#random ones that i made months ago and didn't really fit

[incorrectaberfield]

resident evil + posters

[megalony]

Have You Slept

This is an Evan Buckley imagine based on a request and I am hoping to make it into a little series if anyone would like that. Any feedback is always amazing, I really loved writing this one.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem@sj-thefanthefan@hellsdragon@im-an-adult-ish@crazylittlethingg@allauraleigh@onceuponadetectivedemigod@ceres27@avyannadawn@sleepylunarwolf@coverupps@justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii  @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyjen @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz

911 Masterlist

Summary: Evan invites the team to meet his wife and twins who he is very protective over. As one of the boys is autistic and (Y/n) happens to have narcolepsy.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"…It'll be great, Buck you're coming this time right?"

Evan paused a few feet away from the dining table in the station annex. He let his fingers continue to card through his wet locks that were forming into curls, flopping about near his forehead. He'd just had a shower and was ready to gulp down some lunch ready for whenever the bell sounded for their next call out.

He seemed to have missed the first part to whatever conversation was running rampid in the kitchen.

With a small, if confused smile, Evan walked over to the table and sat down opposite Eddie and Hen. He darted his eyes between the pair of them and Bobby and Chimney who were stood in the kitchen, finishing up grabbing plates and cutlery.

Evan had been working at the station for roughly a year now and it had been the best job he'd ever had. This had been the quickest that he had made friends in a new job and felt like he really fitted in with his co-workers. He could call these people his family, Bobby was more of a parent to Evan than his own parents were.

He felt at home with his work mates, unlike the other random jobs he'd had in the past like being a bar tender or the brief stint he had at being a bouncer. He didn't connect with people in those jobs and he didn't feel like he was making a difference like he did working at the fire house. But some things didn't change, like Evan's desire to keep his life separate from his work.

Working at the station made Evan feel excited about each new day on shift and he felt like these people were his family. They were a safe group of people to work alongside and call his friends.

"My uh, my first what?" He leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the table with his hands tangled together.

The way Eddie grinned across at him and the knowing smile on Bobby's face made Evan relax and manage a smile himself. It couldn't be anything bad or somewhat awkward if they were being so relaxed about it.

"We were just talking about the annual summer party the station has every year. It happens to be next week."

"Oh, yeah."

It didn't seem that long ago that they had all been having a barbeque a month or so back.

Evan remembered when he first started at the station they had been throwing a big party here but he didn't feel close enough to anyone to attend. Then there had been the halloween party, the pictures made it look like a successful night, but Evan didn't go to that one either. Finn didn't like halloween so Evan had made sure he had the night off to stay home.

And as for the Christmas party they had, Evan had been on shift that night and he wasn't really bothered about attending so he was happy to work while everyone else went out partying.

They seemed to make any excuse to have a party, not that Evan was complaining. He'd never had parties at any other places he worked at before. This was a pleasant change.

Bobby had talked about them always doing a Christmas party and finding a few extra people to cover the shifts so the 118 could go all out and enjoy the festivities. Evan guessed they would do that for the summer party too, find more staff to cover so as many regular staff as possible could attend.

"Yes we are, and I'm hosting this year." Bobby grinned as he set down a large bowl of lasagne in the middle of the table and took his usual seat next to Evan.

Usually they had as many parties as they could in the station to promote families being around and being included. But they couldn't have a summer party indoors. It was the middle of the summer and that meant they needed to be outside, in the sun and the sweltering heat. It was more of an occasion when a party was at someone's house and Bobby and Athena were always up for hosting parties.

"Are you gonna come to this one?" Hen reached across the table and started to dish up the lasagne onto everyone's plate but her smile was directed at Evan. They always invited him but he hadn't attended one of their parties yet.

It was strange for the team to have someone like Evan in their midst. Someone who was so bubbly, excitable and eager and like a bubble of fun. He was one of them, well and truly, but he was still somewhat distant with the team. They were only just beginning to learn about Evan's private life. They knew he had a turbulent relationship with his parents. They knew he was married and had two kids but Evan didn't talk about them that much.

They had only just met Evan's wife last month and that was a flying visit. Eddie was the only one out of the whole team who knew (Y/n) because he had been to Evan's house and Evan and (Y/n) had taken care of Chris a few times.

"I guess I could swing by for a while."

"Really?"

A bubble of adrenaline sparked up in Evan's chest and he nodded when Hen sounded so enthusiastic and Eddie grinned and gave him a thumbs up. They wanted him there. They really wanted to be around him and interact with him. Evan guessed they really were becoming his family now.

"Can I bring my family with me?" Evan almost felt guilty for asking but if he was going to do this, he wanted his family there with him. He knew parties meant bringing loved ones along but he wanted to be sure, he would never want to turn up and then feel like no one wanted his family around.

Everyone had been kind to (Y/n) when Evan brought her to the station and he was glad she was starting to become friends with the people he classed as his family.

Evan knew his wife wasn't very outgoing so it was nice for her to be around more people.

"Of course you can, kid. Our parties are for everyone, we're all one big family here and you're included in that. Bring whoever you like." Bobby clapped a hand down on Evan's shoulder and nodded at him reassuringly. They all brought their families round, it was a party, an occasion to be together and have fun and games and eat and just be together without the threat of having to rush off on a call.

"I was wondering…" Evan looked down at his plate before he glanced up. This was something he had been wanting to ask everyone and now was a better time than ever. "If you'd all like to come round for dinner, with my family? It'd be easier to get to know them before the party."

It would be a lot easier for everyone if the team could come over to Evan's house and meet (Y/n) and the boys first before he brought them to the party. (Y/n) and Finn didn't last long at parties for various reasons and Cole would be the only one who would be fine to stay for hours.

Evan wanted them all to get along and know each other like Eddie knew (Y/n) and the boys. Evan wanted that relationship with all the team. They were his family now and they meant the world to him.

Evan knew (Y/n) was already excited at the prospect of getting to know the people Evan worked with. She felt like she already knew them from the stories Evan told her when he came home from shift and her first meeting with the team had gone great. It was (Y/n)'s idea for Evan to invite them round for tea one day so they could all get together in a relaxed setting. And Evan wanted that to happen now before the party so at the party, everyone would be more familiar.

"That sounds lovely, you have two boys, don't you?" Hen never wanted to push the subject of family when she was around Evan.

She didn't want to make him feel like he had to open up and talk about his private life if he didn't want to. But when Evan talked to them in a few calm moments, he had said he had two boys with (Y/n). He didn't say much else though, not their names or their age and (Y/n) hadn't mentioned when they saw her a few weeks back.

"Yeah, we've got twins, Cole and Finn. They're four… um, I know you guys won't make a fuss, but just so you know, Finn's autistic. He's non-verbal."

Evan glanced his eyes around the table. Eddie and Chimney knew. Eddie had met the boys before and Chimney was close to Maddie who was close to the boys. He needed to tell them now before they came round and got a little surprise when they met the twins.

"He doesn't speak?" Chimney kept a smile on his face and tried to control his tone so Evan didn't think he was being rude. He didn't know anyone with an autistic child and all of them knew disabilities varied.

"Oh, no he… he won't say words, but he isn't exactly quiet. He babbles. A lot of random noises, and if he wants something he'll just grab you and take you to it. He loves meeting new people, he's taking a liking to Eddie."

Finn didn't say a lot of words. He could say a few things like his name or a mushed up version of random, compiled words. And Finn could understand every word spoken to him, he just couldn't quite talk yet but they were hoping he could start to learn soon. He would make a lot of noises, squealing when he was happy, screaming when he was sad. A lot of high pitch babbling when he was playing or concentrating or just happy.

When he first met Eddie, Finn attached himself to him. He took his hand and guided him into the kitchen and waited patiently for Eddie to make him a drink. Then he followed him around like a little shadow, always wanting to be close and entertained by him.

"I can't wait to meet him."

"Oh… and uh, no one has a problem with dogs, do they?" Evan glanced around the table as a light bulb went off in his head.

He'd almost forgotten about Dodger.

"Wow, full house, twins and a dog?" Bobby pushed his plate away and moved to grab his drink. It had been a while since Bobby had had a full house with Harry going to stay with his dad a lot and May getting ready to move out.

"Dodger's a service dog, for (Y/n) so if he starts barking or circling, don't mind him."

"What kind of service?" Hen could think of at least five different reasons someone would have a service dog and she wouldn't want to presume anything. But since Evan was opening up, she thought it might be good to get him talking to them. (Y/n) hadn't brought her service dog into the station when Evan introduced them, but Hen figured that was because Evan hadn't been on shift those days.

"(Y/n)'s got narcolepsy, random sleep attacks and cataplexy. You're all in for a treat when you come round mine next week."

***

Evan rolled his lips together and tilted his head to the side when he walked into the kitchen. His eyes darted between Dodger and (Y/n) before he slowly walked over to them both.

(Y/n) was stood near the sink, two glasses and two beer bottles in front of her. She looked like she was re-filling the drinks for everyone, but her hands were subtly shaking on the counter and she was stood motionless. When Evan looked down at Dodger, he could see the golden brown Labrador was sat faithfully at her left side. Nudging his nose against her leg and shifting his front feet around like he was tap-dancing.

A jolt ran through (Y/n)'s stomach and her chest tingled when a strong pair of arms bound around her waist. She tilted her head back onto Evan's shoulder and glanced up at him, moving a little so she could catch his jaw with a kiss.

"You spaced, sweetheart." He spoke quietly against the top of her head while his hands danced over her stomach and slipped beneath her shirt to feel her bump.

"Hm," Her head tilted to push into the crook of Evan's neck and she moved her hands to cup his wrists.

With her narcolepsy, (Y/n) had a lot of side effects. Whenever she or Evan told people about her condition, they immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was lazy or just had a lot of naps during the day.

No one seemed to realise the side effects it had. (Y/n) had to schedule her sleep, go to bed at roughly the same time and try to get up at the same time each day to regulate her body clock. She was excessively tired most days. She had random sleep attacks that could be for a few seconds or a few minutes or even longer, they didn't always happen. (Y/n) could go three or five days or even a week or longer without an attack of any length.

It affected her dreams, she had vivid dreams, horrid nightmares, she acted out and lashed out in her sleep and unintentionally rolled onto Evan or hit him by mistake. She got sleep paralysis quite often.

Headaches were continuous. And narcolepsy came with cataplexy, which was where she had sudden loss of muscle control. That could be her jaw slacking, her head dropping forward, her legs going numb and giving out on her. Slurred speech or difficulty focusing or paying attention.

"You okay?" Evan spoke into her hair and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

"Yeah, didn't last long."

She hadn't spaced out for long. It didn't happen too often that (Y/n) had microsleeps where she would either close her eyes or her eyes would stay open but her mind would shut down for a few seconds. It could last between ten seconds to a few minutes for a microsleep but (Y/n) didn't get them very often.

"Have you slept today?" Evan kept one arm curved tight around (Y/n)'s stomach while he reached across the counter and finished pouring the two glasses of juice (Y/n) had started.

Routines for sleep helped (Y/n) and she tried not to take naps during the day to keep a regular sleep schedule. But now she was pregnant again, she was trying to take at least one small nap during the day. It stopped her feeling so tired and lessened the chances of random sleep attacks. It was hard enough looking after the twins when they weren't at nursery, (Y/n) didn't need to collapse in front of them.

"Not today," She hadn't had chance to take a nap today, not with the boys being pumped up and excited about having people over for dinner. There was a lot for (Y/n) to prepare and get ready and now the team were here, there was no way she could take a power nap now.

(Y/n) slowly turned around in Evan's arms and pressed her hips up against the counter while her hands roamed up and down his chest. She loved the way his hands squeezed her hips and tried to slip beneath her leggings until she shimmied to stop him.

"We have guests- Finn, what are you doing to uncle Eddie?" Her hands scrunched up into Evan's shirt when he stood closer between her legs.

But both their heads turned to look over at the kitchen doorway when Finn appeared. He had a wide grin on his features, obscured by his thumb that he was biting down on. And his other hand was tightly gripping Eddie's hand as he dragged him from the conservatory where they were having dinner and brought him all the way through into the kitchen.

Eddie had his free hand on his hip, but he was happy to be shown around by Finn. The moment Eddie walked through the door, Finn had attached himself to his leg while Cole had gone straight to Bobby because he knew he was the Captain at the station.

Evan leaned closer into (Y/n) and grinned when Finn toddled past him and dragged Eddie behind him like he was a dog on a leash.

He moved towards the fridge and stood in front of it, pointing up at the fridge as he started to make a noise that sounded somewhat like 'wow' over and over.

"What're you after?" Eddie leaned down and scooped Finn up into his arms so he could look into the fridge and find what he clearly wanted. When Finn pointed to the small cartons of apple juice, Eddie held one out towards (Y/n) and waited for a nod of approval before he handed it over to Finn and set him back down to his feet.

Evan held out one of the beer bottles towards Eddie on his way past following after Finn.

"Shall we?" He mumbled quietly in (Y/n)'s ear, keeping his arm tight around her waist as he grabbed the two glasses in one hand while (Y/n) got the other beer bottle. She leaned her back into Evan's chest while Dodger trotted faithfully by her side.

She didn't always take Dodger out with her but she did if Evan wasn't with her. The moment he started working at the fire station, Evan started to worry. (Y/n) was at home alone with twin boys, one of whom was always on his feet and quite a handful. He didn't like the thought of (Y/n) collapsing or hurting herself or falling unconscious with toddlers around and no one to help.

Dodger solved that problem. He could sense (Y/n)'s heartbeat and if her heartbeat dropped, then she was about to fall asleep. He whined and cried and nudged her arm or circled around her legs to get her to sit down. If she dropped or fell, Dodger would try and let her fall on him so he could nudge her onto the floor. And if (Y/n) had a microsleep, he circled around her so if they were in public, people knew something was wrong. Dodger would bark at any stranger that tried to come near or touch (Y/n).

They headed into the conservatory and (Y/n) placed the beer down in front of Bobby before she passed behind him to sit down next to Hen.

"Do you drive the truck too?" Cole leaned back in his seat and looked up from the toy truck in his hand towards Hen who was sat on his right. He was happily wedged between Hen and Chimney while Bobby, Evan and Eddie on the other side of the table. And Finn was happily sat on Evan's knee, although his focus was mainly on Eddie.

"Sometimes, but I normally drive the ambulance."

"Can daddy drive the ambulance?" He looked between Hen and Bobby, waiting patiently for an answer as he had been asking questions since the moment they arrived.

"We don't let your dad drive, he's Mr speedy."

Evan tilted his head up with a proud smile when Cole grinned and murmured "I like daddy's driving." He put his truck down next to him on the table near Chimney and started to eat his dinner again.

"That's only because I don't drive." (Y/n) glanced her head up and bit her lip when Evan's foot glided up her leg and nudged her in the knee in retaliation. The boys weren't used to anyone but Evan and Maddie driving them around, and it was mainly Evan.

If they went out with (Y/n) she had to walk or take the bus and wear her sunflower lanyard just in case she had an episode while they were out. The boys were used to Evan driving so if he cut the corners or went a bit fast, that was a normality to them and they felt safe with Evan because they were used to his driving. (Y/n) couldn't drive, she had never taken lessons and never could. It would be too dangerous.

"So, how far along are you?"

"Five and a half months." (Y/n) absentmindedly smoothed her hand across her abdomen as she smiled across at Hen. She leaned across the table for a piece of garlic bread and held one out to Finn. The four year old was currently stood up on Evan's lap, leaning back into his chest with their heads pressed together. It would make for a lovely photo since Finn was grinning madly.

"So we've only got Buck for another three months then?" Bobby knew Evan would be asking him for annual leave soon. Evan wanted to get his time off sorted out now so it was set in stone. He had to be home for at least two weeks after the baby was born. When (Y/n) had the twins she hadn't been well at all and Evan didn't want that happening again with him not being able to stay home and help her.

"Afraid so."

"I don't know how you're all gonna cope without me."

Evan leaned his head to the left and a soft smile flooded his face when Finn started to kiss his hair. He began making a bopping sound while his hands rested on Evan's shoulders to keep himself stood upright on his dad's lap.

A new line of conversation flooded the air and Evan tried to keep focused and chip in but his eyes kept landing on (Y/n) across the table.

She had her chin resting on her hand with her elbow propped up on the table and her other hand was on her stomach. But it was the dazed look in her eyes that worried him. She wasn't talking either and if she started to drift, she might end up having another microsleep.

He moved his leg beneath the table and rubbed his foot up against her knee to try and grab her attention. The action made (Y/n)'s lips twitch and she lifted her eyes to look at Evan before she tried to look back at Hen for the conversation. She had one of her usual headaches. She had been feeling a lot more drowsy and tired lately and she knew it was because of the baby.

(Y/n) didn't feel so ashamed or embarrassed now to say that she was overly tired or that she needed to start taking naps during the day again. She was pregnant and was already looking after twins.

She always used to feel like she needed excuses to be tired, so people wouldn't think she was lazy. Evan always put her mind at rest. She had a condition that couldn't be cured or helped, it could only be controlled. And Evan never wanted (Y/n) to feel like she had to find excuses to explain the way she felt. Especially not around him.

"Thank you." Evan whispered quietly when Finn kissed his temple and leaned over to hug him. He moved his hands from his dad's shoulders to wrap them around Evan's neck and he giggled when Evan started to sway them from side to side.

Whenever Finn couldn't sleep ever since he was a toddler, Evan used to pace up and down the room swaying him back and forth. Evan barely got whiplash or felt dizzy from the hundreds of times he had gone in circles because the motion was so soothing to Finn.

Evan smiled as Chimney started to go into the long-winded reasoning behind his nickname.

But his smile started to drop when he heard Dodger suddenly bark.

Evan lifted his head and leaned towards Eddie on his left to try and look over the end of the table. Dodger was prancing his weight between his front feet and he started to nudge his nose and mouth against (Y/n)'s thigh. That meant he was sensing (Y/n)'s heartbeat starting to drop.

She was going to fall asleep.

"Sweetheart-" Evan bolted up from his seat when (Y/n)'s head slipped off her hand and dropped forward.

Her arm flopped down onto the table with a loud thud but before her head could land in her dinner, Evan swiftly caught her. He juggled Finn in his left arm, keeping the toddler pinned against his chest while his right hand pressed against (Y/n)'s temple. He leaned his hips into the table and leaned across, trying to stop himself from landing in anyone's dinner.

His thumb swiped across (Y/n)'s hairline while he tensed his elbow to keep his arm straight and hold (Y/n)'s weight up. He could feel her chest digging into the edge of the table, she had gone fully limp which meant this was more than a microsleep like she'd had earlier.

"Wow, hey I've got her. Good catch." Hen placed her hand over Evan's on (Y/n)'s temple and swooped her free arm around (Y/n)'s shoulders so he could carefully reel her back. She leaned (Y/n) back in her chair and held the back of her neck so her head didn't flop back and cause her any neck pain.

Eddie wordlessly reached out to take Finn while Evan scooted round the back of the chairs and moved next to (Y/n)'s chair.

"Good boy." Evan clicked his tongue and pointed until Dodger backed up and sat near the conservatory door just behind (Y/n)'s chair. He knew to move back when Evan was around but he always stayed dutifully close just in case he was still needed.

Evan pushed up on his knees and rubbed one hand up and down (Y/n)'s knee while he cradled the side of her neck in his other hand. He let her head loll to the side so she was facing him and he pressed his fingers over pulse just to check it was still steady and calm.

"Can we do anything?"

"She'll come round in a minute, she's fine."

He leaned over to kiss (Y/n)'s shoulder while he waited. It didn't usually take long for her to come back around. Evan had only had it once where (Y/n) had a sleep attack that lasted half an hour. That was the longest he had ever known (Y/n) to have an attack for and it had scared the daylights out of him.

"Mummy falls asleep but dad always catches her." Cole grinned up at Chimney before he glanced down at the other end of the table.

It was a normality for the twins. Cole was used to seeing his mum space out or see her stumble when her legs gave out from her cataplexy or when she head-dropped frequently like this. He had been brought up to know it was normal for his mum and that it wasn't scary or dangerous and he knew how to help if it happened when they were alone. And Cole always knew his dad would look after (Y/n) when it happened.

Finn didn't seem to take much notice. He had grown up around this happening so it wasn't frightening for him. He would just sit by (Y/n) and wait for it to wear off which was a relief for Evan to know it never scarred Finn or sent him into a meltdown.

"There we go," Evan's thumb brushed across (Y/n)'s cheek and he smiled when a small groan murmured past her lips.

Her head leaned into the palm of his hand and her eyes started to flutter and blink rapidly. A headache burned behind her eyes and spots danced in front of (Y/n)'s eyes when she managed to focus her sights on Evan. She must have dropped off for him to of moved so quickly down in front of her like this.

A shiver rolled down her arm when she felt Hen gently take her left wrist and check her pulse out of habit.

"I- sorry… how long?" (Y/n) tilted her chin down into her chest and tried to clear the fuzzy feeling from her head. It always felt like her head was being filled with air and the blood drained down to her toes. She shakily reached her hand up to hold Evan's wrist and brush her thumb across the back of his hand.

But when she looked over at Eddie, her expression dropped as he checked his watch. "Half an hour."

"Oi! Don't panic her like that." Evan reached behind him and swatted his hand out against Eddie's knee who rose a brow and grinned. He knew (Y/n) couldn't tell how long she had zoned out for and she hated to have an episode in front of friends in case it did last a while and she ruined things. "You were out for a minute, baby. That's all."

Leaning forward, Evan kissed her shoulder before he reached out and grabbed the stool in the corner. He dragged it across so he could sit at the end of the table close to (Y/n). Now she had had one episode, she was liable to have another and he wanted to sit nearby ready for if another happened and he had to catch her again.

Evan had acquired lightning reflexes since being with (Y/n) and he thought of it as his super power, being able to catch her before she fell or her head dropped.

He curved his arm around her waist and gripped her thigh soothingly while (Y/n) held his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Does it happen often?"

"It's not as bad as it used to be… when I had the twins my cataplexy flared up every day." (Y/n) shivered at the thought. She could still remember when she was pregnant with the twins and the amount of times her head would drop or her legs would give way.

She remembered having to call Evan at work and ask him to come home because she'd had an episode and her head had slammed so hard and fast into the dining table that she gave herself a nosebleed that wouldn't stop.

At least with this pregnancy, so far things felt a little easier and her cataplexy wasn't playing up nearly as much.

Eddie leaned back in his chair and looked up at Finn when he started to babble something. The four year old began tapping his palm against his lips, making an odd popping sound that distorted whatever he was trying to say. Usually Finn's sounds weren't related to anything he wanted, he would make happy sounds or mush up words but if he wanted something he would just point.

"What's up mister?" He bounced Finn on his hip until Finn stood up on his thighs and pointed his hand over at Evan and (Y/n). "What… do you want your dad?"

Evan leaned back against (Y/n)'s chair and grinned over at his boy, but the smile faded from his face immediately when Fin started to babble.

"Daddy. Daddy, daddy. Daddy."

"Oh my God," (Y/n) pushed forward in her chair, bracing her hands on the table as she darted her eyes between Finn and Evan. She needed confirmation that she'd just heard that correctly. Did he just say that?

"What?… You said he babbles-"

"Yeah but he's never said my name before." Evan ran his fingers through his hair before he pushed up from the table. "He's never said a proper word- he's said my name!"

Finn didn't speak. That was why Evan had told the team beforehand about Finn being autistic and non-verbal. He could say something that sounded similar to his name which usually came out as 'min-min' when he babbled. He made a lot of strange and happy sounds and 'ow-wow' noises but Finn didn't pronounce or speak.

The doctor had said there was every possible chance that in the future and when he went to a school that focused on speech and language, Finn had a good chance of talking. He might not say full sentences or pronounce properly, but there was a chance of him talking. He could understand words. Finn knew every word that was spoken to him and he could comprehend speech and conversations he just didn't respond.

(Y/n) could feel the tears welling up in her eyes when Evan bolted up from his seat and leaned across the table to take Finn from Eddie.

He settled Finn on his chest and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, unable to stop the broad smile from lighting up his face. He sat back down next to (Y/n) and started tickling Finn who continued to repeat 'daddy' so loud and fast it mushed together and came out all jumbled. But when he started to tap his hand on Evan's shoulder, it just cemented that he knew what he was saying.

He knew who Evan was and how to say his name.

(Y/n) perched her chin on Evan's shoulder and pressed her lips to his neck while she heard the rest of the team cheering. Evan was never going to let her live this down. He wasn't going to let her forget that Finn said his name first. That his first word, his first big achievement, was saying Evan's name.

"Daddy."

"Clever boy."

[tumblerlove]

I really needed Simon with an unknown breeding kink and definitely a daddy kink 🫠😌

Simon never really gave much thought about having children one day. He didn't think he'd get an opportunity to meet someone and love them enough to have children with them. He didn't know if he would even make a good father really...until you of course

You guys had been dating for quite a while before getting engaged a few months ago. You couldn't be more excited to get married to Simon, and neither could he to you. He was excited to get to call you his wife. He even wore an engagement band, too. Letting everyone know that he was proudly taken...

Today, you and Simon were at a family gathering with your family. Simon liked your family a lot. They accepted him with open arms and never made him feel uncomfortable. He had been watching you from afar while sipping his beer sitting next to one of your cousins who was sharing a story

He watched you play with one of your little nieces and nephews. Simon was watching you make them smile and laugh. He had a tiny smirk on his face thinking about how your children would be loved like that and more. He watched you pick up your niece, put her on your hip, and she rested her head on your shoulder, latching on to you, and Simon couldn't help but look at you in wonder. He knew that you would be an excellent mother. He'd never thought about this before... but he can't help but wonder what you would look with a bump on you....from his doing.

Shit... you'd look good is what you'd look like. He's imagining you walking around wearing his shirts because yours aren't fitting anymore. He's imagining how your tits would look all big from growing. How everyone would know he did that to you and your carrying your twos child.... and how everyone would know how you came about said child

After coming back from the gathering, you went to get ready for bed in the bathroom while Simon changed. You changed into panties for the night along with one of Simon's big t shirts. His thoughts came running back from earlier seeing you in his shirt. All your missing is a swollen belly...shit

"Love, do you want children or want to start having them?" Simon's blurts out as you crawl next to him into bed. You looked at him a little shocked just from how random the timing was. "I mean, I would love to have kids with you Si, um I didn't really give much thought when to have children really I don't think it matters too much to me" you say to him still looking at him with curiosity. "Why's this coming up right now, Si?" You ask him as you reach across to brush his hair off his forehead. He gently grabs your wrist, pulling you closer to him, grabbing a hold of your waist and hauling you on his lap

"Because I uh saw you earlier with your nieces and nephews and couldn't help but think... " he pauses, not sure what your answer will be. "How good you would look carrying my- our child" You look at him for a second and think about what it would be like having Simon's child and raising them with you and Simon's looks and personality...

It made you happy to think about it. "I wouldn't mind carrying your child. Raising them with you sounds wonderful," you tell him as he leans across to kiss you softly. "You think I'd make a good father?" He asks with worry on his face he didnt wannna be like his father and you knew that..."Yes, of course Simon all kids like you... you would do so well being a father an amasjng one," you tell him with a kiss

He looks at you, and he knows what's he's gonna say now. "Can I make that happen now... I wanna start now," he says with big eyes, looking at you

You think for a second and think to tease him for just a second before you say yes to start now. "Well, what if someone says something at the wedding if I get pregnant beforehand?" You say faking worry. "I don't give a fuck if your pregnant at the wedding let someone say something...I'll handle it" he says starting to plant kisses to your neck

You tell him, "I won't take my birth control tonight." You look at him with a smile. The second, the words leave your lips, he flips you both over. Having you lay on the bed on your back, him hovering above. "I'm gonna fuck my cum into you every chance I get love until it sticks" Simon says while pulling his shirt off while you take your top off too. "No I'm fucking you with it on...it looks good" he says. He removed your panties pushing your shirt up over your stomach to reveal your already soft tummy that he's gonna fill up, and that cunt...my god he's gotta touch you

Simon starts rubbing his massive hand up and down your slit. He separates your slit seeing your hole dripping down and your clit was twitching aching to be touched. He massages your hole gathering your wetness to use over your clit. "Mmm Si that feels good" you whine to him holding onto the sheets while he keeps playing with your clit. He's massaging your clit so good and firm it's sending such pleasure through your body. "Ginna give you my fingers then my cock hun" he smiles at you as his other hand comes up teasing your hole. "Please Si please" you whine to him, trying to grab a hold onto anything, wanting more

He finally pushes his finger inside of you "Oh fuck" you groan his finger feels bigger then yours does and warm. You loved it so much. He starts pumping his finger inside of you, finding your g-spot, and then adding another finger. Hes doing this while still rubbing your clit. "Oh, I'm so close, Si," you claw at his biceps, holding on to him. He quickens his fingers on your clit adding to your pleasure even more. Your shaking as your cumming and your toes curling. "Fuck that's it...took my fingers so good...time for my cock" he says in your ear while planting kisses all over you

He spreads your legs farther apart, rubbing your thighs up and down. "I'm gonna fill you up and I don't care how long it takes us" he says while pumping his cock. You're whining just looking at his dick it always was a little stretch when he put it in but it felt so fucking good too. "Please fuck me...please...wanna make you a daddy for real" you whine starting to lose your mind a little wanting his cock inside you and his cum. He groans. "Oh shit your in for it now, love" hearing you say that to him, he loses it and plunges inside of you. Both of you grunting out and your cunt clenching down onto Simon. "Your pussy feels so good" he's grunting out in between his thrusts. "Fuck Daddy keep going I-uhh" you try to say to him till he moves your legs up to ears putting you into a mating press. Simon's hovering above you basically humping his cock inside of you getting as close as possible to fuck his cum right in

He snakes his hand down to your clit while his mouth latches onto one of your nipples licking at it. Its all so much stimulation coming from everywhere you can barely get words out at how good Simon's fucking you. He's making sure that you feel good before him and you are. "I'm gonna, mmm." you can't speak his thrusts getting faster "Me too uh me too" he's grunting out his face shows he's losing all restraint getting ready to cum. His thrusts are getting sloppy while his fingers are spending up onto your clit. You both are cumming at the same time, your clenching and dripping around Simon's cock while he just keeps emptying himself inside of you ropes and ropes of cum hoping it sticks

He doesn't move for a while until he thinks his cum is really inside of you good. He slowly pulls his cock out while looking at your cunt and watches his cum flood out of you. "Mm can't have that" he says before pushing his fingers inside of you again to push his cum back in causing you to groan from being sensitive. "Gotta make sure it sticks, honey." he looks up at you with a smile...fuck it's gonna be a long night

[d3adbr3inc3lls]

may i request a post-dlc kieran x male punk reader? reader is seen as pretty intimidating due to their music taste and style, and they don’t back down about their beliefs, but they’re still a kind person. maybe when they battle they play on their guitar to hype their pokemon up, and rock out alongside them!

please take care, i really enjoy your writing :)

Post DLC!Kieran x Punk!M!Reader

A/N: Sorry this is late, but yeah, hope you enjoy it !!! Gave reader a shiny Toxtricity because I feel like it suits their aesthetic.

10/08 - I had this ready months ago, idk why I haven't posted it earlier....

Sure Kieran wasn't in his "Don't raise your voice at me. I WILL cry" phase anymore, and he was the seccond strongest trainer in the Academy

But that didn't stop him from being intimidated by others.

He heard rumours about you-

About how loud you were, how much of a troublemaker you were, how disobedient you were, constantly breaking the rules as you see fit.

Even Carmine strongly warned him to stay away from you.

You were seen as a delinquent by some teachers who were quick to judge, how could he not be intimidated?

You stood up for your beliefs, and sure, a small part of him admired that under all the fear and intimidation.

Rules are made to be broken.

Right?

He believed the rumors for so long, he tried to stay away from you as much as possible, fearing for whatever ruckus you may cause.

But in reality, you are a kind person, and Kieran only found that out becuase the two of you shared the same battle studies class and you two battled eachother.

As expected, Kieran won the battle, he was ex-champion after all.

But honestly? Kieran was blown away at your battling style,

You and your shiny Toxtricity were like partners in crime.

The two of you two complemented eachother well.

Kieran was always mesmerised at how you went full out in battles. You always used your guitar to hype up your party and it worked.

Their cries always got stronger alongside whatever you were playing inspired Kieran to give it his all.

That was the only time he ever interacted with you, and you were the complete opposite of what the rumours said you are.

He'd often see you in the music rooms, practising your guitar with some pokémon out, happily jamming along.

Over time, you befriend him, [he's still a bit introverted, so you took your time to make sure he's comfortable].

You began sitting next to him during your breaks - he invited you over after all,

If you asked him, he found it interesting to see how you were the complete opposite of what people say you are,

You just had strong opinions, and you'd never hide them in fear of standing out.

He admired that.

Over time, the two of you began to get closer, and then began dating.

He confessed to you by giving you an Applin.

Believe me, he tried to find a shiny one to match your shiny Toxtricity, and he came out empty handed.

Kieran was rather keen on keeping the relationship private, he didn't want Carmine to find out and yell at him for it.

So the two kept a low profile,

Whenever Kieran sees something related to punk, he'd always get it for you, even if he doesn't know what it means.

He probably got you a few things related to rebellion without knowing,

He loves hanging out at your dorm, he isn't worried or stressed about Carmine barging in and demanding something from him.

10/10 Kieran seems like the type of person who would love to have a blanket over the two of you and put on a movie, or have a walk in the park at night.

Kieran also seems like the type of person to ask about Punk history and anything related to the movement,

Searching everything up online is an option, but is it really the best option?

He wants to know more about you and what the movement means to you, not what some random person on the internet says.

Kieran probably got you or your Toxtricity a Punk themed jacket because he thought they looked cool and matched your aesthetic.

10/10 gets you random Punk stickers (He probably doesn't know what half of them mean, but they suit your aesthetic - hopefully.)

[goldfades]

🍁 for luke?!

congrats again on 100!! 🫶🏻

AAAAAA TYSM LOVE !!!!!! enjoy this blurb lmao, i love lukey pookie <3

he's so 1989. idk why but he just gives off that vibe. OKAY. HE'S VERY 'how you get the girl' (he for sure got the girl in this one lmao)

luke doesn't know how the hell he ended up at your house.

it was a 11:30 on a random tuesday, he knows you're asleep but he can't, even though he knows he has early morning practice tomorrow and a whole day of classes. his mind is racing, but so is this heart.

it was raining and he's still in his pajamas, too. his new jersey devils pj's really fit the whole mood. he rolled his eyes at himself ─ why didn't he change?

it had been six months since you two had broken up. well, not exactly. tomorrow morning, or in 20 minutes time, it would be exactly 6 months since you two had broke up. he knew this because he had been anxiously counting the days until your break-up was official.

ever since luke was little, jack would always tell him that break-up's weren't official until the 6 month mark which basically gave them a 'grace period' to get back together. and even now, as a whole adult, he applies it to everything.

he doesn't even know why he was here. he knew you had moved on ─ he saw all those guys you were with at the bar the other night, you weren't hurting anymore. still, that stupid rule made everything so much worse. knowing that after this period, you wouldn't even be thinking about him anymore made him sick.

he decided, an hour ago, that he was gonna get you back that night. he finally let out a big exhale and closed his eyes, getting out of the car and into the rain, walking up to your driveway and to your front door.

he quickly rang the doorbell twice ─ it was your guys' inside joke, knocking twice or ringing the doorbell twice was some kind of code for one another.

he heard some faint footsteps and he straightened his posture, letting out a loud exhale before you opened the door.

your eyes widened at the sight. your ex, luke hughes, standing outside your door in the rain, a few minutes before midnight. he could see the grogginess on your face and suddenly felt a tinge of guilt.

his curly hair was soaking wet and so were his pj's and you almost cringed at the sight. then you saw his face, his cute, stupid face. your heart fluttered at the sight, like it always did when you saw him, even when he was being a fucking asshole.

"luke, what are you doing here?" you shouted over the rain, that was starting to become more than just a midnight shower.

"i-i..." he didn't even know what to say. he let out a loud exhale before speaking again. "i miss you, y/n. i really, really miss you. i can't sleep, i keep repeating that fight over and over again and every time, i wish i had said something different. anything else would've been better."

your heart broke again at those words as you were transported back to that night. you shook your head, you didn't wanna relive that after you'd tried so hard to get over it all these months. "oh, you can't sleep?" you said, sarcastically. "i have repeated that night over and over again too, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. for a while, i even blamed myself─"

"it's not your fault, it was mine!"

"yeah, i know that now." you spoke bitterly at the boy, who was now shaking from the now, heavy rainfall. "i wish you had said something different, too, luke. but now we both have to live with the conseque─"

"fuck, y/n!" he grunted in frustration. "i'm so mad at myself for letting that happen, i'm so sorry for doing that to you."

you let those few words sink in. luke hughes was not one to ever apologize, you knew that. that was one of the reasons why you two had ended things and hearing those words come out of his mouth felt somewhat therapeutic. "luke─"

"y/n, please just let me talk!" he shouted over the rain. "if i could go back in time i would. if i could just... erase all of it, i would. but i can't. and i know i'm selfish for even asking this but i want you back. no one compares to you and no one ever will, y/n. i've tried, i really have. but i lost you once and i'll be damned if i lost you again if you just gave me another chance.”

that whole monologue sounded like it was right outta a movie. you didn't know how to feel ─ or how to react. you felt so many emotions wash over you and you took another good look at luke.

his curly hair, his soft skin, his entire face just took you back to when you two were together ─ the good times, too. summer at the lake house with his family, late night car rides for drinks, sunday night dates because he insisted that saturdays were for the boys, and especially, his soft touch.

luke's heart was beating out of his chest and he knew he was going to catch a cold because of how long he'd been standing outside, but all of that wouldn't matter if you just took him back. he watched your expression change and he swears he felt like a million tons had just been lifted off his chest as you opened up the door for him to come in.

"alright, luke. fine, one more chance. one, and if you fuck up, it's over and it will be over for the rest of our lives, got it?"

that sweet smile graced his lips for the first time tonight as he walked into your home, exhaling deeply. "got it."

you both stared into each other's eyes, your heart beating fast as a smile plastered on your face as well. then, luke smashed his lips against yours and pushed you against the door. "won't make you regret it, princess."

MY 100 FOLLOWER CELLY!

[poisonous-lemonade]

hii, are you accepting requests right now? (if not, feel free to just ignore this😅)

I love the reactions you wrote for the obey me cast with child!mc!!

so I had this idea that the cast and mc don't have contact with each other after mc goes back to the human world (for whatever reason)

But when mc is like 20 they get teleported again to the devildom, so they see each other for the first time in years and mc is all grown up now, how would the brothers react to that?

A/N: AH- that's so cute 💛 Pt 2 will be out soon!

All Grown Up

MC tugged on Diavolo's hand, Barbatos by their side as they walked together to the portal, ready to send the young human back to the human realm. The brother awaits there, Mammon and Asmo on the verge of tears. Satan patting Asmo's back without much interest. Belphie, was more awake than usual when compared to the tall giant that was his twin, Beel, with dark circles under his eyes. Levi stuck next to Lucifer, rubbing his tears away before they get the chance to spill and Lucifer stood tall, his pride and loyalty holding him back from just stopping this entire thing.

"Do I have to go?" Mc asked, it had only been a year but that year spent with Mc was the best of the brothers' life, they got to have a younger sibling again, well, for some it was definitely a new experience.

Mc had spent their 6th birthday there, it was the best one they had ever had, even if the human competition was no match for Devildom celebration or festivities.

"I am deeply sorry, but you do, you may come back when you are older, yes?" Nodded Diavolo, bending down to the small child's height, fixing the small paper crown he had placed on their head. "Remember, we will always be here for you." Mc nodded her head at his kind words, although she did not understand them fully.

They understood that they had their pact marks and the protection of the Seven Brothers and the Royals of Devildom as well as high-ranking angels and an immortal sorcerer but they couldn't quite grasp it all.

"Will, will I see you all again?" Asked the small child, sending the emotional brothers into a crying fit, bawling into their jackets, their sleeves and (in Beel and Belphie's case) each other.

"Of course, you will, my dear, one day, I promise," Lucifer spoke, patting Mammon's back gently. "One day you will be older, and one day, we will see you again. I swear on it."

Mc was grown, plagued with memories of this place called 'Devildom', some imaginary place she had probably made up when their parent made them watch some biblical film, although they cannot remember it.

Not only were they plagued with memories, but they were also plagued with visions, one's that made almost zero sense until the right moment.

One time they could've sworn they saw a peacock in their room before a big speech, little did they know, but they were fueled with confidence when they were sent in front of the classroom which suddenly seemed so small, so hard to breathe, and yet they did it. They didn't get a high mark on the speech, but even they impressed themselves with that random boost of pride.

A couple weeks before, they saw an odd amount of crows outside their window, they then decided they would feed them like any 8-year-old would, oddly enough, the number was an even 12, even more odd was when 12 seemed to be their lucky number, they found 12 bills, 12 coins, 12 shiny rocks, 12 everything, it was strange to them but they was so grateful, they couldn't help but feel lucky.

But then a couple of months ago Mc had the strange feeling of being watched, like something in the shadows of their closet and the shadow of under the bed, but it felt warm and safe until they learnt it was a snake, then they were really scared, still, as her parents took it outside, she could’ve sworn things were missing from her, what an envious little snake.

Then after the peacock, Mc must've been imagining it because there was no way that there was a unicorn in their room, but their mane felt so real and soft and comforting, it even curled up on their lap like a cat as she read a story aloud, when it left however, just outside their window, it looked like a tornado had gone through it, it must've been a really angry unicorn.

Then almost immediately after, a scorpion was found in their mother's makeup box, its pinchers and stinger trying to put eye shadow on itself, it was almost funny if not terrifying, but MC couldn't just go up to their mother of the night, telling her that they stole her makeup box and that there was a scorpion in it, so they didn't, they just let it do its thing, it was almost loving to MC.

Then the next day a cow and bear appeared in their room, how did they even get in?! The bear was massive! Like it was so big it couldn't even make it through the window big and the cow was a cow! How did a cow get in with a big bear! The bear ate all of their food, they barely got a chance to taste it and the cow just slept on their lap. What a lazy and gluttonous duo.

A few years later, all those imaginary friends started to fade, the peacock's colour fading, the luck of crow stopping suddenly, and the snake came back, only for a moment, to give back her things, like they were always there. The unicorn rarely showed up but he always did when they were mad, he didn't anymore, and the weird scorpion suddenly disappeared one day, in front of their eyes. The bear and cow, who only slept and ate, stopped, they just sat around, not sleeping, not eating, not anything, before they just never showed up.

This was a great weight off MC's back, still, they couldn't feel like a part of them was suddenly missing, like a part of their life was suddenly gone.

But they were older now, they weren't going to let this get in the way of things. They were grown, an adult, a real adult, finally. They had high hopes for graduating this year, they might've been held back because of their 'disappearance' but this was their year.

Oh, how wrong they were.

Suddenly, like clockwork, they sat at their desk, the feathered pen in their hand, the golden rings on their fingers, and headphones wrapped around their neck, the floor began to cave in on itself, sending a spike of fear in MC before they jumped out of her chair, their heart beating fast, knocking over their skincare, the unicorn statue they kept around shattered, the cow and bear plushie tore apart from each other's arms, as the sinkhole grew, MC was frozen in place, their heart beating so fast that they could barely keep up with it as their room rumbled, they tried to stand up before falling back and into the black abyss.

"Welcome back, MC."

Pt 2 coming soon!

[accidentally-in-fictional-love]

Devil's Luck - Dr. Fearless/Reader

Warnings: Gender-neutral reader (with some masc nicknames), nothing but typical Fearless failcringe (we love it).

Wordcount: 6836

Summary: Your luck was so weird, you could end up doing something random like win a contest to an online horror host's livestream thanks to a friend, and somehow manage to meet your soulmate, but that might be pushing it, right?

Notes: My first Fearless >:3 this was part of a trade with the wonderful @lakesofneptune for writing me Matty 💗/)//w//(\💗 it was amazing, so in return I've put on my fangs and written this 🧛 I hope you all enjoy~ 🖤🖤🖤

You didn't know how your luck worked, but boy was it prevalent in the weirdest of ways. Hitting every single detour to the point of being late, and still managing to do it on the one day of the month where it somehow still benefited you. Losing your wallet right before you need to pay for groceries, and having it be returned by the hottest person in the store just in time. Entering a random contest because your best friend only wanted half of the prize, and knowing your track record he’d written down your name on the off chance you won, so naturally you did.

That was how you ended up here on a late Monday night of all nights, the details given to you by your friend just hours before as he excitedly barged into your apartment with the announcement email printed off. You'd just gotten home, and he knew that since you were neighbours, the man waiting for you with bated breath it seemed as you watched him slap the paper down on your counter while you were still in the process of taking off your coat. ‘I just made your whole night,’ he boldly claimed, and you just blinked at him while you remained frozen mid-removal. ‘You just won the privilege to be on TV, courtesy of me! Well, not exactly, but it is being livestreamed, that's where the channel is- nevermind, just get ready, there's a dress code for this so you fit in, I wish they'd sent this earlier, we might've had time to do your hair.’

You blinked again as he spoke, his hands wild and his eyes scanning your closet for something that would fit said dress code, and you finished taking off your coat and set it over the back of your couch. ‘Uh, hello to you too,’ you said as you moved on to your shoes, not bothered at all as he started motioning for you to move a little faster. 

‘Okay, I know this doesn't happen for a few hours, but you really do need to get ready,’ he insisted as he headed for your closet and inspected it more closely, your pair of black boots you saved for winter coming out along with the trenchcoat you bought as part of a Halloween costume years ago and just never donated when you were done with it.

‘What the hell are you dressing me as?’ you asked with a curious raise of your eyebrows at the startings of the ensemble, and he seemed unsure about the coat but ultimately set it aside with the boots. He didn't answer you, just rushed to your bedroom to raid your other closet presumably, and you sighed and followed him before he made a mess. 

‘Need dark clothes, spikes, leather, uh… you still have the rest of that costume? I can lend you some of my stuff if you don’t,’ he wondered without even looking at you, and you resigned yourself to your fate and started to dig through the boxes buried behind all the stuff you actually wore.

‘If this is for some kinda sex thing-’

‘It’s not! It's classy, just gothic, I swear,’ he insisted when your outfit was chosen, and as you stared down at it you had to trust your weird luck and that your friend wouldn't lead you astray.

‘Fine, so what is this? Something livestreamed, am I like, putting on a presentation? Do I need to memorize anything?’ There was no fighting this, might as well go with the flow, it would be less painful this way when he brought you to this mysterious location.

‘Well, there's this channel I watch, and they're all about horror, you know how much I love horror; anyway, they got two tickets to that new vampire movie that's coming out, we're talking premium seats, free popcorn, opening night, it's sick as hell. So they started a contest, write them an email about how much you love horror and the first place winner gets the tickets as well as a spot on the show when they go to collect them, and that's gunna be you!’ It was then you noticed that he was dressed a little fancier than usual, his hair was slicked back and he was wearing eyeliner, his own gothness upped a few levels for the occasion.

‘Lemme guess, the winner gets to bring a friend,’ you figured, your reflection showing you a pair of vampires by the time you were done, it was almost kind of funny. 

‘Of course, it's first prize, plus I'm not leaving without those tickets,’ he told you matter of factly, and he looked you over before humming to himself and snapping his fingers. He pulled out an eyeliner pen from his pocket and quickly applied it to you, he was very prepared for this, and you had to admit it did look like you were about to hit the local goth club or something like this. ‘That'll have to do, time to head out, thank you so much for doing this for me, you know how much I hate being on camera.’

‘Oh, so that's why I'm the scapegoat here,’ you realized flatly while you did up your shoes, but he completely missed or ignored your sarcastic tone. 

‘It's just for a half hour, the host is pretty eccentric and he does bits between the movies, so most of your appearance will be banter, and you know how bad I am with that,’ he reminded you like you weren't already well aware of how he clammed up the moment someone shot a quip back at him. ‘So based on the other guests I've seen, you'll just go on, do some talking about horror stuff - which you can bullshit your way through, you've known me long enough - announce a short film submitted to or found by the producers, and then whatever movie is playing next. After that you'll probably get my tickets, we can get outta there, and I’ll tell you if the movie is any good.’

‘Wha- I don't even get to go after all this?’

‘Hell no, you know I’ve been trying to ask that girl down at the 2nd floor out, this is the perfect date, actually perfect, I can’t- I cannot waste this on just us hanging out, can’t do it man, I’m sorry,’ he apologized profusely while also managing to sound not sorry at all, something he was incredibly good at.

‘Alright, but if she doesn’t go for it, I want that second seat,’ you bargained, to which he gladly agreed as thanks for you doing this. That settled, he picked the paper back up off the counter and led the way to his car; the place was some rented building in what used to be a stripmall, all the shops around it closed and rented out for various reasons like this, between self storage, an apartment you were pretty sure, and a small-time but very heavily guarded liquor store. It wasn't impressive, but it brought life to the place you could see as people filled the normally empty parking lot now that the sun had set and the show was about to be in progress.

You’d learned that while it was livestreamed for its channel, they also opened their doors to the locals as well to stop in, catch a movie, and donate if they liked what was going on. You could see that the small crowd they drew were very much into it, no one there ironically to your surprise, and you started to worry that maybe bullshitting your way through your half hour wouldn’t be as easy as your friend thought; you were a casual enjoyer of horror compared to him, and these other people. You liked to see the latest stuff with your favourite B-Tier actor in it when he reappeared for roles, and you enjoyed the popular classics and the odd camp as much as the next guy, but could you get away with that when the person walking in front of you had the bride of Dracula shaved into his hair?

‘I don’t think I can do this, they’ll know I didn’t write the letter,’ you gulped when you transitioned from stripmall to eerily decorated rooms, the whole place looking more like you were about to enter a haunted house than a set. 

‘Shit, I knew I forgot something, I printed it off so you could read it, maybe drop a line or two,’ he hissed before he was forcing a huge smile and presenting his winning ticket even though it should’ve been you. The ticket taker, a tall woman with bright red hair and too many piercings to count, looked you both over before motioning for a shorter woman with white hair done up in high twintails with fake devil horns on her headband to lead your way, and you followed her nervously until you reached the set. It was done up even more than the foyer, two plush chairs with an old box tv between them as the main attraction while the rest was decorated to look like a castle library you presumed.

There was a coffin in the left corner right before the backdrop ended, candles galore - although you were sure they were mostly for show, burnt down until the wax got everywhere while fake ones were hidden between - as well as jars filled with various things. There were so many fake cobwebs you were sure some real ones were bound to be mixed in by now, and even a fake fireplace and chandelier hung from the ceiling next to the boom mic. It was a pretty well-loved set, every nook and cranny you could see positively filled with Halloween and horror themed things; while it looked cheap to buy, everything was touched up and placed with great care, and even now people were leaving tips and browsing the small corner of the room dedicated to themed treats as well as the graciously flowing popcorn maker.

‘Wow, this is the real deal,’ you said aloud before you could help yourself, and instantly you felt a presence behind you that wasn't your friend or the woman who’d brought you over.

‘Indeed, welcome to my humble abode, I trust you’re the lucky vic- I mean, guest I’ll have the honour of sitting with tonight?’ It was a man’s voice, heavy with an over the top Transylvanian accent, and when you turned you were very much not ready to see who it belonged to; out of everyone there, it was clear even from a distance that this was your host, your eyes looking up and up until you met his own. He was pale, caked in makeup to make him appear almost dead, his eyes surrounded by more black than you’d ever seen on anyone outside of Halloween, with a thin, red scar trailing from his forehead to his cheek and a pair of long Nosferatu-style fangs resting over his bottom lip. 

He was all dressed up in his vampiric best, from the black suit overtop his silky, purple shirt, to the red jeweled medallion hanging between the clasps of his impressively expensive-looking cape, but none of that was what really caught your eye. No, it was the haircut, a bob with triangle bangs that were cut way too high, and you couldn’t stop the small and short laugh as it escaped your throat when you saw it. Instantly your friend was there to stop you from letting out more and to introduce himself, your host’s eyes only on you despite the rudeness even as his hand was taken in an eager handshake.

‘Hey! Sorry about that, my name is-’

‘Please, with all due respect, it is your captivating friend here which I am interested in,’ he interrupted as he stole his hand back and presented it to you instead, and you noticed the black nail polish to top it all off when you looked down. ‘You’re the winner of my little search for a lover of all things macabre and fiendish, are you not?’

‘Uh, yeah, that’s me,’ you lied, your friend frozen in shock at getting to shake his hand even for that brief moment.

‘Wonderful, I could sense it when I looked at you, your blood smelled positively rich with fright even from across my theater, a creature after my own heart,’ he swooned like he was in love, and one quick glance to your friend told you it was all part of the bit, he thought himself a Romeo of monsters.

‘Oh, I don’t know if it’s fright, but-’ You cut yourself off when he then took your hand, tired of waiting for you to shake it, but instead of the greeting your friend had gotten, he simply lifted your hand up while he leaned over, and you felt his fake teeth press into your skin as he kissed you hello. 

‘Divine, your pulse under my lips makes my heart soar, perhaps I may get more acquainted with it during the show, turn you into one of my own,’ he thought aloud as he stared at you through dark makeup and long lashes, and you didn’t know whether to laugh or blush at how hard he was hamming it on before the cameras even started rolling.

‘Yeah, sure, I’m the winner, aren’t I? Pretty good prize to become a vampire at the end,’ you joked, but he seemed to take it seriously as his eyes widened briefly in excitement.

‘What a handsome addition to my clan,’ he whispered before kissing you again, and this time you felt less sure about how much he was actually hamming it or if he was a better actor than you originally thought. Your moment was quickly interrupted when a new person arrived to hand him his script for the night, the two talking quietly to themselves as you were guided presumably just out of sight by the shorter woman again. She gave you the quick rundown while you were gently touched up for the cameras, how you were indeed going to be called on, do some banter, introduce some things, and then you were free to go claim your tickets. 

Seemed easy enough, and his eccentricness seemed just as easy to match as long as you forgot the fact that 20+ people were watching you in this room alone, so you practiced your breathing and waited as the lights dimmed and a spotlight fell over the coffin in the corner. You hadn’t watched him enter it but apparently he had, the fireplace now roaring to life behind the chairs and TV, each of the fake candles now creating shadows on everything. The chatter started to quiet until the whole room was silent, everyone gathered into the mismatch of thrifted couches and chairs so it really felt like a theater or even a living room, the only sounds that of the snacks currently being chewed and the fog machine whirring to life.

‘Good evening, Boils and Ghouls, my Fiendish Freaks who dare dredge these long, cold nights with the Creatures of the Dark for any glimmer of light,’ his voice came from the speakers placed around the room, but there was no applause, that wasn't the atmosphere of this place. The coffin creaked open with a perfectly timed soundboard hit, the creak overly loud as he reached out delicately and pushed the lid until he was revealed, and the spotlight landed perfectly on him as he looked out onto the crowd before focusing on the camera. ‘Once again, it is I, your horrid host of the evening, Dr. Fearless, and I thank you all for joining me. Tonight, we have a horrible lineup of classic horror monsters to terrify you with, to finish off our Marathon of Madness leading into the most wonderful month of the year, October.

‘We also have not one, but two short films made by aspiring fearmakers, full of monsters the likes of which this castle has yet to house, let us hope none of them decide to crawl through your screen and find a home there.’ He left the coffin completely as he spoke, taking careful steps towards the leftmost chair, and as soon as he sat down the TV blinked to life, static filling the room as the spotlight faded into something gloomier so the room wasn't in complete darkness apart from the candles. ‘But first, let us welcome our Ghoulish Guest for tonight, the answer to my howls in the dark, the Passenger of the Demeter!’

That was your cue, and the soundboard lit up again with a very classic organ tune as bats chirped in the background, a roar of thunder sounding as you sat across from him. You went to shake his hand properly this time, but again he refused, another kiss warming your hand before he quickly turned your arm to expose your wrist; your eyes widened as he leaned in for a bite, and you almost let him surprisingly enough before you felt the tips of his fangs press into your skin. You jerked away, and he feigned offense before catching himself, an apology tossed your way with a great flourish.

‘Forgive me, I thought you might be offering me a drink to start off the evening, these films often leave me quite parched,’ he projected, and when you opened your mouth to say it was okay you found a zombie standing beside you dressed as a butler; he held out a golden tray, of course silver would be off the menu, and on it was what could only be described as a grand - at least from afar - goblet next to a large wine glass. ‘Thank you, my humble helper, this will greatly help until I may have a taste- er, a toast, with our guest,’ he told the man, who loudly groaned and walked off as soon as the drinks were taken.

You could smell that it was simply fruit punch, but the colour was darker, probably deepend with food colouring, they really were the real deal. He held up his goblet while everyone stared, and you ignored them all as you tapped the rim of your glass against his own before taking a small sip. He seemed pleased, and in one swift movement he set down his goblet, crossed his legs, and adjusted his cape with another grand flourish.

‘Now that our thirsts have been quenched, let us partake in this delectable first short film to start off the night, a fearful story about what happens when love takes a desperate turn,’ he told the cameras dramatically, and the TV flickered to life to show everyone the short in question. ‘You're doing wonderful, my Myotis,’ he whispered to you as the short’s audio was blasted through the room, a secondary screen dropping down to reveal a projector hiding above the chandelier so everyone else could watch.

‘Your what?’ you whispered back in confusion, but he either didn't hear you or ignored the question.

‘By the way, since I was so very entranced by your eyes when we met, I forgot to ask what you would like to be called during our gathering, do you have any special name prepared?’

‘Uh, no, not really,’ you chuckled awkwardly, something like that hadn't even been close to being on your mind.

‘I shall name you like the day you were born, then, something chilling but also fitting of your beauty, your charm,’ he offered, still hamming it up even though only you could hear, and you wondered for a moment if maybe this was just… how he always was, this wasn't an act for the cameras.

‘Okay, shock and awe me,’ you agreed as you took another sip of ‘blood’, and his eyes shone in the firelight as he quickly started to think up something befitting of you; he was silly, and so over the top you knew you could never match this energy, but he was also strangely endearing in a way, a childlike wonder and love for all of this setting him apart from everyone else watching so intently before you, and you could see why people came to the streams, not just watched them at home.

The short ended and you actually didn't notice at first until the credits were over and the screen rose again, the film ended on the TV as well as it switched back to the atmospheric static. ‘Wasn't that frightening, my Fiends? Trading the senses just to keep love, choosing the heart of another over being able to ever see them again, have you ever seen anything more romantic?’ Of course no one answered, and in the audience you saw your friend eating all of this up along with the complimentary snacks that came with being the ‘winner's guest’. ‘Ah, but we are not here for romance, we're here for the darkness within us all to be shared, exposed, torn open and put on display like an embalmed, still-beating heart,’ he continued as he covered the lower half of his face with his cape dramatically. ‘Of course, having met our guest tonight, I might finally understand what that kind of devotion might drive someone to, wouldn't you agree?’

The sound of a beating heart pulsed through the speakers, and he stared at you until you met his eye and he raised his eyebrows suggestively, his mouth still hidden. You tried not to laugh, a bit of a chuckle still escaping, and he still took it and held his hands over his heart as he leaned back in his chair.

‘Like music to my ears, but again, we are not here for love, we are here for fear, terror, maybe even a bit of pain for those so inclined-’ Another eyebrow raise, apparently he was the one inclined. ‘-so allow my devilish date to introduce our next short after a quick message from our benefactors.’ You assumed that was his term for the channel's sponsors, and sure enough someone else came back out to talk about some product they were being pushed to promote off to your right, the camera turning to their section of stage while they talked. This allowed you both another moment to talk, and he handed you a card with the next short’s title as well as some information about it as soon as you were out of sight. ‘Memorize this, the way you've already memorized my very soul, my enticing incubus,’ he told you, and this time you couldn't hide your laugh.

‘Okay,’ was all you had to say to that one as you stifled your surprised snickers, the card small and to the point with its words as such.

‘I must say, with the way you wrote that letter to me, I expected more conversation with you, perhaps you are too overwhelmed by my presence to speak? I apologize if so, I never intended to strike you speechless when it is you who steals the words from my very throat until I cannot breathe,’ he continued as he leaned in, his goblet in hand and faintly staining his pale lips a little more red as he sipped again. You shot your friend a glance, of course your personalities would come off as so different, and you didn't want to get him disqualified at the last second when he was so looking forward to his upcoming date.

‘Guess I'm a bit camera shy,’ you didn't exactly lie, and he let out a long, ‘Ahhhhh~’ in understanding as he turned to watch the device film his co-worker.

‘I, too, used to fear the camera, I worried that it wouldn't be able to record me so my dreams of being a horror host would be dashed, but do not fret, my charming cadaver, I can attest that it is more afraid of you than you are of it, you are doing just fine.’ Despite the flowery - weedy? - language you had to admit that he sounded genuine in his advice, and you nodded to yourself as the sponsor finished up and the two of you prepared to be focused on again.

‘Thanks, I think I'm ready now,’ you whispered to him just before the audience was staring at you again, and you took a bigger sip to steel your nerves and held the card in your hand just out of view. 

‘Wasn't that hypnotizing, I feel the need to go to their digital address and present them with the phrase my associate has just shared so generously with you all.’ He wasted no time in getting back to it, he couldn’t afford to when they still needed to get to the movie before it got too late. ‘Now, it is time for our surprise second tale of sorrow, if you'll allow my guest to tell you all about it, the horrifying, the enchanting, the anticipated… Lord Dullahan~’ 

Your eyebrows raised, naming you after the Headless Horseman despite having a head was a bold move, and you stole a glance at your friend and channeled all of his energy as you sucked in a deep breath and felt the atmosphere settle into your bones. ‘Good evening, as a great enjoyer of the strange and unusual, I find myself quite at home here, my dear Fearless,’ you said as grandly as you could, making sure to project your voice loud so it could be picked up by not only the boom mic high above but also the audience, and your friend gave you two thumbs up before delving back into his popcorn with a big smile. 

Fearless, on the other hand, looked positively surprised by you, and you swore you might've seen actual hearts - medically accurate ones at that - in his eyes as he stood up and fell to one knee in front of the TV with a large swish of his cape behind him, his hand finding yours before you could blink.

‘The pleasure is all mine to host you, my dear Dullahan,’ he said like you were the only two in the room, briefly losing himself in the bit it seemed, and the person manning the soundboard thought now would be a perfect time to make use of that beating heart cue again. You heard your friend snicker so you doubled down and kissed his hand before pulling yours away to take another sip, going for a more mysterious air after your long silence in front of everyone else. You couldn't be sure under the lights and his makeup but it almost looked like his cheeks flushed a bit at the gesture, and you grinned at the taste of his own medicine before going back to your little ‘script’.

‘While the storm rages outside, why don't you join us by this warm fire while we watch a tale about what happens when you try to cheat death, and how you might just get exactly the answers you've been looking for along the way.’ You had no cape, but you still hid your face the same way he had, and when you glanced down and saw him still kneeling there you swore that he might actually think you were his soulmate with how genuinely in love he looked, he was a damn good actor under all the camp. ‘Doctor, I believe our guests might not be able to partake along with us as long as you’re down there, would you prefer to watch from your seat, or mine?’

This one threw him through a loop greater than he’d done to you, and when he looked unable to answer, his hands hovering over your own, your knee, his eyes never leaving your own, you then channeled every vampire movie you’d ever seen; you pet him under the chin, dragging your finger across his jaw to his chin in order to make him stand, and he did so easily he might actually be hypnotized, you had to give it to him for selling all this so seamlessly. Just when he looked ready to sit, you stood as well and took his seat, giving him yours to finish the bit, and the TV sparked back to life as he sat down and watched you instead of the screen. Behind you, the short played again just over your heads, and you nearly drank from his goblet before realizing that yours was still on the opposite table.

‘An indirect kiss from you would be like a dream, a nightmare on a stormy night, such bliss you could give me,’ he whispered as he went to drink from your own, and you shook your head and exchanged it back without distracting the audience too much from the film.

‘Sorry, maybe next time,’ you joked, your throat surprisingly dry even after such little speaking. ‘You’re good at improv, sorry for nearly derailing things, by the way.’

He shook his head, his disappointment over the kiss looking a little too real as he set his goblet back down on the other table. ‘Do not trouble yourself over such a trivial thing, none have ever rendered me as silent as the grave as you have, I fear it is my head that may roll by the end of the night,’ he waxed poetically at you, still hamming it up before a new disappointment showed on his face. ‘Ah, but alas, I may never get that privilege, you’re to leave me once the film begins, are you not?’

You paused, you’d almost forgotten about that part, in fact your friend was already starting to gather up his many wrappers and stuff them into the now empty popcorn bag, the flashing lights shining on him in his seat. You frowned, this was too much fun, more than you expected it to be, and you motioned for him to lean in; he eagerly did, his eyes wide and looking pitch black instead of brown in the darkness no matter how close he came to you. ‘Would I be able to stay for the film? I mean, I can move to the audience somewhere, or to the floor if there’s no room, I’ve just… never done anything like this before, I don’t want to leave, not right away, at least?’

He almost broke character as he actually looked away from you and to the people in the glass-partitioned studio where his live editor and director sat, and he had a wordless conversation with them in front of you while the audience focused on the scifi hell going on behind you. When he looked back he was himself again, or Fearless, more rather, and he reached across the TV’s expanse in search of your hand. You humoured him as thanks, and he nodded his head, already coming up with his next lines no doubt as the film above finished up.

‘How terrifying, again we’ve seen what lengths we will go to for love, and what harm we will bring to those in the way of those lengths,’ he said as soon as the screen was raised again, and you nodded at the camera and crossed your legs, his chair definitely more comfy than your own had been despite being the same.

‘Would you ever go to such lengths for love, Doctor?’ you asked in order to keep your presence worth it, and again he tripped over his own tongue as he gazed over to you.

‘I shall tonight, if anyone dares separate us before midnight,’ he threatened playfully with a theatrical wave of his hands, a subtle warning to those behind the glass after his conversation with them. ‘Speaking of, the clock is about to strike, soon it will be October, and I cannot think of better company to start off the season of witches and werewolves and welcome my fellow vampires back into the harvest moonlight.’ He stood and gave his audience a bow, a chorus of bats nearly making you jump as he dipped down low. ‘The time is upon us now, the countdown begins, and so I shall have to bid my guest adieu so we may partake in our grand finale of the evening; Lord Dullahan, if you’d please?’

He extended his hand back to you, and you tried to hide your disappointment as you took it, only for him to get you one last time; he drew you close and lowered his face into your neck, not actually biting you but still startling you enough to make you cling to him in a not so unpleasant fear. Your eyes widened as you sucked in a shaky breath, your fingers digging in what had to be uncomfortably into his bicep and shoulder, and you heard him chuckle before you realized what was going on and you fell limp in his arms.

‘A creature so lovely cannot be permitted to leave this castle alive! Forgive me, my innocent Dullahan, I could not resist the sweet call of your blood, your heartbeat, the way I had to feel it pulse under my piercing fangs… I swear I shall care for you here, this castle will forever be your home, and you will forever be mine!’ You pretended to look drowsily up at him, your grip returning to his arms since you’d gone a bit too limp and there was now a very real chance of him dropping you on the floor in front of everyone. You rubbed at your neck and winced, and when you brought your hand up you showed the red from your obscured glass now staining your fingers to finish selling it.

‘Whatever you desire, Master,’ you slurred, knowing that that kind of title usually went along with these kinds of situations, and you watched in stunned silence as the soundboard accidentally sent out what could only be described as a cartoonish boing sound before the correct sound of thunder crashed instead. Fearless hid his face as he bit his lip, his shoulders tensing as the soundboard operator was wildly chastised behind the glass, and you hid your face in his shoulder until your own laughing stopped. 

‘Very good, I knew I chose well,’ he continued after a brief moment of almost losing it, and you blew out a quick breath and let him help you stand, the loud song of a clock chiming letting you know that it was now midnight. ‘The clock tower! Hear its chimes, and know that midnight is upon us!’ he called out to everyone, and you weren’t surprised as everyone actually joined in on the countdown. As they slowly called out the numbers, Fearless grabbed your drink and handed it back to you, your arms hooked now that you guessed you were his, and when it struck midnight you both drank until your glasses were empty.

You frowned at the taste, that wasn't your fruit punch, and you noticed in the confusion that he’d actually handed you his own, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as you tasted actual wine, guess the colour wasn't just for show in his case.

‘An indirect kiss was indeed such a dream, what bliss,’ he repeated, and you felt your face grow just as red as the liquid in his goblet at how low his voice had become. ‘And now, our grand finale of the evening to start off our marathon to Halloween starting tomorrow night, featuring a marathon of horror as voted by you all out there. So, grab some wine, or blood, of your own, maybe find something tasty to bite into while you watch, as I present to you: The Creature Walks Among Us~’

The screen lowered for the final time, the audience getting up to replenish their snacks for the movie as the opening credits rolled, and your friend quickly threw out his trash and jogged over to you. ‘Great work, I knew you’d be a natural up there, let’s grab those tickets and head out, I’ve already seen this one a million times,’ he said excitedly as the producer came out with an envelope, Fearless finally leaving your side to go get it to present to you.

‘Yeah, actually I think I’m gunna stay,’ you confessed, and he looked between you and your host before something sly showed on his face.

‘For you, my dear Du- forgive me, I suppose you don’t need that title away from our other guests,’ Fearless said almost nervously as he approached with ‘your’ gift, and your friend snatched it from you the second it was placed into your hands.

‘Thanks so much, this was fantastic, I had a real blast tonight, I hope you two enjoy the movie, I know I sure will,’ he told you cheekily before rushing out, probably in the worry that someone might take them back from him, and you waved at his back a moment before turning back to Fearless.

‘Shall I grab a seat now that his is free? I’ve never seen this one before,’ you asked, and he glanced over to it before wrapping his arm - and cape - around your shoulders; he waved aside the solo guy taking up the couch and had him move to your friend’s vacant chair, and the short woman from before brought you a tray filled with complimentary snacks as you both sat down next to each other. She asked for your favourite drink, his already poured into a decorative glass shaped like a skeleton, clearly he also preferred to watch the movie from over here, and he let you sit against him as your own drink was brought over in a glass shaped like a bat curled around a branch. ‘Fancy, you do this with all your prize winners?’

‘No, just you,’ he whispered, and for a moment you actually looked around to see who’d spoken until it hit you that it was him, without the heavy accent. ‘Our mics are off, we can talk a little more normally while this is playing, unless you prefer Fearless?’ he asked, his voice changing back at the end, and you just blinked at him before grabbing some popcorn.

‘And who might you be, if not my dear Dr. Fearless?’ you teased, and this time you were sure he blushed as he let out a small yet nervous laugh.

‘Dwight, actually, and you are?’ You went to say your own name before you stopped, tried to say your friend’s instead, and he shook his head and held up a hand to get you to stop. ‘I figured it out a while ago, but I knew for sure when you said you’d never seen it after singing its praises in the letter,’ he chuckled, and you cringed and sat up a little straighter.

‘I’m sorry, he was really excited for the tickets he’s just- terrible with being put on the spot, I swear he actually is a fan,’ you explained quickly, Dwight looking you over as his face almost changed into someone different; it was then you noticed he’d taken out his fangs so he could enjoy the snacks, and the cute goofiness suddenly transformed into rather handsomeness even with the wig.

‘And you’re not, judging on how you acted with me tonight,’ he confirmed, and you could only nod. ‘But you are now, I take it, after the show you gave everyone?’

‘I might be swayed, you did turn me, after all,’ you joked, Dwight’s eyes drifting to your neck like he might actually try again. ‘The constant love confessions were a surprise though, he didn’t warn me about those when he got me to come on here.’

‘Not a surprise to me, seeing as they were all genuine,’ he said simply before taking a drink, the opening credits finally over as everyone sat back down again to enjoy the film.

‘They were-?’

‘Even if I could tell you weren’t the soulmate I thought you might be in his letter, I must say that I did wanna get to know you, all the same,’ he admitted before hiding himself in a big bite of chocolate, and you thought over everything he’d said the past almost hour as your heart raced a little faster. It was silly, and over the top, and you still had no idea what a Myotis was, but you couldn’t deny that this creature beside you was not only silly but also fascinating, and you sat a little closer to him as you reached across his lap to grab his drink.

‘What was it you said? “An indirect kiss would be bliss”?’ you wondered before taking a sip, his real front teeth biting into his bottom lip as he watched. You gave him your name along with his drink, and you finally saw how your strange luck had struck once again as he offered you a bite of chocolate to go along with your handful of popcorn, the movie barely holding your attention as the two of you whispered to each other all throughout it.

[nox140497]

Jason?

BACKGROUND: The reader was Jasons best friend and partner and was kidnapped with Jason and forced to watch the Joker beat him to death.

SUMMERY: After having to watch your best friend and partner beaten to a bloody pulp by a psyco clown and blown up, not being able to do anything to save him, the reader gets thrown out a small window, only big enough for her to fit, before the explosion and then saved by Batman and returned to the batcave. She continues to work with Batman and Nightwing and helps to. train Tim to be the new Robin so that he would not end up the same way Jason did.

WARNING: The characters may be slightly ooc, and my timeline is probably really wrong, but I don't have wifi at the moment, so I can't make sure if the timeline is really rediculously long. Sory.

Oh yea and ------ means line break

WORLD COUNT:1120.

Masterlist

Prompt List

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I am Sparrow a.k.a Y/N L/N. I am one of Batmans allies. I used to be the partner, love interest and best friend to the second Robin a.k.a Jason Todd. However that all changed when we were kidnapped by the Joker while we were on patrol one night. He forced me to watch him beat my best friend to a bloody pulp. Batman was able to save me, because Jay threw me out a window,but Jason wasn't as lucky.

I still blame myself.

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

It's been about a year since I was forced to watch Joker brutally beat my best friend and partner Jason Todd to death. In this time, Batman a.k.a Bruce Wayne has taken on another Robin by the name of Tim Drake.

At first, I was really upset about the fact that Bruce had taken on another Robin as I saw it as him replacing Jason, and I knew Jason would see it like that as well. After a while, though, I realised that Robin grounds Batman in some weird way.

I had noticed that after every Robin that he lost, Dick having quit as the first one, and Jason had.....died, that the Bat became more brutal. Having a Robin by his side made him more mellow in a way.

So I made a decision that even thogh I wasn't his partner and I now worked mostly alone much like Dick, now Nightwing, does, that I would help train the new little bird so that the chance of him ending up like Jason would be slimmer.

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

We had formed a bond in the past couple months, a bond much like Dick and I had. Tim was like a brother to me, and all the bad guys in Gothem knew by now that I was very protective of my siblings, whether it be the older one or the younger one.

Anyway theres this new guy that appeared in Gothem a few months ago. He really likes annoying Batman. He's an anti hero named Red hood. He seems so fimiliar in a way but I can't figure out why. He seems so angry though, and under all that anger I can tell that he is hurting, broken in a way.

Don't ask me how I can tell, I just can.

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

I was on patrol with Batman and his other birds. I was standing on a random rooftop listening to Batgirl and Nightwing bicker about something through the earpiece in my ear, I swear those two bicker like an old married couple, when I heard an almost silent thud behind me. I didn't think anything about it as the only ones who could do that so silatlntly were the Dark Knight himself and his birds.

I did, however, spin around when there was a soft but deep chuckle from behind me.

"Redhood." I breathed. I know I should have been scared, but for some reason, I felt safe in his presence.

"Hello, little birdie." He said. This guy was so rediculously familiar.

"What can I do for ya, Hoodie?" I asked calmly.

"I needed to talk to you alone." He said, his voice seeming to warm slightly and slightly nervous. I wonder why 'cause I know he isn't scared of me. I mean, seriously, this guy is at least twice my size, built like a truck and freakishly tall. He could seriously hurt me if he wanted to.

"Well then talk, you have my full attention, dear Hoodie." I said, removing the earpiece for a while and acting like I wasn't freaking out a bit.

He removed the helmet, leaving him in just a red mask that looked like the ones we birds wore.

My eyes widened and filled with tears under my mask as I recognized the face under that rmask, granted slightly older but still the same.

"J-Jason." I wispered weakly.

"Hi beautiful." He said softly.

"H-how?" My voice was weak and barely audable as I spoke to the boy I loved, the boy I thought was dead.

"Ras Al Ghul and his Lazarus pit."( SPELLING??)

I nodded weakly and stared at him for a minute. Suddenly, I lunged at him and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, nuzzeling my face into his chest as he held me just as tightly.

"I missed you so much." I sobbed softly into his chest.

"I missed you too, my love." He said quietly.

We stood and chatted on that rooftop for a while, catching up, when I suddenly I heard a slight beep. I looked down at the earpiece that I had put in one of the pouches in my utility belt and put it back in my ear, and answered it.

"What's up, Blue Bird?" I asked as I knew it was Dick who wanted me.

"Bruce wanted me to let you know that Redhood has been spotted in that area of Gothem." He informed me, and I could hear the concern in his voice.

I looked at Jason with an amused smile on my face.

"Yea, no kidding." I muttered.

"What was that n/n?" Dick asked.

Nothing, I'm almost done anyway. See ya in a bit, Blue Bird." I said.

"Alright, please be careful." He said.

Jason looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" I asked softly. He just smiled at me.

"So what now?" He asked me. I looked at him and smiled.

"I don't suppose you want to go back to the Batcave to speak to Bruce, huh." I asked with a soft sigh.

"Not particularly, no." He sighed and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Jaybird, I'm not gonna force you to do something that you don't want to do, but I really think you should at least talk to him. Talk this out with him. It might make you feel a little better if you hear his side of the story. You know how he is. He might not show it very often, but he really does care about us kids." I said, hoping that he would agree to come with me to the Cave.

"I don't know, Babe. He never really cared for me much, I mean, look how fast he replaced me." He said almost sadly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jay. He loves you. He just doesn't show it that often. And he only replaced you because 1) Tim offered (*cough* demanded *cough*) because he saw how brutal Bruce became and 2) Batman needs a Robin for that exact reason, and besides Tim isn't your replacement and nobody thinks he is." I said.

"Fine." He sighed.

I smiled happily and pulled him along behind me as I took off towards the Batcave.

[piercingsandfangs]

Meet me ig !

Age: 16. ( 2008 ).

Gender: I am male.

Sexuality: none ya business but I obv like men. Cmon.

Uh: idk what to list this as but I'm European.

Weight: No idea because I don't own a scale and I can't ask for one without it being a problem. I am however a size small in clothes, I can fit in extra small I just dislike tighter clothing and small is baggy on me sometimes.

Height: embarrassing. I'm 5'3.

Pronouns: He / They. Use either I don't care enough.

Relationship stat: he's not my bf ( yet. )

!!! : I have autism, ocd, depression, anxiety, and I strongly question if I have bpd but idk.

[ Tws for; sh, ed, vents on my page, you've been warned. ]

Random lore;

I started eating less in my ( what would be for you ) middle school years to cope with a boy in my class and my teacher both calling me fat. I started not eating around people and not eating as much food. I don't remember when but I became overly disinterested in food. I was body positive and didn't care much about weight but I was very skinny because I didn't eat much, one small meal a day usually ( if that ). A few months ago I was really sick due to a traumatic incident I was experiencing, it made my anxiety awful, I was throwing up alot and couldn't do much. In that time I also couldn't hold down any food, it started off as an accident, I threw up my food because I was brushing my teeth and was sick, then it wasn't an accident, I was putting my fingers down my throat so often. I stopped after awhile, I " got better ". Recently I started binging alot and it's stressed me, I hate it. So I'm back to familiar territory.

kl I'm attempting to restrict myself to daily: 500-700kl. I don't need to puke it but I probably will <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I like:

• puking. Lol

• Ranfren.

• Evangelion.

• my boyfriend.

• I'm emo, I love emo shit.

• mlp

• pjsk

• soul eater

• creepypasta

• Nightcore

• most things early 2010s.

• drawing

• south park

• lost media

• mindless self indulgence

• The Sims ( 4 & 2 ).

• Eddsworld

• Killing stalking ( no I don't ship them )

The list goes on...

and on.

PLEASE NOTE:

My account is a lil broken, I cannot comment things or post in ask boxes. I'm not being a shit mutual.

[bubble-popping]

day 29 :0 almost a full month that's so crazy... still the dream^2 au

Oh, he'd say so much if only he could. They'll be confused? He's fucking confused! What the hell was this place? Why'd this guy have his name?? Why couldn't he speak like normal!? So many questions and no way to ask them, much less get an answer. Well, it wouldn't help to stay in this random forest and he had no idea how things worked here. All he could do was nod and play along with this over-enthusiastic version of himself. (At least, that was his current working theory.)

"Awesome! Follow me, then," the human Dream said before turning away. Pulling his cloak tighter around his body, unable to remember a time it looked this clean and whole, he did just as told.

Strangely, as they walked and human Dream rambled about nonsense (When did he stop doing that? Talking at length about the things he enjoyed. Probably around the time people stopped listening to him.), he noticed how they didn't use any specific path. This Dream was just moving, not even paying attention to what's in front of him as he gestured and spoke. (How could he be so relaxed? So carefree?)

None of this made any damn sense.

But, since the man had saved his life--and just his luck, owing a debt the minute he entered a new, foreign server--he must be at least somewhat capable. He had a fit physique, seemingly built more for speed and endurance than pure brute strength. He recalled having the same build, all that time ago when his server was young, when he was young.

He liked to think he still was. His exact birthday escaped him, as did how much time passed while stuck in that box, so he couldn't be sure how old he really was.

Soon enough, a building came into view as the forest transitioned to a vast plains biome. A simple house of oak, spruce, and cobblestone, glass windows, and standing two stories tall with a balcony on one side. Some farm animals grazed around the outside of the fence that protected the perimeter.

It looked quaint, cozy. It looked like a home.

Dream's heart ached.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but this is the safest place on the server by far. I mean, of course it is, I live here," Human Dream said as he unlocked the fence gate. "You stay here while I get the guys together. I can't wait to see their faces!" He had a mischievous grin and giggled before entering the house, leaving the door wide open behind him.

(Had he been that reckless back then? That energetic and unaware?) It'd be so easy for Dream to walk in and-

Something bumped against his side, distracting him from his thoughts. He looked down to see a brown calf peering up at him with big hazel eyes, an innocent tilt to its head and ears flicking. It mooed quietly, like a question.

Cautiously, to avoid spooking the little thing, Dream slipped his hand out of the cloak to pet its head. The calf mooed again, this time louder as it jerked into his touch.

Memories began to resurface the longer he pet short brown fur, those simpler times when wild animals were seen aplenty on the SMP. Living alongside him and his friends. But as more buildings and people joined, so too did the animals retreat to far out lands, avoiding civilization.

"I mean it, you guys, no peeking! This is a surprise! You're gonna love it!"

"This better not be another Mooshroom or pink sheep, Dream. We've seen those before!"

"It's not! I swear this one's really special!"

The voices startled both of them, and caused the calf to retreat to the side of its mother. Several people followed human Dream out of the house, all of them with their eyes closed and all of them people Dream recognized.

He should've figured it really, that the friends human Dream talked about would also be his friends--well, ex-friends. Maybe a small part of him did realize, and the rest of him just hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Especially when he saw him. The Warden.

[nyhti]

I recently had an epiphany about the mannequins in Prey. So. For the longest time I wondered where the hell did the idea for Hugo's mannequin girlfriend come from? Like what on earth made Moench put something like that in the story? How do you come up with such a random and out there headcanon like that? I think I know now.

So let's look at the time line: Batman #356 ”The Double Life of Hugo Strange” (1983) Gerry Conway writes a story wherein Hugo creates perfectly lifelike robots of Alfred and Dick and uses them to fuck with Bruce's head. Batman annual #10 ”Down to Bone” (1986) Doug Moench writes a story wherein Hugo, among other things, uses his robots to fight Bruce and Jason. He has also now made a robot version of himself. Last Pre-Crisis Hugo story. Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15 (1990-1991) Doug Moench writes a story wherein Hugo, among other things, uses mannequins of Thomas and Martha Wayne to fuck with Bruce's head. First Post-Crisis appearance of Hugo and also an edgy reimagining

Are we noticing a pattern? It's honestly a little embarrassing how long it took me to realize that Hugo fucking with Bruce with the mannequins in Prey is all copy pasted from Double Life of Hugo Strange. Moench just re-used Conway's idea, but made it fit the Post-Crisis universe better by having the robots be mannequins with tape recorders inside, because everything had to be sooooooo realistic back then. So if the mannequins of Martha and Thomas are just the robots of Dick and Alfred, who is the mannequin girlfriend? Here's my best guess:

So, Moench used the robots himself in Down to Bone, even created a new robot type – a Hugo robot. Now, we don't see Hugo having a robot girlfriend in Down to Bone, but would you really find it out of the realm of possibility that the thought might have crossed Moench's mind while writing? I mean, look at Hugo around this time. He used to have a good amount of people around him during the 70s and earlier. He had thugs like any self-respecting supervillain, he had his monster men, he once formed a partnership with a racketeer and most importantly he had Magda in Englehart's run. Then suddenly in the 80s he has nothing but robots. Incredibly lifelike robots that talk to him and laugh at his jokes. Doesn't that sound lonely? Now, I will eventually write a post about all my headcanons for what happened to Hugo around this time, because I think about this every day, but to stick to the topic at hand – would you really find it out of the realm of possibility that Moench looked at this profoundly lonely man who could build perfectly lifelike robots and thought, why doesn't he make himself a robot girlfriend? Of course the time wasn't quite ripe yet for a story like that during Pre-Crisis, but during the edgy grimdark 90s? Oh boy, was it time! All he had to do was to turn her from a robot into a mannequin and there we go. Anyway, what do you guys think? I cannot peer inside Moench's mind, of course, but I think my theory is possible.

Also, this is now off topic, but I wanted to talk a little more about Down to Bone and Prey. I used to think these stories, these takes on Hugo, could not be further apart despite being written by the same man, but after reading Down to Bone again for this post and having read Prey again a few months ago, I no longer think so. You can see so much of Prey in Down to Bone and so much Down to Bone in Prey. I already talked about the mannequins, but another thing that I just now noticed was the use of media. As we know, Hugo affectedly used media to fuck with Bruce and to smear Batman's name and you know what he threatened to do in Down to Bone?

Yeah! I find it interesting that Moench had this idea of Hugo using media against Batman way back here, but maybe the story just didn't have enough room for it given that it was only one issue long and most of the time was already spent on Bruce dealing with having lost all his money, home, Jason and Alfred. I'm glad that the smear campaign Hugo launched in Prey was given enough time. Another thing I wanted to talk about was Moench's bad takes on Hugo in Down to Bone. Hugo during Golden Age was about as generic a villain as you can get. Evil genius only after money and power yadda yadda. Listen. I'm not hating on it. It's a classic, but what I'm trying to say is that when Englehart had the divine revelation of giving this character an actual personality and then when Conway topped it all off by giving him an unique goal, I personally considered that an improvement. Moench did not apparently. In Down to Bone Hugo is right back to being a very generic villain. Englehart spent so long showing how much Hugo loved and respected Bruce. How he was willing to ”die” to protect his secret. It was interesting, it was heartwarming and it was fucked up. We see none of this in Down to Bone. The relationship between Hugo and Bruce couldn't be less interesting. There's literally nothing there. No love, no loyalty. Hugo straight up willingly tells Bullock Batman's real identity (which Bullock doesn't believe, of course.) Like what happened? And then the unique new goal Conway gave him? How he got it in his head he wants to be the Batman now? Yeah, you can kiss goodbye to that one too. Nowhere in Down to Bone does Hugo say he wants to become Batman. He only puts on the outfit to frame him. His only goal in Down to Bone was to get his revenge on Bruce. Boring. And to top it all off, just like in Prey, Moench decided to ignore Hugo's well established physical abilities. He doesn't even attempt to fight Batman, but rather runs away like a coward. And don't even get me started on Moench's worst crime of all which was to try to retcon my favorite Hugo story (The Double Life of Hugo Strange) by saying that the Hugo Bruce fought was actually a robot the whole time. I've been writing this for so long I don't even have the energy to go into why I hated this so much and why it was a pointless retcon, so I'll just leave it at this: IT WASN'T A FUCKING ROBOT.

Anyway, love and light everyone!!! ^_^

[hekateinhell]

I just need to get something off my chest real quick, there's really no need to read this unless you want to because you're bored lmao.

So I used to be really good at answering the asks I got. I wouldn't say I answered all of them, but I think overall I had a good ratio for a long time! And I loved it! I think the asks feature is the best thing that tumblr has to offer as a social media platform (god knows just about everything else sucks).

I loved getting asks and answering them and it's a great way to talk to others in our little fandom bubbles and trade thoughts and insights with one another. My mental health did take quite a few hits in the past several months, and part of that was real life (school, sickness, death in the family) and part of that was bullshit fandom drama.

But it just occurred to me yesterday that the reason I'm nowhere near as prolific in answering the asks I get is because I have always put so much effort into putting disclaimers behind all my meta, walking on eggshells so people won't throw tantrums every time I share an opinion they don't like.

And you know what? That just made me an nervous, erratic person afraid of her own tumblr shadow. The thought of having to do all the work to put ten thousand disclaimers behind everything I say so some asshole won't vague me because I accidentally hurt their feelings just made me not want to reply to anything at all. It's fucking exhausting having to think of every scenario in which people might interpret whatever you're saying (about fictional characters may I remind you) in the worst light possible.

In the end all that time and effort I put into censoring myself—because I try to be a nice person, I don't want anyone to feel bad because of me, regardless of the fact that that's been never my intention—in the end none of that mattered! There's people that have been vaguing me for almost two years now and it's not like I go seeking out this information but it's a small fandom and I stumble over it on another blog or some shit every once in a while.

Agonizing over whether or not some random is going to interpret everything I say in the worst possible faith and have a fit on main about my shit takes and make a block list of people who interact with my posts is just so stupid honestly, and trying to censor myself didn't do me a shred of good. People still regularly call me names and insult my intelligence because of the characters I ship, the meta I write, and the kinks I enjoy talking about. It doesn't even matter if I've been active recently or not, they're still mad about stuff I said ages ago! I can't win!

So from now on I'm just to do my best to break this depressing old habit and be online without being apologetic and diminishing my own opinions, answer asks however the hell I want without feeling obligated to coddle a bunch of grown ass adults, and if people want to cry about it, there's a box of tissues in the corner. Go nuts. ♥️

[cielles-random-vault]

random hobie brown headcanons!

all will be sfw the nsfw/spicy ones will be in pink

trying real hard not to delete this acc and kms bc of a sudden trigger

also this won't be proofread because im in the middle of a mental breakdown

he always looks for you when he performs

he's not the jealous "i show everyone who is my lover" type, more like the subtle "let's go" kind in crowded places to yk do unholy things

also small public demonstrations of affection <3 <3

like holding hands, putting his hand on your waist when you walk, small kisses both on your cheek and on your lips, small notes when he wakes up earlier than you since he's yk a spider man

he gave you one of his very own spike bracelets which i feel would be really dear to him

prob made you one esp for you

no matter how your styles differ he will still find a way to have something that reminds him of you on him whether it's a badge, a hair clip or even rings

taking you to the piercer as a first date!!

despite him being an anarchist he's actually very caring

you're sick? fuck capitalism he will make you his own medicine with some of his teas

unrelated but i feel like he's Jamaican or smth wait lemme check

ok i didn't find anything but ill js hc him as jamaican

so like yea when you're sick he makes you jamaican medicine

"take this shortcake! i know it doesn't seem yummy but i promise you'll feel better in a snap after!

you did feel better in a snap

(for fem aligned readers) when you're on your period he turns into the sweetest man ever

sometimes the two of you meet after his concerts - even though that's smth really important for him he makes sure you know you're his actual priority- you go on a rooftop and he tells you about his parents

feeling dysphoric because you're transmasc and on your period ? he makes sure you're the most handsome person he ever knew

when the two of you are doing it, he always makes sure he has your consent before trying anything new - or even before trying anything at all

he's not afraid to admit he's in love with you and he treats you like ROYALTY

you like this specific song? he'll post you to this song and even write love songs for you. remember that specific cat café you mentioned three months ago? he'll bring you there for your birthday.

going nonverbal and being overstimulated? that's no problem for him he'll sit with you in the dark in silence until you feel better.

THIS MAN IS A MAN OF AFTERCARE "you did so well for me darling <3 now what about we get some sweets and cuddle under the stars?"

he's a top most of the but yk he secretly lives when you're in control

HICKEYS HICKEYS HICKEYS ALL OVER YOUR BODY esp on your neck and in between your thighs

speaking of thighs whenever you feel insecure he turns into your girl best friend

having big thighs ? it's more comfy for when he has his head on his lap. big boobs?more comfy for cuddling. no/small boobs? it's ok clothes fit more easily. the list goes on but he always cheers you up.

UNLABELLED THEY/HE HOBIE‼️‼️‼️‼️

p sure he love when you ride him

like you're on top of him in some way but he somehow keeps control

probably likes to asset his dominance by putting a hand around your neck (wdym i don't have a choke kink i do)

BUT HE ALWAYS MAKES SURE YOURE OK THAT MAKES HIM LITTEALLY SM HOTTER OMG

he's always down for ditching class but he somehow has the best grades

which upsets you bc you're the one who always want to ditch class but your grades ain't following

omg it's giving academical rivals au

so like he sometimes comes at your place to help you w the subjects you have trouble with

eventually you end up pinned down on your desk passionately kissing

+ seeing you in a school uniform makes him go feral

fucking you in your school skirt? boy he sure is turned on

quickies in the school's bathroom ? man he loves danger so he's obviously down

+ he loves the way kissing you makes his piercing feel (idk but if i had healed piercings on my lips id love the way it'd feel)

SLOW BURN MAKE OUT SESSION IN THE RAIN

can you tell i love rain? bc i do

he makes sure you feel loved and says it to everyone he knows

"hey that's (reader's name) did you know they're my partner i love them sm"

he notices small habits and picks them up when he misses you (idk how to explain bit for example i sometimes twitch my nose because of my allergies- in that case if you did he would too)

HIGH PATTERN RECOGNITION even though he won't force you to tell him why you feel bad he instantly notices the changes in your behavior

"can you repeat, darling? i didn't hear what you said"

he makes sure you use your words despite you being overstimulated

+ his hands. they make you go crazy.

he's actually a lonely guy, give this poor man a big hug :(

no but fr tho he went through sm his backstory made me cry

OK bit of a vent now🕺🏻 but first tysm for reading ily ! <3 /p

i suddenly lost all motivation to post full fics bc i keep comparing me to others, most well known posters and it really triggers me so i guess i'll make the lonely series go on a hiatus. also working on requests! but it's getting harder to not kms bc of the pressure im putting on myself 🫠

anyhoo, kaheri there,back to dreamland! see you in the next dream! (new outro who dis?)

[annihilatius]

Okay so months ago I made a post asking if anyone would want to see a thing I did where I assigned Pokemon to random Bioshock characters, and even tho a lot of y'all said yes I never followed up on it because that was only a little while before I fell out of Bioshock so I just tried to pretend it didn't exist... UNTIL NOW!!!

A lot of these don't go any deeper than, at least in terms of the Pokemons design and psychical body language (personality), "Because I Just Think It Fits Them." There is some clever stuff here but none of it is super deep.. and as you all know I'm no expert on Bioshock 2 and some other characters like Yi Suchong so my perception of what I think they're like may be flawed, so sorry if it's disappointing in that aspect

I don't want to explain my exact thought process for every single one of these because it'd be exhausting and it'd ruin a lot of the subtlety but I will explain more of the niche references or things that make no sense at first glance, like things you would only understand if you read the Pokemon in questions Pokedex entries, because I'm aware most of you aren't complete nerds like me (btw if you don't know, "ace" in Pokemon terms means the head and/or strongest Pokemon in a trainers team, you're gonna see that word a lot)

@splicedm0th @kluskinoodles @yuro-skell @bunnie-killer-laser-beam @fancysilverfox just tagging everyone who interacted with the original post so they can see it (sorry if I forgot someone this is just who I remember)

Kingambit is to me the PERFECT Pokemon for Andrew Ryan like there isn't a single one that fits better. The way these are set up aren't necessarily saying which order which Pokemon is sent out, ace Pokemon most often go last or second to last, but Kingambit specifically goes last in Andrew's team because I imagine his Kingambit would have the ability Supreme Overlord, an ability that stacks the Pokemons ATK & spATK by 10% whenever an ally Pokemon faints. I'm not going to give actual competitive movesets for each character or even just a select few because that would literally take me hours but that was my thought process. Also shiny because why wouldn't the king of Rapture have a shiny?

Jasmine gets Mega Diancie because I just think she would and also because she deserves it. She's been through so much just let her have this one thing. Lilligant and Vivillon are there specifically because they can learn the move quiver dance, a reference to her being a dancer. I made her Vivillon the Polar Pattern to stand as a reference to the headcanon that she's Swedish (Vivillon is a Pokemon whose design changes based on where you are in the world, and the Polar Pattern appears in Sweden)

Brigids team looks ridiculous at first glance but the idea was that each Pokemon except for the last two are Pokemon that are good with kids or have an emphasis on motherhood (Kangaskhan), meanwhile Rhyperior and Kingdra are there so she can actually have some kind of firepower. This is one of the more flawed teams though I'm not fully satisfied with it. Yi Suchongs team really isn't that good either, I couldn't think of much for him, sorry... </3

Side characters/less important characters get teams of three or one, or if I just couldn't think of giving them any more. Steinmans team is like that as a reference to how he acts, I took the idea of him being obsessed with making his (most often female iirc) patients beautiful, so I gave him "beautiful" (shiny) female Pokemon. The fact his Gardevoir can mega evolve doesn't really matter but if I was gonna introduce the concept of megas here, then sure he can have a mega too. Not really fully satisfied with Peach's team but it's serviceable I guess. Julie has a bit more thought though. Florges was THE Pokemon for her, Tsareena is there Because Grass Type but she has a Galvantula because I'd imagine she'd use it to get rid of any pesky bugs among her trees or something like that.

Sander Cohens team requires no explanation but Anna's contrasts him interestingly. Her ace Araquanid counters his Volcarona (water/bug>fire/bug) and has an Oricorio too, but a different style than his. Also has a Decidueye to parallel with his Primarina. Most of the Disciples are obvious, (Kyle has a Noivern because it's a sound-based Pokemon and he plays an instrument) but Hectors Great Tusk was based entirely off the headcanon Kluski made that his favorite animals are elephants and I liked that (the idea was given to me by Yuro-skell though). Now that I look back, Alolan Muk would have worked for him but Great Tusk is infinitely cooler

Here's when it gets a bit more complex: Sofia and Eleanors teams are built in a way where I do think the respective Pokemon *fit* them, but they're specifically made to where all of Sofias Pokemon counters Eleanors (dark>psychic, ice>grass, grass>water, bug>dark, fire>bug, fighting>normal.) The fact Eleanor specifically has an unevolved Eevee is representative of how Subject Deltas actions inspire Eleanor. If you get a good ending, the Eevee evolves into a Sylveon, and if you get a bad or neutral ending, it evolves into a Jolteon

Augustus Sinclair's team is entirely based off of "because I think he'd have them" really. I know that's disappointing but I was satisfied with it and I couldn't really be bothered to change it. Not all of these are gonna be clever, I just FEEL like he'd have a Gallade ya know. Also forgot to include it but the Gallade can mega evolve

No Stanley here sorry. That's not motivated by how I dislike him, its mostly just because I know I wouldn't be able to think of anything... Grace has a Lapras, Altaria and Meloetta as a reference to how she's a singer, to which all three of those Pokemon can learn the move sing, and iirc also perish song? At least I know Lapras and Altaria can. Simon having an Omastar as an ace is a Pokemon community inside joke lol. I do still overall think it fits him through. Alexander The Greats team is by far one of the ones I'm the most satisfied with. (This is specifically spliced Gil btw not normal Gil) I think his team is perfect and fits his personality so well. His Rotom-Wash is shiny because of the color scheme actually. Whenever I think of Fontaine Futuristics, at least the place by Gils tank, I think of a very dangerous looking red, and Rotom-Wash fits the bill for that color perfectly

Charles has a Spiritomb because in its lore, Spiritomb is a collective, almost hivemind vortex of 108 dead peoples souls trapped inside it, and yes I know this is a stretch, it kind of reminded me of how he used The Thinker to imitate a dead person, so in a symbolic metaphorical sense, Pearls soul kind of lives on inside The Thinker? Hate to explain this one but like I said it's so niche and specific I don't think anyone would get it if I didn't explain it. The reason why his Toucannon is shiny is a joke I'm not gonna explain, just google "shiny Toucannon" and you'll immediately get it lol. Charles and Reed's team parallel each other a bit too: both of them having birds with Toucannon and Xatu, both of them having Paradox Pokemon, both of them having a gen 4 starter, both of them having an Eeveelution. Not really satisfied with the Eeveelution part at all but these two were the hardest for me to put together and I just wanted to get it over with. WHATEVER it's FINE

BONUS ROUND!!! If you thought I wasn't gonna include the Multiplayer characters you are sorrowly mistaken my friend... they all only get one but I put some thought into them. Barbara has a Marowak to the reference of how Cubones mourn the loss of their mothers (the mothers being Marowaks), so I thought her having a Marowak would represent her grief as a mother who lost her daughter. Buck has a G-Max Meowth in particular because it has the move "G-Max Gold Rush", a move that does damage and scatters coins across the ground, where the coins get picked up after the battle, as an obvious reference to him being a rich businessman. Blanche has a Lurantis as a symbolic reprentation of her personality: beautiful at a distance but deadly up close. Oscar has a Luxray because he canonically has cats. Luxray is a big cat. So I gave him Luxray. Yeah

[strawwritesfic]

Loki Laufeyson x Female!SHIELD Agent!Reader: Burdened with Glorious Sacrifices

Summary: Loki is burdened with many things, but luckily, you aren’t one those burdens.

Rating/Warnings: All (Post-Avengers (2012); canon divergence Post-Avengers (2012); not canon compliant; fangirls; fanboys; Helicarrier; SHEILD Agent!Reader; Lab assistant!Reader; fluff)

Requester: Anonymous

Tag List: @imaginesfire​

Request: “Can I request one where random SHIELD agents flirt with Loki but he shows no interest in them cause he fell for a shy lab assistant instead? Everyone was surprised cause they expected him to go for someone stronger and more confident but Loki likes the idea of being the big protector and having some [sic] rely on his strength. He adores her shyness and tender heart and treats her like a princess."

Notes: A request long, long, long in the making. Goodness, I think it's been over two years since this anonymous person asked for this. It's not a terribly interesting interpretation of the request. They can't all be. But I feel that it meets the requirements, and I'm ready to move on to the rather more...colorful Loki request on my list—and put a dent in my expansive request list. If you're the person that asked me for this all those months ago, I hope you enjoy this!

Burdened with Glorious Sacrifices

At long, long, long last, you found yourself in the midst of a moment of perfect quiet. No Klaxons blaring, no unit head barking orders, no rock music pounding fit to shake the walls. Such moments were hard to come by on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Coworkers and bosses alike expected a lot of even a lowly laboratory assistant such as yourself. Go here; pick up this; learn to shoot that. Things had only gotten worse since the start of the Avengers Initiative, too. So when you finally had your usual lab to yourself, was it any wonder that you jumped at the chance to spend some alone time with the Hulk blood sample that had been sitting inside the Stark Industries-powered fridge all week?

"So that's how that works," you murmured to the empty room.

You hardly dared to remove your eye from the microscope long enough to scrawl down a few lines of notes. Someone else might shatter your solitude at any minute, wresting the instrument from you or demanding an errand that would pull you away from the sample. The Avengers were all onboard that day, true—something that went a long way in explaining the vacancy of your typically bustling workstation—but if Director Fury got it in his head that something needed done right away, the presence of superheroes wouldn't prevent someone interrupting you to take care of whatever it was Fury demand. You wanted to take advantage of being without company for as long as possible.

"Agent [L Name]," said a woman behind you.

Only your several years of (generally useless) field training prevented you from shrieking at this sudden invasion of your quiet time. Unfortunately, said training did not prevent you from sucking in a breath and turning on the spot.

Maria Hill rolled her eyes at your behavior. Your cheeks grew hot as she uncrossed arms and made her way over to your lab table.

"Yes, Commander?" you asked weakly.

Her stern expression didn't shift. "You're needed on the bridge."

Well, that couldn't be good. Lab assistants, as a rule, didn't get called to the bridge. They especially did not get called to the bridge in person by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s second-in-command. You licked your lips at the thought of just why anyone up there might want to see you, then asked:

"You came up here to tell me that? Why didn't you just use the intercom?"

"I did."

Clearly, your play for time wasn't about to earn you any points with Maria. You gulped and went on in a rush, "I really can't come to the bridge right this very minute, Commander. I just got to work on this sample. Would it be all right if I came up when I'm finished? It shouldn't be more than an hour."

Oh, who were you kidding? You weren't going to get out of trouble that way. No one had told you to look at the blood to begin with. All you'd likely managed with that stunt would be making Maria extra angry for not asking her how high when she said jump.

To your very great surprise, however, she narrowed her eyes at you for a mere handful of seconds before she turned to leave.

"Fine," she said.

"Fine?"

"Fine." She paused at the door to throw a very characteristic look at you over her shoulder. "But I can't guarantee that he'll still be in one piece when you get there."

"He? Who's he?"

"Your boyfriend. It's his check-in day. Don't tell me you forgot."

Your heart squeezed painfully in your chest. In the midst of your excitement to find yourself alone at work for once, you had entirely forgotten about the one day a month you could easily (and legally) see Loki. That Maria herself had come searching for you to attend to something regarding him could only be bad news. Before she could make it to the lift down the hallway, you put all your equipment and the blood sample away at a speed that might have got you mistaken for an Enhanced. Then you hurried after her to step inside the elevator before the doors closed.

Maria said nothing. Her pursed lips told you everything. Even if you'd had the wits about you to ask what Loki had done this time, you probably wouldn't have. What if you didn't like the answer? Taking a cue from her lack of small talk, you stared at the vertical crack in front of you so hard that your eyes began to water.

The doors opened seconds later. Maria unwound her crossed arms long enough to motion for you to step outside ahead of her. You could already hear a commotion coming from closer to the control point in the center of the bridge. Several voices spoke over each other in what sounded like excited—not terrified—tones, but you couldn't quite hear what they were saying well enough to confirm everyone's mood. Fury wouldn't call you in to stop a fight (not when he could get the satisfaction of seeing Captain America smash Loki's nose in with his shield), but Maria? Maria just might get more satisfaction out of seeing one of your coworkers smash your nose in instead.

You left the lift with your pulse pounding, though you did keep your arms from shaking at least. It took quite a bit of effort on your part to keep your eyes wide open as the bridge came into view. Bright afternoon sky blazed through the many windows. No dark figure stood at the controls, however. Fury must have had better things to do than referee whatever was going on.

And soon you spotted exactly what that was. One of the computer stations had drawn a crowd. A good six or seven S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dressed in familiar navy uniforms stood talking eagerly over one another. Fury had recently blocked all copies of Galaga on the organization computers, and last you'd heard, Mr. Stark hadn't come up with a way around it yet. Nobody was clustered around Cameron to watch him beat his latest high score, then.

Then you saw who the crowd was talking to. Just why Maria had called you up on Loki's check-in day became clear at once. A tall, dark-haired man with hollow cheeks stood at the center of the cluster of agents. A thick collar wrapped around his neck, and gleaming gold shackles kept his wrists firmly pulled toward the desk in front of him. As usual, Loki managed to look completely unbothered by such instruments as he smiled sardonically at the people surrounding him.

"Poor thing," you heard a woman say as you drew closer. "It can't be comfortable standing like that for hours on end."

"You've been waiting there for a long time, man. Are you thirsty? I could bring you some tea," said a man.

"Forget that! I brought grapes in my lunch. I could feed them to you one by one," said a second woman.

"Now, now," Loki purred. "You may all bring your offerings to me."

An excited murmur rose from the group as Loki’s green eyes swept across it.

“You.” He gestured as best he could with his hands restrained as they were. "Run along and retrieve those grapes. My beloved brother did not allow me to partake in breakfast before he insisted we traverse the realms, and who knows when he'll be back to retrieve me for lunch?"

A short-statured woman broke away to trot off in the direction of the nearest break room. She wore a glowing expression, and she did not stop to speak with you as she passed. The rest of the waiting agents resumed their fussing at once.

"He really shouldn't leave you chained like this."

"What if the Helicarrier falls out of the sky and you can't get out?"

"We could lose engine power again at any minute!"

"Truly," Loki bowed his head. "But then, Thor never has thought much about my well-being. It all started when I was about seventy years old..."

At last, you thought you were close enough to be heard without raising your voice. "Loki?"

His mouth snapped shut mid-sentence. The onlookers leaned in eagerly, waiting to hear the rest of his tale. Loki, however, looked over in your direction the moment he'd gathered his thoughts.

"[Name]!" he said.

The obvious delight in his tone caught his audience's attention. Every single person's head snapped toward you in unison—and not a single expression appeared happy.

You gulped.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and nonbinary beings," Loki announced, "Agent [L Name]!"

All your coworkers continued to stare at you wordlessly. You could feel Maria doing the exact same thing behind you. Probably her idea of calling you up here had not involved giving Loki a better opportunity to show off. Thank God Fury seemed to be elsewhere that day. He would have already thrown the both of you into the newly repaired Hulk cell.

"Hi," you said uncomfortably.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be busy with work," said Loki.

Before you could answer, one of the men said, "yeah, [L Name]. What are you doing on the bridge? Don't you belong downstairs where you won't get in the way?"

If he could have seen Loki's expression growing colder and colder, that agent probably wouldn't have finished his sentence. As it was, the ice in Loki's genes was apparent as he said, "you will address her as Agent [L Name] until such a time as she requests you do otherwise."

The man looked as though he'd been slapped.

"So [Name]?" Loki turned the full force of his smile on you. "Why have you deigned to grace this vessel's bridge with your presence?"

"Commander Hill came and got me." You took a deep breath before plunging on: "She wanted me to come break this up. You're all causing a scene."

"A scene?" Now one of the women spoke up, indignant.

"We were all just talking until you barged in," said another.

"Why would Hill bother asking you to break up anything?" asked a man.

"What are you supposed to do to make us leave?"

"You're only a lab assistant."

"You can't even use your I.C.E.R. properly."

"Not to mention that all of us outrank you!"

Over and over and over they beat you with their words. You struggled to stand up straight under the full force of them. What could you say to defend yourself? They were right, each and every one of them. If only Loki hadn't been there to hear it. Maybe you didn't hang your head; maybe you didn't even flinch. But your lower lip trembled, and you knew that the moment Loki spotted that, he'd lose interest in you on the spot. Princes from other realms—even princes currently under galactic house arrest—didn't date girls so easily cowed by their peers.

“Silence!”

This voice belonged to Loki, and so people did, in fact, fall silent. Even the woman before, returning clutching a bag of red grapes, didn’t voice her obvious confusion. One by one, each of the agents present turned their attention back to him. But a smile no longer grace his narrow features. He stood at his tallest, head up to gaze down his nose at those surrounding him with undisguised scorn.

“I warn the lot of you to not insult the love of my considerably long life,” he said. “After all, your lives working for such a sloppily led organization will certainly be cut so short that none of you will be capable of so much as grasping what such a love entails. That [Name] has selected a more reasonable assignment does not make her lesser. In fact, I should think her career choice proves her vastly more intelligent that the standard-issue SHIELD agent that you all proclaim to be.”

You bit your lower lip, bracing yourself for another round of mockery.

One never came. Many grumbles did, as well as dark backward looks, but no one said a word as the group slowly dispersed. The woman with the grapes left without further comment herself.

Then you found yourself alone with Loki at last. When you finally gathered enough courage to face him, you found his frosty demeanor gone. In its place was a warm smile.

“Are you all right?” he asked gently.

What could you do in response to that besides hurry over to hug him?

“Thank you,” murmured into his neck.

“For what?”

“Saying all those nice things about me.”

“For once,” Loki said as you lifted your head to smile at him, “I only spoke the truth.”

Most people claimed Thor to be the most princely of the Asgardian brothers, but when Loki said things like that, you couldn’t imagine that was true. Loki’s charm struck you speechless. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to expect an answer from you on this occasion.

“Would you do me the honor of joining me for lunch?” he asked.

Your heart soared. “I’d love to.”

“Good. I’ll need feeding, seeing as you chased off my potential servant.”

Was he joking? With Loki, it was hard to tell. You decided to assume he was in this case. Chuckling, you stood on your toes to give him a swift kiss.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” you told him.

“I’ll be waiting, my princess. Unless, of course, Thor happens to remember where he left me before then.”

“Tell him to wait until we’re done with lunch. You need sustenance. I love you,” you added as you turned to leave.

“I love you as well.”

You shot him an enormous grin before you walked back to the lift. Several of the agents stationed nearby rapidly looked away from you and back at their screens as you passed. Maria remained exactly where you’d last seen her only long enough to roll her eyes. After that, she went to stand in Fury’s usual position on the bridge, and pretended as though she didn't see you hurrying back to your post.

Did you care? Not at all. Let them stare. Let them gossip. Though you were hardly the bravest, strongest, or smartest agent S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer, Loki had chosen you. He could have chosen anyone, any of those vastly more talented people willing to sacrifice just about anything for him. But when your eyes found him one last time before the elevator doors closed, you saw him smiling at you from across the room.

A love like that was even harder to come across than the peace and quiet you’d been trying to enjoy earlier that day. Thankfully, Maria had interrupted all that. If it came down to a choice between standing in the center of attention or hiding in your lab, when it came to Loki, you’d pick standing in the center of attention every single time.

[seaofreverie]

I listened to a new Sparks album and it was all I could think about for two weeks straight afterwards, a.k.a. My Hello Young Lovers Review

Okay, so here's my fabled review (I mentioned having written it once about three months ago, so I guess there's a chance that someone still remembers that). It's hecking long (seriously, it's long.) and consists mostly of me pointing out specific sections of the songs and raving about which specific elements of the songs I particularly like. And also attempting to make some sort of general statement on the style / atmosphere / themes etc. of the whole thing. I wrote this back in november, after 5 full listens of the album, over the course of about a week, and I didn't update it with any new opinions that I have formed since, to keep it true to that original form, besides some side notes where I thought they'd be useful to add. I hope you enjoy my yapping, however unprofessional and all over the place this whole thing probably is.

How to start album reviews? Well, I could sum up the general vibe / thing / feel / theme with the album but that seems much more fitting for the conclusion of the whole thing.

So let's kick this off with the first thing we see instead!! The album cover, the sleeve! (note: I got this album on vinyl for that first listening experience, the 2022? reissue) Ohh so pretty and cute, isn't it? Even inside, so much pink, even over-the-toply-so (for real though, I didn't even really think about what to expect from the inner cover, besides some photos that I knew would be there, but it was certainly not THIS. level of pink and cute), it looks so pleasant and sweet, doesn't it? And the band photos too, fun times all around!

Oh wow, ok, let's get back to reality here, I knew what I was in for (knowing just one track and excerpts of other two + reading misc comments on the album before already, as it is inevitable, you know. And frankly, that was actually the exact right amount of info from that commentary for a peak enjoyment here. Not going in totally blind but still encountering many surprises). This is a prime and, imo, very well executed example of mood dissonance. In a way where, idk, maybe it comes from me still having this even small amount of info beforehand, but it's the kind of situation that you can actually tell that something is off.

So yeah, the visual aspect of the album does fit it and I'd even say it does so VERY well, but as to how and why, maybe I should start exploring the atmosphere and themes and elements of individual songs first so we can make more general conclusions from that! So yes, I think it's time to dive in!

1) Dick Around ▪︎

Shortly put, amazing, showstopping and life changing song. And one of the earliest ones for me too! As a part of the extremely important and memorable playlist (note: my first time hearing a bunch of random popular sparks songs), it appeared somewhere in the latter half on the mix and oooh boy, was hearing this song for the first time, on the road in the dark evening too, an experience. I certainly found it intriguing to say the least, maybe I wasn't yet completely SOLD you know, and let's not forget that the second time I heard it (july) it actually kind of freaked me out in a way, but still, it certainly made an impression immediately. There's a reason this is one of the more well known / popular / important songs of theirs overall. This song is truly a journey and it messes with you in so many ways, oooohhh so many ways. I was super looking forward to hearing it again properly after being teased with some parts of it in the more recent weeks, so ok, maybe this is where I get to the individual parts I want to talk about.

Actually wait, first let's maybe say something about the placement. Of course it's the first song as I was pretty much certain it would be (and maybe already had kind of possibly spoiled..?), and it does work incredibly well as a mood-setter for the rest of the album, so it truly couldn't work any other way in my view. So yes, speaking of parts, there are so many different ones! Hearing this again was extra fun also because I would remember the main "point" / mantra of the song ("all I do now... is dick around") but not much else, then be reminded of another notable but very different part, then listen after this whole time properly on pretty much repeat now and be aware of those other little touches and bits that bring it all together...

So, let's start with the pleasant vocals & piano break near the beginning, it's, well... I just really like it (I hope I'll be able to say more specific things about other elements in these songs that I think need to be mentioned as I go on LOL), and right after that we have some very nice strings, then, suspenseful strings!! Idk why but I really really like it when those come in, they really set the unnerving classical tone that follows and returns throughout the album, then the same "calm" / bouncy vocal melody and a more "all over the place" piano returns (at least from what I remember, the notes are sort of more expansive in range in this part I think...). And soon enough... we reach the real moment of the song when it gets, well, real. And very intense. And this is almost jumpscare-like, ohhhh it's so good, even when you know you can expect it it still hits the spot amazingly.

So this is the rocking part that's honestly pure distilled joy and amazement to hear for me each time, the repeated echoey "hey hey"s for a second there are just the icing on the cake, so so so good. And, in fact, it doesn't get more rocking than this for the rest of the album. Dissappointing? Maybe it WOULD be, if there weren't other things still going on later, which were also in their own ways showstopping, so I think that yeah, those can make up for all that follows not really coming close to this level of unhinged. And this is the right word here I think, unhinged!! Damn, this freaking song. Like for a second there I remembered that in one of my early-ish hearings I just found it almost uhhh, unbearably raw? Idk if it's the right word but yeah, it gets... ugly for a second (I need to stop cringing at every more unusual / to the point word I use or I won't be able to write any genuine reviews in my life). Before going back to the main mantra of course! And then it goes on in a circle a bit more again, with more changes and some progression of the story and all that. And end on the mantra again. I don't know if I'm leaving out any super important bits here, I might be... Well, it comes back to full on rocking near the end too, with some variation too, so that's awesome! And very suspenseful and unnerving strings too for a moment!

So, should I talk about the lyrics / the story just a bit now? Ok, I won't go super deep into these or any of the following ones, I'll try to focus more on specific bits and the feelings that come with them and a general "theme" if anything. So, I think this song and its story is very engaging and I like it a lot and it certainly provokes further thoughts and ponderings, those 6 and a half minutes fly by super fast (guess that's just the power with sparks and their long songs, it's kind of incredible how maybe this goes ESPECIALLY for songs that rely a LOT on repetition, because those might work this trend the best), lots of variation, while still keeping some prominently repetitive / reoccurring parts balances it very well. You're really just thrown from one part to the next with this song. Ok, I wrote a lot about just one song and I feel like there's still more I could say if I thought about it hard, but let's move on now, we don't have all day (night)...

2) Perfume ▪︎

This is a favourite. An instant favourite. Right away this song grabbed me with its subdued, brooding and honestly pretty dark tone and sound. Low vocals, kind of ragged but driving guitar sound, and the DRUMS. They do SO much for this track, something about this specific drum pattern / style is very pleasant to me, very atmospheric. It's like a specific pattern that works to deliver some kind of effect (ok, I think through that, in a way, I just described the whole thing with repetition in sparks' music, especially in this era, nice, I guess that's how I view it and why it works so well) there's still a lot of interesting stuff going on there, plus it just sounds nice, idk. Once again, maybe "driving" is a good word for it. But now I need to mention that there is this one odd-one-out part that sounds much more cheerful, or maybe hopeful (and it returns again near the end). Because it has this specific thing, the different intonation of the SAME lyrics than the rest of the song ("and that's why...") feels strangely emotional. It certainly hit ME in the feels once I noticed it, so, yeah!!

So I think this is one of the darkest songs in mood and sound, while it also has something extremely COOL about its sound that I can't really categorize, I think I'm gonna feel like repeating this for every other song on the album but it just feels so CLASSIC, it's that typical song that always existed type of feel, yeah. But here it's less so due the melody necessarily, and more due to the whole picture. With some others it's also the song as a whole of course but they don't necessarily feel as much as a representation of a whole THING / genre / type of song / feeling in music of sorts (I'm really bad at articulating my exact views on these, am I not...) rather than those specific special moments that just bring it all to the next level. But OHHH I can't believe I almost forgot this, but the piano lines (I mean the post-chorus ones specifically) in this song, oh my goddddd!!!!!!! They're truly THE thing that sold me on this song completely, they're just so... something. So I guess this song also has that special "it" moment after all, doesn't it? Well, still possibly not quite as prominently as the next one, because...

3) The Very Next Fight ▪︎

Well, this is the kind of song that's completely made up of those specific parts making a very special whole. Starting with, of course, that melody line during the chorus "it's always the same. It's always the same". But maybe, just to be fair, I should actually start with where the song actually starts so, well, hmmm, the beginning. The very solemn piano and overall kind of heavy atmopshere here kind of slows down the momentum after the first two songs, and it delivers something quite different instead. So yeah, well, that chorus melody!! Oh wow!!! Isn't it so simple though? But it works so well!! It's simply beautiful honestly. It absolutely is! And later the electric guitar comes in for more effect and oh wow, it feels so incredible, yeah. And then some more solemnity with the... I think harpsichord?

This track feels very empty (as in the atmosphere, I'm not actually calling it empty as a bad thing or something like that, no no no!!) in some parts, then it has those emotionally charged bits, and let's not forget that it has some more really amazing guitarwork near the end. That kind of guitar "wailing" sounds beautiful in its own right too, it also kind of reminds me of some other rock-adjacent genre(s), I can't tell what exactly though...

4) (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country ▪︎

In all honesty, after my first listen I decided that this was probably the song I was the least impressed by? Kinda strange, yeah, because I no longer think that, and yeah, it was another one that I was only slightly familiar with already. Very slightly. It's a very interesting song once again, I think it's really unique after some thought actually (as are most all of the songs on this record tbh, obviously). It's unique, but it once again has this special classic quality to it that just feels like it represents a very specific type of sound.

I wanna say that the chord progression in the chorus might be some variation of one of the "usual" progressions although OF COURSE I might be very wrong here, it's just the feeling I get because maybe it's worth mentioning that 1) a while ago I started noticing this one type of progression in songs that made them sound very similar to Kiss Me, Son of God (They Might Be Giants song), so I figured it must mean that KMSOG is just in some kind of typical progression that is used a lot, especially in country-sounding songs from my experience 2) there was also an element of some classic rock / rock&roll (?) / punk (??) songs that also made them sound very alike after a while when I started listening to this one internet radio station recently, idk if it's the same progression or its variation or if all those songs use different variations mostly but are still based on a very similar thing at the end of the day, but yeah. I might still not understand chords or be able to catch them while listening, but there's now at least a little part of that whole section of music theory that I might be able to recognise in music just by myself, so that's some major music literacy development on my part I think... Anyway, maybe the progression in this song didn't even remind me of that usual pattern specifically, but it just made me think of that thing nevertheless, maybe it's similar, maybe it's not... So this was kind of an irrelevant tangent on my part, oops.

So ok, let's get to the jist of this... What exactly I like about this song and such, or just what I wanna mention. Well, I wanna mention that this is probably one of the more repetitive songs, also one of the longest I think, maybe the third longest, I wouldn't be surprised by that (the opener and closer are both pretty tough competition in the length department) but it doesn't feel monotonous, it flies by super fast, once again.

I think it's also possibly the brightest sounding song on the record, the word that immediately sprung to mind here is "triumphant". Certainly fitting with all those awesome horns!! They're truly what really sets this song apart. I'm especially a fan of the horns in the bridge part, I think it's the bridge. Sooo so cool sounding, kind of "descending". I also really like the layering of the different vocals and their melodies and such, the acoustic guitar also brings it all soooo nicely together, it's so pleasant sounding, especially in the quieter "baby, let's invade" part.

Idk what else to say, very awesome song though and I definitely don't mind listening to it twice (with the repeat as a bonus track, which I'll also get to briefly at the end) at all, in fact this might be the least "intrusive" song in a sense, so that makes the best choice for a repeat, if I had to choose, I could see myself going with this one, it's just very pleasant all around.

5) Rock, Rock, Rock ▪︎

So things get real once again, huh. This is one of the songs that I count in the category of kind of sick and twisted but in a way where I only respect them more for making it, so that puts it right next to, hmmmm, sherlock holmes for sure, maybe some others I can't think of right now. Big part of that factor is surely played by the repetition which just works, well, very well. Specifically the choruses.

One part of this song I was pleasantly reminded of on my first few listens were the short strings interludes, they really give it some of that pleasant classical feel (a separate thing from what i describe as classic feel here!) that I could say kind of contrast with the song and its atmosphere in general. Or maybe spruce it up, idk, we do have very dramatic strings during the verses too... The very deep drum sound is also pretty prominent in this track I think, pretty great.

As to some more notable parts in the vocals department... Let's just say that the way Russell says some words is very, uhhhhhh, effective (i think this sounds more cursed than it should, but i mean exactly that, the delivery just really hits you... and other times it's kind of silly instead). And also, with that repetition and it creating something great in mind, there's the repeated "and since you put-" part near the end that's also really great. The repeated "I"s in the bridge I think also need a mention. It's like they know exactly what word / phrase to repeat, what amount of times, and in which part of the song for it to work the best, like the perfect placement and number.

I think this song also has a bit of a fake ending, so that's also something of note, especially when it's supposed to sound as dramatic as possible (at least that's the idea I get from it). And actually, oh, so does the previous song! I forgot that part even though it's even more noticeable / memorable in that song than it is here imo.

6) Metaphor •

Second half of the album starts off with something that's very elegant and all the while very pleasant and melodic, all of which makes it a very nice track, even in a more usual pop song sense. Some very cool piano to start things off, and the electric guitar accompaniment, which also enters pretty early on. And then we have that slightly more strange part, kind of like an early bridge, that honestly has a bit of a comical effect imo (with no disrespect intended!!)? As in, I find it kind of funny and silly personally. Yeah, the "who's up for a metaphor" part, especially when we get the repeated "don't don't"s and "we we"s, and, well, what follows is what's definitely the greatest part(s) of the song, when Russell enters his falsetto mode and we get the "aaaaa-ªªªªª..." etc. backup vocals in choruses. Those are the moments of the song that are just, well, ONCE again that classic factor that makes the melody & everything else super special. But more specifically, I think those parts are just kind of beautiful. Yeah, I'd say this song is the prettiest in sound that this album gets overall. Truly wonderful and gets you excited for the remaining songs.

Meanwhile, the spellings of dig as d-i-g might feel kind of random I guess? But it works. Adds variety or whatever (note: it's also a very good moment of a rhythm change I believe, I think now that's what makes it sound as cool and satisfying as it does). So yeah, kind of a heavenly song I think, in a sense, also one of my top faves just for that factor (note: this song is now probably my favourite on HYL, and also among my top fav Sparks songs overall. It wasn't instant, but it grew on me quickly and oh man, I truly love this song so much now)

7) Waterproof •

I think this is kind of an odd-one-out actually? And why? I think it's probably the closest on the album to being sort of a fully, or at least MOSTLY, "normal" song. It doesn't have so many parts that are just downright weird and unexpected I'd say, it's just kind of friendly instead compared to the other ones (note: it took me perhaps too long to realize that this song just doesn't have quite as much repetition, which most other songs here rely on heavily, so that's definitely what makes it stand out the most). Not that it's an entirely bad thing! Sometimes you gotta slow down and relax a bit I guess...

I do appreciate the kind of sudden switch with the "the sky is starting to cloud up" part, and the little orchestral bit right after the first time the aforementioned switch happens (the second? or generally some later time it happens again there are also some very awesome horns! Really starts feeling like a quaint rainy street in some french town or something...) when, well, I was going to say that the vocals and the strings do the same melody, but they actually don't, at least not fully, still though, I did have that illusion before I made sure it wasn't the case with another relisten, either way, when it DOES happen, and Sparks do that a whole lot I feel like, it's always quite awesome, I mean, syncing the vocal melody with some other prominent intrument's melody...

The I think harpsichord also makes a return, yay! And then there's the guitar part, that does have some real surprise factor when it comes in, but this time for sort of the opposite reason - it sounds bright and nice this time around, and also it reminds me of Sparks' later style tbh, specifically in their following more rock-centric songs of course. And I think that's very nice, we see the always progressing evolution of their sound here I think. That guitar bit also has some album closer vibes, that kind of fake closer (or nearly-closer) situation kind of reminds me of a similar thing I experienced with Bon Voyage on Propaganda for example (note: I have since learned that Bon Voyage IS the closer on Propaganda, and the following two songs on streaming are just b-sides. So it makes sense that it would sound like an album closer because it IS one).

Annnddd the last thing that I just can't forget about here is Russell's another epic falsetto moment (waterwatereverywherebutnotadroponme!~) that part actually makes me smile. Yeah. Legit. I paid attention and I did smile on that part during my relisten today. ... Ok, let's go on.

8) Here Kitty •

When this song came on the first time during my vinyl listening I of course instantly knew exactly which song it was (bcs I've heard the title before, and a few words on it too) and had this little amused "oh no" moment. And, well, turns out this song is actually very awesome and veeeery interesting! It adds something really unique to the album. I saw someone call it quite impressive in the vocals / vocal lines layering department recently (in the last week, so already after hearing it myself I'm pretty sure) and I absolutely agree.

First off, let's settle that - this is a very strange song. But that's exactly what makes it so good of course. The strangeness keeps you so distracted from this fact, that when we reach the bridge of the song you suddenly realize that beneath all the "tatata"s, meows and unsettling rising piano notes we have the very much usual song structure with verses and choruses. Yeah, I think I actually sort of figured it out, what might be the verse, and what might be the chorus... Speaking of which, the parts that I identified as choruses have this, well, it's the same thing all over again (but each time the specialness comes from a different place and is totally different of course), but that very classic feel, indicative of maybe even some specific genre but idk what exactly...

Besides that, well, maybe let's go back to my oh no moment for a minute, and let me say that I either am very illiterate in that sense (and yeah I am tbh) or the lyrics aren't as overtly, let's say, innuendo-filled? as I expected. They actually have a semblance of a story you know... I mean, NO, not even a semblance, it IS a story! Let me also say that this is a very interesting song to have stuck in your head a lot over the course of pretty much an entire week. Yes, it got to the point where it could be annoying. One last bit of the song I really like is at the very end, when one vocal line starts to sound kind of echoey / distant, nice touch.

9) There's No Such Thing as Aliens •

The song that first cemented itself as being by far the shortest song on the album, sort of an interlude before the incoming epicness of the last one (that was quite literally my very first impression before I even heard either, looking at the vinyl this one was visibly much shorter than the last, and of course I expected the last one to be fittingly grand, and so it was obviously, but we'll get to that in a minute). The funny thing is, it's not even that short, as I figured even before eventually making sure how long it was in fact, and that's almost 3 minutes, which, well, of course that's still something around well over two times shorter than the last song.

But enough about its length, this song actually does kind of work as an interlude thematically too, which it is? it sort of even feels like it doesn't quite fit with the themes of the other ones, I mean, maybe not that it doesn't fit but just that it's defintely the furthest removed from the much more similar topics of the other ones (more about that also later!). Plus it's pretty sparse lyrically, once again, there's less you can fit in under 3 minutes anyway. Which supports the interlude argument also I believe.

Anyway, the music. First of all, waltz time!! Always a treat in sparksland to have that rare spooky 3/4 time track. The feeling I get from this track is: grand, very orchestral, anddd, hmmmm, elegant. But is it more elegant than the rest of the album... Idk, I wanted to use 3 different descriptors. I honestly don't think there's much more to say about this one, it's great, the melody is really great, the grandiosity of the choruses, the even more notable waltz time during verses. I think that yeah, I could pick this track as the most orchestral / classical inspired of the album. One cool moment I'll mention though would be the very ending, with the repeated "no"s going for longer than you'd expect them to maybe, and the deep drum accompanying all that. Very grand ending.

10) As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral •

Well, how do I even start on this one. I think I can say that with literally each single listen I become more and more in awe of this song. Could I even call it even more of a journey than the opener? In a sense, yeah. There's so much going on here. So much that I almost feel like breaking it down into individual parts and giving all of them their due because they all work for the amazingness of the whole. In fact, I might even already have this track roughly memorized (all... 7 minutes of this track) so it could be done. But ok, I'll just go with each part as I remember it, we'll see if I in fact do go over nearly all or all of them.

So. Echoey synth (?) intro, then the first melody part, with the individual words repeated, kind of "urgent" vocals part, very nice rhythm and something I just find very cool. As it progresses we get another part of just the synth / electric guitar-like synth / guitar or whatever this thing is, then a mix of both + this clicky instrument and / OR is it the harpsichord again? Giving it all more urgency and a nice constant rhythm. I also really like when the "byebyebye" vocal gets looped before the synth reenters. Overall, this part of the song has a very electronic, drony feel that I greatly enjoy and find very atmospheric and immersive already.

But, well, it doesn't end here. Because later, everything else stops and we hear a church organ. Even the melody it enters with is very much like something you'd hear in a cathedral, indeed! Good environmental storytelling, isn't it? But then... the organ transitions into this very very cool frantic melody (and by very very cool I mean that it's probably the #1 thing that stood out to me about this song right from the start) which returns consistently throughout the song and is just oh so very awesome.

So we enter the next part, what could probably be called the central part "as I sit down to play the organ...", tension is rising, the organ is doing its thing in the back, then some "hallelujah"s and BOOM! The chorus? The "I've got faith" part of course. And with it some epic strings, and I don't think I can really say what exactly it is about this part that makes it SO FREAKING GOOD & ABSOLUTELY SHOWSTOPPING but it's easily in my top 3 moments on the album at least. Then it's followed by the slightly considerably calmer "she's here..." section and we go mostly full circle for now, more variations on the same parts. Some grandiose "lalala"s & epic drum action too. And then, the "I believe" sections which I cannot let myself neglect, mostly just on the basis of them being kind of sickening to me. You know, in the "why did they do this (said respectfully)" way.

Ok, did I really just talk about all of the individual parts, I guess so. But before I move on I have to mention the moment when the very first major part, the "bye-bye-bye my baby" part, makes a sudden comeback. It's honestly just so good and satisfying, when completely different sections switch and make unexpected (or maybe you actually DO expect them on some subconscious level, and that's what makes them work so well??) returns like this, if a song has that it's very likely it will become a top top favourite or at least have a very big effect on me. Or even HUGE effect, like here.

So yeah, the song does eventually end (I mean technically unbelievable somewhat, since it's so long, but have I actually mentioned yet that this track goes by about just as fast as the first one, because it sure does, you do not notice the time passing WHATSOEVER) on some more "hallelujah"s. And the album's over. Wooo boy.

Bonus tracks

Well, it's not really over yet if it's not the vinyl but the streaming version. We still have just two more bonus tracks, technically just one? So I'll go over both quickly now for completion's sake.

First we have "We Are the Clash" which is a pleasant song for sure, can work as kind of a denouement after the crazy journey of the previous track, so you're left on a little less of a mood unresolution and can become a little less unsettled after all of this going down... Idk.

But yeah, I actually have this impression veering on pretty strong conviction that this song is a cover actually. It could even be a cover of the band whose name is mentioned in the song, which would put this version in a extremely funny area of how far stylistically it might be from the hypothetical original, if it exists (what's up with all these bands and their "we are the [band name]" songs, there's so many). Of course I could also be very wrong about this so all I just wrote could turn out to be absolutely hilariously off target, still, a fun little attempt at guessing things and connecting ideas on my part, whatever the truth turns out to be (I will learn the truth... in due time. My experience tells me that when I'm still fully in initial unwell mode over an album it's difficult for me to read and retain any outside information / commentary on it. So no need to rush it, heh) (note: yeah I was right for once. I meannnn I guess it was obvious anyway but still, let me have this, I've been fooled by assuming that a cover was someone's original song way too many times so I'm happy to not be fooled for once).

So ok, the last last track. Baby baby can i invade your country is baaaaaack, not much to say but it's pretty much the same other than the lyrics, since well, it is the "alternate lyrics" version, not "alternate" version. I do think that it might be slightly longer than the final version though but it's also likely I'm misremembering.

Anyway, lyrics, all I can or feel the need to say is that they seem to be definitely way more to the point on what this song's actual topic is (not... invading... countries . I don't need to explain it here do I) so subtlety win for the final one I guess. Just so it is known, I have not read these two songs' lyrics unlike all the main album tracks'. But I think I caught enough to get the main idea from both, you know. I do think also that the final version's lyrics just kind of sound better, idk if it's the rhythm of the words or what but they do just have a nicer flow. So, improvement, probably, still very nice to know this version anyway of course. (note: yeah i have learned since that most of the final lyrics are the US national anthem. Makes sense that if any song were to have alternate lyrics it would be this one)

To round it all up...

I think there's still a lot that can be said about this album as a whole but how do I go about that. Well, I did mention earlier that I'd come back to a) the overall feel / atmosphere here b) the themes / stories and how they connect. So those shall work as a guide to my conclusions part of this whole review.

First off, I could even say a bit about the main vibe / sound here in reference to Lil' Beethoven! Since it really does work as a sequel, at least in sound, by all means. I described LB with stuff like... cold, distant, cathedral-like, what else was there.... Ok, I have more, lifted directly from my LB write-up. (note: finally listening to LB a month prior to this was enough of a big deal for me that I wrote down my live reactions to hearing the songs) Impersonal / detached. Alien. Spacious.

Do those apply here too? I think so, yeah! Pretty much all of these words also feel like pretty good descriptors here. But honestly, the more I think about it.... Maybe it's just that the distance / the detachedness and alienated feeling is a bit lower here? Or at least in some songs more than the others. It's hard to explain honestly.... That similar atmosphere continues here but it's just..... not as pronounced maybe. Idk, maybe it will become clearer with this next point I wanna make which is that LB actually is less, uhhh friendly in sound. Less accessible! Yeah, I do think that this album could be seen as: LB started the experiment, HYL perfected it by taking it in a slightly more accessible direction. Or is perfected a wrong word here, who can say which was, or should be considered the better outcome here.... I think I actually have a problem putting concepts into the right words today. But maybe at least some of my feelings about this can still come across here...

So yeah, I don't think it's possible to tell if HYL is better or LB, it also depends on how you look at it! As it kind of always does when judging stuff per good / better. One thing that I can say sort of for sure though is that LB certainly started ideas / techniques that HYL expanded on and toyed with further, so in that sense, it could be considered an improvement. And so it is clear, I don't think I can say 100% that I like one more than the other. It's not that simple. I guess you could however say that HYL was more of an instant hitter and LB really just grows and grows more in power overtime....

So yeah, they kind of did take the LB concept and all of the avant-garde, experimentation factors that come with it, and made it more accessible, which is a form of art and an achievement and a testament of skill in itself. I think the somewhat friendlier, more palatable approach of this album also lifts off the coldness aspect a bit, but it's still there, especially on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, off the top of my head.....

But maybe I should talk more about the album and its sound as it stands on its own before I move on though. Maybe we could jump from the words I already used: classic, orchestral, brooding, dramatic, dark, aggressive (yes, I somehow see it as friendlier than its predecessor despite also being much more aggresive in all senses. Raw even. How does that work? I can't tell you today. And idk if I'll ever figure it out. And also personal, YES, that's the word, this album feels soooo very personal and emotive. Not in the sense that I'm trying to say that it must be personal to them, more like it just shows some very personal feelings and struggles), triumphant (but that goes only for that one song really), driving, ELEGANT. I think the word elegant is the key here. In all of its subtler or less subtle tone shifts it keeps that very elegant, kind of graceful feel, all throughout. Even when it seems to be touching subjects that wouldn't necessarily bring that kind of atmosphere to mind, it kind of elevates them and gives them, idk, a new meaning?

So is this a good segue into the topic of themes? I guess the album name sits well with what I think is going on here, because my main impression of the whole thing was something like.... stories of fucked-up guys with self-image problems / feelings of inadequacy, which they try to go around fully convinced that they're right (and their messy love-lives too ofc). Or are they just, normal, regular guys actually. Who can tell. It certainly gives you an idea / a whole concept to work with and ponder here and to connect and visualize kinda.

I think that yeah, out of what I've heard so far this has to be the most thematically-consistent sparks album there is. It comes to a point where all the songs give this little impression of a whole universe where all of this takes place, and while I've had these kind of impressions from albums that are way more all-over-the-place conceptually with their lyrics (I mean like.... pretty much every They Might Be Giants album. You can create this sort of illusion with more than words, the music and its atmosphere and often also its stylistic consistency might be even more important actually), this comes, in my mind, almost close to concept album levels in that regard.

The definition of a concept album probably calls for something more specific than all the tracks being in sort of a similar theme but you know.... I don't think it really happens most of the time in music in general, that the whole album has this sort of a familiar idea / spirit throughout that makes a unique whole. (note: apparently wikipedia calls this album a concept album. Another win for me in that case, lol). You could probably try to connect different songs' themes and work with that in some way.... Which is something I already did in all honesty, but actually it's a between albums thing here, because I do believe that the dick around guy could be the same guy that the narrator from ugly guys with beautiful girls talks about. Similar ideas you can connect! That's what I'm talking about. I love it when songs tell overarching stories.... Make me think about characters from songs or little universes and vibes created by even the vaguest of lyrics and the ideas those create and the imaginings they bring, any day.

Ok, what else can I say. I think I mostly covered everything I could actually. Should I say something more about the cover with the added context now. I already said that it gives off a "something's wrong" feeling, but I think it's also compelling in how it conveys that elegant, non-threatening and polished image, sterile kinda. Well, I think only one of those four words I just chose doesn't really apply to most of this album's songs. I mean non-threatening ofc. Hmmm, maybe sterile doesn't really work here either, besides those prominent examples of the coldness of sound on this album, it would actually go more with LB, which also has a fittingly minimalist, all-white cover. Collected and orderly to a distressing degree. Just like here, it also gives off some.... distressing vibe. As I already said with the "this isn't right" feel.

What else can I say. In reviews you usually give your opinions, which I very much did throughout this thing here, everything like this is always somewhat subjective I think, but even then, a final verdict could also be said here. I think it's pretty damn clear by now what my opinion on this album is. I wouldn't spend several days writing a review and analysing every little detail if I didn't have a very strong (positive) opinion on this album (I guess I technically can imagine writing a very throughout review of something that just annoys you so much that you simply have to go through everything wrong with it and have some relief and closure through that. I can't see myself doing that kinda thing however, I'm not that kind of hater (or really a hater at all lol, i hope), I'd rather devote my time to things that I find actually cool and awesome and stand-outs in a positive sense, and worthy of attention and that dedication).

So this comment I fittingly found on tumblr over the last few days feels pretty relevant towards my opinion of writing "reviews" of stuff (this was more of a, very detailed analysis I know, but review just kind of fits, especially with how people call their recaps / commentary / writeups of concerts "reviews" a lot of the time):

(note: yeah I think I should come clean here that despite my very recent start of actual social media participation I've already been a serial lurker in various places for years now, lol, I mean, that's probably a normal thing to do though, I hope. I mean, probably lots of people do or did that at some point, but still. And I don't know whose post this is anymore sadly. But I thought I'd keep it here because it's a good summary)

And also, just for the record, this is my opinion on HYL pretty much. Yaaaayyy i loved it i had so much fun!! For real. i'm glad they're creating something!!!! Absolutely. One of a kind album that I will cherish as yet another great and unforgettable entry on the list of albums that changed me (TM) and brought me lots of fun and great memories / associations, even in such a short time. And the actual FIRST on the new list of albums that I'm happy to have brough the utmost attention to and dissected like that. It's out of love.

Thank you for reading this far! Here's a little bunny as a prize!

Whoa whoops this gif was supposed to be small! Have a huge bunny in that case, you deserve it! 🐇