#same with characters like you will rarely catch me making hate posts for the characters i dislike

[musicalmoritz]

It’s totally fine to dislike ships but I will never understand how some ppl make it their entire personality. You can’t ALL be the “#1 skk hater”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Family Matters

Inspired by this post; in the same universe as this

Warnings: non/dubcon, cheating, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Thor Odinson

Summary: your new husband's brother surprises you with a visit.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

The doorbell rings again and you barrel so quickly down the stairs, you nearly topple off the bottom step. You catch your breath and grab the post at the bottom of the banister to steady yourself. It’s a splendid house but you told Loki it’s too big for just the two of you. He didn’t like that so you didn’t mention it again, even though it feels empty with how much he’s not around. 

You let those worries slake off of you and hurry to the door. It could be another surprise! Loki hates leaving you for so long so he tries to fill the void with gifts. Sometimes, they make you feel better, other times, you’re just sad. You’d rather have him there. 

It’s not a courier but a familiar face. Your brother-in-law. It’s official as of one month ago. You’re family. 

“Oh, hi,” you deflate, trying not to show your disappointment. You’re not upset it’s him, you just hate being the one to say, “Loki’s not in.” 

Thor smiles. He’s rarely unhappy. “Ah, that’s unfortunate. Where is off to, then?” 

“Work,” you grumble the repetitive explanation. “Important project or something.” 

“Important enough to leave you alone?” He wonders. 

“I... guess,” you try not to mope. Loki says it make you look childish. 

“Well, I am much in the same boat. Alone,” he laughs hollowly. 

“Oh, yes, I... how are you doing?” You ask. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for coming to the wedding. Really, I know it must’ve been difficult.” 

“I couldn’t miss my brother’s special day,” he shakes his head. “It was a day for love. Wasn’t your fault mine decided to leave...” 

Your heart breaks for him. The day you were married, Frigga told you what happened. A hug fight right after your rehearsal dinner. Jane left before the morning. Despite all that, Thor didn’t show a hint of grief at the wedding. 

“It’s too bad. I liked Jane.” 

“Needless to say, I did too,” he smiles thinly. “Well, I hope I didn’t disturb you very much. I suppose I could come calling tomorrow and hope my brother isn’t too busy for the likes of me.” 

Your heart rents for him. Here you are, a new marriage, a husband to long for, and he lost his girlfriend of five years. You don’t have much else going on, it would be nice to have someone there. 

“Did you wanna hang around for a bit?” You ask. “Not much going on but... this place is eerie when you’re all alone.” 

“Hm, did Loki say when he would return? Wouldn’t mind waiting around a bit,” he suggests. 

“I hope soon but he didn’t say,” you shrug. “Yesterday he wasn’t home until midnight.” 

“Midnight? He would make you wait so long? A lovely young wife like you?” He scoffs. “Well, that is just terrible. I will not commit the same crime as my brother. I’d love to come in.” 

“Alright,” you smile. “I... we could put something on? I was going to watch the new season of the true crime show.” 

“Ha,” he enters as you step back to let you through. “That wouldn’t help being alone, would it?” 

“I guess not,” you giggle. “We could watch something else. A comedy. I’ve been rewatching Friends. For the hundredth time.” 

“Whatever you like,” he slips his shoes off and puts them on the mat. “The only words a woman like you needs to hear, eh?” 

You laugh again, “do you want snacks? I got some caramel corn and gummy bears.” 

“My brother let you bring those in his house?” He wonders. 

“It’s our house,” you face him with a pout as you stand in the broad archway to the front room. 

“Yes, you are correct. My apologies,” he follows. “You know, he only hates those sugary treats because he is weak to them. Be sure to hide them well or you might find some missing.” 

“No, he never wants any,” you continue into the front room. 

“So he wants you to believe,” Thor counters. 

“How about drinks? We got a bunch of wine from the wedding. Some scotch?” 

“I only really indulge in lager and I'm not of the mood for it,” he assures. “I could help with the snacks.” 

“No, no, sit,” you grab the remote and hold it out to him. “Find something to watch. I’m so indecisive I just flick through the menu for an hour.” 

“I will do my best,” he accepts it. His hand dwarfs you own as his fingers brush across yours. Loki’s hands are long, but not as thick. 

You push your shoulders up and spin around to flit off to the kitchen. You scurry away and slide into the kitchen. You go to the cupboard and take down the bag of caramel corn. You pour some in a bowl then grab the package of gummy bears and a box of cream cookies. 

As you come back to the living room, Thor leans forward to set the down the remote. You put the treats on the glass table and sit on the other end of the couch. You only realise then how awkward it is. You’ve never really been alone with him. 

“Thank you. So sweet of you to have me,” he says as he twines his fingers together. “I feel as if everyone has been avoiding me since Jane. I fear I might be a bit... melancholy.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” you glance at the TV as it plays an intro to a show you don’t know, “well, how can anyone blame you? You’re going through so much.” 

“I’m an adult, these things happen,” he says. 

“Sure, they do, but I mean, it still hurts. It’s not easy,” you insist. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.” 

“Ugh,” he puts his elbows on his legs and cradles his head. “I don’t mean to bring my dark cloud in here.” He rubs his temple. “Truly, I think I’ve been trying to outrun it but... what else can I think of with only an empty home to go to?” 

“Oh, Thor,” you sidle closer on the cushions. You gently touch his arm. His bicep is a lot bigger against your hand. “It’s okay. You can’t hold it in forever. It's good to feel these things. Once you get through that, you can move on and I’m sure you’ll find the right one.” 

He sniffles and you flinch. He quakes against your touch and your chest knots. You never imagined him crying. Especially not a man his size. You don’t know what else to do but comfort him. You rub his shoulder and he huddles over further and wipes his face. 

His long blond locks conceal his tears as he mops his sadness away with his knuckles. You hum and get even closer, your hand trailing up his back. 

“Thor, I'm sorry. It feels so cruel, I know. Especially the timing of it--” 

He startles you as he leans against you. You let out an ‘oop’ as he turns to embrace you, curling his shoulders and hunching to put his head on your shoulder. You have no choice but to let him. 

“Oh, it’s been awful,” he snivels. “I’ve been so lonely.” 

“Shhh, let it out, that’s okay,” you rub his back and stare at the wall. You certainly didn’t expect the night to go like this. 

He holds you tight as he cries against you, his body heaving. You know Loki isn’t the best for these sorts of things so you’re happy at least he trusts you enough to listen. That’s about as much as you can do. 

“You won’t believe how cruel she was,” Thor rasps. “She just yelled and yelled. She shoved me and—she just kept accusing me.” 

“Accusing you? Of what?” 

He’s quiet for a moment. He lifts his head to look at you, his arm across your back. “Of wanting another.” 

“Oh?” You blink in surprise. 

“I told her no, no, I did not, but she kept saying “I see it! I see it in your face!” And I swore to her, no, no,” He wipes his face with his other hand, “but now I’m afraid she might have been right.” 

“She... who?” You frown. 

His arm wraps around you, his fingers dipping into your side and in a moment, the couch shifts beneath you. You cannot resist as surprise paralyses you. Thor lifts you easily onto his lap, turning you and sliding you to sit on his thighs. 

“Woah, uh, whaat--” You press your hand to his chest. “Please, Thor, you’re emotional--” 

“She was right, kitten, you are so soft, so gentle, and I could not look away. She caught me--” 

“No, no, you can’t-- Loki--” 

“Loki leaves you alone. He would rather work than stay and adore his precious wife,” He cups your chin and forces you to look at him. “He would abandon you...” he leans in as his eyes fall to your lips, “and leave you unkissed.” 

You try to pull back but you’re trapped in his embrace. He squeezes you close and crushes his lips to yours. You squeal and struggle against him, finally turning your head so his mouth smears across your cheek. 

“Untouched,” his hand trails down your neck and you clasp onto two of his fingers, straining to keep him from going lower. “Unloved--” 

“Thor, stop, let me go--” 

He leans over so your back is on the cushion, his arm beneath you as your legs are folded up over his. He is on his side next to you. His large hand comes back to frame your face and he squeezes to keep you from squirming. You tug as his shirt and whine. 

“Thor, please, stop. We can forget--” 

“I can’t forget,” he growls and nuzzles your nose. You whimper and push against his chest again. He is stone, he is unmoving, and you know you cannot stop him. “I will never forget how you feel against me, kitten.” 

[shipmansflannels]

the alchemy | shauna shipman x reader

what if I told you I'm back? see what I did there? :) anyway, I'm back. this week I'll probably update for more days in a row (tonight, maybe tomorrow and sunday too), because tomorrow is a holiday here in brazil and, as I have more time to post than on regular days, I decided to reward you. better prepare, because this is my first oneshot with shauna and I really hope you like it (I put my best effort into it because shauna is my favorite character, so that's it, I hope it turned out good.) obviously the whole thing is a reference to "the alchemy" by taylor swift, so I also hope you managed to convey what I meant by interpreting the song. enjoy!

sorry for any grammatical or coherence errors, english is not my first language and I'm trying to improve!

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

the alchemy | shauna shipman x reader

-> prompt: you and the midfielder are secretly dating. <-

warnings: non cannon, no crash, most fem!reader but it works for gender neutral readers too, some swear words, jock!shauna, sub!reader, soft dom!shauna, jealous!shauna, very subtle smut (because I still don't know how to write one), secret relationship, platonic!jackie x reader.

***

Honestly, you could get used to it.

It wasn't like it was the worst thing in the world to not be able to admit that you and Shauna were properly together to your friends, even your closest ones. In fact, it was even exciting for you to be in a secret relationship. As an extremely private and intense person, you would hate someone noticing while you and your girlfriend were kissing in any corner and feeling entitled to have an opinion about it.

Honestly, it was much better this way. Just the two of you. And your parents. The only ones who knew you were getting to know each other better.

The whole thing started that same year, after the boring science fair proposed by the most boring teacher in the world, in which you had to stand in front of your booth with a failed attempt at a volcano that worked with detergent and bicarbonate. Shauna was at the booth next to you, also with an attempt at a ladybug that worked using a cell phone battery to get around, and she was kind enough to praise your botched project, unlike the other colleagues.

But you didn't really talk until days later. You started to notice her more, of course, more than before - because the idea that the Yellowjackets were extremely popular because of their victories over the other teams at school wasn't enough - but you didn't catch her attention until the day you were walking across the field to deliver a piece of homework to Coach Martinez and one of her kicks accidentally hit you in the face.

When you woke up, in the infirmary with a broken nose and horrible-tasting medicine, Shauna Shipman was next to you, in the worn yellow armchair next to the infirmary bed, and began pouring every apology possible in your direction, while your head was spinning and you were still groggy, looking like you were asleep.

It was the worst night's sleep you had in your life. And honestly, after that, nights of sleep were rare for you, so it didn't matter.

The thing is, Shauna was unintentionally becoming popular, and she couldn't blow the opportunity by publicly dating someone who wasn't even overly well-known - even though the kick and the broken nose had made you pretty famous in the hallways for a few weeks -. Not only because of that, but also because of the gossip and intrusions, which always happened, and which was a little more serious than the growing popularity of your girlfriend.

***

"Excuse me, can I steal Shauna for a few minutes?"

The girls on the team were sitting in the stands, after an electrifying game that brought them closer and closer to entering nationals, and Shauna hadn't come to celebrate with you as usual. Usually, whenever the Yellowjackets won, she would come running into your arms in the stands, and then you would be making out in the locker room, hiding in the small bathroom stalls, trying to escape the concentration of girls in the place.

But this time, probably to keep up appearances and for the sake of euphoria, Shauna hadn't run to you, even though she knew you were there watching her and cheering for every pass. It wasn't taken personally, of course not, because you knew that Shauna and all the students were having chaotic exam weeks and their heads were full of more important things than relationships.

She smiled as soon as she saw you put an arm around her, and, faced with the incredibly provocative looks of the other girls, with expressions of someone who already knows everything, Shauna stood up, following you, her foot limping a little from the wear and tear of running so much around the field for ninety minutes.

You checked out less-observed places and found the closest tree, and then she pressed you against the trunk and, with her hands on your face, kissed you passionately, like she always did. The butterflies in your stomach were having a party, coming and going every time her cold lips touched yours.

"You were great, baby-"

You tried to speak, but she interrupted you by pressing the kiss further.

"Shut up, let me enjoy you for a little while, then you can talk to me all night, okay?", she whispered, kissing you again, before breaking the kiss after a few seconds, to breathe. You were trying to balance yourself and placed your hands on her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you when the game ended, beautiful, my head was… a mess."

"It's okay, love. I'm proud of you for winning."

"The merit is not just mine, but I can live with it." She laughed, hugging you around your waist and resting her head on your shoulder. "So? What do you want for today? Movie night? Bar? Pizza?"

"It's your turn to choose…"

"Ah, right… I guess I have some great plans for us, then."

Her look was suggestive, and you pulled her a little closer just for the grace of kissing her again, amidst your smiles and laughter. This time, however, the kiss didn't last long. They were interrupted by Lottie calling for Shauna.

"See you on the way out, baby…", she murmured, before giving you one last peck and leaving, sweating, panting, leaving you with only the taste of mint, sweat and a silly smile, as you slid your body through the trunk, melted.

Honestly, just the two of you knowing what was going on there was the best thing you could have asked for. Because you were a good match, after all.

***

The topic of "Jeff's party" never became more talked about than weeks after the Yellowjackets won yet another title. You weren't that good friends with Jackie's boyfriend, and if you had to choose, you'd rather stay at home drinking and watching movies with Shauna, but there wasn't much choice. The Yellowjackets were a reserved seat in the venue, and there was no way to deny the invitation after so long.

Also because Shauna and Jackie were best friends, and you couldn't let your girlfriend make the mistake of hurting her best friend over a secret she could "never" tell her about. It wouldn't be that bad, despite the idea of ​​staying away from Shauna so as not to flag you up. It was an easy problem to solve.

The huge balcony of the Sadecki house. The luxurious bathrooms. The bathtub was big enough and the walls were even bigger to muffle the sounds of your laughter and kisses and moans. There would be no problem.

Except it was tempting to formulate an escape plan that actually worked.

And, of course, you couldn't escape the blandishments of Jackie Taylor, who, as Shauna's best friend, demanded to know why the two of you were always together, and why you were reluctant to come - and bringing the brunette along with this idea - and why you didn't know how to dance like her.

Well, you had never been close enough to Jackie to talk about interesting things with her, but now, at the full party and with the bunch of teenagers shouting over the loud music, it was easy to start a conversation. And it's not like she doesn't also have high marks in charisma to bring up the best topics and take you along with her.

But if you could stop to notice the looks on all the teenagers' faces dancing and drinking to Britney Spears, you'd be able to find Shauna's brown eyes fumming as she watched Jackie put her hand on your shoulders and make you sway to her rhythm.

It was as if you were harmless fucking prey living your ordinary life, and she was the hungry, desperate predator imagining imminent scenarios of how to hunt you down and take out all your flesh in one fell swoop.

Her eyes were covered by the red plastic cup that contained the liquid she needed to numb herself so she wouldn't see the rest of that humiliating scene and end up ruining Jeff's party, but things didn't get much better for you and Jackie because, at the very least, as you waited, the room started chanting "Hips Don't Lie", and you had to deal with the most intimidating scene of your entire life.

Jackie started holding onto you in the pre-chorus and, probably without meaning to, began to sway more deeply to the beat of the song, her arms around you, her lips firm on your ear near your neck, her cool breath making you shiver.

Shauna rolled her eyes, biting herself with jealousy and trying to control the urge to take Jackie away from you. Of course, half of all things were caused by drinking, but still, she was sure that you should pay for what it was doing to her.

Without thinking twice, Shauna simply stepped into the middle of the dance floor and wrapped her arms around you, taking Jackie out of the picture by taking you a little further away from her.

"What the fuck, Shauna?"

First name. Calling by nickname even with the sound turned up at the highest volume at a party full of people would not be helpful.

She glanced at you and took another sip, her brown eyes deep into you for a while.

"Shauna, what did I do wrong? We were just dancing!", you defended yourself, when you didn't get a response, and that didn't help either. The silence hovered and continued until it became torturous enough for you to want to leave, taking her by force, in a state that was a bit too worrying for both of you.

***

"I told you we could have stayed home, but you insisted on coming."

"And that doesn't mean I need to drag you everywhere I go, (Y\N)."

"We're going to fight, then, is that it?"

Taking your eyes off the road, crossing the street of her house - which you already knew by heart -, you faced Shauna, who snorted, crossed her arms and stared at the landscape in the passenger seat window, without responding. After seconds of silence and Johnny Cash's low voice filling the room, she whispered, whimpering.

"I'm sorry, baby, I don't know what came over me, it's just…", Shauna sighed, and whimpered again. "Damn, she was practically having sex with you in front of everyone, and I couldn't let my best friend take advantage of the person I'm dating like that!"

You sighed too, realizing that, despite her drunken state, Shauna still had a modicum of sanity to admit that every now and then she went overboard with excessive jealousy. Now, still, you could forgive her, and you did, sliding your free hand up her thigh, your eyes quickly turning to her face.

"I'm sorry, too, I should have watched myself more."

"Okay, anyway", the brunette whispered, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Stop the car."

"What?"

"Do what I'm asking, (Y\N), stop the fucking car."

Her tone. You closed your eyes and felt your legs tremble as you swallowed down all your fear and tension.

Obligingly, you stopped the car on an empty road and, while the other cars and pedestrians did their best to ignore you, Shauna ripped off her seat belt and climbed into your seat, sitting between your legs with a mischievous smile. Her hands snaked around your neck and she pushed herself closer as she felt your hands trail down to her hips.

"Hm, I like that. Now… I'm going to show you how to bounce for someone for real."

Your eyes widened, surprised by Shauna's malicious response, but you didn't reprimand her, much less retort. And when she began to truly bounce on you, even in the awkward seat of the car, her breathing became labored the moment the first movement began. Your nails pressed into her thigh, and Shauna moaned in satisfaction, very softly, leaning down to kiss your neck and nibble a little, because she knew you loved it.

In fact, post-fight sex was a recurring thing between you.

Your nails went down a little, squeezing her ass as she kissed you, and then you repeated the same action, hearing even more of your girlfriend's satisfying moans. Thinking about how good it was to fuck her like this, without anyone knowing, without anyone noticing. It was the best feeling ever. You wouldn't trade it for anything.

And you knew that, deep down, neither did she.

Shauna soon left her fancy clothes thrown in the backseat, and you did the same. Shortly after, you jumped into the backseat and started doing what you regularly did, without shame, without fear. Your hands slid down to take off her bra, and she did the same thing to you with the intention of leaving you completely naked in front of her.

With kisses, nibbles, touches and silly hands, you enjoyed that night like no other, before leaving again and returning to your homes as if nothing had happened.

***

"Are you waiting for someone, baby?"

Shauna whispered, startling you, as you sat waiting for her in the locker room after another of the electrifying games in which the Yellowjackets had come out on top once again. It wasn't even new anymore now.

Her laugh felt good in your ear, but you didn't have time to appreciate what she could give you in return, because you were soon pushed into the bathroom stall again, and Shauna resumed the trail of kisses she was trying yesterday along your face and body, trying to remain as silent as possible so as not to alarm any of the girls.

You responded, but it was impossible to hold back, especially when she lowered her kisses to your neck and made you want to scream by holding back your moan. Shauna was loving it, on the other hand, and just kept pushing more and more, for the grace of being able to play with you and your sanity without fear of what would come.

Or at least, who would come…

"Shauna, would you have a tampon- WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"

Jackie shouted, making you pull away from your girlfriend instantly, eyes rolling back and a sigh of almost relief escaping your lips. Shauna laughed mockingly and scratched her forehead, shaking her head.

"Can one of you explain this to me?", Jackie demanded and, instinctively, you noticed that the other girls were also with their little heads stretched towards the bathroom stall, trying to see something.

Shauna rushed in, pushing you out of the way and going to her best friend, her brown eyes downcast, dilated, the expression of someone who had just been defeated. "I've been fucking (Y\N) for a while now. That's basically it, if you haven't figured it out yet."

"Shauna!", you scolded her, even though you didn't know what to say to fix that mistake. Even more defeated, you nodded, pursing your lips. "Yeah, it is what it is, there's nothing more to say."

"You two better have a good explanation for all this, or I'm going to turn your heads into mobiles for my house one by one, I swear to God."

Jackie shouted, and, realizing that there was no longer any way to hide it from anyone - not even from yourselves -, you nodded, leaving the bathroom and going after the girl captain, trying to correct that mistake.

Well, now it was done. You had been discovered. And honestly, maybe being caught in the act just made this whole secret relationship thing even better.

You didn't even care much, to be honest. If you could still kiss and make out with Shauna as much as you wanted — even with her teammates whispering all over the place —that would be enough.

[tenpintsofsundrop]

What would Dick Grayson be like in bed? (Titans Kink Headcanons)

A/N: So originally I was going to publish all of these for all of the characters in one long post, but I got tired/creatively stalled out about halfway through, and it's just been sitting in my drafts unfinished for weeks now. So I have decided to post them for the characters one at a time so that way I can catch up on them and have the energy to complete them really well. The reader is meant to be completely gender neutral, and I don't really know how to put warnings on this, because there is mentions of kinky topics throughout, but it's basically just a list of kinks? Like, the content itself is like a warnings list for a fic. Main warnings are for kinky topics, Daddy kink, and discussions of BDSM.

DC Titans Masterlist

...

So... one of those things that is totally obvious to me from the source material is that Dick Grayson is Daddy.

Not just when it comes to Daddy kink (although he definitely does enjoy being called Daddy for sexual gratification). He is the living embodiment of the title of Daddy. And tbh, I think he would love being called Daddy in a non-sexual context - which might sound weird if you've never been in that kind of relationship before. But when you try it out with him, you would probably love it.

It's something he would find comforting. You calling him Daddy in completely non-sexual contexts when you have no sexual intent behind it - it would make him feel good because it brings the joy of having a long term partner who feels comfortable calling him that. And he would definitely also love the casual dominance of it. He would love feeling owned by you because he gets to wear that title 24/7.

But he would be likely to say that it's something the two of you can only do in private - like in text messages or when nobody else is around to hear it, because he holds the title very sacred and he doesn't want others to mock him for it, because it is like a safe space for him. Even if he would 'laugh off' any mockery of it, he would feel hurt deep down inside.

But anyway, speaking of casual dominance - it's something he is obsessed with. I think he loves BDSM as a lifestyle, and for him, when he has a partner, it definitely doesn't stop in the bedroom - he loves setting lifestyle rules for you as a way of taking care of you.

He will set rules about when you eat (to make sure you never miss a meal), what you eat - he wouldn't ban you from eating junk food, but he would limit your intake of sugar and make it mandatory for you to eat a certain amount of healthy foods, and if you have a bad habit of consuming too much caffeine or soda, he is sure as hell gonna use sexual punishments to curb it.

His goal with casual dominance and the rules he makes will always be to take care of you and improve your quality of life - including your physical health and your mental health.

Is he always dominant?

I think that he vastly prefers being dominant because he is a control freak who hates giving up any kind of control, and funnelling those feelings into a BDSM relationship can keep him from exerting his intense need for control in other areas of life - like having emotional fits when other people don't do what he wants and violently beating up criminals. And on very rare occasions, when he is with someone he knows very well and trusts, he will play the submissive role. But I don't think he would ever be a submissive in a long term relationship.

If his sub misbehaves, I think he would avoid using pain as a punishment. I genuinely think he wouldn't be into spanking or any other type of painplay, because at the end of the day - even if he's strict about rules, it really makes his soul ache to hurt you.

One of his favourite punishments is overstimulation. He loves giving oral simply for the fact that he loves overstimulating you with his tongue for hours, and he loves vibrators and even fuck machines for the same reason.

He would use attention denial or ignoring you as a punishment - denying you of affection, or going as far as to ignore you completely if you want to talk to him at all (unless it's an emergency, of course).

He would also use this punishment in combination with overstimulation - setting you up with a vibrator pinned between your thighs and leaving you alone until you're whining and desperate, begging for his attention and ready to apologize for whatever rule you have broken.

I can also see him being into semi-public sex. He would be the type of dom to enjoy putting a remote control vibrator in your underwear just to push the button and watch you squirm at the most inconvenient times. He would also love taking you out to dinner somewhere nice and teasing you under the table, living to see you squirm and become desperate for him.

He would love any kind of bondage - tying you up in different complex ways, blindfolds, gags, all of those kinky things. As long as it doesn't hurt you, he would love seeing you vulnerable and wanting - he would love seeing rope against your skin. (And he would absolutely have the patience and intellect to learn complex shibari just to tie you up.)

And lastly (one that is obvious to me from the show) - Dick has a breeding kink.

He wants to be a father so badly, even if it's unconscious for him - it would come out when he feels you squeezing around his cock. And whether you can get pregnant or not (and whether you want kids or not), he would be obsessed with roleplaying the act of knocking you up. He would be obsessed with seeing his cum leak out of you, and telling you how he's gonna knock you up while he's deep inside of you. The first time you tell him to ditch the condom while having sex, it drives him insane, and it's the best sex of both your lives.

(A/N: I think that's a good round-up of all my headcanons for him lmao.)

[nonbinarypirat]

I’m catching up on Bungou Stray Dogs and I got to chapter 39 and wow… what a bad chapter. Or I should say, I VERY purely written, mishandled chapter. So I wanted to talk about why I hate this so much (even though so many people have probably talked about this here and other platforms.) Get ready for a rare known Iruma breakdown. But also I’m so mad about this chapter so this is going to be more of an unhinged rant then a well written post. Warning: child violence, abuse, abusive cycles, and sympathizing an abuser

This chapter is somehow a thousand times worse than what the anime did? I wonder if the people in charge of the anime also didn’t like this part and decided to cut it short and get through it as soon as possible and move on. Though it could also just because of how fucked up it is. No matter the reason, I went into this chapter hoping that maybe there was some context lost from the anime to manga but nope! In fact the manga goes further with trying to make you sympathize with a literal child torturer? It honestly makes me appreciate the episode just a tiny bit more for not including his oh so tragic backstory 🙄. Look, no matter what you have gone through, you don’t get the right to abuse a child. Plain and simple. Just because you were abused doesn’t give you the right to do it to someone. I get that the abuse cycle is not easy to break but once you fall down the same path you are ALSO a fucked up person! And you deserve to suffer for your actions. I wished he got a worse death than a car accident tbh 🤷.

Anyway, I hate how every character in this chapter acted like Atsushi was being irrational about not wanting to know why the headmaster was around? That’s his torturer, the man that literally made his life hell? If he doesn’t want to know, don’t force him. Like, could it give him closure, I guess. But he should be the one seeking that out. Quite frankly, once it was found out the headmaster was involved Atsushi should have been pulled from the case. Give him some distance to process everything rather having to learn about his abuser’s life story or whatever. Like I said, if he wanted to learn that info he should but only if he wanted. Idk why it treated him not wanting to know as acting irrational. I feel like every character treated him like this, from Tanizaki to Akutagawa to Dazai. Instead of comforting him in this difficult time they just… didn’t do anything? Obviously Akutagawa wouldn’t but why didn’t the other two do anything to make him feel better? Only Dazai did really and it was shitty. Full stop bad.

Which leads me into the crutch of it, I hate how they made the headmaster out to be a father figure or mentor. He’s not?? What the fuck are you on about. Like, I could see it if there was fake comfort, subtle or advert manipulation by being nice sometimes. Then it would have been a situation of, he’s the only father figure I ever had but he hurt me in the worst ways. And that’s where the ending could be. Not to say it would still be a well written depiction of abuse, it still tries to get you to empathize with the man, however, I could get where all the complication in Atsushi would lie. But this man was literally the worst human being to walk the face of the Earth the entire time we see him in the manga. So it makes ZERO SENSE. I guess that’s the angle they were going for, he’s the only adult man I know but it does NOT work at all. How is he a “mentor.” Just because he said to hate me not yourself? Fuck that shit, Atsushi does not need to feel bad for that man just because he was trying to make him strong or whatever bs excuse he has. Oh wow, he got him flowers. How ‘bout you pay for his therapy bills?!

If they really wanted to have some nuance, instead I feel like the conflict should have centered around Atsushi still not feeling safe or like he isn’t really dead. Like he can’t allow himself to relax despite the fact that he knows the facts. Especially since the headmaster was a big threat throughout his life, having him suddenly die would be a large shock to the system and go into denial mode. Thus, Dazai or someone else could help him move on and he could finally breath a sigh of relief. Or maybe he’s scared that other workers of the orphanage will try to find him. Maybe he tries to go back to normal, doesn’t give himself time to process, and it all comes crashing down and he has to grapple with the fact that he will never know WHY the headmaster treated him like this. Honestly, not having it answered would have been better because often people don’t get an answer why abusers act the way they do. This idea could add another reason why Atsushi is conflicted between happy and deeply upset because the headmaster is gone but now he’ll never understand why he was treated so horribly. And grappling with the idea that maybe he will never know or understand. Which is tragic but would be a better written and understandable conclusion.

BSD just really dropped the ball with that chapter. It had a great opportunity to bring a nuanced perspective onto why Atsushi may not be elated with his death and get further perspective on him as a character. But instead it focused too much effort on making a child abuser sympathetic because he also faced abuse in an orphanage and some people died and so he tried to make Atsushi strong or whatever. Atsushi deserved a better end in than chapter that Dazai calling that gross piece of shit his father.

Edit: I wanted to add that as much as I hate this chapter I liked the parts where we got to see how bad Atsushi’s life really was at the orphanage. I mean, it hurt for sure but getting to see this put into perspective fully why Atsushi has a hard time pushing through his trauma and past. Like, PTSD is no joke and that was reason enough, but seeing how far it got really showed that. Which makes me mad when people imply he should have gotten over it already or similar statements. Like, dude if that was me I wouldn’t have made it to 18. It’s actually impressive his resolve to live despite everything. Kind of wished we saw that in the anime as dark as it was but once again, I think it was not included specifically because of how poorly it handled this topic. Not gonna lie, it would piss me off enough to not finish the show (not that it’s too much of an improvement but it at least is like, bad writing but a pass).

[the-s1lly-corner]

GENERAL JAX HCS

mix of a bunch of stuff, probably going to be writing random stuff while waiting for requests to come in so i have something to do side note i never actually felt a knot in my neck form, only wake up with them after getting them in my sleep... until today, felt one form right in the back of my neck while i was just. standing and oh my god it sucks so much i hate knots but actually feeling it. develop. right there. sucks more i think anyways this is a mixed bag of just basic jax hcs + stuff that can tie in with other characters or the reader, we'll see since i write these notes before doing anything else

would this really be a jax hc post by the silly corner if i didnt mention the fidget headcannon? literally the hc that i bring up the most in my posts when theres readers who have accessories or tails or what have you?

i think hes going to mess with anything he can get his hands on; usually passing them between his hands or perhaps tossing them around in the air and catching them.. if its something bouncy hes going to be bouncing it along the ground while he's walking.. i think sometimes with other characters, he does try to mess with them out of habit (plus given how he snatches zoobles arm it kind of. shows hes comfortable doing that sort of thing, you know?)

sometimes messes with ragathas bow, or zoobles antennae (though with zooble its more on purpose and to annoy them).. i think you get the idea

speaking of ragatha i think they would be good friends, i mean i personally think if ragatha didnt like jax she would keep her distance from him (though to be fair we still only have the pilot so far + i think ragatha would still be polite if she didnt like him)

as for his dynamic with zooble i think they kind of egg each other on, but on the rare occasion they do agree on something they do so begrudgingly

i think his ears twitch when hes thinking or when hes irritated, not huge movements... mostly little... twiks, you know?

i dont think he really has fur personally, and if he does its really short and smooth... in my opinion he looks like he would be made of the same material as those small squishy animal toys

these ones, i got a handful of them and theyre genuinely so soft and squishy, me thinks jax would feel like these things

on the off chance he needs to cook for whatever reason, hes a terrible cook. like i think he can make one meal but outside of that hes a disaster in the kitchen... also doesnt make a good kitchen partner because hes going to think its funny to hand you the wrong thing when you ask him to pass something

malicious incompetence but hes doing it to annoy you and will probably give you the right thing after a few rounds of messing with you

no one is safe from his antics, assuming he and ragatha are good friends, shes still subject to his jokes at the bare minimum

so.... if youre friends with him youre at least going to go through the same thing

i dont think he would be a good secret keeper most of the time. like yeah sure if its something serious and important i think he would put aside his douchbagie-ness for once and keep it

but if its something outside of that? yeah no you're have more luck confiding in caine, who imo would pounce on the opportunity to gossip

probably shouts random stuff, like "hey caine, (reader) thinks youre (insert outrageous lie)!" just to mess with you. does this to other people, usually ragatha or gangle... sometimes does it to kinger, i think... only reason he doesnt do it to zooble is because they will get his ass, and hes giving pomni a 'grace period' before he decides to drag her into his shit

hes an ass but i dont think he would just jump on someone/j

speaking of, while he can be mean to some people i do think he has his limits, like hes not going to kick you while youre already down or make fun of you for something you cant really control or manipulate you by hanging something over your head (see the secret keeping thing, while he will tease you about more basic stuff if its something serious hes not going to do it imo)

you know?

though i do think hes the type to steal something from someone in order to make them talk to him; especially if he has a crush on someone... hes just a little shit like that

has this LOOK on his face when the person comes to retrieve their thing, and tbh... i can also see him waving it around over their head (hes tall, and if they can still reach it he probably jumps.. gets on his toes.. stumbles away and holds them back ect) just to keep them around for just a little longer

whether this is actually successful in getting with the person romantically depends... personally it wouldnt work for me but hey, some people find that behavior endearing and/or will be able to eventually pick up on what hes doing

does not like being vulnerable, this goes for really anything regarding feelings as he thinks it ties in with weakness (spoiler, it doesnt)... probably has a "eeeewww feelings..." mindset (though might still let you vent to him... will act uninterested but if he really didnt care hed just walk away.. more actions than words, this one is)

rarely talks about how he actually feels about things if the feeling in question is anything less than indifference or amusement... though hes not opposed to expressing anger or annoyance... will let you do what you will with that information...

naturally because of him being weird about his feelings, romantic feelings fall into the "eeeeeewww feelings..." category so hes not going to be blunt, again, actions over words here... and even then the actions here are mostly him messing with the person and trying to get them to spend time with him as a result (even if its not... hanging out..)

[transingthoseformers]

Something wholesome to wake up too :D. I remember stumbling upon your post about both Megatronus and Orion being clerks/librarians/archivist thanks to the TF One movie making them both miners sooo have like my spin on it/headcanons based on the idea? -Megatronus and Orion met when Megs was still D-16 aka a miner. When Terminus managed to get a break from the mines, which was so rare, he would sneak Megs with him so the young miner could experience more. He took him to the Iacon Hall of Records since D-16 mentioned being curious about the history of Cybertron, there he met a young Orion.

-Orion and him would bond over data pads Orion managed to smuggle to the mine site, lots of them being old poetry and history that excited D-16. It is also how D-16 gets his name of Megatronus

-At some point, Alpha Trion catches on, and instead of being anger, decides "Eh fuck it, Orion needs someone around his age to talk to" //proceeds to yoink the young miner and giving him a better life

-Now a proper clerk for the Hall of Records with Orion, it is kind of chaos. It's basically "An introvert and ambivert become friends and they have to play rock, paper, scissors on who deals with people". Megs always loses, he hates it.

-Orion has def snuck Meg's poetry and writings into the records because he is so proud of Meg's work. Megs gets flustered.

-I lowkey just picture this AU being more chill. Yeah, Megs still wants the caste system gone, but is less violent about it, trying to use his words and peaceful protests first before being forced to go to more extremes. Orion maybe backing it up too because maybe the council just straight up ignored Megs because they see him as low-caste still and he's just "Ayo wtf".

-When maybe Orion becomes Optimus, Megs backs him up, helping archive everything while helping him connect with the low-castes who are wary of OP. Also def acts as OP's scary dog without realizing it lol

-Honestly i cant see clerk!Megs becoming the con tyrant warlord we know him as, I feel like he would be more calm and chill, preferring to spread his message while also like keeping OP in check so he doesn't become a tyrannt

-Would still call OP "Orion", and no one can stop him. Not even OP. As revenge OP scatters Megs poetry. In summary: Megs helps break the "serious and cold" prime act alot and helps a lot of the team connect with Optimus on a personal level

Sorry that this is long, but these ideas plagued me i hope that is okay!

YES

Ooo on Terminus and Megatron sneaking to the surface, and that being how Orion met him

Yes on the smuggling of datapads to D-16, and makes sense he'd get his new name from them

Alpha Trion just... Taking Megatronus has to have consequences, significant consequences

Sfsgd yes, "you do it" "no you do it" "you lost, you do it" "🤬🤬🤬"

Yes on Orion and Megs sneaking the poetry into the records, preserve it yes

100% this is a more chill au idea, always was meant to be a more chill au idea

Interesting way it changes Megatronus

We really "the power of friendship"-ed this up, it's v cool. Megatronus has grown into himself in a different direction, and I bet their friendship being earlier and arguably closer effects Orion in an interesting way

I am a SUCKER for characters calling Optimus "Orion" as a sign of closeness, oh it's gotta have fun moments

OO on the team part? Does the war still happen and Op and Megs are on the same side, or does the team unite in a different different way?

[captainremmington-13]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

show!Luke Castellan x daughter of thanatos!reader

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the image above or any of Rick Riordan’s characters/world-building.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: swearing, lots of kissing and making out, mentions of insecurities, violence, scars, arguments, petty revenge

A/N: the part that’s all-italics is a flashback. I’m SO SORRY i forgot to post this last night, i fell asleep 😭

“You’re fucking dead to me, Connor.”

Travis Stoll stifled a laugh, but his grin disappeared when you shot him a harrowing look. “You too, Travis. Don’t think you’re gonna get away with the bullshit you’ve pulled today.”

You were in the Hermes Cabin, pointing your weapon at the Stoll brothers. They were truly on your last nerve, and as a result, you were extremely tempted to turn Cabin 11 into a slaughterhouse. 

They had been purposefully pushing your buttons all day. Stealing your eyeliner, taking things off your lunch plate while you weren’t looking, and teasing you whenever you and Luke were together (which was almost constantly). 

The final straw had occurred mere moments ago, when they had decided to take your stuffed animal bat hostage. You’d been able to retrieve it quickly, prying it out of Travis’s hands and giving him a shove for good measure. His brother barely had time to catch him before he hit the ground. 

Now, the two Stolls were practically frozen in place, afraid of what you’d do to get even with them. 

Before you could open your mouth to chew them out further, the door of the cabin swung open. 

“Woah, what’s going on?” 

You suppressed a grin. You didn’t even need to turn around to know who had spoken.

Luke walked over to where you stood, a concerned look on his face. He could read you like a book, always noticing when you were upset or distressed. 

He leaned in to press a greeting kiss to your forehead, eliciting scoffs from both of the Stolls. He turned to look at his brothers, the annoyed glint in his eyes making them look slightly less sure of themselves.

“Explain yourselves,” he said curtly. 

Travis cleared his throat. “We were just…having fun.”

“Maybe you two were,” you muttered, instinctively curling a hand around Luke’s forearm.

Luke glared at the Stolls. “Stop messing with her. It’s clear that she doesn’t like it, and she has important shit to do. She doesn’t have time for you two brats.”

Connor shot Travis a look. The Stolls weren’t stupid, they knew that continuing to defy Luke would probably land them a chore that nobody ever volunteered for.

The two sons of Hermes slunk towards the cabin door, defeated. You assumed they’d decided to go bug someone else. 

Luke’s body relaxed, turning to you and promptly resting his forehead on your shoulder. You ran a hand through his curls soothingly, enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around your waist. 

“You alright?” you asked quietly.

“Mhm,” he murmured, his voice muffled by the cloth of your shirt. “Just tired. Don’t want to be around anyone else right now.”

You hummed understandingly. You knew how short Luke’s temper could get, and that he often felt like the other demigods at camp were wasting his time. You felt the same way quite often.

“Did something specific happen that frustrated you?”

Luke sighed. “Little kids wouldn’t stop asking about my scar.”

You held him closer, guiding him to his bed. It was essentially both of yours at this point, however. You rarely slept in your bunk, only using it to hold your prized stuffed animal, pillows and some blankets. 

He sat down, pulling you into his lap so you were facing him. 

“I’m sorry,” you said after a moment. “I hate when they do that to me. They always demand to hear the full story, as if it’s some fairytale instead of the most terrifying experience of my life.”

Luke nodded. “Even worse, it reminds me that my scar is…there, you know? I’m usually able to forget about it during the day, but when someone points it out or mentions the quest, I can almost feel the poison returning to it. Gods, I wish I could back in time to before I got scratched by that fucking dragon.”

You frowned, a small pit forming in your stomach. “Luke, be honest: do you think that your scar makes you less appealing somehow?”

Luke’s eyes bore into yours, his pupils filled with sorrow and frustration. He nodded ever-so slightly, and you felt like your heart was shattering into about a million pieces. 

“Let me ask you this,” you said slowly, reaching up to cup his face. When your fingertips brushed against his scar, he flinched instinctively but didn’t pull away. You were the only person who could touch it without getting their limbs snapped. “Do you think my scar makes me ugly?”

“No, of course not, angel.”

“Then that means yours doesn’t make you any less handsome.” Luke opened his mouth to protest, but you placed a finger over his lips. “You know I’m right, Castellan.”

“But-“

“I completely understand why you’re insecure about it, believe me. Fuck, it took me weeks to get comfortable with looking at my reflection again. But then I realized that it didn’t really change me at all. It’s not pretty to look at, but the rest of me sure is.”

Luke blushed slightly, and you could tell that your confidence had caused it. You smirked, bringing your face closer to his.

“So trust me, Luke,” you said lowly, caressing the back of his neck gently. “You’re still fucking gorgeous. Personally, I think it makes you look even hotter.”

Luke didn’t respond. He just stared at you, unblinking.

Before you could ask what was wrong, Luke’s lips were pressed to yours. 

Your noise of surprise was muffled by the heated kiss he’d pulled you into. All of the anger and bitterness he had been feeling seemed to have morphed into intense romantic passion. Luke’s hold on you tightened possessively, digging his nails into your waist. It was a rough gesture, and you knew it would leave marks on your skin. 

But it only made you feel more euphoric. 

You groaned as Luke’s teeth bit down on your bottom lip slightly, instinctively tightening your hold on his hair.

“Sorry,” Luke murmured. “Didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine,�� you replied, giving him a cheeky grin. “It’s nothing compared to how rough you get while we train together.”

Luke rolled his eyes, but when he quickly pulled aside the neckline of your camp shirt to start kissing your collarbone, you knew he wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. 

You were just about to reach down to start tugging his shirt off when you heard a series of loud curses just outside of the cabin.

Luke huffed. “This always fucking happens. Just when things are about to get fun.”

You laughed, pecking him once more on the lips. “Let’s go see what’s happening. Then we can try to sneak away to an empty arena.”

Luke gave you a slight smirk, which you matched immediately. He gathered you in his arms to carry you bridal-style towards the door.

“That sounds lovely.” 

________________________________________________

You let out a long sigh, your eyes half-closed as you reached blindly for the bottle of soda you’d been drinking from. The campfire sing-along’s were never your favorite, as most of the campers were horribly off-key. You preferred to watch from afar, waiting for Luke to finish helping the younger demigods make their s’mores. 

Besides, the cheery vibes really got on your nerves. You knew it was “mood-killing” to not participate, but you didn’t see what there was to be so happy about.

You rested your chin on your fist, watching Luke as he sat by the fire. The flames, which were a golden hue and at least five feet high, gave his skin a beautiful glow. He looked more divine than any immortal you’d ever seen. 

Finally, after two more annoyingly cheesy songs, Luke’s eyes met yours. He picked up a paper plate with a s’more on it and headed your way. Sitting down next to you, he placed the plate in your lap and wrapped his right arm around your waist. 

“Tired?” he asked, taking a sip of your soda.

“Yeah,” you muttered. “After being here for more than ten years, I’m really sick and tired of campfire sing-alongs. I’ve asked Chiron to let me skip them, but he always says no.” Your expression morphed into one of disdain.  “‘They’re good for morale,’ he said. As if they actually really do much to boost our spirits.” 

Luke let out a noise of irritation. “Well, you know that his judgement isn’t always as sound as everyone thinks.”

You nodded, closing your eyes and leaning against his shoulder. 

You knew exactly what moment Luke was thinking about.

.

.

.

“I am glad you have both recovered,” Chiron said, closing his office door behind you and Luke. “However, now that you are up and about, we need to have a serious conversation.”

He gestured for you to sit down, which you did. You took Luke’s hand, giving him a reassuring smile. 

Chiron stood behind his desk, his hooves tapping against the wooden floor. “Because your quest was not given to you by the Oracle, you did not have a third companion. This put the odds against you both, even more so than they were initially. Though you fought bravely, you failed to complete the task given to you by Lord Hermes.”

Luke’s face flushed, and he let go of your hand. “Thanks for the reminder.” 

Chiron sighed, avoiding both of your gazes. “Your lives are more important than achieving glory.” 

“Sure, but being constantly reminded of our defeat ever since we returned a week ago isn’t exactly pleasant,” you said bitterly. 

Chiron elected to ignore your comment, which only put your more on-edge. “The brush with death you both experienced rattled the entire camp. If things had gone just a bit differently, we would have lost you. There are already so few demigods here because so many who are guided by satyrs have been attacked and killed recently. Mr. D and I agree that we cannot have campers going on such dangerous journeys and losing their lives. Therefore, we have concluded that we will not permit anyone to go on a quest, unless it is absolutely necessary or the will of the Olympian Council.” 

Your jaw fell open. “Are you fucking serious?”

Chiron nodded gravely. “I’m afraid so.”

“That’s fucking ridiculous,” Luke spat. “You’re going to rob everyone of their chances to collect glory just because you think it’s too dangerous? Our lives are filled with danger, we’re constantly being hunted! What’s the point in training so hard if we don’t get to actually use our skills?”

“My mind is made up,” Chiron said firmly. “I am sorry that it upsets you, I understand how important glory is to young demigods-“

“No, you don’t understand,” you shouted, standing up. “For millennia, going on quests have been he only way to become a true hero. And now you’re telling us we have to just…stop?” 

Chiron opened his mouth to respond, but three sharp knocks on the door interrupted him.

“It’s me,” Mr. D’s voice declared. “What’s all the loud yelling for? You’re disrupting my peace and quiet!” 

“I am discussing our decision to ban quests until further notice.”

“Ah,” Mr. D said, clearly uninterested. “Tell whoever you’re talking to that we’re not changing our minds.”

And that was that.

When the other campers found out about the new rule, they were furious. The Ares cabin was especially bitter, threatening to hold you hostage until it was revoked. Fortunately, Mr. D (who had an odd soft spot for you) discouraged them from doing so by threatening to turn them into grapevines. 

Still, this didn’t prevent other demigods from giving you and Luke a hard time. They blamed you for ruining their shot to become renown heroes, and made sure you knew how upset they were. Some of them marched right up to you both to shout at you, which usually ended with them getting shoved to the ground by your boyfriend while you told them to fuck off. Others preferred to use slightly more subtle methods of revenge. After a two-hour archery session, you had decided to take a shower to cool off. Had you not been paying close enough attention, you would have rubbed a handful of shampoo that was dyed neon orange into your hair. 

You were utterly shocked someone could do something so immature and petty. But that didn’t stop you from finding out who did it it was Reylynne from the Aphrodite Cabin and getting even during the next Capture the Flag game. When you encountered her on the battlefield, you sliced half of her light brown hair off, giving her an awful, unflattering haircut.

Eventually, the ruckus died down. People stopped harassing you, and you were able to get back to your “normal” camp routine. 

However, the damage had already been done. You had crawled back into your shell.

At least you had Annabeth, who you saw as a little sister. She never judged you, or blamed you for what happened on the quest.

You also stayed close to Chris Rodriguez. After sharing a cabin with him for years, you’d developed a close platonic bond that you knew wouldn’t waver any time soon.  

And of course, you still spent every waking moment with Luke. 

________________________________________________

“You know what I just realized?”

Luke raised an eyebrow, turning his face so that he was looking directly at you. You were laying on Luke’s bed, your limbs intertwined and your bodies pressed together. It had to be close to midnight, as it was pitch black outside.

“What?”

“Turning eighteen tomorrow really isn’t that big of a deal.“

Luke brushed a lock of hair out of your face. “Why do you think that?”

“We’re not normal mortal teens. It’s not like being eighteen gives us any special privileges. In the eyes of the gods and Chiron, we’re still just average campers.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “But isn’t being able to say you’re officially an adult a little exciting?”

“I guess,” you said reluctantly. “I suppose I’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning.” 

Luke hummed in agreement. “Close your eyes, angel. You need the rest.”

You rolled your eyes. “You always say that.” 

Luke didn’t reply, but gave you a smug grin when you yawned. You just glared back.

“Don’t give me that look, Lukey. You don’t have to tell me ‘I told you so’, I’ll go to sleep, alright?”

He snorted quietly, burying his face in the crook of your neck and practically climbing on top of you. “Lukey? That’s a new one. Don’t tell me you’re going soft on me, angel.” 

You barely held back a groan as he placed a tender kiss on your jawline. “You know I’m only like this for you.”

Luke gave you a smile, his eyes sparkling despite the darkness that enveloped the cabin.  “I love when you’re like this. Your vulnerability is priceless to me, and I love seeing a side of you that you rarely show others. Besides, you’re so fucking adorable when you’re sweet to me, and only me.”

You shot him a fake glare. “You’re making it really hard to want to sleep.”

Luke sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop. Sorry for keeping you up.”

You shook your head. “It’s alright, I really don’t mind.” You brought your stuffed animal to your chest, and wrapped an arm around your boyfriend’s torso. “Goodnight, Lukey.”

He leaned towards you, and gave you one last kiss. “Sweet dreams, angel.”

You fell asleep looking forward to your birthday for the first time in your entire life. 

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[toaarcan]

I mentioned in my Bold New Moebius post the other day that Miles is one of my favourite Archie Sonic characters, so I thought I'd elaborate a bit more on that.

Bear in mind that the more I talk here, the more likely I am to go into pure "I made it the fuck up" territory, because he was a very underutilised character in canon, and that means I'm going to be doing some heavy interpreting and stretching. This is how he appears to me, after all.

The obvious first point (one I even made in the previous post) is that he's a Starscream-type, and that's one of my favourite villainous archetypes. Some little shit of a bad guy who sits there going "I could do better" and often has kind of a point, because the main villains they're working for tend to be a bit... dim.

Miles usually working for Scourge is a prime example of this. He's a genius, and Scourge is... not. Remotely. They work in very different ways, Scourge being loud and explosive and prone to self-sabotage, while Miles is more sneaky and subtle.

But what gives Miles so much potential is actually something unexpected: His fear.

Miles is often regarded as a coward, and I used to hate this. After all, being afraid of Super Scourge is a fairly reasonable stance to take. At the same time, framing Miles as someone who talks a big game but is kind of a wimp when cornered does fit as an inversion of Tails' lacking confidence and braver centre.

But the main reason I think this is actually a fairly good trait for a villain is that it compounds with his intellect.

If Miles is a genius who really, really doesn't want to get punched in his smug face, then he should be very cautious in his schemes. He has the intelligence to make his plans in such a way that he's always safe. His plans have contingencies. His contingencies have contingencies. Even if you thwart and foil the first six layers, maybe the seventh will catch you out. Even if you stop him from achieving his objective, he's already escaped.

Miles isn't a villain who can show up every few weeks with another crazy scheme and get foiled. He's the sort of villain that only shows up rarely, but when he does, strap the fuck in, because even getting close to stopping him is going to be a challenge.

And despite the Sonic series' propensity for genius antagonists, none of them have ever really tried the "Master planner" angle. The most genius plan we've seen from other villains in Archie is Mogul going "I'm immortal and you're not, so I'm just gonna wait until you 80 and then win."

Finitevus is a genius, but while his plans are good, they're not hugely intricate. He tends to resolve his problems by way of overwhelming force, and his ultimate goal is worldwide genocide by way of burning the entire planet to the ground.

Eggman... look, as much as I dislike Ian Flynn's version of Eggman, whom I find an incredibly confused character, I do think he's got a good point about Eggman being a fuckup. The SEGA game version of Eggman is the guy who responded to one Gizoid going into murder-mode and nearly killing him by immediately building another one, which then proceeded to go into murder-mode and nearly kill him. He constantly unleashes other threats that he cannot control (Chaos, Shadow, Emerl, Gemerl, Dark Gaia, Zavok) and then acts surprised when it blows up in his face.

The guy is a scientific and mechanical genius with the foresight and planning skill of a cranefly. It's weirder when his plans don't backfire on him.

And that means there's a niche! There's a type of villain that Miles can fill, a character who uses his intelligence not for the creation of doomsday weapons, but to concoct a plan that will take every last scrap of Sonic and co.'s determination to overcome. Additionally, Miles has another trait that works in his favour: Who he's a counterpart to. After all, in Archie, Tails has a grand destiny and unmatched power that is simply... never used. For anything. Gallagher introduced the idea, and Penders waffled on about it and dragged it out and changed his mind about what it was meant to be, and then Flynn ended it in a really weaksauce way.

So basically, Tails had a big role to play, and ended up fulfilling his destiny about three times, and with the final one it was mostly done for him, by a machine, that he was being used to power, but he was mostly unconscious, and he had help from Shadow. And then Flynn said he lost all of his powers except flight off-screen, but it was never shown and that's intensely lame so I ignore that part and so should you.

But... Miles is an evil counterpart to Tails, and the antiverse appears to have just as many Emeralds (or Beryls) as the Prime one has. There's no reason Miles can't also be a Chosen One. In fact, it stands to reason that he is one. And while Tails briefly had all the power of all the Chaos Emeralds in the universe, and gave it up... what would a villain do with that kind of power? Certainly nothing good.

On Moebius, the Great Harmony is a doomsday prophecy, and Miles is at its centre. And that feeds into another one of my favourite villain tropes, "The Chosen One exists and it is explicitly a bad thing."

And we'll round this out with another villain trope example, because Miles is an absolutely amazing candidate for the Villainous Breakdown.

I love it when a bad guy reaches the end of their rope and just fucking loses it. Maybe they start begging for the mercy they never showed others, maybe they lose control and just start viciously attacking everything in sight, determined to take the hero down with them. Whatever form it takes, it can be immensely satisfying.

And Miles, a genius schemer who really, really does not want to get the crap kicked out of him, would play out this trope beautifully.

Now if only they'd actually done something with him in Archie. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise that they didn't, given the standards most Archie villains were at by the end-stages of the preboot.

[1943d]

THERE IS A STRANGER WITHIN ME. HE SPEAKS PEACE AS A PROPHET. A GUN IN MY HAND, I SNIPE THE PRETENDER. HE CAN'T HARM ME, NOT ANYMORE.

independent, selective & low-activity writing blog for JAMES BUCHANAN ‘ BUCKY ’ BARNES. primarily from the marvel cinematic universe with a huge canon divergence post avenger's endgame. mostly headcanon based focusing on themes as : war ptsd, forced patriotism, rejection of society, ticking time-bomb. explored by rosie, twenty7, australian.

001. i'm keeping this blog relatively lowkey, i'm not adhering to a schedule or anything so there might be days where i disappear and days where i'm online 24/7. it really depends on my mood, i'm here primarily to have fun.

002. i haven't really been keeping up with the new mcu content, i think the last show i watched all the way through was moonknight. but that doesn't mean i won't interact with new characters or anything, just note my knowledge is a little funky. i'll catch up eventually.

003. i've never read any marvel comics so i am not 616 compliant, don't hate me for it lmao i'm more of a manga girly. bucky is a mixture of mcu & my own headcanons & interpretations. i'll absolutely still write and interact with 616 blogs but please note bucky will not be comic bucky.

003. standard rules apply here, minors and personal blogs will be blocked on sight. i'm not a stickler for aesthetics but i like it when a blog is somewhat organised and i can understand what i'm reading. i am here to write not grade an essay.

004. i'm going heavy into triggering territory here, bucky's ptsd and trauma are heavily implied but not deeply explored cause, ya know, disney, so i'm taking the time to really flesh out his character and a large part of that is everything that happened to him. so please be aware there will be some heavy topics discussed but i will tag everything accordingly.

005. i'm not pro-callout culture unless the person is genuinely harmful. i will automatically block anyone who engages in petty drama no matter who. anon hate will be framed and put on my wall.

006. shipping is not a priority but if it happens organically with proper chemistry & plotting i'm open to it. i'm one of those rare people who doesn't actively ship st.ucky, but i'm not against exploring it with the right steve. i don't want to be collected for ships so if you already have a ship with another bucky then sorry i'm monogamous babyyyyyyy. also i extend the same courtesy and will only ship with one version of a charcter.

007. as a former sex worker, i have no problem writing smut. but i will only write it with people over the age of 25.

008. thats it for now, these are just basic rules until i get up the energy to actually make a carrd or something.

[13eyond13]

Hi I have a question was there any deathnote ship wars (misalight vs lawlight or something) when the anime came out?

Hmm! I was not in the fandom early enough to see the very earliest stuff going on. I got into it close to 2008, and by then the anime was already out (though the English dub was not available to me to watch yet); the volume 13 behind-the-scenes book was out, the two novels L: Change the WorLd and Death Note: Another Note were out, and the first two Japanese live action movies were also out, too.

HOWEVER from what I recall the same main ships that are popular now were the most popular ones back then (Lawlight and M²/MattxMello), and the "wars" were usually more around whether or not people liked characters or even wanted to see them shipped at all, or even included at all in stuff? Misa was probably the one who got the most hate and most pointed exclusion from fan content, followed shortly by Near. People often said they didn't like Misa or didn't want to see her included in fan content because she was annoying and got in the way of Lawlight. It was almost like you were just asking to be flamed by even daring to put her in a fic – you didn't even have to be shipping her with one of the guys in it. And many didn't like Near because they thought he was a more boring version of L, or not hot enough to ship.

I guess M² was probably at odds with Meronia even more back then than it sometimes is now, too – Meronia content was very rare to find in comparison to M² content back then. And I distinctly remember an email from my first fandom friend in 2008, who had been in the fandom a while longer than me and was explaining some of that drama to me – both of us were mostly into Lawlight and not that interested in the successor arc, but even she told me she secretly found M² and Matt's immense popularity in the fandom a bit stupid, because she thought Matt was too irrelevant of a character for all the fuss he gets, and that Meronia at least seemed more interesting to her based on how the story goes. I would say I see the most "shipping war" type behaviour over whether people like shipping Mello with Matt more or with Near more still even now.

People also liked to argue a lot over whether or not they saw the characters in gay ships as tops or bottoms (though they'd usually say "seme" or "uke" back then instead) - in the 2000s you didn't have catch-all ship nicknames like Lawlight, and you had to tag the top/bottom very carefully in fics by the order you tagged the names in the ship (eg. "LxLight" if L is the top, and "LightxL" if Light is the top - they were treated almost like separate ships, and I don't think there was an easy way to talk about the ship without making a statement about their position preferences when you did). You can probably see what I mean in the older fics in the fandom that are still available on fanfiction.net (as this fandom pre-dates AO3 by quite a bit, so many of the fics from the height of its popularity in the 2000s were posted on fanfiction.net or LiveJournal and other such sites instead).

Overall I'd say though many things now are still vaguely similar in the fandom to how they were back then, people have gotten a little less dramatic and more "to each their own" about not telling other people off for being into DN characters or ships that they personally don't enjoy. And I feel now there's a lot more rare pair appreciation and appreciation of the female characters and more minor characters, and of ships that are interesting to explore more because of the writing possibilities than just because they make for the hottest stereotypical yaoi, if that makes sense. 😆

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/7/2023

soooooo there's another classic Dad Movie character ive adopted bc ive decided he's bisexual

listening

Black Hole Baby by Superorganism. i would put a marker down and say this is the sound of the summer but this came out last summer :/ the very flat (slightly chiptune?) delivery of the lyrics combined with the hyper bouncy...squelchy??? lasers? is extremely fun. this song is neither creepy nor wet but it is viscous bc u are on a spaceship partying as a black hole is Getting You

listen. anything that starts off with subway chimes and the following lyrics is going to be good. these are good song choices in my mind.

I've been eating fruit I've been sleeping well when I can

the bridge in the middle with bits and pieces of radio hosts shouting them out-- i could take it or leave it. i do like how this band namedrops themselves constantly. it's like an oil painting at an estate sale with a huge legible signature at the bottom.

-

reading

i have read about three-quarters of raymond chandler's oeuvre (hardboiled detective/film noir author and screenwriter of note) this week. i cannot in good faith recommend these books because they contain some of the worst excesses of their time, which is good bc this is not a review series.

sometimes, i'm watching or reading something and i decide it would be a good tuesdaypost candidate. i hate the term consume but it's the quickest descriptor here, so bear with me. if i am consuming a work based on the recommendation of a friend, it changes how i consume the work-- i'm on the lookout for the elements they used in their pitch. if i'm consuming a work to write an article or paper (rare these days) i'm stopping halfway through to take notes, i'm rewinding to catch details, i'm delving into interviews, i often fully rewatch or reread. if i'm liveblogging something i am mostly on the lookout for humorous and/or gay bits. if in the middle of something i catch myself thinking "ooh this would be good to talk about for the tuesdaypost" that introduces another like, film or lit crit level to the rest of my time with the work. it's very difficult to turn that part of my brain off.

when i am reading things just for me, none of that is there. i am fully immersed, my disbelief is suspended. i am not thinking about anything else but the story that is being told to me. ive spent a great deal of time with these books this week and it feels weird not to talk about them, but they are something i really enjoyed that was just for me.

i honestly don't know how to unpack my enjoyment of works that (at times) reflect the quite extreme racism of their author-- the one that grabbed me the most, Farewell My Lovely, contained some of the most callous and exceptionally cruel shit i've ever read. it also contained some of the most fascinatingly complex inner workings of an extremely closeted bisexual guy with ptsd i've ever read. i don't know how to talk about these books in an interesting or balanced way.

even if i did know how to unpack these things, the brief and light weekly roundup post on goddamn tumblr dot com (home to no nuance whatsoever) would not be the venue. this is an anti-review, in a way.

-

watching

a fuck of a lot actually bc i'm really trying to crank out this baby blanket and podcasts aren't really doing it. same username on letterboxd if u want to see early drafts of this tuesdaypost section.

i watched many films that came on two vhs tapes when i was little, bc charlton heston was one of my mom's favorite actors. i did not see spartacus when i was little but i did see the entirety of ben hur AND the ten commandments before i was eight. i can't make that make sense either.

anyway i have a soft spot for epics but only when i am actively doing things with my hands. this one has a more interesting making-of story than the actual movie, imo. this one also had oddly christian overtones, for being set in a time where christ and christianity did not yet exist. like many critics of the time, i have no strong feelings about mr douglas' acting. i really, really liked the soundtrack-- a delight to hear the love theme in context after hearing it in a thousand different soundtrack theme compilations!

-

playing

nothing that wasn't a phone game i've already talked about

-

making

five and a half repeats!!! i am aiming for ten repeats plus some sort of i-cord border so this is roughly halfwayish

i took this in broad daylight after a meeting like "if i knit more tonight i'll take another photo" and then i didn't knit any more tonight i read a bad western and halfheartedly liveblogged it

[incendiorum-arch]

io's hard (to say the least) to romantically ship with so I thought I'd make a post talking about it. io has a very specific type. innocence, pacifism, and positivity will never attract them (in fact, it's very likely to do the opposite). io desires confidence and deadliness above all else. someone who can kill, who can hurt, and despite their feelings on the matter, can, would, and most likely will do it again. people who have trauma tend to appeal to them more, too - as often those people understand why io might act the way they do. to sum it up, io is attracted to people who have gray morals. skewed morals. people who can embrace violence, whether they like it or not. although... io does tend to favor those who like it. [don't be terribly discouraged though, as lucius did not like embracing violence but io loved him beyond words.] I would also like to mention really quickly here that io is also attracted to banter/snark/sass, fiery personalities, and powerful (physically/magically) people. strength of character is something that is fantastic at catching their eye.

speaking of trauma - io carries a shitton of it. they were abused mentally, emotionally, and physically by their parents for 23 years. eighteen centuries has done a whole lot in terms of trying to recover, but io still deals with fits of anger, dissociation, and flashbacks. they're also extremely dependent on alcohol (high functioning alcoholic) and despite their desire to quit, will not seek the help needed for it. love and trust do not go hand in hand with io. like I've said I hate to say it but I genuinely think io is incapable of 100% trust. I trust you... is always followed by the ultimatum, as much as I can. io's concept of trust has been irreparably shattered. there is no fitting the pieces back together no matter how badly either party want it. asking io do you trust me? is perhaps the worst question you could ask. you don't want to hear the answer, unless you're willing to accept io's reasoning. io also does not experience romantic attraction immediately, and when they do finally experience it, it's very rare and only in an already established relationship - they're demiromantic. now you might be going, hey adair where's the good stuff? love and trust do not go hand in hand, yes. but io loves hard. they can easily fall into devotion to an unhealthy degree. they want to help their partner, they want to comfort, they want to cook meals and share kisses and embrace every bit of physical affection they can. inter mundos becomes something that io can use to show their partner the world. week-long vacations wherever they want to go. dinner in another country. io embraces violence. io likes it. they'll fight tooth and nail for their partner. io lets their softer, more playful side show around partners. their humor may be deadpan, but there'll certainly be more of it. they embrace their childish side and let it show around loved ones because they know they can expect acceptance. joining them in childish pursuits only makes their love grow. io's own trauma lends them experience and intimate understanding for those who do have it. this doesn't take away the fact that sometimes things hurt and lashing out at them upsets and hurts them but... they get it? they will, most likely, end up doing the same thing at some point or another (when they don't immediately leap to self isolation). io will always come back and apologize, though. in short, io is complicated and hard to be with. they have enough baggage to fill an entire plane's luggage compartment and then some. but god, they love with every ounce of their being.

[hikaririnku-blog]

Tag Game

Rules: tag 9 people (or so) you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below! — I was tagged by @cizzle-freezy !

(Quick disclaimer from me (Hikari), I am a HUGE paragraph writer, so bear with me.)

*~Song~*

A lot of my favorite songs tend to be related to video game soundtracks, and rarely do I expand my horizons. But, when I do, I gravitate towards a variety of genres, specifically ones akin to rock/metal/hard rock, EDM/future bass, and synthwave/vaporwave. Finally, after all these years, I have a favorite song that alligns with a multitude of my tastes.

When my partner introduced me to Devil May Cry series, the music from the games was really amazing to me. But then, they played Devil May Cry 5, got to the part where I see Vergil, and I hear his battle theme... It was over from there. Bury the Light is my Absolute All-Time Favorite™️ in my mind, something that I can repeat without getting tired of it, and, ironically, it gives me motivation, keeps me going without anyone or anything getting in my way, and makes me feel like I have the power to do anything.

*~Ships~*

Ships I typically keep on the down-low, since they're OC-related 90% of the time, and out of that 90%, a good majority are OC x OC ships with a friend's OC or my partner's. I'd get nervous sharing them, and if there is a fandom ship, nine times out of ten they're OC x Fandom, another thing I keep on the down-low. Cringe culture scared me out of sharing any of it for a long time. But I will throw fear out of the window for today, and tell my top Fandom X OC with an explanation as to why.

Dark Link x OC: Link is the main character of The Legend of Zelda game series, and you can portray either yourself or a different personality into him. None are exactly "incorrect", as Link is a very flexible and versatile character, especially with responses you can choose towards NPCs in the modern Zelda games post-SNES era (i.e. Breath of the Wild, Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, etc.). Similarly, Dark Link would be treated with the same flexibility and versatility. This opened a lot of possibilities for me, and I loved both Link and Dark Link for this trait. My personal favorite interpretation is that Dark Link, being around for as long as Link was (more or less), remembers a lot of his hardships throughout the past incarnations, and he can either be just as vengeful as who created him in the first place, or make a change to become his own person, and either hating Link for even being a catalyst for his own existence, or learning to work with Link and help him save the day in his own way. With this kind of interpretation, I have wondered if a special someone in his life will help hit the nail in the coffin for either result, or even create a new problem where he is internally at war with himself to go with his ideal partner or continue on his current path. It is also a good writing practice for a lot of hurt/comfort friendship and/or romance writings, too, so there's a perk in that.

*~Books~*

Not sure if comic books or manga count, but I just got done with Volume 1 of Solo Leveling and I am in LOVE with it. I refuse to go into detailed explanation of the story for this in case someone wants to read it for themselves eventually (if you actually want details, I recommend finding someone that helps explain or reads the story to you, or even get the book yourself and give it a try), but I will say, this book is a visual inspiration. I love the colors, the action details, and everything feels flowy when winds are present, and just... so angle (affectionate). And when things feel dangerous, they feel dangerous. I got severely hooked and I hope to continue reading it.

*~Movies~*

Much like the friend that tagged me, I very rarely watch movies. If I do, I must watch it with friends. The one that very much so lives rent-free in my mind was recently watching Howl's Moving Castle with my college friend. This would be my second Studio Ghibli film (first one being Ponyo) and oh my god.

Oh my god.

Somehow, this gorgeous movie made me cry with the main character Sophie. I felt her emotions, understood her. This film made me feel like I was the character. I want to read the book it was based off of so bad. It really surprised me when I discovered it was a film from 2004. Everything is so clean in animation, the backgrounds, the animation for the moving castle itself, just... everything. Granted, I shouldn't expect anything less from a Studio Ghibli film, but it's still so phenomenal. I felt like this should have been my first film, since I felt so in-tune with it more than I did with Ponyo.

*~Cravings~*

I severely crave a good hurt/comfort RP. Life isn't always chaos and despair, and, inversely, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. It could be lifetime enemies or rivals becoming best friends because they share a tragic past that taunts them and hurts them every single day. It could be complete pessimistic strangers on a long and painful journey that helped them teach them empathy, compassion, and love. It could be anything... so long as it shows one thing.

Healing. I love a theme of healing in my RPs. It's something I connect with as well, having been a person that has been hurt before, alongside with a lot of people. The pain lasts long, but, you heal.

... I also crave a good, fresh, medium rare steak.

*~Tags~*

@jessebizarreart @juan-o-clocks @jorgedrawssomethings @risty90

Get tagged, nerds, lol.

[intothewickedwood]

1, 3, 7, 11, 19, 20, 21, 23 for Kathryn!

Yay, Kathryn! Thank you, Maria! <3

My first impression of them

I can't 100 percent remember. I think I was a little confused about who she was and thought she was David's demanding sister, or something. I thought they kinda looked alike. I don't think I warmed up to her until I saw her as Kathryn. But when she showed up in the hospital scene, I was so touched by how much she cared about David and how kind and sweet she seemed. I think I was questioning whether Henry's book was real but was also kinda wary in case she was a Regina minion. But I didn't wanna believe it because she seemed so nice.

Her bringing a basket of muffins was the cutest gosh darn thing I've ever seen in my entire life and I was fully sold by then. But I also loved that she stood up for herself and knew she deserved to seek and find her heart's desires- all while being incredibly generous and forgiving in Storybrooke and the EF.

3. A song that reminds me of them

I know she doesn't have hazel eyes, haha, but I came across this fan vid. and I just love it so much. It's on my favourite fan vid playlist (which I listen to, like, every other weekend). It's 'Behind These Hazel Eyes'.

7. A quote of them that you remember

"No, you're not. A friend wouldn't do this. A friend wouldn't lie. Everyone is lying to me!" - It just tears my heart out. Poor woman got caught in the middle of a mess that had little to do with her, and it almost ruined what she thought was her whole life. She must have felt so alone and like she could trust no one. My heart really went out to her. She deserved so much better. But the way she chose to look at things from a different perspective for her own sake, and tried to pursue real happiness, was so admirable. It's a shame she got drugged and locked in a basement afterwards! That'd must have been really horrible and terrifying. Poor Kathryn couldn't catch a break!

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

I get the warm fuzzies. Season 1 nostalgia to the max! My favourite season is not my favourite season without Kathryn. It just wouldn't be the same. She has a very special place in my heart and I just want her to have all the happiness and I cry and I am baking her cranberry muffins as we speak, even though I really freaking hate cranberries. That's how awesome I think she is! I am willing to touch dried fruit with my human hands just for her!

19. The most random ship you've seen people have with them

I tried to look for a blog I thought I saw a rare Kathryn pair on a while back that I couldn't remember, but found Kathryn x Ingrid on another blog instead. I feel like I kinda get it, as to me they have similar vibes a.k.a they're both pretty regal. I gotta read it! It's here if anyone's interested!

20. A weird headcanon

One thing I've always thought deep down is that, despite essentially psychologically torturing her, Gold tried to be nice about it, if that makes sense. I think he maybe got her nice food, maybe sat with her, and tried to calm her – not that she knew what was going on. Don't get me wrong, Gold can be very cruel, but that cruelty is usually directed at people who have wronged him or those who made a deal with him without reading their contract properly, like poor Anna. Kathryn was completely innocent and likely made no deals, so I don't think he would hit her with his cane or anything (at least, I hope not!). He could have killed her like Regina wanted him to, but he didn't. Whether that was to ensure things would work in his favor, an act of mercy, or something in between, I suppose is a bit of a mystery. Nevertheless, what he did was still terrible.

21. When do you think they were at their happiest?

I think with Frederick pre or post curse. She seemed to have very fond memories of her time with him before he turned to gold, so probably then. But I like to think she'd find even more happiness after the curse, whether she ended up with him or not. Now I think about it, I wonder if she tried to cross Lake Nostos to save Frederick. I can't remember if she said she did. Did the siren seduce her too?? Where's that scene at?!

23. Future headcanon

I don't mind a happy ending where Regina doesn't end up with a love interest, although goodness knows I would have loved to see her end up with Facilier. But since canon won't let us have him back (not without more time travel, at least!), I think it would be nice if Kathryn and Regina reestablished a relationship and it maybe developed into something more. Maybe things didn't work out with Freddie (sorry, Freddie!) and things end up coming full circle, where they both end up at some sort of celebration party together. Maybe they're both feeling a little lonely, and Kathryn sits next to Regina, and they just talk and reconnect. Oh snap, this was more of a wish than a headcanon before I wrote it out, but I'm totally adopting it as an official headcanon now!

I like to think she is good friends with the Charmings too!

[valentineforlemonandcherry]

Foxtail & Wolfsbane 36

Summary: Your lifelong obsession to hunt down the Nine-Tailed Fox has not gone as expected, and seventeen years later, you find yourself coming back to the place where it all started: Hogwarts. However, with Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban and Headmaster Dumbledore’s hire of a certain Professor R. J. Lupin, you suddenly find yourself intertwined in the fates of those with whom you thought you had parted ways with long ago.

[Multi-Post Story] [Rowan Scamander x Reader] [Remus Lupin x Reader] [Young Sirius Black x Reader] [Tristan Graves x Reader] [Severus Snape x Reader] *Note: Rowan Scamander, Tristan Graves, Susana Holmes, Cas Carneirus, Henrietta Weiss, Thomas Picquery, and Magdalene Clarke are OC characters.

Note: Part 36 does not contain any smut. 

[Warning: Descriptions of Violence/Battle/Death Scene.]

*Please do not repost or copy my work without my permission. Thank You!

☾ Click Here for Foxtail & Wolfsbane Home Page (All Chapter Links) ☾

“Remus Lupin is a werewolf.” 

Your head buzzed frenetically as memories crashed, ruptured, and played out in a million tiny pieces in your mind:

“My mother’s health…”

“Prefect duties…”

“Studying alone for my exams…”

“Feeling under the weather…”

“An Order mission…”

----------

“Recurring scars reminiscent from a bite? That’s strange.”

“Why is it strange?”

“Well, it’s rare for any sickness to ‘reoccur,’ as opposed to remaining constant. On top of that, for it to resemble cuts…”

----------

“You just wanted to help?”

“Yes.”

“You just wanted to help.”

“Um, yes, that’s… what I said.”

 “You just wanted to - ”

“- Help, yes - ” 

“It’s not your responsibility to help me, sweetheart.”

----------

“I can’t give it to you – that perfect life. It’s not possible with me. Your mother was right about me. Hell, even Sirius would be better for you. At least he could do things with you. Get married, have a family, I can’t even make love to you, sweetheart. I can’t be with you, the way you deserve to be loved. Not without hurting you anyways, and I can’t have that.”

“Why not?” 

“Because I’m sick.”

----------

“I wanted to catch you before you left for your mission.”

“What mission?”

“The mission that’s taking off this afternoon.”

“There’s no mission taking off this afternoon.”

----------

“Remus, promise me you won’t let Sirius take advantage of you like this.”

“Leave.”

“What did I do? Please, tell me, what did I do wrong? I love you, Remus, please. Why can’t you understand that? Letting you hurt yourself is the same as hurting myself. So, I can’t let you – Do you hate me because I love you too much? I don’t understand. Help me understand.”

“Just go. Please. I can’t be with you anymore. Please, lovely. Don’t make me say it again.”

“But you asked me. You asked me to stay. You said that you… wanted me. Just two nights ago. You said that. Didn’t you?”

“I did, but I can’t – I can’t follow through on t-that promise.”

----------

“Oh, will you look at that? Your heart is all hollow, little one. You’re so very hurt, aren’t you? Like a little bird with a broken wing. You come so willingly, foolish little bird. And how wonderful – for I am so FAMISHED!”

Your mother gasped when she saw the fox ears appear on top of your head. 

But you were too far gone to notice. A cascade of tears was pouring down your face as you slowly fell to the floor, overwhelmed by the long-overdue realization of what Remus Lupin truly was. A werewolf. He’s a werewolf.

Your mother carefully knelt beside you. Seeing your face, she immediately recognized you as her daughter, despite the strange ears on your head. What was more, she saw her daughter struggling against a sharp, unforgiving pain. 

“Oh, my love,” your mother whispered, seeing the utter heartbreak written all over your face. 

“Mum, I really tried,” you whispered. You knew the words would make no sense to her, but you still said them. In your heart, you filled in the blank, over and over again: 

I really tried to be there for Remus, to become someone he could trust.

I really tried to move on from him, to do the right thing and become a healthy, full person without him.

I really tried to be there for Rowan, to help him come back to himself.

I really tried to be a good daughter and good sister, even if you don’t think I did.

I really tried to take responsibility for my own dreams, and become someone that could be proud of herself. 

“I know,” your mother replied. Regardless of the particulars, she believed you. Ignoring your fox ears, as only a mother could do,  she enveloped you in a tight hug.

A still moment passed – and then you bawled in her arms, crying your heart out for all of the ugly, confused, and inescapable emotions scraping at the inside of your soul, widening the hole in your soul. 

Your mother murmured softly to you, “Sweetheart, cry all you want. But know that this pain will pass.”

You shook your head. “It won’t, it won’t…”

“It will. All pain passes.” Your mother stroked your hair, as she confessed, “At least, that’s what I decided to believe when your father passed away.” 

Your eyes welled up with fresh tears when you realized that you had never truly thought about how heartbroken your mother must have been when your father passed away. You had been so young then and your mother had transformed so quickly into such a hard and stern person that you never saw her grieve. In this moment, you realized, But of course she grieved. And she’s still grieving.

“You remind me of your father,” your mother whispered, and you could hear the tears in her voice. “He used to run off and do things without much thought, either. He used to buy me flowers on random days or ask me to dinner out of nowhere, even after we were married. I used to scold him for being so irresponsible. But that wonderful energy with which he chased life… I loved him for it. And you have that same energy. It’s hard to watch you sometimes, because you are so like him.” 

Your mother finally pulled away from you slightly. She looked down at you. She wiped your face as she murmured, “That’s what I mean when I say that the pain passes. It’s not that you get back what you lost. It’s that you find a meaning to that loss in unlikely places. So, be brave. Face life head-on, as you’ve always done.” 

Then, with a bemused expression crossing her face, your mother nodded at your fox ears and ordered, “And, whatever you do, for God’s sake, get rid of these ridiculous things.” 

You tried to give your mother a watery smile, but you couldn’t quite manage it, and before you knew it, you had burst into tears again. 

Your mother caught you once more and hugged you tightly. She rocked you softly in her arms and sang you lullabies you hadn’t heard since you were very, very young - when you knew nothing of the magical world, not even of the Nine-Tailed Fox. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Tristan was staring at his pocketwatch. Tick, tick, tick, tick… 

“Tristan.” 

Closing his pocketwatch and putting it back into his cloak, Tristan turned to see Cas, Susana, and Magdalene enter the room. 

“Everything’s in place,” Cas confirmed. “Between the Ministry of Magic and MCUSA, we’ll have forty guards stationed around the perimeter of the Quidditch campsite and field. There will be Order members in disguise within the campsite as well.”

“I’ve done what I could in terms of permits and searches,” Magdalene added. “Strict search procedures have been put into place. It’ll hold up the lines getting in, but it’ll be worth it if we can keep everyone safe tonight.” 

“Good,” Tristan said. But then, he noticed Susana shifting uneasily. “What is it?” 

Susana looked away from Tristan. “It’s nothing, master.”

“Susana.” Tristan came over to her and looked at her directly. “Tell me.”

Susana looked over at Cas, who nodded at her encouragingly.

Susana sighed. Reluctantly, she began to explain, “You know that we lost track of the Obscurial when I abandoned my watch post over Dolohov to save Black.” 

“Yes, I’m aware of that. Are you uneasy because we no longer know where the Obscurial is?”

“Well, yes, but that’s not all.” Susana’s eyes flickered up to Tristan. There were dark pools under her eyes. She looked quite haggard, as if she had not quite in a while. “Ever since I used Dark Magic at the Dolohov residence, I’ve felt a - a distinct calling within my blood. It’s as if the Obscurial is calling to me.” She bit down on her lower lip. “It’s becoming difficult to resist the lure to battle. I fear that if I were to take on the Obscurial, I may break my Vow with you, Master, and cast the deepest of Dark Magic, which I have sworn never to use.”

Tristan searched Susana’s eyes for a long moment. “Do you wish to use Dark Magic? Tell me the truth.”

“No, Master.” Susana shook her head fervently. 

Tristan’s gaze slipped past Susana for a moment. Cas met his gaze. She nodded at him.

“That settles it,” Tristan said. “If you don’t wish to use Dark Magic, you won’t. Obscurial or not, no power on this earth will compel you to use magic you do not wish to use. I swear it, Susana.”

Susana blinked. “Master…”

“I made a Vow to you, too, Susana,” Tristan reminded her. “And I plan to keep it.” He smiled slightly as he said, “Besides, you and I are creatures of habit, Susana. It’s up to Cas to roam free. She’s the free spirit here, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Magdalene wondered, “What does that make me, then?”

“An uptight, pushy, overly flirty spirit,” Tristan replied at once.

Magdalene snorted. “Looking at me must be like looking in a mirror, Graves.”

Cas couldn’t help but quirk her lips up in a small smile.

Tristan seemed not to notice as he nodded at the group. “Very well. I shall see everyone tomorrow night at the Quidditch campsite.” 

However, as everyone made to leave, Tristan came up behind Cas. At the doorway, he subtly leaned forward, gently brushed back her hair, and whispered in her ear, “I saw you laughing at me back there, Miss Carnerius. Care to explain yourself?”

Cas whipped around. Tristan ran right into her, but she didn’t budge. Instead, he stumbled back slightly. 

“What is there to explain? You are all of the things that Magdalene said you were,” Cas said unapologetically. “You should acknowledge that, Tristan.”

Tristan stared down at Cas for a long beat. For a moment, his gaze seemed quite serious, but despite himself, he softened. “But if I say all of those things are true, you won’t believe it when I say I’m in love with you.”

Cas scoffed. “You denying those things doesn’t make your case any stronger, you know.”

“Ah, is that so?” Tristan reached out and gently touched Cas’ face, brushing her short, auburn hair away from her bright eyes. “Then, I’ll confess…”

Cas lifted her eyebrow and waited for him to go on.

Tristan finished, “... that I’m deeply, deeply in love with you.” A cheeky grin appeared on his handsome face.

Cas frowned. Grabbing his wrist, she took his hand away from her face. “Please. You just want to get the last word in, as always. When will you grow up?”

Tristan laughed. The sound was bright, but it was also gentle, as though he were laughing in defeat. “All right, Cas. You’ve got me. I haven’t grown up yet.” 

As Tristan had laughed, a strand of his black hair had fallen forward. He reached up and brushed his hair back from his face. Still gazing at Cas, he murmured, “But someday, I will, and then, if it’s all right with you, I’ll be waiting for you.” 

Cas gave Tristan a most skeptical look. “I never know what you’re talking about, Tristan,” she sighed.

Tristan gazed warmly at her. “Just think of it as me wanting the last word – always.” 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Rowan was sitting in Buckbeak’s room. Buckbeak had nestled up to him and was nipping at his fingers affectionately. Rowan stroked Buckbeak’s head. But as he did, he fell back softly against the wall. He stared out at the dim afternoon light coming in through the window.

It doesn’t feel right for me to be here, Rowan thought. I miss my creatures. Frank, Sil, Nula, Nick, Tia, Vi, Hamish, Roma…

Rowan sighed. His hand slipped from Buckbeak’s head to his neck, as he murmured aloud softly, “What am I doing here?”

Rowan felt the way he had when he had had to follow his father around in the wilderness for years on end, without ever stopping twice in the same place – he felt lost, adrift, and too far from a home he had never quite known.

“I’m lost, Buckbeak,” Rowan confessed. “I don’t want to be here anymore, but I’ve nowhere to go. I wish I could be like you and Frank and call the skies my home…”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

“Are you ready?”

You numbly looked up at Moody. You could barely see him past the fringe of your hood, which had pulled low over your face, to make sure it wouldn’t be pulled off of your head by the force of the Portkey and somehow reveal your fox ears. 

“Lass.” Moody snapped his fingers in front of you. “I said, are you ready?”

You nodded. More than anything, you wanted to come up with an excuse to sit out tonight’s mission, but you remembered your mother’s words about needing to face life head-on.  

“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” Moody suddenly roared, trying to shock you into attention. But even that did not move you today.

“Wake the hell up, girl,” Moody grunted, annoyed that you hadn’t reacted to his trademark shout. He jerked his hand at a plain-looking bucket, which you understood to be the Portkey for tonight. “Hurry and put your hand here.”

You reached out and grasped the bucket. 

“You, too,” Moody remarked, speaking to someone who was standing quietly in the corner of the room.

Someone stepped up on the other side of the bucket. It was only when the hand reached out and you recognized the long, graceful fingers and the scars criss-crossing over them, as well as the frayed and patchy sleeves around his wrists, that you realized Remus was your guard duty partner for the next few hours.

Your heart jolted painfully, but you kept your eyes down. 

“All right, then,” Moody said gruffly. “Countdown. Five, four, three, two, one…”

The bucket glowed a bright blue – and then, whoosh, you and Remus were off, towards the plains where the Lovegoods’ residence was located.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

It was a simple mission, actually, as all you and Remus had to do was pick a sheltered spot among the grassy plains and keep an eye on the Lovegood residence, which was quite easy to make out, as it looked like a gigantic chess rook. Or rather, it would have been a simple mission, if you weren’t fighting against the endless tumult of emotions welling up inside of you. 

Mercy. Give me mercy, you begged to your own heart. But no such mercy came.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

A hand clapped Rowan’s shoulder. “Not coming with us tonight?”

Rowan, who was now standing in the living room, and had been speaking with Magdalene, now turned to see Tristan standing behind him.

“No,” Rowan replied.

Tristan shook his head at Rowan. “Still on the fence about this all? You’re a bigger worrywart than I thought.”

Rowan sighed. “I’m the worrywart? How about you stop worrying about me, Graves? You’d best focus on your job now. From what Mag have told me, it could be a hell of a firestorm if that Obscurial really does show up.”

Tristan nodded sagely. “I know, Rowan.” He paused before he remarked, “Thanks for worrying about me.”

Rowan frowned. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to see how you would react if I said that to you.” Tristan chuckled, as he observed, “You look disgusted.”

Standing across from Rowan, Cas called warningly, “Tristan, Rowan’s right. You have to have your head on straight for tonight. This is no time to play around.”

“All right, Cas,” Tristan replied. “I’ll be serious from now on.” He looked over the team before nodding firmly. “Let’s go.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

A long hour passed, with neither you nor Remus speaking.

It was a strange, windy world here, with birds diving in the wide open sky. The wind whistled merrily through the long, swaying reeds that covered the hills here. The air was so distinctly fresh that one would expect to see the ocean nearby, just beyond the hills, but there was no sea here.

Tucked away amidst this awesome landscape, there were two small, solitary figures sitting side-by-side. To a passerby, it would appear as if there were no relation between them, except that they were sitting next to each other. 

You closed your eyes and prayed for that objective vision to become truth before the ugly emotions could eat you alive and spit you out as someone you never wanted to be. 

Remus kept glancing at you worriedly, for you were keeping your cloak pulled tightly around you and your head down. Besides that, when the Portkey had swished you both off into the traveling portal, Remus had caught a glimpse of your face. You looked exhausted and there was no light in your eyes. It confirmed what he had thought for a while now: that you weren’t well. It didn’t seem to be a simple illness, either, because it wasn’t just that you seemed physically fatigued; rather, it was if your inner flame had gone out. 

Meanwhile, as you sat near Remus, you could feel his gentle energy and you sensed the way he kept looking at you worriedly - and for the first time in your life, you cursed him for him.

Why does he still have to be so caring? you thought bitterly. I wish he’d just act indifferent to me. 

If only Remus didn’t still feel like the Remus you’d once fallen in love with, you wouldn’t feel so hurt and betrayed right now. But he still was that man. It was killing you to sit here next to him. You felt the jagged, painful tear in your heart widen, and the hole in your soul grew correspondingly.

Watch out, the Fox whispered desperately to you. You have to put away your feelings for this man. He is literally killing you.

You clenched your hands into fists, unconsciously gripping fistfuls of the long reeds around you. You truly tried your best. You tried not to engage with him. You tried to bite down your feelings. You kept your head down, too, never chancing even the merest glance at Remus. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Around the same time that you and Remus were whisked off to the Lovegood residence by Portkey, Tristan (along with Cas, Susana, and Magdalene) appeared at the Quidditch match site. His vivid green eyes swept the scene, quickly and carefully analyzing the people before him. 

A small, silver Patronus, all but invisible, quickly swept before his eyes.

A lark Patronus – Magdalene, Tristan recognized. She’s sending the all-clear. Good. So, Magdalene will be taking off, heading back to MCUSA. 

Tristan closed his eyes. It took him a minute to feel what he was searching for, but he did - that slight trembling of the silver lock necklace on his chest. He was feeling, in a subdued form, the Obscurial’s energy, calling out to Susana. 

Inside of his cape, Tristan gripped the end of his wand tightly. All quiet for now, but I sense that the time is approaching. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Three more hours had ticked by. Remus checked his pocketwatch and announced, “We should head back to the Portkey. It’s nearly time for it to take off.”

You got up and silently followed Remus. 

*     *     *     *   *     *     *     *     *     *

You and Remus were nearly at the PortKey, when the mistake happened - You naturally looked up to see where the PortKey was, and Remus looked back at the exact same time. His tired, hazel eyes caught yours. In the strange, ambient golden light of the sunlight, you saw in his eyes how weary he was - of the world, and of himself.

And for the first time, you truly understood why that was so. 

You felt your heart splinter into several pieces. Oh, Remus…

The Fox tried to call out to you, to warn you, but there were so many thoughts running through your head that you didn’t even hear her voice. 

You had as many different thoughts as the many pieces your heart had splintered into:

So many years, you kept me in the dark. Now I finally know why.

That werewolf in the Forbidden Forest - Was that you? 

No wonder I could never close the gap between us.  

Thank you for saving my family.

You must have been so lonely, all that time.

It wasn’t Sirius after all, then. 

When were you bitten? Why were you bitten?

I still miss you.

I had no right to know, but if you loved me, why couldn’t you tell me? 

Are you in love with Tonks now?

You must be so tired, Remus. Who takes care of you now? 

I’m sorry you felt that you couldn’t tell me.

You must be so tired, Remus. Who takes care of you now? 

All these years, and you never told me. 

You never told me. Why didn’t you tell me?

But in fact, you could guess why he didn’t tell you, at least a little, because of your own experience with the Nine-Tailed Fox. It was embarrassing and frightening to reveal that you were harboring a creature inside of you because you felt that you might be seen as less than human.

However, even if you understood this, it still hurt you so deeply that Remus never told you.

 I think, all along, I was waiting for you to tell me – and that would be the same as giving me permission to love all of you. But you never gave me that opportunity. It’s like you never trusted me to love you til’ the end and that’s what hurts most of all.

 A pained whisper left your mouth without your permission: “You’re so cruel.” 

Remus turned around. “What?”

“I can’t believe you…”

A strong wind blew just then, and a chilling rustle ran through the grassy hillside. It was almost beautiful.

“You can’t believe me? About what?”

“No wonder you always kept your distance. No wonder you never let me in. No wonder…”

Uncertain of what you were trying to say, Remus replied in a soft rush of words, “What are you talking about? Are you unwell? If you’re cold, we can find a more sheltered spot. I can come earlier and find a better place for you next time.”

You didn’t say anything – not because you meant to be silent, but because you were gathering the courage and fighting past the hurt to say what had to be said, at long last…

Just then, Remus’ magical pocketwatch let out a soft chime. Remus reached over and grabbed onto the bucket. He looked over his shoulder at you and called, “Come on! The Portkey will activate soon. We don’t want to get left behind.” 

You lifted your head. A cold tear streaked down your face as you said numbly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Exasperated and confused, Remus said, “What are you - ?” 

“You told Sirius and Tonks and even my own mother, but you never told me…”

Remus’ grip on the bucket suddenly became vice-like and he felt a heavy stone drop in his stomach. A sense of overwhelming fear and guilt started to consume him, as he finally began to realize what you were getting at. 

Then, you voiced aloud those awful words: “… That you’re a werewolf.” 

Remus breathed out. 

You stared at him with hurt, unblinking eyes. Your gaze was saying, How could you not tell me? 

Remus’ mind was spinning. He felt like throwing up. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, couldn’t think – 

Whoosh!

Before he could respond, Remus was whisked off by the Portkey, which had glowed blue and activated without either of you realizing it. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Rowan, Tonks, and Sirius were all sitting in kitchen, waiting for you and Remus to appear. 

Just then, a haze of blue light appeared in the middle of the kitchen. All three backed away, expecting you and Remus to come spinning into the kitchen.

To Rowan’s horror, however, only Remus came spinning into view. Shit, I knew something was off, Rowan thought at once. I’ve been feeling anxious all day. At first I thought it was just because of our argument last night and because I missed my creatures and then I thought maybe it was because I was worried for Tristan, Cas, Susana, and Mag – but maybe it was a foreboding of this mission all along…  

As soon as Remus appeared, he sprinted for the door, to head outside.

However, Rowan, who was far bigger in stature, managed to grab Remus. “Where is she?!”

Remus pushed Rowan’s hand off of his shoulder and made for the door again. As he did, Remus shouted, “I’ve got to get back to her!”

Rowan dashed forward and grabbed Remus by the collar. “Tell me where she is!”

“Oi!” Sirius shouted. “Let go of Remus!” 

“Tell me where she is, and I will!” Rowan yelled. Rowan’s grip tightened on Remus’ collar as Rowan all but lifted Remus off the ground.

“She’s back where – where the Portkey was, on Topper’s Hill,” Remus choked out, struggling against Rowan. 

Rowan immediately let Remus go, and he ran out of the house. 

“No, wait!” Remus yelled. “It’s – It’s got to be me! I’ve got to speak with her!” 

Remus made to chase after Rowan, but Sirius grabbed Remus and yanked him back.

“Remus! Come to your senses!” Sirius barked out . “You’re not yourself!”

“No, Sirius, you don’t understand – I hurt her, I hurt her, I hurt her,” Remus protested, pushing Sirius away. “I have to see her, now!” 

But Sirius managed to get a hold on Remus again and he pulled Remus further back into the house. “I’m not letting you go after anyone until you’ve calmed down!” 

Tonks stepped forward. She was holding a Calming Draught, which she’d managed to find in the kitchen. “Sirius is right,” she said. “Rowan will take care of her. And you need to calm down.” 

She reached over and put her hand on Remus’ shoulder.

Remus slumped over. He closed his eyes. “I didn’t mean it to come to this. Not in a million years did I mean to hurt her like this.”

I would have sold my soul to keep her from ever finding out. She was the one person whom I wanted a normal relationship with. To know that her love wasn’t disguised disgust, to know that her kindness wasn’t charity, to know that her anger wasn’t prejudice… At all costs, I wanted her to be her and me to be me… Even if she hated me, at least she saw me as human. But now… But now… But now that relationship is gone forever, and all I’ve done is betray her for these long, already tormented years… 

“Remus, what happened?” Tonks asked, worried at seeing him so distraught.

Remus had to swallow several times before he managed to croak out, “She – She found out. She knows. She knows what I am.”

Sirius blew out a long breath. Then, he said honestly, “Well, I don’t see how you could have kept her from knowing for much longer, Rem.”

Remus just shook his head.

Sirius looked at Remus with immense sympathy. But at the same time, Sirius felt that it was his duty to tell Remus the truth, which was that: “She has a right to know, Remus. She always did.”

Tonks’ brow furrowed. “You mean, she didn’t know, all this time?”

Remus hung his head as he confessed, “No. I kept it a secret from her.”

Tonks became confused. As she considered you a normal Order member, she couldn’t understand why only you didn’t know about Remus’ condition when everybody else in the Order was well aware. “Well, it can’t be entirely your fault, Remus,” Tonks said comfortingly. “I mean, she seems quite intelligent, but she’s – er – a bit slow if she didn’t catch on after all of this time. All the Order members know already, after all. If she’s the only one who missed it, I hardly think that’s your fault.”

“She did catch on. She was one of the first to catch on, other than James, Sirius, and Peter,” Remus said quietly. “But she let me have my secret, because she knew I felt uncomfortable telling her. She let me have my space, even though she knew something was strange.”

Remus remembered your letter: the letter you had written him after the two of you had first made love and Remus had left early the morning after out of fear and shame. Remus could still see your handwriting floating before his eyes, spelling out: “I just feel sad, because you must feel that you can’t trust me as completely as I trust you. I don’t want to pressure you. I’m not writing to tell you that you have to tell me what’s going on with you or anything. But I promise that I will work really, really hard to earn your trust and to be someone reliable enough that you feel you can tell me your deepest troubles…”

“Oh, God,” Remus choked out. “What have I done?” He stumbled backwards.

Surprised, Tonks caught him and helped him into a chair. “Remus,” she said, “it’s going to be okay.”

“It wasn’t supposed to come to this,” Remus murmured, putting his head in his hands. “All the many, nonsensical lies I told her – lies that she knew were lies - were to keep her from this pain. Lying to her over and over again, sending her away; what was it all for if not to avoid this?”

Sirius sat down beside Remus. In truth, he thought that Tonks was actually closer to the truth – that it was a near miracle that it had taken you this long to figure out that Remus was a werewolf. But Sirius recognized that it was shocking for Remus because he had so valued his connection with you, his ‘purely human’ connection, as he called it. Now, that connection was gone – in more ways than one. Because not only did you know the truth now, but it was Rowan who had gone after you to comfort you, not Remus. Sirius put his hand on Remus’ shoulder. He murmured quietly, “Sorry, Moons.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Rowan found you on Topper’s Hill.

You had stared at the spot where Remus had disappeared, then meandered thoughtlessly for a while, and then finally curled up into a ball in the middle of the long, swaying grass. 

You didn’t think you were crying, but apparently you were, for when Rowan found you, he wiped your face and said reassuringly, “Sweetheart. I’m here. I’m right here.”

Rowan picked you up. 

“I’m – I’m fine,” you hiccupped out. “You can put me down.”

Rowan frowned. Even though you were saying that you were fine, your gaze was unfocused and your cheeks were still shiny and bloated with tears. 

“I’m going to take you home,” Rowan said firmly.

You took a deep breath. Then, burying your face in Rowan’s chest, you murmured, “Okay.” 

Rowan walked a little ways back before he Apparated, while holding you tightly in his arms, where you were warm and safe. Warm and safe, and far away from the Quidditch campsite where terrible things were about to happen…

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Quidditch match was over. Everyone was heading back to the campsite, where celebratory parties quickly erupted everywhere.

Through the smoking sparks of fireworks, Tristan saw Cas standing watch at the perimeter. He started to step towards her when suddenly, a yell sounded out. 

Tristan stopped and abruptly turned around, wondering if that yell was simply a happy declaration of the parties, or something more sinister.

His question was quickly answered as a far more piercing scream suddenly rang out from the same direction.

There was a volley of shouts, and Tristan could hear several people yelling “Protego!”

Tristan leapt forward, but as he did, he suddenly felt the silver lock on his chest sear up until it was painfully hot.

Tristan groaned. His hand flew to his chest and he instinctively made to yank the necklace off. But then, he stopped himself as he realized that doing so would break the restraints on Susana’s magic.

No, I can’t do that, Tristan thought, frustrated. Else the Obscurial might force her to use Dark Magic, and I promised her that I would never let that happen.

Just then, through the smoke of battle and fireworks and through the crowd of people, many of whom were beginning to shout and rush away, Tristan spotted Susana. Unlike everyone else, Susana was walking towards the screams and instead of running, she was taking slow, deliberate steps. 

Oh, no, that must be the Obscurial calling to her! Tristan recognized.

“Susana!” Tristan called, but she didn’t seem to hear him.

“Susana! Stop!” Tristan yelled again, more desperately this time, but Susana kept going, walking forward as though in a trance.

Tristan rushed forward. However, the crowd was now fully swarming in the other direction and Tristan was repeatedly shoved backwards. Still, Tristan doggedly made his way through. 

Finally, when Tristan was able to stumble out of the end of the running crowd, he saw before him a dementor, from which a dark, swirling shadow was pouring forth. And – Tristan’s mouth dropped open – for standing before that dementor was Susana, as herself. Her elderly lady disguise had entirely melted away. She stood there, crackling all over with intense, aggressive energy. Her harsh, sharp features had been contorted into a look of intense concentration. Her eyes had taken on a crimson hue. She was gripping her wand so tightly that her fingernails were digging into her palm. Her cloak was beginning to swirl around her, affected by the waves of dark energy rippling out from her soul and body. She lifted her wand.

“NO!” With a roar, Tristan lifted his own wand. “Expelliarmus!”

Susana’s wand flew out of her grasp. 

Surprised, Susana turned around. The red hue faded from her eyes slightly. “Master!”

Tristan ran forward. He pushed Susana behind him and turned and faced the Obscurial. Brandishing his wand at the dark mass of writhing energy, Tristan shouted, “You cannot force Dark Magic out of her! She’s her own! And I’ve sworn to protect her!” 

Terrible screams erupted from the writhing mass of darkness. “SHE IS A GRINDELWALD! A GRINDELWALD! SHE HAS A DEBT TO PAY! IT’S BECAUSE OF HER THAT WE ARE WHAT WE ARE! SHE MADE US! WE SUFFER BECAUSE OF HER! RIP - KILL - CURSE HER! CURSE HER BLOODLINE!” 

Susana groaned, as the Obscurial tried to play tricks on her mind, calling to her and using her guilt to trick her into being swallowed up by it. “COME TO US! IF YOU FEEL ANY GUILT FOR WHAT YOUR BLOODLINE HAS DONE, MAKE IT RIGHT BY FEEDING US. FOR ALL OF THE RAGE WE FEEL, ALL OF THE PAIN WE FEEL IS BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU AND DUMBLEDORE!”

Tristan couldn’t turn around to Susana because the Obscurial was swooping this way and that, trying to get past him to Susana. But Susana, hypnotized by the Obscurial, was trying to get to the Obscurial too. Before long, Susana, in her possessed state, had decided that Tristan could not simply be passed by and therefore needed to be dealt with, so that she could get to Obscurial. Susana’s hands crept up and around Tristan’s neck.

“M-Master…” The part of her mind that was still hers made Susan cry out a feeble warning to her beloved Master, even as her hands squeezed at his neck.

“Ugh!” Tristan choked. “S-Susana, n-no!”

“Master, I’m s-sorry,” Susana whispered desperately. She tried to yank her hands away, but then they came right back.

“Susana! Wake up!” Tristan called desperately. While keeping his wand directed at the Obscurial, he reached up with his other hand to grab Susana’s hands and prevent her from choking him again.

Unfortunately, there was yet another complication as several of the braver spectators among the Quidditch crowd had begun to crowd around the scene to watch what was happening. 

YESSSS, the Obscurial hissed victoriously, LET THEM SEE WHAT YOU REALLY ARE – A GRINDELWALD; A MURDEROUS, VIOLENT GRINDELWALD!

Susana’s hands tightened, slipping past Tristan’s hand and onto his neck.

“N-No, S-Susana!” Tristan gasped. “This i-isn’t you!”

Meanwhile, Cas was doing her utmost to corral everyone and have them leave, but it was becoming difficult as more and more people had come back to watch Tristan. “Everyone, back! By Order of MCUSA and the Ministry – get back!” she shouted urgently. “It’s not safe, please!” As she dashed about, shoving people back, she threw a furious look over her shoulder to glance at Tristan and Susana. It was hard to tell through the whirlwind of darkness that was the Obscurial whether Susana was supporting Tristan or fighting against him, but Cas feared the worst. She, and she alone, knew how much Susana had been fighting against the Obscurial’s mental possession over the last few days, to the point where Susana had been so afraid to fall asleep that when she did sleep, she slept holding hands with Cas, so that Cas would wake if Susana lost the battle in her sleep and made to go after Tristan in a tranced state.

The Obscurial recognized its favorable situation, what with the surging crowd. Feeding off of the crowd’s fearful and hyper energy, the Obscurial made its move. “IF YOU WILL NOT COME TO ME, LET US BOTH GO TOWARDS WHAT WE CRAVE - BLOODSHED. USE MAGIC AGAINST ME - I DARE YOU, IT WILL ONLY SERVE TO MAKE ME STRONGER! MAY THE GRINDELWALD NAME EVER BE CURSED IN HISTORY!” With a fearsome scream, the Obscurial erupted. 

People began to scream when they saw long, horrific tendrils of nightmare black reaching out at their necks and eyes at blinding speed. A young child was separated from her mother. The mother cried out and ran forward, to get to her child.

“Get back! Get back!” Cas screamed, but it was too late. Cas threw herself forward, to shield the mother and child as they ran to each other. A second later, Cas felt a vicious pain as a dark limb stabbed through her arm. She screamed in pain.

In that moment, Cas suddenly felt as though she had entered a hellish dream. Red and black streaks flashed violently before her eyes.

But then, amidst that chaotic darkness, Cas heard a familiar voice say, in a strangely calm manner, “So, this is what fate is. I know you well, for my father taught me to recognize you. And I become a master of fate by accepting you. Fine, then.”

A tall, dark figure, draped in a signature black cloak, stepped forward. “I’m not afraid of you anymore. After all these years after Mother and Father have passed, it’s about time I… grow up now.”

Abandoning his wand, the figure opened his arms and took the brunt of the Obscurial’s attack all by himself. At that moment, a spiraling jet of dark energy punctured the man’s chest. The silver lock charm exploded and the man’s chest was brutalized heavily at the same time.

Cas screamed, “NO!”

The caped figure staggered back – and yet another figure caught him. This time, the figure was that of a woman’s, glowing with dazzling white energy.

“I also made a vow,” the second figure seethed. “I will never use forbidden Magic. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t defeat you. Angelicus Scourgis!” 

A blast of blinding white fire erupted from the end of her wand and spiraled around the writhing, dark mass.

A terrifying scream rang out. “AHHHHHHH! CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU TO THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF HELL! WHAT DID WE DO WRONG? WHAT DID WE EVER DO WRONG? WE WERE BORN BECAUSE OF THE MISERY YOU INFLICTED ONTO US! WHY SHOULD WE DIE?” 

The dark mass of energy swirled about even more fervently, but it was growing smaller and smaller, being corralled by the great lasso of white flame.

Finally, there was only a sphere of white, glowing flame in the air. The figure slashed her wand in the air - and the sphere disappeared. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

While Susana had been fighting the Obscurial, Cas had been forced back by the high-velocity winds that had been spinning outwards, pushing everything back from the eye of the battle. Now, though, the storm seemed to have quieted, and Susana and Tristan were mere figures in the cloud of ash and smoke before her. 

Cas came forward as quickly as she could and she squinted before her, trying to make out the scene before her. As the cloud cleared, Cas could see them better. Like a shipwreck in an ocean of mist, they slowly appeared as one structure, rising out of the fog. 

Susana was standing tall. She was staring up into the air, where the sphere had just disappeared. Her eyes were no longer crimson, but tears were streaking down her face. Slumped over her shoulder was Tristan, whose eyes were closed and whose chest bore a huge puncture wound. His wand had fallen to the ground, as had the pocketwatch he had carried around all through his days.

Cas blinked furiously a few times before she sank to the ground. She stared in disbelief at the sight before her.

“Then, I’ll confess that I’m deeply, deeply in love with you.”

“Please. You just want to get the last word in, as always. When will you grow up?”

“All right, Cas. You’ve got me. I haven’t grown up yet. But someday, I will, and then, if it’s all right with you, I’ll be waiting for you.”

“I never know what you’re talking about, Tristan.”

“Just think of it as me wanting the last word – always.”

The last word? Cas breathed out heavily as she realized what Tristan had meant, what he had been preparing her for. She shut her eyes tightly. I hate you. I hate you so much. You’ve always made me wait. You made me wait when we started out as mission partners and you were slower than me at Tracking, but you still wanted to tag along and I had to wait for all the damn time. You made me wait because you were afraid Susana would hurt me, but you wanted to protect her. You made me wait because you thought everyone would attribute my success to you if they found out that you loved me. You made me wait because you thought the Obscurial within your soul would overwhelm you and attack me. You made me wait because you thought that pocketwatch of yours would decide your death any day now – and you were right. But now you’re going to make me wait until my whole life has passed to love you?

And you know I will. You know I will, you bastard. I hate you so much, Tristan Graves. I hate that you tell me you love me all the time and I hate that you’re sincere about it. I hate that you know I love you back and I hate that you’re okay with me not saying that I’m in love with you. I hate that you’re wrapped up in old magic and that you shoulder that responsibility so well, even when it takes so much of your own life away from you. I hate that you found a way to make peace with and love your parents, even though they’ve been gone most of your life. I hate that you always brag about me to everyone else, saying how good I am at Tracking, when you were the one who helped me through all of the Auror trials other than Tracking. I hate that you try to act like you’re fine when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. I hate that you knew you were going to sacrifice yourself and you didn’t even give me a chance to save you, just prepared my heart for it – as if you could prepare me for being apart from you. Tristan… Tristan! Come back, please. I waited so patiently for you. I waited until we could properly be together to tell you that I love you so much, so very, very much.

“Cas…” Susana knelt down before Cas and grasped her gently by the shoulders to pull her up. Susana had already laid Tristan down and covered his body with her own cape.

Meanwhile, the crowd around them was murmuring:

“Isn’t that a Grindelwald?”

“Yeah, that’s Grindelwald’s daughter! I recognize her from the old papers!”

“But didn’t she just save us from that Obscurial?”

“So – what? Are you saying she’s not evil?”

“I don’t know. She’s a Grindelwald. She must be.”

“But she saved us all. We saw it with our own eyes. She can’t be all bad.”

Susana’s voice shook, as she said, in as small a voice as Cas had ever heard her speak in, “C-Cas, I-I r-really want to g-get out of here. Please.”

Cas finally looked up, only to see Susana staring down at her hand. Cas followed her gaze and she saw a broken ring in Susan’s hand. It was the ring that had bound her to Tristan, the ring that had kept Tristan’s protective magic working over her at all times, by disguising her true appearance and by keeping a protective shield around her that both prevented her Dark Magic energy from spilling out and kept others from detecting it. As Susana stared down at the ring, which had split in half, she was trembling all over, and she had tears streaking down her face.

“Oh, Sue,” Cas whispered in a broken voice.

“I w-want to go h-home,” Susana murmured again. “I don’t – Master’s not - ”

Cas nodded, understanding Susana at once. “Okay. Let’s do that. I just – I want to say good-bye first.”

Susana took Cas’ hand and the two of them walked over to Tristan’s body.

Cas tried to remain silent, but her sobs wracked her whole body as she stood before Tristan’s body. She knelt down and for a moment, she pulled the cape back, just enough to see Tristan’s face. There he lay, Tristan Graves. Ironically, he looked as handsome as ever, even though he was no longer of this world. But Cas didn’t care. She never had. The things that she loved about him - his sharp and intelligent gaze, that small smirk that quirked up on his lips whenever he found something funny, the quick-witted retorts that fell from his lips no matter what kind of conversation you were having, and the dignified manner with which he moved about the world - those were gone forever. With a shaking hand, Cas touched Tristan’s cheek. All right. So you’ve grown up. I get it now. And you’ll be waiting for me, just like you said you would, right? She gently pulled the cape back up. Right.

Cas stood up. As she did, she picked up Tristan’s fallen wand and pocketwatch.

Once on her feet, Cas spotted a group of Ministry Healers and Aurors parting the crowd. Clearly, they were on their way over. Cas knew that they would take care of Tristan’s body properly and alert everyone who needed to be alerted.

Cas reached her hand out to the side. Susana grasped her hand tightly.

“Let’s get out of here,” Cas murmured. “But let’s lift our heads, Susana. Tristan would want us to be – to be proud of him.”

Susana bravely lifted her face to the heavens above. Her face was grimy with ash and dirt, except for the clear trails of tears running down her cheeks.

For a moment, Cas numbly stared out at the crowd of people who were whispering and pointing at them, and she wondered if they would ever come to appreciate what they had really seen – the bravery of both Tristan Graves and Susana Grindelwald.

No, I don’t suppose they ever really will know, she thought. Cas closed her eyes – and she and Susana Disapparated before the Healers and Aurors could reach them.

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