#so i'll just . leave this here. You understand.

[ivyasproperty]

Teach me, professor.

prof!agatha.h x fem!student!reader

summary — the infamous professor, agatha harkness, who is known for her cold demeanor, seems to have a soft spot for you, and decides to address the longing glances you cast her way.

warning(s) : smut, legal age gap ( agatha is 46, reader is 21 )

word count : 1.3k words

A/N : i took such a long ass break IM SO SORRY WHAFGAHAGAH, im still not good at writing so bare with me omg

You stirred awake as the sunlight shone on your face, groaning in annoyance, checking the time on your phone and once again getting blinded by the brightness, you sat up in a panic after realizing you were once again late to class. You were usually able to get up around 2 hours before any of the professors arrived, but lately, your dreams have been plagued by a certain history professor. You quickly cleared your mind of these thoughts, needing to get ready and NOT wanting another lecture from professor Jones, it seemed as if she was always targeting you about the littlest things.

After finally getting ready and rushing out of your dorm room, your burst through the door of the classroom, preparing yourself for yet another lecture, but was surprised to see professor Harkness, the exact professor you'd dream about during your not so innocent slumber. Professor Harkness turned around at the sound of the door slamming open, a smirk adorning her features after realizing you'd finally arrived. "Well if it isn't Miss Y/L/N, take a seat at the front, I'll be substituting professor Jones today, she seems to have gotten a cold," she pointed towards the seat right in front of her as she said those words that you didn't seem to process. Your mind was too focused on the fact that you'd have to endure about 3 hours of her just sitting there, and yes even though it didn't seem like that big of a deal, you could never seem to focus around the woman, her striking features and veiny hands were always distracting you, even in those spectacular horrid dreams of yours. Her clearing her throat broke you out of your stupor, rushing to the seat with flushed cheeks while looking at the ground. You didn't seem to notice the amused look on professor Harkness's face.

Professor Harkness had a big reputation around campus for having a very cold demeanor, you didn't understand why people would say that since she would always give you the softest gazes, and always congratulate you after getting an average score on her test ( they were always A's. But after getting so many of them, they seemed like an average grade to you. )

So there it was, the longest yet fastest 3 hours of your life. You spent most of the time sparing glances at professor Harkness, but whenever you would glance at her, she'd already be staring back at you, causing you to be even more flustered and move around in your seat. Her signature smirk sat on her face, staring at you with those piercing blue eyes, she opened here mouth to say something but it was then that the bell rang. Her face had clear irritation written across it. Just as you were about to leave, you felt a soft yet firm grip on your wrist, looking behind you, your eyes widened at seeing professor Harkness staring at you with a loving gaze, but it disappeared after realizing not all the students have left the classroom. After the last person shut the door, she dragged you by the wrist and sat you down on the chair opposite of the desk.

"So," her voice rang out into the empty classroom, "I couldn't help but notice your sweet staring, pet. Don't think you've been so sly now. So tell me, what goes through your mind, pet?" The nickname sent a wave of arousal through your body, it wasn't the first time she had used it on you, but it always felt like it was. You stuttered out a response so quickly it seemed pathetic. "I- uhm.... It's nothing professor, was just daydreaming is all." She looked at you with skeptical eyes, and kneeled down and inched closer to you, her face was now centimetres away from your own and your mind was screaming to just kiss her, and so you did.

You smashed your lips against hers, the gasp she let out was a sign that she didn't expect your sudden action, and before she could reciprocate the kiss you'd initiated, you pulled away in a panic. Eyes glossing over with tears, and before you knew it, your mouth was spewing out apologies, "P-professor! I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mea-" your words were swallowed by her lips as she kissed you with more passion than you've ever felt. You finally kissed her back after a few seconds of shock. You felt her smirk through the kiss and you whined as she pulled away, trying to chase after her rosy pink lips that looked delicious in your saliva ( idk why but that sounded kinda icky to me.. ). "You poor thing, don't worry pet, I'll take good care of you, just lay on the desk for me, yeah? Be my good girl." Your cheeks heated up at her words, nodding your head and getting on the desk.

Your eyes widened at the sight of her getting on her knees and gripping your thighs rather harshly, it was then you noticed the dark look in her eyes. You let out a loud gasp which was cut off by her hand covering your mouth. "Be quiet, pet. You don't want others hearing you, do you now?" You nodded your head, but the thought of someone walking in excited you a bit, but you'd never let her know, at least not now as she tore off your panties. Thank the heavens that you decided to wear a skirt today. Her nose bumped against the bundle of nerves and you moaned into a hand as she gave a hard suck to your clit. You bucked your hips against her face, and felt the vibrations of her chuckle against you. She ran two fingers across your folds, not surprised by how wet you were and plunged them inside. She let you get used to the feeling of her fingers before setting a steady rhythm. You were moaning loudly into her hand, the feeling of her mouth and fingers on you exciting you. She let go of your clit and stood up to give you a hard kiss, whining into her mouth at the lost suction, she put her thumb to good use and rubbed your clit.

"P-professor.... I'm gonna-gonna come...!-" "Come for me angel, be my good girl." Her permission was all you needed as your body tensed up, pure pleasure rippled through your body as your juices flowed onto her hands. Her pants were drenched in your juices and she couldn't help but laugh at the fact that you had squirted on her. "Oh honey, look at what you've done. Can't blame you though, you look absolutely divine." She kissed your face as she slowly pulled her fingers out of you, careful to not overstimulate you. She carefully dressed you back up, and pat you on the back, signaling it was time to leave. She accompanied you back to your dorm room and gave you a wink before leaving.

Shutting your dorm door, you slid down it and let out a sigh. Your cheeks were still red from the events. And as you were about to take off your clothes to take a shower and deal with the new pressure in your stomach, you felt something inside your skirt pocket. Taking it out, you noticed straight away it was your dearest professors handwriting, on it was a phone number and below was a message, "feel free to call me, bunny. and don't touch what's mine, i'll be sure to take care of it tomorrow in my office. agatha, X." Your heart fluttered at the thought, and you were giddy the entire night, your roommates were surprised at your happy attitude but were happy for you nonetheless. You closed your eyes that night with a thought in your mind, you imagined being in her arms, and before you knew it, you were sound asleep.

A/N : this is my first time writing smut so bare with me pls. i took a whole ass one month long break so my writing skills are still kinda crusty, but in the end i hope you all enjoyed this one ^^ feel free to leave a request!!

[postcardsfromheapside]

I need to be salty for a hot second about people who are upset about aspects of Lucanis' romance.

I'll put everything else under the break for spoilers, but in general, I am so disappointed in a large portion of this fanbase who apparently thought "disaster" meant "romantasy," but also it's in keeping with how a lot of people seem unable to put things in context.

One of the complaints I keep seeing run past is that the scene where you commit to a relationship with Lucanis seems pefunctory, or out of the blue, there's nothing really romantic about it, it's too similar to the platonic route, etc, etc, ETC.

I romanced Emmrich, but I've seen other people's versions of romancing Lucanis. I'm just going to kind of word vomit here, and hope I can come up with something cohesive.

As someone who id's with Lucanis for "generational abuse" and "dumpster fire disaster bi" and "using socially acceptable drugs as coping mechanisms in place of addressing your problems" reasons, it's been really fucking annoying watching the almost deliberate misinterpretation of his character even after Mary Kirby dropped several explanations on social media. It's like a large part of the fanbase saw all that and turned into the "yes yes, very sad...anyway!" meme and went right on fetishizing him...then got mad when he didn't turn into the seductive Dom with wings they were hoping for.

You commit to Lucanis after (what I consider) a very intense scene inside his "mind prison." He's struggling so much internally that Spite wrests control of his body from him in front of witnesses and begs Rook to help them. Lucanis would never ask Rook to do so on his own, he's terrible at asking for the help he truly needs. Spite drags Rook into the Fade Ossuary and demands they free Lucanis from his self-imposed prison. And whether you're a friend or would-be lover, Rook slowly talks Lucanis out of a host of self doubts regarding his family and friends. Can he trust himself not to hurt other people, now that he's saddled with this affliction? Has he disappointed the people he cares about most? Do these new people he's coming to care about actually trust and care about him? The rooms are filled with fragmented thoughts that peter out into regrets. You're literally seeing Lucanis' fractured and complicated emotions.

One of them tore a hole straight through me: "You'd have to kill me...And Spite would die."

You'd have to kill him to get rid of the demon. And he'd regret the death of the demon that's protected him and given him strength, through a brutal year of betrayal and torment. I don't know if y'all remember the scenes in the Ossuary of the failed experiments and the corpses you had to pass to get to his jar of blood. It wasn't fun.

When you break out of the mind prison after helping him bond with Spite, it's intimate and momentous, even on a platonic route. You've seen desperate and lonely parts of him he'd never willingly show anyone.

As you're convincing Lucanis that it's okay to leave his mind-prison, you tell him you understand that it's easier to deal with problems like the Ossuary and Zara than healing and living with Spite, potentially hurting people he cares about. But he wants to. It's Rook's job to help him see a path out, a way for him to make the struggle easier so he can begin to heal himself.

I need to stress: you aren't "fixing" him. You're acting as his lighthouse, regardless of whether you're a friend or a lover. Sometimes people need help. He's still going to have to do the work to get there.

As a friend, it was extremely rewarding to come back to the kitchen and see him doing exactly as I'd hoped: moving on with the business of *living*. He made a nice dinner for everyone he's come to care for, and a special dessert for Neve. Cooking is where Lucanis finds creativity, and comfort, and connection with his friends and family. He isn't very good with words, but he will note everything you consume, and try to make you feel loved by expressing it that way.

Which is why I think it's important you don't dismiss the commitment on the romantic route. He remembers YOUR favorite drink and makes YOU a special dessert if you're romancing him. Lucanis isn't going to get poetic. You've already made him feel raw. You've seen the ugly, embarassing parts of him. What is he supposed to say? Usually it takes Spite reaching through his body to actually be direct. Instead, Lucanis reaches for food, his favorite medium, to try and apologize for inadvertently showing you those things, to thank you for helping him despite seeing what he considers the most shameful parts of him. Your commitment is letting him know that you value him, that he has nothing to be ashamed of, that you understand what he's trying to express with his struggling communication skills, which appear to get better as your relationship progresses from there.

It's weird that some of y'all don't feel that this is heartfelt and important, because you'd rather him act out some sensuous fantasy trope. It's also weird that some of you haven't figured out that many scenes in RPG's can be similar on platonic and romantic routes with tweaks to shade context.

(Also just in case this comes up: cooking is not his "love language" - that whole concept was invented by a misogynistic weirdo and we should remove it from our ideas of communication)

Anyway, this guy is my Rook's bestie and I'll go down swinging for him, you should appreciate the fuck out of him and stop acting like his writer didn't craft a perfectly funny little weirdo who is bad at showing people his tender parts and terrible at interpersonal relationships.

[pityroadart]

Here's my piece for the @mcspirkevents Big Bang! I was paired with the excellent @twinkboimler and their fic Jim Kirk's Guide to Delivering the Goods, which you can find here (E, AOS McSpirk, 60k)

Summer just started, and Jim is bored out of his mind. The courses he needs to take aren’t being offered until the second half of the summer, so he has an entire month to bother his roommate Bones. At Bones’ suggestion to get a job, Jim fixes up a motorbike and starts making deliveries to people in town, including a cute Vulcan professor named Spock. But when Jim is beaten up while making a delivery, it’s Spock who delivers Jim back to the apartment he shares with Bones. After the meet-cute from hell, Spock and Bones start dating… and so do Jim and Spock. With neither roommate aware they’re both dating the same man, there’s only so long that things can go well for them before the other shoe finally drops.

Also as part of my Big Bang offerings, I made a fic playlist (below) — partly a love letter to McSpirk, partly a love letter to myself and Fletcher's overlapping music taste.

Thank you again to Fletcher @twinkboimler for working on this project with me, it's been an absolute joy!

Until the Birds Return on Spotify

Tracks and choice lyrics below the cut (contains vague spoilers):

Astronaut | Future Crib

I wanna be an astronaut Fly into space I wanna see Mars from Venus I wanna go to that place And if you come with me They'll be room in my ship I'll take you up there with me It can be just you and me

Afraid of Heights | boygenius

I never rode a motorcycle I never smoked a cigarette I wanna live a vibrant life But I wanna die a boring death

Day by Day | Old Sea Brigade

Time and time again, I think I'm falling through space And I wake up in my bed just sweating in sheets

... Then I think of you growing old and it breaks my heart

Factories | Autoheart

When you found my body by the lake You wasn't sure if I was still alive

You and Your Friend | Snake River Conspiracy

Must we go run through our lives with our eyes closed To the loving happiness that we can share I think I'm in love with you and your friend

My Gal, My Guy | Darlingside

My (guy) he's the bluest ocean, (he) Waits under the bluest sky for me I belong to (him) When I'm in the water

Santa Fe | Autoheart

Heaven sent You were like a present I should not have kept A sticker on your forehead saying 'breakable And I broke you bad

Coat on a Hook | The National

Two days, we're still not talking You're the opposite of an open book Come back for me

Top to Toe | Fenne Lily

So I'm changing all my days To make your nights It's just not right

Pigeon Song | Patrick Wolf

Now the pigeons gather 'round my feeding hand And we talk 'til the evening fades I have learnt how it goes What you wait for never shows And what you least wanted, holds you down like a stone

Hornets | The National

But I don't wanna leave And I don't wanna hide I just don't wanna run Into you tonight

Tea, Milk & Honey | Oh Pep!

If you stick with me, I'll make sure your time is all right If you don't understand where I am now, it's better if we leave it

The Spiritual | Jukebox the Ghost

We might have kissed a bit too soon I could feel what was coming and I didn't mean to hurry you I just knew that time would find our fingers linked, through and through Forgive me, I'm human too

Bike Dream | Rostam

Two boys, one to kiss your neck And one to bring you breakfast Get you out of bed

Don't Go | Yazoo

Can't stop now Don't you know I ain't never gonna let you go

Jenny | The Mountain Goats

I hopped on back of the bike, wrapped my arms around you I sank my face into your hair And then I inhaled as deeply as I possibly could You were sweet and delicious as the warm desert air And you pointed your headlamp toward the horizon We were the one thing in the galaxy God didn't have his eyes on 900 cc's of raw whining power, no outstanding warrants for my arrest

Old Old Fashioned | Josh Ritter (Frightened Rabbit cover)

Oh let's get old fashioned Back to how things used to be If I get old, old fashioned Would you get old, old fashioned with me?

[tinylilacbun]

Safe with him. Right?

Pairing: dark!daddy!rafe x little!reader

Warnings: DARK THEMES, age regression, drugging, kinda kidnapping, cursing, some angst? (Not sure about anything here tbh), not proofread

A/N: purely wrote this 'cause I needed some dark!rafe

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

Your eyebrows furrow when Rafe comes into the room with two pieces of luggage, placing them on top of his bed where you are enjoying your allowed screentime on your iPad.

Before you can ask what was going on he walks around the bed to where you are sitting and grabs the device out of your hands, ignoring your pout before saying. "Pack some stuff while I go shower, a'ight?"

You are about to ask why but the look he gave you made you shut your mouth again, standing up while he disappeared into the bathroom.

Going into the walk-in closet you grab what you could carry over to the bed, swearing you saw Sarah rushing out the door just as you came out of the closet again. You shrug and place your clothes in your purple luggage just as Rafe came out only wearing a towel.

"I fink I saw Sarah." You tell him while he changes, packing some stuff you need for when you're little and suddenly he turns you around, his grip on your arms tight and looking at you seriously.

"Where- Where did you see her?"

"She- uh, saw her leavin' your room..." You trail off when he walks over to the dresser. He curses under his breath.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He mutters and before he could leave you grab onto his arm, looking up at him with that innocent look in your eyes, not understanding why he's acting so different right now.

"What's goin' on daddy?" You frown at him.

"Nothing to worry your pretty head about. Just- stay here." He orders and you nod, reluctantly letting go of him and watching him leave the room.

You finish packing and sat on the bed, getting restless about not getting any information about the current situation and why you were leaving this late in the afternoon.

Normally you would do as you're told but something more is going on and you just want to know what it is, confused why Rafe kept you in the dark so much lately. He also had been rather busy the last days which led you to being a lot more clingy and needy for his attention.

Getting up again you make your way out and downstairs, seeing Rose pacing in the living room when you suddenly hear glass shattering from the wine cellar, going to see what it was and completely ignore Rose calling out for you, rushing down the staircase.

You see Rafe leaning against the door with his back turned to you and can make out Sarah shouting from behind it. "Rafe! Let me out!"

"I'm not letting you out, Sarah. Not until you calm down, okay?" Rafe says calmly, his arm resting against the door.

"Screw you!" Sarah shouts, slamming her hand against it.

"I'm trying to be civil here. You're freaking out right now." Rafe sighs.

"Rafey? What's goin' on?" You ask and he turns to face you, frustration clear in his expression. "Why's Sarah in there?"

"She's locked in there because sometimes you have to make the hard choice, right? She just didn't get that." He explains, turning to face the door again as he raises his voice. "You fail to understand constantly, don't you? Huh? Don't you!"

When he slams his palm against the wooden door you flinch, not liking this side of him at all, and he knows it.

Rafe just shakes his head. "I don't have time for this shit. Come." He mumbles, as he approaches you, grabbing your arm and dragging you back up the stairs.

"Ow- daddy you're hurting me..." You whimper, trying to keep up with his pace as you feel his fingers digging into your bicep.

"Well, I told you to stay in my room, didn't I? Yea, maybe listen next time I tell you something." He exclaims, striding towards his room and pushing you to sit down on the bed, leaning down to your level. "This is the last time I'm telling you this. Stay. Here."

You nod your head, not intending on making him more mad than he already is, whispering out. "Y-Yes daddy..."

Without another word he leaves the room again, coming back inside a few minutes later with your sippy in his hand, holding it out to you. "Drink this. We're gonna leave soon."

You slowly take the sippy from him, taking some sips you smile a little at the taste of your favorite juice. "Where we goin'?"

"Somewhere nice, you'll see." He gives you a smirk, reaching a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, watching intently as you keep drinking every last drop from your sippy.

Finishing the juice you exhale, handing the cup back to Rafe when he extends his hand for it. "That's my good girl."

Slowly you start to feel sleepy, humming as you feel him running a hand through your hair, leaning into his touch like a cat nuzzling its owner. "Mmm..."

He smirks at that, bringing his hand to the back of your head he carefully lays you down. "There we go...just sleep for a bit."

You can't really make out what he's saying, your vision blurring as you're being pulled into a drug seduced slumber.

Rafe sighs in relief, standing up he reaches his arms under your knees and back, lifting you up and carrying you through the house. He pauses when he passes Rose, her eyes widening at your knocked out state.

Before she can start complaining he interrupts her. "I'll take her with me. You go and handle Sarah and make sure Wheezie doesn't find out about anything. I'll meet you later at the boat."

Rafe doesn't even care to listen to what Rose has to say and carries you outside to the transporter, setting you down in the passenger seat he buckles your seatbelt.

Getting into the driver's side he glances at you, reaching over to caress your cheek softly.

"I got everything under control...soon it will be just us both, thanks to the cross I got for us." He says, more to himself, then starts the engine and drives off.

Taglist

For everything:

@my-river-lilly @pauntedblacknails @fanfictioniseverything @buckymydarlingangel @hallecarey1 @daybreakwinter @loveshineslikethesky @vase-of-lilies @white-wolf1940 @simpingbutch @mischiefsemimanaged @alina02 @teddybearsgrr @doozywoozy @angelbabydoll28 @glxwingrxse @lilymurphy03 @veryvaughnny @lokigirlszendaya @youngstarfishdinosaur @little--baby--bear @minideathgoddess @rach2602 @gh0stgurl @flourishandblotts-inc @lovelyy-moonlight @yoruse

@mythixmagic @iris-xoxo-juhu @mylettterstoyou @sunf1ower16 @sweetstars-posts @rafecameronsloverrrrr

For Rafe:

@chiaraanatra @chimindity @erikasurfer

[thevoidstaredback]

I don't have it in me to do a whole thing rn, but a heartbreaking piece of dialogue just popped into my head for this:

"Danny!" Nightwing yelled over the crashing wind, "Danny, stop!"

"'Danny'?" Phantom scoffed, his grip around Batman's throat unrelenting, "Danny doesn't exist anymore."

Somehow, the world fell quiet. "What?" Red Robin whispered.

Growling, Phantom repeated, "Danny. Doesn't. Exist. Anymore."

"I don't... I don't understand." Nightwing said, "What do you mean he doesn't exist? You're standing right here!"

The grip Batman had on Phantom's wrist fell loose, but not away, his body starting to fall slack. Was this how he dies? He'd never feared death before, not since he was a child, but the black creeping along the edges of his vision, the air leaving his lungs and not returning- To be killed by his own son? Robin would've ribbed at him about patricide. But Robin isn't here anymore...

Phantom's fist tightens around Batman's neck. "He killed him." Louder, he repeats, "He killed him!"

"Who?!" Red Robin demands, desperation colouring his entire being. He tries to step forward, but his leg collapses under him, his shattered knee unable to hold his weight.

Batman finally falls limp, his eyes closing as the last of his air finally leaves his lungs. There's a loud snap of bone before he falls from Phantom's grip, unmoving and laying awkwardly.

"Dad!" Nightwing screams. Red Robin sobs.

"He killed him!" Phantom's red eyes bore into Nightwing's own, glowing and powerful and vengeful.

"I'll kill you, Danny!" he screams, charging at the thing that was supposed to be his brother, "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Don't!" Red Robin cries, unable to stop him, but it's too late and he goes ignored.

Phantom doesn't so much as flinch as he swats Nightwing aside. The vigilante flies across the battlefield, crashing through a tree before landing in a heap on the group, dead upon impact.

"Dick!" Red Robin screams, dragging himself forward, reaching for his brother. His arms shutter and he falls, sobbing into the dirt. "No... No, no, no, no! Bruce... Dick... I can't- I don't-" He looks up, locking eyes with Phantom. "Why. Why did you kill them!"

"Because he killed Danny!"

"Bruce didn't kill anyone!"

"He killed them!"

"Who the fuck killed who?! Bruce hasn't killed anyone!"

"He killed them!"

"Who!?"

"My family!"

"We were your family!"

Phantom fell quiet, the battlefield silent behind him. "No," he whispered, "If you were, you would've been there. You would've stopped him. You would've-" his voice broke, "Danny'd still be okay and they'd still be alive, but they're not and he's not and you're not and I'm still here and everyone else is still here!" He panted a moment in an effort to regather himself. "Everyone has to die because the world promised to protect them. You 'heroes' failed and this is the consequence."

Slowly, Red Robin pushed himself to stand, ignoring the pain the throbbed across his entire body. "We didn't even know about Danny until-!"

"You should've looked harder!" Phantom shouted, cutting him off.

"We can't be everywhere at once!"

"Then do better!"

"We're human!" The admittance fell heavy across the battlefield of corpses. Red Robin inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry that your family is gone. I'm sorry that Danny's gone. But this? This isn't going to fix it."

"Maybe not," Phantom agreed, "But it sure does make me feel a hell of a lot better."

Bruce rubbed a hand down his face. "Just once," he mumbled, "I'd like someone in this family to not be a hero."

Tim continued typing in one window, narrowing the search, as he read an article in another. "Might be your lucky night, B. Because if Danny is Phantom, he didn't go the vigilante route. He went rogue."

DP x DC idea where Damian recognizes his brother, only its Dan on his way to bulldoze the world.

[3hks]

How to Write Emotional Dialogue Without Being "Cringy"

Did you ever want to write an emotional scene between characters but suddenly felt so conflicted because you're worried it might seem cringe? I, for one, have (and still do) worried about this! So today, I'll share some tips on how to make your dialogue LESS cringy and MORE emotional!

But for starters, what exactly makes something "cringe"?

Our media actually plays a big part in shaping what we find to be cringe, so certain words or phrases tend to stick out to us as "cringe". But when it comes to writing, it depends mainly on the context given.

So, with that being said, something that's meant to be emotional might seem cringy and awkward because the scene falls flat. Now that you understand the base cause of this, let's explore some ways to avoid it!

>>> OMIT, DON'T SAY

If you ever found yourself writing out a line that, no matter what, still seems awkward, then the problem may lie in the line itself. Sometimes it's unnecessary to say everything; your readers are smarter than you might think! There's a lot you can omit in dialogue while still maintaining a natural feel, whether it be through body language or hidden meanings behind certain words!

EX:

Prompt: "You're so fake, you think you can hide from the world, but you can't. What if someone finds out the real you?"

"I'll just put on another mask."

V.S

"What do you think?"

Regardless of whether you find the first response cringe or not, you can also see that the alternative response hints at a similar answer despite not confirming or denying anything!

>>> BE BRIEF

Unless your character is ranting or you're strategically elongating their dialogue, try to keep their lines concise. Many people will speak briefer as a result of uncomfortableness, sadness, and/or anger.

If a piece of longer dialogue looks odd to you in a certain situation, that might be because your character seems to be trying to explain something too much when it wasn't your intention to create that effect. Filler words (uh, um, oh,) are fine because they're a part of natural speech, but sometimes it's better to get straight to the point!

>>> FILLERS

Speaking of filler words, they can become really useful when writing emotional dialogue because they can portray a variety of emotions! (They can depict feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and more.) Additionally, stutters and ellipsis are helpful for the same reason! Overall, these incorporations really spice things up! Unnaturalness can be a cause for cringiness, and fillers assist in making dialogue feel more natural!

>>> ITALICS FOR RANTS

Okay, but what about rants and purposefully long dialogue? How do we make these more meaningful when essentially, we're just talking about big blobs of text?

Here, it's important to add dynamic to catch the reader's attention. When we read, it's like a voice is talking in our heads, and the voice is ultimately determined by subtleties like italics!

So, with that being said, use italics (I suggest incorporating them regularly, actually) when writing LONG texts! It creates a flow and rhythm for our reading, and most importantly, adds emotional weight to certain words/phrases, which highlights what your character prioritizes and cares about most!

EX: "I-I thought we promised! You said you wouldn't leave--so why are you leaving now? Was it my mistake? I'll change, I swear! (etc...)"

V.S

"I-I thought we promised! You said you wouldn't leave--so why are you leaving now? Was it my mistake? I'll change, I swear! (etc...)"

See? With just a few italicizes here and there (although you do want to be strategic about which ones you italicize), the simple dialogue quickly grew more weighted!

>>> DON'T RE-READ TOO SOON

In the end, the most effective way to tell whether something is cringy or not is to have someone else read it and tell you! But if you don't like the sound of that and prefer to check on your own, I suggest to not re-read your dialogue over and over. Instead, give it some time!

When we re-read our work too soon, we already know what to expect, which influences our decision making and opinions. By approaching it after you refreshed your brain, it'll feel more like you're reading it for the first time; and therefore, you'll form more effective ideas!

***

Still, it's also important to keep in mind that something that's cringe to you won't be cringe to someone else and vice versa! It's ultimately based on the readers, which we have no choice but to accept. However, if you were concerned about your writing because of such reasons, I hope this has helped!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[johnnysuhbmarine]

Knowing a change of scenery was what your mental health needed, you transferred to where your brother, Mark, goes to college. The good news is, he’s not too cool for his younger sister, so he lets you join his friend group immediately. The bad news is, Haechan is in that friend group, and a brief encounter four years ago was enough for you to understand he does NOT like you. Even worse news, he’s a lot hotter than he was four years ago…

Chapter Fifteen: I'll just ask Mark - four images, 1.5k words - heads up, this chapter deals more with y/n's mental health than previous ones

You were thankful you didn’t have any classes for the rest of the day, because time slipped right by you while at lunch with Haechan. The two of you got sandwiches and coffee from the library café, but when you quickly realized all the tables were taken, you ended up bringing the food back to Haechan’s apartment just a short walk away. This is where time started flying past. The two of you turned on an old cartoon show to watch while you ate, but once you were finished, your own voices quickly overtook the sound of the television.

It was a strange truth to find out - that you and Haechan actually got along swimmingly, taking to each other like a duck to water. Of course, up until the last week or so, the majority of your time knowing each other was spent either ignoring one another or exemplifying passive aggression; so your ability to actually carry a conversation for hours was a very new concept, but one you could hardly take the time to question when you were too busy laughing until you couldn’t breathe.

Haechan was the first to calm down after the last bout of laughter shared in the living room, and he leaned his head against the front of the couch - the two of you opted to sit on the floor as you ate since there was no coffee table to place everything on; not to mention the couch wasn’t that comfortable in the first place.

He rolled his head to the side so he could look at you, your eyes squeezed shut as you bite on your bottom lip to try and stop more laughs from leaving your system. He let a soft grin come across his face as he took in your presence, and the fact that he was happy here with you. “Remind me to thank Mark for convincing you to transfer,” he says gratefully, traces of a laugh still tainting his light voice. Though, all at once, your body stills, and you open your eyes to meet his soft gaze before swiftly bringing your focus to where you had begun messing with your fingers in your lap.

“Oh. It wasn’t really- he didn’t convince me, so to speak. I had to transfer.” You fumble through your words, embarrassment tinging your cheeks a shade of pink.

Haechan furrowed his brows at you. “What do you mean?” He asks curiously, and you can’t help the heavy sigh that escapes you.

You stop fidgeting, but you can’t bring your gaze up from your lap as you respond smoothly. “I was really, badly depressed. Not to mention half the student body at SM used to actually bully me," you recall with a scoff.

“At the end of the day, I just wanted my brother closer than thirty minutes away from me. Helped me feel less alone, or at least helped me not make rash decisions, I mean- I hated myself. Wasn’t sure I was anything but a waste of space, honestly; and the idea of going to my brother to be talked down felt better than going to my friends, cause I always thought they would leave me if all I did was come to them with struggles. My brother can’t leave, he’s stuck with me. Though most of the time, that doesn’t really make it any easier - it’s still putting so much responsibility on Mark, when he’s probably the last person who needs any more added to his plate. Regardless, he does his best - and only partly because he's forced to," you say with a weak laugh before continuing softly.

"In transferring here, my parents made him promise that he wouldn’t allow me to throw myself into oncoming traffic, or maybe it was off a bridge. I don’t know. Something stupid but-”

You cut yourself off when you hear what you think is a sniffle from beside you. You whip your head over to look and get confirmation that he’s actually crying. “Haechan?” You get out worriedly, your brows furrowing as you take in his wide watery eyes and small trembles. You reach out to wipe away at the tears racing down his face, and he just shakes his head against your hold.

“Don’t leave. Don’t you ever dare leave,” he manages to get out somewhat firmly. Your lips form a tight smile at his care and you shake your head, trying to dispel his worries.

“I’m not-” You start, but he cuts you off and you’re sure it’s because he doesn’t quite believe you…not that you could blame him.

He moves from sitting flat on the ground to instead lean over and engulf you in a hug, made awkward by the fact that he was practically just ramming his body into your side. You didn’t care, you wrapped your arms around him the best you could as he gets out choked words. “I need you. Here. I need you here,” he hiccups, and you break.

“Haechan…it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” you say, trying your best not to cry now, too as you begin to rub a hand up and down his back.

You feel a light poke at your side and glance down to see his pinkie outstretched. You look back up to face him in confusion, but his eyes are still directed towards the floor, not to mention squeezed shut. “P-promise,” he gets out weakly. With the tears staining his face, the shaking of his body, and his choked words, you knew you never wanted to see Haechan like this ever again. So, without truly realizing how much this pinky promise was going to mean to him, you lace your finger with his and watch as the smallest wave of relief crashes over him.

He falls more decidedly against you, and you hold him there tightly, running your fingers gently across his clothes and through his hair. You don’t know how long the two of you stayed like that, but you know you didn’t let up from the hug until he was completely rid of tears. Though, when you lift your arms up and allow him to sit back upright, he doesn’t, and a small smile crosses your face as you gently place your arms back around his figure.

You hadn’t seen him look this small ever before, and the fact that he was being this emotional and vulnerable with you was making warmth spread through your entire body. You only hoped it could transfer through the hug you had him in, figuring he probably needed it more right now - for some reason, it couldn't click that he was crying over you, that he was currently concerned about making sure you felt comforted and cared for...though that quickly changes with his next words.

“I’m sorry I was a dick to you earlier,” he finally says with resolve. You move to shake your head and dismiss it, but he presses on. “I treated you poorly for no reason, and I’m sorry. The last thing I ever want to do is remind you of someone from your old school. I’ll do better. I promise all I’ll ever try to do is put a smile on your face, but if it’s ever not genuine, I need you to know that you can come to me, confide in me, whatever. Your heavy feelings aren’t going to scare me away. You don’t need to ever pretend around me, and if I’m the only person who has made that clear, then so be it, I’ll be your rock.”

He finally moves as he says this so that he can make eye contact with you, unfortunate because you had finally started crying at his words. “It’s so hard,” you squeak out. “With my family, I mean - I just want to be a good daughter- a good sister. They don’t deserve all that stress of my mental health. I- I broke my family’s heart telling them how I thought of myself…the point I was reaching. I don’t ever want to worry them like that again.” As you finish, your attention is turned towards where Haechan lightly grabbed your hand in his.

“You broke mine, too, but you need to understand that I’ll let you break it over and over again if it means you aren’t going through this alone.” There’s nothing but sincerity in his tone and it sends even more tears racing down your cheeks. He sighs, bringing a hand up to wipe gently under your eyes. “Y/n,” he says, his voice soft but filled with intent.

You nod your head, knowing what he was looking for - any confirmation that you were actually taking in his words. “Thank you,” you say weakly, causing a corner of Haechan’s mouth to perk up in a soft grin.

His hand that was previously at your cheek moves up to eventually run back down through your hair, tucking a piece behind your ear. “Do you wanna watch The Aristocats?” He asks gently.

Your wide eyes meet his. “You’d watch it with me again?” You respond in awe.

Haechan lets out a small laugh, turning his gaze to the floor before shaking his head and looking in your teary eyes again. “You said it’s your comfort movie…I’d watch it a thousand times.”

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a/n: yuhhhh

Taglist: @fullsunstrawberry @choizzn @raevyng @dudekiss3r @yewshi @artsenthusiastk77 @injunnie-lemon @markeroolee @chan-yeoldelling @sunflowerhae @mystverse @urlovelily @luvandletter @jeonghansshitester @dinonuguaegi @untilthesunrises @clean-soap @andassortedkpop @dlin3 @roseangelxfuma @gomdoleemyson @simmsunshine @swanyvess @awktwurtle @t-102 @kukkurookkoo

@hahaechans @ypoom151999 @goldenclosethobi

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T SAY MUCH *  assorted dialogue for the person who doesn't say much and the person trying to talk to them, adjust as necessary

FOR THE PERSON WHO TALKS A LOT.

i heard you speak.

why don't you ever want to talk to me?

you can understand me.

are you at least going to ask me my name?

you could at least say thank you.

i just saved your life.

you spoke to them! why won't you speak to me?

are you going to say something back?

let's just stand here in awkward silence.

feels like i'm talking to myself half the time.

you don't have a lot to say.

could you at least tell me your name?

great conversation.

i'll do all the talking.

i think i'm owed an explanation.

will you please answer me?

could you at least give me a yes or no answer?

not a fan of talking, huh?

you don't have to talk if you don't want to.

i guess you don't owe me a thing.

i'm just going to call you [nickname] for now, until i learn your real name.

i know you can understand me.

where are you going?

you can't just leave me here!

what do you want me to do while you're gone?

feels like i'm talking to a wall.

i'm just going to pretend you said yes to that.

did you just huff?

don't roll your eyes at me.

if you'd just tell me what it is you want...

this would go a lot smoother if you communicated with me.

you don't work well with strangers.

if i knew what you needed, i'd help.

believe it or not, i want to help you.

this would be so much easier if i had your name.

FOR THE PERSON WHO DOESN'T TALK MUCH.

not now.

get behind me.

not yet.

wait.

stay here.

is that it?

you're welcome.

stop talking.

not interested.

are you done?

i have nothing to say.

talking is a waste of time.

i let my actions speak for themselves.

stop that.

nice try.

go.

get out of here.

you're being loud.

that's enough.

i don't like people.

words are useless.

see that?

you don't need my name.

get lost.

no more.

i'll handle it.

not this again.

leave me alone.

i don't like strangers.

just call me [nickname].

[unnameablethings]

as someone who works in investment finance this is all very correct but I DO want to expand on a point you made. I totally understand the simplification there for a finance beginner - it does totally make sense to just think of 401k contributions as the same thing as investing your money in bonds or an index fund. However, a 401k is NOT a type of index fund! It is a type of retirement account that lets you avoid paying taxes on any money you put in. It acts more like a big wallet to hold your index funds and other investments in. It's easy to get confused about that because normally the money you put into your 401k will be automatically invested in an index fund for you, but the 401k is just the bucket the investment is happening in. This can be really important because 1. a lot of people don't realize they can PICK what their 401k is invested in, and 2. a 401k is an employer plan, so if you ever leave your job or decide to save for retirement outside of your job, you will probably be putting your money in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA.) AN IRA DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY INVEST. You have to go in and manually put the money in your IRA into an index fund or else it will just be sitting in cash and not earning you money.

(because I'm on the topic - the difference there can be HUGE. If you're sitting here thinking "ew stonks, that's too risky, I'll just keep my money in a nice safe savings account," you might want to think about the risks a little differently. If you're invested in an S&P 500 index fund (which is one of the most common ones), the historical inflation-adjusted return on that is about 7% per year. At 7% per year, you will have DOUBLED your money in 10 years. If you invest $10,000 in 2025, you would have $20,000 in today's dollars in 2035 without putting ANY more money in. If you keep it in cash earning 0 interest, you will LOSE money. That's because inflation will steal the value of your dollars. At the current rate of about 2.85% inflation per year, you would go from having $10,000 in today's dollars in 2025 to $7,500 in today's dollars in 2035. With the index fund, you have market risk, where the stock market could go down in value and you could lose money that way, but in cash you have inflation risk, and will almost definitely lose at least some of your money.)

Generally speaking, here are the order of financial priorities:

Build an emergency savings of at least 3 months worth of living expenses

Pay down all high-interest debts, such as credit card debts

Build an emergency savings of 6 months - year worth of expenses.

Place some of your savings in a high-yield savings account (or money market fund) that you can still access easily without penalty if you need that money.

Start considering investing in something that yields a higher rate of return, but requires that you let money just *sit* in that investment for months or years at a time (CDs/bonds/index funds/a 401k [which is really just a type of index fund usually]).

Learn how to let your investments just sit without constantly looking at them or worrying about them! This is a skill that requires time, practice, and sometimes research to develop.

As your circumstances change and your familiarity and comfort with investing grows, tweak your exact investment strategy as needed. (For example, shift some money from index funds to bonds as you get older, or move CD investments to stocks as interest rates go down).

[dsireland86]

Tag list: @philomenie @supersquirrel1996 @foliosgirl @angelmarie89 @fadingintothegrey @thisbicc @lma1986 @dominuslunae @shayzillaaaa @mrsnoahsebastian @flowery-mess @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @stardustsirenmelody @romanreigns-supreme @anything-more-than-human @into-the-grey @rumoured-whispers @myownthoughts12 @sister-sebastian @nyxthedestroyerofworlds-deactiv @missduffsblog @bngurngheart @somebodyllelse @xxkittenkissesxx @fadingangelwisp

They stepped off the bus one at a time, lining up in front of the humongous house. It was beautiful, unlike anything any of them had ever stayed in, let alone lived in.

"How in the hell did you manage to snag this place for us, Matt?"Jolly raised his eyes at their tour manager/friend, waiting for his response. 

"Don't look at me," Matt insisted. "This one was all her," pointing to the quiet girl standing next to Nicholas.

She was holding his hand tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. Today, she was his. Everyone turned and looked at her, eyeing her up and down slowly. She was pretty, shorter than all of them, sweet as honey, and an amazing cook. But the one thing she had in common with all of them was that she shared each of them. No relationship, no commitment, just friendship; with benefits. 

All five of them had their own day with her, giving her two days to herself. But even then, she had the option if she wanted to be with one of them. No pressure, no demands, just simple.

Nicholas squeezed her hand and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him, smiling, and caressed his cheek before leaving his side.

"I just got lucky, I guess," she shrugged, caressing Matt's shoulder as she walked by him.

Just her touch alone made him shiver.

Walking up to the lock box on the front door, she put in the code and retrieved the spare house key, unlocking it. The view when they walked in was breathtaking.

"Alright, here's the game plan," Matt said, closing his hands together.

He was finding it hard to concentrate, watching her bend over to retrieve the sheet of biscuits from the oven. Images of his hands on her bottom last night flashed through his mind. Clearing his throat, he did his best to focus.

"The show is in two days. Tomorrow is rehearsals and crap, so that means today is free for all. I say we head out and enjoy the day since it's so beautiful. I've heard there's a lot to do here."

Everyone agreed in unison, except for her. Jolly walked over to her and caressed her back, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side.

"Are you alright, Älskling?" He kissed the side of her head. "Yeah, just really tired. The non-stop moving around has caught up to me, I think." "Why don't you take it easy today then," Nicholas suggested, caressing her hair.

The gentleness of his hand on her was a healing touch to her body, making her long for more. She took his hand and kissed the moons tattooed on his fingers; her favorite of his.

"But I want to be with you all today. It's too pretty of a day to stay inside." "Baby," Noah called, and she turned around. His deep chocolate eyes stared at her, reading her inner thoughts. "We've talked about this. Take time for yourself. Your mental health and being are more important than anything else."

She nodded, giving Noah a brief smile. "Do “you” things while we're gone, things that make you happy." "And when we get back, I'll draw you up a hot bath with bubbles," Folio offered, twirling his drumstick between his fingers. "Will you join me," she asked sweetly, implying no hidden motive. "Only if you want me to," Folio answered.

She nodded, turning her attention back to her baking.

"Sounds good to you, babe?" Matt asked. "Yup. That sounds good."

She saw them off, sighing deeply the moment the front door closed.

Text after text they sent her, reminding her how much they loved her and what she ment to them. She smiled at each one, thankful for their understanding and appreciation of her. The guys were her world. They meant everything to her. They deserved the same in return. That's when she had an idea.

Hidden in the inside pocket of her duffle bag were a few of her favorite sets she kept to herself. They were ones none of them had ever seen. But they would tonight.

She decided on the white one; full body see-through lace, opening in the middle between her legs for easy access. Checking herself in the mirror and spraying a few squirts of "Dream Angel," she smiled at the thought of them when they saw her.

Grabbing her baking apron and slipping it over her head, she tied it around her and went into the kitchen to finish baking the cookies she had started a little bit ago.

Nicholas made a beeline through the front door for her. He was craving her after she dropped the hint to him earlier that she had something special waiting for all of them when they got home.

The kitchen was warm and dimly lit. Two stacks of cookie boxes sat on the counter, proof of her time alone. 

Then his eyes found her, perched on top of the counter. She was covered by her apron, but her bare legs dangling off the edge said a lot.

"Hi" she said, softly. "Hi," Nichols replied with a smile.

The others soon followed, lining up behind and beside Nick.

"What are you doing sitting up there all pretty?" Jolly asked, raising an eyebrow. 

She grinned, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Wouldn't you like to know." "Yes, I think we all would," Matt said, turning his black ball cap around.

She found Noah's eyes, holding them in a hard stare while slowly undoing the tie to the apron and pulling it off. Groans, curses, and sighs echoed off the kitchen walls the moment she revealed her secret, all the while holding Noah's stare.

He didn't hesitate. In five long steps, Noah was standing in front of her, molding his mouth to hers in a hot, desperate kiss. His hands cupped her face as she wrapped her legs around his thighs, pulling him into her.

Between her scent and what she was wearing, Noah was fighting hard not to have his way with her right then.

"I fucking want you right here, right now, Princess. I don't care who's watching." 

Noah kissed the tender spot behind her ear before taking her ear lobe between his teeth.

"Then do. Take me right here, Noah," she breathed, gripping his ass tightly with her legs.

Noah groaned while quickly unzipping his zipper, letting his pants drop to the kitchen floor. All the sounds of the others behind him were drowned out by the thoughts of fucking her running through his mind. 

"Spread your legs, Princess," Noah commanded, clenching his teeth and breathing hard through his nostrils. 

Grinning, she parted, revealing the easy access opening of her lingerie, causing Noah to mumble incoherently. He gripped her behind her knees and pulled her down closer to the edge, and instantly entered her, falling into her as he moaned into her shoulder.

"Hard, Noah, Fuck me hard,"she whispered in his ear, running her hand up the back of his neck and into his hair as she held onto him.

Bracing himself against the counter, Noah pounded into her pussy in her moans filled the kitchen.

"Fuck, Princess, fuck I'm gonna cum!" "Then cum for me my love " she whispered.

Noah pulled out quickly and came on her thighs. The warm liquid dripped between them, instantly making her sticky.

"Holy fuck, you two!" Matt barked. "What the actual fuck!" "Sorry," Noah apologized into his arm. 

She looked at Matt, beckoning him over with her finger.

"I won't fuck you infront of them," Matt stated, shaking his head and giving her a serious look.

Once Noah cleaned her off, she crawled across the counter to Matt, gripping his shoulders. She rose to her knees, pressing her breasts closer to his face.

"Okay, but that doesn't mean I won't fuck you. Let me ride you, Matty," she begged, removing his hat and running her nails across his scalp. "God," Matt groaned, lifting her off the counter and carrying her to the living room, sitting down on the floor with her in his lap.

She undid his belt and pushed him back, laying him flat on the floor. Yanking his pants down just enough to free his cock, she lined herself up with him, slipping her pussy over him like a glove.

"Jesus!" Matt cried out. "Oh god, baby."

"You like that, Matty? You like how my pussy feels sinking down on you like this, so tight, so close," she moaned, riding him through short, tight little thrusts.

"Fuck! I can feel you! What is that?"

Placing her hand on her lower abdomen as Matt fucked up into her, she could feel his tip hit her cervix, making her scream out a suppressed moan.

"Fuck Matt! That shouldn't feel as good as it does." "Yeah? Is that your spot, baby?"

Matt grabbed her hips and began pulling her back and forth on him.

"Fuck me hard baby. If we're doing this, then I want to feel your sweet little cunt cum for me."

Placing her hands flat on Matt's chest, she rode him nice and hard, grabbing his hands and placing them on her breasts as she moaned over and over until they found their release together.

Matt sat up, clinging to her and biting down on her shoulder as he poured his seed into her, panting like an animal.

"Holy shit, baby!"

He placed soft kisses over the tops of her breasts, waiting for their bodies to calm down.

"You're still on the pill, right?" "No," she said quietly.

Matt's eyes snapped up to her panic ridden.

"I'm kidding, relax. Of course I am," and she kissed his lips. "Fuck you," he cursed through a light laugh. "But you already did, Matty," she teased, caressing the side of his face.

Matt shook his head, grinning as he rose to his feet and collected himself. Nicholas stood beside him, quietly looking down at her.

"Turn around, on your knees," was all he said to her, and she willingly obeyed.

Nick got down on his knees behind her, running his hand up the middle of her back.

"I want your ass, baby," he confessed, pumping his cock to make it harder and thicker. "You'll need this," Folio offered, handing him a bottle of massage oil.

Nick was too far gone with lust to say anything. Opening the bottle, he doused her rectum with the oil, making sure to get enough on his cock. Rising to his knees after seeing they were completely alone, Nick took her by the hips and slowly slid himself inside her.

Her deep intake of breath proved it was uncomfortable at first, and her hushed moans and quiet whimpers as Nicholas rutted against her, going deeper each time made him feel in complete power and control of her. He dominated her in a way that no other could.

"God, this feels better than I imagined," he groaned, slowly pulling back before going further in. "Nicky," she moaned, lightly pushing back against him, "Nicky!" she gasped. "I'm in, baby. I'm all the way in. Just breathe," he coaxed, soothing her with his hand gently gliding over her skin. "Are you okay? Is it too much?" Nicholas asked, very concerned. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. "Mmmhmm, I'm good," she replied, nodding her head. "Okay. Can I move? Do you want me to?" "Yes, but slowly, please," she replied, trying to relax.

Nick started moving back and forth, slowly, unable to stay quiet from the way the inside of her ass rubbed against the ridges of his cock. Fucking her like this was an indescribable feeling.

"Fast, Nick," she demanded. "You sure?"" "Yes, please!"

Nicholas picked up his pace, unable to hide his enjoyment. His loud grunts and cruses of praise and her moans and choked back sobs filled the living room until those sobs turned into cries of pleasure.

"Shit, baby," Nicholas breathed, completely thrown over how good the feeling was. "Baby, Nicky, I'm about to cum. Don't stop, please don't stop!"

Her orgasm hit her hard, her entire body convulsing and shaking. Nicholas pulled out and spilt  his cum over her back as she collapsed onto the floor, completely spent.

"Are you okay, love?" Nick asked, completely wrecked. "Yes. I just need a minute," she said."

Nicholas was afraid he'd gone too far with her. Fixing himself, he went to the kitchen where everyone was, and got a warm cloth and some paper towels.

"You didn't hurt her, did you Nick?"

Nicholas stopped in his tracks, turning and looking at Folio.

"She said I didn't." "You used plenty of oil?" "Yes, Folio, why?"

Nicholas seemed annoyed at the questions.

"I'm just checking. That's all." "Here," Jolly said, holding his hand out. "Let me. It's my turn," eyeing Nicholas while pulling his hair up in a messy bun.

Nicholas nodded, handing the towel over.

" Älskling," Jolly called quietly, walking into the living room.

He found her still on the floor, and still awake.

"Are you alright," he whispered, kneeling down on the floor beside her.

"I am. I'm just cold," she chuckled lightly.

Jolly cleaned her off the best he could, taking a blanket from the couch and wrapping her up comfortably. He held her in his lap, coddling her and kissing her forehead.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. I understand. Today was supposed to be a day for you. What happened?"

She wiggled out of Jolly's grasp and wrapped her legs around his waist. With his back up against the couch, Jolly allowed her to undo his pants and free his semi hard cock. Sighing the moment she touched him, Jolly grabbed her hips, jerking her until she aligned with him. Slowly she sunk down on him, throwing her head back in satisfaction.

"Slow, Jolly. Go slow, please," she asked, brushing the loose hair out of his face and kissing his lips softly.

His hands found her ass, gripping it gently, even though every nerve in his body was telling him differently. She needed gentleness right now, soft and mild. Even though his intention at first was something else, Jolly had to admit this slow paced love making was more perfect than he imagined.

"Baby girl, oh fuck, baby, you're so beautiful," Jolly praised her, planting his face between her breast and kissing them between the sheer thin lace. The small slits against her nipples allowed access for his tongue to slip through, giving him the ability to nip at the pebbled flesh beneath it.

"Jolly," she whimpered, pressing on the back of his head to keep him where he was.

She fucked him harder, moaning softly enough for only him to hear, gripping his hair

"You want me to cum for you, daddy," she whispered in his ear, making him groan loudly.

"Fucking hell," Jolly said, slamming his lips into hers and kissing her, pushing her pussy hard into his cock.

"Cum for me, mama, come for your daddy," he pleaded with her, dragging his lips down her neck.

"Jolly," she moaned, gripping his shoulders and biting down on him, hard.

She clung to him the moment she came, letting the feeling sweep over her like a tidal wave, dragging her down into the deep emotions of his love.

"I love you," Jolly whispered lovingly into her hair.

"I love you, too."

And it was true. She did love him. Very much. She was in love with all of them.

"There you go, nice and slow, sweetheart," Folio coaxed her, holding her hand as she climbed into the jacuzzi tub. The jets created copious amounts of bubbles within the hot water.

Sitting down and giving herself time to adjust to the temperature of the water, she rested against Folio's chest, breathing easily.

"You okay?"

The warm water from the sponge he squeezed over her shoulders was soothing.

"Mmmhmm, I'm okay," she said sleepily.

"You know you didn't have to do all of that for us, right?" Folio questioned, kissing the side of her temple.

She gathered his hands up and pulled his arms around her.

"I know I didn't. But you guys kept sending me the sweetest texts and the way you insisted I take today for me made my heart so happy. I just had to show you how much I appreciated and loved all of it; all of you," she stated.

"We all love you a lot too," Folio assured her honestly. "Some of us more than others."

She smiled to herself, tightening her grip on him. She wanted Folio as close to her as possible.

"You make me the happiest, Nick," she confessed weakly, almost as if what she was saying was a sin. But Nick already knew the truth; he'd know for a while now.

"I know. I can tell. It's our little secret though, yeah," he stated, kissing the side of her face.

"Yeah, our little secret," she agreed, handing Folio the scrubby with soap.

[serickswrites]

All Quiet IV

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Warnings: referenced captivity, referenced torture, referenced restraints, referenced drugging, unconsciousness, hospital, hurt/aftermath, hurt/recovery, guilt

Caretaker sat in the quiet hospital room, unwilling to move from their seat. Whumpee slept peacefully beneath the blanket, their soft breaths reassuring Caretaker that they were still alive.

Because Caretaker thought Whumpee had died. Between nearly suffocating Whumpee and Whumper's violent outburst, Caretaker had been sure that their rescuers would announce that Whumpee had died and there was nothing they could do.

But they didn't.

The cacophony of sounds as their rescuers rushed in and to their aid confused Caretaker. They couldn't understand. Why help them? They didn't deserve help. But as more rescuers rushed in and crowded around Whumpee, Caretaker realized Whumpee was still alive.

That had been the most relieving news they had heard.

And so Caretaker sat with Whumpee. They had refused to leave Whumpee's side once the doctors said that they would be fine. They didn't care about themself anyway. They only cared about Whumpee.

They had nearly killed Whumpee.

It had been all their fault. Between failing to rescue Whumpee, nearly suffocating Whumpee, and being able to stop Whumper from torturing, Caretaker nearly killed Whumpee. They would the spend the rest of their life begging Whumpee's forgiveness. Though they didn't deserve it.

Whumpee's fingers twitched in Caretaker's, their brow furrowing in pain. "It's ok, I'm here. I've got you. I'll get the nurse, you're going to be ok, Whumpee."

And just as quickly as the frown appeared on Whumpee's brow, it faded. Whumpee was ok. Whumpee was going to be ok. That was all that mattered.

Tags: @mousepaw @jumpywhumpywriter @knightinbatteredarmor @hufflepuffwritingstuff2 @anightmarishwhump

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @celestialsoyeon @st0rmm @ay5ksal @pedro-pedro-pedro-pedro-pe

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@dedicated-whump-blog @orangeduckweed @pepeniascat

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you think that Ms. Bustier is overhated?

Not particularly. I don't have any strong feelings about her, but she's clearly a terrible teacher who is in way over her head. I totally understand why she sets some people off. If she was a real person that I actually had to deal with, then she'd probably set me off, too, because she so perfectly encapsulates toxic positivity. If you're not familiar with that term, then here's a quick definition:

Toxic positivity is the act of avoiding, suppressing, or rejecting negative emotions or experiences. This may take the form of denying your own emotions or someone else denying your emotions, insisting on positive thinking instead. Although setting aside difficult emotions is sometimes necessary temporarily, denying negative feelings long term is harmful because it can prevent people from processing their emotions and overcoming their distress.

Read that definition and then look at this scene from Zombiezou:

Marinette: But Miss Bustier, it's so not fair! It was Chloé, pulling another...Chloé! And...I'm the one who's getting in trouble?! Miss Bustier: Of course you're not in trouble, don't worry! As the class representative, I want you to set a good example for your classmates. Don't give into feelings of anger. Try to forgive Chloé instead. Marinette: I don't get it... Chloé is the meanest person I've ever known. Miss Bustier: Come on... There are much worse people in Paris right now than Chloé Bourgeois. I'm sure people like Chloé are capable of great things. The problem is, they only think of themselves. They don't understand the meaning of love, and we can't force them to change. But perhaps we can show them by setting a good example. That's why Marinettes are so important in today's world; because they have a lot of love to give. I'm counting on you. Marinette: Yes, Miss Bustier.

This is toxic positivity in action. Marinette is told to set aside her extremely valid feelings as if anger is a terrible thing, but it isn't. All emotions have their place and ignoring them can do real harm, a lesson that Miraculous really struggles with. It seems to see "negative" emotions as bad and they're really not. What matters is how we express and address our emotions, not that we experience them. If you want to see a family friendly piece of media do this topic right, then go watch Pixar's Inside Out.

There's also the fact that Chloé is never punished for her actions in this episode. She ruined a gift that probably took Marinette hours and yet Miss Bustier puts the onus to fix things on Marinette, blaming the victim and doing nothing to actually fix the situation. Canon mildly complicates this with Chloé's father's willingness to meddle, making punishing her apparently impossible, but Miss Bustier doesn't even acknowledge that here. The stated logic is that you need to be nice to your bully and that will hopefully magically fix things, which is a terrible lesson that I don't want any kid to learn! What kind of logic is that?

I'll admit that I'm a big fan of "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," but that doesn't mean that you should never acknowledge harm or fight back. It just means that you need to be measured in your responses and pick your battles wisely. If this episode was about that, then I'd be fine with it, but that's not the lesson here. There is no point where the wrong done to Marinette is even mildly acknowledged. Miss Bustier's initial reaction to seeing Marinette's ruined gift is:

Miss Bustier: Well, I think this present is wonderful. It'll be my new cosmetics bag! Then I'll be able to think of both of you every time I use it.

And we go straight from that to the toxic positivity.

Something is wrong with this woman. You shouldn't even take this approach with preschoolers! While I could see this being a good final solution to something like Chloé scribbling on Marinette's drawing, Chloé's behavior still needs to be addressed. She is still the one in the wrong here. The one whose behavior needs to change.

This is one of many cases where there are two paths to take with this character. The writers clearly want Miss Bustier to be a wonderful teacher, but they wrote a victim-blaming disaster who shouldn't be in charge of anyone. If you're ever adapting her, then it's up to you if you want to redesign her into her intended self or if you want to lean into the bad writing. I think both paths have merit because the writing is so bad that there is no way to make canon Caline work as a good teacher. She's too fundamentally flawed so you either acknowledge how awful she is or do a major overhaul where she's much less forgiving and actually acknowledges things like the Chloé problem.

[novankenn]

Me and My BIG MOUTH!!!

(A snippet from A Mafia AU)

(A/N - More AWESOME art by @pilot-boi!!! If she keeps doing this I'll have to make a separate blog just for this AU!!!)

Pyrrha was a nervous wreck. She was once again out with Jaune, when some LOW-LIFE tried to harm her loveable dork! No her... target. Yeah that's what Jaune is... her target... not her dork, or adorable. Stupid heart!

Anyway, they were walking down main street when Pyrrha has noticed a red dot reflected off a store window. She didn't need to be a brain surgeon to know what that meant. So she reacted, in her best interests... not to save Jaune and keep her cuddly-bunny from getting hurt. Of course not that!

Grabbing Jaune by the wrist she spun him away from the window, pressed her forearm to his chest and physically power walked him into a trash filled alley. Jaune let out a grunt when his back hit a wall. Her forearm traveled up his rather taunt chest, and pressed against the base of his throat pinning him to the wall. One look at his surprised and fearful eyes and Pyrrha felt like she had just kicked a puppy.

"P... Pyr?" Jaune stammered out, in utter shock.

"Quiet, and stay here." Pyrrha instructed her tone leaving no room for argument. "Someone's after you, now let me do my bodyguard duties, and chase them off."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now stay here out of sight. Go it?" Jaune nodded in response.

Pyrrha was on the move a fraction of a second later. She knew that the shooter was smart enough not to take a wild shot, hence the store front window being still in one piece, and seeing as there were no shouts of panic, she knew they weren't street level. Scanning the street and roof tops from her hidden corner, she caught movement.

"He's mine." Pyrrha growled, before bolting across the street. She had to move, and move fast. If this shooter was worth their salt they would be right now repositioning for a clean line of sight.

Finding a rust fire-escape, Pyrrha jumped caught the bottom rung and using pure upper body strength crawled up it until her feet touched the rungs. Once she could get her legs involved her ascent to the roof was extremely rapid. Once she was at the rooftops, she took a quick look and saw her quarry.

She didn't recognize the guy. Figures some nobody would make a move on her man! Growling she charged across the gravel coated roof. The crunch of her feet alerted the would-be-shooter, but Pyrrha was a champion, a prodigy, and in denial of her true feelings. So the poor shmuck was no challenge.

"You dare take a shot at my BABY DADDY!" Pyrrha screamed without registering what she was saying as she grappled, twisted, yank, and then snapped various bones, on multiple limbs. Rendering the man unable to do anything but sit in a wheelchair for the foreseeable future, her mind caught up to what she had just yelled.

"You didn't hear that!" she snarled making the unnamed man whimper and whine in absolute terror.

The sound of clapping startled Pyrrha making her whip about to come face to Terra Cotta-Arc wearing a shit eating grin. Pyrrha's eyes went wide, and her face flushed cherry red.

"Don't worry," Terra smirked as she walked over to the down would-be-shooter. Pyrrha watched her draw a strange looking pistol from under her coat. "No one will say a thing."

Pyrrha tensed for the weapon's report, but there was none. One second the would-be-hitter was whimpering in agony and the next his brains were decorating the roof. Terra continued to smile her shit-eating grin as reloaded the single shot weapon.

"So," Terra spoke as she holstered her strange weapon, and then draped an arm across Pyrrha's shoulders. "Baby Daddy? Is there something we should know about going on in... Jaune's room behind closed door?"

"No."

"Good." Terra continued to smile, "Let me give you the same advice Mama Arc gave me. No ring... no hanky-panky. Understand?"

"Yes." Pyrrha wanted a hole to open beneath her and swallow her up.

"Good." Terra patted Pyrrha on the shoulder. "Get back to honey-bunny, I'll take care of this mess."

Slinking away completely embarrassed, Pyrrha activated her scroll to call Jaune and let him know she was safe, but just as she was tapping the screen a call came in. She didn't notice in her distracted sate.

"Jaune, it's Pyr. You're safe. I'm on my way back to you. Stay put."

"Jaune?" responded a voice that Pyrrha was dreading to hear. "Since when do you have the contact information for one Jaune Arc, and since when have you been calling yourself Pyr? Or was that his idea?"

"Mom!?!"

"Yes, my dear daughter it is your very cross, stressed and worried mother." Athena answered. "So would you care to..."

"Sorry... mom... you're... breaking... up..."

"Pyrrha, that trick will not work..."

Pyrrha pinched the bride of her nose as soon as she disconnected the call. She would deal with her mother later, much later. She tapped her thumb absent mindedly against the screen of her scroll as she started to make the descent to the streets below. The tell-tale woosh sound effect made her eyes go wide.

"No!" she whispered in horror as she just understood what had happened. Even though she had signed out of her chat with Blake, she had left it open. Open on to that photo... which she had just accidently sent to her mom.

In Athena Niko's suite she stared at her scroll. More than a little annoyed that Pyrrha, her daughter had unceremoniously tried the "going through a tunnel" trick before just hanging up on her. Then sent her a rather strange picture.

"What am I looking at?" Athena asked her executive assistant.

"It looks like your daughter wearing a set of boxers on her head, mistress."

"That's what I thought." Athena's fingers went slack and she for the second time that day passed out from emotional shock.

(A/N - Thank you to everyone whose helping make this such a fun series to do. SPEACIAL THANKS to @pilot-boi whose works of art are providing the inspirational basis for these stories. Also SPECIAL THANKS to @rwby-encrusted-blog for their additions to these AUs.

Okay I admit I’ve been thinking about this AU some more

They are rotating in my mind

[lunchtimebedamned1997]

Arcane S2 thoughts

(spoilers, obviously)

Most of this was sent to my friend Penn @pennedinblood in discord first, but I wanted to share it + some more on here too.

Okay, I now that its been a couple days and I've had time to think properly, have some thoughts about Arcane. This isn't going to be as specific and nuanced as I'd like, but I'll need more time for something like that.

Here's the thing... What we did get was good and I liked it a lot - for the most part anyway - but like - it wasn't a very good finale imo...

Like -

In season one they had this just fucking masterful foundation for such a nuanced discussion of class and oppression, of the cycle of violence, of how desperate acts may seem evil to some but are not always as simple as they seem and that one person's actions may influence the narrative but that it is the systems in place - and the willingness to follow systems that harm a disproportionate amount of the population for personal gain - that are the real issue. There were no real villains in s1 imo. It was just people making good, bad, or neutral choices, and they all interconnected and effected not only the plot, but the audiences' understanding of the corrupt system in place.

It forced you (if you're paying attention) to understand with visceral understanding both those of the oppressed and the oppressors; and in the midst of all of that we had magic and science interplaying beautifully against the good and greed of mankind.

AND just vast, resonant, deep interpersonal connections and development that you could feel in your bones.

and then in season two... we just kind of went - 'fuck that here's jesus and a witch ~~~ Magic war tiiime' Like?????

It touched on a few themes for sure, and what Jayce had to say to Viktor about disability and the purpose of people, or the value in imperfection and the point of life - as someone who's struggled with their health and other personal things I don't want to get into on the internet, that hit so hard. I hated Jayce in S1, and he won me over in act one of this season and just - didn't let me down. His arc was beautiful and I really really appreciate it. His connection with Viktor means so much to me. screeches into the void

But lets be so fucking real - they kind of (majorly) chickened out of their mass commentary on the opposing classes and working towards a better system that doesn't harm its people. and instead like - Vi's arc got completely fucked?

Like - oh okay so you ditched everything you were going to say and just made her a strong war pawn who can hit good and is gay coolcoolcool (sobs). Like, act one was so promising it really felt like it was following up on everything they had been working towards, and i loved seeing Vi having to make hard choices; watching her become an enforcer as the only way she could think of to deal with two disparate parts of herself - one that needed to put an end to the monster she feels like she created (Jinx, obvi), and one that desperately needed to hold onto the only person she had left (Caitlyn).

And Cait's devolvement into fascism was so intriguing and dark and I hated it in a good way, yk? Like I was like "oh fuck they made Cupcake unrecognizable in a fucking believable way wtf that's rad bro"

And then in act two they were just like 'HAHA lets not show you anything but the highlights of Vi's inner tumoil, then - wow look Jinx is here to tell her about Vander! - let's just never actually take a hard look into Vi's issues or personal arc ever again teehee - oh! And Cait's on our side again yay!' Like EXCUSE ME???

Vi had stood as one of the most important characters in the entire show. She is the linchpin between Piltover and Zaun - one of only two hinges that connects the two cites (the other being Viktor to a far lesser degree bc his roots are never explored, Singed is the only undercity person we see him go back to interact with, etc etc leaving Vi to be the only 'real one') And they completely sidestepped that - especially how she's also so connected to Ekko and the Firelights - which was just - never touched again - Ekko didn't even get to fix his tree! I get it, bigger fish but ffs - it's not a blaming character thing, it's a writing issue. I understand why Ekko had to focus on smth besides his tree lmao - it's that the writers just dropped this thing that stood so strongly for Ekko's fucking roots man (pun intended). Like - He's representing what Vander wanted to do. What Zuan could be. He is literally making a part of Zaun beautiful and supportive, and standing resolute against the system and saying "both of you are wrong, back tf up and lets talk" and they just got rid of that. I think it says a lot that that in particular was punted into the void.

I'm just not over that we never got to see him and Vi interact again dude wth - and I feel like that really speaks to how much they removed Vi from her point and purpose in S1. It would make sense if she needed more time to reconnect -esp after how Cait betrayed her - but to never actually talk again? Just glimpsing each other in the finale?

Don't get me wrong, I loved some of the time-suckers this season. Mel for one (who I also wasn't a huge fan of in S1 (I didn't trust her lol)). Everything with Mel, Vik, and Jayce was sooo interesting, and Ambessa was a great villain. She was imposing and horrible and yet there were very small parts of her that you could understand - but there wasn't enough time. Not with everything else we were also touching. Not without loosing so much of what we had been working towards. And even with the large focus, The Black Rose was this jumbled mess of ideas that didn't really amount to much besides giving Mel a powerup and probably leading us into the spinoff :(

I've been having trouble processing all of this because I'm shocked and upset because narratively, I didn't like it.

And I HATE that I didn't like it. I liked the individual scenes. I liked the concepts at play. But none of it was fleshed out!

That impeccable no-crumbs-left writing was suddenly nothing but crumbs. A whole feast of them. Nothing was really held together and it left each arc feeling like a separate vaguely-connected vignette rather than a whole story - let alone a satisfying conclusion to the previous season.

I'm genuinely angry because I wanted so badly to love this season but I just don't; not as a whole, not as an ending. Again, the individual moments were largely great, but good moments don't make a good story.

I just feel like they were trying too hard to serve LoL lore. Originally Arcane wasn't cannon-compliant with the messy lore of the game, and then a few months ago they came out and said that it was now considered canon - and I was excited bc I thought that meant that whatever they did would influence League - but I was wrong. I think it's very clear that Canonizing Arcane had the opposite effect. I think it's why they chickened out of their societal commentary - I think it's why the Champion deaths were so 'no body, no proof'. I think that it undercut all the stakes for the writers and made them forced to bend to the will of a lot more oversight from the higher-ups at Riot.

I don't know guys, how are you feeling? I'm really glad we got CaitVi cannonized (but I have things I wanna say about that too, esp. how their sex scene played into the sidestepping of Vi's arc (not that it happened, but the way it did - I can talk more about this another time lmao)) and I loved getting a timebomb kiss (again more Vi arc things I wanna say *sobbing and gnawing on my cage bars*) but yeah - anyway I gotta stop typing before I get too into-the-weeds of my thoughts. I'll probably make a big post about the specifics of how I feel they fucked up Vi's story in another post bc I clearly can't let it go XD

But fr tell me ur thoughts too pls I want to know what you thing even if - maybe even especially if - you disagree with me :3

Idk I've got to rewatch it.

It wasn't bad TV, it's still better than most things coming out right now... I hate that I can't just love it entirely rn raaaaaaahhh auhfalwoiha (help D':)

[leiawritesstories]

snowy nights with you

written for @throneofglassmicrofics November prompts: "cozy" & "curl"

just some cozy fluffy winter fluff ;))

word count: 752

warnings: none ;)

enjoy!!

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

Rowan's soft, rumbling chuckle drifted through Aelin's hazy slumber, and she cracked her eyes open to find him sitting on the edge of the couch, brushing her hair gently away from her face. "Hey, Fireheart. Good nap?"

"The best," she murmured, still groggy. She'd flopped onto the couch only a few minutes after she'd come home from work, another overly long day of dealing with her sleazy boss. Once her shoes were off and she was wrapped in her old sweats and one of Rowan's college hockey sweatshirts, she'd tumbled right into that inviting heap of blankets draped over the couch and closed her eyes.

"How long has it been?" she wondered, slowly pushing herself to a seated position.

He glanced at his watch. "Well, I just got home, so probably a couple hours. You hungry?"

"Always." Right on cue, her stomach rumbled. She laughed. "Yeah, I know, it's been a while since lunch."

"Good thing the takeout should be here in a few minutes," Rowan said, a smile pulling at his lips.

She looped her arms around his neck and plopped a theatrical kiss on his cheek. "Best husband in the world."

"I try my best, love," he teased, sliding his warm hand around to the back of her head and kissing her properly. She sighed into the kiss, drinking in the taste of his lips.

When she pulled away, smiling, her cheeks were flushed a soft pink. "I could get used to this," she joked, as if six months of marriage hadn't already acclimated her to the giddiness of coming home to her husband.

"Might have to change things up, then." He winked at her. "Can't have my wife thinking we have a fixed routine." His thumb rubbed the back of her palm, curving around the emerald on her left hand. "How was work?"

She groaned, tucking herself into his side and hiding her face in his shoulder. "About as good as usual." Her boss, Arobynn, was a sleazy asshole who ogled every woman in the office as much as possible and was constantly making lewd gestures at her.

"I'm gonna punch his face in," Rowan grumbled, irritation scrunching his brows. "Does he seriously not understand that you're my wife?"

"He probably just doesn't care." Aelin ran her thumb over the groove in Rowan's forehead, smoothing out the lines. "And Ro, my love, you can't just show up my office."

"I know." Sometime in the last handful of minutes, he'd managed to untangle the blankets from around Aelin and tuck them neatly over both of them. "But you're okay, yeah?"

"I am." She kissed the corner of his lips. "I can fend for myself, and I have Dorian and Fenrys if I need male backup."

"Okay." Rowan looked like he wanted to say something else, but he was interrupted by the chiming of the doorbell. "Food's here." He kissed Aelin's forehead. "I'll go get it."

Aelin settled herself back into her blanket cocoon, soaking in the warmth from the heap of blankets and her husband's sweatshirt. A chilly breeze curled in from the open front door, and she shivered, tucking the blankets tighter around herself. Her eyes drifted shut again, almost involuntarily, and she blinked awake to find the living room window cracked just a few inches.

It hadn't been open before.

Groggy, Aelin scrubbed her hands across her eyes, unwrapped herself from the pile of blankets, and stood up slowly, her body not quite willing to leave the cozy warmth of the couch. But she had to close the window, so she made herself walk across the floor and tug it shut. As she did so, a whiff of Rowan's cologne drifted up from the sleeve of his sweatshirt, and she closed her eyes, pulling the crisp pine scent deep into her lungs.

When she opened her eyes again, a film of tears blurred her vision as the recognition that she'd once again been dreaming hit her like a truck.

Only hours ago, she'd come home from work and wrapped herself in her husband's sweatshirt, clinging to one of the last pieces she had left of him. Only hours ago, she'd tucked her face into the thick, pine-scented fabric and breathed Rowan's presence into her blood, and she'd fallen asleep to the most beautiful memories of him.

But as always, she awoke to the reality--her, alone in the house they had hoped to fill with laughter, clinging to Rowan's clothes because she could no longer cling to his body.

~~~

TAGS:

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[supremechancellorrex]

Okay, then, it's online space, we can go back and forth forever as it's all public discourse and there's no such thing as trespassing. Please give me examples of Mai saying fascist rhetoric or looking down on other nations racially. Aside from her just existing as a FN character born on the wrong side of the border. "Zuko did x" is actually a good measure when there's a double standard. Funny enough, I've met even people who call Zuko fascist and dislike Zuko's redemption story as it ends up with him as an absolute monarch, who mishandles the Fire Nation colony problem and puts FN citizen interests above Earth Kingdom interest for much of the Promise. The word is hardly stirring in this fandom now. Others have called him an abuser for how controlling he was in the Beach in who Mai could talk to. And they tell me all of that is so apparent. It seems in some opinions Zuko is badly written, despite the feels and "kindness" conclusions.

Also with Sokka and Suki it is not a "false equivalence" because Sokka and Suki were friends and then lovers who meet up again and kissed in the Serpent's Pass after spending days together and that whole spiel about Yue, his first girlfriend. He rebuffs Ty Lee in the Crossroads of Destiny by saying he's "with Suki now". Sokka went into a fit of rage and cried in Day of Black Sun over Suki, yet he didn't think of her missing until Azula mentions it despite it being weeks. Then as soon as they meet up again Sokka tries to smooch her immediately. They are in a relationship, it goes without saying. This is the nature of Avatar. You could complain the relationship between Suki and Sokka is fast, it could also be complained that Sokka forgets about Suki for a long time despite being committed to her. Arguably makes Sokka seem rather callous if one is to ignore this is an episodic kid's show, same with Zuko.

As for your conjecture of "We're supposed to think", that's just your interpretation, a rather absolutist one, but the context, voice acting, body language/smiles and structuring of those scenes, including the quotes I have shared but you're free to watch them yourself, make it unlikely for quite a number of others, myself included. Since you've talked about what you hate, I'll tell you what I dislike in the fandom. Absolutist takes where everyone in the audience is told "We're supposed to" with no evidence provided. This is what Azula stans say, they say "We're supposed to sympathise with Azula", "We're supposed to see that she's an abuse victim child and not judge her at all", despite it just being their interpretation. Mai does not dismiss everything Zuko says, there are many times she tries to understand and comfort him in Book 3, and Zuko's actual reasons for leaving are stated in the show.

Zuko: "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor... I couldn't drag her into it."

This is a protective measure for her, not "anti-war rhetoric" fears.

I think it's quite clear he didn't think she was going to do anything to him. He expresses no actual fear towards Mai at all. Even when he runs into her in the Boiling Rock, still no fear. It's because Mai and Zuko actually have a level of trust, because Mai has been often supportive of him despite a couple mistakes here and there. The more Zuko and Mai got to know each other in the show, the more time goes the more they ironed out problems like how most relationships work.

I also disagree with your accusations of how I allegedly "misconstrued" your argument when I actually think you misunderstand and misconstrue mine. You don't have to say someone doesn't need to be as bad as Ozai or Azula to be an abuser, although it's rather irrelevant, and I never said Mai's difficulty emoting was a good thing. Just like I would never say Zuko taking out his anger on others is a good thing, if we're talking about the relationship and responsibility. The funny thing is, Mai learns how to emote more and express herself. She even smiles more as the series progresses, she confronts Azula, she chooses Zuko over fear and bitterness. As for 'just "being human" and a teenage girl", think you restructured my sentence there, but regardless I never said Mai was perfect, there are reasons why, and I just don't believe it takes her out the running from having a relationship with Zuko just because they both have baggage or aren't perfect at communicating in every interaction. If you don't think Mai is "nasty", then why would Katara be supposedly justified in punching her in the throat and never liking her? I think the word is actually a good summary of your view of her, since you claim she's an "abuser" and "mean" to everyone, demanding a relationship with Zuko as if this is an entrapment case (despite Zuko clearly wanting the relationship as well and making his own decisions).

Zuko [surprised, happy]: 'Mai! You're okay! They let you out of prison?"

Mai : "My uncle pulled some strings. And it doesn't hurt when the new Fire Lord is your boyfriend."

Zuko: [happy, smiling] "So does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"

Look at Zuko's response, look at the context. Think we can take it that Mai isn't demanding anything here if they both know each other and what each other wants. Zuko is receptacle because he wants to be back with her, and she knows it, which is the context of the dialogue. It feels like you're forcing Mai into an aggressor/abuser role that doesn't fit her character. Mai herself is critiqued in the narrative for suppressing her emotions, and as the narrative continues we see her learn to express them more to the point she not only yells in the Beach but later goes against Azula. But Mai is never an abuser. Whether you appreciate this or not, these are canon scenes. You can argue bad writing, but it doesn't change that the writing is geared to Mai being a certain character, and that is likely not the one you're accusing her of, even with her earlier villain rep that felt rather mild in the narrative ultimately. She didn't even want to chase Katara and Sokka through slurry.

As for Ukano, guy hardly seems like a threat, Mai handled him and everyone easily while holding a toddler. Perhaps Mai didn't think Ukano would achieve much, or join with Azula, who was supposed to be in asylum. Do I think it's bad writing? Sure. Entire New Ozai Society is. Same with how I think Zuko regressing his character arc and getting advice from a genocidal maniac like Ozai is bad. At worst, they're just both muddled about their bad fathers and manipulated at times, Ukano plants doubts in Mai's mind in Smoke and Shadow (that undermine Maiko), Ozai plants doubts in Zuko in the Promise (that consequently undermine Maiko). Not sure how this adds to your Mai is an abuser narrative, Ukano and Ozai are a better fit for the blame by messing with their kids' feelings and relationship.

"I think Katara would get along with Azula/Mai because female solidarity!"

Cool. I think Katara would punch fascists in the throat.