#sorry this took so long Angel!

[confuzzeledpanda]

If y'all don't know, Angel's running the cutest Infinite DTIYS challenge and you should absolutely join!!

It's been so long since I've had a reason to draw the boys, I've missed them 🙏🏼💙❤️

[tubesock86]

the scoobies (plus faith and spike)

[linked-maze]

The refs for the Twili siblings!

[bluegiragi]

mission start!

gain early access to all my content on patreon!

[jinstronaut]

jin's bread cheek smile, for @sampleofmypasta ♥ (cr.appletape)

cc's for palestine masterlist | request here

[erwinsvow]

i feel like pogue!reader with rafe would have an interesting dynamic with barry. like, he doesn’t particularly like her - knowing her connection with the pogues, especially jj but at the same time he’s dealing with rafe and pogues as a collective have gotta stick together. he’s also just morbidly curious about how she and country club have became a thing.

barry laughs when he sees you walking into his place, attached to rafe's side.

"ain't that-"

"that's my fuckin' girl. so watch your mouth." rafe cuts him off before he can finish the rest of his sentence, which is sure to have something to do with the fact that the few times barry's seen you before, you've been with the pogues that rafe supposedly hates so much.

"your girl? is that right? well, pleasure to meet you again, m'barry-"

you look up hesitantly at rafe, wondering if you should say something back, and you briefly reflect for a moment just how different things used to be. with your best friends, with jj and john b and pope at your side, the group of you would go and make yourselves comfortable anywhere. they'd charm their way into the good graces of the host and you never felt like you couldn't just speak your mind.

rafe is different. you don't know if it's bad, if he's bad for you, or not. talking to someone when you know he doesn't want you to feels wrong, feels bad. and you like him taking lead, him showing you the way and calling all the shots.

so you smile at barry but don't engage, looking up at your boyfriend instead. he looks down at you for a second, but you can tell you did the right thing.

"sit down and shut up. c'mon, we got shit to discuss."

"tells me to sit down. in my own fuckin' house. i gotta tell you princess, you picked a real winner here in rafey boy-"

"did y'not hear the shut up part?"

a laugh escapes, though you try to keep it quiet. they go on discussing something that doesn't mean much to you, while you go on your phone and text your friends. rafe's phone rings, and he just steps away for a minute to answer. barry doesn't hesitate a second to get the answers he needs from you.

"so. you and country club. how long's that been goin' on?"

"um, a couple months."

"your boys know 'bout him?" you bite your cheek. they don't, yet.

"not yet. but, soon, i guess. waiting for the right time.." you mumble, playing with a loose stitch on your skirt.

"yeah. i'd get on that. not gonna be too happy, are they?"

"maybe."

"don't they hate your boy as much as he hates them? ain't that.. awkward?"

you think you should be offended by the line of questioning, but rafe talks about barry often enough for you to know that he's not a snitch, that he doesn't care. he's just curious.

and he should be. up until a few months ago, you were never seen without your boys, as barry put it. you used to be attached to jj's arm, permanent passenger princess in pope's truck and the twinkie. it all feels like a lifetime ago.

"i'm hoping we can all make amends," you finish softly, fresh waves of guilt washing through your body. it burns where it goes, a stinging similar to what your friends are gonna feel soon, when they find out you've been dating the boy who's been terrorizing them.

"for your sake, i hope so too."

"what're you two talkin' about?" rafe asks, coming back inside and taking his place next to you. he puts his hand on your knee, brings you in close without having to ask.

you hope it's all going to be worth it.

"nothing."

[fresanita]

Angel Dust Turns Human pt5

"Alastor & Angels Background 2!"

Pt1

Pt2

Pt3

Pt4

IM SO SORRRYYY!!!🧎 omg, my classes were absolutely becoming my lifestyle for a moment! It's not even bad. It's just REALLY time-consuming💔🙏 Istg u can tell it took a few months bc of the artsyle change midway; there were so many mistakes but idec anymore☹️ pic 3 is not "buy my time" it's meant to be "BUT my time"!! Also idky I basically drew Alastor w tit pecks on pic5, but I'm not fixing that😣‼️ there are other mistakes but SHHH!!

This part was meant to have more images, but there's a 30 pic max on here, so it's gonna be split in half☹️👍. I tweaked so hard drawing these bc I tried to do this on a bigger canvas for better quality, and the amount of glitches on my tiny ass laptop was insane😒...it deadass deleted a whole layer w several panels that was the ending which I spent the whole day on, but it's okay cuz I redrew it🙂 (FUCK MY LAPTOP FUCK STORAGE AND FUCK THAT I CRIED THAT NIGHT AND DIDNT WANT TO STARE AT THAT SHIT FOR 2 DAYS!!!)

Anyways YAY!!!😁😁🙏 I'm so glad to finally be able to draw moments where alastor and angel are getting a bit closer! I know Alastors interest or consistency w accompanying Angel seems ooc and THATS BC IT IS💔‼️ Self indulgence w a hint of desperate explanations.

Antoní as a kid, finally opens up about home life (not rlly🤫) and Alastor offers a branch to hold onto, furthering Antonio's trust🫶. Antoní is PLATONICALLY blushing bc he's a bit embarrassed thinking, 'Wow, sir is so cool and nice, now he wants to hang out w ME?' He's flattered at nothing☹️ (FATHER ALASTOR FATHER ALASTOR FATHER ALADTOR)

Tag list: @diffidentphantom

[nadvs]

okay so this is my first request ever on here lmao, but i LOVE ur writing and i was thinking about a fic of Rafe and reader inspired by “Pillowtalk” or “Like i would” by zayn. I can’t stop thinking about this man while listening to these songs😫

၊၊||၊၊||၊၊ PILLOWTALK / zayn

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

we’ll go slow and high tempo, light and dark

Fucking Rafe is a mind-blowing blend of fast and slow, of hard and soft, and no matter how many times you do it, you’re enthralled by him and the things his body can do to yours.

He loves to go from slow thrusts to hard thrashes, from cradling your jaw to choking you, showing you just how much he loves you and how much he loves having sex with you at the same time.

i love to hold you close, tonight and always

His favorite positions are the ones where he can wrap his arms around you or have his face close to yours. Rafe thought he was always a guy who simply fucks, but when he meets you, he gets the hype behind the concept of ‘making love.’

Because that’s what it feels like with you. Like he’s using his hands and his mouth and his cock to show you how deeply and sincerely he loves you.

a place that is so pure, so dirty and raw

Things are so simple when he’s inside of you, so perfect and coarse and raw. Both of you forget everything and focus completely on pleasing each other.

When he’s settled between your legs, curving into you, whispering in your ear about how damn good you feel, you’re in another world. It’s your own special place in universe, somewhere only you two are lucky enough to be in.

fucking and fighting on

You fight as hard as you fuck. Sometimes Rafe can’t believe how effortlessly you manage to get on his very last nerve.

He swears you’ll kill him one day, but once the argument gets heated enough that his lips are on yours and your fingers are tangled in his hair and his hands are on your hips, he realizes you also make him feel like you’re giving him the breath to stay alive. He needs you and you need him just as badly.

[rodolfoparras]

Hello Alec! I wanted to drop by with a small gift:

Imagine walking into the bathroom, John Price is stood in front of the mirror over the sink, pyjama bottoms hanging low on his hips leaving his torso bare. He catches your eyes in the mirror and smiles at you, the skin around his eyes crinkling, as you move up behind him to slip your arms around his waist. Your fingers curl into the soft curls of his happy trail over the soft layer of his stomach, and you press your face to his neck, inhaling his musk deeply into your lungs. With a subtle movement you grind your hips against his backside, and watch with a concealed smile as his face flushes in response to you….

Enjoy this little moment ⛈️

Anonie I absolutely adore you for this thank you sm for putting this thought in my head 😭😭

Imagine being married to Price and when he puts his hand over yours you can feel his ring brushing over your skin, metal cold as ever and raising goosebumps on your body.

You’re quick to turn him around in your embrace and put him on top of the bathroom counter feeling the way his legs effortlessly wrap around your upper body as his hands cling onto your neck.

“You’re beautiful” you say and place a kiss on his arm.

“Oh cut it off” he says as he rolls his eyes but you can still see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth

You lightly nip at his skin seeing the way he winces while you smile innocently at him “I’m serious,”

“Yeah?” Is all he says as his hands tighten around your neck.

“Want me to prove it?” You say hands sneaking up his thigh and groping his clothed cock, feeling the way it hardens under your touch.

“Please” he grunts out, eyes fluttering shut as he bucks up into your hand.

“Don’t worry love you know I won’t leave you hanging” you say, pulling away from his embrace before hooking your hands onto the waistband of his pants and shuffling them down to his knees.

He just stares at you with eyes half lided and mouth agape, while leaning back onto the counter.

“This okay?”

“More than okay”

[secret-smut-sideblog]

Tongues and Teeth

Monster x F! Reader (named)

18+ relationships forming, predator/prey, tension, roughness, dirty talk, light choking, restraint, thigh riding, oral (f!), face sitting, masturbation (gn), yearning oh god the yearning

When her monster comes to her again, Merricat learns more about them. And as they are comforted in her, are drawn ever closer...

Prev Chapter, Masterlist

-

A disgruntled heel closed her door, carrying late night groceries in to the counter. Keys looped onto a hook in her wake. Shoes abandoned at the threshold.

"Okay..." She sighed to herself, feeling small triumph and pride at braving the exhaustion. Shedding her work clothes in layers as she fell into the arms of her home. Swaddling herself in a big t-shirt. Igniting warm lamplight along her trail.

Falling back with a satisfied flop on the couch, a drink cracked open in her fingers.

The hinges of the stairwell door shrieked.

Merricat froze.

The wall at her back paused in silence. Then footsteps took up, ascending to the alcove. Sharp in the echo.

Hooves.

A wide smile split her face. Looping a second drink in the hook of her fingers.

"Huh, no rain tonight?"

Blackwood looked up, tilting their head at her in welcome. A new book she had left on the end table open in their lap.

"Not yet. But it's on its way."

Their voice always elicited shivers down her back, gooseflesh rising on her forearms.

As if agreeing with them, a low peal of thunder rose further in towards the city.

It had been several Fridays since their last encounter, and at each appearance, Blackwood had come to darken her doorway. Taking up her alcove as sanctuary from the storm. Reading in the lamplight. Sometimes she joined them, sometimes not. More than happy to supply them with reading material and even a sliver of something home shaped.

She held the bottle out by the neck in offer. Blackwood took it easily, turning it in their large, taloned hands.

"Though, I'm not sure if it's the rain that summons me back here."

Their halogen eyes found hers, head angled into an appraising tilt. Lifting the bottle under skull to their lips.

"Anymore, at least."

Merricat's fingers tightened just slightly on her elbow.

"Actually, I was thinking..." She picked at the label, feeling their eyes heat on her.

"Do you want to come in? Like, in, in?"

She could see their lips fall open in a soft part as their head lowered back down. A deep breath pulled through.

"I would. Very much."

She smiled, nerves and joy colliding. Turning down the stairs, their body an encompassing shadow at her back following. Heart thrilling in her chest.

"Ah, watch your step." She hummed, the low doorway a natural obstacle. Blackwood having to duck their head down in a curl and turn to the side to fit the width of antlers.

"Here." She hushed, smiling. Looping her fingers around a prong to guide it fully down. The smooth bone cool under her pull.

Only after a moment did she realize the casual intimacy of that. She was always too comfortable with touch, reaching out to pat away dirt or tuck a tag in a shirt.

But before she could feel a prickle of shame, their hand came down to the small of her back. Leading her forward in an equally comfortable guide to make room.

Their wide hand felt lightning along her, warm and tingling. Material and shifting. In both worlds.

"Well, here's my shame." She laughed, moving to the kitchen. "I know, it looks like I gutted an antique store."

Blackwood's eyes followed along the walls, studying the fine art prints and faded photographs. Further drawn in by shelves and ledges lovingly adorned with oddities and trinkets.

"No, it's beautiful." They sighed, moving along the room. Picking up a small bottle sealed with wax, filled with settled sand and seawater. Gently flipping it on its head and back, the grains clouding.

"I'd love a tour, if you don't mind."

"Oh...! Of course!" She chirped, surprised delight raising her up from a lean on the counter.

She led them room to room, pointing out many small fascinations and explaining their origins to the best of her memory.

Glad for the distraction. The heat shared between them in the stairwell weeks ago had burned into her fingers, and she was desperate to regain some platonic footing. Sure the moment had been an overstep, a miscommunication. Though their companionship was... odd, she treasured it dearly already. A girl and a monster. How wonderful.

"Well, that only took half an hour, a new record for me." She laughed, displaying the last cabinet in her bedroom with a flourish. "Sorry, I get carried away."

"No, no..." They ran a taloned finger ever so softly over a glass protected taxidermy. "You've amassed a fascinating collection. Macabre and lovely."

Appraising her again with that small tilt of head. "I think fate couldn't have chosen a better person. Given the form I take now."

She gave a little happy wiggle of shoulders and immediately felt silly about it. Always too girlish in her mannerisms. But Blackwood's eyes only creased up in a hidden smile.

"Your... form." She started, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "How does that feel? For you?"

They settled next to her, folding a long leg onto the bed to face her. Taking a small moment of thoughtful pause.

"Unstable. Like I am between." They raised their hands, holding them in a demonstrating curl. "There's this pull. Like the shift in the air before lightning. Crackling. But it's all over me. Through me."

"In the few moments when I feel material, it settles slightly. Then I feel... tight. Powerful."

They waved their hands in a search for words.

"Coiled?" She offered.

"Yes. Coiled. Poised to strike." They let out a slightly shuddered breath.

"Is it... does it feel frightening?" She turned fully to them. Her hands resting in her lap, fingers unconsciously folding over the ones that had been in their mouth.

"Yes." They breathed. "Terribly."

They slid their hand under hers, curling over her body stained fingers.

"It feels so good." They rumbled, eyes burning. Hackles raising up their back.

Her breath was a fast rabbit caught. Knowing her instinct was right.

Run, girl. Run.

But that was not what her desire spoke.

She rushed them, rising onto knees to push her burning body into their dark. Gasping out breath as her mouth desperately fought to taste theirs.

Blackwood tangled into her, tilting their head back to give her their maw. Her hungry mouth undeterred by the bone of their skull above. Anatomy be damned.

Their hands threaded into her hair, curling around to scratch lines above her ear. Growling and huffing. Biting at her, leaving lips bruised and angry. Two animals rutting in the soft dark.

Their body felt velvet and shock. Electricity pushing into her everywhere they grasped. In the taught of their large muscled body, the silk fur of where their form became beast. Long hair that she wound in her fingers and tugged. All of it wrapped in the deepest black. Crowned in proud branches of bone.

The lust she tried to smother in reason and shame filled her belly, inhibition swept away in the storm. She wanted them. She had always wanted them.

Pulling her top off in a reckless toss, she pressed into them. Grinding into their lap.

Blackwood huffed out breath.

"Wait..."

She paused, worry weaving under the weight of her desire.

"I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you, Merricat." Their claws dug into her hips. "I need more than you can take."

"Please, don't stop." She gasped, cupping both sides of their face. "I want you to take. Take me apart. Take all I have to give."

They growled deep in their chest. Their pupils narrowed into pinpoint. Hand coming to snap her wrists behind her back. Head descending to her breast.

"Oh god..." She shuddered, their tongue curling in fast swirls. Sucking the peak in pops of their lips, releasing it to toy with it again. The sensation sent her head back in a pant. Pleasure pooling in her cunt.

They nibbled down on the tip, pulling a whimper from her. Eyes already lost in her sockets, a strike of lust fueled pain tightening as they bit in earnest.

Their hand not holding her writhing wrists came up to slide fingers under her. Her panties separating only adding maddening friction.

"I feel that." They breathed, voice all danger. Nearly accusatory. "You're soaking."

"Yes." She hushed, angling her hips forward. Seeking.

"You know, I could smell you. When you put your fingers inside me." They hissed, fingers tightening into a bruise on her wrists. "Your heat."

Their fingers left her center to curl around her throat. Lifting her high onto her knees. Their head curling down to stare furious desire into her.

"I even tried to rush you. But that only made you want it more, didn't it?"

She nodded, staring wide-eyed. Head nothing but heavy lust.

Their knee slid forward, pushing her up into their thigh.

"Well, you want this so badly?" They chuckled, tilting her head up with the sharp of their thumb. "Then ride."

She needed no further instruction, grinding down into the taut of their thigh. Gasping into her pleasure, already delirious. Their hands still around her throat and wrists a promise of danger.

"That's good." They purred, licking a stripe up the curve of her ear. "Little whore of a beast."

Her cunt clenched hard, a soft whimper leaving her. Already wild with debauched heat. Their thigh wet with her. The smell of her arousal on their fur a primal demand.

"Oh, you like that, do you?" They laughed again, voice so deep it shook the shell of her ear. "Rubbing your scent on me, marking me. Well it works both ways, sow."

Their hand left her wrists to push between them, gathering a pull of her slick onto their long fingers. Spreading it between two fingers with a sharp smile.

"This is mine now."

They arced their hand up their own throat, smearing her into the side of their neck.

Her orgasm crashed into her, buckling her into them. Crying out into jerks of her hips, pleasure unwinding her at her very core.

"Very good." They smiled. "I've shown quite the restraint. You, on the other hand..."

She smiled, body still jolting in aftershock.

"Ah, but restraint is short-lived. And I'm still very hungry." They growled. Sliding down onto their back. Pushing her thighs up to straddle over their face.

"Sit."

She stared down, eyes wide again.

"I said." They yanked down on her thighs. "Sit. Now."

She fell into their mouth, the underside of their skull pushing into her lower belly. Sharp teeth scraped into the soft skin of her thigh on her descent.

Their tongue pushed fully inside her, stretching up and back. Impossibly long. The base grinding into her clit while the tip pulsed into her g-spot.

"Fuck!" She cried out, already tremoring hard. Winding her hands around their antlers as a meager anchor.

Blackwood grunted and huffed at the pull on their antlers. Eyes burning up into her. Suddenly having an upper hand, she smiled. Giving an experimental tug.

They moaned, cupping her ass in both hands. Digging talons into the globes.

Soaked in near unbearable pleasure, she directed their head into a rocking from their antlers. Puppetering her demise.

Their hips bucked up in time to her pulls, tongue fucking with her. Lip curling up into a pleased snarl as she rode their mouth. Tongue unbelievable in its form.

"Oh god, I'm already-" She choked.

They slapped her ass. Demanding. Their other descending behind her to rub into themself. Eyes glazed with lust below her. Tongue working into a frenzy.

She crumpled into herself as her second orgasm hit, sure that she would've collapsed forward if their skull wasn't pushed against her.

They quickly flipped her onto her belly as it struck. Hiking her hips high into the air to grind into her backside.

She pushed back into them, moaning into the mattress. A low chattering huff rose into a bugle at her back as they came. A haunting scream of a call that shook her eardrums.

They fell back into an open slump, head thrown. Panting in hard huffs. Small calls near wails rising from their chest. Diaphragm hitching.

Merricat wrapped around them, turning her face into their chest. Gasping out her own smaller calls.

They buried themself into her, holding around her back with desperate tenderness. Both cradled in the quiet of pleading arms.

"I can't stay." Their deep voice heavy with regret.

"I know." She murmured, feeling their body already starting to slide away. Fingers dipping in shifting dark.

"I'll be back." They promised in a rush, voice husky in its brevity.

"Good. I'll be waiting." She smiled, pulling back. Leaning up on the tips of her knees to quickly kiss them and take a ribbon from her wall. Tying it to a prong.

"Find your way back to me, Blackwood." She whispered as they slid away, black water lost in between her fingers. Leaning forward to brush their lips against hers as they dissipated into the air.

"Hurry back." She hushed into the open night.

Sighing out a laugh as the thunderstorm finally hit her roof.

"I'll pray for rain, okay?"

~

[shittypepsispritedaily]

DAY 39

[ouppi]

𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 @flesh-of-the-hare

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥  🐇 🥩 ☁️ ┃ 🩸 👁️‍🗨️ 🩸 ┃ ☁️ 🥩 🐇

[puckpocketed]

caps fan here!

as follower of pld (the few, the proud, the courageous!), i was wondering if you had any thoughts about how he might fit in with our team, assuming he's going to be 1C with Ovi on the left and one of Wilson or Mangiapane on the right, and basically taking the former Kuznetsov/Backstrom spot on the halfwall on PP1. my thinking is that he can easily return to being a 60 point player just by the increase in ice time alone this coming season, and maybe even flirt with 70 if he has a triggerman like big O on his wing.

as someone who knows a hell of a lot more about PLD than i do, is that just wishful thinking because i'm a caps fan? what do you think?

The PLD Post, Part 2: mask-OFF

Hii!! (we are SO brave and SO correct). i am so sorry this took ages to answer, i was trying to decide how serious to be. I will admit, I was hesitant about going mask-off and hitting up the microstats and revealing that i do seriously think he can be better than he was bc that shit is kinda lame ESPECIALLY when defending a clear failhorse. but at this point any rep i have as someone with good opinions must be gone considering how many media scapegoats i've attached myself to (i got a fucking. c.gauthier ask the other day aslkjdkljas) so. mask is coming off. we've hit somewhere between well-considered manifesto and vibe check so . um. enjoy!!

I remain optimistic going from everything I've heard and from what you're saying here! But, big big asterisk. He absolutely needs to take ownership of his lack of engagement. when he speaks in media availability I believe him when he says he wants to change. The will to change is there, idk if it’s possible that any player would be satisfied with their performance being the way his was. There’s a lot that needs to be unpacked about his lack of production, the Character Issues, and what his role might look like going forward. You and any other Caps fan who reads this will have to tell me if the fit is right. Hockey talk below the cut lol!!

So before I start I have to say I know dick all about the Caps except:

You're dragging that old man (Ovechkin) to Gretzky's lawn (record) to set it on fire (break it before he retires)

Everyone is pining away for your very very injured 1C who is also Ovechkin's boybestfriend/perfect set-up guy/work wife

There's. intricate pre-game rituals?

So I'm not sure I can speak to how he will fit with your (our? i AM picking the Caps up fr given every acquisition/draft pick they've made) team with any depth or specificity. also i don't think i'd call myself a PLD expert. like. i just got here !! I haven't been following him since he was drafted or anything!! I have, however, consumed TOO MANY Kings games this past season and I can give you a broad look at what actually happened with them and why I think it didn't work out. I will not be making any overtures about being unbiased. My biases WILL slip through because I think Dubois is a sweetheart and I find the mental exercise of defending him fun <3 I’ll give you stats and observations and I will build a story that runs counter to what the prevailing media narratives say. While I stand by my opinions, they're also just one of many available interpretations of what happened.

character concerns

Everyone will be bringing it up at the first speed bump of the season, the first bad game he has. Please be prepared to have a crisis of faith and also be deeply disappointed in him. god knows I am, like, all the time <3 But... I always want to dig deeper when it comes to dominant narratives, because in following multiple teams I’ve become acutely aware of just how miserably Bad media can be at reporting on teams that aren’t their own.

I hear “Locker room cancer” accusations bandied about and I’ve yet to see anyone produce a primary source for this — podcasters, journalists, even people on nhl broadcasts will throw these words around so casually, assuming they’re correct because everyone knows the story. Some confounding factors in the character narratives arise when you scratch the surface. People who've worked with him speak well enough of him. Todd McLellan called him “misunderstood”, and had nothing bad to say about his character.

Matt Roy, who also just got picked up by the Caps, has recently said he’s a great teammate. MORE proof if you want to hear it directly, Roy went on Dropping The Gloves and had this to say about Dubois (transcript by me):

[on what actually happened] Honestly, I don’t know. I mean if you asked him he would say he had a down year. But it’s nothing like — I feel like the media paints this picture of him, and to me it couldn’t be further from the truth, you know. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great locker room guy, he gets along with everybody. So, in terms of all that I don’t know where the media is getting all this stuff. If I hated the guy I probably wouldn’t have come to Washington. He’s one of my friends on the team and I really think he’s going to have a bounce back year. I think he’s really going to be good for the team.

Matt Roy signed with the Caps of his own free will as an RD, a contested free agent in a sparse market, knowing Dubois was already here. He could’ve gone to plenty of different places. Why the hell would Roy sign here long-term, clearly wanting to play and win, if Dubois was as disliked as some pundits would have us believe??? Credible reports (and not just speculation) point to PLD’s other teammates liking him!! 

And here’s some propaganda; I direct you to this extremely sweet video where he gets asked about assisting on Akil Thomas' first NHL goal (and a bunch of other first NHL goals). He is so, so genuinely happy for Akil, who battled through injuries that set back his development for years. Just LOOK at his smile!! He can’t hold it back. (Others have said this but it looks like a little v. Like :> !!!! HELLO !!)

How does all of this happen when, supposedly, he’s a low-character asshole and a “locker room cancer”? It doesn’t line up for me.

On the other hand, I have seen Dubois cruise. He really can’t seem to bounce back from a poor start, and if you were just looking from the outside in, the scoresheet this year reflects this. The critique is fair; I’ve turned this over in my head enough times. there are less physically gifted, less skilled players, who are working so hard to stay in this league, and Dubois’ poor showing does feel somewhat like, idk, something I’d be mad about usually.

Here comes the “but”. Call this next bit the narrative section, because I’m showing my ass here: I think Dubois gets a lot of scrutiny because of his infamous Shift, which went a specific kind of viral, under the exact right conditions, and it has just. defined his career. And okay… I am not denying that the shift happened, but plenty of guys in this league have taken shifts off. come on. the season is long and they're only human. I’m not excusing it either! It was bad and he deserved his benching. Ideally, he one day becomes a player who always puts effort in. Working hard is one of my favourite traits in any player, and usually this would be enough for me to dismiss him as not worth being invested in.

and yet…. the reactions to his floundering performance feel so much like they’re about expectations as seen through the lens of The Shift. They’re calibrated differently because he went 3rd overall, and he's got this big body, the speed, the skill — it's the fact that he's got the tools and seemingly squanders them. All of this is amplified by the contract he's sitting on and his run of short-term stays on teams. Does he get this much scrutiny if he went in the 2nd or 3rd round? Does he catch this much heat for his low energy performance if that one shift clip hadn’t done all that damage? We’ll never know obviously but . I do wonder.

Final word on the character stuff is that we don’t know what truly went on in those locker rooms and i don't want to give more air time to baseless speculation. What we can examine is the hockey. The hockey tells the truth <3

the 23-24 la kings

Assuming the plan is to give PLD a look at 1/2C while he’s on the Caps, I think he’s a complementary type of player. The way he is right now, I don't think he can drive his own line or pull people up. He works with the calibre of lineys he's got and will produce the expected outcome. That sounds so obvious, but what I’m saying is I don’t think he’s capable of miracles like the best playmakers in the league, he's not about to make your guys look 15 years younger. In this vein, I look at his many first NHL goal assists as a symptom of what kind of linemates he was being paired with all season, and how unstable the situation was. His drop in point production IS more complicated than "he's just a piece of shit". From this article, the best summary I've seen of the Situation PLD was in:

LA acquired a player who had been a top-six center (and at times, winger) his entire career playing with established NHL talent. Yet after investing multiple assets to acquire Dubois and sign him to a significant contract, the team decided to put him in a third-line role where his most common linemate was a first-year NHL player who wasn’t expected to be on the roster in Alex Laferriere. Those two had a revolving door of wingers throughout the season. Moreover, Dubois’ most common on-ice teammates after Laferriere at 5-on-5 this season were Matt Roy and Andreas Englund. Gee, I wonder why he didn’t produce?

Context about Roy and Englund: Roy is a quiet but capable d-man who is defensively geared with a bit of offensive upside (j'adore. does things the right way and is very responsible and good. will throw hits but doesn't chase them or headhunt. I think playing away from the Kings’ more passive system will unlock more of his offensive potential. Matt Roy you will be SO good for the Caps I truly believe mwah mwah); and Englund is a leg weight/goon who, going by every single stat I can pull out, makes his d-partners Worse (with affection <3). Point here is neither of them being on the ice was particularly conducive to a lot of scoring chances.

As I said in my previous post, I think Dubois absolutely needs finishers. At some point there was hype around his shot but I didn't see much of that at all on lak? Eye test says: he was unwilling to shoot, and when he did shoot it felt like there was low/no commitment, no power behind it. Comments on his shooting called him “too deferential” at different turns. That’s just an insulting way to say a guy likes to pass and I truly think it circles back to the expectations thing. Would there be anything wrong with him not being much of a shooter this past season if he was another player? (Can't we just say he passed a lot this season without bringing value judgement into it? leave my failhorse ALONE!!!! like must a man score goals ,can't he be very very sweet and happy for the rookies he assisted ? wailing about it forever.)

More fun stats from that same article:

#1 on lak for passes that led to high-danger scoring chances, and scoring chances in general <- again, not a miracle worker. did not have finishers who could capitalise on these chances. its so fucked up what they did to my failwife

one of the best on lak in actually carrying the puck into the o-zone. (another reason i quite liked watching him!! transition forwards my BELOVED) everything I've ever observed about him off the cuff holds true here: he draws penalties this way, because he's fast and when he's locked in he is pretty good for controlled zone entries <3

Dubois had a career high in even-strength assists per 60, this is all in spite of his weird linemate situation and his reduced TOI and the power play mess (more on this later). he might have been deferring, but I truly think the lack of stability + good finishers, and ice time held him back from being more productive.

jim hiller

Building off that last point: even worse on the stability front, which I did allude to in the initial PLD Post, was what happened when Jim Hiller took over. You must understand one of the first clues that we were working with a different animal of a head coach is he was NOT afraid to line shuffle, and shortly after he found short-term success with that, they started running 11 forwards and 7 defensemen (you can see where it started precisely if you scroll back in lak lb because you'll find ME yelling about it LMAO). This shortened forward bench resulted in mid-game line shuffling, as in it was uncertain as to who they would be playing with from shift to shift. Hiller is on record saying he thinks it was beneficial, per this article:

It’s all about getting his deep forward corps engaged in the game. That’s sometimes difficult if you’re running four full lines and there are penalty kill or power play opportunities that alter the flow of the lines. Especially for the group of forwards who don’t kill penalties – think Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Quinton Byfield, Pierre-Luc Dubois – it’s an opportunity to get them extra shifts and engage in the game. “Some of our other players who don’t penalty kill, you know they can lose the flow of the game, so they enjoy it more I know,” Hiller said of having 11 forwards in action. “We’ve talked about it a lot. We really just think for our team, the way it is right now, that gives us an advantage getting those players more ice time.”

(and ok sorry to go off about my gripes with how the kings are run but .They were doing this into playoffs. This article was written during playoffs. god. CARL GRUNDSTROM, WHO HAS NEVER NOT PLAYED HARD, PLAYED 25 SECONDS IN GAME 2. all this while they were trying to get people 'engaged'. Idk. Maybe it did work for some players. I wasn’t behind that bench. But sitting one of your most energetic and committed forwards during a series in which you’re trying to come back from being down several games was a CHOICE!!!! also like what if you didn't double-shift QB. what then. And we all know how that series ended. lak coaching/management i am beating you with a pillowcase stuffed with bricks . <3)

Much was made of the Hiller takeover. I liked it at the time. In his first couple of media availabilities post-TM, Hiller emphasised bringing back "fun" to the game for many of the players who were slumping — and a reportedly tense locker room during the big skid that lost McLellan his job. It was all very Ted Lasso of him. Hiller also introduced a new way to rate Dubois for his performance every night, separate from the scoresheet. I made jokes about PLD's very special star-chart, everyone who knew about it was making jokes about it. This merit system was tailored towards communicating with Dubois what he did and didn't do well, and while no one ever went into depth about it we do know a few things:

It measured things outside of +/-, goals and assists, and was likely a score out of 5 per metric.

One of the metrics was about hits/physicality, another one was likely ‘compete’ levels.

He alluded to being measured on penalties drawn?? Or something??

Anyway it sort of … worked?? The change in Dubois was pretty immediate, the moment he was given some clear direction to work in. He played some of his BEST games of the year in the wake of this change. He got involved physically, he was not losing steam, he was drawing tons of penalties because he’s huge and fast and has good hands and IF he puts his mind to it he can truly be a transition monster.

CUE THE LINE SHUFFLING… imo, much of the progress made seemed to be lost, and the rest is history.

NOT saying Dubois is free of fault here. Needing that extra motivation to get physically involved is kinda wild, and I understand why for some people it’s a bridge too far. EYE am here for the laffs though and it's really funny that the communication came in the form of super special individualised performance evaluations/a glorified sticker chart. This is why he’s my temperamental desert flower. Wilting violet. Soggy kitten. <3 and for the record I truly don’t think I’d care if he put up 40 points per szn for the rest of his career. I don’t care because he’s a sweetie and the Bit i do when defending him is too funny. I don’t think I’d care if everyone was right about him — I just don’t actually think they are.

the power play problem

So okay, as per part 1 (my last email <3) we know Dubois thrives net front. It’s where he scored a bunch of his goals on the Jets. Every stat and the eye test supports this. So how come Lak had him stationed on the half wall doing jackshit, if he was on the power play at all?? I will admit I drove myself half crazy studying power play structures and watching LA Kings games back before coming up with a garbled, half-formed idea about how LA runs their PP. I was going to attempt to explain it here — had to do with Kevin Fiala and Dubois being lefties and how that's just an awkward passing sitch — but it turns out more than one person has had this thought and MAN I love being validated by actual hockey people. I fully thought i was making shit up in my head for a good week or two, and was seriously considering scrapping this portion . but it’s SO important for contextualising the production drop, so here goes !!

As early as September 2023 there was a story published about PLD’s role on PP1 — a place where he certainly should’ve belonged as a top-6 guy with plenty of ppg’s under his belt. From this article, which explains the issue very very neatly, and much more eloquently than I could ever hope to:

The addition of Pierre-Luc Dubois was a big one this summer; at first glance, he should be a great addition to the power play. But when digging deeper, the Kings might struggle to fit him onto the top unit. Dubois played mostly as the net front player for the Winnipeg Jets last season, the role Gabriel Vilardi often played for the Kings last season. So, it’s an easy one-to-one switch in that spot, right? Not necessarily. Dubois has all the talents to be an effective net-front player. He has the size and strength to battle in front, with the skill to effectively pop down low and create chances. However, his handedness is a big problem for this role. The Kings run their power play primarily on the left side with Kevin Fiala — Anze Kopitar when Fiala is hurt — which necessitates a right shot down low. When a right shot player pops out on the left side, there’s an easy passing angle for the half-wall player and more options for the player down low. Quick passing is key for a successful power and a left-shot can’t move the puck quick enough down low. They would have to either move too far into the corner or take the extra second to step out from and open up their body to create an effective passing angle. Time that would slow the power play down too much and allow the opposition penalty kill to get back into position. There’s also minimal shot threat from a lefty down low. We saw both Vilardi and Viktor Arvidsson frequently take the pass down low and quickly turn it into a shooting opportunity, something a left shot wouldn’t be able to do.

It then goes on to suggest 2 solutions that aren’t appealing at all:

Flip the power play entirely to accommodate Dubois net front. Not great as they dont have the players for that, and if they tried it they’d be hamstringing Adrian Kempe’s one-timer.

PLD on the bumper position. This one’s hard to swallow because that displaces Kopitar to PP2, there’s his position as captain and the optics of moving him off his spot.

In this article it is once again suggested that LA MUST flip their power play and figure out how to get PLD net front. In this article they point out how useless he was playing on the wall down the stretch, and how the only reason he seemed to be able to produce something was because he’d taken Kopitar’s spot in his absence. This article calls to attention Dubois’ worlds performance, where team Canada utilised him net front.

Big picture, the Fit

Do we see the problem here yet? It’s not the flat narrative I was sold by the national media, random assholes on twitter, and podcasters who don’t actually watch Kings matches!!!! Do we see how weird and messy and complicated it is, beyond “hey he’s just a sack of shit who isn’t trying hard enough”. Rob Blake himself has come out and admitted that they didn’t put Dubois in a position to succeed. And absolutely there was effort required on his end — a different player might have sucked it up and adapted to circumstances, a different player might never have needed that extra bit of communication, a straight up better player might have dragged his less skilled lineys up to a higher level. But the problem has always been two-fold: LA was trying to coach and manage a completely different player to the one they had in front of them and expecting good results; and Dubois was unable to keep competing with all he had in the face of that. I think both parties are at fault here. And I think, given the chance and the right circumstances, Dubois can hit 60 points again.

Okay, circling back to the big question of Fit. Will he be able to work with Ovechkin? Hard to think he could fail with one of hockey’s best goal scorers on his wing, if he does get a look at 1C. People who know the Caps better than I do, does this sound workable? Is Dubois going to be too difficult of a nut to crack for your coach? Your locker room?

And, of course, the power play issue. Maybe Dubois learns to be better on the half wall! Idk!! Maybe it was a matter of coaching and he thrives in Washington running your PP1 from there. For my money… I like him better playing net front or bumper. Do the Caps have the bodies to accommodate this? I did ask someone familiar with the Caps PP to explain it to me so I could try and figure this out but ouuuugh. My head is spinning. Someone smarter than me please jump in. I am TIRED . We don’t know what it will look like, what they’re planning to do with Dubois on the power play. You guys probably have a better idea about what’s possible than I do <3

Conclusion?

PLD is fast, big, a passing threat and a formidable net front presence when he’s given the opportunity and playing his A-game. As far as I can tell, his B-game is garbage </3 His poor performance is more complicated than people think and I’m pretty sure only the LA Kings beat reporters + the 12 kings fans on twitter know this. Most of them still dislike PLD anyway bc his low motor. I don’t blame them, I’m just more inclined to be forgiving because I love redemption arcs and I think he’s a good person. i would love to be wrong about his low-effort B-game LMAO but im trying to be realistic here. I want him to fit in and be embraced by the Caps so bad <3 Your coach sounds like he wants to help PLD succeed and is up for the challenge. The vibes from my friends who follow the Caps are always good, I’ve read through various tags and it sounds like a place that will take him in whether he likes it or not. I might be stupid but I believe in him !!! and I’ve laid out all the hockey bullshit for you to the best of my ability. Given all of this… do you think he’ll do well?

[quick-catton]

girlboy ollie for the timeline ! (◠‿◠✿)🎀🩷🍭

[neatfrog]

I asked my spouse what I should draw for them and they said ‘saints row’ so this is the result 🌈✨

✨ my art | insta ✨

details under the cut (I spent an ungodly amount of time on this ;;)

[erwinsvow]

hii idk if request r open but what abt rafe going down on u after just getting his buzzcut and u try pulling his hair but u cant so u start whining abt it and get a little teary eyed cuz u love his hair n then he promises to grow it back for u🥹☝🏼

you try to sit up for a moment, but rafe's still having his way between your legs, so you end up thudding back down against his sheets, a stray moan leaving your mouth.

you do what you always do—run your fingers through rafe's hair and try to push him closer, or sometimes further away when it's getting to be too much, even though you're not nearly strong enough to actually do so, but today your fingers fall short. they're searching for what they usually find but are being greeted by nothing but the short hairs of rafe's new buzzcut.

you flop against the sheet, trying your hardest to shut your legs.

"rafe-" you get out, and he takes it as a sign to keep going, to go harder. you let out another moan but are determined to get him to listen, closing your thighs around his head. he finally looks up, mad that you're trying to get him to stop, eyes blown with lust, mouth wet with your juices. you bite your cheek, wondering why you would ever make him stop when he's like this.

"what? m'busy."

"this isn't the same."

rafe looks back down at your pussy, and then back up at you.

"looks the same to me."

"no, rafe, your hair. this isn't the same. it's no fun now," you whine, face twisting into a sad pout—really, you are sad. you think sadly for a moment there's nothing you like more than rafe's long hair.

"no fun? really?" rafe pushes in two fingers to your wet hole suddenly, making you gasp and clench around him. "she's having fun. i can tell. look how fuckin' wet you are."

"i-um, oh-" rafe adds a third finger, pushing in and out of you quickly. you can't stay still, head tipping back, noises spilling out. rafe mocks your moans.

"no fun. shut up."

he makes you cum twice like that, probably just to punish you for even acting up. you take it without a complaint after that. later that night, when you're about to fall asleep, you feel the soft press of his lips on your forehead.

"it'll grow back, kid, don't worry."