worst hire you had. I rarely go out and it's not like I'm a daredevil. Come on....whatever your name is. I'll be a good girl." Y/n tried to convince him with your infamous puppy eyes. "It's just that it's my best friend's birthday party and I always go every year, you can even ask my father about that."

Damn her and her cute puppy eyes.

Ghost grumbled as he glanced away from you, his tough exterior faltering for a moment. He was trained to withstand psychological warfare, but even he was a sucker for puppy eyes.

His voice still retained some of its authoritativeness, though.

"Don't try to charm me, little one," he warned. "And it's 'Ghost'. Just Ghost."

Y/n mirked internally and pouted up at him. "That's a cool alias. Ghost." Unexpectedly, you leaned forward and left a gentle touch on his shoulder with your hands. "I'm not trying to charm you, I'm just stating facts. All we're going to do is have a party at her home and drink. Once I'm wasted, I'll just be a cute sleepy thing in your arms."

Ghost’s eyes widened momentarily at your touch, his body instinctively tensing up. He was caught off guard by the unexpected display of physical contact, but he masked his surprise quickly.

"Ah, the drunk sleeping-beauty routine," he said gruffly, attempting to keep his composure. "You have a habit of getting drunk, don’t you? Maybe that’s why I have to keep a close eye on you."

"Only on occasions. But I never drink till I forget, so don't worry." You waves your hands nonchalantly.

Ghost chuckled a bit at your words, his eyes glinting with amusement. He knew he should be annoyed by your carefree attitude, but there was something about your boldness and confidence that intrigued him.

"Oh yeah? You say that now, but let’s see how drunk and needy you get later." he said with a smirk.

You huffed and crossed your arms. Who said I'll be needy? You looked back up into his eyes, considering that's all you could see. A grin formed on your lips at the implication. "So is that a yes?"

Ghost raised an eyebrow at your question, his smirk growing wider at your stubbornness. He couldn't help but admire your determination in convincing him to let you go. But he wasn't going to admit that so easily.

"I didn't say that, I'm just saying it's a possibility."

He leaned against the wall again, his arms crossed as he looked down at you. His intense gaze held yours for a long moment, considering your proposal.

You looked at the watch around your wrist and gasped, "Uggghhh, I'll literally do anything at this point. I'm getting late!"

Anything, huh?

Ghost's mind briefly paused at your last sentence. Did you really mean anything? His mind immediately started contemplating the different ways he could take advantage of your careless promise.

He chuckled darkly and stepped closer to you, his towering form practically caging you against the wall. His expression shifted into a smirk, his eyes holding a dangerous glint.

"Anything, you say? Careful with your words now, little one." He smirked, but you knew better.

"Anything that doesn't have my father kill you, sure." You snarked back. You knew your father's strict ways and you'll be more than happy to use that to her advantage.

Ghost chuckled darkly once more, his smirk growing wider at your response. He could see the cleverness in your smirk and the way you were using your father's protective nature to your advantage.

He moved closer until his body was pressed up against yours, trapping you against the wall with his muscular form. He lowered his head slightly, his deep voice a mere whisper in your ear.

"You're a sneaky little one, aren't you? Using your daddy's protection to get your way." His breath was warm and intoxicating against your skin.

You gulped as you felt the cool wall on her back and Ghost's warm chest on her front. "W-What do you think you're doing? Back off. If this is what you mean, then get your head out the gutter. I'd rather die than use my body." You tried pushing him away.

Ghost chuckled at your attempts to push him away, his large hands firmly grasping your wrists and pinning them against the wall next to your head.

"Calm down, princess," he murmured, his voice a low growl against your ear. "I have no intention of forcing myself on you. I'm not that kind of man."

He held you there for a moment, his eyes watching you intently before he let go and took a step back. He smirked again, his gaze sharp and intense.

"I was just testing your limits, sweetie."

You grimaced at him and just took out your phone. "The feeling is mutual, but I am definitely not liking what I found out about you." With that, you dialed your father's number and waited till he picked up. After a few words, your father gave her permission to leave noting that Ghost can just follow her. You made sure that the whole conversation was on speaker.

Ghost watched as you called your father and put him on speakerphone. He raised an eyebrow at your unexpected move, intrigued by how you were playing this game. His expression remained neutral as he listened in on your conversation with him.

Once it was clear that you had gotten your father's permission to leave, Ghost's gaze shifted to you once more. He let out a soft scoff under his breath.

"Sneaky little minx," he murmured quietly.

You hung up the phone after thanking your father and gazed at him smugly. "I could have just done that at first, but I wanted to see what you'd do. Guess we both had the same thought in mind."

Ghost chuckled softly at your words, a hint of amusement in his deep voice. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall behind him, eyeing you with a wry smirk.

"You're more clever than I thought. Trying to see how far I'd go, huh?"

He took a few steps closer, his large frame towering over yours once more. His eyes were fixed on you, his expression a mix of curiosity and intrigue.

"And what thoughts were you having in that pretty little head of yours, sweetie?"

"To see what it would take for you to break and be a good little dog." You replied.

A good little dog, huh?

Ghost's smirk widened at your words, his gaze turning dark and intense. His eyes never left yours as he took another step closer, closing the distance between you even further.

"Breaking me, eh? You think you have what it takes to do that?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. His hand moved to gently take hold of your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze.

"Careful, little one. You might bite off more than you can chew."

You opted not to answer and just got your bag and walked out of her room. You just gave him a look. "Let's go. I'm already late. You're driving and I sent the coordinates to your phone."

Ghost let out a soft scoff as you walked past him, the smirk still on his face. He watched you grab your bag and stride out of your room confidently.

He followed after you, his footsteps silent despite his large frame. He got his phone and checked the coordinates you sent, nodding in acknowledgment.

"You're going to be the death of me, I swear," he muttered to himself as he led the way to the garage.

"Didn't know ghosts die." You said back, clearly hearing him.

Ghost rolled his eyes at your smartass comment, but couldn't help but chuckle softly. He couldn't deny that you had a sharp tongue, and he actually found it strangely endearing.

"Oh, shut it," he retorted back with a smirk. "Even ghosts can expire from annoyance, y'know? And you're testing that limit right now, sweetheart."

You acted nonchalantly, although getting a bit irked by this new bodyguard. While checking your french-tipped nails, you responded "Hmmm, duly noted. Do you want me to call father and just have you replaced? I heard you never had an unsatisfied or dead client. Should I change that?"

That little minx...

Ghost's smirk vanished at your words, his eyes narrowing slightly. He knew you were just playing your little game, testing his limits to see how far you could push him. And unfortunately for him, you had a way of getting under his skin.

"Watch it," he warned in a low growl. "You're walking on thin ice, princess. Threatening me won't end well for you."

"And threatening me ends well for you?"

Ghost's expression softened momentarily as he realized the truth behind your words. He let out a soft scoff and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Fair enough," he conceded. "You've got a point there, I suppose. But don't think for a second that I won't take action if you cross the line, sweetie."

"I'll be good if you are." You winked at him before stepping into the back seat.

Ghost rolled his eyes again at your wink, his heart fluttering just a bit at the charming gesture. He tried to hide it behind his gruff exterior, but damn you had him feeling all sorts of things.

He got into the driver's seat and started the car, his eyes darting to glance at you in the rearview mirror.

"Don't tempt me, princess," he muttered under his breath. This job was going to kill him. With irritation or something else, he wasn't sure yet.

[mixelation]

The thing is I'm not even a stickler for magic systems "making sense", I am pretty willing to roll with whatever. You say "hey in this universe people can fly" I am not going to be doing the math on how that works(unless its for fun maybe). You tell me that almost everyone has a superpower and sometimes people just walk around with engines poking out of their legs, I can roll with that too. As a reader I am pretty willing to accept a given premise and suspend my disbelief. So the fact that I read JJK with my head tilted to the side in puzzlement was really unexpected for me lmao.

well, i mean, the point i was trying to make is that fictional worlds need to be internally consistent for readers to follow along, and also readers WILL pick up on glaring gaps in the world's internal logic. you don't need to have it "make sense" the way many reddit fans want things to make sense (ie, having in-depth explanations based in real world facts and logic).

if flight exists in your universe as a common power most people have, but some characters seem to just never fly even when it would be more convenient, readers will wonder why that is. and you don't need to be coming up explanations for HOW people can fly, or explaining complex genetic inheritance patterns to explain why some people just can't do it. you don't even need to pause your whole plot to give someone a classroom lesson on it. you just need SOMETHING. it can be "yeah a lot of people just don't get their flying license, like with cars, and we see this because someone complains about how their parents won't let them take the test" or "either you're from a flying family or you're not" or maybe "yeah it gets taught in school, but a lot of people just never get good at it. look your favorite character has just listed it along with math and spelling as things they failed in school but don't need kick your ass"

jedi mind tricks in star wars are presented like this, for example. the movies never spell out hard rules for how the force in general works, but we see on screen what it can accomplish and what it can't, and we can intuit the vague framework of "rules" from this, although it's inherent a soft magic system so the rules are wishy-washy. for mind tricks in particular, we see how they work very early on in a new hope, and it's stated it only works on "weak minds." Then in both return of the jedi and a phantom menace, where a problem could be easily solved with a mind trick, we see it attempted and then fail due to minds being "too strong." does anyone ever explain to us strong versus weak mindedness? no, not really! but also the concept of strong/weak wills exist in our world, and we as viewers can clearly see the difference in agency displayed by storm troopers and characters like jabba and watto.

my issue with JJK is that a lot of panel space is dedicated to longwinded explanations but they often don't answer basic logistical questions, or are just a string of words that don't make a ton of sense even with my brain in "yeah, there's curse-ghost-things, sure" mode. then fight choreo (in the manga at least) is then also poor, so it's difficult to then intuit what's happening by simply reading how events play out. sort of like if every three chapters there was a break in the cool fight to explain how flight works, except the character explaining keeps talking about positive and negative air space and special parts of your brain for sensing the negativity of air itself, but never what any of those words mean and also we still don't know if certain characters can fly or not. or like if suddenly people in star wars were like "oh yeah, the strength of your will is related directly to midi-chlorian count" and then nothing there is unpacked or demonstrated on screen in any meaningful way whatsoever.

[ughgoaway]

Dying to know what you would write for y/n’s first Mother’s Day with Matty and Annie

this is so so interesting to think about!!!!

so I think for the first mothers Day when you're with matty, nothing out of the ordinary happens. or nothing out of the ordinary happens to you anyway.

you ask matty a few days before how Annie feels about it, and he casually says, "Oh, she doesn't really mind. she knows it's coming, and to her, it's just another day!" So you treat it like that too.

you don't go out of your way to comment on it or make a big deal. You just get on with your day! the same cannot be said for matty...

he doesn't think Annie feels any way about it, seemingly like her normal bubbly self. But just as he's taking her to bed- she says something.

he feels strange the whole day. this is the first time he's had a girlfriend that annie knows about, and it's an actual serious relationship.

he knows it's way too soon, and you're not Annie's mum, but it kind of feels like you are?? and he's not sure how to feel.

"Did you have a good Mother's Day, Daddy?"

matty pauses and looks at Annie confused before slowly saying, "... yes, I did, sweetheart. why do you ask?"

"You were being weird around y/n allllllll day," Annie answers, organising her toys carefully as she speaks.

matty decided not to share this internal monologue with Annie and simply said, "Oh. I didn't mean to be. I'm just worried about you i think munchkin"

oh.

had he been? matty thought he'd been pretty normal, casual, and cool. but if Annie had noticed- he definitely had not been.

fuck he hope you didn't notice (you didn't, too distracted by trying a new banana bread recipe lol)

"Why?" Annie said with a scrunched up face, matty had to stifle a laugh at her confused face.

"I know it must be hard on days like this because your mummy isn't in our lives. I just want to make sure my best girl is okay. " matty strokes Annie's head as she lies down to sleep.

"I'm fine, Daddy." she says nonchalantly, "Plus, y/n is like my mummy now anyway, so maybe next year we can all have fun"

with that, she drifts off, leaving matty in stunned silence. he truly is just 👁👄👁 for 10 minutes.

he doesn't mention it to you, but he does think about it INTENSELY.

////

now cut to a few years later, you and matty are going strong (perhaps even engaged...) and it's rolling up to mothers Day again.

and this year- you both feel odd.

you really had become Annie's mum. you sent out family cards from the 3 of you, you go to her parent's evenings (when you can slip away from doing them yourself lol) and you have lived with them for a while.

you do everything for Annie and love her endlessly. She feels like your own child.

matty stirs awake and sees you lying there, voice heavy with sleep he asks, "Are you alright, baby? why are you awake?"

so you bring it up to matty.

One night, you're lying in bed awake, and it's far too late, but you're just staring at the ceiling.

in your sleep deprived state, you don't hesitate to get straight to the point, "Am I Annie's mum?"

Well... that was NOT what matty was expecting to hear. this wasn't a topic he thought he'd be tackling at 3am on a Wednesday but, fuck it! here he goes.

"...what brought this up, babe?" matty asks tentatively, pulling you into his chest. you rest your head on him and sigh heavily before speaking.

"Um... I think that really depends on how you and annie feel. from my perspective? yes?" matty sounds unsure as he speaks, feeling like he's walking on egg shells

"I don't wanna scare you or anything, but you are practically her mum." matty pauses for a reply, but you stay silent, the only audible noise being your joint breathing.

"I don't know, with mothers Day coming up, it's just been on my mind. I feel like a mother, I act like a mother, and I do everything a mother does. but am I a mum? I didn't give birth to her, and I wasn't here from the start, so it feels selfish to call myself one and-"

matty shushes you and cuts off your rant before it goes too far, "its not selfish, sweetheart - it's realistic." matty pauses and takes a breath before continuing.

"If it helps, Annie said you were already her mum that very first mothers Day you spent with us. so I wouldn't think too deeply about it. " he shrugs as he speaks and turns the bedside lamp off.

matty had assumed this would calm you - it did not.

"Don't worry about it, babe. I'll do it," matty says, bringing you back down and wrapping the duvet around the two of you.

"WHAT." You pull up and look at matty wide-eyed, leaning over him and flicking the light back on

he looks back confused, and you really have to take a moment to realise hes not being intentionally dumb.

"Why did you only just decide to tell me this??? it's been years, Matthew!!! oh god, this changes everything. I have to talk to her about it. fucking hell-"

"really?"

so he did! it was the day before mothers Day, and you were out shopping with charli. she needed a new dress for a fancy date george was talking her on, and you were more than happy to help!

"of course"

///

Annie was peacefully sat on the sofa watching high school musical 2 with mayhem. He was peacefully snoring in her lap as she sang along to fabulous (the best hsm movie and the best song, btw)

"So... Annie, how are you..."

fuck. Why would he ask that?? what a shit way to start.

Annie pauses and looks at matty weirdly before responding, "okay i think?"

"Good, good... can we talk?"

"Do you want to do anything for mothers Day this year? for y/n, i mean. not me or anything. that would be weird." matty stops himself going off on a tangent and coughs awkwardly and waits for a response.

Annie pauses the movie and nods tentatively, matty sits next to her and can't help but jump straight in.

his nerves were ruining any chance at a coherent thought.

5 seconds feels like 5 hours, but he couldn't be more relieved when she excitedly says, "Yes!!! oh, please, can we!?! I want to get her flowers and chocolates!!"

matty sighs a breath of relief and nods. He grabs his keys and says, "Definitely. let's go to tesco then, cmon!"

///

the next morning, matty is up early... suspiciously early.

you wake up to whispered voices and hear a tray clanging slightly,

annie and matty saying "surprise!!" wakes you up fully, and you are shocked to see them with a tray of pancakes, coffee, and a bouquet of flowers.

immediately you tear up, but you have to ask to make sure you're not misinterpreting this.

"Oh wow! what's all this???" You say sitting up as matty puts the tray next to you on the bed.

"Happy mothers Day!!!" squeals Annie excitedly, "Dad said I was finally allowed to give you presents today!" she smiles big as she finishes, almost looks anxious awaiting your response.

tears start rolling down your cheeks, and you pull Annie in, squeezing her so tight she loses all the air in her lungs.

"Oh, Annie. thank you so so much. I love you, sweetheart." You pull back and wipe your tears, and Annie can't look happier, gummy smile and bright eyes staring back at you.

shyly, she says, "You're welcome. i love you too"

"You want to share my pancakes, sweet girl?" You ask, already cutting it up for the two of you.

"yes!!!" Annie says bouncing on the bed.

matty might as well not be there, but that is honestly exactly how he wanted to feel.

you don't need him. you're Annie's parent now too.

[eunchancorner]

Revenged and Rescued (Part 2)

Help I can't stop

-

“Henry, you awake?”

He blinked his eyes open slowly, his brain feeling like soup in his head as he responded to the familiar voice.

“Mhm… ‘s that you, Charles…?”

“Yeah, it’s me. How’re you doing?” the pilot asked, sitting beside Henry’s cot.

Henry took a deep breath, feeling how weirdly… flawless it was. No, something was wrong. He shouldn’t be breathing this smoothly after how badly he’d gotten hurt.

“S-something’s wrong. I’m- I’m breathing wrong, Charles, why am I breathing wrong?” he began to panic, trying to sit up and placing a hand on his chest, but was met with the feeling of cold, smooth metal.

“Oh, yeah, uh… they found a lot more internal damage than we thought. Your lungs weren’t gonna last much longer, so they gave you an artificial respiratory system. It supplies oxygen to your bloodstream as long as you’re breathing, like normal lungs, but it’s not as delicate, so it’ll work as long as your brain keeps you breathing. Plus, it sorta surrounds your heart, like a second ribcage, which is good, because a lot of your ribs were broken, too… It’s a lot to take in, I know but… you’re ok now. And you have this cool new chest cavity so that they have direct maintenance access to it. It’s even got a glass panel so they can make sure your heartbeat’s normal, isn’t that cool? It’s also got sensors and stuff, connected to your nerves so that you can still feel stuff, I think to make sure that you can tell if it’s being damaged? Either that or to keep you from going nuts because you can’t feel your chest. Once you’re less… out of it, they’re gonna make sure they’re working properly. After that, you should be good to go!”

As Henry relaxed at the explanation, he felt his thoughts return to that soup-like state, induced by the medicine used to keep the rest of him numb from the pain he should’ve been in. It was a lot to adjust to, but he’d had to deal with worse, in all honesty. And listening to Charles ramble on about it helped him feel a little less alone.

“Once they’ve got it all tested out and cleared you to get up and out, I wanna show you around the base. I still want you to meet some of my squad, I think they’ll like you! Well… mostly. The Bukowski twins will, at least! But then again, they’re pretty friendly anyway. But, then again, so is Mac… We might have to keep Phlex away from you for a while, he’s kind of a wildcard when it comes to… well, people in general. Oh, and Quentin’s gonna seem mean at first, don’t worry about it, he’s a cranky old man. Heh, then again, I’m saying that on Galeforce’s base. Either way, even if they don’t like you at first, I think they’ll learn to! After all, you’re pretty likable. You’re smart, you’re motivated, and you’re a good listener! After all, you’re listening to me right now! The whole Toppat thing might dampen stuff a little, but hey, you also, y’know, killed most of the Toppats, so there’s that. According to the twins, you’re kind of a legend, too, so, I’ll have to hear that story. Anyway,” the pilot finally finished as he stood, “I’ll stop talking your ear off and let you rest some. You’ll need it, y’know, if you’re gonna meet my squad.”

“Actually, can you… stay a little longer..? It’s nicer not being lonely…” Henry admitted against his better judgment. He chalked it up to the pain medicine making everything so much easier to say, since he couldn’t really think much about holding it back.

Charles smiled a bit as he sat back down, resting an arm on the guard rail of Henry’s cot.

“Sure, I’ll stay, but I’m gonna keep talking, so are you sure you don’t want me to go?” he asked playfully, leaning on the rail.

“You say that like it’s a downside…” Henry responded simply, smiling back at him.

[blurglesmurfklaine]

NEWSIES UNO REVERSE

I LOVE IT

tell me EVERYTHING

starting questions I have

-what happens to esther, Sarah and mayer in this au

-how does this change les and jack's dynamic of like "cool older kid who's street smart" and "little kid who idolises him"

- what happens, is Jack now the more educated one, is it Jack who has the words to start a strike,

-who leads the manhattan lodging house

-has davey had run ins with Brooklyn before (and what does Jack think of Brooklyn when he becomes a newsie)

-does davey like getting into fights (bc I think especially 92sies David would, but bc of how he's been brought up he dismisses the mere notion and avoids fisticuffs)

ok warning u now I will have more questions later haha

I WELCOME ALL THE QUESTIONS!!! Sorry this is sooooo long but here:

what happens to esther, Sarah and mayer in this au

Oooh I haven’t thought about Sarah yet! But I will tie it in to what happens to the Jacobs parents. Be warned, it is Sad and Tragic.

Mayer tangles with a delivery truck, just like in livesies, but instead of staying at home he leaves the state to find work with family somewhere west. He never comes back. This happens when Davey is about eight. Sarah is a little older, maybe twelve, and Esther is pregnant with Les, who never gets to meet his father. Three years later, Esther falls ill and passes. I imagine Sarah being the oldest and ‘Most promising’ would be sent/taken away to live with an elderly relative, or possibly some sort of home for girls

how does this change les and jack's dynamic of like "cool older kid who's street smart" and "little kid who idolises him"

Well Jack is still Jack, you know? Oh and if you thought he was confident before, just IMAGINE how insufferable he in a world where he had a clean bed and full stomach every day?

I think Les would see him as the cool new “rich” kid who is confident enough to try anything and has all these wonderful stories about growing up in the theatre—which Davey obviously cannot stand bc he believes Les should keep his head on earth

what happens, is Jack now the more educated one, is it Jack who has the words to start a strike

Omg omg ong okay SO I’ve actually been thinking bout this a TON, and although their on roles are switched, they still are the characters they are if that makes sense??? So in my mind, it’s still Davey who has the words and information to start the strike—orphaned or not, this motherfucker READS. Similar to the show though he sort of sparks the idea, and Jack is kind of egging him on which Davey doesn’t understand because Jack HAS a mother, a family, he has so much more to lose

And there is this one scene that has been chewing on my brain and shaking it nonstop like a Rottweiler with a toy. Jack is still very much an artist in this AU, and Davey is the one who escaped from The Refuge.

Post rally apology scene, Jack says he’s talked to Kath and they have an idea—Davey says he just talked to her, too… and Davey isn’t kissing and telling but he doesn’t have to. Jack can tell there’s something (and there’s a lot of internal angst from Jack about this, who is trying to stay cool)

Anyway. The plan involves needing words and art for The Neesies Banner. Kath and Davey’s words, and Jack’s art. So Jack and Davey sit down together, Davey recounting everything he went through at the refuge while Jack draws it.

And then Jack can’t take it anymore and puts his pencil down and Davey’s like “???? Why’d you stop?”

Jack looks at him and just says, “I am so sorry this happened to you” and Davey is taken SO aback because he doesn’t think anyone has ever told him that and they have A Moment and uh oh??? Feelings??? And the moment breaks and they scramble away to the printing press at Pulitzers basement lol

-who leads the manhattan lodging house

Davey, but in a more unassuming way! He’s not so outright about it, and definitely not a big personality. He mostly talks kids out of making stupid decisions, but if they’re stubborn enough (Race) he’s not going to waste his time, because they’ll find out the hard way (Also Race). He’s not even necessarily the “leader” he’s just sort of the oldest and has been there the longest so

-has davey had run ins with Brooklyn before (and what does Jack think of Brooklyn when he becomes a newsie)

Davey has had a run in with Brooklyn through Race. I can see Race getting into a scuffle with Spot and Davey having to intervene. Not sure WHY yet? Maybe Race was selling on Brooklyn turf, maybe he was conning Brooklyn newsies, but I DO know that Davey was Very Annoyed about having to save Race’s ass

-does davey like getting into fights (bc I think especially 92sies David would, but bc of how he's been brought up he dismisses the mere notion and avoids fisticuffs)

Honestly? I don’t think he *likes* it, but he realizes the necessity of it quite early on!

THANK YOU FOR THESE!! They were so fun! 🤩 Anyone anywhere anytime is ALWAYS welcome to ask me about my brainrot newsies AUs lol

[innocuousibis]

Blue Eye Samurai is trans, right?

I just finished season one and have some thoughts. I'm a fan of the author is dead and personal interpretations of media being valid, but if the coming arcs turn this into a queerbait situation I will be sad.

I read Mizu as a gay trans man who does not have the language or examples of transness present in his society to come to an understanding of who and what he is. Even for me as a trans person now it was really hard to come to full a understanding of myself and my desires with so few examples to identify with. I went for years living in an in-between state, verbally and internally denying my identity, and making failed attempts to assimilate into cis roles before I figured out what is really going on. I can't even image how much harder this would be for people living in the past.

Mizu's tendancy to want to confide his real sex to people he is close with feels to me exactly like what I have to go through when I am deciding to come out to people as trans. I live as a man now, and now people that I meet perceive and refer to me that way. But being trans is still a big part of my experience, and something that I often feel a desire to confide, while I also worry that it will change how I am perceived and treated. Mizu doesn't want to be treated as a woman, but he also doesn't want to deceive those he cares for. And he also wants to be with men and desirable to men, which creates another place of tension against his identity.

We see Mizu attempting to assimilate into the role of wife, and it is clear how uncomfortable in that role he is. The more his husband Mikio allows him to be himself and express his masculinity the more Mizu falls in love with him. He wants to be treated as a man and an equal in society, to be one of the guys and to spar on with Mikio on an even field. But when he finally fully shows Mikio his true self, the formidable swordsman he is, Mikio is repulsed and rejects him.

I think the most powerfully trans moment in the show was when Mizu was at the brothel and reacted to the sight of two men kissing. As a gay trans man he instinctively identifies with the two men.

It's possible that the next season will attempt to scrub Mizu's character of queerness and chalk all of his behavior up to pragmatism. We have this season, and it is trans as hell, but it would suck if the next season were to change Mizu to fit him into a cis narrative.

Perhaps Edo period Japan did not have any language to conceptualize what it might mean to be a trans person, but this is a modern piece of media, subject to modern analysis and interpretation. Considering how much blatant trans coding is built into Mizu's character, it bothers me that the creators refer to Mizu as 'she' while the character is almost never referred to that way in the show, and have nothing to say about the trans interpretation other than "oh that's cool, yeah you can call her 'they'."