#otp: i swear my heart is never giving up

[kenzie-connors]

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS

@emnormington

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

what if i have big boobs and a small heart?

luke hughes x f!reader social media au

warnings: swearing, use of 'manwhore', allusions to sex

fc: steph bohrer

liked by markestapa, trevorzegras and 791 others

ynofficial: j-dog strikes again

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colecaufield: HEART, NOT BOOBS 📢

ynofficial: let's all bow down to preacher jack🧎

colecaufield: he's my summer entertainment

dylanduke25: you'll have to excuse my brother in law's behaviour, he does this sometimes. you just have to reset him by giving his fake tooth a wiggle

ynofficial: 💀

lhughes_06: duker what happened to the definitions?

dylanduke25: 'forgetting' - a failure to recall information

liked by lhughes_06

trevorzegras: i think i just pulled something trying not to laugh

lhughes_06: jackhughes you know it's bad when z points it out

_quinnhughes: i can confirm that was my live reaction

markestapa: my my he's done it again

ynofficial: my friend my pal my buddy

markestapa: YOU TALKIN TO ME? YOU TALKIN TO ME?

ynofficial: well who the hell else am i talking to

markestapa: we're really funny

ynofficial: the pranks? the laughs?

markestapa: between me and you?

ynofficial: ah!!!

edwards.73: YOU'RE ON VACATION WITHOUT ME?????

lhughes_06: you're in nj????? at dev camp?????

edwards.73: SEMANTICS

ynofficial: if it helps it's only duker, gavo, me, luke and mark now

edwards.73: it doesn't

ynofficial: you'll get over it😘

jackhughes: fuck

ynofficial: brace yourself. i'm never letting it go

_quinnhughes: he could do with being taken down a few pegs

lhughes_06: and what better way than a future s.i.l with no contractual obligations?

ynofficial: you make it seem like i'm unemployed

lhughes_06: you know you could be...😘

ynofficial: I DON'T NEED YOUR MONEY OKAY

ynofficial: I DON'T NEED TO RELY ON A MAN FOR FINANCIAL AID

lhughes_06: aid???? YOU'RE MY GIRLFRIEND I LIKE TAKING CARE OF YOU

markestapa: rare otp crumbs 😲 

dylanduke25: OTP OTP OTP

liked by edwards.73, jjmccarthy and 873 others

ynofficial: but what happens if i have big boobs and a small heart jackhughes?

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nolan_moyle: immediately that is incorrect

ynofficial: TREAD CAREFULLY MOYLE I HAVE BOOBS OKAY

nolan_moyle: i was in fact ☝️not talking about your boobs

markestapa: i'm honoured to be featured but you're the biggest liar in the world

dylanduke25: THAT GIRL IS A SOFTIE

edwards.73: well spoken

ynofficial: i will have you know that i am NOT a softie 🤨

_quinnhughes: i beg to fucking differ

ynofficial: QUINN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY BACK

_quinnhughes: then i'm switching sides

ynofficial: 😨

jackhughes: I WAS HAMMERED THEN OKAY.

jackhughes: also you probably have the biggest heart out of everyone i've ever met

ynofficial: shut the hell up i do not

markestapa: to answer your question though, i think you'd just be a baddie

ynofficial: are you saying i'm not a baddie then

markestapa: you're a different kind of baddie honey 💛💛

liked by ynofficial, tyler_duke and 43,183 others

lhughes_06: an appreciation post for the biggest baddie with the biggest heart

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markestapa: you missed the boob part

lhughes_06: dude

ynofficial: mark has a point, do i not have boobs?

ynofficial: ample?

lhughes_06: i don't know how to answer that on social media

dylanduke25: ample: large and accommodating/plentiful

lhughes_06: LET'S ALL STOP TALKING ABOUT MY GIRLFRIEND'S BOOBS

jackhughes: are you jelly?

lhughes_06: you're the last person who gets to ask me that after what you just said

jackhughes: have a little brother they said 😐 you can bully him they said 😐 it'll be fun they said 😐

_quinnhughes: i'm literally living proof of that not being true wtf are you on

adamfantilli: question 🤔

lhughes_06: oh dear

adamfantilli: are cheesy speeches genetic? or was it a fluke?

lhughes_06: i think i'm offended

_quinnhughes: ouch

trevorzegras: LOL 😛

ynofficial: i had that thought and with experience luke usually says 'fuck shit up' and quinn says 'expose their weaknesses, flash luke, i'll point at the ocean to distract mark and then spike the ball. also, if we win, i'll buy you alcohol for the next month'...so jack is probably the fluke

bradytkachuk: i can confirm this is true yes

colecaufield: that does sound pretty accurate

trevorzegras: _quinnhughes YOU BRIBE UNDERAGE CHILDREN WITH ALCOHOL?????

_quinnhughes: i also know a lot of your secrets and i happen to be incredibly persuasive 😬

trevorzegras: was that a threat?

ynofficial: YES LMAO

edwards.73: so in conclusion, y/n is a soft baddie and the boob thing is inconclusive????

ynofficial: i totally forgot about the point of this post

lhughes_06: love to know my efforts go unrecognised ❤️

ynofficial: i don't have to show it on social media 😘

lhughes_06: tis true 😊

rutgermcgroarty: OTP 📣 OTP 📣

markestapa: private but not secret will always have my heart

luca.fantilli: he says swiping at the photos of them making out and shoving them in both luke's and y/n's faces telling them how cute they are and that they should post more couple content

markestapa: how tf do you know what i'm doing

luca.fantilli: there's a groupchat

markestapa: WITHOUT ME IN IT????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

liked by ynofficial, jacob_truscott20 and 63,197 others

lhughes_06: this is how we do ☀️😎

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jackhughes: 😎🫣🔥🤝

_alexturcotte: court marshaled

g.brindley4: Behaviour.

ynofficial: hot hot hot

lhughes_06: all you you you

markestapa: flirty flirty flirty

trevorzegras: baby hughes is smooth smooth smooth 😮‍💨

jackhughes: 🙄🙄

dylanduke25: is pitcure #1 proof that boobs do indeed win?

g.brindley4: YNOFFICIAL WAS TAKING THE PIC SO YES!!!!!

edwards.73: luke hughes boob guy confirmed 🤫🤫

ynofficial: your curls will be the death of me

lhughes_06: 😊😊😊😊

matthewknies: they'll be the death of me too 😔

liked by rutgermcgroarty, nblanks98 and 528 others

ynofficial: just told these 4 goobers that they've all been 'so bf' recently and luke walked away from me, mark literally FROZE and eddy and duker just...got it

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ynofficial: side note: luke heard me tell this to mark and i've never seen the man look so ready to punch his friend before

markestapa: i was about to use my pims to defend myself

ynofficial: channel your inner rocky

markestapa: NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT

edwards.73: i think sometimes you should back down and go home

ynofficial: 😧😧

lhughes_06: in my defence, i was in the middle of playing golf

ynofficial: which is ridiculous because it was literally dark

_quinnhughes: yeah i don't remember still being there in the dark

ynofficial: that's because...

lhughes_06: no

lhughes_06: stop don't

jackhughes: now that i think about it i don't remember still being there either????

ynofficial: erm

dylanduke25: ew so you and luke were on a dark golf course with a buggy by yourself????? you disgust me

ynofficial: WE WEREN'T DOING THAT

lhughes_06: we were chatting shit but now that you mention it, thanks for the idea

jackhughes: 🤮🤮

_quinnhughes: don't pretend like you haven't done worse mr hot tub time machine 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

ynofficial: i can never watch that film again

edwards.73: me and duker are just 💪 that 💪 good 💪

dylanduke25: PERIOD 😤😤

ynofficial: it's true, you are

nolan_moyle: nblanks98 you look so bf all the time

ynofficial: yk what i think you're 10000% correct with that nolan

nolan_moyle: thank you 😊😊

nblanks98: aw 🥰

umichhockey: admin would like to agree with you

liked by ynofficial

jackhughes: have i been 'bf' lately?

ynofficial: you've been more 'manwhore' lately

_quinnhughes: ynofficial you're my favourite non-hughes

lhughes_06: when i marry her will she be the favourite hughes?

_quinnhughes: out of my siblings? absolutely

ynofficial: i'm SO honoured

ynofficial: _quinnhughes also you've been very bf lately, i don't tell you often

_quinnhughes: it's the hoodies isn't it?

ynofficial: and the fact that your cuddles are just *chef's kiss*

jackhughes: i give good cuddles too i'll have you know

lhughes_06: jackhughes you're not coming near her with a ten foot pole

ynofficial: you do jackhughes

ynofficial: what

lhughes_06: what

ynofficial: jack's given me hugs before

jackhughes: yeah

lhughes_06: why

ynofficial: he broke up with his girlfriend????

lhughes_06: JACK HAD A GIRLFRIEND?????

_quinnhughes: WHEN WAS THIS???????

jackhughes: ynofficial thank you for that

ynofficial: i'm so sorry oops

markestapa: you've been so gf lately

ynofficial: thank you bestie

edwards.73: what does that mean?

ynofficial: (i don't know)

lhughes_06: should i be threatened right now? i don't feel it but i feel like i should be iykwim

[yourtwistedlies]

❝ women’s hearts are lethal weapons ❞

val ! ✩ she/her ✩ minor ✩ jason grace’s gf (REAL) ✩ speak now obsessed ✩ gracie abrams lovebot ✩ summer baby ✩ certified procrastinator ✩ professional listener ✩ pathological people pleaser ✩ general amaya’s #1 fan ✩ fitz vacker defender ✩ honorary grammar police ✩ kpop stan (mostly ggs) ✩ my moots’ cheerleader ✩ under the illusion i can write ✩ somewhat smart ✩ cabin 13 girl ✩

dni: if you are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, support kill all ___, sexist, 18+ only, religiophobic, creepy, toxic, or literally just a jerk, please leave!

byi: i swear sometimes!! i also adore using cute nicknames and pet names for my moots!! if you don’t feel comfortable w/ that or anything else, please let me know <33

moots - wattpad - ao3 - carrd - follower event (coming soon ⁉️) - save the children!

•̩̩͙⁺ the basics ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

call me valerie/val or twisted!!

she/her, straight (heterosexual), minor (18+ only acc’s please do not follow), 18+ do not interact unless i interact first or we are moots (on my list or to be added- i am the judge of who is to be added), cancer (zodiac, but i don’t believe in them), Christian (i post about it sometimes), << summer baby, entp (mbti), 8w7 (enneagram), ambivert, slytherin, cabin 13, shade (guys i swear i wasn’t trying to be edgy or smth with the past two and this 😭😭 i took the official quizzes i promise lmao), swiftie, kpop fan, staying up writing until 4am gives me life, purple is the best color (this is not up to debate, only yellow even comes close), proud notes app writer, CATS > DOGS (occasionally my verdict changes), bunny lover, chronic platonic sofitzer, i’m either hyperactive or extremely tired (there is no in between), people say im smart, but sometimes i feel like the biggest idiot ever lmao, and ofc dex dizznee’s much needed publicist (my favorite role of mine ever)!!!

•̩̩͙⁺ music ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

taylor swift, olivia rodrigo, sza, conan gray, alicia keys, emei, gracie abrams, maisie peters, sabrina carpenter, laufey, queen riri (rihanna), adele, beabadoobee, tiffany day, le sserafim, ive, newjeans, itzy, nmixx, stay-c, aespa, everglow, txt (baby fan), illit ＆ more kpop, lizzy mcalpine, pheobe bridgers, nessa barrett, pinkpantheress, claire rosinkranz, lyn lapid, alessia cara, reneé rapp, mckenna grace, and more!!

as i hope you can tell, i like a lot of music :)

•̩̩͙⁺ books ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

pjo, hoo, (never read toa, but yes, ik what happens in tbm), the rrverse, kotlc, city spies, ss (spy school), alex rider (not done with rr), the academy for the unbreakable arts,

and my many other fandoms i’ve forgotten about (dead magisterium fandom oop-)

i’ll add more fandoms as i remember them lol

•̩̩͙⁺ ships ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

rayllum, clauderry (stfu they’re adorable), percabeth (otp energy), sokeefe, dexiana, tiana (yes i know im the most indecisive bitch ever shut up you toad /jjjj i actually love u platonically), jason grace x ME (/j but i do love him lol), and more!!

•̩̩͙⁺ blogs ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

side blog: @yourtangledpromises

taylor blog: @iknowplxces (guys this is so abandoned + has my old intro 🤮 ignore this js trust - august 15 2024 val)

and perhaps more?? (muahahaha)

•̩̩͙⁺ side note ₊˚. ↴ ·˚༘

if you’d like to be added to my moots list, or talk, please tell me (by wonder girls)!!

if we’re moots we’re actually bffs now (you just don’t notice it yet)

if i don’t respond to your ask/tag/rb/literally anything immediately i am not ignoring you!! i’m just lazy or busy and will do it later <33

im your biggest fan btw

1 Corinthians 16:14

with love,

valerie

[jasntodds]

Caving In [2]

Pairing: Gar Logan x Fem!Powered!Reader, Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader

Words: 7,611 

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, angst, descriptions of bruises (no colors, just shape and tint), mentions of sleep deprivation and some paranoia, mentions of death, mentions of the joker being the joker, there’s a teen wolf reference, a mention of being held captive and tortured, fluff, a mention of food being withheld

Summary: ❝Tell me Atlas: What is heavier, The world or its people’s hearts?❞ You never expected your life to end up this way, turned upside down by an infamous Gotham villain. It’s been a living hell, every single day, until Dick Grayson brings you to Titans tower where you meet Gar Logan and Jason Todd.

A/N: Hey, look chapter two up on time!! Things pick up in chapter 3, I promise!! I am easily motivated to post more often when I get feedback 😂 The first few chapters take place between season 2 episode 1 and season 2 episode 2. You can add yourself the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary​ ​ and turn on notifications if you prefer that!!

series masterlist | masterlist | tag list

The next morning comes around and you’re taking the time you have alone to shower. It’s barely four in the morning so no one else is awake and you’re pretty grateful for that right now. Before going to bed the night before, Rachel stopped back by your room and offered you some clothes she thought would fit okay for the following day. So, you’re the only one awake and figured it'd be really nice to have a proper shower for once. But the shower isn't the relaxing thing you expected.

This is the first time you’ve seen yourself in a mirror since being put into a basement for several months. It's the first time you’ve seen yourself at all but this is also the first time you’re getting a look at how the tower is seeing you. Your right eye has a deep bruise. It looks a little swollen still even though you feel like you can see fine out of it. The cut on your lip is still open and the cut on your cheek is red. Bruises in the shapes of fingers are dark on your biceps, right over the scar on your right bicep. Another bruise in the shape of a shoe is on your back. The more you look the more bruises you find and you wince, finally understanding all of the sympathetic looks you’ve gotten. Not that they know about the bruises across your back and stomach but they saw your arms.

You thought it was so weird Dick wanted to help but seeing yourself in the mirror, you completely understand because if you saw yourself on the street right now, you'd be livid and force that person to come with you. Your head hangs and it's kind of like you understand and a feeling of maybe wanting to tell them what happened comes over you.

If you tell them, maybe the looks will stop because you’re healing and they'll know. It's just kind of an elephant in the room as much you want to avoid it in your head, it's there. And every single time they look at you, they're just going to want the full story. The looks won't stop until they know. And all you can do is sigh because it’s four in the morning and sleeping for an hour has you feeling a lot more feelings that you ever really liked. So, you swallow the lump your throat and go for the shower.

After the shower, you find yourself in the kitchen looking for food. You find some cereal, Cheerios, and otp for that. At this point, you’re not going to complain about whatever cereal you have. Once you have your bowl, you move into the living room and turn the TV on, sitting on the floor at the small coffee table like you used to do when you were a kid. You find Avatar: The Last Airbender on one of the many streaming services connected to the TV and call yourself content.

You eat in peace watching a childhood favorite of yours and it feels easy. You feel at ease here and it feels like it could almost feel like home if you put in a real effort to give it a chance. If you could find a way in yourself to really trust these strangers. It'll be hard but maybe it'll be worth it, early mornings alone in front of TV with some cereal.

By the time six rolls around, the lack of sleep and paranoia has started to catch up to you. This place feels safe but it also feels too good to be true. There’s a little humming in the back of your head, telling you not to trust anyone because anyone can say they’re one thing and be the opposite. You used to be so trusting of people, not naïve or anything like that, but trusting of people in general but now, it’s hard to imagine people just being nice to be nice. What if you fall asleep, really get some sleep, and they turn on you? What if they’re working with him? And he comes to take you back? Maybe you’ll get lucky and everyone will leave the tower so you can get some real peaceful sleep. You’ve gone longer without sleep, you’ll be fine. You’re always fine.

"Good morning." Dick's voice scares you while you’re stood sink washing your bowl.

"Fuck," You groan, turning to look at him. "Do you always sneak up on people?"

Dick chuckles softly. "Sorry, it's a habit, I guess." Dick didn’t think he had been all that quiet.

You roll your eyes before going back to cleaning your dish you used for cereal. You haven't had cereal since you were put into foster care. It wasn't the best cereal or anything, you’re a Trix person but it was a lot better than the chicken noodle soup you’re used to. It felt almost nostalgic and you got to just sit in the living area, watching old cartoons you used to love as a kid, in peace. Until now, with Dick awake anyway.

"Right." You say softly.

Dick watches you from the back as he stands at the kitchen island, taking notice in the coffee cup sitting on the counter behind you and the empty coffee pot off to the side. You seem jumpy, though that might just be you. This is a new place to you and after whatever you’ve been through, it's fair to be a little jumpy but it makes him wonder.

"Did you sleep last night?" He asks, walking over to the coffee pot to make himself a pot.

"'Course." You lie, not looking up from the dish that is definitely clean by now but it's something to do with your hands.

Dick uses the sink to fill up the pot, you glancing at him for just a second. "Hmm." He hums. "More than an hour?"

You pause and let out a sigh. How long has he been doing this? You weren't saying he's good at it but how does he just know shit?

"No." Your voice is filled of shame. "I-i-it's weird, being here."

"It's okay." Dick reassures you as he gets his coffee going. "I didn't sleep much when Bruce brought me home, either."

You start drying your bowl, turning to face him. "What's he like? I mean....was he nice to you? You're here so..."

Dick nods and then shrugs. "He tried his best."

"That's a cop-out for saying he sucked." You raise your brows, resting the bowl to the side before grabbing the spoon and drying it. No one with good parental figures just says they tried their best. But, since Dick is here taking in strays that need help, maybe the Bruce guy didn’t do a terrible job. Even if this whole thing is weird.

Dick chuckles. "It wasn't all bad." Dick leans against the counter, facing you as he waits for his coffee.

"Must be nice." You mutter, a sense of envy comes over you. But it just slipped out. Being jealous doesn’t make a situation better. "Sorry."  You apologize.

"It's okay." Dick assures you. Dick knows he got lucky with Bruce even if Bruce wasn’t the best. Dick still got lucky. "Where ya from?" He asks, trying to change the subject a little bit but still find something out about you.

"Gotham." You roll your eyes. "Fit right in now with all the freaks Gotham breeds, huh?"

"You're not a freak." Dick says calmly.

"Mhm, sPeCiAl." You mock and then Dick catches the hit of a smirk on your face.

"You're a smartass, you know, that?"

You give him a cornered grin. "It's the only thing not damaged about me so far. Gotta hold onto it." You snicker to yourself. "What about you? San Fran?"

Dick shakes his head. "Gotham." Dick goes to grab his coffee that's finished brewing.

"Shut the fuck up." You scoff. Apparently, if people get to escape the hellscape of Gotham, they end up in San Francisco? Literally, across the country which, if you’re being honest, completely makes sense.

"Honest, so is Jason." Dick says, pouring his coffee into a mug.

"Gar?" You raise, wondering if everyone is just fleeing Gotham.

"Ohio."

"Rachel?"

"Michigan."

You hoped finding out where everyone was from would make more sense. Maybe Dick found a bunch of kids who needed to get the hell of out Gotham and brought them across the country? Something? But, finding out it’s just Jason, you’re back to this being weird.

“How did you end up with Gar and Rachel then?” You ask.

“I was detective in Detroit.” Dick explains. “That’s how Rachel found me and then we ended up in Ohio where she met Gar.”

“That somehow clears very little up but okay.” You nod your head. Why did he take Rachel to Ohio? And who the fuck leaves Gotham to go to Detroit? And how the hell did they end up here? Nothing makes sense but you’re just gonna let it go for now. "So, did you and Jason know each other then? Both from Gotham and ended up here, seems like under better circumstances than us."

Dick shakes his head, taking a sip from his mug. "No, we just...know the same guy."

You narrow your eyes at him, grabbing your own mug and taking a sip. Bruce. It sounds stupid to you because you’re just fishing for information now. But, Dick knows a Bruce from Gotham. Bruce Wayne lives in Gotham. Bruce Wayne adopted a Dick Grayson who, if rumor is right, became a detective. Jason can fight, assuming Dick can, too that's a bit weird. Gotham doesn't breed heroes usually.

"So....what? You both raised for Bruce Wayne or something?"

"What makes you think that?" Dick chuckles, wondering why you'd come to that conclusion.

"Your name is Dick and Bruce took in a kid named Dick Grayson like twenty years ago. Rumor was he left to become a detective or something." You state, taking another drink of your coffee. "Kind of public information."

"Yeah," Dick chuckles. "Yeah, Bruce Wayne took me in."

"Interesting." You hum, looking at your dark coffee.

You feel like you’re having a fever dream. You cannot possibly be talking to a fucking Robin. That doesn't make any sense and at this point, you’re completely convinced the sleep deprivation has kicked in. But you’ve done your share of research into Batman and Robin. It's always been this mystery. Who's behind the masks? You don't like mysteries and you could never figure out the motive behind them. Why start saving people if not to kill the real problems of Gotham? It's not like they were taking down petty thieves or something, they were dealing with real grade-A psychos. But, maybe Bruce Wayne makes sense. He has the money to pull it off.

"So...your thing is combat?" You question, silently fact-checking yourself.

"It is." Dick nods once.

"You're older than me...." You trail off and Dick watches you, waiting to see where exactly you’re going with this. He doesn't mind you figuring it out, but he does think it's interesting that you’re openly figuring it out in front of him. Maybe it'll help you trust him a little more.

There are tons of videos and pictures of Batman and Robin fighting the bad guys. One of your past times was watching the Robin-centric ones, something about him being a sidekick seemed odd. He always seemed to hold himself just fine and Batman didn't seem like he needed some sidekick. It was weird but you watched because you were curious who they were and how they could fight. But now you’re here with Dick Grayson who was raised by Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson is taking in kids with superpowers. And you always thought a new Robin came in at the end. Fighting style was different and there was a big height difference.

"Are you Robin and is Bruce Wayne Batman?" You ask, your voice is a little loud as if to not believe you’re asking that question.

Dick laughs. "You got me." Dick smiles at you. "I'm not Robin anymore, though."

"Jason, right? He took over?" You verify and if this were two years ago, you’d be freaking out. As much as you do not get the whole thing, it was still really cool to be in the same city as Robin and Batman. They’re actual heroes. But, this is now.

"He did." Dick nods, almost impressed you figured it out after less than a day of being at the tower. “How’d you figure it out? Was it that obvious?” He asks.

“No,” You let out a mix of a huff and a laugh. “It was more of a shot in the dark. You shoot enough times, you’re bound to hit something.”

“Alright.” Dick laughs softly. “Fair enough.”

"Cool." You say, pushing off of the counter you were leaning against, choosing to leave with this new information.

"That it?" Dick asks, amused by your reaction.

You pause with a shrug. "Yep." Your word is short and sharp as you go to walk away before stopping. Actually, it bothers you. At the end of the day, Dick Grayson, the original Robin is standing in front of you and it bothers you. It’s cool, of course because he was Robin but above everything, it doesn’t sit right. "Actually, I got a fucking question." You turn to face him.

"Okay." Dick gives you a questionable expression, not sure where the change of tone came from.

"Why didn't you guys just kill the fucking Joker?"

Dick looks down, almost as if he's ashamed of the answer. "We're heroes, we don't kill people."

"Right, okay," You suck in a breath, feeling the fire in your stomach boil and your hands growing warm. "So, as heroes, your response is to just keep letting that fucked up, psycho clown roam around Gotham and keep killing innocent people like some sort of sick Saw movie?" You snap, your voice raising with every word.

In some sick and vengeful way, after your mom was killed, you got it. In a way, you understood how people become villains. Not villains to the actual villains, but villains to the heroes because it is their job to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is their job and allowing people like The Joker to just keep escaping and killing more and more and more people, that’s not heroism. It’s cowardly.

"It's not like that." Dick sighs, realizing this has backfired greatly. "We can't go around being the judge, jury, and executioner. It's a dangerous road you don't want to go down. Trust me."

"Right, except he didn't kill your parents, right?" You ask, feeling the water brim behind her eyes and then the feeling of hot coffee stings your hands, the mug melting with your grip. The rest of the mug slips from your hands, shattering on the floor.

"Hey," Dick puts his mug down quickly, rushing over to you.

"It's fine." You look at your hands, the glowing of green starts to fade. You walk over to the garbage, tossing the remainder of the mug into the trash. "I'll clean it up, sorry." You barely look at Dick as you grab paper towels, wetting them and ignoring the shaking of your hands.

You always thought you had a lot of control over it or that you would at least notice if you were using your powers but you didn’t. It’s shameful and embarrassing. It was an accident and accidents happen but the very idea of not being able to control your powers just because you’re mad is terrifying. What if you get mad at someone and use your powers and hurt them? 

"It's okay." Dick takes them from you. "I got it. Are you okay?" There are no hints of anger across his face or in his voice. He just looks worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You shake your head, no burn or blood in sight, your hands no longer glowing. "It doesn't hurt."

"What happened?" Gar asks, strolling into the kitchen, seeing you and Dick look like you were in the middle of something serious, although you were kind of hard to ignore. It got a little loud at the end of your argument. That’s why Gar is walking in.

"Dropped a mug." You keep your stare on Dick, lying to Gar. You brush past Dick and then past Gar. You just wanna run away from it all. Sometimes, things are too much and you wanna run as fast as your legs will let you go.

"Y/n." Dick calls.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, okay?" You stop just long enough to look back at Dick. "Just let me know when we're leaving." You mutter before walking back down the hallway and to your room.

Gar watches you and then looks back to Dick. He doesn't have any idea what he walked into and now he just feels awkward but he feels bad for you. You seemed really upset and you sounded upset when you were yelling at Dick. He heard you asking Dick if the Joker killed his parents. Of course, Gar knows what happened from last night but hearing that kind of reaction doesn't sit quite right. They're all just a bunch of kids. Kids who don't deserve to be in pain.

"You okay, Dick?" Gar asks walking over to him as Dick cleans up the spilled coffee.

"Yeah, it's okay, Gar." Dick assures him.

Gar nods. "What happened?"

"It was accident." Dick says.

"I mean...I heard you guys. I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up Rachel and Jason, too."

"Shit." Dick sighs, standing back up. "It'll be alright, she's just going through a lot. Just give her some time." Dick gives Gar a soft smile before throwing the paper towels away and grabbing a few more.

Gar nods, looking to the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. Gar knows what it's like to be alone in grief. It's hard and scary. Even having someone to just sit with him would have been easier but he was just thrown into a manor with a bunch of older people who didn't get him. He was only even there because he could suddenly turn into a tiger. Maybe he should leave it alone but he can't. He just wants you to know it's going to be okay.

Gar grabs himself a bowl of cereal and makes a plant-based drink for the morning. He waits in the kitchen, slowly eating as Dick eats his own breakfast. Dick told him to leave you alone and he's not going to do that but he doesn't want Dick to know. He doesn't really like going against what an authority figure says, even though he does it anyway. It's more the getting caught that he doesn't like. But what else is he supposed to do?

After Dick leaves, Gar waits a few more minutes then hops off his chair and heads down the hallway. Dick went the opposite way so Gar walks with ease down the hall and to your room. The door is shut and he can hear the TV playing softly. He picks up his fist and knocks softly. He waits, shifting his weight from his toes to his heels, almost expecting you to either tell him to go away or open the door and slam it. But you don't.

"Hey." Gar gives you a kind smile as you open the door.

"H-hey?" You ask.

Gar sucks in a breath. "Are you okay?" He asks.

You deadpan. "I would be a hell of a lot better if I wasn't asked that again today." You snark, watching the disappointment in Gar's face. "I'm sorry. I--I-do you wanna come in?" You ask, opening the door fully and Gar nods, leaving the door open as he follows you to the couch you and Rachel sat on the night before. "I've got some issues with Robin and Batman." You admit as you sit down.

Gar looks a little too concerned for your liking so you talk. If you talk, maybe he won't be so concerned and a part of you wants to know if it's a you thing. Everyone always seem to love them both, Robin and Batman, and they can do no wrong, they even helped the GCPD. You have thought for a while that maybe your disdain isn't justified and maybe it's not. Maybe killing people, even people like the Joker is wrong but what else is there to do? Because Batman and Robin didn't do anything to fix Arkham. If they don't fix Arkham, what else is there to stop these people like the Joker who get out and they kill every single time without fail? It's like it's a sick little game. He's Jigsaw and Batman is the cop trying to find him, everyone else is stuck playing the Saw games.

Gar nods. "Because the Joker killed your parents?" Gar asks, pretending like he doesn't know anything. "I overheard."

You nod. "My mom. I-uh, I was...I was at the movies with a friend. I got the notification that Joker was out again...killing people....same place my mom was that night." Your chin wrinkles as you swallow the lump in your throat.

That moment, you knew. You called your mom a hundred times but there's a pit that forms in your stomach when you just know someone didn't make it. Someone you care for. It's not anxiety or being pessimistic, there is a pit that grows and you just know. You knew but you called and called and called. The phone rang and rang until it died. Gotham PD showed up on your friend's house the next day and told you. They wanted to take you and do the whole foster care situation right away but your friend's mom convinced them to give you a day with them first. You fled that night. The night your mom died was the last night you ever felt safe. It was the night you felt something that wasn't sad or angry. It was the last night you weren't haunted.

"I'm so sorry, Y/n." Gar's brows wrinkle, the knot in his stomach growing.

You nod, looking away from him as you try to breathe. "Had they just fucking killed him," Your voice breaks as you look back at Gar and you hate it because this is a weakness. You can't seem vulnerable, not around these people because the second you show your vulnerability, it's so much easy to be used and manipulated. But you can't help it. "She would be alive but they just....called Arkham good enough." You pause. "It's not fair." It’s a choked whine that leaves your throat.

You gasp as tears start to flow down your cheeks, the tears burning a few of the cuts on your cheek. Gar moves closer to you and he's hesitant at first because he doesn't know how you'll react but the only thing he knows how to maybe help is to hug you. So, he pulls you into him and wraps his arms around you tightly. You stiffen for a second and it stops you from crying. You haven't been hugged since the night your mom died. It's a weird feeling to have someone hug you but you'd be lying if it didn't feel comforting. And he's very warm and he smells like strawberries and that seems to be the most comforting.

Your favorite fruit is strawberries and every summer, you and your mom would make chocolate-covered strawberries. There isn't a time you can remember when you weren't completely stocked during the summer and it's something you cherish now.  Gar smells like strawberries and that small little thing, is the most comforting thing in the world to you right now. So, you just cave into him, sobbing.

The thing about being held captive and tortured is that it's made you hard. Being captured and tortured changed a part of you. You were never so closed off and calloused, always a bit sarcastic and snarky but not like this. Being held stripped you away of the rawness of emotion. It's like it turned you into this fossilized version of yourself. Hard and cold exterior that would just turn to dust if opened up. You’re only a memory of the person you used to be, sitting here and crying to Gar is just the visual representation of who you were before the big bang. And it hurts, it is agonizing but something about the way he's just letting you cry into him feels cathartic. You’re not in that basement anymore. Your wrists are free. You are free. And you can show all of your emotions without fear of repercussions from it. You’re allowed to be scared and angry and sad and happy. You don't have to hide anymore.

"S-sorry." You pull away, wiping your eye and wincing at the pain from the bruising of your right eye.

"It's okay." Gar assures you, still having his arms around you loosely. "I, uh, I get it." He looks away for a second, pulling his arms back as if realizing he doesn't need to hug you anymore. "My parents died, too."

You watch the normally cheery boy, square his jar and go distant with his stare. "I'm sorry." You sniffle. "What happened?"

Gar sucks in a breath, sitting back against the back of the couch. "Same mysterious disease I had but they didn't make it."

You nod, matching his position and tugging the sleeves over your hands. That explains part of how he ended here. He really doesn’t have anyone, just like you. "I'm really sorry. That sucks."

Gar nods. "Yeah, but, uh, it's okay because I'm here and this is a family. It's not the same but," Gar tilts his head back and forth a few times, looking for the words. "It's really nice if you give it a chance. Dick isn't out to get you or any of us." 

"I didn't mean what I said." You say honestly. "I mean, I want the Joker dead, he's a fucking piece of shit sad excuse of a human but...I mean just about Dick. He's been nice."

Gar offers you a side smile. "Yeah, he's a cool dude." Gar chuckles softly. “He kind of takes getting used to, too.” Gar jokes a little. Dick sometimes comes off as cold but Gar has kind of figured that’s just what being raised by Bruce gets you. Jason is like that, too and Gar doesn't think it’s a coincidence. 

"Thank you." You give him a sad and small smile. "You're like...a really nice person."

Gar huffs with a chuckle, looking away from you and all he can think is that someone has to be nice around here. Dick is sometimes...well a dick. Jason is an asshole. Rachel sometimes can be a little bit of a bitch to Dick and Jason, usually deserved but a bitch nonetheless. He has to be the nice one even if he wanted to get nasty. That would just cause more tension and Gar doesn't like tension.

"Thanks." Gar sighs, looking around your room. "Are you gonna decorate today?" He asks looking back to you, changing the subject and hoping to make you feel better.

You shrug a shoulder. "I dunno. Not sure if Dick really wants to take me shopping after that." You laugh softly. "I don't know how I feel about it, anyway. Feels....really fucking weird."

"Yeah," Gar nods in agreement. "But he just wants you to have a space of your own, that's what he told Rachel and me when he took us in. He'll give you a spending limit."

"Is this Annie or something?" You quip.

Gar tilts his head back with a laugh. "Well, it's a hard 'nough life for us." Gar says with a smile.

You let out a genuine laugh and it makes Gar's face light up. Your laugh is bubbly and loud, almost booming. It's a bit contagious actually and it makes Gar have a little bit of a sigh of relief. If you’re laughing, there's hope for you, especially after that whole talk you just had. You’re funny.

"You're funny, ya know?" You ask once your laughter calms down.

"Oh..." Gar shifts his sheet, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. "You, uh, you think so?" He gains a cheesy and awkward smile making you giggle a little.

"Yeah! Of course, I do." You smile sweetly at him.

"Hey, do you wanna play Xbox?" Gar asks, enthusiasm in his voice. He likes talking to you and you seem like you’re doing better talking. Plus, video games are what Gar always uses to escape from all the shit, maybe it’ll help you.

"I have literally never played Xbox in my life." You blink at him before gaining a smirk.

"Excuse me?" Gar's eyes widen. How have you never played Xbox? He's certain it's the best gaming system to exist.

"Always a big fan of PlayStation." You laugh, finding his shocked expression funny. He does wear his emotions on his sleeve. "But...I guess I could make an exception for you." You give him a corned grin, watching him shift again. Something about certain things you say make him nervous and you kind of like the bubbles that form in your stomach when it happens.

"Okay, okay." Gar stands up quickly, gesturing for your to follow his lead. "I'll change your mind."

You do as he directs. "You have a lot of confidence." You pat his shoulder.

Gar's eyes narrow slightly. "I...can't tell if you're being serious."

You laugh once more. "Eh, half and half." You shrug a shoulder.

"Right." Gar nods, keeping his eyes narrow but there's a smile tugging at his lips. "Come on." He nods his head in the direction of the door, reaching for your hand. You take it without hesitation and he leads you  to his room.

The day goes by, Dick looking for you, he finds you with Gar in his room a few hours later. You had left the door open so it wasn't too hard to find you. You were both yelling, very excitedly at the TV and when Dick found you, you were plopped in two chairs beside each other, a control in each hand. You both were laughing and Dick never would have known you were new to the tower by how comfortable you looked and it gave him some hope. There's some type of hope for you. No one is ever just some lost cause. Dick hated to break it up but Jason and Rachel were already waiting for Gar in the training room.

While the others trained, Dick and you went on your shopping run. Dick took you to a few stores to pick out a few outfits, pajamas, training clothes, and just a few things for your room. It was weird for you to just be out in the open, shopping as if you weren't just held captive the day before. But, something about Dick did feel safe. Maybe it was the fact he was Robin. He might have helped the Joker stay alive by simply not killing him, but he did put him away several times. And, now you have somewhere to run to if Jerry happens to show up.

But that's not all. It was just bizarre to have this stranger buy you things. You were never one that really liked accepting things from people like this. Presents, sure. Everyone likes presents but this just felt like charity and it took everything in you to refrain from snarky comments the whole time. But you did it and you had a good time. You got some take out and you got to actually have one of your favorite take out foods. Dick didn't ask about how much you lit up at the thought of it for lunch, he already had an idea why. He figured maybe it'd be better to leave all of that alone and just have a few hours to let you just be.

"So," Dick asks as he drives them back to the tower.

"So." You state, looking over at him. He just has this look like he wants to ask questions. "Okay." You sigh. "Ask the question you want and I will not give you a bullshit answer."

Dick chuckles. "Alright," He nods. "How much control do you have of your powers?"

You look ahead of them as your light turns red. "This much." You open the palms of your hands, the palms turning green. Then, you close them, the green fading. You do this a few times with ease, ending with spirit fingers, your hands glowing a neon green. "Why?"

Dick's brows are furrowed. "Just curious, how do you do that?" He pauses. "What about the mug this morning?"

"Control or the whole acid thing?" You shrug, looking in front of you. "And apparently, my mom and the Joker are major triggers, learn something new every day, I guess."

"Understandable. And both, I guess."

"Uh...control well. I was traumatized." You scoff. "Control is easy when you're in a life or death situation. I mean...like learning it. Don't have a fucking choice if you wanna live. The acid though, uh-huh." You shrug. "I think about it I guess and then it just happens."

You remember when you found out you could produce acid. You were mad at Jerry for injecting you and then getting mad at you for it. It was about seven months after living with him and at that point, you were just so sick and tired of it all. All you wanted was to rip Jerry’s throat out with your bare hands. And then, your hands starting glowing, acid leaking from your palms. It was a shock, for sure, but it was a bigger shock that Jerry didn’t realize the chemical burn on the floor was from you. He just thought he spilled something and hadn’t noticed it prior. You considered some kind of weird luck. From there, it was just making sure it never happened in front of him.

Dick hums to himself. "Think you could try and show Rachel how you control it?"

"Uh...sure?" You question him. "Isn't that like...your job, Bat Boy?"

"I don't have powers like you guys." Dick states, the light turning green. "Rachel's powers are just really strong and she's had a lot happen recently."

"I have heard." You sigh. "I mean...I can try." There's a sense of empowerment you feel with Dick asking for help with Rachel. He trusts you, at least a little bit which is kind of nice. "I-it's just...I-I melted a mug today. I don't have that much control, apparently."

He nods with understanding. "You have enough to help."

"Well, alright then. Does that mean I get to learn to fight?" You give him a hopeful smile. 

"How are you feeling?"

"Great." You give him a thumbs-up even though he’s watching the road.

"Are you lying?"

"Yes, yes I am." You laugh softly. "Uh....my face is still pretty sore. Arms and legs still feel a bit weak...." Your eyes go distant as you stare in front of you, flashbacks of the torture clouding your vision and the endless cycle of either not being given food or given the bare minimum.

"You need to get better first."��Dick states, his voice unwavering.

"Shouldn't I still be preparing though? Like...I don't know. Small stuff."

"Not yet."

You sigh but don't fight him. Jason owes you one for the bet. If Dick doesn't think you’re strong enough to at least learn something, you'll just ask him. He don't seem like one to follow the rules anyway. It’s just a precaution to protect yourself, just in case.

When you get back to the tower, Dick helps you bring your stuff to your room. It's not a lot by any means, just some clothes, a few vinyls, and some art for your walls. Dick leaves you to yourself and you look around your room, gaining a genuine, happy smile. This is your space to make yours so you get to work.

You dig out a Fall Out Boy vinyl from one of the bags and put it on the record player that was already in your room. You turn it up as loud as it will go, the sound of music feeling almost riveting. Another thing you’ve missed more than you actually realized and then you start getting your room together.

A few hours go by and your room is coming along. You’ve moved a few things around and got your posters hung up. It doesn't feel quite like home yet but Dick said if you stay, you can get more stuff to make it more yours later. So, this is a start and it fills your chest with a sense of warmth as you look around until there's a knock on your door. You turn the music down before opening the door and you’re met by Gar in a green pullover and black joggers.

Gar's eyes glance behind tiy and then back to you. "Hey, uh." He scratches the back of his neck. "We do movie night in the living room sometimes, did you wanna join? Rachel and Jason are in there now."

"Uh..." You stutter. They do movie nights? Is this really some found family shit? The way everyone talks about Jason you find it a little hard to believe he'd actually part-take in any group activity that didn't involve punching each other. But you don't have anything to lose. If you want to stay, that also involves effort from you and Gar will be there. "Sure." You give a soft smile before walking over to your bed and grabbing Gar's hoodie. "Thanks." You hand it back to him and he gives you a closed smile, raising the fabric to say you’re welcome.

"Anytime." Gar smiles, jerking his head towards the living room. "I'm gonna put this away, meet you in here?"

"Okay." You say with ease before turning on your heels, heading down the hallway and Gar can't help but watch you with a goofy smile.

You just have on black sweatpants and a pink hoodie but you look comfortable and you didn't look annoyed when you opened the door. That seems to be your general state of mind, annoyed. From what Gar has seen. Of course, you’ve loosened up when he's talked to you but you always looks very annoyed beforehand.

You walk into the living room seeing Rachel all the way to the left and Jason sitting all the way to the right, facing the fireplace. They truly could not be any more apart, eyes on the TV that's mounted above the fireplace and you find it a little comedic. They must really hate each other. So, you take a seat by Jason, mostly because you think it's funny to bug him and you could just tell sitting by him would irritate him. Plus, that leaves room for Gar to sit on the other side between you and Rachel.

"Can I fucking help you?" Jason snarks as he looks to you.

"What're we watching?" You ask, an innocent smile pulling at your lips.

"It's Jason's turn so probably something gory." Rachel remarks with wide eyes laced with annoyance.

Jason turns to face you, which moves him a little too close to you. His eyes look you up and down, just once before landing on your eyes. "Don't worry, if you get scared, I'll protect you."

Rachel nearly rolls her eyes into the back of her head with Jason's comment, fake gagging while you sit with your mouth slightly ajar, nose scrunched and forehead wrinkled. You sit somewhere between appalled and grossed out. This kid surely has never dated a single human. There's just no fucking way with the lines he pulls. But you shut your eyes for a second, choosing to not even play into that game. Instead, you’re gonna play your own.

"What movies were you thinking?" You ask, matching Jason's position, knee bent and flat on the couch, you facing him as your knees touch.

Jason gains a smirk in just the left corner of his mouth. "We could watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostel, or Saw IV."

His stare is directly at you and it's a taunt. But you find it funny, not even bothered by the distaste of his comment, in fact, he plays into your hand. He thinks you need protecting from a horror movie and that of all people here, you'd go to him? When Gar is right there?

"Texas is a classic, assuming you don't mean the shitty ass remake from 2003. Hostel's alright if you're into Eli Roth. Saw series has always been good gore. Never quite cross that line into torture porn." You smile at him, it's a sweet smile while you lean your elbow on the back of the couch and Rachel sits behind you completely entertained. All she can think is that they needed someone who can match Jason's energy.

Jason's face softens, just for a split second. Your response caught him off guard and he was so sure you'd be against watching any of those. He thought maybe he'd get a rise out of you for suggesting them or offering to protect you or maybe get something better than that out of it. But all he got was whatever that was. It was his turn and those were the three he was considering but Gar and Rachel don't really like the movies. He assumed you wouldn't either, especially if what they found on the computer the night before means what they think it means.

Gar comes in a few seconds later, seeing you and Jason facing each other in a way that almost seems like some weird face-off staring contest at this point. He glances at Rachel who shrugs but she has a smirk that's begging to be broken into a laugh. Just a tint of burning coats Gar's stomach as he sees the two of you and he knows what it is but he pushes it down. He shakes his head and walks up to you.

"Everything okay?" He asks, his voice cautious as he looks between the two of you before sitting on the opposite side of you.

"Fine," Jason mumbles, finally breaking the stare and sitting normally on the couch before grabbing the remote. "Saw it is."

"Ugh, why do you always pick gory movies, dude?" Gar groans, tilting his head back.

"Don't like gore?" You ask with a laugh.

"You do?!" Gar's head shoots back up, a grimace on his face. He doesn't mind it in older films, the effects weren't great then. But the newer ones tend to turn his stomach. Horror is great, but gore? Not Gar's favorite.

"Yeah, of course. They're fun." You shrug, switching to sit forward, pulling your legs up under you and Gar keeps the grimace on his face. "What?"

"He doesn't know why anyone wants to volunteer to watch gore." Rachel snickers.

"Because you can shut the movie off whenever you get too scared and the effects are cool." You shrug and it makes Gar give you a shy smile. "I can hold your hand if you want?" If you said it to Jason, it would have been sarcastic and rude but with Gar, it was a genuine and sincere offer.

Gar's cheeks burn with the offer and his stomach flips, unlike you and Rachel, he didn't find the offer a bit cringey or lame. Your smile is gentle and sweet like honey until you realize that you just pulled what Jason did and it seems you realize it the same time Jason does.

"Did you just take my fucking line?" Jason scoffs.

"No, yours was weird, mine was nice." You retort, internally kicking yourself for it.

"It's okay." Gar whisper, shifting in his seat a little. He was never really good about things that might be flirting or not flirting and just being nice. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." You smile softly at him, your heart sinking a little.

"Okay, turn on the movie." Rachel looks between the three of you, not sure what the hell is going on there and not even wanting to know.

Jason turns the movie on without any further argument. The four of you settle into your spots as the movie starts to play and despite the fact you’ve been at the tower for just over twenty-four hours now, you feeling pretty comfortable around them. The three of them make it easy. None of them feel threatening, even with two of them having powers. They don't feel "special" as Dick put it. All three of them just feel normal and normalcy is something you’ve craved for two years.

And then there's Gar who can't keep his eyes on the moving, partially because he finds the gore a bit nauseating but also because he can feel you glance at him every now and then. He can't tell if the glances are because he doesn't like the movie so maybe you’re checking on him which is a strange thought, that's kind of his job. Or maybe it's because he's sitting too close to you, he doesn't feel like he is. When Gar looks over, it looks like he's sitting just as far away as Jason is so maybe that isn't it. The one thing he does know is that he doesn't mind you glancing at him.

The lack of sleep for you, however, is definitely catching up to you. Your eyes are weighed down, heart rate is slowing down and you just feel like maybe you could rest your eyes for a few minutes. Saw IV isn't even one of your favorite Saw movies, you won't miss much. And the next thing Gar knows, your head falls onto his shoulder. He straightens his back quickly when it happens, catching him off guard but then he looks at you, asleep and he doesn't have the heart to wake you up. A caring small comes to Gar's lips as he looks back to the TV and he kind of likes your head on his shoulder. Maybe it means you trust him and after everything, he can only imagine what you’ve been through, that's kind of a big deal on day two.

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Tag list: @italiana-20 // @fairyofshampoo // @jasontoddsmentaldisorders​

[tessa-liam]

Smoke and Mirrors

11 –The Lantern Festival

Book: The Royal Romance Finale AU

Series Premise: Hidden in the shadows, poised to challenge the status quo are enemies of the state. The loyalties and honesty of family and friends will be tested. ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer’.

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi’

2nd Pairings: Leo Rys x Amalas, Drake Walker x F!OC Delaney Leigh, Olivia Nevrakis x M!OC Alex Cossoy

*Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

*Not Beta’d, please excuse all errors

Rating: M🔞*Series Warnings:  NSFW material, sexual innuendo, adult language/swearing/drinking/gun violence. Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.

Category: Alternate Universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 2476

Smoke and Mirrors

The Lantern Festival - 11

Chapter Summary: The Cordonian Royal Family join in the celebrations for the annual Valtorian Lantern Festival.

Music Inspiration: Feels Like Home, Diana Krall, Bryan Adams

A/N1: My submission for @choicesflashfics Week #61, Prompt 1, "You're my favorite."➡️"Favorite what?"➡️"Everything." and Week #60, Prompt 1, “I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

Valtorian Estate, Cordonia

King Liam leisurely descended the opulent grand staircase after carrying his sleeping daughter to her room; Princess Eleanor was exhausted from the day’s events and fell asleep watching the countless number of lanterns floating gently carrying the hopes and dreams of the people into the night sky. He paused at the foot of the staircase and looked up to see Riley, starting to step down to follow him.

Inside his soul, he felt complete. He has everything that he had always wanted and dreamed of. Three beautiful, healthy children, a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, and the woman of his dreams by his side. His radiant queen.

Smiling, Riley called down, “wait for me, your Majesty.” Riley had just finished breast feeding their son, Stefan, and when he fell sound asleep along with his brother, William, she softly closed their nursery door to join Liam as they prepared to go outside the estate to give the closing remarks to the awaiting press.

The annual Lantern Festival had another successful run in Valtoria, being a much-loved festive favorite in Cordonia. The closing ceremonies to conclude the celebrations now awaited the King and Queen.

Liam chuckled as he held out his hand to her and when she took it, he gently pulled her into his embrace, kissing her cheek, his voice husky, but gentle as he replied,

"I would never leave without my Queen."

"Ah, yes, but you can't go anywhere without saying goodbye to those you love." Riley coyly responded.

"You're my favorite." Liam snickered.

"Favorite what?" Riley saucily replied.

He raised a brow and smirked. My "everything."

Smiling, Liam challenged, "who says?"

"This one." Riley giggled as she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

"Mmmm." Liam hummed, wrapping his arms around her, his hands sliding down to her bottom.

"Liam!"

"You know we can't do that here," she whispered, though her lips trailed kisses down his neck.

"It wouldn't be the first time..." He murmured back, his breath tickling her ear.

"I'm sure there are reporters watching the estate now, waiting for you."

Liam let out a small growl and reluctantly released his wife. She laughed, knowing full well how much Liam hated having his alone time with her cut short.

She took his hand in hers, and he laced their fingers together as they exited the estate and headed towards the podium and the awaiting press.

"Good evening. Thank you, all, for coming. Tonight was a great success, thanks to all of your efforts and that of our staff. We're honored to have you with us to celebrate a tradition that spans generations and is the highlight of Valtorian tradition. It warms my heart to see so many people come out and show their support. So, thank you all. And now, if you'll excuse me, I will see you next year. Enjoy the rest of the festival and please be safe on your journeys home. Have a good night."

The crowd clapped and cheered, and then started to disperse. Riley waved as she walked off the podium with Liam by her side.

"That was nice." Riley grinned.

"What was, love?"

"The way you spoke to the reporters. It was a little different from what you would normally say."

"Was it now?" Liam questioned.

Riley nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Maybe because I am just trying to get through this as soon as possible. So, I can have some quality alone time with my beautiful wife." He replied, his hand slipping onto the small of her back and moving downward, squeezing her bottom gently.

Riley gasped and bit her lip.

"Behave, my king. We're not alone yet."

"I can't wait."

After saying their goodbyes to the remaining lingering nobles, they hurried back inside the estate and up to their bedroom, where Liam immediately began removing his jacket and tie.

Riley giggled and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Eager, aren't we, Liam?"

He turned, his shirt partially unbuttoned, revealing his toned chest, and stared at her with such heat in his eyes.

"Only for you, my Queen. Now come over here, so I can kiss you properly."

She stood and stepped over to him. As soon as she was within arm's reach, Liam grabbed her waist and pulled her into him. He captured her mouth with his, and their tongues danced as they kissed deeply. Liam's hand quickly unzipped her gown, with his fingers brushing her warm skin. Riley moaned and pulled away, smiling.

"You're so beautiful." he said softly, his hand caressing her face, his thumb grazing her cheek.

She blushed and turned her head, kissing his palm.

"You're charming, my King."

"I love when you call me that."

"Then you shall always hear it, my King."

"I'll never get tired of it."

"Nor will I." Riley softly responded.

“I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

"Let's continue this in the bath, shall we?" Liam wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Absolutely."

Riley grinned as they both stripped their formal wear and then walked hand in hand into the bathroom, which had a huge bathtub that was more like a hot tub. Liam set the water to the right temperature and added some soothing bath salts. As the water filled, they kissed and touched each other. Liam's fingers skimmed her back, and he pulled her closer, his erection pressed against her stomach. Riley reached between them, wrapped her hand around his engorged member and stroked him, his moans vibrating her lips as he continued to kiss her.

They parted for air, and Liam lifted Riley, placing her on the counter. He slid his hands down her thighs and pulled her knees apart. When his fingers found her center, he grinned and began circling her clit, teasing her.

"Oh god..." She moaned, her legs spreading, granting him better access.

"You're so wet, Riley..."

"And it's all for you, my King.

Liam, I need you …" she breathed in and closed her eyes. “Please …"

"Fuck... I cannot wait any longer..."

"Then don't."

Liam grabbed her ass and lifted her into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature, and the soothing jets relaxed her muscles. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and Liam positioned himself, pushing inside her, making her gasp and throw her head back.

"God, Riley..."

He started a steady pace, and his fingers found her clit again, circling her bud in time with his thrusts.

"Liam... Oh my god..."

"That's it, my Queen. Moan for me. Tell me how good I feel inside you."

"So... good. Fuck, Liam!" She screamed.

Her fingers raked his shoulders, and her walls clenched around him, her orgasm hitting her. He groaned and sped up, his thrusts harder and deeper.

"Liam... Yes..."

"Riley..."

Liam captured her mouth in a kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips. Riley moaned and pulled him closer, her nails digging into his skin.

When his orgasm came, he groaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck. They held each other until their breathing returned to normal.

Liam withdrew and moved back, settling against the edge of the tub.

"That was amazing," Riley said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It always is." He winked.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Cheeky."

Liam laughed, and she joined in.

After washing and drying off, Riley put on her silky pajamas and slipped into bed, Liam joining her. She snuggled close, resting her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and his fingers caressed her skin.

"I have an idea.... now that our boys are here...". Liam paused as Riley propped up beside him to look into his eyes.

"I want to start a new Christmas tradition."

"What's that?"

"I'd like us to spend the week before Christmas at the Royal Blackspine Mountain Lodge, just the five of us. The boys will be old enough to enjoy the snow and sledding, and I know Ellie loves it there. What do you say?"

"I think that's a great idea. It would be nice for us to have some family time without any interruptions. But what about Leo and our friends?"

"They are more than welcome to join us. They are our extended family, and I would love to have them with us."

"You know, that sounds wonderful, Liam. I'm glad you suggested it. Maybe we could have the staff prepare a feast and a Christmas party for everyone. I will talk to Maxwell about it. You know how he is with the party planning."

Liam chuckled and leaned over, kissing her temple. "Yes, he does love his parties."

"That he does."

They laughed and then lay in silence for a few minutes.

"We should get some sleep. The twins will be awake before we know it." Riley yawned.

"Did you see their eyes when Ellie let go of the lantern off the balcony?"

"It was the sweetest thing. She loves her brothers so much. I'm glad she doesn't resent them for stealing our attention."

"Ellie is the sweetest child. She is always putting others first and is so compassionate and loving. She's a great big sister."

"She's growing up so fast." Liam sighed.

"Yes, she is. Soon she'll be a teenager, then a young woman."

"Oh, no, don't remind me." Liam shook his head, chuckling.

"She'll always be our little girl, no matter how old she gets."

"I hope you're right." Liam tittered.

"I'm always right."

"I wouldn't go that far." Liam guffawed.

Riley gasped, feigning offence, and poked his ribs.

"I'm joking, love. Of course, you are right. And you're always sexy."

"And you're always cheeky."

"But you love me."

"With all my heart, always."

Liam pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "I love you too."

"Goodnight, my king."               

"Goodnight, my queen."

***

The next morning, Riley was awakened by her cell phone ringing.

Maxwell is calling in response to the party planning text for the Christmas party that Liam had sent the night before.

She answered the phone. "Good morning, Max."

"Little blosom! My favorite Queen. How are you, my friend? It's so nice to hear from you. How's life at Valtoria treating you?" maxwell rambled.

"Life is great. Liam and I are looking forward to spending Christmas at the Lodge this year. It'll be our first Christmas with the twins, and we wanted to make it special. That's why we reached out to you. We're thinking of having a big party and inviting all our friends. Would you like to plan the event?"

Maxwell didn't hesitate with his response. "Oh, oh, absolutely!, Riley. I'm all over this. Can you give me some more deets!?, like what you're looking for and how many guests? We need to make this the biggest and best party of the season."

" I knew you were the right person to ask," Riley snickered.

"That's what we were hoping for. Here's what I have in mind...."

After Riley ended the call, Liam reached over, wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her back to his chest. "Who were you talking to?" He whispered, his lips grazing her ear.

"Just Maxwell, he's excited to help plan the Christmas party."

The sound of the twins crying sounded on the monitor.

"And that's my cue to feed the twins."

Liam sat up and stretched. "I'll come with you. Ellie is probably awake, too. I'll make us some breakfast while you get the boys ready. Sound good?"

"That sounds wonderful, my love."

They climbed out of bed, and Riley threw on her robe and slippers while Liam got dressed. Then, they headed out the door and down the hallway towards the nursery, where their children were waiting.

***

After heating the griddle for pancakes, Liam took a sip of his coffee.

Suddenly, the calmness of the moment was disrupted by a subtle vibration against Liam’s thigh. Reaching for his phone, it was lit up with a call from Leo. His brows furrowed in concern, immediately answering the call.

“Leo? What’s up?” Liam’s voice held a sense of urgency, worried that something unexpected had occurred in the Capital.

Thanks for reading 🤗⚘️🫶

📌All fics & edits: @ao719 @txemrn @queenmiarys @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @alj4890 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @harleybeaumont @busywoman @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @imjusthereforliam @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @tinkie1973 @emkay512 @malblk21 @kristinamae093 @charlotteg234

📌TRR/TRH/TRF Liam & Riley: @irisk12 @walkerdrakewalker @thesvnsins @jared2612

📌Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @choicesflashfics

[thuganomxcs]

SHIPPING INFO // ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSES SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER(S)?

If we're speaking in the canon sense like in his universe I really do like the idea of yusuke x botan because I like the aspects of him with death...not to mention he's a devil now too soo. I still love Yusuke x Keiko tho just so the peeps know there's no hatred for our girl.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

Anything like a muse being a fucking minor and the other almost hitting their 40's. There's ONE particular verse that does this shit but this ain't about them. As long as you don't ship your literal grown man/woman with a literal definition of a child then I wouldn't have to be disturbed.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFT?

The minute a hand touches a boob or the clothes begin to fly off I'm guessing it's considered NSFW.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

LOL I'd say I am..but people have known to just show up, write with me and in a day of our muses vibing we're already shipping them. I MEAN if I have to be selective I'd say..as long as she's a woman XD

WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

Where do I even begin?? First of all I gotta go with the one that started this and that's @belovedblossoms Hiyori. She was the first person I've ever shipped Yusuke with and that relationship has started from not so disney friendly beginnings but entertaining as shit. Then there's @lady-llewellyn El who just ruins the guy, I swear in this ship Yusuke is the innocent one in the relationship no cap. We got @itmeanspeace Shiloh, this one started off just plain physical until she became attached, lol look at me talk as if Yusuke didn't catch feelings too..probably first since he's still kinda technically a human. Give it up for @swordsxandxsakuras Nezuko, the first one to actually go the full nine yards with him to dating all the way down to married with kids. Then there's my homie @fatexbound Chie I wouldn't CALL it a relationship yet but they're definitely in that phase in getting to know one another. You know I gotta put my home girl @adversitybloomed Mulan, who's probably seen everything there is to who Yusuke is as a character, she's been with him as a pervert all the way to him being nice and doing stuff for people. She's also helped him with his family life might have bribed him to go to college but in the end Yusuke proposed to her and it's actually the first REAL proposal I've written as him. I also can't use the term ship without mentioning @bravesung old OC Alyssa, she was definitely a special one who refused to buy into what people said about him, and after discovering he was supernatural (to a degree) just like her it got them to bonding. She's probably believed in him more than he did in himself when it came down to school because she NEVER let him quit HELL she brought his ass TO school whilst he was still sleeping in bed, picture that in your minds if you will. I got good ships and there's even this unhealthy one right here with my girl @acoldsovereign Maiz, tons of ships starts with curiosity, cute moments and even love at first sight and this one is just violence, one devil often tries to get the other devil to dig into those natural urges and forsake his human heart (that literally isn't even working anymore) and just behave like a demon, there's also acts of public terrorism but he'd punch her right..and she'd kick him wrong, it's a tug and pull with 'em. Bruh this segment is getting long since belovedblossom also has other muses that are shipped with Yusuke too and i have a feelin we'd be here ALL day and I've still got a few to talk about. Just know I love all y'alls muses.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

Nah, I mean if we write and there's a connection then I'd say let 'em go for it. EVEN IF you came to me writing Keiko and you're worried about shipping with me cause you'd think it's forced and i'm obligated to because of the canon then don't. It'd still be cool in my book.

ARE YOU SHIP-OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?

I'm not ship obsessed but I would say it's a fun thing to have cause when you're talkin' to your homies and the muses come u you can talk about the ship, or how a song reminds you of them. Shipping whether it's romantically, platonically or familial, they bring us together as writers and we because better pals cause of it. Cause there's always something to talk about when we wanna forget about that bill we can't pay.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

Let me tell you something about my fandom on tumblr: It hardly exists XDD there's really only a handful of us.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

Simple, we write. If there's chemistry between the muses well then your muse has got themselves a partner. He's by no means an easy person to love but once you've got him you've got someone that'll be there for your muse indefinitely. And if ya wanna discuss the possibility then my DMs are always open..even if i'm terribly slow with 'em.

tagged: @vartouhix

tagging: Y'all gonna have to steal this one homies. Tag me when ya do cause imma read it.

[elwenyere]

Fic Writer 20 Questions

I was tagged by my beloved @frostbitebakery: thank you so much, my friend!!!

1.) How many works do you have on ao3

56

2.) What's your ao3 word count?

301,664 words

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

So far, the MCU, Star Wars, and Top Gun.

4.) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Call Me By Your (Pet) Name (MCU, Sambucky)

Tactical Engagements (Star Wars, Codywan)

Citation Needed (MCU, Stony)

Helps to Relieve My Mind (MCU, Sambucky)

Good Soldiers (Star Wars, Codywan)

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, yes! Sometimes it takes me a little while to write back if things in real life are hectic, but eventually I do, because I love chatting with readers about what they noticed in a story and what I was thinking about/working on while writing.

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have never written what I would call an unhappy ending. But sometimes what we know about the canon ending can still make the ending of a fic bittersweet, and that's true of a fair number of fics I've written. I think the two fics that leave canon angst most fully on the table are my MCU ficlet A Stitch in Time, which is about what else Steve might have done while returning those stones, and my wee Star Wars piece Yes, It Feels Like That, which is a moment with Leia's grief during ANH.

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I swear: I used to write plenty of fics that were happy all the way through! That happens a lot less frequently now. But Right on Time is just about the happiest ending I could give to a post-war Codywan, and my Sambucky fic Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice is (to me) maybe the funniest fic I've written.

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

I've been very lucky with readers who are largely very generous.

9.) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I am a relative newcomer to writing smut, but I have dabbled, yes. I'm not sure what kind of smut it is. Feelings-forward, I guess?

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I think the only thing I've written that could come close to being classified as a crossover was my very first multi-chapter fic, Should You Choose to Accept It, which included characters from both the mainstream Avengers and Agents of SHIELD and mashed up the plots of Iron Man 3, CA: TWS, AOS Season One, and Mission Impossible 3.

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet!

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes! The Stony identity porn/professor AU fic Citation Needed was a collaboration with the incredible @festiveferret, and it is the most fun I've had writing fic.

14.) What's your all time favorite ship?

Cannot pick a favorite, but my first OTP was Mulder/Scully, and they will always have a special place in my heart.

15.) What's a WIP you'd like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

God what a painful question. 😅 I am a stubborn bastard, and I don't know if I've fully admitted defeat on any of my WIPs, even the ones I've neglected the most. But the WIP that's probably been waiting for my attention the longest is the sequel to my Stony fic Three Little Words; or, Five Times Steve and Tony Didn’t Actually Apologize + One Time They Did, which I cannot abandon or scrap for parts because I'm really attached to the bits that I have written, but which I haven't been able to make progress on for a long time. Bug me for snips about it if you like: I would love to be able to share what I have so far.

16.) What are your writing strengths?

A borderline aggressive amount of figurative language, narrative beats that feel layered, and I think I have a decent ear for dialogue.

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm so, so, so inexpressibly slow, and I also build up increasing levels of anxiety about WIPs when I'm not getting outside perspectives about them, so I find it nearly impossible to write anything longer than 20k.

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have experimented with this a little bit in the past, and I'm currently trying it again in a WIP in a language I'm not deeply familiar with, which is nerve-wracking. But I think it can be so effective when done well, and I'm excited to keep growing in that area.

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

Stony in the MCU: a missing-scene fic from Endgame

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

I love all my children equally, but my Codywan fic Recollection is probably the fic that felt most ambitious to me at the time that I wrote it: memory-related temporal shenanigans, surreal scene changes, some heavy psychic territory, and my very first smut scenes. I'm proud of how many new things I tried.

----

Open tags for anyone who would like to play!!! This was very fun: @ me with your answers if you'd like to join. <3<3<3

[ashortdropandasuddenstop]

Wow, 1000 followers?! It's hard to believe how far we've come on this journey together, isn't it? As I sit here and reflect, my heart is overflowing with gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of you who has followed me along the way. I feel so incredibly blessed and lucky to have picked up such a wonderful community of people who share in my passions and interests.

Although I may not be able to personally converse with every single one of you as much as I would like to, please know that I see you all there and your support has not gone unnoticed. Every single like and comment means the world to me and I am so grateful for the connection we have built.

I have to give a special shoutout to my fellow RPers here. You all are some of my absolute favorite people and best friends. The way we are able to escape into these different worlds together is truly a gift and I cherish every moment we spend together. You all are my support system in so many ways and I am honored to call you my friends.

As we continue on this journey, I know that there will be ups and downs and twists and turns. But I hope that we can all stay connected and support each other through it all. I couldn't imagine this journey without each and every one of you and I hope we never lose sight of the bond we have created. Thank you for being a part of my life and for making this journey so special.

@notabirdnotaplane  - to my best friend in the world, you are my sunshine in the morning and the moonlight at night before bed.  I love you more and more with each passing day.  I don't know however I ever lived without knowing you before.  Clark and James are -chefs kiss-  and they live rent free in my brain 24/7!

@manyimaginativemuses  - We've been friends for.. gawd, since I about made this blog!   You've stuck with me through thick and thin and Norristat has become iconic because of you.  Your passion for our ship and the dedication you put into backstory and long standing storylines still leave me in awe. I love you and thank you for sticking by me :)

@hom3land3r   -  What can I say.  James will have me drop everything to reply to your posts.  I hear Homie in every word, ever reaction you post. You light up my dashboard with your presence and I swear if James had a tail it would be wagging when you reply.

@slicinggazelle / @schwartzkatz  - I’ve known you almost as long as I’ve known Carson! If I was to say James has a best friend outside of his adopted brother Theo, it would be Gazelle, followed only by Felicia. Thank you for being my support both IC and OOC , and for playing with me this long! 

@wolfsmuses   -  Thank you so much for giving James the time of day,  D and James well.. They are like a precious old married couple and have a chemistry even Left hand has to notice.  I get super excited for each post.

@killmebutneverinsultme​ - Pirate! My only Sparrow that has stood the test of time! You gave me Sparrington. My OTP. Everything I wanted for James and a bag of chips! I cherish you for this but also for being a real friend when things seemed rocky and dramatic for a bit ,and I can’t thank you enough for sticking with me!

@captainofthepearl - My dear Captain Barbossa, your pet Commodore does so treasure your attention when you are around!  Your animations and Sims Comics make me so happy to see. I want to ask you for a million more , and yammer your ear off all day about my Deckhand Admiral and the Captain but alas!

@phoenixduelist    -  What can I say?  Your character is anything but a mary sue. She's got such deph and personality, shes brutual fury and beautiful grace all in a nutshell as a testiment to the talent of her wonderful creator and I adore you for sticking with me through all my boughts of non-reply.

@tretramonti  -  One of my oldest besties on here! I love you dearly and cherish our Throuple of Norrielric. These three just are precious cinnamon rolls who deserve all the love and sex they can handle. Thank you for always coming back when you do go and I will always follow you forever!

@izzyeffinhands   -   While real life has a tendency to keep us from chatting too often. You above all understand where I'm coming from with a character that lives to fight, and enjoys a good bout of pain. I hope we get to more threads going soon too!

@toodamnloyal / @foxsocunningandfree  -  Shay, where would James be without his little brother?   And in a way, it’s the same for me and our friendship! You’re also one of my oldest friends on here and I thank you so so much for coming back to Theo’s name after your hiatus! I missed you when you were gone. And  @leerofthevinegaroons  - Though we don’t talk as much I’m never letting go of you either!

 @itismissswann   - Sweet Lizzy! My only Norribeth that’s still kicking strong and I want all the sappy, angsty, happy, loving threads with the most canon ship to ever canon!! Thank you for being that Lizzy for me!

@legends-and-savages  - thank you so so soooo much for being my Annie/Starlight. I love her already and can't wait for all these hijinks. James will fall in love with her, I just know it.  You are such a versatile writer and I want a million more threads with you in the future!

@ofmythsandfables - Sweet beautiful Lois has captured Norrington's attention and while I know you lead a hectic life , I do so love your excitement when James gets to reply to you, and I love conversing with you about these two.

@vyrulent   - Oh love,  You’re my Chloe, my Simone, my Lydia.. But so much more. You are such a  lovely, sweet, understanding soul who’s been with me so long I can’t even recall not being friends. I adore you and think we should definitely talk more often!

@itslordnow   - I certainly miss you but totally understand the hectic school/life work balance you’re dealing with and hope to play with you again some time, you are one of the best!

@sixba  -  Thank you thank you thank you for giving this real life FC character a chance. James absolutely loves his lion son and even if we never finish one thread, I will start 100 more with you because this duo is adorable together! You’re definitely a friend that’s stayed with me for years and even if it takes us a while to reply, we aren’t any less excited to play with you!

@cecaelianseawitch​ - We’ve only just met, but already I adore you and your ability to both capture Ursula’s voice and tone but also your ability to adapt to storylines thrown at you ( sorry for that! ) You’re a wonder and I can’t wait to have James do bad things for your sea witch hehehe

@count-v-dracula​ - James misses his master and I my friend.  I know your life is hectic right now, but I will always follow you . So if and when the day comes of your return.. I will be here!

@pyramiscmuses​   -   Your characters always make me happy, even if we aren’t playing together. I love seeing you on my dash and hope we can touch base soon for more threads!

Other RPers that deserve to be mentioned but we haven’t played in a long time: 

@firstlove-thesea  , @sonofirishseas , @sorceressmaralane , @pueraeternuspan , @rumpotdeckhand, @scottishoctopus , @omen-promised @teachthekraken ,   @countlessrealities , @winters-club​

If I have forgotten anyone, I’m sorry, but these are the people that actually reply to me and/or have been with me the longest.

[practically-an-x-man]

Giving you a character... favorite Angel. And then... one of my favorites.. Viktor from Arcane

Thanks!!

Angel:

How I feel about this character - Oh, where do I start? You've heard this all before. I love him. His story reflects my own. He got me through the darkest part of my life, and continues to get me through tough times. My all-time ultimate favorite character who shows no signs of being dethroned.

All the people I ship romantically with this character - In canon, his relationship with Psylocke is nice, and he's had a couple other partners that I've never minded. Wish the comic writers would officially make him bisexual bc I swear it's all right there and they just won't commit to it. But of course I think he and Rae are the best <3

My non-romantic OTP for this character - I think he's the type of character who could make friends with just about anybody with enough time, he's got such a good heart and just drips charisma, but my favorite idea is definitely him and Kurt making friends after the cage fight and everything with Apocalypse, and realizing they both were forced into it.

My unpopular opinion about this character - He's not weak, and he's not useless. A lot of people in the X-Men fandom don't really seem to like him as much because he doesn't have exciting powers, they think the fact that he just has wings (and superstrength and healing factor but oh well-) kind of boring, but to me that's the core of his character. His wings make it impossible for him to fit in with the humans without painfully restraining them, but his powers aren't exciting enough to really keep up with the X-Men as new and powerful mutants are discovered, and that's the point! That's what sets him apart from so many of the other X-Men!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. - I wish they'd gone into, or at least hinted at his survival/redemption/etc. after being a Horseman in X-Men: Apocalypse. Instead they just killed him off, which is such a disservice to his character.

____

Viktor:

How I feel about this character - I was kind of neutral about him at first, I thought his story was interesting and I definitely vibed with the disability allegory, but I was more distracted by the whole plot with Vi and Caitlyn and Jinx and didn't really pay as much attention to Viktor and Jayce. But after seeing your posts and your fic about him, I definitely like him more!

All the people I ship romantically with this character - Jayce is really the only main one

My non-romantic OTP for this character - Uhhhh I really don't know. He tends to keep to himself, and that's fine. Though I really like his family vibes you have with Arline, if OCs count?

My unpopular opinion about this character - Skipping this one, I'm not deep enough into fandom opinions about him to know what's unpopular, and I haven't seen the show in a while

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. - Give this man a pet! Let us see the grief at first, and him not wanting to get attached after what happened to the last pet he had, but slowly realizing the indifference is only hurting the animal more... I mean, just think about the emotional depth of that!!

[simonxriley]

Ship Songs!

I was tagged by the wonderful @shegetsburned @baldurrs @nightbloodraelle and @leviiackrman to relate 5-10 songs to my ships. Thank you! 💜 (i also got carried away with this 😅)

Tagging @playstationmademe @nightwingshero @detectivelokis @jinfromyarikawa @sstewyhosseini @voidika @corvosattano and anyone else who wants to do this!!

OTP: The Tachanka and his Kotyonok - Alexsandr "Tachanka" Senaviev x Skylar "Phoenix" Jackson

Under Your Scars - Godsmack

Under your scars I pray // You're like a shooting star in the rain // You're everything that feels like home to me, yeah // Under your scars, I could live inside you time after time

Happy Anywhere - Blake Shelton feat. Gwen Stefani

I'm running wide open // I was born with my feet in motion // But since I met you, I swear // I could be happy anywhere // Any map dot location // You're always my destination // You're the only thing that I'm chained to // I could be happy anywhere // I could be happy anywhere with you

Take Me As I am - David Cook

Take me as I am // Right here where I stand // Open up your arms and let me in Out here on my own // I know I'm not alone // Let me in your heart // Right where you stand

Song #3 - Stone Sour

It doesn't really matter what you do or say // I'm never going anywhere anyway 'Cause when I'm dying for you // I've never felt so alive

Truth - Gwen Stefani

So this is what the truth feels like // This is more of what I had in mind // Yeah, this is what the truth feels like // And I'm feeling it, I'm feeling it // Something about this just feels so right, alright? // Something about this just feels so right, alright? So this is what the truth feels like // And I'm feeling it, I'm feeling it

Everywhere I'm goin' - Maddie & Tae

Whole world in my living room // It's all you, babe // If I could paint paradise, it'd be you // It's all you, babe // Every red pin on the map I'm holding // You're everywhere I've been // And everywhere I'm goin' // From backwoods to the neon glowin' // You're everywhere I've been // And everywhere I'm goin'

Dagen Før

If we never change // Then how can we grow and ever live? // Love is always able to // Awaken the soul and leave the blues // There is calmness to a life lived in quiet gratitude // The waiting has brought a little pain // But nothing compared to what I’ve gained

Bind Your Love - Cher Lloyd

Ooh, now I'm found, I'll never be lost // I'll stick with you no matter the cost // Whatever comes we'll figure it out, I know that // Ooh, you and I like Adam and Eve // You lit the fire growing in me // You changed my life, now there is no way to go back

Warmness on the Soul - Avenged Sevenfold

And we have gone through good and bad times // But your unconditional love was always on my mind // You've been there from the start for me // And your love's always been true as can be

I give my heart to you // I give my heart // 'Cause nothing can compare in this world to you, whoa

Nobody But You - Blake Shelton feat. Gwen Stefani

I been thinkin' about what I want in my life // It begins and ends the same // If I had to choose what I couldn't lose // There'd only be one thing

OTP: The Ghost With The Most - Simon "Ghost" Riley x Liz Walker

Livin' On Love -Alan Jackson

It sounds simple, that's what you're thinkin' // But love can walk through fire without blinkin' // It doesn't take much when you get enough // Livin' on love

Break In - Halestorm feat. Amy Lee

You are the only one // The only one that sees me // Trusts me and believes me // You are the only one // The only one that knows me And in the dark to show me

When I See You Smile - Bad English

Sometimes I wonder // How I'd ever make it through, // Through this world without having you // I just wouldn't have a clue // 'Cause sometimes it seems // Like this world's closing in on me, // And there's no way of breaking free // And then I see you reach for me

Home - Corey Taylor

I wanna run away and show you all the things I wanna do // I wanna run away as quickly as we can // You're my home away from home Home's inside of you // But you are not alone, you'll never be alone I'm on my way back home and I've been gone so long

If I Didn't Have You - Randy Travis

If I didn't have you I know I'd be // Floundering around like a ship at sea // Lost in the rain of a hurricane // And that's where I'd have been

Heaven - No Doubt

Magnetic flash, can't stop my domino effect // Just a little give and take // Stops making sense you pull me in // I'm finding out that it's something I just can't fake // But the truth is you're gold // You can find something you already have // I really have you to hold

The Tide Is High - Atomic Kitten

The tide is high, but I'm holding on // I'm gonna be your number one The tide is high, but I'm holding on // I'm gonna be your number one

Crimson Day - Avenged Sevenfold

Dark years, brought endless rain // Out in the cold I lost my way But storms won't last to clear the air // For something new // The sun came out and brought you through

Every Night, Every Morning - Maddie & Tae

He said, "I don't know what I'd do // If I didn't have you" // I said, "I think about that too"

Home - Phillip Phillips

Settle down, it'll all be clear // Don't pay no mind to the demons They fill you with fear // The trouble, it might drag you down // If you get lost, you can always be found // Just know you're not alone // 'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home

[kenzie-connors]

@emnormington

[invisibleraven]

I swear I'd be a better man

Written for the Year of the OTP challenge prompt: different

Pairing: Luke/Reggie (featuring trans!Luke)

In this fic, Luke starts out identifying as a girl, using she/her pronouns and a female name. They realize that they identify as trans very early on in the story.

I went with the name Elaine since it means 'shining light' and Luke means 'light giving' and I thought it would be nice to pick names that have similar meanings instead of picking a feminine name that just sounds like Luke.

The pronouns change after Luke comes out to his mom, so you'll notice the shift.

If you think anything in this will trigger you, feel free to head back, maybe check out some of my other works. Stay safe friends.

On AO3!

All her life, Elaine had felt different. While all the girls her age were obsessed with princesses and pink, she much preferred to wear jeans and play cops & robbers with Alex and Bobby. Her mother would sigh, brush out the tangles from her long curly hair and send her on her way. Constantly lamenting her tomboy nature, but always pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Still love you little girl.”

“Mom…” she would whine. “Not in front of the guys.”

“Always wanting to be one of the guys,” Emily said with a shake of her head.

And that was it, wasn’t it? The thing that Elaine could never tell her mother-that she did want to be one of the guys-literally.

She had never felt comfortable being a girl-dressing like one, acting like one, with the prospect of her body changing to become a woman. She didn’t want any of that. She wanted to be a boy, to become a man. But she felt like she could never make that a reality, or tell her mom about it.

So she kept playing around with the boys, rejecting dresses and pigtails and pink with every fibre of her being.

Then puberty hit, and Elaine met Reggie.

Reggie who was so cool in his ripped jeans and leather jacket. Who could play like five different instruments and wrote his own songs, even if they were country, a genre that Elaine wasn’t a fan of. Reggie was also super pretty, and Elaine’s heart raced every time he shot his crooked grin at her.

Elaine had no clue what to do about that.

Especially since when she started writing songs, all of them revolved around green eyes, sprinkled freckles, and crooked grins. With goddamn hearts along the edges, and initials scrawled inside them in her spiky handwriting.

Worse yet was when her mom found them.

Emily usually didn’t snoop in her room, merely came in to collect laundry or ensure she was doing her homework. But she had made the mistake of leaving her notebook open to Crooked Teeth, and well, when Elaine got back from the kitchen with a snack, her mom was sitting on the bed next to the open notebook.

Elaine immediately panicked. What if her mom had seen the songs about being a boy? The list of names she liked, the pamphlets from Mrs. Butler about gender and transitioning, the number from a few people at the school’s GSA-that was all in there, and she wasn’t ready to have that discussion with her mom yet.

So she braced herself for the questions, the shouting, maybe even for the need to bolt. She didn’t think her parents would kick her out, they had been appalled at how coldly the Mercers had treated Alex when he said he was gay, but you never knew.

“Who’s Reggie?” her mom asked with a smirk.

“W-what?”

Emily gestured to the book beside her. “You have his name in hearts all over this page. So who is he?”

Elaine flushed, turning her head away. Another thing she really didn’t want to talk about with her mom. Because the sole reason she hadn’t asked him out yet was tied up in the whole wanting to be a boy thing. She knew Reggie wasn’t homophobic, he had been happy and supportive when Alex came out to them. She just didn’t know how Reggie would feel about dating a guy himself.

“He’s no one.”

Emily scoffed. “And I am the queen of Sheeba,” she let out a sigh and eased herself up. “Alright, I won’t push, I know this kind of thing can be tough to talk about with anyone, let alone your mom. But honey if you ever do want to talk, me and your dad are always here. About anything.”

“How about me getting a haircut?” Elaine deflected. “I kind of want to cut it really short, kinda punk.”

“But your curls are so pretty,” Emily replied, lifting a strand of the chestnut coif.

“Maybe I don’t want to be pretty!” Elaine erupted. “Maybe I want to be handsome!”

Then she realised what she said, clapping a hand over her mouth, then with wide, panicked eyes, looked at her shell shocked mother.

“Y-you want to be handsome?” Emily repeated, her voice quiet. “You want to look like a boy?”

“No,” Elaine said. “I want to be a boy.”

It felt like a huge weight lifted from his shoulders at the admission. So he kept going. “I’ve been doing research, and I can take hormones, and do the surgery with your permission. But… I want to be a boy. Use he/him pronouns, be introduced as your son.”

“Do you have a name picked out?” Emily asked, her expression betraying nothing.

“I may have a few,” he admitted.

“Okay then. This is a lot to take in sweetie. So maybe go hang out with your friends for the afternoon, give me some time to adjust. And when your father gets home this evening, we can discuss it. As a family.”

He rushed into his mothers arms, murmuring his love into her shoulder, feeling relieved that she hugged him back. He took a step back, the two of them exchanging watery smiles, and he grabbed his notebook, heading for the door.

“Oh, Ela… son?” Emily said, and he turned, smiling bright at her. “Tell Reggie how you feel. He’d be lucky to have a great guy like you for a partner.”

He smiled and blushed but went out the door feeling happier than he had in ages, and figured maybe just maybe, he should take his moms advice.

Reggie was in Bobby’s garage, his usual spot when not in school. Had told them all that his parents fought a lot and he’d rather be anywhere else than home to witness it. Bobby didn’t mind, he knew bad parents, given he only saw his once a year if he was lucky. Between the Shaws, the Mercers, and the Peters, the young Patterson boy had to think of how lucky he was in the parent department.

Reggie looked up and gave him that devastating crooked grin, making his heart palpitate like crazy. “Hey Lanie.”

And then it froze.

Because Reggie was the only one to use that name, but it reminded him that Reggie still saw him as a girl. That he needed to tell Reggie, and hope that it meant they could at least keep being friends, even if it meant a broken heart.

“H-hey Reg, whatcha working on?” he sat beside Reggie on the couch, but not close enough to touch, wanting that bit of space between them until the truth was out. If Reggie was upset by the lack of cuddles they usually shared, he didn’t let it show.

“Noodling around on an old song I wrote about my ex, figured it might be worth a look over now that it’s long past,” Reggie said, passing the music over.

He glanced over the lyrics, humming the melody, and then one single thing made him stop. “Reg… this is about a boy.”

“Well yeah, my last ex was Jason Mitchell, the bastard,” Reggie replied. “You know I’m bi right?”

“No I did not know that!” he exclaimed. “I mean, it’s all cool, love is love right? But I never knew.”

“Huh, could have sworn I told the both of you after Alex came out,” Reggie mused. “But yeah, I’m bi. Guess that makes you the odd woman out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well Alex is gay, I’m bi, Bobby is ace… you’re the only straight one,” Reggie replied.

“I’m not straight,” he replied. “I’m pan.” For all his issues regarding his own gender, he had never cared what others were when it came to his attraction to them. Mrs. Butler told him about pansexuality, and that seemed to fit. Had put the pride pin on his bag shortly thereafter, but given no one had brought it up, maybe that was another conversation he needed to have with people. One step at a time though, this came first.

“Oh,” Reggie said. “That's wicked! We should see about playing a Pride event then, really stick it to the Mercers!”

“Fuck yes we should!” he said, high fiving Reggie.

They spent some time trading ideas for Reggie’s song back and forth when finally he asked. “So you really like boys?”

“And girls, yeah,” Reggie replied.

“Wh-what about boys who used to be girls?”

Reggie looked over at him, eyes searching, and then a look of understanding came over him, and he reached out, grasping his hands. “I’d be okay with that. I would just like to know the name of the person I’ve been wanting to ask out for ages now. Girl or boy, I still wanna date you. So give me a name, and I’m all yours.”

“Luke. My name is Luke.”

[narastories]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thank you @septemberskye for tagging me <3

I'll tag @nijinskys @viole-n-ts @brotherhoodoftheblade and anyone who would like to do this.

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 98! (The same formatting thing happened to me too lmao) I can't believe it's almost 100. It's especially fun because it's Yuletide season and the fic authors won't get revealed until January. Which means it will probably be impossible to tell exactly which one counts as my 100th fic and somehow I like that.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? For a second I thought I would have to add it up manually. Phew. It's 457,682.

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Fetch Phillips Archives, The Dresden Files, and the Lord John Series (Outlander). Sometimes a fic here and there for other fandoms.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? the hero's prize, A bed and a penny, whatever this may be, over the edge and out of sight, Love your enemy The popularity of a fandom or a ship + the age of the fic will always have a bigger impact on your statistics than the quality of your writing. Don't swear it too much.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes, almost always. I found many friends this way.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably "so cold". A short ficlet but it hurt lol

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?  I usually write happy endings so I can't choose ^^"

8. Do you get hate on fics? Luckily I wouldn't say I do. I've gotten some annoying grammar corrections, and deliberate misunderstandings about a ship, but nothing I would call outright hate in the comments. Oh, and there was that one guy who got their panties in a twist because I've written a male character as a witch. That was fun.

The silver lining in writing for small fandoms, rarepairs, and niche topics is that you don't get many eyes on you so you just statistically catch fewer dumbasses. But if you are getting hate, just remember: don't feed the troll. Eat the troll ;)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, I write all kinds of smut. Usually, my kind of smut is: - There is extensive set-up. I like to set the mood first, so unless it's a very short fic, there isn't any smut in the first 30% I would say. Even if I consider it a PWP there is usually some kind of set-up. - There are usually feelings involved. I like to focus on that, even if it's just a hook-up. - It's usually kinky. Not always, but I do write a lot of ships with inherent power dynamics or morally grey characters. And I'm happy to go all out there with the kinkyness lol

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? No. It's not my thing. But never say never because I actually have one idea for a fun little crossover...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? OMG yes! Three of my ficlets from the Harry/Nic OTP challenge got translated to Russian and I'm so honored <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?  No... that idea gives me anxiety....

14. What's your all-time favorite ship? I can't answer this either. There are just too many ships that are too close to my heart. Especially since there are several rarepairs where I published either the first or most of the fics on AO3 for that ship... I simply can't choose.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have one unfinished WIP on AO3, "over the edge and out of sight" which I know I will never continue (but I don't even want to so I don't think it counts as an answer). After that, I've stopped putting WIPs on AO3 in general ^^" From my WIP folder, there are several that I would love to finish, but I don't think I will: - I started a translation of my super old BJR/OC (Outlander) fic but I had a really hard time getting over the embarrassment of reading my old fic - I have a few snippets of a continuation for the J/J/J series (Outlander) and it would be very fun but I'm not sure if I'll ever be in the mood to finish it - I also started a modern Enjou/Aether fic (Genshin Impact) that would be super cute but it's probably too much work compared to my investment in that fandom

16. What are your writing strengths? POV. I think I'm good at showing the POV character's personality. And I sink my teeth into that deep POV and don't let go. You won't catch me slipping into a different POV in the next paragraph, and I'm sort of proud of that.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Plot? lmao It's complicated for me. I can't come up with an intricate plot before I start writing. I need to start writing and then halfway through move the puzzle pieces around. It's difficult for me to wrap my head around it. I also think that sometimes I get so focused on setting something up that I don't realize that the reader might think I'm setting something else up if that makes sense. That's definitely an area I could improve on.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I don't like it. I'm fluent in 3 languages and I've written fic in 2. But I don't like writing or reading dialogue in another language in a fic because I think it disrupts the flow of reading. For me, it's less about the fear of making a mistake in a language that isn't my native tongue (because this one isn't, for example, lol) and it's more about worrying that it won't be enjoyable for someone who doesn't speak that language. Even if you provide translations it's just a lot of effort to scroll back and forth.

A word here and there is fine for me, or if you can cleverly convey language barriers by adding a few sentences. But otherwise, I would just rather write what language they are supposed to be speaking in.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Uh I think HP, back in high school. But that just shows my age lol

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? That is so difficult to answer. It's either "put my heart in your pocket" or "moral compass for hire".

[ciitrinitas]

hittin you with the uno reverse card, lessee uhhh makiden, asaden, angela/ayin, benjamin/ayin, hod/yesod, binah/hod

oh boy, lots of good ones here...

(in response to this!)

makiden - A+: OTP.

makiden is so good. prime badtouch material. but the way that they're more than that? part 1 of chainsaw man is nothing short of a plea for empathy, and that for all her flaws, for all her mistakes, for all her horrible acts, it doesn't ask for makima to be forgiven, but for her to be understood--it drives me insane. she never really saw denji, and he was a means to an end for her, but he still loved her. like, ugh, they're really hard to talk coherently and eloquently about because makima is absolutely an abuser and denji her victim, but makima is also a victim. csm doesn't intend to absolve her; it asks that you understand that she is another step in the cycle of abuse.

makiden is the meat and potatoes of csm part 1. incredibly sexy on every level, but also so narratively and thematically compelling. i really can't say enough about how much i love them. it's really hard for me to talk about why they do so much for me without going into a long ramble about why i also love part 1 of csm so damn much. makiden as a relationship is utterly vital to it.

asaden - A+: OTP.

i swear i have denji ships that i wouldn't qualify as otps! (the other one that hits that tier is akiden. u_u) but, god, what a fucking life i am living. this went from a borderline crack ship to having actual canon potential. initially, i was pretty invested in it from the angle of self-hating moronsexual mitaka (it works for asayoru, too! just act stupid, and mitaka will be cursing how horny she is seeing you fail to solve basic math makes her), then oh my god...oh my god, they went on an actual canon date. and mitaka was convinced infodumping all the research she binged the night before at denji would make him hot and bothered for her, and she's legit so charmed at him being a good guy (HE WANTS NAYUTA TO GO TO COLLEGE). i'm doomed. i'm absolutely doomed. i'm deluded enough at this point to have true canon aspirations for asaden and feeling a salty victory at some annoying yshdn shippers i've seen think it stood a chance at being canon when yshd still barely has a character.

thanks for ruining my brain twice over, fujimoto. like, GOD, HE WAS LISTENING DURING HER RAMBLING!! HE ASKED HER OUT AGAIN. I'M GONNA DIE. I SHIPPED THEM FROM EARLY ON. i fully expect it to go south because chainsaw man, but god am i fucking living right now.

angela/ayin - A+: OTP.

thanks for bullying me with just a bunch of my otps because i love too many things and stick the otp label on them. but, boy, this snuck up on me with lobcorp. the ending absolutely makes lobcorp, elevates it to a level of brilliance imo. angela spends the entire game, spends hundreds of years, operating on ayin's script (and i'm very curious to what extent that included, to what minutiae her words were dictated by him. did he set things so specifically that she decided to always introduce herself as such a Special and Advanced AI to him lmao?) until she finally has free will in her grasp and crushes the culmination of his and everyone's suffering to exercise it. it's just so fucking good. spending so much time simmering in hate and bitterness for this man while being made to assist him again and again and again.

and ayin, buddy...friend...fella...you literally just made your crush as an ai but with bigger tits after she died. if that isn't romantic, i don't know what is. but, seriously, the fact he was so heartbroken at carmen's "death" (because she did live on in a fucked up way as the heart of this literal purgatory) only to immediately reject angela because oh...well...he wanted carmen back, but this isn't carmen. angela was made as a replacement that could never fulfill her purpose, and yet ayin kept her so close for so long.

it's deeply fucked up, and it makes me insane. thanks for giving angela daddy issues, ayin. at least let her choke you a few times as compensation!

benjamin/ayin - B: It’s really cute.

benjamin is the funniest motherfucker in lobotomy corporation. even more than ayin himself. i am absolutely desperate to know the hard timeline for how the hell the timey-wimey shit works out for where he always appears as "benjamin" before being shoved in a robot to reappear as hokma. because, man, getting shoved in a toaster sure does something to the guy! like, ayin, let's just be here together in robot purgatory because no one needs to die and we can be husbands and forget carmen like i can put on a wig if you need me too it's fine seriously i don't mind just please god stay with me forever. 💗💗💗

hod/yesod - A+: OTP.

I MADE THIS SHIT UP. I FUCKING TRICKED MYSELF INTO THIS. THEY BARELY INTERACT, but like, one day, i was like oh boy i like hod but what if she Could Make Someone Worse? i went down the list, and malkuth? nah, too strong of a personality versus hod. netzach? it'd be sort of mutual self-worsening between those two. it'd be a whole essay on its own about why it didn't fulfill what i was looking for, but i have Thoughts, i swear. hod/binah? oh, no one can out worse binah. hod/angela? pretty similar to hod/binah.

but. oh. hod/yesod? there's this distinct point of connection for them in their mutual anxieties as a point of exploitation. hod wants to be helpful, wants to be needed, and yesod is someone that holds himself together tightly until he isn't. a little undoing, and oh, wow, he really needs hod's assistance, doesn't he? maybe it's a little nudge from angela (it gets boring repeating shit, okay) or hod herself just Noticing, but hod is not above setting someone else up to be at just the level of functioning where they often fall apart and need to rely on her to get by. yesod is the king of options for hod making someone worse and being the dominant partner. he might have the stronger personality, but he isn't without some degree of humanity, and hod can slowly worm her way in there.

this is sheer nonsense based on me huffing whatever the fuck this ship is. yesod just needs to be a little desperately vulnerable, and hod would be such a good helper! everyone wins! ^_^

binah/hod - B: It’s really cute.

okay, to an extent with binah ships, my brain just empties out and goes oh wow big sexy. i like how casually manipulative and in control binah is (or seems) in every situation. hod is super cute and desperate for validation. let her snap a little, and you'd have a real great violence breakdown girl with some manipulative reassurance. gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, binah. you're so valid.

[meganwasbored]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts Season 3 Episodes 3 and 4

Episode 3

-I’m sorry I know what Rayla’s parents did is probably a huge deal in Xadia but she had the audacity to say that she wishes her parents were dead when the boys are literally orphans now

-woah Callum that’s cultural appropriation cancelled

-“have you had a change of heart”

“No, but there’s something I want to tell you that might change your heart”

You see to me this came off as a burn but then you remember it’s Ezran and he’s probably being sincere

-Ezran being half Prince Kasef’s height is funny but also Kasef is a jerk and I want him to either go home or die because I can’t stand his attitude anymore

-who’s this dude and what’s he up to

-cuties

-I was literally smiling and giggling at my phone like a 6th grade girl because of how cute that scene was but now it’s ruined because apparently she’s a ghost???

-“Soren could’ve died!”

“That doesn’t matter!”

I’d say what I think of you but as a Christian woman I don’t even feel comfortable typing the words that are in my head right now

-we’re gonna ask Runaan? Is he not the one that is inside a coin as we speak?

-well that was sad, but I saw it coming

-we already knew Amaya had guts but dangggg

-also the fire elf lady almost looked like she felt bad that the queen is going to kill Amaya

-“he’s gone because you abandoned them” she’s a CHILD what the heck was she supposed to do that the other assassins couldn’t do

-“Claudia, did you really think I would ask him to do such a thing? Surely you know your brother is… easily confused” it’s the gaslighting for me

-he’ll really take any opportunity to insult Soren that he can get

-I swear if one more person makes Soren feel stupid

-oh this dude again

-he addressed Viren with respect and called him High Mage so obviously he’s in on all this

-“my heart goes out with this one”

“I promise I will return your heart to you”

imagine your otp

-if the literal fire elves can’t look at the light how is she supposed to

-we’re just gonna ignore the fact that it is humanly impossible for her to still be able to see at all ever again after that

-runaan’s flower isn’t all the way down which means they have to be freeing him from the coin eventually, I’m holding them to that

Episode 4

-bruh it literally just started and I already had to watch the pretty message bird die (ik it’s not actually alive but it screeched in pain when it was hit and that hurt me)

-big feelings time, that’s freaking adorable but also I’d rather die than unload my thoughts on someone else that’s what tumblr is for

-Zym: “uh oh mom and dad are fighting”

Look at his FACE

-bro literally what’s stopping you from going to war on Xadia without Katolis he never tried to stop you he just said that Katolis would not be a part of it you have three armies why would you waste valuable time and resources fighting with us

-also what does that have to do with Viren

-WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK

-there isn’t any connection I just wanted to point out that Nyx is the ancient goddess and personification of night in Greek mythology

-it’s giving “hey little girl I’m your mom’s friend just get in this car and I’ll take you to her *wink wink*”

-obviously we don’t want people to die but just as many, probably more, people will die if we do what the Prince Kasef wants but then it will be doing something that we don’t even believe in, he brought other armies into your kingdom without permission and they all want to attack you right now why can’t we just attack them now?

-I just reread that and realized it makes no sense but it’s 1 am and I can’t think of another way to word it so good luck ig

-just want to acknowledge how pretty this giant giraffe/camel is

-this poor kid is going through the biggest ethical dilemma of his life because one man with the attitude of a toddler didn’t like being told no

-literally who even is this dude and what game is he playing

-I’m probably supposed to remember what the boomerang has to do with this but I’m drawing a blank

-why can’t we just let Bait be happy

-everything here is just so pretty all the time

-#1 rayllum shipper at the moment

-so like he’s still trapped in the mirror…but not? Even if this this is like a ghost of his body and the real one is still in the mirror, if his brain or soul or whatever you want to call it can go outside of the mirror, is he really trapped at all?

-now the question is, is she making this face because she thinks they’re cute, or because she’s about to do something shifty and is glad that they’re leaving

(edit: that was sarcasm but i just realized that that isn’t clear at all over text, obviously i know she’s up to something)

-y’all stop being so ominous and tell me what you’re going to do

-UHHHHHHHH

-WHAT THE HECK DID HE DO

-ARE THEY REALLY PUTTING A CHILD IN JAIL BECAUSE HE DIDNT WANT PEOPLE TO DIE

-VIREN IS JUST MAGICALLY NOT GUILTY NOW???

-IM SLOW I ACTUALLY DONT GET IT WHY ARE THEY PUTTING HIM IN JAIL

-OH GREAT NOW IM ABOUT TO GET A RAYLLUM SCENE BUT I CANT EVEN ENJOY IT BECAUSE EZRAN IS IN FREAKING PRISON FOR NO REASON???

-he really just went on a whole rant to a girl about how incredible she is and got surprised when she kissed him

-Callum you’re a freaking idiot

-you see I should be giggling at my phone like a 6th grade girl again rn but there’ll be time for that later because Ezran is in JAIL for NO REASON

-Nyx kidnapped Zym didn’t she, I feel like she’s someone who would do that

-WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME

[scheodingers-muppet]

Welcome back to "Jace has Stranger Things and Taylor Swift brainrot." On today's episode: Red. I'm going kinda out of order, but I honestly think I'll end up doing every album so if you want to see a specific album, let me know

State of Grace: Steddie. "I never saw you coming" "You were never a saint, and I've loved in shades of wrong" They both can be mean and tough, but they were so soft around each other almost immediately

Red: Stancy, from Steve's POV. The relationship was honestly toxic, but it was filled with adrenaline and most likely Steve's first real love. Losing her was hard, since he loved her so strongly. I'm also a "Steve's emotions are too big for his body" person so I might be projecting

Treacherous: Lumax. Max grew up without a strong sense of what a healthy relationship should look like. Her stepdad sucked and was likely awful to her Mom. She's scared of what love and letting people in her bubble mean. Then you add the fact Billy straight up told her to avoid Lucas but she couldn't resist. Then Lucas warning her that getting involved with him could be dangerous. It's not safe on paper, but she loves him

I Knew You Were Trouble: Stancy, from Steve's side. I promise not all the breakup songs will be Stancy. But the line "the saddest fear comes creeping in that you never loved me, or her, or anyone" paired with the fight, her inability to tell Steve she loves him, the strain with Jonathan in season 4. It just fits so well

All Too Well: Mike and El. "Any time now, he's gonna say it's love. You never called it what it was, til we were dead and gone and buried, checked the pulse and come back swearing it's the same." "You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath" and Mike literally keeping her a secret at first. "I'm a crumbled up piece of paper" as an analogy to the letters. "Maybe we got lost in translation" and El feeling like she isn't even the same species as Mike. "The idea you had of me, who was she? A never-needy ever, lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you" Need I continue?

22: Season 3 Elmax at the mall. Just being teenage girls, the way they deserve. Also, imagine them having a sleepover, dancing around screaming this song while Hopper's at work one night. Adorable

I Almost Do: Jopper. I think the idea that Joyce waited for Hopper, for him to mature or whatever it was, and finally had to stop waiting. It tore them both apart, but I think Joyce would have had a similar reaction to this song; through Lonnie (or however you spell his name), Bob. Everything

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: Lumax. My on-again-off-again OTP. Another big slumber party song. They will get back together though, let's be honest

Stay Stay Stay: Platonic Stobbin. I just know Robin would be horrible in an actual fight, she'd get so ready for someone to leave and just snap at them. Steve would try to make her laugh once they sit down to talk it out to relieve the tension. In Steve's eyes, everyone he loves leaves, but Robin stays

The Last Time: Byler. Will has had to beg Mike to give him some attention lately, like in season 4 with the letter fight. "The is the last time I'm asking you this, put my name at the top of your list" "You break my heart in the blink of an eye" "This is the last time I say it's been you all along"

Holy Ground: Platonic Stancy. Like, they've both moved on and have each other as friends in their lives. I love the idea of Steddie and Ronance, with Steve and Nancy dancing together at their weddings

Sad Beautiful Tragic: Jancy. They only started hanging out because of tragedies. Their relationship has only existed because of horrible things, but they found beauty in it. "Distance, timing, breakdown, fighting" and "Could you just try to listen?" with the fight in season 3 and them living on opposite sides of the country in season 4.

The Lucky One: Steve. "You had it figured out since you were in school, everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool" Everyone is quick to tell him he's got it good since he has a rich family and was Mr. Popular, but he's lonely. "Your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you." "You don't feel pretty, you just feel used" "You wonder if you'll make it out alive"

Everything Has Changed: Lumax!! "All I've seen since 18 hours ago is green eyes, and freckles and your smile in the back of my mind" "All I know is a simple name and everything as changed" from Lucas's pov. "All my walls stood tall, painted blue but I'll take 'em down and open up the door for you" "All I know is a new found grace. All my days, I'll know your face" from Max

Starlight: Robin. I think Robin would love space and the stars. We know she loves music, and I think she'd like to dance too. Also the line "worrying so much about things you can't change. You'll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way" fits her so well. And the line "He's talking crazy, dancing with me. We could get married, have ten kids and teach them how to dream" reads to me as Robin playfully joking about Steve's old crush on her, and I think the two of them would totally hang out on Robin's prom night, but Steve would still make her dance because everyone deserves an awkward prom slow dance

Begin Again: Max, not necessarily about a relationship though. This song makes me think of Max's damaged relationship with men and the party helping her heal that. Billy was abusive, her stepdad sucked. We see Steve be that protective figure where Billy was the opposite. Hopper would totally also take her under his wing and show her what a father figure should be. The boys in the party treat her as an equal. They think she's fierce and funny and beautiful, but they treat her as a person too. She's not used to that; the men in her life haven't been good to her. But they're showing her how worthy she is

The Moment I Knew: Byler. I love Mike, but he's severely dropped the ball for Will. Will was so excited to see him in season 4, but he's hardly paying attention to him before everything happens. Add the fact that season 4 should have been over Will's birthday

Come Back... Be Here: Steddie. "I told myself don't get attached." "I don't want to miss you like this" "If I had known what I'd known now, I never would've played so nonchalant" "I can't help but wish you took me with you" "This is falling in love in the cruelest way" "This is falling for you and you are worlds away"

Girl At Home: Honestly, Murray. Why? I Don't know. But it's him.

Ronan: Hopper (I'm sorry) I think we often forget he lost his daughter, and not only that, he blames himself. The little memories we see show how much he loved her.

Better Man: Max about Billy. She wanted to love him but he was so horrible to her and we see in season 4 how she does miss him. "Talking down to me like I'd always be around, push my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun" "I wish it wasn't 4 am standing in the mirror saying 'you know you had to it' I know the bravest thing I ever did was wrong"

Nothing New: Nancy. "Girls go out and have your fun' then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it" Nancy tried to be a teenage girl and lost her best friend, blames herself for it, got slutshammed to the whole town, and became a monster hunter. She deals with the most sexism, both from other characters and the fandom. "what will become of me once I lost my novelty" "how can a person know everything at 18 and nothing at 22?" "She'll know the way and then she'll say she got the map from me" about Holly or Erica, and feeling so conflicted because these girls look up to her but she feels like a mess who shouldn't be a goal to reach. Especially for Erica, since she got roped into the Upside Down stuff so young.

The other vault songs don't really match in my opinion, so this is all for today