#not ME but someone who treats her like i treat her and is also a man

[morthstaar]

Please, PLEASE Tulpar crew x a very shy/introverted reader who is like crushing on the crew really hard but way too shy and embarrassed to tell them but like the crew starts to slowly catch on to them and the way they act different around them. Also I don't mean the crew as a whole I mean the separate characters 😭🙏🏽

ask and u shall receive 😈

-------------------------------------------------------

OH GOD, YOU CAN TELL?

----------------------------

Captain Curly

-oh.. curly knew from the moment you laid eyes on him that you had the biggest crush on him.

-there is no slow realization.

-not at all oblivious to it.

-everytime your eyes would seemingly uncontrollably and totally unconsciously drift to him he would try to meet your gaze with a friendly, boyish smirk.

-does that happen? HELL NAH. you are much too shy to even look the captain in the eye.

-your little heart almost beats out of your chest at any interaction. little or big.

-"Hey, just the person I needed to see. I have a little favor to ask you."

-oh god. suddenly words seem hard to pronounce and the entirety of the english language is no where to be seen.

-after a few weeks, curly would definitely find this endearing.

-i feel like since curly is so outgoing, he would be very intrigued by someone who is the complete opposite.

-curly wouldn't act much different when it comes to you, due to maintaining professionalism as his role as captain.

-he may due small acts like making a cake simply to indulge in your sweet-tooth that he somehow knew about you.

-"oh, we just had extra packets of sugar. i just thought id bake something. you like cake right?"

-cheeky motherfucker.

Intern Daisuke

-dude is so so so oblivious even though you make it perfectly clear...

-you could be making like.. making out with the guy and he'd be like,

-"yoo, we are literally besties right?"

-deadass, he prolly had no idea you liked him for weeks.

-you could be laughing extra loud at his jokes then realize ur laughing too loud, look at him while he isn't looking at you, sneak an extra sweetener packet on his bed when he isn't around,,,,

-his ass still is clueless.

-it takes either curly or swansea's help to realize that you had a massive crush on him but were just to shy to say something.

-once he realizes, he is now all over you and following you around like a lost puppy. not nonchalant at ALL.

-literally tries to pick up the polle statue to show his 'guns' but the statue moves only an inch..

-now he is hyper aware of your actions and reactions, he finds your shyness just SO CUTE WTFFF.

-compliments you to see what you would do.

-"man, have you always been this hot or is it just the sweetener talking?"

-runs away.....

-would steal sweetener packets just for you two to share :)

Nurse Anya

-i feel like she notices how different you act around her, but she just thinks its because you two are good friends.

-she never assumes anything, just her friend being friendly.

-even though you sometimes make it unintentionally obvious..

-like this one time you recommend her a book from your quarters library and her fingers lightly grazed yours reaching for it.

-oh shit. her soft hands touched yours. oh god what does a normal person do in this situation??

-"thank you for the-oh... book."

-well, they don't smile awkwardly, sweat pouring down their face and leave in a hurry with the book still in their hand.

-anya isn't stupid or completely oblivious by any means. she definitely knew from this encounter of your little crush on her.

-she is quite flattered honestly. someone so similar to her truly likes her?

-when she fully processes this information, she is very subtle with how she shows her affection back.

-during check-ups, she sometimes gives you a treat from one of her desk drawers for being a good patient.

-other times she lets you join her late at night in the lounge to just look at the pretty night time screen.

-"this makes me miss home. it's so beautiful."

-you'd look over at her and her eyes are not on the screen, far from it actually.

-her eyes are on you.

-so this is what a heart attack feels like..

Mechanic Swansea

-unpopular hot-take, swansea is actually a dilf and he often has younger men/women confess their feelings to him.

-so because of that headcanon, swansea definitely knows how you feel from the first time y'all met.

-your eyes would subconsciously peek at his open shirt revealing his chest. suspiciously, whenever he would look back, you quickly turn away shyly...

-he immediately thinks he is way to old for this shit. he just got out of a divorce and prolly never wanted to try again. especially with someone younger.

-"what is with this damn younger generation with old people.."

-he tries to avoid you even though you two are co-workers and.. work together. on the same ship.

-as weeks go by, your shyness starts to grow on this grumpy man. he... he thinks it's endearing in a sense..

-he rather likes how reserved you are, and how are aren't as loudmouthed as daisuke.

-he won't act much different to you, but according to the rest of the crew it is obvious.

-swansea leaves little sticky notes reminding you to eat or sleep because and the sticky note quotes,,

-"..the crew doesn't need you passin' out while doin' your job. so eat or i will make you."

-swansea is also much more soft-spoken with you than anyone else.

-he has never raised his voice or spoken down on you. his usual brashness and snarky remarks are now toned down (but not entirely) around you.

-"hey. i didn't say you had to leave, did i? stop puttin' words in my damn mouth and sit."

Co-captain Jimmy

-jimmy prolly doesn't even acknowledge you at first.

-you could be looking at him, thinking he doesn't know that your eyes are skimming over his face and body.

-oh but jimmy.. he does know,,, but he never shows that he does.

-he likes the attention on him. your eyes looking him over when she doesn't even know that he is soaking it up.

-im sorry but he definitely gets off to the fact that you are shy and get flustered easily.

-he loves how malleable and submissive you are due to your shyness. and he uses it to his advantage.

-he shows his affection strongly after he knows your crush.like sometimes he would purposefully follow you places and when you turn around he'd be like..

-"do you mind? you're in my way.."

-i feel like he wouldn't know how to properly express his feelings so he would be kind of unnecessarily mean and cruel.

-and after he would be mean he would be nice and extra affectionate so you would still like him.

-like you could be working on something and is critical about your work.

-"are you serious? tsk.. move, since you clearly cannot perform a basic task."

-then later he's like..

-"im glad someone on this ship is helpful, like you."

-basically, he purposefully plays with your feelings to get you to confess bc i feel like he likes when women cone to him.....

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Burn Out

I would. Absolutely do the cast but. Consider. The casts parents instead.

Also as you can probably guess, I'm feeling burnt out so my writing may not be as good as it usually is but fuck it we ball. Yes I will be using headcanon names for the Cast Parents because. um. I can.

Family Headcanons here if you want to read.

Also there's no Diasomnia except for Sebek. Sorry. Don't attack me please I beg OTL NO SPOILERS PLEASE OTL ----------------------------------------

Dr. Carlotta Rosehearts is not the type of woman to be easily impressed. Burn out is something only the weak experience, though if you weren't raised by her, she can hardly blame YOU for your poor constitution. While she's not all that sympathetic, she can find a small, easy task for you to complete to feel like you've been productive, useful, and otherwise intelligent.

Dr. Lawson Hatter, Riddle's estranged (engineer) father couldn't be any MORE experienced with burn out. He's awkward, he's odd, but his antics are sure to put a smile on your face. He can spot someone trying to work through burn out easily - not in his house baby, he's spinning that chair around and away from the desk, you're coming to get snuggled up and watch a movie with him and his kid(s). He'll make you tea (or coffee if you want it), a bunch of snacks, and promises to help you with your work later. Right now is time to let that all go and let your brain be mush for a bit. It's okay.

Amelia and Tarrant Clover - they're a little burnt out constantly themselves, but there's always room at the table for one more. Their home is only a good option if you like little kids though, because they WILL treat you like you're their big sibling almost immediately. They don't mean to come off as a little uncanny, but they genuinely do love having guests so much. Be prepared for So. Much. Food. If you can't really handle the hubbub of the family, that's okay too. Amelia will invite you to join her for her evening prep. She has a way of making you let all those feelings come out when it's just the two of you, and by the time you're done crying, she's got fresh banana bread and hot chocolate in front of you, with a pat on the back. She'll hug you if you want it too.

The Diamond couple have way too much tension between them to be of much help to you. Cater's older, but not eldest, sister, Catrina, is rather reserved and quiet when she's allowed to be. She'd be the one to take you into her room, do your hair, maybe some aromatherapy and tai chi. She's learned a lot of ways to relax over the years, she's just happy to share it with someone who is too exhausted to be fake with her. willing to let her help.

Dylla Spade hi, hello, did you want to make a top three guardians list? Dylla is there, promise. There is no overworking in her house. She can appreciate the dedication, but 1. you are actively harming yourself, 2. you should never work that hard in a workplace, why are you doing it for free /hj. She'll try to interrupt once or twice with the bribe of a small snack, or with going out somewhere, but if you're stubborn she's got to pull out the big guns. Big guns being she puts a photo of baby Deuce on the desk next to you and tells you if you want to know the story you're going to stop, go take a shower to give your brain a transition period out of work and go meet her in the kitchen. She's not the best cook but by god you know everything she gave you she gave with love.

Jack Trappola-Hearts is not Ace's dad, (ew, says Ace in the back of my mind), but his big brother. He's got a humble, somewhat dated one-bedroom apartment. He'll sleep on the couch though, so you can have the bed. (If Ace is there, Jack will sleep on the floor). He likes keeping you entertained and smiling, so he'll take you around town to (free) but fun areas. He doesn't expect you to verbally respond if you don't want to, and if you need to, he'll happily create a way for you to communicate when you're ready to go home. He'll keep you distracted from your responsibilities and burdens until he knows you can tackle them full force again.

Falena Kingscholar has a BIG and BRIGHT personality. He means the best, but he can sometimes be a little insensitive to your efforts, (as he was to his brother). He's also very busy and repressing his own burn out and Other Emotions, but don't fret. Kifaji will look after you. He's careful to not hover, but he always pops in with exactly what you need. He can't be as attentive as he would like, but he does know where the younger prince used to sneak off for naps. He may or may not drop a hint or two as to where those places are, and he may or may not have made sure to set the area up with soft lighting, music, blankets and curtains to give you some elevated sense of privacy without being overwhelmed by your surroundings (hopefully).

Vovó Bucchi (yes I borrowed a headcanon name provided by @kamiraaah (sorry for the tag, if you want it removed lmk!! ^^) can't help but make fun of you a tiny bit, but it's all just to remind you that hard work is meant to be rewarded. Hard work is meant to be balanced out with something else. While you're clearly bright, you're apparently not bright enough to realize when you need a break on your own /lh. She'll ask you to tell her about the things you HAVE accomplished over the past month while cooking food for the family, (and yes, having you be her taste tester all through out it), and wait til you're done to ask what you've done to motivate yourself to keep going. If you've got nothing, she's going to tell you to come home with Ruggie at the end of every other week. Yes, home. You're hers now. Good luck escaping custody.

Citlali and Ande Howl couldn't be more opposite in how they try to help you through burn out. Citlali is just a 4'2 ball of energy and affection, you best believe she's got hugs for days, homemade quilts to pile on you, a hot chocolate she meant to give you about 40 minutes ago but forgot while she was rambling, (she'll heat it back up), a child to hand you - wait, no that's going to her husband, that's not your responsibility. She'll talk your EARS off, but you come to love it. Ande is much more stoic, a little intimidating to some, and very awkward. Mans does not know how to come off as friendly. He offers a hug if you need it. Best hug of your life. He will also show you where you can go to brood get a breath of fresh air and relax.

Clara and Ginerva "Nonna" Ashengrotto (you MAY NOT call Nonna anything but Nonna. Only Nonna's friends can call her Ginny, and 'Ms. Ashengrotto' is her daughter.) Clara and her mom are both all too familiar with the dangers of burn out. You get burnt out, you make bad decisions, bad decisions lead to trouble down the road and honey you do not need to make your life any more complicated than it already is. Sit down, stuff your face, listen to jazz, be happy. Basic rules. Your plate will not be allowed to be empty, be prepared to probably eat so much you pass out, which will be the one and only bad decision you make that day, but it's better than Nonna asking why you ain't eatin' her cooking. If you do get too full, don't worry, they'll tease but they'll pack up what's left and the other 27 meals they prepared for you to take home. (Nonna is partially deaf so you will have to raise your voice a bit so she can hear you clearly).

guysguysguysguysguysguysguysguys it's my favourite next do you know who's my favourite I know who's my favourite I literally wrote this just so I could write for her do you know who's my favourite fuck YEAH YOU DO

Valeria Leech (and her husband I guess but I'm pretending Constantine Leech is not there because I want to focus on the queen that is Mama Fucking Leech)(He would be kind of detached anyways he doesn't know you and he doesn't owe you nothin', his wife just said he wasn't allowed to eat you). ANYWAYS. Mama Leech has a lot of energy, Floyd had to get it from somewhere and it is absolutely from his mama. While she can be a little all over the place, clearly her boys appreciate you if they went through the effort to bring you to her, and that means um. You're her kid now too. She will treat you like she treats her sons. This means an overwhelming amount of physical touch (she will tone down if asked or if her husband reminds her that not everyone is comfortable with that), a lot of food being offered to you, you get the (second) best bed in the house, she has already bought you new clothes- ordering on land clothes, but also things tourists to the Coral Sea would wear. Because how can you expect to overcome burn out when you're stuck in a rut and nothing has changed. You need a good sleep schedule, a good meal, and a way to feel fabulous about yourself. And probably a hug and a good cry session. And maybe a hobby to let out all that steam, do you want to learn to fight hand to hand or do you want to collect tiny glass figurines, she'll buy the same subscription as she has if you want she LOVES little glass figurines they're cute and delicate just like elvers are. She will cry when you have to go back to land, promise her you'll call her if you need her for anything. Whether it's a hug or hiding a body. She's got your back. Also in the top 3 mama's tbh but I'm very very very biased but I also still think I'm right.

Akram al Asim is a little lost on what to do, but Kalim cares about you, so so does he. He doesn't really know what to do on an emotional basis, so he gives you money and tells you that if staying in the palace is too much, you're welcome to go stay in one of their private mansions instead. And if you need more money to just ask. So staying at "home" and having someone cook and clean for you while you get to do nothing is a 10/10 way to help burn out. He does not know how to help people that are stubborn or reject his gift unfortunately, he just kinda stands there like a deer in the headlights, then just welcomes you to stay in his home as long as you like. (This is a bad idea, you're a friend of Kalim's and given the family dynamics we know about you may very well be used as leverage, um. yeah. That's not very cash money.)

Nasir and Amani Viper can offer their home and to share dinner with you, but they are kept busy all day. They can recognize burn out - they've seen it in their son, and experienced it themselves, but they've never gotten a break to work through it. They'll tell you to rest, to eat, to make yourself at home, but it's a little awkward to relax when everyone around you is working.

Eric Venue oh dear. oh dear, oh dear oh dear. Burn out is a killer of creativity darling, and we simply cannot have that. Again, not someone who can help all that much directly, he'll toss a little money at you and get you into a luxurious spa to get you to relax again, to rejuvenate your skin and your mind. Also concerned for your mental health and MAY have paid off a therapist to become your friend so you'll never know you're receiving therapy throughout the entire thing, you'll cry, you'll let that out, and you'll never see that friend again. But you don't know that yet and for now you feel better!

The Hunts fall into the bottom category of parents. Ibis Hunt, Rook's next eldest sister (bc I think the Hunt's named their kids after birds), will try her best. She practically raised Rook, so she knows what a good night out by the campfire can do, campfire dinner, marshmallows, a couple goofy songs on the guitar, and a horror story if you think you can handle it. She'll keep your mind off of things.

Meemaw (Marja) Felmier can and will bop you over the head with her cane if she sees you trying to work when you clearly can't anymore. "You're so worn slap out y'ain't got 'nother ounc'a thinkin' in there. Y'got a hankerin' for somethin'? I'll fix it up right quick. Come on now, carryin' on on an empty stomach ain't gonna fix y'problems." She purposely has you sit on the comfiest chair on the house, layers you up in blankets, gives you a stuffy and warm apple cider because she KNOWS you're gonna pass right out. And when you wake up, there will be Marja's famous apple crumble with homemade vanilla ice cream waiting for you, trust.

Dr. Isla and Rodian Shroud are HUGE advocates for self care, but know sometimes it takes another person to pull you away from what's frustrating you. Isla will GLADLY take you on in a gaming competition - and she might even take it easy on you. And you'll hear her full Aussie accent come out any time you over take her in the equivalent of Mario Kart. Rodian is much more likely to be subtle in the way he helps, asking you to come assist on a project. Idle prattle turns into a deeper conversation that lets you open up to him, and the simple tasks he gives you to make you feel like you're being useful help a lot too. If you do end up crying, he'll offer a hug, and then a place to sleep off the rest of the emotions. You'll wake up to a 3D printed figurine of your favourite animal, cookies, and a thermos that kept the milk cold. The last of the Mom top 3 imo. (Mom's do not include grandma's btw thus the exclusion of Vovo and Marja /lh)

Baul Zigvolt okay listen. Modern day? I can't help imagine him with a big beer belly and a laugh to match. He's lost all the intensity he had in chapter 7 (thus far, no spoilers please lol). If you're feeling burnt out, he's giving you food the way he would have given it to baby Sebek - he's still adjusting to humans, so forgive him for cutting everything up so small, but hey, hopefully you won't choke? And some water. He's got a lovely voice, so with your permission, he'll read to you or tell you stories from when he and Lilia were younger - or if you really want it, he'll sing you to sleep...that's his goal anyways. He will not let you sleep in though LMAO, you went to bed early, get ready to be up at the crack of dawn lol.

---------------------------------------

Anyways, thanks for reading my Partially Coherent Ramblings. Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist

@my-cursed-brain @fluffle-writes @distant-velleity @starry-night-rose @theleechyskrunkly @elenauaurs @lumdays @nemisisnemi

[crossdressingdeath]

While I'm on the subject of the sacrificed party member and that talk between Solas and Rook where Solas assures Rook that if they win their team's loyalty they won't have to order anyone to die for them (because their team will do it on their own), I think one of the most fascinating differences between Solas and Rook is that... Solas says that they won't have to order anyone to die for them if they win those people's loyalty, but he never gives anyone that chance. The most blatant example is those spirits in the regret memories, who he sends to their deaths as a distraction without so much as a word of warning; he just... sends them off as sacrificial pawns. He "did what he had to do", and he didn't much care whether they would sacrifice themselves for his goals of their own free will or not. Solas kills people whenever he decides it's convenient for him! He needs a distraction, so he sends those spirits to their deaths. Felassan insists that modern Thedas deserves a chance, so Solas kills him. Mythal's remnant has the power Solas needs to put his plan into action, so he rips it out of her. Varric pushes him to let go of the past and give up on this plan, so Solas kills him as soon as it looks like he might actually be able to interfere. Rook can be compassionate to Solas and fully prepared to work with him to stop Elgar'nan, and Solas fucks with their head all game then stabs them in the back. He ends up alone in a world he's made an enemy of because he has killed or abandoned everyone who might have been on his side "for the good of the plan". On the other hand Rook never willingly orders anyone to die for them, they let their allies make their own decisions, and they end up with a team so loyal that they delay the fight against Elgar'nan and Solas for weeks to search for them after their disappearance; while there was definitely some prep to be done before they could go into that fight and their allies have absolutely been busy while they waited, the Veilguard absolutely put going into that fight off to look for Rook.

And I think that's the thing that really gets me here. Rook doesn't only escape Fade jail where Solas never could because they can let go of their regrets and move forward where he can't! It's also because Solas has burned every bridge he ever had; there's no one left to come to his rescue. Rook doesn't get out because they move forward, although that does keep them moving where they might otherwise have given up before the Veilguard found them; they get out because their friends come to help them, and Solas has used up and thrown away every friend he ever had. Would Mythal have come to his rescue? Felassan? The spirits he used as pawns and sacrificed? It doesn't matter, because he treated them as things to be thrown away for his benefit and the ones that survived turned on him for it (so he killed them). As Harding (if she's the one to die) says during the Fade jail sequence, to Solas everyone's a pawn that he'll sacrifice without a thought because that's what pawns are for. Rook gets out because they don't throw people away! They always have their friends' backs and never try to sacrifice anyone but themselves without that person agreeing to it (it has to be Davrin who brings down Ghilan'nain's archdemon and as far as anyone knows will die for it, but they don't try to trick him into it, they just make it clear that that is almost certainly going to be necessary and he agrees)! Rook gets out where Solas couldn't when every member of their team still active comes to their rescue because the team loves them and is loyal to them, and there is no one left to do the same for Solas. He disposed of them all. "It's for the greater good" is a pretty sentiment and all, but there really is an underlying message here of you have to let people choose. You can't decide whether someone sacrifices themselves for them; you don't have the right to throw people's lives away like that or decide the course of their lives. That's what separates our heroes from the Evanuris, and that very much includes Solas. The inability to realize and accept that is a character flaw of Solas's that's been present since DAI, and now we see the consequences: he's alone, no one will ever come to his rescue the way the Veilguard comes to Rook's, and he has no one to blame but himself.

[saccharineomens]

okay wait maybe it’s my Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria talking, but I don’t understand why people think this is her being nasty? I read it as:

“my autistic coworker is my favorite person on the planet” (a genuine, if exaggerated, statement)

“I asked if we would still be friends”…”like ok bestie !!!” (She is shocked and hurt that he doesn’t see her as a friend, because she sees him as a friend. She is saying “ok bestie” as part of this rejection and pain, mocking and berating herself for being presumptuous)

“he is usually so nice to me he was simply pointing out that we are merely coworkers.” (she’s reiterating why she thought they were friends, and clarifying his response)

“he’s right !”…”SO TRUE !!!” (Also genuine. Until her coworker pointed out that they were just coworkers, not friends, and that she shouldn’t need his blessing to get a haircut, she feels like he has blown her mind. He has opened her eyes. He’s right that she doesn’t need his blessing, and this is a revelation to her. She is hurt they aren’t friends, but appreciates his bluntness and “real talk”, which is why he is genuinely one of her favorite people on the planet. Now, in the future, she won’t feel like she needs other people’s approval to do something she wants to do with her body, and she is grateful to him.)

I don’t know if I’m explaining myself well, but I didn’t see a snarky and mean-spirited person treating him like a circus animal, I see someone who is a bit oversensitive but means well, and she wanted to share her revelation (that you, the reader, don’t need the approval of people you work with to alter your appearance if you want to do it) with others while berating herself for being overfamiliar with someone who didn’t see her as a confidant. I see someone with social anxiety.

maybe there’s some context I’m missing? Is this someone famous? I haven’t seen anything in the notes…

Can you imagine finding out your coworker posted this about you

[hauntedestheart]

Something To Be Thankful For (Male Body Swap)

A Thanksgiving themed story where the family loser finally gets a break

Thanksgiving is inarguably the worst holiday. First off, it's racist and imperialist and celebrates the genocide of the Native Americans, but also it, uh, just kinda sucks! None of the fun parts of other holidays like gifts or candy but all of the worst parts... and by "worst parts," I mean forced family gatherings.

I'm probably just bitter about it because I'm something of the black sheep in my family. For starters I'm gay. I'm also the shortest one of my siblings, and the sole glasses wearer. And on top of that, I'm the only one in a clan of witches and warlocks who never manifested magic powers.

I know, I know. Pick a struggle, right?

My father is a high ranking executive at one of the preeminent magical goods suppliers in the country. My mother's homebrewed potions win awards. My older sister is graduating magna cum laude from college with a degree in charms. Even my younger brother was conjuring lightning in the womb.

But me? The family's little loser? Never a flicker.

A normie in a magic family is not unheard of but it's all my relatives will ever talk to me about, which makes the holidays hell. Thanksgiving is the worst of all since it's always set aside for a big family reunion, which means I get to spend a week fielding condescending questions from the entire clan about how I'm still a disappointment

And that's on top of the usual family drama! Drunk uncles fighting, mothers comparing their children's achievements, married couples who should really be divorced having uncomfortably public arguments, excruciating political debates- not to mention the unusual family drama, like spell competitions and aggravated curses. I can't even enjoy the free vacation this year since we went to island resort, and my pasty ass can barely spend a few minutes in the sun before burning.

Yippee.

The only bright spot is that my sister brought her boyfriend with her this year- his name's Quincy. He's hot, right?

Quincy is not very smart, nor does he have magic, and in every interaction I've had with him he's been kind of a tool. This makes him the perfect match for my domineering sister- a big, dumb hunk that she can keep under her thumb.

The relationship is new and she definitely just wanted to bring him along to show him off to our cousins and to piss off our racist relatives, but I certainly wasn't gonna complain about having some free eye candy along. I mean, his muscles? His smile? I couldn't wait to see how he filled out a bathing suit because his regular pants were always screaming at the seams.

So yes, pathetic as it sounds, the thing I was looking forwards to the most about this family reunion was getting to sneak glances at my sister's boyfriend. Creepy, I know, but it's not like I was hurting anybody! He was just another beautiful thing that I'd never have.

Just like the respect of my family, and all of the magic around me.

I got to see a decent amount of him the first day we arrived (he wasn't hard to spot since his massive frame stuck out in the crowd) and it was really the only thing that kept me going as the week of torture began. I turned it into sort of a game- every time something insufferable happened, as a treat, got to objectify Quincy.

When Grandpa asked me if I'd developed powers yet and then shook his head when I said no, I let myself stare at the way Quincy's biceps flexed while he carried everyone's luggage.

When Cousin Leland and his wife started throwing hexes at each other in the elevator, I got to stare at a certain someone's giant ass as he walked up the stairs in front of me.

When my sister snapped at me for taking so long to unpack because I had to do it by hand instead of just zapping everything out, I flipped her off and imagined myself motorboating her boyfriend's pecs.

When Creepy Uncle Marlow made a pass at my mom... actually I kept my eyes to myself that time, acutely aware that I was well on my way to becoming a creepy bachelor uncle. Sigh.

At dinner, I found myself seated at the kid's table even though I was well into my twenties because Auntie Myrna (the old bitch who made the seating arrangements) thought I'd "be more comfortable there" since there would be so much talk of magic at the other tables- never mind that half of the family's significant others were normies and they got along just fine.

At the very least, my spot offered me a good view of Quincy, who was seated with the rest of my family at the head table. It was hard not to feel jealous, looking at that big, strong, handsome guy who didn't seem to have a care in the world.

As was tradition, we all bowed our heads as my father read the out a sacred incantation that had been passed down through our family for generations that was supposed to ensure our good fortune. It was part of the reason we reunited on Thanksgiving- what better time of year to renew our blessings than the time of thankfulness?

But as I sat there bored, powerless, and lonely, I struggled to really feel the spirit of the holiday. I did feel a weird tingling though.

Next thing I knew I was sitting at the head table, feeling better than I ever had in my life. Power surged through my veins, but it wasn't magic, it was... strength? Muscles? When did I get muscles?

I stared down at myself and my body was unrecognizable. My skin was dark brown and I was twice the size I was before, maybe even three times. I ran my hands over the surface of the tight black t-shirt I was now wearing and I felt all sorts of ridges and bumps- then I realized that since it was my body, I could slip the hand under the t-shirt, and I discovered that those bumps were a fucking six pack and a chest.

I slipped the other hand under in disbelief and cupped one pectoral in each of my hands, my eyes widening as I squeezed them tight and felt the soft muscle flexing in my hand. It felt incredible, like I was grabbing clouds out of heaven. What was going on?

A silver serving tray was sitting on the table in front of me and I picked it up, gasping in shock at the face I saw reflected back at me. Quincy?

Unsure of what was happening, I rose to my feet and stumbled instantly, not anticipating just how far up I'd go. I was tall, towering over a majority of the other guests, and my new height gave me the perfect view of the pandemonium that had erupted in the rest of the dining room.

I glanced to my right and saw my sister had yanked her top down and was feeling her own boobs while my teenage brother was jumping up and down, bending his knees with a big smile. On the far side, Grandpa was hobbling around with a shell shocked expression on his face, and he nearly crashed into Uncle Marlow, who was grabbing his crotch and shrieking. Mom was banging on the table, trying to get everyone's attention, but no one was listening.

I didn't have to be a magician to get what was going on- all around, people were struggling with the shock of their new bodies. There were cries of confusion, people already searching for their families and themselves. Full grown adults were sobbing like little kids, some of them were being comforted by little kids.

And there was lots and lots of grabbing of private parts.

I turned around and saw my own body seated at the kid's table, patting himself down in shock- whoever was in me didn't look happy. But you know who was happy? Me!

I took advantage of the chaos to escape into the hallway, away from the noise and prying eyes, and I immediately tore my shirt off. And I mean literally tore it off, grabbing the fabric with two strong hands and tearing it down the middle just to see if I could. Quincy was wearing a black undershirt, so tight on his muscles it looked like it was painted on- it was already one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen, and I wasn't even done undressing!

The undershirt had to go too, slipped over my head and discarded to the side so I could get a clear view of Quincy's incredible torso. I'd seen muscles before, objectively I knew what they looked like, but seeing them from a first persona angle was utterly surreal. I pressed a finger into the meat of one of the pectorals that jutted out from my chest and watched the finger sink in, then I flexed so the muscle became hard and forced the finger away. I chuckled with glee.

The charcoal shorts that Quincy was wearing were quickly abandoned and I discovered with some delight that he was a boxer briefs man- which made sense, because he had a lot of goods to support. Just like his undershirt, his underwear was skintight, and I wondered if it was because he sought out clothes that hugged his figure, or if his body was just so big that this was the only way things fit him.

I ran my hands over the curve of his ass and it was just as supple as I'd imagined it would be, and there was so much of it that his hands could barely cover the cheeks. I'd have to find a mirror later so I could get a full view of what it looked like when I shook it.

Then I felt a stirring in my belly and saw that the thick projection at the front of Quincy's underwear was starting to snake further and further down... how far would it go, I wondered?

Someone interrupted me before I could find out, and I was summoned back into the room to sort things out with the rest of my mixed up family. I didn't bother getting dressed before making my return- why cover up all that goodness?

Now I know what you're probably thinking- "oh wow, his powers finally manifested! He can switch people's bodies!" Well as sickening as that would be, that was not the case.

When everyone finally calmed down a bit, my father (now in the body of my mother) explained that he'd been cursed by a business rival before the holiday and he hadn't had time to investigate the effects before we left for vacation. Suspicious curse plus family wide incantation equaled mass body swaps.

Since magic relating to the mind and body is some of the trickiest, we would need an expert to untangle this, and since none were going to be available until after the holidays and rebooking flights on the weekend of a major holiday was impossible even with magic, we were stuck at the resort in our new bodies for the rest of the week.

Which is fine by me of course- getting to spend the rest of this vacation in the primo body of a hunk? Cruising the beach looking like this?

Finally, something to be thankful for.

[goddessxdivine]

Sydney and Carmen being perceived as strictly platonic doesn’t make sense

i think it’s easy for people to think that SydCarmy are just friends (surface level friends, at that) because we aren’t always shown their deeper moments. some people need to see it to believe it or can’t read between the lines. but the “they’re just friends” crew fail to acknowledge that in good romantic relationships, typically the couple are good friends too. like your significant other should also be someone you consider your good friend. platonic can lead to romantic easily and it happens often.

prior to Claire coming back into Carm’s life, he spent a lot of time with and talking to Syd. from talking about the menu to how they want the restaurant to be set up. they had months of talking. s2ep1 as they walk through the construction site that was currently the bear, Syd talks about the vibe between her and her dad being weird.

while we don’t see the very first conversation they had about her relationship with her dad, they’ve clearly talked about it to some extent before and now they’re talking about it in the restaurant.

the first time that they talk about their moms is in the restaurant. cooking/the restaurant links them and provides them safety in intimacy. this happens in a way that allows them to feel comfortable and present enough to speak about other important topics (ex: their parents).

they’ve built a connection that allows them to feel things like “you make me better at this” & “I wouldn’t even want to do it without you” and express it to each other. even if it was platonic, that doesn’t take away from it being deeply intimate.

why have Syd address the potential of her saying she wants his full focus and doesn’t think she should have to share it (with Claire) as something that could sound like shes romantically jealous.

cooking is an intimacy link for Syd and Carm and he’s going over their menu with Claire, he’s finally willing to consider the chaos menu that Syd’s been talking to him about for however long after he talks with Claire … honestly the way Carm treated Syd for Claire was a slap in the face at times.

it’s one thing for Carmen to leave her and the restaurant to go to an Al-Anon meeting (brigade). but for him to be blowing her off when they’re meant to go on their food tour or when they need to “talk napkins for real” to randomly hangout with Claire is different.

do i think Syd was actually jealous?

honestly she probably was a bit. especially at first. but more than jealous, i think she was probably hurt. their motivations for the way they want to prove themselves in their industry are deeply personal. Carmy is someone who she admires professionally and has gotten to know personally, yet he takes something that is important to the two of them then shares it with someone Syd doesn’t even know. Claire’s suggestions can influence their menu but with Syd’s ideas, he needs to think on it. like maybe it’s just me, but romantic or platonic, I’d feel ignored or doubted.

jealousy is something that can exist in friendships. from adolescence to adulthood, there is potential to feel like a close friend is leaving you behind, or spending more time with others, etc. and there are many forms of jealousy that can take place in a friendship. however with SydCarmy, the things that can be construed as jealousy surpass just friendship. there is an intimacy there that may not be seen in a platonic relationship.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 97 (Cherished Friendships)

Conrad tried to make breakfast for his hosts while a familiar light rain drizzled outside, but Neal rushed into the kitchen to stop him. "It's an old stove. Real finnicky," he insisted. "Maybe you should let someone else do that. Heather, maybe."

"It's no trouble. I had a stove like this growing up," said Conrad, but Neal shook his head.

"It's not a good idea."

Daisy shook her head with a gentle chuckle. "Don't let him scare you. He's just trying to scam a meal out of his daughter now that she's as good as any gourmet chef."

They all knew it was more than that, but they went along with the excuse because it was easier that way. "It's not like I'm making anyone ambrosia," Heather said. There was nothing special about her scrambled eggs and bacon, but she took over at the stove while Conrad hung out with sleepy Lavender, instead.

The early morning rains let up and the sun came out, so Heather and Conrad next headed to Old New Henford, where Everett, Spencer, and their children had settled well into the mild winter season - at least it was more seasonal than their last home in Oasis Springs.

"Greyson, say hello to your godmother, Heather."

"Hi, Heather," he said cheerily. "Hey! You have glasses, too!"

"I told you she did." Spencer looked apologetically at her old friend. "He just got glasses recently and was feeling insecure, so I was trying to tell him all the awesome people I know who rock glasses."

"Your glasses look really good, Greyson. The bright red is so cool!" Heather wasn't lying to him about his glasses, though she played up the excitement to help Spencer convince him to embrace this change in his appearance. "I've had glasses for pretty much as long as I can remember, and I love wearing them. If I looked as cool as you, I'd love them even more!"

Seven-year-old Greyson smiled up at Heather. "You look pretty cool," he said, before running off to play on the monkey bars in their backyard.

Heather watched firsthand the bond between Spencer and her sons. Especially four-year-old Jett, who was Heather's biological child, but was treated the same as his siblings. He followed Spencer everywhere and loved making everyone laugh. "I seriously don't know why you doubt yourself, Spence," Heather gushed. "You're an incredible mom."

They also met Everett and Spencer's third little miracle - a daughter they named Violet. She was about six months younger than Lavender, with big blue eyes like her mother.

"I hope you don't mind that their names are so similar," said Spencer. "I've just always loved the name and I thought maybe the girls might grow up to be friends as close as we are. If that happens, their names are a perfect set!"

Heather smiled at the thought. "I think Violet's name is perfect, and I'd love for her and Lavender to have as many adventures together as we have!"

"I'm still planning to take you to Selvadorada with me next time, if you can get away."

Heather nodded. "And I'm still planning to get away, as long as business stays as manageable as its been lately!"

Everett's father Bob stopped by to say hello, and Heather thought to ask him about Agnes and Agatha. "How does it feel seeing clones of your dead mothers walk around town?"

He laughed. "It was hard to get used to, but now it comforts me whenever I see them. They're together forever, just like they wanted to be."

They left for San Myshuno after leaving the Pancakes' after lunch, picking up Ash from the Landgraabs' penthouse before stopping in to visit with Heather's old friend, Dylan Richards, and her family. Pearl was a year and a half older than Ash, but their mothers were happy to see them get along.

"You can do my math homework?"

Ash shrugged. "It's not that hard. Just numbers."

"I don't like numbers," Pearl complained. "I prefer dancing, but every time I want to practice, Darrell gets in the way!" Pearl's toddler brother perked up from the sofa at the mention of his name. "Be glad you have sisters. Little brothers are so annoying!"

Pearl's father, Gavin, chuckled. "He just wants to spend time with his big sister, sweetheart. He loves you!"

"Why can't he love me and be less annoying?" she moaned.

Gavin took Darrell into the hall to help him use up some of his energy, and by now, Lavender was struggling. It had been days since she'd been in her own crib and felt the familiar surroundings of their home in Brindleton Bay. Though she'd been her wiggly, happy self for most of the weekend, she was fading fast.

Heather had hoped to stop in to see Holly and Kris' daughter, Betta, who was only a few weeks younger than Lavender, but Heather and Conrad knew it was time to head home.

(Look at that face. She would not stand being passed around for cuddles in one more stranger's arms this day!)

They knew they'd see Heather's youngest niece during the Winterfest holidays, but they still had a few weeks of work left until the festive season. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: Did I give Heather and Everett's children all colour names? Yes I did. Am I plotting something? Maybe. Will we know what that is for years? No. 😂 Did plotting encourage me to give Violet a better outfit than the default medieval cc dress and bucket hat she aged up in? Also no.

[tls12lessthan3]

also both of them want to be on the opposite end they are. yoo joonghyuk is obvious. he has long struggled with his personhood, being dehumanized by the constellations, the reducing of himself as merely a cog or a weapon throughout his various lifetimes, the questioning of yourself that come with not knowing your origin and subsequently not having the basis that so many people build their personhood from. but also before he's even aware of this scale he knows he's not where he wants to be purely on an interpersonal level with kim dokja like. he notices how kim dokja yanks him around like a puppet on a string. he notices how kim dokja doesn't trust him with his plans. he notices how kim dokja treats him alternatively as someone to be idolized and an almost childish figure to be cared for. he especially notices how far apart kim dokja holds them. and while he doesn't quite know why he knows he hates it, knows he wants to be seen as a friend and companion in a way that is barred from Yoo Joonghyuk - The Character but might just be allowed for Yoo Joonghyuk - The Person.

and then less obviously we have han sooyoung. i think its very telling that when she was thrust into a fictional universe the first thing han sooyoung did was fashion herself into a character archetype - specifically the 'villain'. we know she sees the world as a novel with characters and tropes and cliches almost as much as kim dokja does, and the following thought is she feels comforted by the notion of being just a character. also on an interpersonal level she sees that kim dokja loves yoo joonghyuk so so much in a way that is only possible for a character. and gosh who wouldn't get a little jealous of that. this jealousy mixes with her professional jealousy - what author doesn't want a reader who cares about their characters so much?

and i think thats why a lot of their earlier interactions read as not just antagonistic but actively a little jealous. han sooyoung has a relationship with kim dokja that yoo joonghyuk wants, and though he doesn't understand why he knows enough to be envious of it. and han sooyoung sees how obsessed kim dokja is with yoo joonghyuk and can't help but be a little jealous of that too. this can be romantic or platonic but i think it definitely colours their interactions. also makes early scenarios yoohan soooo fun for me

also semi related to my last post but kim dokja keeps all his companions on a scale from person to character with han sooyoung at the extreme person end and yoo joonghyuk at the extreme character end. and you can use that to really examine what exactly those categorizations mean to kim dokja and how he acts around those people accordingly.

[sissylittlefeather]

Bonded: Part 5

That's What You Get For Loving Me

A/N: Sorry this took so long! This chapter was a pain in my butt, but I think it's finally ready for public eyes. Also, there's only one more chapter of this one, so enjoy it while you can!

Special thanks to @ccab and @atleastpleasetelephone for helping me work out some kinks (not the good kind).

Get caught up: Masterlist

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI, kissing, cussing, oral sex (f receiving), p in v penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, also they're vampires so blood, biting, blood drinking, and Lisa Marie is really ill

Word count: ~2.9k

“My baby girl is gonna die, isn't she?”

You lay together in silence and the thought hits him that at least he'll have you when it happens.

******

You stay with Elvis through the end of his Vegas engagement, splitting your time between his suite, his shows, and the hospital. After about three days, he convinces you to quit your job and move into his suite with him. Honestly, it doesn't take much convincing to get you to do it. If it weren't for Lisa Marie's illness, you would be wrapped in a blissful blanket of love together. You're both excited to have someone to feed from regularly, somehow sustaining each other without the need for any humans. And the sex is phenomenal every time, so for the most part, you're happy.

Still, you both spend a lot of time trying to research and find a way to help Lisa Marie. You pore over books about healing, trying to figure out if there's something you can do. You try several different things, but nothing works.

When his Vegas shows end, he assumes you'll accompany him to Graceland, and you do because what else would you do? One afternoon you're laying in bed together still naked from a passionate session of lovemaking when he has an idea.

“What about Mary?”

“What about her?” You're not sure where he's going with this.

“Would she know about something to help Lisa Marie?”

“Maybe, but I'm not sure.” You sit in deep thought for a while before it hits you like a ton of bricks. Why haven't you thought of it before?! “I bet my mother knows something!”

He looks at you funny, like he needs to say something but isn't sure it's okay to say. Finally, he breaks down and just asks.

“Your mother is alive?”

“No, I guess I should clarify. I call the woman who turned me my mom. She's very motherly. But she was a healer for her people before she was turned! She knows all kinds of ancient wisdom. I haven't seen her in a long time, though.” He sits up and looks at you seriously.

“If you think she can help, we should talk to her.”

“We'll have to take a trip to the mountains. She doesn't own a phone.” He lays back down and pulls you in close to him.

“I'll charter a plane. We'll go tonight.”

******

His bodyguards are reluctant to let him go anywhere without them, but he reminds them that he'll be fine by extending his fangs. Besides, it's not like you're going anywhere with a lot of people.

Once you land and get a car, you begin your journey up into the mountains. It's been a while, but you still remember how to get to her house. For the most part, you ride in silence through the tall trees, both of you nervous for how this encounter might turn out. When you pull up to the rusty old gate, Elvis shuts the car off and looks at you.

“This is the closest I'll ever get to meeting your family. Should I be nervous?” You laugh a little.

“No, you handled Mary okay. Ama is only around 400 years old, so she's much more lenient. She'll be surprised to see a male vampire, though. I know she had a hand in eradicating them.”

“Eradicating them?!”

“They had become too dangerous and out of control. They weren't all like you.” Elvis thinks of the times he's almost fully drained women unintentionally, the near-cruelty with which he's treated them at times, and nods. Maybe he would be dangerous if he wasn't himself.

At the door, you knock on the ivy-covered wood and wait for a bit. Before too long, a small brown woman with long black braids opens the door and Elvis sighs, assuming you have the wrong house. But instead, you throw yourself into her arms.

“Mother.” She holds you comfortably, despite being shorter than you. After a few seconds, you pull back and turn to introduce Elvis. He nods and smiles, secretly hoping she'll assume he's human. It's better to be considered a child than a threat. Instead, she purses her lips.

“You two better come inside.” He follows you into the cozy room with a wood-burning stove almost in the center. She gestures for you both to have a seat on a small, plush couch and then settles herself in a rocking chair. “So you've made yourself a male vampire companion.”

You shake your head vehemently. Her tone indicates that this disappoints her.

“No! I didn't make him to be my companion. I just… made him…” You’re struggling to articulate exactly why you turned Elvis into a vampire. In all honesty, other than because he asked, you don't really have a reason.

“I knew you were a risk. Always weak around human men, refusing to kill them when necessary.” She stares coldly at Elvis, who bristles defensively in response. Without thinking, you put your hand on his knee and feel him relax a little. When she catches the interaction, she inhales sharply. “And you've bonded with him!”

“No! No I didn't!” She shakes her head.

“Don't lie to me, child. I can smell it on both of you-” Something snaps inside of Elvis and he yells.

“Yes! I'm a vampire. I made her do it. And yes, we are bonded. That was my idea too. I'm evil. Can we move on?” And then he gets quiet and looks at you. “Every second you sit here talking is another second that we lose Lisa Marie.”

You nod slowly, resisting the urge to kiss him. But Ama watches the way you look at each other and softens a bit.

“Who is Lisa Marie?” Elvis turns back to her.

“She's my daughter. She's 3 and she's dying. I don't know what to do.” His voice catches on the last part and you take his hand, squeezing gently.

“I'm not sure what you think I can do.” She holds her hands up like she has nothing to offer.

“Weren't you a healer?” You ask, worried that you've come all this way for nothing.

“I was, but this is- wait.” Ama leans forward in her chair. “Were you a vampire when she was conceived?”

Elvis looks at you, almost embarrassed about the fact that he has a child with another woman, but you know he's married. It's not a shock that his child has a different mother.

“Yes.” Ama laughs and leans back with her hand on her forehead. You and Elvis look at each other perplexed. She sits up and speaks quietly.

“She’s half-vampire and will likely turn fully when she becomes a woman. She needs blood.” Elvis stands up, excitedly, dragging you with him.

“What do you mean?!” Ama rises slowly and smiles.

“She is part of you, part vampire. The reason her body hasn't healed is because it needs blood, your blood, to come back to health. Give her just a little of your blood over a series of days and she will be fine.” Elvis laughs loudly as the tears start to stream down his cheeks. For a split second, it hits you that his daughter will probably be a vampire too. He obviously hasn't realized what this might mean and you're not about to tell him right now. Instead, you push that thought away and focus on the fact that she will, in fact, survive.

“That's why she hasn't… oh my God. It's so simple.” He can hardly make words, he's so excited and relieved. Your eyes fill with tears too and it doesn't take long for him to wrap you fully in his arms and kiss you. “Oh God, honey. We can help her!”

He lets go of you just long enough to turn and hug Ama. Her eyes are wide with shock at how tender and loving he seems with you, about his daughter, and even with his arms around her.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” She pats him on the back gently. When he pulls away, she grabs his face in both hands.

“You be good to her, okay? You seem different than the others. You be good to her or you'll have me to answer to.” He nods, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I love her, ma'am. I'll take care of her.” She moves her hands away, nodding.

“Good.”

******

On the plane, Elvis’s leg bounces with nervous energy. You're sitting across from him on the small private jet. There's a stewardess somewhere, but he got annoyed and compelled her to stay away. So it's just the two of you for the next hour or so.

The thought enters your mind again that Lisa Marie will probably be a vampire someday. You look at Elvis and decide this isn't the time to talk about it. You need a distraction and so does he.

“Hey, baby?” You ask quietly and he looks up at you like he's forgotten you're there.

“Yeah?”

“You wanna feed?” He seems to be considering it for a bit before he shakes his head.

“No, honey, I'm okay.” You unbuckle your seatbelt and walk over to him.

“You're really not.” He pulls you down into his lap and buries his face in your hair. You stroke the back of his head and whisper. “C’mon, baby.”

He grunts as you expose your neck to him. It's true he hasn't fed in a couple of days. The tantalizing smell of your blood is so tempting that his fangs emerge and he moans softly. His cock twitches in his pants and he feels it start to harden at the thought of having you in more ways than one. But he's flooded with guilt at the same time, thinking about his own pleasure when his daughter might die. You anticipate what he's thinking and murmur.

“Elvis, I know Lisa is still sick, but there's nothing we can do about it on this plane.” He realizes you're right and pulls your lips down to his, letting his tongue push past your fangs to explore your mouth. The kiss heats up quickly as he begins to pull at your clothes.

“Need you, honey.” He whispers in your ear as you whimper and grind your ass on him a little bit. You feel his erection and put your hand on him over his pants. He groans softly. “You wearin’ panties, honey?”

“Yes.” You moan into his mouth.

“Take ‘em off.” Without another thought, you stand up and obey, sliding your panties down your legs. He drags his hand up the inside of your thigh and runs his fingers through your folds. “Oh, baby. Feels like you need it too.”

“I do… need you so bad baby…” You whimper. He grunts again and pushes his middle finger up into you, pumping it in and out for a bit. Then, he slides it out and pats your ass.

“Bend over, baby.” You do as you're told and bend over, putting your hands on the short table that is between your chairs. He flips your skirt up over your ass and moans with the sight of your glistening wet pussy in front of him. “Goddamn, honey.”

And then he dives in tongue first, shoving it as deep inside you as it'll go. He fucks you with his tongue for a bit before he moves down, licking your clit with a fervor you've never experienced before. You moan loudly and he tries not to smile. He loves to eat you out any way he can, but you bent over like this doesn't happen often.

“Fuck, baby… that's good.” You whimper as he continues to lick and suck and tongue fuck your pussy, pushing you to the edge of an orgasm pretty quickly.

“Cum for me, honey.” He mumbles against you, sending his tongue to dart out and tease your clit. You moan and push back, losing all control. He presses his tongue inside you again and then goes back to working your clit. “Come on, baby. Just let go; I'm right here.”

You whimper and pant as your orgasm closes in on you and you almost scream as it rattles your whole body, rushing through you from your pussy right out to your fingertips and back again. He feels the way you pulse on his tongue and licks you through your climax.

When you finally come down, you hear him unzip his pants and pull his cock free. He grabs you around the waist and pulls you back down into his lap. You groan as you sink down onto him, pushing him so deep inside you.

“That's my girl.” He whispers in your ear. You moan and start to bounce on him while he guides your hips. “Fuck, baby.”

He makes some kind of noise between a moan and a grunt and holds your hips as he starts to thrust into you from underneath. Then, you take over again, grinding back against him, pushing him deeper and deeper.

“Gettin’ close. Don't stop, baby.” You bounce on his cock as fast and hard as you can and feel him start to throb inside you. Then, he moans loudly, grabs your hips in a bruising grip, and slams you one last time. “Fuck! Yeah, baby.”

When he finishes, he holds you still in his lap, pulling your body back against him as he moves your hair and bites into your neck with his dick still nestled in your pussy. You groan as he drinks you, reveling in the sensation of this highest level of intimacy. After a few seconds, he backs off, licking your puncture wounds so that they'll heal faster.

“You like it when I bite you like that? With my cock inside you?” He whispers in your ear and your pussy clenches around him. You shift a little and he groans. “Turn around and feed, baby.”

Without hesitation, you turn and straddle him. He's soft, but he uses his thumb to rub circles on your clit as he moves his head to give you access to his neck. You moan and whimper as he drags his thumb faster and faster over you. Another orgasm threatens to overwhelm you and you lean forward and graze your fangs against his skin.

“That's it, baby. I want you to cum and bite me.”

“Fuck… Elvis… ohhhh!” Just as your climax hits, you sink your teeth deeply into his neck and whimper as the sweet taste of his blood washes over your tongue. He holds your hips tightly and lets you drink your fill. When you finally come down and back off of him, he pulls you into a kiss that's all fangs and tongues and blood. He pulls back and presses his forehead to yours.

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Elvis.” The captain comes over the PA system to announce your descent into the Memphis airport. Elvis squeezes you one more time and then pats your ass. He helps you put your panties back on, but doesn't let you go sit in your own seat. Instead, he wraps his arms tightly around you. You tap on his arm. “Baby, I need my seatbelt.”

“No, you don't. I've got you.” You giggle and relax against him. The plane lands just fine and you both sigh deeply.

Back to reality.

******

Finally, you arrive at the hospital and make your way to Lisa Marie’s room. When you walk in, Elvis demands that everyone leave. They look at him like he has three heads, but he says it again and you hear his voice take on that eerie quality that it does when a vampire is compelling someone. It doesn't take much longer for them to clear the room and leave you and Elvis alone with Lisa Marie.

“How do I give her my blood?” He looks at you helplessly.

“I'm not sure. Maybe just drop some on her tongue? Ama said it didn't need to be much at all. And then once she's awake we can give her a little more until she's fully recovered.” He nods and pulls his sleeve up.

“Baby, would you bite me?” You walk over to him and take his arm.

“Why?”

“Your bites are gentler. Please?” Nodding, you lean forward and carefully sink your fangs into his flesh. “Mmm, see that hurts a lot less. When you do it it feels good.”

You have to actively stop yourself from feeding so he can get some blood for Lisa, but it's not easy to pull your mouth away from his arm. Even after feeding on the plane, he tastes so good it's hard to pull back. He strokes your hair with his other hand.

“Thank you, baby.” He dips his fingers in the small pool of blood that's gathered on his arm. Then, he takes his fingers and opens Lisa's mouth, meticulously placing a few drops on her tongue. When he's finished, he stands back and watches like she's going to wake up right away.

“It'll probably take some time to work. Come sit down.” He nods and pulls both of your chairs up to the side of the bed.

With one hand, he holds Lisa Marie’s, making soft circles on the back of hers. He leans back a little, though, to let you settle on his shoulder. His arm snakes around your waist and pulls you in close so he can kiss you on the forehead. You drift off to sleep in his arms and he looks at you and then Lisa Marie, thinking he has everything he needs right now at this moment, as long as everyone wakes up in the morning.

******

Almost the End!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@ccab @atleastpleasetelephone @aliypop @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @tacozebra051 @your-nanas-house @joshuntildawn13 @lookingforrainbows @60svintage @littlehoneyposts @epthedream69 @louisejoy86 @rjmartin11 @from-memphis-with-love @deltafalax @cinnamoroll-things @burnthheparaphilia @jhoneybees @cattcb @everythingelvispresley @returntopresley @searchingforgravity @msamarican @angschrof @lustnhim @polksaladava @librababe99 @hooked-on-elvis @theelvisprincess @makethemorning @peaceloveelvis @mrspresley69

[thepigeonhasapen]

I was wondering if you could do the Olympian Gods with a reader whose asexual? Like, what would their reactions be, would they mind, stuff like that d:

Asexual Reader, Olympian Edition

(Doing these asks out of order but shhhhhhh. Also strong warning for acephobia because Zeus in an ass)

🩷Aphrodite🩷

Very chill about it. She's the goddess of love and that includes ALL kinds of love. Self-love is one of her favorites. The fact that you know and accept who you are and that you're willing to let her in on it? Well, Aphrodite might just adore you even more than she already did.

"You’re...? Well of course I don't mind, dearest! In fact, I think that's positively wonderful!"

Regardless of whether or not you're interested, Aphrodite still can't refrain from making comments about your physical appearance. She'll try and curtail some of them if you find them uncomfortable, but she loves lavishing praise upon you and talking you up to her friends.

Partially jealous to be perfectly honest. She can't help but wonder if you have a more pure understanding of beauty because you're not looking at it though the rose-tinted lens of horny. Aphrodite is deeply fascinated by asexuality and even if she doesn't quite understand it, she tries her best.

⚔️Ares⚔️

Doesn't mind. Honestly, it doesn't even really impact him that much. Just neatly writes sex out of the equation and carries on.

"You seem nervous, my dear. You... oh? Is that all? No need to distress yourself so much over such things. I love you as you are and knowing this will not change that."

May ask you a few questions at the beginning but mostly leaves the subject alone after that.

If anyone's giving you shit, all it takes is a dirty look from Ares to shut them up. What can I say the man has a way with not using his words.

🏹Artemis🏹

You too?? Artemis tries to play it off cool but she's low-key thrilled actually. Internally screaming because thank the Fates, she can get as close to you as she wants and she doesn't have to worry about things getting Weird™️

"You’re ace? That's... cool. Sorry, that came off as really insincere. It's just... me too, you know? I got a little surprised is all. And um, we've been hanging out for a while and I just wanted to say, you know, now that we're talking about this and I know you're not gonna take this the wrong way, I think you're really neat. I love hanging out with you. ...Don't go spreading that around though, okay?"

Artemis is sex-repulsed. If you are too, she drags you to family events so she can make faces at you whenever her family starts talking about their sexual conquests. If you're not, she's deeply fascinated and will probably ask you WHY on earth you would want to do that.

Despite the fact that Artemis doesn't want to have sex, I feel like she'd still enjoy certain kinks. Primal play, petplay, and leather are things I feel she'd enjoy partaking in. (Source: I am ace and very kinky lmao)

🦉Athena🦉

What a good match, Athena is asexual too! She probably blanks your confession to be honest because she sometimes forgets that people actually have sex frequently and on purpose.

"Asexual? Yes, alright. And how fared your journey up to Olympus by the way? I hope Hermes treated you well."

Sex-neutral. Will occasionally give sex a go if her partner happens to bring it up but will mostly just forget it's existence as a thing entirely.

Athena is actually quite haughty about her asexuality. She is definitely looking down on anyone who is swayed from the path of wisdom by someone else's sex appeal. Loves that you can understand her point of view on the subject.

❄️Demeter❄️

As Demeter has aged her sex drive has shrunk to like nil so really nothing about your relationship is much different.

"Asexual...? Ah, like young Artemis, yes? Fascinating. I've never been able to pin her down long enough to converse upon the subject. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Demeter tends to be a touch more overprotective than she needs to be. If anyone even so much as gives a hint of giving you shit for it, Demeter is sending them an absolute withering glare that has the potential to kill even the most vibrant flower. She follows it up with some bitterly cold words if necessary but it rarely comes to that.

She's honestly quite relieved about it really. She was never really that horny of a person and is happy to find someone who can relate to that. I personally think Demeter is some kind of acespec but that might also be my asexual ass projecting my aceness onto every character I get my grubby little hands on lol

🍇Dionysus🍇

Chill about it. He's chill about literally everything, what do you expect? Dionysus is commonly associated with trans people and I like to believe that queer people in general just flock to him because he's just so open and accepting.

"Ace, yeah? Congrats, man, thanks for telling me. Just let me know if I ever step on any toes, 'kay?"

Not gonna lie, he secretly corners Artemis and Athena to bother them on the subject just in case he's got it wrong. He didn’t as it turns out, but he's glad he checked in anyway because it was an enlightening conversation. With Athena anyway. Artemis runs off at the first available opportunity.

Happy to go whatever speed you want, if you want to go any speed at all. He may still get a little handsy sometimes but he doesn't mean anything by it, he just really likes holding you like a teddy bear. Honestly, I think he'd get a real kick out of somebody aegosexual and think it was such a super fun party trick that you can say such horny things and not be interested at all. Probably mildly pesters you to engage with smutty things because he finds your unamused expressions absolutely fascinating.

🪽Hermes🪽

Bursts out laughing when you tell him. It's not for the reason you think and he does feel really bad about it when he sees your face.

"Haha, of all the...! Haha– oh, hey, hey, I'm sorry, it's not that. I totally don't mind you being ace or anything, far from it, it's just that I seem to have an accidental habit for attracting your type and I seem to be collecting you."

Besides you, the person Hermes spends the most time with is Charon... who is also asexual. Hermes, the uberhorny hypersexual fuckbunny who would literally die for a quickie every five minutes find this hilarious. Opposites attract I guess? Hermes has a good giggle about it everytime he thinks about it.

Doesn't mind if you don't want to have sex. If you do, great! But if you don't, it's not a big deal.

🔱Poseidon🔱

Poseidon is... confused. It'll work out better if you're sex-repulsed and straight up don't want to have sex ever, otherwise poor Poseidon will absolutely struggle. He doesn't understand the difference between sexual attraction and aesthetic attraction and is just genuinely so out of his depth. You like the way he looks... but you don't want to have sex with him??

"What's that? Asexual? I, uh... okay, just between the two of us, you're gonna have to explain that one to me, babe."

He talks to Dionysus. Even after that he still doesn't get it. Poseidon tries his best to be supportive but has like no idea how. Probably shooes away people who try to even mention sex in your vicinity. It's gonna take awhile before he understands how this works. Confused but he's got the spirit kinda?

May initially try to convince you that you just haven't had good sex yet. Sit him down, explain this all to him, and he'll probably get it. Okay, let's be honest, he still doesn't get it but he respects your choice and generally leaves the subject alone. His libido is quite high though so he will frequently sleep around just to scratch that itch.

⚡️Zeus⚡️

We were doing good until we got to you, huh Zeus? Zeus just quite firmly doesn't believe in asexuality. He definitely thinks you're just confused or that you haven't had sex right yet or that you'll change your mind at some point.

"Asexual? Oh dear, have you been talking to that daughter of mine, Artemis? She's always on about something or other, if she chooses to talk to us at all."

Zeus won't force you to have sex but he will make subtle (he thinks he's being subtle anyway) comments about how you're a tease or a prude. If you're interested in having sex, Zeus doesn't understand the definition and just thinks you don't find him attractive. His feelings are now hurt. He will be throwing a violent totally-not-a-tantrum now.

Will eventually, probably shut up about it. Look, he's never gonna understand it so shutting up about it is the best you're gonna get from him. This idiot thinks with his penis, okay? Athena stole all the intelligence from him at birth. Just doesn't get it, very confused, cannot even comprehend the idea of not wanting to bang everything in sight.

[blitzwhore]

Ok, the fact that, despite everything, Verosika had this face when she was Blitz about to be executed is just...

Despite what happened, she still cares for him.

(Also, I know it's unrelated, but she was so hot in this outfit.)

PREACH to everything you said!!!!

First of all, YES, she looks hot as fuck in that outfit. Damn.

Second of all, YES, Verosika still cares about Blitzø. She has seen he is capable of change, and it's very clear to me (throughout the show) that some of her affection for him remains.

But third of all, and I think this is what impacts me the most, her horror at Blitzø being executed sends such a powerful social message. A message that you can hate someone, you can deeply resent someone, you can want nothing to do with them. You can think someone is a jerk, a motherfucker, a piece of trash who you never want to have to see again. Someone you might even have wished was dead, someone whose death you might even have joked about with others because of how hurt you were by them.

And you can—you SHOULD—still feel horrified by that person receiving a death penalty. This is so fucking important. That no matter how horrible you might think someone is, it should horrify you to find out they have been sentenced to death by the government, and that this is treated by media and seen by society (at least by those in power) as something worth celebrating.

Moments like this in the episode are so important, in my opinion. Not just because of how many countries still have a death penalty (including some states of the US, where the show is run), but also because the defence of the death penalty is (I feel) on the rise in many online spaces, at least when the target is deemed "bad enough" to deserve it.

And that's just. That's just horrifying.

[shana-reviews-tmblr]

You really don't just get it do you?

i wouldn't expect someone who never went through having parents be divorced or the kind of shit that does to you expect to treat the person who is the VICTIM with any sympathy

Stolas is not a bad person, you are actively undermining and perpetuating th eidea Stolas and people like him WHO DO EXIST IN THE REAL WORLD don't deserve any sympathy, so i guess my father is like that as well right? because as i said he had a similar experience Stolas had with Stella

I suppose that doesn't count RIGHT?

No you want to make it seem like the series is trying to excuse his faults or that a character like stolas is awful because he's flawed?

you have absolutely no sympathy or empathy for people in that situation and it shows with how dismissive you are

and news flash Goku is a good example to compare because he does not know how to be a parent but that didn't stop him from caring for his son and giving his life to ensure he would live, even TFS knew this and actively tried to show that IN A PARODY

it's clear you just don't understand and willfully choose to ignore what Stolas represents and i feel sorry for anyone like him who you come across because if you can't show this amount of sympathy for a fictional bird demon, i don't expect you to do so irl

and again my own father had this experience with my mom

and on the whole take turns thing, just so you understand THAT ISN'T TAKING CARE OF HER THAT IS CALLED HAVING CUSTODY

it's this thing were parents who are divorced share custody of the child and the parent who the child isn't primarily living with is allowed visitation rights to spend time with that child

which Stella has, but we never see her and Stella DO ANYTHING there is no indication Stella tends to Via, talks with Via, hangs out with Via, or does ANYTHING and given that Stella is RICH and HAS SERVANTS those are the ones who tend to Via if she needs anything.

and again, save for the being rich part, I say all of this FROM EXPERIENCE WITH MY OWN FAMILY as I also spent time with my mom even though my dad had custody of me and guess what, my mom rarely if ever took interest in what i was into, liked, or whatever. I think I have more backing up MY SIDE on this in defense of Stolas than you do.

but I guess when you aren't someone who went through what Via or Stolas went through, it's no surprise you show apathy to Stolas

kindly get off the internet

If Stella is what you call "A bad mother" then I reckon Stolas wouldn't be that stupid enough to let her take care of Octavia. It's confirmed that they each take turns taking care of her. If Stolas let Stella take care of Octavia knowing that Stella is a bad mother, how does that make him any better as a father?

Not saying Stella made the right choices as a mother either, but people wanna act like she doesn't love Octavia at all when really she does love her. The only reason why she'd be grinning like this is because she was getting exactly what she wished for; the downfall for Stolas.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

in an interview a while back, vivzie compared stella to beatrice horseman from bojack horseman. if you haven't seen it, beatrice's childhood AND adult life were awful but at the exact same time it's also very clear that nothing about it justified how she treated her son bojack - much like how bojack's own abusive childhood didn't justify the way he treated people. it just explained it.

we'll have to wait and see if viv can actually pull this off (signs point to 'no' atm tbh) but stella being written with this particular comparison explicitly in mind is giving me a little hope she'll at least try.

Hey, Anon! Thanks for the ask!

I’m really glad you brought this up because I had actually been planning a post comparing Beatrice and Stella because I find it kind of fascinating that the writers say Stella is similar to Beatrice Horseman. Because so far they’re really, really, really not.

In fact, the way Stella and Beatrice are introduced and developed as characters are inverses of each other. (Explanation below)

Beatrice is introduced to us as being unambiguously the one in the wrong—she’s so ridiculously abusive towards Bojack, her own son, that it sometime crosses over into pure black comedy. Bojack is clearly the wronged party here, as he was a literal child. He depended on Beatrice for everything and was met with abuse.

Even when Beatrice’s abuse becomes so over-the-top that it’s almost comedic, the audience still understands she’s in the wrong. We understand even though it’s played for black comedy, Bojack was clearly very negatively affected by the abuse, and that her treatment of him was horrific.

During the flashbacks to Bojack’s childhood in earlier episodes, the audience has no further details or information as to why Beatrice would act this way, (not that there’s any excuse regardless) so it seems like there’s not a lot of depth to Beatrice because of this. Season 1 Beatrice Horseman is a very flat character.

But after season 1, the writers of Bojack Horseman continue to develop Beatrice. In the beginning of season 2, we learn that Beatrice is aware of her abuse and how it affected Bojack and, in her own messed up way, tries to apologize to him. She acknowledges that she is a deeply flawed person, and acknowledges her own part in Bojack’s terrible upbringing.

We learn that she regrets the way she acted, that she thinks of herself as being broken, and she sadly admits that Bojack inherited this broken-ness from her.

NONE of this makes the abuse okay for course, but we’re given more insight into her as a person. As Bojack Horseman progresses, the audience is continually given more and more information about Beatrice that explains her in depth. We learn why she acted the way she did, how she coped (and failed to cope) with the intense trauma from her childhood, and how everything that happened to her affected her behavior and outlook on life, and how that in-turn affected Bojack.

The writers develop her from being a flat character to one with depth, one that feels like a real person.

In contrast, the VERY first thing we learn about Stella, before we know anything about her personality, or how she usually talks, or what her relationships are like, is that Stolas cheated on her. She is literally introduced to us as someone who has just been wronged, and presumably, hurt by her husband’s cheating on her.

I don’t think it’s unfair to assume that audiences immediately understand why Stella acts the way she does around Stolas in season 1. Being cheated on sucks. It’s a breech of trust, and extremely hurtful.

Unlike Beatrice, Stella is introduced to us as the wronged party.

Again, that doesn’t mean her actions are warranted or should be excused, but it’s very easy to understand why she is acting the way she is.

Due to this, while Stella still starts as a relatively flat character to b/c we don’t know much about her (other than how she acts directly after being cheated on) she has a lot of potential. The writers could have gone in lots of different directions in her character development.

So naturally, in the first episode of season 2 of Helluva Boss, we learn that Stella strangled puppies as a young child, was always mean to Stolas all the time even before he cheated on her, loves “tormenting” Stolas, and is physically abusive. We learn that since she was a young child she’s always been terrible and evil.

Any potential for some further depth to be added to Stella at the beginning of season 2 is fucking steamrolled by this writing decision.

Since S2E1, The Circus, Stella has been written consistently as being mean, rude, vindictive, and stupid. The audience has been given no further information on her, other than that she has brother who is smarter and than her, and that we should hate her for standing in the way of Stolas and Blitzø’s relationship.

Due to all of this, I have absolutely no idea how HB’s writers could possibly develop Stella to be even 1/8th as nuanced or “real” as Beatrice.

At this point, I think it’s too little too late for Stella’s backstory. Why would I care about her upbringing now? What important bit of information could the writers possibly give us about her past that would make her behavior understandable, or develop her character further??

I’m not saying it’s IMPOSSIBLE. But I can’t think of anything they could do to build upon Stella’s character after they already cemented her so firmly as a one-dimensional villain.

So. To summarize (TLDR)

Beatrice Horseman started out flat, and was developed over time until she felt like a fully realized person.

Stella started out flat, but with the potential to be developed into a more nuanced character.

Instead of being developed more gradually, like Beatrice, starting in season 2, Stella was written to be as evil as possible in all her appearances.

Due to this, the writers have made it incredibly difficult to go back and give Stella a backstory that will matter or explain her behavior in any meaningful way.

[strangegardendelusion]

andres dumb plan hinges too much on the idea of "stolas will come save blitz because he loves him and then hold himself accountable so i can take his legions! obviously!" when theres like. no implication that anyone really knows what blitz and stolas's relationship is, or that they even care about each other, especially not when stella said, "he finally realized that filthy little beast was only using him to gain access to his grimoire", like, what about that implies that stolas would give a shit if anything happened to someone who was "using him"? thats right - it doesnt! if andres plan had been properly executed in the stupid ass way he set it up in the episode, then blitz wouldve been executed, and fuck all wouldve happen to stolas after. if anything, hed be treated like a hero who was used unfairly by some low life, who was then slaughtered on tv to remind the lower citizens of hell not to fuck with the upper crust. imagine if that had happened, forcing stolas to go back to his home by himself; no stella since they divorced, no via since shes turning 18 soon, and no blitzy, ever again. maybe they shouldve just done that tbh, that way he could take over the show completely, since thats obviously what viv wants so damn bad. (also, stolas possible redemption arc when he realizes his actions actually DO have consequences!) or, i dunno, if she had the maturity to let other people look at her 3 year old script without surrounding herself with yesman, she mightve realized that she couldve kept EVERYTHING she wanted and still had the same ending, at the price of having stolas do the bare minimum and say, "he didnt force himself onto me, i.. forced myself onto him." the ending with all the imps hating stolas would make sense (because they know hes a rapist), blitz being able to even acknowledge any care he has for stolas might make more sense if he'd even SAY what he did wrong to blitz in front of EVERYONE important in hell, being a way to make up for his manipulative behavior and him hiding his face at ozzies, especially if stolas said, "i'm so sorry, blitz. for getting you into this mess, for everything ive done to you.." after blitz says thank you when they return home. (thats just the way i'd write it, because i cannot fucking stand that blitz says, "thank you, stolas, for saving my life," when blitz, at minimum, has saved stolas's life 3 TIMES AND HAS NEVER GOTTEN A THANK YOU ONCE BEFORE THIS POINT and was even INSULTED over saving him the best he could, because blitz needed to be there for his DAUGHTER first like a good dad, which is obviously something stolas has never comprehended since his sacrifice and willingness to die for his former forced sex slave in mastermind proves that, but stolas saves blitz twice, the second time being when hes holding himself accountable for his own actions that nearly got his "lover" killed to begin with? oh, heres a gold star, a thank you from the guy you forced to have sex with you to keep food on the table for his family, and a free imp to wash you just like when you were 12 i mean a totally not trauma bonded bf!)

Honestly, anon, interesting points all around! I didn't even think about all you said before you mentioned it.

Now, having blitz died is a very interesting idea

I mean, it would be very cool to see how each character reacts to his death, like having loona experience her sadness by turning it into anger and having millie and moxxie grieving with each other the best they can.

It would also be very interesting to see stolas hitting the deep end as he realized how his life is falling apart

I could see stolas trying to reach out to everyone blitz knew, and nobody wanted to do anything with stolas

From then on, the series would follow stolas as he deals with everything

[utilitycaster]

for the controversial opinions thing: Neve and Lucanis's romantic relationship is good actually.

obviously, agreed; I literally considered the potential of their relationship to be an outright selling point for the game, and I've alluded heavily to it in a few posts, but time to actually talk about it.

I don't think you can ENTIRELY discount all criticism on the basis of the fans from which it comes, because that's an oversimplification that fails to provide any sort of defense, just a counter-attack. WITH THAT SAID it does feel like the vast majority of criticism of the relationship comes from people who have a very "I can fix him...and ONLY I can fix him" attitude towards the Rook/Lucanis romance option and are looking for something fraught and dramatic and angsty and are mad that Lucanis is not looking for that in his relationship, either with Rook or with Neve. Like, I cannot stress that the fact that the most popular non-Crow Lucanis romance option is Rook Mercar is WILD to me when it should be the least popular by a country mile has been ENLIGHTENING to say the least. I definitely think the fact that Neve is a woman of color does not HELP but I think even people who like Neve and are not being racist or misogynistic towards her are still mad that Lucanis is depicted as, well, bisexual but not playersexual, and he still has clear preferences and Neve is among them. (I have NOT seen the same criticism among Neve romancers which is interesting to me and I think that again while racism/misogyny play a part, I don't think people are interested in that same I Can Fix Her/I Am Her OTP narrative).

Anyway getting to the actual relationship and why it's good: Neve and Lucanis are both people who are quite private about their lives but in different ways. Neve doesn't show vulnerability out of cynicism and the way she's had to force herself not to get too invested because she's lost people in her line of work, whereas Lucanis doesn't because he is proud. Neve's response to you choosing Treviso is "you don't care about Dock Town; most people don't and it bothers me but I can't show it does, because if I did I couldn't go on doing my work." Lucanis's response to you choosing Minrathous is "I begged for your help publicly and you turned me down, so I'm never asking for your help again." And they both, despite those separate motivations, instantly get how the other feels. Neve doesn't blame Lucanis because she's also fighting for her city! Lucanis doesn't have the same hangups about Neve because she was ALSO begging for help.

From what I know they also romance each other in a way not unlike how they romance Rook, and I think that's indicative of like, a well-formed character with clear preferences. Like, they are people who would, indeed, like each other. Everyone in the Veilguard has a great deal of pride in what they do, that's kind of the point, but Lucanis is an extremely patient and cautious person in romance, and Neve responds to that! If you're not going to do a full wisp stakeout with her she's not interested! And Neve is both extremely kind towards Lucanis and supports you telling him he shouldn't be used to Spite taking control, but doesn't turn this into a melodramatic "oh you poor thing" production, and a lot of what Lucanis wants is to be treated kindly but normally.

The canon banter they have about the relationship with other companions really boils down to, well, I know it gets used a lot, but the EEAAO Laundry and Taxes line. They are both people who have suffered greatly but what they're looking for is someone who will make them coffee at four in the morning and be patient when they're not forthcoming. Essentially they're BOTH really sensitive to being treated as A Project To Be Fixed and want someone who will not do that, and who will instead be patient and domestic and blissfully undramatic with them and give them space to open up rather than push them.

I started to go off about this in the tags and realized I should put it in the post but: I think a lot of people DO understand the companions/factions are all genre stories but DON'T get that the companions do NOT (with the possible exception of Taash) want their romance to be that genre. Lucanis is in a soap opera and Neve is in a detective story and BOTH of them want their love life to be a respite from that, not more of the same.

[purpleheartskies]

About the framing and marketing of the traumas in Robby's story including the SA

TW/SA

This situation with the SA in Robby's story feels like post-s5 all over again. Robby experienced something(s) traumatic, but the audience is not supposed to consider it traumatic for Robby because of the framing and marketing, and many fans go along with it---though in this case, many fans are opposed to ignoring the SA.

Hayden's comment about the SA seems to indicate that the writers don't see the SA for what it is and won't address it in part 3. However, Jon (privately) 1000% agreed with a fan that consent can't be given while drunk, that he was very upset with Hayden's tweet, and that he himself wouldn't have answered that question in that way. Hayden is a known troll, and given how he has always approached answering questions, his comment may have been a tone-deaf statement that pushed the narrative framing. For example, Hayden had also responded to someone in that q&a that Miguel always sees the best in people. This is not true, looking at the context throughout the story. Miguel definitely thinks the worst of Robby and acts on it whenever Miguel feels like it. These and other points I will talk about in this post make me wonder if the SA may still possibly be addressed in some way as SA.

Although there are definitely flaws in the writing, such as in the pacing, I don't think the skills of the writers can be completely ignored. Their character and relationship writing in particular are quite good (as in consistent and realistic) compared to a lot that I've seen across a variety of stories. I also think that, while many view SA as an egregious trauma that sets it apart from other traumas (hence the more resonant backlash about it), these writers are treating the SA as just another trauma in Robby's story. After all, they've handled Robby's other traumas with a similar writing, execution, framing, and marketing approach. For example, the same day that Netflix posted the ig reel marketing the SA as "Can Tory catch a break?", which matches the narrative framing, Variety put out that interview of Billy glorifying Johnny's relationship with Miguel and claiming that Johnny "needed the boy [Miguel] who needed him", which also matches the narrative framing. As I pointed out in another post, the framing and marketing of both situations treat Robby as inconsequential, although both are extremely traumatic for him. 

The storytelling style in the show is very interesting. There's a lot the consistency and patterns throughout the story, especially when it comes to the characters behaviors. For example, my pre-s6 analyses of Miguel's envy of Robby being Johnny's son, Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself for screwing up with Robby, and the blended "family" not being written genuinely (especially Robby's inclusion in it) are inline with what was depicted once more in s6e8. In fact, the occurrence of Robby experiencing a trauma (the SA) while Johnny was off tending to the Diazs is in line with the consistency of how the writers approach Johnny and Robby's story: Johnny's relationship with the Diazs is narratively in opposition to Johnny's relationship with Robby. It is an either/or situation; it always has been. 

In this case, Robby was left out of the family situation and was, overall, feeling so unsupported (because he is, despite Johnny's words to Miguel) that his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth were at their peaks, with him believing that Tory had abandoned and replaced him too, so he drank for the first time. In fact, the writers reminded us through Sam that Robby doesn't drink. They wanted us to be clear on the fact that he was drinking for the first time, and the rum and coke doubles he was downing would impair him. Robby telling Sam about his intention to drink seemed to be his counterdependence peaking through: he had wanted her to stop him. (In fairness to Sam, no character has understood Robby's counterdependent tendencies. Though, it would have been good of her, as a friend, to stick around after he told her that he was thinking of drinking. I'm not blaming Sam, though, for Robby's decision to drink. It was Robby's decision to do so. I may do a proper s6 part 2 Robby analysis soon.) It's within the context of Robby getting drunk for the first time and being alone and vulnerable that Zara took advantage of him. This was all juxtaposed with Miguel showing his envy once again about Robby being Johnny's son and Johnny once again committing himself to Miguel in comparison to Robby. In the hospital scenes, Robby's absence was felt including Carmen speaking about the baby having her big "brother" win, as if she has only one brother competing in the tournament.

Looking at how the writers have written scenes throughout the story, the SA is written as what it is: SA.

First off, there's no narrative "show" of Robby consenting or intentionally getting together with Zara. They don't show him noticing her, getting friendly with her, or drinking with her. They're only shown to have two interactions: (1) the conversation outside of her hotel room the next morning, and (2) during the brawl. In both these interactions, Zara acted entitled to Robby, his body and him, while Robby showed no interest in her whatsoever. Wrt to the SA itself, Robby was clearly shown to be getting drunk and losing his faculties (he couldn't focus enough to talk back to Kwon) before Zara even approached him. The next morning, his hungover state and his statement that he can barely remember anything also prove that he hadn't been in any condition to consent. He was barely responsive when she kissed, and he looked disturbed/shell-shocked as he walked away. In turn, she was shown watching and approaching him at the bar with intent. The next morning, her bold response "well, good thing idea I do" to him saying that he barely remembers, her indifference about his unwell state, and her stealing a kiss from him as if she's entitled to show that she was sober and didn't care if he could consent or not. She had been interested in him, and she'd taken from him what she'd wanted. 

The framing and marketing that we should feel sorry for Tory wrt this doesn't match the nuance of what is shown, only the framing of it. Tory seeing them is written as a coincidence. The framing that Robby had cheated and made a "mistake" is set up by Robby's words: "Tory broke up with me. She hooked up with Kwon. I got drunk and I did something stupid". Some fans claim that Robby "cheated" to get revenge, but there is no narrative proof of this. Robby didn't try to throw it in Tory's face and was shocked that she'd found out. Then, his defensive argument with Tory---that she was upset that he'd gotten with someone even though she'd gotten with Kwon---added to the framing. However, Robby is already established as a character with exaggerated self-blame, who blames himself for his traumas when he isn't at fault at all or isn't 100% at fault. In this case, he can barely remember what happened. He knows that he got drunk because he was upset, thinking that Tory had hooked up with Kwon. But, he essentially doesn't know the details of the "mistake" that he is blaming himself for. He was also already blaming himself when he and Tory got into their argument about it, so he was defensive about it.

Overall, the whole situation had contexts of Robby's underlying traumas. He drank for the first time to deal with his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth. He took this step, despite his goal not to become like Johnny. This is also likely a type of situation that his mother may have experienced in the past, given what had been shown about her in earlier seasons. He blamed himself for it, although he essentially doesn't even know details about what he's blaming himself for. He just believes it's his fault. Robby being SA'd the first time he drank and got drunk seems to be a dark irony in light of all this.

Another thing that stuck out is that Tory cut Robby off when he tried to explain what had happened with Zara. This was after Cobra Kai had lost, and Robby had approached Tory in the hotel lobby. Robby not being able to tell his side of the story or details of his side of the story being obscured is pretty consistent with his story so far. When it comes to the school fight, for example, Miguel's wrongdoings against Robby have been obscured, and only Robby's wrongdoing in it have been explored and addressed. In s3e2, Robby clearly told Daniel that he had kicked Miguel (which is a true statement), while he also told Daniel that it was a mistake trying to help him because he can't change (which is his exaggerated self-blame; it had been an accident and there is so much context to consider for that fight). This is similar to "I got drunk" (true statement) and "I did something stupid" (exaggerated self-blame; he couldn't consent and barely even knows what happened).

In s3e2, Robby wasn't able to say more to Daniel because the cops had shown up. Robby stopped trusting Daniel, was put into juvie, and their relationship dissolved. Robby also stopped talking about his side of the story. Even when Kreese (s3e5) and Tory (s3e8) showed him empathy about it, Robby didn't respond. He finally talked about it in s4e4 when he tried to defend himself to Johnny, but Johnny dismissed what he said. Then, in s5e5, after the abusive apartment fight, he explained to Miguel what had happened at the end of the school fight, in response to Miguel gaslighting him about the school fight. Miguel's question implied that Robby had had no reason to not hold back that day in school, which shows how entitled and lacking in empathy and self-awareness Miguel is as the person who had attacked Robby brutally that day. (Robby having a "fight" response at the end of the fight was quite natural, given the circumstances.)

Robby has been scapegoated for their school fight and is still being scapegoated for it, as depicted in the college essay scene in s6e2. The SA being written how it was---as SA---and Robby being scapegoated for it is in line with how he has been scapegoated narratively before. Again, I think people view SA on a different level than these other traumas and situations, but it is a type of trauma and it is being treated as his other traumas have been treated. The SA was also perpetrated by a new character, who isn't endeared to fans in general, so she is being more rightfully called out and given less of a benefit of a doubt. Those who defend her or make gross comments about the SA mainly do so because she's a young, hot female.

Wrt the SA, a question remains about how and if Zara would have flaunted it in Tory's face had Tory not seen them. Zara also later taunted Tory about it on Zara's livestream because Tory was standing nearby. (Maybe Zara saw Tory alone and purposely went and stood close by. We don't know.) By this point, Zara is depicted as an opportunist. She had taken advantage of Robby while he was drunk, alone and vulnerable, and she was taking shots at Tory whenever the opportunity arose. Zara SA'd Robby because she'd wanted him. Tory coincidentally finding out had been a bonus for Zara, which she used to piss off Tory more.

In fact, Zara isn't depicted to have any positive personality traits at all. She started a rivalry with Tory because she saw Robby and immediately became interested in him, but noticed that Robby and Tory have something and didn't like that. She got in Tory's face after she noticed people talking about Tory, instead of her, as a badass fighter. Then, she threw having been with Robby in Tory's face because Tory coincidentally saw her kissing Robby. Then, just to piss Tory off, she purposely commented on her livestream that she plays hard all night. Tory snatched her phone and told Zara's followers that Zara doesn't care about her karate sisters and steals their boyfriends. She started losing sponsors so that pissed her off at Tory more. During the brawl, when Tory tried to get to Robby, Zara stopped Tory, said that she's hers, and started beating on her. After Robby threw her off of Tory, she was shocked that he'd choose Tory over her. She then attacked Robby. (This Zara-Tory rivalry is pretty one-sided and doesn't parallel the Tory-Sam rivalry which was already two-sided before Miguel became an issue between them.) 

Zara is depicted as vain, egocentric, envious, entitled, lacking in accountability, violent, and opportunistic. She preys on and assaults guys without a care and flaunts having been with them, and she actually thought that that one night and whatever she did to Robby would make him choose her over Tory, who she knows Robby has a history with. She didn't treat Robby as a person at all, but as something that she is entitled to.

As I mentioned, this isn't the first time that Robby has been subjected to an abuse/assault/trauma that has been obscured with framing and marketing. Robby's story is actually quite dark if the framing and marketing around it is removed. I actually feel that the writers were trying to top the abuses from s5 with the SA, as in what other trauma could they give Robby. As the series has gone on, Robby has experienced the most traumas out of all the kids, almost all of which are not his fault at all or not completely his fault, and are still unaddressed. (Out of all the kids, Robby is also the only one to have gone to juvie, although some of the others should have gone too.) Just like I mentioned above, Robby blames himself for almost all of these traumas, regardless of how much fault he bears... as many trauma victims would. Wrt the SA, Robby is 1000% not at fault for what Zara did to him.

Looking back to s5, consider the Mexico trip in s5e1/2. Johnny subjected Robby to emotional and psychological abuse while Johnny did what he could to find Miguel and told Carmen to stay safely at home. Robby ended up staying to help Johnny after Johnny tried to abandon him again. Now, one could claim that Robby wanted to stay. After all, Robby told Johnny, after saving him, that Johnny's trying to fix things and Robby wants to help. But, as I pointed out after s5, this is a people-pleasing statement. Robby was putting Johnny's needs above his own. Johnny had tried to abandon Robby again after kidnapping him to Mexico under the guise of a father-son trip. Johnny had also psychologically and emotionally manipulated Robby with gaslighting and guilting. Robby also repeated what Johnny had said earlier, that they could make stories together, another emotional manipulation. Robby changed himself to stay with Johnny. Robby even did a chili eating contest to fix one of Johnny's screw ups. And of course that whole trip ended with a big heartfelt "father-son" hug between Johnny and Miguel as Robby watched from the background, a blatant callback to the s1e5 scene that was a trauma trigger for Robby. This time Robby had to swallow his trauma given the situation he was in. The trauma and abuse Robby suffered on this trip was framed and marketed as Johnny needing to find the boy who needed him (Miguel), Robby wanting to stay and help Johnny, and the two of them making stories together. This trauma and abuse are still unaddressed.

There is a follow up though, that shows that Robby wasn't okay with the trip. His conversation with Tory in s5e4 showed that he didn't enjoy the trip and he clearly stated that he and Johnny still have some issues that are too big to solve (Robby looked at Miguel when Robby said this). Those issues have not been solved, but have been tucked away because of the news that came later. In s5e3, Johnny told the opposite to Carmen that he and Robby are good now. s5e4 is the last time that Robby spoke about his issues with Johnny. There have also been NO proper one-on-one scenes or interactions between Johnny and Robby since the Mexico trip. Although many love Johnny and Robby's "father-son bonding" on the trip, the context of that trip shouldn't be ignored (but it is by many). The Mexico trip was never used to establish a foundation for them to start (re)building a relationship. In fact, the trip added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma. The trip also set up Robby completely adopting people-pleasing after he would later hear the baby news.

Now, take the apartment fight and baby news in s5e5. Robby had made his boundaries clear to Johnny. Robby didn't want to be Miguel's friend. Robby was also willing to be okay with Johnny's relationship with Miguel. But, Johnny cornered Robby with Miguel and with the psychologically and physically abusive, "Johnny classic"/Cobra Kai solution to "fight it out". Robby noticeably didn't want to fight and hesitated before and after saying yes to the fight, which he only said yes to to posture after Miguel said yes to the fight. Robby, especially, started out fighting hesitantly. Johnny egged them on, and it was after Miguel drew blood that Robby stopped hesitating.

As they fought, the boys ended up on the second floor balcony. Miguel gained the upper hand, and Robby stopped fighting back. Robby looked on in fear but Miguel suddenly stopped fighting, which is stated in the script as "showing mercy"---a callback to how their school fight had ended. The end moments of this fight were juxtaposed with flashbacks of Miguel's side of the school fight, a "tell" that framed Robby as the bad guy/aggressor in that fight. Robby then asked Miguel why he held back, and Miguel gaslit him about not learning karate to hurt people but to be badass and learn balance. This is not completely true. Miguel had just said yes to this fight so that he could hurt Robby with his karate, as Miguel has done a few times before. Also, Cobra Kai, which Miguel had learned first, doesn't teach finding balance. After this statement, Miguel asked Robby why he didn't hold back in school. As I described earlier, this is another gaslighting statement. As Robby explained his actions at the end of the school fight, Robby acknowledged that that was the worst moment of both of their lives. Both of them had also just relived the trauma of the school fight with this apartment fight. Johnny asked if they were good now, and Robby hesitated but then nodded yes. For both fights, Miguel got resolutions completely in his favor and is no longer dealing with repercussions from the fights, while Robby got no resolutions on his side and is still dealing with repercussions. This apartment fight was marketed as a "therapy session" for both boys and the video for it showcased the younger cast minus Tanner (who was filming a movie at the time) watching the middle to end of the fight, the latter of which frames the narrative in Miguel's favor using flashbacks as "tell". Again, Robby's side of the school and apartment fights and his lack of resolutions were obscured in the framing and the marketing.

This abusive and traumatic experience for Robby also ended with tonal shifts, like the SA scene does. Johnny let slip about the baby news. As Johnny and Miguel became excited over it, Robby is visibly shown to be processing the news and only acted overly excited after Johnny pointed to Miguel and said to act that excited. Suddenly, Robby exclaimed that that is awesome, and they all hugged and all was good between them, with a guitar riff score playing. The SA scene also ended with tonal shifts. As the elevator opened, the ominous music that had been playing intensified, shifting the focus of the scene from Robby to Tory. After Robby walked away visibly disturbed and Zara spotted Tory, the music shifted once more. This time from ominous to upbeat/playful, and Zara blew Tory a kiss. In both cases, the scenes became about the other characters' feelings and dynamic, while Robby's traumatic experience in both these situations was ignored and later framed as him being in the wrong. In s5e8, Robby talked to Kenny about the rivalry as if Robby's hate had been the problem, and once he let that go, all was good. This of course is not true, as Miguel clearly is the one who had started and maintains the rivalry with Robby as Miguel feels entitled to. This is shown again in part 2, with Miguel acting like a jealous ass to Robby until Johnny promised to give Miguel preferential treatment again, compared to Robby. Miguel later gave Robby the pep talk to help them win. In s6e9, Robby took the same approach of putting the blame of what Zara did to him onto himself, despite barely remembering what had happened and Zara clearly remembering. Zara however is the one who is clearly at fault for whatever she did to him. She acted entitled to him and took advantage of him. Her expectation that he choose her over Tory after that night also shows her entitlement.

In s5e5, at dinner after the apartment fight, Robby was now miraculously happy with both Johnny and Miguel. After Carmen came home, Robby kindly asked if he could stay for dinner. After she paused and said yes, Robby cautiously watched her as she walked away. Robby's place in the family is clearly unstable, and this is still indicated in s6, including in s6e8. When Carmen asked about the boys' bruises, Johnny told her that the boys beat each other into submission. This is not true. Miguel had beaten Robby into submission. Johnny's claim is meant to frame the resolution as fair for both boys, just like the marketing attempts to, but this doesn't match what was shown in the actual fight and resolution. s5e5 also added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma.

Robby's story has gotten darker as the story has gone on, though the context and tone of his story remain obscured using framing and marketing that minimizes/removes how dark and traumatic these experiences are for Robby. At the same time, Robby still lacks a stable support system and his mental health is shown to be worsening. After s5, many claimed that Robby had found balance. So far, s6 is showing that Robby never found balance. In fact, his mental health has gotten so bad that he eventually chose to drink to cope with his poor mental health, just like Johnny does, although Robby's goal is to not become like Johnny. 

The SA narratively fits as another traumatic experience that Robby has had and that he blames himself for. The SA is framed and marketed as something that only affects Tory. The narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experiences another trauma also continued. The SA has been dealt with in the narrative and in the marketing the same way as Robby's other traumatic experiences have been. Throughout the story, the writers have been "telling" the audience to ignore all of the abuse and trauma Robby has been "shown" to experience. The SA isn't a unique circumstance. I've said before that this story is full of irony:

"Irony introduces depth, nuance, and multi-layered meaning. Its ability to present contradictions and incongruities between appearance and reality, or between expectation and actuality, demands critical thinking from the audience to uncover the intended deeper significance. Rather than passive acceptance of face value, irony prompts an analysis of context and subtext — engaging viewers or readers in a richer interpretive experience."

If the SA were the only trauma dealt with in this way, I wouldn't be writing this post. But Robby's other traumas have also been dealt with this way. We have been "shown" what Robby has experienced throughout the story, but the "tell" obscures so much of it, and he and the other characters have yet to understand what he's experienced and how it all affects him.

Since part 2 came out, it's been good to see that people have been calling out the SA by calling out the nuances of the scenes involved---body language, dialogue, and context. I've also seen people say that they recognize Robby blaming himself for it as a trauma victim would, and as Robby specifically would. After s5, it was so hard to talk about Robby's abusive/traumatic experiences during the Mexico trip, apartment fight, baby news and the family dinner scenes. People would dismiss all these storytelling nuances that were clearly portrayed as Johnny used and abused Robby to find Miguel and later abused Robby to force his submission into Johnny's new family. Johnny forcing Robby to be friends/family with these people, especially in such a violent way, is a violation of Robby's boundaries. Zara SAing Robby is also a violation of his boundaries. The storytelling nuances have also always been present and ignored by many the whole time as Johnny and Miguel's relationship has been built at Robby's expense, with the persistent layers of Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself and Miguel feeling entitled to Johnny over Robby and being jealous that Robby is Johnny's son. These nuances and layers are still there in s6, and especially in s6e8. 

After part 2 came out and especially after Hayden's comment, many said that they needed female writers because of how the SA has been handled. But, two women wrote s6e8 and a woman directed it. In fact, the woman who directed it also directed s5e5, which had the apartment fight, baby news, and dinner scenes. That episode has so much nuance that people choose to ignore. I still remember how some people would openly dismiss Robby's body language in those s5e5 scenes that I've described above. I also remember a lot of people claimed after s5 that the writers didn't remember Robby's traumas and mental health issues anymore. Now I'm seeing some of those same people talk about Robby's mental health being the reason he drank. 

Despite many going along with the framing and marketing of Robby's other traumas, it's a relief overall to see that many still hold the view that this is SA and haven't been swayed to believe otherwise. (Although, I have seen that some have shrugged their shoulders and have adopted the view that Robby "cheated" or had "casual sex", which is not supported narratively with "show" but is framed and marketed as such using "tell".)

I really hope that people keep the conversations going in the fandom about the SA, as well as about Robby's other traumas and all of the nuances in his story.