#seeing her character evolve was a blast x)

[milyoasis]

murderous

pilot V had a charm to her

mfw I can't pick a single version so I shove them all in

[estro-gem]

Jax x Ragatha: Eyes

The Amazing Digital Circus AU: Oasis

Author's Note:

When he looks at me... and I look at him... and he looks at me... aNd I lOoK aT hIm - I'll stop now I was meaning to write about the other characters, but these 2 were stuck in my head! Blasted!

I craved fluff, so I give fluff. This is a simple, short and sweet scenario. It might take a bit for me to write again, but we'll see how it goes. Let's hope there's no mistakes in the grammar! No warnings; other than the fact that the characters belong to Gooseworx~

Sorry if I disappear for a while, I'll try not to make it too long. Final year degree stuff...

SUMMARY:

Ragatha hand-embroiders something under Jax's merciless stare.

Please enjoy!

EYES

Watching someone repeatedly poking a needle through fabric shouldn’t be so interesting.

Ragatha decided to blame it on the obvious; Jax was stuck in a digital world where every day was a chaotic deadline with the pressure of your whole family coming for a visit this coming evening and your house was still a mess, because you didn’t have the time or energy to clean it this morning, since your cat decided to shred the last toilet paper you had in you house and you had nothing to wipe with, thus it cost you an early trip to the store, but you missed the bus and it was raining, so you ditched the store to just walk to work, only to realize that you haven’t changed out of your pajama’s yet and you had no spare clothes, forcing yourself to attend a meeting with water dripping down your legs and you clothes sticking to your body.

That was oddly specific…

The point is that everyone craved some form of normalcy. Jax was allowing himself to just exist her presence, who was caught in the slow, tedious process of embroidering a purple piece of fabric by hand. He didn’t make an effort to keep a conversation going, but the ragdoll wasn’t bothered by it. Her hands tingled where his big eyes were fixated, watching intently.

They were situated on a two-seater couch that they randomly found back stage. It's been a while since the group first carried it out to place it off to the side, near the main area. It was rarely used, unless it was a scenario such as this one; Jax watching Ragatha embroider quietly.

At first, she thought that he was looking for an error to point out, or even just to mess with her by trying to make her self-conscious with his unblinking staring. To counter whatever she thought he had planned, she would just discard the fabric and thread, while she wasn’t too far into her progress. In doing that, this would be a practice trail to complete her embroidery project away from prying eyes in the future and she would have the satisfaction of seeing Jax’s face when he saw how unbothered she was losing her progress or messing up.

But the snarky comments never came.

That’s alright, Ragatha could work with that! He was just being patient, until she had something to show for her time and effort. Until her work was something of value to lose. It was only a matter of time before the bunny brought up his old schemes again, so in the meantime, she would just have to continue. She was actually making great progress; it was starting to really look like something.

Oh no…

Ragatha didn’t think that she would make it this far. What started as two big dilated, black pupils, evolved into two large golden eyes staring up from the purple fabric. She was currently hyper-focused on the black rim surrounding the brilliant golden sclera of the second eye, almost completing the set. It was coming on so nicely.

The doll wasn’t nearly as brave as she was before. She wanted to curse her patience with herself, with this project, with Jax being Jax...

A mysterious flush of heat and tingles dragged itself up the red-head’s face. She couldn’t understand why – she was annoyed, but she wasn’t angry. She wasn’t even human, so the sensations, though otherworldly, was not the strangest thing to happen to her – she could take and axe to the face without so much as a squeak – but it was still puzzling her. It was making her feel lightheaded, as she suddenly became very aware of her steady calm breathing and abruptly fumbled to consciously control it. It was like she was a flustered mess that suddenly forgot how to breathe. All her well-practiced hand motions briefly paused as there was a moment of deep contemplation.

The tingling heat instantly evaporated from her face, only to flare up onto her now frozen hands, hovering closely over the embroidery.

Ragatha almost twisted her neck with how quickly she whipped her sight to Jax sitting next to her.

She was probably hallucinating, but she almost believed that she saw him lean back slightly, as if reigning himself. The bunny was comfortably sitting back with his one arm hanging over the back of the couch they shared, bending his elbow to rest his cheek on his hand. If the doll shuffles closer, he would practically have his arm draped around her shoulders, and she would be able to rest her head in the crook of his neck.

His eyes were fixed on her hands that was now folded atop one another, covering the golden orbs she spent so long on. He didn’t look bored, per say, but he did sport his usual smug, unbothered expression. If anything, he looked content, but Ragatha knew Jax better than that. She could feel that the intensity of his gaze prickling over her now heated hands meant that he was deeply invested – interested. If she felt his eyes so prominently fixed on her hands…

Was he focused on her face before?

“Ya makin’ somethin’, Dollface?” Jax asked nonchalantly, lazily trailing his gaze up to her face. He was wearing that smug grin - and the poor dolly suffered the severe rush of heat bite into her cheeks again, desperately trying to focus. She missed the fierce flash in Jax’s eyes as she tried to keep her darn breathing steady; not quite able to just let it manifest naturally anymore – too slow, then too fast… then too slow…

“You tell me.” She bit back without thinking, “You’ve been staring this whole time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!” Ragatha huffed out, “What? Are you waiting for me to mess it up?”

“Only you could mess this one up.” Jax mused through his Cheshire grin, “I didn’t even touch you!”

“You didn’t have to touch me to make me- eh- nevermind!”

“To make ya what?” The sparkle in Jax’s eyes seemed to blaze into a raging fire. His eyes seemed to pin her down for a moment, before his tone suddenly shifted, "You give me too much credit, Doll."

Dangerous.

Jax felt dangerous when he was eyeing her like that. It’s a danger that Ragatha couldn’t help but get lost in, as she let out something between a huffy sigh and an incredulous cackle. Her hands were shaking. The tension was getting harder and harder to endure. When Jax was like this – when she was like this - they always ended up like gasoline on fire.

The doll would always somehow unintentionally, yet willingly tempt him by looking like his personal feast.

Jax would always somehow resist the urge to kiss her breathless.

“What exactly are ya makin, Raggs?” Jax strained his smile as he tore his gaze away from her siren-call she has for a face. Things must move along before the bunny does something he would instantly regret.

Ragatha took a few seconds to cool herself off, then followed the rabbit’s lead to look to the golden eyes she was embroidering.

“I wanted to make a plush.” She mindlessly trailed one finger along the rim of the eye, “I figured that I could embroider the face before cutting the fabric into the shapes I need. It's a bit upside down, since it'll probably by easier to stuff the plush first, but I didn't think this would turn out so well. It was meant to be a practice-run.”

“Those are my eyes.” Jax gave her a cheeky glance, “You miss me in bed or something?”

It was supposed to be a joke, but the doll decided, she had enough.

Screw it.

“I thought this would be a good alternative, yes.” Ragatha said plainly, effective shutting the rabbit up, as her voice seemed to wilt slightly, “I wouldn’t bother you as much. I know you don’t like me touching you.”

“Ragatha, I don’t like anyone touching me.” Jax turned to face her fully, tone shifted uncomfortably serious. He almost sounds upset.

Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. In attempt to save the situation, she kept het mouth shut. No more words.

Dolls are seen, not heard.

“Why me?” he asked, a simple question.

It only required a simple answer.

“I trust you.”

Ragatha wanted nothing more than to leave. She was embarrassed and uncomfortable; and she was convinced that Jax felt the same. She didn’t consider that she ripped his heart out of his chest by saying that.

She shouldn’t trust a snake...

Just when Ragatha got up to retreat to her room, she jolted upon feeling a desperate hand grab at the hem of her dress. She stood in place, but didn’t look at Jax. She wanted to forget that they had a conversation in the first place.

“Make me one when you are done with yours?” Jax spluttered out unplanned. There was a beat of silence, before the doll gave in to look at the bunny once again. At least he got her attention-

“Make you a plush… of yourself…?” Ragatha asked slowly, confused.

“Make me one of you.”

He had to be joking. There was no way that he would ask something like that and be serious about it, right? He would just wait for the moment she let her guard down to start laughing, right? Right?

The room just wailed in silence.

It weighed down his larger-than-life persona to dangle at his knees. Ragatha was dumbstruck as she searched his face for something wicked, only to find a troubled man stare back at her.

He was being sincere.

“Why me?” She asked, confused; a simple question.

It only required a simple answer.

“I trust you.”

Oasis: TADC AU list

Masterlist

[tearueful]

HEY tell me about your boys oc

You've twisted my arm, LMAO.

Time to dump my brain. My The Boys OC is PURE SELF INDULGENCE because she's basically an alt version of Tea but what if The Boys? So you know, a cringe almost self-insert OC that evolved into her own thing in my brain. She 300% only exists to smooch Homelander but as of today and runaway story ideas, MAYBE NOT.

I've got this whole vague outline of a story in my head I've taken notes on and written a few lines and drabbles for, but she'll most likely just stick in my brain cause OC x canon isn't well received and I don't have the free time to RP her with friends like I'd like.

ANYWAY - This is LONG. So LONG.

Her name is Stray, which is super not original to anyone who knows my online aliases or the fact that the first version of my vtube character was named Stray but I like short aliases and Stray is as good a name as any for a cat-based Supe.

Her supe power is that she can shapeshift into any feline. House cat, tiger, leopard, and even prehistoric cats because I want her to lay on Homelander as a polar bear sized saber. THE VISUALS.

Like Doppelganger, Stray fluidly shifts between forms in mere moments but unlike Doppelganger, these forms are all Stray. She can't transform into a visual copy of say, your pet cat.

Like Beast Boy, her animal forms are coded to her colors. She's a calico cat (surprise, surprise) if she's a house cat. A golden tabby coated tiger if she's a tiger. Basically all coat colors try to mimic orange, brown, white to some degree. If she's a lioness, it's a richer orangy hue instead of tawny.

I'd have to pin down the exact colors and make a coat pattern chart, but basically every coat is a little off on what the default is for wild cats. Enough to make you go, 'hmm that seems odd' more than seeing a big cat in a weird spot would. The other thing that's constant is her eye color, same green eyes in all forms. So her hair color / skin color reflect her cat coat patterns and her eye color is consistent, basically.

The main perk is that her supe power scales with form. She's a house cat? Well- That house cat could theoretically blast herself through your skull like Jamie the hamster and come out fine on the other side. This scales, so you get a jaguar biting you it's no longer a 1,500 PSI bite but idfk, biting through steel beams. The bigger Stray is, the more durable and the more damage she can do. Get her big enough and she could bite through Homelander's limbs. :D

The downsides are:

Stray is a perfectly normal, squishy person when not in a feline form. Very fragile, don't let near other Supes when she's a person.

She can't stay in feline form forever. Like Doppelganger, it hurts if she keeps a form for too long but she's been trained (forced) to endure it. After 24 hours, she starts to become debilitated from the pain but can push on depending on desperation level. Regardless, she'll be pretty useless quick.

Stray can be locked out of shifting or locked in a form with a metal band around her neck/wrist/ankle. Say, iron does it because uh- It's the most stable element or something which blocks Stray's atoms from doing whatever the fuck they do to reform her into various kitty cats. Having a power lock is fun for situations.

The backstory is that around the same time of Homelander's debut, Stan Edgar wanted to have a contingency plan. I don't know the exact timeline, but I assume Victoria Neuman was adopted by Edgar around that time as his backup plan for Homelander. Stray was picked up for the same reason, except she was more a creature to get locked away and trained to hate Homelander.

Her SUPER TRAGIC backstory is that she had a normal life, save for being a supe, until she turned 18. Then Vought snatched her up with the excuse of that binding Supe Contract, so her family was none the wiser that through daughter was shipped off to a lab. Meanwhile, Stray was fed some story that her family DIED HORRIBLY because of Homelander with her hatred of him encouraged subtly. Enough to make a bitch pissy, but not rampage through the lab. (That or they kept a bitch collared a lot)

Stan Edgar gets thrown in jail and Stray gets lost in the shuffle, forgotten for the most part until her file is dug up or The Boys are tipped off about something strange over in a SUPER SECRET LAB that Butcher is apparently good at finding, given how he found The Woods in Gen V.

The Boys get a new pet cat as they assume Stray is a suped up animal, since they find her collared and unable to shift. I get to write a few cute drabbles of Stray being tormented as people coo over her as a kitty cat until someone takes her collar off. Then the idiot is hell bent on revenge, which suits Butcher just fine.

She infiltrates Vought Tower by being picked up as a stray cat (haha) by Ryan Butcher. Cue Homelander having beef with a cat who keeps stealing his son's attention. Also, that cat keeps looking at him weird. More excuses to write cute fluff with Ryan getting a pet he can cuddle but can't kill. She chills in Vought Tower with Ryan, getting rather attached to the boy because he is SUCH A SWEETIE PIE.

Stray goes to chomp Homelander's head off eventually, hunting him down like prey and wrecking his shit because I just want to write Homelander being afraid. There's something fun about having Homelander hunted by a bigger predator, something primordial and feral. c:

Ryan intervenes before Stray eats Homelander and she pisses off for a bit. Also, probably dealing with a Compound V high given how much V must be in Homelander's blood.

Something something, Homelander researches the bitch who almost ate him. Figures out her weakness and there's probably MORE DRAMA with them fucking with each other. I haven't banged out the details but these lil shits will be toxic as fuck, but since Stray is a strong supe he'll want her for his supe army. Homelander even shows Stray that her family is alive and she's all, "Well fuck. Uh, my bad bro?"

Ultimately, Stray will waver between hating Vought for what they did, having some loyalty to members of The Boys for their kindness, but loyalty to Homelander and Ryan for similar. She's not a good person so she could go for the DESTROY VOUGHT or SUPE SUPERIORITY side on a coin flip.

She's just a character I want to put in situations within The Boys universe. (Sexual situations)

I want tiger!Stray sprawled out on the floor while Ryan uses her as a living lounge chair as he does his homework.

Bickering between Homelander and Stray. Stray being a VERY FUCKING ANNOYING CAT at Homelander before he knows she's a supe.

Therapy cat for Kimiko. 🥺

Butcher being a jerk and dubbing her 'Moggy'.

Stray leaving bite and claw mark scars on Homelander. c:

[snelbz]

Better or Worse {13}

Nessian. Angst. Modern AU.

@snelbz x @theladyofdeath collab

Better or Worse Masterlist

Warnings: language, s e x

This chapter is NSFW. 18+.

I feel like everyone can see my nipples.

Realistically, I know that nobody but Cassian even knows that I have my nipples pierced, but my subconscious brain is yelling that everyone knows.

My husband, ever the overgrown child, is currently making a sand castle. A huge sand castle at that and he looks like he’s having a blast.

Turning back to the pages of the new romance I’d brought with me, he wasn’t the only one. With my earbuds in, I blocked out the sounds of the people around us and lost myself in the story before me. It wasn’t anything like the stories I wrote, but that didn’t make it bad. I loved reading books in different styles, always allowing my craft to evolve.

I was just getting to a scene where the male main character was on her front porch in the pouring rain, ready to tell the female main character his true feelings— and hopefully get some slow burn smut— when a shadow blocked my book.

Glancing up to look at my husband, I pulled one of my earbuds out. “What’s up?”

“I’m covered in sand and need to rinse off,” he said, holding out a hand that was, indeed, white and sandy. “Let’s get in the water.”

Curling my lip, I settled further back into my lounge chair. “I’m okay. I can’t anyways, remember?”

His eyes flicker to my breasts as he purses his lips as I use my new piercings as my excuse to avoid the cold ocean water. “Just come in up to your waist.”

I place a finger in my book as I cock my head. “Just go in by yourself. I’ll watch you.”

He frowns, and I can’t believe that I find it cute when he pouts. “What if I drown?”

“You’re an excellent swimmer.”

“What if a shark comes at me?”

“Punch it in the nose.”

“What if I drift off with the waves and I lose you?”

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Then I’ll send out the Coast Guard until you’re found.”

His shoulders sag. “I don’t want to go by myself. Please?”

I sigh, and even I will admit that it’s dramatic as fuck. “But it’s cold.”

“It’s not that bad,” he says, having already been in once. He holds out his hand, again. “Please?”

I stare at him for a moment, but he stares back with the same intensity.

“Fine, up to my waist, no more than ten minutes,” I say, and bookmark my page before taking his hand and letting him pull me out of my lounge chair. 

If it were just because I didn’t want to get in, I would not be letting him lead me into the water. There is no way in hell that he wouldn’t drag me under, splash me, or do whatever he could to poke at me.

But thanks to his new favorite jewelry I own, I can’t get in the water for another eight hours or so. I’m not risking an infection from any piercing, but sure as hell not on my nipples.

True to his word, the water isn’t as cold as I feared and I even went out a little past my waist, careful to keep my breasts from bobbing into the water. Cassian stayed with me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me sweetly. This was a public beach, families and couples and kids everywhere, so it wasn’t like we could get hot and heavy anyways. But still, I could feel the heat simmering just below the surface in that kiss.

The memory of Cassian’s mouth on me the night before had all of my nerves lighting up. He hadn’t let me touch him, had said it was about my pleasure not his, and I had come not once, but twice, all without him touching my overly sensitive nipples.

I told him I wanted to do something we’d never done while we were on vacation. We went to bars and restaurants with our family, but we never went out and did anything else.

I wanted to go to a club. I wanted to dance and feel the music pounding through my body and lose myself in the lights. Cassian was not nearly as excited as I was.

Still, when we got back to the beach, we each started getting ready. I packed a little black dress just for this occasion, along with a pair of strappy heels. My hair was curled, free of its usual updo, hanging loosely down my back which was mostly bare, thanks to the dress I had on, which was open-backed and showed off my ass magnificently.

When I walked out of the bathroom, I stilled.

Cassian is sitting on the foot of the bed, watching a soccer game in his underwear. Although he had showered, he hasn’t done much since then, when I took over the bathroom and he went to “get dressed”. 

Apparently, getting dressed means getting rid of his towel and pulling on his underwear.

And socks.

“Babe, there’s only fifteen minutes left and Illyria is down by one,” he says, eyes glued to the screen. “Let me watch the rest and I promise to dance with you all night.” 

I think that’s fair enough. “Can you at least finish getting ready while you watch?”

Something exciting happens on the screen and Cassian jumps to his feet. “THAT’S RIGHT, MOTHERFUCKERS!”

I suddenly hope our neighbors are currently out of their rooms. Letting him watch his game, I go to his suitcase and pull out a pair of black jeans, along with a black, long sleeve tee that I shake the wrinkles out of. 

As he sits back down, he glances over at me, and stills. I’ll never get tired of that, watching him look at me for the first time. His eyes go soft, then fill with lust, and his lips part as he lets out a breath. 

He motions for me to turn around, so I give him a little show, turning slowly. When I face him again, it’s clear his eyes were lingering on my ass. “Good?”

“Why do you always have to look so damn good while trying to make me leave this room?” he asks, the game long forgotten. “It’s torture.”

“It’s my specialty,” I say, blowing him a kiss and laying his clothes out on the bed. “We’re not staying if it goes to overtime.”

It didn’t. Illyria scored one more time with forty seconds to spare and the game ended. True to his word, Cassian dressed, brushed his teeth, and we were out the door within five more minutes.

The club, called the Pleasure Barge, was just a few buildings down from our hotel. It had pleasure cruises that left the beach every half an hour, but that was not my focus for the night. After showing our ID’s at the door, our hands were stamped and we were let into the club. The music was loud and I could feel the bass thrumming through my entire body. I turned to Cassian, to see if my excitement was mirrored on his expression.

He couldn’t have looked more miserable if he tried.

“Smile,” I said, pulling on his hand and finding a table along the edge of the dance floor. “Go get us a couple drinks and then we’ll dance.”

He mumbled something I didn’t catch, but headed to the bar regardless. A few minute later, he returned with a vodka cranberry for me and neat whiskey for himself.

I sipped through my straw and watched him. “You could try to have fun, you know?”

“There are far too many people here for me to have fun,” he replied, bringing his glass to his lips and looking around. 

“Finish your drink and I’ll make it fun for you,” I promised and his eyes landed on me.

It’s ridiculous how he can look at me and make me feel completely nude. It’s a talent that he’s always had, one that’s always made my heart beat a little faster and my knees shake. 

He downs his whiskey in a few gulps, surely hoping to make sure I quickly act on my statement. I try to keep up, hasilty making my vodka cranberry disappear before dragging my husband onto the dance floor. 

The music was loud with a heavy bass, and as soon as we were out in the mass of people, his hands were around my waist and my body was sliding up against his.

We haven’t gone clubbing since our early twenties, but I’ve always loved to dance. There’s something freeing about it, once you decide to not give a damn what anyone else thinks. 

I throw my hands in the air as I shamelessly rub my ass all over my husband’s groin. My back is pressed against his abdomen, and I can feel his heart beating erratically. It seems that he doesn’t mind dancing with me, after all. 

At least, that’s what I can assume from the way he palms my breast.

I swat his hand away as I laugh, turning to face him and sliding my arms around his neck. “We’re in public!”

“There’s at least twenty couples fucking in the bathroom right now!” He yells back. “I think me grabbing your boob is the most innocent thing going on here!”

I laugh again before getting lost in the music. Cassian must really love me, because I lose track of how many songs we dance to before he leans close to my ear and says, “Break? I need a drink!”

I nod so I don’t have to yell over the music and we find an unoccupied table across the dance floor.

“Stay here, I’ll get our drinks,” he says, giving me a chaste kiss and grabbing my ass.

I bite my lips as he goes, watching the way his muscles move beneath his shirt.

I pull my phone from the hidden pocket in my dress, checking my texts.

Elain has texted our group chat with pictures of a soft pink and gray nursery. She’s officially begun nesting, starting to put away the tiny clothes she’d received at her baby shower. This baby wouldn’t be here for another few weeks, yet she already has a larger wardrobe than I do.

I'm beyond happy for my sister and Azriel, just as happy as I was for Feyre and Rhys when they found out they were pregnant with Nyx. But it also felt like a shot to the heart every time I thought about the pregnancies we’d lost. Gwyn had suggested that we tell our families, to open our grief up to those that loved us. I want to and so does Cassian, but neither of us are ready.

Soon, we keep promising ourselves, and we will, but not yet.

I sense someone pause at the table next to me and I lean into him, smiling up at him, before I realize it’s not my husband. Jumping back, I put a hand to my chest. “Oh, my god, I’m so sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

He lifts a brow, and he does it in a way that tells me he’s used to flirting. “No worries. I’m Justin.”

I blink. It’s been a long time since I’ve been single, and Cassian and I got together so young that I almost don’t catch what’s happening here. “Hi, Justin. I’m married.”

He laughs, and I can’t deny that he’s attractive. A few years younger than me, I’m sure, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five. His hair is a chestnut brown and his eyes are blue, and they’re scanning my body from the top of my head to my toes. “I don’t mind that. A lot of married women vacation here. Girls trip, right? I’m known to make a girls trip a little more worth while.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. I laugh until I’m snorting. “I’m sorry,” I say, trying to catch my breath, “I just…does that line typically work on women?”

He flashes me a grin. “You tell me.”

“Oh, Cauldron boil me, no—”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

I stare at him, nearly dumbfounded. “I just told you—”

“You’re incredibly beautiful,” he says. “By far the most beautiful woman in this place.”

I hesitate. “Thank you, but—”

“Would you like to dance?”

This guy just isn’t getting the hint. He takes my hand, but before I can pull it away and tell him hell no, I hear my husband’s voice.

…………

Cassian

………….

I know I have anger issues.

I know my anger comes quickly and takes a while to fade, and I know that sometimes I get pissed over ridiculous shit, but there is nothing ridiculous about this prick taking my wife’s hand.

With both drinks in my hands, I stop behind Nesta and ask, filter long gone, “What the fuck are you doing?”

His stupid, smug grin melts away the instant he sees me. “Hey, man, I was just telling your wife how beautiful she is—”

“You were just leaving,” I say to him, interrupting.

“I’ve got this, Cass,” Nesta says, snatching up her drink as soon as I set it down on the table.

Nesta wasn’t going to dance with him, I know that, I could see the look on her face as I approached, but my fuse is short and I’m about to blow. My higher reasoning is gone and I’m pissed at this asshole who had the gall to touch my wife, at the club for existing, and at Nesta for dragging me here.

“Seemed to be doing real well while I was gone,” I snap, not tearing my eyes from the prick who’s still standing at our table.

“Excuse you?” I can hear the righteous indignation in her voice as she turns in place to glare up at me, the jackass behind us forgotten.

“I’m gonna go,” he mumbles, backing away. “You two have a good night.”

I want to say something, to have the final word, but Nesta beats me to it. “Go fuck yourself, Justin.”

Whirling back on me, her eyes are blazing. “Do you really think I was flirting with that asshole?”

“I don’t know what the hell was happening,” I say, losing the tenuous hold on my anger. “I walk up and he’s holding your hand and asking you to dance. What else did he say?”

“He hit on me and I told him I was married.” She emphasizes the word by holding up her left hand and pointing at her wedding rings. “But he wouldn’t take the hint.”

I know if I say something right now, it’s going to get me in trouble, so instead, I toss back the double shot of Gentleman Jack I ordered, feeling it burn all the way down. “I’m ready to go.”

“I’m not,” she seethes. “I want to dance, I’m having fun.”

I gesture towards the crowd on the dance floor, empty glass still in my hand. “I’m sure if you can find your friend in there, he’d love to dance with you.”

Her mouth snaps shut and she’s seething. “Wow.”

I shake my head. My hands are shaking and I feel like punching a wall, flipping a table. “I’m going back to the hotel.”

“No, you’re not.”

I turn to leave.

I know it’s a dick move. I know I’m being an asshole. But it’s better than causing a scene and I’m right on the edge of doing just that.

It’s taken me months to get to the point of being able to casually reach for Nesta’s hand, to flirt with her again, to be the guy that she needs and then there’s this guy…who comes out of nowhere and has the audacity to touch my wife like she’s not a goddamn masterpiece.

He has no right.

I crash through the doors of the club and into the fresh air, taking a deep breath.

Nesta’s night behind me. “I should’ve known.”

“Known what?” I ask, not stopping. I keep trekking ahead in the direction of our hotel.

I’m seeing red.

I can’t make it stop. 

“Known that you would make a mess of this,” she says, heels clacking on the sidewalk behind me. “You didn’t want to go in the first place. I should’ve known.”

Her words hurt me but I can’t stop. I’m too blinded by jealous rage. “Go back inside. I’ll see you later.”

She barks a laugh but there’s no humor in it. “You’re a dick.”

I don’t answer. She’s right and I can’t deny it.

I also keep replaying that asshole taking her hand over and over again in my head. Nesta wouldn’t cheat, I know that. There’s not a single doubt in my head that she’s loyal to me. That doesn’t stop the scenarios from playing out one by one.

He takes her hand and they dance and she has fun with him, instead of her boring husband who would rather be watching a soccer match in the hotel room. She laughs at his jokes and he smiles at her in that douche bag way he did.

It fucking infuriates me.

I spend the entire walk back to the hotel playing out stupid scenarios that would never happen and by the time we make it to the elevator, I want to turn around and go back to the club and break that asshole’s jaw.

Nesta angrily punches the button to call the elevator and in the back of my mind, I know I’m ruining our vacation. I’m overreacting and I need to apologize, but I can’t. She’s my fucking wife and no one other man will put his hands on her.

We don’t talk until we make it to our room, when I push open the door with far too much force and she follows me inside.

“Are you happy?” She snaps, plopping onto the bed and taking off her shoes with shaky hands. 

“Fucking ecstatic,” I say, kicking off my own shoes. “Can’t wait for what you have in store for tomorrow.”

Her back straightens as a newfound fury brews in her eyes. “You know, you’ve always been a jealous asshole, Cassian, but you’ve reached a new level tonight. Congratulations.”

“Don’t,” I warn, yanking at my belt, feeling like my clothes are suffocating me.

“Don’t what?” She yells. “Tell you that you’re being a dick when you’re being a dick?! I was having fun, Cass, and you ruined it! We were having fun! And then you started overreacting out of nowhere! All of the trust that we’ve built? Gone! Because you couldn’t even trust me to warn off some prepubescent twat without your help!”

“You don’t get it,” I hiss, and I know my tone is cruel, but I can’t control it.

“Of course.” She laughs, but humor is obsolete. “Of course, I don’t understand.”

“You don’t!” I yell, and she nearly flinches which hurts me more than it hurts her. “I didn’t touch you for almost a year, Nesta! Then this guy shows up out of nowhere and touches you without a second fucking thought!”

She stops then, the tension in her shoulders fading, if only a little. The anger in her eyes turns to concern. Sadness. “Cassi—“ 

“Do you know how many days I spent wanting to just reach over and take your hand? But I couldn’t.” My anger is dissipating, and now I’m just tired. Now, I just feel foolish for my outburst, but I shake my head. “And this random fucking stranger just…does it.”

She takes a step towards me, but then stops. “You have to trust me to take care of shit like that on my own, Cass—”

“You shouldn’t have to,” I say, crossing the space between us and cradling her face in my hands. “As your husband, it’s my fucking job to take care of you, to protect you, and that includes someone putting their hands on you.”

“Doesn’t give you free reign to be an asshole yourself,” she murmurs, voice softer than it was before. Her eyes are on my lips, heavy lidded, lined with thick dark lashes. Her makeup is smudged just a bit from our time on the dance floor.

“I’m sorry,” I breathe. “I’m sorry I’m an asshole, but seeing him touch you, even just taking your hand, when you’re the most precious thing on the whole, godsdamned planet?” I shake my head, brushing my thumb along her jaw. “I lost it.”

“You’ve always had a short fuse.” Her voice is whisper soft now and at some point, her hand ended up bunched up in the front of my shirt. “It only takes a spark to set you off.”

“And there you were holding a match and some kerosene.”

I’m not sure which one of us moved first, if it was conscious thought from either of us, but her hands were in my hair and her mouth on mine a second later. I had no idea where her phone was and I didn’t care. Nothing would interrupt us tonight.

She gasped as I picked her up, cradling her ass, her legs quickly wrapping around my waist. Then I was laying her down, covering her with my body, refusing to waste another second.

She clings to me, her dress hiked up and I grind into her, already making her moan. She reaches for my shirt and pulls it off, her lips only leaving mine for a second to pull it over my head.

If I felt out of control before, it’s nothing to what I feel now. I’m no longer in control of myself, my being. She has me in the palms of her hands, ready to do whatever the hell she wants. I need it, I need her. It’s been too damn long.

I slip her dress down her body and throw it away. She lays before me in nothing but a little lace thong, and those damn nipple piercings are staring up at me.

My cock is so hard it’s agonizing. Unbearable. I’m fumbling with the button of my jeans, but Nesta rolls me over and pins my arms above my head, kissing me fiercely. 

A year of lust and want and need, of longing and heartache and distance, has all been building up to this moment. 

Nesta leans back, breathing heavily, her eyes searching mine. “I need you. Now. Don’t be gentle.”

Without a word of warning, I roll us back, grinning down at her. “As you wish.”

I claim her mouth in another savage kiss, tugging on her bottom lip as she works on getting my pants off. For a moment, she seems to be having as hard a time as I was, but then I feel them go loose around my hips and we’re both shoving them down until my cock is free pressing against her thigh.

As I grab the waistband of her thong, Nesta lifts her hips but instead I rip them off her body, the shreds of lace landing on the floor by the bed.

She gasps and leans back to look at me, but anger isn’t lighting her eyes. Arousal is. “Those were expensive.”

“I don’t give a shit,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist and scooting us both farther up the bed, until her head rests on a pillow. My lips are on her neck, finding the spot where her neck meets her shoulder and sucking. 

“Gods, yes,” she groans and I smile against her skin.

One of my hands skims down her body, pausing to tease the swell of her breasts, then the heavy underside, careful to give her nipples a wide berth. I drag it down her toned stomach, pausing as she shivers beneath me. I glance up at her. “Are you okay?”

She nods, eyes burning. “I need you, please, Cass.”

My fingers skim over her sex, making her jump, which brings a smirk to my face, and then I slide them between her folds. She’s already so wet, slick and warm, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready for me. It’s been months since I’ve been inside her, but hurting her is the last thing I want to do.

I slowly slide my middle finger inside of her, watching her face as I do. She gasps, and her back arches, and her legs spread wider for me. 

I give a couple of slow, taunting pumps inside of her before adding another finger. She moans quietly, and I can’t help the fact that I’m getting a little more rough.

Which she seems to enjoy. 

“Cass,” she breathes, and her hips are writhing, moving in time with my fingers, now slick and glistening as they pump. 

She gasps again as she reaches down between us, fisting my cock. I groan as she squeezes, and then my mouth finds hers once more. 

Adding a third finger, it’s now more of just a tease. She’s ready for me, undoubtedly, but I can’t seem to stop. I look down between us, watching as the sheets get wet beneath us while her hips sway and grind against my hand. Her breathing is hitched, her chest heaving, the sounds escaping her mouth echoing throughout our room. When her knees begin to shake, as her fingers dig into my back, I know she’s close. 

“Come for me,” I breathe. 

Her body tenses as she yells out a curse, and I feel her clench around my fingers. I thrust them back in one last time, deeply, loving the way she feels as she comes around me, and circle her clit as she rides out her orgasm.

The grip she has on my cock is nearing the point of painful, but feels so damn good that I almost don’t want to remove it.

Almost.

But I need to be inside her. I need to feel her, everywhere. To become one with her again after so long.

As she comes down from her high, I kiss her neck softly, sucking and licking, and pry her hand free from where she still held me. Stroking my cock, I climb over her, listening as her breathing evens out, before planting my free hand beside her head and meeting her gaze. There’s so much I want to tell her, so much I want to say, but I don’t need to. I see all of it and more reflected back in her eyes.

Lining myself up, I slide between her folds, coating myself in her slick heat and teasing her clit with the head of my cock. She gasps every time and my grin grows.

Her eyes narrow and she grabs my hips while lifting her own, trying to position me at her entrance. I keep just out of reach, teasing her, and watching as she becomes increasingly needy by the second.

“Cassian,” she whines, throwing her head back and I love it. I’ve got her in the palm of my hand, just like she has me in hers.

Leaning down, I drag my teeth along the graceful column of her throat. “What do you want, sweetheart?”

She grabs a handful of my hair, tugging my face up to hers and crashes my lips to hers. We break for only a second, just long enough for her to whisper, “I want you to fuck me.”

And then I’m plunging into her, heeding her request to not be gentle, as I push in to the hilt in one hard thrust. She tears her lips from mine in a moan and I watch as her breasts bounce and those piercings flash in the low lighting.

I wait there, deep inside of her, dwelling in the feeling. After such a long time apart, this feels so right, so perfect. My hands roam her skin and cup her face as I give her one gentle kiss before completely unleashing myself on her. 

I pull myself out to the tip and thrust into her once more, gaining the same reaction. I can’t stop watching her. After pulling myself up on my knees, I bring her legs up over my shoulders and grab onto her waist. She doesn’t want me to be gentle, so I won’t be. I know what she likes.

I wait for her eyes to open up, wait for them to connect with me, before pounding into her quickly, aggressively, relentlessly. 

She doesn’t give a damn that we’re not in the privacy of our own home, that these walls are paper thin. She moans, screams, curses my name, and it consumes me.

I’ve spent so many nights dreaming of this, reliving the memories of our sex life, but those fantasies didn’t compare to how she sounds, how she feels. I watch her chest heave, her breasts bounce with every thrust of my hips. I watch her eyes roll back, watch how her brows are pinched and her lips remain open. She reaches up to the headboard behind her and lays her palms flat against it, grounding her.

A burning sensation is growing low in my spine and I groan as I grip her waist hard enough to leave bruises. I’m not going to last much longer, I know that. It’s been way too long since I was inside of her, but I need Nesta to come one more time. I can tell she’s on the edge, can tell by the way her hips are starting to quiver and my name is falling from her lips like a prayer. I fucking love it.

I hold her legs to my chest with one arm while my free hand dips to our joined bodies. Swirling my thumb around her clit, I grit out, “Look at me, Nes.”

With great effort, Nesta’s eyes open, locking onto mine. She reaches for me and I let her legs fall apart, settling in each side of my body as I drive into her, my fingers rolling her clit.

Her fingernails bite into my back as she wraps herself around me. “S-so close, Cass.”

I murmur, my lips next to her ear, “Come for me, sweetheart,” and bite down on her neck.

As if she was powerless to defy my words, her orgasm slams into her, making her back arch, pressing her breasts into my chest, as she calls out my name. I fall over the edge right behind her, pumping into her in erratic strokes until I go rigid, eyes rolling in the back of my head, my cock buried deep inside of her.

The room is silent save for our heavy breathing. Falling to the side, I grab Nesta and roll her half on top of me, kissing her until I feel like I’m going to pass out.

When the kiss breaks, Nesta laughs quietly and buries her face into my neck. “Holy shit,” she whispers, “I missed that.”

“Me too.” I brush her hair back and kiss the side of her head. “We’ll have to do it more often so that you don’t start missing it again.”

“We can do it every damn day and I’m still going to want more.” She leans up and looks at me. The love in her eyes is overwhelming. 

“Good.” My eyes never leave hers. “Me too.”

When she kisses me this time, it’s gentle, slow. We kiss like that until we finally fall asleep. 

[givesmeyourteeths]

Just watched godzilla x kong and whoo boy, it sure was a movie

Good one tho, i had a blast, it was so much fun

Spoilers :3

I did not expect the movie to be so violent though, like WHAT

We just have kong casually ripping apart a dog thingy, i forgot their names but mam are they ugly.

And then in skar kings lair, there were just 3 severed heads on spikes, like bro, chill, we know you're evil

Shimo is just a puppy and i love her for it :3

Not the ice queen we were expecting but i still love her

Personally i always loved goji's new evolved or rather half-evolved form because that shit is done. Bro is literally malnourished so he will get his roundnesd back. I'm pretty sure his dorsal plates are also just straight up missing a layer of skin, like deer antlers probably, you could literally see veins in there, that shit's seethrough.

I absolutely ship berny and trapper, they were lovely. Obviously the humans are just plot devices but they were still character enough for me to enjoy. A lot actually, i really don't have anything bad to say here. A bit more of them would've probably even helped the movie because it kinda just rushes past you at a million miles an hour. That probably my only real critique point here, i just had so much fun :3

Another obvious plot device was mothra but just like the humans i did not care what so ever, i loved mothra, fucking slaayyyy QUEEN, HELL YEAH. She so pretty uwu

This whole thing was really a kong movie with godzilla just kind of there being fucking awsome and it was glorious!!!

I love kong so much, i wanna hug my baby. I also wanna pet shimo but that's besides the point. I really don't mind the beast glove, it's just a glorified bandage that just happens to Also boots his strength a little, it is not here to stay for long. He's probably gonna get rid of it by the time of the next movie and someone better call him King kong because my boy is now King now, hell yeah!!! He's gonna be so good for those poor apes down there, they suffered so much abuse at the hands of skar.

I heard some things that the next movie in the probably wingard trilogy will be more godzilla focused which, yes please, baby needs some characterization goddamn it. I'm not saying i don't like monsterverse goji, far from it, i love this overgrown lizard but his character is not explored as thoroughly as kong's was. He's got so much potential and i can't wait to see that and his finished evolution. See you guys in 2 or 3 years then for next one >^w^<

I'd probably give it and 8/10, will rewatch at least 8 times >:3

[emmym1]

My thoughts on... X-Terminators 2022 (#1-5)

After reading through most of Laura Kinney's solo runs I was dying to read more comics with her in it, and X-Terminators seemed perfect for that considering its fairly standalone story plus its fun premise and cast of character! Not to mention it was a perfect way to learn more about other characters! It's safe to say that it didn't dissapoint as it's absolutely one of the craziest comic series I've ever read. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this series as it consisted out of characters I had seen before such as Jubilee and Laura but also characters I wanted to learn more about such as Dazzler of whom I'm currently really enjoying the earth-65 version of in Spider-Gwen: Smash. Boom Boom also provided some really amazing comedic moments and added a fun dynamic to the team. She was a character I didn't know much about so it was really fun to see what's she's all about! I loved how this entire series starts of as a group of besties helping their friend with a breakup which then slowly evolves into them helping a whole lot of women escape and confront their abuser. The overarching story of this series was something I actually quite enjoyed a lot and something I feel gets a bit overshadowed at times when I see people discussing this series. The humor and jokes in this run were absolutely unhinged and hillarious for the most part. There are a few moments that felt a bit weird to me and didn't land. But overall I laughed a lot while reading this series and had an absolute blast with it. The self awareness the series has really adds a lot to the humor. And overall all of it really made for some incredible one liners and character interactions. Another thing I really appreciate about this series is the consistency in Laura's characterization and past (despite a few nitpicks i have here and there). I love that they remembered the friendship Laura and Jubilee have and how in a way it's partially a follow up to the events of the Misadventures In Babysitting arc from X-23 2010B. It was really nice that they remembered those details and made it part of the series! I also loved the absurdity of it all when they desperatly try to explain everything to the Quiet Council and how the X-Men experienced the situation. It was so fun to see them try and explain everything after falling through a massive portal in the sky and landing onto the X-Men sports game while wearing all sorts of halloween costumes and how the X-Men basically had 0 context for any of it. I really hope that they revisit this team at some point in the future because i absolutely love the chemistry they have together and how fun they are to watch! All by all X-Terminators was a really fun miniseries with incredibly fun and hillarious moments and character interactions even if sometimes the humor didn't land or certain parts of the comic were a bit weird. The overarching story was really good and I wish more people would mention that part of the series as I think that it gets overlooked quite a bit. I'm really happy that I ended up reading this as it was an absolute blast!

[dg-outlaw]

X-Men '97: Episode 1 Thoughts: Do I Like Cyclops Now?

Minor spoilers for Episode 1

First off, is it just me and all the brain rot from the internet and things I've seen and read in my life, but did the voice actor read that line a little too bedroom-y? And yeah, I heard that line several times via Spotify ads, so it wasn't just a a one-time thing.

"Mr. Summers, save that energy for the after party in the Danger Room."

All jokes aside, I really did enjoy the first episode and outside of knowing I was watching something new, it felt like I was jumping right back into the series like no time had passed.

A few things I really liked:

As mentioned in a previous post, I wasn't a big fan of Cyclops growing up. To me, the clean cut, handsome, by-the-book boy scout was never appealing, but damn did they make him badass in this episode. From the way he used his optic blasts in the opening to move and dodge, to his Johnny Utah 'Point Break' style who needs a freakin' parachute scene toward the end (IYKYK), I have a new respect for Cyclops.

Storm getting some respect on her name and her abilities. While she got knocked out in the beginning I appreciated when the sentinel recognized her as an Omega-level mutant when she made her entrance during the final battle. That along with her lightning turning the desert sand into glass was just awesome. As a kid, Storm always seemed like a cool character, but in the show she'd often make a grand entrance and then get knocked out by a tree branch or something two seconds later. To quote Leslie Jones from everyone's favorite 'Ghostbusters' movie, "Okay, I don't know if it was a race thing or a lady thing, but I'm mad as hell."

I loved the teamwork at the end and how it also showed that each of them were badass. In the old series if more than one sentinel showed up they were screwed, but this time there were at least half a dozen or more and the X-Men just kicked ass--as they should.

In relation to #1 and #2, I hope we see more unique and comic-centric uses of the characters' powers rather than them being nerfed for plot reasons, though I'm still look at you Jean Grey. Every. Single. Time. She uses Cerebro. It's like watching someone go back to a toxic ex. "This time they won't hurt me. This time it'll be different." Girl... That or someone needs to run that software update Charles kept skipping. At least show Jean ordering pizza on Cerebro so that we know it works properly and mind freak outs are not the norm.

That said, I do hope this show evolves a bit as it did in the first episode. While my nostalgic brain loves the old-style animation, the returning voice actors, and other stuff, I would like to see the show grow beyond what it was. The dialogue is a little cheesy in some parts (again, like it was back in the day), and the character interactions are a bit clunky at times, but I would like to see the show slowly become something new-ish rather than just a strict adherence to what it was. Many great animated shows have come along since this series in the 90s and I would hate for the writers to feel bound by some time-capsule of nostalgia. I'm happy with a slow burn evolution, but I think for it to have success it will have to evolve beyond a purist fanfic of the original with just a few added cool factor scenes.

[stormblessed95]

My Top Reads of 2022

Not totally back yet for another day, so I'm posting about reading rather than BTS. lol feel free to skip over it if you'd rather! I just wanted to share some of my favorite reads of 2022. I read 159 books this year (24 of them during my tumblr break the last few weeks!), here are just a few that I loved! If you want more opinions over these or perhaps over books I didn't love as much, I'd be happy to talk more about them!

In no particular order:

He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon (5 stars):

Content warnings for violence, mentions of cannibalism and death

A LitRPG style fantasy novel that is both high stakes but Still light hearted at the same time. I loved seeing the mayhem happen and the characters grow. It left me so excited to see how the over arching story continued to evolve. Plus I loved the friend groups dynamics here too! It's a little unpolished and times, can be a little slow, told through a flashback. But I loved Jason for the most part and loved hearing his adventures. Super funny and enjoyable.

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong (5 stars)

Content warnings for murder, gun violence, animal attack and mentioned animal death, sexually explicit scenes

Book 7 and the final installment of the Rockton series, but with the promise of a spin off that makes my heart soar. I love this series an unhealthy amount. Amazing characters, amazing writing, fast paced, engaging, one of my all time favorite OTPs. Thriller novels that aren't terrifying but kept the suspense flowing the whole time too. Can't wait to see where Casey and Eric go next. Book 1 in the series is called City of the Lost.

One for All by Lillie Lainoff (4 stars)

Content warnings for ableism, SA, bullying, death of a parent, grief

I was so excited for this one! It was a little predictable and I honestly think it mightve been better If the romance was left behind all together. But the romance portion still wasn't bad. It was excellent for a debut novel. The representation for POTS here was amazing. I loved the strength in the MC, the friendships were all top tier and so sweet. I absolutely loved it! Especially well done for a debut novel too!

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (3 - 5 stars through the books)

Trigger warnings, like ALOT of them. Full list can be found here

Had a billion friends begging me to read this one and I finally did! The author is the definition of why authors don't always belong in fandom spaces and is a bit of a mess, but I did enjoy these books! The first one started off super slow and was clearly a set up novel, but they just got better and better as they went. I wasn't a huge fan of her writing in other books, but it worked super well for this series. Massively character driven series and so much fun. The magic system was amazing. The friendship between Blue and the boys was top tier. I cried and I laughed and I had a blast. Not a huge fan of the ending, which felt like a bit of a cop out to me, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment enough to not still give it 5 stars at the end. Lol

Spy x Family Manga (4 - 5 stars)

Content warnings for violence, gun violence

This one was recommended by my sister snd I fell in love so fast. Lol I also then watched the anime after. Very slice of life cuteness, mixed with spy and assassin shenanigans. Chaos incarnate and adorable. The trails of parenthood were hysterical, especially as a parent myself too. Lol although I'm not mixing parenthood with Spy work 😂

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei (4 stars)

Content warnings for alcohol, blood, depression, suicidal ideation, homophobia, drugs, racism, sport related violence, sexually explicit scenes

Sports Hockey Romance mlm and so cute and so good! What a great representation for living with bad depression too. MC going through so much, but his relationship with his sisters is amazing, his budding relationship on his team is so good. Rivals to Lovers trope that's perfection too! I loved it so much! Fast and easy and fun to read and enjoyable every second!

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan (5 stars)

Content warnings for Ableism, Amputation, Castration, Death, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Misgendering, Murder (child) , Sexually Explicit scenes, starvation, torture (non-graphic), violence

This was INTENSE. But so freaking good. Historical meets fantasy. Mulan vibes, but way more grown up and based in more history. And it's queer. Fun, thought provoking, intense, and so well written too.

The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson (5 stars)

Content warnings for death and violence

This is the 7th book in the series and every book in it is AMAZING. Released this year and wow what an epic conclusion. I laughed and I sobbed and I loved every second. Binged it in a day. These covers are so ugly lol but the stories are so good. So thought provoking. Fast paced but every freaking word counts. Engrossing and amazing story telling. The intricate plot contentions through the entire cosmere had me feeling a conspiracy theorist in the best way

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (5 stars)

Content warnings for Misogyny & femicide, Rape mentioned, Physical & emotional abuse, Suicidal ideation, Alcoholism, Blood & gore depiction, Murder, Torture

This was so good!! So good! It could have used some more flushing out on the world building, magic system and character arcs, but overall I loved every second of it. It's giving me the morally Grey heroine and cast of characters I've always wanted. I loved that it set up with a fairly classic love triangle, but only to give us a bisexual polyship triangle! Badassery the whole way through too! Had me pretty consistently on the edge of my seat.

^the line to end love triangles with all efficiency lmfaoo had me rolling!

Happy New Year! For those who enjoy reading as much as I do too, I hope the new year brings you lots of new good books to read and enjoy!

[popculturebuffet]

Next up for Nickelodeon era of shows, who is your favorite character from each of the early to mid 2000s Nicktoons shows you've seen like: The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, Chalk Zone, All Grown Up, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Danny Phantom, Catscatch, The X's, and Avatar the Last Airbender?

Jimmy Neutron: This is the entry for jimmy neutron... gotta blast.. arf arf you know the rest. Faviorite character is Hugh, an easy pick I know, he was in ASB1 for a reason, but the fact the man can make any scene memorable by opening his mouth says something. Sheen is a close second. The show itself is great and having rewatched an episode recently, stay posted for that review, I was reminded how.. timeless it feels, it's 50 sci fi feel meaning that apart from some slight age on the cgi, it feels like it could slot in anywhere in time. It's got great jokes, a standout cast, and a really intresting lead who does screw up but more because he thinks he knows everything rather than being a jerk as is sometimes common in cartoons.

Chalk Zone: Hi hi hi to you all, who else could I pick i'ts gotta ne skrawl. Intriguing origin, hell of an introduction and a silky singing voice. It's concept was a tad dated even for the time, but I love chalkzone too much, from said concept allowing for endlessly creative ideas, to giving a character godlike powers in a way that isn't SUPER op. Truly great show, dearly miss it and i'm sad it probably won't be back in some form.

All Grown Up: I really wanna shout it out all grown up with you. God this block is stacked. Dil is the easy winner here. His plot lines were always funny, his weird friendship with vice principal pangborn that evolves from "He thinks their freinds" to "Actually they kinda are", and his easy charm: he gets flak from the twins for being weird as shit.. and just lets it bounce off either not noticing or more likely not carring. As for the series as a whole.. i'ts pretty good from what i remmeber. Admitley the kids ages are weird, probably should've bumped them up to all being 12, but the series itself is a lot of fun: it's neat seeing where everyone ended up, having Kimi and Dill get fleshed out more as characters, and see how they've changed and what hasn't. (I.e. Phil's still gross, but lil is growing out of it, Chucky's still anxious but ti's now more social anxiety, tommy's curosity has turned to filmaking. ) I'ts good stuff and something I should revisit , and should watch on this blog at some point.

My Life As a Teenage Robot: Her teenage robot, life. And this one was a bit hard. The series honestly has a great suply of characters but my pick is.. armagedroid. A bit left field as he basically has one appearnce.. but it's such a great concept: a giant robot designed to bring peace.. but not able to do so without destroying everything and his fight with Jenny is easily the series best as she's down to her HEAD fighting this monstrosity. The series itself is genius and one of Nick's best and how it was treated sucks hard. Jenny is a likeable, fun protaganist who will screw up, being a teen at all but in relatable ways, nicely blending slice of life teen issues with high concept robot shenanigans. I also like Brad quite a bit being a fun sidekick with extra points for not being shipped with the protaganist because 'THAT'S WHAT YOU DO I GUESS'. NOt saying it can't work (if we get to disney they had easily the best around this same time period), but god was it overdone. The series itself wasn't, having art deco style for days and is in need of a revivial stat.

Danny Phantom: Gonna catch em all because he's danny phantom gonna.. you get the bit. Vlad. Nick's best villian ever, and the perfect green goblin to danny's spider-man. His episodes tended to be the series best and martin mull, rip, was a dream as him. The series itself is a stellar superhero show, probably the best of this excellent era for them. It has some age spots (most of these shows do, you may sense a pattern), but it's a great action show with nice continuity, a killer rogues gallery and a nice sense of progression. It's top tier and reviewing a good chunk of it has only helped my opinon.

Catscratch: LALALALALALA CATSCRATTTTCHHH. This is one I need to revisit as I don't remember it well but it has an all star voice cast up front. I mean it has Wayne Knight , Kevin McDonald, and Rob Paulsen as your leads and Maurice LaMarche and Liliana Mumy as your supporting cast. What else do you need?

The X's: don't really have one. This isn't a bad one I just.. dont' remember it hardly at all other than having a great art style.

Avatar the Last Airbender; Sokka. Your faviorite jokey hot mess boy wins this one easier than he should> He was one of my faviorites as a kid, that stands now, Sokka deserved better in Korra. We deserved to see his kids if any. The show itself is one i've been meaning to revisit for years now and is one of Nick's best period: Gorgeous, has one of the best built worlds in fiction, well plotted aside from a few filler feeling episodes (Which i'm gunshy on as Steven Universe got this accusation FAR too often. You can't call every episode that's a break from the main plot filler.. but you can call some of avatar's side adventures filler for sure), including the one they outright mocked, and some shipping issues that were fine when I was a kid but now aged badly, everything else is immaculate and makes for good tv. There's a reason both this show had a second wave of popularity form netflix, and that both it's sequel and reamake have struggled to reach this level. Though Korra as we'll ge tto is still pretty good. More on that later.

[jyou-no-sonoko19]

Gomez plays Madame Satan, otherwise known as Lilith, the first wife of Adam from the Garden of Eden according to Jewish folklore, who steals the identity of Sabrina’s favorite teacher at Baxter High to manipulate her into serving her and her Dark Lord. Lilith’s role over the course of the series is half monstrous villain and half aspirational feminist icon, as she fights to claim her rightful place in Hell and remake it in her own image. And Gomez is perfect at walking the fine line between both, crafting a character who isn’t a role model or even a good person, but an endlessly adaptable survivor. [x]

“Perhaps why I’ve had success with playing villains is because I don’t see them as villains. I enjoy working out why they are the way they are. We’re all products of our existence and the sum of our choices, and if you continually make bad choices you’re inviting some darker consequences. 

“I’ve always been determined to try and not just play evil, because that’s kind of boring for you and for me. I’m able to hopefully give her some charm and likability, and that then gives the character some power to wield ― the power of manipulation.

“One of the biggest draws for me of the character is that I get to play those two sides arguably of that one person. All of us think things we shouldn’t think, but Madam Satan gets to do the things we never do. Coming from Miss Wardwell’s point of view ― being this quiet, meek, reliable member of the teaching faculty ― I’m quite sure she at some point would’ve dreamt of busting out of that plaid skirt and taking on her world.

“I just loved that I was able to take that long, slow walk down that corridor and evolve by the time I got to the end of it as Madam Satan. It’s fun playing the baddie because the rules don’t really apply to you in the same way if you were playing another character that wasn’t quite as twisted. It’s probably clear that I’m having a blast.”

“[The performance is] Katharine Hepburn meets Glenn Close. I’m a working-class actor from Scotland and have these heady heights of ever reaching the magnificence that those two women inspire, but those are the two that I take with me into work every day. I have Katherine on one side and Glenn on the other, and the three of us just walk onto set and it’s like, ‘Have a nice day girls! Let’s see what we can get up to today.’

“I really did fall down the Katharine Hepburn hole. Not doing an impersonation, by any stretch of the imagination, but I wanted to get a tone, an era and a feel vocally to translate what Roberto has beautifully provided for me on the page and then make it my own. With a Scottish accent, our consonants can easily be drawn out into American sound, so I wanted to play with that and see if I could make it some otherworldly voice as well.

“I’m sure that half of my performance at this moment in time is on the cutting room floor. I clearly like to play, and in that play, there will always be little bits of magic hopefully, but some of it won’t be appropriate. It’s a new show and there’s a lot of wonderful, amazing characters, and everybody has to find their place and fit together, right? In the beginning, it was about finding the right tone and nobody quite knew what that was yet. It was a balancing act of how far you could push it and then always making sure you give them a little variety so you can go from a more refined, subtler performance to batshit crazy. Somewhere between those two rocks I sit.”

“There’s always a reason for the way we behave. There’s a reason why she’s evil and why she wants Sabrina for the dark side. It can’t just be because she feels like it. The notion of being a powerful woman in a patriarchal society is very old for her.

“[Witchcraft in media] gives us this delicious idea that we are in control somehow and can change things. The world out there is pretty dark and the whole world of witchcraftery is exciting. It’s not just about making wishes and having them come true. It’s darker and deeper than that. It takes us from our childhood beliefs into a more adult version of believing something more powerful than ourselves is out here making things happen. There’s fantasy in there, but there’s also the distraction from being who you perceive yourself to be. It’s fun and not entirely dark because there’s an odd hope in there, too.

“[Lilith’s] not going to go down without a fight and she’s got lot of fight left in her. She hasn’t even begun. I mean, she’s literally just lifted an eyebrow and maybe a finger.” [x]

[the32ndbeat]

𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 | 𝐣.𝐲𝐧 - [ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟛 ]

pairing: stalker!jaehyun x fem!reader ( ft twice’s tzuyu, loona’s haseul )

word count: 2.4k

warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol, alcohol consumption, mentions of sexual harassment, mature themes, mentions of drugs, smoking, extreme views, misogyny, yandere themes

a/n: unedited! it’s been forever since I updated this but also considering if I should turn this into a tbz series at my tbz writing blog so we’ll see how this goes.

taglist: I don’t have one yet and I’m seeing how this does since I’m thinking whether I should convert it into a tbz series. Please do lemme know if you guys want to see this continued!

disclaimer: everything written here is FICTIONAL and I am in no way saying that the mentioned characters act like that irl!

masterlist  

(inspired by netflix’s you and the book of the same name by caroline kepnes)

The first thing that registers in my mind is how fucking loud this place is. Seriously, what is it with college parties and their inherent need to blast music loud enough to wake the entire neighbourhood within a five mile radius? Before I even step within the premises or even make it to the front yard, the whole fraternity house seemed to shake from the loudness of the bass-boosted music when viewed from a distance away. I even had to squint as I approach, the strings of fluorescent party lights draped all over the place glowing so brightly it almost hurt to look straight.

A few drunk college frat boys stumble past me, their hair sticky and messy with sweat and their breaths reeking of cheap alcohol. Their steps are wobbly and I can even see drool and remnants of vomit hanging at the corner of their mouths. My heart clenches with pure disgust and I grit my teeth as I watch them laugh out loud over nothing, their brains a pink, unintelligent mush in their skulls, probably rotted by endless drinking and fucking. All part of the college frat experience.

I wonder if they enjoy being a complete waste of space while wasting mummy and daddy’s money to put them through college.

I look away and ignore the growing irritation in me. This is the sort of party your friends wanted you to go with them to? I thought your friends were bad influences but scratch that, they’re fucking horrible. They taint you, taint your innocence and put you at risk around such dangerous men who do not deserve to be even a mile within your presence. As I walk closer, the house looks even more hideous up close.

It’s decorated in the worst way I’ve seen a house decorated. It’s as if someone threw a bunch of random fairy lights bought in the brightest, blinding neon colours that simply do not go together over a sloppy looking house and the front yard is littered with empty, red plastic cups and is that a discarded bra I see over there?

I tiptoe over the trash laying around on the grass and try to avoid the gyrating bodies of college students who clearly have no sense of rhythm. My skin feels grimy within just a few minutes of being here and I can’t wait to leave but there is no way I’m leaving when I know that you will be here. The thought of you being surrounded by such vermins makes me sick to the stomach and I want to get you out of here. The only place you should rightfully be, is at my place where there are no revolting men who only love to drink cheap alcohol, party till sunrise, get high off smoking a blunt, yell ‘turn up!’ every few minutes as if it’s muscle memory in their tiny, almost non-existent brains and do anything but be a productive member of society.

As I push through the double doors, the nauseating smell containing a mixture of intoxicating alcohol, smoke and cheap cologne almost knocks me backwards. My hand grips tighter to the wooden door and I force myself in. Inside, the house is dim but bright at the same time with disco and laser lights. A massive boombox and a pair of equally large loudspeakers sit at the corner of the room and some hip hop tune is being played while people dance and drink and smoke to their hearts’ delight. You’d never believe these kids were supposed to be the future.

Oh, how disappointed their parents must be.

A girl in skimpy shorts and a tube top looks at me with unadulterated want and beckoning in her eyes while staring at the varsity jacket I’m wearing, no doubt replaying fantasies of fucking a college athlete in her mind and trying to guess which sport I supposedly play. I gaze blankly at them before turning away and I can see her shift from the corner of my eye, obviously bothered by the lack of attention. It’s like I can almost see the gears whirring in her brain. Did she not show enough cleavage? Is more skin needed to get my attention? Sometimes people are so predictable and readable that it’s almost pathetic.

Other times, I might have lowered my standards and settled for a casual fuck with someone like that but not today. Today, I’m a man on a mission. A mission to look out for you.

My eyes scan the room but it’s too dim to see anything within four feet in any direction. The flashing lights threaten to overwhelm me along with the stink of the place and booming music and I can feel my annoyance evolving into anger. I repress the urge to slap the shit out of a guy in a red bandana who screams ‘turn up’ all of sudden, practically effectively bursting my eardrums.

I almost bump into a couple eating each other’s faces out when someone yells out at me.

“Hey, you!”

The music is so loud that I almost don’t hear it. I whip around and sure enough, it’s tube top girl making her way over to me. You have got to be fucking kidding me. Not only do I have to find and save you from this sleazy place and have to squeeze in with a crowd of sweaty, brainless college kids who know nothing but party in a tiny, dirty, smelly frat house but now I also have tube top girl hot on my heels?

The things I do for you, y/n and we haven’t even properly gotten to know each other yet.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Tube top girl smiles and up close, I can see that her mascara is smudged and her hair is slicked back with an unholy amount of gel into a tight little bun which only makes her face look wider and her forehead exposed with a sheen of sweat covering it. Her lipstick is reapplied and I know for a fact that she has done it to impress me. Her top is also inched a little lower, as if that makes her anymore appealing.

I smile in a dismissive way, in a way that showed that I cared, but not really.

“Hey,” I reply flippantly.

“Crazy party huh?” She grins, satisfied that she’s got my attention now. Women.

I let my eyes drift to her breasts and look back up at her expectant, puppy dog eyes that are so eager to please it’s actually embarrassing.

“Yeah.”

“What’s your name? I’m Meg.”

“I’m Jaehyun.”

“You part of any sports team in school?” And just like that I know that tube top girl must have had fantasies of fucking a college athlete.

So predictable.

“Yeah, I’m on the swim team.” I say and her smile widens, a playfulness in her eyes as she leans her chest in closer in what was meant to be a sexy gesture.

“Oh, is that so? I’ve never really talked to a competitive swimmer before,” she replies in a sultry voice and I smirk.

“Well, here I am. Am I every bit of the guy you imagined a college swimmer to be?” I whisper in an equally sultry voice. Let her think she has me wrapped around her finger. It’s easier that way. Better for her to think I’m enthralled with her and her breasts than let her cling onto me the entire night.

“Mhm,” she says, “of course.”

I’m about to reply when something catches my eye. From the window, I see you and your friends stumbling and swaying down the sidewalk, away from the party. Internally, I feel my rage simmering again but not at anyone. At myself.

How was I so late that I didn’t manage to stop this from happening? How are you already drunk? How did this happen?

A million questions are racing through my mind and my vision almost blurs with white hot anger as I imagine a slimy frat guy placing his greasy hands on you while you sit there, drunk and uninhibited in that dress that seemed to accentuate your every single curve. You look simply gorgeous in that dress and I fucking hate to think that other guys in this whole house may have made a pass at you. Why was I so late? Would I have been just a little bit earlier if tube top Meg didn’t stop me? I should have left the moment she decided to strike up conversation. This is my karma for letting other temptations get in the way. I vow to myself that this will never happen again as I extricate myself away from Meg’s clutches (“Hey! Where are you going?” She calls out and I ignore her).

I shove people out of the way and do not care for their protests and yelps. Fuck them and fuck this entire shithole of a house. I scramble through the door and maintain my distance as I follow you and your friends down the pavement and past the buildings within the campus. I watch and cringe as you seem to crumple under the weight of your friends’ arm and quickly realise that you aren’t drunk. Your friends are. Stupidly drunk.

I feel my heart relax and my stomach unclench. Of course, you wouldn’t be. You are good. And smart. Too smart to get drunk in a place like that. You know what are the risks and you are above such parties. Your friends though, I couldn’t say the same. Which brings me back to why you need better friends but that’s besides the point. I can see a few guys hanging at the other side of the street who leer at the group of you, clearly getting their dick hard at the thought of a group of vulnerable girls roaming these empty streets at night.

It’s dangerous. But that’s what I’m here for. They see me next and they look away.

I will do what I can to protect you, y/n. Even if that means protecting your good for nothing friends in the process.

All of a sudden, I see you trip and it’s like everything is in slow motion. You fall forward and I take long strides over, my legs stretching out and rushing to help you. Before your knees can hit the rough ground, I have you in my arms, encircled around your waist as I hold you up. I have your other friend, Haseul upright with my other hand tugging at the collar of her jacket. Your friend Tzuyu is not so fortunate and falls flat but she barely notices it, smiling tipsily to herself instead.

You glance up at me with those large eyes and I could get lost in them right there and then. But as quickly as we have our moment, you move away and I see a hint of suspicion in your eyes. We separate and the moment you extract yourself from my arms, I already want you back. Your touch feels addictive already. What have you done to me?

“Thanks.” You say curtly and I admire the fact that you have boundaries, not like Meg. You are hard to get and that’s what makes you so appealing. You are to be earned and respected.

You help Tzuyu to her feet and as you turn to leave with your friends, I call out, “is there any way I can help?”

You regard me with caution and open your mouth to reject me but then suddenly, the tenseness in your eyes relax.

“Do I know you?”

You remember me. Halle-fucking-lujah! I want to wrap you in my arms again but I play it cool.

“I… don’t…?”

Your eyes grow wide and the recognition seeps in.

“Wait! You’re from that hardware store right? Jaehyun?”

I pretend to be surprised when I’m actually fucking overjoyed.

“Yeah, wait… You’re that girl with the rope right?”

You laugh and it’s the most melodious thing I’ve ever heard in forever.

“Yup, that’s me. Kind of mortified that’s how you remember me but sure,” you say and your eyes twinkle but then you continue with a more subdued tone, “what are you doing here?”

I pat my chest good-naturedly.

“Friend of mine is a student here. I just came over to visit and he gave me his varsity jacket so I could try feeling like a college student for once. Never been to college so… yeah. I thought I’d like to try it out for fun.” I reply and shoot you an awkward smile, the kind you do when you try to get someone to favour you and think of you as ‘adorable’.

It works and you smile gently.

“That’s pretty cool, you’ve got a good friend.”

And you haven’t, I think but don’t say.

I gesture towards you and your friends.

“Need any help?”

You look at your drunken friends and back at me and I sense you thinking. Finally, you decide that you do need my help and chuckle, “We live right at that block over there and I think I might die halfway there. I’m not fit enough to hold 2 people.”

That’s so like you. So compassionate over friends who clearly didn’t give a shit that you didn’t want to go to some god forsaken party, so caring over friends who get drunk and don’t take responsibility, so helpful to take care of friends who literally do not give a fuck about you. You are not beautiful on the outside but on the inside too and as I loop Tzuyu’s arm over my neck and hold her, I wish I was holding you instead.

We amble over to the front of your block and we part, you thank me and we say our goodbyes and it’s all too soon. I want to be with you for longer, I want us to talk and I want you to invite me to your room but reality is often much less exciting and more boring.

“I’ll see you!” You call out, smiling as I walk away and I wave back, my heart soaring.

Today is a good day, I think and as I round the corner to the next street, I slip the keycard out of my pocket and feel the hard plastic under my finger.

Wasn’t difficult honestly. Your friends should really learn to keep their valuables in safe places, not the back pocket of their jeans.

[dailymeruem]

Royal Guard Nomenclature

You might know the Royal Guards for having some creative names, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably read HxH Wiki trivia on where the names came from. However, I haven’t seen any comprehensive post getting right into it, so lets have some fun research time and look into the origins of the Chimera Ant Royal Guard’s namesakes and how they might have affected Togashi’s characterizations of them! 

While i’m trying to keep everything as brief as I can, this will be a longer post so if you want to gain some knowledge and kill some time, read on! I’ve linked sources throughout the post for further research!

Naming Origin Sources

All three of the Guard’s names - Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, and Menthuthuyoupi, respectively- were chosen by the Chimera Ant Queen prior to their birth in the story. They are mashups from two sources - Ancient Egyptian mythology, specifically the pantheon of traditional gods and goddesses, and a French children’s book series entitled Caroline et ses amis (Caroline and her Friends) written by Pierre Probst. 

The Guard x Egyptian Gods

In Ancient Egyptian life, people worshiped a large number of deities which represented natural forces and phenomena (sunlight, life, childbirth, etc). The people regularly offered sacrifices and performed rituals to please the gods so that these forces would continue to function according to divine order (ma’at). Each god or goddess had complex relationships, characteristics, and symbolism associated with them. {x}

Neferpitou x Nefertem

The first half of Neferpitou’s name, “Nefer-”, is derived from the Egyptian deity Nefertem. A very ancient god by Egyptian mythos standards, this god is associated with the lotus flower, as he was believed to have emerged in a water lily from the primal waters at the creation of the world. He also represented the first sunlight and the lovely smell of the Egyptian blue lotus. Nefertem is usually depicted as a young, beautiful man, and sports titles such as “He Who Is Beautiful” and “Water Lily of the Sun”. {x}  {x}

In HxH, Neferpitou is the first Royal Guard to be born, which ties in nicely to Nefertem’s being a very early god born from the creation of the world as well as being associated with the first sunlight. As for the beauty aspect, Neferpitou’s androgynous appearance could play into this factor, as some gods in the Egyptian creation myths were depicted as androgynous.

Nefertem’’s mother is often credited as being Bast/Bastet, the guardian goddess of cats, or Sekhmet, the warrior goddess of healing (both goddesses are often considered to be two aspects of the same goddess). These goddesses are both depicted with cat or lioness heads, and so Nefertem is often depicted with a lion’s head or as a lion. I needn’t say more about this tie to Neferpitou! Aside from the cat aspect, Sekhmet’s being a goddess that both goes to war and heals is reflected in Pitou’s dual nature- both a ruthless killing machine in their own right and with their Terpsichora ability making instant armies, and a reliable healer using the Doctor Blythe ability, showcasing a compassionate side. {x} {x}

Shaiapouf x Shai

Shaiapouf’s Egyptian name component comes from Shai, which, interestingly, is not so much an entity as it is a concept- the deification of the concept of Fate. The name Shai is usually translated as “that which is ordained”. This god was said to determine the span of each person’s life; he was with each person at their birth and remained with them through their life until their final judgement in the underworld (duat). Shai would offer the true life story of the individual at their judgement, and could either protect or damn them. This deity has so much power in the Egyptian mythos that even pharaohs and other gods were subject to it.  {x} {x}

Now, although Shaiapouf as a character doesn’t have an omnipotent power over fate, the concept of fate runs really strong in Pouf’s characterization. Pouf, along with the other Royal Guards, was present at King Meruem’s birth, and intended to stay at his side throughout his whole life, guiding and protecting him. This is a role that Pouf seemed to take to heart, almost to an extreme. As we know, Pouf saw the King’s destiny of becoming the ruler of the world and dominating all other species as being absolute, and began to actively work against the Guard and even the King himself when he began to stray from the fate that Pouf had “preordained” for him. Going so far as to attempt to kill Komugi, who was the most important person to the King, Pouf’s actions, although out of a motivation to protect the King, would have been damning for the King had he succeeded.

Shaiapouf’s nen ability, Spiritual Message, gives us a hint as to his namesake as well. The god Shai hid nothing from Osiris (god of the underworld) at the final judgement of that person’s life, and so does Pouf’s ability allow him to see the absolute truth about a person’s emotional state by reading their flow of aura. This gives Pouf the ability to come to conclusions about that person’s personality, thoughts, and possible course of action, seemingly allowing him to predict their “fate”. {x} 

Also, this may be a trivial fact, but Pouf has the habit of ending his sentences with, “That’s all there is to it”. A very final and fateful statement indeed.

Being a concept, Shai is neither male nor female, but is more often depicted as being male. In this form, he is often said to be married to Renenutet (cobra goddess of child rearing who gave newborn babies secret names), or Meskhenet (goddess of childbirth). These three are often depicted together which gives us a definite picture of the cycle of birth and death. {x}  {x}

In HxH, after Meruem is mortally wounded by the Miniature Rose Bomb, we get the lovely and terrifying experience of seeing Pouf and Youpi feed themselves to the King in order to revive him. In this scene, both guards are ecstatic as they have ascended to the level of a Chimera Ant Queen and are filled with an unconditional motherly love for their King. The ties here between this occurrence and these trifecta of gods associated with birth and life are pretty strong.

A few final small factoids: The Greek people associated Shai with their god Agathodaemon, a god of fortunetelling that was considered to be a serpent. As well, the word Shai was also an Egyptian word for “Pig”. Thus, Shai was sometimes depicted as a serpent-headed pig, also called the Shai animal. I am reminded of the time Pouf was shown to be able to rearrange his cells to impersonate a certain blind Gungi player.

Menthuthuyoupi x Montu

The final Royal Guard, Menthuthuyoupi, bears the name of Montu, a very powerful and ancient god in the Egyptian pantheon. Montu (also written as Monthu or Menthu, the latter which Youpi uses in his name) originally was a manifestation of the scorching effects of the sun (Ra), but over time this was modified to mean destructiveness in battle, which led to Montu being known as a god of war. He was said to attack the enemies of cosmic order (ma’at).Montu is usually depicted with a falcon head or a bull head. Falcons were a symbol of the sky, and bulls symbolized strength and war. {x}  {x}

Montu was often linked with other gods and is depicted as a fusion of those gods. For instance, because of his association with Ra, he often appears as Montu-Ra. Occassionally he is linked to Atum (another creator god) and Set (god of scary natural phenomena and deserts). Over time, Montu was also linked to Horus, a god associated with the pharaoh, and therefore Montu is sometimes seen as being a symbol of a Pharaoh as a ruler and conqueror.

In HxH, Menthuthuyoupi definitely embodies the warlike aspect of his namesake. Being the only guard not made from human genetic material, he is able to act on instinct and devote himself completely to being a soldier for the King, attacking anyone who threatened the King’s divine rule. Being immensely powerful, Youpi was capable of immense damage with his Rage Blast and Rage Incarnate nen abilities. As well, just as Montu gradually evolved over time to represent more complex aspects of life in Ancient Egypt, so too did Youpi evolve over the course of the Chimera Ant Arc, which gave his life new and more complex meaning.

The many forms Montu can take reminds us of Youpi’s unique Metamorphosis ability, which allows him to change any part of his body at will to suit his needs. Youpi’s Rage Incarnate form, in which his body takes the worm of a winged centaur, is a callback to Montu’s two most common depictions; as a Falcon (Youpi’s wings), and as a Bull (Youpi’s hooves). {x}

One of Montu’s wives was thought to be Tjenenet, another goddess of childbirth, which has ties to the event of Meruem’s rebirth discussed in Shaiapouf’s section above.

An interesting tidbit of info is that Montu was sometimes though to be a guardian of family life. He is sometimes mentioned in marriage documents to enforce commitment; infidelity is described as “the abomination of Montu”. While this doesn’t really have anything to do with Menthuthuyoupi aside from maybe reflecting in his loyalty to the King, the next time you feel tempted to cheat on your significant other, imagining a frowning Youpi may dissuade you.

One thing that each Royal Guard has in common with all of their Egyptian namesakes is that all strive to support what they see as the Divine Order using their individual strengths, even if their methods of supporting this order greatly differ.

The Guard x Caroline et ses amis

The Caroline series is a series of French childrens picture books, or albums, written and illustrated by Pierre Probst. There are 44 books in the series, which were written from 1953 to 2007. They follow Caroline, a little blond girl who is independent and active, and her 8 mischievous animal friends, who talk like humans. The series was adapted into an animated TV show titled Caroline et ses amis in 1994, which is most likely the source Togashi got the names for the Royal Guards from (and you can find on youtube!)  {x} {x}

Neferpitou x Pitou

Pitou is one of the 8 animal characters in Caroline. Pitou is a panther, and he appeared in a collection called “Les Albums roses” (The Pink Albums) in 1952, which were a precursor to the Caroline books, thus making Pitou the first character of the future Caroline series. Pitou is characterized as being lazy and cunning.

In HxH, our Neferpitou was the first of the Chimera Ant Royal Guard to be born, just as Pitou was the first character that began the Caroline series. Both of them being a cat is also a very obvious connection that both share. While there are other cats in the Caroline series, Pitou being a panther harkens to Neferpitou’s wild nature. Caroline’s Pitou being both lazy and cunning are character traits that show up in HxH’s Pitou as well; we see them exhibit extreme intellect in science, military strategy and manipulation, but at the same time they are the most playful of the Guard and get distracted very easily.

Shaiapouf x Pouf

Pouf is a white kitten that wears a blue bowtie. He is characterized as being elegant, snobbish, and eccentric. He is prone to going on rants about his dreams of greatness, much to the annoyance of everyone else, and he has little quirks such as hating water and the cold.

If it weren’t for the physical description, you might have thought I was describing HxH’s Pouf- he too is elegant, snobbish and eccentric and often goes on long, intellectual rants, which are mostly never followed by the rest of the guard. Shaiapouf is also always wearing a flowy white dress shirt that features a bowtie-like collar which is reminiscent of Pouf’s white fur and bowtie. While Shaiapouf isn’t known to hate water or cold, he does manifest peculiar quirks such as melodramatic monologues and playing his violin when he is upset.

Menthuthuyoupi x Youpi

Youpi (also spelled Yupi), is a cocker spaniel dog. He is naive, turbulent, and a little bit grumpy, but also generous, devoted and affectionate. He can be fearful and prefers staying home to going out on adventure. He really likes being cuddled by Caroline, the main character.

Menthuthuyoupi in HxH displays a lot of similar characteristics to his namesake: naive, turbulent, and devoted are all adjectives you could use to describe him. Because of Menthuthuyoupi’s lack of ego, he is solely devoted to the King and his divine destiny, not bothering to give a thought to other courses of action, which could be a reflection of Caroline’s Youpi prefering to remain in the safety of home. After Meruem’s revival, when Youpi and Pouf share a affectionate spiritual bond with him, Youpi is shown to cherish the new bond he has with his King, just as Caroline’s Youpi is affectionate towards Caroline.

~~~

One thing that all the Royal Guard share with their Caroline namesakes is that both sets of characters unquestioningly follow an independent leader character that they love and support. As well, in the case of Neferpitou and Shaiapouf, their manner of dress is a homage to Caroline- Pouf dresses in a very elegant and frilly ensemble, very French of him, in my opinion- and Pitou’s outfit is reminicent of both an old school French military uniform and a child’s school uniform.

A bonus Caroline homage in HxH: The titular character Caroline is famously depicted with her pigtail hairstyle. A certain blind Gungi player is also famously shown sporting a similar hairstyle.

Bonus Section: Meruem’s Name

Although not containing as much lore as his Royal Guard, the King’s given name can give us a few fun tidbits in keeping with the etymology of the Guard.

As you know, in-universe, the Chimera Ant Queen states her son’s name, Meruem, to mean “the light that illuminates/shines on everything”. His name is very close to the common Arabic name, Maryam (مريم), which has multiple romanized spellings. The most notable use of this name is in Biblical history as a form of the name Mary, who was the mother of Jesus, and Miriam, who was the sister of Moses. 

It is thought that the name might have roots originating in the Egyptian language; the words “mry” (beloved) and “mr” (love) are thought to have been derivatives of the name.This root meaning would work in portraying the love that the Ant Queen had for her son, even before birth.

Other scholars have thought that the Hebrew root words “mr” (bitter) or “mry” (rebellious) were the basis of the name in the case of Miriam, as she was born at a point in history when the nation of Israel was subject to bitter slavery by the Egyptians. “Bitter” and "Rebellious” might be words you could use to describe Meruem, at least when he is first introduced to us. {x} {x}

Other fun tidbits: Meruem’s characteristic “neutral” face expression, young and feminine facial structure, and characteristic “cat eyes” is very reminiscent to a lot of ancient Egyptian art. One that stands out in my mind is the famous Head of Nefertem statue, found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, which depicts the Pharaoh in question as a child in the form of the god Nefertem (remember him?). Interestingly, both Meruem and Tutankhamen were kings that ascended the throne (and died) very early in their lives. I’ll let you look at the piece and notice the similarities yourself!

~~~~~~

And that about does it for all the conclusions I’ve drawn. I hope you enjoyed reading through this and that it prompted you to do some reading and research of your own! Togashi chocked HxH full of fun little references to things in our real world, and it’s so much fun to do a deep dive to find all this trivia. If you think of/find any other fun things too add to this post, feel free to reply/reblog with additions. Cheers!

[aurantia-ignis]

Opening Lines Game:

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories. (If you have less than 20, just list them all!) See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Tag some people to play the next round!

This time around, I was tagged by: @ljf613  (Thanks for the tag!)

1.  As far as job requests went, this was definitely one of the most dangerous ones Moon had ever taken.

2. "It looks filthy," Moon said.

3. “Are you sure this is legal?”

4.  Nessa hasn't had the chance to enjoy summer properly in the past three years.

5. GYM CLOSURE

6.  The walls of the cave were damp, and the sand was firm beneath his feet.

7.  Gladion never tired of stargazing.

8.  After a few weeks of endless work, Moon was ready to relax and enjoy the weekend with her boyfriend.

9. It's been a long, exhausting day at the League.

10. Gladion's first encounter with magic happened when he was 5, and Mohn brought him to see a Pidgey evolving.

11.  Life in the West Reserve Army was often fraught with danger.

12.  One year later, he had become nothing more than a distant memory.

13. Sophie was sick.

14. Fuchsia City was Moon’s childhood hometown.

15.  It was all because of that blasted photoshoot.

16.  The sandy road through Mell Forest is rough and unpaved.

17. In the three years since he got to know Moon, Gladion thought he had gotten used to the occasional weird behaviours she exhibited.

18.  Lumiose City is cold in winter.

19. It all began when Moon arrived at Gladion's office for one of her usual visits, and found them in a bit of a chaotic mess.

20.  It should have been a simple matter.

I thinkkkkk that I employ a lot of different ways to open a fic, depending on the style of that fic itself? Surprisingly enough I only have two here that open with a dialogue (I thought I’d have more, haha). Those two, and about three more, begin in media res.  A couple are depicting setting (time, place, or situation before the story starts.) And the remaining generally a mixture of them, interlaced with the thoughts/opinions of the pov character. 

Not sure I have a favourite, since I think the style and tone of a story determine how best to open it. Thoughts and opinions work strongly when the fic has more contemplative moments, while in media res often works great when action and pacing are fast. 

Tagging @artpharos @sad-goomy @miraimisu @yume-x-hanabi @scandiyatt @pkmntrashcan @misskikuwrites

[kaigarax]

The Status Quo

Series: BNHA various x reader

Title: Of Shared Secrets, Stolen Kisses and Silent Hearts

Chapter: 6

Fanfiction / reader insert / 1st person P.O.V.

Quote: "I wonder if people truly do love each other as much as they do in romantic stories?"

I know of many that have claimed to have recognized her elegance from first glance but to me she was utterly ordinary.

Anything and everything involving people contains patterns. Whether they are the actions found in our day to day lives or the results of a strenuous competition between rivals, there are always things to be tracked and repeated if one is willing to observe long enough. And with enough patience one may often find themselves on the upside of patterns.

Many people would argue against the idea of being patterned with their own experiences of spontaneous people. I would argue back that they’re just looking at the wrong thing.

Spontaneous people tend to attract the attention of those who wish to adventure the world around them yet are too scared to do so themselves. Oftentimes, despite good intentions, that spontaneous person will begin to neglect others before falling out of that relationship they had worked so hard to build.

While patterns are seen in some situations as negative they are actually quite satisfactory to the individual. While many people say that the human brain needs something different every once and a while, the heart often needs consistency.

It’s why people believe that relationships should only ever be shared between two people. It’s why people believe that a long lasting single relationship is better than a variety of short ones.

People need consistency in their lives.

In this world I had been born in there were people who had been gifted special abilities. The world had evolved from this stagnant phase of development before blasting off into a direction no one ever would’ve been able to predict.

With special abilities came the separation of people. Of course, there has always been separation between social classes. It was how our brains had been wired. To find people similar to us while simultaneously distancing ourselves from those who we saw as different.

With special abilities came clear differences between the weak and strong.

In theory, having special abilities shouldn’t have affected the person you would turn into but it did enable them. It enabled people to get away with hurting others. There had always been criminal organizations in society but their abilities made it so that they were no longer able to be taken care of by simple officers. They required a special type of officer which would eventually become known as a hero.

From abilities came enablement for crime. From cinimals came heroes. And from heroes came villains.

They say that evil does not rise to strike until a hero appears. Someone claiming a position of power over others until someone new feels that they need to be taken down; taking on the role of a villain. Of course, who the villain is often depends on whose perspective you’re looking from.

I was certain you must’ve thought me to be a villain in your life.

As a stranger from a lower class I was just an extra to you. You, standing above everyone else and giving a speech about how you hoped for everyone to take something important out of today’s lesson, looked like a naive fool that needed to get a dose of reality. Really I was envious of how easy you made everything seem.

And, through human patterns, when someone is jealous they tend to act harshly. Not just were you in class 1-A, the kids who had survived the villain attack, but you had ranked among the highest in the entrance exam.

In the cavalry battle, I goaded you and your team but it seemed pointless. Where I would’ve raged back you remained calm. Where I would’ve called something negative back, you responded calmly.

Everything about you seemed so stereotypical of what society believed a hero to be and it made me want to hate you.

I wanted to knock you down and in my need to bring you down I became your villain. An obstacle that stood in your path. A negative blockade that you needed to move before you could continue onto your next portion of the track.

It was quite easy to build an idea of who you were when I didn’t know you. It was easy to want to hate you when the only you that existed to me was a character I’d created in my head.

And then you just had to come up to me and mess everything up. You and that stupid cheerleader uniform.

“Hey you! class 1-A!” I called out, “what in the world are you doing?”

You looked around for a brief moment before turning your gaze to me. “My classmates just tossed this to me and told me to change,” you answered without a second thought smiling sheepishly, “oh, ummm, you’re in class 1-B, right?”

I scoffed, “typical of class 1-A. Barely even recognizing someone from another class.”

“You’re Monoma Neito, aren’t you?”

“I’m surprised someone from the mighty 1-A class knows my name.”

You tilted your head to the side, “for someone who seems to care so much about names, you don’t seem to know mine considering how you’ve referred to me by my class about three times now.”

“T-thats…” I flushed brightly

“It’s alright. I’m not the best with names either!” You smiled in a way that helped to ease the situation, “anyways, did you need something when you called out to me?”

I paused for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible answer. “I just wanted to tell you that it’s pointless for you to be wearing something so frilly! All the first year students were called to the field in their gym uniforms so that they can participate in the exhibition competitions.”

“Oh, alright…” you paused, “thanks I guess. Anyways, see you around.”

“Wait!” I called out as you turned to make your way back to the field, “aren’t you going to change back?”

“My classmates seemed rather excited to dress up so I don’t wanna ruin their moment of joy.”

“Even if you end up looking like a fool?”

“Well if it makes them happy then I don’t mind!”

Your answer puzzled me. Throughout the competition you didn’t seem as spontaneous as your green haired classmate but you weren’t as stiff as Endeavour's son either. It seemed as if you were just satisfied riding everyone else’s wave instead of trying to make your own. Out of all the heroes and hero potentials I’d met you had to be the strangest.

I had opened my mouth to ask you a question before I even realized the words had left my lips. “You don't strike me as someone who fits the stereotype of a hero. So what in the world are you doing here?”

You smiled as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world, “because I want to be a hero.” And to your credit, it was.

People were patterns so why was it that I couldn’t place you into something? You seemed like such an abstract person yet gave such a simple answer! You must have a pattern that people can find. I just need to pay attention to the right things.

I watched you from behind as you made your way down the hall. Before you had exited though you had turned back to me and smiled, “my name’s (L/n) (Y/n)! Try to remember it next time you wanna talk to me, alright?”

[howlingday]

About Jaune ships...

I have opinions. You may not agree, but they are mine. They may change in time, but not now.

LANCASTER ( RUBY X JAUNE )

The old tried and true. I mean, what's not to like? Cute girl falls for first guy she meets at Beacon? Classic romance trope, and after reading how much Ruby loves romance stories (I consider certain parts in the manga canon), it makes sense. In fact, after Arkos sank (A moment of silence, please . . . Thank you), many moved to Lancaster, which isn't bad. Happens all the time in fandoms. Sad thing, though, is far I think she'll last. If we're talking Volume 5 or earlier, then maybe. However, I feel if Ruby were to have an endgame in romance, it would be RoseGarden (I have opinions on that as well, but today isn't the day to discuss that), mostly because Oscar bumped Jaune's role from male lead to male side. Not to mention that while Jaune is becoming a beast in his own right, Ruby is a different creature altogether and evolving her character more rapidly and chaotically than anyone else (Must be all that screentime).

TLDR: I want it to be canon, but I might just be hoping.

WHITE KNIGHT ( WEISS X JAUNE)

Doofus in tin foil meets princess who hates daddy (Am I in the romance section of the library? You know, the corner for adults only?) No, but I do like this ship. I'm always a sucker for the fantasy genre, and using a zero to hero male makes it relatable. I also kind of ship it because the same reason I ship NaruSaku in the Naruto fandom: he likes her and he's willing to go the distance. But enough about that; instead let's talk about canon. Will they hook up? It's a soft maybe for me, for two reasons. 1. Rosegarden is most likely to be endgame, and after Ruby and Pyrrha, I'd say Weiss is Jaune's next to be his love interest. 2. Weiss has warmed up to Jaune. Sure, not lover or crush level (Yet), but she's definitely changed her opinion on him. In Volume 1, Jaune was bugging her, like all the time, which I could see as him getting mixed signals on (Exhibit A: Tall, blonde, and scraggly). When Volume 5 came around, everyone jumped onboard because he saved her life (Don't lie, because I'll admit that I did it, too). Not the best reason, but still reason enough, I'd say. Then in Volume 7, she hangs out with him and Oscar to the movies (It was either that or awkward Bumbleby all night. I feel ya, sister). Nothing romantic happens, but it does show how much their relationship has developed. If Weiss is Jaune's endgame, then they have set the pieces up perfectly to do so.

TLDR: High likelihood to be canon and I'm a sucker for Knight/Princess ships.

KNIGHTSHADE ( BLAKE X JAUNE)

This is the part where I say definitely not. Not in a million years, but I'll explain why I like the ship, though. As for why it won't work, the answer is Bumbleby. They haven't kissed yet, but you know they're going to eventually (Because if they don't, the fans will attack like a swarm of hornets). But here's the question you might be asking now: why do I ship this? Well, it's part of the allure of "opposites attract" ('Cause I'm dressed like a cat!). Blake is an intelligent, outspoken, and agile ninja with a criminal history of terrorism who spends her free time reading novels. Jaune is a B at best on his tests, soft-hearted, and ground-based knight who's worst crime is fraud (Still a crime, but peanuts compared to literal terrorism) and spends his free time hanging out with his team. Day and night. But they also tried that with Sun for a season and a half and it didn't last (BECAUSE BEES).

TLDR: Not even a snowball's chance in the summer sun, but so much story potential if you do (Which I do)!

DRAGONSLAYER ( YANG X JAUNE )

This, I would say, is the opposite of Knightshade, where Jaune is the day and Blake is night, here Yang is the Sun and Jaune is the Moon (Like their crests! Remember those? Y'know, when they were relevant?) Will it work? Even less so than Knightshade. However, it does open up some interesting paths considering how... provocative Yang can be, and Jaune, compared to the other guys, is the nerdiest, geekiest dude at Beacon. It's like the cheerleader/nerd romance, except the cheerleader is the captain of every sports team... and rides a motorcycle. The Volume 8 preview introduced us to Yang and Jaune riding motorcycles and we went nuts over it. Yang was back in her element, roaring down the street, riding on walls, popping off tricks with Oscar riding- Back to what I was saying, people were asking, "How did he know how to ride a motorcycle?" and the elementary answer is "He didn't." He almost fell off his bike from a small box in the road. True, anyone would, but look at how he reacts: he stiffens, he refocuses on the road. This kid literally started riding at breakfast, and I DARE you to prove me wrong. But hey, great fic material right there, though, eh?

TLDR: Never gonna happen, but I don't care. All I care about is writing that they love each other. And they also fu-!

ARKOS ( PYRRHA X JAUNE )

I'm sorry, I need a moment. . . . Alright. Do it for her. This ship... was perfect. Probably the best ship out them all. I legit almost cry every time I think about Volume 3. Pyrrha was everyone's favorite. Her background, her interactions, her choreography, everything! But, of course, like everything in our lives, she was too good to be true. But let's honor her memory by talking about her ship, Arkos. Pyrrha was the champion of the world, the Brothers' and Oums' gift to Remnant. She could do no wrong and she HATED it. Her plight was with how she was seen. Everybody knew her! Everybody, except Jaune. And he only figured out she was "a big deal" was because Weiss had to spell it out for him! As time went on, they became the best of friends, two peas in a pod, the perfect odd couple! They worked together and trusted each other, they cared for and supported each other, they lo- No. No, I can't say it. It's been years, and it still hurts. So, I'll explain something else: the reason why Jaune SHOULD NOT be shipped right now. That reason is Pyrrha. Jaune was helpless to save her. He's suffering from survivor's guilt and he's still grieving. In Volume 4, he would sneak away and train until late at night to scroll recording of her. In Volume 5, he confronted Cinder and got Weiss almost killed because he let his grief for Pyrrha take control of him and let his emotions run wild. In Volume 6, he finds the Pyrrha statue and he... I don't know how to say this, but he let's go. He accepts that Pyrrha is gone and he's starting the healing process. He's finally ready to move forward.

TLDR: T.T I never felt that it was wise to wish too much~

MARTIAL ARCS ( REN X JAUNE)

I'll be honest, I don't really ship it. Yeah, it's cute, and it falls perfectly into the "if I had to pick a guy" part of me, but to be honest, I don't ship it. 10% because Renora and 90% it just doesn't click with me. They both just seem too soft, too quiet, too introverted. Best friends? Yes, definitely! But lovers? Eeeeeh, not really.

TLDR: I will only ship as neccessary.

NORA'S ARC ( NORA X JAUNE )

I've only just got in this deep with the fandom only recently, so I don't know if a lot of you know me. Heck, I'm probably just some RWBY fan you happen to spot as you move through your dash. However, old or new, I want to be made absolutely positively clear on this. Of all the ships here, this has got to be my-

O T FUDGIN' P

Wow! Never thought I'd feel so strongly about a crack ship like this. And yes, as sad it is to say, this is a crack ship. Renora was planned from day one, so it can't be helped. At least it didn't blast me in the face all of the sudden (OH NO, NOT THE BEES! AAAAARGH! THEY'RE IN MY EYES!). But why this ship? Well, for one thing, it's that whole opposites attract thing with Nora as the bubbly, outspoken, airhead powerhouse and Jaune as the soft spoken, introverted, nerd tactician. But wait, there's more to this trope, because it can go deeper: Order VS Chaos! Who makes all the messes? Who cleans up those messes? Who follows all the rules? Who makes their own doors? It's just. So. Damn! GOOD! One sad thing about this ship though is that it's not only not canon because of Renora, it's anti-canon because Renora. Every fan fic of Nora's Arc requires an explanation for Ren and Nora to not be together-together, like you have to write a formal apology to the FNDM for liking something that's different from what is canon or commonly accepted. If that's the case, then I'll be the anarchist here!

TLDR: I LOVE IT! What's that? Not canon? Who gives a damn?! I just explained why Jaune won't be shipped anyways! Now, if you'll excuse, I have some fan fics to find.

ARCFALL ( CINDER X JAUNE )

Oh, here it goes! Now, if we're talking ships that'll never happen, this is where we find better reasons than "it's not canon" and "character development". No, this... This is a declaration of war. Allow me to explain. Cinder Fall is evil. Like, down to her core. She wants power and she'll cut through anyone to get to it. Including Pyrrha. This woman sank Arkos by means other than "X and Y kissed, so..." She killed X, leaving Y alone. And her interactions with Jaune tell me she wouldn't even be worth a hate-bang. But, as Momma always, there's a thin line between love and hate. This is where the appeal comes in. Cinder is evil with no past, which leaves the previous chapter's of her life story blank to be filled in. Jaune is good with a troublesome, albeit easy past, but untapped potential for more. It's another opposites attract, but different from INTRO VS EXTRO and CHAOS VS ORDER; this is GOOD VS EVIL. Who will win this battle of wills; will our hero purify the tainted heart, or will he slip deeper into darkness, never to return to the light?

TLDR: Should be a NOTP, and yet the allure pulls me in.

What do y'all think? Do you agree? Let me know!

[drakewalkerfantasy]

The Past in the Future ( Ethan x MC, Eleventh x Clara): Part 1

Summary: After unknown substance was deployed in senator Ed's hospital room by his aide, three people got trapped inside, while a man claiming to be the Doctor coming out of nowhere. Will it be possible for the Doctor identify the unknown substance that presumably is deadly and elevated through time? Will he be able to find a cure along with the brilliant diagnosticians team that never was found before to prevent millions of deaths? Are his suspicions correct about origins of the substance? And how this seemingly unimportant person got this mass murder weapon in a first place?

Words: 4632

Authors notes: Open Heart and Dr. Who crossover

A/N 2: tags will be in reblog.

Ethan x OH MC (Beth Valentine)

Eleventh Doctor x Clara Oswald

**Warnings: death, deadly substance**

“He is not even a real doctor,” huffed Ethan rolling his eyes when the man on a screen called himself the Doctor for a dozenth time.

“Shush,” said Beth putting her finger over his lips. Her body pressed closer to his making herself even more comfortable in his embrace.

It was a movie night at her friends’ apartment. The first one after she moved out and moved in with Ethan, but one of many since they started dating. He still couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when he finally gave in to his feelings.  

Some funky looking character made a comment about life being too short at the gala they hosted to save the hospital, and here he was sitting comfortably in the armchair surrounded by Beth’s friends. His friends. He thought, still somehow amused that he had a group of people he could call friends and who were willing to spend time in his company. His eyes drifted to Beth placing a soft kiss to her forehead making her lips quirk slightly from the gesture.

The movie that Elijah chose this time was the Dr. Who’s Christmas special that was very fitting to the season and the weather outside. Fluffy snowflakes falling to the ground and wind howling in the chimney. Christmas lights illuminating the street.

They sat together ignoring the glances they got from others around them. Her legs thrown over his lap and one of his hands placed gently on her thigh, while another was wrapped around her shoulder bringing her closer to him. Her head pressed to his heart. His eyes not leaving her small frame pressed to his body, watching her drift into sleep listening to his heartbeat. Here and now he was happy, unburdened yet by the knowledge of what tomorrow will bring them.

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

The next day started as usual. Diagnostics team got a new case, patients were queueing for the free clinic, and surgeries happened a few floors below where Beth was heading. 

Little did they know what was about to happen. Unsuspecting what horrible event will unfold right in front of their eyes and how they will become entangled in a race against time to save the lives. Hoping that time will be gracious and give them enough to save the lives that could be saved. The lives that could be lost as soon as Beth Valentine would step into senator Ed's room. Unsuspecting yet, that a day from now her name could be the one of four others lost during senator Ed's assassination attempt.

Beth was already near to senator Ed’s room when she noticed some woman running inside after hearing raised voices. Sharing a troubled gaze with Danny and Bobby she rushed toward the room right behind them. They looked in shock at Travis who was standing with the black canister in his hand yelling at everyone to stand back from him and senator, while the girl still tried to reason with him. Muttering to him over and over that there should be another way and that violence is never an option.

Beth could see how Travis’s face contorted in anger, when his gaze landed on the woman whose eyes were looking unblinkingly on the canister in his hand. His fingers curling dangerously around its trigger and he pulled on it, spraying the content of the can into the air. The same instance the girl reached out for Danny's hand as if anticipating what will happen next. Her hand gripped his, pulling him away shielding him with her body, while Bobby jumped in front of her, throwing both of them out of the harm’s way just a millisecond before getting a blast of spray in his face. He felt how the room started to spin around him and he dropped to his knees, gasping and choking from the substance that got into his airways. And while everyone got covered in the thin layer of oily sheen the senator managed to run out of the room just a second before canister deployed, leaving five other people behind.

And that was it. The moment when the course of history got changed. The moment when two complete strangers stood in front of the window looking at the scene unfolding in front of them. The moment when their lives could get changed forever. The moment when they needed to trust in the kindness of strangers and believe that together they will be able to save the universe or at least two women and a guy who could be still saved. The moment when Ethan was just a second too late to grab Beth’s arm and pull her out of the room or walk in himself, altering the future even more. Just a second too late to prevent this from happening.

Ethan stood still looking at the woman behind the glass, feeling how his heart pounded in his chest. Feeling the fear and pain growing inside him. Blaming himself for asking Beth to check on senator just before he would have time to do this himself. Blaming himself for being just a second too late. 

He could see reflection of another man appearing by his side, something flashing in his hand with a green light before disappearing quickly into his pocket. His eyes widening and his hand reaching for the glass to knock on it to get attention of the petite brunet girl who he didn't know and who was squeezing Danny's hand. A look of pure shock in her eyes.

“Clara,” exclaimed man beside him frantically tapping on the glass before waving his hands at the girl. Her eyes darted from Bobby's laying body on the floor to the man. Who was looking in shocked bewilderment and disbelief on the scene before scratching the back of his head and straightening his bowtie. He looked at the scene with expression that matched Ethan's but seemed to be holding a knowledge. The knowledge of hundreds of years in his eyes, carefully hidden behind the young face and the bang of hairs that fell over his eyes. The knowledge that was forgotten with time and space. The knowledge of future. The ridiculous thought suddenly popped in Ethan's mind seemingly from nowhere. The thought that he discarded immediately even before he could register it fully.

“What the hell just happened,” mouthed Ethan, looking at Bobby's unmoving body before meeting Beth's gaze watching how she shook her head solemnly after checking his pulse. His eyes looking inside the room through the window noticing how quickly paled the face of unknown girl and she swayed clutching the bedpost in the last moment before falling. Noticing how Danny reflexively covered his mouth when the nausea rolled over him. And Beth's muffled cough sounded from the room. His eyes moved to look at her, ready to go inside without even thinking about consequences.

"I wouldn't do that," the man's voice warningly sounded beside him, when his hand reached for the door handle ready to open the door. Instantly, feeling a firm grip on his hand not letting him in before he even could hear Beth's weak voice asking him to stop.

“Who are you?” Ethan asked momentarily confused why he cannot enter, before furrowing his eyes at the man, wondering what this stranger is doing here.

“I’m the Doctor,” the man replied turning his head to Ethan with a glint of excitement and disbelief mixed with fear toward some yet to be solved mystery. 

“Doctor who?” Ethan asked. His eyes not leaving the man's in front of him as if trying to decipher who this man is.

"Just the Doctor,” shrugged ridiculously looking stranger, taking out an Identification Document and flashing it to Ethan.

Centre for Disease Control. Secret subdivision U.N.I.T. John Smith aka The Doctor. Rode Ethan, his eyes flicking to the man's face before moving back to ID in front of him. U.N.I.T... Who the hell are they? Did they sent him here? But why? What was so dangerous in that thing that they felt like interfering? And more importantly how did they know this will happen? wondered Ethan examining the slightly psychic paper. He warred internally for a moment longer still unsure if he should trust this man who looked somehow fascinated by the seemingly deadly substance. The man who appeared from nowhere and seemed to be knowing far more than he led on.

“Do you know, what was in that canister,” Ethan asked finally looking flatly into man’s eyes.

“No...,” the Doctor replied with a hint of hesitation in his voice and a quirky smile, as if he knew more than he was ready willing to admit. “But I'm your best hope to figure out what it is.”

Ethan looked sceptically at the man wanting to say something but instead asking him: “Who the woman is? You called her name earlier? Is she with you?” 

“Yes, she is with me.”

“Who is she?” asked Ethan insistingly.

“She is a friend,” simply replied the Doctor, throwing his gaze to Clara. Just a friend. He thought, suddenly feeling how his excitement slowly started given way to worry in the face of something that he didn’t anticipate to see here on Earth. Something that was from both the distant past and distant future. Something that was alway evolving and changing as a living organism. Something that didn’t have a cure in both of these timelines. The mystery that needed yet to be solved. The one that usually would fascinate him, but not when his Clara... his impossible girl was in danger. Knowing that from now on he will need to race the time, watching how the life of the woman he cared about deeply would be slipping through his fingers. Knowing that from now on the time will become fixed instead of flux. Knowing that from now on he will need to come up with something very clever to solve the mystery that was never solved.

His expression changed to thoughtful trying to understand how this substance could ended up on Earth, hoping he was wrong about its origin. Watching Ethan making a phone call to C.D.C. unsure of how U.N.I.T. could help, at the same time shouting orders in between to evacuate patients from the rooms around the epicentre. His knowledgeable eyes looked around watching how everyone hurried to execute the order. When the floor finally became empty, except of the few people left behind, Ethan came back standing in front of the window, watching through the glass at the woman he cared about. His face pale and his pupils dilated in horror no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Standing near to the man who seemed so calm from the outside not even suspecting that his hearts were pounding violently inside his chest and his brains were spinning with the million thoughts and scenarious happening at the same time.

“We need to move. Now,” quietly said the man in ridiculous outfit, pulling Ethan out of his thoughts.

“How did you know this will happen,” Ethan barked, turning his ocean blue eyes to meet hazel green depth of the man’s who studied him carefully as of trying to decipher how much he could tell him.

“We didn’t...”

“Stop it...,” Ethan interrupted him abruptly. “If you wouldn’t know, you wouldn’t be here, and the girl...,” he nodded toward the ward his eyes flitting to meet Clara’s. “Wouldn’t be trapped in there.”

His eyes lingered on the petite woman for a moment longer, studying her paled features. His watchful eyes not missing how her knuckles went bone white, holding onto the bedpost, when she tried to stand straight. Not missing, how her breathing became struggled while she gulped for air. Not missing how her eyes flickered to the man at his side who withhold something and he couldn’t get the grip of it. He couldn’t read him as easily and it bothered him, eating at him from inside. He sighed heavily before meeting the Doctor’s gaze still waiting for his reply.

“We did't know,” repeated Doctor. 

“Than what were you doing here?” didn't give up Ethan. 

“I was sent here, but I had not idea what I will be dealing with. Dr. Ramsey, the only thing I can tell is that we don’t have a lot of time. We have twelve hours at most. If this thing is what I think it is. It will progress quickly and I have seen it already many... many years ago. You either believe me or wasting the time that we don’t have thereby exposing them to the inevitable death. Please Dr. Ramsey, just this once, for the hell of it accept the help that is offered.” the Doctor snapped. His hands placed firmly on Ethan’s shoulder, looking deep into the man’s eyes, searching them.

“Okay...,” Ethan finally said after another bit of hesitation, closing his eyes for a split second before making his final decision. Knowing that he would do anything for Beth even believe the madman who appeared out of the blue looking too excited and too knowledgable about the situation. “But just to be clear,” he added, turning away from the window separating him from Beth. His cold steely gaze fixed on Doctor. “I don’t care who you are and who you work for or whatever the hell U.N.I.T is. This is my hospital. My rules. And these are my team members that are trapped inside. Are we clear?”

“Sure Doctor. But we need to move, now. Remember it is spreading quickly,” the Doctor said touching the glass lightly before twirling around ready to follow Ethan and leave the ward behind. At least for now.

Quickly they both went through the hospital’s halls toward the diagnostician's office. Twenty eight brains already trying to process the information they had. Preparing the plan. Three hearts racing in their chests, troubled for the future. The nerves pushing them to move quicker. And one thought occupying them both. We need to solve it.

“We have a case,” Ethan said to the two people already in the room. “Unknown substance was deployed inside senator Ed’s ward. Senator Ed luckily for him escaped even before this happened. But Robert Gunderson, Danny Cardinal, Beth Valentine, Travis Perry and Clara...”

“Clara Oswald,” the Doctor continued after Ethan stopped. “They are all trapped with the unknown deadly substance. It affects everyone with different speed. Based on my observations and what we know already it mostly depends on how much exposure the person got to the substance. But may also depend upon other factors of which we have no knowledge of.”

“Who are you?” June asked suspiciously, folding her arms over her chest. “You know suspiciously a lot about what happened.”

“I'm the Doctor,” he replied getting his psychic paper out of his pocket and flashing it to the two other doctors. 

"What are you even doing here?" she asked watching him carefully, trying to read him but failing. “Seems to be quite a coincidence for you to be here, don't you think?”

"June...," warningly said Ethan, raising his eyebrow.

"What? Don't say that you didn't have the same questions," shrugged June.

“That is so human,” muttered Doctor, dragging his fingers through his hair in frustration, tossing away the bang of hair falling over his forehead. “One person is already dead and we don't know who will be next. And instead of trying to do something to help them, first thing you are doing is trying to read me and what motives do I have to be here?” exclaimed the Doctor. His hands flailing around. “You need to just trust me. As soon as FBI and C.D.C. remove Travis from premise you will not get any meaningful answers as they will be gone with the body. But if we work together we can do that, we can find what was in this canister. We can find the cure and safe them. But for that to work, you just should to believe my word.”

“You seem to already know what it is,” sighted Ethan. “But fine. As you rightly notted we have no time for that,” said Ethan, turning back to June and Baz to announce his plan. “First we need to get everyone’s blood samples and then will work from there. We need to check how quickly the symptoms appear, and we need to make sure that this isn’t impacted by anything except to the substance they got exposed to. You two go with me,” Ethan said moving past Doctor to the changing area where hazmat equipment was stored.

“I’m going with you,” said the Doctor with determination in his voice.

“Good,” Ethan barked through the gritted teeth, knowing that he had no time to argue. At least not now. Mumbling to himself quietly.

I hope he knows what he is doing. And hopefully will not get himself into any troubles as his companion already did.

After ten minutes wearing hazmat suits four people entered the isolated room, watching how C.D.C. rolled out Travis, taking all the answers they needed with them. The Doctor could feel how his hearts squeezed painfully when his eyes landed on the woman sitting on the bed. Her head bended while she struggled to breath. Her face deadly pale as if all her liveliness left her, leaving only a shell behind. Her chest rapidly raising and falling as if her heart rate elevated almost to dangerously quick pace. And her body was shivering in the warmth of the room as if TARDIS was landed them once again on the South Pole in 1983 leaving her exposed to the cold, in nothing but her summer dress.

Without any hesitation the Doctor moved toward Clara cupping the sides of her face in his hands lifting it up to meet his eyes.

“Clara...,” he whispered tenderly, pressing his forehead, hidden behind the hazmat suit, to hers. His gloved hands brushed gently at her cheeks, listening to her soft pained breathe leaving her lips.

“I... I thought... I thought I could prevent it from happening. I thought I can save them,” the girl admitted. Her shoulders slumping with defeat.

“Oh Clara... my Clara... my impossible girl,” the Doctor said before cupping the back of her head with his hand. The other wrapped firmly around her, pulling her closer as he did once before after saving her out of his timestream. After she saved him, tearing herself into a million pieces, into million versions of herself. Living and dying through time and space, over and over again. Something what she was ready to do for Doctor and now he must find the way to save her.

“Doctor, what will happen now?” Clara asked softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Now we will need to figure out what it was and how to deal with it. I would have done it much quicker with my scanning device, but I...”

“You cannot,” Clara finished the sentence. “Same as you cannot just tell them...”

“Sorry... I’m so so sorry, Clara,” mumbled Doctor.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” murmured Clara rubbing soothing circles at his back before whispering to his ear. “Doctor, I believe in you. I believe that you can fix it. And if even you cannot fix it than no one possibly ever can. So Doctor what now?”

“I guess they expect me to draw your blood. Do I just poke you with this or what?” he tried to laugh it off corners of his lips lifting slightly in a weak smile,, showing her the syringe. His hand reaching for his hairs to drag his fingers through them out of habit almost knocking off protection helmet. His voice cracking a little watching the weakest of smiles lightning Clara's face. “I never done that before,” Doctor admitted, feeling how his hearts thundered violently against his chest. 

He half expected Clara to protest asking for someone else to do that. But instead of any protest that could leave her lips she simply holded her arm to the Doctor. She watched him carefully palpating the vein on her arm, gently pressing a needle into her skin, breaking it carefully to draw her blood. He could hear Clara’s soft gasp watching how her teeth dug into her lower lip until he withdrew a syringe filled with her blood sample.

“Done,” he said surprised, passing the sample to Ethan, genuine smile spreading his lips.

“Great,” Ethan said, putting sample to others before turning back to Clara. “Now, Miss Oswald how do you feeling? Nausea? Stomach cramps?” he asked, sliding a blood pressure sleeve over Clara’s hand, taking her vitals.

“I feel nauseous and also my vision is blurred. Besides in the last half an hour or so my mouth tastes weird... kind of metallic,” she said involuntarily reaching out to scratch on her hand vigorously until Ethan stopped her putting his hand on top of hers, looking at angry red marks on her forearm.

“It seems like irritation patch. When did you get it?” Ethan asked carefully studying Clara’s hand.

“Must be a new symptom,” Doctor notted. “She didn’t have it even a few minutes ago. Also her blood pressure dropped significantly.”

But before Ethan could ask how the Doctor knows that, Clara’s small voice broke through.

“How do Danny and Beth are feeling? Do they have the same symptoms?”

“They have slight nausea, but apart from that...,” Ethan replied with a sigh and the slight shake of his head.

“It’s okay. I’m glad that they are okay,” Clara smiled weakly squeezing firmly Doctor’s hand to prevent herself from scratching.

She could feel how her stomach twisted painfully and she doubled with a groan, covering her mouth. With a great difficulty she rolled out from bed she was sitting on and staggered into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later. Her face was slick from sweat, when she moved toward the bed. Her body swaying and Doctor quickly moved toward her catching her just a moment before her legs gave up, carrying her toward the bed to lay her down.

Ethan's eyes flitted to Beth, watching her sit at the edge of the other bed, her face clammy and her forehead rested against the bedpost. Her eyes half closed, while she spoke in a quiet hoarse whisper to Baz and June, still trying to attend to her symptoms and help them with as much information as she could. Asking all the right questions, trying to brainstorm the ideas ignoring the rising nausea. Quickly they came to the conclusion that Bobby's heart attack came so fast that they couldn't be completely sure what caused it.

“It could be anything, From allergies to the stress. We cannot say with certainty that his heart attack was caused by this substance,” Beth groaned leaning over the side of the bed and vomiting the content of her stomach into a sick bag that Baz held readily for her.

“So what do we have?” Baz asked looking around the room before turning to look at Ethan.

With a tremendous effort Ethan looked at him swallowing hard, willing himself to focus on the information that they had on hands.

“Vomiting, stomach cramps, blurred vision, metallic taste and irritated skin,” Ethan said, watching toward Danny as he reached to his hand absently scratching at it. “Miss Oswald also had her blood pressure dropped precipitously. I measured it again,” clarified he with a sigh.

“It can be anything viral, bacterial, chemical, fungal, and hundredth of things could cause these symptoms,” noted Baz exhaling in frustration.

“Than we need to get these samples tested immediately. We'll start with the most likely options and keep going from there,” said Ethan, watching how Baz and June already passed back through the disinfecting room, lingering behind a few moments, gazing at Beth. Finally, with a heavy sigh he moved toward the exit entering the room when he heard Doctor's pensive voice behind him, talking quietly so no one else could hear.

“But what if we start from the most unlike causes, the most difficult ones. What if the canister contained something that is unlikely to be cured. What if the cure is yet to be found?”

“Then everyone in here are doomed. And this is something I don't want to think about,” said Ethan without meeting other man's eyes.

“Just think about this. Because if this is the case every second counts,” said Doctor, passing by Ethan, ready to had toward the laboratory. But before he could do that his attention was caught by petit girl with dark hairs standing by the window. Her eyes red with tears. Her hands wrapped tightly around her midsection and her gaze fixed on the man laying on the bed.

“Are you a friend of his?” he asked, approaching the girl and standing beside her looking through the window.

“Yes. We... we are friends,” she said barely audibly. “And Clara? Is she... is she your girlfriend? I heard you called her name. Was here before all this happened. We were about to have lunch,” she clarified, noticing his perplex gaze, when she called her by name.

“No... Noooo, she... she definitely isn't my girlfriend,” he laughed uncomfortably. “Friend, yes... Definitely a friend. But girlfriend... No, no... Definitely not a girlfriend. Why would you even think so?” Doctor squealed, feeling how his face flushed almost ready to say his infamous Shut up, but the sad almost painful look on her face stopped him midword.

“Sorry, you just looked like she is your girlfriend. Didn't know this is a painful subject for you,” shrugged Sienna, but before he could reply anything she asked quietly. Her voice even quieter than before. “Will they be okay? Everyone keep saying that they will. All of my friends say that they are strong and young and that they will pull through that. But will they?” she spoke as to herself, but he knew that all these questions were directed to him, while he stood silently by her side listening. “Everyone says that Dr. Ramsey is a genius. Not as I doubt him. I know he is. And the way Beth and Danny, who both work closely with him, refer to the man. I know he is, but he still is only a human. I even not sure why I’m asking you all of this. You clearly are only human as well, but still... I feel like you are the only person who will be honest with me. So Doctor answer me, will they be okay?”

“Honestly... I... I don’t know,” replied Doctor, turning to look at Clara who was laying against the pillow with her hand grasping her stomach in another fit of cramps. “but what I know is that time is precious and every second of it is a gold. So I cannot promise you that they become magically okay, but what I can promise is that I will do everything what I can do along with a brilliant diagnosticians by my side to make it happen. I'll fix what still can be fixed. And if needed will make sure that help will be asked,” he said honestly, placing his hand on Sienna’s back and patting it awkwardly.

“Thank you, Doctor,” she said with a weak smile that touched her lips for the first time since he approached her.

“For what?”

“For being honest,” she said. Watching in amusement how the man scratched the back of his head abashedly. The corner of his mouth lifted in a shy smile and his cheeks tinted pink as if not expecting her to say that. After a moment of silence the Doctor backed away awkwardly waving his hands as if remembering something before twirling around and rushing toward the laboratory, leaving Sienna alone. Leaving her somehow believing to the man who seemed to appear from nowhere.

Tags: @jamespotterthefirst @the-soot-sprite @choices-bound @tsrookie @caseyvalentineramsey