#please criticise my work it really helps

[rainytrashh]

Hi! I hope you're okay 🫂💚 Do you have any spicy Marc headcanons/thoughts? (No pressure 💚)

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Marc NSFW Headcannons

Fic type-> Headcannons

Warnings-> Brief mention of violence, breeding kink, pegging (what can I say 🤷‍♀️)

Word count-> 795, 2-3 pages of a book

Sorry it took me so long to reply I’m on holiday rn and I haven’t been checking my phone much recently, I’ve only just seen this today 😔

But omg yes ofc I do <3

This is fem-aligned btw, just ask if you want a masc-aligned version

~Masterlist~

Please check out my other works either on here or on my AO3, the link is at the end <3

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LOVES it when you call him baby/sweetheart/etc, during sex. He’ll call you baby too dw, just generally loves the exchange of pet names between you two

Can’t decide between thighs or ass so he’ll just grope both 🤷‍♀️

Switch- tells anyone who asks he’s a dom but prefers to sub

Likes it fairly rough but if he’s topping he’ll go gentler on you because he loves you too much to hurt you

It doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy it when he’s got you bent over the back of the couch though, watching his cum drip out of you and trail down your thighs

God your thighs

Has a bit of a breeding kink in that sense, not all the baby talk, (just the idea of having a baby terrifies him) but he’ll fill you up so good <3

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“Fuck baby, look at it leak out of you…”

“Marc…”

You feel some of his cum drip down your thigh, he’s quick to swipe it up with a finger and push it back inside of you.

“You can go one more time can’t you?”

“Baby-“

“I can’t resist it, and you have to admit that you like it too. Just imagine how full you’ll feel with two of my loads inside of you…”

You can’t help but groan at the thought as he massages your ass and lines himself up once more.

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Prefers praise over degradation (mommy issues 😭) but will let you call him a whore/call you one or something overtly sexual like that

Surprisingly open to pegging, you asked him after giving hints for a while (he knew what you were hinting about, he was just too embarrassed to say anything) and he refused to look you in eyes as he agreed

Tells you is favourite position is missionary, with either of you on top, but you found out he also really likes it when he’s face-down, ass-up for you

He likes it so much because of the vulnerability of the position, he just needs to let go and let someone else take care of him 😢

Also because you can trail kisses all down his back and he loves to feel your thighs against the back of his

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“God Marc you’re taking me so well.”

Your hips are pressed right against his as you grip his waist with just the right amount of firmness that he likes, keeping him in place.

“Just move, please?”

“Since you asked so nicely for it baby.”

You start to grind your hips against him as you lean down to place sweet kisses against his shoulder blades.

“Ah shit…” Barely a whisper that you manage to make out from him through breathy moans.

He tries to reach back with a hand to grab your thigh but only manages to hook his fingertips into the flesh of it.

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Although because of the latter, you suspect he has a thing for acting all tough and dom but then letting others pry his ‘hidden’ side out of him. Not quite like him being a brat but smth to that effect

‘Tall, dark and handsome ex-mercenary likes to take it up the ass from a woman’ yk? You think he gets off on that basically

And oh my God were you right on the money

You only found out cause you managed to disguise the question as meaningless banter cause if you brought it up directly you’d think he’d be too embarrassed to answer

You didn’t wanna scare him off with smth as abrupt as that 😔

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“Does tall, dark and handsome wanna get railed today?” You tease as you shift closer to him on the couch, leaning against him.

He hesitates to answer and averts his eyes from your intently staring ones.

“Don’t, don’t say railed. That sounds weird.”

He looks back at you only to be met with a shit-eating grin. He lets out a huff of air.

“Baby, what?”

You lean in closer and deciding to just go for it, you let your lips graze his jaw and say-

“Isn’t it what you like though? You like letting me fuck your brains out?” You plant a soft kiss against his neck as you wait patiently for an answer.

“Yea…”

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DO NOT HIT THIS POOR MAN 😭😭

Omg let me repeat this, he wants to be taken care of when you’re topping!!!

He just wants to let go and feel good he doesn’t need a needless throwback to last night when he was fighting some crime lord for Konshu 😢 (or last year, wtv the au calls for)

Yes, he likes it when he has to hold the headboard to keep his head from hitting it but don’t slap him round the face or anything 👎

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So that’s abt it for now, this has to be the speediest I’ve written anything 💪

Thanks for the request <3

My AO3

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Note for requester- Stop I had just finished writing this and I was like ‘who is this person?’ etc etc and omg as soon as I found out. Love your fanfics 🫶

[disneyprincemuke]

for the girls * fem!driver

she isn't worrying about being on track for the first time - she worries about the media.

pairings: sebastian vettel x fem!driver, f1 grid x reader

warnings: literally a piece of garbage, SO inaccurate, no idea what i’m doing…

notes: this is sOOO BAD PLS I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE THIs man

also, please feel free to send it some scenarios for this series! you can send them in here freeflow~ none of these will be posted in chronological order so don’t worry about it

(series masterlist) | (📂 the rookie season)

"here is sebastian vettel's personal addition to the grid, (y/n)," the interviewer grins, turning to face the girl. "welcome to the 2023 formula 1 season. thank you for coming in."

"thank you for having me," she smiles, hands clasped together in front of her. she's been following sebastian around all day - she doesn't want to be left alone in such a tough crowd.

"how does it feel to be the first woman in formula 1 in almost 2 decades?"

"i'm very thankful for the opportunity given to me to achieve this spot on the grid. i hope i'll be good enough to create a difference and be the stepping stone towards more women in the sport," she answers cordially, moving her arms slightly.

interviews, unfortunately, were also a very big part of the job. she didn't really mind it, but she knew the controversy of her being in the sport, and it's been driving her insane since the pre-season testing.

"and of course congratulations on your move from formula 2 to the main league. how do you feel about the doubters or naysayers who are saying you don't belong here?"

"i think it's unfair to assume my placement in the season before it has even started. i have worked as hard as everybody else to get where i am today, so i'm just really hoping that the fact that i am a woman does not overshadow all my achievements."

she's seen all that's said about her. the news articles, the videos criticising sebastian's choice to vouch for her, and the comments under her posts and announcements - it's very disheartening.

sebastian has tried his best to tell her otherwise, telling her time and time again that he wouldn't have vouched for her if he didn't think she had the potential to be here.

"and how are you getting along with everybody else on the grid?"

"very good. i mean, we've already been acquainted for years and that really helped me out a lot," she laughs, locking eyes with sebastian doing an interview right next to her. "but it is still a competitive sport. it's going to be a climb out there from my starting position at 18th. hopefully it will be a good race."

"of course, good luck out there."

"thank you so much."

"just like we talked about. you'll be fine," sebastian folds his arms over his chest, leaning back into the wall.

she's pulling the sleeves of her race suit over her shoulders. "why don't i believe you," she mutters, looking down at her shoes to avoid his eyes. "think about what the media would say if i don't finish in the points today."

"who cares about what the media has to say? just do your best out there today," sebastian repeats, patting her shoulder lightly to get her attention.

he flashes her a grin when she looks up, only to have her roll her eyes as she zips up. "me. i have to face the interviewers later, remember? not you."

"just race like you always have. you're doing this for yourself. not the media, not the insecure guys hiding behind a screen, and definitely not the interviewers." he grabs her shoulders, shaking her just slightly to lighten up the mood. "i'll be in your ears to help you out, okay?"

she sighs, leaning slightly to the side to grab her balaclava off the table. "promise to tell me when i'm being reckless?"

"i'm your race engineer. i've got you."

he turns her around, towards the track where the cars have lined up. "get out there and shut them all up. you're doing this for the girls, remember that."

"right. for the girls," she huffs, wiping her hands on her race suit. she takes the helmet that sebastian is holding out to her and gives him a smile. "okay. i'll talk to you through the radio."

and she does everything she has to do. she’s in the race car, anticipating the formation lap that’s about to start.

days leading up to this moment, she didn’t think she would be so nervous to be behind a wheel. she doesn’t typically let the feeling get to her so much.

but it’s different now that it’s being broadcasted to the entire world. she’s now watched by ten times her normal viewership.

“radio check,” sebastian’s voice comes into her ears. his voice has become a significant point to calming her down behind the wheel. you would be surprised how well he can calm her down just by his voice.

“copy.” she breathes into the mic unknowingly as she exhales, looking up and taking in her view.

her car was surrounded by the engineers, making the final touches on the car and triple checking all the components.

within a few seconds, she can see the sky as they disperse — the sun is shining bright and there are barely any clouds. to her right is yuki, also looking around the grid and the grandstand.

she locks eyes with him as he looks around, her eyes crinkling at the corners to acknowledge him. he returns the gesture with a smile through his eyes then a thumbs up to wish her luck.

she lifts her hand above the halo and returns the thumbs up.

“okay, the first car has taken off for the lap. i’ll check in on you again in a while.”

her grip on the steering wheel is tight despite the engine being turned off. she’s proud of herself for making it through her first race in the league, even parking the car neatly in parc ferme.

“you did amazing.”

“you’re only saying that. i didn’t even finish in the points,” she answers dejectedly, rolling her eyes to herself.

sebastian tries to make light of every situation, even if the normal person would not be able to find that in a frustrating position. but he was also a rookie once. the least he could do is empathise and try to make this experience less daunting for her.

he’s investing in her — her talent is impeccable, but he has to make sure that he fosters and encourages her into the best version of herself. the racer that he knows she is, she just needed someone to actively believe in her.

“the climb from p18 to p11 is good progress. the season just started, kid. the only way is up.”

“sure,” she chuckles. “i’m getting out of the car. see you in a bit, seb.”

taglist: @wcnorris @treehouse-mouse (comment to be added)

[itshype]

Like and Survive! (DC x DP)

Everyone knows who Phantom is. He was one of the very first heroes though he inexplicably chose to dedicate his life (metaphorically) to micromanaging the hell out of some random town no one has ever heard of. He's a specialist hero, only really useful for ghost stuff. He comes every time someone contacts him for help but it's only happened a few times in all of his years of operation.

Then, kid heroes become a thing. Robin, once perpetually hidden beneath the shadow of the bat emerges into the metropolis sun just in time to make the front page.

When Batman's child-raising skills are called into question, Kid Flash is brought out at a press release by Flash to show that these exceptional children are around. They just aren't common knowledge for their own health (aside from the villains - being a child star wrecks your brain).

A few villains do come forward and say "no, the sidekicks will go out on their own if their hero doesn't let them. And they have all the powers and none of the restraint. Please don't separate them."

(Batman and Robin are both very flattered that all their rogues think they have powers. Robin is ✨glowing✨ with pride.)

Cyborg calls Robin at 3am. He asks if he's seen the new 'BooTube' page.

Phantom has set up his own website. It's a dark and moody ripoff of YouTube with 1 channel. His.

Introduction Video: Transcript Hi guys, I can't lie to you, I was as up-in-arms as anyone when I saw what people are now calling "The Robin Reveal". But then I remembered that I started my hero work when I was mentally and physically fourteen years old...

Danny doesn't mention he was also chronologically 14 at the time. Secret identities and all.

...and I had no mentor, no training and no backup. It was just me and two humans, neither of whom even had powers at that time. I understand the call, in a way that none of the non-hero people criticising you could ever hope to comprehend. I'm glad to see most of you fellow child-heroes have an experienced adult watching your back. But if you don't. If there's even one of you out there who need a mentor, consider Amity Park open for business, and consider adding my number to your speedial. I'm not like those people in interviews saying "Oh, someone needs to help the children!" I am helping you, I am helping you whenever you need with whatever you want.

The ghost swallows and seemingly forces down his brimming sincerity.

And for those of you who do already have backup? Consider checking back here. I'm going over my old reports from my first few years on the streets to see what I most needed to hear, and what I wished I knew sooner. Hopefully no one else will have to learn what I know the hard way.

You know how to fight, this channel won't be for that. This is about coping with secret identities, and the messed up situations that can only happen to a vigilante or hero.

Anyways, the first video is already ready to be edited so in a few days I'll be back here to discuss what you do when you've been cloned. How to deal with that emotionally and physically. My clone isn't very well known outside of my town but I think she'll add a great perspective!

Within weeks, without his knowledge, Danny is somehow remote-mentoring heroes of all ages.

[ikementally-deficient]

Advice On Writing

I have a couple of writing friends who keep asking me for advice (which is extremely flattering and I love to infodump, please don't stop), but I thought getting my thoughts down on the metaphorical paper and putting them out into the world might be helpful for others as well.

I mostly had fanfiction in mind when I wrote this, but honestly I think the vast majority of it will be applicable to any kind of creative writing.

I would love to get feedback or have conversations about this, so if you want to squawk at or with me, please don't hesitate!

The Bare Minimum

Write

Write as often and as much as you can. If you manage to do nothing else on this list, just writing consistently and continuously will eventually improve your skills, even if it takes a long time.

The Basics

2. Read

Find things you enjoy, and read them. Read as much as you have time for. Things that speak to you and make you feel things (words, turns of phrase, tropes) will all work their way into your subconscious and feed your own writing.

3. Read Critically

Re-read the things you enjoy, and consciously think about why you enjoy them. Why did this scene manage to express such a clear sense of desolation? What about this interaction between characters made me relate to them so much? How did this story give me such a sense of satisfaction and coming full circle? Highlight the phrases you really love. Look for and circle the small details that foreshadow later developments. Identify the things you don’t like as well (nothing is perfect). How would you have done this differently? Do you hate the purple prose, or is it killing you that these scenes aren’t more detailed? Look up the words you don’t understand - maybe the author chose their words poorly, or maybe you’re one of the lucky ten thousand who gets to learn a new vocabulary word today.

The Cringe Parts

4. Ask for constructive criticism

This part is really hard, but vital. While you will inevitably find some of the weaknesses of your own writing, you won’t find all of them. An outside perspective is invaluable. If you’re frightened of constructive criticism, start small. Ask one person to look at SPAG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). Pick one paragraph or scene to show someone and ask them how it flows. Have someone review your outline for plotholes instead of giving them prose. Brace yourself for things you don’t want to hear. Sit with any and all criticism for a few days before reacting. It’s okay to decide that someone just didn’t get what you were going for, but make sure that’s actually true instead of just a knee-jerk reaction to hurt feelings or a bruised ego. Listen to what your reviewer or beta is actually saying - ‘this part confuses me’ doesn’t mean your writing is bad, it means that your head holds the entire picture and you just didn’t put enough of that down on paper so your reader can see it too.

5. Re-read your own work

Every once in a while, go back and see how what you wrote six months ago or last year holds up. You’ve been writing for a while, you’re a stronger writer, so give yourself the perspective of seeing how far you’ve come. And see if there are any weak areas that are still giving you trouble; you can focus more on those in your next piece of writing.

6. Edit for other people

Editing is a skill. No one falls out of the sky able to give useful and actionable feedback. The act of reading and criticising something you have a little cognitive distance from is far easier than criticising your own work, but it’s still a muscle you need to build. Start with basic proof reading (SPAG). Ask questions: “Why did you choose this word, it seems obscure?” Explain your feedback: “I can’t tell who’s speaking here, I think the dialogue went back and forth one too many times without a tag.” Instead of “I don’t like this,” explain why: “This description feels like something I’ve seen too many times already and feel cliché, but I bet you can change it up.” Learning to give that feedback in a kind and helpful way is something you can bring back to your own writing. Remember that if someone asks you to beta read or edit their work, they too are trying to get better. Don’t just blow sunshine up their ass, give them the respect of being honest about elements that aren’t working. Just don’t be an asshole about it. 

Some resources on being a good beta reader - these also are handy guides for writers on how to communicate their needs effectively to a beta reader:

How to Be a Great Beta Reader and Give Helpful Feedback (dianaurban.com)

What makes a good beta reader? (smallbluedog.com)

Tips on how to beta read, from a beta reader : FanFiction (reddit.com)

Advanced Class

7. Try new things

Try a different format. If you mostly write long, multi-chapter works, aim for a short story. Write some poetry. Change up your genre. Consciously try to imitate someone else’s style. Stretch out of your comfort zone. Feel like you write too much descriptive detail? Force yourself to write nothing but dialogue, like Isaac Asimov. Feel like your characters are always floating in empty space? Indulge in some Robert Jordan, down to every detail of what the characters are wearing. This is going to be difficult, and the results might not be something you want to share publicly, but it’s still worth the effort.

8. Read about writing

There are university courses on this stuff. Check your local library for a copy of the Little, Brown Handbook - it’s aimed at academic writing, but it’s a great resource on grammar and syntax and planning and revising your work. Look for fun ones like The Transitive Vampire and The Well-Tempered Sentence, or Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Centre for Fiction has a great list of books on creative writing by writers, and industry professionals (if publishing for profit is a goal of yours). 

Back to the Beginning

9. Keep writing

You might not be the next Stephen King, or Jude Devereaux, or Isaac Asimov. Cool, me neither. You don’t have to be. As long as writing is still giving you joy, keep doing it. 

[astrologythingzzz]

Astrology observations Number 2 💜

I'm soo happy, this is already my second post! 🥺

These are my personal observations, they aren't meant to hurt anyone. Take what resonates!

Mercury in the tenth/ mercury conjunct mc is a law placement

Do all virgo sun/moon/rising women nag about everything when they're tired/ stressed? I feel like they are also really bad know-it-alls sometimes

They are also the ones to point out how much you're eating. "Do you really want to eat all of that?" YES! I feel like their parents were very strict or criticising in their childhood! 🥺 I love you guys, but please stop. This isn't healthy for you and neither for me

Virgo and pisces paired in a birth chart is an indicator of working in the medical/ health field

They are amazing at caring for other people and their virgo makes them detail oriented which helps them at university

Pisces mc's are sooo creative! They love showing or even showcasing their creativity on social media

They could also have a really nice aesthetic on social media, they are the ones to post only aesthetic stuff

Ic / moon in Virgo. Their parents prioritised books and wisdom in their childhood. Could have spent many days in libraries or with many books around in general!

Sagittarius moons/ dominants or 9th house dominants excel at university. They are known for their success and good grades, especially in law or politics

Leo suns can be very insecure. I don't understand why, because they're so creative and generous, but somehow they are.

Please embrace yourselves more leo suns! You are great!!

Also, aquarius paired with aries or sagittarius in a birth chart is a massive law indicator. Even Aquarius sun in the 11th or 9th house is.

Jupiter conjunct sun individuals are just beaming individuals. They are popular, well liked and really lively. They love adventures and travelling.

Sagittarius Venus / moon women love horseback riding. They love horses! Of course this can apply to other sag placements, but I noticed these two the most!

Virgo risings are ethereal. Gosh I love their beauty

Venus conjunct neptune hide their romantic feelings. They are literally drawing hearts all over the room while being too shy to actually speak to the person they're in love with.

Definition of falling in love with a version of someone who doesn't even exist. 🥺

These are all that came into my mind. Hope you liked it and resonated!

Until soon, love you, byee💜

[stawbeemilk]

⤷ their s/o is insecure about having a small chest – hq

✩ characters: various

✩ warnings: a teeny bit suggestive

✩ a/n: i've been struggling with my body image a lot lately, so i decided to write some more content for my fellow small-chested folks <3

⭑ kuroo likes to remind you of all the benefits of having a smaller chest, like how you're less likely to suffer from back pain and that exercising is more comfortable, or his personal favourite, the fact you don't have to wear a bra.

⭑ bokuto will genuinely get so upset if you're the type to make self-deprecating jokes about your chest size, his hair will droop and he'll look almost as if he's close to tears as he tells you that you shouldn't talk about yourself in such a way.

⭑ iwaizumi encourages you to wear clothing that's a little out of your comfort zone, and he will literally lose his ability to speak when he sees you all dressed up— he thinks you're absolutely stunning.

⭑ kenma likes to give you one of his oversized hoodies to wear when he notices that you're feeling self-conscious, before pulling you into his lap and wrapping his arms around you, leaning his head on your shoulder as he plays on his switch.

⭑ akaashi refuses to let you talk badly about yourself, whenever he senses that you're about to criticise your own body he'll give you a stern look and shake his head, his reaction making you fall silent before you can even get your words out.

⭑ suna loves resting his head on your chest while he naps, he thinks it's really comfortable. he can't help but nuzzle his face in between them, mumbling into your skin about how pretty you are as he feels himself dozing off in your warm embrace.

⭑ hinata will constantly remind you how beautiful you are, showering you with endless affection and so many compliments. even if you have a habit of deflecting them, he won't ever stop telling you how much he adores you, hoping that one day you'll start to see yourself the way he sees you.

⭑ matsukawa will randomly cup your chest when the two of you are cuddling— at first you thought it was his way of trying to start something with you, but you soon discovered that he just enjoys holding them because of the way his hands completely cover them.

⭑ tendou can empathise with you if you've ever been made fun of for the way you look, and he knows how much of an impact it can have on your self-esteem. he will always remind you that he thinks you're perfect, and that you shouldn't listen to anyone who says otherwise.

⤷ please do not repost my works on any other sites!

[joannerowling]

I love Percy too! He is one of my favorite of the minor characters. Please use this ask as an excuse to talk about him <3

Ok, i LOVE Percy - not so much as a person, i like him as a person post DH only - but i love him as a character because he exposes how dysfunctional the Weasleys can be, despite Molly and Arthur's best efforts (and i think they are VERY GOOD parents, but even very good parents will struggle with raising seven kids; it's just mathematics! there are 36 dyads in that family, imagine the complexity). In Harry's eye the Weasleys are this perfect family, a model of good-natured chaos and assured mutual support, but of course things aren't as simple as he perceives them to be. Families with many kids are defined by the tensions that arise when siblings fight for their parents's attention, which is natural instinct really. If you pay attention you can see the subtle ways in which each Weasley kid has developped strategies to obtain that attention, and these strategies define their identities until they learn to outgrow them.

Percy picked the "Responsible and Reliable Son" strategy, likely in reaction to Bill and Charlie being both a bit rebellious. Molly praises Bill a lot (moreso than Charlie), and Bill was headboy and had impeccable marks, so Percy knows he has to be at least as academically impressive; but Molly also criticises Bill's more "adventurous" side (his leather pants, his long hair and snake tooth earring, his dangerous profession). Both Charlie and Bill left the nest quite young, straight after their studies, something Percy doesn't do; he still lives at the Burrow in GoF and only leaves in OotP because he got in a serious fight with his father. From there it's not hard to connect the dots: Percy built himself as the son who would help out Molly, who would be her little assistant, and that's how he gets her love and attention. I don't think any of that is conscious obviously, but she so clearly rewards him for the behaviour it's impossible to ignore.

Also, Percy has some kind of abandonment issues with Arthur. It's not surprising because compared to Bill and Charlie, he probably saw little of him. He's the third kid, and Arthur is the sole breadwinner, so he likely worked more and more as more kids came along. Hence why he tries to play "father substitute" to his younger siblings. In OotP, after playing the good reliable son, he basically explodes (which, notably, even the twins are surprised by, despite the fact that they never seem to hold Percy in particularly high regard), and the one thing that comes out of it is that he ressents Arthur for not ever trying to get a better paying job. The twins sumrise it's because the job made people disrespect Arthur and by extension the whole family, and Percy's just being an arrogant arse; but personally i think Percy's resentment is completely logical. In his eye, Arthur picked the fun, enjoyable, low paying job catering to his interest, over a more respectable and serious career; he wasn't "responsible" enough… which is exactly the value Molly accidentally taught Percy to hold above all others. It's no wonder he doesn't respect Arthur at this stage. And it's probably all tangled with anger at Athur for not being home often, leaving Molly, and the older kids (so, mostly him once Charlie and Bill had gone) to basically raise the younger ones, all because he was busy doing his "fun" job.

Anyways, i love how JKR writes family dynamics in general, she always does it with such care and precision. With Percy it would have been so easy to make him either too sympathetic or too much of a prick but she walks that tight line between the two and the payoff of his arc in DH is wonderful, especially because it comes with Fred's necessary sacrifice.

[brights-place]

Trollex X Rapper! S/O

Pairing: Trollex X S/O

Warnings: Lots of Fluff

A/N: Okay my first ever thought today to get me distracted was listening to music so I just shuffled some songs form one of my playlists and a rap song was playing while I was writing and I was like ‘Oh shit I gotta write this!’ Now here we are!

- Trollex with a Rapper! S/O YIPPEEE it was so fun to write this

- When you first met Trollex asked you all about your genre listening to how you explained everything and told him that a rapper is a musical poet technically your job was blending rhythm and rhyme to express stories, emotions, and ideas. They craft lyrics, hone their flow, and perform with energy that captivates audiences. Rappers often reflect on personal experiences or societal issues, becoming voices for their communities like what you did

- He couldn’t stop being interested in you after that and get pulled in more when you rapped into the microphone to show him an example with an random beat he gave

- He can’t help but raise a brow at you sometimes when you rock up to the studio and wait for creativity to strike, usually spending all night to work on your music he gets worried sometimes and tells you to relax and have some fun with him at the Techno reef Parties

- He would definitely make beats for your song and let you freestyle your way with the music he had given you.

- He love sit when you rap especially when you insult someone in an rap battle he finds it funny to see your smirk or smile

- He loves when you write and perform some of your rap songs or hip-hop music.

- He hates how your genre was criticised though sometimes… scratch that he hates when anybody discriminates and insults someone’s genre or music (it’s technically their race in Trolls)

- He loves you with all his heart but can’t help but notice how you and Prince D would vibe to hip hop together and rap he’s jealous of your bond since your technically in the same music genre even if your appearance was different your genre was the same

- Trollex though loves when you share your earbuds/headphones with him to show him some New rap songs or hip hop music you enjoy fucking falls in love with you all over again

- He had tried rapping once since you begged him to do it he was good like REALLY GOOD

- That mother fucker was good at it… not as good as Bruce though that man could go off (Bruce is VA is the guy who played my favourite character in Hamilton Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. NEHGEHE)

- He glows and has an bigger smile when you praise him as he quickly tackles you into an hug and snuggle into you which leads up to you holding him close to your chest and rubbing his back as he sleeps on your peacefully

- Trollex can’t help but admire how you hold your mic and go off at anybody or just have fun with it

- He loves how you send out messages through your rap speaking up and talking about issues and your own experiences while on stage.

- You know how I said he makes your beats? Well you also come by to his place and surprise him with an rap you wrote out of boredom without realising and asked if he could help make an beat for it

- he did and it was sold so fast 😭

- Trollex loves when you sing normally though even if you rap all the time he loves when you just sing in an slow pace and wants to dance with you slowly even if both of you were used to the loud techno and hip hop music

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

[captainclickycat]

So while we're on the subject, here are some other thoughts.

I found Neil Gaiman's online presence - and the more overzealous members of his fanbase - annoying. And please stay with me here, I promise this isn't me trying to be smug or claim I "knew all along" or anything. There's a huge gulf between finding someone a bit annoying and thinking that their behaviour online is less than stellar occasionally and suspecting them of being a sexual predator. I don't think there could have been any way of me "knowing all along" without reading everything in the worst possible faith, which I'm not willing to do and which I maintain is not a good or helpful approach in general. And to people who genuinely looked up to him and felt completely blindsided by the news, I'm really sorry. It wasn't your fault and I hope you can do something kind for yourself today.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I didn't like the way he handled criticism of his work, a lot of the time. I don't think creators are obligated to personally listen to and address every negative opinion of their work, or explain every individual aspect of it that someone disliked. But I felt like a lot of his responses to feedback tended to lean into and encourage praise, while being a little disingenuous and sometimes belittling towards criticism. (And really, why feel the need to respond to everything when you could just ignore it?)

I didn't like the way he always felt the need to weigh in on fandom debates or throw out "word of god" explanations for this or that thing, including when nobody even asked. (Want to know who inspired the "I don't care what the author said" comment in my bio? Take a guess.) Especially when some of them felt engineered to paint him and his work in the best possible light.

Again, I'm not drawing attention to all this in an attempt to claim any one thing was a blatant red flag or must have been down to some sinister motivation. That's not the point I'm trying to make.

But it is one of the reasons that I was always deeply uncomfortable by the culture of hero-worship and "touch not god's anointed" that always seemed to exist around him. Like regardless of whether or not you thought this or that criticism against him was warranted, the way people would treat him like some kind of messiah who deserved nothing but praise and lose their absolute shit whenever anyone said anything remotely negative about him was absurd. Nobody deserves that, regardless of what they've done.

But at the same time... you know, I liked his work. Not just "I liked the stuff he co-wrote with someone else" or "I liked the films and TV shows he worked on with a whole bunch of other people." I liked the books he wrote by himself. They had some parts worth criticising, sure, what doesn't. But overall I thought they were well-written and funny and thought-provoking and I enjoyed myself when I was reading them. Neverwhere is the first book I had a crack at re-reading in a different language, which should tell you how much I liked it. And I didn't even dislike everything he posted on the internet. I thought some comments were pretty funny and/or insightful. I even reblogged the odd post.

And I wasn't all that vocal about any negative feelings I had towards him, because... well, frankly because a lot of the negative feelings I'd seen expressed by other people about him tended to look like "he's the devil incarnate, his work sucks, he's the worst person alive and he secretly hates every marginalised group and people should feel ashamed for sincerely liking his stuff."

And I didn't agree with that either! I didn't want to be roped in with those people. I didn't feel comfortable around them, any more than I felt comfortable around the Neil Gaiman Defense Squad, Working Tirelessly Day And Night To Aggressively Stamp Out Any Criticism Of Our Lord And Saviour.

And honestly I'm not entirely sure what kind of broader point I'm trying to articulate here, or whether I'm just working through stuff in my head. But I will say that this kind of polarising, zero-sum-game approach to criticism is... bad. It's just bad. It makes it so people are reluctant to put forward any kind of nuanced stance, for fear that they'll end up getting pigeonholed into one oversimplified category or another, or it ends up pushing people towards one extreme stance or another out of sheer frustration or contrariness. And it makes it incredibly difficult to have any kind of actually productive debate when it comes to criticising media, or criticising creators. Inevitably people's hackles are going to be up whichever side they lean towards more, and a lot of people with valuable input will inevitably end up going "yeah, I can see how that's a good point, but also the last person who brought this topic up with me deemed it appropriate to send me a barrage of messages telling me to kill myself about it, so forgive me if I'm not interested in engaging any further."

Obviously a culture of hero worship inevitably makes it a lot easier for predators to operate, and I have no doubt that being inundated with messages about how wonderful you are and how everyone who's criticising you is in the wrong must make it a lot easier to rationalise your actions. But I feel like this tendency to paint everything in terms of "are they a pure uwu blameless smol bean angel OR the devil incarnate" is incredibly unhelpful regardless of what side you come down on. The "devil incarnate" crowd can be part of the problem too.

[lumi-nescentt]

Rumour Has It

Part 2 - I Know What You Did Last Summer

Pairing: Jenson Button x Reader / Mark Webber x Reader

Warnings: jealousy, arguing, swearing, mention of cheating and toxic relationship overall

Words: 4.4k

Summary: After choosing Mark, you thought life would get calmer but the Australian's not who you thought he was and with Jenson still in the picture, your relationship might not survive it.

Part 1 - Part 3 - Part 4

Years had gone by since Jenson had won it all and lost what he had wanted most in the same day. The Brit had tried to forget you, tried in vain to find someone else that could make his heart beat like you did. 

Sadly for Jenson, your relationship with Mark had only evolved from that night in 2009 and you had now been dating for more than 4 years. Your relationship had its ups and downs but you were now living together and it solved most of your problems. Mark was no longer grumpy because he missed you too much and you were more than happy to feel so loved and wanted in your relationship. 

The only clouds hovering over your relationship were how Mark was treated at work and his obsession with your friendship with Jenson. According to him, you cared too much about the Brit, gave him too much of your attention and not enough to your boyfriend, as he liked to remind you.

You had watched with the years passing as a countless number of girls hung on Jenson’s arm for a moment before he was back on his own. It had become some sort of running joke in the paddock and everyone was betting on how long Jenson’s new girl would last. 

Despite always smiling and joking around, you could sense that something was going on with Jenson. When you had tried to bring it up with him, he had only told you not to worry about it before kissing your forehead and fleeing. Your constant worrying about his happiness didn’t really help the jealousy Mark was feeling but, as you liked to remind him, Jenson was his friend too so he should have been trying to help instead of being a moody git. 

When Mark announced his retirement from F1, a lot of people were shocked, you included. For all of the time you spent talking to him, the Australian had never mentioned it to you. It’s not that you felt like you had something to say about it but you had thought changing career was something you’d mention to your girlfriend of 4 years before sharing it to the world.

The Australian, however, didn’t understand why you were upset, which led to one of your first big arguments.

-“ I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me.” you exhaled, trying to explain to him for the fifth time since you had gotten back to your hotel room. 

-“ I told you today, just like I did with the rest of the world sweetheart.” 

-“ That’s exactly my point, Mark. I learned about it at the same time as everyone else.”

-“ So ?”

-“ I’m your girlfriend, I hoped that it was a good enough reason for you to talk to me about those kinds of things.” 

-“ Yeah well as my girlfriend like you said, I thought you’d be happier for me.” Mark grumbled, feeling himself starts to get more annoyed

-“ That’s not the point, you know I’m happy you’re moving on. You know damn well what I think about how you got treated so don’t pull that card on me right now.” you snapped back, pointing your finger at him “The problem here is that you don’t see why I would’ve liked to know when you were thinking about it and not once it’s a done deal.” 

-“ You’re right. I don’t see why you’re upset. As far as I know, this decision concerns my career, not yours, so I don’t see what you would have brought to the conversation.”

-“ Oh for Christ’s sake Mark ! Get your head out of your arse. I’ve never forced you to do anything when it came to your career. I never criticised your work or claimed to know better than you what was good for you so you can stop taking jabs at me and just try to understand why I’m hurt.”

-“ There’s nothing to be hurt about, can you please stop making a fuss ? We have a plane to catch tomorrow and I’m tired.” 

-“ Making a fuss ? Are you kidding me ?”

-“ Yes, making a fuss. You’re here cornering me in my hotel room, forcing me to have this argument with you when there’s nothing to talk about.” the Australian sighed loudly, rubbing his hand over his face

-“ Oh, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you with my feelings, Mark. I just thought I could talk about how I felt with my boyfriend but apparently not only doesn’t he want to share things with me but he also doesn’t care about how his actions have an impact on others either because all he thinks about is himself.” you snarled, feeling tears prickling at the corner of your eyes

-“ Come on sweetheart, please let’s go to bed and talk about it in the morning if you want.” 

-“ Don’t call me that ! You don’t get to call me sweetheart right now when you’re making me feel like a shitty girlfriend for caring about you and your goddamn job. I only wanted you to trust me enough to confide in me and understand where I’m coming from. Apparently that’s too much to ask so no, I’m not going to bed with you.” you spat, grabbing your jacket and your purse hurriedly

-“ What are you doing y/n ?” 

-“ I’m leaving, enjoy the empty bed Mark.” 

-“ Don’t leave alright, I’m sorry. Come lie down for a while, you’ll feel better.” Mark tried, holding out his hand for you from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed

-“ I don’t want to be around you right now, I need you to respect that. I don’t want to say things I’ll regret and I’m tired of arguing so I need some air.”

-“ Where are you going to go ? It’s quite late.”

-“ I’ll find something. If I’m not back by the time we have to leave for the airport, I’ll meet you there.” 

-“ You’re not coming back here for the night ?” 

-“ I don’t know. Just don’t wait for me, alright ?”

-“ Okay” Mark paused as you made your way to the door “I love you y/n” 

You didn’t bother answering, only closing the door behind you before taking a shaky breath, realising what had just happened. You had nowhere to go, your friends here were also Mark’s friends and you knew there was a big chance that he would text around to know where you were. You usually found it sweet, how much he cared about you and how much time he wanted to be around you but tonight you needed a little breathing room. 

That’s how you found yourself walking around the city at night, entering in the closest bar you found. You sat yourself at the bar ordering a drink when you heard a familiar sound. You turned around, hoping you had been mistaken but no, there he was. Daniel Ricciardo, the joyful Australian that was set to replace your boyfriend. 

It’s not that you didn’t want to see him, Daniel was a lovely guy after all. You had just hoped to escape the whole F1 world and seeing him only reminded you of Mark. You prayed that he wouldn’t see you or that if he did, he wouldn’t come and talk to you because you knew you looked rough. The walk you took had allowed you to let some of the frustration out and you were well aware of the smudged mascara under your eyes. 

Sadly for you, Daniel’s eyes found yours and he waved before making his way over to you, quickly followed by someone else.

-“ Well if it isn’t my favourite reporter…” Daniel teased with a grin

-“ Hello Daniel, Jules.” you smiled softly at the French driver who was behind his friend

-“ Where’s the mountain of muscle you call a boyfriend, is he here ?” Daniel asked

-“ Nope.” You smirked before taking a sip of your drink

-“ I know this is probably none of my business but are you alright ? You look like hell.” Daniel tried before getting elbowed by Jules

-“ What Dan is saying is that you can talk to us if something is wrong and also if you don’t want to be alone, you can definitely stay with us until you’re sick of our shit.” Jules kindly offered

-“ That’s really kind of you. Mark and I just argued, nothing bad. I just needed some air.” 

-“ Well let’s cheer you up then !” Daniel smiled before taking your hands and dragging you to where they had been sitting

That’s how you ended your night, talking and drinking with two drivers that were 7 years younger than you. In the end, they managed to make you smile and Jules had to push you into the taxi for the airport for you to actually leave them. 

When Mark saw you at the airport, still wearing the same outfit as when you left and your puffy eyes, he knew he had royally fucked up. Instead of picking up the argument back from where you guys had left it or scolding you for not telling him where you were or if you were alright, he engulfed you in a hug. 

You let yourself melt into his embrace as he whispered how sorry he was about how he had reacted and for not talking to you about his retirement. You were still a bit hurt but hearing him apologising felt good. On top of that, when you stepped back from the hug and saw his teary eyes, you knew holding onto the argument would hurt you both so as pained as you had been, you let the grudge go and linked your fingers with his, ready to go back home. 

This fight had been the first big one and you had hoped it would have been the last one but when Mark started his endurance career, everything slowly went sour. You no longer worked together which already took a toll on your relationship but your schedules were also drastically different. 

Mark was almost always away when you were home even if he didn’t have to race. You knew how important fitting in with the team was but surely spending all his free time at the Porsche factory in Stuttgart wasn’t necessary. Especially when you had a free weekend which was rare. 

The physical distance started to hurt your communication as well and you barely knew what the other was doing at this point. The few times you managed to be home at the same time, you mostly argued and one of you walked out of the conversation. The smallest arguments turned big instantly. Whether it was about how you missed him, which he took as you telling him to work less or about how he thought you saw his friends more than him and got better along with them than he did nowadays.

Jenson got brought up a few times in those arguments. Mark criticising how close you two seemed whenever he tuned in on the F1 broadcast and how he thought you were being too flirty with the Brit for his liking. His jealousy got the better of him during arguments a few times and he brought up the kiss you had shared back in 2009 to make you admit that you were attracted to Jenson.

No matter how often you reminded Mark that despite kissing Jenson, you had chosen to date him, Mark wouldn’t listen. He was convinced you would eventually get with Jenson while he was away. In the end, you got tired of his accusations and whenever he brought the subject up, you didn’t answer, just nodding along until he grew tired of your silence and walked out. 

When Jenson texted you in October, asking if he could stay at your place in England  the next month so he could visit his family while they hosted a big get-together that had the rooms of his childhood house packed with Buttons, you knew saying yes would be playing with fire but you agreed. After all, Jenson was a friend and all he needed was a place to stay, it’s not like you were doing anything wrong, he would only come back to your place to sleep. 

Deep down, you knew Mark would be angry if he heard but he would be away racing in Bahrain so what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. You knew Jenson and him barely talked anymore so the chances of him knowing about his friend’s visit were very slim. Plus, there were no chances of them seeing each other because Jenson had to be in Abu Dhabi on the 16th and Mark had to go to Stuttgart until the 18th to wrap up the season. Nothing could go wrong.

On November 11th, Jenson arrived at your door in Oxford just after dinner so you only had time to show him his room before the two of you went to bed. When you woke up the next day, the smell of breakfast tickling your nose, you froze. Was Mark back earlier than you thought ?

You made your way downstairs as quietly as possible to try and sneak a glance at the person cooking in your kitchen. The weight on your shoulder lifted when you recognised Jenson standing in front of the stove, happily whistling while he cooked.

-“ I didn’t know you could cook…” you teased, making the Brit turn around with a smile as you leaned against the kitchen counter behind him

-“ What can I say, there’s more to me than my handsome face and muscular body…”

-“ I’m glad you didn’t mention your incredible brain, I would have hated to be the one to ruin your illusion.” 

-“ If I had known you’d be this mean I wouldn’t have made French toast but I guess I could keep it all to myself…” Jenson feigned offence 

-“ Nooo, please Jenson. That’s my favourite breakfast, I’m sorry.” you whined which only made Jenson’s smile bigger

-“ I know, that’s why I made it.” 

-“ How ?” 

-“ You told me once, I just remembered that’s all…”

-“ I really don’t remember, when was that ?” 

-“ If I’m not mistaken it was 2010 at Silverstone.” he shrugged

-“ That’s 4 years ago, there’s no way you still remember something I told you once.” 

-“ What can I say, love ? I do listen when you talk. Now let’s eat while it’s warm so go sit.” 

-“ Oh so you’re letting me have the breakfast you cooked with my food ?” 

-“ Sit down and eat before I change my mind and shove the whole plate in my mouth.” 

-“ You’re so dramatic.” you muttered before following him to the dining room

The rest of your day went on normally, Jenson was off to see his grandparents for the day while you just started working on some stuff you had put off and answered some emails. 

Deciding to enjoy the fact that it had stopped raining, you got dressed in your sports clothes and headed out for a run, only to return an hour later. You had managed to avoid the rain for most of your workout but it had started pouring while you were still 10 minutes away from your house. Clearly in need of a warm shower and dry clothes, you turned in your driveway, seeing Jenson’s car.

You made your way upstairs, trying to walk as little as possible to avoid soaking the whole floor. The door to Jenson’s room was half-opened but you still knocked, waiting for an answer before you entered. Jenson looked up from where he was sitting on the bed, a book on his lap and glasses on his nose. You couldn’t help but stare at him for a second before coming back to your senses.

-“ Do you need me for anything or did you just come to enjoy the view ?” he teased, not missing the blush creeping on your face when you got caught

-“ I just needed to grab some clothes, get over yourself.” 

-“ Do you really have so many clothes that it doesn’t fit your shared dressing room with Mark ?” he joked, getting up to stand next to you

-“ No, that’s not it. Can you please move so I can get what I came in here for ?” 

-“ I don’t believe you, I’m sure the closet is overflowing. I’ll go see for myself and prove that you’re a terrible liar !” he said, making his way towards the bedroom you had been sleeping in before getting stopped by your hand on his arm

-“ Jenson please.” you almost whispered, making the Brit turn around, seeing the pained look on your face

-“ What’s going on, y/n ? You know you can talk to me.”

-“ I know. It’s really nothing, don’t worry about it.” you tried to brush it off

-“ If it’s nothing, tell me about it then.” he tried again, sitting back on the bed as you rested your hip against the dresser

-“ I just leave most of my clothes here so I don’t have to go into the bedroom.” 

-“ Why wouldn’t you want to go into your own room, I don’t understand. Isn’t it less convenient to sleep in one room and have to go in another to grab some clothes ?”

-“ I don’t sleep in there often.” you confessed, looking at your feet

-“ I thought the big room was the room you two shared ?” 

-“ It’s Mark’s room.” 

-“ Then it must be yours too, no ?” Jenson tried to wrap his head around what you were telling him as you shook your head

-“ This is my room, this is why my clothes are in there…” 

-“ And here I thought Mark couldn’t breathe without having some part of him touching you.” Jenson started to laugh but the sound died in his throat when he heard you sniffle “ Oh God. I’m an idiot, I’m so sorry love. I had no idea things weren’t going well between you two. Here I am joking about it, what a tosser.” 

-“ It’s okay, you didn’t know.” you breathed sharply as he stood up and wrapped his arms around you “ You’re going to get soaked…” 

-“ It’s okay, that’ll make two of us.” he paused, suddenly unsure of what to say “Do you want to talk about it ?”

-“ I don’t know, maybe.” you confessed, a shiver making your entire body shake

-“ Why don’t you take a warm shower while I make us dinner and we can talk about it over a glass of wine and a warm meal ?” 

-“ That sounds really nice but I don’t want to bother you. You’re supposed to be my guest.” 

-“ Let me do this for you, y/n, please.” 

-“ If you insist. Just don’t burn my kitchen please.” you finally teased before grabbing a change of clothes and heading in the bathroom

Jenson stood in the room for a few minutes, still in shock, before he finally snapped out of it and made his way to the kitchen. He looked through the pantries and the fridge, trying to find something to cook on his own before giving up and pressing the call button on his phone. 

When you emerged from the shower an hour later, you could hear Jenson talking on the phone. Not wanting to bother him, you quietly made your way to the kitchen and sat on one of the stools in front of the kitchen island. The noise made Jenson turn around and he couldn’t help the smile that erupted when he saw how relaxed you look.

-“ Thank you, Ma. I have to go but I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jenson waved before hanging up the video call

-“ Your mom seems nice.”

-“ She really is. Nice enough to pick up and help me cook something decent.” 

-“ I’m not a picky eater, I would’ve been fine with some leftovers I have in the freezer, you know ?”

-“ I know, I just wanted to make something nice and reheating something didn’t mean the same thing as actually cooking.” 

-“ What did you make then Gordon Ramsay ?” 

-“ Don’t get your hopes up, I just made cottage pie.” Jenson laughed before you almost launched yourself in his arms, wrapping your arms around his waist. “ If I had known cooking for you was the way to get you to hug me like that, I would’ve done it earlier.” 

-“ Don’t ruin the moment, Jense.”

-“ Sorry.”

-“ Thank you.” 

-“ It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

-“ Still, thank you for being here.” 

Before he could add something else, you had slipped from his embrace and started setting the table for the two of you. Jenson didn’t push you to talk and instead just helped you silently, reaching for the wine glasses that were out of your reach anc checking on the pie that was just done cooking. 

Once everything was ready, the two of you sat down at the table and he let you bring up whatever topic you wanted to talk about. He could tell you were nervous to talk about the elephant in the room. You weren’t really looking at him directly and you kept drinking wine to try to relax. 

Once you had reached dessert, Jenson finally brought it up again. He couldn’t help but notice the way you tensed and dropped your spoon a little hard before motioning for him to follow you in the living room instead. 

You sat at one end of the couch as he sat on the opposite end, trying in vain to make you look at him but you couldn’t. You knew that the instant you started talking and saw his face, you’d be crying again and you had way too much to talk about. 

You took a deep breath before you finally opened your mouth to speak. You and Mark had gone to Australia for the summer break before he had to start training again like you always had since you had been dating. You had planned on staying a week at his parents’ house so he could see them and his sister at the same time.

You usually loved seeing the Webbers, they were extremely kind to you and his sister Leanne absolutely loved having you around because you made Mark a little more bearable, her words not yours. However this year, the argument about Mark’s retirement still hung over your heads and you could tell that it was starting to keep you apart.

Once you were settled in, Mark went out on his own for a few hours to clear his head. You had found it weird but since it was the first time you hadn’t asked anything. When he left at the same time the next day and the day after, always leaving for a few hours without telling anyone, you started asking him questions only to be answered with dry comments about how it wasn’t your business. 

On the fourth day, you had finally snapped and the two of you had started arguing which had ended with him walking out while you cried in your shared bedroom. Alerted by the noise, Leanne had came to check on you and you didn’t have to explain what had happened because the screaming match had been heard from the living room where she had been standing with her dad. 

You didn’t expect her to pick a side in the fight or to defend you and confront Mark but just like she had heard your argument, you had heard your boyfriend being scolded by his older sister. 

Mark obviously didn’t like that and as soon as his sister went back home and his parents went for a walk, he was back in your room to argue again. He didn’t even flinch when you started crying in front of him or when you called his sister to ask if you could stay at her place for the night. 

Two days later when Mark went out again, Leanne convinced you to go with her to try and see where he escaped to everyday. You had parked on the opposite side of the road from where Mark was sitting in a coffee shop apparently waiting for someone. You had zoned out, checking your phone out of boredom when Leanne had inhaled sharply before cursing her brother.

The insult made you look up and you watched as Mark kissed someone else. You blinked, hoping you had imagined it but when you opened your eyes again Mark was still kissing her. It took you a few more seconds to realise that the woman he was kissing wasn’t a stranger but actually his manager. 

You had to stop Leanne from getting out of the car and catching him red handed. You made her promise not to tell anyone and for once, the very talkative Australian just nodded and brought you back to her parents’ place without a word. 

Mark still had no idea you knew about his affair and you didn’t plan on telling him which bothered Jenson. How could Mark not know when you weren’t even sleeping in the same room anymore. You just shrugged and explained that with how often you two were fighting, it didn’t seem odd.

The thought that his friend could do this to you made his blood boil and he really didn’t understand why you didn’t leave him. When he asked you, you admitted that Mark was all you knew and you barely saw him anymore anyway so you clung onto the small parts of normality you could: your house, the habits you had here and even though it pained you, the memories of the good times with Mark. 

Once you were done talking, you finally looked up and as soon as Jenson saw your tear-stained cheeks, he brought you closer to him. Your head nestled against his shoulder as he rubbed his hand up and down your arm, trying to comfort you. You must have fallen asleep against him because when you opened your eyes again, you were tucked in your bed and the sun was starting to shine brightly despite the November cold. 

Jenson was already gone so you didn’t even get to thank him right away. When he came back, he just shrugged it off and placed a kiss on the top of your head before going to take a shower. To you it seemed like everything was back to normal between you but Jenson had promised himself he’d try to convince you to leave Mark before he left. Or at least to bring back a genuine smile on your face for good, no matter what it took.

[bg3ficreviews]

BG3 Fic Review Guidelines - let us know what you think!

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The BG3FicReviews review guidelines (WIP)

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[rainytrashh]

— – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – -

Stop worrying so fucking much

Fic type-> Hurt/ comfort + angst

Warnings*-> Anxiety/ panic attack, PTSD

Word Count-> 1931, a short story

Please check out my other drabbles either on here or on my AO3, the link is at the end <3

~Masterlist~ | Most popular post

*I’ve written Marc’s anxiety/panic attack off of mine that I’ve had in the past but I don’t have PTSD so if there’s anything I wrote wrong please tell me so I can fix it and improve my own understanding of it, thx and enjoy!

— – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – -

You and Marc were working in the museum together, just chatting, not doing much of anything really. Well except when Donna was watching, which was more or less every five minutes or so because no matter how much you two tried to convince her that you were, in fact, cleaning the floors she just wouldn’t fuck off.

“Steven!”

They haven’t told her about their DID, they don’t think she’d react too well. They’re also glad she hasn’t been bothered to ask about the occasional shift in accents; she hasn’t cared enough to ask anyways.

“Donna-“

“Steven…”

“Donna, I’m cleaning you’re watching me do it.”

Daggers, right into his eyes. You can practically see them.

“Ma- Steven has the mop in his hand?”

-Is your attempt at defending him.

“Really?”

-Is her sarcastic reply.

You turn to Marc and give him a downwards smile, he side-eyes you pretending not to see but he can’t manage to suppress a grin of his own.

“And- I don’t see any mop in yours!”

She snaps, putting her hands on her hips.

“Don’t forget to do the bathroom, y’know the one someone managed to fuckin’ implode-“

“Yes, ok Donna.”

“Water literally everywhere! How does someone even-“

“We’ll. Be. Right. On it. Donna.”

You say stiffly cutting her off once more knowing their sensitivity around the subject, around what happened that day. Wouldn’t you still be a little freaked out if a massive demon dog chased after your alter and left you both just a little shook afterwards; finally making that alter finally aware of you? You know, big plot point in someone’s life to be honest.

Of course him and Steven are cool now, the whole ‘protecting the travellers of the night’ thing being over helps too. What doesn’t help is being able to remember all the bloody, action-packed, I’m-gonna-die moments that came along with it.

You give her the best ‘I’m being as polite as I can to you right now given that you’re my boss and I need this job, desperately’ smile that you have before she slowly turns and walks off.

“Could she’ve gone any earlier?”

“Yes, definitely.”

You catch his gaze after he glanced behind him in the direction of the bathroom.

“You… want me to do the bathroom?”

“No, no you don’t have to. I’ll help just like I’m helping now.”

You smile softly at him.

“Ok, I’ll take the mop. Do you wanna get the rag and spray bottle?”

He hands you the mop, swiping it from him letting the wheelie bucket it’s in trail behind.

“I’ll be back.”

He walks off to the cleaner’s closet.

You make your idle way over to the bathroom, fumbling a bit with your wired earbuds and phone to blast some music while you clean.

—

You see Marc in the corner of your eye, not being able to hear what he’s saying while waving frantically to get your attention. Taking one earbud out, you put the mop in the bucket and turn to face him.

“Sorry what?”

“I’ve got the rag and shit.”

He holds them up so you can see, he’s also oddly far away.

“Oh, ok yea. Just be careful the floor’s wet still. You… good?”

You glance down noticing he hasn’t stepped fully into the bathroom yet.

“Yea, of course.”

Your gaze clings to him worriedly before putting your earbud back in continuing to clean. You know better than to not trust his own judgement, who are you to tell him he’s not ok when he says he is…?

—

Alright Marc, time to do Steven’s job some more.

“You insisted on fronting today!”

As if on cue, an annoyed Steven from the back of his mind.

“I just wanted to talk to Y/n, I didn’t want to do your damn job.”

Marc snaps back almost instantly.

He looks up from the counter he’s wiping down and sees Steven looking back at him, he seems uneasy. A glance is shot in your direction to check you didn’t hear his sudden outburst.

“Marc…”

“What, Steven?”

“Your hands are… all trembly, maybe you should… take a step back from the situation mate.”

He sighs shakily, gripping the rag tighter in hopes to stop the shaking.

“I’m fine, stop worrying so fucking much.”

Steven scoffs. He throws his arms out and furrows his eyebrows obviously confused at how stubborn Marc’s being.

“I can quite literally read your bloody mind, you’re not fine!”

In turn Marc just hangs his head, closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths blatantly ignoring Steven. Eventually, he pries his eyes open and turns his head to face you, happily bobbing your head to your music trying to get a particularly stubborn mark out the floor- completely oblivious, as you should be.

He tries to focus on you, on grounding himself, as memories of that night weave their way into his head.

“It wasn’t nice for me either, please at least just tell them?”

There’s a sense of urgency to Steven’s voice now.

“Shut- shut the… shut up Steven.”

They both notice his voice beginning to falter despite Marc’s efforts to hide it. Him in particular notices it’s getting harder to speak because of his throat starting to close up, stupid adrenaline.

“Marc, you can’t be in here any longer…”

A plea from Steven- ever so soft, ever so tender, ever so endearing.

He tries to reply but nothing comes out, he ends up just pitifully mouthing Steven’s name. Everything is going so fast somehow, his breathing is getting heavier, sounds seem oddly muffled, and his body feels like it could topple over any second.

“Tell them.”

Marc tries to swallow but can’t get it down, he leans over the sink resting his forearms on the counter. He simply shakes his head and rests it in his hands.

As if Steven had managed to tell you from the mirror something was wrong, you turn around to see how Marc’s doing. Not so well obviously.

“Shit Marc, you ok?”

No reply although you see his shoulders tense up.

You yank your earbuds out and let them hang down from your pocket, the loud music swiftly reduced to a faint hum in the background. Jogging over to him you lean down a bit to try and see his face. He looks so… vulnerable like this. Your nerves begin to build up rapidly as you hear his raspy breathing.

“Marc? Please talk to me are you alright?”

He reluctantly turns his head just so he can see you out the corner of his eye, he’s crying now as you see tears drip down into the sink from his nose. He opens his mouth trying to speak again.

“Ok… come on, let’s get outside, give you some fresh air.”

He takes short gasps of air trying to catch his breath, and half the stuff you’re saying is getting drowned out by his heartbeat rapidly drumming in his ears.

You put a hand on his back as you pry him away from the sinks and lead him out the bathroom and through a backdoor, you have to hold onto him to keep his knees from giving out.

He immediately sits himself down against the wall with your help, you can feel his hands shaking against you.

“It’s gonna be over soon, just hang in there and… do what you need to do.”

You sit down next to him, God you really hope he’s gonna work himself through this. You know he will. You just care about him, a whole lot, and can’t help when you get scared for him whether he likes it or not. Seeing him like this is just so out of character, he’s always so confident and… shielded.

You start to pick your nails anxiously, glancing over at him regularly hoping for any kind of signal that he wants you to help more, that he’ll let you help more. In these situations you know he wants to be left alone, so even though you don’t feel like it you’re doing everything you possibly can.

He brings his knees up and rests his forehead on them, he digs his nails into the back of his head as he tries to calm his breathing down like Steven’s telling him.

“Focus on my voice Marc, don’t think just focus on my voice I’m here ok?”

“Breathe in, breathe out…”

“Don’t think about it think about what’s around you. What can you see, what can you hear, what can you smell…“

He’s trying, he’s really trying and so is Marc but he doesn’t seem to be calming down any time soon. His heart’s getting louder, his breathing’s getting choppier and everything is way more blurry than it was a few minutes ago. He doesn’t know what to do, and everything’s getting worse.

After what feels like forever you check your phone and see it’s barely been two minutes, while doing this you pause your music having forgotten completely about it letting it turn to white noise.

You let your head fall back onto the brick wall behind you. You sigh trying to calm yourself down now, you let the crisp wind hit your features and fill your lungs.

Unexpectedly you hear Marc’s breathing slow down, you whip your head around to face him and watch the grip on his hair let up.

“Marc?”

After a few tense moments you watch as he raises his head and faces you, tear stained face and red puffy eyes meet yours.

“Marc…?”

You furrow your eyebrows confused at his sudden shift in demeanour.

He shakes his head and gives weary smile, he taps his name badge- Steven.

“Oh…”

You nod your head, giving him a weak smile of your own.

“Well, you two good?”

He signals to his throat and nods instead.

Ah, it’s clicked in your head, they may have switched but all the physical things going on with the body would stay the same.

“Good…”

You both sit in a comfortable silence for a while, just letting the tension settle down. Ultimately one of you speaks up.

“Sorry-“

He clears his throat and stretches his legs out on the concrete staring down at his feet.

“Sorry you had to be around for that…”

“No don’t say you’re sorry, it’s not your fault.”

“But, we could’ve prevented it, easily!”

“It’s not Marc’s fault either Steven-“

“No no that’s not what I meant- I just… I could’ve done something. Take control of the legs or something and walked us right out of there, I didn’t. I don’t know why I didn’t, was I scared? Why was I scared to if I was scared? I just don’t bloody understand-“

“Steven.”

Your eyes meet, the calm in yours seeps into his before you look away. You reach to his hand and caress his knuckles comfortingly, oddly rough for someone who should be working in a museum.

“It’s ok now, what’s happened has happened, so try not to think about all these would’ves, could’ves, and should’ves. Just, think about what you’re gonna do about it in the future. Even better, focus on the now.”

Steven exhales weightily and lets his lead fall limp on your shoulder.

“You should tell Marc that.”

—

“Steven! Y/n! Where were you? No, I don’t want to hear it. You’re both getting inventory duty for a week. Yes a week, starting fucking today. Now finish cleaning that sodding bathroom, how long does that take you anyways I’d have it done in half this time already. No, I told you, I don’t want to hear it I’ve got more important things to do—“

— – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – - – — – -

My AO3

[cupcakefactory]

I LOVE the zen pieces you have wrote!! He is my favourite character, such a comfort <3, how do you think Zen would react to an MC with an eating disorder/who really didn't like how she/he looked? Really need our boy to tell me it's okay at the moment.

Thank you my dear for this, i rushed this through as i understand the struggle with eating and self confidence. I know its hard but please reach out for help. You are more than numbers on a scale, you are more than what people say about you. I promise you people love you, if you feel alone my messages are always open to talk. I've linked some eating disorder helplines here as well - noting you have a problem in the first big step, asking for help in the second.

Eating disorder help lines (I've found American and UK numbers but if these aren't relevant for you PLEASE search for your counties)

UK: 18+ - 0808 801 0677

Under 18 - 0808 801 0711

USA: 1 (888)-375-7767

CONTENT WARNING FOR EATING DISORDER

Wordcount: 876

He watched you closely, that wasn’t new you were used to it but it was unsettling too. You didn’t know if he knew, he worked so much there wasn't a way he knew, was there? You always pretended to eat when he was around, he had no reason to worry, but his gaze on you at the dinner table made your mind panic. You’d just been cutting up food and pushing it around and he noticed that he saw how you hadn’t chewed any food yet and he was concerned, he was panicking a little. 

You had lost so much weight so quickly,  your personality had altered and you were sleeping more than ever before. He had missed your laughter, your energy - how you always insisted on joining him on a run. He missed watching you dance around the kitchen - missed feeling you against him. He hated how you started to shy away from him whenever he tried to hug you, he hated how you never smiled or danced anymore. He hated how you had become such a shell of yourself.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

He watched as you avoided his gaze, looking at anything by him. The table, the door, the flowers - everything you stared at made his heart hurt a little more. You had tears in your eyes, he hated seeing you cry. You looked so uncomfortable, but he needed to know what was wrong because he was so fucking scared of what was happening under his nose - what was happening to the person he loved more than himself, his job, more than anything he had ever loved before. He stood, and walked to the side of the table you were sat at, taking your hands and sighing gently to himself in relief when you didn’t automatically pull away.

“Talk to me.. Please, my love, I'm worried about you. This.. isn’t healthy”

He saw his words radiate as your eyes finally meet his concerned ones, as the tears that brimmed finally spilled, as the secrets you kept finally became known. You told him how you felt, how you had no control in your life and how the only thing you could control was food - how you use to have an eating disorder as a teenager but recovered before becoming an adult. You told him how you started to hate the way you looked again after reading comments on social media, you told him how you criticise everything about yourself in the mirror and you told him how when you couldn’t control what was being said by people or worse, by yourself, you turned back to controlling your food.

Maybe if you liked how you looked you would feel better, right?

When you finally spilled everything onto the table, you couldn't stop, you sobbed and screamed - you told him in detail how you didn’t like yourself and no matter how badly you wanted to bottle it back up you couldn’t. He listened in horror, his eyes filling with his own tears as he heard how much you didn’t like yourself. How couldn’t you like yourself? He loved every part of you.. And in his eyes you were perfect. You should have been perfect to the world, god damn it!

When you went quiet, your screams stopped and he could only hear quiet sobs he pulled you into his arms, your legs dangling over the edge of his seat as you cried into his shirt. You’d missed being held by him; too scared hed find the truth to let it happen. It felt peaceful in his arms as he gently swayed side by side, his chin on your head as he just let you feel these emotions you had so clearly bottled up for so long. He let you cry until you couldn’t cry no more.

“My sweet silly dear, what are you saying about yourself?”

He watched as you looked up, your eyes tear stained and wide, Curiosity evident but yet you looked so unsure of what he was about to say.

“I know.. You had a hard time growing up and you had to control anything you could.. I understand that in a way.. But everything you're saying about yourself? Its not true - my love you are fucking perfect. So what if others don’t agree? I agree, i love you so so much, I feel in love with you the way you were and I would never have dreamed of changing that. I don’t care if your not conventionally attractive enough for some idiots on social media because my love you are more than perfect to me”

He ran his fingers through your hair, using his other hand to rub the stray tears in his eyes as he spoke

“I know we can’t fix this overnight, but let's start trying to.. I’ll phone the doctors, ill report those accounts.. I'll take time off work and sit with you every meal to keep your mind busy. Tell me what you need and i'll do it - you just need to tell me how to help. I want to help”

When you nodded, he sighed relief flooding his body as he kissed your forehead.

“Thank you.. Thank you my love

..

Together i know we will be okay”

Thanks for reading <3

[msnihilist]

Hi, (I’m not anti or pro whatever that stuff are, just adding a bit of objective side to this whole debate because for some reason it’s on my for you page)

So as for pro-shippers claiming that it’s all okay because it’s fantasy, I think you sometimes lack to realise that there’s very thin line between fantasy and normalisation, and explanations with the type like “Well I won’t normalise it I know it’s bad, it’s just fiction/fantasy” doesn’t necessarily work from like logical and actual point of view. Because as for human minds, the more you’re exposed to something in certain view, the more you get used to it, thus normalising it. So bt more content view the more the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred, as it was proven and shown many times in the past, it’s simply how our minds work. So I don’t really like how offensive you get when people use the argument that it’s bad, because it indeed is. By the process I explained before. Is the act itself bad if it doesn’t include actual people? No. Feel free to do so, I think, but you have to actively remind yourself and your viewers that it’s indeed only “okay” in not-real sense of situation. Say what you will but author is responsible for the content he creates and to make it safe. With the moment you feel like the line that should be very much defined begins to blur you need to reach for profesional help because it’s not normal to project fantasies onto actual-living-beings.

As for anti-shippers, I understand your stand but so much hate and anger is harming for everyone. It’s understandable and admirable to stand for your morals and protect those in need, but as long as the content doesn’t cause actual harm to actual people, simply avoid it. It just might not be for you. Harassing and bullying other people for their creations/fantasies is not okay. I understand not wanting to normalise 4buse/p3d0phillia/inc3st, etc. but there’s important thing to remember, that is coping mechanism and idea of fantasy. The idea of it may somehow be hard to understand, that’s why sometimes you need to take time to acknowledge things. Sometimes you just need to cut it out of your sight. We all should be mindful and expectant of other people abilities to differentiate moral/not moral and fiction/reality. While it might be upsetting and annoying when pro-shippers seem to not acknowledge the seriousness of the case, you sometimes have to give the benefit of the doubt. Of course there are some “bad” individuals, but so are in every majority/minority ever.

Ok that’s all, I think, coming from someone who isn’t on either side, just did the necessary reaserch and have a piece of actual information. No rudeness or anything behind it. Simply informational, because honestly as long as you don’t harm/include real people in your whatever you call it, it’s not my business. However if you do, and you seem to cross the line, people have all the rights to criticise and call you out for it.

Anyhow, don’t be bitter, stay woke, eat the rich. Thank you for coming for my TedTalk.

(Although I do have to say, some of yall (both sides) toxic as hell)

TL:DR:

Remember kids, the line between fantasy and normalization is thin. Simply saying "it's just fiction" doesn't negate the potential for normalization, as repeated exposure can blur this line, influencing our perception. It's crucial to remind oneself and others that certain content is only acceptable in a fictional context. Creators must be responsible for their content and how they present it. Please do seek help if you struggle to maintain the distinction between fiction and reality.

Regarding anti-shippers, while your stance is understandable, excessive hate is counterproductive. Opposing harmful content is valid, but harassment isn't. Recognize that fantasy can serve as a coping mechanism for some. Not all pro-shippers are malicious, and it's important to give the benefit of the doubt while being mindful of the difference between fiction and reality. As long as no real harm is done, it’s not anyone’s concern. However, if real lines are crossed, criticism is justified

So, anon, the reason this is on your "for you" page is probably because you follow someone who interacts heavily with ship discourse. That's how the Tumblr algorithm usually works.

Anyway, it's your first paragraph and I already have a problem with it. There is no "objective" side to this debate. What, do you think you're the first person to ever have the brave and unique take that both sides are bad? Uh, no.

Objectively, the idea that fictional settings are sandboxes and should be judgment free is simply correct. There's really nothing to debate. Antis are wrong and frankly delusional.

Now that we've cleared that up, we'll move on to your second paragraph.

There is not a "thin line" between fantasy and normalization. How do I know that, you may ask? Simple: there are 154,000 fics on AO3 tagged as incest. There are 394,000 tagged as rape/non-con. There are 1,084,000 tagged as graphic violence. These numbers increase every minute.

So where are the rising numbers of murder in our society? Most antis such as yourself are American, so we'll just stick to American numbers. I don't see increased reports of rape or incest, even though Game of Thrones and House of the Dragons are insanely popular. Shameless and Breaking Bad didn't increase drug usage. I don't see Euphoria leading to greater rates of teenagers having sex.

But if you have the facts to back up your argument about normalization, anon, I would love to see your sources. Otherwise I'm afraid I will have to put that word on the top shelf until you learn how to use it properly.

(I found one study trying to link incest to pornography, but it was published by bedbible.com, so... Let's just say that I doubt their ability to be objective on the matter.)

What you go on to describe (with people getting used to something the more they see it) is called the mere exposure effect. It's a psychological phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things or people that are more familiar to them. Repeated exposure increases familiarity which increases positive associations. This is how branding works.

But if you knew anything about psychology, anon, you would know that this is, again, a phenomenon and not a law of human thought. Do people tend to like things that they see a lot? Sure! I think my bedroom is super comforting. I tend to like the friends that I see more often than the ones I don't see.

But I also hate brands that are constantly blasting me with ads. The more I listen to a song over and over again, the less I want to listen to it yet again.

And none of that even has anything to do with "the fine line between fantasy and normalization," as you put it, because what you're describing is escalation. It's mostly found in drug usage — how your body becomes used to a feeling and you need to take more and more of a substance in order to get the same feeling that a little bit used to give you.

The mere exposure effect works like this: I dislike the ship Ben/Gwen. Not because they are cousins, but because it simply doesn't appeal to me. I read a couple of fics about them. Gradually, I start to warm up to the pairing. I look at fanart. My fondness grows. Rinse and repeat, and here I am, writing my own Ben/Gwen fanfics.

The escalation effect works like this: I like the Ben/Gwen ship. I consume and create more content for this pairing, but it doesn't feel as satisfying as it used to. I begin to wonder about my own cousins. I start to think that the cousin I am closest to is kind of cute. I emulate the behaviors that I've seen in fanfic and fanart with my cousin, hoping to recreate the same joy I used to feel with my favorite pairing.

Do you see how insane that second thing sounds? Absolutely nobody does that. Do you know why? Because we understand that fiction and reality are too very different and starkly defined things. There is not a "thin line" between them, that line is a fucking wall at least twenty feet thick.

The familiarity = comfort effect does work, sometimes. That example with Ben/Gwen was a real one from my life. The more I saw it, the more I liked it. But I can also give you a dozen examples of things I see a lot and absolutely hate. That's why it's a "phenomenon" and entirely irrelevant to the point you're trying your best to make.

Also, if you're going to say "as was proven many times in the past," you're going to need a citation, otherwise I'm just going to have to assume that this knowledge was revealed to you in a dream.

Moving on.

"So I don’t really like how offensive you get when people use the argument that it’s bad, because it indeed is. By the process I explained before." ← We can strike that first sentence out entirely, because what you "explained before" was pulled straight out of your ass.

You have already reached the conclusion that certain things in fiction are wrong or gross to portray, and now you're trying to work backwards and retroactively find "evidence" to prove that these things are harmful so that you don't have to face the fact that you're no better than any other reactionist. Your disgust is not a good basis for a moral standpoint, but you would clearly rather pretend that it is instead of finding real information and developing an opinion from the bottom up, instead of this top-down bullshit you're trying to pass off as "objective" when this just reeks of empathy trolling.

Next: if you have to be actively reminded that murder, rape, and incest are Bad™, then you aren't emotionally mature enough to be reading my work, or anyone else's. I worry that you might read "The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar" and start thinking that binge eating is okay. I mean, the author didn't come out and say that gourging yourself is bad! No wonder so many children in America are obese these days...

"Say what you will but author is responsible for the content he creates and to make it safe." No, they're not. You're insane.

"...it’s not normal to project fantasies onto actual-living-beings." Actually, it is. You fantasize about real people all the time. Have you ever masturbated to the thought of a crush? Got the short end of the stick at work and dreamt about giving your boss a piece of your mind? Even just felt really sad and imagined that someone was with you to make it feel better? Congrats, you fantasized about people!

You only need to seek professional help for fantasies when they start to distress you. Up until you run the risk of doing something in real life to hurt another person, you are under no obligation to share your thoughts. You do not need to be afraid of yourself because you imagined a one night stand with a stranger on the street. What matters is how you treat others, not what you keep to yourself.

"[Directed at antis] It’s understandable and admirable to stand for your morals and protect those in need." Quick correction: antis are protecting no one. Fictional characters aren't real and don't need to be "saved." Antis are also not understandable or admirable. Other than those things, this sentence is okay.

"I understand not wanting to normalise 4buse/p3d0phillia/inc3st, etc." Do everyone a favor and stop talking like a Homestuck character. Abuse. Pedophilia. Incest. These concepts are not somehow less harsh because you spelled it with numbers and made it harder for people with reading disabilities to follow.

"it might be upsetting and annoying when pro-shippers seem to not acknowledge the seriousness of the case" that's because there is nothing serious happening. I'm playing with my dolls. It's a shame that some people think I play too rough, but their outrage is not my problem.

You did not do any research or present any information. You weren't rude, but you also definitely weren't informational.

Wrong again. Fantasies about real people are also fine. Thoughts harm no one. No one has the "right" to criticize you for wrongthink. If you try to say that it's okay to criticize people for "crossing the line," then that begs the question, where is the line drawn? Let's ban RPF. Okay. Some bands have characters and stories in their albums. Can we write about their characters? The age of consent is different in many countries. Do we have to wait until all real people are older than 18, and why do American standards get dominance? If I base my OC heavily off of my favorite celebrity, does that count as RPF? What if the celebrity says they're okay with it? What if the celebrity is okay with certain things, but not this or that? If the celebrity changes their opinion, are all old works retroactively problematic? Etc etc. I can do this all day with any facet of fiction under the sun.

Censorship is not gray. It's all or nothing. If we start drawing the lines, eventually someone else is going to get to draw them, too, and they will not agree with where the line started.

Next time you want to sound informed, it would help to do some actual research. I have a collection of papers on violent fantasies and cyberbullying and the importance of fiction as an outlet if you need somewhere to start.

[amethystina]

Hi!

I’m curious as to why u didn’t like The Glory. It’s not my cup of tea but I’ve watched only the first season and it was intense as hell😖

Hi there!

Well, it's a bit of a long story, really. To be honest, I don't blame people who like it and it's far from the worst drama I've seen. It's just that certain aspects of it make me so goddamn angry I am legit seconds away from throwing a chair across the room when I think about them.

Again, that's not to say that I can't understand the appeal but it is, without a doubt, Not My Cup of Tea. It has too many inconsistencies, plot contrivances, unnecessary plotlines, wonky characterisation, and the aforementioned infuriating aspects for me to like it. And the more I think about the drama, the more I dislike it.

But that's a personal thing. And while I can agree that there was some intense build-up in the first season, it fell apart in the second one.

That said, I think the actors did a good job! Many of them were great, even! My main issue is with the writing choices and stuff like that.

If you want a longer explanation, feel free to look under the cut. But do be warned: it's going to be long, vicious, and perhaps a little nitpicky at times. I'm also a petty bitch, so there's that. Most of you have only really seen me discuss and pick apart things I like, but I'm just as detailed when I criticise things I don't like. But, usually, I save that for conversations with friends or when I rant for literal hours in front of my poor, suffering wife.

Anyhow.

If you like The Glory, please DO NOT read this. This isn't me trying to ruin the drama for anyone or start some beef — I just want to explain why it didn't work for me. This is my personal opinion, nothing else.

And if you still decide to read it and get angry — don't blame me xD

Also, obviously: Major spoilers for both seasons of The Glory.

(And to those of you who haven't seen the drama and might, for some reason, want to read this anyway, warnings for: mentions of bullying, violence, murder, rape, non-consensual filming of sexual acts, alcoholism, suicide ideation, suicide attempt, domestic abuse, and domestic abuse involving a teenaged child)

This is by no means a complete list of grievances, but rather the big ones that I can still remember. Because I haven't really been trying to retain the details given that I didn't enjoy the drama all that much.

First: You Can't Plan For Shit

The drama pretends that Dong Eun has spent years planning her revenge but when she actually shows up to put it in motion, she doesn't actually have a plan. The drama will tell you that she does, but if you look at her actions you soon realise that her only real plan was to start working at the school that Yeon Jin's daughter attends. Everything else — and I do mean almost everything else — is handed to her through convenient coincidences or because people suddenly decide to help her simply because she's the main character. She does almost nothing to actually plot and execute her revenge. She orders Hyun Nam to spy on her bullies, sure, but their meeting is a coincidence. How was Dong Eun planning to handle that if they hadn't met? Do it herself? Not gather the information? Wait for a convenient miracle?

She's also determined to make Yeon Jin's husband leave her so that Yeon Jin becomes as lonely and abandoned as Dong Eun feels, but she has no plan for how to do that, either. Aside from playing Go with him? Ma'am. That's not a plan — that's sharing a hobby. But then, conveniently, she discovers that Yeon Jin's husband isn't the father of their child! Because of infidelity! And lying! How convenient! Yeon Jin's husband definitely won't like that!

And yes, that is, in the end, what makes the most impact on him but, again, no thanks to Dong Eun. She didn't plan that.

Maybe Kang Yo Han from The Devil Judge has spoiled me but if you're going to tell me that a character has been plotting her revenge for 10+ years, you better show me A Plan. And "she studied to become a teacher, learned how to play Go, and stalked her bullies' social media" is NOT a plan. Because that is, in the end, the extent of Dong Eun's preparations. Her master plan.

I'm sorry, what?

And this isn't a case of "I am adjusting my plan as I find new allies and information" but a "I had absolutely no plan to begin with and am flying completely blind, waiting for a new ally to pop up to conveniently give me exactly the information I need at exactly the right time so that I can overcome this very specific obstacle." In the end, Dong Eun's revenge is executed through a series of convenient events that, for the most part, have nothing to do with her. She has some moments when she has the final hand in what happens — like leaving drugs for Sa Ra to find, or giving Hye Jeong the eyedrops that will blind Jae Joon — but they're so minor it's laughable.

The majority of the events are caused, orchestrated, planned, handled, and perpetrated by someone else.

Which leads us to:

Second: Cool motive — but where's the fucking murder?

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't need there to be murder in a revenge story. It doesn't matter if it takes the forgiveness or avenger route — as long as the conclusion is satisfying, I'm happy. But when a drama keeps building up the main character as someone who has nothing left to lose and is willing to do everything for her revenge, I'm going to expect her to do something morally questionable before the story is done.

Like, the drama keeps telling me, over and over, that she's going to forsake her humanity for this revenge. She's going to go as far as she has to — it doesn't matter what it'll cost her or her conscience. Just you wait for it, she's gonna go dark side! We promise! There will be blood! And death! And destruction!

But, in the end, all the murders and violence are committed by someone else. At most, she's the accomplice who hands over the weapon and, sometimes, not even that. There are times when she's literally just a spectactor, watching the events unfold. And not in a clever "I will make them destroy each other without dirtying my hands" sort of way. Which, to be honest, I would have loved to see? There would be something truly poetic if she managed to trick her bullies into destroying each other.

But considering what I mentioned earlier — about Dong Eun having no plans and only having a very small part in executing each revenge — that falls apart. It's not so much "I made them hurt each other" as "they probably would have eventually anyway and I just happened to be standing next to the action when it happened."

Again, too much build-up and no satisfying resolution. This drama promises so much but never delivers.

And I honestly don't know why? It could just be bad writing, or maybe they weren't comfortable actually making her as morally grey as they alluded to? They want her to seem like a badass but murder is bad so while they'll tell the viewer that she might kill someone, she never does. Because then maybe people won't like her.

Though trust me when I say that there are a lot better reasons for not liking Dong Eun — but more about that later.

I think the part about murder that bugs me the most is that Dong Eun never commits any (despite how many times the drama hinted at her maybe doing it) but Yeon Jin's husband — who was noticeably shaken and appalled at the thought of his wife being a murderer — apparently changes his mind on a dime and is one of those to commits a murder Dong Eun should be committing. I get that it was meant to be a "I will do this to stop this maniac from stealing my daughter" kind of decision, but it just felt insulting to his character. He was one of the few people with a sense of morality in that drama and, in the end, they made him forsake it.

To kill someone that Dong Eun should have killed? Why couldn't she? When she's been bragging about how vicious she is the entire drama? Why force that nice man to carry the burden of that murder?

I genuinely don't get it.

Like, there's no satisfaction, whatsoever? Sure, Dong Eun's bullies are punished, but she didn't do anything. She can't actually take credit for most of what happened. It was always someone else's actions and decisions that led to their demise. And that feels like such a letdown after the drama kept hyping her up, preparing us for something spectacular.

She literally just stood there and took credit.

Third: Plot Armour Thicker Than the Earth's Crust

Aside from the abuse Dong Eun suffers at the hands of her mother and bullies at school, she is impervious to damage or harm. She has some of the thickest plot armour I have ever seen, especially in a drama that includes a fair share of violence and murder.

That's not to say that I want her to get hurt, of course, but it's ridiculous how no one even tries to hurt her when she shows up again when they're all adults. Like, these people have done some terrible shit over the years but they never — not once — attempt to stop Dong Eun through violent means. It's downright bizarre that Dong Eun can supposedly trick them into hurting and killing each other (though, again: debatable), but no one stops to go: "hey, should we maybe do this to the woman who's threatening to ruin our lives instead?"

Not. A. Single. One.

And that just becomes comical after a certain point? These people could violently torture and rape young girls when they, themselves, were kids but once they're all grown up they're too scared to even slap one of said girls? Why? What is going on?

Again, I don't want that to happen, but it makes no goddamn sense that they wouldn't at least try. Jae Joon is the only one who was a bit menacing at times, but not even he seemed to consider the option of punching Dong Eun in the face. If only just for the satisfaction of having done so. And sure, maybe some would argue that they're grown up now and have more control over their emotions etc. etc.

Except they're willing to kill EACH OTHER.

So, clearly, not much growth has happened in that regard.

They're just not allowed to kill or hurt Dong Eun. The woman who's supposedly the mastermind behind their lives falling apart is not to be touched. But everyone else is fair game.

Because that makes sense.

The most laughable example of this is when Yeon Jin's mum decides to run a man over with her car — with the clear intention of killing him — to stop him from blackmailing her about the murder her daughter committed as a teenager. An overreaction, I would argue, but at least someone is making good on their threats.

I'm looking at you, Dong Eun.

And I absolutely fucking lost it when Dong Eun then blackmails the mum with the murder she just committed to hide the murder her daughter committed and the woman just... does nothing. She lets herself be blackmailed. Like, if I were her, I would just have taken that car for another spin, if you know what I mean. Or perhaps used my vast fortune to hire a hitman to kill Dong Eun.

Especially since this mum knows who Dong Eun is — and that Dong Eun is currently the one trying to ruin her daughter's life — and also knows that Dong Eun has no relatives who would care if she died. It would be so easy to kill her. And, clearly, this woman is capable of murder. Both committing them and trying to cover them up. And has the means to do it. But as soon as Dong Eun is the one who should be the next victim, the drama and all the characters completely forget that murder is an option.

And no, I am not going to accept the argument that maybe the mum realised that it would just become an endless cycle of more murders to hide the murders because she's gotten this far, why stop now?

Again, it's not like I want Dong Eun to die, but it makes no sense that no one even considers that an option? They can kill each other and several extras, but not Dong Eun. They can't even threaten her with violence. The writing won't let them.

And I honestly get why because, if they did let people want to kill Dong Eun, she would die. Because her enemies are genuinely too powerful for her and the only reason why they don't win is because they're not allowed to because Dong Eun is the main character.

Simple as that.

In the end, the worst thing the bullies did to Dong Eun when they're all adults was to get her fired.

The scoundrels!

Fourth: Character consistency? Don't know her.

A minor gripe in the grand scheme of things but still annoying as fuck. A lot of characters had sudden personality changes depending on the scene and what was expected of them.

Like Yeon Jin's mum who could kill one moment but stopped the next. Or the Yeon Jin's husband who was horrified by murder but then committed one himself. Or Dong Eun being really inconsistent with when her PTSD will show up. And all of the villains suddenly turning into panicked, hysterical messes at the end despite being portrayed as bordering on psychopaths up until that point.

The drama also tried to sell Dong Eun as very cold and unapproachable — which I think makes sense considering all her trauma — but also shoehorn in the obligatory moments when her humanity shines through. Which I usually love but fell flat this time because those moments were rarely because of something she did but rather something others did with, for, or to her. Like, they want to show that she's bonding with Hyun Nam but it's all Hyun Nam's doing. And they want Dong Eun to have a romance with Yeo Jung, but that's also all his doing.

And no, it doesn't come off as "I am traumatised and reluctant to form bonds and am therefore stilted but deep down I'm a good person." She offers the other person nothing in return but they still keep coming back to her, care for her, try to make friends with her, and want to help her. And I genuinely don't know why.

I'm no stranger to an antihero or difficult characters being loved despite their flaws, but she gives literally nothing. She's flippant, uncaring, and curt to the point of impoliteness. And that in itself is fine. Characters don't have to be warm and likeable. But you're at least going to have to explain to me why the people around her are so determined to love her despite all this. And the drama never does.

It's just one of those "because she's the main character" things again.

Or, alternatively: because he's too unhinged to know better.

Which brings us to:

Fifth: Twilight Is a Better Love Story

I fucking said it and I stand by it.

The love story was painful to watch. Now, don't get me wrong — I love me a woman getting herself a younger boyfriend who worships the very ground she walks on. I also love him falling first.

But this aint it, fam.

Partly because the chemistry was lacking between the actors (Dong Eun honestly had more chemistry with Yeon Jin's husband) but also because of the plot in general. I don't see why a romance was even necessary? It doesn't feel like Dong Eun was anywhere near ready for that considering where she is in her recovery. Not just because she's so cold and unapproachable, but just... disinterested? It doesn't seem like she wants a romance with this man? Until she suddenly kisses him at the end?

I honestly had to hold back a wince when they kissed because, to me, it felt so terribly awkward.

I also want to mention the fact that Yeo Jung's attachment to Dong Eun is bordering on an obsession brought on by his trauma and the obvious mental health issues he has. Now, that in itself isn't the problem — I would be a hypocrite if I said that considering some of the dramas I've written for — but I can't help but feel sorry for him? Because, as mentioned, Dong Eun gives almost nothing back. Which she's not obligated to! But, like, it doesn't exactly help the already awkward and unbalanced romance?

A romance which, again, didn't even have to happen? If it's a way to symbolise Dong Eun moving on, then a friendship or platonic partners in crime would have sufficed. And they definitely shouldn't have added the bit about them getting revenge on the dude who killed Yeo Jung's dad if they wanted it to symbolise her moving on. Because, clearly, that's not a step forward so much as an awkward crab shuffle to the left down another rabbit hole of revenge.

I just didn't like it. And even more so because the shitty love story is a key component in the biggest and angriest issue I have with this drama.

Which is:

Sixth: Justice For Kang Hyun Nam

I'm going to attempt to convey my opinions on this as calmly as I can but, let me tell you, I've been kind in my arguments up until this point. This is where the gloves come off because holy fucking shit I am so unbelievably angry.

I love Hyun Nam. I love her so much.

And I will never forgive Dong Eun for the shit she put Hyun Nam and Hyun Nam's teenage daughter through.

NEVER.

Because, sure, the two of them agreed to help each other out — Dong Eun needing help with her revenge and Hyun Nam wanting to get rid of her husband — and there was technically no time limit. But I cannot — and will not — accept the fact that, apparently, that meant that Dong Eun was going to draw out fulfilling her part of the deal. All while the drama tries to portray her as a semi-sympathetic character who somehow manages to build a friendship with Hyun Nam.

Dong Eun literally left this woman and her sixteen-year-old daughter to get abused by their alcoholic husband/father for fucking weeks.

WEEKS.

When she could have stopped it at any time. She literally just stood there and personally watched them get beaten at one point.

And sure, maybe you'd want to argue that she didn't want to kill Hyun Nam's husband too soon since that might mean Hyun Nam would stop helping her. Turning it into a selfish thing to prove how cold and calculating Dong Eun is. But that just brings us back to the problem that then the goddamn drama shouldn't have simultaneously tried to make me like Dong Eun and her relationship with Hyun Nam. You can't expect me to watch this woman and her daughter get brutally beaten — because, yes, they forced us to, more than once — all while knowing that Dong Eun can make it stop but she doesn't, and then also want me to conveniently forget about that cruelty and betrayal so that I can coo over their friendship.

Fuck you, drama. Sincerely, FUCK YOU.

I am fucking livid.

Now, I know that ending situations of domestic abuse aren't easy. That's not what this is about. Because you gotta remember that the drama has hyped Dong Eun up as a mastermind who can plan and execute fantastic revenge plots. So, clearly, it should be a breeze for her. The man is a fucking alcoholic gambler! South Korea has very firm laws concerning gambling so all Dong Eun had to do was tip the police off and he'd be whisked away to prison for the foreseeable future.

But oh no, we can't have that. We have to watch this abuse continue and see bruises on this woman and her daughter for almost the entire drama. Because Dong Eun just... doesn't care? Fucked if I know to be honest. The drama never gives a good reason, to the point where it just feels like torture porn. Especially since the writers are simultaneously trying to sell me a wonderful friendship between these two women.

When one of them is just standing by watching the other get brutally beaten on the regular.

And this alone would have been enough, to be honest, but this drama is the gift that just keeps on giving, let me tell you. And I'm now going to have to focus real hard not to devolve into incoherent cursing because rarely — if ever — have I seen a plotline in a drama that has made me as fucking pissed off as this one. Is it the worst that can happen to a person? No. But the insincerity and stupidity of the writers just add salt to the wounds in a way that turns my anger into blood-boiling rage.

Basically, there was a time when Dong Eun wanted to use Yeo Jung for her revenge too, yeah? Aside from asking him to teach her how to play Go, she wondered if she could maybe turn him into an ally similar to what Hyun Nam became later. But then she explains to him that she changed her mind and decided not to get him involved because it's dangerous and he's suffered enough.

Because he was a victim.

Because he was so terribly sad after having watched his dad get murdered.

And yes, definitely. BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

The pretty boy toy is too much of a victim for you to use, but the abused mother that you're watching getting bludgeoned on the regular is fair game? She's not a victim at all?

WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING FUCK?!

Please take a moment to let that sink in. Because I need you to understand just how fucking stupid and insulting that is.

Now, I know that probably wasn't the message the drama was trying to send but that's what I mean with insincerity. The writers don't even realise the implications of what they're writing. They'd so focused on "oh, she made an exception for Yeo Jung and that'll prove she loves him" to notice what that means for Hyun Nam. Because Yeo Jung was precious enough to save from any kind of damage, but Hyun Nam and her daughter had to live through weeks of continued beatings because Dong Eun was dragging their feet.

They want to portray Dong Eun as compassionate for sparing Yeo Jung, which only makes what she puts Hyun Nam through all the more horrifying.

And I'm going to have to assume that's because Dong Eun doesn't have a romance with Hyun Nam. That's the only plausible explanation at this point. There's nothing else that sets these characters apart so much that Dong Eun would choose to spare one but not the other. Arguably, she has more reasons to help Hyun Nam, even, since there's a child involved. But oh no.

And no, I am not going to accept the argument that Dong Eun is supposed to be ruthless because then the fucking drama shouldn't also try to build a cutesy friendship between her and Hyun Nam to humanise her again. And they portray it as a good thing. As something that brings Hyun Nam purpose and happiness. Hyun Nam is grateful that she gets to be friends with Dong Eun.

I'm not saying that it's impossible to build a relationship between two people with this dynamic, but it's done so clumsily that it feels like an insult. Not once does Hyun Nam ask why Dong Eun hasn't helped her yet. She just accepts it and continues trying to befriend Dong Eun. There's no doubt or animosity or hints that, maybe, Dong Eun is being a bit cruel when she's letting this continue. The drama doesn't hold her accountable in any way and just brushes it aside.

She is, once again, excused because she's the main character.

And the cherry on top of this goddamn mess is that one of the themes of the drama is — and I shit you not:

"What if someone had helped me when I needed it the most? What could I have become then? Would I have been happier? Think of all the suffering I could have avoided. Some kindness might have saved me :C "

OH.

YOU MEAN LIKE HOW YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HYUN NAM AND HER DAUGHTER BUT CHOOSE NOT TO?

I wish I was joking.

I fucking wish I was joking.

But I'm not. This drama is so fucking stupid that one of its main messages is completely ruined by the main character's actions towards one of the other characters.

And no, Hyun Nam's situation is in no way a part of Dong Eun realising this. She doesn't reflect on the fact that she's also guilty of just standing by and watching people suffer. That's never addressed. It's not some kind of lesson Dong Eun learns and decides to do better. Because Dong Eun is the main character and how she treats Hyun Nam is perfectly fine. Nothing to see here.

I cannot with words express just how angry this whole thing makes me.

I mean, yes, in the end, it's just a drama and no real people were harmed, but it infuriates me when media does this kind of shit with subjects that are as serious as domestic abuse. When they make it so obvious that they don't care. They don't care about Hyun Nam or her daughter. They put both of them through so much unnecessary pain and then belittle that pain by instead saving the pretty love interest because oh noes, imagine if he had to suffer! D:

Again: SINCERELY, FUCK YOU.

And I also hate the fact that, in the end, Dong Eun didn't even kill Hyun Nam's husband. She let Yeon Jin's mother do it. Which, I will point out, wasn't some masterplan of Dong Eun's, either. The fact that Hyun Nam's husband found information to blackmail Yeon Jin's mother with was a coincidence. And there were no guarantees he would choose to blackmail her with it. And Dong Eun couldn't know that Yeon Jin's mother was going to murder him for it.

Honestly, in the end, Hyun Nam herself did more to get her husband killed than Dong Eun did.

So, when you think about it, Dong Eun used Hyun Nam for weeks and didn't even really fulfil her part of the deal. The drama tries to tell me that Dong Eun did because Hyun Nam's husband died, but she had no part in it.

I hate it here.

(And I'm almost done, I promise)

Seventh: Pick n' Mix (a.k.a. a collection of smaller stuff that annoys me)

It made no sense for Yeon Jin's mom to save the nametag because the only ones who might get hurt by her doing so were her daughter and herself. But of course she did it so that Dong Eun could use it for plot-convenient purposes later.

Why, exactly, couldn't Hyun Nam follow her daughter to the US? Her husband died in a car accident and no one suspects she might be involved. Why does everyone act as if it is now impossible for her to ever see her daughter again? Dong Eun has enough money to give her a plane ticket. I am genuinely confused.

How did Dong Eun know that Yeon Jin wasn't the one who dealt Myeong Oh the killing blow? Did she base that assumption on the fact that Gyeong Ran moved out of the storage space the day after? Because, ma'am, that could just as easily have been because Gyeong Ran witnessed the murder and fled. But no, turns out she was the actual murderer and Dong Eun apparently deduced this from some very telling fact I must have missed.

I know that Sa Ra was one of the villains and they were supposed to be punished, but to have a group of people film — possibly livestream — her as she's pleasuring herself while she's high as a kite made me nauseous. But that could be because I have triggers involving sexual abuse/violence and I don't enjoy watching anyone get that kind of "punishment."

The sheer number of unnecessary plotlines, like the whole thing with the teacher at her school. Did not need to be there. At all.

I was confused by the rather random inclusion of the supernatural in this drama. Not saying I'm necessarily against it, but it took me out of the experience to suddenly be told that, apparently, ghosts are real in this world and one of them just possessed and killed a shaman. Who knew?

Hye Jeong suddenly showing her naked boobs was completely unnecessary and added nothing — and I do mean nothing — to the plot, scene, or characterisation. It was a moment of nudity for shock value alone because omg bewbs!

Yeo Jung's mother stopping Dong Eun from committing suicide at the end by essentially emotionally blackmailing her because if Dong Eun dies, Yeo Jung will kill himself, too. Now, I obviously don't mind that Dong Eun was stopped — people with suicidal thoughts deserve all the help and compassion they can possibly get — but the way it was handled felt clumsy and insulting. And, admittedly, I didn't buy Dong Eun's desire to die. Which is a horrible thing to say, I know. I just mean that it felt forced and contrived for the plot — like something she had to do because the writer told her to. It was just a mess in general.

Related to that: Yeo Jung, sweetheart? Get therapy. Please don't decide to kill yourself because someone you know is also having those kinds of thoughts.

In conclusion:

Thanks, I hate it.

[goldenempyrean]

A Luthor's Vulnerability

〚 Notes - Hello, hello! So @ekowolf (I hope you don't mind the tag) requested to do a pt2 to this fic with some Kara and Alex looking after Lena which I thought was a super cute idea so I hope this suffices :D 〛

〚 Pairing - Supercorp 〛

〚 Summary - It's the day after the conference and Lena isn't feeling any better so Kara takes it upon herself (with some extra help) to look after her. 〛

〚 Wordcount - 1500 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙

〘 Part 1 〙

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When Lena woke up the next day she was in bed, not where she had previously fallen asleep on the sofa the previous night and judging by the sleeping blonde nuzzled into her side she deduced that Kara had carried her here. 

She tried to sit up but stopped at the overwhelming woozy feeling nestling in her head, even just moving sent the room orbiting around her. Lena let out a soft groan, feeling the throbbing ache in her head intensify. She winced, trying to remember what had happened the night before, but everything was a blurry haze. All she remembered if that the press confer- 

Oh god. The conference?! Ignoring the jolt of aches it sent through her, Lena quickly sat upright and reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone from the charger (again, she had Kara to thank for that) before frantically googling her name followed by CatCo.  

To her surprise the majority of articles and news reports which appeared weren’t slandering her name, mocking her or even criticising her judgement. Instead they were sympathetic, highlighting her dedication to work despite clearly being unwell. 

As Lena scrolled through the articles, she couldn't help but let out a small sneeze. It was followed by another, and then a third, each one making her feel more miserable. She felt Kara stir beside her, and with a soft groan, the blonde slowly opened her eyes. 

“Lena? You okay?” She mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat up beside the ravenette. 

She nodded, “Kara, it’s fine now. I’m fine now.” Her attempt at dismissing her concerns may have been a little more convincing if she hadn’t trailed off into a couple of raspy coughs which had ultimately upset her sinuses and sent her sneezing loudly down into elbow. 

"Bless you, you're such a fibber Lena, you can’t fool me.” Kara sighed as she raised her hand to Lena's forehead to check her temperature. “Still really warm and coming from me that’s not a good thing, we should get you some medicine.” 

Lena hesitated, her stubbornness wrestling with her weariness. "You don’t need to. I'm used to taking care of myself, Kara. I've never had anyone look after me when I was sick," she admitted, her voice tinged with vulnerability. 

Lillian certainly wasn’t a good mother. Sure, when her darling, prized Lex was ill, she’d be sure to swarm him with affection and love, but for Lena? Hell no. She’d be given a box of tissues and be told to deal with it silently. There was no room for weakness in the Luthor household. As such, she’d leant to fend for herself, but just because she could do it, didn’t mean she was good at it. It was only a few years ago that she’d neglected herself to the point of developing pneumonia and even still, she’d worked through it. 

Kara's concern softened her gaze as she gently cupped Lena's flushed cheek. "You don't have to go through this alone anymore, sweetheart. I want to take care of you, so please, let me?" Kara's warmth and sincerity melted the walls Lena had built around herself and the Luthor rested her head against her shoulder. 

As Lena leaned into Kara's comforting embrace, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, finally allowing herself to be vulnerable with someone who genuinely cared for her well-being. It was so different from what she had been previously been through but it felt amazing. Kara smiled softly, brushing a few strands of hair away from Lena's forehead. 

"Okay, maybe I don’t feel the best.” Lena gave in, muffling a cough into her elbow sharply. 

Kara's tender touch extended to Lena's back as she guided her to lie down comfortably, making sure her frame was supported with a pillow, "I know you don’t love so just rest for a moment, and I'll get you some medicine and warm tea," Kara said with a reassuring smile before leaving her with a soft kiss as she left the room briefly. 

As Lena lay there, she couldn't help but feel touched by Kara's caring nature. It was such a contrast to the cold and distant environment she had grown up in. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sudden tickle in her nose, and before she could react, a loud sneeze escaped her, followed by another one. 

"Bless you," Kara said as she returned with a cup of hot tea, medicine and a box of tissues. "Looks like you're in need of these." 

Lena chuckled softly, feeling a little embarrassed. "Thanks Kara, you’re so good to me.” 

Despite taking the medicine as the day progressed, Lena's fever continued to rise, leaving her feeling weaker and more miserable. She was shivering one moment and sweating the next, her body seemingly unable to regulate its temperature. Kara could see the distress in Lena's eyes, and her heart ached at just how helpless she was in the situation. 

So, she gave in and did the only thing left, Kara waited until her exhausted girlfriend had fallen back asleep before picking up her phone and dialling Alex’s number. 

“Hey Kara.” The warm, familial voice already made her feel reassured. 

“Alex, Lena’s fever still won’t go down and it’s been hours, and I read on Web MD that that’s really bad and I don’t want her brain to melt or I-“ Kara spilled out into a hopeless ramble before being cut off by a small laugh on the other side of the phone, “Alex- Alex, why are you laughing at me? This is serious.” 

“Kara, honey. Lena’s gonna be fine. She probably just has the Flu or something. First of all, don’t ever look on the internet for advice, it’d tell you that you ‘likely need brain surgery’ for a simple headache.” Alex explained, easing her sister’s worries, “But if her fever won’t break then she probably needs a stronger medicine, do you want me to come round and drop one off?” 

The blonde felt her nerves relax a little, “That’d be amazing, thank you.” 

About an hour or so later, Alex arrived at the apartment holding two small white carrier bags. Kara opened the door for her and welcomed her in with a hug with was warmly returned before the pair put the bags on the table. 

“There’s some medicine in here and some of those gel patches things which go on your forehead, that should help a little.” She explained before handing the other bag to Kara, “I bought some soup as well from the place you both like, it just needs reheating. There's potstickers in there for you too because I’m guessing you haven’t eaten today.” 

Kara’s eyes lit up at the mention potstickers, “Oh my god, Alex you’re amazing.” She excitedly blurted before going over to the microwave to reheat the soup, she could’ve used her heat vision but the last thing she wanted to do was make it to hot and burn her poor girlfriend. 

As Kara waited for the soup, Alex went to go check up on Lena in the other room. 

“Hey you,” Alex kept her voice soft, being mindful of the headache she probably had as she came to sit on the edge of the bed where she was laid, “Kara said you’re not feeling well, how are you feeling?” 

“Shitty.” 

Alex laughed at her stark response, “Yeah I can see that, I brought some stuff round for you, Kara’s just reheating the soup.”  

Lena managed a weak smile at Alex's presence. "Thanks Alex, I feel terrible, but Kara's taking good care of me, but she did ask me earlier if I felt ‘like your brain is going to drip out’ so I think this is a new leap for her.” 

Alex shook her head as she tried to hide her smile, “Yeah that sounds like her. But as far I can see your brains haven’t leaked out all over the pillows, so I think you’ll be okay.” She said, ignoring Lena’s protests when she began cleaning up the mess of crumpled tissues and cough-drop wrappers littering the bed, “We just need to get your fever settled.”  

As if on cue, Kara came in with a small tray, Lena’s soup and the medicine sat neatly on it. “Alex brought some supplies.” She said, shooting her sister an appreciative look, “Can you sit up for me darling?” Kara asked as she came to sit beside Lena, settling the tray on her knees. 

Lena mustered a small smile, touched by Kara's caring nature. She took a spoonful of soup and slowly sipped it, feeling the warmth spread through her body. "This is so good.” She murmured softly before sipping another spoonful, “Thanks you two, really, I’ve never been treated like this before.” 

Alex gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, get used to it, because Kara and I are here for you now. We're family, and family takes care of each other." 

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